Today's News-Tuesday, October 20, 2009

9-1-1 OUTAGE

RESIDENTS IN THE 773 PHONE EXCHANGE CAN NOW USE 9-1-1 TO MAKE EMERGENCY CALLS. PROBLEMS WITH THE SYSTEM YESTERDAY MORNING FORCED SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICIALS TO IMPLEMENT ALTERNATIVE PHONE NUMBERS WHILE VERIZON REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. SERVICE WAS RESTORED AFTER 5PM MONDAY.

BREAK-INS AT BURNED OUT BAR

NEW INFORMATION HAS BEEN RELEASED ABOUT SATURDAY'S MASSIVE FIRE AT A NEW PHILADELPHIA BAR. STATE POLICE INVESTIGATORS HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE FIRE AT MOE'S BAR WAS INTENTIONALLY SET. AND WHILE THE ASHES SMOLDERED AT THE SITE, SOMEONE BROKE INTO THE REMAINS TWICE AND TOOK LIQUOR. THE BUILDING HAD BEEN BOARDED UP, BUT A DOOR ON THE WIGGAN STREET SIDE WAS PRIED OPEN. THOSE BREAK-INS APPARENTLY HAPPENED DURING OVERNIGHT HOURS.

FIRE AT PORTER TOWNSHIP GARAGE

A GARAGE BURNED IN PORTER TOWNSHIP MONDAY MORNING. THE CAUSE OF THE BLAZE AT MENDENHALL'S GARAGE ON WICONISCO STREET IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE OWNER, DWAYNE MENDENHALL AND OTHERS WORKED TO REMOVE WORKBENCHES AND TOOLS FROM THE SITE, AND THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

POSSIBLE CASE OF MENINGITIS AT NORTH SCHUYLKILL

OFFICIALS AT THE NORTH SCHUYLKILL SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVE REPORTED A "POSSIBLE' CASE OF MENINGITIS IN ONE OF THEIR STUDENTS. THAT ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE AT A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING LAST NIGHT ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. THE STUDENT WAS SENT HOME FROM CLASSES YESTERDAY, BUT REPORTS INDICATE FURTHER TESTS ARE NECESSARY TO DETERMINE IF IN FACT THE CHILD HAS MENINGITIS, AN INFLAMMATION OF THE AREA AROUND THE SPINAL CORD AND BRAIN, CAUSED BY AN INFECTION.

ARGALL INTRODUCES BILL TO CUT COSTS

NOW THAT THE STATE BUDGET MESS IS BEHIND US, SENATOR DAVE ARGALL HAS INTRODUCED A MEASURE TO ESTABLISH A BIPARTISAN COMMISSION TO IDENTIFY COST-SAVING MEASURES IN STATE GOVERNMENT:

ARGALL COST CUTTING

A SIMILAR RESOLUTION WAS INTRODUCED IN THE MID 90'S THAT ULTIMATELY PRODUCED SAVINGS OVER A 5 YEAR PERIOD. ARGALL IS LOOKING AT A MUCH MORE DETAILED REVIEW OF EVERY STATE AGENCY TO FIND SAVINGS.

SEIP HONORED

STATE REPRESENTATIVE TIM SEIP WAS HONORED RECENTLY FOR BEING STATE SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR. THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS, PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER HONORED SEIP AT A MEETING EARLIER THIS MONTH. UNFORTUNATELY, SEIP WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE CEREMONY DUE TO THE BUDGET BATTLE IN HARRISBURG. SEIP HAS BEEN A LICENSED SOCIALWORKER IN VARIOUS COUNTY AGENCIES, DOING SO UNTIL HIS ELECTION TO THE STATE HOUSE 3 YEARS AGO. THE AWARD WAS PRESENTED MONDAY IN HARRISBURG.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOVERNOR ED RENDELL SAYS THAT HE MIGHT MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON ADDITIONAL LAYOFFS IN STATE GOVERNMENT BY THE END OF THE WEEK. THE STATE HAS LAID OFF MORE THAN 300 EMPLOYEES SINCE JULY BECAUSE OF SPENDING CUTS.

FORT CARSON, COLO. (AP) - TWO SOLDIERS FROM FORT CARSON, COLORADO WITH TIES TO PENNSYLVANIA WERE AMONG FOUR SOLDIERS KILLED IN AN ATTACK IN AFGHANISTAN. THE PENTAGON SAYS STAFF SERGEANT GLEN STIVISON OF BLAIRSVILLE AND PRIVATE FIRST CLASS BRANDON STYER OF LANCASTER DIED THURSDAY AFTER THEIR VEHICLE WAS STRUCK WITH A BOMB.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - NOTICE HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR THE FIRST LAWSUIT STEMMING FROM LAST WEEK'S CRASH OF A 12-TON CONSTRUCTION LIFT IN DOWNTOWN PHILADELPHIA. NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE WAS FILED ON BEHALF OF 76-YEAR-OLD DOROTHY RAMOS. SHE CLAIMS TO HAVE SUFFERED INJURIES FROM FALLING DEBRIS. A CONSTRUCTION WORKER WAS KILLED.

MOUNT CARMEL, PA. (AP) - THE FEDERAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION IS PROPOSING MORE THAN $500,000 IN FINES AGAINST AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA COAL MINE OPERATOR FOR A MINER'S DEATH. ROBERT CAREY WAS KILLED IN JUNE 2008, BY FALLING ROCKS OR COAL INSIDE HARMONY MINE NEAR MOUNT CARMEL.

DILLSBURG, PA. (AP) - RESIDENTS IN DILLSBURG, YORK COUNTY, HAVE EXPERIENCED ABOUT 600 SMALL EARTHQUAKES OVER THE LAST YEAR, AND NOW EXPERTS MAY HAVE AN EXPLANATION. RESEARCHER CHARLES SCHAMBERGER SAYS TWO TYPES OF ROCKS THAT WERE ALREADY WEAKENED BY MINING ARE
SLIDING AND MAKING CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER.

WASHINGTON (AP) - HEALTH INSURANCE ANXIETY IS BEING SEEN IN A GROWING NUMBER OF AMERICANS. A ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION POLL FINDS A THIRD OF AMERICANS WORRIED ABOUT LOSING THEIR HEALTH CARE INSURANCE. CONCERN IS EVEN GREATER AMONG YOUNG ADULTS, AT 40 PERCENT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS A BUSY WEEK OF CAMPAIGN STOPS AND FUNDRAISERS THE REST OF THIS WEEK INCLUDING STOPS TODAY IN NEW YORK CITY. HIS EFFORTS TO GET DEMOCRATS ELECTED AND RAISE MONEY FOR THE PARTY COULD BE AN INDICATOR OF HIS POLITICAL INFLUENCE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI IS EXPECTED TO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TODAY ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CRISIS. U.S. OFFICIALS SAY THEY BELIEVE HE WILL CONCEDE HE DIDN'T WIN ENOUGH VOTES TO AVOID A RUNOFF. IT MIGHT LEAD TO A POWER-SHARING DEAL, OR AN ACTUAL RUNOFF ELECTION IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, PAKISTAN (AP) - PAKISTAN'S ARMY HAS AIR-DROPPED LEAFLETS URGING A MAJOR TRIBE IN SOUTH WAZIRISTAN TO STAND ASIDE DURING AN OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE PAKISTANI TALIBAN. THE
OPERATION AGAINST THE MILITANTS IS CONSIDERED PAKISTAN'S MOST CRITICAL FIGHT AGAINST ISLAMIST EXTREMISTS THREATENING ITS STABILITY.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (AP) - CRIME-FIGHTING IN AUSTRALIA HAS PUSHED THE BOUNDARIES OF DNA TECHNOLOGY BY MATCHING BLOOD FOUND IN A LEECH TO A MAN WHO ADMITTED ROBBING AN ELDERLY WOMAN. ONE FORENSIC SCIENTIST SAYS THE CASE IS THE FIRST IN AUSTRALIA - AND POSSIBLY ANYWHERE - IN WHICH DNA EXTRACTED FROM A BLOODSUCKER LIKE A LEECH OR A MOSQUITO WAS USED TO SOLVE A CRIME.