Today's News-Thursday, February 18, 2010

MORE ON TRAFFIC FATAL

POLICE ARE STILL WORKING TO PIECE TOGETHER WHAT HAPPENED TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN A ST CLAIR MAN WAS STRUCK AND KILLED WHILE CROSSING ROUTE 61. WE FIRST TOLD YOU ABOUT THE ACCIDENT YESTERDAY, WHERE 26 YEAR OLD CHARLES LEVAN WAS STRUCK BY A CAR DRIVEN BY NICHOLAS BRUCE OF DRUMS. NO ONE IN BRUCE'S CAR WAS HURT. LEVAN WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.

COMMISSIONERS CATCH UP

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAD TO PLAY CATCH UP WEDNESDAY FROM LAST WEEK'S SNOWSTORM, WITH BACK TO BACK WORK SESSION AND REGULAR BOARD MEETINGS, SHERRY MARCHEFSKY REPORTS FROM THE COURTHOUSE:

COMMISSIONERS 2/18

WOMAN ACCUSED OF MAKING PHONE THREATS

AN ORWIGSBURG WOMAN IS ACCUSED OF MAKING THREATENING PHONE CALLS. BOROUGH POLICE SAY THAT 35 YEAR OLD AIMEE SCHAEFFER, 803 VILLAGE ROAD, IS REPORTED TO HAVE MADE THREE DOZEN CALLS, SOME THREATENING, TO A PERSON WHO LIVES ON NORTH WARREN STREET. AFTER TRACING THE CALLS, POLICE CONFRONTED SCHAFFER WHO ADMITTED TO MAKING THEM. SHE FACES CHARGES OF HARASSMENT BY COMMUNICATION AND MAKING TERRORISTIC THREATS. THE INCIDENTS HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEKEND.

SOUPER BOWL OF CARING

A POTTSVILLE BUSINESSMAN SPENT PART OF WEDNESDAY MORNING PUSHING SHOPPING CARTLOADS FULL OF GROCERIES TO HELP A LOCAL SOUP KITCHEN. REPORTER SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS MORE.

MURPHY SOUPER BOWL

ZION GROVE MAN JAILED FOR VIOLATING PFA

STATE POLICE HAVE ARRESTED A MAN FROM ZION GROVE FOR VIOLATING A PROTECTION FROM ABUSE ORDER. TUESDAY NIGHT, MARK SCHLAUCH WAS NABBED DURING A TRAFFIC STOP. HIS FEMALE PASSENGER HAD FILED THE P.F.A. LAST FALL AGAINST SCHLAUCH, MEANING HE COULDN'T HAVE CONTACT WITH THE WOMAN. SCHLAUCH WAS LOCKED UP IN THE COUNTY PRISON.

MASSER AWARDED GRANT FOR SOLAR ENERGY

AN AREA POTATO PROCESSOR HAS BEEN AWARDED A $1 MILLION DOLLAR STATE GRANT TO PURCHASE AND INSTALL A SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM. STATE REPRESENTATIVE TIM SEIP ANNOUNCED THE FUNDING WEDNESDAY FOR STERMAN MASSER INCORPORATED, FRAILEY TOWNSHIP. MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE $5 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT WILL GENERATE MORE THAN ELEVEN HUNDRED MEGAWATTS OF ELECTRICITY EACH YEAR. SEIP SAYS THAT MASSER IS A LEADER IN HARNESSING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, ALREADY USING LANDFILL GAS FROM THE CES LANDFILL TO GENERATE POWER FOR ITS PLANT.

POTTSVILLE SCHOOL BOARD

SPRING SPORTS HIGHLIGHT POTTSVILLE SCHOOL BOARD BUSINESS LAST NIGHT. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS THE DETAILS:

POTTSVILLE SCHOOL BOARD

PRISON BOARD

THE LONG PLANNED COUNTY PRISON PRE-RELEASE CENTER CONTINUES TO DOMINATE DISCUSSION AT THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON BOARD. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY REPORTS FROM THE COUNTY PRISON.

PRISON BOARD 2/17

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - JURORS WILL HEAR ARGUMENTS TOMORROW ON WHETHER TO SENTENCE A MAN TO DEATH FOR KILLING TWO ARMORED CAR GUARDS DURING A ROBBERY OUTSIDE A PHILADELPHIA BANK. MUSTAFA ALI WAS CONVICTED YESTERDAY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE 2004 SHOOTING DEATHS OF THE GUARDS, BOTH RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A 26-YEAR-OLD PITTSBURGH MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO TWO LIFE PRISON TERMS FOR THE 2004 MURDERS OF A MAN AND A WOMAN. JAURVON HOPKINS WAS CONVICTED OF KIDNAPPING 26-YEAR-OLD JAMES JONES AND 17-YEAR-OLD SHAWNTE BETTS OFF A CITY STREET AND LATER KILLING THEM. A SECOND DEFENDANT IS ALREADY SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOV. ED RENDELL SAYS THE SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL THE TERM OF THE LATE U.S. REP. JOHN MURTHA WILL BE HELD ON MAY 18, THE SAME DAY AS THE STATE'S PRIMARY ELECTION. VOTERS IN THE 12TH DISTRICT WILL CHOOSE BETWEEN A DEMOCRAT AND A REPUBLICAN SELECTED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE PARTIES TO SERVE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. A SEPARATE VOTE WILL NOMINATE THE CANDIDATES WHO WILL RUN IN THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION.

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - ALLENTOWN COULD BE THE NEXT PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITY TO CRACK DOWN ON CELL PHONE USE WHILE DRIVING. THE ALLENTOWN COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING A MEASURE THAT WOULD FINE MOTORISTS UP TO $300 FOR TALKING OR TEXTING ON A HAND-HELD PHONE WHILE DRIVING. IT'S MODELED AFTER A RECENTLY-ENACTED PHILADELPHIA LAW.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - HUNDREDS OF PENNSYLVANIA HOMEOWNERS WILL GET A FORECLOSURE RELIEF CHECK AS PART OF A SETTLEMENT BETWEEN THE STATE AND COUNTRYWIDE FINANCIAL CORP. THE SETTLEMENT WITH COUNTRYWIDE MADE AVAILABLE AS MUCH AS $155 MILLION TO HELP KEEP THOUSANDS OF STATE RESIDENTS IN THEIR HOMES.

BAGHDAD (AP) - AN IRAQI HOSPITAL OFFICIAL SAYS AT LEAST NINE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED AND ANOTHER 15 WOUNDED IN AN EXPLOSION OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN ANBAR PROVINCE. A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL BLAMES THE ATTACK ON A SUICIDE BOMBER.

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN (AP) - A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL IN PAKISTAN SAYS A BOMB BLAST HAS KILLED AT LEAST 11 AND WOUNDED ANOTHER 50 PEOPLE IN A NORTHWEST TRIBAL REGION BELIEVED TO BE A GATHERING PLACE FOR MANY AL-QAIDA AND TALIBAN FIGHTERS. AN OFFICIAL SAYS WEDNESDAY'S BLAST HAPPENED AT A CATTLE MARKET IN THE ORAKZAI REGION.

MIAMI (AP) - A HAITIAN JUDGE SAYS HE PLANS TO QUESTION LATER TODAY THE TWO AMERICAN MISSIONARIES WHO WERE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF TRYING TO TAKE 33 CHILDREN OUT OF THE COUNTRY.  MEANWHILE, THE MISSIONARIES' EIGHT COLLEAGUES ARRIVED IN MIAMI EARLY TODAY AFTER BEING ALLOWED TO LEAVE HAITI.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (AP) - HAITIANS LEFT HOMELESS BY THE EARTHQUAKE AREN'T WAITING FOR HELP TO COME TO THEM. ROWS OF MAKESHIFT TENTS HAVE SPROUTED IN OPEN FIELDS AROUND PORT-AU-PRINCE. THE CAMPS HAVE GROWN INTO SHANTY TOWNS WITH BAKERIES AND LOTTERY STANDS. MEANWHILE, OFFICIALS ARE STILL DEBATING WHAT TO DO WITH THE 1.2 MILLION LEFT HOMELESS.

PORTLAND, ORE. - PORTLAND POLICE ARE COMING UNDER FIRE AFTER AN
OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED A DISTRAUGHT BLACK MAN WHO WAS TRYING TO SURRENDER. ON WEDNESDAY BLACK LEADERS ORGANIZED A MARCH TO CITY HALL TO DEMAND POLICE REFORM. ON JAN. 29, AARON CAMPBELL WAS SHOT DEAD AFTER COMING OUT OF HIS HOME WITH HIS HANDS ON THE BACK OF HIS HEAD. THE OFFICER SAYS HE THOUGHT CAMPBELL HAD A GUN.