Today's News-Tuesday, May 19, 2009-ELECTION DAY

ELECTION DAY

2009 could be known as the year of the election in Schuylkill County. Not because of the notoriety of the races, but because today is the second special election to be held in a month and a half. Voters elected Dave Argall to the state Senate on March 3^rd to replace the late Jim Rhoades. Jerry Knowles and Bill Mackey are looking to replace Argall in the 124^th District in a special election today. A host of local races for municipal boards, school directors and some statewide court races highlight the ballot in the primary. Incumbent Sheriff Joe Groody faces Democratic challenger Joe Devine, and former Pottsville police chief Dale Repp is alone on the Republican ballot in a key countywide race. Polls are open until 8pm. Listen to WPPA and T102 for reports after the polls close tonight, and view results online on our news website.

CRASH VICTIMS IDENTIFIED

State police have identified the man and woman who died from a motorcycle crash Sunday night. 39 year old Michael Masser of Tamaqua was operating the bike and 44 year old Judith Coleman of Tuscarora was his passenger when they crashed into a utility pole and trees on Old Route 209. Masser was pronounced dead at the scene. Coleman died at Lehigh Valley Hospital shortly after arrival. Troopers say the pair were ejected from the motorcycle and were not wearing helmets.

SCULLY APOLOGIZES FOR ROLE IN RAMIREZ BEATING

POTTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) – A Shenandoah teenager has apologized for his role in the fatal beating of an illegal Mexican immigrant. Eighteen-year-old Brian Scully admitted in juvenile court Monday that he took part in a July 12 fight that pitted several white teens against 25-year-old Luis Ramirez. President Judge William Baldwin found the teen delinquent and ordered him to spend 90 days in a treatment center in York, and stated that Scully was the instigator in the incident. After that, the court will determine if Scully should spend additional time in detention. Scully was one of four youths charged in connection with Ramirez's death last summer. Earlier this month, a jury cleared Derrick Donchak and Brandon Piekarsky of all serious charges. Colin Walsh has pleaded guilty to violating Ramirez's civil rights and faces up to nine years in federal prison. Prosecutors have called the attack a hate crime.

FLIM FLAM IN WILLIAMS TOWNSHIP

Lykens state police are looking for a man who scammed an ice cream parlor owner over the weekend. Troopers say a short, stocky man with black curly hair purchased ice cream at Willow Tree Ice Cream Friday night and paid for the purchase with a $20 dollar coin. The suspect convinced the owner that the coin was legit, a new coin just put into circulation. The man left in a van registered to Mervin Horst of Newmanstown. State police are looking for him now. He faces theft by deception charges.

FIRE DAMAGES MINERSVILLE HOME

Fire damaged a home in Minersville Monday afternoon. Crews were called to the Laurel Street home occupied by Kathy Stuck and Allen Gordon and two children. An adjoining home incurred smoke and water damage. Fire officials ruled the cause of the fire accidental.

ALL IN READINESS FOR TODAY’S ELECTION

After having to hire some last minute poll workers, Schuylkill County election officials are ready for today’s primary and special election. Frannie Brennan, Director of the Election Bureau tells WPPA/T102 News that while turnout is not normally brisk for primary elections, today’s special election in the 124th District may spur more voters to come to the polls. Normally, only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in a primary, but for voters casting ballots in the 124th District race, its open to all voters. Brennan explains:

BRENNAN

Nine hundred seventy six people will be voting absentee in today’s primary. Polls in all 167 precincts countywide will be open until 8pm tonight. You can listen to WPPA and T102 for results from the election, and see results posted as they come in from the STS building in St. Clair on our news website on wpparadio-dot-com and t102radio-dot-com.

CLAYMONT, Del. (AP) - A refinery fire that lasted nearly 24 hours has been extinguished. Firefighters put out a blaze caused by an explosion at a Delaware oil refinery that rattled nearby homes but caused no injuries. A spokeswoman for Sunoco Inc. says the fire was put out late yesterday, a little less than a day after the explosion.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A state senator says he will discuss a measure today that calls for a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Similar measures in the last two legislative sessions have failed. But Republican Sen. John Eichelberger of Blair County says he will announce the bill.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Prosecutors in suburban Philadelphia say a woman stole more than $100,000 from the law firm where she worked. Here's the kicker: They say the money stolen from the Norristown law firm was being used to pay restitution for a similar crime at a New York City law firm where the Spring City woman used to work.

MOUNTAIN TOP, Pa. (AP) - No one at a school district in northeastern Pennsylvania is serving lunch due to a strike by support staff, including cafeteria workers. Luzerne County's Crestwood School District is holding half-day classes due to the strike, which also involves teachers' aides, custodians, secretaries and other support staff.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey continues to attack Sen. Arlen Specter, even after the five-term incumbent switched parties. Toomey spoke at a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon yesterday, joking that he got into the race thinking he would beat Specter in the primary. But he never expected to drive him out of the party.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concludes his U.S. visit today with an appearance on Capitol Hill. He's likely to face questions about his refusal to endorse the creation of an independent Palestinian state and lay out his vision of Mideast peacemaking.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama wants to limit what's coming out of tailpipes of cars in the U.S. He plans to propose the first-ever national emission limits for cars and trucks today. He'll also introduce a higher fuel requirement of 35.5 miles per gallon to be met by 2016.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate votes today on a credit card bill designed to give consumers a helping hand. It requires a 45 day notice before credit card interest rates can be raised and helps them get lower rates back if they've been raised for late payment. The banking industry says it could tighten credit.

PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Susan LeFevre is getting out of jail today. She's the California mom who had been living a secret life after escaping from prison in 1976. She had been serving time in Michigan for a drug crime and was captured just over a year ago.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) - That big wildfire near Santa Barbara, Calif., is done. Firefighters have fully contained the nearly 2-week-old blaze that destroyed dozens of homes, burned more than 8,700 acres and forced some 30,000 residents to evacuate.