Today's news - August 22, 2008

BREAKING NEWS INTO WPPA...

At approximately 6:45 p.m. this evening officials report a helicopter crashed at the Mountain Valley Golf Course just outside Barnesville in Schuylkill County. Eyewitness report seeing the helicopter spin out of control and crash in the area of the eighth hole of the Maple course. Officials confirm one person was air-lifted to a regional hospital with another taken by way of ambulance. Many spectators were in attendance for the charity Access Services Fundraiser which was being held at the course. Tune in to AM-1360 WPPA radio news starting at 7 A.M. for the latest information in this developing story...

(SOT: 15 …IN SHOCK)

THAT’S COUSIN RHONDA SHERIFF SPEAKING TO W-P-PA NEWS JUST MOMENTS AFTER THE PRELIMINARY HEARING OF 43-YEAR OLD JOSEPH GEIGER OF POTTSVILLE. GEIGER FACES THIRD-DEGREE MURDER CHARGES. HE WAS CHARGED EXACTLY 23-YEARS TO-THE-DATE OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF 13-YEAR OLD DAVID REED OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN…WE WILL REPLAY THE PRESS CONFERENCE WITH DISTRICT ATTORNEY JIM GOODMAN LATER THIS MORNING ON “STEP UP TO THE MIC”.


FRACKVILLE BOROUGH POLICE ARE CHARGING A WOMAN WHO STOLE
50-DOLLARS WORTH OF MERCHANDISE…

18-YEAR OLD KAYLA WEIKEL OF SHENANDOAH IS CHARGED WITH RETAIL THEFT AFTER TAKING ZANTREX THREE – A DIET SUPPLEMENT – AND A FIRST RESPONSE PREGNANCY TEST FROM THE RITE AID PHARMACY IN FRACKVILLE. WEIKEL LEFT THE RETAILER IN A CAR DRIVEN BY FRIEND CRYSTAL DILLMAN. THE CAR WAS STOPPED A MILE AWAY BY BOROUGH POLICE…DILLMAN - WHO IS THE FIANCEE OF THE LATE LUIS RAMIREZ - WAS NOT CHARGED IN THE INCIDENT.


THE STATE’S FIRST WOMAN ELECTED LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CONTINUES THE TOUGHEST FIGHT OF HER LIFE…

77-YEAR OLD CATHERINE BAKER KNOLL IS BATTLING HER CANCER WITH RADIATION AND CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENTS. THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S SPOKESPERSON SAY SHE IS RESPONDING WELL TO THOSE TREATMENTS. KNOLL HAS NOT WORKED AT HER CAPITOL OFFICE SINCE THE FINDINGS IN JULY.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The price for having a sweet tooth isgoing up. The maker of Snickers bars and M&Ms candies says it israising wholesale prices more than 12 percent to offset the highercosts of raw materials, packaging and energy. Mars is the secondmajor candy company in the past week to announce such a move. It'smuch larger rival, The Hershey Co., did it last week.

CLAYSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - Eastbound Interstate 70 is closed inPennsylvania about six miles from the West Virginia border after atractor-trailer overturned onto three vehicles. State police saythe rig was westbound when it crossed the highway and overturnedonto the eastbound vehicles. The people in those vehicles are beingremoved and are being flown to hospitals.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A fired TV newscaster is expected to admitin a Philadelphia courtroom Friday that he illegally hacked into aco-anchor's e-mails. Larry Mendte is charged with illegally viewinghundreds of Alycia Lane's e-mails for more than two years, asleaked information about her personal life contributed to herdownfall. His attorney says Mendte will accept full responsibilityfor his actions.

MEADVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A northwestern Pennsylvania woman whoclaims Michael Jordan fathered her son is still in jail because ajudge says she hasn't promised not to bother Jordan. A CrawfordCounty judge barred Lisa Miceli of Meadville from contacting theformer NBA star, his family or his representatives. But the judgewho jailed Miceli last week, says a letter she wrote promising tocomply wasn't good enough.

KUTZTOWN, Pa. (AP) - One of the largest dormitories inPennsylvania's state university system opens this weekend. KutztownUniversity will welcome 856 students into Dixon Hall. The newresidence hall has a retail and convenience store, an ice creamshop, and an amphitheater. The building also is loaded withtechnology to keep students safe.