Wyoming's Troubles 
Police: Paul Konopka Admits To Placing Device In Desk, Faces 8 Felony Counts 
Tax Collector Charged In Planting Tape Recorder

Anna Lambrick

Thursday, December 27, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 10A 





NEWPORT TWP. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 2 remain in hospital &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; after vehicles collide &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A Greater Nanticoke Area High School senior was in critical condition
Sunday after a two-vehicle crash in the Sheatown section of Newport Township
late Saturday night, according to police. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Robert Raineri, 18, of 64 W. Main St. in the Wanamie section of Newport
Township, was airlifted to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. He was
driving a 2000 Pontiac Sunbird that collided with a 1984 Ford Ranger pickup
truck driven by Daniel Powell. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Powell, 29, of Alberdeen Road in Mountaintop, was also airlifted to
Geisinger in Danville, where he was in serious condition Sunday night. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Township police are still investigating the crash, which happened at 11:22
p.m. Saturday on Old Newport Street. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Raineri is a member of the Trojans basketball team and is the son of School
Board member Robert Raineri. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The crash remains under investigation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 WILKES-BARRE &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Cops seek suspects &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 in store robberies &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Two South Wilkes-Barre convenience stores were robbed during the weekend,
leaving police searching for suspects. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Turkey Hill Minit Market at 754 S. Main St. was robbed about 7:45 p.m.
Sunday, police said. The suspect, described as a white or Hispanic man in his
early 20s, had a semi-automatic handgun, police said. He was wearing a quilted
jean jacket with a gray hood. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The suspect was last seen running down Blackman Street. No one was hurt. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Late Saturday night, the Uni Mart at 532 Hazle Ave. was robbed by a man who
hid his arm under his sweatshirt and indicated he had some sort of weapon
underneath, Sgt. Paul Middleton said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That robbery, which happened at 10:50 p.m., netted the robber $70,
Middleton said. The robber was described as a white man in his late 30s, about
5 feet 11 inches, weighing 200 pounds, wearing blue jeans and a maroon flannel
over blue sweatshirt. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Middleton said police did not believe the Uni Mart robbery was connected to
two other area robberies in the last two weeks. In those cases, he said, a gun
was shown. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 EXETER &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bartender assaulted &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 in robbery, cops say &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A bartender spent hours lying unconscious after two men stormed the
Susquehanna Bar and Grill early Sunday, police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The unidentified bartender scuffled with one of the two men and was hit on
the head and knocked to the ground. The bartender was found just before 9 a.m. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The suspects, described as men in their late teens or early twenties, told
the bartender ``this is a holdup and we have a gun.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A man who answered the phone at the bar Sunday evening refused to give his
name, but said the bartender was treated and released from an area hospital. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HAZLETON &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Man charged with &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 assault in stabbing &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A city man was charged with aggravated assault and other offenses after
stabbing a woman in her home, police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police said they responded to a report of a disturbance with a knife at 140
S. Locust St. at 1:21 a.m. Sunday. When officers arrived, they found Sheila
Hendricks, 37, of that address, covered in blood with a severe cut on her
right forearm. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police also found Roosevelt Simmons, 42, of 566 N. Church St., at the
residence. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hendricks told police that Simmons stabbed her in her forearm and in her
left hand during an argument, police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Simmons was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, simple assault,
recklessly endangering another person and harassment. He was arraigned before
District Justice John Hopkins of Edwardsville and committed to the Luzerne
County Correctional Facility for lack of $15,000 bail. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hendricks was transported to Hazleton-St. Joseph Medical Center, where she
was treated and released. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 WILKES-BARRE &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Cops: Man charged &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 after fleeing crash &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police said a man sought by authorities in California made the mistake of
crashing into a Pennsylvania State Police van and then running away Wednesday
night. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 David Chewey, 39, of Wilkes-Barre, rear-ended a van driven by Trooper
Joseph Plant, 33, of Wyoming, at Jackson and North Main streets at 8:45 p.m.
Wednesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The crash pushed the state police van into a 1999 Honda sedan driven by
Joanne Judge, 37, of Scranton. Judge's car was then struck a 2000 Dodge truck
driven by William Newton, 42, of Wilkes-Barre. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 All three were stopped for a traffic light. Police said Chewey abandoned
his 2001 Dodge sedan at the scene and ran away. He was found in Forty Fort
Friday and charged with 12 traffic crimes. Also, police said, he is wanted in
California for violating his probation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Chewey was in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000
bail. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HAZLETON &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Notary materials &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 taken from business &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 City police are investigating a burglary of notary materials during the
weekend. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police said someone broke into the NLZ Specialty Body Shop, 786 Hanover
Court, between 9:30 p.m. Friday and 9:15 a.m. Saturday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A maroon briefcase containing notary materials was stolen, police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Within the same time frame, someone broke a window at B&amp;B Auto Sales at 640
W. 15th St., police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 B&amp;B is just around the corner from NLZ, but police did not indicate whether
the two incidents were related. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call Hazleton
police at 459-4950. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 WILKES-BARRE &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 DUI charge against &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 city woman pending &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police say a city woman will be charged with drunk driving after being
pulled over at Kidder and Scott streets at 12:30 a.m. Sunday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kambra Kehler, 24, of 130 Poplar St. was pulled over for an unspecified
traffic violation. She was tested for alcohol and later released to a friend. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 CONYNGHAM TWP. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Cops: Man faces &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 charges in crash &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A Christmas tree in the road caused a Wapwallopen man to crash his car
Saturday afternoon, state police at Shickshinny said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Casey Lee Grimm, 19, told police he swerved to avoid the tree on Pond Hill
Road, near the Pond Hill Fire Department, at 5:40 p.m. Saturday. He lost
control of his 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse, skidding off the road and hitting a
parked van, a house and a tree. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police said Grimm was driving with a suspended license and was speeding. He
will be charged with both crimes, they said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 WILKES-BARRE &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 No injuries reported &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 in 2-car collision &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A two-car crash on South River Street Thursday afternoon will result in a
traffic ticket for one of the drivers, police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Christy Marie Kithcart of 203 W. River St. in Wilkes-Barre was driving her
1991 Pontiac north on South River Street when she crashed into a car stopped
in traffic, police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The second car, a 2001 Volkswagen, was driven by Christine Lupcho of
Kingston. Neither Lupcho nor her passenger, infant Colin Lupcho, were hurt. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Newport Twp.