Today's News-Monday, May 17, 2010

METH LAB BUSTED
TWO MEN AND A WOMAN ARE JAILED AFTER A METH LAB WAS RAIDED EARLY SUNDAY IN TREMONT. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT A TRAFFIC STOP IN PINE GROVE STARTED A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT LED TO THE ARRESTS OF 32 YEAR OLD JASON FREW, WHO LIVED AT THE HOME ON WEST LAUREL STREET, 34 YEAR OLD TANYA KOCH OF TREMONT AND 35 YEAR OLD CHARLES KILLE OF LEBANON. A VEHICLE OWNED BY FREW AND DRIVEN BY 25 YEAR OLD MELISSA SNYDER WAS STOPPED FOR SPEEDING IN PINE GROVE. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS TIPPED POLICE TO THE METH LAB AT FREW'S HOME AND OFFICERS QUICKLY SWOOPED IN AND SHUT THE LAB DOWN. POLICE CLEANED UP THE SCENE LATER IN THE MORNING YESTERDAY. REPORTS INDICATE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING THE LAB FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.

CELL PHONE DISTRACTS DRIVER, CRASHES VEHICLE
A TAMAQUA MAN, APPARENTLY DISTRACTED BY HIS CELL PHONE, CRASHED HIS VEHICLE IN WALKER TOWNSHIP SATURDAY. STATE POLICE SAY MARK SCHEITRUM WAS NORTHBOUND ON RIVER ROAD AROUND 5AM WHEN HE LOST CONTROL WHILE LOOKING AT HIS PHONE. HIS VEHICLE HIT THE UTILITY POLE AND TWO MAILBOXES, KNOCKING POWER OUT FOR ABOUT 5 HOURS WHILE REPAIRS WERE MADE. CHARGES AGAINST SCHEITRUM WILL BE PROCESSED THROUGH DISTRICT COURT.

CRASH, DUI RELATED
A ZERBE MAN SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES IN A CRASH ON TOWNSHIP ROUTE 976 IN BRANCH TOWNSHIP EARLY SATURDAY. STATE POLICE SAY 22 YEAR OLD BRADLEY GRAVER WAS DRIVING TOO FAST ON A LEFT CURVE IN THE ROAD, STRIKING A TREE, THEN WENT UP AN EMBANKMENT AND ROLLED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. GRAVER APPEARED TO BE INTOXICATED AND WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR A BLOOD ALCOHOL TEST. CHARGES ARE PENDING THE RESULT OF THAT BLOOD TEST.

REAR END CRASH IN EAST NORWEGIAN TOWNSHIP
STATE POLICE SAY A WOMAN SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES IN A CRASH ON THE ST. CLAIR/PORT CARBON HIGHWAY SATURDAY MORNING. 81 YEAR OLD EDNA SHAFFER OF ST CLAIR WAS FOLLOWING BEHIND A VEHICLE DRIVEN BY MICHAEL CARUSO OF POTTSVILLE WHEN SHAFFER REAR ENDED CARUSO'S CAR. SHAFFER WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH FOR TREATMENT.

STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE CAR FIRE
A VAN, FILLED WITH TIRES, BURNED OUT EARLY ON SATURDAY IN PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP. STATE POLICE DISCOVERED THE FIRE AROUND 2:30AM, AND CREWS EXTINGUISHED THE BLAZE IN THE FORD VAN. IT IS UNKNOWN WHO THE VEHICLE BELONGS TO. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE FIRE CONTINUES.

SOAPBOX DERBY
THE ANNUAL SOAP BOX DERBY ROLLED OUT THIS WEEKEND IN POTTSVILLE. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS MORE:

SOAP BOX DERBY

HAVEN CYCLE FEST
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN POLICE HOSTED THE SECOND ANNUAL CYCLE FEST SATURDAY AT BUBECK PARK. REPORTER SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS THE DETAILS:

CYCLE FEST

MEDIA, PA. (AP) - A DAY BEFORE THE STATE'S TOO-CLOSE-TO-CALL DEMOCRATIC SENATE PRIMARY ELECTION, BOTH INCUMBENT ARLEN SPECTER AND CHALLENGER JOE SESTAK ARE TRYING TO PROJECT CONFIDENCE. SESTAK SAYS HE'LL WIN BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO WERE HURT BY THE RECESSION ARE HOLDING INCUMBENTS ACCOUNTABLE. SPECTER SAYS A STRONG GET-OUT-THE-VOTE EFFORT WILL CARRY HIM TO VICTORY.

JOHNSTOWN, PA. (AP) - FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON HAS LENT HIS DEMOCRATIC STAR POWER TO MARK CRITZ, WHO'S LOCKED IN A TIGHT RACE TO FILL THE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SEAT HELD BY THE LATE CONGRESSMAN JOHN MURTHA. CLINTON SAYS MURTHA'S FORMER TOP AIDE CAN BRING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JOBS TO A BLUE-COLLAR DISTRICT HIT HARD BY THE RECESSION. HE'S BATTLING REPUBLICAN TIM BURNS FOR THE SEAT.

NEW YORK (AP) - A SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA WOMAN HAS JOINED THE TWO OTHER MOTHERS OF THREE AMERICAN HIKERS HELD IN IRAN FOR ALMOST A YEAR ON A JOURNEY TO VISIT THEM IN PRISON. JOSH FATTAL, SHANE BAUER AND SARAH HOURD WERE ARRESTED ALONG THE IRAQI BORDER AND ACCUSED BY IRAN OF SPYING. THE MOTHERS ARE IN NEW YORK AND PLAN TO LEAVE FOR IRAN SOON.

LANCASTER, PA. (AP) - THE STATE TOURISM OFFICE HAS SCHEDULED A RE-ENACTMENT OF AN 1865 PARADE OF BLACK CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS WHO MARCHED THROUGH THE STREETS OF HARRISBURG TO COMMEMORATE THE WAR'S END. THE INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL OF LANCASTER SAYS THE STATE IS LOOKING TO IDENTIFY DESCENDANTS OF THE SOLDIERS TO TAKE PART IN THE CELEBRATION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS SENDING CABINET CHIEFS TO CAPITOL HILL STARTING TODAY TO DEFEND THE RESPONSE TO THE GULF OIL SPILL AND THEY MAY FINALLY HAVE SOME BETTER NEWS. BP HAS FINALLY SUCCEEDED IN KEEPING SOME OF THE GUSHING OIL OUT OF THE GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH A MILE-LONG TUBE TO A TANKER.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF CRUDE ARE ALREADY IN THE WATER FROM A GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL AND RESEARCHERS SAY THE BLACK OOZE MAY HAVE ENTERED A MAJOR CURRENT THAT COULD CARRY IT THROUGH THE FLORIDA KEYS AND AROUND TO THE EAST COAST.

BRUSSELS (AP) - NATO IS UNVEILING THE DRAFT OF ITS UPDATED MISSION STATEMENT THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME WILL INCLUDE THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN, COUNTERTERRORISM, AND ANTI-PIRACY PATROLS. THE DOCUMENT TO BE PRESENTED LATER TODAY WILL ATTEMPT TO BRIDGE A GROWING RIFT BETWEEN THE U.S., WHICH FAVORS A GREATER INTERNATIONAL ROLE FOR NATO, AND EUROPEAN NATIONS.

TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) - IRAN IS AGREEING TODAY TO SHIP MOST OF ITS ENRICHED URANIUM TO TURKEY IN A NUCLEAR FUEL SWAP DEAL. THAT COULD EASE THE INTERNATIONAL STANDOFF OVER THE COUNTRY'S DISPUTED NUCLEAR PROGRAM, JUST AS PRESSURE IS MOUNTING FOR TOUGHER SANCTIONS.

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (AP) - A HIGH SCHOOL IN RHODE ISLAND IS GETTING ITS FIRED TEACHERS BACK. THE CENTRAL FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT, ONE OF THE POOREST IN THE STATE, HAS REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE UNION ALLOWING ROUGHLY 87 TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFFERS TO RETURN WITHOUT HAVING TO REAPPLY. THE DISTRICT HAD FIRED ALL THE TEACHERS FROM THE UNDER-PERFORMING CENTRAL FALLS HIGH.