TODAY'S NEWS: TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011

SHENANDOAH MEN APPEAL CONVICTION & SENTENCE

LESS THAN ONE WEEK AGO, U.S. SENIOR JUDGE A. RICHARD CAPUTO SENTENCED BRANDON PIEKARSKY AND DERRICK DONCHAK TO NINE YEARS EACH IN FEDERAL PRISON IN CONNECTION WITH THE JULY 2008 BEATING DEATH OF AN ILLEGAL MEXICAN IMMIGRANT. PIEKARSKY AND DONCHAK FILED INDIVIDUAL, ONE-LINE NOTICES OF APPEAL MONDAY FOR THEIR CONVICTIONS AND SENTENCES. THE NOTICES DID NOT CONTAIN ANY EXPLANATION OR REASONING, AND WILL BROUGHT BEFORE A THREE-JUDGE PANEL IN THE U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS.

ANOTHER ARRESTED IN MASSAGE PARLOR INVESTIGATION

A THIRD WOMAN HAS BEEN APPREHENDED IN THE MASSAGE PARLOR INVESTIGATION BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DETECTIVES. 36-YEAR-OLD MARIA FONTANEZ, OF READING, WAS ARRESTED AND ARRAIGNED MONDAY ON CHARGES OF CRIMINAL SOLICITATION, PROSTITUTION AND RELATED OFFENSES. FONTANEZ AND TWO OTHER WOMEN HAD WARRANTS FOR THEIR ARREST STEMMING FROM THE INVESTIGATION OF AROMA AND ROUTE 61 SPAS. FONTANEZ REMAINS IN BERKS COUNTY JAIL UNABLE TO POST 5,000-DOLLARS BAIL AND IS SCHEDULED FOR A PRELIMINARY HEARING MARCH 10TH.

FRACKVILLE FIRE LEAVES TWO FAMILIES HOMELESS

A MOTHER AND HER 9-MONTH-OLD SON ALONG WITH ANOTHER FAMILY ARE NOW HOMELESS AFTER A FIRE MONDAY NIGHT IN FRACKVILLE. FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED TO THE HOME OF KELLY DEANS OF 415 S. MIDDLE STREET JUST AFTER 6PM AND FOUND HEAVY FIRE IN THE KITCHEN WHERE DEANS HAD LEFT A CANDLE BURNING ON THE KITCHEN STOVE. CREWS CUT A HOLE IN THE ROOF TO ALLOW SMOKE AND HEAT TO ESCAPE. DEANS HOME SUSTAINED HEAVY FIRE DAMAGE ALONG WITH SMOKE AND WATER DAMAGE. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THE OTHER PROPERTY, 413 S. MIDDLE STREET, WAS OCCUPIED BY THE CRAWFORD FAMILY. THAT HOME SUSTAINED MINOR SMOKE AND WATER DAMAGE LEAVING A HUSBAND, WIFE AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN DISPLACED.NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IS NOW HELPING THOSE FAMILIES.

HEROIN DEALERS BUSTED IN SHAMOKIN

TWO MAJOR HEROIN DEALERS ARE NOW BEHIND BARS AT NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY PRISON AFTER BRINGING LARGE AMOUNTS OF DRUGS FROM NEW YORK TO PENNSYLVANIA. POLICE CHARGED 25-YEAR-OLD ANTONIO CARRER OF SHAMOKIN AND 37-YEAR-OLD SERGIO CRESPO OF THE BRONX, N.Y. WITH MULIPLE DRUG OFFENSES. THE NEWS ITEM REPORTS CRESPO, A FORMER INMATE ON THE VERNON C. BAIN PRISON BARGE, WAS ARRAIGNED THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND COMMITTED TO NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY PRISON IN LIEU OF $50,000 CASH BAIL. CARRER WAS COMMITTED TO THE PRISON WEDNESDAY AFTER BEING WANTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE PAROLE BOARD ON A ROBBERY CHARGE.

MAN KILLED, 3 HURT IN HEAD-ON CRASH

(AP)-MARYLAND STATE POLICE SAY A MAN WAS KILLED AND THREE MEN WERE INJURED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION NEAR PORT DEPOSIT.THIRTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD TERRY WILLIAMS JR. OF PORT DEPOSIT WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE OF FRIDAY AFTERNOON'S ACCIDENT. TROOPERS SAY WILLIAMS WAS DRIVING A PICKUP TRUCK SOUTH ON BANBRIDGE ROAD WHEN HE CROSSED THE CENTER LINE AND CRASHED INTO A PICKUP TRUCK DRIVEN BY 44-YEAR-OLD JEFF SEIDERS OF POTTSVILLE, PA. SEIDERS WAS FLOWN TO SHOCK TRAUMA IN BALTIMORE. HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE TAKEN TO CHRISTIANA HOSPITAL IN DELAWARE.


STATE NEWS:

PEORIA, ILL. (AP) - THE UAW AND CATERPILLAR SAY THEY'VE REACHED TENTATIVE AGREEMENT ON A NEW SIX-YEAR CONTRACT COVERING WORKERS IN YORK, AS WELL AS LOCATIONS IN ILLINOIS, COLORADO AND TENNESSEE. NEITHER SIDE HAS REVEALED ANY DETAILS OF THE PACT, WHICH WILL GO TO UNION MEMBERS FOR A RATIFICATION VOTE NEXT WEEKEND.

UPPER DARBY, PA. (AP) - IN AN APPARENT PIZZA WAR IN SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA, POLICE SAY A SHOP OWNER TRIED TO SABOTAGE TWO RIVAL STORES BY DUMPING MICE INTO THEM. NIKOLAS GALIATSATOS FACES SEVERAL CHARGES FOR THE INCIDENTS YESTERDAY. POLICE SAY HE DROPPED A BAG CONTAINING MICE IN ONE SHOP'S BATHROOM CEILING, AND ANOTHER BAG INTO A SECOND STORE'S TRASH BIN.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - THIS WEEKEND MARKED STATE PATTY'S DAY AT PENN STATE AND WHAT STARTED OUT AS AN UNOFFICIAL HOLIDAY BY STUDENTS HAS TURNED INTO A GOOD BIT MORE ACCORDING TO POLICE. THEY SAY A BEVY OF OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS JOINED IN ON THE PARTYING WITH POLICE RESPONDING TO 480 CALLS FOR THE WEEKEND. THAT'S UP FROM 365 LAST YEAR.

NATIONAL NEWS:

FINDLAY, OHIO (AP) - A MIX OF MELTING SNOW AND HEAVY RAIN THREATENS TO GENERATE MORE FLOODING TODAY IN ALL 88 OF OHIO'S COUNTIES. OTHER PARTS OF THE MIDWEST ARE ALSO BRACED FOR FLOODS TODAY AFTER BIG STORMS YESTERDAY INCLUDING TORNADOES.

UNDATED (AP) - A WILDFIRE COVERING MORE THAN 13,000 ACRES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA HAS DESTROYED STRUCTURES AND PROMPTED EVACUATIONS. A STATE OF EMERGENCY IS IN EFFECT IN BREVARD COUNTY. MEANWHILE, STUNNED AND WEARY RESIDENTS OF SOME TEXAS PANHANDLE AND WEST TEXAS COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES. SOME DON'T HAVE HOMES TO GO BACK TO. OTHERS COULD BE ALLOWED BACK TODAY BUT THE WILDFIRE FIRE DANGER REMAINS.

TRIPOLI, LIBYA (AP) - REBELS HOLDING THE LIBYAN CITY NEAREST THE CAPITAL HAVE TURNED BACK A SIX-HOUR ASSAULT BY FORCES LOYAL TO MOAMMAR GADHAFI. WITNESSES SAY PRO-GADHAFI TROOPS SUPPORTED BY TANKS AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS TRIED TO RETAKE THE CITY OF ZAWIYA LAST NIGHT.

HOUSTON (AP) - OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO BRING A SUSPECT IN A HOUSTON HOME DAY CARE FIRE BACK TO THE U.S. OFFICIALS SAY THEY BELIEVE THE 22-YEAR-OLD OPERATOR, JESSICA TATA HAS FLED TO HER HOME COUNTRY OF NIGERIA. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE FIRE THAT KILLED FOUR CHILDREN MAY HAVE STARTED WHEN A STOVETOP BURNER WITH OIL ON IT WAS LEFT ON AND TATA LEFT THE CHILDREN WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION.

MADISON, WIS. (AP) - WISCONSIN GOV. SCOTT WALKER IS IS SET TO UNVEIL THE REST OF HIS PLAN TODAY FOR DEALING WITH THE STATE'S BUDGET WOES. HE'S QUICKLY BECOMING A DARLING OF REPUBLICANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR HIS PLAN TO TAKE AWAY MOST COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS FROM PUBLIC WORKERS. THE REST OF HIS PLAN WILL INCLUDE DEEP CUTS FOR SCHOOLS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO HELP CLOSE A PROJECTED $3.6 BILLION SHORTFALL IN THE TWO-YEAR BUDGET.