Today's News-Monday, January 25, 2010-9:15AM

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALERTS:

SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOONTIME TODAY FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.

WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 3PM THIS AFTERNOON.

WARM TEMPS AND WIND BLOWN RAIN START THIS MONDAY MORNING. THERE ARE REPORTED POWER OUTAGES IN SPOTS OF THE COUNTY ACCORDING TO PPLRESOURCES.COM. APPROXIMATELY 15-HUNDRED CUSTOMERS OF PPL RESOURCES ARE WITHOUT POWER AS OF 9:15AM, THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION IN WEST BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP, BUT PLACES LIKE PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP, POTTSVILLE, EAST UNION TOWNSHIP HAVE SPOTTY OUTAGES. STANDING WATER IS ALSO REPORTED TO BE A PROBLEM ON AREA ROADWAYS. THE RAIN IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OUT TOWARDS THE AFTERNOON. WARM TEMPS AND WIND BLOWN RAIN START THIS MONDAY MORNING.

SIMPLE ASSAULT IN SHENANDOAH

A SHENANDOAH MAN IS JAILED FOLLOWING AN INCIDENT IN THE BOROUGH SATURDAY. STATE POLICE SAY 24 YEAR OLD YESI MENJIVAR REPORTED THAT SHE WAS ASSAULTED BY DANIEL TEJADA AT THEIR WEST ATLANTIC STREET HOME. MENJIVAR WAS INJURED IN THE INCIDENT. TEJADA WAS CHARGED WITH SIMPLE ASSAULT, AND COMMITTED TO THE COUNTY PRISON AFTER ARRAIGNMENT.

PURSE THIEF BEING SOUGHT

FRACKVILLE STATE POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING A SHENANDOAH WOMAN'S PURSE AND ASSAULTING HER. EARLY SUNDAY, 65 YEAR OLD MARION ANDREWSKY WAS WALKING IN THE 200 BLOCK OF WEST MOUNT VERNON STREET WHEN THE MAN, DESCRIBED AS BEING A HISPANIC MALE, ABOUT FIVE FEET FOUR INCHES TALL IN HIS LATE TEENS OR EARLY TWENTIES, TOOK HER PURSE AND PUSHED ANDREWSKY TO THE GROUND. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION SHOULD CALL PA STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE, 874-5300.

RINGTOWN WOMAN INJURED IN CRASH

A RINGTOWN WOMAN WAS INJURED IN A ONE VEHICLE CRASH SUNDAY MORNING IN UNION TOWNSHIP. SIXTY FIVE YEAR OLD MARY BALKIEWICZ WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON STATE ROUTE 4033, LOST CONTROL AND THE VEHICLE STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT, CROSSED BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE HIGHWAY, FINALLY STRIKING GUIDERAILS AND ENDED UP ON ITS ROOF. BALKIEWICZ SUFFERED HEAD INJURIES AND WAS TAKEN TO ST CATHERINE'S MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT. THE CRASH HAPPENED AROUND 10:30 SUNDAY MORNING.

SCHUYLKILL COUNTIANS ENJOY DAY AT SWEET ARROW LAKE

YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE TOOK TO THE OUTDOORS SATURDAY AT SWEET ARROW LAKE COUNTY PARK. WPPA/T102 NEWS REPORTER SHERRY MARCHEFSKY JOINED THEM:

CABIN FEVER

ERIE, PA. (AP) - A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH HOMICIDE AND ARSON IN THE DEATH OF HER FATHER IN A MARCH 2007 FIRE. POLICE ALLEGE THAT 29-YEAR-OLD ERICA DUNSTON USED A FLAMMABLE LIQUID TO START THE BLAZE THAT KILLED 56-YEAR-OLD RICHARD DUNSTON, A FATHER OF FIVE AND A VIETNAM WAR VETERAN FROM ERIE COUNTY.

EASTON, PA. (AP) - DEFENSE ATTORNEYS WILL PRESENT THEIR CASE TODAY FOR A MAN ACCUSED OF A TRIPLE HOMICIDE IN PENNSYLVANIA THAT PROSECUTORS ALLEGE WAS RETALIATION FOR EARLIER KILLINGS IN NEW JERSEY. PROSECUTORS RESTED THEIR CASE AGAINST 22-YEAR-OLD ALI ELIJAH DAVIS OF FREEMANSBURG ON FRIDAY AFTER SHOWING JURORS GRAPHIC AUTOPSY PHOTOS OF THE VICTIMS.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH PROFESSOR HAS BEEN GIVEN A $750,000 FEDERAL GRANT TO STUDY DARK ENERGY -- WHETHER IT EXISTS AND WHAT IT MIGHT SAY ABOUT THE EVENTUAL FATE OF THE UNIVERSE. JEFFREY NEWMAN WAS AMONG 69 RESEARCHERS NATIONWIDE TO GET THE GRANT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - JONATHAN SAIDEL, PHILADELPHIA'S CITY CONTROLLER FROM 1989 TO 2005, IS SET TO FORMALLY ANNOUNCE HIS CAMPAIGN FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION TO RUN FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IN NOVEMBER'S ELECTION. THE PHILADELPHIA ATTORNEY IS MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT THIS AFTERNOON AT CITY HALL.

DRUMS, PA. (AP) - AN ONE EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA RESTAURANT, GETTING A COLD ONE IS NO PROBLEM SINCE EVERYTHING IS ON ICE -- AND UNDER IT, AND SURROUNDED BY IT. DEMENTI'S RESTAURANT IN MOUNTAIN TOP HAS SET UP A TEMPORARY FREESTANDING BAR IN ITS BACKYARD THAT IS ALMOST COMPLETELY MADE OF 50 TONS OF ICE -- INCLUDING WALLS, ROOF, SERVING BAR, BENCHES AND DECORATIONS.

BEIRUT (AP) - LEBANON'S PRESIDENT SAYS SABOTAGE IS NOT SUSPECTED IN THIS MORNING'S CRASH OF AN ETHIOPIAN PLANE THAT WENT DOWN IN FLAMES SHORTLY AFTER TAKING OFF FROM BEIRUT. SHIPS ARE SEARCHING THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA FOR ANY POSSIBLE SURVIVORS. AT LEAST FOUR BODIES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED SO FAR. AUTHORITIES SAY THE PLANE TOOK OFF IN STORMY WEATHER.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (AP) - OFFICIALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ARE MEETING IN MONTREAL TODAY TO DISCUSS WAYS TO BETTER COORDINATE RELIEF EFFORTS IN HAITI. MEANWHILE, INTERNATIONAL AID WORKERS ARE GETTING MORE FOOD INTO PEOPLE'S HANDS. ON SUNDAY, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LINED UP IN PORT-AU-PRINCE'S LARGEST SLUM AS U.S. AND BRAZILIAN TROOPS HANDED OUT AID. ONE WOMAN WELCOMED THE HANDOUTS, BUT SAID, "WE NEED MORE."

KABUL (AP) - NATO SAYS EIGHT SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN INJURED IN A ROCKET STRIKE AT THE MAJOR INTERNATIONAL MILITARY BASE IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN. AN OFFICIAL SAYS THE ROCKET HIT INSIDE KANDAHAR AIR FIELD SUNDAY EVENING. INJURED WERE FOUR BULGARIANS AND FOUR ROMANIANS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - AN AUDIT OF A STATE DEPARTMENT CONTRACT TO TRAIN IRAQ'S POLICE FORCE SHOWS POOR OVERSIGHT OF MORE THAN $1 BILLION. ONE EXAMPLE SHOWS THE DEPARTMENT SPENDING $4.5 MILLION A YEAR ON A SECURITY DETAIL TO PROTECT SIX U.S. CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ. THE GROUP ALREADY HAD A TEAM OF HIRED GUARDS.

DALLAS (AP) - CREWS HAVE BEEN WORKING TO PROTECT TWO SENSITIVE WILDLIFE AREAS AFTER SOME 462,000 GALLONS OF OIL SPILLED SATURDAY OFF THE COAST OF TEXAS. THE COAST GUARD SAYS THE OIL SPILLED WHEN A TANKER COLLIDED WITH A TOWING VESSEL NEAR PORT ARTHUR. IT'S THE LARGEST SPILL IN TEXAS SINCE 1994.