Today's News-Monday, December 7, 2009

FIRE DESTROYS ABANDONED FARM HOUSE

FIREFIGHTERS IN FRIEDENSBURG AND OTHER COMMUNITIES RUSHED OUT TO THE SCENE OF A FIRE NEAR THE BOROUGH OF PINE GROVE THIS MORNING. THE BLAZE WAS REPORTED AROUND 2:45AM AT AN ABANDONED TWO STORY STONE FARMHOUSE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF FEREBEES AND KEMMERLING ROADS IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. OFFICIALS SAY THE BUILDING WAS ONLY A BURNED OUT SHELL WHEN THEY ARRIVED. THE STATE POLICE FIRE MARSHAL WILL INVESTIGATE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

SLICK ROADS CAUSE CRASH

STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SAY TWO PEOPLE ESCAPED INJURY FOLLOWING A CRASH IN TOWER CITY EARLY ON SUNDAY. 26 YEAR OLD SCOTT KLINE THE SECOND OF TOWER CITY AND HIS PASSENGER, 24 YEAR OLD AMY BORDNER, WERE DRIVING SOUTH ON ROUTE 209 WHEN HIS CAR HIT AN ICY PATCH AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED CAR. BOTH VEHICLES WERE DISABLED. KLINE WILL BE CHARGED IN THE ACCIDENT, ACCORDING TO REPORTS.

TEXTING DRIVER CRASHES

A PINE GROVE WOMAN ROLLED HER CAR LATE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SHE FACES CHARGES OF TEXTING WHILE DRIVING. THAT'S ACCORDING TO SCHUYLKILL HAVEN STATE POLICE, WHO SAY 22 YEAR OLD NICOLE FISHER WAS USING HER PHONE WHILE NORTHBOUND ON ROUTE 183 AROUND 11:30PM. FISHER'S CAR SLID ABOUT 135 FEET, STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT AND THEN ROLLED OVER, SLIDING ANOTHER 32 FEET. SHE HAD MINOR INJURIES, AND WILL FACE CHARGES OF CARELESS DRIVING AND OTHER COUNTS.

PEARL HARBOR DAY

TODAY IS THE 68TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JAPANESE ATTACK AT PEARL HARBOR, WHICH SENT THE UNITED STATES INTO WORLD WAR TWO. AT DAWN, THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY LAUNCHED AN AIR AND SEA ATTACK ON U.S. FORCES AT THE HAWAIIAN ISLAND BASE, KILLING AND INJURING THOUSANDS. THAT NIGHT, PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT ADDRESSED THE NATION ON RADIO AND ANNOUNCED THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST THE JAPANESE. THE PACIFIC ENGAGEMENT LASTED ALMOST FOUR YEARS BEFORE THE UNITED STATES GAINED VICTORY.

HIT AND RUN IN PORT CARBON

PORT CARBON POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR THE DRIVER WHO STRUCK TWO PARKED CARS EARLY SUNDAY. THE UNKNOWN DRIVER, POSSIBLY OPERATING A DARK COLORED JEEP, APPARENTLY COULDN'T MAKE THE TURN FROM POTTSVILLE STREET TO EAST NORWEGIAN STREET, SLIDING ON THE ICE. THE CAR WENT INTO A PPL UTILITY POLE THEN HIT THE TWO VEHICLES. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT PORT CARBON PD THORUGH THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER AT 628-3792.
BETHLEHEM, PA. (AP) - AN AUTOPSY IS TO BE PERFORMED TODAY ON THE BODY OF A MAN FOUND DEAD BENEATH AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA BRIDGE, WHO THE CORONER SAYS DIED UNDER SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES. POLICE IN BETHLEHEM SAY TWO HUNTERS MADE THE DISCOVERY OVER THE WEEKEND BENEATH THE MINSI TRAIL BRIDGE. THE MAN'S IDENTITY HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED.

STOYSTOWN, PA. (AP) - A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN IS HOSPITALIZED AFTER SHE WAS TRAPPED OVERNIGHT IN HER VEHICLE AFTER A CRASH. POLICE SAY STACEY GRYSKIEWICZ RAN OFF THE ROAD WHILE TRYING TO AVOID A DEER AROUND. HER SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT TRAPPING HER INSIDE. A HUNTER FOUND HER. SHE WAS LISTED IN FAIR CONDITION LAST NIGHT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - SOME PHILADELPHIA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SAY THEY FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY AFTER A SERIES OF ASSAULTS AND WON'T BE ATTENDING CLASSES THIS WEEK. THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHINESE AMERICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION AT SOUTH PHILADELPHIA HIGH SCHOOL SAYS STUDENTS WILL MEET ELSEWHERE WHILE THE GROUP CONTINUES TO TALK WITH DISTRICT OFFICIALS.

MORGANTOWN, W.VA. (AP) - SOME SAY MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL MINING SEEMS TAILOR-MADE TO STOKE NATIONAL PUBLIC OUTRAGE, BUT ENVIRONMENTALISTS WHO OPPOSE THE PRACTICE HAVE YET TO MOBILIZE MILLIONS IN THE FIGHT. THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THE SUPPORT OF REGULATORS AND POLITICIANS. TODAY, ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY ROBERT KENNEDY JR. WILL ATTEND A RALLY AGAINST THE PRACTICE.

MERCER, PA. (AP) - IF YOU'RE HEADING TO ONE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA TOWN YOU MIGHT WANT TO SET YOUR WATCH AHEAD OF TIME. OFFICIALS IN MERCER SAY THE CLOCKS ON THE ROTUNDA OF THE TOWN'S COURTHOUSE ARE WRONG. MERCER COUNTY CHIEF CLERK TIMOTHY HOFIUS SAYS THE ELECTRONIC CLOCKWORKS ARE TO BLAME AND THAT THE END OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
MADE THE PROBLEM EVEN WORSE.

COPENHAGEN (AP) - THE U.N.'S TOP CLIMATE OFFICIAL SAYS IT'S TIME FOR THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD TO DELIVER ON EFFORTS TO CONTROL GLOBAL WARMING. THE COMMENT COMES AS DELEGATES CONVERGE TODAY FOR A TWO WEEK CLIMATE SUMMIT OFFICIALS HOPE WILL PRODUCE POLITICAL AGREEMENTS EVENTUALLY LEADING TO A FORMAL TREATY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - FASTER REPAYMENTS BY BIG BANKS AND LESS SPENDING ON SOME OF THE RESCUE PROGRAMS MAY TRANSLATE TO A BETTER BOTTOM LINE ON THE GOVERNMENT BAILOUT PROGRAM. A TREASURY OFFICIAL SAYS A NEW PROJECTION ABOUT TO BE RELEASED CUTS THE COST BY MORE THAN $200 BILLION FROM A $341 BILLION ESTIMATE IN AUGUST.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE NETTLESOME ISSUE OF ABORTION IS NEXT ON THE LIST OF STICKY PROBLEMS TO BE TACKLED BY SENATE DEMOCRATS AS THEY TRY TO PIECE TOGETHER A PASSABLE HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL BILL. THE SENATE BEGINS DEBATE TODAY ON AN AMENDMENT REFLECTING HOUSE LANGUAGE THAT WOULD ALLOW FEDERALLY SUBSIDIZED INSURANCE TO COVER ABORTION IF THE PROCEDURE IS ENTIRELY PAID FOR WITH CUSTOMERS' PREMIUMS.

TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) - THOUSANDS OF RIOT POLICE AND REVOLUTIONARY GUARD MEMBERS ARMED WITH TEAR GAS, BATONS AND FIREARMS HAVE CONVERGED ON TEHRAN UNIVERSITY TO PREVENT OPPOSITION DEMONSTRATIONS. IRAN'S GOVERNMENT HAS SAID IT WILL DEAL HARSHLY WITH PROTESTERS. THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1953 KILLING OF THREE STUDENTS HAS IN RECENT YEARS BEEN USED TO STAGE PRO-REFORM PROTESTS.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - A SUICIDE BOMBER HAS KILLED AT LEAST SIX PEOPLE AND WOUNDING 49 IN THE NORTHWESTERN PAKISTAN CITY OF PESHAWAR. AN ARMY OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE TALIBAN IN A TRIBAL REGION BORDERING AFGHANISTAN HAS SPURRED A WAVE OF RETALIATORY ATTACKS THROUGHOUT PAKISTAN, INCLUDING IN PESHAWAR, THE CAPITAL OF THE NORTHWEST.