TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2010

125TH DISTRICT TACKLES BUDGET

ELECTION DAY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER AND THE CANDIDATES FROM THE 125TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT ARE SPEAKING UP ABOUT TACKLING THE BUDGET. DEMOCRAT TIM SEIP, REPUBLICAN MICHAEL TOBASH, AND THIRD PARTY DENNIS BAYLOR TOLD THE REPUBLICAN HERALD THIER GOALS THE FUTURE.SEIP, THE CURRENT STATE REPRESENTATIVE, PROMISES TO CONTINUE FIGHTING FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN HARRISBURG IN WHAT HE CALLS A "BROKEN SYSTEM". TOBASH WANTS TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO WORK IN A STATE HE FEELS IS DIFFICULT TO DO BUSINESS IN. BAYLOR SAYS HE IS READY TO TAKE DRASTIC STEPS TO CUT ABOUT FOUR BILLION DOLLARS FROM THE STATE BUDGET. ALL THREE CANDIDATES ARE RUNNING TO BECOME PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER SECOND.

FRACKVILLE RAPE

A FRACKVILLE MAN SITS IN JAIL ON RAPE CHARGES. 52-YEAR-OLD EDMUND J. GOVERN JR. OF FRACKVILLE WAS CHARGED BY MINERSVILLE POLICE, ON WEDNESDAY, WITH RAPING AN 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL EARLIER THIS YEAR. GOVERN OF WEST MAHANOY TOWNSHIP WAS INVOLVED IN THE ALLEGED INCIDENT BACK IN AUGUST. HE TOLD THE GIRL NOT TO TELL ANYONE WHAT HAD OCCURED, BUT BY MID OCTOBER THE SECRET WAS OUT. GOVERN NOW SITS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON UNABLE TO POST $200,000 BAIL.

DEADLY CRASH

A VEHICLE CRASH WEDNESDAY NIGHT KILLED 95-YEAR-OLD MABEL GROFF FROM LEBANON COUNTY. THE CRASH OCCURED JUST AFTER 5PM ON FRANTZ ROAD, JUST OFF ROUTE 443. DEPUTY CORONER PAUL T. KENNEDY PRONOUNCED GROFF, WHO WAS THE PASSENGER, DEAD AT THE SCENE. THE DRIVER, 78-YEAR-OLD ANNA GROFF, WAS FLOWN TO HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER WHERE SHE REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

SAINT CLAIR PARADE

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SAINT CLAIR CELEBRATED THIER 50TH YEAR ANNUAL HALLOWEEN PARADE. THE VETERANS COLOR GUARD, POLICE VEHICLES, AND MAYOR ROBERT MALEY LEAD THE PARADE THROUGH SECOND STREET. CANDY, COSTUMES, FLOATS, BANDS, AND OF COURSE TONS OF PEOPLE MADE THE MARCH A SUCCESS!

NORRISTOWN, PA. (AP) - A FORMER SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AIDE HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO SIX TO 18 YEARS IN STATE PRISON IN A CHILD MOLESTATION CASE. VITO GRANIERI WAS ALSO ORDERED BY A MONTGOMERY COUNTY JUDGE YESTERDAY TO SPEND 15 YEARS ON PROBATION AFTER SERVING HIS PRISON TERM. GRANIERI WAS AN AIDE AT SAINT ELEANOR PARISH SCHOOL IN COLLEGEVILLE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - FUNERAL SERVICES HAVE BEEN HELD FOR THE WOMAN AND FOUR SMALL CHILDREN KILLED IN A FIRE IN A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA ROW HOUSE LAST WEEK. HARRISBURG MAYOR LINDA THOMPSON AND SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE AMONG THOSE IN ATTENDANCE YESTERDAY AT MOUNT CALVARY CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST.

UNIONTOWN, PA. (AP) - A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA TEENAGER HAS BEEN ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF HIS ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN GIRLFRIEND LAST MONTH. THE HERALD-STANDARD REPORTS 16-YEAR-OLD RAMAL CHISLER OF UNIONTOWN WAS CHARGED AS AN ADULT WITH CRIMINAL HOMICIDE AND A FIREARMS CRIME IN THE DEATH OF 17-YEAR-OLD TIFFANY MOODY OF UNIONTOWN.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS APPROVED PLANS TO USE SHARPSHOOTERS TO CULL THE BULGING DEER POPULATION AT VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. THE DECISION REJECTS A LAWSUIT FILED BY SEVERAL ANIMAL-RIGHTS GROUPS. THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PLANS TO BEGIN THE NIGHTTIME HUNT NEXT MONTH.


MENTAWAI ISLANDS, INDONESIA (AP) - RESCUERS ARE SEARCHING ISLANDS OFF WESTERN INDONESIA RAVAGED BY A TSUNAMI EARLIER THIS WEEK. THE DEATH TOLL HAS CLIMBED TO MORE THAN 300, BUT TEAMS ARE FINDING MORE CORPSES ON THE BEACHES AND HUNDREDS ARE STILL MISSING. ELSEWHERE IN INDONESIA TODAY, VILLAGERS HELD A MASS BURIAL FOR SOME OF THE 30 PEOPLE KILLED WHEN ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST VOLATILE VOLCANOS ERUPTED.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - FORECLOSURE WARNINGS CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS MOST MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS. THE FORECLOSURE LISTING FIRM REALTYTRAC SAYS 133 OF 206 METROPOLITAN AREAS OF 200,000 PEOPLE OR MORE SAW AN INCREASE IN FORECLOSURE ACTIVITY BETWEEN JULY AND SEPTEMBER. REALTYTRAC SAYS THE DATA SHOW THE PROBLEM IS SPREADING TO AREAS THAT HADN'T PREVIOUSLY BEEN AFFECTED.

WASHINGTON (AP) - POLICE SAY A PAKISTANI-BORN VIRGINIA MAN SPENT SIX MONTHS CASING WASHINGTON, D.C., ARE SUBWAY STATIONS, SIZING UP HOW TO KILL THE MOST PEOPLE IN A BOMB ATTACK. THE FBI SAYS 34-YEAR-OLD FAROOQUE AHMED THOUGHT HE WAS WORKING FOR AL-QAIDA OPERATIVES, BUT IT WAS A SET-UP AND HIS CONTACTS WERE FEDERAL AGENTS. THE FBI SAYS THE PUBLIC WAS NEVER IN DANGER.

NEW YORK (AP) - A NEW YORK GRAND JURY HAS INDICTED THREE MEN ACCUSED OF TAKING PART IN ANTI-GAY ATTACKS IN THE BRONX. THE MEN FACE CHARGES INCLUDING GANG ASSAULT AND AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE. PROSECUTORS HAVE DROPPED CHARGES AGAINST FOUR OTHER SUSPECTS IN THE ATTACK.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - FREDDY SANCHEZ LED THE GIANTS ATTACK, AS SAN FRANCISCO BATTERED THE TEXAS RANGERS 11-7 IN GAME 1 OF THE WORLD SERIES. SANCHEZ HAD FOUR HITS, DRIVING IN THREE RUNS AND SCORING TWO HIMSELF. THE GIANTS KNOCKED RANGERS' ACE CLIFF LEE FROM THE GAME IN THE FIFTH INNING. GAME 2 IS TONIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCO.