Today's News-Friday, March 5, 2010

TRAVEL NOTE

MOTORISTS TRAVELING THROUGH DOWNTOWN POTTSVILLE ARE REMINDED THAT UNION STREET WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BETWEEN PROGRESS AVENUE AND CENTRE STREET DUE TO WORK BEING DONE AT THE INTERMODAL TRADE/TRANSIT CENTER. NO THRU TRAFFIC WILL BE ALLOWED ON THAT STREET.

TAMAQUA MAN CHARGED IN HORSEPLAY INCIDENT

A TAMAQUA MAN IS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN FOR AN INCIDENT AT A HOME OUTSIDE OF TAMAQUA. REPORTS SAY 28 YEAR OLD 28 YEAR OLD RONALD GOEPFERT WAS HORSEPLAYING WITH HIS 13 YEAR OLD STEPBROTHER WHEN HE BEGAN CHOKING THE BOY. GOEPFERT STOPPED ONLY AFTER THE BOY TURNED BLUE, THEN FLED THE SCENE. HE WAS ARRESTED ON THE FELONY CHARGES YESTERDAY. POLICE REPORT THAT GOEPFERT ADMITTED TO THE CRIME, WAS ARRAIGNED AND JAILED IN THE COUNTY PRISON. THE TEENAGED BOY WAS TREATED AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL.

CRASH NEAR MALL INJURES ONE

A WOMAN SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES IN A CRASH ON ROUTE 61 THURSDAY AFTERNOON AT CONNORS CROSSING. STATE POLICE SAY ALVARET CROSBY WAS TURNING FROM ROUTE 183 ONTO ROUTE 61 UNDER A CAUTION SIGNAL WHILE JAMES HOCHGERTEL OF SCHUYKILL HAVEN WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON 183. CROSBY FAILED TO YIELD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AND THE VEHICLES CRASHED. CROSBY WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH FOR EVALUATION. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED AFTER 5PM THURSDAY.

GIRARDVILLE MEN JAILED ON DRUG CHARGES

TWO MEN FROM GIRARDVILLE ARE LOCKED UP IN THE COUNTY PRISON FOR DRUG RELATED CHARGES. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, 31 YEAR OLD MICHAEL COPE AND DENNIS COPE, AGE 33, WERE APPREHENDED DURING A TRAFFIC STOP ON ROUTE 61 IN BUTLER TOWNSHIP. MICHAEL COPE WAS FOUND TO HAVE MARIJUANA, COCAINE AND CASH ON HIM, AND DENNIS COPE HAD AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT AGAINST HIM IN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY. MORE DRUGS AND PARAPHERNALIA WERE FOUND IN THE CAR IN A SUBSEQUENT SEARCH.

TOWER CITY MAN CONVICTED

A MAN FROM TOWER CITY HAS BEEN CONVICTED ON A CHARGE OF HAVING UNLAWFUL CONTACT WITH A MINOR. A COUNTY JURY MADE THAT DECISION YESTERDAY, ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. 24 YEAR OLD CHRISTOPHER ROMBERGER HAD BEEN CHARGED WITH SLAPPING A 15 YEAR OLD GIRL ON HER BOTTOM AND ATTEMPTED TO GRAB ONE OF HER BREASTS IN A CHURCH PARKING LOT IN TOWER CITY LAST MARCH. ROMBERGER WAS ACQUITTED ON INDECENT ASSAULT AND CORRUPTION CHARGES. SENTENCING FOR ROMBERGER IS SCHEDULED FOR MID APRIL.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE PITTSBURGH ZOO WAS CLOSED YESTERDAY BECAUSE OF A POWER OUTAGE. ZOO SPOKESWOMAN TRACY GRAY SAYS BACKUP GENERATORS PROVIDED ENOUGH LIGHT AND HEAT FOR THE ANIMALS AFTER THE POWER WENT OUT WEDNESDAY NIGHT, BUT MANAGERS DIDN'T WANT TO USE THEM FOR OTHER FUNCTIONS. THE FAULTY UNDERGROUND CABLE THAT CAUSED THE OUTAGE HAS SINCE BEEN REPAIRED.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - SAGE KARAM ISN'T OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE ON THE STREETS OF HIS HOME STATE. BUT THE PENNSYLVANIA NATIVE WILL BE RACING ON THE STREETS OF SAINT PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, LATER THIS MONTH. MICHAEL ANDRETTI YESTERDAY HIRED THE 15-YEAR-OLD FROM NAZARETH TO DRIVE IN THE USF2000 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - STATE LABOR ECONOMISTS ESTIMATE THAT PENNSYLVANIA EMPLOYERS SHED 195,000 JOBS IN 2009, OR BETTER THAN 1 IN 30. THAT'S MORE THAN A PRIOR ESTIMATE OF 150,000 JOBS LOST LAST YEAR. THE NEW FIGURES REFLECT AN ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT THE STATE LABOR DEPARTMENT CARRIES OUT TO TRY TO MOST ACCURATELY REFLECT ALL THE DATA IT COLLECTED DURING THE YEAR.

NORRISTOWN, PA. (AP) - FIVE MEXICAN NATIONALS ARE UNDER ARREST IN SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA AFTER AUTHORITIES BROKE UP WHAT THEY SAYS WAS AN INTERNATIONAL DRUG AND PROSTITUTION TRAFFICKING RING. MONTGOMERY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY RISA FERMAN SAYS IT WAS PART OF LARGER NETWORK OF DRUG AND PROSTITUTION HOUSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A MAN WITH A BEEF WITH THE MILITARY IS DEAD - HOURS AFTER OPENING FIRE ON POLICE AT THE PENTAGON - AND BEING SHOT HIMSELF BY THE OFFICERS. THE TWO OFFICERS SUFFERED GRAZING WOUNDS AND ARE BEING TREATED AT A HOSPITAL. AUTHORITIES ARE TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER A MOTIVE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE SNOW HAS MELTED IN MOST OF THE EAST. BUT THE NATION WILL STILL FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THOSE STORMS TODAY - WHEN THE JOBLESS NUMBERS COME OUT. ECONOMISTS EXPECT THAT THE JOBLESS RATE WILL BE SKEWED UPWARD BECAUSE OF THE STORMS.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE ARE DEAD AND 25 OTHERS WOUNDED IN A SUICIDE BOMBING TODAY IN PAKISTAN. POLICE SAY A SUICIDE BOMBER ON FOOT TARGETED A GROUP OF SHIITE MUSLIMS ON TWO BUSES IN THE NORTHWESTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. THE ATTACK MAY HAVE BEEN MOTIVATED BY SECTARIAN TENSIONS BETWEEN PAKISTAN'S MAJORITY SUNNI MUSLIMS AND MINORITY SHIITES.

NEW YORK (AP) - NEW YORK GOVERNOR DAVID PATERSON HAS GOTTEN SOME BACKUP FROM KEY BLACK LEADERS IN NEW YORK CITY. BUT IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER LAST-MINUTE SUPPORT WILL GIVE HIM ENOUGH POLITICAL STRENGTH
TO KEEP HIS JOB. THE LEADERS URGED PATERSON TO RIDE OUT ALLEGATIONS
IN TWO SCANDALS THAT THREATEN HIS JOB AND HAS PROMPTED THE RESIGNATION OF THREE OF HIS TOP STAFFERS.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THE OSCARS ARE SUNDAY. AND THIS YEAR, THE CHANCES ARE THAT MORE OF US WILL HAVE SEEN THE MOVIES THAT ARE UP FOR BEST PICTURE. THE FIELD HAS BEEN EXPANDED FROM FIVE TO 10. AMONG THE FAVORITES TO WIN ARE "THE HURT LOCKER," "AVATAR" AND "THE BLIND SIDE."