Today's News-Friday, October 16, 2009

MIXED BAG CONTINUES

COLD, WET, SOGGY, AND IN SOME PLACES WHITE. THOSE ADJECTIVES DESCRIBE THE WEATHER AS A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW CONTINUES OVER THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY TODAY INTO LATE TONIGHT. WET HEAVY SNOW AND TEMPS NEAR FREEZING MADE FOR SOME ICY TRAVEL IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF OUR LISTENING AREA, WHILE THE MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW IS EXPECTED INTO TONIGHT. OBVIOUSLY, GROUND TEMPERATURES WILL KEEP MOST ROADWAYS JUST WET, BUT SOME SPOTS MAY BECOME ICY, SO EXERCISE CAUTION. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL SATURDAY MORNING.

STAINED GLASS REMOVED

BOTH SIDES IN THE ST GEORGE CHURCH CASE CONTINUE TO USE LEGAL MANEUVERS TO KEEP THE HISTORIC SHENANDOAH CHURCH FROM THE WRECKING BALL. BUT WORKERS HAVE BEEN REMOVING STAINED GLASS FROM THE PROPERTY ON JARDIN STREET THATS BEEN CLOSED SINCE 2006. WNEP-TV REPORTS THAT WORK CONTINUES AT THE PROPERTY, DEEMED A SAFETY HAZARD BY THE DIOCESE OF ALLENTOWN. PARISHONERS WANT THE BUILDING TO BE SAVED AND MADE INTO A HISTORICAL SHRINE. ST GEORGE IS THE OLDEST LITHUANIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES. JUDGE CYRUS PALMER DOLBIN GAVE BOTH LEGAL TEAMS UNTIL DECEMBER 1ST TO FILE BRIEFS WHETHER MONIES DONATED TO A BUILDING FUND FOR THE CHURCH GIVES MEMBERS AN INTEREST IN THE BUILDING'S FATE, AND TO ALLOW FOR TESTIMONY FROM THE LITHUANIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES.

INTERIM CEO STAYS

OFFICIALS AT ST CATHERINE'S MEDICAL CENTER HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT INTERIM CEO DANIEL COLON WILL STAY ON IN THAT ROLE. ACCORDING TO A PRESS RELEASE, COLON HAS SERVED IN EXECUTIVE POSITIONS AT A NUMBER OF HOSPITALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. COLON CITES THAT ST CATHERINE'S WILL CONTINUE TO BRING MORE PHYSICIANS TO THE COMMUNITY AND IMPROVE TECHNOLOGY TO SERVE ITS PATIENTS. COLON CAME TO THE AREA IN JULY OF THIS YEAR.

STOLEN VEHICLES FOUND

VEHICLES THAT WERE STOLEN FROM A COLUMBIA COUNTY BUSINESS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN OUR AREA. STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SAY THAT A TRUCK-TRACTOR AND PICKUP OWNED BY ABRACZINSKAS NURSERIES OF CATAWISSA WERE LOCATED AT A LOT BEHIND RENNINGER'S MARKET WEDNESDAY. HOW THEY GOT HERE OR WHO TOOK THE TRUCKS IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

WET AND ICY ROADS

A COUPLE OF ACCIDENTS WERE REPORTED BY STATE POLICE DURING YESTERDAYS WINTRY MIX OF WEATHER. BONITA FEGLEY OF MOUNT CARMEL LOST CONTROL ON INTERSTATE 81 YESTERDAY IN BUTLER TOWNSHIP. HER VEHICLE SMASHED UP AGAINST GUIDERAILS BUT SHE WASN'T HURT. OTHER FENDER BENDERS WERE ALSO REPORTED AND TRAFFIC SLOWED DUE TO THE EARLY FALL WEATHER EVENT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT HAS UPHELD THE CONVICTIONS OF SIX ANIMAL-RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN A NEW JERSEY HARASSMENT CASE. THE SIX MEMBERS OF STOP HUNTINGDON ANIMAL CRUELTY WERE CONVICTED IN 2006 OF USING THEIR WEB SITE TO INCITE THREATS AND VANDALISM AGAINST EMPLOYEES OF HUNTINGDON LIFE SCIENCE IN FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, SOMERSET COUNTY, N.J.

TAMPA, FLA. (AP) - THE WIDOW OF TV PITCHMAN BILLY MAYS SAYS AN INDEPENDENT MEDICAL EXAMINER HAS DETERMINED COCAINE USE DID NOT
CONTRIBUTE TO HER LATE HUSBAND'S DEATH. DEBORAH MAYS SAYS IN A STATEMENT RELEASED YESTERDAY THAT THE EXAMINER REVIEWED AUTOPSY
MATERIALS AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF CHRONIC COCAINE USE. THE PHYSICIAN CLASSIFIED HIS DEATH AS "NATURAL."

NEW YORK (AP) - FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE CHARGED 41 PEOPLE IN A MORTGAGE FRAUD INVOLVING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THIRTY-ONE
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, OHIO AND NORTH
CAROLINA.THEY ARE AMONG 41 PEOPLE CHARGED WITH ENGAGING IN MORTGAGE
FRAUD SCAMS THAT DEFRAUDED LENDERS OUT OF MORE THAN $64 MILLION IN
HOME MORTGAGE LOANS.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - WINTRY WEATHER HAS COME A LITTLE EARLY TO PENNSYLVANIA. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS SOME PARTS OF NORTH-CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA SAW ABOUT 4 INCHES OF SNOW LAST NIGHT PLUS MORE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. THIS IS THE EARLIEST IN THE YEAR THAT STATE COLLEGE HAS HAD SNOW FOR AS LONG AS RECORDS HAVE BEEN KEPT.

WILLIAMSPORT, PA. (AP) - FORMER PENN STATE TAILBACK AUSTIN SCOTT HAS FILED A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR CIVIL SUIT AGAINST PROSECUTORS, POLICE AND THE UNIVERSITY TWO YEARS AFTER AUTHORITIES DROPPED CHARGES OF RAPE AND OTHER COUNTS AGAINST HIM. SCOTT'S LAWYER, JOHN KAROLY, SAYS HIS CLIENT'S NFL HOPES WERE DASHED BECAUSE OF THE CASE.

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN (AP) - THERE'S BEEN ANOTHER DEADLY ATTACK IN PAKISTAN. AT LEAST SEVEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE NORTHWEST CITY OF PESHAWAR WHEN A SUICIDE CAR BOMBER STRUCK NEAR A MOSQUE AND A POLICE STATION. THERE HAS BEEN NO CLAIM OF RESPONSIBILITY YET, BUT THE TALIBAN IS SUSPECTED. MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN MILITANT ATTACKS OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE SHAPE OF THE SENATE'S HEALTH CARE REFORM EFFORT IS STILL BEING NEGOTIATED. BUT SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN MAX BAUCUS IS PREDICTING THAT ALL SENATE DEMOCRATS AND PERHAPS MORE THAN ONE REPUBLICAN WILL VOTE FOR WHATEVER EMERGES. BAUCUS IS IN TALKS WITH SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID AND WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS ON MERGING HIS PANEL'S BILL WITH ONE FROM ANOTHER COMMITTEE.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS ASKING HIS HARD-CORE DEMOCRATIC SUPPORTERS FOR THEIR TRUST AND PATIENCE. AT A PAIR OF FUNDRAISING EVENTS YESTERDAY, OBAMA ADDRESSED COMPLAINTS BY SOME THAT HIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN SLOW TO FULFILL HIS CAMPAIGN PROMISES.

PRESCOTT, ARIZ. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN ARIZONA SAY THE DEATHS OF TWO PEOPLE DURING A SWEAT LODGE CEREMONY LED BY A SELF-HELP EXPERT ARE BEING INVESTIGATED AS HOMICIDES. THE COUNTY SHERIFF SAYS A "COMBINATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES" LED TO THE DEATHS LAST WEEK AND THEY WERE NOT ACCIDENTAL. BUT HE SAYS IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER A CRIMINAL CASE CAN BE PROVEN.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES HAVE TAKEN GAME 1 OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES. CARLOS RUIZ AND RAUL IBANEZ BOTH HIT THREE-RUN HOME RUNS TO LEAD THE PHILS TO AN 8-6 VICTORY OVER THE DODGERS IN LOS ANGELES. GAME 2 IS SET FOR THIS AFTERNOON.