TODAY'S NEWS: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010

JURY SELECTION

JURY SELECTION CONTINUES TODAY IN THE CASE OF A SHENANDOAH HATE CRIME. BRITTANY REPORTS:

TRIAL DAY ONE


KIDNAP CHARGES

JOHN M. NAJUNAS JR., 17, AND PHILLIP NITOLO, 21 ARE CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING THREE PEOPLE AT TURKEY HILL IN SHENANDOAH AROUND 1AM SUNDAY MORNING. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, ADAM SHOFFLER OF SHENANDOAH WAS INSIDE THE STORE WHILE TAFFY ENGLE AND A 17 YEAR-OLD GIRL WAITED IN HIS VEHICLE. WHEN SHOFFLER EXITED THE STORE, NAJUNAS AND NITOLO FOLLOWED SHOFFLER INTO HIS CAR.THE MEN ORDERED SHOFFLER TO START DRIVING WHILE PRESSING AN UNKNOWN OBJECT AGAINST THE BACK OF HIS HEAD. THE DRIVE ENDED IN YATESVILLE, EAST OF SHENANDOAH. NAJUNAS AND NITOLO THEN ROBBED THE WOMEN'S CELL PHONES, SHOFFLER'S DRIVER'S LICENCE AND $100, THEN ORDERED THEM TO DRIVE AWAY. NAJUNAS AND NITOLO WERE NOT ABLE TO POST $100,000 CASH BAIL AND REMAIN IN SCHULKILL COUNTY PRISON.

JORDAN BROTHERS

THE TOWN OF FRACKVILLE IS HONORING THE FAMOUS JORDAN BROTHERS AND WANTS YOUR SUPPORT. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9TH THESE SONS OF FRACKVILLE WILL BE HONORED WITH A PERMANENT PLAQUE ON THE FRACKVILLE BOROUGH BUILDING. THERE WILL BE A PARADE STARTING AT THE FRACKVILLE RITE AID AND ENDING AT BOROUGH HALL. THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING ARE ASKED TO MEET AT RITE AID FOR 2:30. ALL ARE INVITED TO WATCH THE PROGRAM WHICH WILL BEGIN AT 3PM.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA'S DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR SENATE SAYS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA NEEDS TO RELEASE A CLEAR ASSESSMENT ON WHAT KIND OF PROGRESS IS BEING MADE, IF ANY, AGAINST AL-QAIDA. CONGRESSMAN JOE SESTAK MADE THE STATEMENT YESTERDAY, THREE DAYS AWAY FROM THE NINTH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICA'S ATTACK ON THE TALIBAN REGIME IN AFGHANISTAN.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - JURY SELECTION HAS BEGUN FOR THE TRIAL OF A MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING PHILADELPHIA POLICE OFFICER JOHN PAWLOWSKI IN A SHOOTOUT ALLEGEDLY PROMPTED BY A TAXICAB ROBBERY. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REPORTS A JUDGE BEGAN QUESTIONING A FIRST GROUP OF 250 PROSPECTIVE JURORS YESTERDAY IN THE TRIAL OF RASHEED SCRUGS.

BETHLEHEM, PA. (AP) - A BETHLEHEM MAN HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO HAVING SEX WITH A TEENAGE PATIENT AT A TREATMENT FACILITY WHERE HE WORKED. ANDRE LAMONTE INGRAM COPPED THE PLEA TO INSTITUTIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT LAST SUMMER AT NORTHWESTERN HUMAN SERVICES. OFFICIALS SAY HE WAS A RESIDENTIAL STAFF MEMBER AND THE 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL WAS BEING TREATED THERE.

VALLEY FORGE, PA. (AP) - OFFICIALS AT A SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA PARK SAY A DEER HUNT WILL BEGIN NEXT MONTH AFTER A YEARLONG DELAY DUE IN PART TO PROTESTS. MANAGERS AT VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK TELL THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER THE "LETHAL REDUCTION" IS NEEDED BECAUSE THE HERD HAS BECOME TOO BIG AND DESTRUCTIVE.

NEW YORK (AP) - THE MAN WHO ADMITTED TRYING TO BOMB TIMES SQUARE FACES A MANDATORY LIFE SENTENCE IN FEDERAL COURT IN NEW YORK TODAY. PROSECUTORS ARE USING A DRAMATIC VIDEO OF A TEST BLAST CONDUCTED BY
THE GOVERNMENT AS EVIDENCE AGAINST FAISAL SHAHZAD (FY'-SUL SHAH-ZAHD'). THE BOMB WAS CONSTRUCTED USING HIS PLANS AND THE VIDEO SHOWS A DESTRUCTIVE EXPLOSION, EVEN THOUGH SHAHZAD'S BOMB FIZZLED.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE SUPREME COURT HEARS ARGUMENTS TODAY IN A CASE THAT PITS PRIVACY RIGHTS AGAINST SECURITY CONCERNS. THE CASE QUESTIONS WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WENT TOO FAR IN INVESTIGATING LOW-RISK CONTRACT WORKERS AT THE NASA JET PROPULSION LABORATORY IN CALIFORNIA. THE WORKERS OBJECT TO BACKGROUND CHECKS.

UNDATED (AP) - RESEARCHERS ARE REPORTING PROGRESS TOWARD THE FIRST GENE TEST AIMED AT REDUCING UNNECESSARY ANGIOGRAMS. ABOUT 6,000 PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE GENE TEST SINCE IT WENT ON SALE LAST YEAR BUT IT HAS DRAWBACKS. IT SUGGESTS TOO MANY CHRONIC CHEST PAIN SUFFERERS HAVE HEART DISEASE WHEN THEY DON'T, AND MISSES IT IN OTHERS WHO DO. MOST ANGIOGRAMS TURN OUT NEGATIVE AND CARRY SOME RISK.

TOKYO (AP) - JAPAN'S CENTRAL BANK IS RESPONDING TO GROWING WORRIES ABOUT THE JAPANESE ECONOMY BY CUTTING A KEY INTEREST RATE TO A RANGE OF ZERO TO 0.1 PERCENT. THAT EFFECTIVELY INTRODUCES A ZERO INTEREST RATE POLICY. JAPAN'S ECONOMY IS BEING BATTERED BY A STRONG YEN AND PERSISTENT DEFLATION. RECENT ECONOMIC INDICATORS POINT TOWARD WEAKENING GROWTH.

NEW DELHI (AP) - ORGANIZERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN INDIA ARE CONSIDERING GIVING AWAY FREE TICKETS TO CHILDREN TO COMBAT A NOTICEABLE LACK OF SPECTATORS. THE COMPETITION PROGRAM FOR THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES BEGAN MONDAY AND MANY VENUES WERE NEARLY EMPTY. TICKET BOOTHS ARE BEING PLACED AT EVERY VENUE