LOCAL NEWS: FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011

THE OFFICIAL CRUISE CAR OF THE 2011 ANNUAL GREAT POTTSVILLE CRUISE HAS BEEN REVEALED! JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

CRUISE CAR

BODY FOUND IN RYAN TOWNSHIP IDENTIFIED

THE IDENTITY OF A BODY FOUND ON MARCH 19 AT THE INTERSTATE 81 AND ROUTE 61 INTERCHANGE IN RYAN TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN DETERMINED. STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE SAY THE BODY OF 46-YEAR-OLD RONALD LOUIS COY SR. WAS FOUND SEVERELY DECOMPOSED JUST AFTER 12PM. COY WAS BELIEVED TO BE A TRANSIENT, WHOSE LAST KNOWN RESIDENCE WAS IN IOWA, TEMPORARILY SETTING UP RESIDENCE NEAR WHERE HIS BODY WAS DISCOVERED. THE CAUSE OF COY’S DEATH IS REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT FRACKVILLE STATE POLICE.

PROPOSED PRERELEASE CENTER NOT HAPPENING

A PROPOSED PRERELEASE CENTER TO BE BUILT IN RYAN TOWNSHIP IS NO LONGER AN OPTION FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. AFTER REVIEWING THE BIDS AT A SPECIAL PRISON BOARD MEETING THURSDAY, THE COST WAS $1 MILLION HIGHER THAN HOPED. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT $4.2 MILLION WAS THE TOTAL EXPECTED. TWENTY-TWO COMPANIES SUBMITTED BIDS FOR THE CENTER STARTING MARCH 23. THE PROPOSED PRERELEASE CENTER, WHICH HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR A LOT BESIDE THE STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN FRACKVILLE, WOULD HAVE ALLEVIATED OVERCROWDING IN THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON.

ASHLAND PHARMACY ROBBERS ARRESTED

TWO SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED THURSDAY AND CHARGED WITH ROBBING BRACEY’S PHARMACY IN ASHLAND. 18-YEAR-OLD CHARLES FRANTZ OF MOUNT CARMEL AND 17-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM RUDIMAN OF FOUNTAIN SPRINGS WERE ARRAIGNED ON 12 COUNTS OF ROBBERY AND TWO COUNTS OF CONSPIRACY AMONG OTHER RELATED CHARGES. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS A WARRANT FOR THE ARREST OF 21-YEAR-OLD LEANNE MICKLESAVAGE OF MOUNT CARMEL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON IDENTICAL CHARGES. FRANTZ REMAINS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON ON $50,000 STRAIGHT CASH BAIL. RUDIMAN WAS RELEASED ON $50,000 UNSECURED BAIL.

STATE NEWS: PHILADELPHIA (AP) - WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND OTHER AREAS AS A SPRING STORM IS POISED TO HIT THE STATE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THE STORM IS MOVING UP THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST AND WILL BRING WET SNOW AND RAIN INTO THIS MORNING.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - INVESTIGATORS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF A FIRE THAT KILLED SEVEN SIBLINGS AND DESTROYED THEIR PENNSYLVANIA FARMHOUSE MORE THAN THREE WEEKS AGO AND ARE CLOSING THE CASE. STATE POLICE SAY THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS IN THE FIRST-FLOOR LIVING ROOM OF THE CLOUSE FAMILY'S TWO-STORY HOME IN LOYSVILLE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATURE IS WINDING UP THREE WEEKS OF HEARINGS ON GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT'S $27.3 BILLION BUDGET PLAN. HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN WILLIAM ADOLPH PREDICTS A FINAL BUDGET WILL BE PASSED WITHOUT A TAX INCREASE AND BEFORE THE JUNE 30TH DEADLINE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - "HARDBALL" HOST CHRIS MATTHEWS IS GETTING AN HONORARY DEGREE FROM TEMPLE UNIVERSITY. THE LONGTIME NEWSMAN IS ALSO EXPECTED TO ADDRESS GRADUATES AT THE MAY 12TH COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY IN PHILADELPHIA. MATTHEWS IS A PHILADELPHIA-AREA NATIVE.

NATIONAL NEWS: BOSTON (AP) - THE LONG-WHITE WINTER ISN'T OVER YET IN THE NORTHEAST. AN APRIL FOOLS' DAY SNOWSTORM IS EXPECTED TO LAST THROUGH THIS MORNING AND UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE IN SOME AREAS. STORM WARNINGS WERE UP AROUND THE REGION AND PARTS OF NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK'S HUDSON VALLEY AND CATSKILLS COULD SEE 5 TO 12 INCHES.

TOKYO, JAPAN (AP) - JAPAN'S NUCLEAR SAFETY AGENCY SAYS THE LATEST HIGH RADIATION MEASUREMENTS NEAR THE COUNTRY'S CRIPPLED NUCLEAR COMPLEX LOOK SUSPICIOUS. THE AGENCY HAS ORDERED A REVIEW AND THE PLANT'S OPERATOR SAYS THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ERROR IN THE COMPUTER PROGRAM USED TO ANALYZE DATA. BUT OFFICIALS SAY THE READINGS STILL MAY BE CORRECT DESPITE THE GLITCH.

LONDON (AP) - MEDIA REPORTS IN BRITAIN SAY AN ENVOY OF LIBYAN LEADER MOAMMAR GADHAFI HAS MET WITH U.K. AUTHORITIES IN LONDON. THE NEWS COMES ON THE HEELS OF TWO PROMINENT DEFECTIONS FROM GADHAFI'S REGIME, THE FOREIGN OFFICE SAYS IT WON'T COMMENT BUT STRESSES THAT IT'S MADE CLEAR DURING ANY CONTACT THAT GADHAFI HAS TO GO.

WASHINGTON (AP) - ECONOMISTS EXPECT THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAD ANOTHER GOOD MONTH OF HIRING. THE LABOR DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES MARCH EMPLOYMENT FIGURES TODAY AND EXPERTS SAY THE NATION PROBABLY ADDED 185,000 JOBS. THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS FORECAST TO REMAIN AT 8.9 PERCENT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE GOVERNMENT SAYS HIGHWAY DEATHS ARE WAY DOWN. THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT SAYS NEARLY 33,000 PEOPLE WERE KILLED ON U.S. ROADS IN 2010, A DECREASE OF ABOUT 3 PERCENT FROM 2009. THAT'S THE LOWEST NUMBER SINCE 1949. THE GOVERNMENT SAYS THERE ARE STILL TOO MANY DEATHS, BUT ANTI-DRUNK DRIVING EFFORTS, SEAT BELTS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY HAVE SAVED LIVES.