TODAY'S NEWS: WEDNESDAY SEPT 21, 2011

DISASTER RELIEF CENTER SET UP IN PINE GROVE

THE PINE GROVE HOOK AND LADDER HAS BEEN SET UP AS A DISASTER RELIEF CENTER FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY THE FLOODS FROM TROPICAL STORM LEE. THE CENTER WILL BE OPEN FROM 10AM TO 7 PM AND IS DESIGNED TO ASSIST RESIDENTS IN APPLYING FOR FEDERAL FUNDS, TEMPORARY HOUSING CHECKING STATUS OF APPLICATIONS AND MORE DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAMS. REPRESENTATIVES WILL ALSO BE ON SITE FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSOC. TO HELP INDIVIDUALS APPLY FOR LOW-INTEREST LOANS. THE D-R-C IS ONE OF 12 SET UP AROUND PENNSYLVANIA.

PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL TO HOST SYMPOSIUM

COMING UP IN NOVEMBER PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL WILL PLAY HOST TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO HELP EDUCATE OFFICERS AND SUPERVISORS IN WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS. ON MONDAY THE LAST OF THE PLANNING PHASE SESSIONS WAS HELD WITH REPS FROM PENN STATE AND LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO INCLUDE POTTSVILLE, BERKS COUNTY AND STATE POLICE.

YWCA BUILDING SOLD

THE Y-W-C-A BUILDING ON CENTRE ST IN POTTSVILLE HAS BEEN SOLD FOR $145,000 ACCORDING TO WAYNE STUMP C-E-O OF THE POTTSVILLE Y-M-C-A. THE BUILDING ITSELF HASN’T BEEN USED SINCE LAST YEAR. THE Y-M-C-A ACQUIRED THE BUILDING EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN THE Y-W-C-A DISSOLVED IN JUNE. UP KEEP AND MAINTENANCE FORCED THE YMCA TO PUT THE BUILDING UP FOR SALE. THE NEW OWNER CURRENTLY HAS NO PLANS FOR THE BUILDING THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1893.

ATTEMPTED PHARMACY ROBBERY IN MOUNT CARMEL

A 19-YEAR-OLD MOUNT CARMEL MAN IS NOW BEHIND BARS AFTER BRANDISHING A KNIFE AT A CLERK INSIDE COMMUNITY PHARMACY ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON DEMANDING OXYCODONE. POLICE REPORT CHARLES FRANTZ JR. WAS DETAINED BY TWO BOROUGH RESIDENTS UNTIL POLICE TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY. IN ADDITION TO MISDEMEANORS, FRANTZ WAS ARRAIGNED ON THREE FELONY COUNTS. HE WAS COMMITTED TO NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY PRISON IN SUNBURY IN LIEU OF $100,000 CASH BAIL.

MOUNT CARMEL MAN JAILED WITH KIDNAPPING AND ASSAULT

A MOUNT CARMEL MAN WAS PLACED IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON AFTER BEING ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES HE KIDNAPPED AND ASSAULTED HIS WIFE SUNDAY EVENING. STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE REPORT 31-YEAR-OLD KYLE KENT ENTERED THE GIRARDVILLE HOME OF 31-YEAR-OLD MELISSA KENT, APPROACHED HER AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED HER. KENT THEN DRAGGED HER OUT OF THE RESIDENCE AND DIRECTED HER TO HIS VEHICLE WHERE HE FORCED HER INSIDE AND DROVE AWAY. MELISSA KENT SUSTAINED MULTIPLE CONTUSIONS AND A FACIAL FRACTURE DURING THE ASSAULT. SHE WAS TRANSPORTED FROM THE HOSPITAL BY POLICE. KENT WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND AFTER FAILING TO POST BAIL, HE WAS REMANDED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON TO AWAIT HIS HEARING.

STATE NEWS:

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - A NEW YORK MAN HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE SLAYING OF A WOMAN OUTSIDE A BETHLEHEM NIGHTCLUB IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007. YESTERDAY'S PLEA BY CHRISTIAN BUENO CAME AFTER TWO DAYS OF TESTIMONY AND JUST AS A LEHIGH COUNTY JURY WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN DELIBERATIONS.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A NEIGHBOR AND A 911 OPERATOR HAVE TESTIFIED THAT A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAN CONFESSED TO THE HATCHET MURDER OF HIS FORMER GIRLFRIEND TWO YEARS AGO. THE (WILKES-BARRE) TIMES LEADER SAYS NEIGHBOR DAVID BEACH SR. TESTIFIED JOHN STONE OF SHICKSHINNY CAME TO HIS HOME IN SEPTEMBER OF 2009 AND TOLD HIM HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE KILLED CATHERINE TABIT.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - LAWYERS HAVE PICKED A JURY FOR THE CORRUPTION TRIAL OF THREE FORMER REPUBLICAN AIDES IN THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. OFFICIALS SAY LAWYERS FINISHED CHOOSING 12 JURORS AND FOUR ALTERNATES. AT LEAST ONE MORE ALTERNATE IS TO BE PICKED TODAY. THE TRIAL IS SCHEDULED TO START MONDAY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A FIRED PHILADELPHIA HOUSING CHIEF HAS FILED A LIBEL LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY'S TWO LARGEST DAILY NEWSPAPERS. FORMER HOUSING DIRECTOR CARL GREENE'S LAWSUIT SAYS THE NEWSPAPERS' "ABUSIVE MUCKRAKING ATTACKS" WERE DESIGNED PARTLY TO BOOST SALES DURING THE NEWS COMPANY'S BANKRUPTCY.


NATIOANL NEWS:

JASPER, TEXAS (AP) - MANY AMERICANS WERE SHOCKED AND OUTRAGED WHEN MORE THAN 13 YEARS AGO A BLACK MAN WAS CHAINED TO A PICKUP TRUCK AND DRAGGED NEARLY THREE MILES TO HIS DEATH IN JASPER, TEXAS. TODAY, ONE OF THREE MEN CONVICTED IN JAMES BYRD'S DEATH IS SCHEDULED TO BE EXECUTED. LAWRENCE RUSSELL BREWER IS SET TO BE PUT TO DEATH BY LETHAL INJECTION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THERE'S LIKELY TO BE A SHOWDOWN ON CAPITOL HILL OVER DISASTER AID. THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO PASS TODAY $3.7 BILLION IN RELIEF AS PART OF A BILL TO PREVENT A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AT THE END OF THE MONTH. BUT ONE OF THE REASONS THE DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED SENATE OPPOSES THE BILL IS BECAUSE IT TAKES MONEY FROM A GOVERNMENT PROGRAM THAT HELPS CAR COMPANIES BUILD MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT VEHICLES.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND HIS FRENCH COUNTERPART ARE HOPING TO TALK PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS INTO BACKING OUT OF A REQUEST TO THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL FOR RECOGNITION OF PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD. AND OBAMA AND FRANCE'S NICOLAS SARKOZY (SAHR-KOH-ZEE') WILL MAKE THEIR PITCHES BEFORE THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY TODAY. THEN OBAMA PLANS TO MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH ABBAS AND ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A NEW GALLUP SURVEY SAYS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF YOUNG ADULTS WHO DIDN'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE GAINED COVERAGE LAST YEAR, THAT'S ABOUT 1 MILLION MORE PEOPLE AGES 18-25. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S NEW HEALTH CARE LAW LETS ADULT CHILDREN STAY ON THEIR PARENTS' HEALTH INSURANCE UNTIL THEY TURN 26.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (AP) - MALAYSIA'S PRIME MINISTER IS TRYING TO WIN THE VOTES OF MORE YOUNG PEOPLE, SO HE'S WORKING ON BECOMING MORE "COOL." IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS THE 58-YEAR-OLD POLITICIAN HAS MADE AN UNEXPECTED APPEARANCE AT A ROCK CONCERT,
TAKEN PART IN A RADIO PRANK CALL AND OFFERED FREE BEVERAGE COASTERS TO SOME OF HIS 200,000 FOLLOWERS ON TWITTER. NAJIB RAZAK WANTS TO HELP REVERSE A DECLINE IN SUPPORT AHEAD OF NATIONAL ELECTIONS EXPECTED BY MID-2012.