Today's News-Monday, July 6, 2009

BLOOD SUPPLIES SHORT

OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND. THAT’S WHAT MOST OF US THINK ABOUT GIVING BLOOD. UNLESS YOU ARE ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE FOR DONATING BLOOD PRODUCTS EVERY 56 DAYS OR SO IT DOESN’T REALLY STAY FRESH IN YOUR MIND. BUT THE NEED IS REAL 24 HOURS A DAY. WHILE MANY OF YOU ARE ENJOYING TIME WITH FAMILY, BLOOD SUPPLIES IN THE REGION ARE CRITICALLY LOW, AROUND A 1 DAY SUPPLY. WPPA AND SISTER STATION T102 ARE PARTNERING UP WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS “O WHAT A SUMMER” BLOOD CAMPAIGN AND WE URGE YOU TO HELP THIS WEEK. WEDNESDAY, THE BLOODMOBILE STOPS AT THE ROLLER ROOST IN POTTSVILLE, ON THURSDAY AT THE JERUSALEM LUTHERAN CHURCH IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN AND SATURDAY AT FAIRLANE VILLAGE MALL. PLEASE HELP, WON’T YOU BY MAKING YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY BY CALLING 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

HEALTHGRADES RATING FOR SCH MEDICAL

SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH HAS RECEIVED MORE HIGH MARKS FOR THEIR BIRTHING CENTER. THE BIRTHPLACE HAS RECEIVED FIVE STARS FROM HEALTHGRADES FOR THE FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW. FIVE STARS IS ITS HIGHEST RATING. THE STUDY ANALYZED ABOUT 13 MILLION HOSPITAL DELIVERY AND NEONATAL RECORDS IN MORE THAN 15 HUNDRED HOSPITALS FROM 2005-2007. SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH IS THE ONLY FACILITY IN A SIX COUNTY REGION TO RECEIVE THE RATING, ACCORDING TO HOSPITAL OFFICIALS.

PA WOMEN BECOMING MORE OF THE BREADWINNER

IN PENNSYLVANIA AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY FAR MORE MEN HAVE LOST JOBS DURING THE RECESSION THAN WOMEN AND THAT’S REVERSING THE ROLES OF FAMILY BREADWINNER IN SOME HOMES. TOM JOSEPH REPORTS:

JOSEPH BREADWINNER

COPS IN SHOPS AND DUI ARRESTS

LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS BUSY OVER THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND LOCALLY WATCHING FOR DRUNK DRIVERS AND UNDERAGE DRINKERS. THE NORTH CENTRAL HIGHWAY SAFETY NETWORK HELD A SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT FRIDAY NIGHT NEAR ST CLAIR. THIRTY EIGHT VEHICLES WERE DETAINED AND 7 DRIVERS TESTED FOR DUI. THREE ADULTS WERE ARRESTED AND 15 TRAFFIC CITATIONS ISSUED. EIGHT POLICE DEPARTMENTS PARTICIPATED. A COPS IN SHOPS ENFORCEMENT SWEEP WAS HELD IN ASHLAND. TWENTY SIX IDS WERE CHECKED AND NO ARRESTS MADE.

MOTHER KILLED
PA. FUNERAL DIRECTOR'S HOMICIDE TRIAL TO OPEN
LANCASTER, PA. (AP) - JURY SELECTION IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN TODAY IN THE TRIAL OF A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FUNERAL DIRECTOR ACCUSED OF BEATING, CHOKING AND DROWNING HIS WIFE A YEAR AGO. FORTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL ROSEBORO HAS BEEN CO-DIRECTOR OF A FUNERAL HOME THAT HIS FAMILY HAS OPERATED IN DENVER FOR DECADES. PROSECUTORS ALLEGE THAT HE KILLED 45-YEAR-OLD JAN ROSEBORO ON JULY 22 OF LAST YEAR BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE WITH ANOTHER WOMAN. ANGELA FUNK TESTIFIED AT A PRELIMINARY HEARING THAT THE TWO TALKED ABOUT LEAVING THEIR SPOUSES JUST BEFORE JAN ROSEBORO'S DEATH IN JULY. ROSEBORO'S ATTORNEY, ALLAN SODOMSKY, SAYS HIS CLIENT IS INNOCENT. HE SAYS ROSEBORO TRIED TO SEEK HELP AND TO REVIVE HIS WIFE AFTER FINDING HER BODY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL AT THEIR HOME IN REINHOLDS. THE CRIMINAL HOMICIDE TRIAL COULD LAST FOR WEEKS, WITH 228 WITNESSES SUBPOENAED TO TESTIFY.

FIREWORKS-DEATH
PA. MAN KILLED IN FIREWORKS ACCIDENT
QUAKERTOWN, PA. (AP) - POLICE IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAY A 19-YEAR-OLD EMPLOYEE OF THE FIREWORKS COMPANY STAGING A JULY FOURTH CELEBRATION IN QUAKERTOWN WAS KILLED BY AN EXPLOSION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GRAND FINALE OF THE EVENT. CORPORAL SCOTT FOGEL SAYS ONE OF THE FIREWORKS MISFIRED SATURDAY NIGHT AT QUAKERTOWN'S MEMORIAL PARK AND DEBRIS STRUCK THE 19-YEAR-OLD MAN IN THE NECK AND CHEST. FIREFIGHTERS GAVE THE MAN FIRST AID, BUT HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL-QUARTERTOWN. POLICE CHIEF SCOTT MCELREE SAYS AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE SHOW AND EVACUATED PART OF THE PARK. FOGEL SAYS ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE WERE AT THE EVENT. THE MAN'S NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, AND AUTHORITIES SAID THEY DID NOT IMMEDIATELY HAVE THE NAME OF THE COMPANY FOR WHICH HE WORKED. COUNTY AND STATE POLICE FIRE MARSHALS ARE INVESTIGATING THE ACCIDENT.

STRESS MAP-BANKRUPTCY
BANKRUPTCIES LOW IN STATES THAT DON'T SEIZE WAGES
UNDATED (AP) - STATES THAT ALLOW DEBT COLLECTORS TO SEIZE CONSUMERS' WAGES HAVE SHARPLY HIGHER BANKRUPTCY RATES THAN NEIGHBORING STATES THAT PROHIBIT OR STRICTLY LIMIT THE PRACTICE, ACCORDING TO AN ASSOCIATED PRESS ANALYSIS. WHILE BANKRUPTCY RATES VARY FOR MANY REASONS, FIVE STATES PROHIBIT OR STRONGLY LIMIT WAGE SEIZURES - NORTH CAROLINA, PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, FLORIDA AND TEXAS. ALL HAVE DRASTICALLY LOWER RATES THAN THEIR NEIGHBORS, WITH PARTICULARLY STRIKING DIFFERENCES ALONG BORDERS, WHERE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ARE SIMILAR BUT BANKRUPTCY RATES ARE NOT. PENNSYLVANIA HAS HALF THE RATE OF OHIO. THE NATIONWIDE BANKRUPTCY RATE IS 42 PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE RATE IN THOSE FIVE STATES. THE LINK HIGHLIGHTS A DILEMMA FOR CREDIT-CARD COMPANIES AND OTHER DEBT CHASERS. LAWYERS SAY GOING AFTER WAGES IS INCREASINGLY POPULAR, BUT THAT RISKS PUSHING CONSUMERS INTO BANKRUPTCY COURT, WHERE JUDGES CAN REDUCE OR WIPE AWAY ALL SORTS OF FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS. CONSUMER ADVOCATES HAVE LONG SAID THAT INTERCEPTING SOMEONE'S WAGES TO PAY THEIR DEBTS ONLY INCREASES THEIR FINANCIAL VULNERABILITY.

MOSCOW (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
DMITRY MEDVEDEV ARE REPORTEDLY READY TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT MAKING FURTHER CUTS IN THEIR COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR ARSENALS. A SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS THE AGREEMENT WOULD LOWER BOTH THE NUMBER OF WARHEADS AND DELIVERY VEHICLES. HOWEVER, MONTHS OF BARGAINING LIKELY LIES AHEAD BEFORE A FULL TREATY IS READY.

NEW YORK (AP) - A FEDERAL BANKRUPTCY JUDGE HAS RULED THAT GENERAL MOTORS CAN SELL THE BULK OF ITS ASSETS TO A NEW COMPANY. THE DECISION MOVES GM A STEP CLOSER TO EMERGING FROM BANKRUPTCY, BUT IT STILL COULD BE APPEALED.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - A SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPER IS REPORTING THAT THE BALLISTIC MISSILES NORTH KOREA TEST-FIRED OVER THE WEEKEND MAY HAVE INCLUDED A NEW TYPE OF SCUD MISSILE. THE PAPER SAYS IT HAS AN EXTENDED RANGE AND IMPROVED ACCURACY AND COULD POSE A THREAT TO JAPAN.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A PERSON CLOSE TO THE JACKSON FAMILY SAYS THE
FAMILY WANT A JUDGE TO DELAY DESIGNATING AN ATTORNEY AND MUSIC
EXECUTIVE LISTED IN MICHAEL JACKSON'S WILL AS TEMPORARY ADMINISTRATORS OF HIS ESTATE. THE FAMILY REPORTEDLY WANTS TIME TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT JACKSON'S AFFAIRS. THE ESTATE IS ESTIMATED TO BE WORTH MORE THAN $500 MILLION.

NASHVILLE, TENN. (AP) - POLICE IN NASHVILLE, TENN., ARE CALLING THE DEATH OF FORMER NFL QUARTERBACK STEVE MCNAIR A HOMICIDE, BUT THEY ARE NOT YET READY TO SAY THE DEATH OF HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS A SUICIDE. HER BODY WAS FOUND NEAR MCNAIR'S WITH A SINGLE BULLET WOUND TO THE HEAD. POLICE SAY THEY ARE REVIEWING EVERY POSSIBILITY BEFORE LABELING HER DEATH.