LOCAL NEWS: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2011

HOSS’S CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT HUNGER

HOSS’S STEAK AND SEA HOUSE IS HELPING FIGHT HUNGER BY DONATING CANNED GOODS TO THE SALVATION ARMY. WPPA/T102'S JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

HOSS'S

SHENANDOAH MAN DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES

CRIMINAL CONDUCT HAS BEEN RULED OUT AFTER A MAN WAS FOUND DEAD AT HIS HOME IN SHENANDOAH ON SUNDAY. POLICE REPORT AN AUTOPSY YESTERDAY HAS REVEALED THAT 54-YEAR OLD MICHAEL SOSNA DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES WITH CONTRIBUTING FACTORS BEING HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK AND END STAGE CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER. SOSNA, OF EAST MOUNT VERNON STREET IN SHENANDOAH, WAS DISCOVERED ABOUT 2 P.M. SUNDAY BY SHENANDOAH EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL, WHO WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE.

HAVEN MAN CHARGED WITH BURGLARY AND THEFT

(WGRC)- A BURGLAR AND CAR THIEF WAS APPREHENDED IN NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP MONDAY. STATE POLICE SAY 18-YEAR OLD BENJAMIN NEIDLINGER OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SMASHED A WINDOW TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE AUTO STAR BUSINESS NEAR ORWIGSBURG EARLY THIS MORNING. ONCE INSIDE HE TOOK THE KEYS TO A 2007 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE AND LEFT IN THAT VEHICLE. HE DECIDED TO RETURN THE CAR AROUND 6 THIS MORNING AT WHICH TIME HE WAS CONFRONTED BY THE OWNER. NEIDLINGER RAN FROM THE SCENE. THE POLICE INVESTIGATION LED THEM TO THE COUNTRY SQUIRE MOTEL AND RESTAURANT IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN WHERE THEY TOOK NEIDLINGER INTO CUSTODY. HE IS CHARGED WITH BURGLARY, THEFT AND RELATED COUNTS. NEIDLINGER IS LOCKED UP IN LIEU OF $25,000 BAIL.

POTTSVILLE MAN ARRESTED FOR DRUGS AND WEAPONS

A POTTSVILLE MAN IS NOW BEHIND BARS AFTER POLICE FOUND DRUGS AND WEAPONS IN HIS APARTMENT TUESDAY MORNING. 20-YEAR- OLD MATTHEW STEPHANY WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AT 10AM AFTER UNDERCOVER OFFICERS CONDUCTED CONTROLLED BUYS AND SECURED A SEARCH WARRANT FOR HIS APARTMENT. POLICE FOUND AN ASSORTMENT OF DRUGS, SWORDS, KNIVES AND A GUN. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS STEPHANY WILL BE CHARGED WITH POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DELIVER CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES AMONG OTHER CHARGES AND WILL LIKELY FACE STIFFER PENALTIES BECAUSE HE WAS ALLEGEDLY SELLING DRUGS IN A SCHOOL ZONE. HE WAS TAKEN TO COUNTY PRISON IN LIEU OF $15,000 CASH BAIL.

BARN BURGLARY

POLICE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR THE PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR A BURGLARY IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY THAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. POLICE REPORT A DIRT BIKE, SEVERAL CAST IRON RADIATORS, TWO METAL CABINETS, SCRAP METAL AND A SMALL UTILITY TRAILER WERE TAKEN FROM A BARN IN EAST BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP. ANYONE WILL INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL FRACKVILLE STATE POLICE. (874-5300)

STATE NEWS:

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT HAS UNVEILED HIS FIRST BUDGET WITH A PLAN THAT INCLUDES NO NEW TAXES BUT DOES CALL FOR A BROAD RESHUFFLING OF STATE SPENDING - INCLUDING SHARP CUTS IN EDUCATION AND THE ELIMINATION OF HUNDREDS OF STATE JOBS. CORBETT HAS PROPOSED $27.3 BILLION IN SPENDING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR THAT STARTS JULY 1. THAT'S A DECREASE OF ROUGHLY 3 PERCENT FROM THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE PHILADELPHIA ARCHDIOCESE HAS SUSPENDED 21 PRIESTS WHO WERE NAMED AS CHILD MOLESTATION SUSPECTS IN A SCATHING GRAND JURY REPORT RELEASED LAST MONTH. CARDINAL JUSTIN RIGALI SAYS THAT THE PRIESTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM MINISTRY WHILE THEIR CASES ARE REVIEWED.

GETTYSBURG, PA. (AP) - A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA MAN FACES LIFE IN PRISON AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE SHOOTING DEATHS OF HIS WIFE AND SON A YEAR AGO. ADAMS COUNTY JUDGE MICHAEL GEORGE ALSO CONVICTED 69-YEAR-OLD RICHARD LEHMAN OF YORK SPRINGS ON TUESDAY OF THIRD-DEGREE MURDER AND POSSESSION OF AN INSTRUMENT OF CRIME.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT IS UPHOLDING THE STATE GAMING CONTROL BOARD'S DECISION TO AWARD A RESORT SLOTS CASINO LICENSE TO THE VALLEY FORGE CONVENTION CENTER OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA. THE HIGH COURT DECISION HINGED IN PART ON WHETHER THE KING OF PRUSSIA FACILITY QUALIFIED AS A "WELL-ESTABLISHED RESORT HOTEL" UNDER THE STATE SLOT-MACHINE GAMBLING LAW.

NATIONAL NEWS:

BLAINE, PA. (AP) - SEVEN CHILDREN ARE DEAD AFTER FLAMES ENGULFED THEIR RURAL PENNSYLVANIA FARMHOUSE. AUTHORITIES SAY THEIR MOTHER WAS IN A BARN MILKING COWS AND THEIR FATHER WAS TAKING A NAP IN A MILK DELIVERY TRUCK. ONE CHILD, WHO HAD SMELLED SMOKE AND RAN TO ALERT THE MOTHER, SURVIVED.

PHOENIX (AP) - JARED LEE LOUGHNER FACES DOZENS OF NEW FEDERAL CHARGES AT HIS ARRAIGNMENT TODAY IN ARIZONA. THE SUSPECT IN THE TUCSON, ARIZ., SHOOTING RAMPAGE THAT CRITICALLY WOUNDED CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE GIFFORDS IS FORMALLY ACCUSED OF KILLING SIX PEOPLE AND WOUNDING 13 OTHERS. THE JUDGE IS ALSO CONSIDERING MOTIONS, INCLUDING AN ORDER FOR A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION.

ANKARA, TURKEY (AP) - MOAMMAR GADHAFI WARNS IN AN INTERVIEW THAT ANY NO-FLY ZONE IMPOSED BY THE WEST WILL SHOW THEIR REAL INTENTION IS TO SEIZE THE COUNTRY'S OIL. HE SAYS ON TURKEY'S STATE-RUN TRT TURK TELEVISION THAT LIBYANS WILL FIGHT IF THAT HAPPENS. AND IN AN ADDRESS TO YOUNG PEOPLE, GADHAFI CALLED ON LIBYANS IN THE REBEL-HELD EAST TO TAKE BACK CONTROL FROM THE OPPOSITION.

CAIRO (AP) - MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS HAVE CLASHED IN CAIRO TO A DEADLY EFFECT. AUTHORITIES SAY AT LEAST SIX PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE OFFICIALS SAY THE CLASHES LAST NIGHT INVOLVED PEOPLE WITH GUNS, CLUBS AND KNIVES. THE CLASHES BEGAN WHEN SEVERAL THOUSAND CHRISTIANS PROTESTED AGAINST THE BURNING OF A CHURCH BY A MUSLIM MOB. AN ANGRY CROWD OF MUSLIMS SET UPON THE CHRISTIANS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE SENATE IS EXPECTED TODAY TO VOTE DOWN BOTH COMPETING VERSIONS OF A PLAN TO FUND THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE REST OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. THE IDEA IS TO SHOW BOTH SIDES THAT THEY NEED TO MOVE TOWARD EACH OTHER TO BREAK A BITTER STALEMATE OVER HOW MUCH TO CUT SPENDING. REPUBLICANS WANT ABOUT $57 BILLION IN CUTS WHILE DEMOCRATS PROPOSE ABOUT $5 BILLION.