Today's News-Saturday, April 24, 2010

ONE DEAD IN CYCLE/CAR CRASH

A BERNVILLE MAN IS DEAD FOLLOWING A MOTORCYCLE/CAR CRASH FRIDAY NIGHT. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN STATE POLICE SAY 70 YEAR OLD MARY AUNGST OF TREMONT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN ONTO ROUTE 209 SOUTH FROM ROUTE 901 WHEN SHE TURNED INTO THE PATH OF A MOTORCYCLE DRIVEN BY 47 YEAR OLD DARREN MARTIN OF BERNVILLE, WHO WAS EASTBOUND ON 901. MARTIN AND HIS WIFE CHERYL WERE THROWN FROM THE MOTORCYCLE, WITH DARREN SUFFERING FATAL INJURIES. CHERYL MARTIN HAD TO BE FLOWN TO GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER. AUNGST HAD MINOR INJURIES. STATE POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR EYEWITNESSES WHO MAY HAVE SEEN WHAT HAPPENED. CONTACT THEM AT 593-2000.

FIRE AT BIG DIAMOND

THE EXCITEMENT WASN'T JUST ON THE TRACK AT BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY LAST NIGHT AS A FUEL STORAGE SHED WENT UP IN FLAMES. FIRE INVESTIGATORS THINK STATIC ELECTRICITY IGNITED BARRELS OF FUEL AT THE TRACK NEAR FORESTVILLE AS RACING WAS TO GET UNDERWAY. THE BLAZE, DESCRIBED BY EYEWITNESSES AS A "FIREBALL" WAS EXTINGUISHED FAIRLY QUICKLY, AND RACING RESUMED. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS INJURED, AS SPECTATORS WERE QUICKLY EVACUATED.

MYSPACE CASE TO BE HEARD AGAIN

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE 3RD U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS WILL REHEAR TWO CASES IN WHICH SEPARATE PANELS OF THE COURT ISSUED CONFLICTING RULINGS IN FEBRUARY ABOUT WHETHER SCHOOLS CAN DISCIPLINE STUDENTS FOR INTERNET SPEECH POSTED OFFSITE. THE CASES WILL BE HEARD JUNE 3 IN PHILADELPHIA BY A 13-JUDGE PANEL. IN FEBRUARY, ONE PANEL OF THE COURT UPHELD THE SUSPENSION OF A BLUE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICT EIGHTH-GRADER WHO POSTED SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL ALONG WITH HER PRINCIPAL'S PHOTOGRAPH ON A FAKE MYSPACE PAGE. A DIFFERENT COURT PANEL RULED UPHELD A LOWER COURT RULING, HOWEVER, THAT SAID OFFICIALS FROM HICKORY HIGH SCHOOL IN MERCER COUNTY WERE WRONG TO SUSPEND A STUDENT WHO USED A HOME COMPUTER TO CREATE A MYSPACE PARODY OF HIS PRINCIPAL.

TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM STARTS MONDAY

DELIQUENT PA TAXPAYERS CAN MAKE AMENDS ON MONEY DUE TO THE STATE BEGINNING MONDAY. THE TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM WILL ALLOW PENNSYLVANIANS TO HAVE ALL PENALTIES AND HALF OF THE INTEREST DUE FROM APRIL 26TH THROUGH JUNE 18TH, AS THE COMMONWEALTH TRIES TO CLOSE A LARGE FUNDING DEFICIT. INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES AND OTHER TAXPAYING ENTITIES ARE ELIGIBLE, AND FILING CAN BE DONE ON LINE. THE STATE HOPES TO RECOUP $190 MILLION DOLLARS THROUGH THE AMNESTY PROGRAM.

YORK, PA. (AP) - HARLEY-DAVIDSON SAYS ITS PLANT IN YORK SHOULD BE BACK ON LINE MONDAY NOW THAT TESTS HAVE INDICATED A PAINT CHEMICAL POSES NO DANGER. THE COMPANY IDLED PLANTS IN YORK AND KANSAS CITY ON THURSDAY AFTER A SUPPLIER WARNED THAT ITS PAINT FOR COATING MOTORCYCLE PARTS COULD EXPOSE WORKERS TO BENZENE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A UNION REPRESENTING 1,500 STRIKING PHILADELPHIA NURSES AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WILL HEAD BACK TO THE BARGAINING TABLE WITH TEMPLE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL OFFICIALS TODAY. THE STRIKE BEGAN MARCH 31ST AND INVOLVES A DISPUTE OVER WAGES, BENEFITS AND WORK RULES.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - LAFAYETTE COLLEGE HAS AGREED TO PAY $1 MILLION TO SETTLE A FEDERAL SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUIT. THE U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION REPRESENTED FIVE FEMALE PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES WHO SAID A SUPERVISOR SUBJECTED THEM TO REPEATED HARASSMENT. EACH WOMAN WILL RECEIVE $200,000.

SOUTH FAYETTE, PA. (AP) - POLICE SAY AN ALLEGHENY COUNTY MAN KILLED HIS WIFE AND SET THEIR HOUSE ON FIRE AFTER THE TWO ARGUED OVER HIM STAYING UP LATE TO WATCH A HOCKEY PLAYOFF GAME ON TV. POLICE SAY ROBERT ABRAMS LIKELY STARTED THE BLAZE TO HIDE THE KILLING EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.