Today's News-Wednesday, October 31st.

Voting machine demonstrations continue up until Tuesday's general election. The Schuylkill County Election Bureau announced the locations at four different sites, in addition to the bureau offices in Pottsville. Director Betty Dries said the outreach effort is to reacquaint the voters with the touch-screen voting system, and to give first time voters an opportunity to try the system out before Tuesday's general election. For a complete list of demonstration locations, follow the link on our News webpage on wpparadio.com (t102radio.com), or call 628-1467.

Link to Voter Demonstration locations-http://www.co.schuylkill.pa.us/info/Offices/Election/Info.csp

An Ashland man who was burned in a fire has died. 85-year-old Frank Bagdonas, who suffered severe burns in a fire at his home on Chestnut Street, died at Lehigh Valley Hospital late on Monday. He was found outside of his home by fire crews when they arrived Monday morning.
The state police fire marshal is still investigating the cause.

Three men were injured in a crash yesterday afternoon on I-81. Folly Amenoune of Wilmington, Delaware, slowed his rig in the northbound right-hand lane past the Minersville exit, deciding to go on to the next exit. Kenneth Milam of Memphis, Tennessee did not realize that Amenoune was traveling at a slower speed, and struck the rear end of Amenoune’s truck.
Milam was seriously injured and taken to Geisinger Medical Center. Amenoune and Hubert Jones Jr., a passenger in Milam's truck, were treated for minor injuries. The investigation continues. The right lane of I-81 was closed for several hours.

Police in Rush Township are looking for a man and woman who broke into a home earlier this week. During the overnight hours early Monday, police say that the pair stole credit cards and used them at a gas station in the Mahanoy City area and at two stores in the Chambersburg area. Police say that the pair were seen in a dark green Dodge Ram 4 by 4. If you have information, call Rush Township police at 668-4242.

Motorists should take notice of some traffic changes on Thursday and Friday in Pottsville. Repaving work will commence tomorrow on Centre Street, from Laurel Boulevard to Nichols Street. City officials say that traffic may be down to one lane, or closed off completely during the project. Drivers may want to avoid the area.

A Hazleton man, serving time for murder in state prison, had his most recent request to have his sentence overturned denied. According to the Republican and Herald, the state Superior Court ruled that James Pavlichko will remain in prison for killing Dale Nelson in 1996. He was sentenced to life in prison for the crime, in which he was a co-conspirator. This is not the first time that Pavlichko sought to have his sentenced overturned. The three-judge Superior Court panel said that Pavlichko did not file his petition in a timely fashion, and ruled that there was no reason for the court to overturn the sentence. Nelson was beaten by Pavlichko and two other men in Schuylkill County, then dumped his body in a stripping pit near Hazleton.

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) - A Phoenixville man accused of kicking an argument with his neighbor up a notch by removing his shirt to reveal a two-word expletive tattoo faces 90 days probation and a $50 fine. That's Jason Kaminski's sentence after a guilty plea Tuesday to
a summary charge of disorderly conduct. Neighbor Chris Carr says following a noisy party he asked Kaminski if he could keep the noise down in the future. He says Kaminski cursed, bared the expletive tattoo on his chest, kicked Carr's vehicle and motioned as though to break off his rear view mirror. Carr didn't attend the court hearing in West Chester. Assistant District Attorney Beth Bowers says Carr doesn't object to Kaminski's summary plea.

Pa. House gets public records access law in shape for final vote

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - In a marathon session, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has put the finishing touches on an open records bill. The debate over nearly 13 hours disposed of nearly 100 amendments. Democrats successfully fought back Republican-led
attempts to delay consideration of the freedom-of-information bill. A final House vote is expected in mid-November. The bill now barely resembles what was introduced early this
year by freshman Representative Tim Mahoney, a Fayette County Democrat. But it does have what's known as the "flip of presumption." That means if it becomes law government records will be presumed open to public inspection unless there's a specific reason for secrecy.

Reid son taken into custody after failing drug test

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. (AP) - A lawyer for the oldest son of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid says he hopes a judge will consider the rehabilitation of his client when he's sentenced
Thursday. Garrett Reid was taken into custody again yesterday after failing a drug test. The 24-year-old man has acknowledged he had used heroin when he ran a red light and hit another car in January. He is to be sentenced Thursday. His brother Britt is also in jail, in connection with a January road-rage confrontation. He is to be sentenced Thursday as well.

Fort Dix case leads to political tussle for Assembly candidate

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - The case of five men accused of plotting an attack on soldiers at Fort Dix has suddenly become complicated by a race for the New Jersey Legislature. The concern centers on a Republican campaign mailer criticizing Democratic Assembly candidate Tracy Riley. She is married to one of the court-appointed defense lawyers in the case. The attack ad features a picture of masked men carrying automatic guns. It criticizes Riley and questions her values, suggesting she might be sympathetic to terrorists. Her husband, Michael Riley, told a judge Tuesday that the mailing could taint the jury pool. The plot to attack Fort Dix never happened. Prosecutors say trips to the Poconos were training missions for the attack.

Peeps candies maker tests outsourcing in China

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The maker of Peeps has tapped an overseas manufacturer to make candies for the first time in the company's history. Just Born Incorporated is making its Spooky Friends treats for Halloween in China. That could be a scary thought for American consumers concerned about products made in China. Bethlehem-based Just Born said it was making the foray into outsourcing for the first time in its 84-year history because its plant in Bethlehem cannot individually wrap the Spooky Friends candies. The company found a factory in China that can do the job and meets their quality standards. Just Born said it wanted to make sure there's demand for the product before investing in equipment to make the treats in the
United States.

Authorities exhume unidentified pregnant woman slain in 1976

WEATHERLY, Pa. (AP) - State police say they hope applying today's technology to a cold case will yield some leads to a particularly gruesome murder from 1976. The still-unidentified
pregnant woman was dug up yesterday from a pauper's field in rural Carbon County. The body of the woman known as "Beth Doe" is to be studied by Dr. Isadore Mihalakis, a forensic pathologist from Allentown. Two forensic dentists will examine her teeth, a forensic anthropologist her bones. Her DNA will be run through a missing persons database, even though that will only help if a maternal relative's DNA is in the database. Police don't think that's likely. The woman was strangled, shot, dismembered and stuffed into three suitcases that were flung over a bridge along Interstate 80 near White Haven.

Researchers find full-body imprints of ancient amphibians

DENVER (AP) - A rock that sat untouched in a Pennsylvania museum's fossil collection for years has rare full-body imprints of not just one, but three, ancient amphibians. Researchers found the imprints in sandstone rocks taken from the Mauch Chunk Formation decades ago and stored in the Reading Public Museum. The body impressions of the salamander-like creatures are estimated to be 330 million years old, or about 100 million years before the first dinosaurs appeared. Many ancient footprints have been found, but a full-body animal impression is unusual. The three impressions show the foot-long tem-no-spon-dyls had webbed feet and smooth skin similar to modern-day amphibians, rather than armored bodies.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - A magnitude-5.6 earthquake has shaken the Bay area. There are no reports of injuries or serious damage. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was centered about nine miles northeast of San Jose.

MIAMI (AP) - Forecasters are advising residents of southeastern Florida to keep an eye on Tropical Storm Noel. The National Hurricane Center says the storm's top sustained winds have
died down to about 40 miles per hour after it battered the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. As many as 36 people were killed.

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) - Authorities in Southern California say a boy has admitted playing with matches and accidentally setting the Buckweed Fire in Los Angeles County last week. Twenty-one homes were destroyed in the 60-square-mile blaze. The sheriff's office says the case will be presented to prosecutors.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Buddhist monks have been marching again in the streets of Myanmar , the first public demonstration since the government's deadly crackdown last month.
In telephone interviews, two monks say more than 100 monks marched for nearly an hour today before returning without incident to their monasteries.

KENNEDY SPACE STATION (AP) - NASA engineers are examining pictures of the damaged solar wing that astronauts tried to unfurl on the international space station yesterday. NASA says the wing can still provide power, but engineers are trying determine how bad the damage is and what, if anything, can be done about it.