Today's News-Thursday, January 28, 2010-8AM

SNOW SHOWERS HAVE OVERSPREAD THE AREA, AND THERE ARE SOME ICY SPOTS FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. ROAD CREWS ARE OUT SALTING HIGHWAYS, BUT ALLOW FOR EXTRA TIME AS YOU TRAVEL THIS MORNING.

MAN CHARGED IN PINE GROVE BURGLARY

STATE POLICE HAVE NABBED A PINE GROVE MAN INVOLVED IN A BURGLARY LAST OCTOBER. REPORTS SAY 24 YEAR OLD ERVIN WASHINGTON BROKE INTO THE HOME OF PAUL AND TARA KARENDA ON OCTOBER 3RD, TAKING JEWELRY AND MUSICAL EQUIPMENT. WASHINGTON REPORTEDLY FLED TO A HOME IN MT CARMEL THAT NIGHT. HE WAS PICKED UP BY MT CARMEL POLICE THAT DAY, AND WAS JAILED IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY PRISON. FURTHER INVESTIGATION UNCOVERED SOME OF THE ITEMS AT THAT HOME. WASHINGTON IS CHARGED WITH BURGLARY, THEFT AND RELATED CHARGES. AFTER ARRAIGNMENT, WASHINGTON WAS TAKEN BACK TO
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY PRISON.

DAMAGES DONE AT CAR LOT

STATE POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR THE VANDAL WHO DAMAGED VEHICLES AT AN EAST NORWEGIAN TOWNSHIP USED CAR LOT. TWO VEHICLES WHICH WERE AT DON'S AUTO FOR SERVICE HAD WINDOWS SMASHED, AND A STEREO TAKEN FROM ONE OF THE VEHICLES. TROOPERS FROM THE SCHUYLKILL HAVEN BARRACKS ARE CONTINUING THE INVESTIGATION.

THREE VEHICLE SMASHUP IN TREMONT TOWNSHIP

A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON CRASH IN TREMONT TOWNSHIP LEFT ONE PERSON WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE CRASH HAPPENED ON MOLLEYSTOWN ROAD AROUND 1:30PM, WHERE CHIRSTOPHER WRIGHT OF BERWICK WAS PULLING OUT FROM THE RACEWAY TRUCK STOP, AND CRASHED INTO A CAR DRIVEN BY KATHY SMITH OF TREMONT. THE IMPACT FORCED SMITH'S CAR TO SPIN INTO JENNIFER COOMB'S CAR. COOMB WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT. THE OTHER DRIVERS WEREN'T HURT. WRIGHT WILL BE CITED IN THE CRASH.

KEYSTONE POTATO TO BE FEATURED ON HISTORY CHANNEL

THE HISTORY CHANNEL'S "MODERN MARVELS" WILL FEATURE A SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMPANY TONIGHT. OFFICIALS FROM THE NETWORK INDICATE THAT KEYSTONE POTATO PRODUCTS IN HEGINS WILL BE PART OF "THE POTATO" EPISODE AT 8PM. THE PROGRAM WILL LOOK AT THE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT KEYSTONE TAKES RAW POTATOES AND CONVERTS THEM INTO OTHER USABLE FORMS.

HEALTHCARE

THE SUBJECT OF HEALTHCARE CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE NATIONAL HEADLINES. WEDNESDAY IN HARRISBURG, REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS AND HUNDREDS OF CITIZENS GATHERED FOR A "HEALTH CARE FREEDOM" RALLY AT THE STATE CAPITOL. CHUCK NICHOLS HAS MORE:

NICHOLS HEALTHCARE W/KNOWLES

RENDELL SETS UP CENSUS PANEL, ASKS PUBLIC'S HELP

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOV. ED RENDELL IS ASKING PENNSYLVANIANS TO HELP THEIR STATE BY COMPLETING AND RETURNING SOON-TO-BE-MAILED CENSUS FORMS. RENDELL SIGNED AN ORDER WEDNESDAY ESTABLISHING AN ADVISORY PANEL TO WORK WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN RESPONDING TO THE 2010 CENSUS. HE CITED ONE STUDY THAT SUGGESTS THE 2000 CENSUS MISSED ABOUT 100,000 PENNSYLVANIANS. FORMS WILL BE MAILED OUT IN MID-MARCH, AND APRIL 1 IS NATIONAL CENSUS DAY. FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY THEY EXPECT TO COUNT ABOUT 310 MILLION AMERICANS THIS YEAR. CENSUS FIGURES HELP ESTABLISH REPRESENTATION IN THE LEGISLATURE AND CONGRESS AS WELL AS STATE SHARES OF FEDERAL MONEY.

INSPECTORS FIND MORE PROBLEMS IN CAPITOL CAFETERIA

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA FOOD SAFETY INSPECTORS SAY THE PROBLEM-PLAGUED STATE CAPITOL CAFETERIA STILL ISN'T MAINTAINING PROPER STANDARDS FOR FOOD HANDLING. AN INSPECTION REPORT MADE PUBLIC WEDNESDAY FOUND EVIDENCE OF INSECTS OR RODENTS, PROBLEMS WITH HAND-WASHING AND INADEQUATE TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR FOODS. THE LATEST FINDINGS WERE GENERATED BY AN UNANNOUNCED WALK-THROUGH ON MONDAY OF THE FACILITY OPERATED BY PHILADELPHIA-BASED ARAMARK CORP. THAT'S THE SAME DAY AN ARAMARK OFFICIAL WAS IN THE CAPITOL, APOLOGIZING TO A HOUSE PANEL FOR PROBLEMS THAT RESULTED IN THE CAFETERIA'S TEMPORARY CLOSURE LAST MONTH. THE CAFETERIA IS FREQUENTED BY GOV. ED RENDELL, LAWMAKERS, AND MANY STATEHOUSE VISITORS, TOURISTS AND EMPLOYEES.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - U.S. SEN. ARLEN SPECTER SAYS PENNSYLVANIA WILL GET $26.4 MILLION OF THE $8 BILLION IN FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY THAT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA PLANS TO AWARD FOR DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-SPEED RAIL CORRIDORS. MOST OF THE MONEY WILL PAY FOR IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE KEYSTONE CORRIDOR LINKING HARRISBURG AND PHILADELPHIA.

ZELIENOPLE, PA. (AP) - TWO TEENAGE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS WHO WERE REPORTED MISSING AFTER THEY DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR A TRAINING DRILL FOR THEIR SMALL-TOWN DEPARTMENT DIED ALONG WITH A FRIEND WHEN THEIR SUV SLID OFF A SLICK ROAD AND INTO AN ICY WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA POND. OFFICIALS IN ZELIENOPLE SAY THE BODIES OF THE MALE VICTIMS -- TWO 18-YEAR-OLDS AND A 17-YEAR-OLD -- WERE PULLED FROM THE POND WEDNESDAY MORNING.

NORRISTOWN, PA. (AP) - ONE OF THREE MEN CHARGED IN THE HOME-INVASION SLAYING OF A BUSINESSMAN IN HIS SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA HOME A YEAR AGO HAS CONFESSED HIS ROLE IN THE CASE. TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD AMATADI LATHAM TESTIFIED WEDNESDAY THAT HE DECIDED TO HELP ROB THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY HOME OF 58-YEAR-OLD ROBERT CHAE IN JANUARY 2009, BUT SAYS HIS CO-DEFENDANTS HAD NO ROLE IN THE PLAN.

EASTON, PA. (AP) - A MAN CONVICTED OF A TRIPLE MURDER IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA THAT AUTHORITIES CALLED A "GANGLAND HIT" HAS BEEN
SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE AFTER JURORS DEADLOCKED
OVER WHETHER HE SHOULD BE PUT TO DEATH. TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD ALI ELIJAH DAVIS OF FREEMANSBURG WAS CONVICTED MONDAY IN THE NOVEMBER
2007 TRIPLE SLAYING.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA STATE REGULATORS WANT THE DEVELOPERS OF A PHILADELPHIA CASINO PROJECT TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY SHOULDN'T LOSE THEIR GAMBLING LICENSE. THE PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD IMPOSED THAT REQUIREMENT ON FOXWOODS PHILADELPHIA
REPRESENTATIVES WEDNESDAY, AND FINED THE GROUP FOR FAILING TO SUBMIT CERTAIN INFORMATION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS RENEWING HIS PLEDGE TO GET ALL U.S. COMBAT TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ BY THE END OF AUGUST. IN HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, OBAMA ALSO WARNS OF "DIFFICULT DAYS AHEAD" IN AFGHANISTAN. HE ALSO SAYS HE'S CONFIDENT THAT AFGHAN FORCES MAY BE READY TO START TAKING "THE LEAD" IN SECURITY OPERATIONS THERE BY JULY OF NEXT YEAR.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS ORDERING A THREE-YEAR FREEZE ON MOST DOMESTIC SPENDING, WITH A FEW NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS. SPENDING ON NATIONAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND SOCIAL SECURITY WOULD BE EXEMPT. IN HIS FIRST STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE, HE'S ALSO CALLING FOR A COMMISSION TO LOOK INTO WAYS TO CONTROL SKYROCKETING SPENDING.

WASHINGTON (AP) - SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO APPARENTLY DIDN'T LIKE WHAT HE WAS HEARING FROM PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. DURING WEDNESDAY'S SPEECH TO CONGRESS, OBAMA TOOK THE UNUSUAL STEP OF SCOLDING THE HIGH COURT OVER ITS RECENT RULING ON CORPORATE POLITICAL ACTIVITY. ALITO MADE A FACE, SHOOK HIS HEAD AND APPEARED TO MOUTH THE WORDS "NOT TRUE."

KABUL (AP) - NATO IS REPORTING THAT FOREIGN TROOPS HAVE KILLED AN AFGHAN CIVILIAN DURING AN INCIDENT INVOLVING A MILITARY CONVOY. THE DEATH HAS LED TO A PROTEST OUTSIDE A U.S. MILITARY BASE IN KABUL. NATO AND AFGHAN OFFICIALS ARE INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT.

UNDATED (AP) - TOYOTA IS EXPANDING A RECALL TO INCLUDE ANOTHER 1.09 MILLION VEHICLES IN THE UNITED STATES. THE FIVE MODELS AFFECTED INCLUDED THE HIGHLANDER, VENZA AND THE PONTIAC VIBE. THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES A DAY AFTER TOYOTA SAID IT WOULD SUSPEND U.S. SALES OF EIGHT MODELS TO FIX GAS PEDALS THAT COULD STICK AND CAUSE ACCELERATION WITHOUT WARNING.