Today's News-Tuesday, September 22, 2009

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF FALL- THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX WILL OCCUR AFTER 5PM TODAY.

TWO CRASHES BACK TO BACK ON I-81 CRASH

TWO BACK TO BACK ACCIDENTS ON INTERSTATE 81 IN TREMONT TOWNSHIP EARLY MONDAY CLOSED A PART OF THE HIGHWAY DOWN FOR SEVERAL HOURS. YOSEPH SILVER OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND WAS DRIVING NEAR MILE MARKER 106 WHEN HIS CAR LEFT THE ROADWAY AND HIT THE GUIDERAIL TWICE. YOSEPH AND DEVORAH SILVER HAD MINOR INJURIES. WITHIN 5 MINUTES, 25 YEAR OLD JOSEPH LUKUS OF CLARKS SUMMIT BECAME DISTRACTED BY PEOPLE WARNING OF THE TRAFFIC SLOWDOWN FROM THE FIRST ACCIDENT. HIS VEHICLE REAR ENDED SILVER'S VEHICLE, SPINNING IT INTO THE SOUTHBOUND LANES AND HIT A PEDESTRIAN, KYLE MOLL OF NEWMANSTOWN AND A PARKED CAR. MOLL AND TWO PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE WERE FLOWN TO REGIONAL TRAUMA CENTERS FOR TREATMENT, ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE. THE CRASHES HAPPENED AFTER MIDNIGHT YESTERDAY.

GOODMAN BILL FOR PRE RELEASE CENTER LAND PASSES SENATE COMM.

LEGISLATION PROPOSED BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE NEAL GOODMAN TO ALLOW THE PURCHASE OF LAND FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY'S PRISON PRE-RELEASE CENTER HAS BEEN APPROVED BY A SENATE COMMITTEE. THE FULL SENATE MUST RATIFY THE BILL, HOPEFULLY BY WEEK’S END. THE PRE-RELEASE CENTER, TO BE BUILT NEAR THE FRACKVILLE STATE PRISON, WOULD HELP TO ALLEIVATE OVERCROWDING AT THE COUNTY PRISON. THE HOUSE HAD SIGNED OFF ON H.B. 792 EARLIER IN THE SUMMER.

PA. BUDGETMAKING GRINDS SLOWLY, DETAILS IN THE AIR
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE WHEELS OF BUDGET-MAKING ARE GRINDING SLOWLY IN HARRISBURG. LEGISLATIVE STAFF AIDES WORKED MONDAY TO WRITE BILLS THAT REFLECT A THREE-DAY-OLD BUDGET DEAL AND SETTLE NUMEROUS DISAGREEMENTS OVER DETAILS. FINAL VOTES ARE NOT ANTICIPATED THIS WEEK, AND MOST RANK-AND-FILE LEGISLATORS HAD NOT YET BEEN BRIEFED ON THE NEARLY $28 BILLION AGREEMENT THAT WAS ANNOUNCED FRIDAY NIGHT AND IS NOW MORE THAN 80 DAYS LATE. SOME DETAILS REMAIN UNDER WRAPS. FOR INSTANCE, SENATE MAJORITY LEADER DOMINIC PILEGGI SAYS BUDGET-MAKERS ARE STILL DISCUSSING HOW TO SPEND APPROXIMATELY $100 MILLION. ALSO, WHILE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS AGREED TO LEGALIZE TABLE GAMES AT CASINOS, THEY HAVE NOT AGREED ON A TAX RATE OR STATE LICENSING FEE. AND SOME DEMOCRATS ARE UNHAPPY OVER AN AGREEMENT TO LEASE MORE STATE FOREST LAND FOR NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION.

MISSING PENN STATE STUDENT FOUND DEAD
STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - PENN STATE UNIVERSITY SAYS THE BODY OF A MISSING STUDENT HAS BEEN FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF A STAIRWELL ABOUT 75 YARDS FROM WHERE HE WAS LAST SEEN ALIVE. THE UNIVERSITY SAID MONDAY EVENING THAT 18-YEAR-OLD FRESHMAN JOSEPH DADO, OF LATROBE, WAS FOUND DEAD AT ABOUT 6 P.M. AT THE HOSLER BUILDING. UNIVERSITY POLICE SAY IT LOOKS LIKE DADO FELL ABOUT 15 FEET TO THE CONCRETE BELOW. UNIVERSITY POLICE DIRECTOR STEVE SHELOW SAYS THERE'S NO REASON TO SUSPECT FOUL PLAY AND THE DEATH APPEARS TO BE AN ACCIDENT. DADO WAS LAST SEEN ALIVE LEAVING THE PHI GAMMA DELTA HOUSE AROUND 3 A.M. SUNDAY. UNIVERSITY SPOKESWOMAN LISA POWERS SAYS AN AUTOPSY AND TOXICOLOGY TESTS WILL BE PERFORMED TUESDAY AT MOUNT NITTANY MEDICAL CENTER.

GROCER KILLED IN SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A GROCER WHO'D BEEN DOING BUSINESS IN SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA FOR THREE MONTHS HAS BEEN SHOT DEAD. POLICE LT. JOHN WALKER SAYS A GUNMAN SHOT THE 54-YEAR-OLD OWNER OF THE PERALTA GROCERY STORE ON MONDAY EVENING AS THE VICTIM'S WIFE LOOKED ON. THE GUNMAN MADE OFF WITH ABOUT $2,000. NO DESCRIPTION OF THE KILLER WAS IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.

SPECTER SEEKS ACTION ON PHILLY-AREA AMTRAK BRIDGES
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - SEN. ARLEN SPECTER IS ASKING VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN FOR FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY TO REPAIR AMTRAK BRIDGES IN THE PHILADELPHIA AREA. SPECTER WROTE TO BIDEN AND AMTRAK PRESIDENT JOSEPH BOARDMAN ON MONDAY IN REACTION TO AN ARTICLE IN THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER THE PREVIOUS DAY. SUNDAY'S ARTICLE SAID NEARLY HALF OF AMTRAK'S 302 BRIDGES IN THE REGION HAVE SOME ELEMENTS RATED "POOR" OR WORSE. NONE OF THE BRIDGES HAD ANY "FAILED" MARKS, AND AMTRAK OFFICIALS SAY THEY REMAIN SAFE FOR TRAVEL. SPECTER'S RIVAL FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR SENATE NEXT YEAR, U.S. REP. JOE SESTAK, SAYS SPECTER OPPOSED STIMULUS FUNDING FOR AMTRAK DURING A SENATE DEBATE EARLIER THIS YEAR.

PHILADELPHIA NEWSPAPERS GETS $15M IN DEBTOR LOANS
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A KEY HEARING ON RULES TO GOVERN THE BANKRUPTCY AUCTION FOR PHILADELPHIA NEWSPAPERS IS ON HOLD WHILE NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE. SENIOR LENDERS HOPE TO WIN THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS AND PHILLY.COM WITH A "CREDIT BID." THAT MEANS THEY COULD USE SOME OF THE $400 MILLION OWED THEM TO BID. TWO CURRENT INVESTORS ARE JOINING WITH A THIRD PERSON TO TRY TO KEEP THE COMPANY UNDER LOCAL OWNERSHIP. ARGUMENTS EXPECTED MONDAY ON THE CREDIT BID HAVE BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR OCT. 1. MEANWHILE, A JUDGE HAS FINALIZED AN ORDER LETTING THE COMPANY BORROW $15 MILLION FROM CREDITORS TO KEEP OPERATING DURING BANKRUPTCY. LOCAL INVESTORS BOUGHT PHILADELPHIA NEWSPAPERS IN 2006 FOR $515 MILLION. THE COMPANY IS NOW WORTH LESS THAN $100 MILLION.

PA. MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN INFANT DAUGHTER'S DEATH
ERIE, PA. (AP) - A NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS 5-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER AFTER BECOMING ENRAGED OVER AN UNHOUSEBROKEN DOG HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO THIRD-DEGREE MURDER. VINCENT DAVIS COULD GET UP TO 45 YEARS IN PRISON AND A $60,000 FINE. THE 25-YEAR-OLD ERIE MAN PLEADED GUILTY MONDAY; HIS SENTENCING IS SCHEDULED NOV. 20. POLICE SAY DAVIS BECAME ENRAGED ON FEB. 24 WHEN HIS FAMILY'S JACK RUSSELL TERRIER URINATED AND DEFECATED ON THE FLOOR. POLICE SAY HE FATALLY KICKED THE DOG, THEN SHOOK HIS DAUGHTER WHEN SHE BEGAN TO CRY. SAVONNIA DAVIS DIED AT A HOSPITAL TWO DAYS LATER. IN ADDITION TO THIRD-DEGREE MURDER, DAVIS PLEADED GUILTY TO A MISDEMEANOR COUNT OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. IN EXCHANGE, PROSECUTORS DROPPED CHARGES OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, RECKLESSLY ENDANGERING ANOTHER PERSON AND ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD.

PA. CORONER: NO FOUL PLAY IN MOTHER-SON DEATHS
HAZLETON, PA. (AP) - A MOTHER AND SON HAVE BEEN FOUND DEAD IN THEIR HOME IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE LUZERNE COUNTY CORONER SAYS THE HAZLETON WOMAN CARED FOR HER SEVERELY HANDICAPPED SON AROUND THE CLOCK DESPITE HAVING SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS OF HER OWN. HE SAID MONDAY THAT HE'S NOT ENTIRELY SURE HOW THEY DIED, BUT HE'S CERTAIN THERE'S NO FOUL PLAY INVOLVED. A NEIGHBOR CALLED POLICE SUNDAY AFTER BECOMING CONCERNED BECAUSE THE MOTHER AND SON HADN'T BEEN SEEN FOR MORE THAN A WEEK. THE NAMES OF THE MOTHER AND SON WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY RELEASED.

DENVER (AP) - THE INVESTIGATION INTO A POSSIBLE TERROR PLOT IS PROMPTING COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIALS TO WARN MASS-TRANSIT SYSTEMS IN THE U.S. TO STEP UP PATROLS. OFFICIALS SAY AN AIRPORT SHUTTLE DRIVER UNDER ARREST IN COLORADO MAY HAVE BEEN PLANNING WITH OTHERS TO DETONATE BACKPACK BOMBS ON NEW YORK CITY TRAINS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE RECESSION IS HAVING AN EFFECT ON AMERICANS' LIVES AT HOME AND AT WORK. CENSUS DATA SHOW PEOPLE ARE STUCK IN TRAFFIC LONGER, LESS APT TO MOVE AWAY AND MORE INCLINED TO PUT OFF MARRIAGE AND BUYING A HOUSE. ALSO, THERE WAS A DIP IN THE NUMBER OF FOREIGN-BORN PEOPLE LAST YEAR, TO UNDER 38 MILLION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - HELP MAY BE ON THE WAY FOR JOBLESS AMERICANS. THE HOUSE IS TAKING UP EMERGENCY LEGISLATION THIS WEEK THAT WOULD PROVIDE 13 WEEKS OF EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN STATES WITH JOBLESS RATES OF AT LEAST 8.5 PERCENT AND WHO WOULD RUN OUT OF BENEFITS BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER. THE BILL IS EXPECTED TO PASS EASILY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - SENATORS CHALLENGING THE LATEST PROPOSED HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL ALREADY HAVE WON SOME CONCESSIONS AND THERE COULD BE MORE. THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE IS SET TO CONSIDER A 10-YEAR, NEARLY $900 BILLION PLAN TODAY. SENATORS HAVE FILED 564 AMENDMENTS TO CHAIRMAN MAX BAUCUS' PLAN.

NEW YORK (AP) - FORMER SUPER BOWL STAR PLAXICO BURRESS EXPECTS TO BEGIN SERVING PRISON TIME IMMEDIATELY FOR ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTING HIMSELF AT A NIGHTCLUB LAST YEAR. HE PLEADED GUILTY AUG. 20 TO ONE COUNT OF ATTEMPTED CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF A WEAPON. THE FORMER NEW YORK GIANTS WIDE RECEIVER IS SET TO BE SENTENCED TODAY.