Today's News-Thursday July 16 2009

LAST CHANCE TO TURN YOURSELF IN

SCHUYLKILL COUNTYS TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL IS GIVING PEOPLE WITH OUTSTANDING WARRANTS AGAINST THEM ONE LAST CHANCE TO TURN THEMSELVES IN TO ANSWER THEIR CHARGES. D-A JIM GOODMAN SAYS THAT DEFENDANTS WITH BENCH WARRANTS CAN POSSIBLY AVOID GOING TO JAIL BY TURNING THEMSELVES IN TO THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE ON MONDAY JULY 20TH. GOODMAN SAYS THE BENCH WARRANT ROUND UP HAS BEEN A SUCCESS AND HOPES TO GET MANY CASES RESOLVED ON MONDAY. BUT THIS IS YOUR LAST OPPPORTUNITY TO CLEAR UP THE WARRANTS WITH THE COUNTY LEGAL SYSTEM. LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL BE LOOKING FOR YOU IF YOU DON’T TURN YOURSELF INTO COURTROOM #7 MONDAY.

TWO VEHICLE CRASH

NO ONE WAS INJURED IN A TWO VEHICLE CRASH WEDNESDAY IN WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 56 YEAR OLD JOAN BENDER OF AUBURN WAS STOPPED AT THE EXIT OF LAKE WYNONAH, ATTEMPTING TO TURN ONTO ROUTE 183. HER CAR STRUCK THE PICKUP OF 60 YEAR OLD EDWARD LEHR OF PINE GROVE. BOTH VEHICLES HAD SEVERE DAMAGE. THE CRASH HAPPENED AFTER 11 WEDNESDAY MORNING.

WATER GRANTS

NEARLY $3 MILLION DOLLARS IN H-2-0 GRANTS FOR CRITICAL WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS IN THE COUNTY ACCORDING TO STATE SENATOR DAVE ARGALL AND REPRESENTATIVE NEAL GOODMAN. MONIES COME FROM THE COMMONWEALTH FINANCING AUTHORITY. AMONG THE LOCAL PROJECTS INCLUDED WERE THE DELANO TOWNSHIP SANITARY SEWER PROJECT, THE FRACKVILLE MANAGEMENT UPGRADE PROJECT AND THE WAYNE SANITARY SEWER PROJECT.

DEP CLEARS DANGER OF AMMONIA

STATE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIALS WERE IN POTTSVILLE YESTERDAY AT THE SITE OF AN AMMONIA LEAK, AND THEY REPORT NO DANGEROUS LEVELS OF THE COLORLESS GAS AT THE FORMER POTTSVILLE ICE PLANT. 56 YEAR OLD JOSEPH MINCHOFF OF CUMBOLA WAS WORKING AT THE SITE ON EAST RAILROAD STREET WHEN HE CUT A PIPE FILLED WITH AMMONIA GAS AND WAS BURNED. HE REMAINS IN LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION. THE SITE WAS BOARDED UP FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT TUESDAY.

SEARCH ON FOR GRANDPARENT OF THE YEAR

TIMES MAY BE TOUGH BUT A NATIONAL EFFORT HAS BEEN LAUNCHED TO REMIND AMERICANS WITH AT LEAST ONE GRANDPARENT IN THEIR FAMILIES HOW RICH THEY TRULY ARE. “GRAND” THE ONLINE GRANDPARENTS MAGAZINE, HUMANA HEALTH AND KIDSPEACE, A NATIONAL CHILDRENS CHARITY IS LOOKING FOR NOMINEES FOR THE 2009 GRANDPARENT OF THE YEAR. NICOLE VANHORN, FAMILY RESOURCE SPECIALIST FOR KIDSPEACE IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN EXPLAINS THAT GRANDPARENTS ARE RAISING KIDS NOW MORE THAN EVER:

VANHORN

ANYONE CAN NOMINATE A GRANDPARENT. FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.GRANDMAGAZINE-DOT-COM. THE WINNER WILL BE HONORED WITH A PRIZE PACKAGE. NOMINATION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 10TH.

ARGALL AND KOZ

A LEGISLATIVE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT ON KEYSTONE OPPORTUNITY ZONES IS HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR SEVERAL REFORMS CHAMPIONED BY STATE SENATOR DAVE ARGALL. HANSON QUICKEL REPORTS FROM HARRISBURG:

ARGALL KOZ

ORWIGSBURG –BASED MECK ENERGY PARTNERS IS ONE OF EIGHT PROJECTS ACROSS THE STATE TO RECEIVE STATE FUNDING TOWARD THE INSTALLATION OF EQUIPMENT DESIGNED TO GENERATE SOLAR ENERGY FOR THAT COMPANY. ON WEDNESDAY THE STATE RELEASED NEARLY $23 MILLION IN NEW GRANTS AND LOANS FOR COMPANIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT ARE EMBRACING THE RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY. THE GRANTS AND LOANS THAT WERE APPROVED ARE FUNDED BY THE SOLAR ENERGY PROGRAM, A KEY COMPONENT OF THE $650 MILLION ALTERNATIVE ENERGY INVESTMENT FUND THAT GOVERNOR RENDELL SIGNED INTO LAW IN JULY. MECK ENERGY PARTNERS WILL RECEIVE A $1.6 MILLION LOAN FOR A $5.4 MILLION SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM ON THE ROOF OF THE H.H. FESSLER KNITTING COMPANY’S DEER LAKE FACILITY. THE 881 KILOWATT SYSTEM WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE COMPANY’S ENERGY USE FROM CONVENTIONAL SOURCES.

BRYN MAWR HIT-RUN
PHILLY-AREA HIT-RUN BADLY INJURES 13-YEAR-OLD BOY
BRYN MAWR, PA. (AP) - POLICE ARE SEEKING A WOMAN WHO STRUCK A 13-YEAR-OLD BICYCLIST WITH A CAR IN SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA AND FLED THE SCENE. THE BOY WAS BADLY INJURED FROM THE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON CRASH IN BRYN MAWR AND WAS AIRLIFTED TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA. POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A WHITE WOMAN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 30 AND 40 DRIVING A TAN- OR GOLD-COLORED STATION WAGON, POSSIBLY A VOLVO. IT HAS A DAMAGED WINDSHIELD AND DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. NO ONE HAD BEEN CHARGED AS OF LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

HIGHLAND PARK RAPE
PITTSBURGH POLICE CHARGE HOMELESS MAN IN RAPE
PITTSBURGH (AP) - A 19-YEAR-OLD HOMELESS MAN IS JAILED IN PITTSBURGH AND CHARGED IN THE RAPE OF A WOMAN WHO WAS RETURNING HOME FROM WORK. POLICE SAY TERENCE COULVERSON WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY AND IS COOPERATING WITH DETECTIVES INVESTIGATING FRIDAY'S ATTACK IN THE HIGHLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD OF PITTSBURGH. HE IS ALSO CHARGED IN THREE BURGLARIES THAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN JULY 5 AND WEDNESDAY.

SENATOR INVESTIGATION-TRIAL
RENDELL SAYS HE'D WANT TO APPEAL FUMO'S SENTENCE IF HE WERE PROSECUTING
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA GOV. ED RENDELL IS AMONG THE MANY PEOPLE WHO WROTE TO A JUDGE SEEKING A LENIENT SENTENCE FOR A FORMER STATE SENATOR CONVICTED OF 137 COUNTS IN A CORRUPTION CASE. RENDELL IS A FORMER PROSECUTOR. HE SAYS IF HE HAS BEEN THE PROSECUTOR IN VINCENT FUMO'S CASE, HE WOULD WANT TO APPEAL THE SENTENCE OF FOUR YEARS AND SEVEN MONTHS. BUT RENDELL NOTES THAT "THE GUIDELINES CALL FOR ASSESSING THE GOOD WORKS A PERSON DOES" AND SAYS THE SENTENCE IS ENOUGH TO SERVE
AS A DETERRENT. FUMO WIELDED VAST POWER OVER THREE DECADES IN THE STATE SENATE. THE PHILADELPHIA DEMOCRAT WAS CONVICTED OF MISUSING MILLIONS FROM THE STATE AND TWO NONPROFITS.

STATE BUDGET
PA. HOUSE JETTISONS RULES TO SPEED BUDGET PROCESS
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS CLOSER TO DEBATE ON A STATE BUDGET BILL AFTER DECIDING TO SUSPEND AN INTERNAL RULE THAT REQUIRED A TWO-WEEK WAITING PERIOD. THE SURPRISE RULES VOTE YESTERDAY PASSED WITH ONLY THREE MEMBERS DISSENTING. IT CLEARS THE WAY FOR A DEBATE TODAY ON AMENDMENTS, AND POTENTIAL PASSAGE ON FRIDAY. THE BILL UNDER CONSIDERATION IS A $29.1 BILLION PENDING PLAN DESIGNED BY DWIGHT EVANS, THE PHILADELPHIA DEMOCRAT WHO CHAIRS THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. HOWEVER, EVANS' PROPOSAL DOESN'T INCLUDE A WAY TO PAY FOR ABOUT $1.3 BILLION IN STATE SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSITIES, COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND STUDENT LOANS. PENNSYLVANIA IS ENTERING ITS THIRD WEEK OF THE FISCAL YEAR WITHOUT A BUDGET, MEANING STATE GOVERNMENT HAS A VASTLY DIMINISHED POWER TO SPEND MONEY AND PAY BILLS.

PHILADELPHIA SCHOOLS
NEW PHILLY TEACHERS ABOUT TO FINISH TRAINING
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - NINETY PEOPLE WHO PLAN TO START TEACHING IN PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEPTEMBER ARE TO FINISH A SEVEN-DAY TRAINING COURSE THURSDAY. THE "STRONG BEGINNINGS" COURSE IS DESIGNED TO CUT DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS WHO QUIT IN THE FIRST FEW YEARS. IT'S RUN BY THE PHILADELPHIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA. THE UNION SAYS NATIONWIDE, 15 PERCENT OF NEW URBAN TEACHERS LEAVE WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR AND NEARLY HALF ARE GONE AFTER FIVE YEARS. THE COURSE INCLUDES SESSIONS ON CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND WORKING WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS.

ACME MARKETS-LABOR
UNION MEMBERS OK PA. ACME MARKETS LABOR PACT
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - NEARLY 4,000 SUPERMARKET WORKERS IN THE PHILADELPHIA AREA HAVE A UNION CONTRACT THAT RUNS UNTIL FEBRUARY 2012. MEMBERS OF UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS LOCAL 1776 VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT WITH ACME MARKETS. THERE WERE 985 VOTES IN FAVOR AND 19 VOTES AGAINST. THE CONTRACT COVERS 40 ACME STORES IN PHILADELPHIA AND ITS SURROUNDING PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES. PREVIOUSLY, UNION MEMBERS OVERWHELMINGLY REJECTED WHAT ACME SAID WAS ITS BEST OFFER. THE COMPANY CONTENDED THAT IT HAD THE RIGHT TO IMPOSE THOSE TERMS UNILATERALLY ON FRIDAY BUT DID NOT DO SO. LAST-MINUTE TALKS RESULTED IN THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED EARLY WEDNESDAY. MALVERN, PA.-BASED ACME IS A DIVISION OF EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN.-BASED SUPERVALU INC.

GERLACH-SEAT
INTEREST IN RUNNING FOR GERLACH'S HOUSE SEAT GROWS
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE NEWS THAT JIM GERLACH WILL GIVE UP HIS SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA SEAT IN THE U.S. HOUSE TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR IS GENERATING A LENGTHENING LIST OF POTENTIAL CANDIDATES. DEMOCRATIC STATE SEN. ANDREW DINNIMAN SAID WEDNESDAY HE IS CONSIDERING RUNNING TO REPLACE THE FOURTH-TERM CONGRESSMAN FROM CHESTER COUNTY, WHILE REPUBLICAN STATE REP. CURT SCHRODER SAID HE WILL RUN. CHESTER COUNTY RECORDER OF DEEDS RYAN COSTELLO SAYS HE'S ALSO CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION. DEMOCRAT DOUG PIKE, A FORMER JOURNALIST, ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO RUN MONTHS AGO. GERLACH IS A REPUBLICAN, BUT KEEPING THE SEAT WILL BE CHALLENGING FOR THE GOP. REGISTERED DEMOCRATS OUTNUMBER REPUBLICANS THERE BY MORE THAN 20,000. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA WON THE DISTRICT LAST YEAR, WHILE GOV. ED RENDELL AND U.S. SEN. BOB CASEY BOTH WON IT IN 2006.

COURTHOUSE KICKBACKS
PA. DA GETS HELP WITH JUVENILE CASES AFTER SCANDAL
WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA IS GETTING HELP IN SORTING THROUGH 6,000 JUVENILE CASES THAT WERE TAINTED BY A JUDICIAL CORRUPTION SCANDAL. LUZERNE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JACKIE MUSTO CARROLL SAYS SHE WAS ALREADY DEALING WITH MORE THAN THE USUAL NUMBER OF HOMICIDE CASES WHEN THE CORRUPTION CASE CAME UP. JUDGES WERE ACCUSED OF TAKING KICKBACKS TO SEND JUVENILE OFFENDERS TO PRIVATE DETENTION. NOW THOSE CASES MUST BE REVIEWED. LUZERNE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS VOTED WEDNESDAY TO ADD SIX
POSITIONS FOR ONE YEAR IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. A $250,000 STATE GRANT IS PAYING FOR THE SIX SALARIES, WHICH INCLUDE TWO ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.

TEACHER-SEX CHARGES
PA. TEACHER FACING SEX CHARGES TO STAND TRIAL
LANSDALE, PA. (AP) - A MATH TEACHER AT A SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA HIGH SCHOOL WHO'S ACCUSED OF HAVING SEX WITH ONE OF HER STUDENTS AND SENDING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MESSAGES TO ANOTHER HAS BEEN ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL. HEATHER LYNNE ZEO HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FROM HER JOB AT NORTH PENN HIGH SCHOOL IN LANSDALE. BOTH OF THE STUDENTS ARE 17-YEAR-OLD BOYS. A MONTGOMERY COUNTY PROSECUTOR SAID AT WEDNESDAY'S HEARING FOR THE 36-YEAR-OLD TEACHER THAT ZEO ENGAGED IN A "CALCULATED SEDUCTION." DEFENSE LAWYER MARC NEFF SAYS THE BOYS WERE THE AGGRESSORS. ZEO IS CHARGED WITH ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD AND FOUR COUNTS OF CORRUPTION OF MINORS.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - POLICE IN PAKISTAN SAY GUNMEN KILLED A U.N. EMPLOYEE AND A GUARD AT A REFUGEE CAMP. THE KILLING IS A BLOW TO RELIEF EFFORTS AIMED AT PAKISTAN'S HUMANITARIAN CRISIS. LOCAL POLICE SAY THE ASSAILANTS TRIED TO KIDNAP THE U.N. OFFICIAL AND OPENED FIRE WHEN HE RESISTED.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A HUGE, $1.5 TRILLION DOLLAR HEALTH-CARE OVERHAUL IS MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE HOUSE, WHERE VOTES ARE PLANNED TODAY IN A PAIR OF COMMITTEES. THE LEGISLATION WOULD DELIVER ON PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S PROMISE TO COVER SOME 50 MILLION UNINSURED PEOPLE. A THIRD COMMITTEE IS ALSO CONSIDERING THE MEASURE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - HOUSE DEMOCRATS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO PAY FOR OVERHAULING HEALTH CARE WANT TO RAISE TAXES ON THE WEALTHIEST AMERICANS TO LEVELS NOT SEEN SINCE THE 1980S. A BILL UNVEILED THIS
WEEK WOULD CREATE THREE NEW TAX BRACKETS FOR HIGH EARNERS, WITH A
TOP RATE OF 45 PERCENT FOR FAMILIES MAKING MORE THAN $1 MILLION.

PENSACOLA, FLA. (AP) - EIGHT PEOPLE ARE NOW CHARGED IN A FLORIDA HOME INVASION THAT RESULTED IN THE DEATHS OF A WELL-TO-DO COUPLE KNOWN FOR ADOPTING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. AUTHORITIES ARE STILL SEEKING AT LEAST ONE MORE ACCOMPLICE WHO THEY BELIEVE FAILED TO DISABLE THE HOUSE'S SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.

DAYTON, OHIO (AP) - FORMER AMERICAN PRISONERS OF WAR, PARTICULARLY THOSE FROM WORLD WAR II, ARE IN A FINAL BATTLE AGAINST TIME TO TELL THEIR STORIES. THE NATIONAL PRISONER OF WAR MUSEUM IN ANDERSONVILLE, GA., SAY IT'S SEEING AN INCREASE IN DONATIONS AND ORAL HISTORIES, BUT WORRIES THAT TOO MANY AGING EX-POWS WILL GO TO THEIR GRAVES WITHOUT RELATING THEIR EXPERIENCES.