Today's News-Tuesday, April 6, 2010

FOURTH ARRESTED, TWO MORE TO BE CHARGED TODAY

A FOURTH VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH AN ARSON FIRE IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. STATE POLICE SAY THAT 19 YEAR OLD JUSTIN GEIGER OF ORWIGSBURG IS CHARGED WITH FELONY COUNTS OF CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT ARSON AND RELATED CHARGES FOR A FIRE SET ON KEMMERLING ROAD IN DECEMBER, 2009. HE JOINS THREE OTHER MEN, SHAWN HOY, JONATHAN EICHERT AND MATTHEW DIXON WHO WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY LAST WEEK. GIEGER WAS ARRAIGNED AND JAILED IN THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON. INVESTIGATORS SAY THAT GEIGER CONSPIRED WITH TWO OF THE OTHER MEN IN SETTING THE WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP BLAZE. TWO OTHER INDIVIDUALS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CHARGED IN THE ARSONS LATER TODAY.

BURGLARY IN MAHANOY TOWNSHIP

A SAFE CONTAINING A LARGE AMOUNT OF CASH WAS TAKEN FROM A HOME IN MAHANOY TOWNSHIP. FRACKVILLE STATE POLICE SAY THE BURGLARY HAPPENED AT THE HOME OF CHERYL ANN SOUCHAK ON TRENTON ROAD. ABOUT $20 THOUSAND DOLLARS CASH WAS INSIDE THE SAFE. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE BURGLARY IS ONGOING.

CRESSONA MALL CRASH

STATE POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR EYEWITNESSES TO A CRASH AT THE CRESSONA MALL YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. JOY SANTIAGO OF PORT CLINTON WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN OFF ROUTE 61 NORTH AND HER VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BY A CAR OPERATED BY LYDIA DAVIS OF EAST FALLOWFIELD, PA. HER CAR ENDED UP ON THE EXIT RAMP OF THE MALL. BOTH DRIVERS WERE WEARING THEIR SEATBELTS AND ESCAPED INJURY. THE CRASH HAPPENED AROUND 1PM.

UNEMPLOYMENT

THE COUNTY'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE JUMPED ABOVE THE 11 PERCENT MARK IN FEBRUARY, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY. STATEWIDE, THE JOBLESS RATE WAS 8.9 PERCENT AND THE NATIONAL RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT SITS AT 9.7 PERCENT. THE RATE OF 11.1 PERCENT IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY IS THE HIGHEST ITS BEEN IN ALMOST A DECADE AND A HALF.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A LAWYER FOR A COLORADO WOMAN CHARGED IN A GLOBAL TERROR PLOT IS EXPECTED TO PLEAD NOT GUILTY TOMORROW IN PHILADELPHIA. JAMIE PAULIN-RAMIREZ IS IN FEDERAL CUSTODY AFTER VOLUNTARILY RETURNING FROM IRELAND LAST WEEK. A FEDERAL INDICTMENT CHARGES THAT SHE MOVED TO IRELAND TO HELP A PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN WHO CALLED HERSELF "JIHAD JANE" WORK TOWARD A MUSLIM HOLY WAR.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS REFUSED TO QUASH A SUBPOENA FOR THE TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR OF A SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL DISTRICT ACCUSED OF SPYING ON STUDENTS THROUGH LAPTOP WEBCAMS. THE JUDGE SAYS THE COORDINATOR AT THE LOWER MERION SCHOOL DISTRICT MIGHT HAVE RELEVANT INFORMATION IN THE CASE.

GETTYSBURG, PA. (AP) - A GETTYSBURG MAN HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO STABBING A TEENAGER TO DEATH AT A CAMPSITE TWO YEARS AGO AND THEN TRYING TO BURN HIS BODY. JASON ARMSTRONG WAS IMMEDIATELY SENTENCED TO 30 TO 60 YEARS IN PRISON IN ADAMS COUNTY COURT YESTERDAY.

BUSHKILL, PA. (AP) - PART OF THE DELAWARE WATER GAP NATIONAL RECREATION AREA HAS BEEN CLOSED DUE TO A PAIR OF NESTING PEREGRINE FALCONS. THE (EASTON) EXPRESS-TIMES REPORTS THE PAIR NESTED ON THE SAME SITE LAST YEAR, BUT PRODUCED NO YOUNG. THIS PAIR OF FALCONS IS THE FIRST SCENE ON THE SITE SINCE THE 1950S.

MONTCOAL, W.VA. (AP) - TOXIC GASES HAVE CHASED RESCUE TEAMS FROM A WEST VIRGINIA COAL MINE WHERE AN EXPLOSION KILLED 25 MINERS AND LEFT FOUR MISSING. SAFETY OFFICIALS SAY CHANCES ARE SLIM OF FINDING THE FOUR WORKERS ALIVE. RESCUERS WILL TRY TO GO BACK IN AFTER THE MINE IS VENTILATED.

XIANGNING, CHINA (AP) - CHINESE WORKERS HAVE FOUND FIVE BODIES IN A FLOODED COAL MINE BUT FLOODWATERS KEPT RESCUERS FROM REACHING 33 MINERS STILL TRAPPED IN THE COAL PIT. THE SUCCESSFUL RESCUE OF 115 OTHERS WHO HAD BEEN TRAPPED FOR WEEK HAS OFFICIALS STILL BEING SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC.

BAGHDAD (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY EXPLOSIONS ACROSS BAGHDAD HAVE CRUMBLED APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND KILLED AT LEAST 11 PEOPLE. AN IRAQ MILITARY OFFICIAL SAYS 72 PEOPLE WERE INJURED AND THE DEATH TOLL IS EXPECTED TO RISE. AT LEAST ONE EXPLOSION HIT CENTRAL BAGHDAD NEAR THE CULTURE MINISTRY. SUICIDE BOMBINGS TARGETING FOREIGN EMBASSIES IN BAGHDAD KILLED AT LEAST 40 TWO DAYS AGO.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - FEDERAL OFFICIALS WILL ASSESS THE PROBABLE CAUSE TODAY OF A CRASH IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT KILLED FOUR PEOPLE AND INJURED BLINK-182 DRUMMER TRAVIS BARKER AND CELEBRITY DISC JOCKEY DJ AM. A LEARJET HURTLED OFF A SOUTH CAROLINA RUNWAY IN 2008. EVEN THOUGH THE PILOTS WERE TRYING TO ABORT TAKEOFF, INVESTIGATORS SAY THE PLANE'S REVERSE THRUSTERS WERE IN THE WRONG POSITION.