TODAY'S NEWS: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2010

SCHOOL DELAYS:
UPDATE 8:45am
NORTH SCHUYLKILL ELEMENTARY ONLY - 2 HOUR DELAY

IF YOU STILL HAVE HOLIDAY PACKAGES TO SEND, YOU MAY WANT TO GET THEM OUT BEFORE MONDAY. WPPA'S JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE...

MAIL

PINE GROVE STUDENT MAKES THREATS

A TWELVE YEAR OLD PINE GROVE AREA STUDENT AWAITS CHARGES AFTER THREATENING TO KILL A TEACHER. ACCORDING TO PINE GROVE POLICE DETECTIVE TOM TROTTER, THE STUDENT ALLEGEDLY THREATENED TO SHOOT THE TEACHER IN THE FACE AND KILL HIM WITH A HOMEMADE BLOW DART GUN CONTAINING A CHEMICAL. STUDENTS IN THE CLASS NOTIFIED THE TEACHER OF THE THREATS AND HELPED REMOVED THEIR CLASSMATE FROM THE ROOM. ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD, THE STUDENT WAS RELEASED INTO HIS MOTHERS CUSTODY, EVALUATED AT HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER, AND IS BEING HELD AT KIDS PEACE. THE STUDENT FACES CHARGES OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, POSSESSION OF A WEAPON ON SCHOOL PROPERTY, AND OTHER RELATED CHARGES. NO DETERMINATION OF THE CHEMICAL ON THE WEAPON HAS BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME.

WEST PENN TOWNSHIP FIRE

A FIRE IN WEST PENN TOWNSHIP DESTROYED AN UNOCCUPIED HOUSE TUESDAY MORNING. FIRE-FIGHTERS WERE CALLED TO THE FIRE JUST BEFORE 1AM AND BATTLED THE BLAZE FOR HOURS UNTIL THEY WERE ABLE TO BRING IT UNDER CONTROL. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED, BUT THE WEATHER CONDITIONS DID MAKE THE FIRE-FIGHTERS JOBS DIFFICULT. THE CAUSE AND ORIGIN OF THE FIRE IS STILL UNDETERMINED.

REP. KNOWLES MOVES ORWIGSBURG OFFICE

REPRESENTATIVE JERRY KNOWLES WILL CLOSE HIS ORWIGSBURG OFFICE AND MOVE TO SCHUYLKILL HAVEN. KNOWLES WILL SHARE AN OFFICE WITH REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT MIKE TOBASH TO BEGIN THE NEW YEAR. KNOWLES EXPECTS THE MOVE TO BE COST-EFFECTIVE, BUT ALSO PROVIDE CONSTITUENTS SERVICES TO THE AREA. ACCORDING THE REPUBLICAN HERALD, SOME CONSTITUENTS ARE NOT PLEASE WITH THE MOVE AND BELIEVE LOCATION MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR SOME CONSTITUENTS TO ACCESS. KNOWLES IS ALSO LOOKING TO SCALE BACK HIS TAMAQUA OFFICE.

MAN STRUCK BY VEHICLE

A TREMONT MAN SUFFERED MODERATE LEG AND HEAD INJURIES AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A VEHICLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON IN NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP. 50-YEAR-OLD DEAN SHADE WAS HIT BY 43-YEAR-OLD ROSEMARIE ROTHERMEL OF ORWIGSBURG JUST BEFORE 4PM. ROTHERMEL WAS TRYING TO AVOID TWO VEHICLES INVOLVED IN A FENDER BENDER WHEN SHE STRUCK SHADE. AN AMBULANCE TOOK SHADE TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER-EAST NORWEGIAN STREET.

STATE NEWS:

MANCHESTER, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN YORK COUNTY SAY ONE MAN DIED AND ANOTHER WAS FLOWN TO A HOSPITAL FOLLOWING A TRENCH COLLAPSE DURING A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. CREWS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE IN NEWBERRY TOWNSHIP SHORTLY AFTER 4 P.M. YESTERDAY WHEN THE 15- TO 20-FOOT TRENCH PARTIALLY COLLAPSED AS THE MEN WERE LAYING A PIPE FOR A STORM WATER DRAINAGE PROJECT.

THORNTON, PA. (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY A SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA JAIL HAS SUSPENDED TWO EMPLOYEES AFTER AN INMATE WAS MISTAKENLY FREED - THE SEVENTH TIME SUCH A THING HAS HAPPENED THIS YEAR. OFFICIALS SAY THE BURGLARY SUSPECT WAS FREED DECEMBER 7TH FROM THE GEORGE HILL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY IN DELAWARE COUNTY BEFORE FINAL APPROVAL WAS GIVEN FOR HOME MONITORING.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - A NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE SAYS PROSECUTORS CAN USE SOME STATEMENTS A HOMICIDE SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY MADE TO INVESTIGATORS, BUT NOT OTHERS. THE SCRANTON TIMES LEADER REPORTS ELVIS RICCARDI IS SCHEDULED TO GO ON TRIAL IN LUZERNE COUNTY NEXT MONTH IN LAST YEAR'S DEATH OF 34-YEAR-OLD DONALD SKIFF. PROSECUTORS HAVE SAID THEY INTEND TO SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY IF HE IS CONVICTED.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - FINDING A PLACE TO PARK IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH COULD GET A LOT EASIER, THANKS TO A NEW HIGH-TECH TOOL. STARTING WEDNESDAY AT NOON, MOTORISTS CAN GO ONLINE BEFORE THEY LEAVE HOME, USE A MOBILE DEVICE, OR CALL A PHONE NUMBER TO FIND OUT WHERE PARKING SPOTS ARE AVAILABLE. IT'S ALL PART OF A PILOT PROGRAM BY THE PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST.

NATIONAL NEWS:

SYDNEY (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN AUSTRALIA SAY 27 BODIES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED FROM AN ASYLUM SEEKERS' BOAT THAT SMASHED APART ON ROCKS OFF AN AUSTRALIAN ISLAND. THE CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION SERVICE SAID IN A STATEMENT WEDNESDAY THAT THERE ARE 41 SURVIVORS. THE WOODEN BOAT CRASHED INTO JAGGED ROCKS ALONG CHRISTMAS ISLAND EARLY THIS MORNING.

WASHINGTON (AP) - HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE WAITING TO GET THEIR HANDS ON A BUSH-ERA TAX CUT EXTENSION EXPECTED TO PASS THE SENATE TODAY. HOUSE DEMOCRATS DON'T LIKE THE CONTINUED CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY AND MAY TRY TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE COMPROMISE BETWEEN PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND SENATE REPUBLICANS. CRITICS OF THE PACKAGE SAY THEY EXPECT IT WILL EVENTUALLY PASS AS IS.

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (AP) - NEW ZEALAND IS WARNING OF AN ESPECIALLY VOLATILE MOOD AS PROTESTERS PREPARE FOR THEIR ANNUAL FACE-OFF WITH JAPANESE WHALERS OFF ANTARCTICA. BOTH SIDES ARE BEING URGED TO SHOW RESTRAINT TO ENSURE NO ONE IS KILLED. THE WHALERS LEFT JAPAN EARLIER THIS MONTH AND THE SEA SHEPHERD CONSERVATION SOCIETY BOATS ARE IN PURSUIT.

TEHRAN, IRAN (AP) - THE OFFICIAL IRANIAN NEWS AGENCY REPORTS DOZENS OF PEOPLE DEAD AT A SHIITE MOURNING CEREMONY AFTER A SUICIDE BOMBING NEAR A MOSQUE IN SOUTHEASTERN IRAN. IRNA REPORTS THE ATTACKER STRUCK OUTSIDE IMAM HUSSEIN MOSQUE NEAR THE BORDER WITH PAKISTAN ON WEDNESDAY. THE BOMBING APPEARED TO TARGET A GROUP MOURNING ASHOURA, WHICH MARKS THE 7TH CENTURY DEATH OF THE GRANDSON OF ISLAM'S PROPHET MUHAMMAD.

PANAMA CITY, FLA. (AP) - A FLORIDA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT WHO CALMLY CONFRONTED A GUNMAN DURING A BOARD MEETING SAYS GOD PROTECTED HIM WHEN THE MAN OPENED FIRE. EX-CON CLAY DUKE FIRED TWO SHOTS AT BAY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT BILL HUSFELT FROM ABOUT 8 FEET AWAY BUT MISSED. A SECURITY GUARD THEN SHOT DUKE. POLICE SAY DUKE THEN KILLED HIMSELF. DUKE SAID HE WAS UPSET THAT HIS WIFE HAD LOST HER JOB.