Today's News-Tuesday, May 18, 2010

PRIMARY DAY IN PENNSYLVANIA

VOTERS WILL GO TO THE POLLS TODAY TO DETERMINE WHO WILL FACE WHOM IN NOVEMBER TODAY. IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, THERE ARE NUMEROUS CHANGES IN THE POLLING LOCATIONS FOR MANY VOTERS AS SITES ARE CONSOLIDATED FROM 167 TO 125. ELECTION OFFICIALS TELL WPPA/T102 NEWS THAT THOSE AFFECTED WERE NOTIFIED BY MAIL WEEKS AGO AS TO THE CHANGES. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR POLLING LOCATION, CALL THE VOTER REGISTRATION BUREAU AT 628-1467. THE POLLS ARE OPEN FROM 7AM TILL 8PM. REGISTERED REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE.

LINK TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY POLLING SITES (CHANGES IN BOLD PRINT)

RACES ON THE BALLOT
THE SPOTLIGHT LOCALLY FOCUSES ON THE RACE FOR THE NOMINATION IN THE 17TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. CONGRESSMAN TIM HOLDEN, A DEMOCRAT, IS CONTESTED BY HARRISBURG ATTORNEY SHEILA DOW FORD. ITS A FOUR WAY RACE FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION, WITH STATE SENATOR DAVE ARGALL, FRANK RYAN, JOSH FIRST AND ALLEN GRIFFITH ON THE BALLOT. ALL THREE STATE LEGISLATORS, TIM SEIP, NEAL GOODMAN AND JERRY KNOWLES ARE ALL SEEKING RE-ELECTION, BUT ARE UNCONTESTED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE PARTY TICKET. IN THE 125TH DISTRICT, ROBERT LOY AND MICHAEL TOBASH ARE SEEKING THE REPUBLICAN NOD TO FACE SEIP IN NOVEMBER.

SENAVITIS GETS PAROLE
STROUDSBURG, PA. (AP) - A KUNKLETOWN MAN ACQUITTED OF VEHICULAR HOMICIDE IN THE DEATH OF STATE SENATOR JIM RHOADES IS FREE AFTER BEING SENTENCED TO TIME ALREADY SERVED ON OTHER CHARGES. MONROE COUNTY PRESIDENT JUDGE RONALD VICAN SENTENCED 46-YEAR-OLD THOMAS SENAVITIS, TO TIME SERVED MONDAY ON CHARGES STEMMING FROM THE 2008 CRASH THAT KILLED SEN. RHOADES IN THE POCONOS. IN MARCH, A JURY FOUND SENAVITIS NOT GUILTY OF MORE SERIOUS CHARGES BUT CONVICTED HIM OF RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT AND DRUNKEN DRIVING. AUTHORITIES SAY SENAVITIS WAS DRIVING DRUNK ON OCT. 17, 2008, WHEN HIS PICKUP COLLIDED WITH THE CAR DRIVEN BY THE SEVEN-TERM REPUBLICAN FROM SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. RHOADES' WIFE WAS ALSO SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE CRASH. SENAVITIS' ATTORNEYS SAID IT WAS RHOADES WHO CROSSED THE CENTER LINE, CAUSING THE HEAD-ON COLLISION.

SHIELD 7
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS FACE A MYRIAD OF CHALLENGES, BOTH INSIDE THE CLASSROOM AND OUT. SHERRY MARCHEFSKY REPORTS FROM POTTSVILLE ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT'S EFFORTS TO WARN STUDENTS OF THE DANGERS OUT THERE:

SHIELD 7

MAN CHARGED AFTER LEAVING THE SCENE OF CRASH
POLICE HAVE NABBED A SHENANDOAH MAN IN CONNECTION WITH A CRASH LAST WEEK WHERE HE LEFT THE SCENE WITH AN INJURED MAN INSIDE THE CAR. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT 24 YEAR OLD CHRISTOPHER BUCK WAS DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN FRACKVILLE THURSDAY. AS A CHASE ENSUED, THE CAR WENT AIRBORNE, STRIKING A PARKED CAR AND A GARAGE. BUCK FLED THE SCENE ON FOOT, LEAVING JACK CLEWS INSIDE WITH A BROKEN LEG. POLICE SAY THE CAR BELONGED TO ANOTHER MAN, WHOM BUCK WAS TO INSTALL A CAR STEREO IN. BUCK FACES A HOST OF CHARGES, AND FOLLOWING ARRAIGNMENT, WAS JAILED IN THE COUNTY PRISON.

IN PA., SPECTER-SESTAK SHOWDOWN TOPS PRIMARY RACES
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS WILL DECIDE TODAY WHETHER TO REPLACE REPUBLICAN-TURNED-DEMOCRAT ARLEN SPECTER IN THE U.S. SENATE AND SETTLE CONTESTED DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN NOMINATIONS FOR GOVERNOR. NOMINATION FIGHTS IN DOZENS OF STATE LEGISLATIVE AND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS ALSO ARE ON THE BALLOT. A POLL RELEASED YESTERDAY INDICATES THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY SHOWDOWN BETWEEN SEN. SPECTER AND U.S. REP. JOE SESTAK IS TOO CLOSE TO CALL. THE QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FOUND THAT 16 PERCENT OF DEMOCRATS CONSIDERED LIKELY TO VOTE WERE UNDECIDED IN THE SENATE RACE. BOTH MEN PUT IN A FINAL DAY OF CAMPAIGNING IN FAR-FLUNG LOCATIONS ACROSS THE STATE BEFORE RETURNING TO THEIR HOME BASE IN THE PHILADELPHIA AREA. THE WINNER OF THE PRIMARY WILL LIKELY SQUARE OFF IN NOVEMBER AGAINST FORMER U.S. REP. PAT TOOMEY, WHO FACES TOKEN OPPOSITION THIS YEAR FROM JOHNSTOWN ACTIVIST PEG LUKSIK. THE POLL SURVEYED 951 DEMOCRATS BY TELEPHONE BETWEEN WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY. THE SAMPLING ERROR MARGIN IS PLUS OR MINUS 3.2 PERCENTAGE POINTS.

ONORATO, CORBETT CROSS STATE ON LAST CAMPAIGN DAY
HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL SHOWS ALLEGHENY COUNTY EXECUTIVE DAN ONORATO CONTINUING TO LEAD THE FOUR-WAY RACE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR GOVERNOR, BACKED BY 39 PERCENT OF THE DEMOCRATS LIKELY TO VOTE. THIRTY-ONE PERCENT REMAINED UNDECIDED. TRAILING WERE STATE SEN. ANTHONY HARDY WILLIAMS WITH 11 PERCENT, STATE AUDITOR GENERAL JACK WAGNER, 10 PERCENT, AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMISSIONER JOE HOEFFEL, 9 PERCENT. ONORATO AND GOP FRONT-RUNNER TOM CORBETT, BOTH FROM SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, FLEW ACROSS THE STATE FROM EAST TO WEST YESTERDAY. ONORATO SAID HE IS COUNTING ON STRONG PRESENCE IN ALL 67 COUNTIES TO TURN OUT HIS SUPPORTERS TODAY IN SPITE OF THE RAIN THAT IS FORECAST ACROSS THE STATE. CORBETT CAUTIONED SUPPORTERS NOT TO LET HIS STRONG POLLING NUMBERS LULL THEM INTO COMPLACENCY.

MCVEYTOWN, PA. (AP) - POLICE IN MIFFLIN COUNTY SAY A GARBAGE TRUCK RAN OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE, KILLING TWO MEN, INCLUDING THE CORONER OF A NEIGHBORING COUNTY. STATE POLICE SAY HUNTINGDON COUNTY CORONER RONALD MORDER AND HAROLD KNABLE JR. OF NEWTON HAMILTON WERE PRONOUNCED DEAD ON THE SCENE FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT IN WAYNE TOWNSHIP.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A PITTSBURGH-AREA WOMAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON PLUS 20 YEARS FOR LURING A PREGNANT TEEN TO HER APARTMENT, DRUGGING HER AND CUTTING THE CHILD FROM THE WOMB. ANDREA CURRY-DEMUS HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY BUT MENTALLY ILL OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER AND WAS SENTENCED YESTERDAY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS URGING UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA GRADUATES TO REMAIN OPTIMISTIC IN THE FACE OF TWO WARS, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND BUDGET CUTS. BIDEN SPOKE TO GRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY'S SCHOOL OF SOCIAL POLICY AND PRACTICE LAST NIGHT. AMONG THEM WAS HIS 28-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, ASHLEY, WHO WAS AWARDED A DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK.

WASHINGTON (AP) - IT'S PRIMARY DAY AROUND THE NATION. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS NOT ON THE BALLOT, NOR IS THE REPUBLICAN SENATE LEADER, KENTUCKY'S MITCH MCCONNELL. BUT BOTH HAVE A STAKE IN CONTESTS TESTING THE TEA PARTY AMONG KENTUCKY REPUBLICANS AND THE DURABILITY OF DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENTS IN ARKANSAS AND PENNSYLVANIA. TODAY'S ALSO THE DEADLINE FOR OREGON VOTERS TO RETURN THEIR MAIL-IN BALLOTS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE NEXT STOP ON THE PRESIDENT'S WHITE HOUSE TO MAIN STREET TOUR: YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO. OBAMA'S HEADING TO THE SWING STATE TODAY TO PROMOTE HIS ECONOMIC POLICIES. HE'S TRYING TO CONVINCE VOTERS THAT TIMES ARE GETTING BETTER EVEN WHILE UNEMPLOYMENT REMAINS STUBBORNLY HIGH. THE PRESIDENT WILL VISIT A PIPE AND TUBING MANUFACTURER THAT BENEFITED FROM THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT.

TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) - AN IRANIAN OPPOSITION WEBSITE SAYS AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED THE CHIEF BODYGUARD OF THE COUNTRY'S OPPOSITION LEADER, MIR HOSSEIN MOUSAVI. HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN JUNE. ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD SET OFF MONTHS OF POLITICAL UPHEAVAL, INCLUDING A BLOODY CRACKDOWN ON STREET PROTESTERS. THE ARRESTED GUARD HAS PROTECTED MOUSAVI SINCE HE SERVED AS PRIME MINISTER IN THE 1980S.

LONDON - BRITISH AIRWAYS EXPECTS TO OPERATE 90 PER CENT OF ITS LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS AND ABOUT HALF ITS SHORT HAUL SERVICES. BRITAIN'S HIGH COURT DECIDED YESTERDAY THE AIRLINE'S CABIN CREWS AREN'T ALLOWED TO STRIKE BECAUSE OF IRREGULARITIES WITH THE UNION'S BALLOT. THE INJUNCTION STOPPED A WALKOUT JUST HOURS BEFORE IT WAS DUE TO BEGIN. THE CREW'S UNION CALLED THE DECISION "NONSENSE."

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (AP) - STUNNINGLY BAD SERVICE. THAT'S WHAT A DAYTONA BEACH, FLA., WOMAN THOUGHT A DRIVE-UP WINDOW AT WENDY'S WAS DISHING UP. AUTHORITIES SAY THAT WHEN 20-YEAR-OLD MELANESE ASIA REID BECAME UPSET ABOUT HER ORDER YESTERDAY, SHE CHASED THE EMPLOYEE SERVING HER WITH A PINK TASER GUN UNTIL THE STORE MANAGER CALLED POLICE. REID'S CHARGED WITH ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON.