Today's News-Saturday, August 21, 2010

MAN DIES IN MOTORBIKE CRASH

A MARY D MAN DIED RESULTING FROM INJURIES SUFFERED IN A DIRT BIKE CRASH LAST NIGHT. STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE SAY 37 YEAR OLD TIMOTHY EDMONDS WAS RIDING THE SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE IN A WOODED AREA OFF OF WALNUT STREET IN MARY D. REPORTS SAY EDMONDS WENT DOWN A STEEP DIRT EMBANKMENT AND LOST CONTROL, STRUCK A SMALL DIRT MOUND AND WAS EJECTED FROM THE CYCLE. EDMONDS SUFFERED SEVERE HEAD TRAUMA AND WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.

STABBING IN GIRARDVILLE

A GIRARDVILLE MAN WAS INJURED FOLLOWING AN ASSAULT AND STABBING IN GIRARDVILLE LAST NIGHT. REPORTS SAY 43 YEAR OLD KEVIN POWELL WAS PLAYING BOARD GAMES AT 233 MAIN STREET IN GIRARDVILLE WHEN HE RELIEVED HIMSELF. JOHN KRIETE CONFRONTED POWELL ABOUT THE ACT AND THE ARGUMENT ESCALATED, WITH KRIETE STABBING POWELL TWICE IN THE LEFT LEG. KRIETE WAS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED ASSAULT BY STATE POLICE. POWELL WAS TREATED AT ST CATHERINE'S HOSPITAL IN FOUNTAIN SPRINGS.

LOTS TO DO

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FAMILY TODAY IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, YOU HAVE ALOT OF CHOICES. AMONG THE EVENTS ARE THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS CONVENTION IN FRACKVILLE, WITH MORE THAN 200 PIECES OF FIRE APPARATUS ROLLING THROUGH THE STREETS BEGINNING AT 1PM. IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, A FULL DAY OF ACTIVITIES AND ENTERTAINMENT ARE IN STORE AT ISLAND PARK FESTIVAL 2010, WHICH ALSO BEGINS AT 1PM. AND, ALSO IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, ITS A BENEFIT CONCERT, TITLED "JAM FOR PAM" AT LIBERTY FIRE COMPANY. THE PROCEEDS RAISED WITH HELP PAM MCCABE, A HAVEN WOMAN WHO SUFFERS FROM SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS. WHATEVER YOU DO, MAKE IT A GREAT WEEKEND.

TUNKHANNOCK, PA. (AP) - THE OWNER OF A SMALL AIRPORT IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAYS HIS SON WAS GIVING FLYING LESSONS WHEN THE PLAN CRASHED INTO THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER. FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY THE TWO PEOPLE ABOARD SUFFERED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. SKYHAVEN AIRPORT OWNER CHARLES GAY SAYS HIS SON, STEVEN GAY, WAS TEACHING WILLIAM EARNEST HOW TO FLY.

SANDY LAKE, PA. (AP) - THE MANAGER OF MAURICE K. GODDARD STATE PARK IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAYS EMERGENCY WORKERS FOUND NOTHING FOLLOWING A REPORT OF A CAPSIZED BOAT ON LAKE WILHELM. BILL WASSER
SAYS A CALL CAME IN AROUND 9:15 YESTERDAY MORNING, AND CREWS SEARCHED BY BOAT AND HELICOPTER BEFORE CALLING IT OFF BY 1:30 IN THE AFTERNOON.

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (AP) - A 63-YEAR-OLD PENNSYLVANIA MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED IN ALASKA WITH STEALING FOSSILS FROM FEDERAL LAND. AN INDICTMENT SAYS ROBERT G. FRANZ OF PLYMOUTH MEETING TOOK A SEGMENT
OF A MAMMOTH TUSK AND CONSPIRED WITH OTHERS TO MAKE SEVERAL TRIPS
TO NORTHERN ALASKA OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO COLLECT PREHISTORIC
AND FOSSILIZED ARTIFACTS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - FIFTEEN PENNSYLVANIA AIRPORTS ARE SHARING IN $1.9 MILLION OF MOSTLY STATE TAX MONEY TO UPGRADE EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES. THE LARGEST PAYMENT, $330,000, GOES TO THE SOMERSET COUNTY AIRPORT, FOR A NEW T-HANGAR. GOVERNOR ED RENDELL SAYS $1.7 MILLION OF THE MONEY COMES FROM THE STATE'S JET FUEL TAX.　

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - NATO SAYS THREE AFGHAN POLICEMEN HAVE BEEN KILLED IN A FRIENDLY FIRE INCIDENT IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN. IT HAPPENED AS AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES CALLED FOR AIR SUPPORT WHILE UNDER FIRE. THE ANNOUNCEMENT FOLLOWS ANOTHER ABOUT THE DEATHS OF A WOMAN AND TWO CHILDREN IN THE WEST AS COALITION AND AFGHAN FORCES PURSUED A TALIBAN MILITANT. TWO MORE U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS DIED IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN.

WASHINGTON (AP) - ONE OF THE LARGEST EGG RECALLS IN RECENT HISTORY HAS NOW REACHED MORE THAN A HALF-BILLION EGGS IN THE NATIONWIDE INVESTIGATION OF A SALMONELLA OUTBREAK. TAINTED EGGS HAVE ALREADY SICKENED MORE THAN 1,000 PEOPLE. THE LATEST RECALL IS 170 MILLION EGGS FROM IOWA'S HILLANDALE FARMS. LABORATORY TESTS CONFIRMED SALMONELLA.

VALYERMO, CALIF. (AP) - A WILDFIRE THAT BURNED ABOUT 120 ACRES IN THE ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST IN NORTHEAST LOS ANGELES COUNTY HAS BEEN SURROUNDED. U.S. FOREST SERVICE SPOKESMAN ROBERT BRADY SAYS THE BLAZE THAT ERUPTED YESTERDAY NEAR THE TOWN OF VALYERMO IS NOW 100 PERCENT CONTAINED. SOME RESIDENTS WERE FORCED TO EVACUATE.

CHEQUAMEGON-NICOLET NATIONAL FOREST, WIS. (AP) - U.S. FOREST SERVICE OFFICIALS SAY IRRIGATION PITS, CLEAR-CUTTING OF TREES AND OTHER DAMAGE IN A WISCONSIN NATIONAL FOREST WILL HAVE TO BE CLEANED UP NOW THAT A POT FARMING RING HAS BEEN BUSTED. A DOZEN MEN FACE FEDERAL CHARGES. INVESTIGATORS AREN'T SPEAKING OFFICIALLY, BUT THE OPERATION MATCHES THE STYLE OF MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - DEMOCRATIC PARTY COMMITTEES ARE MAINTAINING A SOLID LEAD OVER REPUBLICANS IN THE CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING DEPARTMENT. FEDERAL CAMPAIGN REPORTS SHOW THAT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE RAISED ONLY $5.5 MILLION IN JULY, COMPARED TO $11.6 MILLION BY THE DEMOCRATS.