Today's News-Monday, November 23, 2009

SUSPECTED DRUNK DRIVER

A PORT CARBON WOMAN WAS ARRESTED EARLY SUNDAY IN EAST NORWEGIAN TOWNSHIP. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN STATE POLICE SAY A JEEP WAS DISABLED ALONG MILL CREEK AVENUE AROUND 1:45AM. THE DRIVER, DENISE HUBLER, HAD REPORTEDLY WALKED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND WENT LOOKING FOR HELP. TROOPERS SAY SHE APPEARED TO BE INTOXICATED AND FAILED A FIELD SOBRIETY TEST. CHARGES OF SUSPICION OF DUI WILL BE FILED IN DISTRICT COURT.

PROWLER PROBED

A PINE GROVE AREA WOMAN WAS INTERRUPTED FROM SLEEP SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER A PROWLER ENTERED LINDAY PHILLIPY'S HOME ON SUEDBERG ROAD AND BANGED ON A BEDROOM DOOR. THE SUSPECT THEN FLED. STATE POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR LEADS AS TO WHO ENTERED THE HOME.

ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS TO CURB UNSAFE DRIVING

MILLIONS OF MOTORISTS ARE TAKING TO THE HIGHWAYS FOR THANKSGIVING. THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE AND HUNDREDS OF MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING WITH PENNDOT TO INCREASE TRAFFIC SAFETY ENFORCEMENT FROM NOW UNTIL THE NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY WEEKEND. PENN DOT SECRETARY ALLEN BIEHLER:

BIEHLER

AS PART OF OPERATION SAFE HOLIDAY, POLICE WILL USE SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTS, ROVING PATROLS AND REGULAR TRAFFIC SAFETY PATROLS TO FOCUS ON IMPAIRED, AGGRESSIVE AND UNBUCKLED MOTORISTS. LAST THANKSGIVING, THERE WERE MORE CRASHES THAN ANY HOLIDAY IN 2008. 53 PEOPLE DIED ON STATE ROADWAYS DURING THE PERIOD. INFORMATION ON TRAVEL DELAYS, ROAD CONDITIONS AND WEATHER FORECASTS IS ALSO AVAILABLE BY CALLING 5-1-1 OR LOG ON TO 5-1-1PA-DOT-COM.

STIMULUS MONIES TO BE USED FOR ROAD WORK

TWO MAJOR ROAD PROJECTS WILL BE UNDERTAKEN HERE IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY AS PART OF THE FEDERAL STIMULUS PROGRAM. THAT'S ACCORDING TO GOVERNOR ED RENDELL. INTERSTATE 81 WILL BE MILLED AND PATCHED FROM THE LUZERNE COUNTY LINE TO ROUTE 54. INTERCHANGE RAMPS WILL ALSO BE REPAIRED, AND ROUTE 309 RAMPS WILL BE RECONSTRUCTION. TOTAL COST, $18.5 MILLION DOLLARS. ROUTE 54 WILL BE RESURFACED FROM THE READING AND BLUE MOUNTAIN RAILROAD BRIDGE THROUGH MAHANOY TOWNSHIP TO THE RYAN TOWNSHIP LINE, COSTING $3.9 MILLION.

MIDDLETOWN, PA. (AP) - THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION SENT INVESTIGATORS TO THE THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AFTER A SMALL AMOUNT OF RADIATION WAS DETECTED THERE. ABOUT 150 EMPLOYEES WERE SENT HOME SATURDAY AFTERNOON AFTER THE RADIATION WAS DETECTED AT THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA PLANT. OFFICIALS SAY THERE IS NO PUBLIC HEALTH RISK.

NEW YORK (AP) - A SWARTHMORE COLLEGE GRADUATE FROM SUBURBAN NEW YORK WHO HELPED FIGHT MALARIA IN UGANDA HAS BEEN NAMED A RHODES SCHOLAR. MARK DLUGASH IS ONE OF 32 WINNERS ANNOUNCED SUNDAY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS THAT PROVIDE ALL EXPENSES FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS OF STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD IN ENGLAND. THE 23-YEAR-OLD DLUGASH GRADUATED FROM SWARTHMORE IN 2008.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - LEGENDARY JAZZ DRUMMER BILLY JAMES HAS DIED IN PHILADELPHIA AT THE AGE OF 73. JAMES DIED FRIDAY NIGHT AT MERCY HOSPITAL AFTER STRUGGLING WITH COMPLICATIONS FROM ASTHMA. THAT'S ACCORDING TO HIS LONGTIME GIRLFRIEND, DANITA LYBURN. HE WAS A LONGTIME MAINSTAY AT PHILADELPHIA JAZZ CLUBS FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN SET.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE ARE HURT AND MANY MORE ARE HOMELESS AFTER A BLAZE AT A NORTHEASTERN PHILADELPHIA APARTMENT COMPLEX. THE FIRE STARTED AROUND 4:30 A.M. SUNDAY AT THE AUSTIN MANOR APARTMENTS. THERE IS NO WORD ON THE EXTENT OF THE INJURIES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - DEMOCRATIC SEN. ARLEN SPECTER OF PENNSYLVANIA SAYS THE HEALTH CARE MEASURE GOING TO THE SENATE FLOOR FOR DEBATE WOULD SAVE THE COUNTRY $800 BILLION OVER THE COMING 20 YEARS. BUT REPUBLICAN SENATORS, SEPECTER'S FORMER GOP COLLEAGUES, AREN'T BUYING THOSE ARGUMENTS. SEN. KIT BOND OF MISSOURI CALLS THE DEMOCRATIC-SPONSORED MEASURE A "SCAM."

KABUL (AP) - THE MILITARY SAYS FOUR U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE PAST 24 HOURS IN AFGHANISTAN. NATO SAYS THREE WERE KILLED IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN, TWO IN A BOMB ATTACK AND THE THIRD IN A SEPARATE FIREFIGHT. THE FOURTH DIED IN A BOMBING IN THE EAST. MEANWHILE, AFGHAN OFFICIALS SAID THREE AFGHAN ARMY SOLDIERS WERE KILLED BY A ROADSIDE BOMB IN SOUTHERN HELMAND PROVINCE.

MIDDLETOWN, PA. (AP) - THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION HAS SENT INVESTIGATORS TO THE THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN PENNSYLVANIA AFTER A SMALL AMOUNT OF RADIATION WAS DETECTED. SPECIALIST JOHN WHITE SAYS THERE'S NO INDICATION THE RADIATION EXCEEDED OR EVEN APPROACHED REGULATORY LIMITS.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) - ATLANTIS' CREW IS GEARING UP FOR ANOTHER SPACEWALK OUTSIDE THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. AMONG THE ASTRONAUTS SUITING UP IS RANDOLPH BRESNIK - THE FATHER OF A NEW BABY GIRL. THE MISSION IS TO HOOK UP A FRESH OXYGEN TANK AND SOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS.

HOUSTON (AP) - MICHAEL JACKSON'S DOCTOR IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO WORK AT HIS HOUSTON MEDICAL CLINIC FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BEFORE THE POP STAR'S DEATH. DR. CONRAD MURRAY HAS BEEN THE FOCUS OF A HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION IN LOS ANGELES SINCE TELLING POLICE HE GAVE JACKSON A POWERFUL OPERATING ROOM ANESTHETIC TO HELP HIM SLEEP. HE HASN'T BEEN CHARGED WITH A CRIME.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THE MAN ACCUSED OF SECRETLY MAKING NUDE VIDEOS OF ESPN REPORTER ERIN ANDREWS IS SCHEDULED TO BE ARRAIGNED TODAY IN A LOS ANGELES FEDERAL COURT. PROSECUTORS SAY MICHAEL BARRETT FOUND HOTELS WHERE ANDREWS WAS STAYING, RENTED AN ADJACENT ROOM, ALTERED THE PEEPHOLE AND SHOT VIDEOS OF ANDREWS.