Today's News-Wednesday August 26 2009

TEENS CHARGED IN CEMETERY VANDALISM

POTTSVILLE TEENAGED BOYS, AGES 11 AND 12, ARE FACING CHARGES FOR VANDALIZING THE CHARLES BABER CEMETERY. CITY POLICE SAY THE BOYS ARE CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THREE SEPARATE INCIDENTS OF KNOCKING OVER TOMBSTONES AND OTHER DAMAGES IN JULY. VANDALISM AND DESECRATION OF VENERATED OBJECTS COUNTS WILL BE HANDLED THROUGH THE JUVENILE COURTS SYSTEM ACCORDING TO POLICE.

MOYER TO FACE PRISON TIME IN ARSON

A SCHUYLKILL HAVEN MAN IS HEADED TO STATE PRISON FOR ARSON. FRANKLIN MOYER JR. SET FIRE TO HIS MOTHER'S HOUSE ON HAVEN STREET IN THE BOROUGH LAST FALL. HE WAS CHARGED WITH ARSON, CRIMINAL MISCHIEF AND RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN AND HERALD. THE HALLOWEEN, 2008 FIRE CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE HOME OF JANET MOYER. FRANKLIN MOYER JR. WILL DO 1 TO 3 YEARS FOR HIS CRIMES. HE WAS SENTENCED TUESDAY BY JUDGE CYRUS PALMER DOLBIN AFTER PLEADING GUILTY FOR HIS CRIMES.

ARGALL HOSTS SUMMIT

SENATOR DAVE ARGALL IS CONTINUING HIS QUEST TO REDUCE BLIGHT IN OUR COMMUNITIES. IN THE FIRST OF TWO COMMUNITY SUMMITS, ARGALL HOSTED A MEETING IN POTTSVILLE LAST NIGHT TO DISCUSS REDEVELOPMENT, JOB CREATION AND RETENTION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SEVERAL SPEAKERS SPOKE ON VARIOUS TOPICS AT THE MEETING AT SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER. ANOTHER SESSION IN PALMERTON IS SCHEDULED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

PHILLY MEN TO JAIL FOR SELLING DRUGS

TWO FORMER PENN STATE STUDENTS ARE FACING STATE PRISON TIME FOR DRUG AND WEAPONS CHARGES. 22 YEAR OLD ALVIN AND 19 YEAR OLD JAMES FOSTER PLEADED GUILTY TO ASSAULT, RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT, POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DELIVER VARIOUS DRUGS AND OTHER COUNTS FOR A FIGHT LAST FALL AT PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL IN WHICH A MINERSVILLE MAN WAS HURT, AND FOR A DRUG RAID AT THEIR CAMPUS APARTMENT. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT JUDGE CYRUS PALMER DOLBIN SENTENCED THE FOSTERS TO TWO TO FOUR YEARS IN PRISON FOR THE CRIMES COMMITTED LAST FALL.

GOODFELLAS FACES ENFORCEMENT ACTION

A POTTSVILLE ESTABLISHMENT IS FACING ACTION BY THE STATE LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD. GOODFELLA'S INCORPORATED IS FACING VIOLATIONS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA LIQUOR CONTROL CODE AND THE PA HUMAN RELATIONS ACT FOR INCIDENTS ON JULY 17TH. ACCORDING TO AN LCE PRESS RELEASE, GOODFELLAS ADMITTED FEMALE PATRONS TO THE BAR WHILE CHARGING ADMISSION TO MALE PATRONS. AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE WILL DECIDE WHAT THE PUNISHMENT FOR THE INFRACTIONS WILL BE.

MOHNTON, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAY A COLLISION BETWEEN A CAR AND A TRACTOR-TRAILER HAS KILLED A WOMAN AND TWO CHILDREN. OFFICIALS SAY THE CRASH HAPPENED YESTERDAY ON ROUTE 625 IN BERKS COUNTY'S BRECKNOCK TOWNSHIP. THE WOMAN DIED AT THE SCENE AND THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD AND THREE-MONTH-OLD CHILDREN WERE PRONOUNCED DEAD AT A NEARBY HOSPITAL.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - TWO TEENS HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF THIRD-DEGREE MURDER AND A THIRD OF A LESSER CHARGE IN THE FATAL BEATING OF A COFFEE SHOP MANAGER ON A PHILADELPHIA SUBWAY CONCOURSE. AMEER BEST AND NASHIR FISHER FACE UP TO 80 YEARS IN PRISON IN THE DEATH OF SEAN CONROY IN MARCH 2008. THE TEENS ATTACKED CONROY UNPROVOKED, TRIGGERING A FATAL ASTHMA ATTACK.

SCRANTON, PA. (AP) - A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER HAS REACHED AN AGREEMENT IN HIS LAWSUIT AGAINST WESTFALL TOWNSHIP THAT ONCE OWED HIM $20 MILLION. TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS WERE FOUND GUILTY IN 1999 OF VIOLATING KATZ'S CIVIL RIGHTS BY CONSPIRING TO STOP HIM FROM DEVELOPING A WOODED AREA. WITH INTEREST OVER THE YEARS, THE AMOUNT BALLOONED UP TO MORE THAN $20 MILLION.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THOUSANDS OF INVESTORS SAVING FOR COLLEGE IN PENNSYLVANIA'S GUARANTEED SAVINGS PLAN WILL SOON HAVE TO PAY MORE TO LOCK IN FUTURE TUITION EXPENSES AT TODAY'S PRICES. THE STATE TREASURER'S OFFICE SAYS STARTING SEPT. 1, IT WILL IMPOSE PREMIUMS OF AS MUCH AS 8 PERCENT TO OFFSET A LARGE DEFICIT CAUSED BY THE WALL STREET MELTDOWN.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - INVESTORS IN PHILADELPHIA'S TWO MAJOR NEWSPAPERS ARE PROMOTING THE VIRTUES OF LOCAL OWNERSHIP AS THEY BATTLE CREDITORS FOR CONTROL OF THE COMPANY. THE LOCAL OWNERS LED BY HOUSING ENTREPRENEUR BRUCE TOLL AND FORMER PUBLIC RELATIONS EXECUTIVE BRIAN TIERNEY ARE TRYING TO SHED ABOUT $400 MILLION IN DEBT.

LONDON (AP) - WORLD LEADERS ARE PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE LATE SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY. THE MASSACHUSETTS LAWMAKER DIED LAST NIGHT AFTER A BATTLE WITH BRAIN CANCER. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN CALLED KENNEDY, "A TRUE PUBLIC SERVANT." AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER KEVIN RUDD SAYS HE MADE "AN EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTION TO AMERICA'S ROLE IN THE WORLD."

BOSTON (AP) - DESPITE THEIR OBVIOUS POLITICAL DIFFERENCE, NANCY REAGAN SAYS HER HUSBAND AND MASSACHUSETTS SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY WERE ALWAYS ABLE TO FIND COMMON GROUND. SHE SAYS THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND SENATOR HAD "HAD GREAT RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER." REAGAN SAYS SHE CONSIDERED KENNEDY "AN ALLY AND A DEAR FRIEND."

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - A TALIBAN SPOKESMAN IS CONDEMNING A BOMBING IN THE MILITANT GROUP'S SPIRITUAL HOME IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN. YESTERDAY'S EXPLOSION KILLED MORE THAN 40 PEOPLE AND
THE INJURED ARE STILL BEING PULLED FORM THE WRECKAGE TODAY.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) - AFTER TWO SCRUBBED LAUNCHES, NASA IS UP AGAINST A TIGHT DEADLINE TO GET DISCOVERY TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. IF THE SHUTTLE ISN'T FLYING BY SUNDAY, THE DELIVERY MISSION WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER BECAUSE OF A PAIR OF JAPANESE AND RUSSIAN LAUNCHES. A TRICKY FUEL VALVE KEPT THE SHUTTLE GROUNDED THIS MORNING.

MIAMI (AP) - A STATE APPEALS COURT TAKES UP FLORIDA'S STRICT BAN ON ADOPTIONS BY GAY PEOPLE TODAY. THE STATE IS APPEALING A MIAMI-DADE COUNTY JUDGE'S NOVEMBER 2008 RULING THAT THE LAW IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.