TODAY'S NEWS: APRIL 21, 2011

LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS SENTENCED

FOUR FORMER FIREFIGHTERS WERE SENTENCED YESTERDAY IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT ARSONS THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN 2009 AND 2010 FROM PINE GROVE TO NEW RINGOLD. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS MATTHEW DIXON OF FRIEDENSBURG, CHARLES FERGUSON OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, JUSTIN GEIGER AND JONATHAN EICHERT BOTH OF ORWIGSBURG ALL ENTERED A PLEA OF GUILTY MEANWHILE ANOTHER PERSON INVOLVED DEVON SMITH OF AUBURN PLEADED NO CONTEST. EICHERT FACES UP TO 20 YEARS IN STATE PRISON. DIXON RECEIVED UP TO 2 YEARS IN PRISON. FERGUSON WILL SERVE NINE-TO-TWENTY THREE MONTHS. SMITH WAS HANDED A 11-TO 22 MONTH SENTENCE AND GEIGER RECEIVED 23 MONTHS PROBATION. 2 OF THE MEN WILL BEGIN THEIR SENTENCE NEXT WEEK WHILE SMITH AND DIXON WILL REPORT ON MAY 4TH

3 CORRECTIONS OFFICERS CHARGED

THREE OFFICERS FROM THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH SIMPLE ASSAULT AND HARRASSMENT OF AN INMATE. POTTSVILLE POLICE REPORT THAT WALTER PRENETA OF SHENANDOAH IS CHARGED WITH SIMPLE ASSAULT AND HARRASSMENT WHILE JOHN DAVID YEAGER AND MICHAEL JOHN GALAVAGE BOTH OF POTTSVILLE WILL BE CHARGED WITH HARRASSMENT FOR THE ALTERCATION THAT OCCURRED INSIDE THE CELL ON INMATE BRANDON MOYER ON APRIL 7TH

LEBANON VA MEDICAL CENTER ELIGIBILITY CLASSES FOR VETERANS

THE LEBANON VA MEDICAL CENTER WILL BE HOLDING TWO EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS ON FREE BASIS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES ELIGIBILITY FOR VETERANS. THESE SESSIONS WILL BE HELD TODAY FROM 9-10AM AND AGAIN FROM 1:30-2:30PM IN THE BUILDING 1 AUDITORIUM. VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT VETERAN ELIGIBILITY FOR SERVICES OBTAINED OUTSIDE OF VA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.

TWO INJURED IN CAR CRASH

TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED WEDNESDAY MORNING IN A CRASH IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. POLICE REPORT KATINA AND HAROLD MCGURL, BOTH OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, WERE DRIVING ON MT. LAFFEE ROAD IN NEW CASTLE TOWNSHIP WHEN THEIR JEEP HIT A DIRT EMBANKMENT AND ROLLED SEVERAL TIMES. ACCORDING TO POLICE MCGURL WAS DRIVING TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS AND WILL BE CITED AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH.

THIEVES STEAL 100 GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL

POLICE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR THIEVES THAT STOLE 100 GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL FROM HEAVY EQUIPMENT PARKED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN FRAILEY TOWNSHIP LAST WEEK, THEN DROVE ONE OF THEM INTO THE OTHER, CAUSING $6,190.12 DAMAGE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 3 P.M. APRIL 12 AND 6:15 P.M. APRIL 13 NEAR ROUTE 209 AND FRANKLIN STREET. THE VICTIMS WERE NATURAL SOIL PRODUCTS, GOOD SPRING, AND MID ATLANTIC MACHINERY, WILKES-BARRE. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL TROOPERS AT 593-2000.

COMMISSIONER SUPPORTS YOUTH SERVICES

COMMISSIONER GALLAGHER COMMENTED ON THE IMPACT MASTER GARDENERS AND 4-H YOUTH SERVICES HAS ON OUR COMMUNITY SAYING THAT THEY ARE GREAT PROGRAMS AND NEED TO BE MORE VISIBLE IN THE COMMUNITY. THAT COMMENT CAME AT WEDNESDAY'S COMMISSIONERS' MEETING AFTER THREE CONTRACTS WERE APPROVED FOR THE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION OFFICE. ACCORDING TO DANA MOYER OF STS, RIDER SHIP HAS INCREASED SINCE JANUARY DUE TO THE RISE IN GAS PRICES. MOYER ALSO SAID STS IS UNSURE OF THE EXACT DATE THEY WILL BE MOVING INTO UNION STATION. ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE, MARK SCARBINSKY REQUESTED THE APPROVAL OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES WITH PRIMECARE FOR PRISON INMATE CARE FOR FOUR YEARS. IN ADDITION, THE PRISON WILL UPGRADE ITS SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE NEARLY $288,000 WILL BE COVERED BY SUPERVISION FUNDS AIR MARKED FOR THE PRERELEASE CENTER. THE COURTHOUSE WILL BE CLOSED FOR GOOD FRIDAY. NEXT WEEKS WORK SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE NORTH SCHUYLKILL HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM.

LOCAL BUSINESS CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

CELEBBRATING 100 YEARS IN BUSINESS THIS YEAR, A LOCAL SCHUYLKILL COUNTY SHOP STILL DRAWS IN PLENTY OF CUSTOMERS FROM AREAS NEAR AND FAR. WPPA'S BRITTANY HAS MORE:

KEILBASSY

STATE NEWS:

LANCASTER, PA. (AP) - POLICE IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA HAVE ARRESTED TWO SUSPECTS IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A MOTHER OF FOUR OVER THE WEEKEND. LANCASTER AUTHORITIES SAID 33-YEAR-OLD DIANA SPENCER WAS FOUND SHOT EARLY SATURDAY IN A HOME IN THE CITY. POLICE
SAY OSCAR MARTINEZ WAS ARRESTED TUESDAY NIGHT AND CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL HOMICIDE AND CONSPIRACY, AND A 24-YEAR-OLD MAN ARRESTED YESTERDAY WOULD FACE THE SAME CHARGES.

EASTON, PA. (AP) - A PENNSYLVANIA MAN HAS PLEADED GUILTY IN THE STABBING DEATHS OF FOUR PEOPLE LAST SUMMER. MICHAEL ERIC BALLARD PLEADED GUILTY YESTERDAY IN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY COURT TO FOUR COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER. A JURY WILL DECIDE IF BALLARD SHOULD BE SENTENCED TO DEATH. HE'S ADMITTED TO STABBING HIS FORMER
GIRLFRIEND, HER FATHER, HER 87-YEAR-OLD GRANDFATHER AND A NEIGHBOR LAST JUNE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - FORMER CONGRESSMAN PATRICK MURPHY IS RUNNING FOR PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL IN 2012. THE FORMER PROSECUTOR FROM BUCKS COUNTY ANNOUNCED HIS CANDIDACY IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT YESTERDAY. THE DEMOCRAT BECAME THE FIRST IRAQ WAR VETERAN ELECTED TO CONGRESS IN 2006, WHEN HE DEFEATED REPUBLICAN MIKE FITZPATRICK FOR THE SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA SEAT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - MILITARY AUTHORITIES SAY A SOLDIER FROM PHILADELPHIA HAS DIED IN AFGHANISTAN. THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SAYS 19-YEAR-OLD PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JOHN KIHM DIED TUESDAY IN KANDAHAR PROVINCE. KIHM'S MOTHER, CECELIA, TELLS THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER THAT HER SON WAS DEPLOYED LAST MONTH.

NATIONAL NEWS:

TOKYO (AP) - EVACUEES FROM THE 12-MILE ZONE AROUND JAPAN'S DAMAGED NUCLEAR PLANT NOW RISK $1,200 FINES OR UP TO 30 DAYS IN JAIL IF THEY TRY TO RE-ENTER. A BAN TO PROTECT THEM FROM RADIATION EXPOSURE, AND POSSIBLE LOOTING, IS NOW IN EFFECT. PEOPLE WILL BE ALLOWED TO GO IN FOR TWO HOURS TO GRAB NECESSARY BELONGINGS.

DHAKA, BANGLADESH (AP) - SEVEN PEOPLE ARE KNOWN DEAD AND DOZENS ARE FEARED MISSING AFTER A FERRY CAPSIZED IN BANGLADESH. IT'S BELIEVED THERE WERE ABOUT 100 PEOPLE ABOARD. POLICE SAY MANY PASSENGERS WERE ABLE TO SWIM ASHORE, SO THE NUMBER OF MISSING IS UNCLEAR. DIVERS ARE BEING CALLED IN TO HELP WITH THE SEARCH.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ATTENDS FOUR FUNDRAISERS TODAY ON THE SECOND DAY OF HIS THREE-DAY TRIP TO THE WEST. THE FIRST IS THIS MORNING IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHERE HE'S SPENDING THE NIGHT. OBAMA THEN FLIES TO RENO, NEV., FOR A TOWN HALL BEFORE FLYING TO LOS ANGELES FOR THREE FUNDRAISERS THIS EVENING. HE'LL SPEND THE NIGHT IN L-A.

HARTFORD, CONN. (AP) - LAWMAKERS IN SEVERAL STATES, INCLUDING CONNECTICUT AND TEXAS, ARE PUSHING BILLS TO MAKE ONLINE DATERS MORE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL RISKS. SOME PREDATORS HAVE USED INTERNET DATING TO FIND VICTIMS. THE CONNECTICUT BILL WOULD REQUIRE INTERNET DATING SERVICES TO PROVIDE A SAFETY AWARENESS NOTICE DURING REGISTRATION.

FORT JACKSON, S.C. (AP) - IT'S BECOMING EASIER FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BECOME U.S. CITIZENS TO ACCOMPLISH IT THROUGH MILITARY SERVICE. RECRUITS CAN NOW WRAP UP THE PROCESS WHILE STILL IN BASIC TRAINING, BUT MUST STILL COMPLETE FIVE YEARS OF HONORABLE SERVICE. THE PROCESS WAS SPEEDED UP BECAUSE OF THE NEED FOR SPECIALISTS AND LANGUAGE SKILLS.