Today's News-Friday, October 30, 2009

LAST DAY FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO SUBMIT ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR THE NOVEMBER 3RD ELECTION. THE ONLY EXCLUSIONS TO THE DEADLINE ARE ABSENTEES FROM MILITARY OR OVERSEAS VOTERS AND THOSE HAVE A VERIFIABLE EMERGENCY AT THE 5 O'CLOCK DEADLINE. THAT WORD COMES FROM SCHUYLKILL COUNTY ELECTION BUREAU DIRECTOR FRANNIE BRENNAN.

RUNAWAY REPORTED

A 17 YEAR OLD GIRL FROM WAYNE TOWNSHIP IS REPORTED MISSING. ASHLEY ADAMS WAS REPORTED MISSING FROM HER HOME BY HER MOTHER. SHE WAS LAST SEEN ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE GIRL ATTENDS BLUE MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL, AND IS DESCRIBED AS BEING 5 FEET 5 INCHES TALL, LONG STRAIGHT BROWN HAIR AND BROWN EYES. SHE WAS LAST SEEN WEARING A BLUE HOODED COAT, BLUE JEANS AND BLACK BOOTS. STATE POLICE SAY THAT ASHLEY ADAMS HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SOME OF HER FRIENDS THIS WEEK. IF YOU HAVE ANY LEADS, CALL STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN AT 593-2000.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN POTTSVILLE

A POTTSVILLE MAN IS JAILED FOLLOWING A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT IN THE CITY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. REPORTS INDICATE THA JOHN LIPTOK JR. OF POTTSVILLE WAS STALKING ROSE MARY ZWEIZIG IN THE 400 BLOCK OF DIVISION STREET. LIPTOK ALLEGEDLY HAD FOLLOWED HER FROM ANOTHER PART OF THE CITY, YELLING AT HER, THEN GRABBED ZWEIZIG'S WRISTS AND SHE FELL TO THE GROUND. ALAN DONMOYER PROVIDED AID TO ZWEIZIG, WHO IS 7 MONTHS PREGNANT, AND SHE WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER WITH CONTRACTIONS. LIPTOK WAS CHARGED WITH SIMPLE ASSAULT AND STALKING. LIPTOK COULDN'T POST BAIL AND REMAINS IN THE COUNTY LOCKUP.

ELECTRONICS STOLEN AT UNION TOWNSHIP HOME

BURGLARS TOOK ELECTRONICS FROM A HOME IN UNION TOWNSHIP MIDWEEK. JASON EIKSZTA OF RESERVOIR ROAD FOUND GUNS AND SEVERAL ELECTRONIC GAMING SYSTEMS TAKEN FROM HIS HOME WHEN HE RETURNED TO HIS RESIDENCE. STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE ARE INVESTIGATING.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING CRIMINAL MISCHIEF AT A WORSHIP CENTER IN WAYNE TOWNSHIP. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN STATE POLICE SAY SOMEONE SHOT PAINTBALLS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE VRAJ TEMPLE ON MANOR ROAD, THEN DAMAGED THE SIGN AND TOOK OFF WITH ANOTHER ORNAMENTAL SIGN, WHICH IS WRITTEN IN ENGLISH, MAROON IN COLOR AND ENGRAVED IN GOLD LETTERS. THE VALUE OF DAMAGE TO THE SIGNS TOTAL $12 THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.

STOP LOSS SOLDIERS DUE MONEY

ALL SOLDIERS WHO SPENT EXTRA TIME ON ACTIVE DUTY BECAUSE OF THE STOP-LOSS PROGRAM SINCE SEPTEMBER 2001WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR $500 PER MONTH IN COMPENSATION. DON ROONEY HAS DETAILS FROM HARRISBURG:

ROONEY SOLDIERS

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - THE PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT HAS DISMISSED THOUSANDS OF JUVENILE CONVICTIONS ISSUED BY A JUDGE CHARGED IN A CORRUPTION SCANDAL. THE HIGH COURT YESTERDAY THREW OUT MORE THAN FIVE YEARS' WORTH OF CASES HEARD BY FORMER LUZERNE COUNTY JUDGE MARK CIAVARELLA. HE IS CHARGED WITH ACCEPTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN KICKBACKS.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - TWO PENN STATE FRATERNITIES AND TWO STUDENTS FACE MISDEMEANOR CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH OF A FRESHMAN FOUND DEAD ON CAMPUS AFTER A NIGHT OF DRINKING LAST MONTH. THE ALPHA TAU OMEGA AND PHI GAMMA DELTA FRATERNITIES ARE CHARGED WITH ALLEGEDLY PROVIDING 18-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH DADO WITH ALCOHOL ON SEPT. 19 AND 20.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THREE TEENS CONVICTED OF FATALLY BEATING A STARBUCKS MANAGER ON A PHILADELPHIA SUBWAY PLATFORM ARE GOING TO PRISON FOR MORE THAN 12 YEARS. PROSECUTORS SAY AMEER BEST, NASHIR FISHER AND KINTA STANTON TOOK PART IN THE ASSAULT ON A DARE AFTER CUTTING SCHOOL IN MARCH 2008. THE VICTIM, SUFFERED A FATAL ASTHMA ATTACK AMID THE SERIES OF BLOWS.

EAST STROUDSBURG, PA. (AP) - A COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY TEAM FROM EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA IS FORFEITING ITS PLAYOFF GAMES FOLLOWING ALLEGATIONS OF STUDENT HAZING. OFFICIALS AT EAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY DID NOT GIVE DETAILS OF THE ALLEGATIONS IN ANNOUNCING THE FORFEITS YESTERDAY. EAST STROUDSBURG IS A STATE UNIVERSITY LOCATED NEAR THE POCONO MOUNTAINS.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. (AP) - A JUDGE HAS ORDERED THAT BAIL BE KEPT AT $1 MILLION FOR THE JANITOR ACCUSED OF KILLING A NEW JERSEY PRIEST BY STABBING HIM 32 TIMES. JOSE FELICIANO MADE HIS FIRST COURT APPEARANCE IN STATE SUPERIOR COURT IN MORRISTOWN YESTERDAY. JUDGE THOMAS MANAHAN ADJUSTED FELICIANO'S BAIL FROM CASH, BOND OR PROPERTY TO CASH SOLELY.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - HELICOPTERS AND BOATS ARE COMBING THE WATERS OFF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S COAST AFTER A COAST GUARD PLANE AND A MARINE CORPS HELICOPTER CRASHED. OFFICIALS SAY NINE PEOPLE WERE ABOARD THE TWO AIRCRAFT. A PILOT REPORTED SEEING A FIREBALL NEAR THE SUSPECTED CRASH SITE SHORTLY AFTER 7 LAST NIGHT.

TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS (AP) - HONDURAS' OUSTED PRESIDENT AND ITS INTERIM GOVERNMENT ARE GREETING A NEW AGREEMENT AS A RESOLUTION TO THE COUNTRY'S MONTHS-OLD POLITICAL DISPUTE. THE AGREEMENT COULD OPEN THE WAY FOR PRESIDENT MANUEL ZELAYA'S REINSTATEMENT FOUR MONTHS AFTER HE WAS FORCED FROM OFFICE IN A COUP.

PARIS (AP) - A JUDICIAL OFFICIAL SAYS FORMER FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC HAS BEEN ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL IN A CORRUPTION SCANDAL. A JUDGE HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING WHETHER PEOPLE IN CHIRAC'S CIRCLE DURING HIS TERM AS PARIS' MAYOR BETWEEN 1977-1995 WERE GIVEN SHAM JOBS AS ADVISERS. CHIRAC'S OFFICE SAID HE'LL DISPUTE THE CHARGES.

TOKYO (AP) - THERE ARE NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES AFTER A MAGNITUDE 6.8 QUAKE STRUCK OFF JAPAN'S SOUTHERN COAST. JAPAN'S METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY SAYS THERE'S NO DANGER OF DAMAGE FROM A TSUNAMI.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - MICHAEL JACKSON'S FINANCIAL AFFAIRS ARE GROWING MORE COMPLICATED. TWO OF THE POP STAR'S COLLABORATORS ON "THRILLER" ARE FILING CLAIMS SAYING THEY'RE DUE MORE THAN $2 MILLION FROM THE LATE SINGER'S ESTATE. JACKSON'S FORMER MANAGER IS ALSO CLAIMING THE SINGER OWED HIM MORE THAN $300,000.