Today's News-Saturday, January 28th, 2010

ELECTION BUREAU RELEASES CRITICAL DATES

THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY ELECTION BUREAU HAS RELEASED CRITICAL DATES FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTION YEAR. FEBRUARY 16TH IS THE FIRST LEGAL DATE TO OBTAIN SIGNATURES FOR A CANDIDATE'S NOMINATION PETITION WITH MARCH 9TH AS THE LAST DAY DAY TO CIRCULATE AND FILE THE PETITION WITH THE ELECTION BUREAU. CANDIDATES SEEKING OFFICE CAN WITHDRAW THEIR PETIONS NO LATER THAN MARCH 24TH. THE LAST DAY FOR VOTERS TO REGISTER TO VOTE BEFORE THE PRIMARY ELECTION IS APRIL 19TH, WITH THE PRIMARY ELECTION ABOUT A MONTH LATER ON MAY 18TH. YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR PETITION OR REGISTER TO VOTE BY STOPPING BY ELECTION BUREAU HEADQUARTERS AT 420 NORTH CENTRE STREET IN POTTSVILLE OR CALL 628-1467 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

MIDDLEPORT WOMAN INJURED IN CRASH
TRACY WILCOSKY OF MIDDLEPORT WAS INJURED IN AN EARLY FRIDAY MORNING CRASH. AROUND 3 A.M. FRIDAY WILCOSKY WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON MOUNTAIN ROAD AT THE BLYTHE TOWNSHIP/NEW PHILADELPHIA LINE WHEN SHE STRUCK A TREE HEAVILY DAMAGING HERE 2003 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. SHE WAS TRANSPORTED FROM THE SCENE BY THE POTTSVILLE/SCHUYLKILL HAVEN AMBULANCE AND THEN FLOWN BY MEDIVAC HELICOPTER TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER TO BE TREATED FOR HER INJURIES. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL FROM KASKA AND THE CITY OF POTTSVILLE ASSISTED AT THE SCENE.

LOCAL FIRE COMPANIES GAINING FUNDING
SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS APPROVED FUNDING FOR SEVERAL FIRE COMPANIES IN OUR AREA. THE FUNDING COMES FROM THE COMPETITIVE FISCAL YEAR 2009 FIRE GRANTS AWARD. THE AWARDS ARE ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATION. LOCAL COMPANIES AWARDED MONIES ARE THE CRESSONA FIRE COMPANY, DEFENDER HOSE COMPANY IN SHENANDOAH, AND THE GOOD WILL HOSE COMPANY OF FRACKVILLE.
　
A STATE SENATE LEADER IS URGING SWIFT ACTION ON A HOUSE-PASSED BILL THAT WOULD GENERALLY PROHIBIT THE USE OF HANDHELD CELL PHONES AND TEXT MESSAGING WHILE DRIVING. HOWARD ONDICK HAS THIS REPORT.

ONDICK


PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A man who fled to South Korea for a decade after being charged in a 1996 slaying in Philadelphia has been convicted of second-degree murder. Prosecutors say David Nam and three juvenile accomplices tried to rob a retiree, then shot him when he came to his door with a gun.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A jury in Montgomery County has convicted two men in the death of businessman during a home invasion one year ago this month. Joseph Page and Amatadi Latham were found guilty of second-degree murder. Robert Chae suffocated after he was left
bound with duct tape in his garage, while robbers forced his wife to open a safe.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The state Supreme Court has ruled that a central Pennsylvania jury will decide the fate of a man accused of killing three Pittsburgh police officers last April. The jury will
come from Dauphin County because of intense pretrial publicity in the Pittsburgh area.

TOWANDA, Pa. (AP) - Police in northern Pennsylvania say they discovered a natural gas well-drilling service truck that was more than 41 tons over the weight limit for the road it was on. Police say it is the latest of numerous examples of troopers finding overweight natural gas trucks inflicting damage on area roads.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Hundreds of thousands of poor, elderly and disabled Pennsylvanians will be getting a little less in their monthly Supplemental Security Income checks. The state budget cut Supplemental Security Income by about $10 million, or about 6 percent. That means monthly checks will shrink by about $5 beginning Monday.

BEIJING (AP) - The planned $6.4 billion U.S. arms sale to neighboring Taiwan has drawn a reaction from a rankled China. Chinese state media says the defense ministry is suspending
military exchanges with the United States. The Xinhua (shin-wah) News Agency says the suspension of the scheduled visits by military personnel is because of the "bad impact" of the weapons deal on military relations.

KABUL (AP) - The Afghan Taliban say there have been no olive branches between themselves and a U.N. official. They deny reports that their representatives met with the official to discuss
prospects for peace in Afghanistan. A Taliban statement calls the reports "futile and baseless rumors."

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) - U.S. plans to regulate the financial industry are causing concerns at the World Economic Forum. Government officials from several nations are meeting behind closed doors with bankers. Congressman Barney Frank says the U.S. is "determined to do strong, sensible regulation" and rejected any notions that his government was threatening to choke off growth by putting in too many controls.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Icy roads and snowy landscapes are becoming evident in the Southeastern U.S. as a storm pushes east. Interstates in part of North Carolina are closed, while folks in one Kentucky town bought up all the sleds. Earlier the storm knocked out power to tens of thousands and closed major highways in the Midwest and Southern Plains.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - It's for all the marbles tonight in Las Vegas. A group of 53 beauty queens from around the country are set to smile, strut and talk their way to the 2010 Miss America Pageant crown. The winner gets a $50,000 scholarship and embarks on a yearlong run as Miss America. The 89-year-old pageant to be televised live on cable network TLC.