Today's News-Friday, March 19, 2010

ELECTRONIC DEVICE TO STAY ON FORMER SHEN OFFICER

A FORMER SHENANDOAH POLICE OFFICER WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE WEARING AN ELECTRONIC MONITORING DEVICE WHILE AWAITING TRIAL. THAT WAS THE RULING OF A FEDERAL JUDGE THURSDAY ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. FORMER LT. WILLIAM MOYER HAD REQUESTED REMOVAL OF HIS ELECTRONIC MONITORING DEVICE IN CONNECTION WITH CHARGES HE AND TWO FELLOW OFFICERS OBSTRUCTED JUSTICE IN THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEATH OF MEXICAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LUIS RAMIREZ IN 2008. MOYER, FORMER POLICE CHIEF MATTHEW NESTOR AND JASON HAYES ARE FACING THE FEDERAL CHARGES. THE OFFICERS, ALONG WITH DERRICK DONCHAK AND BRANDON PIEKARSKY ARE EXPECTED TO SIT FOR TRIAL LATER THIS YEAR AFTER PRE TRIAL PROCEEDINGS ARE COMPLETED.

MINERSVILLE MAN ACCUSED OF FRAUD

A MINERSVILLE MAN IS JAILED, ACCUSED OF DEFRAUDING A BOROUGH BUSINESS WOMAN. POLICE THERE SAY MICHAEL LISKIEWICZ GAVE DEBRA BARNHART A STOCK TIP AND SHE GAVE HIM $4-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BUY SHARES FOR HER. HOWEVER, THE SCHEME UNRAVELED WHEN BARNHART FOUND OUT THAT LISKIEWICZ HAD BEEN IN JAIL FOR A PRIOR FRAUD. HE GAVE BARNHART A RUBBER CHECK FOR THE $4 THOUSAND DOLLARS AND REPORTED IT TO POLICE. LISKIEWICZ IS CHARGED WITH THEFT AND RELATED COUNTS AND WAS LODGED IN THE COUNTY PRISON FOLLOWING ARRAIGNMENT. MINERSVILLE POLICE ARE ASKING FOR ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN DEFRAUDED BY LISKIEWICZ TO CALL THEM AT 544-6212.

SPEED AND DUI ENFORCEMENT PATROLS

STATE POLICE WILL BE BLANKETING AREA ROADWAYS WITH DUI AND LIQUOR ENFORCEMENT PATROLS THIS WEEKEND. THAT'S ACCORDING TO FRACKVILLE STATION COMMANDER CHRIS BLUGIS. SPEEDING AND DUI CHECKPOINTS WILL BE IN EFFECT THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND, AS WELL AS CHECKS FOR UNDERAGE DRINKERS AT ESTABLISHMENTS LICENSED BY THE LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD.

COMMISSIONERS

REPORTER SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS A RECAP OF THIS WEEK'S COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION.

COMMISSIONERS 3.17.10

UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN CHAIRS ANNOUNCED

THE 2011 SCHUYLKILL UNITED WAY HAS ANNOUNCED NEW CAMPAIGN CHAIRS. ERIC HOLLEN OF WACHOVIA BANK WILL HEAD THE COUNTY-WIDE CAMPAIGN, ASSISTED BY PATRICK KANE OF HIGGINS INSURANCE, POTTSVILLE. THE TAMAQUA ARM OF THE CAMPAIGN WILL BE HEADED UP BY JOE PILLA, A TAMAQUA BUSINESSMAN. HE WILL BE ASSISTED BY SUSAN FEGLEY, WHO WORKS FOR AIR PRODUCTS IN TAMAQUA. OFFICIALS OF THE UNITED WAY ALSO ANNOUNCED THEIR AFFILIATION WITH THE SEXUAL ASSAULT RESOURCE AND COUNSELING CENTER OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. THAT AGENCY PROVIDES COUNSELING, EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY ON SEXUAL ABUSE ISSUES.

CHIP CELEBRATES 18TH BIRTHDAY

PENNSYLVANIA'S CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM IS CELEBRATING ITS 18TH YEAR. CHIP COVERS MORE THAN 195-THOUSAND-KIDS CURRENTLY, MANY WHO WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD ANY HEALTHCARE COVERAGE WITHOUT IT. THE PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN 1992 BY THEN GOVERNOR ROBERT P. CASEY. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, OVER 800-THOUSAND-CHILDREN WERE AIDED BY THE CHIP PROGRAM.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE ROSE TO 8.9 PERCENT LAST MONTH. THAT'S THE HIGHEST IT'S BEEN IN 25 YEARS. BUT IT'S STILL LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 9.7 PERCENT. STATE LABOR OFFICIALS SAY EMPLOYERS CUT 16,000 JOBS IN FEBRUARY. THAT BRINGS THE NUMBER OF JOBS LOST SINCE THE RECESSION BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2007 TO 260,000.

UNIONTOWN, PA. (AP) - POLICE TESTIFYING IN AN INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAN FOUND DEAD IN A HOLDING CELL SAY HE HAD GIVEN NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN BEFORE HE WAS LOCKED UP. AUTHORITIES SAY 43-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL GUTHRIE USED A BOOT LACE AND HIS SWEAT PANTS DRAWSTRING TO HANG HIMSELF IN THE CELL IN UNIONTOWN LAST DECEMBER.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - ONE OF THREE SUSPECTS IN WHAT PITTSBURGH POLICE SAY WAS A FAKE KIDNAPPING THAT COST THEM $10,000 HAS TURNED HIMSELF IN TO POLICE. AUTHORITIES SAY 25-YEAR-OLD ANTHONY HINES OF PITTSBURGH SURRENDERED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. HE FACES THEFT, CONSPIRACY AND OTHER CHARGES.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - JURORS IN THE PUBLIC CORRUPTION TRIAL OF A FORMER PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKER AND THREE AIDES DELIBERATED FOR A FIFTH DAY YESTERDAY WITHOUT REACHING A VERDICT. THE FIFTH DAY OF DELIBERATIONS IN THE PUBLIC CORRUPTION TRIAL OF A FORMER PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKER AND THREE OF HIS FORMER AIDES IS OVER WITHOUT THE JURY REACHING A VERDICT. THE JURY IN THE CASE CENTERING ON FORMER DEMOCRATIC STATE REPRESENTATIVE MIKE VEON HAS NOW DELIBERATED ABOUT 38 HOURS SINCE CLOSED-DOOR TALKS BEGAN LAST FRIDAY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS SCRAMBLING TO RALLY THE PUBLIC AHEAD OF A POSSIBLE VOTE ON HEALTH CARE SUNDAY. TODAY, OBAMA WILL TALK UP THE SWEEPING OVERHAUL IN A SPEECH IN VIRGINIA. IT'LL BE HIS FOURTH EVENT OUTSIDE-THE-BELTWAY IN TWO WEEKS.

CHICAGO (AP) - THE LAWYER FOR THE AMERICAN WHO ADMITTED SCOUTING FOR THE DEADLY 2008 ATTACK IN MUMBAI, INDIA, SAYS HIS CLIENT IS ALREADY SPILLING TERRORISTS' SECRETS TO U.S. AUTHORITIES. DAVID HEADLEY PLEADED GUILTY YESTERDAY IN FEDERAL COURT IN CHICAGO. FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY HEADLEY HAS BECOME A VALUABLE ASSET IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM.

PORTLAND, ORE. (AP) - THE LAWYER FOR A MAN WHO WAS MOLESTED IN THE 1980S BY A BOY SCOUT LEADER SAYS SECRET FILES COULD BE RELEASED AT AN OREGON CIVIL TRIAL THAT BEGAN WEDNESDAY. THE LAWYER SAYS THE SCOUTS HAVE LONG KEPT AN EXTENSIVE ARCHIVE OF DOCUMENTS THAT CHRONICLE THE SEXUAL ABUSE OF YOUNG BOYS BY SCOUT LEADERS OVER THE YEARS.

SEATTLE (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN WASHINGTON STATE ARE HOPING TO RESUME THE SEARCH TODAY FOR SHANTINA SMILEY, THE WOMAN WHO DISAPPEARED LAST WEEKEND WITH HER 8-YEAR-OLD BOY. THE BOY'S BODY TURNED UP YESTERDAY ON A BEACH IN PUGET SOUND. SMILEY'S VAN WAS FOUND PARTIALLY SUBMERGED, ONE DAY AFTER SHE AND THE BOY VANISHED.

RIVERSIDE, CALIF. (AP) - AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING WHETHER A MOTORCYCLE GANG BOOBYTRAPPED A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA POLICE BUILDING
AFTER POLICE MONITORED THE FUNERAL OF A GANG MEMBER. POLICE SAY TWO
DAYS AFTER THE DECEMBER FUNERAL, SOMEONE DRILLED A HOLE IN THE ROOF
OF THE POLICE BUILDING AND DIVERTED A NATURAL GAS LINE FROM A HEATER, FILLING THE SPACE WITH FLAMMABLE GAS. NO ONE WAS HURT.