Today's News-Wednesday, December 23, 2009-UPDATED 7AM

DONCHAK AND PIEKARSKY PLEAD NOT GUILTY

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A JUDGE HAS DENIED BAIL FOR TWO SHENANDOAH TEENS CHARGED WITH A HATE CRIME IN THE DEATH OF A MEXICAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT. EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD BRANDON PIEKARSKY AND 19-YEAR-OLD DERRICK DONCHAK PLEADED NOT GUILTY TUESDAY IN FEDERAL COURT IN WILKES-BARRE. THEY WERE ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES STEMMING FROM THE JULY 2008 BEATING DEATH OF 25-YEAR-OLD LUIS RAMIREZ. JUDGE MALCHY MANNION HAS DENIED THEM BAIL AND SAID THEY ARE DANGERS TO THE COMMUNITY. A JURY PREVIOUSLY ACQUITTED THE TEENS OF THE MOST SERIOUS STATE CHARGES, ANGERING HISPANIC LEADERS AND CIVIL-RIGHTS GROUPS. GOV. ED RENDELL ASKED THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO PURSUE CIVIL RIGHTS CHARGES. THREE POLICE OFFICERS WERE CHARGED LAST WEEK WITH OBSTRUCTING THE INVESTIGATION INTO RAMIREZ'S DEATH.

HAVEN WOMAN CHARGED WITH STEALING

A SCHUYLKILL HAVEN WOMAN IS CHARGED WITH STEALING FROM A POTTSVILLE WOMAN WHOM SHE SERVED AS A HEALTH AID. POTTSVILLE POLICE SAY THAT A COUNSELOR FROM THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY ATTENDANT HEALTH CARE PROGRAM REPORTED THAT 65 YEAR OLD LOUISE FERRARO HAD CHARGES MADE FROM HER CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT. SIX PURCHASES WERE ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN MADE BY 46 YEAR OLD KATHY STUMP, WHO WAS A HOME HEALTH AIDE FOR FERRARO. APPARENTLY, THE CREDIT CARD WAS TAKEN FROM FERRARO, AND USED FOR 6 TRANSACTIONS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT STUMP ALSO ALTERED A CHECK PAYABLE TO HER. STUMP WAS ARRAIGNED ON THEFT, RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY, FORGERY AND OTHER COUNTS, AND RELEASED ON $20 THOUSAND DOLLARS UNSECURED BAIL.

REDUCE THE SIZE OF STATE GOVERNMENT

A PUBLIC HEARING MAY BE SCHEDULED TO TALK ABOUT REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE. SENATE BILL 1160, SPONSORED BY SENATOR DAVE ARGALL, WOULD ELIMINATE 50 HOUSE AND 5 SENATE SEATS. WHILE THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY REPUBLICAN ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THIS IS NOT A NEW ISSUE, TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO GRADUALLY REDUCE THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT MIGHT BRING MORE SUPPORT FROM MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE:

ARGALL DOWNSIZE

ARGALL SAID THAT ITS NOT RIGHT TO ASK OTHER PARTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT TO CUT, WHEN THE LEGISLATURE ISN'T MAKING AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THEIR COSTS AS WELL. THE MEASURE HAS BEEN REFERRED TO THE SENATE STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE FOR ITS REVIEW.

STANDOFF IN TAMAQUA

HOURS OF NEGOTIATION BETWEEN A TAMAQUA MAN AND POLICE YESTERDAY ENDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AN APPARENT DOMESTIC DISPUTE ON PINE STREET WAS REPORTED AROUND 10:15AM, AND THE UNIDENTIFIED MAN HELD A KNIFE TO HIS OWN THROAT, WHILE NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUED WITH POLICE. REPORTS SAY THAT AREA SCHOOLS AND DAYCARE CENTERS WERE LOCKED DOWN DURING THE THREE HOUR STANDOFF. LOCAL AND STATE POLICE WERE ABLE TO BRING THE INCIDENT TO CONCLUSION, AND THE MAN TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION.

WBRE TO OPERATE BUREAU IN SOUTHERN LUZERNE COUNTY

A WILKES BARRE TV STATION HAS OPENED A NEWS AND SALES BUREAU IN HAZLETON. WBRE-TV'S BUREAU IS LOCATED AT THE WYLN BUILDING ON EAST 10TH STREET, AND WILL SERVE LUZERNE, CARBON, SCHUYLKILL AND COLUMBIA COUNTIES, AND WILL ENHANCE THE NEWS COVERAGE IN THOSE AREAS, ACCORDING TO STATION OFFICIALS.

ST GEORGE'S STEEPLE REMOVED

A MARKED CHANGE IN THE LANDSCAPE OF SHENANDOAH TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY AS THE STEEPLE AT ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH CAME DOWN. THE HISTORIC CHURCH IS BEING DEMOLISHED, CITED AS A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD BY THE DIOCESE OF ALLENTOWN. THE CHURCH, CLOSED IN 2006 AS PART OF CATHOLIC CHURCH CONSOLIDATIONS, HAS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF A COURT BATTLE BY PARISHONERS TO SAVE THE EDIFICE, THE OLDEST LITHUANIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN AMERICA.

ARGUMENT IN EAST NORWEGIAN

STATE POLICE ARE CHARGING TWO PEOPLE WITH SUMMARY VIOLATIONS AFTER AN INCIDENT EARLY THIS MORNING. TROOPERS REPORT THAT A WOMAN WAS REPORTEDLY ROAMING AROUND NUDE IN THE PARKING LOT AT PINE VIEW ACRES, AND THEN APPEARED AT A NEIGHBOR'S RESIDENCE ASKING FOR A PLACE TO STAY. MARGARET HOSSLER WAS REPORTED TO BE DRUNK, AND HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ARGUMENT WITH HER BOYFRIEND, WILLARD HOOVEN. HOSSLER APPARENTLY BECAME BELLIGERENT WHILE POLICE WERE THERE, AND REFUSED TO COOPERATE. HOSSLER IS CHARGED WITH HARASSMENT AND PUBLIC DRUNKENESS AND HOOVEN CHARGED WITH HARRASSMENT. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED BEFORE MIDNIGHT.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GRAND JURY WITNESSES SAY PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER TODD EACHUS (EE'-CHUS) DIRECTED CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES BY LEGISLATIVE EMPLOYEES AND RAISED CAMPAIGN FUNDS FROM INSIDE THE STATE CAPITOL. TRANSCRIPTS OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ALLEGE CONDUCT SIMILAR TO THAT FOR WHICH 25 OTHERS HAVE BEEN CHARGED CRIMINALLY IN A STATE PROBE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOV. ED RENDELL SAYS HE NO LONGER IS CONFIDENT THAT LEGISLATORS WILL FINISH A CASINO-EXPANSION BILL THAT CAN DELIVER MORE REVENUE TO THE CASH-STRAPPED STATE. HE REPEATED HIS WARNING THAT HE WILL HAVE TO CUT SPENDING AGAIN IF HE DOESN'T GET A BILL BY JAN. 8.RENDELL SAYS THAT WILL MEAN LAYING OFF AT LEAST 1,000 STATE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH PENNSYLVANIA'S NEW RIGHT-TO-KNOW LAW IN ITS FIRST YEAR SAY THEY'D LIKE TO SEE SOME CHANGES. ISSUES THAT HAVE ARISEN INCLUDE THE HIGH COST OF VERY LARGE REQUESTS AND WHETHER TO HANDLE RECORDS DIFFERENTLY IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE USED FOR COMMERCIAL REASONS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - ON CHRISTMAS DAY, HOME BUILDER THOMAS FISCHER WILL BE GIVEN PERIOD GARB AND TAKE A SEAT IN THE LEAD BOAT FOR THE ANNUAL RE-ENACTMENT OF WASHINGTON'S 1776 CROSSING OF THE DELAWARE RIVER. FISCHER, OF NEWTOWN, SAYS HE IS THRILLED TO HELP RECREATE THE EVENT THAT TURNED THE TIDE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL HAS ONE MORE 60-VOTE HURDLE TO OVERCOME TODAY IN THE SENATE. SENATORS WILL LIKELY APPROVE LIMITING DEBATE ON THE FULL BILL SETTING THE STAGE FOR A FINAL VOTE ON THE SENATE BILL TOMORROW. THE FINAL VOTE WOULD ONLY REQUIRE A SIMPLE MAJORITY.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA (AP) - AN AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT FROM MIAMI OVERSHOT A RUNWAY IN JAMAICA WITH THE NOSE OF THE PLANE ENDING UP
JUST 10 FEET FROM THE SEA. AUTHORITIES SAY 44 PEOPLE WERE HOSPITALIZED INCLUDING FOUR IN SERIOUS CONDITION. THE PLANE CARRIED MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE.

DENVER (AP) - PARTS OF COLORADO AND SOUTHERN UTAH COULD BE UNDER MORE THAN A FOOT OF NEW SNOW TODAY AS A FAST MOVING STORM THREATENS TO DISRUPT HOLIDAY TRAVEL. CHRISTMAS DAY COULD SEE THE STORM IN THE PLAINS STATES AND BLIZZARD WARNINGS ARE LIKELY ON CHRISTMAS EVE IN KANSAS.

GENEVA (AP) - NEGOTIATIONS WITH RUSSIA ON A NEW ARMS TREATY WILL EXTEND INTO NEXT YEAR. THE UNITED STATES HAS CONFIRMED THAT IT WILL BE UNABLE TO CLINCH A DEAL THIS YEAR ON A SUCCESSOR TO THEIR EXPIRED NUCLEAR ARMS CONTROL AGREEMENT. A STATEMENT SAYS THE TWO SIDES HOPE TO "FINALIZE" THE NEW TREATY NEXT MONTH.

FORT COLLINS, COLO. (AP) - THE PARENTS WHO PULLED OFF THE BALLOON BOY HOAX IN HOPES OF LANDING A REALITY TV SHOW FIND OUT TODAY IF THEY'LL GET ANY JAIL TIME AT THEIR SENTENCING. RICHARD AND MAYUMI HEENE ALSO FACE THE PROSPECT OF PAYING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN RESTITUTION. AN INVESTIGATOR WANTS TO FORBID THE COUPLE FROM PROFITING FROM THE ACT.