Today's News- Thursday, December 11, 2008

Weather

With temperatures hanging just above freezing, and rain expected to continue throughout the day, there may be some icing across the region today. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for Schuylkill County for later today through Friday morning. A changeover to snow late tonight has also prompted the issuance of a Winter Weather Advisory. Accumulations are expected to amount to a coating to an inch. Travelers should watch for icy spots throughout the day, and for standing water from the heavy rains expected today.

Mahanoy Plane man dies while crossing street

A Mahanoy Plane man is dead after he was struck by a car Wednesday afternoon. 59 year old Thomas O' Connor was crossing state route 4030 when he walked into the path of a car driven by 88 year old Martha Jones of Mahanoy City. State police say that he was pronounced dead at the scene by a Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner. Jones was not hurt. Troopers are continuing their investigation.

Republican conferees to meet at Schoeneman's

Fifty seven Republican committee members are scheduled to gather December 20th at the Schoeneman Corporation Auditorium to choose a candidate to run in the special election for Senator Jim Rhoades seat in the 29th district. Since Schuylkill County makes up the largest part of the district, they will have 34 delegates represented, mostly executive committee members. Representative Dave Argall, Christopher Hobbs and Gretchen Sterns have all announced their intentions to seek the nod for a spot on the special election ballot March 3rd. No Democratic candidates have come forward yet to run for the Senate seat held by the late Senator Rhoades, who died in October.

Two Wiconisco residents charged in internet scam

State police and North Carolina officials have charged two Wiconisco residents with theft and conspiracy in an internet scam. Last fall, 38 year old Stephen Kiner and 31 year old Jennifer Kiner reportedly got Nancy Hobson of Pittsboro, North Carolina, to send $12-hundred dollars via Western Union to the Kiner's at a Dauphin County grocery store. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled on those charges.

Temple U. to offer $150,000 fine arts prize annually; winner also gets exhibition on campus

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Temple University will begin offering a fine arts prize worth $150,000 to the winner of a juried competition. The annual Wolgin International Prize in the Fine Arts will be funded by a $3.7 million gift from Jack Wolgin. Wolgin is a Philadelphia real estate developer, arts patron and philanthropist. An international panel of fine arts leaders will nominate artists eligible to compete for the prize. The complete eligibility and nomination process will be determined by Feb. 1.
The first competition will take place in fall 2009, followed by an exhibition in the new building's gallery space. It will be administered through Temple's Tyler School of Art.

Pa. foreclosure trends worse than nation's in Nov.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Just-released figures say foreclosure trends in Pennsylvania were worse in November than the nation's. Figures from RealtyTrac Inc. show the number of homeowners receiving a foreclosure filing in Pennsylvania stayed almost the same from October to November. Nationally, the number dropped 7 percent. Meanwhile, last month's foreclosure filings in Pennsylvania jumped 54 percent from the number of filings in November 2007. That's nearly twice the rate of national increase over the same period. Still, the foreclosure rate in Pennsylvania remains about one-third the national rate, while November was the first month since May where Pennsylvania saw fewer than 4,000 foreclosure filings. However, the number of properties seized rose in November to 1,028.

Penn St. president Spanier wary on pay raises

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Penn State employees may not get pay
raises next year. It's one of the options being considered by the university as it deals with budget concerns amid the worsening economy. Penn State president Graham Spanier told the Faculty Senate this week that the school will probably follow the example of other institutions that are freezing wages, such as Carnegie Mellon. But Spanier didn't want to rule out the possibility of pay increases, either. Penn State has more than 40,000 employees statewide, including 23,700 full-time workers. The main campus alone in State College has 23,000 workers, more than half of them full time.

Judge orders new trial in murder case

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - A judge ordered a new trial for a central Pennsylvania man convicted in the bludgeoning death of a Penn State
student in 2006. Centre County Judge Bradley Lunsford ruled that prosecutors withheld evidence that could have aided in the defense of
23-year-old Andrew Rogers of State College. He was convicted of third-degree murder last year after 24-year-old Youngcheol Park was found dead in Rogers' home. Rogers had said he acted in self-defense when he was attacked by Park and a man he knew only as "Sweet." The prosecutor said at the first trial that police were unable to locate "Sweet." But Lunsford has ordered a new trial after siding with a defense contention that evidence connected to the potential mystery person was never provided to them.

Green groups alarmed at Pa. governor's plan to fill deficit with money from parks, forests

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Environmental and conservation groups are
opposing Gov. Ed Rendell's plan to divert money from state parks
and forests to fill a budget deficit. The groups said Wednesday the $174 million that Rendell wants to transfer will hurt efforts to protect Pennsylvania's natural areas. They also say that hurts the state's tourism industry. The money is a windfall from lease payments allowing five exploration companies to drill for natural gas on publicly owned land in northern Pennsylvania. By law, the money was reserved for improvements to state parks and forests, and legislative approval is necessary to change that. Jan Jarrett of environmental group PennFuture says she's worried that changing the law could embolden legislators to take even more money away from parks and forests.

Judge says Pa. man charged with molesting girls in Russia can leave jail; prosecutors appeal

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A federal magistrate in Philadelphia has ruled that a wealthy Russian-born entrepreneur can be let out of prison while he waits for a trial on international child-sex charges. Thirty-eight-year-old Andrew Mogilyansky, however, won't be allowed to go home yet. Prosecutors have filed an immediate appeal. Mogilyansky is charged with traveling to orphanages in his native country to molest young girls and hire them out as prostitutes. Magistrate Carol Sandra Moore Wells on Wednesday said Mogilyansky can await trial on house arrest, but only if he posts more bail money. Mogilyansky is a dual citizen who lives in suburban Philadelphia. Prosecutors say he has the money to flee, but defense attorney George Newman says Mogilyansky has strong ties to this
area.

Pa. officials hope to find Sony replacement soon

NEW STANTON, Pa. (AP) - Government and economic development
officials are optimistic they will be able to find a new tenant for a television factory that Sony Corporation is closing. But they're also thankful the electronics company will take two years to shutter the plant.
About 560 people are expected to lose their jobs at the Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh by the time operations wind down in March 2010. Many of them commute from the Pittsburgh area or beyond, thanks to a strong road network, including the nearby Pennsylvania Turnpike. It's the company's last U.S. TV factory. Gov. Ed Rendell says two companies have already expressed interest in leasing at least part of the plant. He did not name them.

Tile-maker announces layoffs at Gettysburg plant

GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) - Mosaic tile manufacturer Dal-Tile has announced more than 100 layoffs at its Gettysburg branch. The company said the recent slowdown in the construction industry is to blame. The Gettysburg plant employs approximately 275 workers. About
105 of them are getting laid off. Dal-Tile is the largest manufacturer and distributor of ceramic tile in the U.S. and is owned by Calhoun, Ga.-based Mohawk Industries Inc.

Pa. issues guidelines for water, sewer funding

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State officials are outlining rules for passing out $800 million in funding to upgrade Pennsylvania's public water and sewer systems, improve flood control and fix dams. The Commonwealth Financing Authority says 50 percent matching funds will be available to buy, build, repair, improve or expand water, sewer and storm water systems. The authority will also fund up to 75 percent of the cost to remove, repair or secure hazardous dams. Applicants for flood control projects must have obtained easements and be willing to maintain the finished project. The state's municipalities and municipal authorities have about 900 water systems and 1,100 wastewater systems that may qualify.

Mack Trucks to lay off 180 at eastern Pa. plant

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Mack Trucks plans to lay off 180 employees
at its factory near Allentown and will extend its annual end-of-year production shut-down at the site. Mack Tucks Inc. spokesman John Walsh on Wednesday cited economic conditions. Walsh says the layoffs will take effect at the close of production at the plant on Dec. 23. Production will resume with reduced manpower during the week of Jan. 12. The plant employs about 680 workers making heavy trucks. Four months ago, Mack had announced it would move its headquarters and testing center to Greensboro, N.C., from Allentown. Mack had recalled about 150 workers in October due to more orders from Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. says it's no secret he wanted to be appointed to President-elect Barack Obama's Senate
seat. But Jackson says he wasn't willing to "pay to play," so to speak, with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Wiretapped conversations suggest the governor believed otherwise.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says a bankruptcy filing could
be a fatal blow to the American auto industry. Even still, there may not be enough support for a $14 billion bailout plan among Senate Republicans. The measure easily passed the House last night.

CHICAGO (AP) - They won't get their jobs back, but workers who took over the Republic Windows & Doors plant in Chicago for six days are getting a full severance package on their way out the door. Officials say the total value of the package comes to about $7,000 per employee.

WASHINGTON (AP) - RealtyTrac says the number of American homeowners dragged into foreclosure fell last month to the lowest
level since June. The decline comes after new state laws lengthened
the foreclosure process. RealtyTrac says you can expect foreclosures to spike in January.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California is expected to adopt what
would be the nation's most sweeping global warming plan today. The
strategy chosen by air regulators relies on 31 new rules affecting all facets of life.