TODAY'S NEWS: MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2010

SHARE THE HOLIDAYS WITH THOSE IN NURSING FACILITIES

THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON DON'T FORGET YOUR LOVED ONES IN NURSING FACILITIES. IT'S EASY TO GET IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON, AND RESIDENTS IN THESE FACILITIES ENJOY YOUR COMPANY. THE BEST GIFT OF ALL IS YOUR TIME, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS YOU CAN SPREAD THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT. RESIDENTS OFTEN APPRECIATE IT WHEN THEIR LOVED ONES HELP WRITE HOLIDAY CARDS OR DECORATE THEIR ROOMS. HOLIDAY SHOPPING TRIPS ARE ALWAYS A FUN ACTIVITY. GREAT HOLIDAY GIFTS INCLUDE ROOM DECORATIONS, TOILETRIES, CLOTHING, AND OF COURSE ANYTHING ENTERTAINING. DON'T FORGET TO SPREAD THE LOVE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THOSE IN SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES THIS CHRISTMAS.

BLOODMOBILE

IF YOU WANT AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER AND GIVE A GIFT WORTH GIVING, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN SCHUYLKILL HEALTH. A COMMUNITY/EMPLOYEE BLOODMOBILE WILL BE AT SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER EAST NORWEGIAN STREET TODAY FROM NOON TO FIVE. MICHAEL PECKMAN, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS, AT SCHUYLKILL HEALTH TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING THE GIFT OF LIFE

PECKMAN

IF YOU HAVEN'T REGISTERED ONLINE OR BY TELEPHONE ALREADY WALK-INS WILL BE WELCOME!

FIRST TREE LIGHTING IN 36 YEARS

GORDON HELD IT'S FIRST TREE-LIGHTING IN THIRTY-SIX YEARS, AFTER THE COMMUNITY PULLED TOGETHER TO RESTORE THE HOLIDAY TRADITION. THE 18-FOOT TREE WAS ASSEMBLED ON BIDDLE STREET AND THE CEREMONY BEGAN WHEN SANTA ARRIVED AT 5:30 SUNDAY EVENING. THE TREE’S ORNAMENTS WERE BOTH MADE BY LOCAL BOY SCOUT TROOPS AND PURCHASED BY BOROUGH RESIDENTS AS A FUNDRAISER. ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD, THE LAST TREE-LIGHTING CEREMONY TOOK PLACE IN 1974, BUT WAS DISCONTINUED WHEN THE TREE WAS LOST IN THE FLOOD OF 1975. SIMPSON METHODIST CHURCH WILL CONTINUE TO POWER THE TREE THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAY SEASON.


STATE NEWS:

PITTSBURGH (AP) - WINTER DOESN'T START OFFICIALLY FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA IS ABOUT TO GET A HEALTHY DOSE OF IT. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS LAKE-EFFECT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BLANKET THE REGION THROUGH TOMORROW NIGHT, WITH THE PITTSBURGH AREA POSSIBLY GETTING 5 TO 8 INCHES.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY A WOMAN HAS BEEN STRANGLED IN A PHILADELPHIA APARTMENT NOT FAR FROM WHERE TWO OTHER WOMEN MET THE SAME FATE.TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD ALLISON EDWARDS OF LEVITTOWN WAS FOUND FRIDAY NIGHT IN A BUILDING IN THE CITY'S JUNIATA PARK SECTION. THE APARTMENT IS ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE KENSINGTON AREA WHERE TWO WOMEN WERE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND STRANGLED LAST MONTH.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA NEWSPAPER SAYS THAT COURT REFORMS SPURRED BY A SCATHING REPORT ON THE CITY'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HAVE IMPROVED CONVICTION RATES. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REPORTS THAT CHANGES INCLUDE A COURTHOUSE RESTRUCTURING, MORE PREPARATION TIME FOR PROSECUTORS AND ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR WITNESS PROTECTION.

GETTYSBURG, PA. (AP) - POLICE IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA SAY A FIRE THAT DESTROYED A CIVIL WAR-THEMED CHAPEL WAS ARSON. GETTYSBURG POLICE OFFICER WILLIAM GONZALEZ SAYS AUTHORITIES HAVE NO OFFICIAL SUSPECTS BUT ARE LOOKING INTO SOME LEADS. THE EVENING SUN OF HANOVER REPORTS THREE TEENS HAD BEEN REPORTED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF FRIDAY'S PRE-DAWN BLAZE.

NATIONAL NEWS:

GENEVA (AP) - IRAN AND SIX WORLD POWERS HAVE STARTED NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT THE COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM. BUT THE TALKS BEGIN WITH LOW EXPECTATIONS. IRAN AND THE OTHERS MEETING IN GENEVA ARE AT ODDS ON WHAT TO TALK ABOUT. AND TENSIONS ARE HIGH AFTER THE ASSASSINATION OF ONE OF TEHRAN'S MOST PROMINENT SCIENTISTS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - AS DIPLOMATS FROM THE UNITED STATES, SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN PREPARE FOR TALKS TODAY IN WASHINGTON ON NORTH KOREA'S RECENT ACTIONS, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH HIS COUNTERPART IN CHINA. THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS HE ASKED THAT CHINA LET NORTH KOREA KNOW THAT ITS AGGRESSIVE MOVES ARE UNACCEPTABLE. SOUTH KOREA, MEANWHILE, HAS BEGUN NAVAL FIRING DRILLS, DESPITE A WARNING FROM THE NORTH THAT THOSE DRILLS WOULD HEIGHTEN TENSIONS.

JERUSALEM (AP) - ISRAEL'S TOP POLICEWOMAN HAS BECOME THE 42ND VICTIM OF THE FOREST FIRE THAT CONTINUES TO BURN IN NORTHERN ISRAEL. SHE HAD CLUNG TO LIFE FOR FOUR DAYS AFTER HER PATROL CAR WAS TRAPPED IN A BURNING FOREST. THE POLICEWOMAN HAD BEEN DRIVING BEHIND A BUS OF PRISON GUARDS RUSHING TO EVACUATE A NEARBY PRISON WHEN BOTH THE BUS AND HER VEHICLE WERE ENGULFED IN FLAMES.

ROME (AP) - THEY'D BEEN MISSING SINCE LATE SEPTEMBER, WHEN THEIR BALLOON DISAPPEARED OVER THE ADRIATIC SEA DURING A RACE. NOW, THE BODIES OF TWO AMERICANS HAVE BEEN FOUND -- STILL INSIDE THE BALLOON GONDOLA. IT WAS HAULED IN BY AN ITALIAN FISHING BOAT TODAY.

NEW YORK (AP) - THE BRITISH-BASED BANK HSBC ISN'T COMMENTING ON A LAWSUIT BY THE TRUSTEE WHO'S TRYING TO RECOVER MONEY FOR THE VICTIMS OF BERNARD MADOFF. THE TRUSTEE HAS ANNOUNCED A LAWSUIT SEEKING $9 BILLION. HE SAYS THE BANK HELPED FUNNEL BILLIONS TO MADOFF THROUGH A DOZEN SO-CALLED FEEDER FUNDS, AND THAT IT IGNORED WARNINGS FROM ITS OWN ACCOUNTANTS ABOUT MADOFF.