LOCAL NEWS: THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2011

DA GOODMAN GIVES MONEY BACK TO LAW ENFORCMENT

DISTRICT ATTRONEY JAMES P. GOODMAN HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY GIVING BACK MONEY TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGANEICES ONCE IN THE HANDS OF DRUG DEALERS. JASMINE BROOKS HAS THE DETAILS:

GIVING BACK

CELEBRATING HISTORY

THIS MONDAY IS THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST DEFENDERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C, AFTER THE START OF THE CIVIL WAR. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS 245 OF THOSE SOLDIERS WERE FROM SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. A CELEBRATION OF THE OCCASION, CREATED BY THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLE AND LOCAL HISTORIANS, WILL TAKE PLACE THIS WEEKEND. MUSIC AND POETRY OF THE CIVIL WAR WILL BE HELD AT 7PM SATURDAY AT THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY. FIRST DEFENDERS DAY WILL BE CELEBRATED AT 7PM MONDAY AT SOVEREIGN MAJESTIC THEATER.

ALTERNATIVES TO AVOID PRISON OVERCROWDING

METHODS ARE STILL BEING SOUGHT TO RELIEVE PRISON OVERCROWDING AFTER THE MARCH 31ST DECISION BY THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON BOARD TO NOT BUILD A PRERELEASE CENTER. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER, JOHN RICHMOND, DISCUSSED THE USE OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING AT WEDNESDAYS PRISON BOARD MEETING. THE MONITORING SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 1992 SAVING OVER 108,000 JAIL DAYS AND $5 MILLION-DOLLARS. RICHMOND SAID THE ADULT PROBATION DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY HAS 45 PEOPLE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM, BUT ADDITION WORK WOULD REQUIRE MORE MANPOWER. THE COUNTY PRISON IS BUILT TO HOUSE 240 INMATES, BUT THE CURRENT NUMBER HAS REACHED 272 WITH OFFICERS WORKING OVERTIME TO COVER NECESSARY SHIFTS.


POTTSVILLE AREA SCHOOL SEEKS NEW BUSES

ON WEDNESDAY, THE POTTSVILLE AREA SCHOOL BOARD VOTED TO ADVERTISE TO REPLACE FIVE OF ITS BUSES WITH NEWER MODELS. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS SOME OF THE SCHOOL BUSES ARE MORE THAN 18-YEARS-OLD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE DISTRICT IS LOOKING TO PURCHASE TWO-OWNED 48-PASSENGER SCHOOL BUSES, AN 18-PASSENGER SCHOOL BUS AND TWO WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE SCHOOL BUSES. BIDS ARE DUE BY MAY 11 AT NOON.


IT'S NOT TO LATE TO LEND A HAND

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY BY VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME. JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

VOLUNTEER

STATE NEWS:

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - FORMER SENATOR RICK SANTORUM SAYS HE IS FORMING A COMMITTEE THAT WILL LET HIM START RAISING MONEY FOR A WHITE HOUSE RUN. SANTORUM SAYS THAT HE WANTS TO SEE IF THE FUNDRAISING IS THERE FOR A POTENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. HE SAYS HE IS "TESTING THE WATERS" FOR A FULL-ON CAMPAIGN.

NEW HOLLAND, PA. (AP) -AUTHORITIES IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA HAVE RELEASED THE NAME OF A MAN KILLED FOLLOWING A STANDOFF WITH OFFICERS. POLICE IN LANCASTER COUNTY TELL THE INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL/LANCASTER NEW ERA THAT 41-YEAR OLD LARRY DEAN MARSH WAS SHOT EARLY YESTERDAY AFTER A LENGTHY STANDOFF OUTSIDE HIS HOME IN THE GREEN ACRES MOBILE HOME PARK IN EARL TOWNSHIP.

BLAIRSVILLE, PA. (AP) - EMERGENCY RESPONDERS IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAY A SMALL PLANE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING LAST NIGHT IN A FIELD, BUT NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. OFFICIALS SAY THE PILOT WAS GUIDED TO A LANDING IN DERRY TOWNSHIP ALONG ROUTE 30 ABOUT TWO MILES NORTH OF THE ARNOLD PALMER REGIONAL AIRPORT IN UNITY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A WILLIAMSPORT MAN HAS BEEN ORDERED TO SPEND MORE THAN TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR POINTING A HIGH-POWERED LASER INTO THE COCKPIT OF A PHILADELPHIA POLICE HELICOPTER. A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS ALSO ORDERED 54-YEAR-OLD JAMES GAUTIERI TO PAY A $10,000 FINE. POLICE SAY GAUTIERI AIMED A LASER INTO THE COCKPIT OF A HELICOPTER THAT WAS LANDING IN NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - CONGRESS VOTES TODAY ON THE DEAL REACHED LAST WEEK TO FUND THE DAY-TO-DAY BUDGETS OF FEDERAL AGENCIES THROUGH SEPTEMBER. THEN, HOUSE REPUBLICANS WILL START DEBATE ON A BUDGET BLUEPRINT FOR 2012 AND BEYOND. THEIR PROPOSAL DIFFERS SIGNIFICANTLY FROM ONE OUTLINED YESTERDAY BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA.

BERLIN (AP) - SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON IS IN BERLIN FOR TALKS WITH HER FELLOW NATO FOREIGN MINISTERS, HOPING TO BRIDGE DIFFERENCES OVER THE MILITARY OPERATIONS IN LIBYA. U.S. OFFICIALS SAY CLINTON WILL PRESS THE ALLIES TO REAFFIRM THEIR GOAL OF PROTECTING CIVILIANS AS REBELS BATTLE FORCES LOYAL TO LIBYAN LEADER MOAMMAR GADHAFI.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (AP) - A GLOBAL MARITIME WATCHDOG SAYS PIRACY AT SEA HIT A RECORD HIGH OF 142 ATTACKS IN THE FIRST QUARTER THIS YEAR. THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME BUREAU'S PIRACY REPORTINGCENTER SAYS 97 OF THE ATTACKS OCCURRED OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA. IT SAYS ATTACKERS SEIZED 18 VESSELS WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING THREE BIG
TANKERS, FROM JANUARY TO MARCH, CAPTURED 344 CREW MEMBERS AND MURDERED SEVEN.

PARSONS, TENN. (AP) - A SEARCH RESUMES AT DAYLIGHT FOR A 20-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IN CENTRAL TENNESSEE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN ABDUCTED DURING A HOME INVASION. HER BROTHER TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE SAW HIS SISTER BEING DRAGGED ACROSS HER CARPORT TOWARD A WOODED AREA. ABOUT 250 VOLUNTEERS TURNED OUT TO SEARCH FOR HER YESTERDAY.

PHOENIX (AP) - RESIDENTS OF ARIZONA CAN BEGIN APPLYING FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA TODAY. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES SAYS THE APPLICATION SYSTEM WILL BE ENTIRELY ONLINE, IN A BID TO MAKE THE PROCESS EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE. THE NEW LAW WAS APPROVED BY VOTERS IN NOVEMBER.