LOCAL NEWS: MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2011

UNIDENTIFIED BODY IN RYAN TOWNSHIP

FRACKVILLE STATE POLICE HAVE STILL BEEN UNABLE TO IDENTIFY A BODY DISCOVERED NEAR THE INTERSTATE 81/ ROUTE 61 INTERCHANGE SATUDAY AFTERNOON. THE CORPSE WAS FOUND IN A WOODED AREA IN RYAN TOWNSHIP, ONE DAY AFTER POLICE FOUND THE VEHICLE OF A GORDON MAN WHO HAD BEEN MISSING SINCE MARCH IN THE SAME AREA.

SHENANDOAH FIRE

A SUNDAY NIGHT FIRE IN SHENANDOAH DESTROYED A HOME AND DAMAGED AT LEAST THREE OTHERS. BOROUGH FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE ON WEST OAK STREET JUST BEFORE 9PM. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THE REAR OF 419 W. WEST OAK STREET WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES THAT SPREAD TO THE BACK OF A HOME BEHIND IT. FIREFIGHTERS WERE ABLE TO CONTAIN THE FIRE TO THOSE TWO BUILDINGS, BUT TWO OTHER HOMES ALSO SUFFERED DAMAGE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

METH BUST

A METHAMPHETAMINE LAB BUST IN RUSH TOWNSHIP PUT FIVE PEOPLE BEHIND BARS SATURDAY. 29-YEAR-OLD JEREMY SNYDER OF QUAKAKE, 27-YEAR-OLD JENNIFER DIPIETRO AND 29-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM MANNESS JR. BOTH OF TAMAQUA, ALONG WITH 29-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH HOLLAND OF MARYD AND 30-YEAR-OLD RUSSELL GERNERT IV OF NEW RINGGOLD WERE ALL FACED WITH FELONY CHARGES INCLUDING MANUFACTURING A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS ALL FIVE WERE ARRAIGNED AND COMMITTED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON WITH BAIL SET.

CAR DEALERSHIP THEFT

STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE ARE INVESTIGATING THE THEFT OF A TAILGATE FROM A SHENANDOAH CAR DEALERSHIP. POLICE REPORT A TAILGATE TAKEN FROM A 2011 CHEVY SILVERADO SOMETIME BETWEEN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY MORNING FROM VITO RINALDI CHEVROLET ON THE GOLD STAR HIGHWAY. THE ITEM IS VALUED AT $1,200 AND ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE.

INVESTIGATION OF VEHICLE BREAK-IN

STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN ARE INVESTIGATING A VEHICLE BREAK-IN THAT OCCURRED OVERNIGHT SATURDAY IN TOWER CITY. POLICE REPORT AN UNLOCKED 2000 HONDA ACCORD WAS BROKEN INTO AND OVER $700 WORTH OF BASEBALL EQUIPMENT WAS REMOVED. THE VEHICLES OWNER, CATHY SCHELL ALSO REPORTED $50 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN.

SEVEN STEPS TO A HEALTHIER HEART

NEARLY 40 PERCENT OF AMERICANS THOUGH THEY WERE IN IDEAL HEART HEALTH, WHEN IN REALITY, LESS THAT ONE PERCENT HAS AN IDEAL PROFILE, ACCORDING TO AN AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION SURVEY. GLEN GARDNER REPORTS ON A NEW TOOL TO HELP PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENTS GET BACK ON TRACK TO HEART HEALTH.

HEART HEALTH

STATE NEWS:

LEBANON, PA. (AP) - A LEBANON COUNTY MAN FACES AN AUTOMATIC LIFE PRISON SENTENCE FOLLOWING HIS CONVICTION LAST WEEK IN THE STABBING DEATH OF HIS GIRLFRIEND A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. RUBEN RODRIDGUEZ-MAISONET HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF MURDER IN THE 2009 STABBING DEATH OF CHRISTINE HARDENSTINE.

WALL, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAY A MAN WAS CRITICALLY INJURED WHEN HE WAS SHOT BY A POLICE OFFICER IN A PITTSBURGH-AREA BAR. ALLEGHENY COUNTY POLICE SAID EAST MCKEESPORT OFFICERS WERE CALLED TO EDDIE'S LOUNGE AND RESTAURANT IN WALL AT ABOUT 2 A.M. SUNDAY BY A REPORT THAT SHOTS HAD BEEN FIRED. POLICE SAY AN ARMED MAN REFUSED TO DROP A GUN AND POINTED IT AT AN
OFFICER.

PARADISE, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN LANCASTER COUNTY SAY A HEAD-ON COLLISION BETWEEN A SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE AND A TRACTOR-TRAILER KILLED A MAN AND A CHILD AND INJURED THREE OTHER PEOPLE. POLICE SAY THE SUV WAS HEADING EAST ON ROUTE 30 IN PARADISE TOWNSHIP SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE ONCOMING TRUCK.

BRADFORD, PA. (AP) - ZIPPO LIGHTERS ARE STILL SO RETRO COOL THAT THE COMPANY EXPECTS TO PRODUCE ITS 500 MILLIONTH LIGHTER WHEN THE NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COMPANY CELEBRATES ITS 80TH ANNIVERSARY NEXT YEAR. STILL, ZIPPO OFFICIALS SAY INCREASING PRESSURE ON FOLKS NOT TO SMOKE MEANS THE COMPANY'S FUTURE DEPENDS ON ITS ABILITY TO
SELL SOMETHING OTHER THAN LIGHTER, SUCH AS WATCHES AND COLOGNE.

NATIONAL NEWS:

UKUSHIMA, JAPAN (AP) - THE UTILITY COMPANY OPERATING JAPAN'S TROUBLED NUCLEAR PLANT HAS EVACUATED WORKERS AFTER GRAY SMOKE ESCAPED FROM ONE OF THE REACTOR UNITS MONDAY. THE UTILITY SAYS THE SMOKE CAME FROM THE SPENT FUEL STORAGE POOL OF THE PROBLEM-PLAGUED UNIT 3 REACTOR, WHICH HAD BUILT UP PRESSURE IN ITS REACTOR CORE OVER THE WEEKEND.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE FIVE-MEMBER NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WILL GET AN UPDATE FROM ITS STAFF TODAY ON THE ONGOING CRISIS IN JAPAN. THE GOAL IS TO DEVISE A PLAN TO MEET PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S CALL FOR A COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY REVIEW AT THE 104 U.S.
NUCLEAR REACTORS.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - THE COAST GUARD SAYS MISSISSIPPI RIVER SEDIMENT APPEARS TO BE THE CAUSE OF A MILES-LONG PATCH OF A DISCOLORED GOO FLOATING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE COAST GUARD TESTED THE PATCH YESTERDAY AND FOUND ONLY TRACE AMOUNTS OF PETROLEUM THAT WERE WELL BELOW THE STATE OF LOUISIANA'S STANDARD FOR CLEAN WATER.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - IT'S TAKEN MORE THAN THREE YEARS BUT THE BARRY BONDS PERJURY TRIAL IS FINALLY SCHEDULED TO GET UNDER WAY TODAY IN SAN FRANCISCO. BASEBALL'S ALL-TIME HOME RUN LEADER IS CHARGED WITH LYING TO A FEDERAL GRAND JURY WHEN HE DENIED KNOWINGLY TAKING PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS.

CHICAGO (AP) - THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS AND THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION ARE TELLING PARENTS THAT CHILDREN SHOULD RIDE IN REAR-FACING CAR SEATS UNTIL THEY ARE 2 YEARS OLD, NOT ONE. AND SOME KIDS SHOULD RIDE IN BOOSTER SEATS UNTIL AGE 12. THE DOCTORS GROUP AND THE FEDERAL AGENCY ISSUED SEPARATE BUT CONSISTENT NEW RECOMMENDATIONS TODAY. THE ADVICE IS BASED ON EVIDENCE FROM CRASHES.