Today's News-Thursday, July 8, 2010

ORWIGSBURG MAN JAILED
An Orwigsburg man is jailed following an incident earlier this week. State police at Schuylkill Haven report that 22 year old Andrei Walsh reportedly got into an argument with his 25 year old girlfriend's father at a home on Fair Road, Wayne Township, on Monday. Walsh is alleged to have pointed a sawed off shotgun at the woman and the home as he was leaving. He's been charged with possession of a firearm and simple assault and is lodged in the county prison in lieu of bail.

BLOOD DRIVE
Wednesday's American Red Cross blood drive at Fairlane Village mall was a success thanks to you. Blood donations have been down this summer due to record heat and summer vacations, but more than 60 people were walk ins yesterday. WPPA/T102 are partnering with the Red Cross in the effort, with 75 units collected yesterday. If you missed your opportunity to donate Wednesday, there is another drive today at Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Schuylkill Haven from Noon till 6pm, and on Saturday, again at Fairlane Village, from 10am till 3pm. Donors will receive a coupon for a carton of Friendly's Ice Cream. Yesterday's goal was 102 units.

TWO OFFICERS ALSO TO STAND TRIAL
One day after deciding Shenandoah's ex-police chief Matthew Nestor must be tried for allegedly obstructing the probe of the fatal beating of an illegal Mexican immigrant, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that two fellow officers will also be tried. Senior U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo ruled that prosecutors produced sufficient evidence to support the charges filed against William Moyer and Jason Hayes. The Republican Herald reports, Caputo's rulings closely mirrored one he issued Tuesday in Matthew R. Nestor's case. The rulings mean that, Nestor, Moyer and Hayes will all be tried for allegedly impeding the investigation of the July 12, 2008, beating of 25-year-old Luis Ramirez in Shenandoah. Nestor, Moyer and Hayes are charged with conspiracy and falsification of records. 20-year-old Derrick Donchak, of Shenandoah, and 18-year-old Brandon Piekarsky, of Shenandoah Heights, are charged with a hate crime in connection with their participation in Ramirez's beating. Caputo has scheduled the trial of Donchak and Piekarsky to begin October 4th in Wilkes-Barre. He has not scheduled the start of the trial of the three officers.

STATE POLICE RELEASE HOLIDAY DATA
State police say 10 people died and 361 were injured in more than 700 crashes investigated during the July 4th holiday driving period. Reports say 7 of those killed were not wearing seatbelts, and 72 of the crashes investigated were alcohol related, including three of the fatalities. These stats compare with 9 fatalities in the 2009 July 4th holiday, which was only three days. These numbers are only for incidents which were investigated by state police.

EQUIPMENT STOLEN
Police are investigating the theft of equpment from a construction site earlier this week. Butler Township police say that several saws and other items, and a large amount of copper was taken from the job site on Gordon Mountain. Anyone with tips about the theft should call police at 875-4131.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The search will resume today for the two people still missing after yesterday's sinking of a duck boat on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. A 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man are still missing. More than 30 other people are accounted for, with only minor injuries reported.

YORK, Pa. (AP) - Five people have been ordered to stand trial in the murder and robbery of a Virginia man at a central Pennsylvania motel. Tracey Bradley is charged with criminal homicide, and other counts in the death of 72-year-old Lee Choppin. The case against Bradley was sent to county court after a preliminary hearing; four others are facing lesser charges.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Three western Pennsylvania casinos will be the first to offer table games starting today, and others across the state will soon follow. About 4,500 new jobs will be added at state casinos by the end of the year to accommodate the new games.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The state has suspended the license of a Pittsburgh doctor who was charged last month with writing prescriptions to female patients in exchange for sex, including one who died of an overdose. Dr. Michael Vogini faces a hearing in Harrisburg later this month to determine if the suspension will be extended.

OSLO, Norway (AP) - Three suspected al-Qaida members are under arrest in Norway in what officials there and in the U.S. say was a bombing plot linked to similar plans in New York and England. The men had been under surveillance for more than a year. Officials believe they were planning attacks with portable bombs like the ones at the heart of last year's thwarted suicide attack on the New York City subway.

NEW YORK (AP) - Ten of 11 people accused of being Russian spies could soon be deported from the U.S. A lawyer for one of the defendants indicted Wednesday says the case might be settled when they appear for an arraignment today. The brother of a convicted spy in a Russian jail says a spy swap could be in the works.

NEW YORK (AP) - Four days of a heat wave could ease up along much of the Eastern Seaboard. The National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures of just the 80s and 90s today. The
temperature hit 103 on Tuesday and 100 Wednesday.

LOUISIANA, Mo. (AP) - A man considered a person of interest in the kidnapping a 4-year-old girl in eastern Missouri is in critical condition after shooting himself as officers approached him at his home. The little girl was found alive wandering around a car wash 24 hours after being snatched.

LONDON (AP) - Talk about a treasure trove. A British treasure hunter has found a hoard of 52,000 Roman coins in a field in southwestern England. The find in April was just announced today by British museum officials. Some of the coins are on display at the British Museum. No word on the value.