Today's News-Tuesday, June 29, 2010

BOIL ADVISORY
Some customers of the Shenandoah Municipal Authority are under a water boil advisory until further notice. Due to a water leak, people who live in the 500 block of Centre Street, and on South Catherine Street, from Centre to Oak Street, should boil their water until further notice. If you have questions please call the authority at 462-1904.








Photos Courtesy of TamaquaArea.com


MAN INJURED IN TRENCH COLLAPSE
A Tamaqua man escaped serious injury after a trench cave-in Monday morning. Daniel Riegel, owner of Riegel Plumbing and Heating, was installing a pipe in a trench at 512 Lombard Street when it caved in, burying the man up to his chest. Quick work by men in the vicinity got Riegel out, and he was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem for treatment of his injuries. Riegel was released from the hosptial last night.

FORMER BAND DIRECTOR SENTENCED
A Tower City man has been sentenced on sexual abuse charges. Forty-four year old Leroy Johns Jr., the former band director and music teacher at Williams Valley High School was sentenced Monday by President Judge William Baldwin on 10 counts of possessing child pornography. Johns was found to have kiddie porn on a home computer last summer, and pleaded guilty to those charges in February, according to the Republican Herald. Johns will have to serve 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison, submit a DNA sample and pay court costs, plus have Megan's Law sanctions on him for a period of 10 years.

ASHLAND MAN WAS DUI WHEN MOTORCYCLE WRECKED
Police have determined that an Ashland man, who died in a motorcycle crash June 1st, was driving under the influence. Officers were in pursuit of 46 year old Bernard Kawa, beginning in Ashland as he was observed speeding on Route 901, but then backed off. Kawa crashed his motorcycle near the Strong Connector, skidding a long distance on the roadway then struck the back of a Jeep. Kawa's blood alcohol level was .228, according to Mt Carmel Township police.

THREE HAVE MINOR INJURIES
Three people suffered minor injuries in a two vehicle crash on Route 61 Monday afternoon. State police say 37 year old Matthew Allison of Pottsville was stopped for a red light in the jughandle at Route 61 and Cory Kleckner of Hazleton was southbound on Route 61. Kleckner's vehicle hit Allison's car in the intersection. Kleckner, Allison and a passenger in Kleckner's car, Heather Singer, were all treated for minor injuries. The crash happened around 3:30pm.

COST STUDY COMMISSION ISSUES FINAL REPORT
The Senate Government Management and Cost Study Commission has presented its final report to Senate leaders. Hanson Quickel has more from Harrisburg with Commission Chairman, Senator David Argall of Schuylkill County:

ARGALL COST STUDY FINAL

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State lawmakers and Governor Ed Rendell are pushing to finish up a budget deal before the end of the state's fiscal year this week. A major point of the talks is the potential loss of $850 million in federal stimulus aid for Pennsylvania that has stalled in Congress.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter says he's confident his city's existing series of gun-control laws aimed at attempting to curb the city's persistent gun violence problem are constitutional. The comments came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Constitution restrains government's ability to significantly limit "the right to keep and bear arms."

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A convicted murderer charged in the weekend stabbing deaths of four people was released from a state prison in April despite having failed to complete anger management therapy. Michael Ballard is charged with four counts of homicide in Saturday's rampage in the eastern Pennsylvania town of Northampton.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A former trucker who's already serving at least 75 years in prison for knife attacks on women in New Jersey and Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to similar charges in Pennsylvania. Adam Lane has admitted to charges stemming from the July 2007 murder of a Pennsylvania woman and an attack on another. The plea deal allows him to escape the death penalty.

MIAMI (AP) - Forecasters say Tropical Storm Alex will likely reach hurricane strength Tuesday. Hurricane warnings have been issued for the coasts of south Texas and northeastern Mexico. The storm's eye is moving away from the oil spill area off the Louisiana coast. It appears to be heading toward the U.S.-Mexico border.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Experts say there could be a silver lining to the storm clouds from Alex. Outer winds from the tropical storm could send oil skimmers back to port and make containment booms useless, even from far away. But waves churned up by Tropical Storm
Alex could help break up the patches of oil, and the higher-than-normal winds could help the crude evaporate faster.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The gloves may come off Tuesday at the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. Republicans said in opening statements that Kagan is an activist with limited experience. Democrats point to her work before the Supreme Court as solicitor general. Kagan was also dean at Harvard law school.

WASHINGTON (AP) - An independent report concludes that the U.S. has overestimated the ability of Afghan military and police units to fight on their own. The review is the first objective look at the rating system the military has used for the past five years to judge the effectiveness of Afghan troops.

PARACHINAR, Pakistan (AP) - Intelligence officials say at least six suspected militants, including a possible al-Qaida operative are dead in a suspected U.S. missiles strike. Officials say two missiles hit a house today in a Pakistani tribal region along the Afghan border where the army has been battling the Taliban. The house was known to be frequented by militants.