Today's News-Wednesday, April 14, 2010-updated 6:45am

FIRE HEAVILY DAMAGES STORAGE BUILDING

A STORAGE BUILDING OWNED BY CRESSONA TEXTILE WASTE WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED IN AN OVERNIGHT FIRE. CRESSONA FIRE CHIEF JIM KRAMMES JR. TELLS WPPA/T102 NEWS WHAT THEY FOUND ON ARRIVAL:

KRAMMES 1.

FIRE CREWS CONTINUE TO DOUSE THE BUILDING AND CONTENTS, A WAREHOUSE FILLED WITH RAGS ON MENGEL STREET. KRAMMES SAID THEY NEEDED TO BRING IN HEAVY EQUIPMENT TO REMOVE THE RAGS INSIDE:

KRAMMES 2

KRAMMES SAYS THEY EXPECT TO KEEP THE GORDON NAGLE TRAIL IN BOTH DIRECTIONS CLOSED UNTIL 9 OR 10AM THIS MORNING. A CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. THE STATE POLICE FIRE MARSHAL AND LOCAL OFFICIALS WILL INVESTIGATE. THE BUILDING IS A FORMER FEED MILL.

HAVEN MAN KILLED IN CRASH

AN 81 YEAR OLD SCHUYLKILL HAVEN MAN WAS KILLED IN A CRASH ON ROUTE 61 LAST NIGHT. STATE POLICE SAY JAMES HOCHGERTEL WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT ONTO MANHEIM ROAD WHEN HIS PICKUP TRUCK TRAVELLED DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF A NORTHBOUND TRACTOR TRAILER DRIVEN BY JAMES KENYON OF WOODSTOCK, CONNECTICUT. THE IMPACT FORCED HOCHGERTEL'S TRUCK TO SPIN THEN STRUCK A LIGHT POLE. HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE BY DEPUTY CORONER JOSEPH POTHERING. A HAZMAT CREW WAS CALLED IN TO CLEAN UP A DIESEL FUEL LEAK IN A GRASSY AREA NEAR THE SCENE. THAT SECTION OF ROUTE 61 WAS CLOSED FOR OVER FOUR HOURS FOR CLEANUP AND INVESTIGATION.

HEARINGS POSTPONED IN ARSON CASES

THE PRELIMINARY HEARINGS FOR SIX MEN ACCUSED IN A STRING OF ARSONS ACROSS THE COUNTY HAS BEEN DELAYED. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT DISTRICT JUDGE JAMES FERRIER WAS TO HEAR THE CASES OF SHAWN HOY, JONATHAN EICHERT, MATTHEW DIXON, JUSTIN GEIGER, CHARLES FERGUSON AND DEVON SMITH THIS FRIDAY, BUT HAVE NOW BUMPED THE DATE BACK TO THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH. THE SIX, FIVE OF THEM VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS, FACE VARIOUS ARSON RELATED COUNTS FOR SETTING FIRES, MAINLY IN BARNS, ACROSS THE REGION OVER A FOUR MONTH PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER, 2009 THROUGH JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.

LIQUOR LAW VIOLATION

A SHENANDOAH BUSINESS IS ACCUSED OF SERVING ALCOHOL TO MINORS. THAT'S ACCORDING TO LIQUOR CONTROL ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, WHO SAY LA CASITA DE FAMILIA ON EAST CENTRE STREET ALLEGEDLY SERVED ALCOHOL TO TWO MALES, MINORS. THE INCIDENT REPORTEDLY OCCURED ON FEBRUARY 27TH. THE CHARGES WILL BE BROUGHT BEFORE AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE. THE BUSINESS COULD FACE FINES AND OTHER PENALTIES.

GILBERTSVILLE, PA. (AP) - THE SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING A WOMAN DURING AN APPARENT ROAD RAGE INCIDENT SAYS HE'S
NOT A BAD PERSON AND DOESN'T BELONG IN JAIL. POLICE SAY JOHN YANNARALL SHOT A WOMAN IN THE ARM AND LEG ON ROUTE 422 EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. HE TELLS WPVI-TV THAT JAIL HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA JURY HAS ISSUED A MURDER CONVICTION IN A DRUG-RELATED SHOOTING IN ALLENTOWN. MIGUEL RUIZ WILL BE SENTENCED ON THE THIRD DEGREE MURDER VERDICT NEXT MONTH. THE ALLENTOWN MORNING CALL REPORTS PROSECUTORS CLAIMED RUIZ AND AN UNKNOWN ACCOMPLICE CONSPIRED TO ROB ERNESTO JAQUEZ AND ENDED UP KILLING HIM.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - IT'S NOW A TWO-WAY RACE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC SENATE BID. A COMMONWEALTH COURT RULING STRUCK 225 SIGNATURES FROM THE PETITION OF POLITICAL NEWCOMER JOE VODVARKA. THAT LEAVES HIM 101 SIGNATURES SHY OF THE 2,000 HE NEEDED TO GET ON THE MAY 18TH PRIMARY BALLOT. CONGRESSMAN JOE SESTAK AND INCUMBENT SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER ARE NOW THE ONLY DEMOCRATS LEFT IN THE RACE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - STEEL REMAINS OF THE FALLEN WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWERS HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO COATESVILLE, WHERE THEY WERE MADE MORE THAN FOUR DECADES AGO. THE 10 STEEL SUPPORTS ARE BEING WELCOMED BY CIVIC LEADERS WHO ARE PROPOSING A NEW NATIONAL IRON AND STEEL HERITAGE MUSEUM.

BEIJING (AP) - THE NUMBER OF DEAD AND INJURED FROM A STRONG EARTHQUAKE IN WESTERN CHINA IS CLIMBING. CHINESE STATE TELEVISION SAYS AT LEAST 400 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED AND MORE THAN 10,000 INJURED. RESCUE WORKERS ARE TRYING TO DIG TRAPPED PEOPLE OUT OF THE RUBBLE OF COLLAPSED MUD AND WOOD HOUSES WHILE SCORES OF PEOPLE GATHER IN THE OPEN, SEARCHING FOR RELATIVES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN BEN BERNANKE IS LIKELY TO CARRY A WARNING TO CAPITOL HILL TODAY FOR AN APPEARANCE BEFORE THE JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE. HE'LL TELL LAWMAKERS THE PACE OF THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY WILL BE SLUGGISH DUE TO FORMIDABLE OBSTACLES LIKE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, STAGNANT WAGES, WEAK HOME VALUES, RISING FORECLOSURES AND HARD-TO-GET CREDIT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - SENATE DEMOCRATS SAY THEY'RE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT RESTORING JOBLESS BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO FIND WORK, AND EXTENDING THEM THROUGH MEMORIAL DAY. REPUBLICANS WANT TO FORCE CONGRESS TO PAY FOR THE MEASURE WITHOUT ADDING TO THE DEFICIT. AN EXTENSION THROUGH MEMORIAL DAY WOULD BUY TIME FOR NEGOTIATORS TO
WORK OUT A MORE COMPLICATED BILL THAT WOULD STRETCH BENEFITS THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.

BOSTON (AP) - THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT IS HAVING A HOMECOMING OF SORTS TODAY. SARAH PALIN IS SCHEDULED TO HEADLINE A RALLY IN BOSTON, THE CITY FROM WHICH TEA PARTY SUPPORTERS' REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT WAS BORN. FROM THERE, ACTIVISTS HEAD OUT ON A CROSS-COUNTRY TOUR WHICH CULMINATES IN WASHINGTON ON TAX DAY. THEIR TARGET IS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND THE RECENT FEDERAL HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL.

COLUMBUS, OHIO (AP) - AMTRAK IS LOOKING TO IMPROVE LONG-DISTANCE
ROUTES, MANY OF WHICH NOW HAVE PASSENGERS BOARDING IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE NIGHT AND RETURNING HOME AT TIMES THAT ARE JUST AS INCONVENIENT. UNDER FEDERAL LAW, ALL OF AMTRAK'S 15 NATIONAL ROUTES ARE SCHEDULED FOR REVIEWS THROUGH 2012. AMTRAK SAYS FOCUS GROUPS AND CUSTOMER FEEDBACK WILL BE KEY. AMTRAK RIDERSHIP IS UP 4.3 PERCENT AND IS ON PACE FOR A RECORD YEAR.