LOCAL NEWS: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2010

HOLDEN DEFEATS ARGALL

VOTER TURNOUT WAS "STEADY" ON ELECTION DAY TUESDAY, LEADING TO WINS FOR SEVERAL LOCAL INCUMBENTS, AND A VICTORY FOR A REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER. CONGRESSMAN TIM HOLDEN, A SAINT CLAIR DEMOCRAT DEFEATED REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER, STATE SENATOR DAVE ARGALL, BY A MARGIN OF 56 PERCENT TO 44 PERCENT. THE WIN EARNS HOLDEN A 10TH TERM IN WASHINGTON. HOLDEN ADDRESSED SUPPORTERS AT THE ST. CLAIR FISH AND GAME AFTER THE WIN. ARGALL SAID IT WAS A ROLLER COASTER RIDE CAMPAIGN. HE KNEW HE WAS OUTSPENT AND GOING AGAINST AN INCUMBENT. BUT HIS WAS GRATEFUL FOR THOSE WHO SUPPORTED HIS CAMPAIGN, WINNING IN SEVERAL OF THE COUNTIES IN THE 17TH. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ARGALL HAS LOST AN ELECTION. BOTH MEN CAMPAIGNED ON THE NEED FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IN WASHINGTON.

STATE HOUSE RACES

IN THE RACE FOR STATE HOUSE, IN THE 123RD DISTRICT, NEAL GOODMAN, A DEMOCRAT, WON RE-ELECTION TUESDAY, DEFEATING REPUBLICAN ETTORE DICASSIMIRRO BY A NEARLY TWO-TO-ONE MARGIN. REPUBLICAN JERRY KNOWLES OF TAMAQUA WON RE-ELECTION BY A NEARLY THREE-TO-ONE MARGIN OVER CHALLENGERS JEFFREY FAUST, A DEMOCRAT AND INDEPENDENT DANTE PICCIANO. IN THE 125TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT, REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER MIKE TOBASH OF POTTSVILLE DEFEATED INCUMBENT TIM SEIP BY SEVERAL THOUSAND VOTES IN A CAMPAIGN THAT TRADED BARBS IN THE FINAL WEEKS OF THE CAMPAIGN.

VOTER TURNOUT

IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT YESTERDAY'S ELECTION WAS A MID-TERM ONE, VOTERS CAME OUT TO THE POLLS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. FRANNIE BRENNAN, ELECTION BUREAU DIRECTOR, NOTED THAT A NUMBER OF VOTERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAD NOT VOTED SINCE 2008, WERE UNCERTAIN WHERE THEIR NEW POLLING PLACES WERE SINCE CONSOLIDATIONS TOOK PLACE PRIOR TO THE PRIMARY. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY DOWNSIZED THEIR POLLING LOCATIONS FROM 167 TO 125.

BEER TRUCK CRASHES

A TUESDAY AFTERNOON CRASH IN FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, YORK COUNTY, SENT AN ASHLAND MAN TO THE HOSPITAL AND HIS CARGO OF YUENGLING BEER SPILLING OUT. AROUND 3PM, 53 YEAR OLD MICHAEL PAULOSKI WAS DRIVING HIS TRACTOR-TRAILER WHEN HE TRIED TO AVOID A PICKUP TRUCK MAKING A TURN. THE RIG WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT, SPILLING ABOUT $25 THOUSAND DOLLARS OF BEER. PAULOSKI WAS TAKEN TO HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER. THE TRUCK IS OWNED BY FANELLI BROTHERS TRUCKING OF POTTSVILLE.

BLYTHE TOWNSHIP CRASH

A MANANOY CITY MAN ESCAPED INJURY FOLLOWING A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT IN BLYTHE TOWNSHIP ON TUESDAY MORNING. 38-YEAR-OLD STEPHEN WILNER LOST CONTROL OF HIS BLACK 1996 DODGE RAM WHILE DRIVING NORTHEAST BURMA ROAD. WILNER TRAVELED OFF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER, RESTING ON THE DRIVER SIDE FACING SOUTHEAST. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE.
　
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - REPUBLICAN TOM CORBETT HAS DEFEATED DEMOCRAT DAN ONORATO IN THE RACE FOR PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR. CORBETT IS A CAREER PROSECUTOR WHO RAN LARGELY ON HIS OFFICE'S PROBE OF LEGISLATIVE CORRUPTION. THE CAMPAIGN FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON SPENDING AND TAXES AT A TIME WHEN THE STATE FACES A PROJECTED BUDGET SHORTFALL OF AS MUCH AS $5 BILLION.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PAT TOOMEY HAS TAKEN BACK THE SEAT HELD BY SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER FOR THE GOP. THE FORMER CONGRESSMAN DEFEATED DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN JOE SESTAK YESTERDAY. TOOMEY PRAISED SESTAK'S SERVICE IN THE NAVY DURING HIS VICTORY SPEECH LAST NIGHT. TOOMEY RODE A WAVE OF VOTER DISCONTENT OVER HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S ADMINISTRATION TO DEFEAT SESTAK.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - REPUBLICANS HAVE SEIZED CONTROL OF PENNSYLVANIA'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, PICKING OFF SEVERAL DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENTS TO WIN A MAJORITY OF THE 19 SEATS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2006. ON HIS THIRD TRY, HAZLETON'S REPUBLICAN MAYOR, LOU BARLETTA, ENDED THE CAREER OF 13-TERM CONGRESSMAN PAUL KANJORSKI IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA POLICE BELIEVE A MAN FOUND DEAD FOLLOWING A FIRE IN AN UPSCALE CITY HOTEL HAD BEEN ROBBED AND STRANGLED BY AN ATTACKER WHO THEN SET FIRE TO THE HOTEL ROOM BEFORE FLEEING. INVESTIGATORS TELL THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER ARE REVIEWING SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE AS THEY PROBE PATRICK MICHAEL BRADY'S DEATH SATURDAY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - VOTERS HAVE USHERED IN ANOTHER ERA OF DIVIDED GOVERNMENT, HANDING CONTROL OF THE HOUSE TO RESURGENT REPUBLICANS WHILE GIVING DEMOCRATS A MUCH SMALLER MAJORITY IN THE SENATE. VOTER ANGER, FUELED BY A LINGERING ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, TURNED A NUMBER OF LONG-TERM HOUSE DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENTS OUT OF OFFICE.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER HARRY REID WILL LEAD A SMALLER MAJORITY IN THE SENATE AFTER SURVIVING A FIERCE CHALLENGE FROM TEA PARTY FAVORITE SHARRON ANGLE. REID, WHO HAD APPEARED HEADED FOR DEFEAT FOR MONTHS, SAYS VOTERS IN NEVADA HAVE CHOSEN "HOPE OVER FEAR" AND CHOSE TO "MOVE FORWARD, NOT BACKWARDS."

WASHINGTON (AP) - VICTORIES BY REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS AND CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING. THE DEMOCRATS LOST GOVERNORSHIPS IN OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN, AND AT LEAST A HALF DOZEN OTHER STATES. BUT JERRY BROWN DEFEATED FORMER EBAY CEO MEG WHITMAN IN CALIFORNIA AND THE DEMOCRATS PICKED UP A GOP SEAT IN HAWAII. DEMOCRATS ALSO RETAINED NEW YORK, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ARKANSAS AND COLORADO.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT HAS A LOT TO SHOW FOR ITS EFFORTS THIS MIDTERM ELECTION. THEY'VE WON MORE THAN A DOZEN HOUSE SEATS THAT WERE HELD BY DEMOCRATS, ALONG WITH THREE SENATE RACES AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNORSHIP. THEIR MOST PROMINENT LOSSES WERE BY SENATE HOPEFULS CHRISTINE O'DONNELL OF DELAWARE AND SHARRON ANGLE OF NEVADA.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - THERE WON'T BE AN EXPANSION OF LEGAL MARIJUANA USE IN CALIFORNIA. VOTERS THERE HAVE DECIDED NOT TO LEGALIZE POT POSSESSION IN SMALL AMOUNTS. THE BALLOT ISSUE COULD HAVE MADE CALIFORNIA THE FIRST STATE TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR RECREATIONAL USE. OPPONENTS WARNED IT COULD BRING LEGAL CHAOS.