Today's News-Friday, December 31, 2009

BOIL ADVISORIES

CUSTOMERS SERVED BY THE ORWIGSBURG WATER AUTHORITY ARE ON A BOIL ADVISORY UNTIL TUESDAY DUE TO A WATER MAIN BREAK NEAR BLUE MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY EAST YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. CREWS ALSO HAD TO REPAIR A MAIN BREAK OVERNIGHT TUESDAY NEAR 12TH AND NORWEGIAN STREETS, PROMPTING OFFICIALS FROM THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY TO ISSUE A BOIL ADVISORY FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITHOUT WATER WHILE REPAIRS WERE MADE.

CITY MAN ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES

POLICE HAVE ARRESTED A POTTSVILLE MAN ON VARIOUS CHARGES. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT A SEARCH WARRANT WAS ISSUED FOR SCHULER’S HOME IN CASS TOWNSHIP. A SEARCH FOUND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES AND WEAPONS AT THE HOME. THAT SEARCH WAS PROMPTED BY A REPORT FROM SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CHILDREN AND YOUTH ABOUT POSSIBLE CHILD ENDANGERMENT. SCHULER WAS JAILED AFTER HE WAS UNABLE TO POST BAIL FOLLOWING ARRAIGNMENT.

GIRARDVILLE WOMAN WILL GO TO COURT

A WOMAN FROM GIRARDVILLE, CHARGED WITH TAKING MONEY FROM AN ELDERLY WOMAN, WILL HAVE HER CASE GO TO COURT. MICHELLE CONNORS IS ACCUSED OF TAKING OVER $160-THOUSAND-DOLLARS FROM MARY O'CONNELL WHILE SHE HAD POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR THE WOMAN. CONNORS REPORTEDLY TOOK CASH AND BOUGHT ITEMS WITH THE MONEY OVER A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS.

CASH TAKEN IN BUSINESS BREAK IN

A NORTH MANHEIM TOWSHIP BUSINESS WAS BURGLARIZED OVER THE CHRISTMAS WEEKEND ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE. SOMEONE BROKE INTO CARDINAL SYSTEMS INC., TOOK MONEY FROM VENDING MACHINES, DAMAGED EQUIPMENT AND STOLE SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS FROM LOCKED OFFICES AT THE BUSINESS. THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING.

BAR BROKEN INTO

FRACKVILLE STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A BURGLARY AT A SHENANDOAH BAR. EARLY WEDNESDAY, THIEVES ENTERD THE M&T BAR ON SOUTH MAIN STREET. THE INSIDE OF THE BUSINESS WAS RANSACKED, AND A HOST OF DOLLAR BILLS THAT ADORNED THE WALLS OF THE BUSINESS WERE ALSO TAKEN. POLICE SAY THE BILLS WILL BE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE. CALL 874-5300 IF YOU CAN PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - TWO MEN ARE IN CUSTODY WHO MAY BE CHARGED IN THE WOUNDING OF AN OFF-DUTY PHILADELPHIA POLICE OFFICER AND SHOOTING DEATH OF ANOTHER MAN. THE TWO MEN WERE ARRESTED LATE YESTERDAY, HOURS AFTER THE ROBBERY ATTEMPT IN WHICH 23-YEAR-OLD OFFICER MARTIN CAMPBELL WAS WOUNDED. OFFICER CAMPBELL HAS BEEN LISTED IN STABLE CONDITION.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A LAWYER FOR FORMER PENNSYLVANIA STATE REP. MIKE VEON SAYS HE NEEDS PROOF THAT E-MAIL MESSAGES USED AS EVIDENCE BY PROSECUTORS HAVEN'T BEEN ALTERED. THE BEAVER COUNTY DEMOCRAT AND SEVERAL CO-DEFENDANTS ARE ACCUSED OF DIVERTING STATE WORKERS AND RESOURCES FOR CAMPAIGNS OR OTHER PURPOSES.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - FOUR WORKERS AT A PENNSYLVANIA STAFFING COMPANY ADMIT THEY SCAMMED THE VISA SYSTEM TO GET HUNDREDS OF SEASONAL WORKERS INTO THE U.S. PROSECUTORS SAY INTERNATIONAL PERSONNEL RESOURCES APPLIED FOR TEMPORARY WORK VISAS UNDER PHONY NAMES CULLED. OFFICIALS SAY THEY USED THE DOCUMENTS TO PLACE WORKERS FROM MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA IN JOBS.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - AN OFF-DUTY PITTSBURGH FIREFIGHTER IS BEING CHARGED WITH STEALING A SECURITY TRUCK FROM THE RIVERS CASINO AND LEADING POLICE ON A SHORT CHASE WHILE DRIVING DRUNK. POLICE SAY WILLIAM WHITE JUMPED INTO THE TRUCK AFTER A SECURITY GUARD STOPPED WHEN HE SAW WHITE ARGUING WITH A WOMAN EARLY YESTERDAY. NOBODY WAS HURT IN THE CHASE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA MAN WHO PLEADED GUILTY IN JANUARY TO TWO COUNTS OF BEING A FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO 21 YEARS AND 10 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON. PROSECUTORS SAY WILLIE BROOKS LED NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP POLICE ON A HIGH-SPEED CHASE INTO TYLER STATE PARK IN 2007. POLICE FOUND A LOADED HANDGUN AND BURGLARY TOOLS IN HIS VAN.

KABUL (AP) - THE TALIBAN ARE CLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WORST LOSS OF LIFE FOR THE U.S. IN AFGHANISTAN SINCE OCTOBER. EIGHT AMERICAN CIVILIANS AND ONE AFGHAN WERE KILLED IN THE SUICIDE BOMBING AT A BASE IN THE EAST, YESTERDAY. ALSO YESTERDAY, FOUR CANADIAN SOLDIERS AND AN EMBEDDED JOURNALIST WERE KILLED BY A ROADSIDE BOMBING.

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (AP) - POLICE SAY THEY HAVE ARRESTED A SENIOR PAKISTANI TALIBAN COMMANDER WHO LED THE MILITANT GROUP'S NETWORK IN PUNJAB. OFFICIALS SAY THE COMMANDER WAS THE MASTERMIND BEHIND A MARKET BOMBING THAT KILLED 49 PEOPLE IN LAHORE EARLY THIS MONTH.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (AP) - AMERICANS IN INDONESIA'S BALI ARE BEING WARNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE TERROR ATTACK THIS NEW YEAR'S EVE. THE U.S. EMBASSY HAS SENT OUT E-MAILS CALLING ON PEOPLE TO BE ALERT, BUT DIDN'T GIVE DETAILS OF A SPECIFIC THREAT. THE WARNING COMES SIX MONTHS AFTER BOMBINGS AT LUXURY HOTELS IN JAKARTA LEFT SEVEN DEAD.

HONOLULU (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA WILL RECEIVE A REPORT TODAY ON THE FAILED CHRISTMAS DAY TERROR ATTACK. THE REPORT IS JUST THE FIRST STEP IN WHAT IS AN OBAMA-LED EFFORT TO CHANGE THE NATION'S INTELLIGENCE PRACTICES AFTER THE ATTACK.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A NEW POLL SUGGESTS MANY AMERICANS ARE EXPECTING 2010 WILL BE BETTER TO THEM THAN 2009 EVER WAS. AN AP-GFK POLL SAYS 82 PERCENT ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WHAT THE NEW YEAR WILL BRING FOR THEIR FAMILIES. THE POLL ALSO SAYS NEARLY THREE-FOURTHS OF AMERICANS THINK 2009 WAS A BAD YEAR FOR THE COUNTRY, WHICH WAS HAMPERED BY RECESSION.