Today's News-Saturday, September 19, 2009

DRUG SWEEP NETS 20

TARGETED DRUG SWEEPS BY THE COUNTY D.A. DRUG TASK FORCE AND LOCAL POLICE NETTED 20 ARRESTS FRIDAY. THE STREET LEVEL DEALERS FROM ALL OVER SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, WERE ROUSTED OUT EARLY IN THE MORNING AND ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES LIKE DELIVERING COCAINE, METHAMPHETAMINE, MARIJUANA AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY BILL REILLY SAYS THEY ARE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS:

REILEY

ORIGINALLY, 25 WARRANTS WERE ISSUED, PLUS A COUPLE OTHERS WERE NABBED ON OUTSTANDING BENCH WARRANTS. TWO OF THE ARRESTEES POSTED BAIL. SEVERAL WERE ALSO ALREADY IN PRISON.

THOSE ARRESTED ON VARIOUS DRUG DELIVERY COUNTS:

SONYA STRICHER, MINERSVILLE
ROBERT RUGGLES, MINERSVILLE
ALICIA ROTEN, MINERSVILLE
RUSSELL TETER, MINERSVILLE
CAROL EVITTS, MINERSVILLE
JOSEPH HAUPTLY, MINERSVILLE
BRIAN CHAPMAN, CASS TOWNSHIP
MATTHEW LAZOVI, MINERSVILLE
ERIC OSSMAN, TREMONT
JUSTIN RODICHOK, TOWER CITY
CODY CHALLENGER, TOWER CITY
SAMANTHA VAUGHAN, PORT CARBON
DEBRA GREENBERG, POTTSVILLE
LEON PAWELSKI, DEER LAKE
EDWARD LEYMEISTER, SCH HAVEN
NICOLE LISCHAK, SCH HAVEN
MICHAEL SLEVA, ST CLAIR
CHRISTIAN KUZOWSKY, SCH HAVEN
SHAWN SUKEENA, MINERSVILLE
MIKE BRAMLEY, MINERSVILLE

TWO PEOPLE INJURED IN BERKS CRASH

A MAN AND WOMAN HAD MINOR INJURIES IN A TWO VEHICLE CRASH ON ROUTE 183 IN JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, BERKS COUNTY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN RESIDENT, 25 YEAR OLD CHAD JACOBY WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN INTO WAY-HAR DAIRY STORE WHEN HIS VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY A JEEP OPERATED BY 19 YEAR OLD BRANDY BEEMAN OF STRAUSSTOWN.

PENNSYLVANIA BUDGET
PA. BUDGET DEAL ENDS IMPASSE WITH CUTS, TAXES

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOV. ED RENDELL AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ARE PRAISING A BUDGET DEAL THAT WOULD END PENNSYLVANIA'S DISTINCTION AS THE LAST STATE STILL FIGHTING OVER ITS ANNUAL SPENDING PLAN. THEY ANNOUNCED LATE FRIDAY A NEARLY $28 BILLION PLAN THAT WOULD RAISE BUSINESS AND CIGARETTE TAXES AND WOULD DRAW MORE THAN $1 BILLION FROM THE STATE'S RAINY DAY FUND AND AN ACCOUNT THAT HELPS DOCTORS PAY MALPRACTICE PREMIUMS. THE DEAL WOULD LEGALIZE TABLE GAMES AT CASINOS AND WOULD EXTEND THE STATE'S SALES TAX TO CONCERT AND THEATER TICKETS. GOVERNOR RENDELL SAYS THAT THE PROCESS MOVES TO THE RANK AND FILE TO GET THE MONEY MOVING.

RENDELL BUDGET ANNOUNCE

THE BUDGET IS 80 DAYS LATE AND FOLLOWS MONTHS OF NEGOTIATIONS OVER WHETHER TO FILL A MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET DEFICIT THROUGH CUTS, HIGHER TAXES OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE GOVERNOR HAS SIGNED A BILL TO HELP PHILADELPHIA AVERT A MAJOR CITY GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL CRISIS AND ADDRESS THE FATE OF MUNICIPAL PENSIONS ACROSS THE STATE. IT ALLOWS PHILADELPHIA TO ADD A PENNY TO ITS SALES TAX FOR FIVE YEARS. IT ALSO LETS THE CITY DEFER PENSION COSTS FOR THREE YEARS.

DIMOCK, PA. (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY CREWS DRILLING A NATURAL GAS WELL IN SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY SPILLED MORE THAN 8,000 GALLONS OF A CHEMICAL LUBRICANT INTO A WETLAND AND CREEK. STATE EXPERTS ARE STUDYING SAMPLES OF THE GEL-LIKE SUBSTANCE TO DETERMINE ITS COMPOSITION AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE ECOSYSTEM.

DALLAS (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY THE LAST IMMIGRANT FAMILIES HAVE LEFT A DISPARAGED FORMER TEXAS PRISON THAT HOUSED THEM WHILE THEY AWAITED IMMIGRATION CASE DECISIONS. FAMILIES ARRIVING AT THE U.S. BORDER WILL NOW BE PLACED UNDER SUPERVISION OR DETAINED AT THE MUCH-SMALLER BERKS FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CENTER IN LEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - PROFESSIONAL EATER "HUMBLE" BOB SHOUDT CAN ADD A BURRITO-EATING TITLE TO HIS RESUME. THE ROYERSFORD, PENNSYLVANIA MAN WON THE 2009 WORLD BURRITO EATING CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE NEW MEXICO STATE FAIR. HE ATE 33 1/2 BURRITOS IN 10 MINUTES AND WON $1,500.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PUBLISHED REPORTS SAY THE FCC WILL PROPOSE NEW RULES DESIGNED TO ENSURE THE FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS OVER THE INTERNET. THE WASHINGTON POST AND NEW YORK TIMES REPORT THAT FCC CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI WILL MAKE THE PROPOSALS IN A SPEECH MONDAY.

MOSCOW (AP) - A DEPUTY RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER HAS CONFIRMED THE MILITARY HAS SCRAPPED A PLAN TO DEPLOY ISKANDER SHORT-RANGE MISSILES NEAR POLAND. HE SAYS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S DECISION TO DUMP THE BUSH-ERA PLAN TO DEPLOY U.S. MISSILE DEFENSE SITES IN EASTERN EUROPE MAKES THE DEPLOYMENT UNNECESSARY.

DENVER (AP) - A MAN UNDER INVESTIGATION IN A TERRORISM PROBE IN NEW YORK AND DENVER IS EXPECTED TO VOLUNTARILY ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR A FOURTH DAY TODAY. A SENIOR U.S. INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL SAYS THE MAN PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN AN INTENDED TERRORIST ATTACK. BUT NAJIBULLAH ZAZI'S ATTORNEY SAYS HIS CLIENT ISN'T INVOLVED IN TERRORISM.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (AP) - INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES SAYS THERE'S "NO LONGER ANY DOUBT" THAT SOUTHEAST ASIA TERRORIST LEADER NOORDIN TOP WAS KILLED DAYS AGO IN A SHOOTOUT WITH POLICE. THEY SAY FINGERPRINTS AND DNA TESTS PROVE IT. NOORDIN IS ACCUSED OF PLANNING THE 2002 AND 2005 SUICIDE BOMBINGS IN BALI AND TWO HOTEL ATTACKS IN JAKARTA.

BANGKOK (AP) - POLICE ARE OUT IN FORCE TODAY IN BANGKOK. ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS THERE ARE MARKING THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY
OF A COUP THEY SAY WAS A MAJOR SETBACK FOR THAILAND'S DEMOCRATIC
SYSTEM. THE LAST PROTEST LED TO RIOTING IN THE CAPITAL IN WHICH AT
LEAST TWO PEOPLE DIED AND HUNDREDS WERE INJURED.