Today's News-Friday, December 18, 2009-UPDATED 8:45AM

PPL TO REPAY $30M TO PA. CUSTOMERS

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRIC COMPANY WILL REFUND CUSTOMERS $30 MILLION IN OVER-COLLECTED CHARGES. THE STATE'S PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION APPROVED THE REPAYMENT TO PPL CORP. CUSTOMERS ON THURSDAY. STATE OFFICIALS SAY PPL COLLECTED THE EXTRA MONEY IN TRANSITION CHARGES RELATED TO RATE CAPS. THOSE CAPS EXPIRE FOR PPL CUSTOMERS AT THE END OF DECEMBER. CUSTOMERS CAN EXPECT THEIR BILLS TO GO UP ABOUT 30 PERCENT WHEN THAT HAPPENS. THE REFUND WILL BE SPREAD OUT OVER MONTHLY BILLS STARTING IN FEBRUARY. PPL HAS ABOUT 1.4 MILLION CUSTOMERS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

PA. PAYROLLS, LABOR POOL, JOBLESS RATE DROP IN NOV

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA EMPLOYERS TRIMMED PAYROLLS AGAIN IN NOVEMBER, NEARLY WIPING OUT A JOBS GAIN REPORTED THE PREVIOUS MONTH.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY ESTIMATED THURSDAY THAT PENNSYLVANIA EMPLOYERS CUT JUST OVER 10,000 JOBS IN NOVEMBER AS THE EFFECTS OF A RECESSION CONTINUES TO MAKE JOBS SCARCE. PENNSYLVANIA'S NONFARM PAYROLL STANDS AT JUST ABOVE 5.6 MILLION JOBS, THE SAME LEVEL AS IN 2003. THE STATE'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, AT 8.9 PERCENT IN OCTOBER, ACTUALLY FELL TO 8.5 PERCENT IN NOVEMBER, WELL BELOW THE NATIONAL RATE OF 10 PERCENT. HOWEVER, THE DEPARTMENT ESTIMATES THAT 12,000 FEWER PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY PART OF THE STATE'S ACTIVE LABOR FORCE. SINCE THE NATIONAL RECESSION BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2007, PENNSYLVANIA HAS LOST MORE THAN 200,000 JOBS, OR ABOUT ONE IN 28.

PIEKARSKY PRISON STAY EXTENDED ONE WEEK

POTTSVILLE, PA. (AP) - A SHENANDOAH TEENAGER FACING A FEDERAL HATE CRIME CHARGE IN THE DEATH OF AN ILLEGAL MEXICAN IMMIGRANT WILL SPEND ANOTHER WEEK IN PRISON. COURT OFFICIALS SAY 18-YEAR-OLD BRANDON PIEKARSKY WAS SCHEDULED TO BE RELEASED YESTERDAY ON AN ASSAULT SENTENCE. BUT PRISON OFFICIALS SAY HE MUST SERVE ANOTHER WEEK FOR AN ALCOHOL CHARGE. PIEKARSKY WAS SENTENCED IN JUNE IN THE BEATING DEATH OF 25-YEAR-OLD LUIS RAMIREZ IN SHENANDOAH. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS ON TUESDAY CHARGED PIEKARSKY AND ANOTHER TEEN WITH A HATE CRIME RELATED TO THE BEATING. SHENANDOAH POLICE CHIEF MATTHEW NESTOR, LT. WILLIAM MOYER AND OFFICER JASON HAYES ARE ACCUSED OF TRYING TO COVER IT UP. PIEKARSKY AND DERRICK DONCHAK WERE ACQUITTED OF MORE SERIOUS STATE CHARGES IN MAY. DONCHAK AND PIEKARSKY ARE SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN FEDERAL COURT DEC. 22.

SHENANDOAH LOOKS TO STATE OFFICIALS FOR POLICE HELP

IN THE WAKE OF TUESDAY'S FEDERAL INDICTMENTS AGAINST TWO SHENANDOAH TEENAGERS AND FOUR BOROUGH POLICE OFFICERS, STATE POLICE OFFICIALS ARE CONSIDERING A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL POLICE SUPPORT AFTER CHIEF MATTHEW NESTOR, CAPT. JAMIE GENNARINI, LT. WILLIAM MOYER AND OFFICER JASON HAYES HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY, AND THE BOROUGH LOOKING FOR PART TIME OFFICERS, ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD. NESTOR REMAINS IN JAIL, WHILE THE OTHER THREE OFFICERS ARE ON HOME CONFINEMENT. COURT DATES HAVE BEEN SET FOR FEBRUARY FOR THE OFFICERS ON THE OBSTRUCTION AND EXTORTION CHARGES.

SCHUYLKILL CAMPUS GRADUATES 48

PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL CAMPUS GRADUATED 48 STUDENTS LAST NIGHT AT FALL COMMENCEMENT. SURROUNDED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, THE GRADS DONNED CAP AND GOWN TO RECEIVE ASSOCIATE AND BACCALAURATE DEGREES IN A VARIETY OF DISCIPLINES, ABOUT 50 PERCENT WITH RADIOLOGICAL TECHNOLOGY DEGREES. UNIVERSITY VICE PROVOST FOR EDUCATION EQUALITY DR. W. TERRELL JONES WAS THE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER.

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND ROBBERY IN MINERSVILLE

A DRUMS MAN WAS INJURED AFTER BEING ASSAULTED AT THE RITE AID DRUG STORE AT KINGS VILLAGE LAST NIGHT. THE UNKNOWN ASSAILANT ENTERED THE STORE, INHALED THE CONTENTS OF TWO CANS OF COMPUTER AEROSOL SPRAY. WHEN CONFRONTED BY WILLIAM DEVERS, HE WAS PUNCHED AND KICKED BY THE OTHER MAN, WHO FLED THE STORE. STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN ARE INVESTIGATING.

SECOND WOMAN DIES FROM BURNS IN TREVORTON FIRE

A TREVORTON WOMAN WHO TRIED TO RESCUE HER SISTER FROM THEIR BURNING HOME LAST WEEK HAS DIED. REPORTS SAY 77 YEAR OLD PAT MILLER, WHO WAS A PATIENT IN THE BURN UNIT AT LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL DIED WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MILLER'S SISTER, 95 YEAR OLD GERTRUDE KOPPENHEFFER DIED IN THAT EAST SHAMOKIN STREET BLAZE. A CAUSE FOR THAT FIRE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED.

ARGALL BILL PASSES SENATE

EVERYONE NEEDS TO CONTROL COSTS DURING THESE ECONOMIC TIMES. WPPA/T102 REPORTER SHERRY MARCHEFSKY REPORTS ON MOVEMENTS IN STATE GOVERNMENT TO TRY AND DO JUST THAT:

ARGALL BILL PASSES SENATE

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - STATE LAWMAKERS' FAILURE TO PASS A MEASURE THAT RAISES TAX REVENUE BY EXPANDING CASINO GAMBLING WILL MEAN MORE STATE EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS. GOV. ED RENDELL SAYS HE WILL HAVE TO LAY OFF AT LEAST 1,000 MORE STATE EMPLOYEES IF THE LEGISLATURE CANNOT RESOLVE A STALEMATE OVER THE BILL BY JAN. 8.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE FBI IS SCOURING AN ENVELOP FILLED WITH BUBBLE-WRAPPED STACKS OF MONEY THAT AGENTS BELIEVE WAS TAKEN IN A ROBBERY DEC. 9 AT PNC BANK IN WEST NEWTON, NEAR PITTSBURGH.THE FBI CAN'T PROVE THE MONEY IS PART OF THE LOOT, BUT AN FBI SPECIAL AGENT SAYS THERE'S NO OTHER LOGICAL REASON IT WAS MAILED BACK TO THE BANK,WHICH GOT THE PACKAGE MONDAY.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE CAFETERIA IN PENNSYLVANIA'S STATE CAPITOL IN HARRISBURG WAS SHUT DOWN AFTER INSPECTORS FOUND EVIDENCE OF A RODENT INFESTATION.THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SAYS THE CAFETERIA WAS CLOSED AFTER LUNCH YESTERDAY, FOLLOWING A ROUTINE INSPECTION. THE MOST SERIOUS ISSUE INVOLVED THE DISCOVERY OF MOUSE DROPPINGS.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A FORMER NFL LINEMAN HAS RESIGNED HIS POST AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, CITING "MISTAKES" AND UNSPECIFIED LEGAL ISSUES. A SPOKESMAN FOR GOV. ED RENDELL'S OFFICE SAYS IT RECEIVED THE RESIGNATION OF LUZERNE COUNTY COMMISSIONER GREG SKREPENAK YESTERDAY. SKREPENAK APOLOGIZES FOR MISTAKES HE MADE.

COPENHAGEN (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS ARRIVED IN COPENHAGEN FOR THE U.N. CLIMATE TALKS. HE'S JOINING MORE THAN 110 OTHER WORLD LEADERS AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT. NO AGREED TEXT HAS EMERGED YET. DELEGATES SAY THERE ARE CONTINUING DISPUTES BETWEEN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, AND SOME ARE BLAMING THE U.S. AND CHINA.

MUMBAI, INDIA (AP) - THE ACCUSED GUNMAN IN LAST YEAR'S BLOODY SIEGE IN MUMBAI, INDIA HAS RETRACTED HIS CONFESSION. MOHAMMED AJMAL KASAB SAYS HE WAS A TOURIST ARRESTED 20 DAYS BEFORE THE SIEGE. HE SAYS ON THE DAY OF THE ATTACK, HE WAS REMOVED FROM HIS CELL, SHOT TO MAKE IT LOOK AS IF HE HAD BEEN INVOLVED AND RE-ARRESTED. THE ATTACKS KILLED 166 PEOPLE.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - A BOMB HAS EXPLODED CLOSE TO A MOSQUE USED BY POLICE IN NORTHWEST PAKISTAN. POLICE SAY THE BLAST KILLED FIVE PEOPLE. MORE THAN TWO DOZEN OTHERS WERE INJURED, MOSTLY POLICE.

KABUL (AP) - AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI WILL KEEP HALF OF HIS CURRENT CABINET IN PLACE AS HE BEGINS HIS SECOND FIVE-YEAR TERM. THAT'S ACCORDING TO TWO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO SAY THE MINISTERS OF DEFENSE, INTERIOR, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, FINANCE AND AGRICULTURE ARE ON THE LIST OF KARZAI'S CABINET PICKS.

WARSAW, POLAND (AP) - THE IRON SIGN BEARING A CYNICAL NAZI SLOGAN THAT SPANNED THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE FORMER AUSCHWITZ DEATH CAMP HAS BEEN STOLEN. POLISH POLICE HAVE LAUNCHED AN INTENSIVE HUNT FOR THE SIGN THAT READS "WORK SETS YOU FREE" IN GERMAN. POLICE SAY THEY HAVE NO SUSPECTS YET, BUT THEY'RE PURSUING SEVERAL THEORIES.