Today's News-Friday, March 12, 2010

RAIN

SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS, PROMPTING THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TO ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH. THE ONE TWO PUNCH OF SNOWPACK MELT IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND WIND SWEPT RAINS WILL ELEVATE RIVER AND STREAM LEVELS. THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OUT SATURDAY, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO MONITOR RIVER LEVELS THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

SENAVITIS TRIAL

THE PROSECUTION RESTED ITS CASE AGAINST THOMAS SENAVITIS IN MONROE COUNTY COURT THURSDAY. THE KUNKLETOWN MAN IS ON TRIAL FOR VEHICULAR HOMICIDE AND DRUNK DRIVING IN THE DEATH OF SENATOR JAMES RHOADES IN OCTOBER, 2008. TROOPER JASON BEERS, THE FIRST STATE POLICE OFFICER ON SCENE AT THE ROUTE 209 CRASH TESTIFIED THAT HE AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY CREWS TO SEPARATE SENAVITIS' TRUCK AND RHOADES' CADILLAC IN ORDER TO REMOVE MARY EDITH RHOADES FROM THE WRECKAGE. PUBLIC DEFENDER WES NIEMOCZYNSKI PEPPERED WITNESSES TO TRY AND PROVE THAT RHOADES' VEHICLE WAS IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANE, AND HAD NOT DRIFTED INTO THE NORTHBOUND LANE OF ROUTE 209. FORENSIC EXPERTS WERE CALLED TO TALK ABOUT THE RESULTS OF AN AUTOPSY ON SENATOR RHOADES. DR. SARALEE FUNKE TOLD JURORS THAT RHOADES' INJURIES INCLUDED 13 BROKEN RIBS AND MASSIVE INTERNAL BLEEDING. FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST DR. ISIDORE MIHALAKIS TESTIFIED THAT 46-YEAR-OLD THOMAS SENAVITIS HAD A "WORLD-CLASS LEVEL" OF ALCOHOL IN HIS SYSTEM AFTER THE CRASH. MIHALAKIS SAYS SENAVITIS WOULD HAVE HAD TO CONSUME AT LEAST 10 12-OUNCE BEERS TO REACH A BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.355 PERCENT. THAT'S MORE THAN FOUR TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT FOR PENNSYLVANIA DRIVERS.

TRIAL-DEFENSE

SEVERAL WITNESSES WHO WERE EITHER AT THE SCENE OR CAME IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CRASH THAT KILLED SENATOR JAMES RHOADES TOLD JURORS WHAT THEY SAW AT THE SCENE IN OCTOBER, 2008 NEAR BROADHEADSVILLE. DEFENSE ATTORNEYS FOCUSED ON WHERE THE CARS WERE POSITIONED ON THE HIGHWAY, PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE POSITION OF A LARGE TOOLBOX THAT FLEW OUT OF THE BACK OF THOMAS SENAVITIS' PICKUP TRUCK. SENAVITIS' EMPLOYER, JAMES RENALDI TOLD JURORS THAT HE PICKED UP HIS PAYCHECK ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE THE CRASH AND DID NOT APPEAR DRUNK AT THE TIME. CO-WORKERS OF SENAVITIS AND MEMBERS OF THE TOW TRUCK CREW ALSO TESTIFIED, WITH QUESTIONING FOCUSED ON THE POSITION OF THE TOOLBOX. SOME INCONSITENCIES ABOUT ITS LOCATION ON THE ROADWAY WERE NOTED DURING THE AFTERNOON SESSION. AN ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION EXPERT IS EXPECTED TO TESTIFY TODAY FOR THE DEFENSE. 46-YEAR-OLD THOMAS SENAVITIS IS CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE AND DRUNK DRIVING IN THE CRASH THAT CLAIMED THE LIFE OF JAMES RHOADES AND SEVERELY INJURED HIS WIFE MARY EDITH.

BURGLARY IN BRANDONVILLE

AN ATV WAS STOLEN FROM A HOME IN BRANDONVILLE THIS WEEK. STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE THEFT FROM A GARAGE ON MAIN BOULEVARD. THE BUILDING WAS APPARENTLY UNLOCKED AND THE VEHICLE TAKEN THROUGH AN ALLEY. LEADS ARE BEING SOUGHT BY INVESTIGATORS.

THEFT CHARGES LODGED BY RENT A CENTER

A POTTSVILLE COUPLE ARE ACCUSED OF THEFT. JAMES WATTS AND BRENDA GATES ENTERED A RENTAL AGREEMENT WITH RENT A CENTER OF POTTSVILLE, AND FAILED TO MAKE PAYMENTS AS AGREED. TOTAL VALUE OF THE AGREEMENT IS MORE THAN $10-THOUSAND-DOLLARS. THE COUPLE ARE CHARGED WITH THEFT BY UNLAWFUL TAKING, THEFT OF LEASED PROPERTY AND CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY.

CRASH IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

A PINE GROVE MAN SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURY IN A CRASH ON DAD BURNHAM'S ROAD YESTERDAY MORNING. STATE POLICE SAY COREY LEWIS WAS NORTHBOUND WHEN HE FAILED TO NEGOTIATE A LEFT CURVE. HIS PICKUP TRUCK STRUCK A TREE HEAD ON. THE CRASHED HAPPENED AROUND 4AM.

GRANT AWARDED

A POTTSVILLE NON-PROFIT GROUP HAS BEEN AWARDED A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE. CLINICAL OUTCOMES GROUP INCORPORATED RECEIVED THE $25-THOUSAND-DOLLAR GRANT TO HELP "ENGAGE" FATHERS IN THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE BY TRYING TO HELP KEEP DADS IN BROKEN FAMILIES TOGETHER WITH THEIR CHILDREN. CLINICAL OUTCOMES IS ONE OF 25 ORGANIZATIONS NATIONWIDE TO BE AWARDED THE GRANT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - AN INVESTIGATION INTO A FORMER PHILADELPHIA CITY WORKER'S ALLEGED CORRUPTION HAS TURNED UP MORE THAN $3 MILLION. BUT THE MONEY WASN'T STOLEN. CITY OFFICIALS SAY IT WAS MISPLACED. IT WAS WAGE TAXES THE PENTAGON PAID IN 2005 FOR MILITARY EMPLOYEES WHO WORK IN THE CITY. BUT THE CHECKS SOMEHOW GOT LOST. THEY'VE SINCE BEEN REISSUED.

SUTERSVILLE, PA. (AP) - A LARGE PART OF PENNSYLVANIA IS UNDER A FLOOD WATCH AS HEAVY RAIN AND MELTING SNOW CAUSE RIVERS TO SWELL. FLOODING IN PITTSBURGH COULD BEGIN TONIGHT, AND THE OHIO RIVER IN THE CITY IS FORECAST TO CREST ABOUT TWO FEET ABOVE FLOOD STAGE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. CITIES SOUTH AND EAST OF PITTSBURGH ALSO ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE.

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY A PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN WHO RECENTLY MOVED TO RURAL ALASKA TO BE A TEACHER WAS KILLED BY ANIMALS. ALASKA STATE POLICE SAY 32-YEAR-OLD CANDICE BERNER LIKELY WAS KILLED BY WOLVES, BUT AN AUTOPSY COULDN'T SAY FOR SURE WHAT ANIMALS WERE TO BLAME. BERNER, ORIGINALLY FROM SLIPPERY ROCK, PENNSYLVANIA, MOVED TO ALASKA LAST AUGUST.

ERIE, PA. (AP) - A 33-YEAR-OLD PENNSYLVANIA MAN HAS ADMITTED TO RAPING AN 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL AFTER DNA TESTING CONFIRMED HE FATHERED THE GIRL'S BABY. A TRIAL FOR JAMES DINICOLA OF ERIE HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO BEGIN MONDAY. HE PLEADED GUILTY YESTERDAY TO CHILD RAPE AND OTHER CHARGES. SENTENCING IS SET FOR JULY 8TH.

NEW YORK (AP) - MORE THAN 10,000 POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS AND CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WHO HELPED CLEAR GROUND ZERO COULD SHARE UP TO $657 MILLION. THAT'S THE SETTLEMENT REACHED BETWEEN THEIR LAWYERS, NEW YORK CITY AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES. A JUDGE STILL HAS TO SIGN OFF AND THE WORKERS THEMSELVES HAVE TO AGREE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - HOUSE DEMOCRATS SAY THEY'LL MEET LATER TODAY TO CONTINUE WORK ON RESOLVING DISPUTES OVER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S HEALTH OVERHAUL PLAN. AFTER A DAY OF MEETINGS WITH RANK-AND-FILE LAWMAKERS AND AMONG HOUSE, SENATE AND WHITE HOUSE BARGAINERS, LEADERS SAY THEY'RE CONFIDENT AT LEAST THIS STAGE OF THE PROCESS IS ALMOST COMPLETE.

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (AP) - AT LEAST 15 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN LAHORE, PAKISTAN WHEN TWO SUICIDE BOMBERS DETONATED EXPLOSIVES WITHIN SECONDS OF EACH OTHER TODAY. POLICE SAY THE BOMBERS WERE TARGETING ARMY VEHICLES. IT'S THE SECOND TIME LAHORE HAS BEEN ATTACKED THIS WEEK.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - AN APPELLATE COURT IN SAN FRANCISCO SAYS REFERENCES TO GOD ON U.S. CURRENCY AND IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE DO NOT VIOLATE THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. THE SAME APPEALS COURT CAUSED A NATIONAL UPROAR WHEN IT DECIDED IN FAVOR OF SACRAMENTO ATHEIST MICHAEL NEWDOW IN 2002, RULING THAT THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE VIOLATED THE FIRST AMENDMENT.