TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2010

CHURCH BURGLARY

STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN ARE INVESTIGATING A BURGLARY AT SCHUYLKILL CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN WAYNE TOWNSHIP. THE BURGLARY TOOK PLACE BETWEEN 3PM MONDAY AND 1PM TUESDAY. ACCORDING TO POLICE, A PIECE OF PVC PIPE WAS USED TO SHATTER A REAR WINDOW TO GAIN ENTRANCE TO THE BUILDING. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL TROOPERS 593-2000.

BACK TO COURT OVER AUDIT PAYMENT

OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY'S EXTERNAL AUDITOR MAY REUNITE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND CONTROLLER MELINDA KANTNER BACK IN COURT. THE LOCAL PAPER REPORTS, COUNTY SOLICITOR ERIC MIKA IS PREPARING A COMPLAINT AGAINST KANTNER TO PAY $24,000 OWED TO POTTSVILLE ACCOUNTANT SAM DEEGAN FOR HIS WORK AUDITING COUNTY FINANCIAL RECORDS, BUT KANTNER WANTS $4,800 DEDUCTED FROM DEEGAN'S PAYCHECK IN ORDER TO PAY A POTTSTOWN ACCOUNTING FIRM THAT HELPED PREPARE FINANCIAL REPORTS. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, DEEGAN IS CONFIDENT THE COUNTY WILL PAY UP WHILE KANTNER BELIEVES THIS IS ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO POLITICALLY ASSASSINATE HER.

TWO LOCAL MEN INJURED IN CAR CRASH

THE WESTBOUND LANE OF ROUTE 901 WAS CLOSED FOR NEARLY 45 MINUTES YESTERDAY AFTER TWO CARS COLLIDED AROUND 4:30PM WEDNESDAY. 40-YEAR-OLD KEVIN TRIBBLE OF MINERSVILLE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WHEN HE WAS STRUCK BY 43-YEAR-OLD ALBERT ONDECK OF POTTSVILLE. BOTH MEN WERE INJURED AND THEIR CARS TOWED FROM THE SCENE.

STATE NEWS:

HIDDEN VALLEY, PA. (AP) - A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL HAS BEEN INJURED AFTER FALLING ABOUT 15 FEET FROM A CHAIR LIFT AT HIDDEN VALLEY SKI RESORT IN SOMERSET COUNTY. SHE FELL JUST IN FRONT OF THE UNLOADING STATION AS SHE WAS PREPARING TO GET OFF THE LIFT. SHE WAS TAKEN DOWN THE MOUNTAIN IN A TOBOGGAN AND FLOWN TO A JOHNSTOWN HOSPITAL.

MECHANICSBURG, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA SAY A MECHANICSBURG MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE APPARENT HOMICIDE OF A WOMAN. POLICE IN SILVER SPRING TOWNSHIP IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY SAY THEY WERE CALLED TO A HOME YESTERDAY MORNING AND FOUND A WOMAN WHO APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED.

BENSALEM, PA. (AP) - A MAN ARRESTED AFTER A POLICE CHASE THROUGH THE PHILADELPHIA SUBURBS HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH THEFT AND FLEEING FROM POLICE. THE CHASE OF A CAR REPORTED STOLEN BEGAN IN RIDLEY TOWNSHIP, DELAWARE COUNTY, YESTERDAY MORNING AND ENDED ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER IN BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, BUCKS COUNTY, WHEN THE CAR CRASHED AGAINST A GUARDRAIL. PAUL MCCURRY JR. WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOVERNOR ED RENDELL'S OFFICE SAYS HE'S ABOUT TO SIGN COMMUTATIONS SO THAT THREE CONVICTED KILLERS WILL BE RELEASED FROM STATE PRISON AFTER SPENDING DECADES BEHIND BARS. KEITH SMITH, WILLIAM FULTZ AND TYRONE WERTS THREE ARE CONVICTED OF SEPARATE KILLINGS IN PHILADELPHIA THAT OCCURRED IN THE 1970S.

NATIONAL NEWS:

NEW YORK (AP) - THERE'S AS MUCH ANGER AS SNOW IN NEW YORK IN THE WAKE OF THE STORM THAT PARALYZED THE CITY. MANY RESIDENTS ARE STEAMED ABOUT STREETS STILL UNPLOWED DAYS AFTER THE STORM MOVED ON. MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG PUTS SOME OF THE BLAME ON PEOPLE WHO INSISTED ON DRIVING, AND THEN HAD TO ABANDON THEIR CAR.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THE LATEST ROUND OF RAIN IN LOS ANGELES HAS BEEN FOLLOWED BY CHILLY WINDS GUSTING UP TO 40 MPH. PEOPLE IN HIGHLAND, CALIF. -- WHERE HOMES WERE SWAMPED BY MUD LAST WEEK -- ARE BREATHING EASIER AFTER THE RAIN PROVED LIGHTER THAN EXPECTED. NO NEW MUDFLOWS ARE REPORTED THERE OR ELSEWHERE.

WAYNE, MICH. (AP) - A NEWS CONFERENCE IS PLANNED THIS MORNING IN WAYNE, MICH., ABOUT YESTERDAY'S HUGE EXPLOSION AT A FURNITURE STORE THAT KILLED TWO WORKERS AND INJURED THE OWNER. A GAS LEAK IS SUSPECTED, BUT NO CAUSE HAS BEEN DETERMINED YET. THE OWNER IS IN SERIOUS CONDITION IN A BURN UNIT.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - IN ITS LATEST MILITARY REVIEW OF NORTH KOREA, SOUTH KOREA IS BLUNTLY CALLING THE NORTH ITS ENEMY. IN THE LAST REVIEW TWO YEARS AGO, THE SOUTH REFERRED TO PYONGYANG AS A "DIRECT AND SERIOUS THREAT." THE LATEST REVIEW SAYS NORTH KOREA HAS MORE POWERFUL TANKS, AND 200,000 SPECIAL FORCES.

ATLANTA (AP) - EMORY UNIVERSITY IN ATLANTA HAS SOME UNUSUAL NEW STUDENTS. SIX TIBETAN MONKS SENT BY THE DALAI LAMA ARE TAKING SCIENCE COURSES SO THEY CAN RETURN TO THEIR MONASTERIES AND TEACH OTHER MONKS AND NUNS. IT'S SAID TO BE THE FIRST PROGRAM OF ITS TYPE INVOLVING A WESTERN UNIVERSITY.