Today's News-Monday, May 4, 2009

ROBBERY SUSPECTS SOUGHT
Pottsville city police are looking for two men who robbed a woman when making a night deposit Saturday night. An employee of Supershoes was making an after hours deposit at M&T Bank on South Centre Street around 9:30 when the pair knocked the woman to the ground and took the bag containing over $2-thousand-dollars. During the scuffle, the woman suffered a broken arm. The pair are identified as 25 year old Jason Roldan and 21 year old Fabian Diaz, both from Shenandoah. The theives entered a parked car near the bank, and a witness used his vehicle to block the pair, who escaped on foot. A warrant has been issued for Diaz and Roldan. If you have any information, call Pottsville police at 622-1234 or the Schuylkill County Comm Center at 628-3792.

BURGLARIES IN RINGTOWN REPORTED
State police at Frackville are investigating two burglaries late last week in Ringtown. Two motorcycles were taken from the garage of Amanda Lorah on Trailer Road and cash and weapons were stolen from the home of 72 year old Nicholas Kuiper. Its unknown if the two burglaries are related. Troopers continue their investigation.

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT CHARGES AGAINST TWO MEN
A fight between two brothers at a North Manheim Township home result in charges being filed. Early Friday, William and Chris Dixon were fighting at a Second Mountain Road home. Chris Dixon punched William Dixon in the head several times, and a crow bar was used to injure one of the brothers. William Dixon was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault. Chris Dixon faces assault charges and harrassment. Schuylkill Haven state police responded to the scene.

BUSINESSES DISRUPTED FOLLOWING CRASH AT CRESSONA MALL
Two people escaped injury when their car crashed at Cressona Mall Saturday morning. Forty year old Edward Beckett of Port Carbon was driving south on Route 61, taking the Route 183 exit when he apparently had a seizure. State police say that his wife Pamela Beckett tried to take control of the car but was unable to. The vehicle went through the Long John Silver's parking lot and across the mall road when it snapped off a utility pole. Wires were downed over Route 183. Troopers say that a delay by Verizon crews to respond forced disruptions at three restaurants in that area for more than 6 hours.

GAY RIGHTS RALLY
Hundreds march in Philly national gay rights rally
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Hundreds of gay rights demonstrators marched through the sopping streets of Philadelphia's historic center Sunday carrying rainbow flags and signs calling for equal rights in marriage, in the workplace and in health care. The National Equality Rally was billed as the first national demonstration since 2000 for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights and the first held outside Washington. The marchers displayed signs from dozens of organizations and photos of people said to have been murdered because of their sexuality. A rally followed in the park across from Independence Hall, where rainbow umbrellas came in handy in the steady drizzle. Speakers called for support for gay marriage, more money for AIDS research and an end to workplace discrimination and the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military.

OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR PLANT
Oldest US nuclear plant resumes normal operations
LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - Normal operations have resumed at the nation's oldest nuclear power plant a week after it was shut down because of a failed transformer. Officials at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey had manually stopped its reactor without incident April 25. Crews repaired the transformer and modified its power supply.
Plant spokesman David Benson says the outage was extended so crews could further prepare the plant for summer operations. The crews also found and stopped two small leaks in underground pipes believed to be the source of a weak radioactive substance recently detected on the plant's property in Lacey Township, about 60 miles east of Philadelphia and 75 miles south of New York City. They replaced the pipes. Oyster Creek opened in December 1969. It generates enough electricity to power 600,000 homes a year.

SWINE FLU-PENNSYVLANIA
First case of swine flu confirmed in Pa.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (AP) - Health officials confirmed Pennsylvania's first case of swine flu Sunday in a 31-year-old man in suburban Philadelphia's Montgomery County. Gov. Ed Rendell told reporters at a late afternoon news conference that the man had recently arrived from Mexico but had recovered. Health officials say they are investigating seven more probable
cases of the illness, including the first outside of the Philadelphia area. There are three probable cases in Philadelphia, two in Montgomery County, and one each in Bucks, Lycoming and
Luzerne counties. Authorities are urging calm and advocating commonsense precautions such as washing hands frequently, covering the face when coughing or sneezing and staying home in the event of illness to avoid infecting others. Slippery Rock University in western Pennsylvania held a separate graduation Saturday for about 20 students who officials feared might have been exposed to the swine flu during a school trip to Mexico.

BISHOP-CASEY SPEECH
Pa. bishop criticizes college over Casey speech
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - The bishop of an eastern Pennsylvania diocese is criticizing a local Catholic college's decision to have U.S. Sen. Bob Casey speak at its graduation ceremony later this month. Bishop Joseph Martino of the Scranton diocese says Casey has been siding with abortion rights proponents recently. He says having the Pennsylvania Democrat speak at the May 17 commencement at King's College in Wilkes-Barre is "an affront to all who value the sanctity of life." Casey opposes abortion, but Martino cites his vote to confirm Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services despite her abortion rights stance. After the April 29 confirmation vote, the bishop hinted that he might one day deny communion to Casey. A college spokesman declined comment. Casey spokesman Larry Smar says the senator believes it would be irresponsible to leave the health position vacant.

SCOTUS-SPECTER
Specter says next justice ought to have done more in life than wear 'a black robe'
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Democratic Party's newest senator, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, says he hopes that President Barack Obama looks beyond the federal appeals court when he chooses the next justice of the Supreme Court. The federal appeals court is a traditional stepping stone for the nation's highest court. But Specter - a member of the Senate panel that will conduct hearings on Obama's nominee - says it would be good to have someone on the high court who has done more than wear a black robe. The Pennsylvania senator suggests a statesman or a stateswoman as a choice. Specter roiled Washington politics last week when he announced he was leaving the Republican Party and joining the Democrats. He spoke Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

HOME INVASION KILLINGS
Pittsburgh police hunt suspect in murder of 2 adult sisters in home as 3 young children slept
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Pittsburgh police are conducting a manhunt for a man charged with two counts of homicide in the deaths of two sisters shot in their home as their children slept.
SWAT team members and homicide investigators, with the help of police dogs and a helicopter, searched Saturday for 27-year-old Mario Parker, of Hazlewood. Investigators allege that he was one of two gunmen who shot 21-year-old Daneen Robinson and 32-year-old Rachel Robinson in their home early Friday as their children - ages 9, 5, and 3 - slept upstairs. The children are now staying with relatives. Police say Parker, who lives nearby, faces 15 additional charges in the double homicide. Authorities have declined to say whether they have identified the second suspect.

FAYETTE COUNTY CRASH
Western Pa. crash kills 2, critically injures 1
SMITHFIELD, Pa. (AP) - Authorities in western Pennsylvania say a car went out of control on a curve and slammed into a parked car, killing two people and injuring a third. Fayette County officials say the accident occurred at about 7 a.m. Saturday on Route 166 near Point Marion in Springhill Township. After hitting the car, the Honda Civic then hit a pole and a tree, rolled over an embankment and struck a shed. All three people inside were thrown from the vehicle. The Fayette County Coroner's office says 43-year-old Priscilla Fowler, of Clairton, and 45-year-old Donald Sickle, of Smithfield, were pronounced dead at the scene. Forty-year-old Mark Cordwell, of Lake Lynn, was listed in critical but stable condition Sunday morning at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va.

PITTSBURGH MARATHON
Kabiso narrow winner in Pittsburgh Marathon
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Kassahun Kabiso, a native Ethiopian who now lives in Washington, edged Jim Jurcevich by three seconds to win the men's division in the first Pittsburgh Marathon held in six years. Kabiso was timed in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 51 seconds on Sunday, pulling away a few steps from the finish line to edge Jurcevich of Columbus, Ohio and win the $4,000 first prize. Jurcevich finished in 2:22.54. Kristin Price, a former North Carolina State runner, ran away from the rest of the women's field by winning in 2:36.33 - or more than five minutes ahead of Phebe Ko of Baltimore. The 27-year-old Price, who also won $4,000, is a former suburban Pittsburgh high school athlete who lives in Raleigh, N.C.

BROAD STREET RUN
Kenyan runners win Philadelphia's Broad Street Run
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Kenya's Linus Maiyo and Jane Murage paced a record crowd of more than 26,000 to win Philadelphia's Broad Street Run in soggy conditions on Sunday. Twenty-six-year-old Maiyo completed the 10-mile course in 47 minutes, 21 seconds, scoring a four-second victory over Worku Beyi of Bronx, N.Y. Twenty-two-year-old Murage defended her 2008 title with a time of 53:31, finishing 13 seconds ahead of Buznesh Deba of Bronx, N.Y. The runners braved sporadic and sometimes heavy showers making for slick road conditions. Maiyo took the lead at about the three-mile mark but was closely trailed by Beyi until the last quarter-mile, when he broke away. Murage broke quickly at the start and had a comfortable 12-second lead early on, finishing with a faster time than last year's 54:16. Maiyo and Murage are part of a group of Kenyans who are seasonal residents of nearby Norristown and train at Valley Forge National Historical Park.

BOSTON (AP) - Talks have continued well past a midnight deadline between The Boston Globe's unions and its owner. At issue: $20 million in concessions to keep the newspaper open. The largest union says it's offered $10 million in concessions amounting to "tremendous sacrifices."

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico decides today whether to reopen businesses and schools or extend a shutdown that has helped choke off the spread of swine flu but has battered the economy. The government will start distributing safety plans to businesses and disinfecting schools.

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - Florida authorities say a father shot and killed his wife and two of his sons - one 5 months old and the other 7 years old - before killing himself in the front yard of
their home last night. The 13-year-old son was chased through the garage by his father and made it to a neighbor's house.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Asian stocks, led by Taiwan, are soaring. Taiwanese shares surged 5.6 percent on hopes for improved business ties with China. There were also large gains in Hong Kong, Shanghai and India. Japan's financial markets are closed through Wednesday.

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) - As Malawi's highest court prepares to decide on Madonna's bid to adopt a second child from that country, there's a dispute over whether a man trying to stop the proceedings is the girl's father. The case was to be considered today but a decision may not be announced for several days.