Today's News-Thursday, December 17, 2009-UPDATED 10:30AM

PA. TEEN FACING HATE CRIME CHARGE TO BE RELEASED

POTTSVILLE, PA. (AP) - AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TEENAGER FACING A FEDERAL HATE CRIME CHARGE IN THE DEATH OF AN ILLEGAL MEXICAN IMMIGRANT IS DUE TO BE RELEASED FROM PRISON. EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD BRANDON PIEKARSKY IS SCHEDULED TO BE RELEASED FROM SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON THURSDAY. PIEKARSKY WAS SENTENCED IN JUNE IN THE BEATING DEATH OF 25-YEAR-OLD LUIS RAMIREZ IN SHENANDOAH. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS TUESDAY CHARGED PIEKARSKY AND 19-YEAR-OLD DERRICK DONCHAK WITH A HATE CRIME IN RAMIREZ'S DEATH. SHENANDOAH POLICE CHIEF MATTHEW NESTOR AND TWO OTHER OFFICERS ARE ACCUSED OF TRYING TO COVER UP THE CRIME. PIEKARSKY AND DONCHAK WERE CONVICTED OF SIMPLE ASSAULT BUT ACQUITTED OF THE MOST SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST THEM IN MAY. DONCHAK AND PIEKARSKY ARE SCHEDULED FOR AN INITIAL COURT APPEARANCE DEC. 22 ON THE FEDERAL CHARGE.

NESTOR JAILED IN CASE

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - SHENANDOAH'S POLICE CHIEF CHARGED WITH TRYING TO
COVER UP THE FATAL BEATING OF A MEXICAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BY WHITE TEENAGERS HAS BEEN ORDERED DETAINED UNTIL TRIAL. AT A BAIL HEARING WEDNESDAY IN WILKES-BARRE, JUDGE MALACHY MANNION CALLED MATTHEW NESTOR "CLEARLY, UNEQUIVOCALLY A SERIOUS DANGER TO WITNESSES IN THIS CASE." FEDERAL PROSECUTOR ERIC GIBSON ALLEGES THAT NESTOR DROVE A COOPERATING WITNESS IN A SEPARATE CASE TO AN ISOLATED AREA AND ORDERED HIM TO STRIP DOWN BEFORE RETURNING HIM HOME, UNHARMED. NESTOR'S LAWYER, PATRICK ROGAN ARGUES THAT HE HAS CUSTODY OF AN 11-YEAR-OLD SON AND THAT PAST ACCUSATIONS DO NOT INDICATE FUTURE BEHAVIOR. ALLEGATIONS AGAINST LT. WILLIAM MOYER INDICATE THAT HE LET THE TEENAGED BOYS INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT THAT TOOK LUIS RAMIREZ'S LIFE GO, AND THREATENED A WITNESS ON SCENE WITH A STUN GUN TO HIS HEAD. JASON HAYES IS ALLEGED TO HAVE TARGETED WITNESSES TO THE BEATING. HAYES, MOYER AND CAPT. JAMIE GENNARINI WERE RELEASED TO HOME CONFINEMENT UNTIL THEIR TRIAL IN FEBRUARY.

POLICE FACE ABUSE SUITS

SHENANDOAH, PA. (AP) - A POLICE CHIEF CHARGED WITH TRYING TO COVER UP THE FATAL BEATING OF A MEXICAN IMMIGRANT BY WHITE TEENAGERS WAS NAMED IN A 2006 CIVIL SUIT THAT MADE A STARTLING CLAIM: BOROUGH POLICE BEAT TO DEATH A HISPANIC TEENAGER, THEN HUNG HIM FROM THE BARS OF HIS HOLDING CELL TO MAKE IT APPEAR A SUICIDE. POLICE CHIEF MATTHEW NESTOR WAS NEVER CHARGED, BUT THE ALLEGATIONS CONTAINED IN THE LAWSUIT, IN TUESDAY'S INDICTMENT AND IN OTHER CIVIL CLAIMS DEPICT A POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH PERVASIVE HOSTILITY TO MINORITIES. THE 2006 SUIT NAMES NESTOR AND CAPT. JAMIE GENNARINI AS DEFENDANTS. THEY HAVE DENIED WRONGDOING. NESTOR AND TWO OTHER OFFICERS WERE CHARGED TUESDAY WITH ORCHESTRATING A COVER-UP AS THE FBI INVESTIGATED THE FATAL ATTACK ON LUIS RAMIREZ. GENNARINI AND NESTOR ARE ALSO CHARGED WITH EXTORTION AS PART OF THE FEDERAL SUIT.

COMMISSIONERS APPROVE BUDGET

THE 2010 SCHUYLKILL COUNTY GOVERNMENT SPENDING PLAN WAS APPROVED WEDNESDAY. WPPA/T102'S SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS MORE FROM THE COURTHOUSE:

SHERRY COUNTY BUDGET

CRASH WITH BUS

A CRASH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON BETWEEN A PICKUP TRUCK AND A SCHOOL BUS LEAVES TWO INJURED. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED IN DELANO TOWNSHIP AS 78 YEAR OLD FREDERICK ZIATS OF MAHANOY CITY RAN HIS PICKUP INTO THE BACK OF A SCHOOL BUS DRIVEN BY BRENDA WILNER OF MAHANOY CITY. WILNER HAD JUST DROPPED OFF HER LAST PASSENGER ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE. ZIATS TRUCK DRIFTED BACKWARDS AND HIT A TREE. ZIATS HAD TO BE FLOWN TO GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER. WILNER WAS TAKEN TO ST CATHERINE MEDICAL CENTER.

ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE

A HOLIDAY CLASSIC, "ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE", WILL BE STAGED AS A LIVE RADIO PLAY SUNDAY AT THE SOVEREIGN MAJESTIC THEATRE. LIFT YOUR SPIRITS PERFORMING ARTS WILL STAGE THE PLAY, SOMETHING NEW FROM THE BROADWAY SHOWS AND CONCERTS THEY HAVE PERFORMED IN THE PAST. LIFT YOUR SPIRITS DIRECTOR DAN THOMAS TALKS ABOUT THE NEW ADVENTURE FOR THE GROUP:

THOMAS

"IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" PREMIERES SUNDAY EVENING AT 6PM. TICKETS ARE $10 EACH. THE PERFORMANCE WILL BE TAPED FOR REBROADCAST ON WPPA ON CHRISTMAS EVE DAY AS WELL AS ON CHRISTMAS DAY, AT NOONTIME.

RAPTOR COUNT WRAPS UP

AS THE WINTER WINDS BLOW, THE BIRDS OF PREY THAT FILLED THE SKIES NEAR HAWK MOUNTAIN SANCTUARY ARE NOW A MEMORY. BUT IN THIS HISTORIC 75TH YEAR OF OPERATION, HAWK MOUNTAIN HAS PLENTY TO CELEBRATE. MORE THAN 15-THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED VARIOUS BIRDS OF PREY, INCLUDING A RECORD 68 PEREGRINE FALCONS FLEW ON THE THE UPDRAFT ON KITTATINY RIDGE, ACCORDING TO LEE SCHISLER, JR., PRESIDENT OF HAWK MOUNTAIN. THE 120 DAY BIRD WATCH CONCLUDED TUESDAY. A YEAR LONG CELEBRATION MARKING HAWK MOUNTAIN’S 75TH HAS DRAWN THOUSANDS OF VISITORS TO THE SITE NEAR KEMPTON.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A BILL TO EXPAND LEGALIZED CASINO GAMBLING IN PENNSYLVANIA HAS THE STATE SENATE'S APPROVAL, BUT IT MAY NOT PASS THE HOUSE. SENATORS VOTED ON THE BILL LAST NIGHT, LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER THE HOUSE PASSED A SIMILAR VERSION. LAWMAKERS CONCERNED ABOUT HOMETOWN INTERESTS MAY CLASH OVER HOW THE BILL AFFECTS THE LOCATION OF A CASINO.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A LONGTIME PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER AND A FORMER LAWMAKER WHO SERVED IN THE GOVERNOR'S CABINET ARE FREE ON BAIL AFTER BEING ARRAIGNED ON CORRUPTION CHARGES. REP. BILL DEWEESE, FORMER REP. STEPHEN STETLER AND DEWEESE AIDE SHARON RODAVICH TURNED THEMSELVES YESTERDAY AND WERE ARRAIGNED BEFORE A HARRISBURG-AREA JUSTICE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA PROSECUTORS SAY NINE CURRENT AND FORMER CITY WORKERS ARE CHARGED IN A SERIES OF HOME INVASIONS AND THEFTS. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE WORKERS WERE EMPLOYED BY A CITY PROGRAM DESIGNED TO HELP HOMEOWNERS KEEP UP THEIR PROPERTIES. BUT DISTRICT ATTORNEY LYNNE ABRAHAM SAYS THE CREWS DID "CLEAN AND STEALS" INSTEAD, PREYING ON VICTIMS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA REP. JOHN MURTHA HAS RETURNED TO WORK AFTER BEING HOSPITALIZED FOR ABDOMINAL PAINS. THE 77-YEAR-OLD DEMOCRAT HAD BEEN ADMITTED TO THE NATIONAL NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER IN BETHESDA, MD. WITH WHAT A SPOKESMAN SAYS WAS A GALLBLADDER PROBLEM. THE 19-TERM DEMOCRAT CHAIRS THE INFLUENTIAL HOUSE DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE.

DOYLESTOWN, PA. (AP) - A SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA WOMAN WHO FALSELY CLAIMED SHE AND HER DAUGHTER WERE ABDUCTED BY TWO BLACK MEN BEFORE
POLICE FOUND THEM AT DISNEY WORLD, COULD WALK FREE IN TWO MONTHS. A
JUDGE AGREED TO RELEASE BONNIE SWEETEN OF FEASTERVILLE ON HOUSE ARREST IN FEBRUARY AFTER SHE SERVES ABOUT 6 MONTHS. SWEETEN SAYS SHE'S CHANGED IN PRISON.

COPENHAGEN (AP) - A DANISH OFFICIAL SAYS THERE'S LITTLE HOPE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE DEAL IN COPENHAGEN BECAUSE NEGOTIATIONS
BETWEEN RICH AND POOR COUNTRIES ARE DEADLOCKED. BUT THE OFFICIAL
SAYS THE DANISH HOSTS OF THE U.N. CONFERENCE HAVE NOT GIVEN UP HOPE.

MOSCOW (AP) - RUSSIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS THE U.S. AND RUSSIA ARE UNLIKELY TO SIGN A NEW ARMS REDUCTION TREATY THIS WEEK. HE BLAMES THE U.S. DELEGATION FOR SLOWING THE PROCESS AND IS URGING THE U.S. TO AGREE TO DEEPER CUTS IN THE NUCLEAR ARSENALS AND LESS INTRUSIVE VERIFICATION AND CONTROL MEASURES.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S TOP MILITARY ADVISER IS VISITING AFGHANISTAN. JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN ADM. MIKE MULLEN'S TELLING AMERICA'S FRONT LINE TROOPS THE WAY TO WIN THE WAR IS TO FOCUS ON PROTECTING MAJOR POPULATION AREAS AND ENSURING THAT AFGHANS CAN MOVE AROUND FREELY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - NOT A SINGLE REPUBLICAN VOTED FOR IT, BUT HOUSE DEMOCRATS HAVE MANAGED TO PUSH THROUGH A YEAR-END PLAN TO CREATE JOBS. IT MIXES ABOUT $50 BILLION FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS WITH ANOTHER ALMOST $50 BILLION FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYS THE MEASURE OFFERS "PRODUCTIVE IDEAS" TO RESPOND TO THE NEED FOR JOBS.

ROME (AP) - SILVIO BERLUSCONI'S SPOKESMAN SAYS THE ITALIAN PREMIER HAS SPENT A BETTER NIGHT IN THE HOSPITAL, FOUR DAYS AFTER HE WAS ATTACKED BY A MENTALLY ILL MAN. THE ATTACK BROKE BERLUSCONI'S NOSE AND TWO TEETH AND CUT HIS FACE AND LIPS. BERLUSCONI'S DOCTOR SAYS HE EXPECTS THE PREMIER TO BE DISCHARGED TODAY FROM A MILAN HOSPITAL.