Today's News-Saturday, September 12, 2009

NEW PHILLY WOMAN DIES IN CRASH

POLICE IN BERKS COUNTY REPORT THE DEATH OF A NEW PHILADELPHIA WOMAN IN A THURSDAY MORNING ACCIDENT. IT HAPPENED BEFORE 6AM IN MAIDENCREEK TOWNSHIP. REPORTS INDICATE THAT 47 YEAR OLD DARLA ANN DESIDERIO WAS SOUTHBOUND ON ROUTE 222 WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS, CROSSED INTO THE NORTHBOUND LANE AND CRASHED HEAD-ON INTO A CAR DRIVEN BY JESSICA MAUER. DESIDERIO WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. A PASSENGER IN HER CAR, MAUER AND HER PASSENGER WERE ALL TAKEN TO READING HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT.

UNITED WAY OFF TO GOOD START

IN TRYING TIMES, PEOPLE RALLY TOGETHER TO HELP EACH OTHER. IT GIVES HOPE TO THOSE IN NEED. AND FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, DONORS TO THE 2010 SCHUYLKILL UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN ARE OFF TO A GOOD START. THE COUNTY KICKOFF WAS HELD AT PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL FRIDAY, WITH GENERAL CAMPAIGN CHAIR MIKE TOBASH ANNOUNCING THAT 25 PERCENT OF THE $1 MILLION DOLLAR GOAL HAS ALREADY BEEN PLEDGED. H.O.P.E, HELPING OTHER PEOPLE EVERYDAY IS THIS YEAR'S THEME. SIXTEEN AGENCIES BENEFIT FROM UNITED WAY CONTRIBUTIONS. TAMAQUA'S KICKOFF IS SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY. LAST YEAR, SCHUYLKILL UNITED WAY RAISED OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.

SCHUYLKILL HOSE REBUILDS

VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS ARE A UNIQUE BREED. THEY TRAIN, BUY THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT AND SERVE THE PUBLIC UNSELFISHLY FOR NO PAY. AND THEY SUPPORT THEIR BRETHERN. SCHUYLKILL HOSE COMPANY NUMBER TWO REALIZED THAT SPIRIT WHEN THEIR FIRE COMPANY AND EQUIPMENT WERE DESTROYED IN A FIRE AT THEIR STATION TWO YEARS AGO TODAY. THEY WILL CELEBRATE THE RE-DEDICATION AND TRUCK HOUSING IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN. COMPANY CHIEF JIM REED REFLECTS ON THE SUPPORT THEY RECEIVED AFTER THE FIRE:

REED 2

A NOISE PARADE ROLLS OUT IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN AT 12:30 AND THE HOUSING DEDICATION AT 3:22PM, THE EXACT TIME THE CALL CAME IN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2007.

BUDGET? WHAT BUDGET?

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOV. ED RENDELL'S TOP AIDE SAYS THE NUMBERS IN A LONG-DELAYED BUDGET DEAL HAMMERED OUT BY PENNSYLVANIA'S LEGISLATIVE LEADERS DON'T ADD UP AND THE GOVERNOR COULD VETO IT. CHIEF OF STAFF STEVE CRAWFORD SAID FRIDAY THAT THE SPENDING PLAN CUTS TOO DEEPLY INTO EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE AND WOULD SET UP THE STATE FOR A MAJOR TAX INCREASE NEXT YEAR. ASKED ABOUT A VETO, CRAWFORD SAYS THE ADMINISTRATION HAS "A RANGE OF OPTIONS AND THAT IS CERTAINLY ONE." EVEN HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER SAM SMITH AGREES WITH THE GOVERNOR:

SMITH

THE NEARLY $28 BILLION STATE BUDGET INCLUDES HIGHER TAXES ON BUSINESSES AND CIGARETTE SALES, AS WELL AS REVENUE FROM LEGALIZED TABLE GAMES IN CASINOS AND MORE GAS DRILLING IN STATE FORESTS.

FIRE COMPANY FUNDING

THE FEDERAL HOMELAND SECURITY ADMINISTRATION HAS ANNOUNCED ANOTHER ROUND OF FUNDING FOR FIRE AND AMBULANCE COMPANIES IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER ANNOUNCED THE GRANTS THROUGH THE SAFER PROGRAM. COMPANIES IN FOUNTAIN SPRINGS, RINGTOWN, SHEPPTON AND ORWIGSBURG WILL SHARE IN NEARLY $163-THOUSAND-DOLLARS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA PLANS TO VISIT PENNSYLVANIA NEXT WEEK. HE IS SCHEDULED TO TRAVEL TO PITTSBURGH ON TUESDAY TO SPEAK AT THE AFL-CIO CONVENTION. LATER, HE PLANS TO ATTEND A FUNDRAISER FOR SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER IN PHILADELPHIA.

SCRANTON, PA. (AP) - A LUZERNE COUNTY HOUSING OFFICIAL HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH TAKING A BRIBE FROM A BUSINESS OWNER. WILLIAM MAGUIRE IS THE SECOND MEMBER OF THE COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY TO BE CHARGED THIS MONTH. MAGUIRE HAS AGREED TO PLEAD GUILTY IN RETURN FOR A SENTENCE OF UP TO 14 MONTHS IN PRISON.

ADAMSTOWN, PA. (AP) - A GROUP OF PAGANS AND WITCHES IS PLANNING A FESTIVAL SATURDAY IN A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITY, BUT SOME
LOCAL SHOPKEEPERS PLAN TO CLOSE BECAUSE THEY DON'T AGREE WITH THE
GROUP'S BELIEFS. MEMBERS OF THE READING PAGANS AND WITCHES GROUP
WILL GATHER IN ADAMSTOWN'S QUAINT STOUDTBURG VILLAGE.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - ABOUT A DOZEN HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES RIDDEN BY RELATIVES AND FRIENDS OF UNITED FLIGHT 93 PASSENGERS AND CREW MEMBERS ROARED INTO SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON FRIDAY, ENDING A JOURNEY FROM NEW JERSEY THAT MIRRORED THE FLIGHT'S INTENDED PATH. FLIGHT 93 CRASHED IN PENNSYLVANIA AFTER BEING COMMANDEERED BY TERRORISTS.

KABUL (AP) - AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI COULD FIND OUT TODAY WHETHER HE HAS ENOUGH VOTES TO OVERCOME FRAUD COMPLAINTS AND AVOID
A RUNOFF. AFGHANISTAN'S ELECTION COMMISSION IS PREPARING TO RELEASE
FULL RESULTS FROM LAST MONTH'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THEY WON'T BE
CERTIFIED UNTIL A U.N.-BACKED COMPLAINTS COMMISSION COMPLETES ITS
FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS.

KABUL (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY 45 AFGHAN CIVILIANS, SECURITY PERSONNEL AND MILITANTS HAVE DIED IN VIOLENCE RAGING ACROSS THE COUNTRY. TWENTY CIVILIANS WERE KILLED IN TWO SEPARATE ROADSIDE BOMBINGS. AND AFGHAN POLICE SAY COALITION AND AFGHAN FORCES KILLED 11 MILITANTS DURING AN OVERNIGHT RAID.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - SOUTH KOREA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS IT WOULDN'T OPPOSE THE U.S. HOLDING DIRECT TALKS WITH NORTH KOREA TO GET THE COMMUNIST REGIME BACK TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. THE U.S. SAYS WASHINGTON IS PREPARING TO ACCEPT THE NORTH'S OFFER FOR ONE-ON-ONE TALKS AS PART OF EFFORTS TO RESTART STALLED NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT TALKS.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS HEADING TO CALIFORNIA TO ATTEND A MEMORIAL FOR TWO FIREFIGHTERS KILLED IN A MASSIVE BLAZE NORTH OF LOS ANGELES. FIREFIGHTERS, THEIR FRIENDS, FAMILIES AND OTHERS ARE EXPECTED AT DODGER STADIUM FOR TODAY'S EVENT.

NEW YORK (AP) - THE NEW YORK TIMES IS REPORTING ALEX RODRIGUEZ WON'T BE PUNISHED BY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AFTER IT COMPLETED ITS INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER HE LIED ABOUT HIS USE OF PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS. INVESTIGATORS REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL OF THE YANKEES THIRD BASEMAN'S ASSOCIATES IN MAY TO EXAMINE WHETHER HE USED DRUGS FOR A LONGER PERIOD THAN HE HAS ACKNOWLEDGED.