Today's News-Tuesday, August 11 2009

HEALTH CARE-SPECTER

LAWMAKER FACES ANGRY PA. CROWD ON HEALTH CARE
LEBANON, PA. (AP) - REPUBLICAN-TURNED-DEMOCRATIC SEN. ARLEN SPECTER IS FACING A BARRAGE OF SOMETIMES HOSTILE QUESTIONS ABOUT HEALTH CARE FROM WARY AND FRUSTRATED VOTERS. AT A CROWDED TOWN HALL TUESDAY, THE PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR HEARD FROM SPEAKER AFTER SPEAKER WHO ACCUSED HIM OF TRAMPLING ON THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OR ALLOWING THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OVER HEALTH CARE. SPECTER TRIED GAMELY TO EXPLAIN HIS POSITIONS, SAYING HE WOULDN'T VOTE FOR A BILL THAT ADDS TO THE DEFICIT. HE ALSO SAID HE WOULDN'T SUPPORT A BILL THAT EXTENDS COVERAGE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. NONE OF THE BILL IN CONGRESS WOULD PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. AS LAWMAKERS HAVE RETURNED TO THEIR STATES THIS MONTH, THEY HAVE FACED ANGRY CROWDS QUESTIONING PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL.

HUDSON MID-AIR COLLISION
NTSB: HOPING TO RECOVER PLANE WHEN DIVERS TO RETURN TO HUDSON'S MURKY WATERS TUESDAY AFTERNOON
HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) - TRANSPORTATION SAFETY OFFICIALS SAY THEY HOPE DIVERS ON THE SCENE OF THE HUDSON RIVER AIR COLLISION CAN OVERCOME TIDES AND LOW-VISIBILITY ON TUESDAY. THEY'RE TRYING TO RECOVER TWO BODIES AND THE WRECKAGE FROM A SMALL PLANE THAT COLLIDED WITH A HELICOPTER CARRYING 5 ITALIAN TOURISTS ON SATURDAY. NINE PEOPLE DIED IN THE CRASH. NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD CHIEF DEBBIE HERSMAN SAYS THE PLANE IS EXTREMELY WATER-LOGGED AND HEAVY. OFFICIALS WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE INTACT. THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS DIVERS WILL BE BACK IN THE WATER TUESDAY AFTERNOON, WHEN VISIBILITY AND CURRENTS TEND TO IMPROVE. ON MONDAY, THEY PLACED CHAINS ON THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE PLANE. INVESTIGATORS WILL BE EXAMINING THE WRECKAGE TO TRY AND PIECE TOGETHER WHAT HAPPENED.

HEALTH CLUB SHOOTING-VIGIL
THIRD VIGIL SET FOR PA. GYM SHOOTING VICTIMS
BRIDGEVILLE, PA. (AP) - A THIRD VIGIL IS PLANNED ONE WEEK AFTER A GUNMAN FATALLY SHOT THREE WOMEN AND WOUNDED NINE OTHERS IN A PITTSBURGH-AREA HEALTH CLUB. TUESDAY'S VIGIL BEGINS AT 8:15 P.M., THE TIME POLICE SAY THE SHOOTING BEGAN ON AUG. 4 AT THE L.A. FITNESS CLUB IN COLLIER TOWNSHIP. THE VIGIL IS IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE SHOPPING CENTER WHERE THE CLUB IS LOCATED. A VIGIL TWO NIGHTS AFTER THE SHOOTING AT THE CITY-COUNTY BUILDING IN PITTSBURGH DREW DOZENS OF PEOPLE, AND HUNDREDS TURNED OUT FOR ANOTHER VIGIL ON FRIDAY NEAR THE HEALTH CLUB. VISITATION IS ALSO SET TUESDAY FOR THE THIRD WOMAN KILLED, 37-YEAR-OLD JODY BILLINGSLEY, OF MOUNT LEBANON. BILLINGSLEY'S VISITATION WILL BE IN FRANKLIN, THE NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA TOWN WHERE SHE GREW UP AND WHERE HER FUNERAL WILL BE WEDNESDAY.

JUDGE-CHARGES
ERIE DISTRICT JUDGE CITES STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
ERIE, PA. (AP) - A DISTRICT JUDGE IN ERIE COUNTY SAYS A CHARGE THAT HE LIED ABOUT HIS QUALIFICATIONS SHOULD BE BARRED UNDER A FOUR-YEAR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. THE STATE'S JUDICIAL CONDUCT BOARD IN JULY CHARGED THAT NORTH EAST DISTRICT JUDGE GERARD ALONGE IS REPRESENTED HIMSELF AS AN ADJUNCT FACULTY MEMBER AT MERCYHURST COLLEGE-NORTH EAST BECAUSE HE NEVER TAUGHT A CLASS EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ON A LIST OF PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO TEACH. ALONGE CLAIMS THAT CHARGE IS TOO OLD BECAUSE IT IS ALLEGEDLY BASED ON A MAY 2005 STORY IN THE ERIE TIMES-NEWS. ALONGE IS ALSO CHARGED WITH MAKING HARASSING PHONE CALLS AND HAVING IMPROPER CONTACT WITH MORE THAN A HALF-DOZEN WOMEN. HE PLANS TO CHALLENGE THOSE CHARGES AT A DISCIPLINARY TRIAL, BUT WANTS THE MERCYHURST CHARGE TOSSED BEFORE THEN.

BABY ON BOARD ROBBERY
PA. MAN TO NIX PLEA IN ROBBERY WITH BABY ON BOARD
UNIONTOWN, PA. (AP) - A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAN WANTS TO WITHDRAW HIS GUILTY PLEA TO A BANK ROBBERY IN WHICH HIS 18-MONTH-OLD CHILD WAS IN THE GETAWAY CAR. FORTY-YEAR-OLD JOHN CURRIN, OF YOUNGWOOD, CLAIMS IN HIS HANDWRITTEN MOTION THAT HE IS HARD OF HEARING AND WAS "DUPED" BY HIS PUBLIC DEFENDER INTO MAKING THE PLEA. A FAYETTE COUNTY JUDGE SENTENCED HIM TO 20 TO 40 YEARS IN PRISON LAST WEEK FOR ROBBING THE PARKVALE SAVINGS BANK IN SOUTH UNION TOWNSHIP ON DEC. 16. CURRIN SAYS HE PLEADED GUILTY BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THE MOST HE WOULD RECEIVE WOULD BE 10 YEARS IN PRISON. CURRIN'S GIRLFRIEND, 23-YEAR-OLD ASHLEY JOHNSTON, WHO IS ALSO THE BABY'S MOTHER, HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO ROBBERY AND CONSPIRACY AND IS SCHEDULED FOR SENTENCING AUG. 26.

SCHOOL HIRING PROBE
NORTHEASTERN PA. SCHOOL OFFICIAL RESIGNS
PITTSTON, PA. (AP) - A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA OFFICIAL HAS ABRUPTLY RESIGNED HIS POST WITH THE PITTSTON AREA SCHOOL BOARD, WHICH WAS PART OF A WIDE-RANGING CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION. JOSEPH OLIVERI ALSO RESIGNED FROM HIS POST AS A LUZERNE COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPUTY. HE CITED "PERSONAL REASONS." SEVERAL SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SAID MONDAY THAT THE RESIGNATIONS RAISE CONCERNS THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD MIGHT NOT BE THROUGH THE WORST OF AN FBI PROBE THAT LED TO SUPERINTENDENT ROSS SCARANTINO PLEADING GUILTY TO CORRUPTION CHARGES. PITTSTON AREA IS ONE OF THREE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SERVED WITH GRAND JURY SUBPOENAS AS PART OF A GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION PROBE IN THE REGION. OLIVERI IS NOT ACCUSED OF ANY WRONGDOING.