Today's News-Tuesday, November 10, 2009

PORT CARBON WOMAN SENTENCED

44 YEAR OLD ELIZABETH DELEON PLEADED GUILTY TO TAKING ABOUT $200 THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM AN ELDERLY PORT CARBON WOMAN SHE BEFRIENDED. NOW, SHE FACES TIME IN PRISON. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT JUDGE CYRUS PALMER DOLBIN SENTENCED DELEON FOR TAKING THE MONEY FROM THE LATE MARGARET PALKO, WHOM SHE SERVED AS POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR. DELEON WILL HAVE TO MAKE RESITITUION FOR THE MONEY SHE TOOK FROM PALKO'S BANK ACCOUNTS, AND SPEND 10 TO 21 MONTHS IN PRISON PLUS TIME ON PROBATION. THE SENTENCE WON'T BEGIN UNTIL LATER THIS MONTH SO DELEON CAN ARRANGE FOR WORK RELEASE. THE CRIMES TOOK PLACE OVER SEVERAL YEARS.

ONE INJURED IN FOUR CAR CHAIN REACTION CRASH

FOUR CARS WERE INVOLVED IN A CRASH ON ROUTE 61 LAST EVENING. 19 YEAR OLD DEVON EVANOUSKY OF RINGTOWN WAS NORTHBOUND NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH THE FAIRLANE VILLAGE MALL, AND WHILE DISTRACTED BY TUNING HIS RADIO, FAILED TO SEE JOSEPH BANE JR.'S VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM, AND REAR ENDED HIS VAN. THE FORCE OF IMPACT STRUCK 44 YEAR OLD TRACY GRABISH'S VEHICLE THAT WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND TRAVEL LANE. GRABISH'S CAR THEN STRUCK MARY KOCH'S VEHICLE WHICH HAD BEEN STOPPED AT THE LIGHT. GRABISH WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT OF NECK AND BACK PAIN. THE CRASH HAPPENED BEFORE 6PM MONDAY.

HUNTING EQUIPMENT TAKEN

A PINE GROVE MAN'S TREE STANDS WERE TAKEN FROM THEIR SPOT ON STATE GAME LANDS IN PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP. SOMETIME OVER THE LAST WEEK THE THEFT TOOK PLACE OF ITEMS BELONGING TO GARRY GROSS OF PINE GROVE. THE TREE STANDS WERE SET UP ON THE SWATARA STATE GAME LANDS OFF OF SWOPES VALLEY ROAD.

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IN TOWER CITY

AN 18 YEAR OLD TOWER CITY BOY WAS ASSAULTED IN A FIGHT LAST NIGHT IN THAT WESTERN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY BOROUGH, AND STATE POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR THE GANG OF THREE OR FOUR BOYS. AROUND FIVE O'CLOCK, THE GANG BEAT UP WILLIAM ROMBERGER AT THE INTERSECTION OF EAST GRAND AVENUE AND NORTH SECOND STREET, LEAVING HIM UNCONSCIOUS ON THE STREET. ROMBERGER HAD TO BE FLOWN TO GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT. THE GANG IS STILL AT LARGE.

KLINGER PROBATION REVOKED FOR DUI CHARGE

A TREMONT MAN WHO SET OFF A FATAL MINE EXPLOSION THAT KILLED A DONALDSON MAN IN OCTOBER , 2006, HAD HIS PROBATION REVOKED YESTERDAY BY THE COUNTY COURT FOR A DUI CHARGE. 43 YEAR OLD JEFFREY KLINGER PLEADED GUILTY THIS FALL TO TWO VIOLATIONS OF THE STATE ANTHRACITE COAL MINE ACT. JUDGE JACQUELINE RUSSELL DIDN'T ESTABLISH ANOTHER NEW SENTENCE FOR KLINGER. HE WAS ONE OF THREE MEN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THE OCTOBER 2006 EXPLOSION AT THE R&D COAL COMPANY IN TREMONT TOWNSHIP THAT KILLED DALE REIGHTLER. THE OTHER TWO, DAVID AND STEVEN ZIMMERMAN WERE SENTENCED ON NOVEMBER 4TH.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A PANEL INVESTIGATING THE "KIDS-FOR-CASH" SCANDAL IN A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA COUNTY IS TO HEAR FROM THE CURRENT LUZERNE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND HER PREDECESSOR TODAY. THE JOB OF THE INTERBRANCH COMMISSION ON JUVENILE JUSTICE IS TO INVESTIGATE THE SCANDAL AND RECOMMEND MEASURES TO PREVENT SIMILAR SITUATIONS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - MASS TRANSIT RIDERS IN PHILADELPHIA SAY THEY'RE GLAD THAT BUSES, SUBWAYS AND TROLLEYS ARE RUNNING AGAIN FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW, BUT MANY REMAIN ANGRY AFTER THE STRIKE. THE TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION AGREED TO A 5-YEAR PACT AFTER GOV. ED RENDELL THREATENED TO WITHDRAW $7 MILLION IN STATE FUNDS TO PAY FOR BONUSES OF $1,250 PER WORKER.

EASTON, PA. (AP) - THE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS HALL OF FAME MUSEUM COULD OPEN IN PENNSYLVANIA BY THE SUMMER OF 2011. THE MUSEUM IN EASTON PLANS TO PROMOTE ITSELF HEAVILY AS A FIELD TRIP DESTINATION FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AROUND THE NORTHEAST. NEARBY IS THE CRAYOLA FACTORY, WHICH DRAWS 300,000 VISITORS A YEAR.

EASTON, PA. (AP) - AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA CITY COUNCIL HAS APPROVED A $5 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH THE WIDOW OF A POLICE OFFICER SHOT DEAD INSIDE THE EASTON POLICE HEADQUARTERS. OFFICER JESSE SOLLMAN WAS ACCIDENTALLY SHOT BY ANOTHER OFFICER IN THE POLICE STATION AFTER A TRAINING EXERCISE. HIS WIDOW, ALLEGED A LACK OF SAFETY PROCEDURES AND DISCIPLINE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A FORMER PHILADELPHIA POLICE OFFICER WILL SPEND 30 YEARS IN PRISON FOR USING HIS GUN AND BADGE TO ROB A DRUG KINGPIN OF $40,000 AND TAKING PART IN A HOME-INVASION ROBBERY. A FEDERAL JUDGE CALLED MALIK SNELL'S CRIMES "INCOMPREHENSIBLE" GIVEN HIS SERVICE IN THE MARINES AND POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON IS EXPECTED TO MAKE THE TREK UP CAPITOL HILL TODAY AS THE HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL MEETS RESISTANCE IN THE SENATE. OFFICIALS SAY CLINTON WILL SPEAK TO SENATE DEMOCRATS ABOUT HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION DURING THEIR WEEKLY CAUCUS. HIS VISIT COMES AFTER THE HOUSE PASSED ITS VERSION OF THE OVERHAUL LAST WEEKEND.

WASHINGTON (AP) - AS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA PREPARES TO HEAD TO TEXAS FOR A FORT HOOD MEMORIAL, THE FBI IS QUESTIONING HOW IT HANDLED AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SUSPECTED GUNMAN. INVESTIGATORS ULTIMATELY DECIDED MAJ. NIDAL MALIK HASAN DIDN'T POSE A THREAT NEARLY A YEAR BEFORE THE RAMPAGE THAT LEFT 13 DEAD.

RICHMOND, VA. (AP) - THE SO-CALLED D.C. SNIPER IS SCHEDULED TO BE EXECUTED TODAY, BARRING ACTION FROM VIRGINIA GOV. TIM KAINE. ATTORNEYS FOR JOHN MUHAMMAD, THE MASTERMIND OF THE ATTACKS THAT LEFT 10 DEAD ACROSS THE WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA, ARE ASKING KAINE TO COMMUTE HIS SENTENCE BECAUSE THEY SAY MUHAMMAD'S MENTALLY ILL.

GULF SHORES, ALA. (AP) - FEW HAVE EVACUATED AHEAD OF A WEAKENING TROPICAL STORM IDA. THE STORM'S WINDS HAVE DISSIPATED TO ABOUT 50 MPH. RAIN AND SOME FLOODING SEEM TO BE THE BIGGEST THREATS. UP TO 8 INCHES COULD FALL IN SOME AREAS, WITH MOST OF THE COAST GETTING BETWEEN 3 AND 6 INCHES.

NEW YORK (AP) - THE TV NEWS PRODUCER ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTING TO BLACKMAIL DAVID LETTERMAN IS DUE IN COURT TODAY. A LAWYER FOR "JOE" HALDERMAN PLANS TO ASK THE NEW YORK JUDGE TO DISMISS THE EXTORTION CASE THAT LED LETTERMAN TO ACKNOWLEDGE AFFAIRS WITH STAFFERS. IT'S HALDERMAN'S FIRST COURT APPEARANCE SINCE HE WAS RELEASED ON BAIL LAST MONTH.