TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2010

MEDICARE'S APRISE PROGRAM

MEDICARE'S FALL ANNUAL ENROLLMENT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH DECEMBER, SO NOW IS THE TIME TO GET YOUR INFORMATION. JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE...

APRISE

BLIGHT BILL

PENNSYLVANIANS NEW BLIGHT LAW IS GIVING LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS A FRESH OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAN UP THEIR COMMUNITIES. HANSON QUICKEL HAS MORE FROM HARRISBURG WITH SENATOR DAVID ARGALL…

BLIGHT

STS GRANT

ON WEDNESDAY, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AUTHORIZED SCHUYLKILL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TO APPLY FOR A $1.6 MILLION GRANT. STS IS NOW ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR A CONSOLIDATED CAPITAL APPLICATION GRANT FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PLUS LOCAL MATCHING FUNDS. PART OF THE MONEY STS WILL RECEIVE WILL BE USED TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STS' MAIN FACILITY IN SAINT CLAIR AND THE NEW TRANPORTATION TERMINAL AT UNION STATION IN POTTSVILLE. RIDERS ON STS VEHICLES CAN ALSO EXPECT TO SEE BETTER EQUIPMENT.
　
SOLDIER'S REMAINS BROUGHT HOME

A SCHUYLKILL COUNTY NATIVE'S REMAINS WILL RETURN TO THE AREA AFTER BEING LAYED TO REST IN FRANCE FOR 92 YEARS. 28-YEAR-OLD ARMY PRIVATE HENRY A. WEIKEL WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN WORLD WAR I ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1918. DURING A 2006 JOINT POW/MIA ACCOUNTING COMMAND RECOVERY MISSION IN EUROPE, A LOCAL FRENCH RESIDENT TOLD THE TEAM ABOUT POSSIBLE REMAINS OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS THAT HAD BEEN FOUND. WEIKEL'S REMAINS WERE ONE OF THREE FOUND AND WILL END THEIR JOURNEY ON MONDAY. A PUBLIC VIEWING WILL BE HELD FROM 6-8PM WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 8TH AT THE TRUSKOWSKY FUNERAL HOME. THE FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT 11AM ON DECEMBER 9TH.

COUNTY MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

JOHN HOSSLER, OF PORT CARBON, WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY EVENING AFTER PORT CARON POLICE WERE DISPATCHED ON A DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE CALL. WHEN POLICE ARRIVED HOSSLER HAS ALREADY FLED THE SCENE. HOSSLERS 21 YEAR OLD GIRLFRIEND WAS ASSAULTED AFTER THE FATAL BEATING OF THEIR 9 YEAR OLD MALE DOG. POTTSVILLE POLICE FOUND HOSSLER AT LOCAL TAVERN WHERE HE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. HOSSLER WAS CHARGED WITH SIMPLE ASSAULT, HARASSMENT, AND CRUELTY TO ANIMALS AND IS BEING HELD IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON ON $5,000 STRAIGHT CASH BAIL.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - OUTGOING GOVERNOR ED RENDELL'S PLANS FOR A $1 BILLION TAXPAYER-FINANCED BOND ISSUE ARE ENCOUNTERING TROUBLE. PENNSYLVANIA AUDITOR GENERAL JACK WAGNER IS REFUSING TO APPROVE IT, WHILE TREASURER ROB MCCORD IS ASKING FOR INPUT FROM THE MAN WHO'S REPLACING RENDELL IN SEVEN WEEKS, ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM CORBETT.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A PITTSBURGH TRANSIT COMPANY MECHANIC HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO 2 1/2 TO 5 YEARS IN PRISON FOR INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, BECAUSE HE LIED ABOUT INSPECTING BRAKES ON A SCHOOL VAN THAT CRASHED, KILLING A TEACHER'S AIDE FOR SPECIAL-NEEDS STUDENTS. AN ALLEGHENY COUNTY JUDGE SENTENCED 35-YEAR-OLD MARK FABIAN, WHO HAS BEEN JAILED SINCE HE WAS CONVICTED IN SEPTEMBER.

ORLANDO, FLA. (AP) - ACTOR WESLEY SNIPES HAS BEEN ORDERED TO START HIS THREE-YEAR SENTENCE FOR FAILING TO PAY TAXES AT A FEDERAL PRISON IN PENNSYLVANIA NEXT WEEK. SNIPES HAS BEEN ORDERED TO VOLUNTARILY SURRENDER AT THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION MCKEAN IN LEWIS RUN A WEEK FROM TODAY.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - EARLY FIGURES FROM THE STATE GAME COMMISSION SHOW THAT PENNSYLVANIA HUNTERS KILLED MORE THAN 3,000 BEARS THIS SEASON. THE PRELIMINARY TOTAL OF 3,039 BEARS TAKEN DURING EIGHT DAYS IN NOVEMBER IS LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS. IT'S ALSO FAR BELOW THE RECORD OF MORE THAN 4,100 SET IN 2005.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO CENSURE LONG-TIME NEW YORK CONGRESSMAN CHARLES RANGEL TODAY. IF SO, THE 80-YEAR-OLD DEMOCRAT WILL HAVE TO STAND BEFORE HIS COLLEAGUES WHILE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI READS A RESOLUTION CONDEMNING HIS MISBEHAVIOR. THE HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE HAS SAID RANGEL'S LONG PATTERN OF FUNDRAISING AND FINANCIAL MISDEEDS JUSTIFIES CENSURE.

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. SHOPPERS SHOPPED 'TIL THEY DROPPED IN NOVEMBER. DATA SHOWS "CYBER MONDAY" WAS THE BIGGEST ONE-DAY ONLINE SHOPPING DAY EVER. A THOMSON REUTERS POLL SUGGESTS THAT SAYS SALES AT STORES OPEN AT LEAST A YEAR ARE EXPECTED TO RISE 3.6 PERCENT IN NOVEMBER. BUT ANALYSTS EXPECT HOLIDAY SALES TO RISE ONLY A FEW PERCENTAGE POINTS OVERALL.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - SOUTH KOREAN LAWMAKERS ARE COMING DOWN ON THE GOVERNMENT AFTER THE COUNTRY'S SPY CHIEF ACKNOWLEDGED THAT NORTH KOREAN THREATS TO ATTACK A FRONT-LINE ISLAND WEREN'T TAKEN SERIOUSLY. THE SPY CHIEF TOLD LAWMAKERS WEDNESDAY THAT HE CONSIDERED THE INTERCEPTED COMMUNICATIONS A "ROUTINE THREAT."

SYDNEY (AP) - AUSTRALIAN INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY'VE IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE OF AN OIL LEAK THAT CAUSED A QANTAS SUPERJUMBO JET'S ENGINE TO BLOW APART IN MID AIR LAST MONTH. THE AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT SAFETY BUREAU IS RECOMMENDING MORE CHECKS OF ALL PLANES WITH THE ROLLS-ROYCE TRENT 900 ENGINE. MEANWHILE, QANTAS SAYS IT PLANS TO SUE THREE COMPANIES, INCLUDING ROLLS-ROYCE, FOR $4 MILLION.

CANCUN, MEXICO (AP) - DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CHINA APPEAR TO BE NARROWING ON THE KEY ISSUE OF MONITORING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. BUT NEITHER SIDE AT THE LATEST CLIMATE TALKS IN CANCUN IS MOVING ON LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS FOR CUTTING EMISSIONS. THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT GOES TO THE HEART OF A NEW GLOBAL WARMING TREATY.