TODAYS NEWS: WEDNESDAY AUGUST 10, 2011

A U.S. PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL MADE A STOP IN POTTSVILLE TUESDAY. JMATTHEWS HAS THIS REPORT.

CRASH NEAR DONALDSON

FIVE PEOPLE WERE FLOWN FROM THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT TUESDAY NIGHT NEAR DONALDSON. ACCORDING TO POLICE REPORTS 17 YEAR OLD MYLAYLA BINKLEY OF TREMONT WAS DRIVING HER 2003 MAZDA TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS AND FAILED TO NEGOTIATE A TURN IN THE ROAD AND LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE. THE CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE. BINKLEY AND FOUR OTHER PASSENGERS WERE FLOWN TO PENN STATE HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER FOR THEIR INJURIES.

LOCAL SEX OFFENDER RELEASED

A COALDALE MAN WHO ONCE FACED THE PROSPECT OF SPENDING THE FINAL YEARS OF HIS LIFE BEHIND BARS WAS RELEASED ON TUESDAY IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT. 79 YEAR OLD KARL OTTO WHO PLEADED GUILTY TO INDECENT ASSAULT, INDECENT EXPOSURE, AND ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN SPENT THE PAST 36 MONTHS IN PRISON, BUT IN A PLEA AGREEMENT WITH THE DEFENSE AND PROSECUTION OTTO WILL SERVE THE REMAINING 46 MONTHS ON PROBATION. OTTO WAS ORIGINALLY SENTENCED TO SERVE 20 TO 60 YEARS IN A STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY BUT RECEIVED A NEW TRIAL IN OCTOBER 2010 DUE TO INEFFECTIVE COUNSEL.

HEGINS MAN TAKES POLICE ON CHASE

A HEGINS MAN TOOK POLICE ON A HIGH SPEED CHASE AFTER CAUSING A RUCKUS IN THE COMMUNITY. POLICE TELL US 30-YEAR-OLD ROBERT HARNER WAS DRIVING ERRATICALLY THROUGH TREMONT TOWNSHIP EARLY TUESDAY MORNING, IGNORING TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND POLICE SIRENS. HARNER'S VEHICLE EVENTUALLY GOT STUCK ON STATE GAME LANDS AND THAT'S WHEN POLICE SAY HE TOOK OFF ON FOOT. HIS THREE PASSENGERS, 20-YEAR-OLD BRITTANY SHADLE, A 15-YEAR-OLD MALE AND 17-YEAR-OLD FEMALE WERE IMMEDIATELY DETAINED. HARNER EVENTUALLY WAS CAUGHT AND WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. HE REMAINS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON ON $25,000 STRAIGHT CASH BAIL.

JAIL TIME FOR MURPHY JEWELER ROBBER

A MAN WHO ADMITTED TO PARTICIPATING IN AN ARMED ROBBERY OF A SCHUYLKILL COUNTY JEWELRY STORE IN 2007 WILL SERVE SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON. U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE JAMES MUNLEY SENTENCED 25-YEAR OLD BALIR AKEEM STARKEY OF WEST CHESTER, AT A HEARING TUESDAY IN SCRANTON'S FEDERAL COURT. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, STARKEY WAS INDICTED IN DECEMBER 2009 FOR HIS ROLE IN THE ARMED ROBBERY OF MURPHY'S JEWELRY STORE ON MARKET STREET IN POTTSVILLE ON DECEMBER 13TH, 2007. IN AUGUST 2010, STARKEY PLEADED GUILTY TO ONE COUNT OF OBSTRUCTION OF INTERSTATE COMMERCE BY THREAT OR VIOLENCE. (WGRC)


GORDON COUNCIL PRESIDENT RESIGNS

GORDON COUNCIL PRESIDENT LYNN KORN HAS RESIGNED FROM THE BOROUGH COUNCIL. THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES ON THE HEELS OF LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL MEETING IN WHERE KORN WALKED OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. BOROUGH OFFICIALS ARE LOOKING INTO THE VALIDITY OF THE RESIGNATION SINCE NO DOCUMENTATION WAS SIGNED. KORN HAS SERVED ON THE COUNCIL FOR 22 YEARS THE 18 AS PRESIDENT. KORN SAYS SHE WILL SUBMIT A WRITTEN RESIGNATION SOON TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL STATING THAT IT’S TIME FOR THE YOUNGER PEOPLE TO TAKE OVER.

REPAIR TO BEGIN ON POT HOLE

AFTER 5 YEARS AN AREA POTHOLE WILL FINALLY BE FIXED. THE POTHOLE LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE RICHARD RYON INSURANCE COMPANY IN POTTSVILLE HAS BEEN DEBATED OVER THE YEARS AS TO WHO IS RESPONSIBLE TO FIX THE POTHOLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY OR THE CITY. HEAVY RAINS OVER THE YEARS HAS CAUSED THE POT HOLE TO GROW AND IN MAY TROPP CONTACTING WAS HIRED TO FIX THE HOLE. COMPLETION OF THE REPAIR IS EXPECTED NEXT WEEK.

STATE NEWS:

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE MAYOR OF PITTSBURGH SAYS HE WILL DELAY ACTION ON A PROPOSED BAN ON NATURAL GAS DRILLING, WHICH WILL KEEP IT OFF THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY THEY WILL LOOK INTO A LEGAL MANEUVER TO GET AROUND THE MAYOR.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA MAN CHARGED WITH POSTING AN ANTI-SEMITIC THREAT AGAINST SENATOR JOSEPH LIEBERMAN OF CONNECTICUT WILL HAVE HIS COMPUTER USE MONITORED WHILE HE'S OUT ON $50,000 BAIL. THE FBI SAYS DMITRY DYATLOV (DOT'-LAHV) POSTED A BLOG ENTRY SAYING LIEBERMAN SHOULD BE SHOT BECAUSE HE'S LIBERAL, DOESN'T LIKE THE RAPPER EMINEM, AND SITS ON THE "SECURITY" COMMITTEE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - REPUBLICAN PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR PAT TOOMEY DIDN'T VOTE FOR THE DEFICIT-REDUCTION PACKAGE THAT PASSED CONGRESS LAST WEEK, BUT SAYS HE STILL HOPES A CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE CAN MAKE GREAT STRIDES TOWARD BALANCING THE BUDGET. TOOMEY SAYS THE COMMITTEE CAN FIND WAYS TO CONTROL SPENDING AND REFORM THE TAX CODE TO LOWER RATES AND GET RID OF LOOPHOLES.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR THE STABBING DEATHS OF TWO PEOPLE KILLED A WEEK APART DURING A ROBBERY SPREE IN THE LOGAN SECTION OF THE CITY LAST SUMMER. THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS SAYS SIEGFRIED MOORE DABBED HIS EYES YESTERDAY AND HIS RELATIVES WEPT IN COURT AS A JUDGE IMPOSED THE SENTENCE.

NATIONAL NEWS:
MADISON, WIS. (AP) - THE WISCONSIN SENATE REMAINS UNDER REPUBLICAN CONTROL, DESPITE THE BACKLASH OVER GOV. SCOTT WALKER'S EFFORT TO CURB PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS. THE GOP BEAT BACK FOUR DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGERS IN RECALL ELECTIONS HELD YESTERDAY. TWO DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENTS FACE RECALLS NEXT WEEK.

BANGKOK (AP) - ASIAN STOCKS HAVE GRABBED HOLD OF THE MOMENTUM THE DOW HAD YESTERDAY. THE BLUECHIP INDEX POSTED A 429-POINT GAIN AFTER THE FEDERAL RESERVE PLEDGE TO KEEP INTEREST RATES AT RECORD LOWS INTO 2013. THE MAIN INDEXES ACROSS ASIA HAVE BEEN SEEING GAINS, WITH HONG KONG'S HANG SENG UP MORE THAN 3 PERCENT.

LONDON (AP) - LONDON HAS BEEN RELATIVELY QUIET OVERNIGHT, BUT POLICE IN MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, SAY THERE'S BEEN LOOTING AND ARSON THERE. HUNDREDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, SOME WHO LOOKED AS YOUNG AS TEN, RAMPAGED THROUGH THE CITY CENTER, HURLING BOTTLES AND STONES AT
POLICE AND VANDALIZING STORES. POLICE COUNTRYWIDE HAVE MADE MORE THAN 1,100 ARRESTS IN FOUR NIGHTS OF VIOLENCE.

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - THERE'S WORD OF A DEADLY CLASH BETWEEN NATO FORCES AND AFGHAN POLICE. AN AFGHAN OFFICIAL SAYS THE FIREFIGHT TOOK PLACE OVERNIGHT IN KANDAHAR PROVINCE AND LEFT FOUR AFGHAN POLICE OFFICERS DEAD. NATO CONFIRMS THERE WAS AN INCIDENT,
BUT THERE ARE NO DETAILS YET ON WHAT CAUSED IT.

BEIRUT (AP) -SYRIAN TROOPS HAVE TAKEN CONTROL OF AN EASTERN CITY THAT'S BEEN FLASHPOINT IN THE UPRISING AGAINST PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD'S RULE. AN ACTIVIST IN THE CITY (DEIR EL-ZOUR) SAYS THE ARMY MOVED INTO THE LAST NEIGHBORHOOD TODAY UNDER INTENSE SHELLING AND
GUNFIRE. THE FIGHTING COMES AMID INCREASING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON ASSAD. U.S. OFFICIALS SAY THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS PREPARING TO DEMAND ASSAD'S RESIGNATION.