Today's News-Friday, April 17, 2009

CRASH IN NORWEGIAN TOWNSHIP
Two people escaped injury in a crash this morning in Norwegian Township. Troopers from the Schuylkill Haven barracks indicate that 56 year old Bernadette Antonocci of Minersville was traveling east on Bulls Head Road, waiting for a turning vehicle. A 17 year old Pottsville youth failed to see Antonocci's stopped vehicle and hit the vehicle. The teens vehicle had to be towed from the scene of the crash that took place around 8am.

GIRARDVILLE POLICE LOOKING FOR MISSING BOY
Police in northern Schuylkill County are looking for a missing Girardville teenager. Officials say 15 year old Dominick Jambeter was last seen in the borough last week. He is described as been 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing about 140 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Police say that the boy may be in the Mount Carmel area. Anyone with information on Jambeter's whereabouts should call Girardville PD at 276-6955.

TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO ARREST
Rush Township police nabbed a wanted felon during a traffic stop Wednesday night. 19 year old Jason Kerstetter was a passenger in a vehicle in the township, and was found to be wanted for aggravated assault in Ashland. He was arraigned on the outstanding charge by District Judge James Ferrier and was remanded to the Schuylkill County Prison.

TIME TO DUST OFF THE MOTORCYCLE
Now that warmer weather has returned to the state, more motorcyclists are taking to the road. That means motorists should be aware of sharing the road. In 2008, 42-hundred crashes occurred statewide involving motorcycles, resulting in 236 fatalities. A simple tip...automobile drivers should watch for cyclists in blind spots when attempting to pass or make turns. A motorcycle riders best defense, wear a helmet, face protection and other protective riding gear. Pennsylvania law requires motorcycle riders the use of headgear unless the bike rider is 21 years of age or older and has been licensed to ride for more than two years or has successfully completed a motorcycle safety course approved by PennDOT.

PA UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HIGHEST SINCE 1992
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - New state figures show that Pennsylvania's employers slashed more than 30,000 jobs in March as unemployment hit its highest rate in more than 16 years.
The state Department of Labor and Industry said Thursday that Pennsylvania's seasonally adjusted total of nonfarm jobs dropped to below 5.7 million for the first time in four years. The number of jobs lost in March is about one in every 187 in Pennsylvania. The unemployment rate rose three-tenths of a percentage point last month to 7.8 percent, the highest mark since September 1992. The number of people seeking work rose by 13,000. Still, the national unemployment rate remains higher than Pennsylvania's at 8.5 percent. Since the recession began in December 2007, Pennsylvania has lost more than 130,000 jobs.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The number of Pennsylvania homes entering the foreclosure process reached a four-year high last month. New figures out this week from RealtyTrac Inc. show foreclosure filings in Pennsylvania jumped nearly 18 percent from February to last month. All told, nearly 5,000 homes received at least one foreclosure filing last month, slightly above the previous high set in August.

SHIPPINGPORT, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Department of Health has recommended an air quality study around FirstEnergy Corp.'s Bruce Mansfield coal-fired power plant at Shippingport to see if emissions are causing health risks. Residents have complained for years that the plant's pollution has caused illnesses ranging from cancer to hair loss.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A judge has denied a request to extend a gag order to keep Gov. Ed Rendell and other officials from commenting on the case of a man accused of killing three Pittsburgh police officers. Allegheny County Judge Jeffrey Manning says in Friday's brief order that he doesn't believe he has the authority to restrict what those not involved in the case can say.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A suburban Philadelphia woman and her 4-year-old daughter are dead in what police say is an apparent murder-suicide. Police say the bodies of 40-year-old Donna Smith and her daughter were discovered Thursday afternoon at their home in Norristown. Authorities say a relative alerted them after not hearing from Smith for several days.

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - A once dominant radio station in northeastern Pennsylvania has fallen silent, and it's not known whether it will return. The Federal Communications Commission
confirmed on Thursday that WARM-AM had been silent since Tuesday. WARM officials have 10 days to notify the FCC of their intentions. WARM is owned by Citadel Broadcasting, whose stock plummeted to 6 cents a share Thursday.

MEXICO CITY (AP) - President Barack Obama heads from Mexico to the island of Trinidad today for the 34-nation Summit of the Americas. On the agenda are many of the same topics he discussed with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, including fighting drug violence and the
recession. Cuba's not invited, and Venezuela's leader is vowing to make that an issue.

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks aren't showing a strong direction so far this morning. Two major earnings reports came in better than expected. Citigroup says its first quarter loss was less than a billion dollars, while General Electric's earnings fell 36 percent. The Dow started the day in positive territory, but has dipped into negative ground.

BHEZAD KHEIL, Afghanistan (AP) - Eastern Afghanistan has been shaken by two earthquakes. The tremors hit four mountain villages early this morning, collapsing mud-brick homes on top sleeping occupants. At least 21 people have been killed.

KATHRYN, N.D. (AP) - The National Guard says sandbags shoring up a leaky dam upriver from the tiny North Dakota town of Kathryn are holding. The town's 55 residents left their homes Wednesday after water began flowing around a corner of the dam and eroding the walls of its spillway.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) - Police in Long Beach, Calif., are trying to figure out why a hospital pharmacy worker shot and killed two of his managers yesterday, before committing suicide. Mario Ramirez had been known for being quick with a joke and a smile before the incident.