Today's News-Saturday, December 6th, 2008

TREMONT - Two men charged after police investigate a theft in Tremont Township. Troopers from Schuylkill Haven barracks say they charged 24-year old Clair Harman of Valley View and 24-year old Jason Coleman of Hegins for stealing a skid loader belonging to PennDOT. On October 17th Harman and Coleman allegedly stole the skid loader along Tremont Road. Harman later crashed his truck on Camp Road while it towed a trailer hauling the skid loader and a bucket, which was also stolen. Harman and Coleman hid the skid loader in the woods after the crash but left the bucket on the trailer. Coleman fled and Hartman stayed with his wrecked truck, telling police he was the only occupant. Police later found the skid loader and tied the men to the thefts.

A national report on college costs has given 49 states, including Pennsylvania, F's for keeping college affordable. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, which evaluates how well higher education is serving the public, released the report earlier this week. It says that in Pennsylvania, the cost of attending a public four year college has jumped from 29 percent of a family's income in 1999-2000 to 41 percent, with low income families being the hardest hit. State Representative John Pallone, Democrat from Westmoreland County is planning on introducing a bill when the legislature returns to session that would require Pennsylvania's state owned colleges and universities to freeze the tuition a student pays as a freshman for his or her four years of college:

PALLONE

Representative Pallone acknowledges that tuition increases in the state system have been below the rate of inflation, more needs to be done to help families afford college in these tough economic times.

The start of Pennsylvania's deer-hunting season revives the ongoing debate over the state's total deer population. A wildlife expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says local landowners play a big role in managing the state's deer. Gary Abdullah has more:

ABDULLAH

If you're looking for a holiday shopping escape this weekend then look no further than right here in Schuylkill County. The Coaldale revitalization committee is sponsoring their first ever holiday jazz celebration concert at the historic Angela Theatre in Coaldale. World renowned jazz musician-Willie Mac and his quartet will provide the fun family holiday fare. Chairwoman of the Coaldale Revitalization Committee Nancy Lorchak talks about why it is so important to support local arts in the community:

LORCHAK

The holiday jazz celebration is tomorrow at 3 o'clock. Tickets are still available.

They want to overhaul the state's healthcare system, and this weekend, hundreds of Pennsylvanian's are gathering to work toward a single payer solution. Kelly Fodell has more:

HEALTHCARE

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A spokesman says Gov. Ed Rendell is backing away from a plan to allow state agencies to charge citizens extra for the cost of redacting certain information from public records. Rendell recently issued a management directive that allowed such charges, but that violated a new fee policy established by Terry Mutchler, the director of the new state Office of Open Records. Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo says the governor's office decided to defer the plan - at least until it can gather more information - because of publicity about the conflicting rules. Mutchler's policy limits photocopying fees to 25 cents per page under the newly expanded Right-to-Know Law that takes effect Jan. 1.

CHICAGO (AP) - President-elect Barack Obama says he'll ask his economic team for a recovery plan that would create or save more than 2 million jobs. In his Saturday address, he says the overall goals include making America more competitive in the world market.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President-elect Barack Obama says the latest unemployment figures highlight "the rising unease and frustration" American families are feeling entering the holiday season. The latest numbers show that a half-million American jobs disappeared last month, the worst mass layoffs in more than three decades.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House and congressional Democrats are working on a plan to provide about $15 billion in loans that would keep the U.S. auto industry from collapsing. One proposal would give Detroit carmakers short-term help while the companies undergo some "major restructuring."

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) - The president of OPEC says oil markets should brace for a "surprise" decision on output cuts when the cartel meets later this month. He suggests that any production level cuts could be "significant."

DILI, East Timor (AP) - A powerful earthquake has hit off the coast of East Timor. Witnesses and authorities report the quake sent people screaming out into the streets. The temblor had a preliminary magnitude of 6.2. There's also word of a moderate earthquake in California's Mojave Desert last night. Shaking was felt from Southern California to the edges of Nevada and Arizona.