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WB_VOICE - CVDAILY - 4 - 06/02/10 WB_VOICE/PAGES [T04] 06/01/10 21:07 SUPERIMPWB

Bank robber nabbed in Public SquareBy Patrick SweetStaff Writer

WILKES-BARRE Ahomeless man confessed torobbing PNC Bank in thecitys downtown around 10

a.m. Tuesday, according toFBIdocuments.Gerald Hullihan, 55,

walkedintothe bankat 11W.Market St.andhanded a tell-era note, authoritiessaid.

Thisis aholdup!Givememoney, the note stated, fol-lowed bya threatthat Hulli-han wouldshoot theteller if shedid notcooperate.

The teller followed thedemandsof thesuspect,giv-ing him roughly $2,530,whichhe placedintoa back-pack. Hullihan then fled thebankand hid inthe bushesabout a blockawayfromthebank.

Hullihan gave a portionof themoney toanunidenti-fied manhe encountered inan alley before movingtoward Public Square,according to an FBI affida-vit.

Hullihan was apprehend-ed on Public Square with$2,351 by Wilkes-Barrepolice, who were helped byBob Kadluboski, owner of City Wide Towing andRepairCo.

Kadluboski spotted thesuspect after hearing themans description on hispolice scanner. Hedialed 911and waved over a nearbyofficer.

Imadesureto watchandmake sure the guy didnthavea weapon, Kadluboskisaid.

Kadluboski saidHullihanwas apparently unarmedwhile inPublicSquare.

Hullihan faces federalchargesof bank robbery.

psweet@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2117

MARK MORAN / THE CITIZENS VOICE

Wilkes-Barre police and officers from the Luzerne County Sheriffs De-partment take alleged bank robber Gerald Hullihan into custody Tuesdayon Public Square in Wilkes-Barre.

Funding for statfairs in jeopardyBy Robert SwiftHarrisburg Bureau Chief

HARRISBURG Stateaid to county fairs is up inthe air as lawmakers facetough decisions while craft-ing a new budget.

Pennsylvanias 115countyfairs and shows are a sum-mertime staple, providing ashowcase for the stateslarge agricu lture industry.In flush economic times, thefairs can count on divvyingup several million dollarsinaid from Harrisburg to helppay out prize money to con-testants and underwriteimprovements to buildingsand grounds.

But this year, assurancesof state aid havent beenforthcoming as the statebudget deficit hits $1.2 bil-lion. The House and Senatereturn to session Mondaywith fiscal issues taking cen-terstageas theJune30 dead-line looms for approving the2010-11 budget.

When Gov. Ed Rendellproposed an initial budgetin February, he made noallocation for the countyfairs and that was when thedeficit waspeggedat a muchsmaller $500million.

The fairs already sus-tained a major aid cut inthecurrent budget receiving $2

million, compared to $3.6million in fiscal 2008-09. Of that amount, $1.6 millionwent to grants for the fairs,$300,00 to youth ag ricultureprograms and $55,000 foryouth agricultural organiza-tions, according to the stateAgriculture Department. InNortheastern Pennsylvania,the Wayne County Fair

received $19,227 this year;H a r f o rd F a i r $ 1 9 , 2 2 7 ;L u z er n e C o u nt y F a ir$15,500; and Northeast Fair$13,400.

The agriculture depart-ment classifies fairs in fiveclasses depending on daysof operation and fair fair-ground acreage. This deter-mines how much aid is giv-en. A county fair typicallyruns seven or more days.

A complete loss of stateaid wouldnt mean theshows wont go on, saidMark ONeill, spokesmanfor the Pennsylvania FarmBureau. However, each fairboard would need to consid-er unpalatable options, suchas increasing admissionfeesor reducing prize amounts,he said.

Were not saying a fair isnot going to happenbecauseof this, ONeill said. Thelast thing they want to do israisean admission fee.

At the Capitol, lawmakersare girding for tough fightson many appropriationsthat have enjoyed consider-able backing in the past.

The line item for countyfairs is one that has enjoyedstrong bipartisan supportover the years, but restoringany of the governors cutsthis year will be extraordi-narily difficult, said ErikArneson, spokesman forSenate Majority LeaderDominic Pileggi,R-Chester.

It (aid) cant be promisedin any way, shape or form,said Kristin Ebersole-Craw-ford, executive director of the Senate Agriculture andRural AffairsCommittee.

rswift@timesshamrock.com

By Dave JanoskiProjects Editor

SeniorJudgeC. JosephReh-kamp, removed from twoLuzerne County homicide tri-als following an alleged inci-dent of domestic violence inJanuary, willbe replaced in aPerry County alimony casebecause hefailedto revealthatthehusbandsattorneyin that

casewasrepresentinghimin afinancial disputewithhis ex-wife,the state Superior Courtrecently ruled.

Rehkamp, 61, entered theAcceleratedRehabilitativeDis-position programfor first-timeoffenders inMarchafterbeingcharged with drunkenlyassaulting his wife ValerieRehkamp in their Plymouth

Townshiphome.

Rehkamp, the former presi-dent judgeof Perryand Junia-tacounties,wasremovedfromall judicial dutiesby thestateSupremeCourtafterhis arrest,but hisattorneyin thedomes-tic violence case said he willseekRehkampsreinstatementafter he completes the six-month program, whichincludes drug and alcohol

counseling.

OnThursday, thestateSupe-rior Court granted a motionfiled by an attorney forEvamaria Diaz-Flagg asking itto vacate a ruling Rehkampmade inher PerryCountyali-mony case and replace Reh-kampwith another judge.

Diaz-Flaggsattorney, Jona-than W. Crisp, argued Reh-kamp should have revealed

that while his decision was

pending, hehired theattorneyrepresenting Diaz-Flaggs ex-husband to represent him inan alimony dispute with hisownex-wife,Kerry Rehkamp.Thecourt ordered that a new judgebenamedto rehearargu-mentsbetweenDiaz-Flaggandherhusbandoveralimonypay-mentsdatingto 2006.

Rehkamps failure to reveal

hishiring of the ex-husbands

lawyerraises an appearanceof impropriety sufficient toundermine publicconfidenceintheintegrityand impartiali-tyof theproceedings,a three- judge panel in the SuperiorCourt ruled.Theattorney whorepresentedRehkamp,SamuelL.Andes, could notbe reachedforcomment.

djanoski@citizensvoice.com, 570-301-2178

Rehkamp will be replaced on case after failing to disclose potential con

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WEDNESDAY ,JUNE2 ,2010