TODAY'S NEWS: MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2011

DA HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JAMES P. GOODMAN HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE FRIDAY AT THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURTHOUSE. WPPA'S JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

GOODMAN


FRACKVILLE MAN STABBED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FROM HONDURAS WAS CHARGED WITH TRYING TO STAB A FRACVILLE MAN IN THE STOMACH WITH A BOX CUTTER FRIDAY. 24-YEAR-OLD OSCAR ROBERTO FLORES-LAINES OF WEST MAHANOY TOWNSHIP WAS CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS EACH OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND SIMPLE ASSAULT AND ONE COUNT EACH OF POSSESSION OF PROHIBITED OFFENSIVE WEAPONS, RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT AND HARASSMENT. BAILS WAS SET AT $55,000 STRAIGHT CASH. FLORES-LAINES WILL BE TRIED FOR HIS CRIMES IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY AND SERVE OUT HIS SENTENCE BEFORE HE IS TURNED OVER TO U.S IMMIGRATIONS AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT.


SHENANDOAH MAN CHARGED IN YOUTH RAPES

A SHENANDOAH MAN WAS CHARGED FRIDAY AFTER A THREE MONTH INVESTIGATION BY THE STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE. THRITY-SIX YEAR OLD JONATHAN MICHAEL BINNS WAS ARRAIGNED FRIDAY AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF RAPE AND OTHER RELATED CHARGES AFTER HAVING SEXUAL CONTACT WITH TWO PRETEEN FEMALES. THIS INVESTIGATION STEMMED FROM ANOTHER CONDUCTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE COMPUTER CRIMES UNIT WHEN INFORMATION WAS DISCOVERED DURING A SEARCH. BINNS REMAINS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON IN LIEU OF $100,000 BAIL.

PA WOMEN BATTLE A CANCER THAT CAN SLIP UNDER THE RADAR

IT'S A CANCER THAT STRIKES HUNDREDS OF PENNSYLVANIA WOMEN EACH YEAR. CERVICAL CANCER CAN BE CURED IF CAUGHT EARLY, BUT IT'S A CANCER THAT MANY WOMEN TEND TO OVERLOOK. TOM JOSEPH HAS MORE:

CANCER


STATE NEWS:

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - THE STATE SUPREME COURT HAS DECIDED TO CONSIDER THE ROLE JUDGES PLAY IN DECIDING WHETHER A MINOR CAN HAVE AN ABORTION. THE (ALLENTOWN) MORNING CALL SAYS THE CASE INVOLVES A MINOR GIRL WHO ASKED AN ALLEGHENY COUNTY JUDGE FOR PERMISSION TO HAVE AN ABORTION AFTER SHE WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN CONSENT FROM ONE OF HER PARENTS.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - POLICE IN WILKES-BARRE ARE SEEKING A FORMER EMPLOYEE IN THE STABBING DEATH OF A CONTRACTOR AND THE WOUNDING OF HIS GIRLFRIEND, WHO USED TO BE MARRIED TO THE SUSPECT. POLICE SAY EVARISTO TLATENCHI WAS KILLED EARLY SATURDAY AND MARIA TAPIA WAS WOUNDED. PROSECUTORS SAY TAPIA HAS NAMED HER EX-HUSBAND, EVARISTO TAPIA, AS THE SUSPECT.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE U.S. EMBASSY IN CYPRUS SAYS THE FIRST FLIGHTS EVACUATING AMERICANS FROM EGYPT ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE THERE TODAY. THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS RELYING LARGELY ON FRIENDS AND FAMILIES IN THE U.S. TO RELAY INFORMATION ON EVACUATION FLIGHTS TO STRANDED AMERICANS. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE JANICE JACOBS SAYS THE U.S. IS LOOKING AT ATHENS, GREECE; ISTANBUL, TURKEY; AND NICOSIA, CYPRUS, AS DESTINATIONS.

CAIRO (AP) - SOLDIERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GROUPS ARMED WITH CLUBS AND MACHETES KEPT THE PEACE IN MANY EGYPTIAN DISTRICTS OVERNIGHT. TODAY, POLICE AND GARBAGE COLLECTORS ARE APPEARING ON THE STREETS OF CAIRO AND SUBWAY STATIONS ARE REOPENING. A LEADING MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD OFFICIAL SAYS THE FUNDAMENTALIST MOVEMENT WANTS TO FORM A COMMITTEE OF OPPOSITION GROUPS CALLING FOR THE OUSTER OF PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK.

CHICAGO (AP) - THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW IN THE NATION'S MIDSECTION COULD START IN SOME AREAS TODAY AND A MASSIVE STORM COULD BRING UP TO TWO FEET OF SNOW TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY. THE WEATHER SERVICE ISSUED A BLIZZARD WATCH FOR TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY FOR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN, NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA THAT INCLUDED THOSE CITIES.

MONTEGUT, LA. (AP) - THE ADMINISTRATOR OF BP'S $20 BILLION OIL SPILL COMPENSATION FUND SAYS CLAIMS SHOULD BE PAID TO AMERICAN INDIANS WHO MUST NOW GO TO THE STORE TO BUY WHAT THEY ONCE GOT FROM HUNTING OR FISHING. THERE ARE ABOUT 20,000 AMERICAN INDIANS IN COASTAL LOUISIANA.