Today's News-Friday, August 20, 2010

POTTSVILLE WOMAN INJURED IN CRASH

A POTTSVILLE WOMAN WAS INJURED IN A WEST BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP CRASH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. STATE POLICE SAY 61 YEAR OLD DIANE MCNAMARA WAS WESTBOUND ON ROUTE 895 IN DEER LAKE AND CROSSED LANES, STRIKING A TELEPHONE POLE, ROLLED OVER AND WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. MCNAMARA WAS TRAPPED IN HER CAR AND HAD TO BE RESCUED FROM INSIDE. ONCE FREED, SHE WAS MEDIVAC'D TO LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL WHERE SHE REMAINS TODAY. THE CRASH HAPPENED BEFORE 2PM YESTERDAY.

COUNTY MAN SENTENCED

WILKES-BARRE - A 42 YEAR OLD SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MAN WAS SENTENCED THIS WEEK BY SENIOR U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE EDWIN KOSIK TO SERVE 50 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR HIS ROLE IN A METHAMPHETAMINE TRAFFICKING CONSPIRACY THAT OPERATED DURING 2004 THROUGH 2006. JOSEPH BEPSISTOS PREVIOUSLY PLEADED GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE MORE THAN 500 GRAMS OF METHAMPHETAMINE. BEPSISTOS WAS INDICTED BY A FEDERAL GRAND JURY IN 2008, AS A RESULT OF AN INVESTIGATION WHICH UNCOVERED AND DISMANTLED A LAS VEGAS TO PENNSYLVANIA DRUG OPERATION, AS WELL AS A SCHUYLKILL COUNTY-BASED ILLEGAL GAMBLING BUSINESS. MORE THAN 20 DEFENDANTS HAVE BEEN CHARGED IN FEDERAL AND STATE COURT AS A RESULT OF THE INVESTIGATION.

FIRE AT FABCON

MAHANOY CITY - FIRE DAMAGED A BUILDING ON THE GROUNDS OF THE FABCON PLANT IN MAHANOY TOWNSHIP EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. FIREFIGHTERS FROM MAHANOY CITY WERE CALLED TO THE SITE AROUND 1:20AM FOR A REPORT OF A COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE FIRE. ON SCENE FIRE CREWS FOUND SMOKE INSIDE A BUILDING BEHIND THE COMPANY'S MOREA ROAD COMPLEX. FIRE OFFICIALS SAY THE CAUSE WAS ACCIDENTAL, CAUSED WHEN A STEAM PIPE CAME IN CONTACT WITH COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS INSIDE THE BUILDING. FABCON MANUFACTURES AND ERECTS PRECAST CONCRETE WALL PANELS.

DRIVERS, PASSENGER ESCAPE INJURY

DRIVERS ESCAPED INJURY IN A REAR END CRASH ON INTERSTATE 81. ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE, 19 YEAR OLD ROBERT STUART OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS WAS DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHEN HE REAR-ENDED A TRUCK OPERATED BY JAMES WEATHERHOLTZ OF JONESTOWN. DAMAGE WAS MODERATE, AND NO ONE IN EITHER VEHICLE WERE HURT. STUART WAS CITED IN THE CRASH THAT HAPPENED NEAR MILE MARKER 102 IN PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP.

IMPAIRED DRIVER CRACKDOWN BEGINS

STATE AND LOCAL POLICE WILL BE TARGETING IMPAIRED DRIVERS DURING THE NATIONAL IMPAIRED DRIVING CAMPAIGN, BEGINNING TODAY. PENNDOT OFFICIALS SAY THAT THE EFFORT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LABOR DAY, AS PEOPLE TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTY AS THE SUMMER WINDS DOWN. REPEAT OFFENDERS OF DRUNK DRIVING LAWS AR REQUIRED TO EQUIP THEIR VEHICLES WITH IGNITION INTERLOCK SYSTEMS AFTER SERVING A ONE YEAR LICENSE SUSPENSION. THAT MEANS THEY HAVE TO BLOW INTO THE DEVICE IN ORDER TO START THE CAR, AND IF BOOZE IS DETECTED, THE CAR WON'T START. THE COST FOR THOSE SYSTEMS IS PICKED UP BY THE OFFENDER. LAST YEAR ON THE WEEKENDS SURROUNDING LABOR DAY, THERE WERE MORE THAN 450 ALCOHOL-RELATED CRASHES AND 16 FATALITIES ON THE STATE'S ROADWAYS ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE. SO, GET A DESIGNATED DRIVER BEFORE PARTYING IT UP.

UNEMPLOYMENT RISES IN STATE

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASED IN PENNSYLVANIA TO 9.3 PERCENT IN JULY. THE STATE LABOR AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT SAID THURSDAY THE STATEWIDE RATE WAS UP SLIGHTLY FROM 9.2 PERCENT IN JUNE BUT A FULL PERCENTAGE POINT HIGHER THAN THE JULY 2009 RATE. IT REMAINED BELOW LAST MONTH'S NATIONAL RATE OF 9.5 PERCENT. THE DEPARTMENT SAYS STATEWIDE EMPLOYMENT DECLINED BY 45,000 RESIDENTS TO 5.8 MILLION, WHILE THE RANKS OF UNEMPLOYED PENNSYLVANIANS SWELLED BY 1,000 TO 592,000. THE STATE LOST 7,000 JOBS IN JULY, DUE LARGELY TO THE ELIMINATION OF TEMPORARY CENSUS JOBS. THE BIGGEST INCREASE WAS IN THE LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY SECTOR, AS CASINOS RAMPED UP TO OFFER TABLE GAMES.

BLOOD SUPPLIES SHORT

OFFICIALS AT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS NORTHEAST PA BLOOD SERVICES HEADQUARTERS SAY THAT THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED FOR BLOOD DONORS NOW. THEY SAY THAT THIS SUMMER HAS BEEN "PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT" IN RECRUITING ENOUGH BLOOD DONORS TO MEET ONGOING NEEDS. DONORS WITH ALL BLOOD TYPES ARE NEEDED, ESPECIALLY O NEGATIVE, SINCE THAT TYPE CAN BE TRANSFUSED TO PATIENTS WITH ANY BLOOD TYPE. EVERY DAY THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DONATE BLOOD SOMEWHERE ACROSS THE REGION. PLEASE SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY BY CALLING 1-800-RED-CROSS.


PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT SAYS AN ALLEGHENY COUNTY JUDGE SHOULD UNSEAL DOCUMENTS IN THE GRAND JURY PROBE OF REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR JANE ORIE AND HER SISTER, JANINE. THE ORIES ARE AWAITING TRIAL ON CHARGES THEY USED THE SENATOR'S PAID LEGISLATIVE STAFF TO DO CAMPAIGN WORK FOR THE SENATOR AND A THIRD SISTER, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JOAN ORIE MELVIN.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - NINE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH AN ALLEGED PROSTITUTION RING THAT POLICE SAY ADVERTISED ON CRAIGSLIST AND OPERATED OUT OF HOTELS NEAR PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. POLICE ARRESTED SIX ALLEGED PROSTITUTES AND THREE MEN OFFICERS DESCRIBED AS PIMPS.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - OFFICIALS AT THE PITTSBURGH ZOO & PPG AQUARIUM SAY THEY'VE EUTHANIZED A KODIAK BEAR THAT HAS LIVED AT THE FACILITY FOR 27 YEARS. "ROCKY" WAS 28 WHEN HE WAS EUTHANIZED WEDNESDAY, AND HAD LIVED AT THE ZOO SINCE HE WAS A YEAR OLD. A ZOO SPOKESWOMAN SAYS THE BEAR SUFFERED FROM SEVERE ARTHRITIS AND SPINAL PROBLEMS THAT CAUSED HIM EXTREME PAIN.

PHOENIX (AP) - AN ARIZONA PRISON ESCAPEE AND THE WOMAN ACCUSED OF HELPING HIM ARE BEHIND BARS AFTER A NEARLY 3-WEEK MANHUNT. AUTHORITIES SAY JOHN MCCLUSKEY AND FIANCEE CASSLYN WELCH WERE CAPTURED THURSDAY AT AN ARIZONA CAMPGROUND AFTER A FOREST RANGED SPOTTED THEM AND THEIR STOLEN VEHICLE. TWO OTHER INMATES WHO ESCAPED WITH MCCLUSKEY WERE CAPTURED EARLIER.

UNDATED (AP) - TOUGH FINANCIAL TIMES ARE FORCING MANY AMERICANS TO DIP INTO THEIR RETIREMENT SAVINGS. A REPORT BY FIDELITY INVESTMENTS SAYS A RECORD NUMBER OF WORKERS MADE HARDSHIP WITHDRAWALS FROM THEIR RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS IN THE SECOND QUARTER, AND THE NUMBER OF WORKERS BORROWING FROM THEIR ACCOUNTS REACHED A 10-YEAR HIGH.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - PAKISTAN IS GETTING A PROMISE OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE IN FLOOD AID. AT A U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING THURSDAY, THE U.S. WAS AMONG SEVERAL NATIONS TO INCREASE ITS PLEDGE, UPPING AID FROM $92 MILLION TO $150 MILLION. PAKISTAN SAYS IT'S BEEN ASSURED THAT A $460 MILLION GOAL FOR IMMEDIATE AID HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.

BEIJING (AP) - TORRENTIAL RAINS IN SOUTHWESTERN CHINA CONTINUE TO TRIGGER DEADLY MUDSLIDES AND FLOODING. THE LATEST MUDSLIDES ARE IN YUNNAN PROVINCE, WHERE HEAVY RAINS ARE MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR RESCUERS TO FIND SOME 88 PEOPLE. THE WORST CARNAGE WAS AUGUST 8 IN
GANSU PROVINCE, WHEN MUDSLIDES LEFT MORE THAN 1,700 PEOPLE EITHER DEAD OR MISSING.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILL. (AP) - IT'S BEEN A BAD WEEK FOR FORMER ILLINOIS GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH. FIRST, HE WAS CONVICTED OF LYING TO THE FBI. THEN, A BUNCH OF HIS BELONGINGS WERE PUT ON THE AUCTION BLOCK AFTER A STORAGE FACILITY BILL WASN'T PAID. ONE ITEM - A LIFE-SIZED ELVIS STATUE - SOLD FOR $20,500 IN THURSDAY'S AUCTION. MONEY RAISED WILL BENEFIT A LOCAL HOSPITAL.