TODAY'S NEWS: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011

BREAKING NEWS:
AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING IN THAT OCCURED IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. DETECTIVES ARE ON THE SCENE AT THE 200-BLOCK OF TUPELHOCKEN STREET, PINE GROVE. THE VICTIM WAS SHOT IN THE BACK AND CHEST, BUT A NAME OR CONDITION HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED.

EXTORTION TRIAL FOR EX-COPS POSTPONED

THE EXTORTION PROCEEDINGS OF TWO FORMER SHENANDOAH POLICE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN POSTPONED. FORMER CHIEF MATTHEW NESTOR AND CAPTAIN JAMIE GENNARINI IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON MONDAY, MAY 9, 2011. THE TRIAL INITIALLY SET FOR MONDAY WAS CHANGED AFTER NESTOR'S ATTORNEYS FILED THURSDAY TO WAIVE THEIR CLIENTS RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL. IF GRANTED, NESTOR WILL BYPASS JURY SELECTION AND BE TRIED IN FRONT OF A JUDGE. AT THIS TIME, GENNARINI HAS NOT FILED TO WAIVE HIS RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL. BOTH MEN WERE FEDERALLY INDICTED IN DECEMBER 2009 ON EXTORTION CHARGES.

FORMER STATE TROOPER'S AUTOPSY SCHEDULED TODAY

AN AUTOPSY IS SCHEDULED TODAY ON THE FORMER STATE TROOPER WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. 34-YEAR OLD DAVID LYNCH HAD BEEN MISSING FOR FIVE DAYS BEFORE POLICE DISCOVERED HIS BODY IN THE ROARING CREEK TRACT OF THE WEISER STATE FOREST. THE AUTOPSY WILL TAKE PLACE AT LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL IN ALLENTOWN.

BEWARE OF SCAMS

THE ECONOMY IS DOWN AND SCAMS ARE UP IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. BURGLARS POSING AS UTILITY WORKERS AND REPAIRMEN INVADED A HOME IN BUTLER TOWNSHIP IN DECEMBER, THEN IN JANUARY HOMES IN PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP AND NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP WERE TARGETED. EXPERTS SAY OLDER PEOPLE ARE OFTEN THE MOST VULNERABLE, BUT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. CLOSE THE DOOR ON ANYONE YOU DON’T TRUST, ASK TO SEE THEIR CREDENTIALS OR A PERMIT, CHECK THE YELLOW PAGES OR BLUE PAGES FOR THE COMPANY, AND ALWAYS SAFEGUARD YOUR MONEY.

MAN DRIVES VEHICLE INTO HOMES

A MINERSVILLE MAN FACES MULTIPLE CHARGES AFTER ALLEGEDLY DRIVING HIS VEHICLE INTO TWO HOMES TUESDAY NIGHT. 40-YEAR OLD DAVID ZETTICK DROVE INTO THE HOMES CAUSING HIS VEHICLE TO BECOME WEDGED. ZETTICK FREED THE VEHICLE AND THEN FLED INTO HIS OWN HOME. CHARGES WERE FILED AT THE OFFICE OF SENIOR MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT JUDGE MICHAEL MYCHAK IN POTTSVILLE.

2011 VISITOR'S GUIDE

THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY VISITOR'S BUREAU INVESTS THEIR TIME, EFFORT, AND ENERGY INTO PROMOTING THE COMMUNITY ALL YEAR LONG. WPPA'S JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

VISITOR'S GUIDE

TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT SCHUYLKILL.ORG

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - CHILD WELFARE OFFICIALS HAVE PUT A SEVERELY INJURED DELAWARE COUNTY TEEN IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY. MAZERATTI MITCHELL HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED SINCE A WRESTLING INJURY TUESDAY AND OFFICIALS SAY THE PARENT REFUSED DOCTORS' RECOMMENDATIONS HE GET SURGERY -- INSTEAD FAVORING HERBAL MEDICINES. A HEARING ON THE CASE IS SET FOR MONDAY.

NEW CUMBERLAND, PA. (AP) - A PRISON INMATE WILL STAND TRIAL IN AN ALLEGED MURDER-FOR-HIRE PLOT THAT TARGETED THREE PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE JUDGE WHO SENT HIM TO PRISON. A JUDGE HAS RULED THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO TRY LANCE GREENAWALT. AUTHORITIES SAY HE OFFERED MONEY AND PROPERTY TO HIS CELL MATE TO KILL THE THREE AFTER THE CELL MATE WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - WITH ONE APPEAL FILED AND ANOTHER EXPECTED, STATE SENATOR JANE ORIE IS SEEKING TO DELAY HER PUBLIC CORRUPTION TRIAL SET TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK. ORIE AND HER SISTER ARE CHARGED WITH USING THE SENATOR'S PAID STAFFERS TO DO CAMPAIGN WORK FOR ORIE ALONG WITH A THIRD SISTER, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JOAN ORIE MELVIN.

YORK, PA. (AP) - GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT WILL GIVE YORK COLLEGE'S NEWEST GRADUATES THEIR SENDOFF IN MID-MAY. SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THE NEW GOVERNOR AGREED TO BE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER AT THE SCHOOL. CORBETT GOT HIS UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE FROM LEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE AND HE HAS A LAW DEGREE FROM ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY IN TEXAS.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THE CRISIS IN EGYPT TODAY. HE'S EXPECTED TO TAKE QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS ON THE SUBJECT WHEN HE APPEARS WITH CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER. THE ADMINISTRATION IS REPORTEDLY DISCUSSING A PROPOSAL WITH EGYPTIAN OFFICIALS FOR PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK TO STEP DOWN IMMEDIATELY AND INSTALL A CARETAKER GOVERNMENT.

CAIRO (AP) - THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS ARE AGAIN POURING INTO CAIRO'S MAIN SQUARE UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF EGYPT'S MILITARY. THE PROTESTERS' GOAL IS TO DRIVE OUT PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK AFTER A WEEK AND HALF OF PRO-DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATIONS AND CLASHES WITH GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S. OFFICIAL TELLS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS CRITICAL OF U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES FOR FAILING TO FORESEE THE CRISIS IN EGYPT AND THE DOWNFALL OF A U.S. ALLY IN TUNISIA. ON CAPITOL HILL, THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, DEMOCRAT DIANNE FEINSTEIN, SAYS THOSE EVENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE COME UPON THE U.S. WITH THE SURPRISE THAT THEY DID.

DEARBORN, MICH. (AP) - DEFENSE ATTORNEYS ARE EXPECTED TO REQUEST A COMPETENCY EVALUATION TODAY FOR A CALIFORNIA MAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING TO BLOW UP A DETROIT-AREA MOSQUE. SIXTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD ROGER STOCKHAM IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR THIS MORNING IN DEARBORN'S 19TH DISTRICT COURT FOR A PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION. THE DEFENSE REQUEST IS TO BE BASED ON HIS HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - ECONOMISTS SAY THE JOBS REPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT DUE OUT TODAY WILL STILL SHOW HIRING LAGGING BEHIND OTHER INDICATORS OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY. BUT SOME ANALYSTS ARE MORE OPTIMISTIC AND THINK THE JOB GAINS COULD BE LARGER, AFTER SEVERAL POSITIVE ECONOMIC REPORTS WERE RELEASED YESTERDAY. EXPERTS SAY THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WILL INCH UP TO 9.5 PERCENT FROM 9.4.