Today's News-Friday, June 11, 2010-UPDATE 2pm

MINERSVILLE WATER MAIN BREAK

The water main break in Minersville has been repaired. Hydrant flushing will take place for the next few hours. Customers may continue to experience dirty water or low water pressure.

PINE GROVE FIRE
More than a dozen people are displaced from Wednesday evening's fire in Pine Grove, and investigators are still looking for a cause. The blaze apparently broke out at 56 South Tulpehocken, and when finally extinguished, four buildings were left in ruins. Thankfully, no one was injured. The state police fire marshal and local investigators spent a good part of the day Thursday scouring the ruins for clues as to what happened. This is the second major fire in the borough of Pine Grove this year.

TWO HURT IN CRASH WEDNESDAY EVENING
Two people were injured in a crash in Wayne Township Wednesday night. State police say 24 year old Sean Holliday of Lititz was driving north on Route 183 and lost control after he floored the accelerator near the entrance to Summer Hill Road. Holliday lost control of the SUV, which hit an embankment and ended up on its roof, sliding for about 20 feet before coming to rest. Holliday suffered minor injury, while his passenger, 22 year old Andrew Miller, had moderate injuries. Holliday faces traffic violations in the crash.

GARBAGE TRUCKS NABBED
A host of garbage trucks were inspected at the CES Landfill in Foster and Porter Townships recently, with a host of citations issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Inspectors stopped 180 trucks, and found 21 of them had violations, including leaks, lacks of proper hauling authorizations and other violations. Two verbal warnings and 19 violation notices were issued. The inspections are part of DEP's Trashnet enforcement process.

TRUCK CRASH SNARLS TRAFFIC
A truck carrying an oversized load struck a utility pole in Cressona Thursday, snarling traffic on Pottsville Street. The crash happened mid morning, forcing the closure of both lanes from the Cressona Mall to the intersection with the Gordon Nagle Trail.

WATCH FOR MAGAZINE SCAM
Mahanoy City police are expecting to cite several people with a door-to-door selling scam in the borough. Some residents there reported that people were attempting to sell magazine subscriptions at an inflated price and sales tax rate. Police, in talking with the canvassers, say that the salespeople gave inconsistent stories about who they were selling for. Mahanoy City residents are asked to see solicitation permits before buying anything from door-to-door sales people.

MURPHY JEWELERS EXPANDS
An area jeweler has expanded into the Lehigh Valley. Patrick and Kim Murphy, owners of Murphy Jewelers announce the opening of their third location at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley. Murphy Jewelers has been serving the public for more than 97 years, beginning in Pottsville and expanding into Berks County several years ago. The design of the new store in Saucon Valley is similar to their store in Hamburg. In addition to their newest location in Center Valley, Murphy Jewelers is proud to announce that their daughter Mallory has joined the company, the fourth generation of the Murphy family to work in the business. For more information. log on to murphyjewelers.com.
　
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger blames his off-field problems on being "young, dumb and immature." Roethlisberger tells Pittsburgh TV stations KDKA and WTAE that he expects to be booed this season. He's also apologized for his actions and promises to become the role model he should have been throughout his career.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State officials have hired a Texas-based petroleum engineer to perform an independent investigation of last week's natural gas well blowout in Clearfield County. Officials also say they've discovered a new waterway apparently polluted by drilling fluids released during the accident. They say they continue to monitor the unnamed tributary to Little Laurel Run.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The number of Pennsylvania homes entering the foreclosure process over the past 12 months has risen by more than 20 percent, despite a national rate that stayed flat over the same period. New figures from foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac show almost 5,300 Pennsylvania homes received at least one foreclosure filing in May.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - New leaders are taking over at three of Pennsylvania's state-owned universities this summer. The State System of Higher Education board has approved the hiring of Karen Whitney as the next president of Clarion University. Two interim presidents also have been selected: David Werner at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Barbara Dixon at Lock Haven University.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A 16-year-old girl voyager feared lost in the Indian Ocean is OK, but she'll still have to be rescued. Abby Sunderland was trying to sail around the world solo, but her
emergency beacons began signaling yesterday. A support team member says Sunderland's boat got knocked on its side several times and the mast broke.

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's new prime minister has a warning for his country - deal with a swelling national debt or the economy could collapse. Prime Minister Naoto Kan told Parliament today that state finances are under pressure from an aging and declining population and taxes may have to go up.

WASHINGTN (AP) - It's an unusual step for competing drug companies. Several of them researching Alzheimer's have agreed to share their information from clinic trials. The database of more than 4,000 patients will also be available to outside researchers who are searching for a cure for other brain diseases, like Parkinsons.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) - The second U.S. missile strike in less than 12 hours has killed 15 suspected militants in northwestern Pakistan. Intelligence officers say six missiles were
fired on a house in an extremist stronghold near the Afghan border.

WANTAGH, N.Y. (AP) - Biologists will look into why a nearly 30-foot humpback whale washed up on a public beach on New York's Long Island. Parks Police found the two to 5-year-old male
yesterday at the east end of Jones Beach. Experts say it may have been dead for a week.