Today's News-Friday July 17 2009

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

A POTTSVILLE MAN FACES CHARGES OF AGGRAVATED AND SIMPLE ASSAULT, RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT AND OTHER COUNTS FOLLOWING AN INCIDENT IN THE CITY EARLY THURSDAY. POLICE WERE CALLED TO A MOUNT HOPE AVENUE HOME WHERE JOSEPH PANGONIS AND HIS WIFE WERE INVOLVED IN AN ARGUMENT. PANGONIS GOT A 38 CALIBER HANDGUN AND ALLEGEDLY POINTED IT AT HIS GRANDSON. THE BOY ATTEMTPED TO TALK HIM OUT OF USING THE GUN, AND IT WENT OFF, INJURING PANGONIS’ RIGHT HAND. HE WAS FLOWN TO LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT AND ARRAIGNED YESTERDAY ON THE CHARGES.

INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT HIRED

NORTH SCHUYLKILL’S SHORT HANDED SCHOOL BOARD DID NOT WASTE ANY TIME HIRING AN INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT. SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER FOUR NEW DIRECTORS WERE APPOINTED BY A COUNTY JUDGE, THE BODY APPOINTED DR. PATRICK LUKASAVICH, A LONG TIME EDUCATOR AND ADMINSTRATOR FROM WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, TO GUIDE THE DISTRICT. THE SEARCH FOR A PERMANENT REPLACEMENT IS ALREADY UNDERWAY ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. ATTORNEY MARK SEMANCHIK HAD BEEN THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT, BUT WAS NOT GIVEN THE OKAY TO BECOME THE PERMANENT SCHOOLS CHIEF BY STATE ED OFFICIALS. FOUR MORE DIRECTORS WILL BE APPOINTED BY JUDGE D MICHAEL STINE NEXT WEDNESDAY. THOSE INDIVIDUALS
WILL SERVE OUT THE TERMS OF THE DIRECTORS THEY REPLACE.

POTHOLE CAUSES ACCIDENT

AN ASHLAND MAN WAS UNINJURED WHEN HE CRASHED HIS MOTORCYCLE AFTER HITTING A POTHOLE ON DEEP CREEK ROAD IN BARRY TOWNSHIP. STATE POLICE REPORT THAT 40 YEAR OLD WILLIAM HOLMES OF ASHLAND WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR WHEN HE HIT THE HOLE, AND CRASHED. HOLMES WILL BE CITED IN THE ACCIDENT.

COUNTY DEMS WANT BUDGET TO GET MOVING

TWO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE HOUSE ARE ON BOARD WITH OTHERS IN HARRISBURG TO SPEED UP THE BUDGET PROCESS. NEAL GOODMAN AND TIM SEIP BOTH VOTED TO JUMP START THE STALLED BUDGET TALKS TO PUT THE HEAT ON THE STATE SENATE TO PASS A BALANCED BUDGET WITHOUT AN ACROSS THE BOARD TAX INCREASE. BOTH MEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PAINFUL CUTS ARE NECESSARY TO BALANCE THE BUDGET BUT THEY BELIEVE THAT STATE GOVERNMENT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROPERLY FUND EDUCATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTHCARE WITHOUT SHIFT THE BURDEN TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - STATE WORKERS ARE TO GET PARTIAL PAYCHECKS TODAY BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET STALEMATE. IF A BUDGET DEAL ISN'T REACHED BY THE NEXT PAYDAY IN TWO WEEKS, THEY WON'T GET PAID AT ALL. TODAY THE STATE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO VOTE ON A $29 BILLION DEMOCRATIC BUDGET PROPOSAL, A DAY AFTER REJECTING A GOP MEASURE.

SCRANTON, PA. (AP) - AMONG GROUPS THAT ARRANGED FOR FOREIGN
EXCHANGE STUDENTS STAYING IN THE UNITED STATES, "SCRANTON" HAS BECOME SHORTHAND FOR WHAT NOT TO DO. SOME STUDENTS PLACED BY THE SAN FRANCISCO-BASED ASPECT FOUNDATION WERE FOUND TO BE MALNOURISHED, WHILE OTHERS LIVED IN FILTHY, CRAMPED HOMES, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH WAS LATER CONDEMNED.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - TUITION IS GOING UP THIS FALL AT PENNSYLVANIA'S 14 STATE-OWNED UNIVERSITIES. THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION ON THURSDAY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO INCREASE TUITION FOR AN UNDERGRADUATE, RESIDENT STUDENT BY $196 TO $5,554 A YEAR. THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 3.7 PERCENT FOR THE 2009-10 SCHOOL YEAR.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A VICE PRESIDENT OF PHILADELPHIA'S POLICE UNION SAYS IT WOULDN'T BE RIGHT TO DISCIPLINE OFFICERS MERELY FOR POSTING MESSAGES ON A WEB SITE.A GROUP OF BLACK POLICE OFFICERS IS SUING THE PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT OVER AN INTERNET DISCUSSION FORUM ON WHICH OFFICERS HAVE ALLEGEDLY POSTED HUNDREDS OF RACIST COMMENTS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA IS REPORTING SOME OF ITS BEST EMPLOYMENT NEWS SINCE NEARLY A YEAR AGO. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY ESTIMATED THURSDAY THAT PENNSYLVANIA EMPLOYERS SHED JUST 3,400 NONFARM JOBS IN JUNE, THE SMALLEST MONTHLY JOB LOSS SINCE AUGUST. THE JOBLESS RATE STAYED AT 8.3 PERCENT.