Today's News-Tuesday, April 13, 2010-745AM

WOMAN KILLED IN MOTORCYCLE/TRUCK CRASH

A COALDALE WOMAN IS DEAD FOLLOWING A COLLISION IN RYAN TOWNSHIP YESTERDAY. POLICE REPORT THAT 41 YEAR OLD PATRICIA VIDZICKI WAS DRIVING EAST ON ROUTE 54 WHEN A PICKUP OPERATED BY 77 YEAR OLD ALBERTA DAVIS, LOST CREEK, PULLED INTO HER PATH OF TRAVEL. VIDZICKI WAS TAKEN TO ST LUKE'S MINERS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WHERE SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD. A PORTION OF ROUTE 54 WAS SHUT DOWN INTO THE EARLY EVENING WHILE POLICE CONTINUED THEIR INVESTIGATION.

BALLOT CHALLENGED DEFEATED

INCUMBENT CONGRESSMAN TIM HOLDEN'S PRIMARY BALLOT OPPONENT'S NAME WILL APPEAR ON THE BALLOT MAY 18TH AFTER A CHALLENGE FAILED. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT THE CHALLENGE LODGED BY YESENIA ROSADO CLAIMED THAT NEARLY 700 SIGNATURES ON DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER SHEILA DOW-FORD'S PETITION WERE FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVED OUTSIDE OF THE 17TH DISTRICT. ELECTION LAWS STATE THAT THERE MUST BE AT LEAST 1-THOUSAND VALID PARTY MEMBERS ON THE NOMINATING PETITION TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT. A LENGTHY HEARING ON THE MATTER WAS HELD LAST WEEK BEFORE COMMONWEALTH COURT SENIOR JUDGE JAMES KELLEY, WHO RULED ON THE MATTER YESTERDAY. FOUR REPUBLICANS ARE ON THE BALLOT IN THE MAY PRIMARY, WITH HOLDEN, AND NOW FORD, APPEARING ON THE DEMOCRATIC BALLOT.

COST CUTTING COMMITTEE

A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE LOOKING INTO STATE SPENDING MET AGAIN IN HARRISBURG MONDAY, THIS TIME TAKING A LOOK AT THE COSTS OF OPERATING STATE-OWNED VEHICLES AND EDUCATION EXPENSES. CHAIRED BY SENATOR DAVE ARGALL, THE COMMISSION IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO REDUCE STATE EXPENSES. DETAILS ABOUT THE OPERATION OF THE STATE'S 16-THOUSAND PLUS VEHICLES WAS DISCUSSED, ALONG WITH HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAM SPENDING AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE COST OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA.

CITY COUNCIL

POTTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL MET FOR THEIR REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING LAST NIGHT. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY REPORTS FROM CITY HALL:

MARCHEFSKY COUNCIL 04.12

HAVEN MAN BOUND FOR COURT

A SCHUYLKILL HAVEN MAN, ACCUSED OF ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTING ANOTHER AT A BLOCK SHOOT WAIVED HIS RIGHT TO A PRELIMINARY HEARING. DAVID SCHAEFFER IS CHARGED WITH SIMPLE ASSAULT AND RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT FROM THE NOVEMBER 2009 INCIDENT AT SECOND MOUNTAIN GUN CLUB. SCHAEFFER WAS SHOOTING AT A TARGET, BUT FAILED TO MAKE SURE JARROD PENSYL WAS CLEAR OF THE AREA. SEVERAL PELLETS FROM THE SHOTGUN BLAST HIT PENSYL. THE VICTIM WAS FLOWN TO LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL TO SURGICALLY REMOVE THE PELLETS. THE CASE IS HEADED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A HUMAN SKULL FOUND IN A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA FOREST HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THAT OF A TEEN WHO HAS
BEEN MISSING SINCE JUNE 2001. STATE POLICE SAY 18-YEAR-OLD JENNIFER
BARZILOSKI OF LAKE TOWNSHIP WAS LAST SEEN OUTSIDE A BAR IN EDWARDSVILLE. THE SKULL WAS FOUND JUST WEST OF WILKES-BARRE EARLIER THIS MONTH.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA POLICE SAY A BODY THAT WAS FOUND LAST WEEK IN THE DELAWARE RIVER IS THAT OF A TEEN WHO VANISHED ON CHRISTMAS EVE. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REPORTS JOHN VU LEFT HIS SOUTH PHILADELPHIA HOME WITHOUT HIS CELL PHONE OR WALLET. RELATIVES TOLD INVESTIGATORS THAT A NOTE ON HIS COMPUTER INDICATED THAT THE 14-YEAR-OLD WAS IN EMOTIONAL DISTRESS.

ALBURTIS, PA. (AP) - TWO PEOPLE ARE HURT, ONE SERIOUSLY AFTER A FIRE AT A PIPE MANUFACTURING PLANT OUTSIDE ALLENTOWN. THE EXPRESS-TIMES REPORTS A FIRE ERUPTED AFTER A FURNACE BURST YESTERDAY AT VICTAULIC COMPANY. FEDERAL REGULATORS ARE INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - JON AND KATE ARE SET TO BE REUNITED IN COURT. THE DIVORCED FORMER STARS OF THE HIT REALITY SHOW "JON & KATE PLUS 8" ARE DUE IN A PENNSYLVANIA COURT NEXT MONTH FOR A HEARING ON JON GOSSELIN'S MOTION FOR FULL CUSTODY OF THE COUPLE'S EIGHT CHILDREN. KATE GOSSELIN'S LAWYER SAYS THE REQUEST IS RIDDLED WITH ERRORS AND SHOULD BE DISMISSED.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THERE ARE EARLY DIVIDENDS AHEAD OF FORMAL MEETINGS TODAY AT A NUCLEAR SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON. CHINA HAS AGREED TO WORK WITH THE U.S. ON POSSIBLE SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN AND UKRAINE HAS DECIDED TO RID ITSELF OF NUCLEAR BOMB-MAKING MATERIALS. THE SUMMIT ENDS TODAY WITH A JOINT DECLARATION TO GUIDE FUTURE WORK TOWARD LOCKING AWAY AND CLEANSING THE GLOBE OF MATERIALS STILL TOO EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO TERRORISTS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A SENIOR UNION OFFICIAL HAS TOLD EMPLOYEES IN AN E-MAIL THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE 2.2 MILLION-MEMBER SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION PLANS TO RESIGN. ANDY STERN IS ONE OF NATION'S MOST POLITICALLY POWERFUL - AND POLARIZING - UNION LEADERS. THE E-MAIL WAS OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.

MORGANTON, GA. (AP) - NAVY INVESTIGATORS ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN NORTH GEORGIA TODAY TO INVESTIGATE THE CRASH OF A NAVY PLANE IN DENSE WOODS, THAT KILLED AT LEAST THREE CREW MEMBERS. OFFICIALS SAY THE FLORIDA-BASED PLANE JUST MISSED A HOUSE WHEN IT CRASHED YESTERDAY AND AUTHORITIES ARE LOOKING FOR A FOURTH PERSON BELIEVED TO BE ABOARD.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) - A TANK FULL OF AMMONIA FOR COOLING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IS NOW INSTALLED AND ACTIVATED. A PAIR OF SPACEWALKING SHUTTLE ASTRONAUTS FINISHED THAT JOB AND MOVED ON TO PUTTING THE OLD TANK INTO THE SHUTTLE CARGO BAY. IT'S THE THIRD AND FINAL SPACEWALK OF THE MISSION.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THERE'S BEEN A GUILTY PLEA FROM A CALIFORNIA MAN WHO POSED AS A MILITARY OFFICER AND SOUGHT DONATIONS THAT HE CLAIMED WOULD HELP WOUNDED VETERANS. SIXTY-YEAR-OLD JAMES BARBEE ADMITTED TO FEDERAL FRAUD CHARGES AND MISDEMEANOR WEARING A MILITARY UNIFORM UNLAWFULLY. CALIFORNIA PROSECUTORS SAY BARBEE SPENT THE MONEY ON HIMSELF.