TODAY'S NEWS: AUGUST 31, 2010

LOCAL NEWS

DUI CRASH ON ROUTE 61 SOUTH

A DUI CRASH HAPPENED ON ROUTE 61 IN NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AROUND 3:11PM WHEN FREDERICK LEE SCHNERRING, 55 OF ORWIGSBURG, DRIVING A 1996 FORD F250 FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE SLOWED TRAFFIC IN THE RIGHT LANE AND SLAMMED INTO THE REAR A 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY BELONGING TO TAMMY J POST, 49 OF MIDDLEPORT. POST WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER IN POTTSVILLE, AND SCHNERRING WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER EXHIBITING SIGNS OF INTOXICATION.

MAN THROWN FROM MOTORCYCLE AFTER BEING CUT OFF ON ROUTE 443

A MAN WAS THROWN FROM HIS MOTORCYCLE AFTER BEING CUT OFF YESTERDAY AFTERNOON ON ROUTE 443. DARRELL SPOTTS, OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, WAS FLOWN BY LIFE FLIGHT AND IS IN SERIOUS CONDITION AFTER HIS YAMAHA YM500 MOTORCYCLE COLLIDED WITH THE BUMPER OF TOYOTA AVALON WHILE TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON THE ROAD. THE 2003 TOYOTA BELONGING TO WALTER AND PEARL RUSSELAVAGE, WAS TRAVELING EAST AND FAILED TO SEE SPOTTS BEFORE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN INTO A FRUIT STAND PARKING LOT. SPOTTS WAS THROWN FROM HIS MOTORCYCLE AND LANDED 57FEET AWAY ON THE WESTBOUND GRASS BERM. WALTER AND PEARL RUSSELAVAGE SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. NO CURRENT INFORMATION ON SPOTTS’S CONDITION HAS BEEN RELEASED.


FRACKVILLE MAN ARRESTED IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

A FRACKVILLE MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR HAVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ON HIS COMPUTER. JOSEPH CHIMAHOSKY OF 215 GERMANVILLE ROAD IS CHARGED WITH 17 FELONY COUNTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN, POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ONE FELONY COUNTY OF CRIMINAL USE OF A COMMUNICATIONS FACILITY. THIS IS AFTER AN ASHLAND-BASED COMPUTER REPAIR COMPANY NOTICED TWO IMAGES OF NAKED CHILDREN, BELIEVED TO BE UNDER 18. THE COMPANY WAS DOING REPAIR WORK ON CHIMAHOSKY’S COMPUTER AND CONTACTED BUTLER TOWNSHIP POLICE. THE COMPUTER WAS SEIZED AND A FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF THE DEVICE BY THE STATE POLICE COMPUTER CRIME TASK FORCE IN WILKES-BARRE. THEY FOUND 17 IMAGES THAT WERE PROBABLE CHILD PORN. CHIMAHOSKY SAID HE INTENTIONALLY VIEWED NUDE INTERNET PHOTOS BY VISITING NUDIST BEACH WEBSITES, AND ALSO ADMITTED TO RECENTLY VIEWING AN IMAGE DEPICTING A CHILD BEING RAPED. HE STATED WOULD VIEW NUDE CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY MADE HIM WISH HE HAD HIS YOUTH BACK.


COUNTY JOBLESS RATE RISES .10% IN JULY

THE COUNTY JOBLESS RATE ROSE SLIGHTLY IN JULY, BY ONLY A TENTH OF A PERCENT. THIS IS DUE TO A JOB LOSS OF 1,000 JOBS FROM JUNE TO JULY, BRINGING THE NUMBER OF JOBS IN THE COUNTY TO 50,800 FROM 51,800. THE COUNTY’S LABOR FORCE ALSO DROPPED FROM 75,200 TO 74,700. ABOUT 500 OF THE LOST JOBS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS GOING ON SUMMER BREAK, AND 300 MANUFACTURING JOBS WERE ALSO LOST. IN ADDITION TO THESE LOSSES, AT LEAST 100 JOBS WERE DROPPED AS THE RESULT OF THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU WORKERS COMPLETING THEIR DUTIES. THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAS HOVERED AROUND 11% FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. THE COUNTY’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS HIGHEST AMONG THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES.


STATE NEWS

EASTON, PA. (AP) - A MAN ACCUSED OF STABBING FOUR PEOPLE TO
DEATH IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA IS SCHEDULED TO HAVE A PRELIMINARY
HEARING TODAY. MICHAEL ERIC BALLARD IS CHARGED WITH KILLING DENISE
MERHI, HER FATHER, HER GRANDFATHER, AND A NEIGHBOR ON JUNE 26TH IN
THE TOWN OF NORTHAMPTON. NORTHAMPTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOHN
MORGANELLI TELLS THE ALLENTOWN MORNING CALL HE PLANS TO SEEK THE
DEATH PENALTY.

BROOMALL, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA SAY A
CHARRED BODY WAS FOUND IN A BURNING CAR IN A PARKING LOT NEXT TO AN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND. FIREFIGHTERS IN BROOMALL SAY RESCUE
WORKERS FOUND THE SEDAN ENGULFED IN FLAMES EARLY YESTERDAY AT
LOOMIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN MARPLE TOWNSHIP.

WHITE OAK, PA. (AP) - OFFICIALS IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAY A
MAN WORKING ON THE ROOF OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING IS DEAD AFTER
FALLING SIX STORIES. THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE
SAYS ROBERT BARNCORD WAS WORKING FOR A ROOFING COMPANY TO FIX A
CHIMNEY ON THE ROYAL OAK APARTMENT COMPLEX IN THE PITTSBURGH SUBURB
OF WHITE OAK.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - OFFICIALS IN LUZERNE COUNTY HAVE VOTED
TO SUE NEIGHBORING LACKAWANNA COUNTY OVER AGREEMENTS INVOLVING THE
SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE YANKEES FRANCHISE. LACKAWANNA COUNTY
OFFICIALS APPROVED 2007 FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS THAT ALLOW A SALE OF
THE FRANCHISE WITHOUT INPUT FROM LUZERNE COUNTY, EVEN THOUGH BOTH
COUNTIES OWN A SHARE OF THE STOCK AND PAID $1 MILLION TO BUY THE
FRANCHISE IN 1986.


NATIONAL NEWS

OBAMA-IRAQ
NEW: OBAMA SPEAKS ON IRAQ TONIGHT

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SPEAKS TO THE NATION
TONIGHT TO HERALD THE FORMAL END OF THE U.S. COMBAT MISSION IN
IRAQ.
THE PRESIDENT WILL SAY TONIGHT HE'S FULFILLED A CAMPAIGN
PROMISE.
AHEAD OF THE SPEECH, HE'S THANKING TROOPS AT FORT BLISS, TEXAS,
FOR THE VALOR THEY'VE SHOWN IN IRAQ.
THE SPRAWLING ARMY BASE IN EL PASO, TEXAS, IS HOME TO THE 1ST
ARMORED DIVISION - "OLD IRONSIDES" - AND HAS BEEN PROVIDING HEAVY
ARMOR THROUGHOUT THE SEVEN YEARS OF THE IRAQ CONFLICT.
WITH UNDER 50,000 U.S. TROOPS LEFT, FROM TODAY THEIR ROLE IS NOT
TO LEAD THE FIGHT BUT TO TRAIN IRAQIS AND BACK THEM UP.
AND OBAMA WILL SAY THE IRAQ DRAWDOWN HAS MADE POSSIBLE HIS SURGE
IN AFGHANISTAN, WHERE HE SAYS AMERICA'S SECURITY IS ON THE LINE.
MORE THAN 90,000 U.S. TROOPS HAVE COME HOME ON OBAMA'S WATCH,
AND THE PRESIDENT WILL SAY THEY DID SO RESPONSIBLY.

POLL-ELECTION ISSUES
NEW: AP-GFK POLL: MOST ATTUNED VOTERS TILT TOWARD GOP

WASHINGTON (AP) - A NEW POLL SHOWS THAT AMERICANS WITH THE
STRONGEST OPINIONS ABOUT THE COUNTRY'S MOST DIVISIVE ISSUES ARE
UNHAPPY WITH HOW PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS HANDLING THEM.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS-GFK POLL SHOWS THAT AMERICANS WHO EXPRESSED
INTENSE INTEREST IN NINE OUT OF 15 ISSUES, INCLUDING THE ECONOMY,
UNEMPLOYMENT, FEDERAL DEFICITS AND TERRORISM, ARE STRONGLY OPPOSED
TO OBAMA'S WORK ON THEM.
OPINIONATED AMERICANS APPROVED OF OBAMA'S PERFORMANCE ON JUST
ONE ISSUE: U.S. RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES.
IN A DANGER SIGN FOR DEMOCRATS, MOST AMERICANS WHO ARE EXTREMELY
CONCERNED ABOUT 10 OF THE ISSUES SAY THEY WILL VOTE FOR THE
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE IN THEIR LOCAL HOUSE RACE. ONLY THOSE HIGHLY
INTERESTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT LEAN TOWARD THE DEMOCRATS.

TROPICAL WEATHER
EARL BATTERS CARIBBEAN, THREATENS US EAST COAST

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (AP) - CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE EARL BATTERED
TINY ISLANDS ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN AND COULD BE EVEN
STRONGER BY THE TIME IT HAS A POTENTIAL BRUSH WITH THE U.S. COAST.
IN THE CARIBBEAN, EARL, WITH 135 MPH WINDS, CAUSED FLOODING IN
LOW-LYING AREAS AND DAMAGED HOMES ON ISLANDS INCLUDING ANTIGUA AND
BARBUDA, ANGUILLA AND ST. MAARTEN.
THE STORM'S CENTER PASSED JUST NORTH OF THE BRITISH VIRGIN
ISLANDS ON MONDAY AFTERNOON. BY NIGHTTIME, THE HURRICANE WAS
PULLING AWAY FROM THE CARIBBEAN, BUT HEAVY DOWNPOURS STILL
THREATENED TO CAUSE FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES IN PUERTO RICO AND
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS BY DRENCHING ALREADY SATURATED GROUND.
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER METEOROLOGIST WALLACE HOGSETT SAYS
EVEN A TINY CHANGE OF DIRECTION COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
STORM MAKING LANDFALL IN THE U.S. OR NOT, POSSIBLY BY THURSDAY.

AFGHANISTAN
UPDATE: 4 MORE COALITION TROOPS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - NATO SAYS FOUR AMERICAN TROOPS HAVE
BEEN KILLED IN A ROADSIDE BOMB EXPLOSION IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN.
TUESDAY'S DEATHS COME AMID A PARTICULARLY BLOODY PERIOD FOR
AMERICAN FORCES IN THE COUNTRY, WITH 18 SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED
SINCE SATURDAY TO BRING THIS MONTH'S TOTAL TO 53. ANOTHER MEMBER OF
THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION WHOSE NATIONALITY HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED
WAS KILLED ON MONDAY.
JULY WAS THE DEADLIEST MONTH FOR U.S. TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN
SINCE THE 2001 INVASION, WITH 66 KILLED.
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFGHANISTAN HAVE SEEN THE HEAVIEST
FIGHTING. THOSE AREAS ARE ALSO CLOSEST TO THE BORDER WITH PAKISTAN,
WHERE THE INSURGENTS MAINTAIN TRAINING BASES FOR RECRUITS TO BE
LATER INFILTRATED INTO AFGHANISTAN.
THE SPIKE IN DEATHS IN THE THREE DAYS THROUGH MONDAY CAME AS
PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI AGAIN PUBLICLY RAISED DOUBTS ABOUT THE U.S.
STRATEGY IN THE WAR. KARZAI SAYS SUCCESS CANNOT BE ACHIEVED UNTIL
MORE AFGHANS ARE IN THE FRONT LINES AND INSURGENT SANCTUARIES IN
PAKISTAN ARE SHUT DOWN.

NATO-PETRAEUS
NEW: PETRAEUS: TALIBAN RETAIN MOMENTUM IN SOME AREAS

BRUSSELS (AP) - THE TOP U.S. AND NATO COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN
SAYS THAT DESPITE RECENT SUCCESSES BY COALITION FORCES, TALIBAN
GUERRILLAS STILL RETAIN THE INITIATIVE IN SOME PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY.
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS SAYS THAT NATO FORCES HAD REVERSED SOME OF
THE GAINS THE TALIBAN HAD MADE IN RECENT YEARS IN THE SOUTHERN
PROVINCES OF HELMAND AND KANDAHAR AND AROUND KABUL.
BUT IN AN INTERVIEW WITH NATO TV BROADCAST ON TUESDAY, PETRAEUS
SAID "I WOULD NOT SAY WE HAVE REVERSED THE MOMENTUM IN ALL AREAS
BY ANY MEANS."
HE NOTED THAT THE AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES WERE GROWING FASTER
THAN EXPECTED, WITH THE ARMY NUMBERING 134,000 MEN AND THE POLICE
SLIGHTLY MORE.
THE NATO-LED FORCE HAS ABOUT 140,000 TROOPS. TALIBAN GUERRILLAS
ARE ESTIMATED TO NUMBER BETWEEN 25,000 AND 30,000.

ALASKA SENATE
NEW: ABSENTEE AND QUESTIONED BALLOTS TO BE COUNTED

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE RESULTS OF ALASKA'S REPUBLICAN SENATE
PRIMARY COULD BECOME CLEARER TODAY.
ALASKA ELECTION OFFICIALS HAVE MORE THAN 15-THOUSAND ABSENTEE
BALLOTS AND NEARLY 10,000 QUESTIONED BALLOTS TO COUNT IN THE RACE
BETWEEN SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI AND CHALLENGER JOE MILLER.
MILLER HOLDS A LEAD OF LESS THAN 1,700 VOTES.
THE COUNTING COMES AMID CHARGES FROM MILLER'S CAMPAIGN OF
POSSIBLE VOTE TAMPERING
HE'S CALLED FOR ALASKA STATE TROOPERS TO OVERSEE THE COUNTING.
MURKOWSKI SAYS SHE'S ASTOUNDED BY MILLER'S CHARGES.

DRUG WAR-MEXICO
MEXICO SAYS DRUG LORD 'THE BARBIE' CAPTURED

MEXICO CITY (AP) - MEXICO'S ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS AUTHORITIES
HAVE CAPTURED LONG-SOUGHT DRUG KINGPIN EDGAR VALDEZ VILLARREAL,
ALIAS "THE BARBIE."
THE TEXAS-BORN VALDEZ VILLAREAL IS ALLGED TO BE LEADING ONE OF
THE TWO FACTIONS BATTLING FOR CONTROL OF THE BELTRAN LEYVA DRUG
CARTEL.
THE 37-YEAR-OLD HAS BEEN INDICTED IN THE UNITED STATES ON
CHARGES HE DISTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF KILOS OF CONCAINE IN THE
EASTERN U.S. BETWEEN 2004 AND 2006.
U.S. AUTHORITIES HAVE OFFERED A $2 MILLION REWARD FOR
INFORMATION LEADING TO HIS ARREST.

MOSQUE DEVELOPER
DEVELOPER BEHIND NYC MOSQUE TALKS ABOUT HIS VISION

NEW YORK (AP) - THE DEVELOPER BEHIND AN ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTER
AND MOSQUE PLANNED NEAR GROUND ZERO SAYS IT SHOULD BE KNOWN AS "A
HUB OF COEXISTENCE."
SHARIF EL-GAMAL SAYS IT NEVER OCCURRED TO HIM AN ISLAMIC CENTER
NEAR THE SITE OF THE SEPT. 11 ATTACKS WOULD STIR UP SO MUCH DEBATE.
HE TOLD CBS NEWS IN AN INTERVIEW BROADCAST MONDAY HE DIDN'T HOLD
HIMSELF OR ISLAM "ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT TRAGEDY."
EL-GAMAL LEADS A GROUP THAT OWNS THE MANHATTAN BUILDING WHERE
THE $100 MILLION CENTER WOULD OPEN.
OPPONENTS SAY THE MOSQUE SHOULD BE MOVED FARTHER AWAY FROM WHERE
ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS ATTACKED ON SEPT. 11, 2001. SUPPORTERS SAY
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SHOULD BE PROTECTED.
AUTHORITIES SAY THE BROOKLYN-BORN EL-GAMAL WAS ARRESTED A FEW
TIMES IN THE 1990S. THE 37-YEAR-OLD SAYS HE REGRETS MANY THINGS HE
DID IN HIS YOUTH.

COLLEGE AID FOR LOCALS
PRIVATE COLLEGES 'ACT LOCAL' WITH FINANCIAL AID

UNDATED (AP) - MANY PRIVATE COLLEGES ARE SWEETENING FINANCIAL
AID PACKAGES FOR STUDENTS FROM THEIR OWN BACKYARDS.
IT'S AN EFFORT BY THE SCHOOLS TO PORTRAY THEMSELVES AS MORE
AFFORDABLE AND BETTER NEIGHBORS. THEY ALSO WANT TO STAY
COMPETITIVE.
AMONG THE SCHOOLS IS NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS TARGETING
CHICAGO-AREA STUDENTS IN FINANCIAL NEED. NORTHWESTERN IS ALSO
ATTEMPTING TO INCREASE ITS MINORITY SCHOLARSHIPS. ITS "GOOD
NEIGHBOR, GREAT UNIVERSITY PROGRAM" SCHOLARSHIPS WILL BE AWARDED
TO 100 INCOMING LOCAL FRESHMEN.
THERE WILL BE NO INCOME CUT-OFF FOR STUDENTS WHOSE FAMILIES SHOW
FINANCIAL NEED. THE MAJORITY WHO QUALIFY WILL RECEIVE ENOUGH AID TO
FULLY COVER THE COST OF NORTHWESTERN'S $40,000 ANNUAL TUITION AND
FEES.

LAWMAKER SCHOLARSHIPS
TEXAS CONGRESSWOMAN ADMITS SHE VIOLATED RULES

WASHINGTON (AP) - A TEXAS CONGRESSWOMAN IS ADMITTING THAT SHE
WRONGLY STEERED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS TO HER
OWN RELATIVES AND THE CHILDREN OF A STAFF MEMBER.
DALLAS-AREA DEMOCRAT EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON SAID IN A STATEMENT
THAT SHE WAS UNAWARE SHE WAS IN VIOLATION OF ANY RULES GOVERNING
THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION. SHE ALSO SAID SHE WILL
REIMBURSE THE FOUNDATION WITHIN THE WEEK.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS REPORTED MONDAY THAT 23 SCHOLARSHIPS
JOHNSON HAS HANDED OUT SINCE 2005 VIOLATED THE FOUNDATION'S
ELIGIBILITY RULES.
RELATIVES OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE INELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS FROM THE FOUNDATION BECAUSE OF ANTI-NEPOTISM
RULES.
THE AWARDS COULD PROMPT ETHICS REVIEWS.

FACEBOOK RAGE
NEW: MAN ACCUSED OF TORTURING WOMAN OVER FACEBOOK POST

HANFORD, CALIF. (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY A CALIFORNIA MAN JEALOUS
OVER A MESSAGE ON HIS GIRLFRIEND'S FACEBOOK PAGE TORTURED AND
IMPRISONED HER FOR FOUR DAYS WHILE THEIR CHILDREN WERE IN THE
HOUSE.
KINGS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES ARRESTED 36-YEAR-OLD ANTHONY
LOZANO AT HIS HANFORD HOME OVER THE WEEKEND ON SUSPICION OF FALSE
IMPRISONMENT, KIDNAPPING, TORTURE AND OTHER CHARGES.
SHERIFF'S CMDR. DAVE PUTNAM SAYS LOZANO ACCUSED THE 23-YEAR-OLD
VICTIM OF HAVING AN AFFAIR AFTER HE SAW THE FACEBOOK MESSAGE.
LOZANO IS SUSPECTED OF GRABBING THE WOMAN'S HAIR, DRAGGING HER
AND THREATENING TO KILL HER BEFORE CHOKING HER WITH A ROPE AND A
TOWEL.
PUTNAM SAID THE COUPLE'S CHILD AND ANOTHER CHILD BELONGING TO
THE VICTIM WERE IN THE HOUSE AT THE TIME.
LOZANO REMAINED IN KINGS COUNTY CUSTODY MONDAY EVENING ON
$725,000 BAIL. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF HE HAD AN ATTORNEY.