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The Times Leader timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE, PA
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
Operators of damaged Japanese nuke facilities claim progress toward restoring systems
Copters drop seawater on reactor By ERIC TALMADGE and MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press
See NUCLEAR, Page 14A
‘Signature’ occupant on Sterling wish list Officials say property the W-B landmark sits on should be in high demand after proposed demolition. By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES and MATT HUGHES jandes@timesleader.com mhughes@timesleader.com
younger woman to come between her and her son. “She did not want anyone to take her son away from her,” McCabe said.
WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County Commissioner Thomas Cooney pictures something special at the site of the Hotel Sterling if the landmark structure is torn down. “It’s one of the most attractive sites in the city. I’m not looking for a regular office building. I’d hope to have a signature building with a “It’s one signature occupant that would represent of the the county and the most atcity,” Cooney said. County Commis- tractive sioner Chairwoman sites in the Maryanne Petrilla city.” said the site would be ideal for a hotel or Thomas Cooney building linked to Luzerne County commissioner Wilkes University or King’s College. “I’d love to see the universities come forward and use that site for expansion of the colleges – something that would enhance the downtown,” she said. Petrilla said she heard some people mentioning the possibility of a park at the site, but she does not support that idea because the revamped River Com-
See GALLI, Page 4A
See STERLING, Page 4A
AP PHOTO
Members of a British search-and-rescue team climb over debris from the tsunami Wednesday while searching for trapped people as snow falls in Kamaishi, Japan.
Mom to see trial in poisoning By EDWARD LEWIS elewis@timesleader.com
WEST PITTSTON – A mother tried to kill her son’s girlfriend with antifreeze after failing to recruit a neighbor to help blow up the girlfriend’s car, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing on Wednesday. Police allege Helen Lucy Galli, 79, of ED LEWIS/THE TIMES LEADER Wyoming, laced fruit juice with antiDawn Simyan testified Wednesday her freeze that she told her son, Victor Galli, 53, to give to his ill girlfriend, Dawn Siboyfriend’s mother poisoned her.
Top union boss asks teachers to consider plan for pay freeze
that slashes hundreds of millions from public school spendThe president of the state’s ing. “As part of his budget prolargest teachers union announced Wednesday that local posal, the governor requested that education emunion leaders will ployees accept a onebe encouraged to “I encourage year pay freeze,” consider accepting a one-year pay PSEA members Testerman said in the press release. “I freeze recom- to seriously encourage PSEA mended by Gov. members to seriously Tom Corbett, and consider this consider this relocal superintend- request.” quest.” ents are testing James Testerman PSEA is the parent the waters. PSEA president organization for 10 of In some cases, the 11 teacher unions though, teachers are already under a freeze as in Luzerne County’s school disnew contracts are negotiated. tricts. Pittston Area teachers beIn a press release issued Wednesday, Pennsylvania State long to the American FederEducation Association Presi- ation of Teachers. Corbett’s proposal last week dent James Testerman offered cautious support for the pay was greeted with skepticism by freeze recommended by Cor- some local school administrabett March 8, when he unveiled a state budget proposal See FREEZE, Page 9A By MARK GUYDISH mguydish@timesleader.com
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
myan, 41, on March 30, 2010. Simyan said that after drinking the juice she became dangerously ill and suffered severe dizziness and nausea that hospitalized her for several days. State police at Wyoming and Luzerne County detectives said Simyan suffered ethylene glycol poisoning that led to acute kidney failure. Assistant District Attorney Frank McCabe said Galli intentionally poisoned Simyan because she did not want the
WEATHER Jillian Graham Mostly sunny. High 57. Low 32. Details, Page 10B
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First reported online at
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Local schools fare poorly under new system By MARK GUYDISH mguydish@timesleader.com
The state unveiled preliminary results of a new system for calculating high school graduation rates that is supposed to be more accurate than the old system, and in every local district but one the news is bad. Even though the raw numbers didn’t change, their rates drop under the new math – dramatically in some cases -- to the point that a school falls short in meeting minimum state requirements it did meet under the old system. At Northwest Area, for example, the old method gave the district nearly a 96 percent graduation rate for the 2009-2010 school year. The new system says the graduation rate for 2010 was 74 percent. The goal under state law is 85 percent (though there are exceptions). Northwest met that goal last year using the old math, but would have missed it under See GRADUATION, Page 9A
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ZAO, Japan — Japanese military helicopters dumped loads of seawater onto a stricken nuclear reactor Thursday, trying to avoid fullmeltdownsasplantoperators said they were close to finishing a newpowerlinethatcouldrestore cooling systems and ease the crisis. U.S. officials in Washington, meanwhile, warned the I N S I D E Fukushima Dai-ichi plant in northeast• Heroes arise from ern Japan nuke crisis, may be on the page 14A. verge of spew• U.S. reacing more rators along dioactive mafault lines terial because examined, page 14A. water was gone from a storage pool for spent nuclear fuel rods. The troubles at several of the plant’s reactors were set off when lastweek’searthquakeandtsunami knocked out power and ruined backup generators needed for their cooling systems, adding a major nuclear crisis for Japan as it dealt with twin natural disas-
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