Today's News-Thursday, December 3, 2009-UPDATED AT 10AM

WINDY

AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE MIDDAY, THE WINDS ARE STARTING TO SUBSIDE, AND POWER IS BEING RESTORED TO MANY CUSTOMERS WHO WERE IN THE DARK IN THE PPL SERVICE AREA EARLIER TODAY. AT ONE POINT IN THE 6 TO 8 O'CLOCK HOURS, AS MANY AS FIVE THOUSAND CUSTOMERS WERE WITHOUT SERVICE, PARTICULARLY IN SOUTHEASTERN AND EASTERN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. AT 10AM, THAT NUMBER WAS DOWN TO SEVERAL HUNDRED. THERE WERE MANY TREES DOWNED DUE TO WINDS, WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 4O MILES PER HOUR.

CREWS MOP UP AFTER DEVASTATING FIRE IN ASHLAND

ASHLAND FIRE INJURES ONE

EIGHT PEOPLE ARE LEFT HOMELESS, ONE MAN BURNED AND A BUSINESS AND MORE THAN A HALF DOZEN HOMES WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED IN A LATE MORNING FIRE IN ASHLAND WEDNESDAY. THE QUICK MOVING BLAZE STARTED IN THE HOME OF ROBERT ODONNELL AT 1322 W. CENTRE STREET. ASHLAND FIRE CHIEF PHILLIP GROODY EXPLAINS:

GROODY

THE FIRE SPREAD TO ADJOINING PROPERTIES, INCLUDING THE DRUNKEN MONKEY BAR. JOSEPH JORDAN, WHO LIVES AT 1310 WEST CENTRE, RAN IN TO SAVE ODONNELL, WHO SUFFERED BURNS AND WAS FLOWN TO GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER. HE IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION TODAY. FIRE CREWS FROM SCHUYLKILL, NORTHUMBERLAND AND COLUMBIA COUNTIES BATTLED THE BLAZE FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS. STATE POLICE FIRE MARSHAL JOHN BURNS SAYS THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE LIVING ROOM OF ODONNELL'S HOME, BUT THE CAUSE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. DAMAGE ESTIMATES EXCEED $200-THOUSAND DOLLARS.

COMMISSIONERS MEETING

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO CLOSE THE BUDGET GAP THEY ARE FACING IN THE 2010 SPENDING PLAN, WITH FOUR WEEKS REMAINING UNTIL YEAR'S END. THE COUNTY SALARY BOARD MADE THE CONSOLIDATION OF TWO POSITIONS OFFICIAL YESTERDAY, AS PAUL STRAKA WAS APPOINTED ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IN CHARGE OF FISCAL OPERATIONS, AND MARTINA CHAWASTIAK NAMED COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR AND RISK MANAGER AT SALARIES OF $52,745 A YEAR. THE POSITIONS WERE COMBINED TO SAVE MONEY AND DELEGATE RESPONSIBILITIES. AN ESTIMATED FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR SHORTFALL LOOMS IN THE $48 MILLION DOLLAR SPENDING PLAN, WHICH THE COMMISSIONERS HOPE TO CLOSE WITH ADDITIONAL SAVINGS IN COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND A DRAW ON SURPLUS FUNDS. POSSIBLE LAYOFFS AND A TAX HIKE MAY ALSO BE CONSIDERED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET IF NEED BE, ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS. IN OTHER BUSINESS, THE HEAD OF THE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, ART KAPLAN, ANNOUNCED HIS RESIGNATION TO PURSUE PRIVATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONSULTING. KAPLAN HAS WORKED FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY FOR 23 YEARS. HIS LAST DAY IS DECEMBER 18TH.

DRUG ARRESTS IN SHENANDOAH

A SEARCH WARRANT EXECUTED BY SHENANDOAH POLICE NETTED THE ARREST OF A BOROUGH WOMAN. NINETEEN BAGS OF COCAINE AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA WERE FOUND IN THE WEST COAL STREET HOME OF 24 YEAR OLD AMY SARTORI. ANOTHER WARRANT FOR SELLING COCAINE WAS ALSO OUTSTANDING AGAINST HER. SARTORI WAS JAILED IN LIEU OF $25 THOUSAND DOLLARS BAIL. IN A SEPARATE INCIDENT, 29 YEAR OLD RAMON SOBERAL PEREZ OF HAZLETON WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER POLICE SPOTTED HIM ON NORTH FERGUSON STREET. OFFICERS FOUND 10 GRAMS OF COKE ON HIM. PEREZ WAS ARRAIGNED ON DRUG RELATED COUNTS. HE'S ALSO LOCKED UP IN THE COUNTY PRISON.

WOMAN CHARGED IN DISTURBANCE

AN ASHLAND WOMAN IS IN JAIL AFTER A DOMESTIC DISPUTE IN BUTLER TOWNSHIP. POLICE SAY 50 YEAR OLD DONNA BEURY WAS FOUND TO BE DRUNK AND OUT OF CONTROL AT HER DUTCHTOWN ROAD HOME EARLY TUESDAY. SHE ALLEGEDLY THREATENED TO KILL HER HUSBAND CARL AND DID DAMAGE INSIDE THE HOME. BEURY RESISTED ARREST WHEN BEING TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. SHE'S CHARGED WITH MAKING TERRORISTIC THREATS AND RESISTING ARREST.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL

THE STATE HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL THAT WOULD LEGALIZE MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN THE COMMONWEALTH. ROSEANN CADAU REPORTS FROM HARRISBURG:

CADAU LEGALIZE POT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - COMCAST CORP. SAYS IT'S READY TO TAKE CHARGE OF NBC UNIVERSAL AND CREATE THE NATION'S LARGEST ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY. COMCAST SAID THURSDAY IT WILL PUT UP $6.5 BILLION IN CASH AND $7.25 BILLION IN ASSETS TO BUY 51 PERCENT OF NBC UNIVERSAL FROM GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.

HORSHAM, PA. (AP) - TOLL BROTHERS INC. SAYS ITS LOSS WIDENED IN ITS FISCAL FOURTH QUARTER, AS THE LUXURY HOMEBUILDER CONTINUED TO WRITE DOWN THE VALUE OF ITS LAND HOLDINGS AND REDUCE STAFF. THE BUILDER SAID THURSDAY IT LOST $111.4 MILLION, OR 68 CENTS A SHARE, IN THE QUARTER ENDED IN OCTOBER.

EASTON, PA. (AP) - A POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS KILLED IN AN AMBUSH IN WASHINGTON STATE WILL BE LAID TO REST IN HIS PENNSYLVANIA HOMETOWN. FUNERAL SERVICES ARE BEING PLANNED IN BETHLEHEM FOR SGT. MARK RENNINGER AND WILL BE HELD LATE NEXT WEEK.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - FOUR PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS ARE CALLING ON STATE GAMING REGULATORS TO REVOKE FOXWOODS' LICENSE TO BUILD A SLOTS PARLOR IN PHILADELPHIA. TWO DEMOCRATIC AND TWO REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS SAY TIME HAS RUN OUT FOR THE TROUBLED PROJECT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - IT'S A SECOND DAY OF TESTIMONY ON CAPITOL HILL BY TOP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS DEFENDING PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S DECISION TO SEND ANOTHER 30,000 U.S. TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN. IN KABUL, MEANWHILE, AFGHAN PRESIDENT KARZAI TELLS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT HE'S WILLING TO TALK WITH THE TALIBAN CHIEF IN A BID FOR PEACE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THIS TIME THEY'RE INVITED, BUT THEY WON'T SHOW UP. A HOUSE PANEL IS HOLDING A HEARING THIS HOUR INTO THE GATE-CRASHING EPISODE AT THE WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER LAST WEEK. LAWMAKERS HAD ASKED TAREQ AND MICHAELE SALAHI TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY GOT IN. BUT THE SALAHIS DECLINED. THE HEAD OF THE SECRET SERVICE HAS AGREED TO TESTIFY.

CLEVELAND (AP) - A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER ACCUSED OF KILLING 11 WOMEN AND LEAVING THEIR REMAINS IN AND AROUND HIS CLEVELAND HOME HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY TO ALL CHARGES. ANTHONY SOWELL WAS ARRAIGNED TODAY BY VIDEO HOOK-UP FROM JAIL. HE WAS INDICTED THIS WEEK ON 85 CHARGES, INCLUDING MURDER AND RAPE.

NEW YORK (AP) - A COLORADO AIRPORT VAN DRIVER ACCUSED OF PLOTTING A BOMB ATTACK IN NEW YORK CITY IS GOING BEFORE A JUDGE. FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SAY NAJIBULLAH ZAZI RECEIVED EXPLOSIVES TRAINING FROM AL-QAIDA ON A TRIP TO PAKISTAN. HE'S DUE IN A BROOKLYN COURT TODAY ON A CHARGE OF CONSPIRING TO USE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. HE DENIES ANY WRONGDOING.

NEW YORK (AP) - STOCKS ARE HIGHER IN EARLY TRADING AFTER THE GOVERNMENT REPORTED NEW JOBLESS BENEFIT CLAIMS FELL UNEXPECTEDLY FOR THE FIFTH STRAIGHT WEEK. TOTAL LAID-OFF WORKERS SEEKING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FELL BY 5,000 TO A SEASONALLY ADJUSTED 457,000. IT'S A HOPEFUL SIGN THAT THE JOB MARKET IS SLOWLY IMPROVING. THE BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED NEWS HELPED OFFSET SLUGGISH NOVEMBER SALES RESULTS FROM RETAILERS.