Today's News-Tuesday, February 2, 2010-7:30AM

PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL HAS SEEN HIS SHADOW ON GOBBLERS KNOB, THAT MEAN'S SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER!

MAN DIES, ONE INJURED AT ST GEORGE'S SITE

A MAN FROM ONEIDA IS DEAD FOLLOWING A FALL IN SHENANDOAH. REPORTS INDICATE THAT 53 YEAR OLD JOHN MARTZ, WHO WAS WORKING AT THE DEMOLITION SITE OF THE FORMER ST GEORGE'S CHURCH IN SHENANDOAH, FELL WHEN A LARGE PIECE OF STONE BEING REMOVED, HIT THE HIGH LIFT. MARTZ WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE BY THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY DEPUTY CORONER. ANOTHER WORKER, ANTHONY WEBB OF TOWER CITY, WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. WORK AT THE SITE WILL BE SUSPENDED UNTIL INVESTIGATORS FIND OUT WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED.

UNEMPLOYMENT STATS

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY'S JOBLESS RATE TICKED UP A TENTH OF A PERCENTAGE POINT IN DECEMBER ACCORDING TO STATISTICS FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY, SITTING AT 10-POINT-4 PERCENT. NOVEMBER'S RATE WAS 10-POINT-3 PERCENT, AND THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE WAS 8-POINT-9 PERCENT, BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, THAT'S HOVERING AT THE TEN PERCENT MARK. EXPERTS SAY THAT THE SLOW ECONOMIC RECOVERY COULD FORCE THE JOBLESS RATE HIGHER IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2010.

MURPHY JEWELRY HEIST NETS ARREST

THE FBI RECENTLY MADE AN ARREST IN THE 2007 ROBBERY OF MURPHY JEWELERS IN POTTSVILLE AND MAY SOON MAKE ANOTHER. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT ON JANUARY 26TH, 23 YEAR OLD BLAIR STARKEY WAS ARRAIGNED IN CONNECTION WITH THE BURGLARY. STARKEY IS AN INMATE AT GRATERFORD PRISON, WHERE HE'S HELD ON UNRELATED CHARGES. THE FBI ALSO ARRESTED 28 YEAR OLD THOMAS BROWN JR. OF CHESTER, AN INMATE AT THE STATE PRISON AT FAYETTE. POTTSVILLE POLICE DETECTIVE AND THE BUREAU ARE STILL TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE THIRD ROBBERS IDENTITY.

GILBERTON COUPLE CHARGED

A COUPLE FROM GILBERTON ARE CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. GILBERTON BOROUGH POLICE SAY RITA AND GREGORY GROVE CONTACTED THE VICTIM OF A CASE THE COUPLE WERE INVOLVED IN ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, OFFERING MONEY FOR THE VICTIM'S SILENCE. BOTH WERE ARRAIGNED, WITH GREGORY GROVE REMAINING IN PRISON, AND RITA GROVE ABLE TO GAIN HER RELEASE.

OUT OF COUNTY TEENS FOUND WITH BOOZE

PINE GROVE POLICE HAVE CHARGED FOUR TEENAGERS WITH UNDERAGE DRINKING, TIED TO A TRAFFIC STOP IN THE BOROUGH EARLY SUNDAY. 19 YEAR OLD JOHNATHAN FISHER OF LANCASTER AND THREE OTHERS WERE SEEN DRIVING IN PINE GROVE, AND POLICE FOUND ALCOHOL IN THE VEHICLE. BLOOD TESTS WERE ISSUED FOR THE DRIVER AND THE OCCUPANTS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - REPUBLICAN PAT TOOMEY RAISED MORE MONEY THAN INCUMBENT SEN. ARLEN SPECTER IN THE FINAL THREE MONTHS OF 2009. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS SHOW TOOMEY RAISED $1.7 MILLION IN THE FOURTH QUARTER, WHILE SPECTER TOOK IN $1.1 MILLION. BUT SPECTER - WHO SWITCHED TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LAST YEAR - STILL APPEARS TO HAVE THE OVERALL FUNDRAISING EDGE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - AT LEAST 11 PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITALS HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO ACCEPT HAITIANS WHO WERE BADLY INJURED IN LAST MONTH'S EARTHQUAKE. GOV. ED RENDELL SAYS THE HOSPITALS ARE RESPONDING TO A REQUEST FROM THE U.S. MILITARY. A HOSPITAL OFFICIAL SAYS THE VICTIMS COULD INCLUDE AMPUTEES AND PARAPLEGICS.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - PITTSBURGH MAYOR LUKE RAVENSTAHL SAYS HIS CITY WILL BE FULLY REIMBURSED FOR THE COSTS OF HOSTING THE G-20 SUMMIT LAST SEPTEMBER. THE MAYOR SAYS THE $12.2 MILLION BILL FOR EVERYTHING FROM POLICE OVERTIME TO INSURANCE WILL BE COVERED BY THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - OPENING STATEMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY IN THE CORRUPTION TRIAL OF FORMER HOUSE DEMOCRATIC WHIP MIKE VEON AND THREE OF HIS AIDES. A STATE PROSECUTOR SAID YESTERDAY THAT VEON HELPED CONCOCT AN ELABORATE CONSPIRACY TO ILLEGALLY SPEND TAXPAYER MONEY. VEON'S ATTORNEY SAID PROSECUTORS MISHANDLED THE INVESTIGATION.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - LAWMAKERS HAVE TAKEN THE FIRST STEP TOWARD SPARING BAKE SALES AND OTHER CHARITABLE FOOD SALES FROM STATE HEALTH INSPECTIONS. THE BILL PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE SENATE YESTERDAY WAS IN RESPONSE TO AN INCIDENT LAST SPRING WHEN A STATE FOOD SAFETY INSPECTOR SHUT DOWN A BAKE SALE AT A CHURCH OUTSIDE PITTSBURGH.

NAGOYA, JAPAN (AP) - A TOYOTA EXECUTIVE SAYS THERE COULD BE A BIGGER SALES DROP AFTER THE GAS PEDAL RECALL THAN AFTER OTHER SUCH ACTIONS, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE SCALE OF THE CURRENT PROBLEM. TOYOTA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, WHO OVERSEES QUALITY CONTROL, ALSO SAYS TOYOTA INVESTIGATED FOR ELECTRONIC PROBLEMS, AND DIDN'T FIND ANY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - IT'S COMING UP ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF A REGIONAL AIRLINER CRASH IN WESTERN NEW YORK THAT KILLED 50 PEOPLE WHEN A PLANE HIT A HOUSE, BUT KEY SAFETY REFORMS HAVEN'T BEEN IMPLEMENTED. FEDERAL REGULATORS AND LAWMAKERS HAD PROMISED SWIFT ACTION AFTER THE CRASH WHICH REVEALED A SAFETY GAP BETWEEN MAJOR AIRLINES AND THE REGIONAL CARRIERS. THE NTSB MEETS TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE CRASH.

WASHINGTON (AP) - DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES APPEARS ON CAPITOL HILL TODAY TO TALK TO SENATORS ABOUT LIFTING THE BAN ON GAYS IN THE MILITARY. HE'LL ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR A YEARLONG STUDY INTO HOW THE MILITARY WOULD LIFT A BAN ON GAYS FROM SERVING OPENLY IN THE MILITARY AND THE IMPACT IT MIGHT HAVE ON THE FORCE.

GENEVA (AP) - THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS SECURITY IN HAITI IS STABLE AT THE MOMENT BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR A VOLATILE SITUATION EXISTS. THE U.N.'S HUMANITARIAN OFFICE SAYS AN ARMED GROUP ATTACKED A FOOD CONVOY IN THE SOUTHWEST, BUT U.N. PEACEKEEPERS FIRED WARNING SHOTS AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A U.N. SPOKESWOMAN SAYS SEVERAL HUNDRED PRISONERS ARE STILL BELIEVED TO BE ON THE LOOSE SINCE THE EARTHQUAKE.