Today's News-Thursday, September 17, 2009-BREAKING NEWS

BODY IDENTIFIED, ARRESTS MADE

STATE POLICE ARE HOLDING A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 9AM TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE IN THE INVESTIGATION OF A HOMICIDE, ARRESTS AND A BODY FOUND NEAR BRANDONVILLE. AN IDENTIFICATION HAS BEEN MADE, BUT HASN'T BEEN RELEASED YET. TUESDAY AFTERNOON, THE MAN'S BODY WAS FOUND PARTIALLY CLOTHED NEAR A BRIDGE OFF OLD MILL ROAD IN EAST UNION TOWNSHIP. AN AUTOPSY WAS DONE YESTERDAY BY DR. RICHARD BINDIE.

WOMAN DIES IN CRASH NEAR HOMETOWN

A WARRIOR RUN WOMAN DIED IN A TWO VEHICLE CRASH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON IN RUSH TOWNSHIP. POLICE SAY 69 YEAR OLD SANDRA HENDRZAK WAS DRIVING A VAN IN THE PASSING LANE WHEN SHE RAN INTO THE BACK OF AN SUV DRIVEN BY TAMMY FATZINGER OF QUAKAKE, WHO WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. HENDRZAK WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT HAZLETON HOSPITAL. FATZINGER AND TWO CHILDREN WERE TREATED THERE WITH MINOR INJURIES.

HOME BREAK –IN IN UPPER MAHANTONGO TOWNSHIP

A KLINGERSTOWN MAN’S HOME WAS BURGLARIZED EARLIER THIS WEEK. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN STATE POLICE SAY THE BREAK-IN HAPPENED AT RANDY ROTHERMEL'S HOME ON LONG RUN ROAD TUESDAY, WITH CASH, A BANK CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT WORTH $5-THOUSAND-DOLLARS AND JEWELRY WERE TAKEN. THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.

CRESSONA STORE, AUTO DEALER BURGLARIZED

TWO MORE COUNTY BUSINESSES WERE BURGLARIZED THIS WEEK. THE GLASS DOORS WERE SMASHED AT CRESSONA AGWAY COUNTRY STORE AND BANDITS RUMMAGED THROUGH THE STORE, TAKING A SMALL AMOUNT OF CASH. A 1998 MAZDA 4 BY 4 WAS STOLEN FROM DON’S AUTO SALES ON THE PORT CARBON/ST CLAIR HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE IS VALUED AT $4-THOUSAND-DOLLARS. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN STATE POLICE ARE HANDLING THE INVESTIGATION.

ZIMMERMAN GETS PROBATION IN MINE EXPLOSION CASE

A MAN INVOLVED IN A MINE EXPLOSION IN 2006 THAT CLAIMED THE LIFE OF A DONALDSON MAN HAS BEEN GIVEN PROBATION AFTER PLEADING GUILTY IN COUNTY COURT. 43 YEAR OLD JEFFREY KLINGER MADE THE PLEA OF GUILTY TO VIOLATIONS OF THE ANTHRACITE COAL MINE ACT. DALE REIGHTLER DIED IN THE EXPLOSION AT R&D COAL COMPANY. KLINGER PLEADED GUILTY TO BLASTING COAL OR ROCK WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING A CERTIFICATE TO MINE, ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. HE WILL SERVE 60 DAYS PROBATION ON THE TWO COUNTS. KLINGER HAD INITIALLY FACED MORE SERIOUS CHARGES. THE OWNER OF THE MINE, DAVID ZIMMERMAN AND HIS SON STEVEN, PINE GROVE, ARE STILL FACING INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES IN THE CASE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - SENIOR PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS HELD A CLOSED-DOOR MEETING LAST NIGHT IN HOPES OF COMPLETING A DEAL THAT CAN PASS THE LEGISLATURE AND GET GOV. ED RENDELL'S SUPPORT. NEGOTIATORS SAY THEY'RE TRYING TO SATISFY RENDELL'S DOUBTS ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF THE REVENUE FIGURES THAT WOULD FINANCE A NEARLY $28 BILLION TENTATIVE SPENDING PLAN.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA POLICE COMMISSIONER CHARLES RAMSEY SAYS MORE THAN 700 POLICE OFFICERS WILL GET LAYOFF NOTICES TOMORROW UNLESS THE STATE LEGISLATURE TAKES ACTION TO HELP THE CITY WITH ITS FINANCES. RAMSEY MET PRIVATELY LAST NIGHT WITH SOME OF THE 739 POLICE OFFICERS AND 43 SUPPORT STAFF WORKERS WHO WOULD BE LAID OFF.

BERWICK, PA. (AP) - A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TEACHER IS ACCUSED OF FONDLING A 14-YEAR-OLD BOY. BERWICK POLICE SAY THE BOY REPORTED THAT HE WAS WALKING TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE ON SEPT. 4 WHEN A MAN HE DIDN'T KNOW CALLED HIM ONTO HIS PORCH, HUGGED HIM AND TOUCHED HIS CROTCH. CHARGES WERE FILED AGAINST BRIAN FISH, WHO HAD SERVED AS THE BAND DIRECTOR AT BERWICK AREA MIDDLE SCHOOL.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A RALLY FOR CLEAN ENERGY JOBS WILL BE HELD NEXT WEEK IN PITTSBURGH ON THE EVE OF THE G-20 SUMMIT. THE SEPT. 23 RALLY AND FREE CONCERT FEATURING JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS AT POINT STATE PARK IS THE FINAL EVENT OF THE MONTHLONG MADE IN AMERICA JOBS TOUR. LABOR UNIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS HAVE SPONSORED THE TOUR.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - OUT OF CONCERN FOR PROTESTS DURING THE G-20 SUMMIT, PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL HAS PASSED A TEMPORARY LAW BANNING CERTAIN ITEMS INCLUDING GAS MASKS, PADLOCKS, GASOLINE AND ROTTEN EGGS. IF THE OFFICER BELIEVES THAT THE PERSON IS PLANNING TO TRY TO BLOCK PUBLIC AREAS OR RESIST CROWD CONTROL, THEN POLICE WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE ACTION.

KABUL (AP) - A LARGE EXPLOSION HAS SHAKEN THE CENTER OF AFGHANISTAN'S CAPITAL, KABUL. AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE BLAST HIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING THE U.S. EMBASSY AND AN AMERICAN MILITARY BASE. SMOKE CAN BE SEEN RISING FROM THE AREA AND DOZENS OF VEHICLES WERE BURNED, INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE HUMVEE.

CROMWELL, CONN. (AP) - IT'S UP TO THE LAB. THAT'S WHAT POLICE IN NEW HAVEN, CONN., ARE SAYING ABOUT THE SEARCH FOR THE KILLER OF YALE GRADUATE STUDENT. THEY'RE WAITING FOR THE RESULTS OF DNA TESTS, INCLUDING SAMPLES TAKEN FROM A TECHNICIAN AT THE LAB WHERE LE'S SUFFOCATED BODY WAS FOUND. POLICE SAY THEY'LL SEEK AN ARREST WARRANT FOR ANYONE WHOSE DNA MATCHES EVIDENCE AT THE CRIME SCENE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN MAX BAUCUS BEGINS TRYING TO CONVINCE FELLOW DEMOCRATS HIS HEALTH CARE REFORM PLAN IS THE RIGHT ONE IN A SPECIAL CLOSED DOOR MEETING TODAY. SOME ARE DISAPPOINTED HIS $856 BILLION PACKAGE DOESN'T INCLUDE A PUBLIC OPTION. MEANWHILE, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HOLDS ANOTHER RALLY FOR HIS HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL PLAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND'S SUBURBAN WASHINGTON CAMPUS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A CONGRESSIONALLY APPOINTED COMMISSION MODELED
AFTER THE 9/11 COMMISSION AND THE IRAQ STUDY GROUP BEGINS EXAMINING
THE CAUSES OF LAST YEAR'S FINANCIAL COLLAPSE TODAY. THE 10-MEMBER,
BIPARTISAN PANEL HAS 15 MONTHS TO DO ITS WORK, MEANING ITS FINDINGS
WON'T HAVE AN IMPACT ON NEXT YEAR'S CONGRESSIONAL RACES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO PASS A BILL TODAY THAT WOULD PUSH PRIVATE LENDERS OUT OF THE FEDERAL COLLEGE LOAN BUSINESS AS IT MASSIVELY EXPANDS GOVERNMENT AID PROGRAMS. SUPPORTERS SAY IT WOULD SAVE AN ESTIMATED $87 BILLION, BUT REPUBLICAN CRITICS ARGUE IT IS WRONG TO PUT THE GOVERNMENT IN NEAR-TOTAL CONTROL OF STUDENT LENDING.