Today's News-Friday, October 23, 2009

WATER MAIN BREAK IN BLYTHE TOWNSHIP

A WATER MAIN BREAK IS CAUSING WATER SERVICE INTERRUPTION IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: PRIMROSE, BLACK HEATH, DUNCOTT AND HECKSHERVILLE. BLYTHE TOWNSHIP WATER AUTHORITY SAYS CREWS ARE WORKING ON THE PROBLEM, AND A WATER BOIL ADVISORY WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE ONCE THE REPAIRS ARE MADE.

HAVEN WITHOUT POWER, WORKER INJURED

THE BOROUGH OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN WAS WITHOUT POWER FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS THURSDAY AFTER A WORKER WAS SHOCKED AT AN ELECTRIC SUBSTATION. REPORTS INDICATE THAT JARED BERNITSKY SUFFERED SEVERE BURNS AND WAS FLOWN TO LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN ELECTRIC CREWS WORKED DILIGENTLY TO BRING POWER BACK AS DARKNESS FELL. BOROUGH OFFICIALS ARE LOOKING INTO WHAT HAPPENED. THE SCHUYLKILL HAVEN HALLOWEEN PARADE WAS POSTPONED UNTIL MONDAY BECAUSE OF THE OUTAGE.

ROW HOME FIRE IN TAMAQUA ARSON

AN EARLY THURSDAY MORNING FIRE IN THE BOROUGH OF TAMAQUA DESTROYED A ROW HOME AND DAMAGED TWO OTHERS. CREWS FROM TAMAQUA, SUMMIT HILL AND SURROUNDING TOWNS BATTLED THE BLAZE ON ORWIGSBURG STREET, BRINGING IT UNDER CONTROL WITHIN TWO HOURS. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE THREE UNIT DWELLING WAS UNOCCUPIED AT 134 ORWIGSBURG STREET, AND THE FIRE DELIBERATELY SET. NO ONE WAS INJURED.

STUDENTS THREATEN BUS DRIVER

TWO UPPER DAUPHIN SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS ARE IN HOT WATER AFTER THREATENING A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER WEDNESDAY. STATE POLICE SAY 18 YEAR OLD DUSTIN REHRER OF ELIZABETHVILLE AND A 15 YEAR OLD BOY BOTH THREATENED TO KILL TWO DRIVERS, 45 YEAR OLD KERRY HOOVER AND 69 YEAR OLD KENNETH HOOVER AT THE HIGH SCHOOL IN ELIZABETHVILLE. BOTH TEENS WILL BE CHARGED WITH MAKING TERRORISTIC THREATS, HARRASSMENT AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT.

VEHICLE THEFT

A 1987 CHEVY SUV WAS STOLEN FROM AN AUTO LOT NEAR SHENANDOAH WEDNESDAY ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT J AND M AUTO ON THE GOLD STAR HIGHWAY. THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.

TWO ESCAPE INJURY IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP CRASH AN ANIMAL CROSSING

SWEET ARROW LAKE ROAD CAUSED AN ACCIDENT THURSDAY AFTERNOON. 40 YEAR OLD FRANCIS FOSTER OF ST CLAIR SWERVED TO AVOID THE ANIMAL, CROSSED OVER THE ROAD AND STRUCK THE GUIDERAIL. FOSTER AND HIS 17 YEAR OLD PASSENGER WERE BOTH WEARING THEIR SEATBELTS AND WEREN'T HURT. FOSTER'S SUV HAD MODERATE DAMAGE FROM THE CRASH IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - MURDER CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED AGAINST THE FATHER AND STEPMOTHER OF A 10-YEAR-OLD PHILADELPHIA GIRL WHO DIED SHORTLY AFTER BEING FOUND UNCONSCIOUS IN HER HOME. POLICE SAY DOMINGO FERREIRA AND MARGARITA GARABITO ARE BOTH CHARGED WITH MURDER AND CHILD ENDANGERMENT IN THE DEATH OF FERREIRA'S 10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, CHARLEENI, ON WEDNESDAY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE TWO CANDIDATES FOR PENNSYLVANIA'S HIGHEST COURT FACED QUESTIONS ON PAY RAISES, CAMPAIGN FUNDING AND JUDICIAL CONDUCT IN THE FIRST DEBATE OF THEIR STATEWIDE RACE. JACK PANELLA AND JOAN ORIE MELVIN ARE COMPETING FOR A SINGLE OPENING ON THE STATE SUPREME COURT. THEY DEBATED AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY'S LAW SCHOOL. THE ELECTION IS NOVEMBER 3.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A STUDY OF 10,000 AT-RISK CHILDREN IN PENNSYLVANIA HAS FOUND THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS DROP FROM AN AVERAGE OF 18 PERCENT TO JUST 2 PERCENT IN KIDS THAT ATTEND PRESCHOOL. THE FOUR-YEAR, $1 MILLION INDEPENDENT STUDY WAS FUNDED BY THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS AND CONDUCTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH.

ARCHBALD, PA. (AP) - DEFENSE CONTRACTOR LOCKHEED MARTIN IS CUTTING ITS WORK FORCE AT A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA PLANT. LOCKHEED SAYS JOBS ARE BEING CUT FOR 50 OF THE 550 PEOPLE AT ITS FACILITY IN ARCHBALD. A SPOKESWOMAN SAYS THAT INCLUDES 39 LAYOFFS AND 11 EARLY RETIREMENT BUYOUTS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A FORMER PHILADELPHIA POLICE DETECTIVE WILL SPEND THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR STEALING NEARLY $1 MILLION FROM A CHARTER SCHOOL HE HEADED. FORMER PHILADELPHIA ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL CEO KEVIN O'SHEA PLEADED GUILTY IN JULY TO TAKING ABOUT $900,000 IN KICKBACKS, HOME REPAIRS AND OTHER PAYMENTS ON TOP OF HIS $200,000-A-YEAR SALARY.

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA (AP) - TWO NATO MEMBERS SAY THEY WON'T BE WILLING TO SEND NEW TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN UNTIL PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA DECIDES ON A NEW STRATEGY THERE. THE DUTCH DEFENSE MINISTER ALSO SAYS HIS COUNTRY IS AWAITING THE RESULTS OF NEXT MONTH'S AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF. NATO MEMBERS ARE MEETING TODAY IN SLOVAKIA.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - A SUICIDE BOMBER HAS KILLED SEVEN PEOPLE AT A CHECKPOINT NEAR A MAJOR AIR FORCE COMPLEX IN PAKISTAN. ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, A CAR BOMB HAS WOUNDED 15 PEOPLE. THE BOMBINGS ARE THE LATEST IN A SURGE OF MILITANT ATTACKS IN PAKISTAN.

TOKYO (AP) - THE CHAIRMAN OF THE U.S. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF SAYS JAPAN MUST DECIDE "AS SOON AS POSSIBLE" ON THE RELOCATION OF A MAJOR U.S. MARINE BASE IN OKINAWA. THE DELAY IN IMPLEMENTING A 2006 U.S-JAPANESE DEAL ON THE BASE COULD BECOME A STICKING POINT AHEAD OF NEXT MONTH'S VISIT TO JAPAN BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA.

ORANGE PARK, FLA. (AP) - ABOUT 200 PEOPLE HAVE HELD A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL OUTSIDE THE HOME OF 7-YEAR-OLD SOMER THOMPSON. THE NORTH FLORIDA GIRL VANISHED MONDAY DURING HER WALK HOME FROM SCHOOL. HER BODY WAS FOUND IN A GEORGIA LANDFILL TWO DAYS LATER. AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN QUESTIONING MORE THAN 155 REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS IN THE AREA.

BERN, SWITZERLAND (AP) - THE SWISS GOVERNMENT SAYS THE U.S. HAS FORMALLY REQUESTED THE EXTRADITION OF ROMAN POLANSKI FOR HAVING SEX WITH A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN 1977. IF IT APPROVES THE U.S. REQUEST, THE JUSTICE MINISTRY SAYS THE FILMMAKER CAN APPEAL. POLANSKI WAS ARRESTED SEPT. 26 AS HE ARRIVED IN ZURICH TO ATTEND A FILM FESTIVAL.