Today's News-Saturday September 18, 2010

MEN PLEAD GUILTY IN HAZLETON MAN'S MURDER

TWO OF FOUR MEN ACCUSED IN THE BEATING DEATH OF A HAZLETON MAN LAST FALL HAVE PLEADED GUILTY TO THE CHARGES IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT. CURTIS FOOSE AND SHANE ROOF ENTERED THE PLEAS TO THIRD DEGREE MURDER, CONSPIRACY, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND OTHER COUNTS. THE MEN, ALONG WITH JEFFREY GOMBERT AND ANDREW TUTKO THE SECOND, BEAT ANTHONY LOCASIO TO DEATH IN A WOODED AREA IN EAST UNION TOWNSHIP IN SEPTEMBER, 2009. PROSECUTORS DROPPED THE FIRST AND SECOND DEGREE MURDER CHARGES IN ACCEPTING THE PLEA, ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. SENTENCING IS EXPECTED IN NOVEMBER. THE OTHER TWO MEN ARE EXPECTED TO ENTER THEIR PLEAS NEXT WEEK.

LAW ENFORCEMENT TO COLLECT DRUGS TODAY

IN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE AND THEFT, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WILL BE COLLECTING POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS EXPIRED, UNUSED AND UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TODAY. AT FIVE SITES HERE IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, THE COLLECTIONS GET UNDERWAY AT 10AM, IS ANONYMOUS WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED. THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SAYS THAT MANY MEDICINES THAT SIT IN HOMES ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ABUSE AND MISUSE, AND THE PROJECT IS MEANT TO GET RID OF THEM PROPERLY. THE COLLECTION SITES IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY ARE: THE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ON GARFIELD SQUARE, POTTSVILLE, CASS TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT, PORT CARBON POLICE DEPARTMENT, MCADOO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE PA STATE POLICE BARRACKS ON ROUTE 183.

WOMAN SEVERELY HURT

A PINE GROVE WOMAN WAS HURT IN A CRASH FRIDAY MORNING IN PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP. STATE POLICE SAY 25 YEAR OLD LISA MCMILLIN LOST CONTROL ON A RIGHT HAND CURVE ON WET ROADWAYS AND STRUCK A TREE. SHE WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER EAST FOR TREATMENT. THE CRASH HAPPENED AROUND 8:30AM YESTERDAY.

CAR ROLLS OVER

SPEED MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART IN A CRASH ON ROUTE 501 NEAR PINE GROVE YESTERDAY. 19 YEAR OLD ALEXANDRA GENSEMER OF PINE GROVE LOST CONTROL ON THE WET ROAD, HER CAR LEFT THE ROAD, SPUN OUT AND ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS ROOF. SHE WAS ABLE TO CLIMB OUT OF THE CAR WITH HELP FROM EMERGENCY CREWS. GENSEMER WAS TAKEN TO HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - AN INVESTOR GROUP LED BY DONALD TRUMP'S CASINO COMPANY FAILED IN ITS LATEST ATTEMPT TO GET A STATE-AWARDED CASINO LICENSE IN PHILADELPHIA. COMMONWEALTH COURT HAS REJECTED A LAWSUIT TRUMP'S GROUP FILED AGAINST THE PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD.

BENSALEM, PA. (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA MAN IS FACING TRIAL ON CHARGES HE LEFT HIS 15-MONTH-OLD SON INSIDE HIS RUNNING CAR WHILE HE GAMBLED AT A CASINO. DONALD WAIGE WAS ARRESTED JUNE 15TH. IT WAS THE FIRST OF SEVEN REPORTED INCIDENTS IN WHICH ADULTS ALLEGEDLY LEFT CHILDREN IN VEHICLES AT PARX CASINO IN BENSALEM.

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - A U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SOURCE TELLS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THE DEPARTMENT HAS NO RECORD THAT FORMER FEDERAL
PROSECUTOR TOM MARINO RECEIVED THE ITS PERMISSION TO SERVE AS A PERSONAL REFERENCE FOR A BUSINESSMAN SEEKING A STATE CASINO LICENSE. MARINO IS NOW A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS IN THE 10TH DISTRICT.

READING, PA. (AP) - POLICE IN READING SAY A FIFTH TEEN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH BEATING AND FATALLY SHOOTING A 15-YEAR-OLD BOY AND STEALING HIS SNEAKERS AS HE WAS DYING LAST WEEKEND. NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD AXEL CHARICATA IS FACING WEAPONS CHARGES AND RELATED COUNTS.

CHESTER, PA. (AP) - THE DELAWARE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS PLANNING TO SEAT A GRAND JURY THAT WILL SPEND 18 MONTHS LOOKING INTO MORE THAN A DOZEN UNSOLVED KILLINGS IN THE CRIME-PLAGUED CITY OF CHESTER. JURY SELECTION WILL START NOVEMBER 5TH.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - MOST POLLING STATIONS ARE OPEN FOR AFGHANISTAN'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION FOLLOWING SCATTERED ROCKET
ATTACKS APPARENTLY AIMED AT DISRUPTING THE VOTE. AT LEAST TWO
PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN ONE ATTACK. TALIBAN INSURGENTS HAVE MANAGED
TO TEMPORARILY BLOCK AT LEAST A COUPLE OF STATIONS FROM OPENING.
OTHERS HAVE DONE A BRISK BUSINESS.

NEW YORK (AP) - THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DETERMINED THAT
TWO TORNADOES RIPPED THROUGH NEW YORK CITY DURING A FAST-MOVING
STORM THURSDAY, ALONG WITH A FIERCE MACROBURST WITH WIND SPEEDS UP
TO 125 MILES PER HOUR. OFFICIALS SAY THE TORNADOES LEFT A PATH OF DESTRUCTION FOR 14 MILES FROM BROOKLYN TO QUEENS. ONE PERSON WAS
KILLED. CONSOLIDATED EDISON SAYS IT HOPES TO HAVE ALL THE POWER
BACK ON BY TOMORROW.

VERACRUZ, MEXICO (AP) - THE DEADLY HURRICANE THAT SMASHED INTO MEXICO'S GULF COAST ON FRIDAY IS NOW A TROPICAL DEPRESSION. KARL KILLED AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE AND CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES. KARL IS RAPIDLY WEAKENING AS IT SWIRLS INLAND BUT IT STILL THREATENS TO TRIGGER MUDSLIDES AND FLOODING.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - LINDSAY LOHAN SAYS SHE'S READY TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES AFTER CONFIRMING ON HER TWITTER PAGE THAT SHE HAS
FAILED A COURT-ORDERED DRUG AND ALCOHOL SCREENING. IN ANOTHER POST,
LOHAN CALLS SUBSTANCE ABUSE "A DISEASE, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY DOESN'T GO AWAY OVER NIGHT."

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - CREWS HOPE TO COMPLETE THE JOB TODAY OF PUMPING THE CEMENT THAT'S EXPECTED TO PERMANENTLY PLUG THE BLOWN-OUT WELL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. BP EXPECTS THE WELL TO BE COMPLETELY SEALED AND OFFICIALLY DECLARED DEAD TODAY. A COMPANY SPOKESMAN SAYS WITH PRESSURE FROM THE WELL NO LONGER AN ISSUE, THERE'S NO LONGER A NEED TO USE MUD IN TANDEM WITH THE CEMENT.