TODAY'S NEWS: WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2011

AMERICA'S OLDEST BREWERY WILL CELEBRATE ITS' 3RD ANNUAL BARBEQUE AT THE BREWERY ON MONDAY. JASMINE BROOKS HAS ALL THE TASTY DETAILS.

WILLIAMSTOWN NATIONAL GUARD UNIT INVOLVED IN BLAST

ACCORDING TO A RELEASE ISSUED BY INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE JOINT COMMAND THREE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE DIED IN AN EXPLOSION MONDAY. AND ACCORDING TO MAJ ED SHANK PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIAISON WITH THE PA NATIONAL GUARD HE WOULD NEITHER CONFIRM NOR DENY THAT MEMBERS OF THE 131 TRANSPORTATION UNIT OUT OF WILLIAMSTOWN WAS INVOLVED IN THE BLAST IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN. THE UNIT SHIPPED OUT IN NOVEMBER 2010 AND WERE ASSIGNED TO TRANSPORT NEEDED SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT TO U.S FORCES SERVING IN AFGHANISTAN.

CAUSE OF DEATH DETERMINED IN CRASH

THE DEATH OF AN ASHLAND MAN INVOLVED IN A ONE VEHICLE CRASH LAST FRIDAY HAS BEEN DETERMINED. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CORONER JOSEPH LIPSETT SAYS THAT 51 YEAR OLD DONALD LAHR DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES. LAHR CRASHED HIS CAR INTO A GARAGE DOOR LAST FRIDAY IN ASHLAND AND WAS TAKEN TO ST CATHERINE’S MEDICAL CENTER WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD UPON ARRIVAL.

COMMUNITY TO SET NEW GOALS THIS MORNING

IN ORDER TO SET GOALS AND INITIATIVES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE POTTSVILLE AREA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL HOLD AN ECONOMIC SUMMIT THIS MORNING. PADCO INVITES ALL TO JOIN FOR AN OPEN BRAINSTORMING SESSION WHICH ONLY TAKES PLACE EVERY FIVE YEARS. THE ECONOMIC SUMMIT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE SOVEREIGN MAJESTIC THEATER FROM 8AM-NOON.

NORTH MANHEIM MAN HEADED TO COURT

A NORTH MANHEIM TWP MAN IS HEADED TO COURT AFTER HIS HEARING TUESDAY ON CHARGES OF POSSESSING AN ASSAULT RIFLE. ACCORDING TO POLICE REPORTS 27 YEAR OLD JOHN KYLE SMITH OF RENNINGERS HAVEN, POSSESSED AN AK-47 ASSAULT RIFLE BACK IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR IN WEST BRUNSWICK TWP. SMITH IS BEING HELD IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON IN LIEU OF 10 THOUSAND DOLLARS BAIL.

COUNTY RESIDENTS INDUCTED INTO PA. VOTER HALL OF FAME

A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS FROM SCHUYLKILL COUNTY WERE HONORED TUESDAY FOR VOTING IN FIFTY CONSECUTIVE GENERAL ELECTIONS AND INDUCTED INTO THE PENNSYLVANIA VOTER HALL OF FAME. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, TUESDAY'S EVENT HAD 670 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE, BUT MORE THAN 700 COUNTY RESIDENTS WERE ELIGIBLE FOR INDUCTION.

PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL GETS SIGN APPROVAL

DURING TUESDAY'S ZONING HEARING BOARD OFFICIALS AT PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL CAMPUS APPROVED THE INSTALLATION OF A DIGITAL SIGN TO BE PLACED BEHIND THE CURRENT ON ALONG RT 61. NO ADVERTISEMENTS WILL DISPLAYED ON THE SIGN AND CAN BE USED DURING EMERGENCIES FOR THE BOROUGH.

STATE NEWS:

THE LARGEST STATE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES' UNION HAS A NEW CONTRACT. COUNCIL 13 OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES SAID TUESDAY THAT ITS MEMBERS RATIFIED A NEW FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT BY A 4-TO-1 MARGIN. VOTING ENDED FRIDAY AFTER NEGOTIATORS FOR THE 45,000-MEMBER UNION AND GOV. TOM CORBETT STRUCK A TENTATIVE PACT IN LATE JUNE.

A STATE COURT SAYS A NEWSPAPER CAN'T GET ACCESS TO RECORDS IT'S SEEKING TO SHOW HOW PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE COMMISSION EMPLOYEES USE THE E-ZPASS SYSTEM. THE PATRIOT-NEWS OF HARRISBURG REPORTED TUESDAY THAT A COMMONWEALTH COURT PANEL SIDED AGAINST ITS EFFORTS TO OBTAIN THE DOCUMENTS, AND WENT FURTHER THAN THE OFFICE OF OPEN RECORDS IN KEEPING THEM SECRET. THE OPEN-RECORDS OFFICE HAD SAID THEY SHOULD BE RELEASED, BUT WITH THE NAMES OF ACCOUNT HOLDERS REDACTED.

THE INCOMING ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF PHILADELPHIA HAS PLEDGED TO HELP SEX-ABUSE VICTIMS BY WORKING HARDER THAN ANYONE TO HEAL "THE SINS OF THE PAST." ARCHBISHOP CHARLES CHAPUT OF DENVER TAKES OVER AN ARCHDIOCESE ROCKED BY TWO GRAND JURY REPORTS THAT ACCUSE THE CHURCH OF HIDING SEX-ABUSE COMPLAINTS FOR DECADES.

THE HERSHEY COMPANY IS SELLING OFF PART OF ITS ORIGINAL CHOCOLATE PLANT TO THE SWEET TUNE OF $58 MILLION DOLLARS. IT WAS REPORTED MONDAY THAT THE COMPANY WANTS TO SELL A PART OF THE 100 YEAR OLD BUILDING THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING USED FOR OFFICE SPACE. HERSHEY’S GOAL IS TO LEASE THE BUILDING BACK AS ITS CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS.

NATIONAL NEWS:
ST. PAUL, MINN. (AP) - IT LOOKS LIKE 22,000 MINNESOTA STATE WORKERS COULD BE HEADED BACK TO WORK TOMORROW AT THE EARLIEST. THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED STATE LEGISLATURE IS WELL ON ITS WAY TO PASSING THE 9 BUDGET BILLS NEEDED TO END A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.
DEMOCRATIC GOV. MARK DAYTON WILL SIGN THEM WHEN THEY'RE ALL DONE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - MANY SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE GIVING A WARM RECEPTION TO A DEFICIT CUTTING PLAN HATCHED BY THE SO-CALLED "GANG OF SIX." THE BI-PARTISAN GROUP IS ALSO GETTING PRAISE FROM PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AS TIME RUNS SHORT TO INCREASE THE
GOVERNMENT'S BORROWING AUTHORITY TO AVOID AN AUG. 2 DEFAULT.

PHOENIX (AP) - ARIZONA IS ASKING PEOPLE TO HELP BUILD A FENCE BY SENDING THEIR MONEY. THE STATE LAUNCHED A WEBSITE TODAY WHERE PEOPLE CAN MAKE DONATIONS TO PAY FOR FENCING ALONG THE STATE'S BORDER WITH MEXICO. STATE SEN. STEVE SMITH SAYS THE INITIAL GOAL IS TO RAISE $50 MILLION.

BEIRUT (AP) - AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL IS EXPRESSING CONCERN TODAY ABOUT POSSIBLE TORTURE OF DETAINEES IN SYRIA. AMNESTY SAYS ITS CONCERNS WERE RAISED AFTER MASS ARRESTS OUTSIDE THE CAPITAL, DAMASCUS AND THAT DOZENS OF MEN ARE BEING HELD INCOMMUNICADO.

NEW DELHI (AP) - SOMALIS AFFECTED BY FAMINE AND DROUGHT IN THE VIOLENCE-TORN EAST AFRICAN COUNTRY WILL BE GETTING SOME U.S. HELP. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON SAYS THE UNITED STATES WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL $28 MILLION IN EMERGENCY AID. CLINTON SAYS MORE THAN 11 MILLION PEOPLE ARE IN DIRE NEED.