Today's News-Friday, October 2, 2009

CAR BURGLAR CAUGHT BY ST CLAIR POLICE

A STRING OF CAR BREAK INS AND THEFTS IN ST CLAIR AND NEW CASTLE TOWNSHIP OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS HAS BEEN SOLVED. 20 YEAR OLD CASEY WOOLSON OF ST CLAIR WAS ARRESTED AFTER A SEARCH OF HIS BROAD STREET HOME UNCOVERED SOME OF THE STOLEN ITEMS FROM AS MANY AS 15 VEHICLES THUS FAR. WOOLSON IS CHARGED WITH MISDEMEANOR THEFT FROM MOTOR VEHICLES, RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY AND RELATED COUNTS. WOOLSON WAS OUT ON BAIL FOR UNRELATED THEFT CHARGES. HE WAS JAILED ON THE CHARGES. IF ANYONE WAS VICTIMIZED BY THESE CRIMES, CALL ST CLAIR POLICE AT 429-2240.

DRUG ARREST AT LAKE WYNONAH

AN AUBURN MAN IS CHARGED WITH MARIJUANA POSSESSION. A STATE CONSTABLE WAS SERVING MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE PAPERS AT A HOME ON STAG DRIVE IN LAKE WYNONAH YESTERDAY WHEN HE SAW A LARGE POT PLANT ON THE KITCHEN FLOOR INSIDE THE HOME. STATE POLICE SEIZED THE PLANT AND CHARGED 24 YEAR OLD RYAN TOWNSEND.

TWO PLEAD NO CONTEST IN MINE FATAL

TWO PINE GROVE MEN, ACCUSED OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER IN THE DEATH OF A MINER IN 2006, HAVE ENTERED PLEAS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT. DAVID P. ZIMMERMAN, OWNER OF R&D COAL, TREMONT TOWNSHIP, AND HIS SON STEPHEN, ENTERED NO CONTEST PLEAS YESTERDAY ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. DALE REIGHTLER DIED IN THE EXPLOSION AT THE MINE. A METHANE GAS EXPLOSION DURING BLASTING CAUSED THE TRAGIC ACCIDENT. THE MEN WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY SENTENCED.

CREDIT CARD FRAUD

AN INDICTMENT HAS BEEN HANDED DOWN AGAINST A SCHUYLKILL HAVEN COUPLE FOR CREDIT CARD FRAUD. KULDEEP AND RUTH SINGH ALLEGEDLY GAINED CREDIT USING FAKE ID’S. THE TOTAL REPORTED FRAUD IS MORE THAN $1.8 MILLION DOLLARS. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY THAT 5 YEARS, THE SINGH’S USED SOME OF THE MONEY TO FUND A BUSINESS IN CRESSONA AS WELL AS MAKING PURCHASES AND CASH ADVANCES. THE FEDS ARE LOOKING FOR PROPERTY FOREFEITURES AND BANK ACCOUNTS FOR RESTITUTION.

STATE BUDGET TAKES TURN

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - HOUSE DEMOCRATS IN THE PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATURE ARE PUSHING A NEW PLAN FOR TAXES, ESSENTIALLY ABANDONING A STATE BUDGET AGREEMENT MADE BY THEIR LEADERS NEARLY TWO WEEKS AGO. THE MEASURE APPROVED THURSDAY ON A PARTY-LINE VOTE BY THE RULES COMMITTEE ELIMINATES PROPOSED TAXES ON SMALL GAMES OF CHANCE AND STAGE PERFORMANCES. INSTEAD, IT WOULD IMPOSE NEW LEVIES ON NATURAL GAS EXTRACTION AND SMOKELESS TOBACCO. IT'S AN ABRUPT CHANGE OF COURSE THAT'S LIKELY TO CAUSE A FURTHER DELAY APPROVAL OF A SPENDING PLAN, MORE THAN THREE MONTHS AFTER THE STATE'S FISCAL YEAR BEGAN. GOVERNOR RENDELL JUST WANTS IT DONE:

RENDELL BUDGET BITE

DEMOCRATS WANT TO A LEGALIZE TABLE GAMES SUCH AS POKER AT CASINOS AND IMPOSE A 34 PERCENT TAX ON THEM. DEMOCRATIC LEADERS SAY THEY PLAN TO HAVE TO FULL HOUSE VOTE TODAY. THE REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, JAKE CORMAN, CALLS THE MOVE "UNFORTUNATE."

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION IS OFFERING
TO HELP UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH STUDENTS WHO WERE ARRESTED DURING
THE GROUP OF 20 ECONOMIC SUMMIT -- SOME OF WHOM SAY THEY WEREN'T
EVEN PROTESTING. ACLU ATTORNEYS MADE THE OFFER AT A RALLY LAST
NIGHT. THEY SAY POLICE CONDUCTED UNLAWFUL MASS ARRESTS AND USED
EXCESSIVE FORCE. MAYOR LUKE RAVENSTAHL HAS PRAISED POLICE, SAYING
THEY PREVENTED SERIOUS INJURIES AND MINIMIZED PROPERTY DAMAGE.

MCKEES ROCKS, PA. (AP) - A WORKER HAS FALLEN 100 FEET TO HIS DEATH FROM A BRIDGE NEAR PITTSBURGH.THE MAN WAS STANDING ON SCAFFOLDING AT THE MCKEES ROCKS BRIDGE AND IT EITHER COLLAPSED OR HE FELL YESTERDAY. POLICE DESCRIBED HIM AS A 54-YEAR-OLD OHIO MAN BUT HIS NAME AND HOMETOWN WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY RELEASED.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH THE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT PHILADELPHIA-BASED COMCAST CORP. IS EXPLORING WHETHER TO BUY A CONTROLLING STAKE IN NBC UNIVERSAL. SUCH A MOVE WOULD INCREASE COMCAST'S OWNERSHIP OF THE TV SHOWS AND MOVIES IT DISTRIBUTES TO ITS CABLE SUBSCRIBERS.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THE FATHER OF THE CHILDREN ON "JON & KATE PLUS 8" SAYS IT'S "NOT HEALTHY" FOR HIS KIDS TO CONTINUE APPEARING ON THE TLC REALITY SHOW.JON GOSSELIN SAYS HE REALIZED HIS 5-YEAR-OLD SEXTUPLETS AND 8-YEAR-OLD TWINS SHOULDN'T BE FILMED AT THE FAMILY'S PENNSYLVANIA HOME WHILE THEIR PARENTS ARE GOING THROUGH A DIVORCE. TLC SAYS IT HAS SHUT DOWN THE FILMING AFTER RECEIVING A CEASE-AND-DESIST ORDER FROM GOSSELIN.

PADANG, INDONESIA (AP) - AMID THE DEVASTATION IN INDONESIA, THERE'S A GLIMMER OF HOPE. A TEENAGER WAS FOUND ALIVE THIS MORNING AND HAS BEEN EXTRICATED FROM HER COLLAPSED COLLEGE IN SUMATRA ABOUT 40 HOURS AFTER A POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE DEVASTATED THE REGION. THE OFFICIAL DEATH TOLL STANDS AT 715, BUT ONE U.N. ESTIMATE SAYS AS MANY AS 1,100 MAY HAVE DIED.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (AP) - THOUSANDS OF VILLAGERS ARE FLEEING THE LIKELY PATH OF A POWERFUL TYPHOON BEARING DOWN ON THE PHILIPPINES. THE GOVERNMENT IS BRACING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A SECOND STORM DISASTER JUST DAYS AFTER ONE THAT KILLED HUNDREDS. TYPHOON PARMA IS FORECAST TO HIT THE EAST COAST SATURDAY, PACKING SUSTAINED WINDS OF UP TO 120 MPH.

COPENHAGEN (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS LOBBYING OLYMPIC LEADERS TO GIVE THE 2016 SUMMER GAMES TO CHICAGO, SAYING THE U.S. "IS READY AND EAGER TO ASSUME THAT SACRED TRUST." OBAMA TOLD MEMBERS OF THE IOC IN COPENHAGEN TODAY THAT IF CHICAGO IS CHOSEN, THE CITY AND THE UNITED STATES "WILL MAKE THE WORLD PROUD."

WASHINGTON (AP) - HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL IS JUST A STEP AWAY FROM SENATE FLOOR. SEN. MAX BAUCUS, WHO CHAIRS THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, SAYS WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED ON ALL SECTIONS OF THE LEGISLATION. THE NEWS CAME AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE COMMITTEE WILL CAST A FINAL, FORMAL VOTE EARLY NEXT WEEK.

NEW YORK (AP) - THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS IS REPORTING THAT RED SOX HALL OF FAMER TED WILLIAMS' SEVERED HEAD WAS MISTREATED AT AN ARIZONA CRYONICS FACILITY. THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE NEW BOOK "FROZEN." IT'S WRITTEN BY A FORMER EXECUTIVE WITH THE ARIZONA CRYOGENIC STORAGE FACILITY WHERE WILLIAMS' REMAINS WERE SENT.