Today's News-Thursday, June 11, 2009

C&Y/COUNTY REACH AGREEMENT

A four year agreement has been reached between Children and Youth workers and Schuylkill County. The Republican Herald reports that the deal, which is retroactive to January of last year, provides for hourly workers to receive a 3 percent increase during the first year, and 3.5 percent the remaining years. The contract will remain in effect until 2012 for 70 employees, members of Service Employees International Union 668.

CHAMBER WINNERS

Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce presented their annual awards Wednesday at Orwigsburg. Businessman of the Year Jonas Kreitzer of Kreitzer Sanitation, Bartush Signs Incorporated, Entrepreneur of the Year Dawn Blankenhorn, Businesswoman Joanne Parulis, head of Schuylkill County’s VISION and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, non profit of the year, were all honored.

HOME SHOT AT

A Wayne Township woman's home was shot at overnight Tuesday. Schuylkill Haven state police say a 22 caliber bullet was shot into the rear of Therese Kuehn's house on Lowland Road. It apparently came from a wooded area behind the residence. Anyone with information should call state police at 593-2000.

CAR ENDS UP IN DITCH

No one was injured in a multi car crash along Route 61 Wednesday. Eric Carter of Shenandoah was driving south in the construction zone on the highway when he crossed over into the right hand lane, the left being closed due to construction. There were vehicles ahead of him in the area, and Carter was unable to stop in time, rear ending a car operated by Travis Comisac of Brockton. Carter's car ended up in the ditch. A third vehicle was struck by Comisac's car. The crash happened before 5pm.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Police say a car fleeing a Philadelphia robbery scene jumped a curb and crashed into a crowd last night, killing three children and gravely injuring a woman. Police
Commissioner Charles Ramsey says the crash occured night in Feltonville, a neighborhood of row houses in North Philadelphia.

PITTSTON, Pa. (AP) - A viewing is set Thursday and funeral Friday for the Pennsylvania State Police trooper killed on the job last Sunday night. The viewing for Trooper Joshua Miller is from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Pittston Area High School. The funeral is at 11 a.m. Friday, also at the high school.

HARRISBURG, Pa (AP) - A state lawmaker released a letter sent to the FBI asking it to investigate Pennsylvania's underground video poker industry, which Gov. Ed Rendell has proposed legalizing and taxing. Rep. Curt Schroder, says establishments with illegal video
gambling suggest widespread tax evasion.

STEELTON, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell says a state agency will provide up to $6,000 in interest-free loans to help first-time homebuyers make a down payment Rendell made the announcement yesterday at a former school building that's going to be converted into apartments.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals will be played tomorrow night. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Petr Sykora could miss that key, series deciding game with a right foot injury.The Penguins did not practice yesterday, but Sykora was seen leaving Mellon Arena on crutches, with a brace on his right foot and ankle, after he was treated by the team's medical staff.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Flags at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum are flying at half-staff after a guard was killed in a shootout. The suspected gunman, identified as an 88-year-old avowed anti-Semite, is hospitalized in critical condition. President Barack Obama has expressed outrage and museum officials say the facility will be closed today.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Philadelphia police say they recovered two shotguns, two handguns and a rifle at the home of one of two suspects in a robbery pursuit that cost three children their lives.
The children died when a car that police were chasing jumped a curb and slammed into a crowd of people.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is trying to build momentum against congressional challenges to his ambitious health care overhaul. Obama is heading to Green Bay, Wis., today to talk directly with voters about his proposals to spend $1.5 trillion over the next decade to cover uninsured Americans.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the Obama administration wants legislation aimed at taming executive pay in publicly traded companies. Officials from the
Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve and the Securities and Exchange Commission plan to testify today before the House banking Committee.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - An official says North Korea has demanded a big raise for its workers employed by South Korean-owned companies in a joint industrial park. A Unification Ministry spokeswoman says Pyongyang demanded a more than fourfold increase, to $300 from about $70. The two sides met today at the park amid tensions over North Korea's recent nuclear weapons test.