TODAY'S NEWS: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2010

VEHICLE ACCIDENT

POLICE ARE NOW INVESTIGATING A VEHICLE ACCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. OFFICER SGT. DEWALD WAS ON PATROL WHILE COMING ACROSS A VAN WHICH HAD ROLLED ONTO IT'S PASSENGER SIDE IN A LANDSCAPED AREA OF THE PEACOCK STREET PROJECT. THE VAN HIT A SMALL TREE AND A LAMP POST, PULLING IT'S CONCRETE BASE FROM THE GROUND. TWO PEOPLE WERE FOUND INSIDE THE VAN. 27-YEAR-OLD PETER CLIVE AND 32-YEAR-OLD JENNIFER JALBERT BOTH OF SAINT CLAIR. POTTSVILLE FIRE UNITS WERE REQUESTED TO ASSIST IN EXTRICATING THE TWO FROM THE VEHICLE. BOTH CLIVE AND JALBERT WERE TRANSPORTED TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH FOR TREATMENT OF INJURIES AND THEN RELEASED.

ATTEMPTED CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

POTTSVILLE POLICE WERE INVOLVED IN A VEHICLE PURSUIT WHICH RESULTED IN A ONE CAR ACCIDENT SATURDAY AROUND 11PM. OFFICERS TRIED TO STOP THOMAS CUNNINGHAM OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN AFTER THEY SAW HIM REVVING HIS ENGINE AND THEN DRIVING HIS CAR IN REVERSE AT A HIGH SPEED ON THE 100 BLOCK OF SOUTH PROGRESS AVENUE. CUNNINGHAM REFUSED TO STOP DROVE ONTO UNION STREET. DUE TO CONSTRUCTION, UNION STREET IS CLOSED WITH TEMPORARY FENCING, BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP CUNNINGHAM. HE THEN DROVE HIS VEHICLE THROUGH THE FENCING CAUSING HEAVY DAMAGE. THAT'S WHEN ADDITIONAL POLICE CAME TO HELP. CUNNINGHAM AGAIN TRIED TO ESCAPE POLICE AND INSTEAD CRASHED INTO A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN OFFICERS MOVED INTO POSITION TO REMOVE CUNNINGHAM FROM HIS TRUCK, HE BEGAN USING HIS VEHICLE AS A WEAPON TO STRIKE OFFICERS. POLICE WERE REQUIRED TO USE FORCE TO STOP CUNNINGHAM WHO WAS LATER ARRAIGNED FOR CRIMINAL ATTEMPT TO HOMICIDE AND DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE AMONG OTHER CHARGES. CUNNINGHAM WAS UNABLE TO POST THE $200,000 STRAIGHT CASH BAIL AND NOW SITS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON.
　
MOTOR COACH SAFETY WEEK

THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE, PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION AND MUNICIPAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WILL CONDUCT SAFETY INSPECTIONS OF MOTOR COACHES AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND THE STATE DURING MOTOR COACH SAFETY WEEK, NOVEMBER 12-19. THIS WILL BE A LARGE SCALE EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THE VEHICLES ARE FREE OF SAFETY HAZARDS AND REACH THEIR DESTINATIONS SAFELY.

CLICK IT OR TICKET

IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP PENNSYLVANIA'S HIGHWAYS SAFE DURING THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE NATIONAL "CLICK IT OR TICKET" CAMPAIGN FROM NOVEMBER 15-27. IF A DRIVER IS STOPPED, AND ANYONE IN THE VEHICLE IS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED, THE DRIVER CAN RECIEVE TWO CITATIONS. DURING THE CAMPAIGN TROOPERS WILL ALSO BE OFFERING FREE CHILD PASSENGER SEAT INSPECTIONS.

HUNTERS CAN SHARE THEIR HARVEST

THE PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION ALONG WITH REPRESENTATIVE JERRY KNOWLES INVITE AREA HUNTERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HUNTERS SHARING THE HARVEST PROGRAM. SINCE 1991, THE HSH PROGRAM HAS COORDINATED THE PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION OF DONATED WILD GAME FROM HUNTERS TO PENNSYLVANIANS IN NEED. AN AVERAGE SIZED DEER WILL PROVIDED ENOUGH HIGHLY-NUTRITIOUS , LOW-CHOLESTEROL MEAT FOR 200 FAMILIES. THE HSH PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE ABOUT 100,000 POUNDS OF VENISON A SEASON. HUNTERS DONATING THEIR HARVEST PAY A $15 TAX-DEDUCTIBLE FEE TOWARD EACH PROCESSED DEER. ANYONE INTERESTED SHOULD CALL 1-866-474-2141 OR AT REPKNOWLES.COM.

CELL PHONES GO PUBLIC

THIS MONTH CELL PHONE NUMBERS GO PUBLIC. ALL CELL PHONE NUMBERS WILL BE RELEASED TO TELEMARKETING COMPANIES AND YOU WILL RECEIVE SALES CALLS THAT WILL CHARGE YOU FOR THE CALL! THE NATIONAL DO NOT CALL LIST BLOCKS YOUR NUMBER FOR FIVE YEARS. YOU MUST CALL FROM THE CELL PHONE NUMBER THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE BLOCKED. THAT NUMBER IS 888-382-1222.
　
EASTON, PA. (AP) - AN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY JURY HAS FOUND A NEW YORK MAN GUILTY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF THE TODDLER SON OF HIS FORMER GIRLFRIEND TWO YEARS AGO. EUGENIO TORRES IS CONVICTED IN THE JULY 2008 DEATH OF 3-YEAR-OLD ELIJAH STRICKLAND. PROSECUTORS SAY TORRES BEAT AND TORTURED STRICKLAND TO DEATH AT THE HOME HE SHARED WITH THE BOY AND HIS MOTHER IN WILSON.

MEADVILLE, PA. (AP) - A NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COUNTY JAIL GUARD HAS DIED AFTER NEVER REGAINING CONSCIOUSNESS SINCE AN ALLEGED INMATE ATTACK LAST MONTH. CRAWFORD COUNTY CORONER PATRICK MCHENRY SAYS 49-YEAR-OLD GARY CHAPIN DIED EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING. GREGORY BROWN IS AWAITING A PRELIMINARY ON AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND OTHER CHARGES IN CHAPIN'S BEATING AT THE CRAWFORD COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - THE STATE HOUSE IS SENDING THE GOVERNOR A BILL TO MAKE COST-SAVING CHANGES TO THE STATE'S TWO LARGE PUBLIC-SECTOR PENSION SYSTEMS. THE HOUSE VOTED 165-TO-31 YESTERDAY FOR LEGISLATION THAT WOULD FLATTEN A SPIKE EXPECTED TO SOON DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE COST TO TAXPAYERS FOR STATE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SCHOOL PENSIONS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ARE SUING THEIR PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL DISTRICT AFTER THEY WERE SUSPENDED FOR WEARING THE POPULAR "I (HEART) BOOBIES!" BRACELETS. A NONPROFIT SELLS THE $4 RUBBER BRACELETS TO RAISE MONEY AND AWARENESS FOR BREAST CANCER ORGANIZATIONS. THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD BRIANNA HAWK AND 12-YEAR-OLD KAYLA MARTINEZ SAY THE EASTON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT BAN VIOLATES THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

BANGKOK (AP) - THE THAI GOVERNMENT HAS EXTRADITED ACCUSED RUSSIAN ARMS TRAFFICKER VIKTOR BOUT TO THE UNITED STATES TO FACE TERRORISM CHARGES. THAI LEADERS REJECTED HEAVY PRESSURE FROM MOSCOW FOR HIM TO BE FREED. BOUT IS A FORMER SOVIET AIR FORCE OFFICER. HE ALLEGEDLY SUPPLIED WEAPONS THAT FUELED CIVIL WARS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING BOTH SIDES IN ANGOLA'S CIVIL WAR.

MIR ALI, PAKISTAN (AP) - PAKISTANI INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS SAY A SUSPECTED U.S. MISSILE STRIKE HAS KILLED 15 ALLEGED MILITANTS. THE ATTACK, LAUNCHED EARLY TUESDAY IN A TRIBAL REGION NEAR THE AFGHAN BORDER. THE MISSILES ARE SAID TO HAVE STRUCK A HOME AND A SPEEDING CAR.

JUNEAU, ALASKA (AP) - ELECTION OFFICIALS SAY SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI HAS TAKEN A NARROW LEAD IN THE STILL UNDECIDED ALASKA U.S. SENATE RACE. MURKOWSKI LAUNCHED A WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN AFTER LOSING THE GOP PRIMARY TO TEA PARTY FAVORITE JOE MILLER. SHE'S SAID TO LEAD HIM BY ABOUT 1,700 VOTES.

NEW YORK (AP) - THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT IS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE IRISES OF CRIME SUSPECTS ALONG WITH THEIR FINGERPRINTS AND MUG SHOTS. THE NYPD SAYS THE IMAGES WILL BE USED TO HELP AVOID CASES OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

TOKYO (AP) - SCIENTISTS SAY A JAPANESE SPACECRAFT THAT RETURNED TO EARTH IN JUNE SUCCESSFULLY CAPTURED DUST FROM AN ASTEROID. THE FEAT IS CONSIDERED A FIRST. IT'S HOPED THE SAMPLES, FROM AN ASTEROID (CALLED ITOKAWA), CAN OFFER INSIGHT INTO THE CREATION AND MAKEUP OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.