TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011

BOB BECHTEL REPORTS ON THE POTTSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL DRUM LINE.

JUSTIFIED HOMICIDE

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PROSECUTORS HAVE DECIDED NOT TO PRESS CHARGES AGAINST A POTTSVILLE MAN IN THE DEATH OF HIS GIRLFRIEND. THEY WILL HOWEVER, TAKE HIM TO COURT FOR LEAVING HER DEAD BODY IN AN APARTMENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. DISTRICT ATTORNEY JIM GOODMAN RULED WEDNESDAY THAT 60 YEAR OLD JOSEPH PINNELLE COMMITTED JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE IN THE KILLING OF HIS GIRLFRIEND 45 YEAR OLD RUTH ANN GOLDEN BACK IN JUNE WHEN PINELLE WAS ATTACKED BY GOLDEN.

CHARTER SCHOOL SETS DATE

THE GILLINGHAM CHARTER SCHOOL HAS SET A DATE FOR ITS OFFICIAL OPENING OF SEPTEMBER 6. UNTIL THEN THE FIRST CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE AREA WILL BE VERY BUSY REMOVING LEAD PAINT FROM ITS 116 YEAR OLD BUILDING BEFORE CLASSES ARE SET TO BEGIN. GILLINGHAM IS EXPECTING ABOUT 200 ENROLLEES. HOWEVER IT IS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME THE CURRENT NUMBER OF STUDENTS ARE REGISTERED FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL

TAX FORGIVENESS FOR DEMOLITION

THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO CONSIDER DROPPING THE PROPERTY TAXES ON 3 PROPERTIES IN THE AREA. THE REQUEST MADE DURING WEDNESDAY'S WORK SESSION PERTAINS TO 3 PROPERTIES IN FRACKVILLE BOROUGH, MINERSVILLE AND NORWEGIAN TOWNSHIP THAT WERE DAMAGED BY FIRES EARLIER THIS YEAR. THOSE PROPERTIES NEED TO BE DEMOLISHED, HOWEVER THE PROPERTY TAXES ARE UNPAID TOTALING CLOSE TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE COMMISSIONERS WILL MAKE THEIR DECISION NEXT WEEK AT THE PUBLIC MEETING BEING HELD AT THE FOSTER TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL BUILDING.

SEWER PROJECT FUNDING

THE $18 MILLION DOLLAR REGIONAL SEWER SERVICE PROJECT IN DEER LAKE WILL RECEIVE MORE FUNDING. THE SCHUYLKILL MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY WILL RECEIVE OVER TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLAR LOAN TO HELP COMPLETE THE PROJECT. IT WILL INCLUDE CONSTRUCTING SEVERAL MILES OF SEWAGE COLLECTION LINES AND ELIMINATING SEVERAL SMALL TREATMENT PLANTS. SEN DAVE ARGALL AND REP JERRY KNOWLES ANNOUNCED THE FUNDING WEDNESDAY WITH AN EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE OF 2015.

SHOOTING, ROBBERY IN ATLAS UNDER INVESTIGATION

IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, AN ATLAS MAN WAS ALLEGEDLY SHOT IN THE FOOT AND ROBBED OF $100 DURING A HOME INVASION EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. POLICE SAY 33-YEAR-OLD RONALD CAREY WAS GETTING READY FOR WORK WHEN TWO BLACK MALES DRESSED IN BLACK CLOTHING BROKE THROUGH A REAR DOOR, SHOT HIM WITH HIS OWN RIFLE AND STOLE THE CASH. THE TWO MEN THEN TOOK OFF ON FOOT. POLICE CONTINUE THE INVESTIGATION.

GEISINGER TO GIVE BONUSES TO ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES

THIS FRIDAY TEN-THOUSAND ELIGIBLE GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER EMPLOYEES WILL SEE A BONUS IN THEIR PAYCHECKS. MORE THAN FIVE-MILLION-DOLLARS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE STAFF TO RECOGNIZE THEIR HARD WORK. THE ONE-TIME, PRO-RATED, LUMP-SUM AWARD HAS BEEN BUDGETED BY MANAGEMENT AND AUTHORIZED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

STATE NEWS:

WEST CHESTER, PA. (AP) - OFFICIALS IN SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA SAY A TRAILER FILLED WITH HYDROGEN CAUGHT FIRE AT A CHEMICAL COMPANY, PROMPTING EVACUATIONS. ACCORDING TO WPVI-TV, THE BLAZE AT THE JOHNSON MATTHEY PLANT IN WEST WHITELAND TOWNSHIP WAS REPORTED YESTERDAY MORNING. OFFICIALS SAY THE PLANT WAS EVACUATED ALONG WITH SOME NEARBY HOMES. THE CAUSE REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

UNIONTOWN, PA. (AP) - A UNIONTOWN WOMAN ACCUSED OF KILLING HER 3-MONTH-OLD SON IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008 TOOK THE STAND YESTERDAY. LORI WORKMAN TOLD JURORS IN FAYETTE COUNTY SHE NEVER HURT HER CHILD. A POLICE OFFICER TESTIFIED EARLIER THAT THE DEFENDANT ACKNOWLEDGED HAVING HIT THE CHILD IN THE HEAD WITH PIECES OF A CRIB SHE WAS ASSEMBLING.

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - FEDERAL REGULATORS HAVE CITED AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA BOTTLING COMPANY AFTER FINDING TWO DOZEN WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH VIOLATIONS. THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT'S LEVYING NEARLY $111,000 IN FINES AGAINST A-TREAT BOTTLING COMPANY IN ALLENTOWN.

NATIONAL NEWS:

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (AP) - TROPICAL STORM EMILY IS EXPECTED TO BRING INTENSE RAINS WHEN IT MAKES LANDFALL IN HAITI AFTER DAWN. A METEOROLOGIST WITH THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER SAYS THE RESULT COULD BE "LIFE-THREATENING MUDSLIDES OR FLASH FLOODS." MORE THAN 600,000 PEOPLE IN HAITI ARE STILL WITHOUT SHELTER BECAUSE OF LAST YEAR'S EARTHQUAKE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A RECALL OF 36 MILLION POUNDS OF TURKEY IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST MEAT RECALLS EVER. MEAT PRODUCER CARGILL ANNOUNCED THE CALLBACK BECAUSE OF A SALMONELLA OUTBREAK LINKED TO 76 ILLNESSES AND ONE DEATH. CARGILL HAS STOPPED
PRODUCTION AT ITS PLANT IN SPRINGDALE, ARK., WHILE INVESTIGATORS HUNT THE SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - BLACK & DECKER, WHICH IS KNOWN FOR ITS CONSUMER PRODUCTS, HAS AGREED TO A $960,000 CIVIL PENALTY FOR FAILING TO REPORT SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH ONE OF ITS WEED TRIMMERS.
THE GRASSHOG XP WEED TRIMMER/EDGER WAS BLAMED FOR MORE THAN 700 INJURIES BEFORE IT WAS PULLED FROM THE MARKET FOUR YEARS AGO.

WASHINGTON (AP) - IT APPEARS MORE LIKELY FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY DONALD RUMSFELD MAY FACE TRIAL FOR DAMAGES BECAUSE OF AN ARMY VETERAN WHO SAYS HE WAS UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED AND TORTURED IN IRAQ BY U.S. FORCES. A JUDGE IS ALLOWING THE CASE TO GO FORWARD. THE VETERAN WORKED FOR AN AMERICAN CONTRACTING FIRM AS A TRANSLATOR.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - POLICE IN SOUTH KOREA SAY FIVE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY WORKED WITH NORTH KOREAN HACKERS TO STEAL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN POINTS FROM ONLINE GAMING SITES. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE POINTS WERE EXCHANGED FOR CASH THROUGH SITES WHERE PLAYERS TRADE ITEMS TO BE USED FOR THEIR AVATARS.