Today's News-Saturday, July 31, 2010

The former top ranking official with Schuylkill Products agreed to plead guilty in federal court yesterday. Ernest Fink will admit to conspiracy for his part in a mutimillion-dollar fraud against the U.S. government. He faces a maximum prison term of five years, however sentencing in the case has not been scheduled. Fink was employed as the company's former vice president and chief operating officer. He is the fourth man to plead guilty in connection with a $136 million fraud scheme concerning the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program. Joseph W. Nagle, the company's former president and CEO, remains charged with 11 counts each of wire fraud and unlawful monetary transactions, six of mail fraud and two each of conspiracy and forfeiture.

A Tremont man is in county prison after smashing a beer bottle over another man's head Thursday night, state police at Schuylkill Haven said. Police said Daniel Troy Langtry, 21, began arguing with David A. Weikel, 39, inside Weikel's 2262 E. Main St., Hubley Township, home at 6:31 p.m. Langtry then smashed a bottle over Weikel's head and punched him in the face, authorities said. Langtry was arraigned Thursday night before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville, and incarcerated in lieu of 10 percent of $20,000 bail, police said.

Temperatures across Pennsylvania have topped 90 degrees regularly over the past month and a half, and more heat is on the way in August. A State Senator from Philadelphia says health officials are reminding us all that keeping cool in this heat can save your life. Don Rooney has more.

ROONEY

The former Shenandoah Valley High School security guard who allegedly threatened the principal and students will pay costs and a fine after pleading guilty Friday in Schuylkill County Court to one summary offense. According to the Republican and Herald, Carlos L. Cintron III of Reading, was seeking dismissal of all charges when he pleaded guilty to harassment and was sentenced by Judge Charles M. Miller to pay costs and a $300 fine. Shenandoah police had charged Cintron, who worked for Anthracite Protective Services, with writing a note in which he threatened to slit the throat of Principal Philip Andras and alluded to a possible massacre at the school.

A vandal damaged property and stole a fiberglass door from World Resources Co., 18 Front St., overnight Thursday, according to state police at Schuylkill Haven. Police said the vandal smashed a plexiglass windshield on a rail mover, causing $250 in damage, then stole the door from a trailer outside the building between 4 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday. The door is blue in color and should have a sticker on it that reads "F10." Anyone with information should call state police at Schuylkill Haven at 570-593-2000.

SEWICKLEY, Pa. (AP) - Authorities say a worker apparently overcome by fumes at an Allegheny County sewage plant died Thursday from injuries suffered in a subsequent fall, not toxic gas. The medical examiner says Jack Hogan III of Baden died of blunt force trauma and says the death an accident.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Northeastern Pennsylvania is getting a new area code: 272. The region is expected to run out of 570 numbers next year, and customers will be assigned numbers with the 272 code. Callers will have to dial all 10 digits of a local number - instead of the current seven.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (AP) - A 41-year-old woman will serve time for lying about her role in what authorities call a drunken boating accident that killed a 12-year-old girl. Barbara Hummer was
sentenced to 21 months to four years in prison. The crash last year on the Susquehanna near Lock Haven killed Valerie Heidt of Howard.

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AP) - A pilot from York (Pennsylvania) is one of four airmen who were killed this week when a cargo plane crashed during a training mission at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. Captain Jeffrey Hill was assigned to Elmendorf's 517th Airlift Squadron.

DRUMORE, Pa. (AP) - Rescue crews have recovered the body of a teenager who vanished after diving off a cliff into the Susquehanna River in southern Lancaster County. Police say the 19-year-old from Manheim Township was with friends Thursday evening when he dived into the river and didn't resurface.

RHINEBECK, N.Y. (AP) - An exclusive estate along New York's Hudson River is the scene today of Chelsea Clinton's marriage to her longtime boyfriend, investment banker Marc Mezvinsky. It's been preceded by weeks of intrigue, secrecy and buzz and hundreds have been crowding into the small village of Rhinebeck in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Clintons or other VIPs.

PALMDALE, Calif. (AP) - A wildfire that consumed 20 square miles of brush, jumped an aqueduct and menaced power lines that deliver electricity to Southern California has been slowed by water dropping aircraft. The weather isn't helping as fire officials expect low humidity and high temperatures again today with winds gusts of up to 50 mph in the foothills.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The water quality at the nation's beaches isn't doing any better than it was two years ago. The National Resources Defense Council's annual beach water quality survey finds seven percent of beach water samples nationwide last year violated the national health standard.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - The "black box" flight data recorder has been recovered from a plane that went down in Pakistan, killing all 152 people aboard. Officials say they hope the discovery can shed light on why the Airblue flight crashed Wednesday into the hills overlooking the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

NOWSHERA, Pakistan (AP) - Fears of disease are rising in Pakistan where some flood evacuees are showing signs of diarrhea, fever and other illnesses. Rescuers, meanwhile, are being hampered by deluged roads and damaged bridges as they try to reach thousands of victims. The floods killed more than 430 people, left some 400,000 stranded in far-flung villages and severely damaged the nation's already-weak infrastructure.