Today's News-Tuesday August 4, 2009

The State Senate held a hearing in Frackville yesterday regarding a transfer of land to the County to build a prerelease center. Senators Dave Argall and Chuck McIlhenney, the chairman of the State Senate Government Committee presided over the hearing. Many local dignitaries testified to the Counties needs in building the center in order to maintain a safe population in the County prison. The approval, which is already through the State House of Representatives, could be approved by the Senate as soon as September. Governor Ed Rendell also must approve the transfer.

The dismissal of Mark Semanchik as Gordon borough solicitor at the July meeting had two councilwomen showing their support in prepared statements at Monday's council meeting. According to the Republican and Herald, Council President Lynn Korn and Councilwoman Suzanne O'Neill read their statements just as the meeting started. However, their praise for Semanchik was countered by comments from Mayor Nick Troutman, who suggested at last month's meeting that Semanchik be removed as solicitor due to his absences from council meetings, particularly this year. Semanchik had formerly been solicitor and interim superintendent of North Schuylkill School District before his contract recently expired. He is also involved in court proceedings related to the North Schuylkill school board's attempts to have him hired as superintendent despite not having the required six years of teaching experience. Korn, who was the only council member who voted against removing Semanchik in July, spoke first, adding that her statement was her personal opinion. O'Neill noted the many years of service Semanchik had with the borough in her statement. O'Neill was out of state during the July meeting. O'Neill then asked the council members who voted to dismiss Semanchik if, in their opinion, he was not doing his job. The position of Solicitor has been advertised with two more postings scheduled.

The Charles Baber Cemetery in the city of Pottsville has again been strewn with toppled tombstones. For the third time in two months, Pottsville Police have an ongoing investigation into who is responsible for destroying monuments. Even with mounting patrols through the cemetery the vandalism occurred between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening. Police are attempting to find those responsible for the damages which have already exceeded ten thousand dollars this year. Anyone with information on these actions are encouraged to contact Pottsville Police at 622-1234.

Saint Clair police department will launch a series of community safety meetings Wednesday with a presentation on identity theft and crime prevention. The meeting, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Saint Clair Borough Hall, 16 S. Third St. Carey said the presentation will probably last about one to one-and-a-half hours. Identity theft was chosen because it's a crime the police department has been dealing with more frequently, and it is one that residents may not consider themselves vulnerable to. Wednesday's meeting will be geared toward a general audience. The department plans on doing two or three more presentations on the first Wednesday of each month. The meeting schedule will then break for the holidays, and possibly resume next year. The topics have not yet been announced. Anyone with questions about the event may contact the police department at 429-2240.

Keeping the streets safe is a community effort and the borough of Shenandoah hopes to show how it can be done Tuesday during the 26th annual National Night Out. As reported in the Republican and Herald, the recently formed Shenandoah Community Watch, formerly Shenandoah Crime Watch, is coordinating the event, which will include a patrol of the area from 8 to 10 p.m. Billed as "America's Night Out Against Crime," the annual community-awareness event was started in 1984 by the National Association of Town Watch. Last year's National Night Out campaign involved 37 million people nationally. Anyone interested in joining the flashlight patrols should meet at King Kruller in downtown Shenandoah by 8 p.m. For more information about the group, call 527-8459.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A vote in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives makes it likely that state employees will soon be collecting their pay again. The House voted 187-to-11 yesterday to position a state budget for a final vote later today. The measure would pay tens of thousands of state workers who have not received check during the budget stalemate.

WASHINGTON (AP) - It appears that Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter is formally getting challenged in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary. Rep. Joe Sestak, a former Navy vice admiral, is expected to announce his candidacy. He has scheduled five campaign
stops throughout the state today. Sestak has already heavily campaigned in the state.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court now wants to preserve the records of thousands of juveniles who appeared before a corrupt judge between 2003 and 2008. Attorneys for victims of the corruption scandal asked a federal judge to preserve more than 6,000 records as evidence in their lawsuit against former Judge Mark Ciavarella (shiv-uh-REL'-uh) and others in Luzerne County.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell is expected to sign a bill that would give another seven weeks of unemployment benefits to laid-off Pennsylvanians. The Pennsylvania House of
Representatives voted unanimously yesterday to approve the bill. It would provide benefits for about 57,000 people. It's intended to extend relief through the end of the year.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Arlen Specter, who faced an antagonistic crowd at a weekend health care town hall, says the experience could be a sign of the tough road for overhauling the nation's system. The crowd booed, jeered and sometimes cheered Specter and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at a packed meeting in Philadelphia.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea is welcoming a visit by Bill Clinton. The former president is hoping to win the release of two jailed American journalists. He's being given an unusually warm welcome by officials of the communist regime. The U.S. and North Korea do not have diplomatic relations.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Iran's state media now says that three Americans who apparently crossed into Iran from Iraq have been arrested for illegal entry. A newscaster is also casting doubt on whether the three were hikers who lost their way. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is appealing for official information about the group, which includes a freelance journalist.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration says the "cash for clunkers" incentive program could be out of money by week's end. So Senate Democrats are trying to win over enough reluctant Republicans to approve another $2 billion to keep the program running. Car companies say the clunkers program has been giving sales a huge boost.

KUWAIT CITY (AP) - Kuwait's energy minister says he hopes oil prices will stay between $70 and $80 a barrel till the end of the year. He tells the Kuwait News Agency that higher oil prices -- $100 a barrel or more -- could backfire on producers by lowering demand.

BANGKOK (AP) - A Thai government official says the pilot of a Bangkok Airways flight was killed when the plane smashed into an air traffic control tower. He says about 10 people have been hospitalized with minor injuries after the passenger jet skidded off the runway in stormy weather and hit the tower. About 72 people were aboard.