Today's News-Monday, November 16, 2009

ST CLAIR MAN DIES IN ATV ACCIDENT
A ST CLAIR MAN DIED WHEN AN ALL TERRAIN VEHICLE HE WAS RIDING IN CRASHED INTO A TREE IN SCHUYLKILL TOWNSHIP EARLY SATURDAY. TROOPERS FROM THE FRACKVILLE BARRACKS SAY THAT JASON LIDDICK WAS DRIVING THE ATV ON MOSS GLEN ROAD, NEAR ROUTE 209, EARLY SATURDAY WHEN HE MISSED A RIGHT HAND TURN, LEFT THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK THE TREE. LIDDICK WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.

TWO HOSPITALIZED AFTER TREMONT CRASH

TWO WOMEN WERE INJURED IN A ONE-CAR CRASH THAT OCCURRED EARLY SUNDAY IN TREMONT TOWNSHIP. ASHLEY KOPERNA, AGE 18, OF TOWER CITY WAS WESTBOUND ON MOLLEYSTOWN ROAD WHEN HER CAR LEFT THE ROADWAY. IN TRYING TO CORRECT, HER CAR SPUN AND THE VEHICLE HIT A UTILITY POLE, SHEARING IT IN HALF. KOPERNA AND A PASSENGER, KELLY MCKLEEN OF TAMAQUA, HAD TO BE RESCUED FROM THE FORD FOCUS AND WERE FLOWN TO LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL WHERE THEY REMAIN TODAY.

NOVEL MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

A POTTSVILLE MAN ENLISTED THE HELP OF THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY AIRPORT MANAGER TO MAKE A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL. THE SECRET EVENT WAS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, WHERE BRIAN RATHOSKY PLANNED TO TAKE HIS GIRLFRIEND PAIGE ROGERS TO THE SKIES TO PROPOSE. BUT INCLEMENT WEATHER PUT THE FLIGHT OFF UNTIL SUNDAY. AIRPORT MANAGER BILL WILLARD HELPED TO WRITE THE PROPOSAL ALONG THE RUNWAY SO THAT ROGERS COULD SEE IT FROM THE AIR. THE SURPRISE WORKED. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LUCKY COUPLE.

TAX PROTEST DRAWS HUNDREDS TO HARRISBURG

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - LEADERS OF A PROTEST THAT BROUGHT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO HARRISBURG OVER THE WEEKEND SAY THEY HOPE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO STATE LAWMAKERS ABOUT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND TAXES. PARTICIPANTS IN THE EVENT HOSTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA TEA PARTY PATRIOTS MARCHED THROUGH THE CITY TO THE STATE CAPITOL STEPS SATURDAY CHANTING "CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?" THEY CARRIED SIGNS PROTESTING EVERYTHING FROM ABORTION TO GUN CONTROL AND WAVED U.S. FLAGS AS TWISTED SISTER'S "WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT" BLARED FROM A LOUDSPEAKER. CAPITOL POLICE ESTIMATED THE CROWD AT 1,500 TO 2,000 PEOPLE. ORGANIZERS SAY THEY PLAN TO PRESENT A PETITION TO GOV. ED RENDELL AND INSTRUCT MEMBERS ON HOW TO LOBBY OFFICIALS.

DEATH PENALTY SOUGHT IN FATAL BEATING OF PA. GIRL

YORK, PA. (AP) - PROSECUTORS IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WILL PRESENT EVIDENCE MONDAY THAT A MAN SHOULD BE EXECUTED FOR THE BEATING DEATH OF HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND'S 2-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER. JURORS LAST WEEK DELIBERATED FOR LESS THAN TWO HOURS BEFORE CONVICTING 28-YEAR-OLD HARVE LAMAR JOHNSON OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE APRIL 2008 DEATH OF DARISABEL BAEZ, WHO PROSECUTORS SAID WAS BEATEN WITH A VIDEO GAME CORD AND HER OWN HIKING BOOT. THE GIRL'S MOTHER, NEIDA BAEZ, PLEADED GUILTY LAST MONTH TO THIRD-DEGREE MURDER. PROSECUTORS WILL ARGUE THAT JOHNSON DESERVES EXECUTION DUE TO THE GIRL'S AGE AND THE EXTENT OF HER INJURIES. DEFENSE ATTORNEY RICK ROBINSON ARGUED UNSUCCESSFULLY THAT JOHNSON LACKED THE "SPECIFIC INTENT TO KILL" REQUIRED FOR A FIRST-DEGREE MURDER CONVICTION. HE DECLINED COMMENT AFTER THE VERDICT.

MAN SERVING LIFE TERM IN PA. STUDENT'S MURDER DIES

PITTSBURGH (AP) - AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA CORONER SAYS MORE TESTS WILL BE NEEDED TO DETERMINE WHAT KILLED A MAN SERVING A LIFE PRISON TERM IN THE SLAYING OF A PITTSBURGH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT 4 1/2 YEARS AGO. LUZERNE COUNTY CORONER JOHN CORCORAN SAYS 25-YEAR-OLD HOWARD KELLEY WAS HOSPITALIZED AFTER FALLING ILL FRIDAY AT THE STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION-DALLAS. CORCORAN SAYS KELLEY DIED AT 3:05 A.M. SATURDAY, AND AN AUTOPSY DID NOT IMMEDIATELY REVEAL THE CAUSE AND MANNER OF DEATH. HE SAYS THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF FOUL PLAY. KELLEY WAS ONE OF THREE MEN CONVICTED IN THE MARCH 2005 SLAYING OF 16-YEAR-OLD CARRICK HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE KEITH WATTS. HE WAS ALSO CONVICTED OF AN AUGUST 2007 ASSAULT ON AN INMATE AT ALLEGHENY COUNTY JAIL.

JURY MULLS DEGREE OF GUILT IN PA. OFFICER'S MURDER

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - TESTIMONY RESUMES MONDAY BEFORE A PHILADELPHIA JURY THAT MUST DECIDE WHETHER A 21-YEAR-OLD MAN ACTED IN PANIC OR PREMEDITATION WHEN HE SHOT AND KILLED A POLICE OFFICER DURING A DOUGHNUT SHOP ROBBERY TWO YEARS AGO. DEFENDANT JOHN LEWIS ENTERED A SURPRISE GUILTY PLEA THURSDAY TO A GENERAL MURDER COUNT IN THE HALLOWEEN 2007 SHOOTING DEATH OF 54-YEAR-OLD OFFICER CHUCK CASSIDY. JURORS WHO HAD BEEN PICKED FOR HIS TRIAL MUST NOW DECIDE WHETHER HE COMMITTED FIRST- OR SECOND-DEGREE MURDER. IF CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, LEWIS WOULD FACE EITHER LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE OR THE DEATH PENALTY. PROSECUTORS ON FRIDAY CALLED VICTIMS OF OTHER ROBBERIES IN AN EFFORT TO PORTRAY LEWIS AS A VIOLENT ROBBER WHO BECAME A MURDERER AND DESERVES TO BE EXECUTED. THE DEFENSE HAS ASSERTED THAT LEWIS PANICKED AND FIRED WHEN HE SAW THE OFFICER.

PHILLY FOLDER MAKER MAKES BIG BET ON SOLAR

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA COMPANY THAT CALLS ITSELF "PROUD TO BE OLD-FASHIONED" ON ITS WEB SITE IS TRYING TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE BY DOING SOMETHING THAT IS ANYTHING BUT - INSTALLING ONE OF THE REGION'S LARGEST SOLAR SYSTEMS. ALVAH BUSHNELL, A MANUFACTURER OF ACCORDION FOLDERS, WAS FOUNDED IN 1876. IT PLANS TO PUT AN 80-KILOWATT SOLAR SYSTEM ON THE FLAT ROOF OF THE FACTORY IN THE GERMANTOWN SECTION OF THE CITY WITH THE HELP OF FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS AND REBATES. THE FIRM THINKS CUTTING OPERATING COSTS IS A WAY TO STAY COMPETITIVE. THAT'S ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE PROSPECT OF ELECTRICITY RATES INCREASING BY DOUBLE DIGITS WHEN STATE-IMPOSED RATE CAPS EXPIRE AT THE END OF NEXT YEAR. SOLAR FIRM EOS ENERGY SOLUTIONS SAYS IT EXPECTS TO HAVE THE SYSTEM INSTALLED BY MID-JANUARY AND ESTIMATES THAT IT WILL SAVE THE FIRM ABOUT $34,000 A YEAR.

CEREMONY HELD FOR WHITE BUFFALO AT PA. RESORT HOME

FARMINGTON, PA. (AP) - NATIVE AMERICAN SONGS AND DANCES WELCOMED A SACRED WHITE BUFFALO TO HIS NEW HOME AT A SANCTUARY ESTABLISHED AT A SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA RESORT FOLLOWING THE CLOSURE OF THE ZOO WHERE HE WAS BORN. ABOUT 200 PEOPLE TOOK PART IN SATURDAY'S CEREMONY TO THANK OWNERS OF NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS RESORT IN FARMINGTON FOR BUYING THE WHITE BUFFALO AND ANOTHER BLACK BUFFALO BORN AT THE NEARBY WOODLAND ZOO IN FARMINGTON, WHICH CLOSED LAST MONTH. THE ANIMALS ARE NOW ON A 50-ACRE PARCEL ON THE WOODED GROUNDS OF THE RESORT NEAR PITTSBURGH. JOE HARDY, FOUNDER OF BOTH THE RESORT AND 84 LUMBER, WAS PRESENTED WITH A FEATHER FROM A BALD EAGLE AS WELL AS INDIAN BLANKETS. THE RESORT ALSO PLANS TO ESTABLISH AN AMERICAN INDIAN INTERPRETIVE CENTER.

SHANGHAI (AP) - JUST AHEAD OF TALKS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS NUDGED BEIJING TO STOP CENSORING INTERNET ACCESS. DURING A TOWN HALL-STYLE MEETING IN SHANGHAI, OBAMA SAID "THE MORE FREELY INFORMATION FLOWS, THE STRONGER THE SOCIETY BECOMES." CHINA HAS MORE THAN 250 MILLION INTERNET USERS AND EMPLOYS SOME OF THE WORLD'S TIGHTEST CONTROLS OVER WHAT THEY SEE.

TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) - IN A STATEMENT POSTED ON HIS WEB SITE, IRAN'S PRESIDENT IS WARNING THE WEST THAT PRESSURES ON TEHRAN WILL ONLY MAKE THE NATION "MORE POWERFUL AND ADVANCED." MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD'S COMMENTS DIDN'T ELABORATE ON HOW WESTERN PRESSURE WOULD EMBOLDEN IRAN, BUT IT'S LIKELY A REFERENCE TO ENRICHING URANIUM AT A HIGHER LEVEL IF NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS FALL THROUGH.

CHICAGO (AP) - FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE EXPECTED TO VISIT AN ILLINOIS PRISON MONDAY THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE USED TO HOUSE GUANTANAMO BAY DETAINEES. GOV. PAT QUINN AND SEN. DICK DURBIN TRIED TO BUILD SUPPORT FOR THE SALE, CALLING IT A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE JOBS. REPUBLICANS SAY BRINGING SUSPECTED TERRORISTS TO ILLINOIS POSES A THREAT TO SAFETY.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) - EXCELLENT WEATHER IS FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S LAUNCH WINDOW FOR SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS. NASA IS ROCKETING ATLANTIS OFF TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION LOADED
WITH SPARE PARTS. WATCHING CLOSELY FROM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER WILL
BE 100 TWITTERERS, WHO WERE INVITED BY THE SPACE AGENCY TO DOCUMENT
THE LIFT OFF ONLINE.

NEW YORK (AP) - CAPT. CHESLEY SULLENBERGER IS LABELING A NEW BOOK ON HIS MIRACULOUS LANDING ON THE HUDSON RIVER INACCURATE. THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS THE PILOT SAYS "FLY BY WIRE" GREATLY OVERSTATES HOW MUCH THE JET'S AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY MATTERED IN THE LANDING AFTER GEESE STRIKES KILLED THE ENGINES. THE AUTHOR SAYS HE DOESN'T THINK THE TECHNOLOGY'S ROLE WAS CRITICAL, BUT THAT IT'S "PART OF THE STORY."