Today's News-Saturday, February 20, 2010

TWO CHARGED IN DRUG BUST


TWO WOMEN WERE PICKED UP ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES THURSDAY NIGHT IN MINERSVILLE. BOROUGH POLICE SAY 29-YEAR-OLD RINA SEMENTILLI AND JENNIFER HUMMEL WERE ARRESTED FOR DELIVERING COCAINE AND HEROIN AT A PARKING LOT AROUND 11:30PM. THEIR APPREHENSION IS TIED TO AN INVESTIGATION INTO DRUG TRAFFICKING BY THE DA'S DRUG TASK FORCE. SEMENTILLI AND HUMMEL WERE ARRAIGNED AND TAKEN TO THE COUNTY JAIL.

HEGINS WOMAN CHARGED WITH HARASSMENT

STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN RESPONDED TO A DISPUTE AT A HOME IN REILLY TOWNSHIP THURSDAY AFTERNOON. REPORTS SAY 33 YEAR OLD TAWNYA BOWMAN, HEGINS, WENT TO BRANDY CLAY'S HOME ON TREMONT STREET AND BEGAN PUNCHING CLAY. BOWMAN ALSO REPORTEDLY ASSAULTED CONNIE WALTERS, WHO CAME TO CLAY'S AID. BOWMAN THEN FLED THE SCENE. THE HEGINS WOMAN IS FACING CHARGES OF HARASSMENT.

ACCUSED SHEN POLICE GIVEN MORE TIME FOR LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

ATTORNEYS FOR THREE FORMER SHENANDOAH POLICE OFFICERS ASKED A FEDERAL JUDGE FOR MORE TIME TO PREPARE PRE TRIAL DOCUMENTS IN THEIR CASE. THAT REQUEST HAS BEEN GRANTED. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT MATTHEW NESTOR, WILLIAM MOYER AND JASON HAYES, WHO ARE ACCUSED OF OBSTRUCTING THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE BEATING DEATH OF A MEXICAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN 2008, HAVE BEEN GRANTED AN EXTENSION TILL MARCH 24TH TO FILE REQUIRED MOTIONS. FEDERAL JUDGE RICHARD CAPUTO NOTED IN THE FILING THAT HE WOULD SET A TRIAL DATE AFTER THOSE DOCUMENTS WERE FILED.

STORM HELP


GOVERNOR ED RENDELL HAS AUTHORIZED EARLY RELEASE OF LIQUID FUELS MONIES TO HELP COMMUNITIES COVER THE COSTS OF CLEANING UP FROM THE SEASON'S SNOW STORMS. THE MONIES, TOTALING OVER $308 MILLION DOLLARS, WILL BE ISSUED MARCH FIRST TO OVER 25-HUNDRED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE STATES. FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR TRANSPORTATION-RELATED EXPENSES, INCLUDING SNOW REMOVAL AND RELATED MATERIALS COSTS. THE LAST TIME ADVANCE PAYMENTS OF LIQUID FUELS WAS MADE IN 2003, AND COMES FROM A PORTION OF THE STATE GASOLINE TAX.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL, SPEAKING ON THE CONDITION OF ANONYMITY, SAYS THE FBI INVESTIGATING WHETHER LOWER MERION SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALS BROKE ANY WIRETAP OR COMPUTER-INTRUSION LAWS. THAT FOLLOWS AN ALLEGATION THAT THE DISTRICT REMOTELY ACTIVATED A WEBCAM ON A COMPUTER TO SEE INSIDE A STUDENT'S HOME.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE SAY A UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA GRADUATE STUDENT WAS RANDOMLY STABBED BY AN UNKNOWN MAN. THE UNIVERSITY SAYS THE STABBING WAS "UNPROVOKED" AND HAPPENED AS THE 41-YEAR-OLD DENTAL STUDENT WAS WALKING ON CAMPUS. THE STUDENT WAS TREATED FOR A SUPERFICIAL WOUND TO THE TORSO.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PROSECUTORS IN PHILADELPHIA HAVE MADE THEIR CASE FOR A DEATH SENTENCE FOR A MAN CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE SHOOTING DEATHS OF TWO ARMORED CAR GUARDS. A JURY THIS WEEK CONVICTED MUSTAFA ALI OF MURDERING ARMORED CAR GUARDS WILLIAM WIDMAIER AND JOSEPH ALULLO DURING A ROBBERY IN OCTOBER 2007.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - GOVERNOR ED RENDELL SAYS THE STATE'S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WILL RELEASE FUEL PAYMENTS TO LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES A MONTH EARLY TO HELP WITH THE COSTS OF CLEANING UP AFTER THIS MONTH'S WINTER STORMS. PENNDOT WILL RELEASE $308 MILLION IN LIQUID FUEL PAYMENTS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS STARTING MARCH 1.

TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. (AP) - THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS PREPARING TO RELEASE A 5-YEAR BLUEPRINT FOR FIGHTING INVASIVE SPECIES AND OTHERWISE IMPROVING THE GREAT LAKES ENVIRONMENT. THE HEAD OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, LISA JACKSON, HAS SCHEDULED A NEWS CONFERENCE FOR SUNDAY IN WASHINGTON TO ANNOUNCE THE PLAN.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS WRAPPED UP ITS INTERNAL REVIEW OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION LAWYERS WHO AUTHORIZED ATERBOARDING AND OTHER HARSH INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES, DECIDING THE ATTORNEYS DIDN'T COMMIT PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT. BUT SOME DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS AREN'T READY TO LET IT GO. SEN. PATRICK LEAHY SAYS HE PLANS TO HOLD A HEARING ON THE ISSUE NEXT WEEK.
 
WASHINGTON (AP) - NEW JERSEY SEN. FRANK LAUTENBERG IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A FULL RECOVERY FROM HIS STOMACH LYMPHOMA. THE DEMOCRAT IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO WORK IN BETWEEN HIS SIX TO EIGHT CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENTS FOR THE AILMENT. HIS SPOKESMAN SAYS HE'LL MISS A VOTE MONDAY ON A JOBS BILL.

KABUL (AP) - NATO REPORTS ITS TROOPS HAVE KILLED ANOTHER CIVILIAN IN ITS EFFORT TO WREST THE AFGHAN TOWN OF MARJAH FROM MILITANTS. THAT BRINGS THE CIVILIAN DEATH TOLL TO 16 IN THE WEEKLONG OFFENSIVE. THE REPORT COMES AS AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI SAID THE ALLIANCE ISN'T DOING ENOUGH TO PREVENT CIVILIAN CASUALTIES.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. (AP) - TIGER WOODS SAYS HE PLANS TO RETURN TO GOLF AGAIN, HE JUST DOESN'T KNOW WHEN. A SOMBER WOODS APOLOGIZED FOR HIS INFIDELITIES YESTERDAY IN FLORIDA, HIS FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE THE SEX SCANDAL BROKE. THE GOLFER SAYS HE PLANS TO RETURN TO THERAPY TODAY.

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, CALIF. (AP) - THE HILLSIDES ARE HOLDING UP AS RAIN POUNDS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES PRONE TO MUDSLIDES EVACUATIONS ARE IN EFFECT FOR NEARLY 200 HOMES, BUT ABOUT HALF OF THE RESIDENTS HAVE REFUSED TO LEAVE. FORECASTERS EXPECT THE PACIFIC STORM COULD LEAVE BEHIND UP TO AN INCH OF RAIN.