TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2011

DELIBERATIONS BEGIN

JURY DELIBERATIONS IN THE FEDERAL TRIAL OF THREE FORMER SHENANDOAH POLICE OFFICERS LASTED SEVEN HOURS WEDNESDAY WITHOUT A VERDICT. JUDGE A. RICHARD CAPUTO SPENT TWO HOURS CHARGING THE JURY, COVERING THE CHARGES AGAINST FORMER CHIEF MATTHEW NESTOR, LIEUTENANT WILLIAM MOYER AND PATROLMAN JASON HAYES BEFORE TURNING THE CASE OVER AROUND NOONTIME. TWICE DURING THE AFTERNOON, THE JURY HAD QUESTIONS FOR THE JUDGE ABOUT THE CASE. THE NATURE OF THOSE QUESTIONS WERE NOT DIVULGED TO THE PUBLIC. AROUND 6:45PM, THE JURY ASKED TO BE EXCUSED FOR THE EVENING. DELIBERATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO RESUME AT 9:30AM THURSDAY, WEATHER PERMITTING. THE TRIO ARE CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE IN THE INVESTIGATION FOLLOWING THE BEATING OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LUIS RAMIREZ IN JULY, 2008. MOYER ALSO IS CHARGED WITH LYING TO THE F.B.I. AND TAMPERING WITH WITNESSES.

CHILD PORN CHARGES

A SHENANDOAH MAN WAS INDICTED TUESDAY BY A FEDERAL GRAND JURY FOR PRODUCING, RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. 36-YEAR-OLD JONATHAN BINNS WAS ORIGINALLY CHARGED IN OCTOBER OF 2010 WITH PHOTOGRAPHING AND HAVING SEX WITH TWO PRETEEN GIRLS. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, THE GRAND JURY ALLEGES BINNS PRODUCED IMAGES OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND USED A COMPUTER TO DOWNLOAD AND DISTRIBUTE IMAGES BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND OCTOBER 2010. THE INDICTMENT CHARGES BINNS WITH TWO COUNTS OF PRODUCING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ONE COUNT OF RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. IF CONVICTED, BINNS FACES A MANDATORY 15-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE, UP TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON FOR EACH COUNT OF PRODUCING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AS WELL AS A MANDATORY FIVE-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE. BINNS ALSO COULD FACE UP TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR EACH OF THE RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES.

SEWER SYSTEM STUDY

TO DETERMINE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO INSTALL A SEWER SYSTEM FOR A PROPOSED PRERELEASE CENTER IN RYAN TOWNSHIP, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY WILL SPEND $9,500. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, THE CENTER IS PLANNED FOR A LOT BESIDE STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION/FRACKVILLE AND CONSTRUCTION BIDS ARE SET TO BE OPENED IN LATE MARCH. THE COUNTY MUST MAKE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS BEFORE THE PROJECT CAN BREAK GROUND. THE COMMISSIONERS APPROVED A CONTRACT WITH ENTECH ENGINEERING, POTTSVILLE AT THEIR MEETING WEDNESDAY TO EXAMINE TWO SEWER LINE OPTIONS FOR THE CENTER.

FIVE SCHUYLKILL RIVER COMMUNITIES EARN GRANTS

THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER HERITAGE AREA HAS AWARDED GRANTS TO COMMUNITIES FOR PROJECTS INTENDED TO DRAW USERS OF THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER LAND AND WATER TRAILS TO AREA DOWNTOWNS, HISTORIC SITES, RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS. THE SELECTED COMMUNITIES WERE POTTSTOWN, PHOENIXVILLE, HAMBURG, POTTSVILLE, AND EAST FALLS. EACH WERE AWARDED $2,000 TO SUPPORT CREATION OF A HERITAGE ACTION PLAN USING THE SRHA'S HERITAGE TOWNS AND TOURS TOOLKIT, AND WILL RECEIVE UP TO $5,000 IN CONSULTANT SUPPORT WHILE DEVELOPING THE PLAN. ONCE A PLAN IS COMPLETED AND APPROVED BY THE SRHA, AWARDEES WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO $25,000. THE GRANTS ARE INTENDED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES ALONG THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER LAND AND WATER TRAILS WITH PROJECTS IN THE AREAS OF IMPROVING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN TRAILS AND TOWNS, CREATING AN IDENTITY AND A SENSE OF PLACE, AND MARKETING THEMSELVES AS DESTINATIONS.

ONE-VEHICLE CRASH INJURES PASSENGER

A ONE-VEHICLE CRASH INJURED A PASSENGER MONDAY IN EAST BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP. POLICE REPORT 35-YEAR-OLD JOEL HAAS WAS TRAVELING TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS AND LOST CONTROL ON THE SNOW-COVERED ROADWAY. HAAS' JEEP TRAVELED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STRUCK A TREE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN ACROSS BOTH LANES. A JUVENILE PASSENGER IN THE JEEP WAS INJURED AND HAAS WILL BE CITED.

ROADWAY CLOSED AFTER 3-VEHICLE CRASH

A 3-VEHICLE CRASH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON IN BLYTHE TOWNSHIP RESULTED IN A ROADWAY BEING CLOSED FOR ONE HOUR. POLICE REPORT, SNOW-COVERED ROADWAYS WERE A FACTOR WHEN 30-YEAR-OLD KATIE MERTZ OF TAMAQUA LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE AND CROSSED INTO THE ON-COMING LANE OF TRAVEL AND HIT A UTILITY POLE. TWO OTHER VEHICLES COMING FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION TRIED TO AVOID HITTING MERTZ AND COLLIDED. MERTZ WAS TAKEN TO POTTSVILLE GOOD SAMARITAN EAST HOSPITAL FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT.

STATE NEWS:

NEW YORK (AP) - ANOTHER SNOWSTORM IS CLOSING SCHOOLS AND GROUNDING PLANES. PHILADELPHIA COMMUTER ELLIOTT SELF SAYS HE FELL THREE TIMES LEAVING AN ELEVATED TRAIN. IN HATFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA., RESIDENTS SAW LIGHTNING IN A RARE THUNDERSNOW, A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY SNOW INSTEAD OF RAIN. THE STORM PROMPTED THE CANCELLATION NEARLY 500 FLIGHTS AT PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS TEMPORARILY REDUCED THE SPEED LIMIT ON A NUMBER OF MAJOR HIGHWAYS IN THE PHILADELPHIA AREA DUE TO THE WINTER STORM. PENNDOT SAYS THE SPEED LIMIT WILL BE 45 MPH ON INTERSTATES 76, 95, 476 AND 676 AND ON ROUTE 1 AND THE ROOSEVELT EXTENSION, THE ROUTE 30 BYPASS, AND ROUTES 202, 422, 63 AND 309.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A JURY RESUMES DELIBERATIONS THURSDAY IN THE TRIAL OF THREE FORMER POLICE OFFICERS CHARGED WITH COVERING UP THE FATAL BEATING OF AN ILLEGAL MEXICAN IMMIGRANT. FORMER SHENANDOAH POLICE CHIEF MATTHEW NESTOR AND TWO SUBORDINATES, WILLIAM MOYER AND JASON HAYES, ARE CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTING AN FBI INVESTIGATION INTO THE JULY 2008 ATTACK ON LUIS RAMIREZ.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY TWO TEENAGERS ACCUSED EACH OTHER OF KILLING AN 87-YEAR-OLD WORLD WAR II VETERAN LAST SUMMER. INDIA SPELLMAN AND VON COMBS WERE ORDERED HELD FOR TRIAL ON MURDER AND ROBBERY CHARGES. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER SAYS STATEMENTS BY THE TEENS TO DETECTIVES WERE READ IN COURT AND WERE ALMOST IDENTICAL EXCEPT FOR WHO SHOT GEORGE GREAVES.

NATIONAL NEWS:

BOSTON (AP) - MANY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE NORTHEAST ARE CLOSED FOR A SECOND DAY AND MOTORISTS ARE BEING WARNED OF DANGEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS. A FAST-MOVING STORM HIT THE REGION OVERNIGHT, BRINGING AN ICY MIX OF SNOW AND RAIN. THE STORM STRANDED HUNDREDS OF AIRPLANE PASSENGERS AND LEFT MORE THAN 300,000 CUSTOMERS IN AND AROUND THE NATION'S CAPITAL WITHOUT POWER.

WASHINGTON (AP) - NEW CONGRESSIONAL PROJECTIONS DON'T BODE WELL FOR THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM. THEY SHOW THE PROGRAM RUNNING DEFICITS EVERY YEAR UNTIL ITS TRUST FUNDS ARE EVENTUALLY DRAINED IN ABOUT 2037. THIS YEAR ALONE, SOCIAL SECURITY IS PROJECTED TO COLLECT $45 BILLION LESS IN PAYROLL TAXES THAN IT PAYS OUT IN BENEFITS. THE FIGURES COME FROM NONPARTISAN CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A GROWING NUMBER OF CITY-DWELLERS ARE FINDING THEMSELVES FACED WITH FORECLOSURE. THE FORECLOSURE LISTING FIRM REALTYTRAC SAYS FORECLOSURE ACTIVITY JUMPED IN 149 OF THE COUNTRY'S 206 LARGEST METROPOLITAN AREAS LAST YEAR. HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND LACKLUSTER JOB PROSPECTS ARE FORCING METROPOLITAN HOMEOWNERS INTO DIRE FINANCIAL STRAITS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE LATEST QUARTERLY AP ECONOMY SURVEY SUGGESTS AN INCREASING IN HIRING THIS YEAR THAT WILL STILL LEAVE UNEMPLOYMENT CHRONICALLY HIGH AT AROUND 9 PERCENT BY YEAR'S END. A MAJORITY OF ECONOMISTS SURVEYED SAY IT WILL BE 2016 OR LATER BEFORE UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS TO A HISTORICALLY NORMAL RATE OF AROUND 5 PERCENT. THEY ALSO SAY LOWER SOCIAL SECURITY TAXES AND HIGHER STOCK PRICES WILL EMBOLDEN AMERICANS TO SPEND MORE AND DRIVE THE ECONOMY.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - THE GATES AT UTAH'S DUGWAY PROVING GROUNDS HAVE BEEN LOCKED WITH NO ONE ALLOWED IN OR OUT AND THE COMMANDER SAYS THE ARMY BASE IS TRYING TO RESOLVE A "SERIOUS PROBLEM." COLONEL WILLIAM E. KING DID NOT PROVIDE ANY DETAILS IN A STATEMENT, BUT SAYS NO ONE IS IN DANGER. MILITARY WEAPONS ARE TESTED AT DUGWAY AND ITS PRIMARY MISSION IS DEFENDING TROOPS AGAINST BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL ATTACKS.