Todays News-Friday, August 14 2009

TRUCK VS MOTOR HOME

A GROUP OF MASSACHUSETTS TRAVELERS ARE LUCK TO HAVE ESCAPED SERIOUS INJURY WHEN THEIR MOTORHOME WAS STRUCK BY A TRUCK ON INTERSTATE 81 IN TREMONTH TOWNSHIP THURSDAY. STATE POLICE AT JONESTOWN SAY 42 YEAR OLD NELSON CLUKEY WAS CHANGING A TIRE ON HIS MOTORHOME NEAR MILE MARKER 105 WHEN A TRUCK DRIVEN BY TODD HENNESSY OF CONNELLSVILLE SWERVED OFF THE ROAD AND HIT THE BACK OF THE MOTOR HOME. CLUKEY AND HIS FOUR PASSENGERS WERE TREATED AND RELEASED AT SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER EAST. TROOPERS ARE CONTINUING THE INVESTIGATION. A PORTION OF I-81 WAS CLOSED FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

PILEUP ON I-81

A CHAIN REACTION CRASH SNARLED TRAFFIC ON I-81 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AFTER A DOWNPOUR OF RAIN. TREVOR HAWLEY OF MAHANOY CITY WAS SOUTHBOUND ON I-81 AND CAME UPON SLOWING TRAFFIC AND HIS VEHICLE STRUCK A VEHICLE DRIVEN BY NATHAN HOUTZ OF BERRYSBURG. HIS VEHICLE STRUCK TWO MORE AUTOS. ONLY MINOR INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE LEFT LANE OF SOUTHBOUND I-81 WAS CLOSED FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

CRASH IN POTTSVILLE

A VEHICLE DAMAGED SEVERAL PROPERTIES IN POTTSVILLE YESTERDAY AS IT CRASHED. BEFORE LUNCHTIME, AN SUV OPERATED BY RONNY SANTOSA OF POTTSVILLE WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND DROVE UP THE STEPS AT 300 SOUTH JACKSON STREET, DAMAGING THE STEPS, THEN WENT ON TO DO OTHER DAMAGE TO TWO OTHER PROPERTIES. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS HURT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - MICHAEL VICK HAS SIGNED WITH THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, MARKING HIS RETURN TO THE NFL AFTER SERVING A FEDERAL PRISON SENTENCE ON DOGFIGHTING CHARGES. THE FORMER ATLANTA STAR QUARTERBACK WAS CONDITIONALLY REINSTATED TO THE LEAGUE BY COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL LAST MONTH AFTER SERVING 18 MONTHS IN PRISON. VICK LAST PLAYED IN 2006.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - SGT. BILL CAHIR (KAYR) BEEN KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN WHILE SERVING WITH THE MARINES. THE BELLEFONTE, PA., NATIVE WAS A JOURNALIST WHO TALKED HIS WAY INTO THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE BECAUSE HIS WAS IN HIS MID-30S. CAHIR MADE IT HIS MISSION TO ENLIST AND SERVE THE NATION. AFTER TWO TOURS OF DUTY IN IRAQ, CAHIR RAN FOR CONGRESS AND LOST THE PRIMARY.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FILING FOR THEIR FIRST WEEK OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IN PENNSYLVANIA DROPPED TO ITS LOWEST LEVEL IN NINE MONTHS. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY SAID 29,600 PEOPLE SUBMITTED THEIR INITIAL BENEFITS FILINGS IN THE WEEK ENDING AUG. 1. THAT'S THE LOWEST SINCE LAST NOVEMBER.

NEW YORK (AP) - A NEWLY PUBLIC VIDEO SHOWS THE MOMENT OF IMPACT BETWEEN THE SMALL PLANE AND TOURIST HELICOPTER THAT COLLIDED OVER
THE HUDSON RIVER IN NEW YORK LAST WEEKEND, KILLING NINE INCLUDING
PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENTS. THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUGHT ON VIDEO BY AN ITALIAN TOURIST WHO WAS PRACTICING WITH A NEW CAMERA. IT WAS AIRED YESTERDAY ON "NBC NIGHTLY NEWS."

SCRANTON, PA. (AP) - A MAN CONVICTED OF STEALING NEARLY $650,000 FROM A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA COUNTY'S WORKERS' COMPENSATION FUND HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO SERVE FIVE YEARS AND 10 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON. A JUDGE ALSO ORDERED CHARLES COSTANZO OF DUNMORE YESTERDAY TO PAY RESTITUTION OF MORE THAN $500,000.

DENVER (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HEADS WEST TO TALK UP HIS HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL AS HE BLENDS TOWN HALL APPEARANCES AND VISITS TO NATIONAL PARKS BEGINNING TODAY. HE'S HOPING TO EASE THE CONCERNS OF PEOPLE IN A REGION THAT'S BEEN TRADITIONALLY WARY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

BALTIMORE (AP) - OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL SWIMMER MICHAEL PHELPS IS SAID TO BE UNHURT, AFTER THE SUV HE WAS DRIVING COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER CAR IN BALTIMORE LAST NIGHT. THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE, A HONDA ACCORD, WAS REPORTEDLY "SHAKEN UP" AND TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL AS A PRECAUTION.

DAVENPORT, CALIF. (AP) - THOUSANDS OF FIREFIGHTERS ARE BATTLING WILDFIRES ACROSS CALIFORNIA. ONE GROWING BLAZE HAS FORCED ABOUT
2,400 PEOPLE TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS.
OFFICIALS SAY THE LOCKHEED FIRE HAS SCORCHED ABOUT 4.4 SQUARE
MILES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE FAA SAYS A PERSONAL PHONE CALL DURING LAST WEEK'S COLLISION OVER NEW YORK'S HUDSON RIVER HAS LED TO TWO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS BEING REMOVED FROM DUTY. OFFICIALS SAY THE CONVERSATION PROBABLY HAD NO IMPACT ON THE TRAGEDY, WHICH CLAIMED NINE PEOPLE'S LIVES.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN (AP) - THE PRESIDENT OF TAIWAN SAYS FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES UNLEASHED BY TYPHOON MORAKOT LAST WEEKEND HAVE KILLED ABOUT 500 PEOPLE. HE'S CALLING ON OFFICIALS TO BEEF UP RESCUE AND RELIEF OPERATIONS. MORAKOT DUMPED MORE THAN 80 INCHES OF RAIN ON TAIWAN. MORE THAN 15,000 VILLAGERS HAVE BEEN FERRIED TO SAFETY.