LOCAL NEWS: MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2011

MOTORCYCLE CRASH CLAIMS POTTSVILLE WOMAN

A MOTORCYCLE CRASH CLAIMED THE LIFE OF A POTTSVILLE WOMAN SUNDAY AFTERNOON ON THE GORDON NAGLE TRAIL IN NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP. 31-YEAR-OLD JAMIE DOYLE WAS EJECTED FROM HER MOTORCYCLE AFTER HITTING THE FRONT END OF A VEHICLE DRIVEN BY 80-YEAR-OLD CHARLES RHODES ALSO OF POTTSVILLE. DOYLE LANDED ON THE ROAD AND WAS THEN STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE DRIVEN BY 20-YEAR-OLD NICOLAS DOMANSKI OF SUNBURY. DOYLE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER-SOUTH JACKSON STREET IN POTTSVILLE. STATE ROUTE 901 WAS SHUT DOWN FOR OVER ONE HOUR DUE TO THE INVESTIGATION THAT IS STILL CONTINUING AT THIS TIME.

CITY MAN IN SHOOTING AWAITS BAIL

A POTTSVILLE MAN WAS ARRESTED SATURDAY AFTER FIRING SHOTS AT POTTSVILLE POLICE OFFICERS. 42-YEAR-OLD CHARLES BENTZ BEGAN FIRING SHOTS IN HIS 515 HARRISON STREET HOME WHEN POLICE ARRIVED ON A CALL OF AN ARMED MAN THREATENING SUICIDE. BENTZ DID NOT RESPOND TO THE PHONE CALL MADE BY POLICE TO HIS HOME, BUT CAME TO THE FRONT DOOR UNARMED AND STATED HIS GUN HAD JAMMED. POLICE RECOVERED THE .22-CALIBER LONG RIFFLE SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPON AND BOTH EMPTY CASINGS AND LIVE ROUNDS. BENTZ WAS CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL ATTEMPT TO COMMIT HOMICIDE, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND OTHER RELATED CHARGES AND WAS COMMITTED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON. BENTZ AWAITS BAIL TO BE SET IN THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS DUE TO THE CRIMINAL HOMICIDE CHARGE.

SOLAR POWER SHINES IN PA EXPO

IN THE SOLAR ENERGY FIELD, P-V STANDS FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC, THE CONVERSION OF LIGHT INTO ELECTRIC TY, IT’S A CONCEPT GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION IN PENNSYLVANIA THIS WEEK AS SOLAR CONTRACTORS GATHER TO LEARN THE LATEST ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND INCENTIVES THAT CUSTOMERS CAN TAKE TO THE BANK. TOM JOSEPH HAS MORE:

SOLAR POWER

LOCAL STUDENTS CONTRIBUTE TO CHARITY

SOME LOCAL CHARITIES WILL RECEIVE DONATIONS ALL THANKS TO A GROUP OF 3RD GRADERS. T102/WPPA'S JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

KAREN'S HEROS

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - FEDERAL MARSHALS SAY THEY HAVE ARRESTED A MAN BEING SOUGHT IN THE BRUTAL RAPE OF A BARISTA AT A SOUTH PHILADELPHIA COFFEE SHOP. AUTHORITIES SAY THE 32-YEAR-OLD SUSPECT WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON IN THE SUBURBAN CITY OF CHESTER WHEN SOMEONE RECOGNIZED HIM FROM A WANTED PHOTO.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAN SERVING A LIFE TERM IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A FELLOW HUNTER MORE THAN A DOZEN YEARS AGO IS ASKING A FEDERAL JUDGE TO OVERTURN HIS CONVICTION ON THE GROUNDS THAT HIS ATTORNEYS SHOULD HAVE CHALLENGED DEER DNA USED TO LINK HIM TO THE DEATH. LAWRENCE CSERIPKO OF NORTH UNION TOWNSHIP WAS CONVICTED IN DECEMBER 2005 OF KILLING PAUL JOSEPH HORVAT JR., WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND IN DECEMBER 1997. AUTHORITIES USED NEW TECHNOLOGY IN 2004 TO MATCH DEER DNA OBTAINED FROM THE CRIME SCENE WITH VENISON TAKEN FROM CSERIPKO'S FREEZER.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - DEBATE OVER SETTING CONDITIONS TO ALLOW NATURAL GAS DRILLING IN THE DELAWARE RIVER BASIN IS PITTING LANDOWNERS IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA WHO WANT TO PROFIT FROM THE BOOM AGAINST THOSE DOWNSTREAM CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REPORTS THE ISSUE IS IN THE HANDS OF THE DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION, WHICH IS TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT UNTIL
APRIL 15TH.

EASTON, PA. (AP) - TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS SAY ALL THREE EASTBOUND LANES OF I-78 IN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA WILL BE OPEN FOR THIS MORNING'S RUSH HOUR FOLLOWING CORRECTIVE MEASURES INSTITUTED OVER THE WEEKEND AFTER A ROCK SLIDE THAT FORCED CLOSURE OF ONE LANE. THE DELAWARE RIVER JOINT TOLL BRIDGE COMMISSION SAYS WORKERS HAVE REMOVED DEBRIS FROM THE SLIDE AND INSTALLED A 120-FOOT-LONG CONSTRUCTION BARRIER BETWEEN THE RIGHT LANE AND THE SHOULDER.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - IT'S NO SECRET BUT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE HIS REELECTION BID OFFICIAL VERY SOON. THE PRESIDENT PLANS TO FILE THE NECESSARY PAPERS WITH THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION AS EARLY AS THIS WEEK, AND WILL EMAIL AND TEXT MESSAGES TO SUPPORTERS. AIDES SAY THERE WON'T BE MAJOR CHANGES TO OBAMA'S ROUTINE UNTIL REPUBLICANS SETTLE ON A NOMINEE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - LAWMAKERS ARE TRYING TO HAMMER OUT A DEAL AS A DEADLINE LOOMS FOR FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT OR FORCING A SHUTDOWN FRIDAY. CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS WORKED OVER THE WEEKEND ON A SPENDING BILL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR. SOME HOUSE REPUBLICANS DON'T WANT TO BUDGE FROM THE $61 BILLION IN CUTS THEY MADE. OTHERS HAVE INDICATED A WILLINGNESS FOR SOME COMPROMISE.

YUMA, ARIZ. (AP) - INSPECTORS SAY THEY EXPECT TO FINISH CHECKING SOUTHWEST AIRLINES PLANES FOR CRACKS TOMORROW. THERE ARE STILL ROUGHLY 60 PLANES TO CHECK. CRACKS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THREE PLANES SO FAR AND 19 OTHERS HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE AFTER AN INCIDENT THAT CAUSED A PLANE TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING FRIDAY. SOUTHWEST SAYS IT EXPECTS SOME FLIGHT CANCELATIONS TODAY.

BRUSSELS (AP) - THEY'LL STILL BE AVAILABLE FOR BACK-UP BUT NATO SAYS U.S. WARPLANES WILL LEAVE THE SKIES OVER LIBYA LATER TODAY. BRITAIN, FRANCE AND OTHER NATO ALLIES WILL NOW PROVIDE THE FIGHTER AND ATTACK JETS TO CONDUCT INTERCEPT AND GROUND ATTACK MISSIONS WHILE THE U.S. PROVIDES SUPPORT LIKE REFUELING AND AWACS CAPABILITY.

TOKYO (AP) - WORKERS ARE USING MILKY WHITE DYE TO AUGMENT THEIR EFFORTS TO FIND THE SOURCE OF A RADIOACTIVE WATER LEAK AT A CRIPPLED NUCLEAR COMPLEX. THE WATER IS LEAKING INTO THE OCEAN. MEANWHILE, JAPAN INTERNET CONGLOMERATE SOFTBANK SAYS ITS CEO IS DONATING $120 MILLION OF HIS PERSONAL WEALTH PLUS HIS SALARY UNTIL HE RETIRES TO HELP TSUNAMI VICTIMS.