Today's News-Monday, August 3 2009

ORWIGSBURG WOMAN HIT BY CAR…

AN ORWIGSBURG WOMAN DIES AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A CAR SATURDAY EVENING. STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SAY THAT 50 YEAR OLD KATHLEEN GREENAWALT WAS CROSSING ROUTE 61 NEAR MICHAEL B'S RESTAURANT AND STEPPED IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE DRIVEN BY 36 YEAR OLD ROBERT HOLMES OF ORWIGSBURG. SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. HOLMES WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.

LANCASTER MAN SUFFERS MODERATE INJURIES

A LANCASTER MAN IS HURT IN A CRASH IN PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP SATURDAY AFTERNOON. 31 YEAR OLD FERNANDO SANCHEZ JR WAS DRIVING HIS MOTORCYCLE ON ROUTE 501 AND APPARENTLY MISSED MAKING A TURN. THE CYCLE HIT AN EMBANKMENT. SANCHEZ WAS TAKEN TO GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER VIA LIFE FLIGHT FOR TREATMENT.

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED

THE PROPOSED PRE-RELEASE CENTER FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY WILL BE THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION TODAY AT THE SCHUYLKILL TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER IN FRACKVILLE THIS MORNING. A HEARING OF THE SENATE STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT FROM CITIZENS ABOUT THE 5 ACRE TRACT OF LAND IN RYAN TOWNSHIP NEAR THE FRACKVILLE STATE PRISON THAT IS SLATED TO HOUSE THE CENTER TO HELP ALLEVIATE OVERCROWDING IN THE COUNTY PRISON. THE PROJECT HAS BEEN IN DISCUSSION FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

STATE BUDGET
STALLED PA. BUDGET NO CLOSER AFTER SUNDAY TALKS
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIANS AREN'T ANY CLOSER TO HAVING A NEW STATE BUDGET IN PLACE FOLLOWING TWO HOURS OF TALKS BETWEEN LEGISLATIVE LEADERS AND GOV. ED RENDELL AT THE GOVERNOR'S HARRISBURG RESIDENCE. THE SIDES EMERGED FOLLOWING THE SUNDAY BARGAINING SESSION WITH NO EVIDENCE OF PROGRESS IN THEIR IMPASSE, NOW TWO DAYS INTO ITS SECOND MONTH. SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER DOMINIC PILEGGI SAYS THAT, IF ANYTHING, THE LATEST TALKS REPRESENTED A STEP BACKWARD. RENDELL'S SPOKESMAN SAYS THAT REPUBLICANS' IDEA OF GIVE AND TAKE "IS WE GIVE AND THEY TAKE." THE CLOSED SESSION OCCURRED ONE DAY BEFORE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS IN THE STATE HOUSE WERE EXPECTED TO CALL UP A MEASURE THAT COULD RESULT, AS EARLY AS TUESDAY, IN THE PASSAGE OF A BARE-BONES SPENDING PLAN TO PAY STATE WORKERS.

IRAN-MISSING AMERICANS
SWISS DIPLOMATS ASK IRAN ABOUT 3 MISSING AMERICANS
BERN, SWITZERLAND (AP) - SWISS DIPLOMATS ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THREE AMERICAN HIKERS REPORTEDLY CAPTURED IN IRAN, THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID SUNDAY. THE SWISS EMBASSY IN TEHRAN IS WORKING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AMERICANS' FATE THROUGH ITS CONTACTS WITH THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY, ACCORDING TO SPOKESWOMAN NADINE OLIVIERI. IRANIAN GUARDS DETAINED THE THREE AMERICAN TOURISTS FRIDAY AFTER THEY ALLEGEDLY CROSSED THE BORDER FROM NORTHERN IRAQ, IRAN STATE TV SAID. ONE OF THE MISSING AMERICANS HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY KURDISH AUTHORITIES AS JOSHUA FATTAL. HIS MOTHER, LAURA FATTAL, ISSUED A BRIEF STATEMENT AT HER ELKINS PARK, PA., HOME SUNDAY SAYING SHE AND HER HUSBAND WERE ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF HER SON AND THE TWO OTHERS.

MUSIC CHURCH-DRUG RAID
21 DRUG ARRESTS AT PA. 'MUSIC CHURCH' EVENT
MOUNT PLEASANT, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAY A DRUG RAID AT A CONCERT HELD BY A CHURCH THAT CONTENDS THAT ITS MUSIC EVENTS ARE RELIGIOUS SERVICES RESULTED IN 21 ARRESTS AND THE SEIZURE OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF DRUGS AND PARAPHERNALIA. ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY MARK BROOKS, COORDINATOR OF THE FAYETTE COUNTY DRUG TASK FORCE, SAYS UNDERCOVER OFFICERS HAD SEEN PEOPLE SELLING AND USING DRUGS AT EARLIER EVENTS AT THE CHURCH OF UNIVERSAL LOVE AND MUSIC, ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PITTSBURGH. SO, THE FAYETTE COUNTY DRUG TASK FORCE RAIDED THE CHURCH SATURDAY DURING THE "FUNK FEST" EVENT. BROOKS SAYS 21 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED ON CHARGES RANGING FROM MISDEMEANOR DRUG POSSESSION TO FELONY POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DELIVER. HE SAYS MARIJUANA, LSD, AND HALLUCINOGENIC MUSHROOMS WERE SEIZED ALONG WITH TWO TRAILERS
WORTH OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. THE NUMBER FOR THE CHURCH RANG UNANSWERED SUNDAY.

PENNSYLVANIA CORRUPTION
FUMO CASE SHOWS FLIP SIDE OF NEW SENTENCING RULES
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - VINCENT FUMO, PERHAPS THE MOST POWERFUL PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKER IN A GENERATION, HEADS TO JAIL THIS MONTH TO START SERVING A 4 1/2-YEAR PRISON TERM THAT'S PROVOKED A FIRESTORM AS INTENSE AS THE MAN HIMSELF. THE LONG-POWERFUL PHILADELPHIA DEMOCRAT WAS CONVICTED OF MISUSING MILLIONS FROM THE STATE SENATE AND TWO NONPROFITS - AND GOT A SENTENCE SOME CALL A SLAP ON THE WRIST. THE RULING HAS PROMPTED PROSECUTORS TO QUESTION WHETHER THE PENDULUM HAS SWUNG TOO FAR SINCE A 2005 SUPREME COURT DECISION GAVE FEDERAL JUDGES MORE LEEWAY IN PRONOUNCING SENTENCE AFTER ABOUT 20 YEARS OF MANDATORY GUIDELINES. IN THE FUMO CASE, TWO CO-DEFENDANTS ENDED UP WITH WILDLY DIFFERENT SENTENCES FROM FEDERAL JUDGES WHO SEEMED TO VIEW THE CASE THROUGH DIFFERENT LENSES. ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY ROBERT ZAUZMER SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC - AND DEFENDANTS - TO SEE THAT SENTENCING IS NOT JUST THE "LUCK OF THE DRAW."

AMISH DROWNING
AMISH PENNSYLVANIA MAN DROWNS IN SOUTHERN KY.
CADIZ, KY. (AP) - AN AMISH MAN FROM LANCASTER, PENN., DROWNED WHILE SWIMMING IN A FARM POND SATURDAY IN TRIGG COUNTY IN SOUTHERN KENTUCKY. DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER KEN RICHARDS SAYS 20-YEAR-OLD JONAS BEILOR, DIED WHILE AFTER TAKING OFF HIS LIFE JACKET WHILE SWIMMING WITH FRIENDS. RICHARDS TOLD THE KENTUCKY NEW ERA THAT BEILOR WAS IN THE AREA TO HELP BUILD A HOUSE IN THE AMISH COMMUNITY. BEILOR'S BODY WAS RECOVERED BY DIVERS FROM THE VOLUNTEER TRIGG COUNTY RESCUE TEAM. RICHARDS SAID TRIGG COUNTY CORONER JOHN MARK VINSON RULED THE DROWNING ACCIDENTAL.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE FATE OF THE "CASH FOR CLUNKERS" PROGRAM WILL BE DECIDED THIS WEEK AS THE SENATE MEETS BEFORE ITS SUMMER BREAK. THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT WILL HAVE TO SUSPEND THE REBATE PROGRAM UNLESS THE SENATE GOES ALONG, BUT THAT'S NOT A SURE THING.

WASHINGTON (AP) - AUTO MANUFACTURERS RELEASE THEIR JULY SALES NUMBERS TODAY, KICKING OFF A WEEK THAT WILL SEE SOME KEY ECONOMIC UPDATES OF INTEREST TO BOTH WALL STREET AND MAIN STREET. AN INSTITUTE FOR SUPPLY MANAGEMENT REPORT ON MANUFACTURING IS ALSO OUT TODAY, AS WELL AS CONSTRUCTION SPENDING NUMBERS FOR JUNE.

TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) - IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER HAS FORMALLY ENDORSED PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD FOR A SECOND TERM. THE COUNTRY'S OPPOSITION LEADERS AND MODERATES BOYCOTTED TODAY'S CEREMONY TO PROTEST AN ELECTION THEY SAY WAS FRAUDULENT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - NEARLY 20 YEARS LATER, THE MYSTERY OF NAVY PILOT CAPT. MICHAEL "SCOTT" SPEICHER'S FATE HAS BEEN SOLVED. THE PENTAGON HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THEY'VE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED HIS REMAINS, WHICH WERE RECENTLY FOUND IN IRAQ. SPEICHER WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN LOST IN THE 1991 PERSIAN GULF WAR.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - TODAY'S LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT HEARING MAY DECIDE THE STATUS OF THE HANDLERS NOW CONTROLLING MICHAEL JACKSON'S ESTATE, IN ADDITION TO SEVERAL OTHER ISSUES. FILINGS SHOW THE MEN HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED $5.5 MILLION AND TAKEN POSSESSION OF MUCH OF JACKSON'S PROPERTY. ATTORNEYS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS.