Today's News-Monday, October 19, 2009

FIRE RULED ARSON

A MASSIVE FIRE THAT DESTROYED A NEW PHILADELPHIA BAR AND HEAVILY DAMAGED TWO ADJOINING PROPERTIES HAS BEEN RULED SUSPICIOUS. THE CALL CAME IN BEFORE 3AM SATURDAY AT MOE'S BAR, WATER STREET, NEW PHILADELPHIA. FIRE CREWS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY BATTLED THE BLAZE FOR HOURS, AND THE INVESTIGATION BY STATE POLICE HAS DETERMINED IT WAS INCENDIARY IN NATURE. REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE FIRE BROKE OUT SHORTLY AFTER THE BAR CLOSED AT 2AM.

MT CARMEL MAN DIES IN CRASH

A MOUNT CARMEL MAN DIED IN A CRASH ON ROUTE 901 IN BARRY TOWNSHIP SATURDAY AFTERNOON. 78 YEAR OLD STEPHEN SHEETZ CAR CROSSED THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK THE TANK TRUCK DRIVEN BY 70 YEAR OLD RODNEY UNGER HEAD ON. SHEETZ WAS TRANSPORTED TO ST CATHERINE MEDICAL CENTER IN FOUNTAIN SPRINGS WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD. UNGER AND HIS PASSENGER, KENNETH FETTEROLT, WERE TREATED AND RELEASED. ROUTE 901 WAS CLOSED FOR ABOUT 6 HOURS FOR CLEANUP. STATE POLICE ARE CONTINUING THEIR INVESTIGATION.

CAR BREAK-INS

TWO MEN ARE ACCUSED WITH ATTEMPTED THEFT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE. EARLY SATURDAY, 24 YEAR OLD RYAN KOLESAR OF MCADOO WAS OBSERVED TRYING TO ENTER A VEHICLE IN KELAYRES BY THE OWNER. HE WAS APPREHENDED A SHORT TIME LATER AND TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. STATE POLICE SAY 47 YEAR OLD DAVID SWEDO OF HAZLETON WAS ALSO INVOLVED AND WILL BE CHARGED IN THE CASE. TROOPERS SAY THAT OTHER VEHICLES IN THE AREA MAY HAVE BEEN VANDALIZED AS WELL.

WET ROADWAY TO BLAME FOR CRASH

WET LEAVES ON BROWNS CHURCH ROAD APPARENTLY WERE TO BLAME FOR A SATURDAY NIGHT CRASH THAT FLIPPED A TRUCK. 49 YEAR OLD CARL SPECE WAS HEADED SOUTH WHEN THE TRUCK LEFT THE ROADWAY, CRASHED INTO A DITCH AND FLIPPED ONTO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. STATE POLICE SAY SPECE WAS WEARING HIS SEATBELT AND WAS UNINJURED.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24TH, INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS WILL TAKE TO THE STREETS TO HELP OTHERS. MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY IS A NATIONWIDE EFFORT FOR ALL AGES, AND IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PEOPLE ARE STEPPING UP, BUT IN LESSER NUMBERS THAN IN 2008, ACCORDING TO JANICE JOHNSTON, MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY COORDINATOR:

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A WIDE VARIETY OF PROJECTS ARE ON THE ROSTER FOR MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY, BUT JOHNSTON SAYS THAT THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN HAS PUT A FOCUS ON HELPING THOSE DOWN AND OUT:

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THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER YOUR GROUP AND PROJECT FOR THE 2009 MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY. CALL JOHNSTON AT 628-1426.

MAN HURT IN CRASH

GIRARDVILLE - ONE MAN WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN THE CAR HE WAS DRIVING CRASHED ON ROUTE 54 EAST OF GIRARDVILLE IN BUTLER TOWNSHIP. THE CRASH HAPPENED AROUND 2PM SATURDAY IN THE 400 BLOCK OF HIGH ROAD IN THE HOMESVILLE SECTION OF THE TOWNSHIP. MICHAEL MCDONALD OF ASHLAND WAS SPEEDING WHEN HE PASSED ANOTHER VEHICLE IN A NO PASSING ZONE. MCDONALD LOST CONTROL OF HIS CAR, WENT OFF THE ROADWAY, HITTING A TREE AND FLIPPING OVER. MCDONALD WAS TAKEN TO GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER, WHERE HE REMAINS IN SERIOUS CONDITION. POLICE SAY ALCOHOL IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN THE CRASH.

READING, PA. (AP) - A JURY HAS AWARDED JUST OVER $7,500 FOR MEDICAL EXPENSES AND LOST WAGES IN A CIVIL SUIT AGAINST A FORMER EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA FUNERAL DIRECTOR FOR A 2006 ASSAULT IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM. KEVIN BEAN, THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF BEAN FUNERAL HOMES AND CREMATION SERVICES, WAS PREVIOUSLY SENTENCED TO ONE TO FOUR YEARS IN PRISON FOR THE ASSAULTS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE DEVELOPER OF A SLOT-MACHINE CASINO ON THE DELAWARE RIVER IN PHILADELPHIA SAYS IT IS THINKING ABOUT BUILDING A TEMPORARY CASINO RATHER THAN PUTTING UP A PERMANENT STRUCTURE IN PHASES. FOXWOODS CASINO NOTIFIED GAMBLING REGULATORS FRIDAY THAT IT WOULD "SERIOUSLY CONSIDER" THE IDEA AT THE SITE, CITING UNANTICIPATED FINANCING ISSUES.

WASHINGTON, PA. (AP) - A 29-YEAR-OLD FORMER PITTSBURGH IS BEING RETRIED IN THE SHOOTING DEATHS OF TWO OHIO COLLEGE STUDENTS A DECADE AGO. TERRELL YARBROUGH IS SCHEDULED TO GO ON TRIAL THIS WEEK IN THE DEATHS OF AARON LAND AND BRIAN MUHA. AN OHIO JURY PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED YARBROUGH AND SENTENCED HIM TO DEATH. THE OHIO SUPREME COURT OVERTURNED THE CONVICTION, SAYING HE WAS TRIED IN THE WRONG STATE.

COLUMBUS, OHIO (AP) - BACKERS OF AN OHIO CASINO PROPOSAL ON THE FALL BALLOT ARE POINTING TO NEIGHBORING STATES, SUCH AS PENNSYLVANIA, THAT ALLOW CASINO GAMBLING AS A REASON TO VOTE FOR IT. OPPONENTS SAY THE JOBS CLAIMS IGNORE SOCIAL COSTS AND THE HARM CASINOS COULD DO TO ADJACENT LOCAL BUSINESSES.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA OFFICIALS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS PLAN TO REAPPLY FOR FEDERAL PERMISSION STATE TO RAISE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR TRANSPORTATION BY INSTALLING TOLL BOOTHS ALONG INTERSTATE 80. THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION TURNED DOWN A PREVIOUSLY APPLICATION TO DO SO, SAYING IT WASN'T BASED ON AN OBJECTIVE MARKET VALUATION OF THE HIGHWAY.

KABUL (AP) - THE LATEST ESCALATION IN THE AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CRISIS HAS RAISED FEARS PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI WILL REJECT THE RESULTS OF A U.N-BACKED INVESTIGATION. OFFICIALS WHO HAVE SEEN THE RESULTS SAY ENOUGH VOTES HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT TO FORCE A RUNOFF. BUT THE KARZAI-DOMINATED INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION HAS REJECTED THE DATA.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, PAKISTAN (AP) - FIGHTING IS TAKING PLACE ON THREE FRONTS NEAR THE AFGHAN BORDER IN PAKISTAN TODAY. TROOPS FOUGHT MILITANTS ON THE GROUND AND FIGHTER JETS BOMBED INSURGENT POSITIONS. PAKISTANI TROOPS AND MILITANTS HAVE EACH CLAIMED EARLY VICTORIES IN SOUTH WAZIRISTAN, A MOUNTAINOUS MILITANT HAVEN.

WASHINGTON (AP) - MEDICAL MARIJUANA SUPPORTERS SAY A CHANGE IN FEDERAL POLICY COMING TODAY IS A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO TELL FEDERAL DRUG AGENTS NOT TO PURSUE POT-SMOKING PATIENTS OR THEIR SANCTIONED SUPPLIERS IN STATES THAT ALLOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA, AS LONG AS STATE LAW IS OBEYED.

FORT COLLINS, COLO. (AP) - COLORADO AUTHORITIES SAY THE PARENTS OF A SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY WILL PROBABLY FACE FELONY CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY CONCOCTING THE STORY OF HIS FLOATING AWAY IN A GIANT HELIUM BALLOON. OFFICIALS SAY THE STORY WAS A HOAX PLANNED TO LAND A REALITY TELEVISION SHOW.

FOXBOROUGH, MASS. (AP) - THE TENNESSEE TITANS REMAIN AMONG THE NFL'S WINLESS, AFTER A 59-0 ROUT AT THE HANDS OF TOM BRADY AND THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS. ON A SNOW-COVERED FIELD IN FOXBOROUGH, MASS., BRADY SET AN NFL RECORD BY THROWING FIVE OF HIS SIX TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN THE SECOND QUARTER.