TODAY'S NEWS: WED OCT 12,2011

ON TUESDAY THE LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS RECEIVED A CHECK FROM AREA MCDONALD'S RESTAURANT WHO HELPED WITH LOCAL FLOOD RELIEF. J MATTHEWS REPORTS

FIRE NOT SUSPICIOUS

THE FIRE THAT RIPPED THROUGH A HOME IN CRESSONA ON MONDAY IS NOT BEING RULED SUSPICIOUS, THAT'S ACCORDING TO FIRE CHIEF MIKE MANSELL. THE OFFICIAL FIRE REPORT SAYS THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE LIVING ROOM AND WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE BECAUSE OF THE FIRE PATTERNS IN THE HOME LOCATED ON PANTHER VALLEY ROAD. MANSELL ESTIMATES THAT THE FIRE CAUSED $100,000 IN DAMAGE.


ROBBERS FACE FEDERAL PRISON TIME

THREE MEN FROM BERKS COUNTY FACE POTENTIAL FEDERAL PRISON TIME FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN AN APRIL BANK ROBBERY IN WEST BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP. 22 YEAR OLD QUAMAINE SMITH TISDALE, 20 YEAR OLD ORLANDO VELEZ JR AND 23 YEAR OLD JUSTIN ALLEN SMITH ALL OF READING HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH BANK ROBBERY AND CONSPIRACY WITH THE APRIL 18TH ROBBERY OF THE UNION BANK AND TRUST IN ORWIGSBURG. IF CONVICTED EACH MAN COULD SPEND UP TO 25 YEARS IN PRISON AND $250,000 IN FINES.

LOCAL MAN IN PRISON AFTER ASSAULT

STATE POLICE AT THE SCHUYLKILL HAVEN BARRACKS REPORT THAT 32 YEAR OLD CHRISTOPHER PATE WAS ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT STEMMING FROM AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED IN BLYTHE TOWNSHIP. PATE IS ACCUSED OF BREAKING THE JAW OF JENNIFER GERNERT DURING AN ARGUMENT WHEN HE PUNCHED HER IN THE FACE. HE WAS REPRIMANDED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON BY DISTRICT JUSTICE ANTHONY KILKER ON $25,000.00 STRAIGHT BAIL.


RINGTOWN TO CURB ILLEGAL DUMPING

RINGTOWN BOROUGH POLICE PLAN TO MONITOR THE DROP OFF RECYCLING AREA TO CATCH PEOPLE VIOLATING THE REGULATIONS, MAINLY ILLEGAL DUMPING. RINGTOWN MAYOR ALBERT BREZNIK JR SAYS THAT 75% OF THE USERS OF THE RECYCLING CENTER ARE NOT FROM THE LOCAL AREA AND THAT THE BINS ARE GETTING OUT OF CONTROL. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY RUNS THE DROP OFF RECYCLING PROGRAM WHERE CURBSIDE PICKUP IS NOT AVAILABLE. TWO WEEKS AGO THE COUNTY CLOSED THE KLEIN TWP CENTER FOR MANY OD THE SAME INFRACTIONS. BOROUGH OFFICIALS REMIND RESIDENTS THAT PLACING ITEMS OUTSIDE THE BINS, EVEN IF THOSE ITEMS ARE ACCEPTED IS STILL CONSIDERED ILLEGAL AND SUBJECT TO A CITATION.

FANELLI WINDOW PROS DONATE WINDOWS TO FLOOD VICTIMS

THE OWNERS OF FANELLI WINDOW PROS OF POTTSVILLE HAVE FOUND A WAY TO GIVE BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THEIR BUSINESS. LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED DAMAGE FROM THE RECENT FLOODING ARE INVITED TO VISIT FANELLI'S WAREHOUSE TO SEE IF ANY OF THE 250 WINDOWS STORED THERE CAN BE USED TO REPAIR THEIR HOMES. THOSE IN NEED OF WINDOWS SHOULD STOP BY FANELLI'S AT 103 GLENWORTH ROAD IN POTTSVILLE.

ST. JOSEPH CENTER STARTS AMBASSADOR APPEAL

THE ST. JOSEPH CENTER FOR SPECIAL LEARNING KICKED OFF ITS 2011 AMBASSADOR APPEAL YESTERDAY WITH A PROGRAM THAT INCLUDED MUSIC PERFORMED BY MANY OF THE CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN HELPED BY THE STAFF AT ST. JOSEPH’S, AND A LUNCHEON OF SOUP AND SANDWICHES. THE GOAL OF THE AMBASSADOR APPEAL IS TO RAISE $35,000.00 THIS YEAR, ACCORDING TO CAMPAIGN CHAIR WILLIAM E. KIRWIN.



STATE NEWS:

PITTSBURGH (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA VISITED PITTSBURGH AS
PART OF HIS EFFORT TO GET A NEW JOBS PACKAGE PASSED. STILL, SOME
SUPPORTERS SEEM RESIGNED TO THE FACT THAT LACK OF ENTHUSIASM IN
WASHINGTON MEANS CHANGE IS UNLIKELY. THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD
OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS GAVE THE PRESIDENT A WARM WELCOME YESTERDAY
AND OBAMA MET WITH UNION TRAINEES, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND MEMBERS
OF THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON JOBS AND COMPETITIVENESS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE HEAD OF A LOUISIANA COMPUTER SERVICES
COMPANY SAYS HE FALSIFIED THE BASIS FOR A $100,000 PAYMENT FROM
PENNSYLVANIA'S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. GREGORY RIGAMER OF GCR AND
ASSOCIATES INCORPORATED SAID YESTERDAY HE REVISED A 2005 INVOICE TO
REMOVE A REFERENCE TO POLITICAL WORK DONE FOR THE PRIVATELY
FINANCED HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY A PENNSYLVANIA
MAN FACES CHARGES AFTER ALLEGEDLY INJECTING HIS SEMEN INTO FOOD
CONTAINERS. THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF
PENNSYLVANIA SAYS LARKSVILLE RESIDENT JOSEPH BARTORILLO FACES A
CHARGE OF TAMPERING WITH A CONSUMER PRODUCT THAT AFFECTED
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

PLEASANT HALL, PA. (AP) - A PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE CORPORAL
IS CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING A PRISONER WHO WAS HANDCUFFED AND
STRAPPED IN A SEATBELT IN THE BACK SEAT OF A POLICE VEHICLE. THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE HAS CHARGED CORPORAL CHRISTIAN FOW FOR AN
INCIDENT AT A SHIPPENSBURG AREA HOME LAST YEAR.


NATIONAL NEWS:

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) - REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CHALLENGER MITT
ROMNEY SAYS HE CAN WORK WITH "GOOD DEMOCRATS" IF ELECTED. IN A
GOP CANDIDATES' DEBATE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE LAST NIGHT, HE ACCUSED
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA OF FAILING TO LEAD IN A TIME OF ECONOMIC
PERIL BUT DEFENDED THE WALL STREET BAILOUT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS USING THE ALLEGED
IRANIAN TERROR PLOT AGAINST THE SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO RECRUIT
INTERNATIONAL ALLIES TO TRY TO FURTHER ISOLATE TEHRAN. TWO MEN,
INCLUDING A MEMBER OF IRAN'S SPECIAL FOREIGN ACTIONS UNIT, ARE
CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT IN NEW YORK. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS
SAY THE MEN TRIED TO HIRE A PURPORTED MEMBER OF A MEXICAN DRUG
CARTEL TO CARRYING OUT A BOMBING ATTACK.

JERUSALEM (AP) - ISRAEL'S CABINET HAS SOLIDLY ENDORSED A DEAL
WITH THE MILITANT HAMAS TO TRADE PALESTINIAN PRISONERS FOR A
CAPTURED ISRAELI SOLDIER. MOST ISRAELIS SUPPORT THE DEAL BUT ONE
CABINET MINISTER DENOUNCED THE DEAL AS A "HUGE VICTORY FOR
TERROR."

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THE PROSECUTION CASE AGAINST MICHAEL
JACKSON'S DOCTOR IS WINDING DOWN. PROSECUTORS PLAN TO WRAP UP THE
INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER CASE AGAINST DR. CONRAD MURRAY BY CALLING
EXPERTS INTENDED TO HELP JURORS MAKE SENSE OF THE COMPLEX MEDICAL
EVIDENCE. THE GOVERNMENT CASE COULD CONCLUDE LATE THIS WEEK OR
EARLY NEXT.

TOKYO (AP) - SONY HAS HAD ANOTHER RUN-IN WITH COMPUTER
INTRUDERS. SONY SAYS INTRUDERS STAGED A MASSIVE ATTEMPT TO ACCESS
USER ACCOUNTS ON ITS PLAYSTATION NETWORK AND OTHER SERVICES - THE
SECOND MAJOR ATTACK THIS YEAR. SONY TEMPORARILY LOCKED ABOUT 93,000
ACCOUNTS AND SENT THEM PASSWORD RESET INSTRUCTIONS. SONY SAYS NO
CREDIT CARD DATA WAS THREATENED.