Today's News-Friday, April 16, 2010

FIRE DAMAGES HOME IN WEST MAHANOY

A VACANT LOST CREEK HOME IS DAMAGED BY FIRE. CREWS WERE SUMMONED TO THE HOME AT 58 NEW ROAD LATE AFTERNOON. THE FIRE APPARENTLY DID MOST OF ITS DAMAGE TO THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY. SOME HEAT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO AN ADJOINING HOME AS WELL. NO WORD AS TO WHAT THE CAUSE OF THAT WEST MAHANOY TOWNSHIP IS.

BURGLAR RECEIVES AT HOME SENTENCE

A POTTSVILLE MAN, CONVICTED OF BURGLARY AND OTHER CHARGES, WILL SPEND HIS SENTENCE UNDER HOUSE ARREST. ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD, 32 YEAR OLD DANIEL WHITESELL BURGLARIZED A HOME IN NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP IN OCTOBER 2008, HAVING BEEN SPOTTED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER WHILE HE WAS REMOVING ITEMS FROM THE HOME. WHEN CONFRONTED, WHITESELL TOLD THE HOMEOWNER HE WAS A POLICE OFFICER AND POINTED A FAKE GUN AT HER. PRESIDENT JUDGE WILLIAM BALDWIN SENTENCED WHITESELL TO 11 TO 23 MONTHS HOME CONFINEMENT, THEN PROBATION. WHITESELL HAD PLEADED GUILTY, BUT MENTALLY ILL TO ALL THE CHARGES IN DECEMBER.

WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD

THE WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD CELEBRATES LEARNING FOR THE VERY YOUNG. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY TAKES A LOOK:

YOUNG CHILD

ARRESTS MADE FROM MARCH BURGLARY

GOOD POLICE WORK HAS NETTED THE ARREST OF TWO PEOPLE IN POTTSVILLE. CITY POLICE REPORT THAT ON MARCH 11TH, PHYLLIS KOZMORCK'S MARKET STREET HOME WAS BURGLARIZED, WITH MORE THAN $7-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CASH, JEWELRY AND COLLECTIBLES TAKEN. 19 YEAR OLD TIMOTHY STRAUSSER WAS CHARGED WITH BURGLARY, RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY AND THEFT BY DECEPTION IN THE CASE. HIS COOPERATION HAS LED TO THE ARREST OF 18 YEAR OLD ALISSA SADUSKY, WHO IS NOW FACING CHARGES OF BURGLARY AND RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY, AND 20 YEAR OLD ERIC BRIDY FACING CHARGES OF RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY.

PA ALLERGY HOT SPOT

IF YOU ARE SUFFERING WITH A RUNNY NOSE AND WATERY EYES, YOU KNOW ITS SPRING. A NEW REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION FINDS THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING FROM ALLERGIES AND RELATED ASTHMA THAN 20 YEARS AGO, AND PENNSYLVANIA IS CONSIDERED A HOT SPOT. THE STUDY SAYS ALLERGENIC TREE POLLEN IN PENNSYLVANIA IS AS BAD, IF NOT WORSE, THAN IN ANY OTHER STATE. RESEARCHERS PAUL EPSTEIN AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY SAYS SETTING ASIDE THE DEBATE ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING, ITS A FACT THAT CARBON DIXOIDE LEVELS IN THE ATMOSPHERE HAVE RISEN. SCIENTISTS KNOW THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON PLANTS, BUT EPSTEIN SAYS THERE ARE SOME NEW THINGS THEY'RE LEARNING.

EPSTEIN

TREE POLLEN IS THE ALLERGY CULPRIT IN THE SPRING AND RAGWEED IS THE PROBLEM IN THE FALL. THE REPORT SHOWS THAT SEASONAL ALLERGIES AND ASTHMA AFFECT 50 MILLION PEOPLE NATIONWIDE, AND COST NEARLY 27 BILLION DOLLARS IN MEDICAL COSTS, WITH THOSE NUMBERS PREDICTED TO RISE AS TROUBLE PLANTS CONTINUE TO EXPAND THEIR RANGES AND FLOWERING SEASONS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A PENNSYLVANIA COURT IS ORDERING THE STATE TO TRANSFER MORE THAN $800 MILLION FROM ITS GENERAL FUND INTO AN ACCOUNT THAT HELPS PHYSICIANS PAY THEIR MALPRACTICE PREMIUMS. THE RULING COMES DOWN IN FAVOR OF HOSPITALS AND DOCTORS WHO HAD ARGUED THE STATE SHOULDN'T HAVE DIVERTED SURPLUS MONEY FROM A PROGRAM KNOWN AS MCARE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - SLOT-MACHINE GAMBLERS HAVE GENERATED NEARLY $773 MILLION IN PROPERTY-TAX CUTS FOR PENNSYLVANIA HOMEOWNERS THIS YEAR. THE AVERAGE REDUCTION COMES OUT TO ABOUT $200 PER HOUSEHOLD.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA'S SENATE RACE IS DRAWING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DONATIONS. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS SHOW INCUMBENT DEMOCRATIC SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER RAISED NEARLY $1.2 MILLION DURING THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR AND HAD MORE THAN $9 MILLION ON HAND TO BEGIN APRIL. THE GOP'S PAT TOOMEY COLLECTED MORE THAN $2.3 MILLION OVER THE SAME TIME PERIOD AND HAS $4 MILLION ON HAND.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - TRANSGENDER STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA CAN NOW GET SEX CHANGE TREATMENTS PAID FOR UNDER THE
SCHOOL'S NEW STUDENT HEALTH PLAN. PENN PRESIDENT AMY GUTMANN APPROVED THE CHANGES LAST WEEK.

LONDON (AP) - ANOTHER FRUSTRATING DAY FOR AIR TRAVEL IN EUROPE THANKS TO ASH FROM AN ICELAND VOLCANO. BRITAIN IS ALLOWING NO FLIGHTS OVER ENGLAND UNTIL SATURDAY MORNING, AND GERMANY HAS SHUT DOWN 11 OF ITS 16 INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS. THE ASH IS EXPECTED TO THREATEN AIR TRAVEL OVER EUROPE THROUGH SUNDAY AT THE LEAST.

WASHINGTON (AP) - WHAT MAY BE ANOTHER MUNITIONS DISPOSAL AREA DATING BACK TO WORLD WAR I HAS BEEN FOUND IN WASHINGTON, D.C. WORKERS DIGGING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR AMERICAN UNIVERSITY UNEARTHED SMOKING GLASSWARE CONTAMINATED WITH ARSENIC TRICHLORIDE. OFFICIALS ARE ASSESSING WHAT TO DO.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS THANKING CONGRESS FOR PASSING A TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF LONG-TERM JOBLESS BENEFITS. HE CALLS IT CRITICAL FOR SOME STRUGGLING FAMILIES. THE EXTENSION IS GOOD UNTIL JUNE 2, AND IS RETROACTIVE. OBAMA SIGNED IT JUST HOURS AFTER IT CLEARED CONGRESS LAST NIGHT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) - SHUTTLE ASTRONAUTS AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION HAVE PUT A GIANT CONTAINER HOLDING TWO TONS OF TRASH INTO DISCOVERY'S PAYLOAD BAY. LATER, THEY'LL USE A 100-FOOT BOOM TO INSPECT THE SHUTTLE'S HEAT SHIELD. DISCOVERY UNDOCKS TOMORROW FOR ITS RETURN TO EARTH.

HAVANA (AP) - A LEADING EXPERT ON CUBA SAYS THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST THREAT IS NOT DISSIDENTS, BUT CORRUPTION. ESTEBAN MORALES SAYS THE CORRUPTION IS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, WITH SOME TOP CUBAN OFFICIALS PREPARING TO DIVIDE THE SPOILS IF THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT COLLAPSES.