TODAY'S NEW: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2010

MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY

TODAY IS THE 20TH ANNUAL MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY. ONCE AGAIN, SCHULYKILL COUNTY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE LARGEST NATIONAL DAY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY HAS BEEN HANDS ON, MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN MANY WAYS. JANICE JOHNSTON, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION, PROUDLY SHOWCASES THREE AWARDS IN HER OFFICE WHICH SCHUYLKILL COUNTY HAS WON OVER THE YEARS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL. LAST YEAR, ONE OUT OF EVERY TWENTY-FIVE PEOPLE LIVING IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PARTICIPATED IN MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY. JOHNSTON REMINDS EVERYONE THAT IS NOT A RESIDENT OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY THAT YOU CAN STILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A SMALL WAY.SO WHETHER YOU MOW A NEIGHBOR'S LAWN, RUN AN ERRAND FOR A FRIEND, OR DONATE FOOD TO A LOCAL FOOD KITCHEN.... GET OUT THERE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

CHAPTER TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS TOURNAMENT OF BANDS

LOOKING FOR A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A FALL SUNDAY AFTERNOON? A CELEBRATION OF HIGH SCHOOL BAND MUSIC WILL BE HELD AT BLUE MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM, WHERE THE CHAPTER TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS OF THE TOURNAMENT OF BANDS IS SCHEDULED TO STEP OFF AT 2:30PM. COUNTY BANDS PERFORMING INCLUDE SCHUYLKILL HAVEN AND BLUE MOUNTAIN, ALONG WITH BANDS FROM BERKS AND LEHIGH COUNTIES. WINNERS IN THE RESPECTIVE CATEGORIES WILL EARN THE RIGHT TO COMPETE IN THE T.O.B. CHAMPIONSHIPS THE NEXT TWO WEEKENDS AT HERSHEYPARK STADIUM. GENERAL ADMISSION IS $8.00.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS PUSH MARCELLUS ALTERNATIVE

GOV. ED RENDELL THIS WEEK CALLED ON HOUSE AND SENATE LEADERS TO OFFER ALTERNATIVES TO HIS MARCELLUS SHALE TAX PLAN. REPUBLICAN LEADER SAM SMITH PREPARED A RESPONSE TO THE ADMINISTRATION DETAILING A MORE VIABLE OPTION FOR PENNSYLVANIA. THAT PLAN, THE MARCELLUS WORKS INITIATIVE, RECENTLY INTRODUCED BY HOUSE REPUBLICANS, CONTAINS A PACKAGE OF BILLS THAT FOCUS ON CLEAN-AIR, CLEAN-ENERGY, AND JOB-CREATING SOLUTIONS FOR THE STATE THAT WILL CUT COSTS AND STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE MARCELLUS SHALE REGION. GOVENOR RENDELL SUPPORTS THE HOUSE GOP PROPOSAL AND EVEN PRESENTED IT TO THE PRESIDENT, URGING IT BECOME A NATIONAL POLICY.

EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME EDITION FEATURES BERKS COUNTY FAMILY

WIDOWED BERKS COUNTY MOTHER, TRISHA URBAN , AND HER DAUGHTER CORA WILL BE WATCHING TELEVISION SUNDAY NIGHT AT THEIR HOME NEAR HAMBURG. EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME EDITION: AN URBAN FAIRYTALE WILL AIR AT 8:00 SUNDAY NIGHT, THE EPISODE THAT TY PENNINGTON AND HIS CREW MAKES-OVER URBAN'S 300 YEAR OLD LOG CABIN. URBAN AND HER DAUGHTER WERE SENT TO WALT DISNEY WORLD FOR ONE WEEK IN AUGUST AS THE CREW RENOVATED THE HOME. ANDY, TRISHA'S HUSBAND, DIED OF A HEART-ATTACK THE MORNING OF CORA'S BIRTH BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX-UP THE CABIN.

ABSENTEE BALLOT DEADLINE APPROACHING

THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT IN PENNSYLVANIA IS QUICKLY APPROACHING THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS MUST HAVE APPLICATIONS BY 5:00PM ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26TH. MILITARY PERSONNEL, A SPOUSE OR DEPENDENT ACCOMPANYING A U.S. SERVICE MEMBER WHO EXPECTS TO BE ABSENT ON ELECTION DAY, AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EITHER PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO VISIT THE DESIGNATED POLLING PLACE OR ARE AWARE THEY WILL NOT BE IN THE MUNICIPALITY ON NOVEMBER 2ND MAY VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT. VOTERS MUST FILL OUT AN ABSENTEE BALLOT AND HAVE IT COMPLETED, SIGNED AND RECEIVED BY THE COUNTY ELECTION OFFICE BY 5:00PM ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29TH.

STATE NEWS

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE TOM CORBETT IS RAISING MORE CAMPAIGN CASH LATE IN THE RACE THAN DEMOCRATIC RIVAL DAN ONORATO. CAMPAIGN FINANCE SUMMARIES RELEASED YESTERDAY SHOWED CORBETT RECEIVED $6.2 MILLION OVER A FIVE-WEEK PERIOD THAT ENDED MONDAY, WHILE ONORATO TOOK IN $3.3 MILLION.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - DEMOCRAT JOE SESTAK AND REPUBLICAN PAT TOOMEY WERE CLASHING OVER ECONOMIC POLICY DURING THEIR SECOND DEBATE IN THREE DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA'S RACE FOR U.S. SENATE. SESTAK AND TOOMEY MET YESTERDAY IN PITTSBURGH. POLLS THIS WEEK SHOW SESTAK AND TOOMEY RUNNING ABOUT EVEN.

BLUE BELL, PA. (AP) - FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI IS IN PENNSYLVANIA TO HELP FELLOW REPUBLICAN PAT TOOMEY IN HIS CLOSE RACE FOR U.S. SENATE. GIULIANI CALLS TOOMEY A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE CANDIDATE WHO CAN HELP LEAD THE NATION OUT OF ITS
ECONOMIC WOES. HE AND TOOMEY SPOKE FRIDAY TO A PACKED FIREHOUSE IN WHITPAIN TOWNSHIP. TOOMEY IS BATTLING DEMOCRAT JOE SESTAK.

LANCASTER, PA. (AP) - POLICE HAVE ARRESTED A WOMAN THEY SAY BIT AN OFFICER BEFORE STRIKING HER WITH A CAR. MANOR TOWNSHIP POLICE SAY OFFICER COLLEEN TATARA IS RECOVERING AFTER THE UNIDENTIFIED SUSPECT BIT HER AND THEN RAN INTO HER WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE SUSPECT FACES CHARGES INCLUDING AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND DRIVING UNDER THE
INFLUENCE.

NATIONAL NEWS

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - IT'S UNCLEAR IF THERE A RE ANY CASUALTIES AFTER A SUICIDE ATTACKER DRIVING AN EXPLOSIVES-PACKED CAR BLEW UP THE ENTRANCE TO A UNITED NATIONS OFFICE SATURDAY IN WESTERN AFGHANISTAN. OFFICIALS SAY MILITANTS WENT INSIDE THE
BUILDING AND THE ATTACK IS STILL UNFOLDING.

PARACHINAR, PAKISTAN (AP) - A LOCAL OFFICIAL SAYS HELICOPTER GUNSHIPS FROM THE PAKISTANI ARMY TARGETED TWO SUSPECTED MILITANT HIDE-OUTS IN A TRIBAL REGION NEAR THE AFGHAN BORDER, KILLING 12 SUSPECTED INSURGENTS. THE ATTACK COMES A DAY AFTER A ROADSIDE BOMB KILLED SIX PARAMILITARY SOLDIERS IN THE SAME REGION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - NEWLY DISCLOSED MILITARY DOCUMENTS INDICATE U.S. FORCES OFTEN FAILED TO FOLLOW UP ON CREDIBLE EVIDENCE THAT IRAQI FORCES MISTREATED, TORTURED AND KILLED THEIR CAPTIVES. THE DOCUMENTS RELEASED BY WIKILEAKS ALSO SUGGEST THAT FAR MORE IRAQIS DIED THAN PREVIOUSLY ACKNOWLEDGED DURING YEARS OF SECTARIAN BLOODLETTING AND CRIMINAL VIOLENCE AFTER THE U.S.-LED INVASION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A LONG CAMPAIGN SWING WRAPS UP TODAY FOR PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. HE'LL BE IN MINNESOTA ON BEHALF OF MARK DAYTON, WHO AIMS TO SUCCEED GOP GOVERNOR TIM PAWLENTY, AND FOR A STRING OF HOUSE CANDIDATES. OBAMA WILL ATTEND A RALLY AND
FUNDRAISING EVENTS.

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (AP) - THE MAIN CANDIDATES FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR HAVE MADE THE RACE THE MOST EXPENSIVE GENERAL ELECTION CONTEST IN STATE HISTORY. THE STATE'S MAJOR POLITICAL WATCHDOG AGENCY SAYS REPUBLICAN MEG WHITMAN AND DEMOCRAT JERRY BROWN HAVE SPENT $188.1 MILLION SO FAR IN BOTH THE PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION. WHITMAN HAS SPENT $142 MILLION OF HER OWN MONEY.