TODAY'S NEWS: TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2011

SHENANDOAH DEATH INVESTIGATION

POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE DEATH OF A SHENANDOAH MAN FOUND INSIDE HIS HOME SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SHENANDOAH EMS WERE CALLED TO THE HOME OF 54-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL SOSNA AT ABOUT 2PM AFTER HE WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE. AN AUTOPSY WAS PREFORMED MONDAY BY DR. RICHARD BINDIE AT THE SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH, BUT THE CAUSE AND MANNER OF DEATH REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL TROOPERS AT 874-5300.

FRACKVILLE MAN NOT GUILTY OF RAPE

A FRACKVILLE MAN WAS ACQUITTED MONDAY OF SIX CHARGES, INCLUDING RAPE, IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, 52-YEAR-OLD EDMUND GOVERN WAS RECOMMITTED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON ON $200,000 BAIL PENDING A NEW TRIAL ON THREE CHARGES OF INDECENT ASSAULT, INDECENT EXPOSURE AND CORRUPTION THAT THE JURY COULD NOT REACH A VERDICT ON. GOVERN WAS CHARGED IN AUGUST 2010 AFTER REPORTS OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING HIS GIRLFRIEND’S 11-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER.

THREE CHILDREN INJURED IN CRASH

(WGRC)-A CRASH IN RYAN TOWNSHIP, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY SUNDAY AFTERNOON SENT A WOMAN AND THREE YOUNG CHILDREN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE CRASH HAPPENED JUST AFTER THREE P.M. ON INTERSTATE 81 NEAR THE FRACKVILLE EXIT. POLICE SAY 28-YEAR-OLD ALEXIS LIVERPOOL OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE ON THE RAIN-SLICKED HIGHWAY. HER CAR WENT OFF THE HIGHWAY INTO THE MEDIAN AND ROLLED OVER SLIDING FOR SEVERAL FEET TILL COMING TO A STOP. LIVERPOOL AND THREE GIRLS AGES EIGHT, FIVE AND ONE WERE ALL TAKEN TOP SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER EAST FOR TREATMENT. ONE INJURED IN BURMA CRASH

A CRASH ON THE BURMA ROAD THAT OCCURRED JUST AFTER 9:00 MONDAY MORNING TRAPPED A PHILADELPHIA MAN FOR NEARLY TWO HOURS. POLICE REPORT 71-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH SORRENTINO LOST CONTROL OF HIS 2001 DODGE DAKOTA AROUND A LEFT-HAND CURVE HITTING A TREE AND DITCH BEFORE FLIPPING ONTO THE ROOF. SORRENTINO WAS FREED BY EMERGENCY PERSONNEL JUST BEFORE 11:30 AND TRANSPORTED TO LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL BY MED-E-VAC WITH SEVERE INJURIES.

HEAD-ON CRASH IN HAMBURG KILLS 2, INJURES 2

(AP) - AUTHORITIES IN BERKS COUNTY SAY A
HEAD-ON CRASH DURING A HEAVY DOWNPOUR KILLED TWO PEOPLE AND INJURED TWO OTHERS OVER THE WEEKEND. STATE POLICE SAY A VEHICLE HEADING SOUTH ON ROUTE 61 APPARENTLY CROSSED THE MEDIAN AND COLLIDED WITH AN ONCOMING VEHICLE AT ABOUT 4:30 P.M. SUNDAY IN PERRY TOWNSHIP. DEPUTY CORONER RONALD PETERS SAYS 18-YEAR-OLD YOHANY URIBE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. PETERS SAYS 24-YEAR-OLD ARUZELSKY ACOSTA-REYES WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO READING HOSPITAL, WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD ABOUT AN HOUR LATER. AUTHORITIES SAY THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE IN WHICH THEY WERE PASSENGERS WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION. THE OTHER DRIVER WAS LISTED IN GOOD CONDITION. POLICE SAY THE WEATHER COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN THE CRASH.


STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE MATE PILOTING A TUG BOAT IN LAST SUMMER'S DEADLY COLLISION OF A TOURIST BOAT AND A BARGE WAS CONSUMED BY A FAMILY EMERGENCY AND ON HIS CELL PHONE AT THE TIME, A NEW GOVERNMENT REPORT ON THE CRASH HAS REVEALED. THE BARGE STRUCK A DISABLED AMPHIBIOUS "DUCK BOAT" ON JULY 7TH, KILLING TWO HUNGARIAN STUDENTS AND PLUNGING 35 OTHER PEOPLE INTO THE DELAWARE RIVER.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - AN AIDE WHO SPENT HOURS ON HER CELL PHONE THE DAY A SEVERELY AUTISTIC CLIENT DIED IN A HOT VAN IN BUCKS COUNTY HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO TWO TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON. STACEY STRAUSS HAS PLEADED GUILTY OR NO CONTEST TO CHARGES STEMMING FROM LAST SUMMER'S DEATH OF 19-YEAR-OLD BRYAN NEVINS. THE DEFENSE HAS BLAMED A SYSTEM-WIDE FAILURE AT WOODS SERVICES, A RESIDENTIAL FACILITY IN LANGHORNE.

LANCASTER, PA. (AP) - FOUR MEN ARE ON TRIAL IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA ON CHARGES OF HAVING KILLED A WOMAN IN A BOTCHED ROBBERY MORE THAN SIX YEARS AGO. ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY MARK MILLER TOLD JURORS IN LANCASTER COUNTY THAT THE ROBBERS "GROSSLY UNDERESTIMATED" HEATHER NUNN, WHO PUT UP A FIGHT DURING THE OCTOBER 2004 CRIME. BUT THE INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL/LANCASTER NEW ERA SAYS DEFENSE ATTORNEYS ARE ARGUING THAT AUTHORITIES HAVE THE WRONG MEN.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A HISTORIC WARSHIP IN PHILADELPHIA IS LOOKING FOR A NEW OWNER. THE USS OLYMPIA, A ONE-OF-A-KIND STEEL CRUISER FROM THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, NEEDS AN ESTIMATED $10 MILLION TO $20 MILLION IN RESTORATIONS. THE INDEPENDENCE SEAPORT MUSEUM SAYS THAT IT'S LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK.

NATIONAL NEWS:

RAS LANOUF, LIBYA (AP) - LIBYAN WARPLANES ARE KEEPING UP A COUNTEROFFENSIVE TO PREVENT THE OPPOSITION FROM ADVANCING TOWARD THE CAPITAL TRIPOLI. THEY LAUNCHED TWO NEW AIRSTRIKES TODAY NEAR REBEL POSITIONS IN THE OIL PORT OF RAS LANOUF. AN ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER WHO WITNESSED THE STRIKES SAID THEY DID NOT APPEAR TO HIT ANY FIGHTERS. ON ANOTHER FRONT, A WITNESS SAYS LOYALISTS HAVE RECAPTURED ZAWIYA, THE CITY CLOSEST TO TRIPOLI THAT HAD FALLEN INTO OPPOSITION HANDS.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - A CAR BOMB HAS ROCKED THE HOME OF PAKISTAN'S TEXTILE INDUSTRY, KILLING 20 PEOPLE AND WOUNDING MORE THAN 100. THE BOMB WENT OFF OUTSIDE A GAS STATION IN FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN'S THIRD LARGEST. THE BLAST BADLY DAMAGED THE STATION AND AN OFFICE OF PAKISTAN'S STATE-RUN AIRLINE. TODAY'S BOMBING APPARENTLY CAUSED SECONDARY EXPLOSIONS AT THE FUEL STATION, ADDING TO THE DESTRUCTION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HEADS FOR BOSTON TODAY TO PROMOTE HIS AGENDA AND DO SOME FUNDRAISING. OBAMA WILL BE TALKING EDUCATION INNOVATION WITH PHILANTHROPIST MELINDA GATES AND PITCHING POLITICS TO DEMOCRATIC PARTY DONORS. EAGER TO PLUG HIS AGENDA BEYOND THE WASHINGTON BELTWAY, OBAMA HAS BEEN TRAVELING ONCE
A WEEK TO POLITICAL BATTLEGROUNDS.

BELL, CALIF. (AP) - RESIDENTS OF BELL, CALIFORNIA GO TO THE POLLS TODAY HOPING FOR A FRESH START IN GOVERNING THE CITY THAT BECAME THE NATIONAL POSTER CHILD FOR MUNICIPAL CORRUPTION. VOTERS IN THE LOS ANGELES SUBURB WILL REPLACE A CITY COUNCIL WHOSE MEMBERS ARE FACING CHARGES OF LOOTING THE WORKING-CLASS CITY OF MORE THAN $5.5 MILLION. THERE WILL BE AT LEAST THREE NEW MEMBERS ELECTED-- A MAJORITY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE PENTAGON SAYS MARRIED MILITARY WOMEN HAVE A TOUGHER TIME KEEPING THOSE UNIONS INTACT. OFFICIALS SAY MARRIED MILITARY WOMAN ARE MORE THAN TWICE AS LIKELY TO FACE DIVORCE AS THEIR MALE COLLEAGUES. FOR ENLISTED WOMEN THAT RATE JUMPS TO THREE TIMES. AND COMPARED WITH THEIR CIVILIAN PEERS, MILITARY WOMEN HAVE A HIGHER DIVORCE RATE AND IT CAN BE THE BREAKING POINT FOR SOME.