Today's News-Friday, June 18, 2010

DOMESTIC DISPUTE, STABBING IN PORT CARBON
A Port Carbon man is stabbed last night, and his wife is jailed for her role in the incident last night. Port Carbon police report the incident took place at the Keppley residence, 415 Market Street, Trailer 9 after 9pm. Officers discovered that 47 year old Kenneth Keppley was bleeding from stab wounds to his chest. His 24 year old wife Anna Keppley was covered in blood and trying to get back into the trailer when police arrived. Kenneth Keppley was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center South for treatment. Anna Keppley was charged with aggravated and simple assault, and taken to the county prison in lieu of bail. Port Carbon police were assisted by St Clair and New Philadelphia officers, and Schuylkill County Children and Youth workers.

LOW BLOOD SUGAR MAY HAVE LED TO CRASH
An apparent low blood sugar level led to a driver becoming disoriented and a subsequent crash Thursday afternoon. Reports say 35 year old Lynette Beretsky was southbound on Route 61, when she became ill and her car left the road, then crossed all four lanes and struck an embankment, causing the vehicle to spin. State police say Beretsky was wearing her seatbelt, and escaped injury. The accident happened around 3:30pm Thursday.

COBRA, OTHER BENEFITS IN LIMBO
A bill to extend federal funding for some key programs failed to pass a procedural vote in the Senate Wednesday, leaving many unemployed and low-income Pennsylvanians in limbo. Tom Joseph reports.

JOSEPH CONGRESS

TAX AMNESTY TO END TODAY
Amnesty for taxpayers who owe money in Pennsylvania is coming to an end. More from the state capitol:

CADAU TAX AMNESTY

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - More jobs are coming to the Keystone State, but Pennsylvania's unemployment rate remains at its highest rate in more than a quarter-century. The state Labor and Industry Department says many of the 19,500 jobs added in May were by the government, including temporary hiring by the U.S. Census Bureau.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett's campaign has three times as much money in the bank as his Democratic foe, Dan Onorato. According to campaign finance reports filed yesterday, Onorato had $1.1 million on hand as of June 7th, while Corbett had $3.4 million.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Rendell administration is celebrating a key approval of its strategy for protecting Pennsylvania's rivers and household water from a rapid expansion of natural gas drilling. A state regulatory board has voted in favor of proposed new standards to deal with polluted drilling wastewater.

WYALUSING, Pa. (AP) - Police investigating the discovery of human remains in a northeastern Pennsylvania home say they have dug up the graves of the homeowner's husband and sister and found their coffins empty. The remains found at the Bradford County home of Jean Stevens Tuesday have been identified as the bodies of James Stevens and June Stevens, the homeowner's husband and sister.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A scientist is trying to call attention to what may be an overlooked part of the Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout -- vast amounts of methane gas spewing out with the crude. John Kessler of Texas A&M says it's the "most vigorous methane eruption in human history." It has the potential to suffocate marine life and create "dead zones" where oxygen is depleted.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is hoping to use the groundbreaking on an Ohio road project today to remind the nation that the massive, costly stimulus act is still churning out jobs. Millions of unemployed people have yet to feel the relief. The White House says the groundbreaking marks the start of the 10,000th road project launched under the recovery act.

DRAPER, Utah (AP) - Utah prison officials say a firing squad has executed convicted killer Ronnie Lee Gardner. The 49-year-old Gardner was shot by a team of five anonymous marksmen with a matched set of .30-caliber rifles early Friday. He was convicted of a 1980s murder.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A pair of food recalls this morning. ConAgra Foods is recalling all Marie Callender's brand cheesy chicken and rice frozen meals after they have been possibly linked to a
salmonella outbreak in 14 states. And Campbell Soup Co. is recalling 15 million pounds of SpaghettiOs with meatballs due to possible underprocessing.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Lakers have won their 16th NBA championship in dramatic fashion. The Lakers survived poor shooting to rally from a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 83-79 Thursday night in Game 7 of the NBA finals.