TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010

NEW PHILADELPHIA FIRE

NUMEROUS FIRE CREWS FROM ACROSS SCHUYKILL COUNTY RUSHED TO THE SCENE OF A MASSIVE FIRE IN NEW PHILADELPHIA THIS MORNING. THE FIRE WAS REPORTED AROUND FOUR THIS MORNING AT 39 WATER STREET IN THE BOROUGH. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY 9-1-1 TELL US THE FIRE INVOLVES MULTIPLE APARTMENT BUILDINGS. WE'RE TOLD FOUR HOMES TWO OF THEM VACANT AND TWO OCCUPIED ALONG WITH A RESTAURANT WERE DESTOYED BY THE FLAMES. NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AND COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS TELL US IT APPEARS ALL THE RESIDENTS GOT OUT OF THE BURNING BUILDINGS SAFELY. A STATE POLICE FIRE MARSHAL HAS BEEN CALLED TO INVESTIGATE A CAUSE. FIRE OFFICIALS SAY THEY BELIEVE THE FIRE STARTED IN THE RESTAURANT AREA. THAT RESTAURANT, JOSH'S RESTAURANT, HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS. THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IS HELPING THOSE DISPLACED BY THE BLAZE.

JURY SELECTED

A 14 PERSON JURY WAS SELECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE HATE CRIME TRIAL INVOLVING BRANDON PIEKARSKY AND DERRICK DONCHAK. MOST OF THOSE DISMISSED SEEMED TO BE RELIEVED. JURY SELECTION WAS A LENGTHY PROCESS. ATTORNEY WILLIAM A. FETTERHOFF, REPRESENTING DERRICK DONCHAK, FELT IT WAS THE RIGHT ONE. OPENING STATEMENTS BEGAN WITH THE PROSECUTION; LED BY ATTORNEY MYESHA BRADEN, OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISON IN WASHINTON D.C. BRADEN'S STATEMENT REINFORCED THE NOTION THAT THE RAMIREZ BEATING WAS RACIALLY MOTIVATED. WHEN DEFENSE ATTORNEYS GAVE THEIR OPENING STATEMENTS, ATTORNEY JAMES SWETZ, REPRESENTING BRANDON PIEKARSKY, SAID RACISM WAS NOT THE THEME. DAY 4 OF THE TRIAL IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN WITH TESTIMONY AFTER NINE THIS MORNING.

ROBBERY AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

A TAMAQUA MAN WAS ROBBED AT GUN POINT BY TWO MEN PASSING THROUGH SCHUYKILL COUNTY ON OCTOBER SECOND. POLICE REPORT THAT PHILIP E. HEMMINGER, 18 AND ANDREW M. O'CONNOR, 19 WERE TRAVELING THROUGH PENNSYLVANIA FROM NEW YORK WHEN THEIR 1998 FORD RANGER BECAME DISABLED NEAR STATE GAME LANDS IN WALKER TOWNSHIP. THAT'S WHEN THE TWO MEN ROBBED 32 YEAR OLD WILLIAM HANKEY OF TAMAQUA AT GUN POINT. THE ACCUSED THEN ASSUALTED HANKEY AND STOLE HIS 2008 DODGE DAKOTA ALONG WITH OTHER PERSONAL ITEMS. HEMMINGER AND O'CONNOR THEN SET THEIR 1998 FORD RANGER ON FIRE. THE TWO MEN WERE APPREHENDED IN ROLLA CITY, MO AS THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO SELL/PAWN STOLEN MERCHANDISE INCLUDING GUNS. THEY FACE CHARGE OF ROBBERY, CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, ROBBERY OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, THEFT BY UNLAWFUL TAKING, ARSON, SIMPLE ASSAULT, AND TERRORISTIC THREATS.

POTTSVILLE MAN INJURED

LUCAS MAYS, 31, OF POTTSVILLE LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE ON WEDNESDAY. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TRAVELING SIDEWAYS, HIT A ROCK, AND BECAME AIRBORNE. MAYS WAS FOUND TRAPPED INSIDE HIS VEHICLE IN THE WOODS JUST OFF BURMA ROAD IN RYAN TOWNSHIP. HE IS NOW BEING TREATED AT LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL.

FRACKVILLE ASSUALT

A FRACKVILLE MAN IS CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSUALTING TWO YOUNG GIRLS. MARK R. ANTALOSKY, 45, OF FRACKVILLE IS CHARGED WITH THREE COUNTS OF FELONY AGGRAVATED INDECENT ASSAULT AND MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES INCLUDING THREE COUNTS OF INDECENT ASSUALT AND TWO COUNTS OF CORRUPTION OF MINORS. ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD, THE INCIDENTS TOOK PLACE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1998 AND MAY 2003. AT THE TIME ONE GIRL WAS TEN YEARS OLD AND THE OTHER BETWEEN EIGHT AND THIRT-TEEN.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE DAN ONORATO SAYS HE DOUBTS LAWMAKERS WILL AGREE ON THE TERMS OF NEW TAX ON NATURAL-GAS DRILLING THIS YEAR - MEANING THE ISSUE WOULD BE PUSHED OFF TO THE NEXT GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE. ONORATO SPOKE WITH REPORTERS YESTERDAY AFTER MAKING A SPEECH IN HARRISBURG.

SCRANTON, PA. (AP) - OPENING STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN DELIVERED IN THE TRIAL OF TWO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MEN CHARGED WITH A FEDERAL HATE CRIME IN THE FATAL BEATING OF A MEXICAN IMMIGRANT. PROSECUTORS SAY BRANDON PIEKARSKY AND DERRICK DONCHAK BRUTALLY ATTACKED LUIS RAMIREZ IN 2008 BECAUSE THEY HELD "RACIAL ANIMOSITY" TOWARD HISPANICS. THE DEFENDANTS SAY RAMIREZ'S ETHNICITY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FIGHT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SAY THEY HAVE BROKEN UP A VIOLENT DRUG GANG IN SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA AND CHARGED 17 PEOPLE WITH RACKETEERING, CARJACKING AND ARMED DRUG CRIMES. U.S. ATTORNEY ZANE MEMEGER HOPES THE ARRESTS YESTERDAY WILL QUELL THE VIOLENCE AT THE BARTRAM VILLAGE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE PHILLIES' ROY HALLADAY WAS MAKING JUST HIS FIRST POSTSEASON START YESTERDAY, BUT HE DID A BETTER JOB THAN ALMOST ANY PITCHER EVER TO START IN THE POSTSEASON. BY SHUTTING OUT THE REDS 4-0 IN GAME 1 OF THE NLDS, THE PHILLIES ACE THREW JUST THE SECOND POSTSEASON NO-HITTER IN BASEBALL HISTORY AND THE FIRST ONE SINCE DON LARSEN'S PERFECT GAME FOR THE YANKEES IN THE 1956 WORLD SERIES.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - NATO SAYS A SENIOR TALIBAN LEADER IS AMONG EIGHT INSURGENTS KILLED BY AN AIRSTRIKE AND A RAID BY GROUND TROOPS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN. NATO SAYS THE DEAD LEADER SPEARHEADED ATTACKS AGAINST AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES INCLUDING AMBUSHES, ROADSIDE BOMBINGS AND ABDUCTIONS OF AFGHAN POLICE AND SOLDIERS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS THERE APPEARS TO BE MOMENTUM FOR SAVING THE LATEST ROUND OF DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS. THE OFFICIAL, WHO IS CLOSE TO THE NEGOTIATIONS, SAYS ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SEEMS LIKELY TO CUT A DEAL TO KEEP THE TALKS GOING. PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS SAY MUCH THE SAME.RALEIGH, N.C.

(AP) - A LAWYER FOR TWO-TIME PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JOHN EDWARDS SAYS HE WANTS FEDERAL PROSECUTORS "TO LOOK AS CAREFULLY AS THEY WISH" AT EDWARDS' CAMPAIGN FINANCES. LAWYER WADE SMITH REACTED TO WORD THAT PROSECUTORS HAVE ISSUED A FRESH ROUND OF SUBPOENAS. THE PROBE IS CONNECTED TO EDWARDS' ADMITTED AFFAIR WITH A FORMER CAMPAIGN STAFFER AND MONEY PAID TO HER.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A TRAUMA DOCTOR SAYS ONE OF TWO UTAH BOYS HIT BY LIGHTNING HAS IMPROVED ENOUGH TO BE TAKEN OFF LIFE SUPPORT SOON, POSSIBLY TODAY. ALEX LAMBSON IS IN AN INDUCED COMA AT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER IN LAS VEGAS. DR. MEENA VOHRA SAYS LAMBSON WILL LIKELY RECOVER BUT COULD BE LEFT WITH BURN SCARS. THE OTHER BOY IS SAID TO BE AWAKE AND RESPONSIVE.

NEW YORK (AP) - AN $800 MILLION TRANSIT BUDGET GAP COULD HIT NEW YORK CITY AREA COMMUTERS IN THE WALLET. THE BOARD OF THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY IS SCHEDULED TO VOTE TODAY ON FARE INCREASES THAT WOULD AFFECT COMMUTERS ACROSS THE REGION. A FARE INCREASE OF ALMOST 17 PERCENT IS SLATED FOR THE MONTHLY UNLIMITED METROCARDS, ADDING $15 TO THE CURRENT PRICE OF $89. OTHER FARES WON'T INCREASE AS MUCH.