Todays News-Saturday August 8 2009

BODY IDENTIFIED

WE NOW KNOW THE IDENTITY OF THE MAN WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND IN POTTSVILLE THURSDAY MORNING. AUTHORITIES SAY THAT 46 YEAR OLD TERRY WEIKEL OF TREMONT MIGHT HAVE FALLEN DOWN THE EMBANKMENT BEHIND THE WASHERY ON TERRY REILEY WAY. AN AUTOPSY WAS DONE BY DR. RICHARD BINDIE.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL

A PENNSYLVANIA APPEALS JUDGE WON'T REINSTATE EIGHT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE OUSTED FROM THEIR POSITIONS BY A LOWER COURT. COMMONWEALTH COURT SENIOR JUDGE ROCHELLE FRIEDMAN ALSO DENIED A MOTION TO EXPEDITE THE OUSTED NORTH SCHUYLKILL BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS' APPEAL OF THE JUNE 23 ORDER REMOVING THEM. SHE RULED THURSDAY THAT THE APPEAL WILL BE HEARD IN THE COURT'S NORMAL COURSE OF BUSINESS. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY JUDGE D. MICHAEL STINE REMOVED EIGHT OF THE NINE BOARD MEMBERS IN JUNE, SAYING THEY BROKE THE LAW BY FAILING TO APPOINT A NEW SUPERINTENDENT FOR TWO YEARS AFTER THE OLD ONE LEFT. TWO DAYS LATER, STINE APPOINTED FOUR NEW MEMBERS TO THE BOARD, ALLOWING IT ENOUGH MEMBERS TO HAVE A QUORUM TO CONDUCT BUSINESS. HE SAID HE WOULD LEAVE THE REMAINING FOUR SEATS VACANT WHILE ACTION IS PENDING IN COMMONWEALTH COURT.

FUEL LEAK

ODORS OF FUEL LED EMERGENCY CREWS TO UNCOVER AN OIL LEAK AT A TAMAQUA HOME. AUTHORITIES SAY OIL WAS SEEPING INTO THE STORM DRAIN IN THE BOROUGH FROM A PITT STREET HOME. APPARENTLY THE ODOR WAS SO STRONG THAT IT SICKENED PEOPLE. CLEANUP IS UNDERWAY. PA ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIALS WERE CALLED IN TO INVESTIGATE.

STATE POLICE NEED HELP IN FATALITY

STATE POLICE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP AS THEY CONTINUE THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO A FATAL CAR/PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT IN DEER LAKE LAST WEEKEND. TROOPERS ARE TRYING TO LOCATE ANY WITNESSES WHO WERE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH THAT KILLED 50 YEAR OLD KATHLEEN GREENAWALT WHO WAS CROSSING ROUTE 61 LAST SATURDAY WHEN SHE WALKED INTO THE PATH OF A CAR DRIVEN BY ROBERT HOLMES. IN PARTICULAR, POLICE ARE ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE A CONVERSION VAN WITH RUNNING BOARD LIGHTS THAT DROVE THROUGH THE CRASH SCENE IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANE OF ROUTE 61. CALL 593-2000 WITH ANY INFORMATION.

SOCK HOP

OPEN WITH MUSIC

THAT'S THE ROCK AND ROLL SOUND OF THE MUDFLAPS LAST NIGHT AT THE GREAT POTTSVILLE CRUISE SOCK HOP AT PINE VIEW ACRES. WELL OVER 200 PEOPLE WERE DANCIN', PRANCIN' AND ROMANCIN' TO THE HITS OF THE 50S AND 60S. LONGTIME CRUISE COMMITTEE MEMBER DANNY MURPHY SAYS IT'S A BIG DRAW:

MURPHY 1

THE CRUISE IS ALL ABOUT THE CARS. MURPHY SAYS THAT PRESERVING MEMORIES OF THOSE MACHINES IS KEY:

MURPHY 2

TODAY ITS CRUISE IN DAY AT SEVERAL VENUES IN DOWNTOWN POTTSVILLE…WPPA'S JZ WILL BE PROVIDING LIVE REPORTS FROM JERRY'S CLASSIC CAR MUSEUM THIS MORNING. THE 16TH ANNUAL GREAT POTTSVILLE CRUISE ROLLS OUT SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT 4PM.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE LONELYHEARTED MAN WHO KILLED THREE WOMEN
IN A SHOOTING RAMPAGE AT A HEALTH CLUB NEAR PITTSBURGH KNEW THE
BOOK "HOW TO DATE YOUNG WOMEN: FOR MEN OVER 35" CHAPTER AND
VERSE. GEORGE SODINI WAS A DEVOTED FOLLOWER OF ITS AUTHOR, R. DON
STEELE. SODINI CAN BE SEEN IN AN ONLINE VIDEO ATTENDING ONE OF STEELE'S DATING SEMINARS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA'S POLICE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING WHY AN OFFICER USED HIS POLICE CAR'S COMPUTER TO RUN A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK ON PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. POLICE COMMISSIONER CHARLES RAMSEY SAYS THE OFFICER COULD FACE DISCIPLINE FOR PERFORMING THE CHECK WEDNESDAY MORNING.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE FIELD OF REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR IS SMALLER FOLLOWING FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY PAT MEEHAN'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HE'S NO LONGER IN THE RACE. MEEHAN'S
CAMPAIGN RELEASED A STATEMENT FRIDAY SAYING THAT HE WAS CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR CONGRESS INSTEAD.

MYERSTOWN, PA. (AP) - A RECYCLING COMPANY WORKER HAS FALLEN TO HIS DEATH AT HIS WORKPLACE IN SOUTH-CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. THE MAN WORKED FOR E&H RECYCLING IN MYERSTOWN. COMPANY OWNER ERNEST BOETZELEN SAYS THE MAN WAS WORKING ALONE AND APPEARED TO FALL ABOUT 10 FEET AROUND NOON FRIDAY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS SEIZING UPON BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED JOBS NUMBERS TO PRESS HIS TOP DOMESTIC PRIORITY. IN HIS WEEKLY RADIO AND INTERNET ADDRESS, THE PRESIDENT SAYS OVERHAULING THE NATION'S COSTLY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS ESSENTIAL TO THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC WELL-BEING.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE REPUBLICANS ARE TRYING TO DRAW DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND THE DEMOCRATS ON ECONOMIC AND HEALTH CARE POLICY. IN THE GOP WEEKLY ADDRESS, VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE BOB MCDONNELL SAYS HIS PARTY BELIEVES IN FREE-MARKET INCENTIVES AS A WAY OF HELPING THE UNINSURED.

WASHINGTON (AP) - JUDGE SONIA SOTOMAYOR WILL BE SWORN IN AT THE SUPREME COURT TODAY - TWICE. THERE WILL BE A PRIVATE CEREMONY FOLLOWED BY A PUBLIC OATH-TAKING THAT'S OPEN TO THE MEDIA. FAMILY AND FRIENDS WILL BE ON HAND AS SOTOMAYOR BECOMES THE HIGH COURT'S FIRST HISPANIC JUSTICE.

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (AP) - THE SENATE'S ONLY HISPANIC REPUBLICAN SAYS HE'LL STAY ON THE JOB UNTIL HIS REPLACEMENT IS NAMED. MEL MARTINEZ OF FLORIDA HAS ANNOUNCED HE WILL STEP DOWN 16 MONTHS EARLY. HE SAYS HE'S MAKING GOOD ON A PROMISE TO VOTERS THAT HE WOULDN'T STAY JUST TO KEEP THE SEAT WARM.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A LUXURY RESORT IN SAN DIEGO IS OFFERING ROOMS FOR $19 A NIGHT. THE CATCH IS, YOU DON'T GET BREAKFAST, AIR CONDITIONING, LIGHTS - OR EVEN A BED. YOU DO GET A TENT AS PART OF THE RANCHO BERNARDO INN'S "SURVIVOR PACKAGE."