LOCAL NEWS: WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2011

DEFENDANT REQUESTS AN OVERTURN IN CONVICTION

IN FEDERAL APPELLATE COURT YESTERDAY 19 YEAR OLD BRANDON PIEKARSKY REQUESTED TO OVER TURN HIS HATE-CRIME CONVICTION RESULTING FROM THE DEADLY BEATING IN JULY OF 2008 OF AN ILLEGAL MEXICAN IMMIGRANT IN SHENANDOAH. PIEKARSKY'S LAWYER, JAMES SWETS OF STROUDSBURG SAYS THAT SENIOR U.S DISTRICT COURT JUDGE A. RICHARD CAPUTO APPLIED THE LAW INCORRECTLY AND THE PROSECUTION FAILED TO PRESENT SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY HIS CLIENTS CONVICTION. PIEKARSKY AND 21 YEAR OLD DERRICK DONCHAK OF SHENANDOAH WERE CONVICTED OF HATE CRIMES FOR THEIR ROLES IN THE JULY 2008 BEATING OF LUIS EDUARDO RAMIREZ ZAVALA. ZAVALA DIED DAYS LATER.

TRAILER CARRYING 5,000 LIVE DUCKS CRASHES IN PORTER TOWNSHIP

AN EARLY MORNING CRASH TUESDAY IN PORTER TOWNSHIP INVOLVED A COMMERCIAL TRAILER CARRYING 5,000 LIVE DUCKS. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS EIGHT VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED AT A MAIN STREET SERVICE STATION IN JOLIETT WHEN THE FREIGHTLINER TIPPED OVER WHILE ROUNDING A CURVE AT AN UNSAFE SPEED. THE DRIVER, 44-YEAR-OLD JACOB KESSLER OF HAMBURG, WAS DELIVERING LIVE DUCKS FROM PILLOW TO A SLAUGHTERHOUSE IN SHARTLESVILLE. FEATHERS COVERED THE ROADWAY AS MANY DUCKS HAD BEEN THROWN FROM THE TRUCK. ABOUT HALF OF THE BIRDS WERE KILLED AND THE OTHERS LOADED INTO ANOTHER TRUCK AND HAULED AWAY. THE ACCIDENT CLOSED THE ROAD FOR AT LEAST EIGHT HOURS.

ARMED ROBBERY IN LYKENS

POLICE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR THREE MEN RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ARMED ROBBERY IN LYKENS TUESDAY NIGHT. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST AFTER 10PM AT 428 MAIN STREET WHERE THREE UNKNOWN BLACK MALES ENTERED AND HELD A SILVER REVOLVER TO THE VICTIMS HEAD; DEMANDING MONEY AND VALUABLES FROM A SAFE. THE VICTIM IS A 19-YEAR-OLD WHITE MALE, BUT STATE POLICE HAVE NOT YET RELEASED A NAME. AS FOR THE THREE ARMED ROBBERS, HERE'S WHAT POLICE TELL US: TWO OF THE BLACK MALES WERE APPROXIMATELY 5'8" 130-180 LBS AND THE OTHER BLACK MALE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6'2" 540-280 LBS. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT STATE POLICE LYKENS AT 717-362-8700.

A FREE LUNCH AND LEARN PROGRAM WILL BE OFFERED TO ALL INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING COPING WITH COPD AND EMPHYSEMA.

NO TAX INCREASE FOR AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

WITH AN OVER $300,000 DOLLAR DEFICIT LOOMING, THE RESIDENTS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL NOT SEE A TAX INCREASE FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. JACK HURST, THE DISTRICT'S BUSINESS MANAGER SHARED THE NEWS WITH THE PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE AT THE BUDGET MEETING LAST NIGHT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. THE PROPOSED BUDGET TOTALS $36 MILLION DOLLARS. DISTRICT RESIDENTS WERE FACED WITH A POSSIBLE TAX INCREASE OF .75 MILLS. A VOTE ON THE FINAL BUDGET IS EXPECTED LATER THIS MONTH.

BILL APPROVED BY PA SENATE TO BAN SYNTHETIC AND DESIGNER DRUGS

THE BAN ON BATH SALTS TOOK A HUGE STEP FORWARD IN THE COMMONWEALTH YESTERDAY. THE STATE SENATE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE BILL TO BAN THE SALE OF BATH SALTS IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE SENATE'S ACTION COMES ONE MONTH AFTER THE PA HOUSE APPROVED SIMILAR LEGISLATION. BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE PLACE CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS USED TO MAKE THESE DEADLY PRODUCTS ON THE LIST OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER DOMINIC PILEGGI SAYS THAT THE BILL WILL BE SUBMITTED TO GOV. TOM CORBETT WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH FOR SIGNING.

STATE NEWS:

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - STATE HOUSE REPUBLICANS SAY THEY DISAGREE WITH GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT ON EDUCATION FUNDING. BUT THEY SAY THEIR COUNTERPROPOSAL WOULD MAINTAIN THE $27.3 BILLION BOTTOM LINE THE GOVERNOR WANTS. REPUBLICANS SAY THEIR PLAN WOULD RESTORE $380 MILLION TO 18 STATE-SUPPORTED UNIVERSITIES AND $210 MILLION TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS ABOVE CORBETT'S PROPOSAL.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE HAVE IDENTIFIED A COLLEGE STUDENT KILLED BY A GUNMAN WHO WAS TRYING TO TAKE HIS MOTORCYCLE. IT HAPPENED MONDAY NEAR TEMPLE UNIVERSITY IN NORTH PHILADELPHIA. POLICE SAY MOHAN VARUGHESE WAS SITTING ON THE STOOP OF HIS GIRLFRIEND'S HOUSE WHEN THE GUNMAN DEMANDED THE KEYS TO THE MOTORCYCLE.

MCKEES ROCKS, PA. (AP) - POLICE SAY A SECOND MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ARTS STUDENT. AUTHORITIES SAY MALACHI URBINI WAS KILLED IN AN APPARENT DRUG DEAL THAT INVOLVED TRADING AN IPAD FOR HEROIN. ALLEGHENY COUNTY POLICE SAY 17-YEAR-OLD SHILEE DIXSON WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY YESTERDAY.

EASTON, PA. (AP) - RELATIVES OF THE VICTIMS IN A QUADRUPLE SLAYING IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TOOK THE STAND TO DESCRIBE THE EFFECTS OF THE KILLINGS. JURORS MUST DECIDE WHETHER MICHAEL BALLARD DESERVES EXECUTION OR LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE. BALLARD HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO THE JUNE MURDERS OF HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND DENISE MERHI, HER FATHER, HER GRANDFATHER, AND A NEIGHBOR.

NATIONAL NEWS:
WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S APPROVAL RATING HAS GOTTEN A SOLID BUMP FROM THE RAID IN PAKISTAN THAT KILLED OSAMA BIN LADEN. AN ASSOCIATED PRESS-GFK POLL TAKEN AFTER THE RAID SHOWS OBAMA'S APPROVAL RATING HIT ITS HIGHEST POINT IN TWO YEARS, AT 60 PERCENT. THE PRESIDENT'S STANDING IMPROVED FOR BOTH FOREIGN POLICY AND THE ECONOMY AND INDEPENDENTS APPEARED TO BE GRAVITATING BACK TO OBAMA.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETS TODAY TO CONSIDER A $553 BILLION BILL FOR THE PENTAGON, A $40 BILLION INCREASE. FIGHTS ARE EXPECTED OVER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S DEFICIT-DRIVEN DEFENSE CUTS AND THE NEW LAW ALLOWING GAYS AND LESBIANS TO SERVE OPENLY IN THE MILITARY. MINORITY DEMOCRATS HAVE PROMISED TO CHALLENGE SOME PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.

VICKSBURG, MISS. (AP) - FLOODWATERS REACHING THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA HAVE ALREADY WASHED AWAY CROPS, FORCED MANY TO SEEK HIGHER GROUND AND CLOSED SOME OF THE DOCKSIDE CASINOS THAT ARE VITAL TO THE STATE'S ECONOMY. THE STATE WILL TAKE A HIT OF AS MUCH AS $13 MILLION IN TAXES PER MONTH FROM THE LOSS OF CASINO BUSINESS. OFFICIALS SAY THE WORST IS YET TO COME WITH THE CREST EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

BEIRUT (AP) - SYRIAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS SAY AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE DIED TODAY WHEN SECURITY FORCES OPENED FIRE ON ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS IN SOUTHERN SYRIA. PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD HAS DISPATCHED ARMY TROOPS BACKED BY TANKS TO A CLUSTER OF VILLAGES NEAR THE SOUTHERN CITY OF DARAA TO CRUSH AN UPRISING AGAINST THE REGIME THAT BEGAN IN MID-MARCH.

TOKYO (AP) - JAPAN'S EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI TOOK ITS TOLL ON TOYOTA JUST AS IT WAS RECOVERING FROM THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC SLUMP. TOYOTA SAYS ITS QUARTERLY PROFIT SLUMPED MORE THAN 75 PERCENT AS CAR PRODUCTION WAS DISRUPTED. TOYOTA GAVE NO FORECAST FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR THROUGH MARCH 2012, CITING AN UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK.