Today's News-Tuesday, October 14, 2008

State police investigating two burglaries

Schuylkill Haven state police are looking for clues as to who burglarized two diners along Route 61 in the last week. In reports just released, someone attempted to break into Robin's Diner between Wednesday and Thursday, but were unsuccessful, but some exterior damage was done. Yesterday morning around 1:30am, a burglar forced their way into the rear of the Orwigsburg Diner and removed over $5-thousand dollars in cash then fled. It is not known if the incidents are related. Contact state police at 593-2000 if you have information.

Two Schuylkill Countians injured in crash near Hazleton Monday

A Mahanoy City woman remains in fair condition following a crash on Route 924 near Hazleton Monday morning. Nicole Souchak was driving south before 1am when she lost control of her vehicle, crossed the highway and ran into the guiderail. She was flown to St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem. John Camra, Barnesville, was a passenger and suffered minor injuries, but refused treatment.

Retired federal employees to meet, hear from Tim Holden

Its a group of men and women from our area who are looking to make life better. WPPA Reporter Kerry Dowd has more:
DOWD

Man fatally shoots wife, self in northeastern Pa.

LEHIGHTON, Pa. (AP) - Authorities say a man fatally shot his wife and then killed himself in northeastern Pennsylvania. Officials say 52-year-old George Aldinger and his 50-year-old
wife, Donna, were found dead inside a home in Franklin Township, Carbon County. Investigators believe the couple had only been dead for a short time when police found their bodies around 9 a.m. Sunday.

Sovereign Bancorp to be acquired

Banco Santander confirms deal to buy the rest of Sovereign Bancorp for $1.9 billion in stock
A Spanish banking giant says it will buy the other three-quarters stake in Philadelphia-based Sovereign Bancorp that it doesn't already own for $1.9 billion. The move extends a wave of consolidation as the banking industry struggles to deal with a load of soured mortgage-related debt. The company already had a nearly 25 percent stake in Sovereign and will buy the rest with stock valued at about $3.81 for each share of Sovereign. The deal was announced after trading closed Monday. Sovereign's shares fell 13 cents to $3.68 in the regular trading session but jumped 16 cents in after-hours trading following the announcement. Like many U.S. banks, Sovereign Bancorp has been pummeled by rising mortgage delinquencies as the housing market tumbles. Its stock has lost nearly two-thirds of its value in the year to date. Sovereign Bancorp is the parent company of Sovereign Bank, which has a major presence in the Northeast. The bank has 750 branches and about 12,000 employees, including 8 banking offices in greater Schuylkill County.

Sens. Clinton, McCain campaign in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin are both scheduled to be at events in Pennsylvania today as both parties continue their efforts to win the battleground state. McCain plans to make a midday speech at Montgomery County Community College. Palin, the governor of Alaska, will make a
campaign stop in Scranton this afternoon. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was in Philadelphia on Monday to campaign on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Clinton hosted a "conversation" with voters at a Jewish community center in Northeast Philadelphia. During a second stop before enthusiastic crowd of about 1,500 at
a historic farm in suburban Horsham, Clinton referred to a chant heard at many Republican rallies - "drill, baby, drill." She says Democrats have a better answer: "jobs, baby, jobs."

Surviving members of Dead rock for Obama

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Grateful Dead fans decked out in tie-dyed shirts huddled around tailgates in Penn State parking lots as the scent of patchouli oil wafted through the air. Welcome to a Dead-style get-out-the-vote effort for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Four surviving members of the iconic rock band gathered for a rare gig Monday night as part of what the Obama campaign billed the "Change Rocks Concert." Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart had already played together in support of Obama in February in California. A fourth surviving member, Bill Kreutzmann, joined them for Monday night's show at a sold-out arena on the Penn State campus. It was the quartet's first show together since a 2004 reunion tour. It was also a rare foray in the political arena for the Dead. Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band opened the concert. The crowd then heard pitches from other Obama supporters and listened to a taped video message from Obama himself. Processing of last-minute registrations pushes number of Pa. voters to nearly 8.7 million

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The number of Pennsylvania voters continues to rise and now stands at nearly 8.7 million. The deadline for registering to vote in next month's presidential election was Oct. 6, but many counties are still catching up on last-minute registrations. State officials say the final total will likely not be known until later this month. Figures released Monday showed 4.4 million Democrats, 3.2 million Republicans and slightly more than 1 million independents and members of minor political parties registered to cast ballots in the Nov. 4 election. The previous record of 8.4 million voters was set in 2004. Lancaster mayor pushes local law to crack down on people who don't report lost or stolen guns

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - The Lancaster City Council is scheduled to take up a proposed ordinance that the mayor says would help keep handguns away from criminals. The bill would require gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons. It is scheduled for a first reading Tuesday, and the council could vote on it Oct. 28. Violators would face a fine of up to $1,000, 90 days in jail, or both. Mayor Rick Gray says the measure targets straw purchases that enable convicted criminals to obtain guns from people who buy them legally. Philadelphia has enacted a similar law. Gray acknowledges that few people would be prosecuted under the measure. But he says the state Legislature's failure to pass stricter gun laws is forcing cities to take matters into their own hands.

Second suspect arrested in Pa. family bomb plot; police say he conspired with bomb-making teen

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Authorities in western Pennsylvania have accused an 18-year-old man of being an accomplice of a suburban Pittsburgh teenager jailed on charges that he tried to kill family members with homemade chemical bottle bombs. Thomas Moore of South Park, faces conspiracy and other charges for allegedly transporting chemicals and bomb-making materials for 16-year-old Christopher Janney, of South Fayette. Janney is charged as an adult on attempted homicide and related charges, although his attorney is trying to move the case to juvenile court. Authorities allege that Janney placed the chlorine bombs by the heads of five family members as they slept Oct. 4. The bottles did not explode and no one was injured. It's not clear if Moore has an attorney.

HONG KONG (AP) - On the heels of yesterday's 936 point jump on Wall Street, Asian markets have finished with even bigger gains than what they closed with yesterday. Japan's Nikkei gained more than 14 percent -- its biggest single-day gain ever.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration will spend $250 billion this year to purchase stock in banks as part of the $700 billion rescue plan. President Bush is also scheduled to announce new initiatives to tackle the global credit crisis.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Another surge of strong winds, perhaps stronger than even the 70 mile-per-hour gusts that blew through Monday, are expected today in California. That's bad news for
firefighters battling three major wildfires in suburban Los Angeles and northern San Diego County.

OTTAWA (AP) - Canada's Conservative prime minister seems poised to retain his job in national elections. But polls and pundits say Stephen Harper's party probably won't win a parliamentary majority when Canadians cast their votes today.

WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 10,000 people have signed an online petition urging the Army to let a Minnesota soldier bring a puppy home from Iraq. The Defense Department generally prohibits soldiers in Iraq from adopting pets, but the Army sergeant fears her rescued
friend may die if he's left behind.