TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY SEPT 15,2011

THE POTTSVILLE AREA SCHOOL BOARD HELD ITS WORK SESSION LAST NIGHT AND DURING THE TALKS DR JIM GALLAGHER SPOKE OUT ABOUT THE BOMB THREAT FROM EARLIER THIS WEEK AND DENISE FANELLI SUBMITTED HER RESIGNATION. JASMINE BROOKS WAS THERE AND HAS ALL THE DETAILS

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CORONER JOSEPH LIPSETT PRESENTED THE COUNTY WITH A CHECK FOR $33,000. J MATTHEWS HAS MORE

2 CHANGE PLEAS IN SHENANDOAH MURDER

WITH THE ACQUITTAL OF THEIR CO-DEFENDANT LAST MONTH. THE TWO OTHER MEN ALSO CHARGED WITH BEING INVOLVED IN THE MURDER OF BRUCE FORKER OF SHENANDOAH IN MARCH 2010 HAVE DECIDED TO GO TO TRIAL. 31 YEAR OLD DAMON ENNETT OF FREELAND AND 20 YEAR JAHMAL OLLIVIRRE OF READING ASKED JUDGE JACQUELINE RUSSELL THAT THEY NO LONGER WANTED TO GO ALONG WITH THE PLEA AGREEMENT WITH PROSECUTORS. NO DATE HAS BEEN SET IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT AND PROSECUTORS SAY THE TWO MEN WILL NOT BE TRIED TOGETHER.


CHILD DIES IN CRASH WITH TRUCK

A CRASH ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON HAS CLAIMED THE LIFE OF A 12 YEAR OLD MINERSVILLE GIRL. MINERSVILLE POLICE REPORT THAT AROUND 3PM WEDNESDAY 29 YEAR OLD ERICA MABRY OF MINERSVILLE WAS DRIVING AND STOPPED AT THE INTERSECTION OF NORTH 2ND ST AND LEWIS. AT THE SAME TIME 12 YEAR OLD CAITLYN KONKUS WAS RIDING HER BICYCLE ON NORTH 2ND AND TRAVELED INTO THE PATH OF MABRY. KONKUS WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER-SOUTH JACKSON.WERE SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD BY SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CORONER. POLICE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING THIS CRASH,

BOARD CANCELS BLOOMSBURG FAIR

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 157 YEARS, THEIR WILL NOT BE A FAIR IN BLOOMSBURG IN 2011. ON WEDNESDAY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS DECIDED TO PULL THE PLUG ON THE WEEK LONG EVENT. THE DECISION COMES ONE WEEK AFTER BLOOMSBURG WAS HIT HARD BY THE FLOODS CAUSED FROM TROPICAL STORM LEE. THE FAIR’S POSTED THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THEIR FACE BOOK PAGE AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE AND HOPED EVERYONE WILL COME BACK IN 2012. THEIR HAS BEEN NO CLARIFICATION ON REFUNDS FOR TICKETS TO SHOWS THAT FEATURED SUCH ACTS AS KENNY ROGERS AND CHEAP TRICK.


MINERSVILLE MAN BILKED OF 65K

ON TUESDAY A BLAKESLEE MAN WAS CHARGED BY MINERSVILLE POLICE WITH BILKING A BOROUGH MAN OUT OF OVER $65,000. 47 YEAR OLD EDMOUR GIGUERE WAS ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES OF THEFT BY DECEPTION RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY AND DECEPTIVE PRACTICES. POLICE REPORT THAT A BOROUGH MAN PAID GIGUERE TWO CHECKS FOR THE BUILDING OF A LOG HOME, HOWEVER GIGUERE SUBMITTED AN EMAIL TO THE MAN STATING HE HAD FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN THE MONEY. GIGUERE WAS ARRESTED AND COMMITTED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON ON $65,000 BAIL.


STATE NEWS:

GETTYSBURG, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT STARTED A FIRE THAT CLAIMED THE LIFE OF AN ELDERLY WOMAN. OFFICIALS IN ADAMS COUNTY SAY THE TWO-ALARM BLAZE WAS REPORTED SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT TUESDAY IN AN UPSTAIRS APARTMENT IN THE BOROUGH OF EAST BERLIN.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 71 YEARS IN THE BEATING DEATH OF A MAN MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO. A LUZERNE COUNTY JUDGE FORMALLY SENTENCED ELVIS RICCARDI OF WILKES-BARRE YESTERDAY. RICCARDI WAS CONVICTED IN JULY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, ROBBERY, CONSPIRACY, ARSON AND THEFT IN THE APRIL 2009 SLAYING OF DONNIE SKIFF OF PLYMOUTH.

YORK, PA. (AP) - A FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST HAS TESTIFIED FOR THE DEFENSE THAT THERE'S NO WAY TO TELL WHAT CAUSED THE INJURIES THAT KILLED A 7-YEAR-OLD ADOPTED RUSSIAN BOY IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA TWO YEARS AGO. MICHAEL AND NANETTE CRAVER ARE CHARGED IN YORK COUNTY WITH FIRST- AND THIRD-DEGREE MURDER IN THE AUGUST 2009 DEATH OF NATHANIEL, WHO AUTHORITIES SAY WAS INJURED AND EMACIATED.

NORRISTOWN, PA. (AP) - A SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA WOMAN HAS BEEN ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL IN THE DEATH OF AN INFANT ALMOST TWO DECADES AGO. A MONTGOMERY COUNTY JUDGE RULED YESTERDAY THAT PROSECUTORS HAD PROVIDED ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO UPHOLD A THIRD-DEGREE MURDER CHARGE AGAINST MELISSA HASKELL IN THE 1992 DEATH OF 5-MONTH-OLD RYAN
BAURLEY.

NATIONAL NEWS:

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A FORECLOSURE LISTING FIRM SAYS THE FORECLOSURE SLOWDOWN BY BANKS AFTER THEY RAN INTO PROCESSING ISSUES MAY BE ENDING. REALTYTRAC SAYS THE NUMBER OF U.S. HOMES THAT RECEIVED AN INITIAL FORECLOSURE NOTICE IN AUGUST WENT UP 33 PERCENT
FROM THE MONTH BEFORE. THE INCREASE IS A NINE-MONTH HIGH AND THE BIGGEST MONTHLY GAIN IN FOUR YEARS.

DETROIT (AP) - UNITED AUTO WORKERS UNION CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED WHILE NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE WITH CHRYSLER AND GM. A MIDNIGHT DEADLINE CAME AND WENT WITH NO DEALS IN PLACE, BUT UNION MEMBERS ARE BARRED FROM STRIKING OVER WAGES UNDER TERMS OF A GOVERNMENT BAILOUT DEAL WITH AUTOMAKERS.

LOUISVILLE, KY. (AP) - DAKOTA MEYER SAVED 36 LIVES FROM AN AMBUSH IN AFGHANISTAN AND TODAY HE'LL COLLECT THE NATION'S HIGHEST MILITARY HONOR AT THE WHITE HOUSE. WHILE HE'S RECEIVING THE MEDAL OF HONOR, MEYER'S SLAIN COMRADES WILL BE MEMORIALIZED IN HOMETOWN CEREMONIES AT HIS REQUEST.

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (AP) - THE TOP PALESTINIAN DIPLOMAT SAYS THE BID FOR FULL U.N. MEMBERSHIP WILL MOVE FORWARD THIS MONTH. HE SAYS PALESTINIANS WILL SUBMIT A BID FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP AT THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL ON SEPT. 23. HIS REMARKS APPEAR TO END THE SPECULATION OVER WHETHER THE PALESTINIANS WOULD RISK A THREATENED U.S. VETO.

HANOI, VIETNAM (AP) - VIETNAM SAYS A U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS BIASED AND CONTAINS "ERRONEOUS" INFORMATION. THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S REPORT, WHICH COVERS THE PERIOD OF JULY-DECEMBER 2010, SAYS THERE WERE CONTINUED REPORTS OF ABUSES OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN VIETNAM DESPITE AREAS OF PROGRESS.