Today's News-Friday, September 11th, 2009

9/11 REMEMBERED

EIGHT YEARS AGO TODAY, THE UNITED STATES WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AS TERRORISTS COMMANDEERED COMMERCIAL JET LINERS AND CRASHED THEM INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NEW YORK, THE PENTAGON IN WASHINGTON AND IN A PENNSYLVANIA FIELD. OVER THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE PERISHED IN THE ATTACK, AND TODAY, AREA RESIDENTS ARE MARKING THE ANNIVERSARY WITH SERVICES OF REMEMBRANCE. IN PORT CARBON, THE SERVICE GETS UNDERWAY AT 6PM AT VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK ON PIKE STREET. IN THE BOROUGH OF TAMAQUA, SERVICES WILL BE HELD AT THE TAMAQUA COMMUNITY CENTER. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN'S CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE WILL HOST THEIR ANNUAL MEMORIAL SERVICE "EVIDENCES OF OUR NATIONS HERITAGE". BOTH OF THOSE OBSERVANCES WILL BE HELD AT 7PM.

SCHUYLKILL HOSE DEDICATION

LITTLE DID FIREFIGHTERS FROM SCHUYLKILL HOSE COMPANY IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN REALIZE ON SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2007 THAT THEIR FIRE COMPANY WOULD BE RAVAGED BY FIRE. CREWS HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A CALL IN POTTSVILLE, AND AT 3:22PM, THEIR WORST FEARS WERE REALIZED. COMPANY CHIEF JIM REED:

REED 1

ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES RESULTED, INCLUDING THE DESTRUCTION OF TWO FIRE TRUCKS AND A SUPPORT TRAILER. EXTENSIVE RENOVATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AND NEW APPARTUS PUT INTO SERVICE. A DEDICATION CEREMONY AND TRIPLE TRUCK HOUSING WILL TAKE PLACE AT SCHUYLKILL HOSE ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT THE EXACT TIME THE FIRE TOOK PLACE TWO YEARS AGO. THE DAY BEGINS WITH A NOISE PARADE THROUGH THE BOROUGH AT 12:30PM.

BECHTEL UNABLE TO WITHDRAW GUILTY PLEA IN MURDERS

A MAN SERVING FOUR CONSECUTIVE LIFE TERMS FOR MURDER CANNOT WITHDRAW HIS GUILTY PLEA. JUDGE D. MICHAEL STINE, WHO ORIGINALLY SENTENCED 33 YEAR OLD MICHAEL BECHTEL OF MOREA TO PRISON FOR MURDERING HIS ESTRANGED WIFE AND THREE OTHERS IN 2002, KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING WHEN HE ENTERED THE GUILTY PLEAS. ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD, BECHTEL’S FILING INDICATED THAT HIS ORIGINAL LEGAL COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE AND THAT HE WASN’T FULLY ABLE TO COMPREHEND WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT. JUDGE STINE ALSO STATED THAT BECHTEL DID NOT FILE HIS PETITION WITHIN THE ONE YEAR TIME LIMIT AFTER SENTENCING. THE PETITION WAS THEREFORE DISMISSED.

AUBURN - In Schuylkill County a former FedEx Express eployee is being charged with theft after removing several different pain medications from packages to be delivered. State Police have charged Patrick Higgins of Pottsville with theft from the Fed Ex post on Hickory Drive in West Brunswick Township. Police say Higgins stole the pain meds for his own use.

UNIVERSITY PARK - They are tiny, hard to get rid of, blood suckers and now they've shown up at Penn State dormitories. Penn State officials have investigated 12 reports of bed bugs in university dorms, and confirmed one since the start of the school year. Assistant director of housing, Dave Manos, tells the Digital Collegian stressed that while there is not a bed bug infestation on campus, students do need to be aware. The university had previous seen confirmed 10 cases of bed bugs over the past two years. the University has hired an exterminator to treat rooms with a problem. In this case students are the carriers, bringing the bugs along with them.

TREMONT - Some miners in Schuylkill County say they may refuse to implement federally-mandated personal tracking and communication systems, arguing the devices have been poorly tested and could actually put anthracite coal miners at more risk. The mines must submit a set of plans to the Mine Safety and Health Administration today, but worry the wireless communication devices could interfere with electronic detonators used in mine blasting and cause premature explosions. The mandate is part of the MINER Act, an overhaul of federal mining regulations passed by Congress in June 2006. State Representative Tim Seip, who has previously helped set up meetings between the miners and Congressman Holden, and Senators Specter and Casey, attended the meeting with miners on Wednesday in Tremont. Seip tells the Republican Herald it's ironic that a law was passed to initially protect miners but may put their lives at greater risk.

SEPT 11 ANNIVERSARY
ON 9/11, DAY OF MOURNING BECOMES DAY OF SERVICE
NEW YORK (AP) - VOLUNTEERS ARE TAKING CENTER STAGE AT CEREMONIES THIS YEAR TO MARK THE EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPT. 11 TERRORIST ATTACKS.
MORE THAN 100 VOLUNTEERS WHO WORKED AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE AFTER THE 2001 ATTACK WILL READ NAMES OF VICTIMS AT TODAY'S CEREMONY NEAR GROUND ZERO IN NEW YORK. VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS EXPECTED TO ATTEND. IN WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA WILL MEET WITH FAMILY
MEMBERS OF THE DOZENS KILLED AT THE PENTAGON. FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL WILL SPEAK AT A CEREMONY IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, WHERE ONE OF FOUR HIJACKED JETLINERS CRASHED. IT'S THE FIRST YEAR SEPT. 11 HAS BEEN DECLARED A NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE. AMERICANS PLANNED BEACH CLEANUPS, PACKAGES FOR SOLDIERS AND FUNDRAISERS.

PENNSYLVANIA PENSIONS
HOUSE VOTE DELAYED ON PHILLY, MUNICIPAL PENSIONS
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PHILADELPHIA MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER SAYS 3,000 LAYOFF NOTICES FOR CITY WORKERS ARE SCHEUDLED TO GO OUT IN BARELY A WEEK IF THE STATE DOESN'T PASS A BILL TO HELP THE CITY WITH ITS MONEY PROBLEMS. AN AMENDMENT TO THE BILL COULD BE DEBATED ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AS SOON AS FRIDAY. THE AMENDMENT SUPPORTED BY HOUSE DEMOCRATS WOULD WEAKEN A SENATE AMENDMENT CALLING FOR AN OVERHAUL OF THE STATE'S MUNICIPAL PENSION LAWS. THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE BILL SAILED THROUGH THE SENATE WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT TWO WEEKS AGO, AND GOV. ED RENDELL SAID HE WOULD SIGN IT BECAUSE OF THE URGENCY OF PHILADELPHIA'S SITUATION. THE BILL WOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO INCREASE ITS SALES TAX FROM 7 PERCENT TO 8 PERCENT FOR FIVE YEARS AND MAKE OTHER CHANGES TO GENERATE $700 MILLION FOR THE CITY.

PITTSBURGH G-20
G-20 PROTESTERS TOLD TO USE PITTSBURGH PARKING LOT
PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH PLANS TO LEASE A DOWNTOWN PARKING LOT FOR FOUR DAYS TO ACCOMMODATE PROTESTERS DURING THE GROUP OF 20 ECONOMIC SUMMIT LATER THIS MONTH. CITY PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR MIKE HUSS TOLD REPORTERS THURSDAY THAT THE PLAN "STRIKES A GREAT BALANCE BETWEEN PROVIDING FOR THE SECURITY AND THEN ALSO PROVIDING AN AREA OF OPEN PUBLIC ACCESS." BUT PROTEST ORGANIZER NAOMI ARCHER FROM THE GROUP THREE RIVERS CLIMATE CONVERGENCE SAYS A "PROTEST PIT" IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THAT DEMONSTRATORS MUST BE ALLOWED TO BE IN A FREE AND OPEN AREA. PROTESTERS HAVE ASKED TO CAMP IN CITY PARKS, WHICH HUSS SAYS WON'T BE ALLOWED. ARCHER SAYS THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE BECAUSE HUNDREDS CAMPED IN SCHENLEY PARK IN 2007 TO GAIN AN IDEA OF WHAT LIFE IS LIKE IN REFUGEE CAMPS.

PITTSBURGH AIRPORT-GRENADE
PITTSBURGH AIRPORT SECURITY SHUT DUE TO GRENADE
PITTSBURGH (AP) - PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BRIEFLY CLOSED ITS SECURITY CHECKPOINTS AND AN INTERNAL COMMUTER TRAIN AFTER AN INERT HAND GRENADE WAS FOUND IN A PASSENGER'S BAG. AIRPORT SPOKESWOMAN JOANN JENNY SAYS THE CHECKPOINTS AND TRAIN WERE SHUT DOWN FOR ABOUT A HALF-HOUR EARLY THURSDAY AFTER WHAT LOOKED LIKE A GRENADE WAS FOUND IN A DEPARTING PASSENGER'S CARRYON BAG. SHE SAYS A BOMB SQUAD DETERMINED THE GRENADE WAS INERT AT ABOUT 7:05 A.M. AND REOPENED THE CHECKPOINTS AND TRAIN. TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ADMINISTRATION SPOKESWOMAN ANN DAVIS SAYS THE PASSENGER TOLD POLICE THE GRENADE WAS A PRESENT FOR HIS SON. SHE SAYS THE MAN FROM THE PITTSBURGH SUBURB OF BEAVER FALLS USED POOR JUDGMENT BUT WAS RELEASED AFTER POLICE DETERMINED HE WASN'T A THREAT. THE MAN'S NAME WASN'T RELEASED. HE WAS TRAVELING TO PHILADELPHIA.

MAGLEV PROJECT
PA. MAGLEV TRAIN PROJECT GETTING $28M GRANT
PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AWARDING $28 MILLION FOR A HIGH-SPEED MAGNETIC RAIL PROJECT THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY LINK PITTSBURGH AND PHILADELPHIA. MAGLEV TECHNOLOGY USES MAGNETIC FORCES TO PROPEL A VEHICLE OVER A GUIDEWAY AT 250 MPH. BUT THERE ARE FEW COMMERCIAL MAGLEV TRAINS OPERATING WORLDWIDE. JAPAN AND SHANGHAI, CHINA, HAVE THEM. SEN. ARLEN SPECTER SAYS THE PENNSYLVANIA HIGH-SPEED MAGLEV PROJECT COULD CREATE THOUSANDS OF JOBS IN THE STEEL AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES. SEN. BOB CASEY SAYS THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION GRANT MORE THAN DOUBLES THE FEDERAL FUNDING THE PROJECT HAS GOTTEN SINCE 1999. THE GRANT WILL PAY FOR PRE-ENGINEERING WORK, FINANCIAL ESTIMATES, AN INDEPENDENT COST-ANALYSIS AND OTHER WORK.

OFFICER KILLED
PA. WOMAN CHARGED IN CRASH THAT KILLED OFFICER
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A WOMAN WHOSE VEHICLE STRUCK AND KILLED A POLICE OFFICER IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA LAST YEAR IS NOW CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE AND OTHER OFFENSES. JOANNA SEIBERT IS ACCUSED OF KILLING OFFICER DAVID TOME OF THE NORTHERN YORK COUNTY REGIONAL POLICE ON OCT. 21, 2008. THE 38-YEAR-OLD DILLSBURG WOMAN WAS RELEASED ON $100,000 UNSECURED BAIL AT THURSDAY'S ARRAIGNMENT. TOME WAS STRUCK BY SEIBERT'S VEHICLE WHILE HE WAS INVESTIGATING A FATAL ACCIDENT THAT HAD OCCURRED ALONG U.S. ROUTE 15 TWO DAYS EARLIER. COURT PAPERS SAY AN OPEN MAKEUP CASE WAS FOUND ON SEIBERT'S FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. POLICE SAY IN COURT PAPERS THAT SEIBERT DENIED USING HER MOBILE PHONE AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, BUT PHONE COMPANY RECORDS SHOW IT WAS IN USE AT THE TIME.

NEW YORK (AP) - THOUSANDS ARE EXPECTED TO TURN OUT AT MEMORIALS TODAY TO REMEMBER THE VICTIMS OF THE SEPT. 11 ATTACKS EIGHT YEARS AGO. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES WILL MEET WITH VICTIMS' FAMILY MEMBERS AT THE PENTAGON. AND FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL PLANS TO GIVE A SPEECH AT THE PENNSYLVANIA FIELD WHERE UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93 CRASHED.

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (AP) - A GLOBAL REMEMBRANCE OF SEPT. 11TH VICTIMS STARTED TODAY IN NEW ZEALAND. FIREFIGHTERS THERE GATHERED AROUND A MONUMENT BUILT FROM A STEEL BEAM FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. THE MEMORIAL'S ORGANIZER SAYS FIREFIGHTERS RELEASED 50 WHITE DOVES -- THE FIRST OF SOME 3,000 BEING RELEASED WORLDWIDE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) - IT TOOK THREE TRIES TO GET IT IN ORBIT, NOW BRINGING DISCOVERY BACK DOWN TO EARTH COULD PROVE JUST AS DIFFICULT. AFTER RAIN AND WIND PREVENTED A FLORIDA LANDING YESTERDAY, NASA IS HOPING THE BRING THE CREW OF SEVEN DOWN TONIGHT. BUT, THE OUTLOOK FOR THIS EVENING IN FLORIDA IS EXPECTED TO BE EVEN WORSE. A CALIFORNIA LANDING REMAINS AN OPTION IF FLORIDA IS A NO-GO.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PROTECTING THE POPULATION AGAINST SWINE FLU MAY BE EASIER THAN THOUGHT. NEW STUDIES SUGGEST ONLY ONE SHOT OF THE VACCINE MAY BE NEEDED TO PROTECT ADULTS AGAINST THE BUG, INSTEAD OF TWO. SCIENTISTS HAD FEARED TWO SHOTS SPACED A MONTH APART WERE NECESSARY BECAUSE MOST OF THE POPULATION HAS LITTLE IF ANY IMMUNITY TO THE NOVEL STRAIN.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. (AP) - ACTRESS LAUREN BACALL, PRODUCER-DIRECTOR ROGER CORMAN AND CINEMATOGRAPHER GORDON WILLIS WILL NEED TO DUST OFF SOME MANTEL SPACE. THEY'RE THE FIRST OSCAR WINNERS OF THE SEASON. THE THREE WILL RECEIVE HONORARY STATUETTES FOR THEIR PROLIFIC CAREERS.