TODAY'S NEWS: MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2010

FIRE DESTROYS VACANT HOME

IT TOOK FIRE FIGHTERS THIRTY MINUTES TO CONTROL A FIRE THAT BROKE OUT SUNDAY NIGHT IN BLYTHE TOWNSHIP. FIVE FIRE COMPANIES RESPONDED TO THE FIRE THAT BLAZED A DOUBLE HOME LOCATED AT 45-47 SILVER CREEK ROAD. HARRY HOSLER OF POTTSVILLE OWNS THE PROPERTY AND SAID HE LOST ABOUT $30,000 WORTH OF EQUIPMENT. JUST TWO WEEKS EALIER, A GARAGE CAUGHT FIRE ON THE SAME PROPERTY AS A RESULT OF ARSON. SUNDAY'S FIRE WAS TERMED SUSPICIOUS.

POTTSVILLE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

THE POTTSVILLE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT CLAIMS IT WAS BLINDSIDED AFTER IT FAILED TO MAKE ANNUAL YEARLY PROGRESS BY A CHANGE IN REQUIREMENTS TO ONE AREA OF ASSESSMENT. POTTSVILLE AREA FAILED TO MEET THE STANDARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE WITHIN A FOUR-YEAR PERIOD. THE DISTRICT HAS PREVIOUSLY MET THE STATE STANDARD OF EIGHTY PERCENT, BUT THE RATE HAS SINCE BEEN CHANGED AFTER THE U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DETERMINED IT WOULD NOT ACCEPT A RATE LOWER THAN EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT. OF ALL THE STUDENTS WHO ENTERED POTTSVILLE AREA HIGH SCHOOL IN THE FALL OF 2005, ONLY EIGHTY-ONE PERCENT GRADUATED BY MAY 2009 WHICH IS BELOW THE NEW STANDARD.

WOMAN CRASHES ON OLD ROUTE 209

A WOMAN WRECKED HER CAR ALONG OLD ROUTE 209 IN SCHUYLKILL TOWNSHIP ON SATURDAY MORNING. 54 YEAR-OLD FRANCES ANN NAZAR OF MIDDLEPORT WAS DRIVING ON OLD ROUTE 209 JUST AFTER 2AM WHEN SHE STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT OFF THE ROAD LEAVING HER CAR STUCK IN THE MUD. WHEN POLICE ARRIVED, NAZAR SAID SHE WAS LOST. POLICE SMELLED ALCOHOL ON HER BREATH AND BELIEVE THIS MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. SHE WAS TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER- SOUTH JACKSON STREET FOR BLOOD TESTS. DUI CHARGES ARE PENDING.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE TOM CORBETT HAS PICKED UP AN ENDORSEMENT FROM HARRISBURG'S DAILY NEWSPAPER. THE PATRIOT-NEWS HAS ENDORSED THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL, CITING HIS PLEDGE TO NOT RAISE TAXES, HIS OFFICE'S INVESTIGATION OF CORRUPTION IN THE LEGISLATURE AND HIS DESIRE TO EXPLORE TAXPAYER-FINANCED ALTERNATIVES TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - TWO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPERS HAVE MADE OPPOSING ENDORSEMENTS IN THE U.S. SENATE RACE. THE PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE ENDORSED DEMOCRAT JOE SESTAK YESTERDAY WHILE THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW GAVE ITS NOD TO REPUBLICAN PAT TOOMEY.

READING, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAY A MAN SERVING A PRISON SENTENCE IN A SHOOTING FOUR YEARS AGO HAS ESCAPED FROM PRISON. STATE POLICE IN BERKS COUNTY SAY DEVIN COSME BROKE OUT OF THE WERNERSVILLE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY BETWEEN 4 A.M. AND 9:45 A.M. YESTERDAY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY SET TO OPEN NEXT MONTH IN PHILADELPHIA HAS ADOPTED A UNIQUE COMPROMISE ON AN ISSUE THAT PITS RELIGIOUS TEACHING AGAINST ECONOMICS - WHETHER TO OPEN ON THE SABBATH. UNDER A COMPROMISE APPROVED THIS MONTH, THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REPORTS THE MUSEUM WILL BE OPEN SATURDAY BUT WILL NOT SELL TICKETS THAT DAY.

COLUMBUS, OHIO (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS TARGETING THE SAME GROUPS THAT HELPED HIM WIN THE WHITE HOUSE IN A HOMESTRETCH EFFORT TO ENERGIZE DEMOCRATIC VOTERS FOR THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS. THEY INCLUDE YOUNG PEOPLE, AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND WOMEN. OBAMA SPOKE TO A LIVELY CROWD OF 35,000 LAST NIGHT AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. HE URGED THEM TO "DEFY THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM."

PARIS (AP) - THERE'S ANOTHER WARNING OF AN AL-QAIDA TERROR THREAT AGAINST EUROPE AND THIS ONE COMES FROM SAUDI INTELLIGENCE SERVICES. FRANCE'S INTERIOR MINISTRY SAYS THE WARNING SINGLES OUT HIS COUNTRY IN PARTICULAR. HE SAYS THE WARNING CAME IN RECENT DAYS.

NEW YORK (AP) - SOME 3 MILLION VIEWERS IN THE GREATER NEW YORK AREA FACE ANOTHER DAY WITHOUT THEIR FAVORITE FOX SHOWS. NEGOTIATORS FOR CABLEVISION AND FOX PARENT NEWS CORP. PLAN TO RESUME TALKS TODAY IN AN EFFORT TO END A DISPUTE OVER FEES. THE DISPUTE HAS BLACKED OUT THE NETWORK TO CABLEVISION SUBSCRIBERS. PRO FOOTBALL AND PLAYOFF BASEBALL HAVE BEEN AMONG THE CASUALTIES.

DALLAS (AP) - THERE ARE NEW GUIDELINES TODAY FOR PERFORMING CPR. THE GUIDELINES SWITCH THE STEPS, TELLING RESCUERS TO START WITH HARD, FAST CHEST PRESSES BEFORE GIVING MOUTH-TO-MOUTH. CO-AUTHOR DR. MICHAEL SAYRE SAYS IT PUTS THE SIMPLEST STEP FIRST. SAYRE SAYS IT ALSO REDUCES THE DELAY FOR CHEST COMPRESSION, WHICH KEEP THE BLOOD CIRCULATING.

PASADENA, CALIF. (AP) - A MISSING 3-YEAR-OLD BOY HAS BEEN FOUND ASLEEP IN HIS CAR SEAT IN A PARKING GARAGE IN CALIFORNIA. AUTHORITIES SAY THE BOY HAD BEEN LOST BY HIS INTOXICATED FATHER AFTER A WEDDING. HE WAS FOUND SOME 25 HOURS AFTER HE WAS LAST SEEN IN AN SUV WITH HIS FATHER AT THE WHEEL. POLICE WHO ARRESTED THE FATHER SAY HE WAS TOO DRUNK TO EVEN REMEMBER HE HAD LEFT THE WEDDING WITH HIS CHILD.