Local News-Monday, Nov. 27th

The annual rite of the post-Thanksgiving holiday begins today…the two week rifle deer season. Traffic on area roadways, and at local diners and convenience stores was brisk very early this morning as hunters of all ages made their way to their tree-stands to wait for the open of the season. Nearly one million hunters will take to the woods to find that elusive buck. Motorists should be careful driving on roads during the hunting season as deer are rooted from their bedding areas.

A Tower City man will be charged with driving under the influence after being stopped by state police Saturday night. Robert Morris was stopped on East Grand Avenue around 11pm for a traffic stop. Troopers noticed that Morris was driving drunk and placed under arrest. Charges of DUI and other violations will be filed against Morris in District Court.

An Aristes man was hurt in a one-vehicle crash in Ringtown Sunday morning. State police say that Gregory Yeager failed to negotiate a curve and drove off the left side of 4th Street in Ringtown and hit a mailbox and a tree. He was flown to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Charges will be filed upon completion of the investigation.

Schuylkill Haven police are looking for a man who assaulted a woman Sunday night. Officers were called to 45 Fritz Reed Avenue, where 22-year-old John Smith had grabbed his ex-girlfriend by the throat and choked her while she was holding a child. Smith also reportedly threatened her and made her lock herself inside a bedroom. Smith fled the scene in a white Mercury Marquis. He is wanted on charges of burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and aggravated assault. Anyone with information on Smith's whereabouts should call Schuylkill Haven Police at 385-2747.

A Christmas tree grown in neighboring Carbon County is headed to the White House. The tree, grown by Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton won the Douglas-fir competition at the Pennsylvania Farm Show last January and went on to win the National Christmas Tree sociation competition, earning the honor of supplying the National Christmas Tree at the White House. Pennsylvania ranks first in the nation for the number of Christmas tree farms and ranks fourth in the nation in the number of Christmas trees cut each year and acres in production. Pennsylvania's German settlers displayed the first Christmas trees in America in the 1830's.

A group of high-energy young people will help to ring in the Christmas season tonight in the Tri-Valley area. ReCreation, an area favorite, will provide a concert of secular and sacred Christmas music Monday night at Tri Valley High School, beginning at 7:30pm. Leon Eshelman, an ardent supporter of the group, and organizer of the performance, explains that the concert will feature secular and sacred Christmas favorites. Special entertainment will be featured at 7:15pm prior to ReCreation taking the stage. There is no admission for the performance, but donations will be accepted at the door this evening.