Today's News-Wednesday, March 24, 2010

THIRD SUSPECT IN CUSTODY IN SHENANDOAH MURDER

THE THIRD SUSPECT IMPLICATED IN THE MURDER OF A SHENANDOAH MAN HAS TURNED HIMSELF INTO POLICE. 19 YEAR OLD JAHMAL OLLIVIRRE SURRENDERED TO NEW YORK CITY POLICE MONDAY NIGHT. HE'S ACCUSED, ALONG WITH 29 YEAR OLD DAMON ENNET AND 30 YEAR OLD JULIUS ENOE IN THE BURGLARY AND MURDER OF 24 YEAR OLD BRUCE FORKER AT HIS HOME ON EAST CENTER STREET, SHENANDOAH LAST TUESDAY. OLLIVIRRE IS AWAITING A COURT APPEARANCE IN NEW YORK TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL WAIVE EXTRADITION TO PENNSYLVANIA. POLICE HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK SINCE THE CRIME. IT IS NOT EXACTLY CLEAR WHY THE SUSPECTS TARGETED FORKER.

MAHANOY CITY MAN INJURED IN SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH

A MAHANOY CITY MAN SUFFERED INJURY IN A CRASH IN MAHANOY TOWNSHIP MONDAY AFTERNOON. FRACKVILLE STATE POLICE SAY THOMAS MACALUSO WAS WESTBOUND ON STATE ROUTE 1003 WHEN HIS VEHCILE TRAVELED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WITH STATE ROUTE 1010 THEN TRAVELED INTO A WOODED AREA, STRIKING SEVERAL TREES. MACALUSO COMPLAINED OF CHEST AND SIDE PAIN AND WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH FOR TREATMENT.

TWO SUFFER MINOR INJURY IN CRASH

TWO PEOPLE SUFFERED MINOR INJURY IN A LATE NIGHT CRASH YESTERDAY. ADAM ADAMS OF GORDON WAS DRIVING NORTH ON ROUTE 183 NEAR MORNINGSIDE DRIVE IN NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP WHEN HE LOST CONTROL AND HIS VEHICLE WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. THE CAR DUG INTO THE MUD THEN ROLLED OVER, COMING TO REST ON ITS ROOF. BOTH ADAMS AND HIS PASSENGER, DANIEL RENN OF MARION HEIGHTS, LEFT THE VEHICLE. ADAMS HAS NOT YET BEEN LOCATED. RENN WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH FOR TREATMENT. THE CRASH HAPPENED AROUND 11:30 LAST NIGHT.

MINE RECLAMATION FUNDING FOR POTTSVILLE

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY'S LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION HAS SECURED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR MINE RECLAMATION IN POTTSVILLE. MORE THAN $500-THOUSAND-DOLLARS FROM PENNSYLVANIA'S GROWING GREENER PROGRAM WILL HELP TO RECLAIM 28 ACRES OF DANGEROUS SUBSIDENCE AT THE SHARP MOUNTAIN RECLAMATION PROJECT. REPRESENTATIVE TIM SEIP:

SEIP MINE RECLAMATION

THE AREA HAS BEEN UNDER RECLAMATION FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND HAS POSED A DANGER TO PEOPLE WHO FREQUENT THAT AREA, ACCORDING TO REPRESENTATIVE NEAL GOODMAN. PA'S GROWING GREENER PROGRAM WAS CREATED IN 1999 TO PROTECT WATERSHEDS AND CLEAN ACID MINE DRAINAGE ACROSS THE STATE.

VISION INFORMATION POWER

WHAT IS THE POPULATION FORECAST FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY? SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS MORE:

MARCHEFSKY VISION

BEES ARE THE KNEES FOR GROWING

BEES, BUTTERFLIES AND OTHER POLLINATORS ARE CRUCIAL TO GROWING BEAUTIFUL SHRUBS AND FLOWERS. AND THE MYSTERIOUS THREAT OF COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER CONTINUES TO ATTACK BOTH WILD AND DOMESTIC HONEYBEES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO GINGER PRYOR, COORDINATOR FOR PENN STATE EXTENSION'S MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM, URGES GROWERS TO DO THEIR PART BY PLANTING GARDENS THAT BLOOM IN EARLY SPRING AND FALL:

PRYOR
　
TULIPS, OTHER FLOWERING BULBS AND MANY HYBRID VARIETIES DON'T PROVIDE NECTAR OR POLLEN, PRYOR SAYS, SO MASTER GARDENERS ACROSS THE STATE ARE READY TO SUGGEST PLANTS THAT WORK IN YOUR AREA. CONTACT THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS AT 622-4225.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - LAWYERS FOR TALK SHOW HOST OPRAH WINFREY SAY SHE HAS SETTLED A DEFAMATION LAWSUIT FILED IN PHILADELPHIA BY THE EX-HEADMISTRESS OF WINFREY'S SOUTH AFRICA GIRLS SCHOOL. THE LAWYERS SAY WINFREY AND NOMVUYO MZAMANE MET AND RESOLVED THEIR DIFFERENCES OUTSIDE OF COURT.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A 22-YEAR-OLD PENNSYLVANIA MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR BEATING HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND'S SON TO DEATH. ALEXANDER GARCIA OF HAZLETON YESTERDAY PLEADED GUILTY TO FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF 2-YEAR-OLD EMMANUEL GONZALEZ IN DECEMBER 2007. GARCIA'S LAWYER RECOMMENDED THE PLEA DEAL TO AVOID A POSSIBLE DEATH SENTENCE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM CORBETT SAYS HE'S JOINED HIS COUNTERPARTS IN 12 OTHER STATES THAT ARE CHALLENGING THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE NEW FEDERAL HEALTH-CARE LAW. CORBETT, A REPUBLICAN WHO IS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR, SAYS HE BELIEVES THE GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T FORCE PEOPLE TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A DAY AFTER A FORMER PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATIVE LEADER WAS CONVICTED, ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM CORBETT SAID YESTERDAY THAT MORE CHARGES ARE POSSIBLE IN HIS OFFICE'S PUBLIC CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION. JURORS ON MONDAY CONVICTED FORMER REPRESENTATIVE MIKE VEON AND TWO AIDES OF THEFT, CONSPIRACY AND OTHER CHARGES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE SENATE WORKS ON HEALTH CARE AGAIN THIS MORNING -- THIS TIME A PACKAGE OF FIXES TO THE BIG BILL SIGNED BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA YESTERDAY. THE PACKAGE, DEMANDED BY HOUSE DEMOCRATS, ELIMINATES A SPECIAL MEDICAID DEAL FOR NEBRASKA AND SOFTENS A TAX ON SOME INSURANCE PLANS, AMONG OTHER THINGS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE SAYS IT APPRECIATES WHAT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS DONE ON HEALTH CARE, BUT THAT WHAT'S NEEDED NOW IS "A STRONG JOBS BILL." IN ITS REPORT ON BLACK AMERICA, THE LEAGUE SAYS BILLIONS ARE NEEDED FOR JOB CREATION IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO HELP CLOSE RACIAL GAPS IN UNEMPLOYMENT.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - THE PARENTS OF CHELSEA KING SAY THEY WILL ACTIVELY WORK TO GET A LAW PASSED IN CALIFORNIA THAT KEEPS BETTER TABS ON CHILD SEX PREDATORS. THEIR 17-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WAS FOUND DEAD LESS THAN A MONTH AGO IN A SAN DIEGO AREA PARK. A CONVICTED CHILD MOLESTER IS CHARGED WITH KILLING HER.

PORTLAND, ORE. (AP) - AN OREGON MAN SUING THE BOY SCOUTS FOR ALLEGEDLY KNOWING ABOUT PEDOPHILE SCOUT LEADERS HAS TESTIFIED THAT AT FIRST HE IDOLIZED TIMUR DYKES, WHO'S ADMITTED ABUSING THE PLAINTIFF IN THE EARLY 1980S. THE SUIT SAYS THE SCOUTS HAD FILES ON SUCH TROOP LEADERS, BUT NEVER TOLD PARENTS OR AUTHORITIES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - AN UNUSUAL MEETING YESTERDAY BETWEEN PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AT THE WHITE HOUSE. THERE WERE ACTUALLY TWO MEETINGS, WITH NETANYAHU ASKING FOR EXTRA TIME. AND THERE WAS NO PHOTO OPPORTUNITY OR NEWS RELEASE AFTERWARD.