Today's News-Tuesday, January 12, 2010

ARGALL ANNOUNCES

STATE SENATOR DAVE ARGALL MADE IT OFFICIAL YESTERDAY, HE IS A CANDIDATE FOR THE U.S. CONGRESS IN THE 17TH DISTRICT. ARGALL, LAKE HAUTO, MADE IT A DAY LONG SWEEP ACROSS THE DISTRICT TO ANNOUNCE HIS INTENTION TO RUN FOR THE G.O.P. NOMINATION, WINDING UP IN TAMAQUA LAST NIGHT. DURING A STOP AT COUNTY REPUBLICAN HEADQUARTERS IN POTTSVILLE MONDAY AFTERNOON, ARGALL SAID THAT HE ONLY MADE UP HIS MIND IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS:

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HE ALSO SAID THAT HE'S HEARD FROM MANY CONSITUENTS IN THE 17TH DISTRICT ON THE WEB AS WELL:

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HARRISBURG RESIDENT JOSH FIRST IS ALSO SEEKING THE REPUBLICAN NOD. THE WINNER WILL FACE INCUMBENT CONGRESSMAN TIM HOLDEN IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. THE ST CLAIR DEMOCRAT HAS BEEN IN CONGRESS SINCE 1993.

HE'S BEEN A STATE LEGISLATOR SINCE 1985, NOW HE WANTS TO MOVE TO WASHINGTON TO SERVE IN CONGRESS. STATE SENATOR DAVE ARGALL ANNOUNCED HIS CANDIDACY FOR THE 17TH DISTRICT SEAT ON MONDAY, ENDING DAYS OF SPECULATION. ARGALL HAS BEEN MULLING A RUN FOR AWHILE, BUT SAYS HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO THINK A CHANGE IS NEEDED IN WASHINGTON HELPED HIM MAKE HIS DECISION:

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JOSH FIRST OF HARRISBURG IS ALSO RUNNING AS A REPUBLICAN. CONGRESSMAN TIM HOLDEN OF ST CLAIR IS THE INCUMBENT, AND IS RUNNING FOR RE ELECTION AS A DEMOCRAT. THE PRIMARY IS MAY 18TH, AND THE GENERAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.

TWO PEOPLE HURT IN CRASH

A WOMAN AND MAN WERE HURT WHEN THE VAN THEY WERE RIDING IN CRASHED INTO RENNINGERS MARKET YESTERDAY MORNING. STATE POLICE SAY THAT JONI METZGER WAS NORTHBOUND ON ROUTE 61 WHEN SHE SPILLED COFFEE, LOST CONTROL AND RAN INTO THE RENNINGERS MARKET. METZGER AND HER PASSENGER, LARRY MOHR JR. WERE TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER, TREATED AND RELEASED. THE BUILDING HAD MODERATE DAMAGE.

SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES LODGED

TWO TEENAGED GIRLS HAVE TOLD STATE POLICE THAT THEY WERE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY A POTTSVILLE MAN, AND NOW CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED. THE GIRLS, AGES 13 AND 14, SAY THAT 18 YEAR OLD SEAN COOK SEXUALLY ASSAULTED THEM IN LATE NOVEMBER. THEY MADE THE REPORT TO STATE POLICE LAST MONTH. COOK WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY YESTERDAY, CHARGED WITH STATUTORY SEXUAL ASSAULT, AGGRAVATED INDECENT ASSAULT AND OTHER COUNTS. BAIL WAS SET FOR COOK AT $50-THOUSAND-DOLLARS. HE'S BEEN REMANDED TO THE COUNTY PRISON.

PINE GROVE MAN ESCAPES INJURY

A PINE GROVE MAN APPARENTLY FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL OF HIS VEHICLE MONDAY MORNING WHILE DRIVING ON ROUTE 125 IN PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP. 77 YEAR OLD JOSEPH MOYER'S CAR CROSSED THE HIGHWAY, STRUCK TWO MAIL BOXES AND SHEARED OFF A UTILITY POLE. MOYER WASN'T HURT.

FARMSHOW NEWS GOES HI TECH

FARM SHOW NEWS, ON THE GO. GARY ABDULLAH TALKS ABOUT THE 94TH PA FARM SHOW GOING HI TECH:

FARM SHOW HI TECH

POTTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING

NEWLY ELECTED COUNCILMAN, MARK ATKINSON, WAS WELCOMED LAST NIGHT AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. THE COUNCIL HELD THE 2010 SALARY REGULATORY ORDINANCE INCLUDING THE SALARY FOR THE MAYOR AT $5,200, PALAMAR AT $76,601.41 AND THE POLICE CHIEF JOSEPH H. MURTON V AT $79,444.26. MCCANN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS IS LOOKING TO EXPAND THEIR CAMPUS IN THE COMING YEAR. A PIECE OF PROPERTY HAS BEEN PURCHASED THOUGH NO DETAILS OF THE EXPANSION WERE GIVEN LAST EVENING. THE COUNCIL ALSO REAPPOINTED BETH SHIELDS TO THE GREATER POTTSVILLE AREA SEWER AUTHORITY , CHALES TARONIS AND JOHN ALBERTINI TO THE CITY’S ZONING HEARING BOARD, AND SCOTT LUSCAVAGE, GREG ACHENBACH AND KYLE HEFFNER TO THE FAIR HIRING BOARD.
THERE WAS ALSO THE FIRST OF 2 PUBLIC HEARINGS CONCERNCING THE CITY’S 2010 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. CITY ADMINISTRATOR, THOMAS PALAMAR, ESTIMATES THAT THE CITY WILL RECEIVE ABOUT $400,000 THIS YEAR, $15,000 MORE THAN IN 2009. HE DIDN’T GIVE ANY INDICATION IN WHAT THE FUNDS WERE GOING TO BE USED FOR THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR THE FUNDS WERE USED TO REPAIR STORM DRAINAGE. SIDEWALK AND CURBS, AND THE JFK’S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

WAYNESBURG, PA. (AP) - A WAYNESBURG POLICE OFFICER SAYS TWO GIRLS JUMPED OFF A ROOF INTO HIS ARMS TO ESCAPE A FIRE THAT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF THE GIRLS' 11-YEAR-OLD BROTHER AND A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO WAS VISITING THEIR FAMILY'S HOME. THE BOY'S MOTHER ESCAPED MONDAY'S EARLY MORNING FIRE ALONG WITH HER TWO DAUGHTERS. AUTHORITIES WERE STILL INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.

EASTON, PA. (AP) - JURY SELECTION HAS BEGUN FOR THE TRIAL OF AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAN ACCUSED OF THE EXECUTION-STYLE MURDERS OF THREE PEOPLE NOVEMBER 2007. TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD ALI ELIJAH DAVIS OF FREEMANSBURG LAST WEEK REJECTED A DEAL TO ENTER A GUILTY PLEA TO FOUR COUNTS OF THIRD-DEGREE MURDER IN TWO SEPARATE SHOOTINGS IN EASTON.

NORRISTOWN, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY A MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN A 2008 MURDER IN A SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA BOARDING HOUSE AFTER ELUDING POLICE FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. OFFICIALS SAY 54-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH POUGH OF NORRISTOWN WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY LAST WEEKEND AT A PHILADELPHIA APARTMENT AFTER AN ANONYMOUS TIP. PROSECUTORS SAY POUGH WAS WANTED IN THE NOVEMBER 2008 SHOOTING DEATH OF GLENN GUNDY.

HANCOCK, MD. (AP) - THE WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS A 5-WEEK-OLD GIRL HAS DIED FROM INJURIES CAUSED BY HER FATHER. LT. MARK KNIGHT SAID MONDAY HE EXPECTS ADDITIONAL CHARGES TO BE FILED AGAINST 22-YEAR-OLD NICHOLAS MCKEE OF WARFORDSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA NOW THAT BELLA APPEL-MCKEE OF HANCOCK, MARYLAND HAS DIED. MCKEE HAS BEEN HELD ON $150,000 BAIL SINCE FRIDAY ON CHARGES OF CHILD ABUSE AND FIRST-DEGREE ASSAULT.

READING, PA. (AP) - AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAN CHARGED WITH POURING GASOLINE ON AN EX-GIRLFRIEND AND SETTING HER ON FIRE IN 2005 HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO FIVE TO 10 YEARS IN STATE PRISON. FIFTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD WAYNE WILLIAMS OF READING PLEADED GUILTY IN BERKS COUNTY COURT TO AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND RELATED CHARGES. HE APOLOGIZED MONDAY FOR HIS ACTIONS, SAYING HE WAS "GETTING OLDER." THE 29-YEAR-OLD VICTIM SUFFERED SECOND-DEGREE BURNS ON UPPER BODY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE NUMBER OF BIRD STRIKES AND OTHER WILDLIFE COLLISIONS WITH PLANES LAST YEAR IS EXPECTED TO SOAR PAST 10,000 ONCE THE TALLY IS FINISHED. AIRPORTS AND AIRLINES ARE MORE DILIGENT ABOUT REPORTING SUCH INCIDENTS FOLLOWING THE "MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON" A YEAR AGO OFF MANHATTAN. EXPERTS SAY THERE ARE ALSO GREATER NUMBERS OF BIRDS TO CONTEND WITH.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT AND MRS. OBAMA WILL HEAD TO DELAWARE THIS MORNING TO ATTEND THE FUNERAL OF JEAN FINNEGAN BIDEN, THE VICE PRESIDENT'S MOTHER. SHE DIED FRIDAY AFTER FALLING ILL IN RECENT DAYS. SERVICES ARE AT THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH IN WILMINGTON.

LONDON (AP) - A NEW STUDY FINDS THAT A UNICEF PROGRAM THAT SPENT $27 MILLION TO DECREASE CHILD DEATHS FROM DISEASE IN WEST AFRICA HAS FAILED. THE AIM WAS TO REDUCE THE DEATH RATE BY AT LEAST 25 PERCENT BY THE END OF 2006. BUT AN ANALYSIS OF THE PROGRAM IN BENIN, GHANA AND MALI FOUND THE SURVIVAL RATE WAS ACTUALLY HIGHER IN SOME REGIONS THAT WEREN'T INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM.

FROSTPROOF, FLA. (AP) - FLORIDA GROWERS ARE SCRAMBLING TO ASSESS DAMAGE FROM THE PROLONGED DEEP FREEZE, BUT ONE SAYS THE WEEKEND MAY HAVE DONE SOME OF THEM IN DESPITE THE FIGHT TO SAVE THE CROPS. IT'S STILL COLD IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL FLORIDA, BUT THE COLD SNAP THAT GRIPPED THE SOUTH FOR DAYS IS SHOWING SIGNS OF BREAKING.

NEW YORK (AP) - FORMER BASEBALL STAR MARK MCGWIRE STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE YESTERDAY -- AND CONFESSED. HE ADMITTED TO USING STEROIDS ON AND OFF FOR A DECADE DURING HIS CAREER, INCLUDING 1998 WHEN HE SLAMMED A THEN-RECORD 70 HOMERS. MCGWIRE SAYS HE WISHES HE'D NEVER PLAYED IN THE STEROIDS ERA.