TODAY'S NEWS: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2010

THE HIDDEN VALLEY RIVER CLUB HOUSE HELD AN OPEN HOUSE THURSDAY. WPPA’S JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE…

CLUB HOUSE

A LOCAL CELEBRITY MAKES HER TELEVISION DEBUT THIS SATURDAY

PENNY

PENNSYLVANIA’S PINT-SIZE FUTURE VOTERS AND TAXPAYERS ARE BEING SHORTCHANGED, ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT FROM THE PEW CENTER ON THE STATES. TOM JOSEPH REPORTS…

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JURY ACQUITS DRIVER

A TREMONT MAN WAS FOUND NOT GUILTY OF HOMICIDE BY VEHICLE AFTER BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THAT KILLED A MAN AND INJURED HIS TWO SONS. 25-YEAR-OLD JACOB COOK WAS INTOXICATED DURING THE DECEMBER 2008 CRASH, BUT JURORS RULED ON THURSDAY THAT HE DID NOT CAUSE THE ACCIDENT IN TREMONT TOWNSHIP. COOK WAS FOUND GUILTY ONLY OF DUI.

LOCAL ARTISTS SELL WORK IN FOURTH ANNUAL SHOW

IF YOUR LOOKING FOR UNIQUE HOLIDAY CHRISTMAS GIFTS THE GREYSTONE RESTAURANT HAS WHAT YOU NEED. THE FOURTH ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE ART SHOW AND SALE WILL BE HELD THIS SATURDAY FROM ELEVEN TO FIVE. THE SHOW WILL BE MADE UP OF LOCAL ARTISTS WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF ART FOR SALE, RANGING FROM WINE TO WATER COLOR. ARTWORK WILL BE AVAILABLE IN ALL PRICE RANGES, EVEN AS LOW AS $5 A PIECE. JERRY LABOOTY, OWNER OF THE GREYSTONE, SAID THE NUMBER OF ARTISTS HAS GROWN FROM FOUR TO TWENTY EIGHT SINCE THE SHOW BEGAN IN 2007. THERE WILL BE MUSICAL GUESTS PERFORMING THROUGHOUT THE DAY, COMPLIMENTARY HOR D'OEUVRES AND A CASH BAR. ADMISSION IS FREE.


MINERSVILLE FIRE

A MINERSVILLE WOMAN WAS FLOWN TO LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL AFTER A FIRE BROKE OUT AT HER HOME THURSDAY AFTERNOON. 63-YEAR-OLD SANDRA KRIM WAS BURNED IN THE ACCIDENTAL FIRE THAT STARTED WHILE SHE WAS IN BED WATCHING TV. KRIM WAS SMOKING A CIGARETTE THAT DROPPED, WHICH IGNITED THE FIRE. THE FIRST FLOOR SUFFERED MODERATE SMOKE AND WATER DAMAGE AND THE SECOND DESTROYED, LEAVING THE COUPLE TEMPORARILY HOMELESS. KRIM WAS LISTED IN STABLE CONDITION AS OF THURSDAY NIGHT.


STATE NEWS:

DOWNINGTOWN, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN A SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY SAY A 93-YEAR-OLD MAN IS DEAD AFTER A HOUSE FIRE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A PROPANE HEATER. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE FIRE STARTED IN A BARN WOODSHOP IN EAST BRANDYWINE TOWNSHIP SHORTLY AFTER 2 P.M. THURSDAY AND MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE HEATER. THE VICTIM'S NAME WAS NOT RELEASED.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA POLICE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH SOME INCOMING CELL PHONE CALLS TO THE DEPARTMENT'S 911 CALL CENTER. THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN SPORADIC PROBLEMS IN WHICH DISPATCHERS HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO HEAR THE VOICES OF CELL CALLERS. OFFICIALS SAY VERIZON, ITS TELEPHONE SERVICE PROVIDER, IS WORKING WITH CELL PHONE CARRIERS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - A VETERAN POLICE DOG IN ALLENTOWN HAS BEEN EUTHANIZED AFTER BRIEFLY RETURNING TO WORK AMID A BATTLE WITH CANCER. NINE-YEAR-OLD FALKO HAD HIS SPLEEN REMOVED DUE TO A RUPTURED TUMOR IN OCTOBER AND WAS LATER ABLE TO RETURN TO WORK WITH HIS HANDLER. BUT THE MORNING CALL OF ALLENTOWN REPORTS THE CANCER SPREAD TO HIS LIVER AND ELSEWHERE. POLICE SAID THURSDAY THE CANINE WAS EUTHANIZED.

SOMERSET, PA. (AP) - THE CHEMICAL FORTUNE HEIR WHO KILLED AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING WRESTLER AT HIS PALATIAL SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA ESTATE HAS DIED IN PRISON. STATE PRISONS SPOKESWOMAN SUSAN MCNAUGHTON SAYS JOHN DU PONT WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE IN HIS CELL THURSDAY MORNING AT THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS STATE PRISON NEAR SOMERSET. THE 72-YEAR-OLD WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD A SHORT TIME LATER AT SOMERSET COMMUNITY HOSPITAL.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - A LITTLE SWEETENING APPEARS TO BE IMPROVING THE SENATE PROSPECTS OF THE PRESIDENT'S TAX CUT DEAL WITH REPUBLICANS. NEGOTIATORS HAVE ADDED PROVISIONS PROMOTING ETHANOL AND OTHER FORMS OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY. MEANWHILE, HOUSE DEMOCRATS HAVE VOTED NOT TO ALLOW THE PACKAGE TO THE FLOOR UNLESS TAX BREAKS FAVORING THE WEALTHY ARE SCALED BACK.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE FINANCIAL BAILOUT IS EARNING MONEY FOR THE GOVERNMENT. DATA OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SHOW INCOME FROM THE $700 BILLION TROUBLED ASSET RELIEF PROGRAM HAS TOTALED NEARLY $35 BILLION OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. SALES OF CITIGROUP STOCK BOOSTED THE GOVERNMENT'S EARNINGS 17 PERCENT IN NOVEMBER.

LONDON (AP) - THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING THE CYBER ATTACKS AGAINST OPPONENTS OF WIKILEAKS AND THE COMPANIES THAT HAVE STOPPED DOING BUSINESS WITH IT. THE U.N.'S TOP HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL SAYS A "CYBER WAR" HAS BROKEN OUT OVER WIKILEAKS. SHE SAYS THE MOVES TO CUT OFF WIKILEAKS' FUNDING AND SERVER SPACE MAY VIOLATE ITS "RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION."

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (AP) - RIVAL CANDIDATES IN HAITI'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ARE CALLING ON SUPPORTERS TO TAKE TO THE STREETS AMID ESCALATING TENSIONS OVER WHICH CANDIDATES SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN A RUN-OFF. GUNFIRE COULD BE HEAR IN THE CAPITAL, PORT-AU-PRINCE YESTERDAY. WITNESSES SAYS AT LEAST ONE MAN WAS KILLED AND SEVERAL OTHERS INJURED. THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS WARNING U.S. CITIZENS TO RECONSIDER NONESSENTIAL TRIPS TO HAITI.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - JURY DELIBERATIONS ARE SCHEDULED TO RESUME THIS MORNING IN SALT LAKE CITY, IN THE CASE OF THE MAN ACCUSED OF KIDNAPPING ELIZABETH SMART IN 2002. EVEN ATTORNEYS FOR BRIAN DAVID MITCHELL SAY THERE'S NO QUESTION THEIR CLIENT TOOK SMART FROM HER UTAH BEDROOM AND RAPED HER ALMOST DAILY UNTIL SHE WAS FOUND. BUT THEY SAY THE NOMADIC STREET PREACHER IS TOO DELUSIONAL TO BE CONVICTED.