Today's News-Friday, June 19, 2009

HAVEN COUPLE TERROR NIGHTMARE CONTINUES

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ASKING THE COURTS TO DROP A LAWSUIT FILED BY AN AREA COUPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ON A TERRORIST WATCH LIST. MUSLIMS ERICH SCHERFEN AND HIS WIFE, RUBINA TAREEN, SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, HAD FILED SUIT LAST YEAR ABOUT WHY THEY WERE PUT ON GOVERNMENT WATCH LISTS, cREATING JOB PROBLEMS AND SUBJECTING THEM TO SEARCHES AND DETENTION. REPORTS IN TODAY’S REPUBLICAN HERALD INDICATE THAT THE GOVERNMENT ASKED A FEDERAL JUDGE IN SCRANTON TO DROP THE ACLU SUIT, SAYING THE COUPLE HAS NO GROUNDS TO BRING IT. GOVERNMENT LAWYERS SAY THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO EXPLAIN WHY PEOPLE ARE ON LISTS, STATING NATIONAL SECURITY. SCHERFEN, A VETERAN, HAD BEEN SUSPENDED FROM HIS JOB AS A PILOT BECAUSE OF THE MATTER.

VANDALISM AND THEFT IN PALO ALTO

PALO ALTO POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING VANDALISM AND BURGLARY IN THE BOROUGH BETWEEN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. SOMEONE BROKE INTO THE PAVILION ON EAST BACON STREET. RESTROOMS AND THE MAIN ROOM WERE VANDALIZED. THE CITIZENS FIRE COMPANY WAS BROKEN INTO THROUGH THE LOADING DOCK AND BEER STOLEN FROM THE CONCESSION AREA. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION, CALL PALO ALTO PD AT 622-0411.

ST CLAIR POLICE WARN OF LOTTERY SCHEME

RESIDENTS ARE BEING WARNED ABOUT LOTTERY SCAMS CIRCULATING IN THE AREA. ST CLAIR POLICE SAY A BOROUGH WOMAN RECEIVED A LETTER THAT SHE WAS THE WINNER OF A LOTTERY DRAWING IN SPAIN, BUT THAT SHE HAD TO SEND MONEY IN ORDER TO CLAIM HER PRIZE. CONTACT LOCAL POLICE IF YOU RECEIVE THIS TYPE OF MAIL SCAM.

TREMONT MAN RESENTENCED

A TREMONT MAN, ALREADY SERVING TIME FOR RUNNING A METH LAB, WAS RESENTENCED IN COUNTY COURT. REPORTS INDICATE THAT BRIAN HOKE JR., HAS BEEN IN STATE PRISON ON A 4 TO 8 YEAR SENTENCE FOR DRUG RELATED COUNTS SINCE 2006. APPEALS FILED BY HOKE IN 2006 AND 2007 WERE UPHELD, BUT THE STATE SUPREME COURT OVERTURNED PART OF THE ORIGINAL SENTENCE, KICKING IT BACK TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT. JUDGE CYRUS PALMER DOLBIN RESENTENCED HOKE TO THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT WITH CREDIT FOR TIME SERVED. HOKE RAN A METH LAB IN DOWNTOWN POTTSVILLE PRIOR TO HIS ARREST.

PA. JOBLESS RATE UP, ANOTHER 18K JOBS LOST IN MAY

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA'S JOBLESS RATE ROSE IN MAY TO ITS HIGHEST POINT IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS, ALTHOUGH IT REMAINS WELL BELOW THE NATIONAL LEVEL. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY SAYS THAT PA'S JOBLESS RATE ROSE TO 8.2 PERCENT AS EMPLOYERS SLASHED ANOTHER 17,700 NONFARM JOBS IN MAY. THE STATE'S JOBLESS RATE HAD BEEN 7.8 PERCENT IN APRIL. MAY'S NATIONAL JOBLESS RATE WAS 9.4 PERCENT. PENNSYLVANIA'S JOBLESS RATE LAST STOOD AT 8.2 PERCENT IN APRIL 1985. WITH MAY'S JOB LOSSES, PENNSYLVANIA NOW HAS FEWER JOBS THAN IT DID IN MAY 2004. THE DEPARTMENT ALSO REVISED APRIL'S JOB LOSSES DOWNWARD BY ANOTHER 6,500 JOBS FOR A TOTAL OF 23,800 THAT MONTH. SINCE THE RECESSION BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2007, PENNSYLVANIA HAS LOST MORE THAN 180,000 JOBS, OR ONE IN EVERY 32.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOV. ED RENDELL SAYS PENNSYLVANIA'S STATE BUDGET CANNOT BE BALANCED WITHOUT NEW TAXES. HE SAYS THERE'S ENOUGH TIME TO GET A TAX DEAL PASSED BEFORE THE FISCAL YEAR ENDS IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. RENDELL HAS CALLED FOR A 16 PERCENT INCREASE IN PERSONAL INCOME TAXES.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A STATE APPEALS COURT HAS STRUCK DOWN A SERIES OF GUN LAWS PASSED BY THE PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL. THE COMMONWEALTH COURT SAYS THE CITY CAN'T ENFORCE AN ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN AND A LAW THAT PROHIBITS STRAW PURCHASES. THE COURT SAYS ONLY THE STATE CAN PASS GUN LAWS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - FUNERAL SERVICES ARE SCHEDULED TODAY FOR A PHILADELPHIA WOMAN AND HER BABY WHO WERE AMONG FOUR PEOPLE KILLED
IN A CAR CRASH CAUSED BY A ROBBERY SUSPECT FLEEING POLICE. THE MOTHER, 22-YEAR-OLD LATOYA SMITH, WAS THE ONLY ADULT KILLED IN THE CRASH LAST WEEK. HER DAUGHTER, REMEDY, WAS 11 MONTHS OLD.

WILMINGTON, DEL. (AP) - A NEPHEW OF THE LATE CARDINAL JOHN O'CONNOR SAYS HE WAS SEXUALLY ABUSED BY A PRIEST. RICHARD GREEN OF NEW JERSEY SAYS THE LATE REV. JOHN MCDEVITT ABUSED HIM WHEN HE ATTENDED PHILADELPHIA'S FATHER JUDGE HIGH SCHOOL. MCDEVITT'S RELIGIOUS ORDER DECLINED TO COMMENT.

TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) - IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER IS SPEAKING TO THE IRANIAN PEOPLE IN A LIVE BROADCAST TODAY, EXACTLY A WEEK AFTER THE DISPUTED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. HE HAS APPROVED THE VOTE THAT GAVE HARD-LINE PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD A LANDSLIDE VICTORY, BUT HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO IGNORE THE DEFIANT OPPOSITION. MEANWHILE, IRAN'S GUARDIAN COUNCIL IS SET TO MEET WITH THE OPPOSITION LEADER TOMORROW.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - THE U.S. MILITARY IS PUTTING ANTI-MISSILE DEFENSES INTO PLACE AROUND HAWAII, FOLLOWING REPORTS THAT NORTH KOREA MAY TEST-FIRE A MISSILE TOWARD THE STATE. THE TEST WOULD REPORTEDLY INVOLVE THE NORTH'S MOST ADVANCED BALLISTIC MISSILE. A JULY 4TH LAUNCH IS POSSIBLE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - CONGRESS IS SENDING PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA A $106 BILLION SPENDING BILL TO PAY FOR MILITARY EFFORTS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. THE SENATE PASSED THE MEASURE 91-5, IN SPITE OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT ADD-ONS THAT TOTAL MORE THAN $20 BILLION OVER THE ORIGINAL FUNDING REQUEST.

MADRID (AP) - POLICE IN SPAIN SAY A BOMBING IN THE BASQUE CITY OF BILBAO MAY HAVE LEFT ONE PERSON DEAD. THE BLAST OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT. AUTHORITIES SAY ONE PERSON WAS IN THE CAR AT THE TIME.

YANGON, MYANMAR (AP) - SUPPORTERS ACROSS THE WORLD ARE CALLING FOR THE RELEASE OF NOBEL PEACE PRIZE-WINNER AUNG SAN SUU KYI, WHO'S MARKING HER 64TH BIRTHDAY LOCKED IN A MYANMAR PRISON. THE MYANMAR OPPOSITION LEADER HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF VIOLATING HER HOME DETENTION. SHE'S SPENT MORE THAN 13 YEARS IN DETENTION AND IS NOW FACING UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON.