Today's News-Monday, January 4, 2010-UPDATED 9:30am

FIRE DESTROYS FORMER MADY CAR WASH

FIRE CREWS WERE CALLED BACK TO THE SCENE OF A FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE FORMER MADY'S CAR WASH EARLY THIS MORNING TO FIGHT SOME HOT SPOTS. THE BLAZE BROKE OUT AT THE VACANT BUSINESS ON ROUTE 61 AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEVERAL FIREFIGHTERS WERE HURT AFTER FALLING ON THE ICE DURING THE BATTLE. INVESTIGATORS WILL BE BACK ON SCENE TODAY.

BLOOD DRIVES

NOW THAT WE HAVE ROLLED INTO 2010, MANY OF US MAKE RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR. YOU CAN HELP THOSE IN NEED BY DONATING BLOOD AT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES THIS WEEK IN OUR AREA. WPPA AND T102 ARE PROUD TO HELP SUPPORT THESE IMPORTANT EVENTS, WEDNESDAY AT FAIRLANE VILLAGE AND THURSDAY, AT JERUSALEM LUTHERAN CHURCH IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN. EVERY TWO SECONDS SOMEONE, MAYBE SOMEONE YOU KNOW, NEEDS BLOOD. EACH DONATION CAN HELP SAVE UP TO THREE LIVES. AND, FOR YOUR TIME, PRESENTING DONORS WILL RECEIVE A RE-USEABLE HAND WARMER AND BE ENTERED TO WIN UP TO $1-THOUSAND-DOLLARS IN PAYMENT OF YOUR WINTER HEATING BILL. TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, VISIT GIVE LIFE DOT ORG OR CALL 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

ONE SUFFERS MINOR INJURY IN TWO VEHICLE CRASH SUNDAY

A CARLISLE WOMAN SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES IN A CRASH SUNDAY ON ROUTE 54 IN MAHANOY TOWNSHIP. REPORTS INDICATE THAT 40 YEAR OLD RITA MILLER ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN TO CROSS THE MEDIAN, AND TURNED IN FRONT OF A CAR DRIVEN BY DERRICK DENNIS OF MAHANOY CITY. DENNIS NOR PASSENGERS IN HIS VEHICLE WERE HURT. MILLER WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER EAST. SHE WILL BE CITED BY STATE POLICE IN THE CRASH.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE CAFETERIA IN THE PENNSYLVANIA CAPITOL IS SET TO REOPEN TODAY, MORE THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER BEING SHUT DOWN OVER HEALTH PROBLEMS. THE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT SAYS A CLEANUP THAT STARTED DEC. 18 HAS APPARENTLY RESOLVED THE PROBLEMS. THE COFFEE AND LUNCH SPOT WAS CLOSED AFTER INSPECTORS FOUND EVIDENCE OF A RODENT INFESTATION.

SAEGERTOWN, PA. (AP) - SNOW AND SEVERAL VEHICLE CRASHES FORCED PART OF INTERSTATE 79 TO BE SHUT DOWN IN NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA YESTERDAY. THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF I-79 WERE CLOSED AT THE SAEGERTOWN EXIT. AUTHORITIES SAY AT LEAST THREE CRASHES WERE REPORTED IN SNOWY CONDITIONS JUST NORTH OF THE EXIT. THERE'S NO WORD ON ANY POSSIBLE INJURIES.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE MONONGAHELA INCLINE IN PITTSBURGH HAS REOPENED AFTER BEING SHUT DOWN FOR SEVERAL HOURS DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS. THE INCLINE IS A POPULAR CABLE CAR THAT OFFERS VIEWS OF DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH. IT ALSO SERVES AS A MEANS FOR RESIDENTS OF MOUNT WASHINGTON TO GET DOWNTOWN. A SHUTTLE BUS HAD BEEN CARRYING RIDERS DURING THE SHUTDOWN.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - IT WAS A NOVEL YEAR FOR PITTSBURGH AND OTHER PARTS OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.NO FEWER THAN 25 NOVELS PUBLISHED IN 2009 WERE BASED WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY IN THE REGION. THEY INCLUDE JOHN GRISHAM'S NOVEL, "THE ASSOCIATE," "AMERICAN RUST" BY PHILIPP MEYER AS WELL AS "ALLEGHENY HOPES" BY JANICE A. THOMPSON.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY TWO PHILADELPHIA POLICE CRUISERS COLLIDED OVER THE WEEKEND IN THE CITY'S LOGAN SECTION. TWO OFFICERS WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH INJURIES NOT BELIEVED TO BE LIFE-THREATENING. ONE OF THE CRUISERS ENDED UP ON THE SIDEWALK.

KABUL (AP) - FOUR U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN A ROADSIDE BOMBING IN AFGHANISTAN. SUNDAY'S CASUALTIES ARE THE FIRST AMERICAN COMBAT DEATHS OF THE NEW YEAR. OFFICIALS ARE ALSO REPORTING A BRITISH SOLDIER WAS KILLED WHILE ON FOOT PATROL IN THE SOUTH.

BAGHDAD (AP) - POLICE AND HOSPITAL OFFICIALS SAY TWO ROADSIDE BOMBS TARGETING POLICE IN THE NORTHERN IRAQ HAVE KILLED THREE PEOPLE AND WOUNDED SIX. A KIRKUK POLICE OFFICER SAYS THE FIRST BLAST TARGETED A POLICE CONVOY, KILLING TWO GUARDS. MOMENTS LATER, ANOTHER ROADSIDE BOMB TARGETING A POLICE PATROL DETONATED, KILLING A POLICEMAN.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY THEY'VE THOROUGHLY SEARCHED TERMINAL C AT NEWARK, NEW JERSEY'S AIRPORT AFTER A SECURITY BREACH. AUTHORITIES GROUNDED PLANES FOR HOURS AND RE-SCREENED PASSENGERS AFTER A MAN WALKED THROUGH AN EXIT INTO THE SECURE SIDE OF THE TERMINAL. HE HASN'T BEEN FOUND AND PASSENGERS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED ONTO THEIR FLIGHTS.

HONG KONG (AP) - WORLD MARKETS HAVE STARTED 2010 IN THE BLACK. MAJOR BENCHMARKS IN EUROPE GAINED LESS THAN 1 PERCENT IN EARLY TRADE AFTER JAPAN LED ASIA'S ADVANCE.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (AP) - A 160-STORY BUILDING DOESN'T COME CHEAP. DEVELOPERS SAY THE FINAL PRICE TAG ON THE WORLD'S TALLEST SKYSCRAPER IS $1.5 BILLION. THE BUILDING IS SET TO OFFICIALLY OPEN IN DUBAI LATER TODAY.