Today's News-Wednesday, July 14, 2010

ALUMINUM THEFT FROM BUSINESS
A large amount of aluminum stolen from a Schuylkill County business. Troopers say between four Monday afternoon and just before six Tuesday morning someone cut a lock to get on the property of Lynn Ladder and Scaffolding in West Brunswick Township near Orwigsburg. They then damaged a door to force it open and get inside a building. The culprits made off with several large barrels of two inch and two and a quarter inch cut aluminum, guiding tools and lock boxes which attach to their scaffolding and ladder products. Anyone with information about this theft is asked to call State Police at Schuylkill Haven.

MEN SOUGHT
Orwigsburg police are asking for the public's help to find two men involved in an altercation earlier this week at a borough grocery store. The unidentified pair reportedly began arguing Monday night in the parking lot at Boyers Food Market on South Liberty Street, and one is alleged to have pulled a handgun. After realizing he had been seen, the man put the gun away and fled. The pair are described as being white males, one about 5 feet 7 inches tall. Their vehicles are described as a green Jeep and a gold colored Pontiac Grand Prix. If anyone has leads on the incident, call Orwigsburg police at 366-3102.

BIDS DUE IN REPAVING WORK
A heavily traveled roadway in our area is going to get some much needed repairs, according to State Representative Tim Seip. Bids for repaving Route 25, from the intersection of Route 125 in Hegins Township to the Dauphin County line are due tomorrow. Residents in that area have been concerned about the poor road conditions, and a petition was solicited asking for help. If the bids come in in good order, the project is expected to get underway in the current construction season.

ST CLAIR POOL EXPECTS TO OPEN
Crews have been working diligently to clean up the remants of a fire at the bathhouse at St. Clair pool. If all goes well, officials say that the pool will open for business on Thursday. That fire reportedly was caused by a video game.
　
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Rescue crews in Philadelphia are searching for a missing man in the same creek that was the scene of a dramatic rescue during storms yesterday. Police say three men were rafting in the rain-swollen Pennypack Creek yesterday when a 20-year-old fell off his raft and was couldn't get back on.

STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP) - Authorities in eastern Pennsylvania have charged a man with homicide by vehicle in the death of his wife in a crash that followed a police chase. Kenneth Strausser of Stroudsburg was arrested Monday at a Scranton hospital and transported to Monroe County jail.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A consultant says a natural gas drilling company failed to use a proper pressure-control backup system before a well blowout in Clearfield County last month. The report also criticizes the drilling crew's lack of training and proper equipment testing. EOG Resources and its contractor, C.C. Forbes, are agreeing to pay maximum fines of more than $400,000 combined.

MACUNGIE, Pa. (AP) - A veterinarian says a dog trapped in a car on a 90-degree day near Allentown honked the horn until he was rescued. The vet says the chocolate Labrador was brought into an animal hospital last month after his owner had gone shopping and was unloading packages but forgot that the dog was still inside. The vet says the dog suffered no serious injuries.　

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats are trying to turn up the heat on Republicans in the coming weeks by offering things like a fresh extension of jobless benefits. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says it will show voters whose side Republican lawmakers are on -- Wall Street and the wealthy, or American families struggling to get by.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The checkered flag is in sight for Senate Democrats trying to pass the financial overhaul. Democrats have cobbled together the 60 votes they need to overcome a Republican filibuster, setting the stage for Senate approval in the next day or two. It's one of the administration's top priorities.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The need for more analysis has delayed efforts to start testing a new cap on the blown out Gulf oil well. It's not clear what's being analyzed. BP's new well cap is designed
to finally stop the flow of oil. National Incident Commander Thad Allen did not say when the tests would start.

JERUSALEM (AP) - The potential for a high seas showdown looms as a Libyan charity's ship carrying aid for the Gaza Strip is crawling at sea about 80 miles from the Palestinian territory. The captain has reported engine trouble and it's unclear whether the ship will still try to defy an Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. Israel says the captain reports he's headed for Egypt.

CHICAGO (AP) - The corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is in recess until Monday to give defense attorneys more time to prepare. Prosecutors rested their case yesterday earlier than expected after presenting more than five weeks of testimony.