TODAY'S NEWS: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2010

DUI SUSPECTED IN CRASH

A GIRARDVILLE MAN MAY FACE CHARGES AFTER A ONE VEHICLE CRASH THIS MORNING. THIRTY-FIVE YEAR OLD MICHAEL WILSON WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON SECOND STREET AND STRUCK A UTILITY POLE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ONTO A STREET IN GIRARDVILLE. ACCORDING TO POLICE, WILSON EMITTED A STRONG ODOR OF ALCOHOL AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH WHERE HE RECEIVED A BLOOD ALCOHOL TEST. CHARGES ARE PENDING UPON TEST RESULTS.

SENTENCING MOVED FOR SHENANDOAH MEN

A CHANGE IN VENUE. THE COURT ISSUED TUESDAY THAT BRANDON PIEKARSKY AND DERRICK DONCHAK WILL STILL FACE SENTENCING THE MORNING OF JANUARY 24TH, BUT IN THE MAX ROSENN UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE, WILKES BARRE. THE SENTENCING WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE AT WILLIAM J. NEALON UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE, SCRANTON, WHERE THE MEN WERE CONVICTED, AFTER AN 8 DAY TRIAL, ON OCTOBER 14TH. THE MEN WILL BE SENTENCED BY UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE A. RICHARD CAPUTO, AND BOTH POTENTIALLY FACE A LIFE SENTENCE.

COUPLE SENTENCED IN CREDIT CARD SCHEME

A FEDERAL JUDGE SENTENCED A SCHUYLKILL HAVEN COUPLE IN CONNECTION WITH A FIVE-YEAR FRAUDULENT CREDIT CARD SCHEME TOTALING $1.86-MILLION. 36-YEAR-OLD KULDEEP SINGH AND 31-YEAR-OLD RUTH SINGH MUST NOW PAY OVER $500,000 RESTITUTION TO TEN CREDIT CARD COMPANIES AND FORFEIT NINE PROPERTIES, TWO VEHICLES, THE CONTENTS OF THEIR BANK ACCOUNT, $800 CASH, AND NUMEROUS ELECTRONIC AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS BOUGHT WITH THE FRAUDULENT CREDIT CARDS. THE LOCAL PAPER REPORTS, KULDEEP SINGH WILL SERVE 33 MONTHS IN PRISON, WHILE RUTH SINGH WILL BE PLACED ON PROBATION.
　
COUPLE WAIVE RIGHT TO PRELIMINARY HEARING

THE COUPLE CHARGED IN THE SCHUYLKILL HAVEN FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY ROBBERY HAVE WAIVED THEIR RIGHT TO A PRELIMINARY HEARING TUESDAY. KRISTEN KRANCH, OF SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS, AND EDWARD REEVES JR, OF MAHANOY CITY, FACE FOUR COUNTS EACH OF CONSPIRACY, ONE COUNT BURGLARY, CRIMINAL TRESPASS, THEFT AND RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE NOVEMBER 28TH ROBBERY. ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL PAPER KRANCH REMAINS FREE ON BAIL, WHILE REEVES RETURNED TO PRISON IN LIEU OF $5,000 PERCENTAGE BAIL. THE COUPLE ALSO FACES CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH TWO OTHER BURGLARIES ON DECEMBER 11TH.

MORE SHOPPING, MORE JOBS

MORE SHOPPERS EQUAL MORE JOBS. THIS YEAR THE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING RUSH HELPED LOWER SCHUYLKILL COUNTY'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN NOVEMBER. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, THE COUNTY'S JOBLESS FIGURE FELL THREE-TENTHS OF A PERCENTAGE POINT LAST MONTH. ALTHOUGH 7,600 PEOPLE ARE OUT OF WORK, SEASONAL HIRING BY LOCAL RETAILERS HELPED BOOST THE NUMBER OF JOBS.

PA'S BENEFIT FROM CHANGING TIDE IN CHESAPEAKE BAY

AREAS SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN A NEW REPORT ON THE HEALTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, BUT ALSO CLEAR SIGNS THAT ALL IS NOT WELL IN THE WATERSHED. TOM JOSEPH HAS MORE...

CHESAPEAKE

STATE NEWS:

FAIRLESS HILLS, PA. (AP) - POLICE HAVE RELEASED A PHOTO AND A TIMELINE IN THEIR SEARCH FOR A WOMAN ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED AND KIDNAPPED FROM HER SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA HOME LAST WEEK. POLICE IN BUCKS COUNTY ALLEGE THAT KENNETH PATTERSON BROKE INTO THE APARTMENT OF HIS EX GIRLFRIEND, DIANE CORADO, ON DECEMBER 19TH AND ASSAULTED HER WITH A PIPE BEFORE KIDNAPPING HER AND A FRIEND.

SINKING SPRING, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA ARE INVESTIGATING THE DEATHS OF A MAN AND A WOMAN WHOSE BODIES WERE FOUND IN A BERKS COUNTY APARTMENT. EMERGENCY DISPATCHERS SAID THE BODIES WERE FOUND AT ABOUT EARLY YESTERDAY IN THE UNIT IN CUMRU TOWNSHIP.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A DERAILED FREIGHT TRAIN IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA TEMPORARILY INTERRUPTED AMTRAK SERVICE BETWEEN PITTSBURGH AND HARRISBURG, BUT RIDERS ARE BACK ON TRACK. NORFOLK SOUTHERN SPOKESMAN RUDY HUSBAND TELLS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT CREWS CLEARED THE DISABLED TRAIN YESTERDAY FROM TRACKS NEAR HARRISBURG.

JIM THORPE, PA. (AP) - A HIKER WHO FELL INTO ICY WATER AT AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA WATERFALL HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT AND OBSERVATION. AUTHORITIES SAY THE MALE WAS WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS AT GLEN ONOKO FALLS NEAR LEHIGH GORGE STATE PARK WHEN HE SLIPPED ON THE ICE AND FELL YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. HE WAS BROUGHT DOWN THE MOUNTAINSIDE BY RESCUE CREWS AND FLOWN TO ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL.

NATIONAL NEWS:

NEW YORK (AP) - OFFICIALS ARE WARNING IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL MORE DAYS TO REBOOK STRANDED AIRLINE PASSENGERS. ABOUT 250 PASSENGERS ON AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT WERE FORCED TO WAIT ABOUT EIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE PLANE COULD PULL UP TO A GATE. CONTINENTAL AIRLINES HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET 200 STRANDED MEMBERS OF A HIGH SCHOOL BAND TO THE ROSE BOWL PARADE.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - CALIFORNIANS ARE ABOUT TO GET MORE OF WHAT THEY REALLY DON'T WANT -- STORMY WEATHER. THE STORM IS PUSHING INTO THE WATERLOGGED STATE FROM THE NORTH. THE LATEST WEATHER-MAKER COMES AS PARTS OF CALIFORNIA ARE STILL CLEANING UP MUD AND DAMAGE FROM A SIEGE OF RECORD RAINS LAST WEEK. FLOOD WATCHES, GALE WARNINGS AND HEAVY SNOW WATCHES ARE POSTED IN VARIOUS REGION.

DOVER, FLA. (AP) - THE COLD SNAP THAT'S SHIVERED FLORIDA HAS REPORTEDLY CAUSED AT LEAST $115 MILLION IN CROP DAMAGE. AND THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES SAYS THAT WAS BEFORE WINTER OFFICIALLY BEGAN JUST OVER A WEEK AGO. A SPOKESWOMAN FOR FLORIDA'S AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE $115 MILLION FIGURE WILL LIKELY RISE.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - PAKISTAN HAS A POLITICAL CRISIS TO GO WITH ITS MILITARY PROBLEMS. CABINET MEMBERS FROM TWO PARTIES AT ODDS WITH THE RULING GOVERNMENT HAVE QUIT, PUTTING PAKISTAN'S RULING COALITION AT RISK. SENIOR GOVERNMENT LEADERS ARE MEETING WITH THE TWO PARTIES TRYING TO GET THEM BACK IN THE FOLD.

UNDATED (AP) - SOMEONE MAY BECOME A NEW YEAR'S MULTI-MILLIONAIRE. THE MEGA-MILLIONS LOTTERY JACKPOT HAS SWOLLEN TO $237 MILLION FOR FRIDAY'S DRAWING, WHICH IS NEW YEAR'S EVE. THERE HAVE BEEN 14 STRAIGHT BI-WEEKLY DRAWINGS WITHOUT A TOP WINNER. MEGA MILLIONS IS PLAYED IN 41 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.