National and State News-Thursday, March 22nd

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - Congressional Democrats are barreling ahead with legislation aimed at pulling U-S troops out of Iraq next year. House debate is to begin today, with a vote tomorrow. The pullout measures are tacked on to plans that would provide nearly a hundred (b) billion dollars more for the war.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A government report to be released today will detail a laundry list of mistakes and waste in U-S reconstruction efforts in Iraq. The special inspector general for Iraq rebuilding characterizes the effort as chaotic and poorly managed.

BAGHDAD (AP) - U-N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is flying to Iraq. It's the first visit by a U-N chief in more than a year. He's to meet with Iraq's prime minister, but U-N aides are
staying mum on what they'll discuss.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A federal appeals court has tossed out the conviction of a Republican official accused of jamming phones used by a Democratic get-out-the-vote effort in New Hampshire. The panel says the law under which James Tobin was convicted did not match
what he actually did.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A bill that would require women to see ultrasound pictures of their fetuses before having abortions is moving through the South Carolina legislature. Abortion foes think the images will get women to change their minds.


HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's student-loan agency may start cracking down on travel expenses. The board of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is meeting today to consider a new expense policy. Among other things, the proposal would not pay for charges for excess baggage, airline upgrades, and clothing. The proposal would also prohibit employees from using limousines and require them to use the lowest-priced rental cars available. It also says expenses related to entertaining clients should "not be excessive or extravagant." The changes come following news reports highlighting the agency's spending. The reports detailed how board members spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on trips to upscale resorts in recent years.

BLAIRSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - State police say fire swept through an Indiana County house, killing a former township supervisor. Authorities say firefighters found 57-year-old William Wheeler
dead shortly after seven a-m yesterday in a first-floor bedroom. Wheeler's wife, Susan, says her daughter called about the fire and when she arrived, smoke was billowing from the building.
She says fire officials told her that her husband died in the fire. Officials say some pets also died.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The director of the Pittsburgh branch of the Pennsylvania League of Young Voters says two of the main reasons young people don't vote are that nobody asks them and they don't feel they have enough information about the candidates. So director Khari Mosley says the branch is giving young voters the information they seek on the upcoming primary elections in a medium that is familiar to them. The branch has launched an interactive video voter guide on its Web site. The online guide includes a questionnaire and videos of
candidates answering questions. It will be updated throughout the campaign season.

GREENVILLE, Pa. (AP) - Thiel College says its former dean Robert Olson has been named interim president. The 60-year-old Olson will replace Lance Masters, who announced
his resignation last month. Olson retired from Thiel in 2005 as vice president for academic
affairs and dean of the college. He previously was a history professor at the Mercer County college. Thiel says it will begin looking for a new president in June. Olson will serve as interim president until a candidate is chosen.

UPPER DARBY, Pa. (AP) - Police in suburban Philadelphia say a child who brought a realistic replica of a gun to school apparently thought it was real. The eight-year-old girl told a teacher she needed it "for protection." Upper Darby Township Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood says the third-grader took the authentic-looking replica of a German Luger pistol with her Monday. He says she knew her older brother would not be able to walk her home from the bus stop that day and was afraid to walk home alone. Children told a teacher about the gun, leading to police being called. Chitwood says the girl will be suspended for ten days and could be expelled from school, but she won't be charged with a crime. He says she didn't threaten anyone, so she didn't break any laws.