Today's News-Tuesday, October 27, 2009

VOTER INFORMATION

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO GET YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS TO THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY ELECTION BUREAU FOR THE NOVEMBER 3RD ELECTION. ALL ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE DUE IN THE OFFICE AT NORTH CENTRE STREET IN POTTSVILLE BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30TH.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL HIRES FORMER TEACHER AS SUPERINTENDENT

THE BOARD OF FIVE AT THE NORTH SCHUYLKILL SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS HIRED A SUPERINTENDENT. AT LAST NIGHT'S MEETING, DR. ANDREW SMARKANIC, AN AREA NATIVE, FORMER TEACHER AND DISTRICT BUSINESS ADMINSTRATOR WAS HIRED TO LEAD THE DISTRICT, REPLACING INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT PATRICK LUKASAVICH. FOR THE LAST 17 YEARS, SMARKANIC HAS BEEN AN ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESS AFFAIRS AT BLUE MOUNTAIN. HE HOLDS DEGREES FROM PENN STATE AND NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY. SMARKANIC WILL TAKE OVER OFFICIALLY ON JANUARY 1ST AT A SALARY OF $136-THOUSAND-DOLLARS. THE NORTH SCHUYLKILL SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN WITHOUT A PERMANENT LEADER FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS, AFTER EFFORTS TO APPOINT FORMER SOLICITOR MARK SEMANCHICK TO THE POSITION WAS TURNED DOWN BY THE STATE EDUCATION BOARD. EIGHT OF THE NINE ORIGINAL BOARD MEMBERS WERE REMOVED BY JUDGE D MICHAEL STINE AFTER THEY FAILED TO HIRE A QUALIFIED SUPERINTENDENT. FIVE DIRECTORS HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE DISTRICT SINCE THE SUMMER, AND 17 OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN FILLING THE FOUR SPOTS, ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. LITIGATION REMAINS UNDER CONSIDERATION BY COMMONWEALTH COURT.

COUNTY UNEMPLOYMENT UP

SEPTEMBER'S UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS HAVE BEEN RELEASED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY. NEW NUMBERS INDICATE THE COUNTY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 10.8 PERCENT LAST MONTH, A HALF PERCENT HIGHER THAN AUGUST. OVER 8-THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT WORK IN THE COUNTY FOR THE MONTH. THE STATE RATE IS 8.8 PERCENT, AND THE NATIONAL LEVEL AT 9.8 PERCENT FOR SEPTEMBER.

ST CLAIR MAN GOES TO FEDERAL PRISON ON CHILD PORN CHARGES.

FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE SENTENCED A ST CLAIR MAN TO SERVE 70 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR RECEIVING CHILD PORN. 48 YEAR OLD EDWARD UDUT PLEADED GUILTY TO OBTAINING THE KIDDIE PORN OVER A 3 YEAR PERIOD FROM 2005 AND 2008. THE SENTENCE WAS HANDED DOWN BY U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE EDWIN KOSIK IN SCRANTON.

TEEN CRASH CASE IN COUNTY COURT

A MCADOO TEENAGER WAS IN COUNTY COURT MONDAY RELATING TO A CRASH IN COLUMBIA COUNTY LAS FALL. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS JOSEPH PUGLIO WAS SPEEDING WHEN HE CRASHED HIS CAR INTO A GARAGE IN BEAVER TOWNSHIP SEPTEMBER 30TH. TWO PASSENGERS WERE KILLED IN THE ACCIDENT. PUGLIO WAS 16 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME. JUVENILE AUTHORITIES HAVE CONDUCTED BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE CASE, AND JUDGE JACQUELINE RUSSELL DELAYED SENTENCING ON THE CASE FOR 90 DAYS FOR FURTHER EVALUATION OF PUGLIO. CHARGES OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, HOMICIDE BY VEHICLE AND OTHER COUNTS ARE PENDING AGAINST PUGLIO. HE COULD FACE TIME IN A JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER UNTIL HE'S 21.

POTTSVILLE MAN DIES FROM KNIFE WOUND

POTTSVILLE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE DEATH OF A CITY MAN SUNDAY. OFFICERS WERE CALLED TO AN APARTMENT ON NORTH THIRD STREET, WHERE THEY FOUND 29-YEAR-OLD SHAWN SPEER WITH A KNIFE WOUND, BEING CARED FOR BY HIS GIRLFRIEND. SPEER DIED AT SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH. AN AUTOPSY WAS CONDUCTED ON SPEER YESTERDAY AND POLICE ARE STILL LOOKING INTO THE MATTER.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA JURY RETURNED A SEALED PUNITIVE-DAMAGES VERDICT AGAINST DRUGMAKER WYETH PHARMACEUTICALS YESTERDAY AFTER FINDING A LINK BETWEEN A WOMAN'S BREAST CANCER AND THE HORMONE-REPLACEMENT DRUG SHE TOOK. CONNIE BARTON'S CASE IS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF LAWSUITS TO GO TO TRIAL OUT OF SEVERAL THOUSAND FILED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A CANDIDATE FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT IS ATTACKING HER OPPONENT OVER DONATIONS FROM TRIAL LAWYERS. REPUBLICAN JOAN ORIE MELVIN SAYS THAT DEMOCRAT JACK PANELLA'S CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS SUGGEST TO VOTERS THAT JUSTICE IS FOR SALE. PANELLA'S CAMPAIGN RESPONDS THAT MELVIN ALSO TAKES MONEY FROM TRIAL LAWYERS AND IS ALSO HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED BY REPUBLICAN LEADERS OF THE STATE SENATE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA PEDESTRIAN HAS DIED OF INJURIES SUFFERED AFTER ALLEGEDLY BEING HIT BY A BICYCLIST WHO FLED THE SCENE. POLICE FOUND 40-YEAR-OLD PARALEGAL ANDRE STEED ON A DOWNTOWN STREET BLEEDING FROM SEVERE HEAD INJURIES ON OCT. 15. HE DIED OVER THE WEEKEND. POLICE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR THE PERSON WHO STRUCK STEED.

SCRANTON, PA. (AP) - A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CHARGED AS PART OF A CORRUPTION PROBE HAS AGREED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO A FEDERAL BRIBERY CHARGE. WILKES-BARRE AREA SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER BRIAN DUNN ADMITS TO TAKING A $5,000 BRIBE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SUPPORT IN THE HIRING OF A TEACHER. DUNN FACES UP TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON AND A $250,000 FINE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A FEW HUNDRED FANS GATHERED OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA'S CITY HALL YESTERDAY AT A RALLY IN ADVANCE OF THE WORLD SERIES. PHILADELPHIA MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER AND THE PHILLY PHANATIC HELPED RALLY FANS, WHILE A PHILLIES ANNOUNCER LED THE CROWD IN FRANK SINATRA'S "HIGH HOPES". THE WORLD SERIES BEGINS TOMORROW NIGHT AT YANKEE STADIUM.

WASHINGTON (AP) - SOME DEMOCRATS ARE CALLING SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER HARRY REID'S MOVE TO ADD A PUBLIC OPTION TO HEALTH CARE REFORM BOLD AND GUTSY. FOR HIS PART, REID IS CALLING THE PUBLIC OPTION THE BEST WAY TO IMPROVE THE CURRENT SYSTEM. BUT REPUBLICANS WARN THAT GOVERNMENT COMPETITION WOULD DRIVE PRIVATE COMPANIES OUT OF THE INSURANCE BUSINESS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA WILL BE TALKING UP CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY TODAY AS HE TOURS A SOLAR POWER STATION IN FLORIDA. HE'LL ALSO BE TRUMPETING HIS STIMULUS PLAN AND ITS INVESTMENTS IN SO-CALLED "SMART-GRID" POWER TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGY.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) - NASA'S NEWEST ROCKET IS SET TO BLAST OFF ON A TEST FLIGHT THIS MORNING, WEATHER PERMITTING. THE ARES I-X ROCKET IS THE FIRST STEP IN NASA'S EFFORT TO RETURN ASTRONAUTS TO THE MOON. THE FLIGHT IS EXPECTED TO LAST TWO MINUTES AND COST ABOUT $445 MILLION.

LONDON, KY. (AP) - FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN GATHERING TO REMEMBER A CENSUS WORKER WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND HANGING FROM A TREE IN SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY. BILL SPARKMAN WAS FOUND SEPT. 12 WITH A ROPE AROUND HIS NECK AND THE WORD "FED" SCRAWLED ACROSS HIS CHEST. INVESTIGATORS ARE STILL TRYING TO SOLVE THE CASE.

DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) - A MILK GLUT HAS DAIRY FARMERS ACROSS THE U.S. KILLING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF COWS. IT'S AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE MILK SUPPLY AND BOOST PRICES. EXPERTS SAY THE SLAUGHTER HAS HELPED RAISE PRICES SOME, BUT THEY STILL LAG BEHIND THE COST OF PRODUCTION.