TODAY'S NEWS: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2010

POLICE OFFICER KILLED IN DUI CRASH

A HAMBURG POLICE OFFICER WILL BE LAID TO REST TODAY AFTER BEING KILLED IN A DUI CRASH THURSDAY NIGHT. 36-YEAR-OLD KYLE LESHER OF SPRING TOWNSHIP WAS A PART TIME POLICE OFFICER IN HAMBURG AND FULL-TIME BERKS COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF. ACCORDING TO POLICE, AT ABOUT 8:30PM LESHER'S VEHICLE FLIPPED ONTO ITS ROOF AND BURST INTO FLAMES AFTER CRASHING INTO A UTILITY POLE IN BERKS COUNTY. POLICE SAID LESHER WAS PULLED FROM THE CAR BY NEIGHBORS WHO EXTINGUISHED HIS BURNING CLOTHES. HE WAS FLOWN TO LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL, WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD JUST BEFORE 11PM.

INVESTIGATION OF ONE VEHICLE CRASH

THE STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE ARE INVESTIGATING A ONE VEHICLE CRASH THAT OCCURRED AFTER 1:00PM MONDAY AFTERNOON. BRETT MORTON, OF SUNBURY, WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON ROUTE 901 IN CASS TOWNSHIP AND LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE AROUND A CURVE AND STRUCK A UTILITY POLE BEFORE COMING TO REST. MORTON AND HIS PASSENGER CORTNI-STARR PEZOLA, 25, WERE UNINJURED. ACCORDING TO POLICE, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE, AND MORTON WILL RECEIVE A ROADWAY VIOLATION FOR FAILING TO STAY IN HIS LANE.

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INVESTIGATED IN COUNTY PRISON

THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY BY THE POTTSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN LAST WEEK SHORTLY AFTER THREE PRISON OFFICERS WERE SUSPENDED BY THE COUNTY PRISON BOARD. THE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED WITH PAY AND NO NAMES HAVE BEEN RELEASED DUE TO PENNSYLVANIA’S RIGHT TO KNOW ACT PASSED IN 2009. ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD, POTTSVILLE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING IF THERE WERE ETHICS VIOLATIONS THAT WILL RESULT IN CRIMINAL CHARGES.

SALVATION ARMY SURPASSES GOAL

DESPITE A LOSS FROM A DECEMBER ROBBERY, THE POTTSVILLE SALVATION ARMY SURPASSED ITS KETTLE CAMPAIGN GOAL COLLECTING OVER $75,000. ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD, THE GROUP'S OFFICER, CAPT. HENCH BELIEVES ONE REASON WHY DONATIONS WERE UP WAS THE PUBLIC'S RESPONSE TO THE ROBBERY. THE KETTLE CAMPAIGN OPERATED FROM NOVEMBER 19 THROUGH DECEMBER 24.

DEMOLITION PROJECT

THANKS TO FUNDS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH SCHUYLKILL COUNTY'S DEMOLITION PROGRAM, AN ABANDONED BUILDING IN CASS TOWNSHIP WILL BE TORN DOWN IN THE MONTHS TO COME. IT WILL COME WITH A $20,000 PRICE TAG, BUT ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS TO GET RID OF WHAT THEY CALL AN "EYESORE". A HEGINS TOWNSHIP BUILDING AND MAHANOY TOWNSHIP BUILDING WILL ALSO BE DEMOLISHED IN 2011.

KEEP YOUR KIDS HEALTHY THROUGH FLU SEASON

WORRIES SPREAD OVER THE H-1-N-1 FLU VIRUS FORCED MANY PARENTS TO BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS WHEN IT CAME TO PROTECTING THEIR CHILDREN LAST FLU SEASON. EXPERTS SAY WITH FLU SEASON UPON US AGAIN, PARENTS SHOULD WORK TO KEEP THEIR KIDS HEALTHY. TOM JOSEPH HAS MORE…

FLU BUG

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - ALL FOUR RUNWAYS ARE OPEN AT PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AFTER A MAJOR WINTER SNOWSTORM, BUT MOST FLIGHTS YESTERDAY WERE CANCELED BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS ELSEWHERE. AIRPORT SPOKESWOMAN VICTORIA LUPICA SAYS THE AIRLINES HAD CANCELED 600 FLIGHTS YESTERDAY IN PHILADELPHIA. SHE BELIEVES THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT 70 PERCENT OF THOSE SCHEDULED.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY A FREIGHT TRAIN HAS DERAILED ON A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA BRIDGE, SENDING TWO SHIPPING CONTAINERS INTO THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER, BUT NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. A NORFOLK SOUTHERN SPOKESMAN SAYS THE TRAIN WAS HEADING TO CHICAGO YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WHEN A STRONG GUST OF WIND APPARENTLY CAUSED THE TRAIN TO DERAIL ON THE ROCKVILLE BRIDGE BETWEEN HARRISBURG AND MARYSVILLE.

LANCASTER, PA. (AP) - A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE HAS REJECTED THE APPEAL OF A TEENAGER SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON IN THE STABBING DEATHS OF A CLASSMATE AND THE CLASSMATE'S PARENTS IN THEIR HOME 3 1/2 YEARS AGO. THE LANCASTER INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL REPORTS ALEC KREIDER WAS 16 WHEN KEVIN HAINES AND HIS PARENTS, THOMAS AND LISA HAINES, WERE KILLED IN LANCASTER COUNTY IN MAY 2007.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - BERNIE WILSON, A BARITONE MEMBER OF THE RHYTHM AND BLUES GROUP HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES, HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 64, ACCORDING TO HIS COUSIN AND THE GROUP'S FORMER RECORD COMPANY. PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL RECORDS SAYS WILSON WAS PART OF THE LINEUP THAT PRODUCED A STRING OF HITS IN THE 70S THAT HELPED DEFINE THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA.

NATIONAL NEWS:

NEW YORK (AP) - SOME AIRLINE PASSENGERS STRANDED BY THE BIG WEEKEND SNOWSTORM COULD BE STUCK FOR DAYS. MANY PLANES ARE BOOKED SOLID BECAUSE OF THE BUSY HOLIDAY SEASON, AND AIRLINES ARE OPERATING FEWER FLIGHTS BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN. BUT OPERATIONS ARE RESTARTING AT THE THREE NEW YORK AREA AIRPORTS. THE STORM WHIPPED UP CRITICISM FROM NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS ANGRY WITH HOW LONG IT'S TAKING TO GET PLOWED OUT.

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN (AP) - PAKISTANI INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS SAY TWO U.S. MISSILE STRIKES HAVE KILLED AT LEAST EIGHT PEOPLE INCLUDING SIX SUSPECTED MILITANTS IN A TRIBAL REGION NEAR AFGHANISTAN. THE OFFICIALS SAY THE SECOND STRIKE HIT A HOUSE, KILLING AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE RETRIEVING BODIES FROM THE FIRST ATTACK, IN WHICH SIX MILITANTS DIED.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (AP) - PHILIPPINE OFFICIALS SAY THERE WAS NO ILLEGAL DRUG IN A A PACKET OF SUSPECTED COCAINE CARRIED BY A U.S. NAVY OFFICER JUMPED WHO JUMPED TO HIS DEATH IN THE PHILIPPINES. POLICE SAY THE OFFICER JUMPED TO HIS DEATH YESTERDAY WHILE A SECURITY GUARD ESCORTED HIM TO A BATHROOM AT MANILA'S AIRPORT. THE SUSPICIOUS PACKET WAS TESTED AND FOUND TO BE CLEAN.

NEW DELHI(AP) - INDIAN OFFICIALS SAY MORE POLICE PATROLS AND STRICT SECURITY CHECKS HAVE BEEN ORDERED IN MUMBAI, AND SEVERAL OTHER CITIES FOLLOWING CREDIBLE REPORTS OF A POSSIBLE TERROR STRIKE. INDIA'S HOME MINISTRY ISSUED A COUNTRYWIDE ALERT AFTER RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT PLANS BY A BANNED, PAKISTAN-BASED MILITANT GROUP.

HONOLULU (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA WILL LOOK TO FINALIZE THE APPOINTMENT OF A TOP ECONOMIC ADVISER AFTER HE RETURNS FROM HIS HAWAIIAN VACATION NEXT WEEK. IT'S A DECISION THAT COULD SIGNAL A NEW DIRECTION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AS IT STRUGGLES TO JUMPSTART THE ECONOMY AND WRESTLE DOWN UNEMPLOYMENT. OBAMA'S HANDLING OF THE ISSUE IS CERTAIN TO PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE IN HIS RE-ELECTION BID.