Today's News-Saturday, May 8, 2010

TWO VEHICLES END UP IN DAM
RESCUE CREWS AND POLICE WERE SUMMONED TO WOLF CREEK DAM IN BLYTHE TOWNSHIP FRIDAY AFTERNOON AFTER TWO JEEPS ENDED UP IN THE DRINK. POLICE SAY THAT FOUR PEOPLE WERE OFF ROADING AT THE DAM, PART OF THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY WATERSHED AROUND NOON TIME. APPARENTLY, ONE OF THE VEHICLES ENDED UP IN THE WATER, AND A SECOND, IN ATTEMPTING TO RESCUE THE JEEP, FOUND ITS WAY INTO THE WATER. THE UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS, TWO MEN, A WOMAN AND A JUVENILE, ARE FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES IN THE INCIDENT. AUTHORITIES SAY THERE WAS OIL THAT LEAKED INTO THE WATER, BUT NO CONTAMINATION RESULTED.

ONE INJURED IN CRASH
A NORTHAMPTON MAN IS INJURED IN A CRASH ON ROUTE 61 FRIDAY AFTERNOON. 49 YEAR OLD SARAH LEWIS WAS NORTHBOUND AND SLOWED FOR TRAFFIC. HER CAR WAS REAR ENDED BY A VEHICLE DRIVEN BY DEV DAWAR OF NORTHAMPTON. HE COMPLAINED OF NECK AND BACK PAIN, BUT REFUSED TREATMENT. BOTH VEHICLES HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.

ONE INJURED
A PINE GROVE WOMAN SUFFERED MINOR INJURY IN A CRASH ON SWEETARROW LAKE ROAD FRIDAY. JOHN WORHACH OF PINE GROVE WAS STOPPED AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOVERS LANE AND THE LAKE ROAD, AND PULLED OUT OF THE INTERSECTION, AND COLLIDED WITH MICHELLE SCHWALM'S VEHICLE. WORHACH WILL BE CITED IN THE CRASH.

STAMP OUT HUNGER
MORE THAN 15 HUNDRED LETTER CARRIERS WILL NOT ONLY BE DELIVERING MAIL TODAY, BUT ALSO PICKING UP CANNED FOOD TO HELP FIGHT HUNGER. PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO PUT THOSE NON PERISHABLE ITEMS ON THEIR PORCHES THIS MORNING, IN A BOX OR BAG, AND THEY'LL BE PICKED UP. THE POSTAL SERVICE WORKERS HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKING FOOD COLLECTIONS FOR 18 YEARS, COLLECTING MORE THAN A BILLION POUNDS OF GOODS TO HELP OTHERS. HELP STAMP OUT HUNGER TODAY.

THIRD PERSON CHARGED IN BURGLARY
A MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED AS THE THIRD PERSON INVOLVED IN AN APRIL, 2009 ROBBERY AT THE PORT CARBON TURKEY HILL. 44 YEAR OLD JAMIE TORRES-DOMINGUEZ, NO KNOWN ADDRESS, WAS ARRAIGNED YESTERDAY BEFORE DISTRICT JUDGE DAVID PLACHKO. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT TORRES-DOMINGUEZ WAS THEN TAKEN TO LUZERNE COUNTY FOR ARRAIGNMENTS ON FOUR OTHER ROBBERIES. TWO OTHERS, JOSHUA WAGNER AND WILLIAM TIERNO, ARE AWAITING TRIAL FOR THEIR ROLES IN THE PORT CARBON ROBBERY AS WELL AS ONE IN POTTSVILLE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - REPORTS FILED WITH ELECTIONS OFFICIALS SHOW THE SIX CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR COLLECTED ABOUT $5 MILLION IN CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE FIVE-WEEK PERIOD THAT ENDED MONDAY. DEMOCRAT ANTHONY HARDY WILLIAMS IS DISCLOSING THE LARGEST DONATIONS, ABOUT $2.5 MILLION. REPUBLICAN TOM CORBETT SAYS HE TOOK IN $924,000.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - THE MONONGAHELA INCLINE IN PITTSBURGH IS EXPECTED TO BE CLOSED FOR SEVERAL DAYS WHILE WORKERS REPLACE WORN-OUT CABLES. THE PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY SAYS AN INSPECTION THURSDAY FOUND WEAR AND TEAR ON BOTH OF THE INCLINE'S STEEL CABLES.

WILMINGTON, DEL. (AP) - THE HEAD OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA IS WARNING AGAINST ATTEMPTS BY SOME IN CONGRESS TO POLITICIZE THE CENTRAL BANK. IN A SPEECH YESTERDAY, CHARLES PLOSSER SAID A PROPOSAL TO MAKE THE HEAD OF THE NEW YORK FED A PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE WOULD SKEW POWER TOWARD WASHINGTON AND WALL STREET.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE 72ND DAD VAIL REGATTA IS UNDER WAY IN PHILADELPHIA, MONTHS AFTER ORGANIZERS HAD THREATENED TO MOVE IT TO
NORTHERN NEW JERSEY. THE LONG-RUNNING INTERCOLLEGIATE ROWING EVENT
STARTED YESTERDAY ON THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER, AND CONCLUDES TODAY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYS MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ALREADY ARE REAPING BENEFITS FROM THE NEW HEALTH CARE LAW. IN HIS WEEKLY RADIO AND INTERNET ADDRESS, OBAMA POINTS TO TAX BREAKS FOR SOME SMALL BUSINESSES AND HELP FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG ADULTS. IN A VIGOROUS DEFENSE OF THE NEW LAW, OBAMA SAYS THE NEAR FUTURE ALSO BRINGS HELP FOR SENIORS AND MORE ACCOUNTABILITY BY INSURANCE COMPANIES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE SENATE'S TOP BANKING COMMITTEE REPUBLICAN SAYS THERE'S A BIG FLAW IN THE PENDING FINANCIAL SYSTEM OVERHAUL BILL. IN THE WEEKLY GOP RADIO AND INTERNET ADDRESS, ALABAMA SEN. RICHARD SHELBY SAYS THE SENATE BILL DOES NOT IMPOSE CONTROLS ON GIANT GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED MORTGAGE FINANCE COMPANIES FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC. HE SAYS THEY CREATED A DEMAND FOR RISKY LOANS AND INFLATED THE HOUSING BUBBLE.

BRUSSELS (AP) - THE EUROPEAN FLIGHT CONTROL AGENCY SAYS FLIGHTS BETWEEN EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA WILL TAKE LONGER TODAY BECAUSE PLANES ARE BEING ROUTED AROUND THE CLOUD OF ASH FROM A VOLCANO IN ICELAND. EUROCONTROL SAYS THE CLOUD IS EXPANDING TO 35,000 FEET, RIGHT IN THE PATH OF MOST TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHTS, EFFECTIVELY BLOCKING THE USUAL ROUTES.

ON THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) - A 100-TON, 40-FOOT-TALL BOX IS SETTLING INTO THE MUD OVER THE OIL WELL SPEWING 5,000 BARRELS OF OIL INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO EVERY DAY. BP SAYS ONCE THAT CONTAINMENT VESSEL SETTLES PROPERLY, ROBOTS WILL HOOK UP A PIPE AND HOSE THAT WILL HOPEFULLY FUNNEL OIL UP TO A TANKER. MEANWHILE PRIVATE DOCUMENTS SUGGEST A METHANE BUBBLE FROM THE WELL TRIPPED THE DEADLY OIL RIG EXPLOSION.

GENEVA (AP) - THE UNITED NATIONS' LABOR AGENCY SAYS MORE MUST BE DONE TO ACCELERATE THE ELIMINATION OF CHILD LABOR AROUND THE WORLD. A GLOBAL SURVEY BASED ON FIGURES FROM MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES FOUND 215 MILLION CHILD LABORERS IN 2008, A DROP OF MORE THAN 3 PERCENT FROM 2004. THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION SAYS THE DECLINE ISN'T HAPPENING FAST ENOUGH.