Today's News-Friday, May 21, 2010

COMMISSIONERS

THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MET IN REGULAR SESSION THURSDAY AT THE COURTHOUSE. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY REPORTS:

COMM 5.20

LEBANON COUNTY MAN CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT

A FORMER SCHUYLKILL HAVEN MAN IS CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A TEENAGED GIRL LAST YEAR. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS 52 YEAR OLD JOSEPH WOOD IS ALLEGED TO HAVE RAPED A 14 YEAR OLD IN A HOME ON CENTRE AVENUE IN SEPTEMBER, 2009. WOOD, OF PALMYRA, REPORTEDLY LURED THE GIRL INTO THE HOME, UNDER THE GUISE THAT SHE WOULD HELP HIM CLEAN HIS HOUSE. THAT'S WHEN THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE. THE GIRL, OF LEBANON, REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO STATE POLICE IN MARCH. SHE SAID WHILE WOOD DIDN'T THREATEN HER AFTER THE INCIDENT, HE DID TELL THE GIRL NOT TO SAY ANYTHING TO ANYONE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. FOLLOWING ARRAIGNMENT ON RAPE, STATUTORY SEXUAL ASSAULT AND OTHER COUNTS, DISTRICT JUDGE JAMES FERRIER REMANDED WOOD TO PRISON. A PRELIMINARY HEARING WILL BE HELD FOR WOOD IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

SOVEREIGN MAJESTIC AWARDS

THE FIFTH ANNUAL SOVEREIGN MAJESTIC AWARDS WERE HELD LAST NIGHT AT NORTH SCHUYLKILL HIGH SCHOOL, COMPLETE WITH SINGING, DANCING AND FANFARE. 11 PERFORMANCES AT AREA HIGH SCHOOLS WERE JUDGE IN A VARIETY OF CATEGORIES, WITH TRI VALLEY'S PERFORMANCE OF "SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS" GARNERING THE BEST OVERALL PRODUCTION, WITH ZACH SCHEIB AND HILARY WEHRY PICKING UP OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR AND ACTRESS, RESPECTIVELY. OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR WENT TO HARRY LUCAS OF NORTH SCHUYLKILL FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE OF BYE BYE BIRDIE. EACH SCHOOL PERFORMED A SNIPPET FROM EACH OF THEIR SHOWS BEFORE A PACKED AUDIENCE AT THE GALA, REMINISCENT OF THE TONY AWARDS.

ORWIGSBURG MAN PLEADS GUILTY FOR SELLING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

A 22 YEAR OLD ORWIGSBURG MAN ENTERED A PLEA OF GUILTY FOR SELLING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. COREY WHITECAVAGE HAD BEEN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION AND DELIVERY OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. COUNTY DETECTIVES FILED THE CHARGES FOR MAKING SALES OF PERCOCET AND OXYCODONE TO A CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT LAST SPRING. A PRE SENTENCE INVESTIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED BEFORE WHITECAVAGE IS SENTENCED.

CRASH MAY BE DUI RELATED

A CRASH INVOLVING A TAMAQUA MAN MAY BE DUI RELATED. THAT'S ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE, WHO SAY 58 YEAR OLD WILLIAM JOHNSON LOST CONTROL OF HIS PICKUP TRUCK ON PHEASANT RUN ROAD, STRIKING SEVERAL TREES. JOHNSON WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER EAST FOR TREATMENT OF HIS INJURIES, AND A BLOOD ALCOHOL DRAW TAKEN. DUI CHARGES ARE PENDING THE RESULT OF THOSE TESTS. THE CRASH HAPPENED AFTER 6PM WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) - ONE OF THREE AMERICANS JAILED IN IRAN SAYS THE LONELINESS OF CAPTIVITY IS THE HARDEST PART. SARAH SHOURD TOLD REPORTERS THE TREATMENT HAS BEEN DECENT, HOWEVER. SHE WAS ARRESTED
ALONG WITH HER BOYFRIEND AND THEIR FRIEND, JOSH FATTAL OF SUBURBAN
PHILADELPHIA.

WAYNESBORO, PA. (AP) - A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA SOLDIER WAS AMONG THOSE KILLED IN AN ATTACK ON NATO FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN THIS WEEK. TWENTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD STAFF SGT. RICHARD JAMES TIEMAN OF WAYNESBORO DIED TUESDAY IN KABUL. TIEMAN WAS ONE OF FIVE AMERICAN TROOPS KILLED BY A CAR BOMB.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PARK OFFICIAL SAYS A WHITE POWDER FOUND IN A BALLOON NEAR THE LIBERTY BELL IN PHILADELPHIA WAS FLOUR. THE BALLOON WAS FOUND YESTERDAY INSIDE THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE LIBERTY BELL. THE LIBERTY BELL CENTER AND PART OF A STREET NEXT TO IT WERE EVACUATED AS A PRECAUTION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS NOMINATED PITTSBURGH ATTORNEY DAVID J. HICKTON TO SERVE AS THE U.S. ATTORNEY FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE 48-YEAR-OLD HICKTON IS ACTIVE IN DEMOCRATIC POLITICS AND HELPED FOUND THE PITTSBURGH FIRM OF BURNS, WHITE & HICKTON IN 1987.

TOKYO (AP) - SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON SAYS THE U.S., JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND CHINA ARE CONSULTING ON AN APPROPRIATE REACTION TO WORD THAT NORTH KOREA SUNK A SOUTH KOREAN WARSHIP. AN INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION BLAMES NORTH KOREA, THOUGH PYONGYANG
DENIES HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. CLINTON SAYS NORTH KOREA MUST
FACE INTERNATIONAL CONSEQUENCES.

LONDON (AP) - BRITAIN'S FOREIGN SECRETARY SAYS THERE WILL BE AN INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER THE U.K. WAS COMPLICIT IN TORTURE OVERSEAS, AN ALLEGATION LONG DENIED BY THE GOVERNMENT. WILLIAM HAGUE SAYS A JUDGE WILL LEAD THE FORMAL INQUIRY. AT LEAST 12 MEN ARE SUING BRITAIN, CLAIMING THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE, OR INVOLVED IN, THEIR TORTURE OVERSEAS.

TOKYO (AP) - TOYOTA'S LEXUS RECALL IS UNDER WAY TODAY, STARTING WITH 4,509 LEXUS CARS IN JAPAN THAT HAVE A COMPUTER PROBLEM AFFECTING THE MODEL'S STEERING SYSTEM. A SIMILAR RECALL WILL FOLLOW IN THE U.S. THE CARMAKER SAYS ANOTHER 7,000 LUXURY LEXUS "LS" CARS ARE AFFECTED IN THE U.S., CHINA, EUROPE AND OTHER REGIONS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS SAVORING A MAJOR VICTORY WITH THE SENATE'S PASSAGE OF THE FINANCIAL OVERHAUL. IT MUST STILL BE RECONCILED WITH A DIFFERENT HOUSE VERSION BUT A KEY HOUSE NEGOTIATOR PREDICTS THE FINISHED BILL WILL BE ON OBAMA'S DESK BY THE FOURTH OF JULY.

GRAND ISLE, LA. (AP) - THERE IS ANGER IN LOUISIANA AND ON CAPITOL HILL WITH OIL GIANT BP. VIDEO OF ITS GUSHING WELL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO SHOWS THERE IS A PLUME OF OIL AND GAS SPEWING INTO THE SEA DESPITE THE SIPHONING OF OIL TO A TANKER ON THE SURFACE. EXPERTS HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT THE LEAK IS FAR MORE THAN 5,000 BARRELS PER DAY. BP NOW AGREES. THE OIL HAS REACHED LOUISIANA WETLANDS NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI.