Today's News-Wednesday, January 20, 2010-7:28AM

COMMISSIONERS/PRISON BOARD MEETING

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 INCLUDE A DRUG AND ALCOHOL EDUCATION COMPONENT.

TOTAL POPULATION AVERAGES FOR THE COUNTY PRISON FOR 2009 WERE 279 INMATES, 252 MALES AND 27 FEMALES, AT AN AVERAGE STAY OF 57 DAYS.

AFTERSHOCK HITS HAITI

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (AP) - AN AFTERSHOCK WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 6.0 HAS HIT HAITI. THERE ARE REPORTS THAT THE BUILDINGS WERE SHAKING AND PEOPLE RUNNING INTO THE STREETS. JUST OVER A WEEK AGO, A 7.0 QUAKE ROCKED THE IMPOVERISHED NATION, KILLING AN ESTIMATED 200,000 PEOPLE.

ATTEMPTED BREAK IN AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IN GIRARDVILLE

STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING AN ATTEMPTED BREAK-IN AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IN GIRARDVILLE EARLY THIS MORNING. THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE JUST AFTER ONE AM AT A HOME IN THE 200 BLOCK OF A STREET. TWO PEOPLE, A MAN WITH TATTOOS ON HIS CALVES, WEARING BROWN SHORTS AND A BLACK SWEATSHIRT, AND A WOMAN, BOTH WEARING BLACK MASKS TRIED TO BREAK INTO THE HOME WHEN THEY WERE SCARED OFF BY THE HOMEOWNER. THE SUSPECTS FLED TOWARDS THE INTERSECTION OF SECOND AND OGDEN STREET, WHERE THE MAN GRABBED A WOMAN OUTSIDE THE JIFFY MART, PLACING A KNIFE TO HER THROAT AND CARRYING HER ACROSS THE STREET INTO A WOODED AREA WHERE BOTH SUSPECTS DISAPPEARED. THE WOMAN WAS ABLE TO GET FREE AND HIDE FROM THE SUSPECTS. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THIS MORNING'S INCIDENT SHOULD CALL STATE POLICE.

ACCIDENTAL FIRE IN SHENANDOAH

TWO HOMES WERE DAMAGED IN A FIRE IN SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS TUESDAY MORNING. THE FIRE BROKE OUT AT 234 INDIANA AVENUE DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND SPREAD TO 232 INDIANA. FIRE INVESTIGATORS SAY THAT THE CAUSE WAS ACCIDENTAL, BUT THE DAMAGE WAS SIGNIFICANT IN BOTH PROPERTIES. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THE FIRE IN WEST MAHANOY TOWNSHIP.

TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO ARREST

A STATE POLICE TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO THE ARREST OF A MAN WANTED ON OUTSTANDING WARRANTS. 28 YEAR OLD STEVEN DONTON, ADDRESS UNKNOWN, WAS STOPPED AT THE RACEWAY TRUCK STOP EARLY TUESDAY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THERE WERE WARRANTS AGAINST HIM. HE TRIED TO GIVE TROOPERS A DIFFERENT NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH, AND WAS CHARGED WITH GIVING FALSE INFORMATION TO AUTHORITIES, IN ADDITION TO THE WARRANT CHARGES AND WAS TAKEN TO THE COUNTY PRISON.

POTTSVILLE MAN SENTENCED FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORN

A CITY MAN WILL SPEND TIME IN JAIL FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. 43 YEAR OLD KEITH WEIDER JR. WAS SENTENCED BY JUDGE WILLIAM BALDWIN TUESDAY TO 11 TO 23 MONTHS IN PRISON, FIVE YEARS ON PROBATION AND A LIFETIME OF MEGAN'S LAW SANCTIONS, ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. WEIDER WAS ORIGINALLY CHARGED WITH HAVING THE PORN ON HIS COMPUTER IN JUNE, 2008 AND PLEADED GUILTY IN DECEMBER ON THE COUNTS.

HEGINS BUSINESS FASTEST GROWING IN STATE

A HEGINS MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN RANKED AS THE FASTEST GROWING BUSINESS IN PENNSYLVANIA. ASHLAND TECHNOLOGIES, INC. MAKES MACHINED AND FABRICATED PARTS, AND WAS RANKED NUMBER ONE IN GROWTH BY INC. 500 MAGAZINE. THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN 1996 AND EMPLOYS ABOUT 3 DOZEN PEOPLE.

BUDGET STARTS

BUDGET TALK STIRS UP IN HARRISBURG, WITH GOVERNOR ED RENDELL STOKING UP CONVERSATION ABOUT NEW TAXES. MIKE DAVIES HAS MORE FROM HARRISBURG:

DAVIES BUDGET

CHIP

MORE THAN 197 THOUSAND CHILDREN STATEWIDE ARE ENROLLED IN THE CHIP HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM. ITS SET TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND THERE'S MOVEMENT IN HARRISBURG TO REMOVE THAT DATE FROM THE LAW, WITH LEGISLATION PENDING IN THE STATE HOUSE. DEMOCRAT TONY DELUCA OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY IS THE SPONSOR OF THE BILL TO KEEP THE PROGRAM IN EFFECT PAST THE EXPIRATION DATE, STATING THAT CHIP IS NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER:

DELUCA

CHIP IS PROVIDED FREE OR AT A REDUCED RATE BASED ON A FAMILY'S INCOME. FOR MORE INFORMATION, LOG ON TO CHIPCOVERSPAKIDS.COM

PITTSBURGH (AP) - FIFTY-THREE ORPHANS RESCUED FROM HAITI HAVE BEGUN THEIR NEW LIVES. THEY ARRIVED IN PITTSBURGH TUESDAY MORNING AFTER A DARING MISSION THAT INVOLVED OFFICIALS IN THE WHITE HOUSE, THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EVEN PENNSYLVANIA GOV. ED RENDELL, WHO WENT ALONG ON THE RESCUE FLIGHT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE ARE SEEKING THE PUBLIC'S HELP IN SOLVING THE MURDER OF A 68-YEAR-OLD NORTH PHILADELPHIA GRANDMOTHER WHO WAS BEATEN TO DEATH IN AN APPARENT HOME INVASION. POLICE SAY THE BODY OF 68-YEAR-OLD ELLEN WALTON WAS FOUND MONDAY IN THE GERMANTOWN HOME IN WHICH SHE HAD LIVED FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY WANTS THE DEATH PENALTY FOR A MAN ACCUSED OF FATALLY SHOOTING A SUBURBAN PITTSBURGH POLICE OFFICER. DA STEPHEN ZAPPALA JR. SAYS 32-YEAR-OLD
RONALD ROBINSON SHOT PENN HILLS OFFICER MICHAEL CRAWSHAW LAST MONTH
AFTER LEAVING A HOUSE WHERE ROBINSON HAD JUST SHOT AND KILLED A MAN
OVER A $500 DRUG DEBT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE SUPREME COURT ON TUESDAY THREW OUT A RULING THAT HAD SET ASIDE THE DEATH SENTENCE OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL, CONVICTED OF KILLING A PHILADELPHIA POLICE OFFICER IN A RACIALLY TINGED CASE. THE JUSTICES ORDERED THE 3RD U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS IN PHILADELPHIA TO REVISIT ITS 2008 RULING THAT THE FORMER BLACK PANTHER DESERVED A NEW SENTENCING HEARING BECAUSE OF FLAWED JURY INSTRUCTIONS AT HIS 1982 TRIAL.

SCRANTON, PA. (AP) - A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA GANG MEMBER WILL SPEND LIFE IN PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO KILLING ANOTHER MAN IN A GANG HIT. TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD JEFFREY FUTURE PLEADED GUILTY TO FIRST-DEGREE MURDER TUESDAY IN LACKAWANNA COUNTY COURT, AVOIDING A TRIAL THAT COULD HAVE ENDED IN THE DEATH PENALTY IF HE WAS CONVICTED.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (AP) - IT'S BEEN MORE THAN A WEEK SINCE THE MAGNITUDE-7 QUAKE IN HAITI, AND STILL SOME PEOPLE ARE BEING PULLED OUT OF THE RUBBLE -- ALIVE. A 69-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WAS RESCUED TUESDAY. ALSO, TWO WOMEN WERE PULLED FROM A DESTROYED UNIVERSITY BUILDING. ANOTHER WOMAN WAS SAVED FROM A COLLAPSED STORE. THE QUAKE HAS KILLED AN ESTIMATED 200,000 PEOPLE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A NEW POLL SUGGESTS THAT MOST PEOPLE LIKE BARACK OBAMA AS A PERSON, BUT THEY HAVE MIXED REVIEWS ON THE JOB HE'S DOING. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS-GFK POLL FINDS THAT NEARLY 90 PERCENT SURVEYED LIKE OBAMA PERSONALLY, BUT ONLY 42 PERCENT RATE HIM AS AN ABOVE AVERAGE OR OUTSTANDING PRESIDENT. OBAMA'S OVERALL APPROVAL RATING IS 56 PERCENT, DOWN FROM 74 PERCENT A YEAR AGO.

BOSTON (AP) - TED KENNEDY'S FORMER SENATE SEAT HAS GONE TO A REPUBLICAN. IN A STUNNING LOSS FOR DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICAN SCOTT BROWN MADE AWAY WITH 52 PERCENT OF THE VOTE TO DEMOCRAT MARTHA COAKLEY'S 47 PERCENT IN YESTERDAY'S MASSACHUSETTS SPECIAL ELECTION. BROWN IS THE FIRST REPUBLICAN ELECTED TO THE SENATE FROM THE BAY STATE SINCE 1972.

BOSTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS SCRAMBLING TO SAVE HIS HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL PLAN FOLLOWING THE DEMOCRATS' LOSS OF THE SENATE SEAT IN MASSACHUSETTS. SCOTT BROWN'S VICTORY MEANS REPUBLICANS NOW HAVE ENOUGH VOTES TO BLOCK A HEALTH CARE BILL.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PLAN TO ORDER RESIDENTS IN SOME 600 HOMES TO EVACUATE TODAY. AFTER TWO DAYS OF RAINS, AUTHORITIES FEAR THEIR HILLSIDE STRUCTURES COULD WASH AWAY IN MUDSLIDES. LOS ANGELES POLICE HAVE BEEN GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR, ASKING RESIDENTS IN ABOUT 200 HOMES TO LEAVE BY THIS MORNING.