The LuLac Edition #843, June 10th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: WBRE TV'S ERIC SHEINER, TWO HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AND THE PROVERBIAL "OTHER" SHOE.

ANOTHER SHOE DROPS

Another wingtip dropped in the Luzerne County Corruption scandal Tuesday. Robert Powell has to forfeit his interest in his yacht and jet as part of his plea agreement. The Hazelton barrister agreed to plead guilty to charges that he knew former Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella were engaging in crimes and that he took actions to help the judges conceal those crimes. U.S. Attorney Martin Carlson reported that between 2003 and 2008, Powell knew Conahan and Ciavarella were committing the honest services wire fraud, but failed to report the crime to authorities. Also, Powell helped the judges conceal the crime by creating false records designed to disguise income the Judges received. He also began transferring thousands of dollars in cash to Conahan so that the cash was not traceable. Powell has also agreed to plead guilty to being an accessory after the fact to tax conspiracy. Authorities say Powell had knowledge that the judges conspired to file false income tax returns and intentionally assisted them in order to hinder and prevent their arrests. Prosecutors say Powell and another person, who has not been charged, paid the judges more than $2.6 million in kickbacks in exchange for rulings that benefited juvenile detention facilities Powell once co-owned. Powell faces a maximum of 5 ½ years in prison and fines of up to $500,000. Many people have mixed emotions on Powell. Some feel he was up to it to his eyeballs but that fact is the Hazleton Attorney wore a wire in some of his conversations with the Judges because he felt he was being squeezed and wanted to help the FBI. Speculation now is centering on another player who has been cooperating with the FBI and what will happen to that individual when it comes to another shoe dropping in this on going probe.

HEALTH CARE RALLY

Citizen, Business, Labor, Religious, and Medical Provider Groups will rally June 11th, for Passage of Single Payer Legislation in PA House and Senate. Several hundred Pennsylvanians will rally at the Capitol Rotunda at 11 a.m., Thursday, June 11, in support of newly reintroduced Senate Bill 400 and House Bill 1660, the "Family and Business Healthcare Security Act." The Harrisburg unity gathering represents the broadest coalition of groups ever to support the Single Payer Solution: publicly-funded, privately-delivered, quality, comprehensive, healthcare for all. In addition to Patricia Eakin, RN from Temple University Hospital and PASNAP President, speakers will include William George, President of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO; David Fillman, Executive Director, AFSCME 13; Representative Thomas Murt, Republican, Montgomery County; Donna Smith, California Nurses Association/NNOC and star of documentary “SiCKO; Mike Stout, President, Steel Valley Printers of Pittsburgh; and Chuck Pennacchio, Executive Director, Healthcare for All Pennsylvania.

SICK OF CRIME

The recent killing of Donald Skiff and the subsequent arrest of two individuals for his murder has set off a public outcry against his accused killers. Apparently the behavior of his accused murders in magistrate court set off raw nerves all around the Valley. Just get a load of a few of these comments on the Times Leader website:
Threatened to kill each other? So give each of them an iron pipe, put them in a room and let them have at it. Problem solved. People ask why I carry a gun when I go biking out in the woods or fishing, well, there's your answer.
these two pieces of garbage should be put into a cell together and left to beat each other to death. save us the trouble
I hope these 2 scum get the death penalty. It's more than justified in this case. And the piece of garbage Riccardi said he was 'put here on earth for women'?? I think his being on earth was a huge mistake. Thin the herd of the garbage that these 2 are and give them the death penalty. They shouldn't be allowed to consume the air we all need to share.
These 2 "animals" don't deserve jail-life where they will eat and watch tv--let Donnie's friends take them out to the woods and let justice be served.
Can’t say I disagree with any of these comments. My prediction is that one of these days local residents so fed up with crime are going to go off vigilante style on a suspect like a neighborhood group did in Philadelphia a few weeks ago when a rape suspect was beat within inches of his life. People here are so sick of the violence that I fear they’ll start reacting to the lawlessness. I mean when a guy can’t even go fishing, things are getting pretty bad. And I must say I can’t blame the posters to the TL, Skiff’s friends and any law abiding citizen for thinking that maybe a little bit of payback to scumbags past, present and future might be in order.

TOWN PROUD

A new feature begins this Thursday on WBRE TV's Eyewitness News, "Town Proud" with Eric Sheiner. During the weeks of summer, Sheiner will travel to various towns in Northeastern Pennsylvania and explore their heritage as well as what's happening today. And speaking of WBRE TV, the on the spot reporting of Laurie Monteforte Sunday night should not go unnoticed for her coverage of the car chase in Coolbaugh Twp. that resulted in the death of a state trooper and injury of another officer. Both Sheiner and Monteforte were formerly associated with WYOU TV News.