Today's News-Wednesday, February 24, 2010-9:30AM

BODY FOUND IN MAHANOY CITY


THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEATH OF A BARNESVILLE MAN CONTINUES THIS MORNING. STATE AND LOCAL POLICE ALONG WITH THE COUNTY DA'S OFFICE ARE WORKING THE CASE WHERE 52 YEAR OLD MARK KETUSKY OF BARNESVILLE WAS FOUND DEAD IN A VEHICLE AT THE MAHANOY CITY LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD. LT THOMAS DANIELS OF THE STATE POLICE.

DANIELS

KETUSKY WAS REPORTED MISSING MONDAY NIGHT. HIS DEATH IS BEING RULED AS SUSPICIOUS. AN AUTOPSY ON KETUSKY WILL BE DONE TODAY BY DR. RICHARD BINDIE. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE CASE SHOULD CALL THE FRACKVILLE STATE POLICE BARRACKS AT 874-5300 OR PENNSYLVANIA CRIME STOPPERS AT 1-800-4PA-TIPS.

ANOTHER BURGLARY AT CITIZENS FIRE COMPANY

A PALO ALTO FIRE COMPANY HAS BEEN VICTIMIZED AGAIN, AS THE CITIZENS FIRE COMPANY WAS BROKEN INTO AGAIN LAST NIGHT.  WE REPORTED EARLIER TODAY ABOUT THE RASH OF INCIDENTS THERE, MOST RECENTLY OVER THE WEEKEND.  THIS TIME, SOMEONE FORCED THEIR WAY INTO THE BAR ROOM AND TOOK ROLLED COINS LAST EVENING BEFORE 11PM.  SCHUYLKILL HAVEN STATE POLICE ARE HANDLING THE INVESTIGATION
DONCHAK RELEASED

A SHENANDOAH MAN HAS BEEN GRANTED PAROLE FROM THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON. 20 YEAR OLD DERRICK DONCHAK WAS GRANTED HIS RELEASE BY PRESIDENT JUDGE WILLIAM BALDWIN YESTERDAY. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT DONCHAK HAD SERVED SOME OF HIS TIME IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR INFRACTIONS OF PRISON RULES. HE WAS ORIGINALLY JAILED AFTER BEING FOUND GUILTY LAST SPRING FOR HIS ROLE IN THE BEATING DEATH OF LUIS RAMIREZ IN SHENANDOAH IN JULY, 2008. DONCHAK STILL FACES FEDERAL HATE CRIMES CHARGES IN THE CASE. BRANDON PIEKARSKY, WHO WAS ALSO FOUND GUILTY OF SIMPLE ASSAULT AND OTHER COUNTS, WAS RELEASED EARLIER.

FIRE IN UNION TOWNSHIP

A PROPERTY IN UNION TOWNSHIP WAS DAMAGED BY FIRE TUESDAY. THE BLAZE AT 102 LUMPY LANE BROKE OUT AROUND 2PM. THE PROPERTY IS OWNED BY ANDREW SOKI. THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THAT FIRE.

MAN TURNS HIMSELF IN AFTER WEEKEND CHASE

A PINE GROVE MAN INVOLVED IN A HIGH SPEED CHASE OVER THE WEEKEND HAS TURNED HIMSELF IN TO POLICE. REPORTS SAY 23 YEAR OLD DARRYL SHADLE JR. WAS APPROACHED BY POLICE EARLY SATURDAY ON OAK GROVE ROAD, AND LED OFFICERS ON A CHASE ON INTERSTATE 81 SOUTH. THE CHASE ENDED WITH SHADLE'S CAR GOING INTO A FIELD, AND HE FLED ON FOOT. SHADLE TURNED HIMSELF IN YESTERDAY, AND WAS ARRAIGNED AND JAILED.

OLIVER NORTH SPEAKS IN READING

THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA ARE CELEBRATING THEIR 100TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. RETIRED LT. COLONEL OLIVER NORTH, FOX NEWS HOST AND DECORATED MARINE VETERAN WAS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT THE HAWK MOUNTAIN COUNCIL LEADERSHIP DINNER IN READING LAST NIGHT. NORTH SAYS AMERICA'S NEXT GENERATION NEEDS LEADERS, AND THE BOY SCOUTS PROVIDES THAT FOUNDATION:

NORTH ON LEADERSHIP

OLLIE NORTH HAS BEEN EMBEDED WITH AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES. HE RETURNS TO AFGHANISTAN NEXT WEEK FOR A MONTH LONG STAY WITH OUR TROOPS. HIS NEW BOOK "AMERICAN HEROES" SPOTLIGHTS SOLDIERS WHO HAVE PROUDLY SERVED IN HARM'S WAY.

NANTICOKE, PA. (AP) - STATE POLICE HAVE REFILED CHARGES AGAINST A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE ACCUSED OF PUSHING AND CHOKING
HIS WIFE ON THEIR FIRST ANNIVERSARY. A MAGISTRATE HAD DISMISSED THE ASSAULT CHARGES AGAINST C. JOSEPH REHKAMP OF LUZERNE COUNTY YESTERDAY AFTER HIS WIFE DECLINED TO TESTIFY AT A PRELIMINARY HEARING. BUT THEY WERE REFILED YESTERDAY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA POLICE SAY AN OFFICER SHOT A WOMAN WHO ATTACKED HIS PARTNER WITH A KNIFE. LIEUTENANT FRANK VANORE SAYS OFFICERS WERE CALLED TO A DOMESTIC DISPUTE AND WHEN THEY APPROACHED THE WOMAN AND SHE CAME AT THEM WITH A KNIFE. HE SAYS THEY TRIED TO SHOCK HER WITH A STUN GUN BUT COULDN'T, AND THE OFFICER SHOT HER AFTER SHE CUT HIS PARTNER.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A FIRE AT THE FAMED PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL RECORDS BUILDING HAS BEEN RULED AN ARSON. AUTHORITIES SAY THE FIRE ON SUNDAY MELTED GOLD AND PLATINUM RECORDS ON THE WALLS AND DESTROYED ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THE MEMORABILIA, BUT SPARED THE STUDIO, AND THE COMPANY'S 10,000 MASTER RECORDINGS ARE STORED AT AN UNDERGROUND VAULT.

PEQUEA, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY A WOMAN HAS DIED IN A FIRE IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. THE TWO-ALARM BLAZE AT THE 2 1/2-STORY FARMHOUSE IN MARTIC TOWNSHIP WAS REPORTED SHORTLY AFTER 2 P.M. MONDAY. STATE POLICE AND LANCASTER COUNTY CORONER STEVE DIAMANTONI SAY THE VICTIM DIED OF SMOKE INHALATION AND BURNS. SHE HASN'T BEEN POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED.

TOKYO (AP) - TOYOTA FACES INCREASED PRESSURE TO WIN BACK CUSTOMER TRUST AS THE AUTOMAKER'S PRESIDENT APPEARS BEFORE CONGRESS TODAY. AKIO TOYODA WILL FACE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NUMEROUS SAFETY PROBLEMS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN THE RECALL OF SOME $8.5 MILLION VEHICLES WORLDWIDE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - CONGRESS IS EXPECTED TO APPROVE A JOBS-PROMOTING BILL THAT WOULD GIVE TAX BREAKS TO EMPLOYERS WHO HIRED THE UNEMPLOYED. THOSE BUSINESSES WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THE 6.2 PERCENT SOCIAL SECURITY PAYROLL TAX THROUGH DECEMBER AND WOULD GET AN ADDITIONAL $1,000 CREDIT FOR NEW WORKERS WHO STAY ON THE JOB FOR A FULL YEAR.

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - TALIBAN INSURGENTS ARE CLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE KILLING OF A PROVINCIAL OFFICIAL IN AFGHANISTAN. POLICE SAY THE OFFICIAL WAS GUNNED DOWN BY TWO MEN ON A MOTORBIKE TODAY AS HE WALKED TO WORK IN SOUTHERN KANDAHAR. THE ASSASSINATION COMES AS NATO AND AFGHAN FORCES MOVE INTO A 12TH DAY OF A MAJOR OFFENSIVE TO PUSH MILITANTS OUT OF THE TALIBAN STRONGHOLD OF NEARBY HELMAND PROVINCE.

SANTA ANA, CALIF. (AP) - A JURY IN SANTA ANA, CALIF. IS ABOUT TO BEGIN DELIBERATIONS IN THE TRIAL OF A MAN ACCESSED OF FIVE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SERIAL SLAYINGS IN THE LATE 1970S. RODNEY ALCALA, WHO'S ACTING AS HIS OWN ATTORNEY, COULD FACE THE DEATH PENALTY IF CONVICTED.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - CBS IS TEMPORARILY HALTING PRODUCTION OF TELEVISION'S TOP-RATED COMEDY, "TWO AND A HALF MEN," FOLLOWING NEWS THAT STAR CHARLIE SHEEN IS IN REHAB AND IS TAKING A BREAK FROM THE SHOW. ROUGHLY TWO MONTHS AGO SHEEN WAS ARRESTED AFTER A FIGHT WITH HIS WIFE AT THEIR COLORADO HOME. HE WAS CHARGED WITH FELONY MENACING AND MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES.