TODAY'S NEWS MON. OCTOBER 17, 2011

LOCAL NEWS MONDAY OCTOBER 17, 2011

COUNTY MAY GET BIODIESEL PLANT

NAGSCO AND LIBERTY OIL ARE WORKING ON A PROPOSAL TO OPERATE A BIODIESEL PLANT IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. IF NECESSARY PERMITS ARE RECEIVED, THE FACILITY WILL BE LOCATED IN PORT CARBON. BIODIESEL IS MADE FROM THINGS LIKE USED OIL FROM RESTAURANTS. THE OIL IS TREATED WITH CHEMICALS THAT CONVERT THE VEGETABLE OILS INTO FUEL FOR DIESEL ENGINES. PORT CARBON BOROUGH COUNCIL, AND THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY ARE INVESTIGATING THE POSSIBLE IMPACT THE PLANT COULD HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY BEFORE ISSUING PERMITS.

THREE HUNDRED ATTEND FATHER CISZEK DAY MASS

SAINT CASIMIR ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS THE SITE FOR THE 27TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF FATHER WALTER J. CISZEK DAY MASS ON SUNDAY. NINE PRIESTS, INCLUDING THREE CLERICS FROM THE BYZANTINE CATHOLIC RITE, CONDUCTED THE SERVICE WITH OVER THREE HUNDRED MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE. FATHER CISZEK, WHOSE CAUSE FOR CANONIZATION IS BEING CONSIDERED BY THE VATICAN, WAS BORN IN SHENANDOAH, AND SPENT 23 YEARS AS A PRISONER IN THE SOVIET UNION BEFORE HIS RETURN TO PENNSYLVANIA.

SCHUYLKILL UNITED WAY MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD GOAL

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KELLY MALONE REPORTED LAST WEEK THAT THE SCHUYLKILL UNITED WAY HAS RAISED $485,000.00 SO FAR THIS YEAR. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OF THEIR GOAL OF JUST OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, PUBLISHED IN TODAY’S REPUBLICAN HERALD, THIS YEAR’S CAMPAIGN, WITH THE THEME “CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF CARING”, WILL CONCLUDE WITH AN APPRECIATION BREAKFAST AT PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL CAMPUS ON NOVEMBER 18TH. THE SCHUYLKILL UNITED WAY HAS FIFTEEN PARTNER AGENCIES WHO PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO MORE THAN 85,000 COUNTY RESIDENTS DURING 2010.

SUCCESSFUL FIRST ANNUAL BREWFEST

AN EVENT HELD OVER THE WEEKEND IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CELEBRATED THE CRAFT OF BREWING. THE FIRST ANNUAL SCHUYLKILL BREWFEST WAS A SUCCESS AND THE START OF A NEW TRADITION IN THE COUNTY. THE EVENT WAS HELD AT THE AMPHITHEATER AT GEN. GEORGE A. JOULWAN PARK.

8TH ANNUAL APPLEFEST

THE TOWN OF ASHLAND HELD ITS’ 8TH ANNUAL APPLEFEST SATURDAY. THE EVENT HELD DOWNTOWN FEATURED ENTERTAINMENT, GAMES AND OF COURSE FOOD. APPLE DUMPLINGS, APPLE CIDER AND EVEN AN APPLE PIE CONTEST WERE ALL PART OF THE APPLE THEMED EVENT. APPLEFEST WAS FIRST CREATED BY ASHLAND DOWNTOWN INC.

THREE INJURED IN WEEKEND CRASH

A TWO-VEHICLE CRASH SATURDAY AFTERNOON SENT TWO PEOPLE TO TRAUMA CENTERS VIA HELICOPTER. THE CRASH AT ROUTE 54 AND THE FRACKVILLE-MOREA HIGHWAY SENT 19-YEAR-OLD KYLE GREGOR TO ST. LUKES MINERS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. 19-YEAR-OLD JESSICA STEVICK AND 18-YEAR-OLD JULIA SMITH WERE FLOWN TO GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER FOR THEIR INJURIES. THE ROOF OF THAT CAR HAD TO BE REMOVED IN ORDER TO FREE A BACK SEAT PASSENGER. THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE AND HER TWO 6-YEAR-OLD PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED.

BUDDY WALK

THE THIRD ANNUAL BUDDY WALK WAS HELD SUNDAY IN FOUNTAIN SPRINGS. ABOUT 500 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE WALK WHICH BENEFITS DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS. THE EVENT WAS HELD AT GHOSH ORTHODONTICS FIELD AT SPARTAN STADIUM AT NORTH SCHUYLKILL HIGH SCHOOL. IT IS REPORTED THAT MORE THAN 400,000 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE DOWN SYNDROME.

AUTOPSY TODAY FOR HAZLETON BOY

AN AUTOPSY IS SCHEDULED FOR TODAY FOR A HAZLETON BOY WHO DIED SATURDAY NIGHT ON CLUB 40 ROAD. THE FIERY WRECK CLAIMED THE LIFE OF PAUL DENOIA AFTER HIS CAR SWERVED OFF THE ROAD AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AROUND 8:30PM. NEIGHBORS SAY PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY GOING INTO DITCHES AND INTO TREES BECAUSE OF POTHOLES COVERING THE ROAD.

TORNADOES BRING BACK PLAYERS AFTER SUSPENSION

THREE MEMBERS OF THE MOUNT CARMEL AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM RECENTLY CHARGED WITH UNDERAGE DRINKING RETURNED TO THE FIELD SUNDAY WHEN THE TORNADOES AND THE NORTH SCHUYLKILL SPARTANS FACED OFF. THE SEPTEMBER 29TH INCIDENT RESULTED IN THE DISTRICT TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING PLAYERS MEYRICK LAMB, JACOB KLEMAN AND JEFFREY COONEY. TWO OF THE THREE ARE ALSO FACING DRUG CHARGES.

WOMAN COMBINED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

NEW DETAILS HAVE SURFACED OVER THE WEEKEND ABOUT THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO A WOMAN'S DEATH IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.THE BODY OF 22-YEAR-OLD KORTNI KENENITZ WAS FOUND IN THE BACK SEAT OF A CAR IN KULPMONT. NOW, AUTHORITIES HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAT MAY EXPLAIN HOW SHE DIED.ACCORDING TO COURT PAPERS, KENENITZ WAS COMBINING PRESCRIPTION PAIN KILLERS AND ALCOHOL THE NIGHT BEFORE SHE WAS FOUND DEAD IN THE BACK SEAT OF HER CAR, BUT POLICE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND OUT WHEN AND HOW KENENITZ ENDED UP THERE. THE NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY CORONER IS WAITING ON TOXICOLOGY TESTS BEFORE RULING ON THE CAUSE AND MANNER OF DEATH, BUT HE TOLD US THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF TRAUMA ON KENENITZ'S BODY.


STATE NEWS:

THREE CHARGED WITH ABUSE IN PHILADELPHIA

POLICE SAY THREE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CHARGED AFTER FOUR MALNOURISHED MENTALLY DISABLED ADULTS WERE FOUND CHAINED TO A BOILER IN A LOCKED PHILADELPHIA BASEMENT. ACCORDING TO THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THE SUSPECTS WERE TRYING TO MAKE MONEY THROUGH ACCESS TO THE VICTIMS' SOCIAL SECURITY OR DISABILITY CHECKS.

HARRISBURG BANKRUPTCY CASE MOVES FORWARD

A FEDERAL JUDGE IS SET TO DECIDE WHETHER PENNSYLVANIA'S CASH-STRAPPED CAPITAL CAN MOVE AHEAD WITH A BANKRUPTCY PETITION. U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT JUDGE MARY FRANCE WILL HEAR ARGUMENTS THIS MORNING IN HARRISBURG ON THE FILING. SHE WILL
DECIDE WHETHER THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE LAWYER THEY HIRED HAD THE AUTHORITY TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY LAST WEEK.

PENNSYLVANIA FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS HONORED

THE NAMES OF SEVEN FALLEN PENNSYLVANIA FIREFIGHTERS ARE AMONG THE 89 WHO WERE ADDED SUNDAY TO A NATIONAL MEMORIAL IN EMMITSBURG, MARYLAND. THE NATIONAL FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL SERVICE HONORED 72 FIREFIGHTERS WHO DIED IN THE LINE
OF DUTY LAST YEAR PLUS 17 FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.

WATER TABLE STILL CONTAMINATED WITH METHANE

RESIDENTS OF A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA VILLAGE WHERE A NATURAL GAS DRILLER WAS BLAMED FOR CONTAMINATING 18 WATER WELLS WITH METHANE ARE STILL GETTING WATER DELIVERED TO THEIR HOMES, THREE YEARS AFTER THEY FIRST NOTICED THEIR GROUNDWATER WAS POLLUTED. HOUSTON-BASED CABOT OIL & GAS CORP. SAYS IT HAS MET THE STATE'S OCT. 17 DEADLINE TO FIX THE WATER SUPPLY IN DIMOCK. BUT SOME RESIDENTS DISAGREE, SAYING THEIR WATER IS STILL TAINTED AND UNUSABLE. CABOT WANTS TO RESUME DRILLING IN A 9-SQUARE-MILE AREA OF DIMOCK THAT IS OFF-LIMITS UNTIL IT REPAIRS THE DAMAGE. IF REGULATORS SIGN OFF, IT WILL ALSO STOP PAYING FOR WATER DELIVERIES TO RESIDENTS WHOSE WELLS WERE TAINTED WITH METHANE AND POSSIBLY, TOXIC CHEMICALS. RECENT TEST RESULTS CONFIRM THAT GAS STILL LURKS IN DIMOCK'S AQUIFER.

NATIONAL NEWS:

JACKSON, MISS. (AP) - VOTERS IN MISSISSIPPI ARE BEING ASKED TO AMEND THEIR CONSTITUTION TO DECLARE THAT LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION. THE STATE ALREADY HAS SOME OF THE TOUGHEST ABORTION REGULATIONS IN THE COUNTY AND ONLY ONE ABORTION CLINIC. SUPPORTERS SAY THEIR GOAL IS TO PROVOKE A COURT FIGHT THAT COULD OVERTURN THE ROE V. WADE DECISION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - WITH HIS JOBS BILL BLOCKED, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS TAKING TO THE ROAD TODAY TO TRY TO PRESSURE CONGRESS TO PASS INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF THE BILL. THE THREE-DAY BUS TOUR WILL TAKE OBAMA FROM ASHEVILLE, N.C. THROUGH VIRGINIA -- TWO STATES HE WON IN THE 2008 ELECTION AND LIKELY WILL NEED AGAIN.

BOSTON (AP) - MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INJURED IN AN EARLY MORNING FIRE AT AN APARTMENT BUILDING IN BOSTON'S ROXBURY NEIGHBORHOOD. FIREFIGHTERS RESCUED ABOUT 15PEOPLE, INCLUDING A 6-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO WAS DROPPED FROM THE THIRD-FLOOR INTO THE ARMS
OF A FIREFIGHTER. A MAN WHO SHOWED UP AT A HOSPITAL TOLD OFFICIALS THAT HE HAD TRIED TO BLOW UP A BUILDING.

ATHENS, GREECE (AP) - GREEK LAWMAKERS ARE SCHEDULED TO VOTE LATER THIS WEEK ON A NEW ROUND OF AUSTERITY MEASURES THAT INTERNATIONAL LENDERS ARE DEMANDING IN EXCHANGE FOR BAILOUT LOANS. GREEK CIVIL SERVANTS ARE MAKING THEIR UNHAPPINESS WITH THE MEASURES CLEAR. THERE ARE CONTINUING OCCUPATIONS OF THE FINANCE AND LABOR MINISTRIES TODAY.

LONDON (AP) - A HANDWRITTEN LETTER FROM PAUL MCCARTNEY OFFERING AN AUDITION TO AN UNNAMED DRUMMER HAS BEEN FOUND FOLDED UP IN A BOOK. THE LETTER IS DATED AUG. 12, 1960AND SAYS THE DRUMMER MUST BE WILLING TO TRAVEL TO HAMBURG, GERMANY WITH THE BEATLES FOR A TWO-MONTH GIG. PETE BEST WAS THE BEATLE'S DRUMMER AT THE TIME. CHRISTIE'S PLANS TO AUCTION THE LETTER NEXT MONTH.