Today's News-Friday, February 19, 2010-updated 7am

BAND DIRECTOR PLEADS GUILTY

THE FORMER BAND DIRECTOR AT WILLIAMS VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL PLEADED GUILTY TO POSSESSING CHILD PORN. 44 YEAR OLD LEROY JOHNS JR. WAS ACCUSED OF HAVING THE IMAGES ON HIS COMPUTER. A PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION WILL BE UNDERTAKEN BEFORE SENTENCE IS HANDED DOWN. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT JOHNS COULD FACE A MAXIMUM PRISON SENTENCE OF SEVEN YEARS ON EACH COUNTS, PLUS MEGAN'S LAW SANCTIONS. JOHNS WAS ARRESTED ON THE CRIMES LAST YEAR.

ELECTRICAL FIRE AT OMNOVA

FIREFIGHTERS MADE QUICK WORK OF AN APPARENT ELECTRICAL FIRE AT AN AUBURN MANUFACTURER LAST NIGHT. CREWS FROM AUBURN, DEER LAKE, SCHUYLKILL HAVEN AND OTHER COMMUNITIES RESPONDED TO OMNOVA SOLUTIONS AROUND 6:30PM. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO THE CEILING ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES AT THE SCENE. CLEANUP WAS COMPLETED WITHIN ABOUT 90 MINUTES.

BAR BRAWL

A SHENANDOAH WOMAN IS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND OTHER COUNTS AFTER A FIGHT AT A BOROUGH ESTABLISHMENT. REPORTS SAY THAT 36 YEAR OLD MIRIAM MALAVE, AND THREE OTHER MEN WERE INVOLVED AT THE M&T BAR ON SOUTH MAIN STREET LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. AN UN NAMED HISPANIC MALE REPORTEDLY PUNCHED A MAN IN THE FACE, AND OTHERS, INCLUDING MALAVE, JOINED IN THE FIGHT. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD ALSO REPORTS THAT MALAVE STRUCK THE BARTENDER IN THE ARM WITH A BASEBALL BAT. MALAVE WAS JAILED AFTER ARRAIGNMENT. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE MELEE CONTINUES.

CAT WOMAN WILL SEE JAIL TIME

A PINE GROVE AREA WOMAN WILL SERVE TIME IN JAIL FOR MISTREATING ANIMALS. LAST YEAR, VIRGINIA JUSTINIANO AND ANDY OXENRIDER WERE ACCUSED OF MISTREATING ANIMALS AT A CAT SANCTUARY IN PINE GROVE. SHE WAS SENTENCED TO ADDITIONAL TIME IN JAIL, WITH CREDIT FOR TIME SERVED AND PROBATION AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO THE ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES. OXENRIDER PLEADED GUILTY IN THE CASE EARLIER THIS WEEK.

WIND FARM MONIES

FEDERAL STIMULUS MONIES ARE HEADED TO OUR AREA TO PUT UP A WIND FARM NEAR FRACKVILLE. GOVERNOR ED RENDELL ANNOUNCE $22.8 MILLION DOLLARS IN AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT FUNDS WILL HELP GREEN ENERGY WORKS FOR THREE WIND ENERGY PROGRAMS IN THE COMMONWEATLH. THE BROAD MOUNTAIN WIND ENERGY CENTER WILL USE THE MONEY TO INSTALL EIGHT TURBINES. THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO CREATE 43 JOBS.

ST CLAIR BOROUGH OFFICE CLOSED

RESIDENTS OF THE BOROUGH OF ST CLAIR TAKE NOTE, THE BOROUGH HALL WILL BE CLOSED TODAY WHILE ELECTRICAL SERVICE TRANSITION TAKES PLACE. THAT INFORMATION COMES FROM BOROUGH OFFICIALS. SERVICES SHOULD RE OPEN MONDAY.

MAHANOY CITY

DUE TO LAST WEEK'S SNOW EMERGENCY, RESIDENTS OF MAHANOY CITY WILL HAVE UNTIL NEXT MONDAY TO PAY THEIR ANNUAL TRASH PAYMENTS. THAT INFORMATION COMES FROM THE BOROUGH HALL, WHO SAYS THAT THE DISCOUNT PERIOD FOR GARBAGE PAYMENTS WILL BE EXTENDED UNTIL MONDAY.

FRACKVILLE MAN USED CAR WITHOUT PERMISSION, DRIVES DRUNK

A FRACKVILLE MAN IS CHARGED WITH DRIVING A CAR WITHOUT PERMISSION, ALONG WITH HIT AND RUN AND POSSIBLE DUI. STATE POLICE SAW 47 YEAR OLD SYDNEY POPE WAS SEEN DRIVING IN AN ERRATIC MANNER ON STATE ROUTE 924, AND WAS QUICKLY APPREHENDED AFTER TRYING TO FLEE POLICE. POPE REPORTEDLY WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT AND RUN NEAR THE GILBERTON EXIT. TROOPERS SAY THEY BELIEVE THE DRIVER WAS INTOXICATED. THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, MEDA MARSHALL, SAID THAT POPE WAS NOT AUTHORIZED TO DRIVE THE CAR. FOLLOWING ARRAIGNMENT, POPE WAS TAKEN TO THE COUNTY PRISON.

BE WARY OF YOUR TAX PREPARER

ITS INCOME TAX SEASON AND, FOR SOME PEOPLE, THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ROUNDING UP ALL THEIR RECEIPTS AND DOCUMENTATION IS FINDING OUT TOO LATE THAT THEY HIRED SOMEONE TO DO THEIR TAXES WHO WASN'T REALLY QUALIFIED. IN PENNSYLVANIA, TAX PREPARERS DON'T NEED A LICENSE. TAXPAYERS ARE HANDING OVER THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY AND BANK ACCOUNT NUMBERS, INVESTMENT INFORMATION AND MORE TO SOMEONE THEY MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW WELL. SO, RICHARD PANICK WITH THE IRS SAYS FILLING OUT THE FORM SHOULD BE A PARTNERSHIP, BASED ON TRUST.

PANICK

PANICK SAYS BOGUS TAX PREPARERS CAN BE IDENTITY THIEVES OR WILL MAKE EXPENSIVE MISTAKES TO TRY AND INCREASE A PERSON'S REFUND. HE ALSO SAYS EMAIL MESSAGES CLAIMING TO BE FROM THE IRS ARE DEFINITELY SCAMS. THE AGENCY NEVER INITIATES CONTACT WITH A TAXPAYER BY EMAIL.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - RECORDS SHOW THE MAN WHO AUTHORITIES SAY FLEW HIS SMALL PLANE INTO A TEXAS BUILDING CONTAINING IRS OFFICES ATTENDED CLASSES AT HARRISBURG AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE 1970S, BUT DID NOT GRADUATE. AN ANTI-GOVERNMENT MESSAGE ON A WEB SITE LINKED TO ANDREW J. STACK III DESCRIBES HIS LIFE AS A CASH-STRAPPED COLLEGE STUDENT LIVING IN HARRISBURG.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN ACCUSED IN A FEDERAL LAWSUIT OF SPYING ON STUDENTS AT HOME THROUGH SCHOOL-ISSUED LAPTOP WEBCAMS. LOWER MERION SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALS SAY THE LAPTOPS HAD A SECURITY FEATURE INTENDED TO TRACK LOST OR STOLEN COMPUTERS, BUT THAT FEATURE HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE NAVY HAS LAUNCHED A REVIEW OF THE MEDICAL TREATMENT RECEIVED BY REP. JOHN MURTHA AT THE NATIONAL NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER IN BETHESDA, MD. THE 77-YEAR-OLD MURTHA UNDERWENT GALLBLADDER SURGERY AT THE HOSPITAL AND LATER DIED AFTER DEVELOPING COMPLICATIONS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A CONVICTED DRUG KINGPIN FACING FEDERAL RACKETEERING CHARGES WILL GET A NEW COURT-APPOINTED LAWYER, BUT KABONI SAVAGE HAS DROPPED A BID TO ACT AS HIS OWN LAWYER. SAVAGE IS ACCUSED OF FIREBOMBING THE HOME OF A DRUG TRAFFICKER-TURNED-INFORMANT IN 2004. SIX PEOPLE WERE KILLED, INCLUDING FOUR CHILDREN.

AUSTIN, TEXAS (AP) - A TEXAS LAWMAKER SAYS CONGRESS WILL TAKE UP THE ISSUE OF PROTECTING BUILDINGS FROM PLANE ATTACKS AFTER A SOFTWARE ENGINEER CRASHED HIS SINGLE-ENGINE PIPER INTO AN AUSTIN OFFICE BUILDING. EMERGENCY CREWS RECOVERED TWO BODIES FROM THE WRECKAGE, ONE APPARENTLY THAT OF THE PILOT. BEFORE CRASHING INTO THE BUILDING WITH IRS WORKERS, JOSEPH STACK POSTED A LONG ANTI-GOVERNMENT RANT ON THE WEB.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - PAKISTANI INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS SAY THE BROTHER OF A SENIOR AFGHAN TALIBAN COMMANDER IS AMONG THE FOUR PEOPLE KILLED IN A U.S. MISSILE STRIKE IN NORTHWESTERN PAKISTAN.  THE DEATH IS THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF SETBACKS FOR MILITANTS OPERATING IN PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN.

BOISE, IDAHO (AP) - NEARLY 200 PEOPLE HOLDING BALLOONS AND SIGNS IN BOISE, IDAHO, HAVE WELCOMED HOME THREE OF THE EIGHT AMERICANS RELEASED FROM HAITIAN JAIL. TWO MISSIONARIES REMAIN DETAINED IN HAITI ON THE CHILD KIDNAPPING ACCUSATIONS AND ARE DUE TO APPEAR IN COURT TODAY.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. (AP) - TIGER WOODS APPARENTLY WON'T BE STICKING AROUND FOR LONG AFTER HIS PUBLIC APPEARANCE SCHEDULED FOR THIS MORNING. THE PGA TOUR COMMISSIONER SAYS HE WILL RETURN TO THERAPY AFTER HE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS INFIDELITY AND HIS FUTURE. IT'S THE FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE FOR THE GOLFER SINCE THE SEX SCANDAL BROKE.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA (AP) - THE U.S. IS ON ITS WAY TO FINISHING ON TOP OF THE MEDAL TABLE AT THE WINTER OLYMPICS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 80 YEARS. AFTER JUST OVER A THIRD OF VANCOUVER'S 90 MEDAL EVENTS, THE U.S. LEADS WITH 18 MEDALS, INCLUDING SIX GOLDS. GERMANY IS NEXT UP WITH 11 TOTAL MEDALS.