Today's News-Tuesday, November 24, 2009

POTTSVILLE MAN ADMITS POSSESSING CHILD PORN

A POTTSVILLE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. MICHAEL MAROUKIS, 55, ADMITTED TO HAVING THE IMAGES ON HIS PERSONAL COMPUTER EARLIER THIS YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. REPORTS SAY MAROUKIS CAN REMAIN FREE UNTIL HE'S SENTENCED, BUT CANNOT HAVE ANY CONTACT WITH CHILDREN UNDER AGE 18 OR BEING IN PLACES WHERE CHILDREN GATHER, OR USE A COMPUTER WITH ONLINE ACCESS. MAROUKIS FACES A LENGTHY PRISON SENTENCE AND FINES, ACCORDING TO FEDERAL COURT RECORDS.

WOMAN ACCUSED OF BRINGING DRUGS INTO COURT

A PITTSBURGH WOMAN VISITING AN INMATE AT SCI-MAHANOY IS IN HOT WATER AFTER SHE ALLEGEDLY BROUGHT DRUGS TO THE PRISON. 28 YEAR OLD JULIA KEEN OF PITTSBURGH CAME TO THE FACILITY SUNDAY, AND A TIP INDICATED SHE WOULD BE BRINGING DRUGS THERE. A SEARCH FOUND 40 BALLOONS CONTAINING MARIJUANA ON HER. STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE HAVE CHARGED KEEN WITH FELONY POSSESSION TO DELIVER POT AND HAVING A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE IN A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. KEEN WAS TAKEN TO COUNTY JAIL, UNABLE TO POST BAIL.

TEENS FACE DISORDERLY CONDUCT CHARGES

STATE POLICE HAVE CHARGED TWO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DISORDERLY CONDUCT. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED MONDAY MORNING IN THE HALLWAY AT MINERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE 14 AND 15 YEAR OLD GIRLS ALLEGEDLY BEGAN FIGHTING. TROOPERS FROM THE FRACKVILLE BARRACKS ARE HANDLING THE INVESTIGATION.

DONATIONS DOWN

THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE HAS PUT A DENT IN ALL OF OUR WALLETS, WHICH LEAVES EVEN LESS TO HELP OTHERS. ONE AGENCY FEELING THE PINCH THIS YEAR IS THE POTTSVILLE SALVATION ARMY. CAPTAIN ADAM HENCH TELLS WPPA/T102 NEWS THAT AS THEY PREPARE TO GIVE OUT FOOD BOXES TO THOSE IN NEED FOR THANKSGIVING, FOOD CONTRIBUTIONS ARE DOWN ABOUT 35 PERCENT FROM LAST YEAR AND MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS DOWN ABOUT 25 PERCENT. AND, WITH MORE PEOPLE OUT OF WORK, FIRST TIME REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE ARE UP. CAPTAIN HENCH SAYS THAT THE SALVATION ARMY IS STILL READY TO HELP AS MANY AS THEY CAN THIS YEAR. THE RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN WILL GETTING UNDERWAY SOON, SO PLEASE HELP IF YOU ARE ABLE.

E IS FOR ECOLOGY

BABY BOOMERS, GENERATION X AND NOW GENERATION E, WHERE THE "E" TIES INTO ECOLOGY, CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMICS AND SOCIAL EQUITY. ITS THE TERM USED IN A NEW REPORT TO DESCRIBE THE LEADERS OF THE SUSTAINABILITY MOVEMENT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES, INCLUDING SEVEN SCHOOLS IN PENNSYLVANIA. TOM JOSEPH REPORTS:

JOSEPH ECOLOGY

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN EXPECTS THERE WILL BE A NET CREATION OF JOBS IN THE U.S. BY THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR. BIDEN SPOKE YESTERDAY IN PHILADELPHIA TO THE COMMITTEE OF SEVENTY, A GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG GROUP. HE SAYS THE ECONOMY HAS SHOWN MANY SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT, BUT THAT THE COUNTRY STILL HAS A LONG WAY TO GO.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE MANAGER OF PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM CORBETT'S CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR SAYS SUPPORT FOR CORBETT IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY COMES FROM BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE PARTY. CAMPAIGN MANAGER BRIAN NUTT SPOKE IN RESPONSE TO CONGRESSMAN JIM GERLACH, WHO SAYS SOME PARTY LEADERS WANT TO "ANOINT" CORBETT WITHOUT ALLOWING COMPETITION.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - PITTSBURGH MAYOR LUKE RAVENSTAHL SAYS HE IS SEPARATING FROM HIS WIFE OF FIVE YEARS. RAVENSTAHL TELLS PITTSBURGH
TELEVISION STATION KDKA ABOUT THE DECISION TO SEPARATE FROM ERIN
RAVENSTAHL, WHOM HE MARRIED IN 2004. THEY LIVED IN PITTSBURGH'S SUMMER HILL SECTION WITH A SON, COOPER. THE MAYOR SAYS HE HAS MOVED OUT OF THAT HOUSE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A THREE MILE ISLAND OFFICIAL SAYS TEAMS ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHY AN UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN AIR FLOW STIRRED UP RADIOACTIVE DUST DURING WORK AT THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. A SPOKESMAN SAYS THAT PUBLIC SAFETY WAS NEVER ENDANGERED BY SATURDAY'S INCIDENT IN WHICH A DOZEN WORKERS AT THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FACILITY WERE EXPOSED TO RADIATION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS HELD A "RIGOROUS FINAL MEETING" WITH HIS AFGHANISTAN WAR COUNCIL AND IS SAID TO BE DAYS AWAY FROM ANNOUNCING HOW HE PLANS TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE EIGHT-YEAR-OLD CONFLICT. MILITARY OFFICIALS AND OTHERS EXPECT OBAMA TO SETTLE ON A MIDDLE-GROUND OPTION THAT WOULD DEPLOY UP TO 35,000 MORE U.S. FORCES.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (AP) - OFFICIALS IN THE PHILIPPINES ARE RAISING THE DEATH TOLL IN AN ELECTION MASSACRE TO 35 AND SAY MORE BODIES COULD BE RECOVERED. A POLICE OFFICIAL SAYS 11 BODIES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED FROM A MASS GRAVE. AUTHORITIES YESTERDAY FOUND 24 BODIES AFTER SUPPORTERS OF A LOCAL POLITICIAN AND JOURNALISTS TRAVELING IN A CONVOY WERE KIDNAPPED.

NEW YORK (AP) - THE MAN IN CHARGE OF NEW YORK CITY'S SECURITY FOR THE UPCOMING TRIAL OF THE SEPT. 11 TERROR ATTACK SUSPECTS IS BEING PROMOTED TO DEPUTY CHIEF. IN PREPARED REMARKS, POLICE COMMISSIONER RAY KELLY SAYS MICHAEL BLAKE HAS ALREADY CONDUCTED A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE TRIAL OF KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED AND FOUR OTHER SUSPECTS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION IS URGING PARENTS TO STOP USING SOME STORK CRAFT MANUFACTURING DROP-SIDE CRIBS AFTER RECALLING MORE THAN 2.1 MILLION OF THE PRODUCTS. THE COMMISSION SAYS IT HAS REPORTS OF FOUR INFANTS WHO SUFFOCATED IN THE CRIBS. PARENTS CAN REQUEST A FREE REPAIR KIT TO FIX THE DEFECT.

GENEVA (AP) - THE WORLD'S LARGEST ATOM SMASHER IS A STEP CLOSER TO UNLOCKING SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE. A SPOKESMAN SAYS THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER HAS USED ITS ACCELERATOR FOR THE FIRST TIME TO INCREASE THE ENERGY OF ITS PROTON BEAM TO 540 BILLION ELECTRON VOLTS. IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT STILL A LONG WAY FROM THE 1.2 TRILLION DESIRED.