TODAY'S NEWS: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2010

FIRE DESTROYS TRAILER

A VACANT ONE-STORY HOUSE TRAILER WAS DESTROYED TUESDAY NIGHT AFTER IT CAUGHT FIRE. ACCORDING TO POLICE, THE TRAILER LOCATED IN THE WOODS IN PALO ALTO WAS BEING REMODELED. THE HEAT WAS KEPT ON TO KEEP THE TRAILER FROM FREEZING, BUT FIRE CHIEF BILL BUCKINGHAM WOULD NOT MAKE A RULING ON THE CAUSE. THE OWNERS OF THAT TRAILER ARE RONALD AND CHRISTOPHER CARESTIA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE FIRE WAS UNDER CONTROL BY 9:35PM.

COUPLE LINKED TO ANOTHER ROBBERY

THE COUPLE CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BURGLARY AT THE SCHUYLKILL HAVEN FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY ARE NOW LINKED TO ANOTHER ROBBERY THAT HAPPENED EARLIER THIS MONTH AT THE JOHN MALINCHOK INSURANCE AGENCY. ACCORDING TO FRACKVILLE POLICE, CHARGES WILL BE FILED AGAINST THREE PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH THE BURGLARY INCLUDING KRISTEN KRANCH AND EDWARD REEVES WHO ARE ALREADY IN HOT WATER. KRANCH WILL RECEIVE A SUMMONS IN THE MAIL FOR HER ALLEGED ROLE IN THE INSURANCE AGENCY BURGLARY AND WILL ALSO BE CHARGED WITH RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY FOR ALLEGEDLY POSSESSING STOLEN ITEMS IN HER VEHICLE. REEVES WAS CHARGED WITH FELONY CONSPIRACY, BURGLARY AND CRIMINAL TRESPASS ALONG WITH MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES. AS OF TUESDAY, REEVES WAS COMMITTED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON, WHERE HE REMAINED IN LIEU OF $50,000 STRAIGHT CASH BAIL.

FRACKVILLE MAN SENTENCED IN SEX CRIMES

A FRACKVILLE MAN WAS SENTENCED IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT TUESDAY AFTER PLEADING GUILTY, IN AUGUST, TO INDECENTLY ASSAULTING A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL. 48-YEAR-OLD DAVID WAIZENEGGER, RECEIVED A SENTENCE OF 4 TO EIGHT YEARS IN A STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AND LIFE AS A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER UNDER MEGAN'S LAW EVEN THOUGH JUDGE CHARLES M. MILLER RULED WAIZENEGGER WAS NOT A VIOLENT PREDATOR. WAIZENEGGER DRUGGED TWO GIRLS WITH BENADRYL PILLS AND THE VICTIM AWOKE TO HIS INAPPROPRIATE TOUCHING.

GNDF PLANS INSTITUTE IN MOUNT CARMEL SCHOOL

THE GLOBAL NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT FUND, A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOUNDED BY NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNERS AND SCIENTISTS, HAS PURCHASED HOLY SPIRIT SCHOOL IN MOUNT CARMEL. ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL PAPER, THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION WILL USE THE SCHOOL AS A STRATEGIC STUDIES INSTITUTE, WHICH WILL TRAIN UP TO 100 UNDERGRADUATE AND POST-GRADUATE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO WORK IN EMBASSIES, FOREIGN MINISTRIES, THE UNITED NATIONS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. THE ORGANIZATIONS PROMOTES PEACE AND SUPERVISES THE DISMANTLEMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. THE SCHOOL WILL ENROLL STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, AND IS EXPECTED TO OPEN LATE 2011.

NEW FCC RULES ON OPEN INTERNET CALLED 'FAKE'

THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION APPROVED NEW RULES TUESDAY MEANT TO PROTECT AN OPEN INTERNET, BUT MANY OF THOSE WHO WERE PUSHING FOR THE RULES THAT PREVENT TELECOM AND NETWORK COMPANIES FROM BEING ABLE TO BLOCK, SLOW OR PRIORITIZE DIFFERENT KINDS OF TRAFFIC ONLINE SAY THEY ARE DISAPPOINTED. TOM JOSEPH REPORTS…

FCC RULES

STAY SAFE IN YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING

LOOKING TO GIVE TO A GOOD CAUSE OVER THE HOLIDAYS? A STATE WEBSITE IS HELPING PENNSYLVANIANS AVOID CHARITY SCAMS. ROSEANN CADAU HAS MORE…

CHARITY

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA POLICE SAY A THIRD HOMICIDE IS THE WORK OF A SERIAL STRANGLER AND ARE PLEADING WITH RESIDENTS NOT TO BECOME VIGILANTES AS THE SEARCH CONTINUES FOR THE KILLER. AUTHORITIES YESTERDAY SAID THAT DNA LINKS THE DEATH OF 27-YEAR-OLD CASEY MAHONEY TO THE SLAYINGS OF TWO WOMEN FOUND BEATEN, RAPED AND STRANGLED IN THE CITY'S KENSINGTON SECTION.

EASTON, PA. (AP) - AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH BEATING HIS INFANT DAUGHTER TO DEATH IN THEIR EASTON HOME. JOSEPH URQUIA WAS ARRAIGNED ON A CRIMINAL HOMICIDE CHARGE YESTERDAY, THE SAME DAY THAT 11-WEEK-OLD JOSELYNN WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL-CEDAR CREST. SHE HAD BEEN TAKEN THERE TWO DAYS EARLIER WITH SEVERE HEAD INJURIES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - DEPARTING REPUBLICAN-TURNED-DEMOCRATIC SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER SAYS CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS WHO BACKED TEA PARTY CHALLENGERS AGAINST ESTABLISHMENT CANDIDATES IN THE RECENT ELECTIONS ENGAGED IN POLITICAL CANNIBALISM. IN HIS FINAL FLOOR SPEECH YESTERDAY, SPECTER COMPLAINED THERE'S SCANT ROOM FOR CENTRISTS LIKE HIMSELF IN A POLARIZED SENATE.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A COLORADO MATH TEACHER WHO TACKLED A GUNMAN AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WHERE HE WORKS IS BEING HONORED FOR HIS HEROISM WITH A CARNEGIE MEDAL. DAVID BENKE WAS ONE OF 21 PEOPLE AWARDED A MEDAL BY THE CARNEGIE HERO FUND COMMISSION. THE PITTSBURGH-BASED CARNEGIE HERO FUND WAS STARTED IN 1904 BY STEEL BARON ANDREW CARNEGIE.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA FULFILLS A MAJOR CAMPAIGN PLEDGE TODAY WHEN HE SIGNS THE REPEAL OF THE MILITARY BAN ON OPENLY GAY MEMBERS. SO MANY GAY RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC ACTIVISTS ARE EXPECTED THAT THE WHITE HOUSE BOOKED A LARGE AUDITORIUM AT THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT. THE PENTAGON MUST STILL DEVELOP RULES AND CERTIFY IT WON'T DAMAGE COMBAT READINESS. THE PROCESS COULD TAKE MONTHS.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THE FOCUS IS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TODAY WHERE A MONSTER STORM IS EXPECTED TO BRING TORRENTIAL RAIN, THUNDERSTORMS, FLOODING, HAIL AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES AND WATER SPOUTS. FORECASTERS WARN OF POSSIBLE RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO 1 INCH AN HOUR AND THUNDERSTORM RATES OF 2 INCHES AN HOUR IN THE REGION. MOST PARTS OF THE STATE HAVE SUFFERED DAYS OF DOWNPOURS.

LONDON (AP) - DAYS OF TRAVEL CHAOS DUE TO WINTRY WEATHER IN EUROPE APPEAR TO BE WINDING DOWN TODAY. AIRPORTS AND RAIL TERMINALS IN MAJOR EUROPEAN TRANSPORT HUBS SAY MANY SERVICES ARE RUNNING, BUT THERE ARE STILL LIKELY TO BE CANCELATIONS AND DELAYS. LONDON'S HEATHROW AIRPORT SAYS DOZENS OF FLIGHTS WILL DEPART AND GERMANY'S FRANKFURT AIRPORT IS GETTING BACK TO NORMAL.

WASHINGTON (AP) - TIME IS NOT ON THEIR SIDE, BUT SENATORS FROM NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ARE HOPING FOR A SUCCESSFUL TEST VOTE ON A BILL THAT WOULD AID PEOPLE SICKENED BY TOXINS AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. SIXTY VOTES ARE NEEDED TO CUT OFF DEBATE. THEY'RE ALSO CALLING ON THE HOUSE TO REMAIN IN SESSION.

BAGHDAD (AP) - THERE ARE RENEWED THREATS OF ATTACKS AGAINST CHRISTIANS IN IRAQ TODAY FROM AL-QAIDA'S FRONT GROUP THERE. THE ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ IS DEMANDING THE RELEASE OF TWO WOMEN IT CLAIMS EGYPT'S COPTIC CHURCH IS HOLDING CAPTIVE FOR CONVERTING TO ISLAM. THE CHURCH DENIES THE ALLEGATIONS.