TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2011

SECOND FORMER COP FILES FOR ACQUITTAL

THE SECOND FORMER SHENANDOAH POLICE OFFICER CONVICTED OF MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT TO THE FBI IN THE INVESTIGATION OF AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S BEATING DEATH HAS FILED A MOTION TO OVERTURN HIS CONVICTION. FORMER LIEUTENANT WILLIAM MOYER FILED A FIVE PAGE MOTION WEDNESDAY STATING THE PROSECUTION DID NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE CONVICTION. EARLIER THIS WEEK FORMER CHIEF MATTHEW NESTOR ALSO FILED FOR ACQUITTAL OR BE AWARDED A NEW TRIAL.

BODY OF FORMER COP FOUND

AFTER MISSING FOR NEARLY A WEEK, THE BODY OF A FORMER STATE TROOPER WAS FOUND WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN A WOODED AREA IN COLUMBIA COUNTY. 34-YEAR OLD DAVID LYNCH DISAPPEARED FRIDAY. HIS TRUCK WAS FOUND TUESDAY IN THE WEISER STATE FOREST OFF ROUTE 54, BUT LYNCH’S BODY WASN’T DISCOVERED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING EVENING. RESCUE PERSONNEL AND AGENCIES SEARCHED AN 8-MILE STRETCH BEFORE FINDING LYNCH ON THE EDGE OF STATE GAME LANDS IN MOUNT CARMEL TOWNSHIP. LYNCH WAS FORMALLY A MAHANOY AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL STAR AND DIVISION I DUKE BLUE DEVILS PLAYER. LYNCH WAS SCHEDULED TO GO TO TRIAL TUESDAY ON CHARGES THAT INCLUDED RESISTING ARREST AND DUI RELATED TO A DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE IN 2009. POLICE ARE NOW INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF HIS DEATH.


PPL CONTINUES TO RESTORE POWER

PPL HAS BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO RESTORE POWER AFTER WEDNESDAY’S POWERFUL ICE STORM DISRUPTED THE SERVICE FROM SUSQUEHANNA TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY. AS OF NOON WEDNESDAY, THE COMPANY RESTORED SERVICE TO OVER 40,000 CUSTOMERS. DESPITE HIGH WINDS, THE CREWS CONTINUE WORKING THIS MORNING TO RESTORE THE POWER TO OVER 1000 REMAINING CUSTOMERS, MOST RESIDING IN BERKS, LEHIGH AND PERRY COUNTIES.

YMCA IMPROVES GYMNASTICS REC PROGRAM

THE SCHUYLKILL Y HAS IMPROVED A LONG-STANDING PROGRAM IN THE COMMUNITY. WPPA’S JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

GYMNASTICS

WANTED MAN FOUND DURING ROUTINE CHECK

STATE POLICE CHECKING ON A DISABLED VEHICLE IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY TOOK A MAN INTO CUSTODY WHO WAS WANTED ON A PAROLE VIOLATION. THAT HAPPENED JUST AFTER NINE LAST NIGHT ON ROUTE 895 IN EAST BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP. POLICE SAY 27-YEAR-OLD RICHARD PIZZO OF BARNESVILLE WAS A PASSENGER IN THE DISABLED VEHICLE. PIZZO WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND JAILED IN THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON.

STATE NEWS:
PITTSBURGH (AP) - TWO MEN HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF MURDER IN THE DEATH OF MAN FOLLOWING A BOTCHED HOME INVASION TWO YEARS AGO. JURORS IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY ON WEDNESDAY CONVICTED WILLIAM FAULKNER OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND MARCUS UPSHAW OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF CHARLES HALL JR. IN DECEMBER 2008.

ROCKVILLE, MD. (AP) - A FORMER PRIEST HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH ABUSING TWO STUDENTS AT GEORGETOWN PREPARATORY SCHOOL. MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE RECEIVED TWO COMPLAINTS LAST YEAR AGAINST GARRETT DAVID ORR OF PITTSBURGH WHO TAUGHT AT THE EXCLUSIVE ALL-BOYS BOARDING SCHOOL 1989 AND 2003. ORR SURRENDERED TO AUTHORITIES LAST WEEK.

PHILADELPHIA. (AP) - A WOMAN WHO BOUGHT A HANDGUN USED IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A PENNSYLVANIA STATE TROOPER HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO A FEDERAL CHARGE AND WILL BE PLACED ON HOUSE ARREST FOR A YEAR. PROSECUTORS SAID EMILY JOY GROSS WAS LIVING WITH DANIEL AUTENREITH WHEN SHE BOUGHT THE GUN IN MAY 2009. NINE DAYS LATER, AUTENREITH USED IT TO KILL TROOPER JOSHUA MILLER.

MUNCY, PA. (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY THE COLLAPSE OF THE INFLATABLE DOME OF A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA SPORTS COMPLEX CAUSED NO INJURIES BUT HAS FORCED CANCELLATION OF ALL ACTIVITIES. THE DOME OF THE GENERATION SPORTS COMPLEX NEAR MUNCY IN LYCOMING COUNTY DEFLATED WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

NATIONAL NEWS:
CAIRO (AP) - THE EGYPTIAN MILITARY IS TAKING UP POSITIONS BETWEEN ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATORS AND SUPPORTERS OF PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK IN CAIRO. THE MOVE CAME HOURS AFTER THE PROTEST CAMP AT TAHRIR SQUARE WAS HIT BY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE, KILLING AT LEAST THREE PROTESTERS.

TULLY, AUSTRALIA (AP) - HUNDREDS OF HOMES IN NORTHEAST AUSTRALIA HAVE BEEN DESTROYED OR SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. BUT AUTHORITIES ARE EXPRESSING RELIEF THAT NO ONE WAS KILLED WHEN OF THE MOST POWERFUL STORMS EVER RECORDED IN THE COUNTRY HIT QUEENSLAND STATE. CYCLONE YASI HIT THE COAST WITH 170 MPH WINDS, SOAKING RAINS AND TIDAL SURGES THAT SENT WAVES CRASHING TWO BLOCKS INTO SEASIDE TOWNS.

MILFORD, CONN. (AP) - BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES HAVE FOLLOWED THE SNOW IN THE COUNTRY'S MIDSECTION. WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 30 BELOW IN SOME LOCATIONS THIS MORNING. THE STORM SYSTEM IS BEING BLAMED FOR AT LEAST 12 DEATHS. MEANWHILE, AIRPORT OPERATIONS HAVE SLOWED TO A CRAWL NATIONWIDE, WITH 13,000 FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS SO FAR THIS WEEK.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - A U.N. SURVEY OUT TODAY SUGGESTS THE REPUTATION OF THE AFGHAN POLICE HAS DETERIORATED IN THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY OVER THE PAST YEAR. WHILE NEARLY 80 PERCENT OF AFGHANS POLLED NATIONWIDE SAY THEY HAVE A POSITIVE VIEW OF THE POLICE, LESS THAN HALF OF THOSE IN THE COUNTRY'S FIVE SOUTHERN PROVINCES HAVE A
FAVORABLE OPINION. NATO AND U.S. TROOPS HAVE BEEN WORKING TO STRENGTHEN AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES IN THE REGION.

KAMPALA, UGANDA (AP) - UGANDAN POLICE SAY THEY'VE ARRESTED A KEY SUSPECT IN THE KILLING OF A PROMINENT GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST. THE ACTIVIST WAS BLUDGEONED TO DEATH LAST WEEK. THE KILLING COMES AFTER A YEAR OF INCREASING THREATS AGAINST GAYS IN UGANDA, WHERE LEGISLATION HAS BEEN PROPOSED THAT WOULD MAKE SOME HOMOSEXUAL ACTS
PUNISHABLE BY DEATH.