TODAY'S NEWS: WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17, 2011

ROUNDTABLE FOCUSES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING

REPRESENTATIVE TIM HOLDEN ALONG WITH REGIONAL BANKING REPRESENTATIVES MET AT THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY VISITORS BUREAU TUESDAY TO DISCUSS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. FRED BARVELOS FROM DAUPHIN COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY SAID “HOUSING AUTHORITIES HAVE TRADITIONALLY HOUSED THE LOWEST INCOME PEOPLE, ACTING AS THE CRISIS POINT, BUT WITH THE NEW ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS, A LOT OF THE MODERATE INCOME PEOPLE ARE NOW BECOMING CLIENTS.” HE ADDED, “WITH AN EVER GROWING WAITING LIST, HOUSING AUTHORITIES CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND.”

FRED BARVELOS, DAUPHIN COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY

HOLDEN ACKNOWLEDGED THE “CHALLENGES” IN WASHINGTON AND STATED WE NEED TO LEARN TO DO MORE WITH LESS. IN ADDITION, PENNSYLVANIA HAS RECEIVED ABOUT $105 MILLION TO PROVIDE MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE TO HOMEOWNERS WHOSE INCOMES HAVE DECLINED AT LEAST 15 PERCENT DUE TO INVOLUNTARY LAYOFF. SEPTEMBER 30 MARKS THE DEADLINE TO GET THE MONEY USED.

POTTSVILLE GIVES GO AHEAD TO GILLINGHAM

THE CITY OF POTTSVILLE HAS APPROVED THE RENOVATION PLANS FOR THE GILLINGHAM CHARTER SCHOOL'S 116 YEAR OLD BUILDING. GILLINGHAM SPENT CLOSE TO $1800 TO PURCHASE THE CITY BUILDING PERMIT TO RENOVATE THE INTERIOR AT 915 HOWARD AVE. TOTAL COST OF THE RENOVATION IS ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND $175,000. THE GILLINGHAM CHARTER SCHOOL HAVE BEEN USING AN OLD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN PORT CARBON UNTIL THE RENOVATIONS ARE COMPLETE. CLASSES BEGIN AT THE CHARTER SCHOOL IS SEPTEMBER 6.

BANK PROGRAM TO HELP WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES

A FEDERAL PROGRAM USED TO ENCOURAGE LENDING TO SMALL BUSINESSES IS BEING PUT TO USE IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. THE U.S. TREASURY HAS BOUGHT 3.5 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF STOCK IN PHOENIX CORP. THE PARENT COMPANY OF MINERS BANK. CONGRESSMAN TIM HOLDEN WAS ON HAND TO PRESENT A CHECK TO GEORGE GROVE, PRESIDENT AND C-E-O OF MINERS BANK TUESDAY IN NORTH MANHEIM TWP. HOLDEN SAYS THAT WITH THIS GRANT HE HOPES TO TURN THE ECONOMY AROUND. GROVES ADDS THAT WITH THIS MONEY, MINERS BANK WILL LOOK AT EVERY PROSPECT AND IS FOCUSING MORE ON LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES WHO DO NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO GET A BUSINESS LOAN.

FRACKVILLE CLOSE TO CONTRACT WITH POLICE

AT TUESDAY'S FRACKVILLE BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING. BOROUGH OFFICIALS APPROVED THE PREPARATION OF A LABOR AGREEMENT WITH THE POLICE UNION FOR A THREE YEAR CONTRACT. THE CURRENT CONTRACT EXPIRES DECEMBER 31, ONCE THE NEW CONTRACT IS RATIFIED IT WILL BE GOOD UNTIL 2014. THE BOROUGH ALSO APPROVED THE PAYMENT OF CLOSE TO $30,000 TO A FIRM IN HAZLETON TO DEMOLISH A PROPERTY THAT WAS DAMAGED IN A FIRE EARLIER THIS YEAR.

AWARD WINNERS RECOGNIZED

WINNERS OF THE ANNUAL SCHUYLKILL CONSERVATION DISTRICT AWARDS WERE RECOGNIZED TUESDAY AFTER NOON AT SWEET ARROW LAKE COUNTRY PARK IN PINE GROVE. SENATOR DAVE ARGALL WAS ON HAND TO PRESENT A CITATION FROM THE STATE TO ALL THE WINNERS. THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE RECOGNIZED BECAUSE OF THEIR INTEREST IN VOLUNTEERING TO HELP PRESERVE, RESTORE AN PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

ASSAULT CHARGE REFILED ON EX-PRISON GUARD

POTTSVILLE POLICE REFILED CHARGES TUESDAY AGAINST A FORMER SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON GUARD ACCUSED OF TAKING PART IN AN INMATE ASSAULT IN APRIL. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, 28-YEAR-OLD JAMES PRENETA OF SHENANDOAH IS CHARGED WITH SIMPLE ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT. DUE TO A FAMILY EMERGENCY, DETECTIVE STEVEN GUERS HAD PREVIOUSLY WITHDRAWN THE CHARGES BECAUSE HE WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND PRENETA’S HEARING. A PRELIMINARY HEARING IS NOW SET FOR SEPTEMBER 23.

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE SAY A MAN WAS GUNNED DOWN HOURS AFTER A JUDGE UPHELD CHARGES AGAINST HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND, WHO WAS ACCUSED OF OFFERING $1,000 ON FACEBOOK FOR SOMEONE TO KILL HIM. POLICE SAY COREY WHITE WAS SHOT AND KILLED MONDAY NIGHT IN WEST PHILADELPHIA.

NANTICOKE, PA. (AP) - THREE MEN HAVE BEEN CHARGED IN THE CARJACKING ASSAULT OF A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAYOR IN JUNE. THE TIMES LEADER REPORTS DANIEL BANKS, THOMAS OWENS AND STEVEN BRANNIGAN WERE ARRESTED YESTERDAY. POLICE ALLEGE THE THREE WILKES-BARRE MEN ASSAULTED NANTICOKE MAYOR JOSEPH DOUGHERTY AND STOLE HIS CAR AS HE SAT OUTSIDE HIS HOME.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - AUTHORITIES ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAUSED A LARGE WALL OF A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA CHURCH TO COME CRASHING DOWN. WPVI-TV REPORTS POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE FRANKFORD GROUP CHURCH IN THE FRANKFORD SECTION OF THE CITY YESTERDAY
AFTERNOON. THREE LARGE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS WERE DESTROYED IN THE COLLAPSE. NO ONE WAS INJURED.

FREEMANSBURG, PA. (AP) - A PENNSYLVANIA POLICE OFFICER KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY LAST WEEK IS BEING REMEMBERED AS A GREAT COP AND DEVOTED FATHER. FUNERAL SERVICES WERE HELD YESTERDAY FOR FREEMANSBURG POLICE OFFICER ROBERT LASSO. LASSO WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD WHILE INVESTIGATING A DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE REPORT. GEORGE HITCHO JR. IS CHARGED IN HIS DEATH.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT'S INSPECTOR GENERAL HAS FOUND THAT 5 MILLION PIECES OF THE CRITICAL BATTLEFIELD EQUIPMENT MAY NOT MEET THE STANDARDS TO PROTECT U.S. TROOPS. THE REPORT SAYS THE ARMY IMPROPERLY TESTED NEW BULLET-BLOCKING PLATES FOR BODY
ARMOR IN CONTRACTS TOTALING $2.5 BILLION.

DAVENPORT, IOWA (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS WRAPPING UP HIS THREE-STATE TOUR OF THE MIDWEST IN FAMILIAR TERRITORY TODAY. HE'LL HOLD A PAIR OF TOWN HALL MEETINGS IN THE WESTERN PART OF HIS HOME STATE OF ILLINOIS. HE HAS USED THE TRIP TO CRITICIZE HIS OPPONENTS.

MADRID (AP) - A CHEMISTRY STUDENT HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN SPAIN ON SUSPICION HE PLANNED TO ATTACK OPPONENTS OF A VISIT BY THE POPE THIS WEEK. A STATEMENT SAID THE SUSPECT PLANNED TO ATTACK ANTI-POPE PROTESTERS WITH "SUFFOCATING GASES" AND OTHER CHEMICALS.

BEIRUT (AP) - A SYRIAN RIGHTS GROUP SAYS DOZENS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DETAINED AFTER GOVERNMENT TROOPS CUT ELECTRICITY IN A DAMASCUS NEIGHBORHOOD. THE LONDON-BASED SYRIAN OBSERVATORY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ALSO SAYS A MAN WAS KILLED IN A NORTHWESTERN PROVINCE AS TROOPS CARRIED OUT RAIDS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME.

JOPLIN, MO. (AP) - IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL IN JOPLIN, MO., LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AFTER THE COUNTRY'S SINGLE DEADLIEST TORNADO IN SIX DECADES CUT THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR SHORT. A LOT HAS CHANGED. SOME JOPLIN STUDENTS RETURN TO THE SAME SCHOOLS TODAY WHILE OTHERS WILL
BE IN MAKESHIFT LOCATIONS THAT INCLUDE AN INDUSTRIAL PARK AND A CONVERTED BIG-BOX RETAIL STORE.