Today's News-Tuesday, March 2, 2010-7AM

DRUG ARREST IN POTTSVILLE

CITY POLICE HAVE BUSTED A MAN ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES. EARLY MONDAY, 27 YEAR OLD BRANDON STARR WAS PICKED UP AT THE POTTSVILLE MOTOR INN. DURING THE SEARCH, OFFICERS FOUND A BAG CONTAINING 24 GRAMS OF MARIJUANA, A FINGER SCALE, 5 JOINTS AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF CASH. STARR WAS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DELIVER MARIJUANA AND RELATED CHARGES, THEN TAKEN TO THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON.

STOLEN GUN FOR HEROIN?

A POTTSVILLE MAN AND WOMAN HAVE BEEN NABBED FOR STEALING A GUN FROM A CITY HOME LAST WEEK. POTTSVILLE POLICE NOW SAY THAT 27 YEAR OLD ASHLEY CHARLES AND 35 YEAR OLD CHAD LYTLE BURGLARIZED A THIRD STREET HOME, TAKING A .40 CALIBER HANDGUN AND AMMUNITION. THE PAIR, AND THREE OTHER UNIDENTIFIED INDIVIDUALS THEN DROVE TO ALLENTOWN TO SELL THE GUN IN RETURN FOR PACKETS OF HEROIN. CHARLES HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH BURGLARY AND ASSOCIATED COUNTS. LYTLE WITH CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT BURGLARY. THE OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAVE CHARGES PENDING AGAINST THEM. POLICE ALSO REPORT THAT ASHLEY CHARLES WILL ALSO BE CHARGED WITH SELLING HEROIN TO AN UNDERCOVER OFFICER.

TRIAL IN RHOADES DEATH

A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER SENATOR JIM RHOADES DIED IN A CAR CRASH IN MONROE COUNTY, THE KUNKLETOWN MAN CHARGED WITH HOMICIDE BY VEHICLE WILL STAND TRIAL. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT 46 YEAR OLD THOMAS SENAVITIS' TRIAL IS SLATED TO START NEXT WEDNESDAY AT THE MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. SENAVITIS IS ACCUSED OF CRASHING HEAD-ON INTO SENATOR RHOADES CAR, CAUSING FATAL INJURIES. RHOADES WIFE MARY EDITH WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE CRASH. SENAVITIS IS ACCUSED OF DRIVING DRUNK THE NIGHT IN QUESTION.

INVESTIGATION INTO PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT

THE INVESTIGATION INTO AN ACCIDENT IN TAMAQUA WHERE A PEDESTRIAN WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED CONTINUES. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED FRIDAY NIGHT, WHERE 54 YEAR OLD WILLIAM STEELE WAS WALKING IN THE 300 BLOCK OF EAST UNION STREET WHEN HE WAS STRUCK BY A CAR DRIVEN BY 24 YEAR OLD DAVID EMS. STEELE REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION AT ST LUKE'S HOSPITAL, BETHLEHEM. POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR ANY EYEWITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. CALL 668-5000 IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION.

PPL SEEKS RATE INCREASE

PPL ELECTRIC UTILITIES IS SEEKING A RATE INCREASE FOR 2011 FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION. A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE ALLENTOWN-BASED COMPANY SAYS THE REQUEST WOULD ONLY AFFECT DISTRIBUTION RATES AND ALLOW THE COMPANY TO RECOVER NEARLY THREE YEARS OF COSTS INCURRED FOR THE IMPROVEMENT AND EXPANSION OF ITS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. THE COMPANY HAS NOT FINALIZED AN INCREASE AMOUNT YET, BUT THEY SAY IT WOULD BE NO MORE THAN $115 MILLION DOLLARS. COMPANY CEO DAVID DECAMPLI SAYS THAT IF 2011 WHOLESALE GENERATION PRICES REMAIN AT CURRENT LEVEL, SOME CUSTOMERS MAY EVEN SEE A NET DECREASE IN THEIR TOTAL ELECTRIC BILLS.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - THE OWNER OF THE SANDS CASINO RESORT IN BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, THAT OPENED IN MAY INSISTS IT ISN'T FOR SALE. BILLIONAIRE SHELDON ADELSON, WHO LEADS THE LAS VEGAS SANDS CORPORATION, CALLED A REPORT IN THE EXPRESS-TIMES OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, "UNFOUNDED" AND SAID THE COMPANY MIGHT SOON RESUME CONSTRUCTION OF A HOTEL THERE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A 41-YEAR-OLD PHILADELPHIA MAN HAS ADMITTED HIS ROLE IN TAMPERING WITH WITNESSES IN A DRUG TRIAL, INCLUDING A MAN WHOSE HOUSE WAS FIREBOMBED IN 2004, KILLING SIX PEOPLE. DAWUD BEY PLEADED GUILTY YESTERDAY TO CONSPIRACY TO TAMPER WITH WITNESSES. UNDER A PLEA AGREEMENT, HE FACES A MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF 20 YEARS IN PRISON AND A $250,000 FINE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THOUSANDS OF PENNSYLVANIANS WILL LOSE THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS SOONER THAN EXPECTED AFTER CONGRESS FAILED TO EXTEND THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY COULD COLLECT THEM. THE STATE LABOR DEPARTMENT SAID YESTERDAY THAT PAYMENTS WILL STOP THIS MONTH FOR ROUGHLY 44,000 PEOPLE AND ESTIMATED THAT 161,000 PEOPLE WILL LOSE THEIR BENEFITS BY MAY 31ST.

READING, PA. (AP) - A PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE HAS UPHELD A FIRST-DEGREE MURDER CHARGE AGAINST A 33-YEAR-OLD MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING ANOTHER MAN OUTSIDE HIS READING APARTMENT LAST SUMMER. JUAN GONZALEZ-OSORIO IS CHARGED IN DEATH OF 43-YEAR-OLD GREGORY RODRIGUEZ IN READING. THE VICTIM'S WIDOW IDENTIFIED GONZALEZ-OSORIO AS THE KILLER IN COURT YESTERDAY, AND THE JUDGE ORDERED HIM HELD WITHOUT BAIL.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (AP) - SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON SAYS SHE'S TAKING SATELLITE PHONES AND A TECHNICIAN TO CHILE TO HELP RESTORE COMMUNICATIONS CUT OFF BY SATURDAY'S EARTHQUAKE. THE GEAR IS JUST THE FIRST OF AID AND EQUIPMENT THE U.S. PLANS TO SEND TO CHILE.

BEIJING (AP) - CHINA IS SIGNALING IT'S NOT LIKELY TO RESPOND TO U.S. PRESSURE TO SUPPORT SANCTIONS ON IRAN BECAUSE OF ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM. THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE SENSITIVE ISSUES U.S. ENVOYS WILL DISCUSS IN BEIJING THIS WEEK. TWO TOP U.S. ENVOYS WILL BE IN BEIJING THROUGH THURSDAY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - FEDERAL REGULATORS AND TOYOTA EXECUTIVES FACE YET ANOTHER ROUND OF TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM LAWMAKERS TODAY. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY RAY LAHOOD IS ON THE WITNESS LIST. ACCORDING TO TRANSCRIPTS ALREADY RELEASED, TOYOTA WILL SAY IT HAS ALREADY REPAIRED 1 MILLION RECALLED VEHICLES. ABOUT 6 MILLION HAVE BEEN RECALLED IN THE U.S. SINCE SEPTEMBER BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - SOURCES SAY SENATE NEGOTIATORS ARE CLOSE TO RESOLVING A KEY STICKING POINT IN DRAFTING NEW REGULATIONS FOR WALL
STREET. AT ISSUE IS WHETHER A GOVERNMENT CONSUMER WATCHDOG SHOULD
BE FREE OF FEDERAL BANK REGULATORS. THE PANEL WOULD GOVERN EVERYTHING FROM CREDIT CARD AND OVERDRAFT FEES TO PAYDAY LOANS AND MORTGAGES.

CLEVELAND (AP) - NBA ALL-STAR LEBRON JAMES REPORTEDLY WANTS A NEW NUMBER. THE CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER SAYS JAMES HAS FILED PAPERWORK WITH THE NBA TO CHANGE HIS UNIFORM NUMBER NEXT SEASON FROM NO. 23 TO NO. 6. JAMES HAS SAID PREVIOUSLY THAT HE WANTS TO CHANGE OUT OF RESPECT TO NBA LEGEND MICHAEL JORDAN, WHO WORE NO. 23.