TODAY'S NEWS: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2010

HOLDEN'S MOTHER PASSES

U.S REPRESENTATIVE, TIM HOLDEN'S MOTHER PASSED AWAY ON TUESDAY. 96 YEAR-OLD CATHERINE SINEY HOLDEN DIED AT HER RESIDENCE IN ST. CLAIR. REPRESENTATIVE HOLDEN SUSPENDED HIS CAMPAIGN EARLIER THIS WEEK TO SPEND TIME WITH HIS SICK MOTHER. HOLDEN IS FACING A RE-ELECTION AGAINST SEN. DAVID ARGALL.

TRICK-OR-TREAT WEEK

GET THE CANDY READY BECAUSE THIS WEEK MANY COMMUNITIES WILL BE HOLDING TRICK-OR-TREAT NIGHTS. PENNDOT IS URGING PARENTS TO TEACH SAFE HABITS TO THEIR CHILDREN AND CHOOSE SAFE COSTUMES. MOTORISTS SHOULD ALSO BE CAUTIOUS ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS. TO HELP INCREASE SAFETY AND VISIBILITY OF CHILDREN: MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD'S COSTUME IS BRIGHTLY-COLORED, ADD REFLECTIVE TAPE TO DARKER COLORED COSTUMES OR TRICK-OR-TREAT BAGS, HAVE YOUR CHILD CARRY A FLASHLIGHT OR GLOWSTICK, ACCOMPANY YOUNG CHILDREN WHEN THEY ARE TRICK-OR-TREATING, REMIND CHILDREN TO PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR SURROUNDINGS, AND FINALLY MAKE SURE CHILDREN WALK INSTEAD OF RUN AND STAY ON THE SIDEWALKS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. TO GARENTEE A FUN NIGHT OF TRICK-OR-TREATING PLEASE BE SAFE!
　
SHENANDOAH KIDNAPPING

TWO SHENANDOAH RESIDENTS WERE ARRESTED MONDAY NIGHT ON 22 CHARGES EACH. 42 YEAR-OLD WILLIAM J. MURPHY AND 36 YEAR-OLD MICHELE L. TERENCHIN BOTH OF SHENANDOAH WERE ARRESTED MONDAY AND TAKEN TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON FOR THE ALLEGED ROBBERY AND KIDNAPPING OF 23 YEAR-OLD ROBERT WHISPELL OF SHAMOKIN. BOTH WERE ARRAIGNED VIA VIDEO-CONFERENCE BY ON-DUTY MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT JUDGE JAMES R. FERRIER. THEY ARE NOW LOCKED UP ON $100,000 BAIL EACH.

2008 HELICOPTER CRASH

AFTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS, FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS HAVE RELEASED THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF A MEDICAL HELICOTER CRASH IN POTTSVILLE. THE MAY 30TH CRASH THAT OCCURED BACK IN 2008 WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ENSURE THAT BOTH ENGINE SWITCHES WERE IN THE "FLIGHT" POSITION FOR TAKEOFF. THAT PILOT IS DANIEL L. HALL OF HUMMELSTOWN.

MINORSVILLE MEETING POSTPONED

THE MINORSVILLE PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING RECENT ARSONS HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY AT 6:30PM AT THE MINERSVILLE AREA HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM. THE MEETING HAS BEEN DELAYED IN ORDER TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

NANTICOKE, PA. (AP) - FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON SAYS VOTERS SHOULD GIVE THE DEMOCRATS TWO MORE YEARS IN POWER TO SHOW THAT THEIR ECONOMIC POLICIES ARE WORKING. CLINTON SPOKE YESTERDAY BEFORE HUNDREDS OF CHEERING DEMOCRATS AT A CAMPAIGN RALLY AT NANTICOKE AREA HIGH SCHOOL, SOUTH OF WILKES-BARRE, FOR DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN PAUL KANJORSKI.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - STATE REGULATORS SAY A GAS DRILLING COMPANY WILL PAY A TOTAL OF $32,000 FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE FROM AN EXPLOSION THAT KILLED TWO PEOPLE AT A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA DRILLING SITE. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION YESTERDAY ISSUED THE FINE FOR HUNTLEY & HUNTLEY IN THE JULY 23RD OIL TANK BLAST AT A COMPANY WELL THAT KILLED TWO WELDERS WORKING FOR A SUBCONTRACTOR.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT COMPANY HAS ANNOUNCED PLANS TO EXPAND ITS OPERATION IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, ADDING MORE THAN 200 JOBS. GENPACT, WHICH LEASES SPACE IN HANOVER INDUSTRIAL ESTATES IN LUZERNE COUNTY, WILL EXPAND ITS FACILITY AND BUY NEW EQUIPMENT AS PART OF THE $1.7 MILLION EXPANSION.

MIDWAY, KY. (AP) - SMARTY JONES IS GOING HOME. THE 2004 KENTUCKY DERBY AND PREAKNESS CHAMPION WILL MOVE FROM THREE CHIMNEYS FARM IN KENTUCKY TO GHOST RIDGE FARM IN YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, FOR THE 2011 BREEDING SEASON. SMARTY JONES WAS BORN AT SOMEDAY FARM JUST OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA.

CHICAGO (AP) - A MASSIVE STORM THAT SOME METEOROLOGISTS SAY HAD A BAROMETRIC READING LIKE A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE IS ADDING SOME SNOW TO THE MIX AS IT MAKES ITS WAY THROUGH A BIG CHUNK OF THE NATION. EARLIER, THE STORM PRODUCED STRONG WINDS, RAIN AND TORNADOES. SNOW IS FALLING IN THE DAKOTAS AND MINNESOTA. MORE STRONG WINDS ARE IN THE FORECAST IN SEVERAL STATES.

PADANG, INDONESIA (AP) - THE AFTERMATH OF A MAGNITUDE 7.7
EARTHQUAKE AND LOCAL TSUNAMI IN INDONESIA KEEPS GETTING WORSE. A DISASTER OFFICIAL SAYS THE DEATH TOLL HAS CLIMBED TO 154 WITH MORE THAN 400 OTHER VILLAGERS STILL MISSING. WITH RESCUERS STRUGGLING TO REACH MANY OF THE HARDEST HIT VILLAGES, REPORTS OF DAMAGE AND CASUALTIES ARE JUST NOW TRICKLING IN.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS OFF THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR A COUPLE MORE DAYS BUT HE HASN'T STOPPED TRYING TO NUDGE CLOSE RACES IN HIS PARTY'S FAVOR. HE'S PERSONALLY TARGETING KEY DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUENCIES FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, HOLDING CONFERENCE CALLS WITH UNION ACTIVISTS AND CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEERS, AND DOING RADIO INTERVIEWS. HE TAPES AN APPEARANCE ON "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART" TODAY.

FLORENCE, ARIZ. (AP) - A MAN CONVICTED IN A 1989 MURDER HAS BEEN EXECUTED IN ARIZONA. JEFFREY LANDRIGAN DIED BY INJECTION AT A STATE PRISON IN FLORENCE LAST NIGHT AFTER A STAY ISSUED BY A FEDERAL JUDGE WAS LIFTED BY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. THAT STAY WAS BASED ON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE STATE'S SUPPLY OF AN EXECUTION DRUG IN SHORT SUPPLY. ARIZONA GOT A SUPPLY FROM GREAT BRITAIN.

WARSAW, POLAND (AP) - A DETAINEE ACCUSED IN THE 2000 BOMBING OF THE WARSHIP USS COLE HAS GOTTEN A BOOST FROM POLAND IN HIS EFFORTS TO SHOW HE WAS MISTREATED BY INTERROGATORS. A LAWYER FOR THE SAUDI SUSPECT SAYS HIS CLIENT HAS BEEN GRANTED THE STATUS OF VICTIM IN A POLISH INVESTIGATION. LEGAL EXPERTS SAY THAT RECOGNIZES THE VALIDITY OF HIS CLAIMS.