LOCAL NEWS: THURSDAY MAY 5, 2011

CORRECTION OFFICERS FIRED

THREE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS AT THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON HAVE BEEN FIRED DURING A SPECIAL PRISON BOARD MEETING WEDNESDAY. THE BOARD VOTED 6-1 TO TERMINATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF JAMES PRENATA OF SHENANDOAH, JOHN YEAGER AND MICHEAL GALAVAGE, BOTH OF POTTSVILLE, WERE CHARGED LAST MONTH. PRENATA IS CHARGED WITH SIMPLE ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT. YEAGER AND GALAVAGE ARE CHARGED WITH HARASSMENT. 2 OTHER GUARDS RECEIVED SUSPENSIONS WITHOUT PAY FOR FALSIFYING STATEMENTS AND FOR NOT BEING FORTHCOMING WHEN QUESTIONED BY PRISON OFFICIALS. PRENETA, YEAGER AND GALAVAGE WERE INVOLVED WITH A PHYSICAL ALTERCATION IN THE CELL OF BRANDON MOYER WHO RECIEVED SERIOUS INJURIES FROM THE INCIDENT BACK ON APRIL 7TH OF THIS YEAR.

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CONTROLLER CALLS FOR TERMINATION OF WARDEN

IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT BY COUNTY CONTROLLER MELINDA KANTNER GIVEN TO WPPA AND T102 NEWS DURING YESTERDAY'S PRISON BOARD MEETING. KANTNER IS CALLING FOR THE TERMINATION OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON WARDEN EUGENE BERDANIER. IN THE LETTER KANTER STATES THAT BERDANIER FAILED TO INSTITUTE EFFECTIVE POLICIES DESIGNED TO PROTECT BOTH INMATES AND STAFF AND VIOLATES THE PRISON'S COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT CONCERNING OFFICER UNIFORMS. KANTNER WENT ON TO ADD THAT WARDEN BERDANIER FAILED TO CONDUCT A MANDATORY FIRE EVACUATION DRILL AND THAT HE HAS NOT ADDRESSED THE DEFICIENCIES AND SHORTCOMINGS AS OUTLINED IN THE PRISON'S CONSULTATION REPORT ON MARCH 23RD. KANTNER ALSO STATED THAT SHE REFUSES TO CONTINUE TO PUT BAND-AID'S ON THE ISSUES AND THAT OTHER PRISON BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO STEP UP AND ASSUME THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND REPLACE EUGENE BERDANIER AS WARDEN OF THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON.

BANK ROBBER CHARGED

A READING MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH ROBBERY FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN A 2010 BANK ROBBERY OF THE SUSQUEHANNA BANK IN ORIWIGSBURG. 25 YEAR OLD ALGIS DIAZ WAS CHARGED WITH THE ROBBERY AMONG SEVERAL OTHER CHARGES AND ARRAIGNED BY DISTRICT MAGISTRATE JAMES FERRIER WHO SET BAIL AT 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS. DIAZ WAS RETURNED TO BERKS COUNTY PRISON WHERE HE IS BEING HELD ON OTHER CHARGES IN THAT COUNTY. PRELIMINARY HEARINGS ARE SET TO BEGIN ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON IN FERRIER’S COURTROOM.

MAN KILLED IN METH RAID

A WAYNE TOWNSHIP MAN WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY STATE POLICE EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING JUST AFTER SIX WHEN THEY VISITED HIS HOME WITH A SEARCH WARRANT TO INVESTIGATE REPORTS OF A METHAMPHETAMINE LAB. 56-YEAR-OLD JEFFREY WOLFE WAS INSIDE THE HOME BRANDISHING A LOADED 12 GAUGE PUMP SHOT GUN AND THREATENING POLICE. WOLFE WAS SHOT BY TROOPERS AND DIED FROM HIS INJURIES. A WORKING METHAMPHETAMINE LAB WAS FOUND INSIDE THE 6 BLUE MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS HOME BY THE STATE POLICE CLANDESTINE LABORATORY RESPONSE TEAM WHO COLLECTED ITEMS FOR EVIDENCE.

HAMBURG WOMAN CRASHES INTO UTILITY POLICE

A HAMBURG WOMAN SUFFERED INJURIES WEDNESDAY NIGHT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STEER HER VEHICLE WITH ONE OF HER KNEES AND LIGHT A CIGARETTE AT THE SAME TIME. POLICE REPORT 45-YEAR-OLD HEATHER HOUSTON WAS ATTEMPTING TO TRAVEL EAST ON SHARTLESVILLE ROAD IN UPPER BERN TOWNSHIP WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE AND STRUCK A UTILITY POLE. HOUSTON REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT FROM RESPONDING SCHUYLKILL VALLEY AMBULANCE AND WILL BE CHARGED FOR CARELESS DRIVING.

JUVENILE CHARGED WITH DUI CRASH

A YOUNG MAN AND A POTTSVILLE JUVENILE SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES IN A CRASH ON THE 100 BLOCK OF RAILROAD STREET WEDNESDAY EVENING. STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SAID A MALE JUVENILE WAS DRIVING WHEN HE SWERVED INTO A PARKED CAR, PUSHING IT 30 FEET DOWN THE ROAD. 18-YEAR-OLD IAN MATAKA OF LANDINGVILLE WAS A PASSENGER AND SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. ACCORDING TO TROOPERS, THE JUVENILE DRIVER SAID HE SMOKED SYNTHETIC MARAJUANA AND HAD TAKEN A POWERFUL PAINKILLER PRIOR TO THE CRASH. HE WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER-SOUTH JACKSON STREET FOR A BLOOD TEST. CHARGES OF DUI AND CARELESS DRIVING WILL BE FILED THROUGH THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

FIRE DESTROYS KLINE TOWNSHIP HOME

A KLINE TOWNSHIP HOME WAS DESTROYED EARLY WEDNESDAY JUST AFTER 12:30 A.M. AT A HOME ON OAK AND GROVE STREETS. OFFICIALS SAY THE WOMAN WHO LIVED THERE WAS TREATED FOR BREATHING SMOKE. A STATE POLICE FIRE MARSHAL WILL INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE, BUT OFFICIALS DO NOT THINK THE FIRE IS SUSPICIOUS.

WET WEATHER

A RAINY FORECAST SEEMS TO BE THE NORM THIS SPRING. JASMINE BROOKS REPORTS ON THE WET WEATHER.


STATE NEWS:

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SAYS IT WON'T PURSUE CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST THREE WHITE PITTSBURGH POLICE OFFICERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE BEATING OF A BLACK TEENAGE ARTS STUDENT. THE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT WAS CLOSING AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE JANUARY 2010 BEATING OF 18-YEAR-OLD JORDAN MILES, WHO ATTENDED
THE CITY'S PRESTIGIOUS CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS HIGH SCHOOL. THE GOVERNMENT SAYS THERE'S INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO PROVE A CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING ANOTHER MAN TO DEATH FOLLOWING AN ARGUMENT AT THE DELIVERY WINDOW OF THE LARIMER BUSINESS WHERE HE WAS WORKING HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF THIRD-DEGREE MURDER. THE PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE SAYS A JURY CONVICTED ANTHONY FITZGERALD OF DUNCAN PLOWDEN'S DEATH WITHIN HOURS
OF GETTING THE CASE YESTERDAY.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - PENN STATE IS RECEIVING A FIVE-YEAR, $5 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT TO STUDY WAYS OF MAKING FRESH AND AFFORDABLE FOOD AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT. THE GRANT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WILL ALLOW PENN STATE TO RESEARCH FOOD AVAILABILITY IN NINE URBAN AND RURAL AREAS
FROM VERMONT TO WEST VIRGINIA

NATIONAL NEWS:

HICKMAN, KY. (AP) - THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM ILLINOIS TO LOUISIANA ARE FLEEING THEIR HOMES BEFORE RECORD-BREAKING FLOODS ROLL DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. AND FARMERS ARE BRACING FOR A REPEAT OF THE DESPERATE STRATEGY USED EARLIER THIS WEEK WHEN ARMY
ENGINEERS BLEW UP A LEVEE AND SACRIFICED THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF FARMLAND TO PROTECT POPULATED AREAS UPSTREAM.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA WILL TRY TO BURY THE MEMORY OF OSAMA BIN LADEN BY HONORING THOSE WHO DIED IN THE FIERY SEPT. 11 ATTACKS ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. THE PRESIDENT WILL BE IN NEW YORK CITY TODAY FOR PRIVATE TALKS WITH FAMILIES AND A SOMBER CEREMONY AT GROUND ZERO.

WASHINGTON (AP) - MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE POINTING FINGERS AT PAKISTAN AFTER LEARNING THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN HAD BEEN LIVING THERE. SOME IN CONGRESS ARE CLAMORING TO CUT OR ELIMINATE THE NEARLY $1.3 BILLION IN ANNUAL AID TO PAKISTAN.

TOKYO (AP) - WORKERS WEARING PROTECTIVE GEAR AND AIR TANKS HAVE ENTERED ONE OF THE DAMAGED REACTOR BUILDINGS AT JAPAN'S STRICKEN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE IT WAS ROCKED BY AN EXPLOSION IN THE DAYS AFTER A DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI. THEY'RE CONNECTING VENTILATION EQUIPMENT IN UNIT 1 IN AN ATTEMPT TO
ABSORB RADIATION IN THE BUILDING.

WASHINGTON (AP) - VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND TOP LAWMAKERS ARE BEGINNING THEIR QUEST TO TAME THE SPIRALING U.S. DEBT. THEY'LL START TODAY WITH SMALL STEPS AIMED AT FINDING WHAT COMMON GROUND MIGHT EXIST IN VASTLY DIFFERENT APPROACHES TOWARD RESTRUCTURING GOVERNMENT SPENDING.