Today's News-Saturday, January 3, 2009

The late morning New Year's Day fire in the thirteen hundred block of Mahantongo Street is estimated to have caused over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The apartment building at 1324-1326 Mahantongo was owned by Sandra Nunemaker, who also lived in one of the apartments. Even though the official cause of the fire has yet to be determined, it is believed that the fire was sparked in the area where the chimney meets the wall in 1324 Mahantongo and burned up the wall to a common attic. State Police Fire Marshall, John Burns is expected to aid in the investigation.

On Monday, January 5th family and friends of the late Senator Jim Rhoades will be holding a blood drive at the Mahanoy Area High School between noon and 6 p.m. as a way to memorialize the memory of the late Senator who died as the result of an auto accident on October 18th. The event is open to the public to give the gift of life to those in need. In related news, WPPA is teaming with the American Red Cross to support blood donor days, January 7th thru the 10th. You can give the gift of lift at one of the following locations:
WED 1/7- FAIRLANE VILLAGE MALL-11:30AM-6:30PM
THU 1/8- JERUSALEM LUTHERAN CHURCH, SCH. HAVEN-NOON-6PM
FRI 1/9-AUBURN FIRE AND AMBULANCE BUILDING, NOON-6PM

At least five people escaped serious injury when a car and a sport-utility vehicle collided on Route 924 about 6:30 p.m. Friday. According to the Republican and Herald, the crash in the northbound lanes of the highway tore off the front end of the car and hurled it into the southbound lanes about 50 feet away. Gilberton police Chief Mark Kessler is investigating the crash and said at the scene that details are sketchy. Initial reports to the Schuylkill County 911 Center reported a head-on crash with people possibly trapped. Fire personnel from Frackville and Gilberton arriving at the scene found no one trapped and those involved with no apparent life-threatening injuries. The SUV came to a stop on its roof on the berm of the northbound lanes while the car stopped just south of that vehicle, also in the northbound lanes but facing south. Police from West Mahanoy Township, Shenandoah and Frackville assisted at the scene. Officers said they believe there were four people inside the Dodge Durango SUV and one person inside the car at the time of the crash. Impact between the two vehicles occurred in the northbound lanes of the highway. The battery from the car ended up in the northbound lanes of Route 924, about 100 feet north of the point of impact. Those injured were taken to Pottsville area hospitals by EMS units from Shenandoah and Frackville. Paramedics from Shenandoah EMS assisted in treating the injured.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Most tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are increasing 25 percent on Sunday. The new rates become effective at 12:01 a.m. The most common toll paid by passenger vehicles will go from 75 cents to 95 cents, while a typical truck's tolls will be $7.85, up
from $6.25. The turnpike's annual revenues will climb from $619 million to about $738 million. The money helps subsidize 74 mass transit agencies and repair the state's bridges and roads. The only exceptions are some newly opened sections of the turnpike in western Pennsylvania.
It will be the sixth rate change in 68 years, but the turnpike expects to begin increasing tolls every year, by about 3 percent annually.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Revenue Department says its December collections ran $157 million below target. Six months into the state government's fiscal year, collections are $815 million less than projected. The latest figures, released Friday, show the state's general fund taking in 6.8 percent less than expected for the fiscal year that ends June 30. Sales, personal income, corporate income and inheritance taxes are all lagging behind.
Dwindling state coffers have led to belt-tightening in Harrisburg and fueled a debate about whether to cut spending, draw down reserves or increase taxes. A 7 percent shortfall for the entire year would mean a $2 billion deficit in the state's $28.3 billion spending plan.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Authorities say Mummers brigade captain Jerry Murray suffered an apparent heart attack during a performance in front of the parade judges at Philadelphia City Hall around 11 a.m. on Thursday. Parade director Leo Dignam says Murray went into cardiac arrest and emergency service workers took him to Hahnemann University Hospital. Murray is reported still in critical condition at Hahnemann University Hospital.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli warplanes and gunboats have struck more than two dozen Hamas targets today as the violence enters its second week. Today's targets included weapons storage facilities, training centers and the homes of some Hamas leaders.

CHICAGO (AP) - President-elect Barack Obama is pushing lawmakers to quickly pass an economic recovery plan. In his weekly radio address, Obama warns that failure to act quickly and boldly could lead to double-digit unemployment, and the American dream could slip "further and further out of reach."

BAGHDAD (AP) - An Iraqi woman shot and wounded by U.S. troops has been identified as a producer at an Iraqi TV station. The military says she was "acting erratic" near a checkpoint, and didn't respond to warnings. A station spokesman says she has hearing problems and never heard the warnings. The spokesman says she's in critical condition.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - More snow is expected in Spokane, Wash., this weekend, on top of the 69 inches that have already fallen this winter. The buildup has caused multiple roofs to collapse. Some stores were even closed yesterday so they could clear snow off their roofs.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - The head of Chrysler says the automaker has received an initial $4 billion loan from the U.S. Treasury Department. Chrysler is nearing the minimum level of $2.5 billion in cash it needs to operate.