COMMISSIONERS MEET

THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HELD THEIR WORK SESSION WEDNESDAY. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY REPORTS FROM THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURTHOUSE:

COMMISSIONERS 4.21

DISTURBANCE LEADS TO ARREST

A PORT CARBON MAN LANDS IN JAIL FOLLOWING A DISTURBANCE IN THE BOROUGH LAST NIGHT. PORT CARBON POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE TOWNE CLOCK APARTMENTS, WHERE A FIGHT HAD TAKEN PLACE BETWEEN 25 YEAR OLD BRANDON HANLEY AND HIS WIFE, 30 YEAR OLD KATIE HANLEY. HANLEY HAD FLED THE SCENE PRIOR TO POLICE ARRIVING, BUT RETURNED LATER AND WAS ARRESTED ON A PAROLE VIOLATION. BRANDON HANLEY WAS TAKEN TO THE COUNTY PRISON, AND ALSO FACES A HARASSMENT CHARGE.

TWO VEHICLE CRASH

THREE PEOPLE WERE HURT IN A CRASH TUESDAY NIGHT IN MCKEANSBURG. POLICE SAY 37 YEAR OLD KEVIN RHODE OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN TURNED INTO THE PATH OF A CAR DRIVEN BY 45 YEAR OLD KEITH MILLER OF NESQUEHONING WHILE DRIVING ON ROUTE 443. THE IMPACT LED THE VEHICLES INTO A PARKED CAR NEARBY. MILLER SUFFERED MODERATE INJURIES, AND HIS PASSENGER THERESA MILLER AND A 15 YEAR OLD GIRLS WERE TAKEN TO LEHIGH VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER. THERESA MILLER IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. RHODE WAS BELIEVED TO BE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE.

SCHOOL BOARD

THE POTTSVILLE AREA SCHOOL BOARD GATHERED FOR THEIR MONTHLY MEETING LAST NIGHT. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY REPORTS:

SCHOOL BOARD 4.21

HIGH SPEED LEADS TO CRASH

AN ORWIGSBURG WOMAN WAS INJURED WHEN HER CAR CRASHED TUESDAY NIGHT. POLICE SAY 18 YEAR OLD LEIGH ANNE SCHEFFLER WAS EASTBOUND ON PHEASANT RUN ROAD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND LEFT THE ROADWAY, TRAVELING ON A GRASSY FIELD, STRIKING SEVERAL TREES AND ROLLING OVER. SHE SUFFERED MODERATE INJURY AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. STATE POLICE WILL CITE SCHEFFLER FOR SEVERAL TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A PRELIMINARY HEARING IS UNDER WAY FOR FORMER STATE HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN PERZEL AND NINE CO-DEFENDANTS WITH TIES TO THE STATE HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS. A JUDGE IS DECIDING WHETHER THERE'S ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SEND THE CORRUPTION CASE TO TRIAL.

LANSDALE, PA. (AP) - TALKS ARE SCHEDULED TO RESUME TONIGHT TO TRY TO END A STRIKE BY TEACHERS IN ONE OF PHILADELPHIA'S LARGEST SUBURBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REPORTS NORTH PENN SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALS PLAN ANOTHER MEETING WITH UNION REPRESENTATIVES. MORE THAN 12,000 STUDENTS HAVE BEEN KEPT HOME FROM SCHOOL BY STRIKE SINCE MONDAY.

STROUDSBURG, PA. (AP) - AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE HAS REFUSED TO ACCEPT A GUILTY PLEA FROM A MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS GIRLFRIEND AND THEIR TODDLER SON. PROSECUTORS NOW PLAN TO TRY MICHAEL PARRISH IN THE CASE. PROSECUTORS OBJECTED AND THE JUDGE REJECTED THE GUILTY PLEA WHEN PARRISH SAID HE HAD SUSPECTED HIS GIRLFRIEND OF CHEATING ON HIM.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA TEEN AARON KELLY FOUND HIMSELF IN THE BOTTOM THREE DURING LAST NIGHT'S "AMERICAN IDOL" RESULTS SHOW. BUT THE SULLIVAN COUNTY RESIDENT WILL STAY ON THE SINGING COMPETITION FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER WEEK IN SPITE OF A LESS-THAN-INSPIRED RENDITION OF R. KELLY'S "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY" ON TUESDAY.

PORT FOURCHON, LA. (AP) - SOME 100 WORKERS WHO SURVIVED TUESDAY NIGHT'S EXPLOSION AND FIRE ABOARD AN OIL RIG ARE BACK ON LAND IN LOUISIANA. THEIR BOAT ARRIVED EARLY THIS MORNING. THE COAST GUARD CONTINUES SEARCHING FOR 11 PEOPLE STILL MISSING. SEVENTEEN OTHER WORKERS WERE INJURED AND FLOWN TO SHORE EARLIER.

PHOENIX (AP) - AN INDIAN TRIBE IN ARIZONA WHOSE BLOOD SAMPLES WERE USED FOR MORE THAN THE RESEARCH IT WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE HAS REACHED A $700,000 SETTLEMENT. ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, WHICH WAS NAMED IN THE SUIT, HAS ALSO AGREED TO HELP GET A NEW HEALTH CLINIC AND HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE HAVASUPAI.

TALLINN, ESTONIA (AP) - SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON IS IN ESTONIA FOR A TWO-DAY NATO MEETING. THE KEY TOPICS WILL BE AFGHANISTAN, NUCLEAR WEAPONS POLICY, AND MISSILE DEFENSE. CLINTON ARRIVED IN ESTONIA A BIT LATE BECAUSE OF THE VOLCANIC ASH CLOUD STILL CLOUDING SOME EUROPEAN AIRSPACE.

BERLIN (AP) - THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF AUGSBURG, GERMANY, SAYS ITS BISHOP HAS WRITTEN POPE BENEDICT OFFERING TO RESIGN BECAUSE OF ALLEGATIONS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE AND FINANCIAL MISCONDUCT. THE DIOCESE SAYS BISHOP WALTER MIXA HOPES THAT MIGHT OFFER A "NEW START." HE SAYS HE'LL COOPERATE FULLY WITH INVESTIGATORS.

PROVINCETOWN, MASS. (AP) - THE COAST GUARD SAYS TWO MEN IN A 12-FOOT CANOE OFF MASSACHUSETTS WERE CAPSIZED BY A WHALE THAT LEAPED ABOVE THE WATER. ONE OF THEM DROWN, THE OTHER WAS RESCUED. BIOLOGISTS CONSIDER WHAT THE WHALE DID TO BE A FORM OF COMMUNICATION OR PLAY.