Today's News-Wednesday, September 2, 2009

BREAKING NEWS

TREMONT WOMAN DIES IN DAUPHIN CRASH

A TREMONT WOMAN IS DEAD FROM INJURIES IN A CRASH IN DAUPHIN COUNTY LAST NIGHT. LYKENS STATE POLICE REPORT THAT 47 YEAR OLD ROBIN LUCAS WAS NORTHBOUND ON THE GOLDMINE ROAD WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL ON A LEFT HAND CURVE. IN TRYING TO REGAIN CONTROL, LUCAS OVERSTEERED AND HER CAR STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT AND THEN A TREE. SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD BY THE DAUPHIN COUNTY CORONER. THE FATAL CRASH HAPPENED AFTER 11PM.

TWO COUNTY MEN DIE IN LEBANON COUNTY CRASH

JONESTOWN, PA. (AP) - STATE POLICE IN LEBANON COUNTY SAY A THREE-VEHICLE ACCIDENT HAS KILLED TWO MEN AND INJURED THREE OTHER PEOPLE, ONE CRITICALLY. POLICE SAY A NORTHBOUND SUV APPROACHING THE CREST OF A HILL IN UNION TOWNSHIP CROSSED OVER INTO THE ONCOMING LANE AND HIT A SOUTHBOUND MINIVAN SHORTLY AFTER 9 A.M. TUESDAY. POLICE SAY THE SUV THEN HIT A SOUTHBOUND SUV HEAD-ON, KILLING TWO COUNTY MEN. POLICE IDENTIFIED THE VICTIMS AS 67-YEAR-OLD DRIVER JOHN KROH SR., OF TREMONT, AND 70-YEAR-OLD JOHN BECKER, OF PINE GROVE. ANOTHER PASSENGER, 81-YEAR-OLD KATHRYN BECKER, OF PINE GROVE, WAS TAKEN TO HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER IN CRITICAL CONDITION. A 3-YEAR-OLD BOY IN A CHILD SAFETY SEAT WAS UNINJURED. POLICE SAID THE 28-YEAR-OLD FLORIDA MAN DRIVING THE FIRST SUV AND A 24-YEAR-OLD FEMALE PASSENGER FROM NEW YORK STATE WERE ALSO TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. POLICE SAY THEY ARE INVESTIGATING WHETHER ALCOHOL WAS INVOLVED IN THE CRASH.

LANSFORD, PA. (AP) – A CARBON COUNTY MAN HAS BEEN ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL ON HOMICIDE CHARGES IN THE 2007 DISAPPEARANCE OF HIS WIFE. POLICE CHARGED 34-YEAR-OLD ERNEST FREEBY OF LANSFORD ON AUG. 4, NEARLY 20 MONTHS AFTER EDWINA ONYANGO, A 34-YEAR-OLD KENYAN IMMIGRANT, WAS REPORTED MISSING. POLICE HAVE ALLEGED THAT SHE WAS TAKEN DOWN THE BASEMENT STEPS OF FREEBY'S HOME AND PLACED IN A COAL BIN, WHERE DNA TESTS CONFIRMED THAT HER BLOOD WAS FOUND. HER BODY HAS NOT BEEN LOCATED. FREEBY HAS DENIED KILLING HIS WIFE, AND PUBLIC DEFENDER PAUL LEVY ARGUED TUESDAY IN DISTRICT COURT THAT THE CHARGES SHOULD BE
DISMISSED DUE TO LACK OF EVIDENCE. BUT DISTRICT JUDGE CASIMIR
KOSCIOLEK RULED THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SEND THE CASE TO TRIAL. FREEBY WAS RETURNED TO CARBON COUNTY PRISON AFTER THE PRELIMINARY HEARING.

DRUG TASK FORCE NABS ONE

A SEARCH WARRANT EXECUTED BY AGENTS FROM THE D.A.'S DRUG TASK FORCE AND LOCAL POLICE LEADS TO THE ARREST OF A MINERSVILLE MAN. CARL JOHNSON'S HOME ON SOUTH STREET WAS SEARCHED AND MARIJUANA AND COCAINE WERE FOUND, WITH A STREET VALUE OF ABOUT $500 DOLLARS. HE'S CHARGED WITH VARIOUS DRUG OFFENSES AND WAS JAILED IN THE COUNTY PRISON.

BEER BUSINESS BROKEN INTO

A TOWER CITY BEER DISTRIBUTOR WAS BROKEN INTO OVER THE WEEKEND. BETWEEN SUNDAY AND MONDAY, A GLASS DOOR WAS SMASHED AT NELSON BEER DISTRIBUTOR ON EAST GRAND AVENUE. A CASE OF BOOZE WAS KNOCKED OVER AND THREE CABINET DOORS WERE OPENED BEFORE THE BURGLAR FLED THE PREMISES. NO OTHER ITEMS WERE REPORTED TAKEN ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE.

FARMERS CAN HELP TO MAINTAIN NATURAL HABITATS

WHILE MANY PEOPLE PICTURE PENNSYLVANIA'S NATURAL, UNDEVELOPED STATE AS ONLY WOODED WILDERNESS, ITS ACTUALLY MANY HABITATS THAT CHANGE AND TRANSITION FROM DENSE FOREST TO MARSHES AND WETLANDS. PENN STATE COOPERATIVE WETLANDS CENTER RESEARCHER GIAN ROCCO EXPLAINS THAT TODAY'S FARMERS CAN HELP PENNSYLVANIA KEEP THE PROPER BALANCE IN ITS MOSAIC OF HABITATS:

ROCCO

ROCCO SAYS PROPERLY MAINTAINED FARMLAND HAS A ROLE IN PROTECTING THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF THE WETLANDS, AND CAN EVEN SLOW THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER SAYS THE CITY WILL BORROW $275 MILLION TO PAY VENDORS THAT HAVE NOT RECEIVED MONEY SINCE MID-JULY BECAUSE OF A BUDGET CRISIS. NUTTER SAYS THE SHORT-TERM LOAN FROM JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO PAY ABOUT $200 MILLION OF THE $225 MILLION OWED TO VENDORS.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS FILED COURT DOCUMENTS TO ACQUIRE LAND NEEDED FOR THE FLIGHT 93 NATIONAL MEMORIAL. THE $58 MILLION, 2,200-ACRE MEMORIAL IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPT. 11 ATTACKS. THE 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT SAID HIJACKERS CRASHED THE PLANE AS PASSENGERS TRIED TO SEIZE CONTROL OF THE COCKPIT.

SCRANTON, PA. (AP) - A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA OFFICIAL HAS BEEN INDICTED ON A CHARGE OF AIDING AND ABETTING THE PAYMENT OF A BRIBE TO ANOTHER MEMBER OF A LOCAL HOUSING BOARD. A GRAND JURY HAS CHARGED 66-YEAR-OLD GERALD BONNER, OF MOUNTAIN TOP. HE IS LUZERNE COUNTY'S JURY COMMISSIONER AND A MEMBER OF THE LUZERNE COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A NORTH PHILADELPHIA MAN HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE IN THE ROBBERY AND SHOOTING DEATH OF AN EGYPTIAN IMMIGRANT IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD PIZZERIA. CORDELL ADAMS WAS CONVICTED AFTER A NON-JURY TRIAL IN THE JUNE 2008 DEATH OF 44-YEAR-OLD ALY ELKAIED.

KABUL (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF AFGHANISTAN'S INTELLIGENCE SERVICE HAS BEEN KILLED IN AN EXPLOSION THAT RIPPED THROUGH A CROWD OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ONE PROVINCE EAST OF KABUL. A TALIBAN SPOKESMAN TELLS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT A SUICIDE BOMBER HAD TARGETED THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL.

BAGHDAD (AP) - AN IRAQI COURT HAS SENTENCED FOUR MEMBERS OF IRAQ'S SECURITY FORCES TO DEATH FOR THEIR ROLES IN A BAGHDAD BANK HEIST THAT LEFT EIGHT BANK GUARDS DEAD. THE FOUR WERE CONVICTED ON ROBBERY AND MURDER CHARGES AND WERE SENTENCED ON TUESDAY. THE COURT SAYS THEY HAVE A MONTH TO APPEAL THE SENTENCE.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (AP) - JAKARTA, INDONESIA (AP) - A POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE HAS CAUSED BUILDINGS TO SWAY IN INDONESIA'S CAPITAL AND PROMPTED A REGIONAL TSUNAMI ALERT. THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAYS THE QUAKE STRUCK WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF THE MAIN ISLAND OF JAVA WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.4. IT HAD A DEPTH OF 38 MILES.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - CREWS BATTLING THE MASSIVE WILDFIRE NORTH OF LOS ANGELES HAVE GOTTEN HELP FROM THE WEATHER. MORE HUMIDITY AND A
SLIGHT BREAK IN THE BLAZING HEAT HAS ALLOWED THEM TO BUILD LINES
AROUND A QUARTER OF THE BLAZE. BUT FIRE OFFICIALS FEAR THE WINDS
COULD KICK UP TODAY.

ATLANTA (AP) - OFFICIALS AT EMORY UNIVERSITY SAY ABOUT 50 STUDENTS WITH SWINE FLU HAVE BEEN MOVED TO A SEPARATE DORM. THE STUDENTS AREN'T ATTENDING CLASSES AND SCHOOL WORKERS ARE DELIVERING FOOD TO THEM. AN EMORY SPOKESMAN SAYS THE GOAL IS TO KEEP THE STUDENTS SEPARATE WHILE THEY RECOVER.