Today's News-Thursday, August 6, 2009

BODY FOUND

AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY ABOUT A BODY THAT WAS FOUND ON TERRY REILEY WAY THIS MORNING. DETAILS ARE SKETCHY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MAN. WE'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS TOMORROW MORNING ON WPPA/T102 NEWS.

ANOTHER BURGLARY

BURGLARS GOT AWAY WITH A HAUL OF GOODS FROM A POTTSVILLE AREA BUSINESS TUESDAY. THE UNKNOWN THIEVES SMASHED THE FRONT DOOR GLASS AT FOLTIN MUSIC CENTER ON NORTH CLAUDE A LORD BOULEVARD AND TOOK 12 GUITARS, ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT AND CASH, THEN FLED. POTTSVILLE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING.

FIGHT LEADS TO ARREST

A POTTSVILLE MAN AND HIS MOTHER GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT TUESDAY NIGHT, LEADING TO HIS ARREST. CITY POLICE SAY 19 YEAR OLD MARK SWIFT CAME TO THIS MOTHER’S HOME ON NORTH 8TH STREET AND BEGAN SPITTING IN HER FACE. A PROTECTION FROM ABUSE ORDER WAS IN EFFECT, BARRING MARK SWIFT FROM HAVING CONTACT WITH HIS MOTHER. SWIFT RETURNED AND BEGAN VERBALLY ABUSING HIS MOTHER AGAIN. POLICE APPREHENDED HIM AND CHARGED HIM WITH HARRASSMENT AND INDIRECT CRIMINAL CONTEMPT. HE WAS UNABLE TO POST BAIL AND WAS COMMITTED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON.

BLUGE GOING TO PRISON

A FRACKVILLE MAN IS GOING TO JAIL FOR SHAKING A LITTLE BOY, CAUSING BRAIN DAMAGE. 24 YEAR OLD KYLE BLUGE WAS SENTENCED TO 63 TO 138 MONTHS BY PRESIDENT JUDGE WILLIAM BALDWIN, ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. BLUGE PLEADED GUILTY TO AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN AND RELATED COUNTS IN MAY FOR SHAKING THE BOY IN A NEW RINGGOLD HOME LAST YEAR AFTER HE WOULDN’T STOP CRYING.

SCARBINSKY APPOINTED ADMINISTRATOR

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE MADE PERMANENT THE STATUS OF THE INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. MARK SCARBINSKY, THE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR TEN YEARS, HAD BEEN APPOINTED INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR LAST MONTH TO REPLACE DARLENE DOLZANI, WHO RETIRED. AFTER AN EXHAUSTIVE SEARCH, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DECIDED TO MAKE SCARBINSKY’S PROMOTION PERMANENT. HIS SALARY WAS SET AT JUST OVER $82 THOUSAND DOLLARS.

ANOTHER ARREST MADE IN DRUG SWEEP

A SHENANDOAH MAN WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH LAST WEEK’S DRUG SWEEP HAS TURNED HIMSELF IN. 30 YEAR OLD EDDIE ADAMS SURRENDERED TUESDAY FOR DELIVERING A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE AND OTHER DRUG COUNTS. ADAMS REPORTEDLY SOLD COCAINE TO AN INFORMANT NEAR HIS HOME. HE WAS ARRAINGED ON THE CHARGES, WITH BAIL SET AT $50-THOUSAND-DOLLARS, TEN PERCENT.

GEN X SOUND OFF AND CAR SHOW TONIGHT

THE 16TH ANNUAL GREAT POTTSVILLE CRUISE WEEK TURNS ITS ATTENTION TO THE LOUD AND PROUD TONIGHT WITH THE GENERATION X SOUND OFF AND CAR SHOW AT THE YORKVILLE CONEY ISLAND PARKING LOT. THOSE WHO HAVE A PENCHANT FOR LIGHTS AND SOUND WON’T WANT TO MISS THIS DISPLAY FROM 6 TO 9PM. EVENTS ARE IN FULL SWING THROUGH SUNDAY IN AND AROUND POTTSVILLE. FRIDAY NIGHT, ITS TIME TO DON THE POODLE SKIRTS AND SLICK BACK YOUR HAIR IN A D.A. WITH THE ROCK AND ROLL SOCK HOP AT PINE VIEW ACRES BEGINNING AT 9PM.

HEALTH CLUB SHOOTING
POLICE: PA. MAN WHO FATALLY SHOT 3 AND HIMSELF IN HEALTH CLUB HAD NO TIES TO ANYONE AT CLUB
BRIDGEVILLE, PA. (AP) - POLICE IN PENNSYLVANIA SAY A GUNMAN WHO SPRAYED BULLETS AT WOMEN EXERCISING AT HIS SUBURBAN PITTSBURGH HEALTH CLUB, KILLING THREE OF THEM, DID NOT HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY OF THE VICTIMS. ALLEGHENY COUNTY POLICE SUPERINTENDENT CHARLES MOFFATT ALSO SAYS THAT THE 48-YEAR-OLD GUNMAN, GEORGE SODINI, HAD FOUR GUNS ON HIM AND USED THREE OF THEM IN THE ATTACK. SODINI WAS A MEMBER OF THE L.A. FITNESS CLUB AND HAD BEEN THERE TWO TIMES TUESDAY BEFORE HE CAME BACK AT NIGHT. SODINI KILLED THREE WOMEN AND WOUNDED NINE OTHERS. HE THEN KILLED HIMSELF.

STATE BUDGET
NO WORD ON WHEN TALKS TO RESTART FOR FINAL PA. BUDGET
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THERE'S NO WORD ON WHEN TALKS WILL RESTART IN PENNSYLVANIA'S FIVE-WEEK-OLD BUDGET IMPASSE. GOV. ED RENDELL HAS SIGNED A PARTIAL BUDGET BILL THAT WILL ALLOW STATE EMPLOYEES TO BE PAID, BUT A COMPLETE BUDGET STILL NEEDS TO BE WORKED OUT. A MEETING OF THE HOUSE-SENATE JOINT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE WAS SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON THEN LATER POSTPONED. IT'S UNCLEAR WHEN THE PANEL WILL MEET. THE $11 BILLION PARTIAL BUDGET RENDELL SIGNED WEDNESDAY INCLUDES NEARLY $6 BILLION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE BUT VERY LITTLE FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

BALLPARK BEATING
JUDGE OKS CHARGES IN FATAL PA. BALLPARK FIGHT
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A JUDGE IS UPHOLDING MURDER CHARGES AGAINST THREE MEN IN A FATAL FIGHT OUTSIDE THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES STADIUM. THE RULING COMES AFTER WITNESSES TESTIFIED AT A HEARING IN THE DEATH OF 22-YEAR-OLD DAVID SALE JR. OF LANSDALE. POLICE SAY 35-YEAR-OLD CHARLES BOWERS, 45-YEAR-OLD JIM GROVES AND 28-YEAR-OLD FRANCIS KIRCHNER, ALL OF PHILADELPHIA, REPEATEDLY BEAT AND KICKED SALE, CAUSING FATAL INJURIES. DEFENSE LAWYERS SAY IT WAS UNCLEAR WHAT HAPPENED OR WHO DELIVERED THE FATAL BLOW, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE MANY HAD BEEN DRINKING. THE SUSPECTS WERE ON A TAVERN-SPONSORED OUTING TO THE JULY 25 GAME. THE VICTIM AND OTHERS WERE CELEBRATING A BACHELOR'S PARTY. TWO GROUPS ARGUED OVER A SPILLED BEER AT A BAR ATTACHED TO THE STADIUM, AND TANGLED AGAIN IN THE PARKING LOT.

CRUSHED BY BRANCH
TREE BRANCH KILLS PA. WOMAN DAYS AFTER NY ACCIDENT
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A WOMAN JOGGING IN A PHILADELPHIA PARK HAS BEEN KILLED BY A FALLING TREE BRANCH JUST DAYS AFTER A SIMILAR INCIDENT IN NEW YORK'S CENTRAL PARK LEFT A MAN COMATOSE. POLICE SAY IT WAS A FREAK ACCIDENT THAT KILLED THE WOMAN WEDNESDAY EVENING IN FAIRMOUNT PARK, ONE OF THE BIGGEST PARKS IN THE WORLD. CHIEF INSPECTOR SCOTT SMALL SAYS A 30-FOOT-LONG BRANCH FELL ON THE WOMAN FROM 50 FEET ABOVE. HE SAYS SHE WAS KILLED INSTANTLY. POLICE SAY IT'S POSSIBLE THE UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN DIDN'T HEAR THE BRANCH BREAKING BECAUSE SHE WAS WEARING A PORTABLE MUSIC PLAYER, WHICH WAS STILL PLAYING WHEN THEY ARRIVED. LAST WEEK, A MANHATTAN COMPUTER ENGINEER WALKING TO WORK THROUGH CENTRAL PARK WAS HIT ON THE HEAD BY A 100-POUND ROTTED TREE BRANCH. HIS MOTHER SAID OVER THE WEEKEND HE WAS GETTING BETTER.

CHURCH CEILING
LARGE PART OF PA. CHURCH'S CEILING COLLAPSES
ARCHBALD, PA. (AP) - A LARGE PART OF A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA CHURCH CEILING HAS COLLAPSED, BUT AUTHORITIES SAY NO ONE WAS HURT. IT HAPPENED WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH IN ARCHBALD. POLICE SAY A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER EXAMINED THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH BUILDING AND ASSURED OFFICERS THAT THE BUILDING WON'T COLLAPSE.

BICYCLIST KILLED
SUSPECT IN PITTSBURGH FATAL HIT-RUN TURNS SELF IN
PITTSBURGH (AP) - A MAN SUSPECTED OF CAUSING A HIT-RUN ACCIDENT IN PITTSBURGH THAT KILLED A BICYCLIST HAS SURRENDERED TO POLICE. TIMOTHY KISH TURNED HIMSELF IN WEDNESDAY, ACCOMPANIED BY ATTORNEY CHARLES LOPRESTI. POLICE SAY THE 51-YEAR-OLD JEFFERSON HILLS MAN IS THE DRIVER WHO HIT 38-YEAR-OLD RUIHUI (ROO-EE'-HWEE) LIN ON MONDAY AFTERNOON BUT LEFT BEFORE POLICE ARRIVED. THE VICTIM DIED EARLY TUESDAY AT A HOSPITAL.

TEMPLE-FUNDING THREAT
HOSPITAL CLOSURE PUTS TEMPLE U IN $175M FUND SPAT
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKER UPSET THAT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY CLOSED A HOSPITAL IN HIS DISTRICT IS HOLDING UP THE SCHOOL'S $175 MILLION STATE BUDGET APPROPRIATION. TEMPLE OFFICIALS SAY TUITION COULD SKYROCKET 45 PERCENT WITHOUT THE MONEY. THE APPROPRIATION ACCOUNTS FOR 22 PERCENT OF TEMPLE'S $793 MILLION OPERATING BUDGET. REPUBLICAN REP. JOHN TAYLOR OF PHILADELPHIA PULLED THE FUNDING BILL ON TUESDAY. HE SAYS HE WARNED TEMPLE OF REPERCUSSIONS IF THE UNIVERSITY CLOSED NORTHEASTERN HOSPITAL. TEMPLE SAYS THE HOSPITAL, WHICH IT OPERATES IN THE PORT RICHMOND NEIGHBORHOOD, WAS LOSING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IT ENDED INPATIENT SERVICES THERE BUT CONTINUES TO OFFER NON-EMERGENCY AND OUTPATIENT CARE. TAYLOR SAID WEDNESDAY THAT TEMPLE HANDLED THE CLOSING POORLY AND THAT HE WON'T APPROVE THE FUNDING WITHOUT A FIGHT.

ENCORE ROBBERY
MAN CHARGED WITH ROBBING SAME BANK AS 6 YEARS AGO
UPPER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - A PENNSYLVANIA MAN WHO SERVED NEARLY SIX YEARS IN PRISON FOR ROBBING A SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY BANK IS CHARGED WITH ROBBING THE SAME ONE AGAIN. THE FBI, STATE AND LOCAL POLICE ARRESTED 45-YEAR-OLD JOHN MILLISON OF DREXEL HILL, PA., ON TUESDAY AND CHARGED HIM WITH THE JULY 27 ROBBERY OF A PNC BANK BRANCH IN THE MARMORA SECTION OF UPPER TOWNSHIP NEAR OCEAN CITY. IT'S THE SAME BANK HE WENT TO PRISON FOR ROBBING IN 2003. HE WAS RELEASED IN NOVEMBER. MILLISON, WHO IS BEING HELD ON $200,000 BAIL, IS ALSO CHARGED WITH ROBBING A SUPERMARKET PHARMACY ON THE SAME DAY AS THE BANK.