Today's News-Thursday, June 25, 2009

DRUG BUST NETS FOUR IN POTTSVILLE

POTTSVILLE POLICE TOOK MORE DRUG DEALERS OFF THE STREETS TUESDAY WITH SEVERAL ARRESTS. TUESDAY, 13 PACKETS OF HEROIN WERE PURCHASED BY DRUG AGENTS AT A NORTH JACKSON STREET HOME. A SUBSEQUENT SEARCH NETTED THE ARREST OF 27 YEAR OLF LUCAS ALMONTI AND 26 YEAR OLD CHRISTOPHER HOPKINS. 46 ADDITIONAL PACKETS OF HEROIN, CELL PHONES AND OTHER ITEMS WERE SEIZED. THE STREET VALUE OF THE DRUGS WAS $900. HOPKINS AND ALMONTI WERE ARRAIGNED AND TAKEN TO THE COUNTY JAIL. FOURTEEN ADDITIONAL PACKETS OF HEROIN WERE TAKEN FROM 27 YEAR OLD JULIE HOWE, WHO ALSO LIVED THERE. SHE'LL BE CHARGED VIA SUMMONS. CARMEN ALMONTI, NORTH SECOND STREET, WAS ALSO ARRESTED TUESDAY ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES AND 9 PACKETS OF HEROIN WERE RECOVERED. HE'S ALSO IN JAIL. THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING. A CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT LINE IS AVAILABLE IN POTTSVILLE BY CALLING 622-1234, X.150.

JOB FAIR A SUCCESS

THEY CAME DRESSED IN TIES, BUSINESS SUITS AND JEANS AND T-SHIRTS…ALL WITH ONE OBJECTIVE…TO SEEK OUT JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT SERVICES HERE IN THE REGION. PA CAREERLINKS 4TH ANNUAL JOB AND EDUCATION FAIR DREW MORE THAN 16-HUNDRED PEOPLE TO THE FORMER VALUE CITY LOCATION AT FAIRLANE VILLAGE, MANY WITH RESUMES IN HAND. LINES WERE ALREADY FORMING INSIDE THE MALL AT 9AM, AND CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE EVENT WAS MOVED FROM MARTZ HALL TO THE FORMER DEPARTMENT STORE TO ACCOMDATE THE NEARLY 60 EMPLOYERS, A DOZEN SCHOOLS AND OTHER AGENCIES. WPPA AND T102 WERE PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT EFFORT.

MAN TO STAND TRIAL FOR ARSON RELATED CHARGES

A MAN ACCUSED OF SETTING A FIRE IN SHENANDOAH LAST MONTH WILL HAVE HIS CASE BOUND OVER FOR COURT. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT 27 YEAR OLD DAVID REIDEL, ACCUSED OF THREE COUNTS OF ARSON AND RELATED COUNTS IN THE FIRE ON WEST PENN STREET MAY 21ST, WAIVED HIS RIGHT TO A PRELIMINARY HEARING WEDNESDAY. REIDEL REMAINS IN THE COUNTY PRISON FOR VIOLATING A PROTECTION FROM ABUSE ORDER AND THE STANDING ARSON COUNTS.

LITTLE BIG HORN

MORE THAN 130 YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE MASSACRE OF US CAVALRY TROOPS BY SIOUX INDIANS AT THE BATTLE OF LITTLE BIG HORN. HOWEVER HISTORY FEELS ABOUT WHETHER GENERAL GEORGE CUSTER'S ACTIONS WERE RIGHT OR WRONG, SCHUYLKILL COUNTIANS PLAYED A PART IN THE BATTLE. MILITARY HISTORIAN STU RICHARDS OUTLINED THE MEN’S ROLE AT LITTLE BIG HORN LAST NIGHT AT THE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. NEARLY 3 DOZEN PEOPLE ATTENDED THE FREE EVENT, AND HEARD THE TALES OF GEORGE ADAMS, MINERSVILLE, WILLIAM HEATH OF GIRARDVILLE AND HERMAN KNAUTH OF BRANDONVILLE AND WHAT THEY MIGHT HAVE SEEN THAT FATEFUL DAY 133 YEARS AGO TODAY. RICHARDS EXPLAINS HOW HE UNCOVERED THESE THREE MEN AMONG THE MORE THAN 200 IN CUSTER'S BRIGADE:

RICHARDS

GENERAL CUSTER WAS A DECORATED SOLDIER IN THE CIVIL WAR.

TWO ESCAPE INJURY IN ROUTE 183 CRASH

TWO WOMEN ESCAPED INJURY IN A TWO VEHICLE CRASH ON ROUTE 183 TUESDAY NIGHT. PERLA ABITANTO OF AUBURN AND CHERYL HENNE OF AUBURN WERE HEADED NORTH. HENNE WAS STOPPED FOR TRAFFIC MAKING A LEFT TURN NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE HOTEL WHEN HER CAR WAS STRUCK BY ABITANTO'S. THE CRASH HAPPENED BEFORE 6PM IN WAYNE TOWNSHIP.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL SCHOOL BOARD'S LONE MEMBER SEEKS ANSWERS

THE LONE REMAINING MEMBER OF THE NORTH SCHUYLKILL SCHOOL BOARD SAYS HE'S BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT AUTHORITY HE HAS NOW THAT A JUDGE ORDERED ALL THE OTHERS OFF. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY JUDGE D. MICHAEL STINE DIDN'T EXPLAIN HIS REASONING FOR TUESDAY'S ORDER REMOVING ALL MEMBERS OF THE NORTH SCHUYLKILL SCHOOL BOARD EXCEPT FOR 23-YEAR-OLD ROBERT ORTH. HE SAID HE WILL PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION LATER. ORTH SAID WEDNESDAY HE DOESN'T KNOW IF HE CAN TAKE ANY ACTION AS A ONE-MAN SCHOOL BOARD. HE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO FIND OUT: THE NEXT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IS TONIGHT. ORTH SAYS HE'S BEEN ASKING STATE OFFICIALS FOR GUIDANCE. HE SAYS MOST PEOPLE HAVE TOLD HIM THEY HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY SIMILAR SITUATION AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO EITHER.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE SAY A TAXI JUMPED A CURB AND CRASHED INTO A CROWD IN FRONT OF PHILADELPHIA'S KIMMEL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, EJECTING THE CAB'S DRIVER AND PASSENGER AND STRIKING TWO EDESTRIANS. A POLICE SPOKESWOMAN TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT ALL FOUR PEOPLE WERE IN CRITICAL CONDITION LAST NIGHT. THE CRASH IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE HAVE KILLED A MAN IN PHILADELPHIA WHO WAS FIRING A GUN IN THE AIR. COPS SAY THE MAN REFUSED TO DROP THE WEAPON WHEN OFFICERS TOLD HIM TO DO SO. POLICE SAYS THE MAN RAISED HIS WEAPON IN THEIR DIRECTION WHEN COPS OPENED FIRE. THE 55-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD ON ARRIVAL AT A HOSPITAL. HIS NAME WASN'T IMMEDIATELY RELEASED.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOVERNOR ED RENDELL AND SENATE PRESIDENT JOE SCARNATI ARE DEFENDING CONFLICTING PLANS FOR BALANCING PENNSYLVANIA'S STATE BUDGET. IN INTERVIEWS AIRING LAST NIGHT ON THE STATE'S PUBLIC-TELEVISION STATIONS, THE STATE GOVERNMENT'S TOP DEMOCRAT AND TOP REPUBLICAN REFUSED TO YIELD LESS THAN A WEEK BEFORE THE BUDGET DEADLINE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOV. ED RENDELL IS ASKING THE LEGISLATURE TO CREATE A FAST-TRACK INTO THE TEACHING RANKS FOR TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS. UNDER RENDELL'S PROPOSAL, CANDIDATES FOR THE "RESIDENCY CERTIFICATION" WOULD HAVE TO COMPLETE AN INTENSIVE, FOUR-MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM ON INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT.
MEDIA, PA. (AP) - A JURY IN SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA HAS SPARED THE
LIFE OF A MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING A CABDRIVER. LAST NIGHT'S
DECISION BY A DELAWARE COUNTY JURY MEANS 20-YEAR-OLD RAMIR STEVE
GETS LIFE IN PRISON WITH NO POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. HE WAS CONVICTED
OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER ON MONDAY FOR KILLING 42-YEAR-OLD GREGORY
CUNNINGHAM ON DEC. 24, 2007.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - PENN STATE UNIVERSITY'S PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION IS LAYING OFF WORKERS. WPSU SAID WEDNESDAY THAT IT IS ELIMINATING EIGHT STAFF POSITIONS AND CANCELING TWO TELEVISION SHOWS. THE STATION SAYS IT'S DOING SO BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL PRESSURES. GOV. ED RENDELL'S BUDGET PROPOSAL RECOMMENDS ELIMINATING ALL FUNDING FOR PENNSYLVANIA'S PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS.