Today's News-Saturday, February 6, 2010

WEATHER

IT MAY HAVE TAKEN A LITTLE WHILE TO GET STARTED, BUT SNOW CONTINUES TO FALL STEADILY THIS MORNING, MAKING TRAVEL TREACHEROUS. WE'VE HAD BETWEEN 6-7 INCHES THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT, AND THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UPGRADED TO A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY THROUGH 6PM. WHILE SNOW PLOWS HAVE BEEN PUTTING IN THE OVERTIME THROUGH THE NIGHT, ALL ROADS ARE SNOW COVERED. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF BY MIDDAY, BUT WINDS WILL TOSS THE SNOW AROUND, CAUSING SOME DRIFTING, AND TEMPERATURES WILL NOT LEAVE THE 20'S, SO ICING MAY BECOME A FACTOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT, STAY HOME. PENN DOT HAS POSTED REDUCED SPEEDS ON INTERSTATE 78, 80 AND 81 DURING THIS STORM. AN UPDATED LIST OF OUR CANCELLATIONS AND POSTPONEMENTS IS POSTED ONLINE ON THE WPPA WEATHER CENTER AT WPPARADIO.COM.

KNOWLES TALKS SMALL BUSINESS AT MC'D

STATE REPRESENTATIVE JERRY KNOWLES TOOK A BREAK FOR LUNCH YESTERDAY AT MCDONALD'S TO TALK BUSINESS WITH OWNER WAYNE PACE. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY HAS MORE:

MARCHEFSKY MCDONALDS

CENTRALIA'S FINAL DAYS

A FOUR DECADE OLD UNDERGROUND MINE FIRE CONTINUES TO BURN UNDER CENTRALIA, AND NOW THE STATE IS MOVING TO GET THE REMAINING DIE HARD RESIDENTS TO LEAVE. MORE THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE MOVED OUT AND BUILDINGS TORN DOWN IN A $42 MILLION DOLLAR RELOCATION PROGRAM IN THE 80'S AND 90'S. BUT DOZENS OF HOLDOUTS REFUSED TO LEAVE CENTRALIA EVEN AFTER THEIR HOUSES WERE SEIZED THROUGH EMINENT DOMAIN IN THE EARLY 1990S. NOW, AFTER YEARS OF DELAY, STATE OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE MOVING
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE REMAINING HOMES AND GET THEM KNOCKED DOWN. THE FIRE CONTINUES TO BURN BENEATH CENTRALIA, EMITTING CLOUDS OF STEAM FROM FISSURES IN THE ROCK AND DRAWING TOURISTS DESPITE THE DANGER POSED BY GASES AND SINKHOLES.

FUEL TAKEN

POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR THEIVES WHO TOOK FUEL FROM A COAL COMPANY IN HEGINS TOWNSHIP. THE THEFT OF 160 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS TAKEN FROM TWO MACHINES AT TIMBER COAL COMPANY IN VALLEY VIEW BETWEEN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. HEGINS TOWNSHIP POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION'S SECOND MAJOR SNOWSTORM IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS COULD BE "EXTREMELY DANGEROUS." PHILADELPHIA COULD GET ABOUT A FOOT OF SNOW AND UP TO 20 INCHES IS EXPECTED IN THE PITTSBURGH AREA.

NORRISTOWN, PA. (AP) - A PROPOSAL TO BRING A MOVIE STUDIO TO A STRUGGLING PHILADELPHIA SUBURB IS ON HOLD, AT LEAST FOR NOW. DEVELOPERS ANNOUNCED PLANS IN 2007 TO BUILD THE STUDIO IN NORRISTOWN, BUT THE ECONOMY AND A CUT TO A TAX INCENTIVE HAS RESULTED IN A NEW PLAN. PLANS NOW CALL FOR OFFICE SPACE AND A SUPERMARKET.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A FEDERAL GRAND JURY WILL NOW TAKE UP THE CASE OF A SAN FRANCISCO MAN ACCUSED OF FORCING A US AIRWAYS FLIGHT TO BE DIVERTED TO PITTSBURGH ON SUNDAY BECAUSE HE WAS HIGH ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA. KINMAN CHAN WAIVED HIS RIGHT TO A PRELIMINARY HEARING FRIDAY ON A CHARGE OF INTERFERING WITH A FLIGHT CREW.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A TENTATIVE APRIL TRIAL DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR A LUZERNE COUNTY MAN WHOSE PROPERTY HAD AS MANY AS 12 BODIES BURIED ON IT. HUGO SELENSKI IS AWAITING TRIAL IN THE DEATHS OF TWO OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE BODIES WERE FOUND IN 2003. HE HAS BEEN ACQUITTED OF MURDER IN THE DEATHS OF TWO OTHERS.

ERIE, PA. (AP) - THE GRACE PERIOD IS OVER IN ERIE FOR DRIVERS USING CELL PHONES WITHOUT A HANDS-FREE DEVICE. NOBODY WAS TICKETED FOR THE FIRST MONTH OF THE NEW BAN, BUT THE CITY IS STARTING TO LEVY FINES OF $150 TO $300. EXCEPTIONS ARE ALLOWED FOR EMERGENCY CALLS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - TREES HAVE TOPPLED ONTO APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND CARS AS A BLIZZARD BATTERS THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION THIS MORNING. TWO DEATHS HAVE BEEN REPORTED. AIRLINES CANCELED FLIGHTS, AMTRAK CANCELED SERVICE AND CHURCHES CALLED OFF WEEKEND WORSHIP AS OFFICIALS WARNED PEOPLE TO JUST STAY HOME.

TOKYO (AP) - A PUBLISHED REPORT IN JAPAN SAYS THAT JAPAN'S TRANSPORT MINISTRY HAS RECEIVED NEARLY 80 COMPLAINTS OF TOYOTA PRIUS BRAKE PROBLEMS IN THE LAST 4 DAYS. THEY INCLUDE REPORTS OF FIVE ACCIDENTS BUT NO INJURIES. THE NEWSPAPER REPORTS THE MINISTRY WILL URGE TOYOTA TO INVESTIGATE THE ACCIDENTS. JAPANESE MEDIA TODAY GAVE TOYOTA'S PRESIDENT A NEGATIVE RECEPTION OVER HIS EXPLANATION YESTERDAY OF QUALITY CONTROL PROBLEMS.

KARACHI, PAKISTAN (AP) - A MASS FUNERAL FOR BOMBING VICTIMS WAS HELD TODAY AMID TIGHT SECURITY IN PAKISTAN'S LARGEST CITY. MOURNERS BEAT THEIR CHESTS WITH HANDS AND WITNESSES SAY ABOUT 7,000 ATTENDED THE FUNERAL. AUTHORITIES SAY AT LEAST 31 PEOPLE DIED AND 170 OTHERS WERE WOUNDED IN TWO BLASTS IN KARACHI YESTERDAY.

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - SEVEN CIVILIANS DIED IN AFGHANISTAN WHEN AFGHAN BORDER POLICE MISTOOK A GROUP OF VILLAGERS GATHERING WOOD NEAR THE PAKISTAN BORDER AS INSURGENTS AND OPENED FIRE. ALL SIX OFFICERS INVOLVED IN FRIDAY'S PRE-DAWN SHOOTING HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND THE INCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO PASS A JOBS BILL BEFORE THEY TAKE THEIR WINTER BREAK IN A WEEK, ANXIOUS TO SHOW PROGRESS TO CONSTITUENTS BACK HOME. ONE IDEA THAT'S GAINING TRACTION IN THE SENATE WOULD EXEMPT COMPANIES FROM PAYING THE EMPLOYER'S SHARE OF SOCIAL SECURITY PAYROLL TAXES FOR NEW WORKERS THEY HIRE THIS YEAR. OTHER TAX BREAKS SUPPORTED BY REPUBLICANS WILL LIKELY ALSO BE IN THE MEASURE THE SENATE IS EXPECTED TO CONSIDER.