TODAY'S NEWS: MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2010

TIM HOLDEN CANCELS DEBATE

DEMOCRATIC PENNSYLVANIA REP. TIM HOLDEN IS TAKING TIME AWAY FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, CITING HIS MOTHER'S ILLNESS. HOLDEN'S CAMPAIGN SAID SUNDAY THAT THE NINE-TERM 17TH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN HAS SUSPENDED PERSONAL CAMPAIGNING INDEFINITELY TO SPEND TIME WITH HIS MOTHER, CATHERINE, AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE WITH HER.THE REPUBLICAN AND HERALD OF POTTSVILLE REPORTS THAT 96-YEAR-OLD CATHERINE HOLDEN IS IN HOSPICE CARE AT HER HOME IN ST. CLAIR. A DEBATE SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT BETWEEN HOLDEN AND HIS REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER, STATE SEN. DAVID ARGALL, HAS BEEN CANCELLED. HOLDEN CAMPAIGN MANAGER ERIC NAGY SAYS HOLDEN'S LEGISLATIVE OFFICES WILL REMAIN OPEN AND THE CAMPAIGN STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO WORK.

MINERSVILLE FIRES

TWO FIRES WERE REPORTED WITHIN A BLOCK OF EACH OTHER IN MINERSVILLE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. THE TWO FIRES ON SUNBURY STREET WERE ARSON. JUST SIX MONTHS AGO, ANOTHER FIRE WAS INTENTIONALLY SET, DESTROYING ONE OF THE BOROUGH'S LANDMARK BUILDINGS. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, MINERSVILLE FIRE CHIEF, ERIC EICHENBERG, REALIZES THE PROBLEM IS REAL AND GETTING BAD.

MARCHING BAND CHAMPIONSHIP

THE BLUE MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL STADIUM WELCOMED EIGHT COMPETING HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BANDS ONTO ITS FIELD SUNDAY AFTERNOON. MORE THAN 500 HUNDRED PEOPLE CAME TO WATCH "THE TOURNAMENT OF BANDS CHAPTER TWO CHAMPIONSHIP". THE NEXT STEP FOR THE QUALIFIED GROUPS WILL BE IN TWO WEEKS AT THE ATLANTIC COASTAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN HERSHEY PARK ARENA.

DUI CHECKPOINT

THE SCHUYLKILL HAVEN STATE POLICE STATION CONDUCTED A DUI CHECKPOINT ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22ND IN BRANCH TOWNSHIP. DURING THE COURSE OF THE CHECKPOINT, 204 MOTORISTS WERE STOPPED. ONE DUI ARREST, TWO TRAFFIC CITATIONS, AND FIFTEEN WRITTEN WARNINGS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE VIOLATIONS WERE ISSUED.

SCHUYLKILL MALL THEATRE REOPENING

THE SCHUYLKILL MALL THEATRE WILL REOPEN FOR BUSINESS OCTOBER 27TH. FAMECO REAL ESTATE AND EMPIRE REALTY INVESTMENTS, INC. AND KIND THEATRE CIRCUIT HAVE JOINTLY ANNOUCED THE REOPENING OF THE RECENTLY VACATED UNITED ARTISTS THEATRE AT SCHUYLKILL MALL. THE THEATRE WILL OPEN WITH TWO SPECIAL "CHARITY EVENTS" AT 7PM ON BOTH OCTOBER 27TH AND 28TH. ALL SEATS WILL BE JUST TWO DOLLARS. ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, AND BRAIN CANCER RESEARCH DIVISION.LPHIA (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA JURY MEETS AGAIN TODAY TO RESUME A HEARING ON WHETHER A MAN CONVICTED OF SHOOTING A POLICE OFFICER TO DEATH LAST YEAR DESERVES CAPITAL PUNISHMENT OR LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REPORTS RASHEED SCRUGS PLEADED GUILTY LAST WEEK TO FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE FEBRUARY 2009 DEATH OF 25-YEAR-OLD OFFICER JOHN PAWLOWSKI.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - POLICE IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAY A MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF HIS GIRLFRIEND AT THE SUBURBAN PITTSBURGH HOME THEY SHARED. HOMICIDE DETECTIVES IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY SAY THEY WERE CALLED TO A HOME IN PLUM BOROUGH EARLY SUNDAY AND FOUND A 26-YEAR-OLD WOMAN SHOT TO DEATH AT THE HOME AND A 28-YEAR-OLD MAN WITH STAB WOUNDS.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SPOKESMAN SAYS MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH JAMIE DIXON HELPED RESCUE TWO MEN FROM A CAR ACCIDENT NEAR THE CITY. ATHLETICS SPOKESMAN GREG HOTCHKISS SAYS DIXON WAS HEADING NORTH ON INTERSTATE 279 SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE. THE SCHOOL SAYS DIXON RAN TO THE VEHICLE AND CUT HIS HANDS HELPING SOMEONE GET OUT.

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, CUBA (AP) - THE LAWYER FOR A CANADIAN WHO HAS BEEN IN U.S. CUSTODY SINCE HE WAS 15 IS HOPING FOR A PLEA DEAL TODAY THAT SPARES HIS CLIENT A POSSIBLE LIFE SENTENCE FOR WAR CRIMES. OMAR KHADR - THE LAST WESTERNER HELD AT GUANTANAMO - HAS RESISTED A PLEA DEAL IN THE PAST, BUT HIS ATTORNEYS HOPE TO SECURE AN AGREEMENT AND A JUDGE HAS SCHEDULED A CLOSED MEETING.

NEW YORK (AP) - AN ECONOMIST AND ADVISER AT THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO SAYS BUSINESS CONDITIONS ARE IMPROVING AND THE ECONOMY IS RECOVERING FROM THE RECESSION. WILLIAM STRAUSS HELPED CONDUCT ANALYSIS FOR THE LATEST SURVEY OF ECONOMISTS BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR BUSINESS ECONOMICS. ECONOMISTS SAY THE ECONOMY SHOULD CONTINUE TO GROW, BUT THE PACE MAY BE SLOW.

HANOI, VIETNAM (AP) - A VIETNAMESE BUS DRIVER IS IN POLICE CUSTODY, CHARGED WITH DRIVING INTO A FLOODED AREA WHERE HIS VEHICLE WAS SWEPT AWAY LAST WEEK, LEAVING 20 PEOPLE DEAD OR MISSING. POLICE IN VIETNAM SAY THE 35-YEAR-OLD DRIVER WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY SATURDAY FOR VIOLATING TRAFFIC LAWS CAUSING ESPECIALLY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. HE COULD FACE 15 YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED.

LONDON (AP) - BP SAYS IT HAS SOLD ITS STAKE IN FOUR MATURE OIL AND GAS FIELDS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE OIL COMPANY HAS BEEN SELLING ASSETS TO RAISE CASH TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE DISASTROUS GULF OIL SPILL. THE SALE TO MARUBENI OIL AND GAS BRINGS IN $650 MILLION.

(AP) - SPATS OVER FEES FOR BROADCASTERS ARE HAVING A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON FREE ONLINE TV. FOX, ABC, NBC AND CBS BLOCKED ACCESS TO THEIR PROGRAMMING ONLINE THIS MONTH IN SEPARATE FEE DISPUTES TO ENFORCE THEIR DEMANDS TO BE PAID. BROADCASTERS THINK THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY FROM CABLE TV PROVIDERS IF THEY HOLD BACK SOME PROGRAMMING ONLINE.