TODAY'S NEWS: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15,2010

HATE CRIME REACHES VERDICT

AN EMOTIONAL DERRICK DONCHAK SAID I LOVE YOU TO HIS PARENTS AS HE AND A SOLEMN BRANDON PIEKARSKY WERE LED FROM THE COURTROOM IN HANDCUFFS. BOTH MEN WERE FOUND GUILTY OF VIOLATING THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF AN ILLEGAL MEXICAN IMMIGRANT. AN ALL WHITE JURY OF SIX MEN AND SIX WOMEN RENDERED A VERDICT OF GUILTY AFTER MORE THAN SIX HOURS OF DELIBERATION ON THURSDAY. BOTH MEN FACE A POSSIBLE LIFE SENTENCE AND $250,000 FINE. IN ADDITION TO THE HATE CRIME, DONCHAK WAS ALSO FOUND GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, AND FACES UP TO FIVE YEARS FOR CONSPIRACY AND UP TO 20 YEARS FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. A SECOND OBSTRUCTION CHARGE WAS THROWN OUT PRIOR TO DELIBERATION.DEFENSE ATTORNEYS JAMES SWETZ, REPRESENTING PIEKARSKY, AND WILLIAM FETTERHOFF, REPRESENTING DONCHAK, STATED THEY WERE DISAPPOINTED, BUT THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER. BOTH MEN WILL BE DETAINED UNTIL THEIR SENTENCING BY FEDERAL JUDGE CAPUTO ON JANUARY 24TH IN SCRANTON.

MEMORIAL BRIDGE

STATE SENATOR DAVID ARGALL AND REPRESENTATIVE JERRY KNOWLES THURSDAY PRAISED PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION THAT WOULD NAME THE STATE STREET BRIDGE OVER THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER IN HAMBURG BOROUGH AND TILDEN TOWNSHIP, BERKS COUNTY, AS THE SENATOR JIM RHOADES MEMORIAL BRIDGE. INTRODUCED IN JUNE BY REPRESENTATIVE KNOWLES AND APPROVED THURSDAY IN THE SENATE, HOUSE BILL 2614 WILL NOW BE SENT TO THE GOVERNOR FOR HIS SIGNATURE.

BLIGHT BILL

ONE MORE SIGNATURE AND THE BILL TO FIGHT BLIGHT IN PENNSYLVANIA BECOMES A LAW. SENATE BILL 900 PASSED THE STATE SENATE BY A UNANIMOUS VOTE ON THURSDAY. THE LEGISLATION NOW AWAITS FINAL APPROVAL BY GOVENOR ED RENDELL. THE BILL'S STRONGEST BLIGHT-FIGHTING PROVISION DEALS WITH ASSET ATTACHMENT. UNDER THE NEW RULES, MUNICIPALITIES COULD ATTACK PROPERTY AND OTHER FINANCIAL ASSETS OF ABSENTEE LANDLORDS, SLUMLORDS OR OTHER WHO ALLOW PROPERTY TO DETERIORATE.

PENN STATE DEDICATION

THE MELODY OF THE WESTMINSTER CHIMES NOW FILL THE AIR EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES AT PENN STATE'S SCHUYLKILL CAMPUS. SIMILAR CHIMES ARE FEATURED ON TOP OF THE "OLD MAIN BUILDING" AT PENN STATE'S MAIN CAMPUS, AND SO NOW THE TRADITION LIVES ON HERE IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. THESE SOOTHING CHIMES WERE PLACED IN MEMORY OF BILL ZIMMERMAN, A FACULTY MEMBER FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS, WHO RECENTLY PASSED AWAY. THE FIVE SPEAKERS SIT ON SEVERAL BUILDINGS IN THE CENTER OF THE CAMPUS. NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PLAY MUSIC, BUT CAN ALSO MAKE IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS IF NEEDED. STUDENTS HERE SEEM TO APPRECIATE THE NEW CHIMES AND THE MOOD THEY BRING TO THIER CAMPUS. IN ADDITION TO THE NEW CHIMES, PENN STATE IS ALSO WELCOMING A NEW RESIDENCE HALL FOR STUDENTS. "NITTANY FIVE" IS THE NEWEST HALL TO BE BUILT SINCE 1997. ALTHOUGH NITTANY FIVE IS RESERVED FOR UPPER CLASSMEN, IT SEEMS TO BE WORTH THE WAIT. THE NEW HALL FEATURES AIR CONDITIONING, A SIXTEEN HUNDRED SQAURE FOOT COMMON AREA, AND INDIVIDUAL PORCHES. KELENE IS A SOPHMORE AT PENN STATE AND COULDN'T STOP RAVING ABOUT HER NEW APARTMENT.THE CAMPUS HELD THE DEDICATIONS OF NITTANY FIVE AND THE SCHULKILL CHIMES ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE CELEBRATION ALSO INCLUDED CAKE AND ICE CREAM!

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR WHO SAYS HE WAS IMPROPERLY SEARCHED DURING A TRAFFIC STOP IS SUING THE PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT AND AN OFFICER HAILED AS A HERO AFTER HE WAS SHOT IN THE FACE IN 2007. THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS REPORTS MARC LAMONT HILL, A HIP-HOP SCHOLAR, FILED THE FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS SUIT THIS WEEK.

ERIE, PA. (AP) - OPENING STATEMENTS ARE EXPECTED TODAY IN THE FEDERAL COURT TRIAL OF AN ERIE WOMAN ACCUSED OF MASTERMINDING A BANK ROBBERY IN WHICH A MAN WAS KILLED BY A BOMB HE WAS FORCED TO WEAR ON A METAL COLLAR. MARJORIE DIEHL-ARMSTRONG SAYS SHE'S BEING FRAMED FOR THE PLOT THAT KILLED 46-YEAR-OLD BRIAN WELLS A SHORT TIME AFTER HE ROBBED A PNC BANK BRANCH IN 2003.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE PENNSYLVANIA SENATE IS FINISHED WITH A FLURRY OF VOTES AS SENATORS WRAPPED UP THEIR LAST SCHEDULED SESSION DAY OF VOTING THIS YEAR. SENATORS YESTERDAY APPROVED BILLS THAT DEAL WITH OVERCROWDED PRISONS, BLIGHTED PROPERTIES, BUDGET-BUSTING STATE PENSION FUNDS AND EXPANDING THE RIGHT TO DEFEND ONE'S SELF WITH DEADLY FORCE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS ASKING A FEDERAL JUDGE TO LET THE MILITARY'S "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" POLICY STAND WHILE THE CASE IS UNDER APPEAL. A FEDERAL JUDGE ON TUESDAY ABRUPTLY THREW OUT THE BAN ON GAYS SERVING OPENLY IN THE MILITARY. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS STILL PROMISING THE POLICY WILL END WHILE HE'S PRESIDENT, BUT HE WANTS CONGRESS TO REPEAL IT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - IT'S NOT THE NEWS DEMOCRATS WANT TO HEAR DURING AN ELECTION YEAR. THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE SAYS THE DEFICIT FOR THE 2010 FISCAL YEAR IS ABOUT $1.29 TRILLION. IT'S THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW THE DEFICIT HAS EXCEEDED A TRILLION DOLLARS. THE PREVIOUS BUDGET YEAR WAS $1.4 TRILLION - THE HIGHEST DEFICIT ON RECORD.

FORT HOOD, TEXAS (AP) - MORE SOLDIERS WHO SURVIVED LAST YEAR'S FORT HOOD SHOOTING WILL TESTIFY LATER TODAY IN A MILITARY COURT. THE ARTICLE 32 HEARING WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THERE'S ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO BRING MAJ. NIDAL HASAN TO TRIAL FOR THE DEATHS OF 13 PEOPLE AND THE WOUNDING OF 32 OTHERS. YESTERDAY, A SOLDIER WHO WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD THREE TIMES TESTIFIED THAT AT FIRST HE THOUGHT IT WAS A TRAINING DRILL.

ATLANTA (AP) - RAPPER T.I.'S GOOD DEED COULD HELP HIS IMAGE WHEN HE'S SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN A FEDERAL COURT LATER TODAY. TWO DAYS AFTER T.I. HELPED ATLANTA POLICE TALK A SUICIDAL MAN DOWN FROM THE LEDGE OF A 22-STORY BUILDING, HE'LL HAVE A PAROLE HEARING. T.I., WHOSE REAL NAME IS CLIFFORD HARRIS, VIOLATED PROBATION ON A WEAPONS CHARGE WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF DRUG POSSESSION IN SEPTEMBER.