Today's News-Tuesday, December 22, 2009-UPDATED 6:45AM

PIEKARSKY, DONCHAK TO BE ARRAIGNED TODAY

POTTSVILLE, PA. (AP) - TWO SHENANDOAH TEENAGERS ARE SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN FEDERAL COURT TUESDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BEING CHARGED WITH A HATE CRIME IN THE DEATH OF AN ILLEGAL MEXICAN IMMIGRANT. EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD BRANDON PIEKARSKY AND 19-YEAR-OLD DERRICK DONCHAK WILL BE ARRAIGNED IN WILKES-BARRE ON CHARGES STEMMING FROM THE JULY 2008 BEATING DEATH OF 25-YEAR-OLD LUIS RAMIREZ IN SHENANDOAH. A JURY HAD PREVIOUSLY ACQUITTED PIEKARSKY AND DONCHAK OF ALL SERIOUS STATE CHARGES IN THE CASE, BUT FEDERAL AUTHORITIES PURSUED THE SERIOUS CIVIL-RIGHTS CHARGES AGAINST THE TEENS. THREE SHENANDOAH POLICE OFFICERS WERE CHARGED SEPARATELY LAST WEEK WITH OBSTRUCTING THE INVESTIGATION INTO RAMIREZ'S DEATH.

ROBBERY, ASSAULT SUSPECT IDENTIFIED

STATE POLICE HAVE IDENTIFIED A POTTSVILLE MAN WHO ASSAULTED A DRUMS MAN LAST WEEK AT A MINERVILLE DRUG STORE. WE TOLD YOU FRIDAY THAT THE MAN, NOW IDENTIFIED AS 21 YEAR OLD JAMES MARCONIS JR., ENTERED RITE AID DRUG STORE AT KINGS VILLAGE, HUFFED FROM TWO CANS OF COMUPTER AEROSOL AND ASSAULTED WILLIAM DEVERS, WHO TRIED TO STOP MARCONIS. TROOPERS RELEASED MARCONIS' IDENTITY YESTERDAY.

POTTSVILLE MAN FACING CHARGES IN DOMESTIC INCIDENT

A POTTSVILLE MAN IS LOCKED UP IN THE COUNTY PRISON AFTER HE REPORTEDLY ASSAULTED HIS GIRLFRIEND OVER THE WEEKEND. POTTSVILLE POLICE REPORT THAT 54 YEAR OLD RALPH CASTELLANO AND HIS 39 YEAR OLD GIRLFRIEND, MARNEY SLATER, WERE INVOLVED IN AN ARGUMENT AT THEIR NORTH CENTRE STREET HOME. CASTELLANO ALLEGEDLY CHOKED SLATER, AND IS CHARGED WITH SIMPLE ASSAULT.

HOMETOWN WALMART THIEVES SOUGHT

TWO LUZERNE COUNTY MEN ARE BEING SOUGHT IN CONNECTION WITH A HEIST AT THE HOMETOWN WALMART OVER THE WEEKEND. THE TWO MEN, 21 YEAR OLD SHANE PACEWICZ AND 34 YEAR OLD ROBERT CROMER, OF PLAINS, WERE IDENTIFIED BY SECURITY VIDEO. RUSH TOWNSHIP POLICE REPORT THAT THE MEN ENTERED THE STORE, TOOK LAPTOP COMPUTERS AND NINENTDO DSI'S FROM THE STORE, PUT THEM INTO A BOX WITH A TOY AND PAID THAT PRICE, PLUS ALSO PURCHASED A DVD. WARRANTS ARE OUT FOR CROMER AND PACEWICZ FOR THE THEFTS.

FEDERAL MONIES FOR DEFENSE RELATED PROJECTS

PENNSYLVANIA'S U.S. SENATORS HAVE ANNOUNCED FEDERAL FUNDING FOR SEVERAL DEFENSE RELATED PROJECTS IN NORTHEAST PA, INCLUDING SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. THE MONIES HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATED IN THE DEFENSE BILL PASSED BY CONGRESS. HART METALS IN TAMAQUA WILL GET $1.6 MILLION DOLLARS TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT A SMALL ATOMIZER TO PRODUCE ALLOY POWDERS FOR LIGHTWEIGHT MILITARY COMPONENTS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA SAYS 96 PERCENT OF CITY STREETS HAVE SNOW CLEARED WELL ENOUGH TO DRIVE ON. THE PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA SAY PUBLIC AND CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WILL OPEN AS SCHEDULED TODAY AFTER A DAY OFF DUE TO THE SNOW.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - JUDGES IN A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA COUNTY HAVE GOTTEN 68 APPLICATIONS FROM PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SERVE THE REMAINDER OF THE TERM OF A COUNTY COMMISSIONER WHO RESIGNED. GREG SKREPENAK, WHO RESIGNED YESTERDAY AS A LUZERNE COUNTY COMMISSIONER, HAS AGREED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO ACCEPTING A BRIBE.

HAGERSTOWN, MD. (AP) - ALLEGHENY ENERGY INC. OF GREENSBURG, PA. AND AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER CO., OF COLUMBUS, OHIO ARE PLANNERS OF A MULTISTATE, HIGH-VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE CALLED PATH. THEY ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT THEY HAVE REFILED THEIR STALLED APPLICATION IN MARYLAND AND ASKED TO WITHDRAW THEIR APPLICATION IN VIRGINIA.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS IS PLANNING TO SEND 2,000 INMATES TO FACILITIES IN OTHER STATES TO LESSEN CROWDED CONDITIONS IN STATE PRISONS. A PRISON SYSTEM SPOKESWOMAN SAYS THAT WITHIN TWO MONTHS THE INMATES WILL BE SHIPPED TO CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IN MICHIGAN AND VIRGINIA.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A CONTROVERSY HAS BEEN RESOLVED IN WILKES-BARRE, PA. OVER THE DISPLAY OF RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY SYMBOLS IN A PUBLIC SPACE. LUZERNE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REMOVED THE CRECHE AND MENORAH FROM THE COURTHOUSE LAWN LAST WEEK AFTER RECEIVING AN OBJECTION FROM THE ACLU AND AMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.

EATONVILLE, WASH. (AP) - A PAIR OF SHERIFF'S OFFICERS ARE IN HOSPITAL AFTER ANOTHER SHOOTING IN THE TACOMA, WASH., AREA. ONE IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION AND THE OTHER SERIOUS. THE SUSPECTED SHOOTER IS DEAD. AUTHORITIES SAY THE OFFICERS WERE RESPONDING TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL, WHEN ONE OF TWO BROTHERS FIGHTING IN THE HOUSE OPENED FIRE ON THEM.

WASHINGTON (AP) - ONE TEST VOTE DOWN, TWO TEST VOTES TO GO BEFORE THE SENATE DECIDES ON PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL. THE SECOND TEST VOTE COMES THIS MORNING, WITH 58 DEMOCRATS AND TWO INDEPENDENTS EXPECTING TO PROVIDE THE 60 VOTES NEEDED TO ADVANCE THE BILL. A FINAL VOTE IS PLANNED FOR THURSDAY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A POLL SUGGESTS THAT PEOPLE'S OPINIONS AND FEARS ABOUT HEALTH CARE HAVEN'T CHANGED MUCH THIS PAST YEAR. A SURVEY BY THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION FINDS THAT A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE BELIEVE HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL IS IMPORTANT FOR RECHARGING THE ECONOMY. ONE IN FOUR SURVEYED SAY THEY FEAR THEY MIGHT LOSE THEIR HEALTH COVERAGE IN THE NEXT YEAR.

KABUL (AP) - AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI SAYS HE HAS ASKED THE INTERIOR MINISTRY TO INVESTIGATE THE KILLING OF ONE OF HIS RELATIVES. THE 18-YEAR-OLD WAS SHOT TO DEATH IN OCTOBER. THE NEW YORK TIMES THIS WEEK QUOTED RELATIVES AS SAYING THE KILLING WAS VENGEANCE FOR A SO-CALLED HONOR KILLING ALLEGEDLY COMMITTED BY TEEN'S FATHER THREE DECADES AGO.

STERLING, ILL. (AP) - THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING IS SET FOR TODAY ON PLANS TO TRANSFER ALLEGED TERRORISTS FROM GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA, TO ILLINOIS. ABOUT 50 PEOPLE ARE SCHEDULED TO TESTIFY BEFORE A STATE PANEL IN THE SMALL COMMUNITY OF STERLING IN THE NORTHWESTERN PART OF THE STATE. SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS BOTH PLAN RALLIES.