TODAY'S NEWS: TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2011

RT 209 PROJECT DISCUSSED IN TOWER CITY

THE 4.5 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT TO IMPROVE ROUTE 209 BETWEEN TOWER CITY AND TREMONT TOOK CENTER STAGE LAST NIGHT DURING A PUBLIC MEETING AT THE PORTER-TOWER LIONS CLUB. WITH REP MIKE TOBASH, SEN DAVE ARGALL ALONG WITH CONGRESSMAN TIM HOLDEN IN ATTENDANCE THEY TALKED ABOUT THE MUCH NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ROAD BETWEEN THE TWO BOROUGHS. NO CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN HIRED TO DO THE CONSTRUCTION YET BUT OFFICIALS SAY THAT COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT WILL NOT BE TILL FALL OF 2012

COURTS VACATE MANDAMUS ON KANTNER

THE COMMONWEALTH COURT HAS VACATED AN ORDER BY THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT THAT PUT A MANDAMUS ON THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGAINST COUNTY CONTROLLER MELINDA KANTER. THE DECISION SENDS THE MATTER BACK TO THE COUNTY COURT SYSTEM. IT WAS BACK ON AUGUST OF LAST YEAR THAT THE COMMISSIONERS FILED PAPERWORK FOR A WRIT OF MANDAMUS AGAINST KANTER ASKING HER TO COMPLETE AND FILE FINANCIAL REPORTS WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE COUNTY’S EXTERNAL AUDITOR TO COMPLETE THE AUDIT OF COUNTY BOOKS.

ATTORNEY WAIVES HEARING

THE POTTSVILLE LAWYER CHARGED WITH BILLING SCHUYLKILL COUNTY FOR SERVICES SHE DID NOT PERFORM WAIVED HER RIGHT TO A FORMAL ARRAIGNMENT ON MONDAY. 63 YEAR OLD LYNNE BRESSI SERVED AS COUNTY CONCILIATOR IS CHARGED WITH THEFT BY DECEPTION, RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY, INTIMIDATING A WITNESS AND SOLICITING AND TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 2006-2009 IN WHERE BRESSI FALSELY BILLED SCHUYLKILL COUNTY OVER $6,000.

CRESSONA RESIDENTS ARGUE QUALITY OF LIFE

MONDAY'S BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING IN CRESSONA HAD ON CENTRAL ISSUE… THE LOOK OF THE BOROUGH. AMONG THE ISSUES WERE CONCRETE AND OTHER ITEMS IN THE YARDS OF RESIDENTS, ABANDONED VEHICLES, WILD VEGETATION AND GENERAL BLIGHT. BOROUGH OFFICIALS ANSERED BACK BY AGREEING TO HAVE CRESSONA’S ENGINEERING TEAM TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS ON AT LEAST TWO OF THE EYE SORE PROPERTIES. THE COUNCIL ALSO TOOK ACTION BY GOING WITH ANOTHER ELECTRICAL PROVIDER FOR STREET LIGHTING DUE TO RISING COSTS.

SHENANDOAH RESIDENTS COMPLAIN ABOUT BLIGHTED PROPERTIES

SHENANDOAH RESIDENTS SPOKE UP ABOUT BLIGHTED PROPERTIES MONDAY NIGHT AT A BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING. COUNCIL MEMBERS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEMS RESIDENTS WERE HAVING, BUT SAID THEY ARE STRUGGLING THEMSELVES TO GET THINGS FIXED. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, THE BLIGHT LAW DOES NOT HAVE MONEY ALLOTTED FROM THE STATE TO ANY COMMUNITY AND THE OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE.

HAWK MOUNTAIN’S RAPTOR COUNT

MONDAY MARKED DAY ONE FOR RAPTOR COUNT AT HAWK MOUNTAIN SANCTUARY. MORE THAN FIFTY BIRDS WERE COUNTED INCLUDING FOUR BALD EAGLES. THE ANNUAL AUTUMN HAWK WATCH RUNS THROUGH DECEMBER 15.


LOCAL VIETNAM VETERAN HERO TO BE HONORED AT STATE CAPITOL

A HAMBURG NATIVE AND VIETNAM HERO WILL BE HONORED THROUGH A SPECIAL TRIBUTE CEREMONY TO BE HELD AT SOLDIERS AND SAILORS GROVE NEXT WEEK. MASTER SERGEANT RICHARD LOY ETCHBERGER WAS KILLED DURING A SECRET MISSION DURING THE VIETNAM WAR AND WAS ONLY RECOGNIZED LAST YEAR WITH THE NATION’S HIGHEST MILITARY HONOR FOR VALOR. ON MONDAY, AUGUST 22, ETCHBERGER’S LEGACY WILL BE REMEMBERED. THE CEREMONY WILL INCLUDE PARTICIPANTS TO INCLUDE GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE PA DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERAN AFFAIRS.

MDA JAILBIRD

A LOCAL BUSINESSWOMAN WILL BE LOCKED UP THIS MORNING AND NEEDS YOUR HELP TO SET HER BAIL. GINA GARGANO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT SCHUYLKILL COUNTY VISITOR’S BUREAU, WILL BE TAKEN TO YUENGLING BREWERY TOMORROW MORNING TO SPEND TIME BEHIND BARS. IT’S ALL TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION. YOU CAN TAKE YOUR DONATIONS TO YUENGLING ANYTIME BEFORE 10AM.

POTTSVILLE CRUISE CORVETTE WINNER

THIS YEARS CRUISE CAR FEATURED AT THE GREAT POTTSVILLE CRUISE WAS A 1993 CORVETTE 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. THE WINNER OF THE NEW SET OF WHEELS WAS WILLIAM OSWALT OF TEMPLE, PA. ALAN STOKES OF PARKTON, MARYLAND WON BEST OF CRUISE OVERALL “TOP AWARD”. HOWARD DUNLAP OF POTTSVILLE RECEIVED THE “PRESIDENT AWARD”. AND JIMMY GRASSO OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND TOOK HOME THE MAYOR’S AWARD. OVER ONE-HUNDRED TROPHIES WERE AWARDED IN ALL SUNDAY AT THE GREAT POTTSVILLE CRUISE.

CRASH IN PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP

A PINE GROVE MAN WAS INJURED MONDAY AFTERNOON WHEN HE CRASHED HIS TRUCK IN PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP. STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN TELL US 44-YEAR-OLD JOHN COOPER BEGAN DRIVING IN THE WRONG LANE ON SR0125 AND TRAVELED FORTY-FEET OFF ROAD BEFORE STRIKING A UTILITY POLE, TREE AND PARKED CAR. COOPER’S CAR BECAME AIRBORNE BEFORE COMING TO REST. COOPER WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL EAST FOR HIS INJURIES.

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - EDUCATION OFFICIALS IN PHILADELPHIA SAY THEY NEED MORE INFORMATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER CHEATING OCCURRED ON STANDARDIZED TESTS IN MORE THAN A DOZEN SCHOOLS. THE DISTRICT SUBMITTED THE FINDINGS OF AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION TO THE PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY.

BEAVER FALLS, PA. (AP) - SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY A 15-YEAR-OLD SOCCER PLAYER DIED YESTERDAY AT BRUSH CREEK COUNTY PARK. ACCORDING TO WPXI-TV, BEAVER COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WERE CALLED AFTER 15-YEAR-OLD SAM DICKSON COLLAPSED DURING A BREAK IN A DRILL.

NEW YORK (AP) - TLC SAYS IT'S CANCELING "KATE PLUS 8." THE REALITY SPECIALS FOCUSING ON KATE GOSSELIN, HER TWIN DAUGHTERS AND SET OF SEXTUPLETS MORPHED INTO A WEEKLY SERIES IN ITS SECOND SEASON. BUT TLC ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY ITS FINAL EPISODE WILL AIR SEPTEMBER 12TH.

NATIONAL NEWS:

BANGKOK (AP) - STOCK MARKETS OVERSEAS ARE LOSING SOME STEAM TODAY, AFTER LEARNING THAT GERMANY'S ECONOMIC GROWTH CAME TO A NEAR-STANDSTILL IN THE SECOND QUARTER. THE NEWS IS ADDING TO FEARS THAT THE GLOBAL ECONOMY IS SLOWING DOWN. WALL STREET ALSO APPEARS HEADED FOR A LOWER OPENING AFTER THREE DAYS OF GAINS.

BEIRUT (AP) - RESIDENTS OF A BESIEGED SYRIAN COASTAL CITY SAY HEAVY MACHINE GUN FIRE IS BEING HEARD IN SEVERAL DISTRICTS AS PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD'S OFFENSIVE IN LATAKIA (LAH-TAH-KEE'-AH) ENTERS ITS FOURTH DAY. THE RESIDENTS SAY MOST OF THE SHOOTING IS
TAKING PLACE IN TWO IMPOVERISHED NEIGHBORHOODS. SYRIAN ACTIVISTS SAY THE GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN KILLED 15 PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY YESTERDAY, INCLUDING AT LEAST FIVE IN LATAKIA.

LONDON (AP) - A 16-YEAR-OLD BOY IS DUE IN LONDON YOUTH COURT TODAY ON CHARGES OF MURDERING A RETIREE WHO CONFRONTED RIOTERS IN LONDON LAST WEEK. THE MAN WAS FOUND LYING IN A STREET IN WEST LONDON AND DIED OF HEAD INJURIES THREE DAYS LATER. ACROSS BRITAIN, ABOUT 3,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, AND ABOUT 1,400 OF THEM HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH RIOT-RELATED OFFENSES.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUPS ARE BACKING AWAY FROM THEIR THREATS TO GO TO COURT OVER THE DECISION BY SAN FRANCISCO'S TRANSIT AGENCY TO SHUT DOWN WIRELESS SERVICE IN SOME STATIONS FOR A FEW HOURS LAST WEEK. THOSE TACTICS WEREN'T USED AGAIN DURING A PROTEST LATE YESTERDAY THAT SHUT DOWN FOUR BART STATIONS. CELLPHONE SERVICE WAS OPERATING AS DOZENS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED ON A DOWNTOWN PLATFORM TO DENOUNCE THE CUTOFF OF SERVICE LAST THURSDAY.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH KOREA HAVE BEGUN JOINT MILITARY DRILLS THAT NORTH KOREA IS DENOUNCING AS A PRECURSOR TO WAR. THE EXERCISES COME DURING A DIPLOMATIC PUSH TO RESTART LONG-STALLED NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT TALKS. BUT THE 11-DAY DEFENSIVE DRILLS THAT BEGAN TODAY MAKE CLEAR THAT SEOUL AND WASHINGTON STILL VIEW PYONGYANG AS A MILITARY THREAT.