Today's News-Thursday, January 21, 2010

CHARGES FILED IN MASSIVE PINE GROVE FIRE

A MAN AND WOMAN ARE IN PRISON, AND TWO MORE ARE TO BE CHARGED FOR RUNNING A METH LAB THAT CAUSED A MASSIVE FIRE IN PINE GROVE LAST WEEK. INVESTIGATORS REPORT LANCE CHRISTMAN AND AMBER MAREK-JOLLEY WERE ARRAIGNED WEDNESDAY ON VARIOUS DRUG COUNTS AND RISKING A CATASTROPHE FOR OPERATING THE ILLEGAL DRUG LAB AT 75 SOUTH TULPEHOCKEN STREET. THE PAIR WERE COOKING METHAMPHETAMINE ON THE NIGHT IN QUESTION WHEN AN EXPLOSION HAPPENED THAT STARTED THE FIRE. TWO OTHERS, ANGELA SINGH AND STEVEN DONTON, WILL ALSO BE CHARGED IN THE INCIDENT. A HALF DOZEN PEOPLE WERE DISPLACED, AND SEVEN PROPERTIES HEAVILY DAMAGED BY THE FIRES. CHRISTMAN AND JOLLEY WERE TAKEN TO JAIL AFTER THEY COULDN'T POST BAIL. SINGH AND DONTON ARE ALREADY IN PRISON FOR OTHER REASONS.

IDENTITY THEFT

A CRESSONA MAN WAS VICTIMIZED BY IDENTITY THEFT, TO THE TUNE OF NEARLY $8-THOUSAND- DOLLARS. BETWEEN OCTOBER 17TH AND 19TH, SOMEONE USED CHRISTIAN KELLER'S SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND DATE OF BIRTH, OPENING A HOME DEPOT CREDIT CARD AND USING IT TO PURCHASE SUPPLIES ONLINE FROM A PHILADELPHIA AREA HOME DEPOT. STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE IDENTITY THEFT.

BOY STRUCK BY CAR

A 9 YEAR OLD POTTSVILLE BOY WAS STRUCK BY A POTTSTOWN MAN'S CAR ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON. 33 YEAR OLD THOMAS DEAROLF WAS DRIVING AN SUV ON WEST MARKET STREET WHEN HIS VEHICLE STRUCK 9 YEAR OLD BRENTON WILLIAMS. POLICE ARE CONTINUING THEIR INVESTIGATION, BUT PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS SAY THE BOY WALKED OUT IN FRONT OF DEAROLF'S AUTO. THE BOY WAS TREATED AT SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER, THEN RELEASED.

MAHANOY CITY MAN GOES TO STATE PRISON

A MAHANOY CITY MAN WHO PARTICIPATED IN A HOME INVASION IN OCTOBER 2008 IN SHENANDOAH IS HEADED FOR STATE PRISON FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. COUNTY JUDGE JACQUELINE RUSSELL SENTENCED 27 YEAR OLD JOSEPH YUTKO TO 5 TO 10 YEARS, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL FIVE YEARS PROBATION ON HIS CONVICTION FOR ROLE IN A HOME ROBBERY ON EAST CENTRE STREET IN SHENANDOAH.

COMMISSIONERS/PRISON BOARD MEETING

THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE CONTINUING TO STREAMLINE POSITIONS, PROPOSING SEVERAL MORE AT YESTERDAY'S MEETING. WPPA/T102 NEWS REPORTER SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS MORE FROM THE COURTHOUSE:

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IN AN EFFORT TO CONSERVE MONEY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE ELIMINATED AND CONSOLIDATED SEVERAL POSITIONS. THOSE ELIMINATIONS INCLUDE PLUMBER/GENERAL MAINTENANCE, MAP TECHNICIAN, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AND GRANT WRITER/DEMOLITION COORDINATOR. GARY BENDER WAS APPOINTED TO A CONSOLIDATED POSITION AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT COORDINATOR/GRANT ADMINISTRATOR IN THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. BENDER'S SALARY AND BENEFITS ARE COMPLETELY COVERED BY THE CDBG GRANT. EDWARD SHEARN HAS RESIGNED AS CHIEF JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICER. THERE WAS AN APPROVAL REQUEST BY THE PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE FOR CONDUCTING A CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE WATER FOR THE SCHUYKILL COUNTY COURTHOUSE AND SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON HEATING SYSTEMS. STATE BUDGET CUTS HAVE EXPIRED THE FUNDING FOR THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL OUTPATIENT TREATMENT COUNSELING FOR THE COUNTY PRISION. EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MAKE TO OBTAIN SERVICES THROUGH NEW BEGINNINGS. THEIR COUNSELING SERVICES WILL FOCUS ON A CO-OCCURING CURRICULUM AS WELL, INCLUDING A DRUG AND ALCOHOL EDUCATION COMPONENT. TOTAL POLULATION AVERAGES FOR THE COUNTY PRISON FOR 2009 WERE 279 INMATES, 252 MALES AND 27 FEMALES, AT AN AVERAGE STAY OF 57 DAYS.

HOW SAFE IS YOUR WELL WATER?

MORE THAN THREE MILLION PENNSYLVANIANS COUNT ON PRIVATE WELLS FOR THEIR DRINKING WATER, AND NEARLY HALF OF WELLS FAIL AT LEAST ONE SAFE-DRINKING-WATER STANDARD. SO PENN STATE EXTENSION EDUCATORS ARE PROVIDING HELP AND ADVICE. MOUNTING MARCELLUS SHALE NATURAL-GAS DRILLING HAS INCREASED THE NEED TO SAFEGUARD THE STATE'S GROUND WATER. PENN STATE EXTENSION EDUCATOR JIM CLARK SAYS HE AND OTHER EDUCATORS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE FORMED A WATER RESOURCE TEAM TO HELP PRIVATE WELL OWNERS MAINTAIN A SAFE WATER SUPPLY:

CLARK

CLARK SAYS IN SOME RURAL COUNTIES, MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF RESIDENTS RELY ON WELLS, AND MANY DON'T KNOW HOW TO TEST, TREAT AND MAINTAIN THESE PRIVATE WATER SUPPLIES. YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ON EXTENSION'S WATER RESOURCE TEAM ONLINE AT WATER DOT C-A-S DOT P-S-U DOT E-D-U.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - SOME OF THE HAITIAN ORPHANS WHO ARRIVED IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ARE STARTING TO BE RELEASED TO THEIR ADOPTIVE FAMILIES. SO FAR, AT LEAST SEVEN CHILDREN BROUGHT TO PITTSBURGH EARLIER THIS WEEK HAVE BEEN RELEASED. IN ALL, 54 CHILDREN WERE BROUGHT OUT OF HAITI AFTER LAST WEEK'S DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A JUDGE DECIDED WEDNESDAY THAT JURORS IN THE TRIAL OF A MAN ACCUSED OF FATALLY SHOOTING THREE POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD COME FROM ANOTHER COUNTY. THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY JUDGE CITED WHAT HE CALLED "PERVASIVE, PREJUDICIAL PRETRIAL PUBLICITY"SURROUNDING THE CASE OF 23-YEAR-OLD RICHARD POPLAWSKI.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA POLICE SAY OFFICERS SHOT AND CRITICALLY WOUNDED A ROBBERY SUSPECT AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY AIMED A GUN AT THEM DURING A CHASE. POLICE SAY THE MAN WAS TAKEN TO ALBERT EINSTEIN MEDICAL CENTER IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER LAST NIGHT'S SHOOTING IN THE OLNEY SECTION OF NORTH PHILADELPHIA.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOV. ED RENDELL HAS SIGNED A DEATH WARRANT FOR AN UNEMPLOYED IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR A PITTSBURGH-AREA SHOOTING RAMPAGE THAT EVENTUALLY LEFT SIX PEOPLE DEAD 10 YEARS AGO. FORTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD RICHARD BAUMHAMMERS OF MOUNT LEBANON IS SCHEDULED TO BE EXECUTED MARCH 18TH.

VINELAND, N.J. (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY A PHILADELPHIA MAN WHO MANAGES A BOWLING ALLEY IN SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH HIRING TWO OTHER MEN TO SET A RIVAL ALLEY ABLAZE. EARLIER THIS WEEK, POLICE ARRESTED THREE MEN, INCLUDING 47-YEAR-OLD STEVEN SMINK OF PHILADELPHIA, THE MANAGER OF PIKE LANES FAMILY FUN CENTER IN DEERFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

KABUL (AP) - NATO IS REPORTING THAT FOUR MILITANTS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN A RAID IN AFGHANISTAN, BUT VILLAGERS SAY THE DEAD ARE CIVILIANS. NATO SAYS THE RAID TARGETED A TALIBAN COMMANDER. A COALITION STATEMENT SAYS ONE OF THE DEAD WAS A YOUNG MAN WHO GRABBED A SOLDIER'S WEAPON.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES IS MEETING WITH PAKISTANI OFFICIALS TODAY TO EXPLAIN THE U.S. WAR STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN. GATES ALSO HAS AN ESSAY PUBLISHED IN A PAKISTANI NEWSPAPER. IN IT, HE TALKS UP THE NEED TO KEEP PRESSURE ON MILITANTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN BORDER.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (AP) - IN HAITI, WORKERS HAVE BEEN CARVING OUT MASS GRAVES FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS ON A HILLSIDE NORTH OF THE CAPITAL. ELSEWHERE, MEDICAL TEAMS ARE WARNING OF POSSIBLE OUTBREAKS OF DIARRHEA AND OTHER DISEASES AMONG THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
QUAKE SURVIVORS LIVING IN OVERCROWDED CAMPS.

BOSTON (AP) - TWO DAYS AFTER HIS STUNNING SENATE WIN, MASSACHUSETTS REPUBLICAN SEN.-ELECT SCOTT BROWN IS HEADING TO WASHINGTON. HIS SCHEDULE INCLUDES A MEETING WITH HIS FUTURE STATE PARTNER, SEN. JOHN KERRY. THE TIME OF BROWN'S SWEARING-IN REMAINS A QUESTION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS ARE WRAPPING UP A 16-MONTH INVESTIGATION INTO A DEADLY 2008 COMMUTER TRAIN CRASH IN A LOS ANGELES SUBURB. THE COLLISION KILLED 25 PEOPLE AND INJURED AT LEAST 130. THE PROBE FOUND THAT A TRAIN ENGINEER WAS SENDING AND RECEIVING TEXT MESSAGES SHORTLY BEFORE THE CRASH.