Today's News-Friday, January 8, 2010

MADY'S FIRE ARSON

THE FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE FORMER MADY CAR WASH IN POTTSVILLE HAS BEEN RULED ARSON. INVESTIGATORS FROM THE POTTSVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND STATE POLICE HAVE SPENT THE BETTER PART OF THIS WEEK INVESTIGATING THE RUBBLE TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. THEY HAVE DETERMINED THAT SOMEONE BROKE INTO THE VACANT BUILDING AND SET THE FIRE IN SEVERAL SPOTS. THE BUILDING WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS, VALUED AT ABOUT $350 THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND WILL BE DEMOLISHED. THE PROPERTY WAS IN FORECLOSURE AND OWNED BY SUSQUEHANNA BANK. ALL POTTSVILLE FIRE COMPANIES AND SEVERAL FROM SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES BATTLED THE BLAZE FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS. NOW, POTTSVILLE CITY POLICE AND THE STATE POLICE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THE ARSONISTS WHO SET THE FIRE.

BOMB SCARE AT MAHANOY AREA

STUDENTS AND STAFF HAD TO BE EVACUATED FROM MAHANOY AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT BUILDINGS YESTERDAY MORNING AFTER A BOMB SCARE WAS CALLED IN. AFTER THE STUDENTS WERE MOVED FROM THE BUILDING, A SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED BUT NO DEVICES FOUND. AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE THREAT IS ONGOING.

ST CLAIR MAN CHARGED WITH THEFT OF BABY FORMULA

POLICE HAVE CHARGED A ST CLAIR MAN WITH STEALING OVER $500 DOLLARS WORTH OF BABY FORMULA FROM THE ST CLAIR WALMART. BRANDON KESTER, 28, ATTEMPTED TO TAKE 55 CANS OF FORMULA FROM THE STORE. KESTER FLED THE STORE WHEN CONFRONTED BY STORE SECURITY, BUT WAS PICKED UP A SHORT TIME LATER. HE'S CHARGED WITH RETAIL THEFT, AND WAS REMANDED TO THE COUNTY PRISON.

DAFFODIL DAYS

THEY ARE A TRADITIONAL SIGN OF SPRING...DAFFODILS. WPPA/T102 NEWS REPORTER SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS MORE:

DAFFODIL 1

DAFFODIL DAYS (V2)

THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY KICKED OFF THEIR ANNUAL DAFFODIL SALE LAST NIGHT. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY REPORTS:

DAFFODIL 2

COLLEGE LOAN/GRANT FORMS NEED TO BE FILED

CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE BEGINNING THEIR ANNUAL RITE OF FILING FORMS TO GET FINANCIAL AID. WPPA/T102 NEWS REPORTER SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS DETAILS:

FAFSA

THEFT FROM STORAGE GARAGE

A CRESSONA WOMAN IS THE VICTIM OF THEFT. SOMEONE TOOK THREE AIR CONDITIONERS FROM A STORAGE GARAGE BELONGING TO BRENDA FAUST, POTTSVILLE STREET. THE THEFT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING.

BLOOD DRIVE

FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW, SCHUYLKILL COUNTIANS CAME TO THE AID OF OTHERS IN THE AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES. ONE HUNDRED FOUR PEOPLE DONATED BLOOD AT THE DRIVE IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN AND 35 UNITS DONATED IN AUBURN. FROM THE AMERICAN RED CROSS AND WPPA/T102, THANK YOU FOR GIVING THE GIFT OF LIFE. IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO DONATE THIS TIME AROUND, CALL 1-800-GIVE-LIFE TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT.

BERKS INSURANCE AGENTS CHARGED WITH THEFT

TWO INSURANCE AGENTS BASED IN BERKS COUNTY ARE CHARGED WITH STEALING MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDS FROM SIX BERKS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS. ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM CORBETT ANNOUNCED THE ARRESTS OF 52 YEAR OLD KEVIN PICKELL AND 43 YEAR OLD ROBERT PICKELL, PARTNERS IN THE KDN LANCHESTER CORPORATION IN SPRING TOWNSHIP. THE MEN REPORTEDLY TOOK THE MONIES, PAID BY THE DISTRICTS FOR WORKERS COMP AND LIABILITY INSURANCE, AND SPENT IT IN LAVISH FASHION. THE PREMIUMS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FORWARDED TO THE SCHOOL BOARDS INSURANCE COMPANY. ANABOLIC STEROIDS WERE ALSO FOUND AT PICKELL'S OFFICES DURING THE SEARCH. BOTH WERE RELEASED ON BAIL, PENDING A PRELIMINARY HEARING.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A STATE TROOPER WHO HAS OVERSEEN SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTS AROUND PHILADELPHIA IS FACING A DRUNKEN DRIVING CHARGE.
POLICE SAY 47-YEAR-OLD CPL. JOHN QUIGG APPEARED INTOXICATED WHEN HE
CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL IN UPPER MERION LAST MONTH. WOODWARD'S
ATTORNEY SAYS HE "MADE A BAD DECISION THAT HE DEEPLY REGRETS."

MEADVILLE, PA. (AP) - A DAIRY BARN BILLED AS INDESTRUCTIBLE WHEN IT WAS BUILT FOR A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA FAIRGROUND TWO YEARS AGO HAS COLLAPSED AFTER HEAVY SNOW PILED ON ITS ROUNDED ROOF. THE HERITAGE HALL DAIRY BARN AT THE CRAWFORD COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS COLLAPSED ON WEDNESDAY.

NEW CUMBERLAND, PA. (AP) - POLICE IN THE SMALL PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITY OF NEW CUMBERLAND ARE PERPLEXED BY A BIZARRE SERIES OF BREAK-INS. THEY SAY THE CULPRITS TOOK CASH, ATE CANDY LEFT AT WORKERS' DESKS AND FOOD FROM BREAK-ROOM REFRIGERATORS, AND USED OFFICE COMPUTERS TO LOOK AT PORNOGRAPHY AT 11 DIFFERENT BUSINESSES OVER 10 DAYS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A FORMER CONSULTANT FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM IN PHILADELPHIA IS SUING ITS PRESIDENT FOR SLANDER. JOEL AVERY CLAIMS HIS BUSINESS WAS HARMED BY WHAT ROMONA BENSON WROTE IN A LETTER TO THE BOARD. BENSON'S LAWYER ACKNOWLEDGES THE LETTER CONTAINED ERRONEOUS INFORMATION BUT SAYS AVERY'S BUSINESS DIDN'T
SUFFER BECAUSE OF IT.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A PITTSBURGH POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF SLAPPING HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND HAS BEEN FIRED. FORTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD SGT. EUGENE HLAVAC JR. WAS CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOR ALLEGEDLY DISLOCATING THE WOMAN'S JAW BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T PICK UP THEIR SON ON TIME. THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE IS CHALLENGING THE FIRING.

COLUMBUS, OHIO (AP) - MINNESOTA AND PARTS OF SOUTH DAKOTA ARE GETTING THE HEAVIEST SNOW AND THE WIND CHILL HIT 52 BELOW IN BISMARCK, N.D., AS WINTER WEATHER GRIPS MUCH OF THE EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY. THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST SIX TRAFFIC DEATHS INCLUDING FOUR IN OHIO, ONE IN KENTUCKY AND ANOTHER NEAR ATLANTA.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS MAKING CHANGES AND TALKING TOUGH IN THE WAKE OF THE FAILED AIRLINER ATTACK. HE'S EVEN CALLING THE ANTI-TERROR FIGHT A WAR -- A RARITY FOR HIM. OBAMA PLANS TO PUT MORE AIR MARSHALS ON PLANES AND HE'S ANNOUNCED ABOUT A DOZEN CHANGES DESIGNED TO FIX SECURITY PROBLEMS THAT ALLOWED THE CHRISTMAS DAY ATTACKER TO SLIP THROUGH.

ST. LOUIS (AP) - POLICE SAY ALL FOUR PEOPLE WHO DIED WHEN AN APPARENTLY DISGRUNTLED WORKER OPENED FIRE AT A ST. LOUIS PLANT ARE MEN, AS ARE THE FIVE INJURED VICTIMS. OFFICIALS SAY THE SHOOTER IS AMONG THE DEAD AND A FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL IDENTIFIES HIM AS 51-YEAR-OLD TIMOTHY HENDRON. POLICE SAY HE WAS INVOLVED IN A SUIT AGAINST ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMERS MAKER ABB OVER A 401(K) FUND.

WASHINGTON (AP) - MOST ECONOMISTS THINK UNEMPLOYMENT WILL BE UP SLIGHTLY TODAY WHEN THE LABOR DEPARTMENT RELEASES DECEMBER NUMBERS.
BUT A FEW THINK IT MIGHT GO THE OTHER WAY, THOUGH IT'LL BE BARELY NOTICEABLE IF IT DOES. A MAJORITY OF ECONOMISTS SURVEYED BY THOMSON
REUTERS SAY THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WILL RISE TO 10.1 PERCENT FROM 10
PERCENT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - IS THERE AN EARTH II OUT THERE SOMEWHERE? ASTRONOMERS AT AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE SAY IT'S PROBABLE THERE ARE
OTHER EARTH-LIKE PLANETS IN THE UNIVERSE AND THEY'RE GETTING TO WITHIN FIVE YEARS OF FINDING ONE.