TODAY'S NEWS: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010

PAT TOOMEY IN TAMAQUA

A RECENT POLL PUTS REPUBLICAN PAT TOOMEY AHEAD OF DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE JOE SESTAK, BUT WHEN TOOMEY MET WITH SUPPORTERS THURSDAY MORNING AT THE TAMAQUA TRAIN STATION HE INFORMED THEM OTHERWISE. TOOMEY STRESSED THAT ALTHOUGH REPUBLICANS MAY HAVE THE LEAD, IT'S A SMALL ONE. WITH JUST FIVE DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION, TOOMEY ASKED SUPPORTERS TO URGE PEOPLE, WHO MAY BE ON THE FENCE, TO VOTE FOR HIM AND STATE SENATOR DAVID ARGALL.

ELECTION REMINDERS

DON'T FORGET TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND IS ELECTION DAY. POLLS WILL BE OPEN 7AM-8PM. GET OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR CANDIDATE FOR:

U.S SENATE, DEMOCRAT JOE SESTAK OR REPUBLICAN PAT TOOMEY.

GOVENOR, DEMOCRAT DAN ONORATO OR REPUBLICAN TOM CORBETT.

U.S HOUSE DISTRICT, DEMOCRAT TIME HOLDEN OR REPUBLICAN DAVE ARGALL.

STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 123, DEMOCRAT NEAL GOODMAN OR ETTORE DISCASIMIRRO


STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 124, DEMOCRAT JEFFREY FAUST, REPUBLICAN JERRY KNOWLES, OR INDEPENDENT DANTE PICCIANO.

STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 125, DEMOCRAT TIM SEIP, REPUBLICAN MIKE TOBASH, OR INDEPENDENT DENIIS BAYLOR.

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO HAND IN YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT. MILITARY EXTENSION GOES UNTIL NOVEMBER 9TH. OTHERWISE, SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!

OPERATION SAFE

OPERATION SAFE WAS CONDUCTED OCTOBER 20TH BY MEMBERS OF STATE POLICE MOTOR CARRIER ENFORCEMENT TEAMS, RESULTING IN 87 TRUCKS AND 53 DRIVERS OUT OF SERVICE. THIS ONE-DAY STATEWIDE ENFORCEMENT EFFORT FOCUSED ON SEAT BELT USE AND PROPER DRIVER AND VEHICLE DOCUMENTATION. SAFE STANDS FOR SEAT BELT AND FATIGUE ENFORCEMENT. 1,464 COMMERCIAL VEHICLES WERE INSPECTED, RESULTING IN THE ISSUANCE OF 647 TRAFFIC CITATIONS AND 1,217 WRITTEN WARNINGS. 57 OF THOSE TRAFFIC CITATIONS WERE ISSUED FOR DRIVERS NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS.

NORRISTOWN, PA. (AP) - FORMER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND RISING STARS IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FLOCKED TO PENNSYLVANIA ON THURSDAY TO CAMPAIGN FOR CANDIDATES JUST DAYS BEFORE VOTERS DECIDE HIGH-PROFILE RACES FOR GOVERNOR AND U.S. SENATE. ON FRIDAY, TWO REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS - CHRIS CHRISTIE OF NEW JERSEY AND TIM PAWLENTY OF MINNESOTA - PLANNED TO STUMP IN THE AREA.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA WILL BE IN PHILADELPHIA ON THE EVE OF TUESDAY'S MIDTERM ELECTIONS TO STUMP FOR DEMOCRATS. OBAMA IS HEADLINING THE GET-OUT-THE-VOTE RALLY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA ON MONDAY NIGHT. THE POPULAR FIRST LADY HIT THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL EARLIER THIS MONTH FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HER HUSBAND'S 2008 ELECTION.

ERIE, PA. (AP) - MERCYHURST COLLEGE WANTS TO CHANGE ITS NAME TO MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY. THE COLLEGE'S TRUSTEES SAID THURSDAY THEY PLAN TO ASK THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO GRANT THEM UNIVERSITY STATUS. MERCYHURST PRESIDENT TOM GAMBLE TELLS THE ERIE TIMES-NEWS THAT THE NAME CHANGE WON'T CHANGE ANYTHING THERE BUT WILL BETTER DESCRIBE WHAT THE SCHOOL HAS TO OFFER. THE CHANGE COULD BECOME EFFECTIVE SOMETIME NEXT YEAR, IF APPROVED.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A STATE AGENCY CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN 1,800 ITEMS, INCLUDING CIVIL WAR ITEMS AND SCULPTURES. THAT'S ACCORDING TO A NEW AUDIT RELEASED THURSDAY BY THE AUDITOR GENERAL'S OFFICE. THE REVIEW FOUND LAX OVERSIGHT AND AN ANTIQUATED INVENTORY SYSTEM WITHIN THE PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM COMMISSION AND THE STATE RAILROAD MUSEUM THAT THE COMMISSION ADMINISTERS.

YORK, PA. (AP) - THE YORK DISPATCH IS ENDORSING DEMOCRAT JOE SESTAK OVER REPUBLICAN PAT TOOMEY IN THE RACE FOR PENNSYLVANIA'S U.S. SENATE SEAT. SESTAK AND TOOMEY ARE VYING TO REPLACE FIVE-TERM SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, WHOM SESTAK BEAT IN MAY'S PRIMARY.

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. (AP) - AN ARKANSAS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IS RESIGNING OVER AN ANTI-GAY RANT HE POSTED ON FACEBOOK. ON CNN'S "ANDERSON COOPER 360," CLINT MCCANCE APOLOGIZED FOR SAYING HE THINKS GAY YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD KILL THEMSELVES. THE HEAD OF AN ANTI-BULLYING GROUP SAYS THE RESIGNATION MEANS MCCANCE'S SENTIMENTS WILL NO LONGER REPRESENT AUTHORITY IN HIS COMMUNITY.

MENTAWAI ISLANDS, INDONESIA (AP) - AN INDONESIAN DISASTER OFFICIAL SAYS THE DEATH TOLL FROM THE TSUNAMI THAT STRUCK ISLANDS OFF SUMATRA HAS RISEN TO MORE THAN 400. ABOUT 300 PEOPLE REMAIN MISSING, AND RESCUERS FEAR MANY OF THEM WERE SWEPT OUT TO SEA. MEANWHILE, THE VOLCANO THAT KILLED 33 PEOPLE EARLIER THIS WEEK CONTINUES TO ERUPT, THOUGHT THERE'S BEEN NO NEW DAMAGE OR INJURIES.

MOSCOW (AP) - RUSSIA'S EMERGENCIES MINISTRY SAYS TWO VOLCANOES THAT ERUPTED ON THE FAR EASTERN KAMCHATKA (KAM-CHAHT'-KUH) PENINSULA HAVE ALL BUT STOPPED SPEWING ASH. ASH CLOUDS FROM THE REMOTE VOLCANOES FORCED FLIGHT DIVERSIONS YESTERDAY AND BLANKETED A TOWN WITH DUST. BUT VISIBILITY IN THE REGION IS BACK TO 7 MILES AND FLIGHTS ARE NO LONGER BEING DIVERTED, THOUGH SCHOOLS REMAIN CLOSED BECAUSE OF A BUILDUP OF ASH.

FULTON, MO. (AP) - POLICE INVESTIGATORS HAVE CAPTURED A SUSPECT IN A SERIES OF FATAL SHOOTINGS IN CENTRAL MISSOURI. BUT THEY SAY THEY HAVE MORE WORK TO DO, COLLECTING EVIDENCE AND INTERVIEWING PEOPLE. THIS WEEK, A GUNMAN KILLED TWO COUPLES AT THEIR HOMES IN SEPARATE ATTACKS. POLICE SAY THE SUSPECT AND THE VICTIMS HAD PREVIOUS CONNECTIONS, BUT THEY'RE NOT ELABORATING.

TOKYO (AP) - A U.N. CONFERENCE ON PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY IS DEADLOCKED. PARTICIPANTS AT THE MEETING IN JAPAN SAY THE BIGGEST STICKING POINT IS A DIVISION BETWEEN DEVELOPING AND INDUSTRIAL NATIONS OVER A SYSTEM TO FAIRLY SHARE IN GENETIC RESOURCES, SUCH AS MEDICINE EXTRACTED FROM PLANTS. DELEGATES FROM MORE THAN 190 COUNTRIES ARE ATTENDING.