Today's News-Monday, March 29, 2010-7:15am

ASSAULT IN CRESSONA

TWO MEN ARE CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH A DISPUTE IN CRESSONA. STATE POLICE SAY THAT 33 YEAR OLD MICHAEL SHEFCYK AND 43 YEAR OLD JON GOLDEN MET AT A HOME ON JUDY DRIVE IN CRESSONA TO DISCUSS AN ONGOING PROBLEM BETWEEN THEIR CHILDREN. GOLDEN STRUCK SHEFCYK IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD AND SHEFCYK PUNCHED GOLDEN IN THE FACE. SIMPLE ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT CHARGES WERE LODGED AGAINST SHEFCYK AND HARASSMENT CHARGES AGAINST GOLDEN IN DISTRICT COURT.

SATURDAY MORNING THEFT

A WEST BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP MAN IS THE VICTIM OF THEFT OVER THE WEEKEND. TWO MALES WERE SEEN HOOKING UP A STEEL BODIED UTILITY TRAILER TO A VEHICLE THAT BELONGED TO 70 YEAR OLD SAMUEL BOYER, ORWIGSBURG, THAT WAS PARKED NEAR A BARN HE OWNS. UPON BEING SEEN, THE MEN FLED. POLICE SAY THAT TWO 5 GALLON BUCKETS CONTAINING SCRAP STEEL WERE TAKEN, AND THEY BELIEVE THE MEN WERE ATTEMPTING TO TAKE THE TRAILER FOR SCRAP AS WELL. THE MEN WERE DRIVING A DARK COLORED FORD PICKUP TRUCK. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN STATE POLICE ARE CONTINUING THEIR INVESTIGATION.

BREAK IN AT TOWER CITY

A TOWER CITY MAN'S HOME WAS BURGLARIZED WITH CASH AND OTHER ITEMS TAKEN. THE UNKNOWN THIEVES ENTERED TIMOTHY KOPPENHAVER'S HOME ON DIETRICH AVENUE, TAKING A SMALL SAFE AND OTHER ITEMS, THEN FLED THE SCENE. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN STATE POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR CLUES IN THE CASE.

HO HUM GOVERNOR'S RACE

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE LAST TIME PENNSYLVANIA'S GOVERNORSHIP WAS UP FOR GRABS, THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES SEEMED LARGER THAN LIFE. THERE WAS NOW-GOV. ED RENDELL, CREDITED WITH SAVING PHILADELPHIA FROM FINANCIAL RUIN AND OUTGOING GENERAL CHAIRMAN OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE. AND BOB CASEY, THE FORMER GOVERNOR'S SON FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER'S OOTSTEPS. BUT THIS YEAR'S LANGUID CONTEST FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION LACKS THOSE INGREDIENTS. BARELY SEVEN WEEKS BEFORE VOTERS CAST BALLOTS, THE APPEAL OF THE CANDIDATES REMAINS LARGELY REGIONAL. THE DEMOCRATIC HOPEFULS ARE ALLEGHENY COUNTY EXECUTIVE DAN ONORATO AND STATE AUDITOR GENERAL JACK WAGNER, BOTH FROM PITTSBURGH, AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMISSIONER JOE HOEFFEL AND STATE SEN. ANTHONY HARDY WILLIAMS FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE STATE. A FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE POLL RELEASED THIS WEEK SAID 71 PERCENT OF DEMOCRATS HAVE NOT SETTLED ON A FAVORITE TO TAKE ON THE
WINNER OF THE GOP CONTEST BETWEEN STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM CORBETT AND STATE REP. SAM ROHRER.

RURAL DOCTORS SHORTAGE?

CONGRESS' APPROVAL OF HEALTHCARE REFORM IS EXPECTED TO MEAN MILLIONS MORE AMERICANS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE. ONE PART OF THE BILL WILL HELP MAKE SURE THERE ARE DOCTORS IN RURAL AREAS OF PENNSYLVANIA TO SERVE THEM. TOM JOSEPH REPORTS.

JOSEPH DOCTORS

PITTSBURGH (AP) - PITTSBURGH POLICE INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY BELIEVE A GUNSHOT THAT KILLED A 60-YEAR-OLD WOMAN OVER THE WEEKEND WAS FIRED FROM A NEARBY RAILROAD TRESTLE, AND THEY EXPECT TO ARREST A JUVENILE SUSPECT WHO WAS SEEN ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING. CHERYL ESSENY DIED SATURDAY FROM A GUNSHOT WOUND TO HER ABDOMEN.

DELTA, PA. (AP) - PROTESTERS CONVERGED ON A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA HOG FARM OVER THE WEEKEND, COMPLAINING IT HAS TOO MANY PIGS AND IS HARMING THE AREA'S AIR AND WATER. THEY CLAIM THE GEMMILL FARM IN PEACH BOTTOM TOWNSHIP HAS JUST BELOW THE NUMBER OF PIGS THAT WOULD REQUIRE A SPECIAL PERMIT. THE STATE FARM BUREAU CALLS GEMMILL'S ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES ARE "STATE-OF-THE-ART."

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - A PENN STATE UNIVERSITY CLIMATE SCIENTIST SAYS HE REGRETS THAT HE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY OBJECT WHEN A COLLEAGUE SUGGESTED DELETING E-MAILS ON GLOBAL WARMING. METEOROLOGY PROFESSOR MICHAEL MANN TELLS THE MORNING CALL OF ALLENTOWN THAT HE CONSIDERED THE IDEA IN THE MAY 2008 MESSAGE INAPPROPRIATE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA POLICE CROWDED A POPULAR CITY NIGHTLIFE DISTRICT OVER THE WEEKEND TO SEND A MESSAGE TO DISORDERLY TEENAGERS WHO HAVE RECENTLY CAUSED CHAOS ON THE STREETS THERE. MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER AND HIS FAMILY ALSO WENT TO SOUTH STREET ON SATURDAY NIGHT.

ADRIAN, MICH. (AP) - SOME SUSPECTS ARE DUE IN COURT TODAY AFTER WEEKEND FBI RAIDS IN INDIANA, MICHIGAN AND OHIO. IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT PROMPTED THE RAIDS, WHICH THE FBI SAYS RESULTED IN AT LEAST THREE ARRESTS. FEDERAL WARRANTS ARE SEALED, BUT A FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL SAYS GUN CHARGES ARE INVOLVED AND OTHER SUSPECTS ARE BEING SOUGHT.

MOSCOW (AP) - RUSH-HOUR ON MOSCOW'S BUSY SUBWAY SYSTEM TURNED CHAOTIC THIS MORNING WHEN TWO FEMALE SUICIDE BOMBERS BLEW THEMSELVES UP, KILLING 35 PEOPLE AND WOUNDING 38. ONE BLAST WAS IN A STATION UNDERNEATH THE MAIN OFFICES OF THE FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE. IT'S THE KGB'S MAIN SUCCESSOR AGENCY.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (AP) - A PROPOSED INTERNET FILTERING PLAN IN AUSTRALIA HAS RAISED CONCERNS IN THE U.S. AUSTRALIAN OFFICIALS SAY THE FILTER WOULD BLOCK ACCESS TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS IN CRIME OR DRUG USE. GOOGLE AND YAHOO HAVE CONDEMNED THE PROPOSAL, SAYING IT COULD RESTRICT ACCESS TO LEGAL INFORMATION. OTHER CRITICS SAY IT WILL PUT AUSTRALIA IN THE SAME CENSORSHIP LEAGUE AS CHINA.

KABUL (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SPENT A VERY SECRET SIX HOURS IN AFGHANISTAN UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS TO TELL TROOPS NEAR THE FRONT LINES HOW IMPORTANT THEIR MISSION IS. HE ALSO DEMANDED ACCOUNTABILITY FROM AFGHAN AUTHORITIES TO MAKE GOOD ON REPEATED PROMISES TO IMPROVE LIVING CONDITIONS AND REIN IN CORRUPTION TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM JOINING THE INSURGENCY.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (AP) - A PYTHON HUNT IS ON IN INDONESIA AFTER THE DEATH OF A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY. POLICE SAY THEY THINK THE 23-FOOT-LONG PYTHON IS HIDING IN WATERWAY TUNNELS BUILT BY A TEXTILE COMPANY. VILLAGERS BLOCKED ROAD ACCESS TO THE TUNNELS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC. AUTHORITIES SAY THE VICTIM AND THREE OTHERS WERE SWIMMING WHEN THE SNAKE ATTACKED MARCH 21. IT STRANGLED AND NEARLY SWALLOWED THE BOY.