Today's News-Friday, November 20, 2009

FORMER SCHUYLKILL PRODUCTS EXECS INDICTED

FORMER EXECUTIVES OF A CONCRETE BEAM MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN INDICTED IN CONNECTION WITH FRAUD. REPORTS INDICATE THAT JOSEPH NAGLE, DEERFIELD BEACH, FLORIDA AND ERNEST FINK JR OF ORWIGSBURG ARE FACING 32 COUNTS AFTER SCHUYLKILL PRODUCTS INC. GOT OVER 300 CONTRACTS OVER A 15 YEAR PERIOD USING A CONNECTICUT BASED COMPANY TO GET THE WORK. THOSE CONTRACTS WERE VALUED AT OVER 136 MILLION DOLLARS. BOTH ARE CHARGED WITH WIRE FRAUD, UNLAWFUL MONETARY TRANSACTIONS, MAIL FRAUD AND CONSPIRACY. NAGLE AND FINK AND OTHER OFFICIALS OF SCHUYLKILL PRODUCTS USED MARIKINA CONSTRUCTION TO GET THE CONTRACTS, WHILE THE CRESSONA-BASED COMPANY DID THE WORK. DENNIS CAMPBEL AND TIMOTHY HUBLER, AND THE OWNER OF MARIKINA, HAVE ALREADY PLEADED GUILTY TO THEIR ROLE IN THE SCAM. NAGLE WAS THE COMPANY CEO, FINK WAS ITS COO. SCHUYLKILL PRODUCTS IS NOW OPERATING AS NORTHEAST PRESTRESSED PRODUCTS.

DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE IN POTTSVILLE

A MOUTH BATTLE BETWEEN TWO POTTSVILLE RESIDENTS TURNED PHYSICAL EARLY YESTERDAY, LANDING THEM BOTH IN JAIL. POTTSVILLE POLICE WERE CALLED TO 319 WEST MARKET STREET, WHERE 30 YEAR OLD ANDRE SOTO AND 29 YEAR OLD SHANNON NEWELL WERE FIGHTING. BOTH HAD MINOR INJURIES. THEY WERE BOTH CHARGED WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COUNTS, AND WERE JAILED IN THE COUNTY PRISON.

UNITED WAY WRAPS TODAY

THE MESSAGE OF H.O.P.E. HAS BEEN SPREAD ACROSS SCHUYLKILL COUNTY FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS, AS THE SCHUYLKILL UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN WORKED TO RAISE MONEY TO BENEFIT THEIR 15 MEMBER AGENCIES. TODAY, THEY WILL CELEBRATE THE CULMINATION OF THEIR EFFORTS WITH AN APPRECIATION BREAKFAST AT 8AM AT PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL. THE ORGANIZATION SET A MILLION DOLLAR TARGET, AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE HAD TO WORK ESPECIALLY HARD TO GARNER PLEDGES IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE.

AMELIA BEDELIA AUTHOR IN RESIDENCE AT BLUE MOUNTAIN

ONE OF THE JOYS OF BEING A PARENT IS READING TO YOUR CHILDREN. ONE SERIES OF BOOKS BELOVED BY MANY IS A SERIES OF STORIES ABOUT A HOUSEKEEPER WHO TAKES THINGS LITERALLY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AMELIA BEDELIA. AUTHOR HERMAN PARISH IS SPENDING A FEW DAYS IN OUR AREA, ENTERTAINING STUDENTS IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES AT BLUE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICT AS PART OF THE EDUCATORS IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM. WPPA/T102 NEWS SAT DOWN WITH PARISH YESTERDAY AT CRESSONA ELEMENTARY. I ASKED HIM HOW HE COMES UP WITH STORY IDEAS:

PARISH

PARISH'S VISIT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A GRANT FROM THE BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLE FOUNDATION. THE CHARACTER WAS CREATED BY PARISH'S AUNT PEGGY, WHO PASSED AWAY IN 1988. HERMAN PARISH HAS CARRIED THE SERIES ON SINCE THEN.

MCHAPPY DAY

ITS FRIDAY! MAKE A MCHAPPY DAY AND HELP OTHERS. THE OWNER OPERATORS OF THE NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA MCDONALDS ARE WRAPPING UP THEIR ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EFFORT TO HELP LOCAL NON-PROFIT PROGRAMS TO HELP THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, PLUS FUNDING FOR THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES. ROLAND KISSINGER, WHO OWNS A NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS IN THE REGION, INCLUDING FRACKVILLE, SAYS ITS ALL ABOUT GIVING BACK:

KISSINGER

2009 RECIPIENTS INCLUDED THE SCHUYLKILL YMCA. CUSTOMERS TO MCDONALDS MCHAPPY DAY TODAY CAN DONATE THROUGH SEVERAL WAYS AS THEY STOP TO ENJOY A MEAL.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA JURY HAS CONVICTED A CONFESSED COP KILLER OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER FOR FATALLY SHOOTING A POLICE OFFICER ON HALLOWEEN 2007. JOHN LEWIS WAS FOUND GUILTY YESTERDAY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF OFFICER CHUCK CASSIDY. NOW THE JURY WILL DETERMINE WHETHER LEWIS DESERVES LIFE IN PRISON OR THE DEATH PENALTY.

WEST CHESTER, PA. (AP) - A FORMER ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF ACCUSED OF SETTING TWO SMALL FIRES IN AN ARSON-PLAGUED STEEL TOWN NEAR PHILADELPHIA HAS WORKED OUT A PLEA BARGAIN FREEING HIM FROM JAIL. CHESTER COUNTY JUDGE ANTHONY SARCIONE SAYS THE PLEA DEAL FOR ROBERT TRACEY JR. IS A SURPRISE. THE COATESVILLE MAN GOT A SENTENCE OF THE 242 DAYS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA'S LATEST JOBLESS RATE REMAINS AT 8.8 PERCENT, EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS A MONTH EARLIER. THE STATE ADDED NEARLY 11,000 NONFARM JOBS, ACCORDING TO OCTOBER FIGURES RELEASED YESTERDAY. GOV. ED RENDELL SAYS THE NUMBERS ARE AN ECONOMIC BRIGHT SPOT AND EVIDENCE THAT THE STATE MAY BE POISED FOR RECOVERY.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A FORMER PITTSBURGH NEWS ANCHOR HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN CALIFORNIA FOR FAILING TO SERVE DRUNKEN DRIVING SENTENCES IN TWO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CASES. DON CANNON, WHOSE REAL NAME IS DONALD CLARK, WAS ARRESTED ON AN ALLEGHENY COUNTY BENCH WARRANT IN CARLSBAD, CALIF., WHERE HE MOVED AFTER PLEADING GUILTY IN 2008. HE'S IN THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY JAIL.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - MEDIA MOGUL JOHN MALONE SAYS COMCAST'S PLAN TO BUY A CONTROLLING STAKE IN NBC UNIVERSAL WOULD GIVE IT TOO MUCH MARKET POWER AND FORCE COMPETITORS TO CONSIDER MERGERS OR ACQUISITIONS AS WELL. COMCAST CORP. - THE NATION'S LARGEST CABLE TV PROVIDER - IS IN TALKS TO BUY A CONTROLLING STAKE IN NBC UNIVERSAL FROM GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.

WASHINGTON (AP) - UNCERTAINTY REMAINS AS SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID TRIES TO ROUND UP SUPPORT FOR A KEY PROCEDURAL VOTE ON HEALTH CARE TOMORROW THAT LOOKS TO BLOCK REPUBLICAN FILIBUSTER EFFORTS. HE NEEDS ALL 60 DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS VOTES AND THERE ARE SOME HOLDOUTS.

MIR ALI, PAKISTAN (AP) - AT LEAST FIVE PAKISTANI SOLDIERS AND EIGHT MILITANTS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN SEPARATE INCIDENTS IN PAKISTAN. A SUSPECTED U.S. MISSILE STRIKE KILLED THE MILITANTS IN NORTHWESTERN PAKISTAN, NEAR THE AFGHAN BORDER. THE SOLDIERS WERE REPORTED KILLED IN CLASHES IN AN AREA PREVIOUSLY CLEARED BY THE ARMY.

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIF. (AP) - THE MILITARY IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TELL WHICH TROOPS ARE MOST AT RISK FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. DOCTORS SAY THE EXPERIMENT IS AIMED AT UNDERSTANDING UNDERLYING TRIGGERS AND WHY SOME RETURNING COMBAT TROOPS SUFFER DEBILITATING STRESS SYMPTOMS WHILE OTHERS SHAKE IT OFF. THERE ARE CURRENTLY CLUES, BUT NO RELIABLE PREDICTORS.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) - THE ASTRONAUTS ABOARD THE SPACE SHUTTLE-STATION COMPLEX WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE MORE SUPPLIES INTO THE COMPLEX TODAY SINCE THE SHUTTLE WON'T HAVE TO BE INSPECTED. SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS HAS BEEN DECLARED FREE OF ANY WORRISOME LAUNCH DAMAGE AND WON'T GET ANOTHER LOOK-SEE UNTIL AFTER IT LEAVES THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

LONDON (AP) - AROUND 200 PEOPLE IN NORTHERN ENGLAND HAVE BEEN RESCUED FROM RISING FLOODWATERS CAUSED BY TORRENTIAL RAINFALL. BRITAIN'S AIR FORCE AIDED IN THE RESCUE IN THE PICTURESQUE LAKE DISTRICT TOURIST REGION. SEVERE FLOOD WARNINGS ARE STILL IN PLACE.