TODAY'S NEWS: SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2011

LOCAL NEWS

WATER BOIL ADVISORY IN PINE GROVE

SOME CUSTOMERS OF THE PINE GROVE WATER AUTHORITY ARE UNDER A BOIL ADVISORY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. A LEAK WAS REPAIRED BETWEEN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, PROMPTING THE NOTICE TO WATER CUSTOMERS ON MAPLE AND CARBON STREETS, LOCUST AND MILL STREETS AS WELL AS FILBERT AND MOYER STREETS. THE ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

GOODMAN GIVES FUNDS TO CRIME STOPPERS

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS PROGRAM BEEN GIVEN A FINANCIAL SHOT IN THE ARM, BY THE COUNTY’S TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. DISTRICT ATTORNEY JIM GOODMAN ANNOUNCED THE $10-THOUSAND-DOLLAR DONATION FRIDAY. THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, BUT HAS STRUGGLED RECENTLY FROM LACK OF FUNDING. THE MONIES WILL HELP CRIME STOPPERS WITH REWARDS FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE APPREHENSION OF CRIMINALS IN THE COUNTY. TO CALL IN A TIP TO CRIMESTOPPERS, CALL 877-847-7472.

FINANCIAL AID FORMS

IT’S A NEW YEAR, AND FOR COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS, ITS TIME TO FILE FEDERAL STUDENT AID FORMS. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY LEGISLATORS SAY THAT THE FAFSA FEDERAL STUDENT AID FORMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE. A REMINDER…THERE WILL NO LONGER BE PAPER FORMS AVAILABLE. THE FIRST STEP, LOG ON TO PIN-DOT-ED-GOV, TO GET A PIN NUMBER. THAT SERVES AS AN ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE. THE FAFSA FORM IS NECESSARY TO APPLY FOR ALL FORMS OF STUDENT AID, SO PARENTS AND STUDENTS HAVE TO GATHER ALL OF THEIR FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND GET CRACKING.

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR FRAUD
　
A SHENANDOAH WOMAN IS CHARGED AFTER A SPENDING SPREE. STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE SAY 23 YEAR OLD TINA WEIDENHAMMER CAME INTO POSSESSION OF CREDIT CARDS LAST AUGUST BELONGING TO A MAHANOY CITY COUPLE. SHE USED THE STOLEN CARDS TO PURCHASE AROUND $1500 IN MERCHANDISE AT SEVEN NEARBY BUSINESSESS. WEIDENHAMMER WAS ARRAIGNED YESTERDAY BEFORE MAGESTERIAL DISTRICT JUDGE ANTHONY KILKER ON CHARGES OF FORGERY, ACCESS DEVICE FRAUD, IDENTITY THEFT, AND RETAIL THEFT AND RELEASED ON 25 THOUSAND DOLLARS BAIL.

STATE NEWS

PENNSYLVANIA'S AGRICULTURAL GET TOGETHER STARTS TODAY

THE 95TH ANNUAL PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOW KICKS OFF TODAY IN HARRISBURG. AS CHUCK GILL REPORTS THERE WILL BE NO SHORTAGE TO PENNSYLVANIA'S SHOWCASE OF AGRICULTURE.

GILL

PENNSYLVANIA'S NEW GOVENOR FACES BUDGET WOES ALREADY

PENNSYLVANIA FACES A $4.5 BILLION DEFICIT AS A NEW GOVERNOR AND LAWMAKERS GET READY TO CRAFT THE 2011 STATE BUDGET. THE DEMACRATIC STATE SENATOR WHO HEADS UP THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE SAYS SLASHING PROGRAMS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET COULD CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES. DON ROONEY HAS MORE:

ROONEY

EBENSBUERG, Pa. (AP) - A former death row inmate has been arrested and Pennsylvania's parole board says it is looking into alleged parole violations. Ernie Simmons was convicted and
sentenced to death for beating and choking 80-year-old Anna Knaze in her Johnstown home in 1992. The conviction was overturned by an appeals court. Details of the alleged violations have not been released.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A federal appeals court is throwing out a lawsuit against former members of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board over their rejection of a Donald Trump company's effort to obtain a Philadelphia casino license. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that members of the gambling oversight board are entitled to absolute, quasi-judicial immunity.

EASTON, Pa. (AP) - A prison in eastern Pennsylvania remains locked down after the discovery of a handgun in the prisoner intake area. Officials at Northampton County Prison say the gun was found behind a filing cabinet Wednesday morning. Prison Director Robert Meyers says officials don't know who the gun belongs to or how it got there.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - "App" is the American Dialect Society's 2010 "Word of the Year." The vote came during the national conference of the Linguistic Society of America, which is being held in Pittsburgh. "App" - the shortened slang term for a computer or smart phone application - was picked as the word that best took the pulse of the nation in 2010.

NATIONAL NEWS

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says the economy is trending positive. The president used his weekly radio and Internet address today to press for bipartisan action in the newly divided Congress on measures to spur growth. He presented the December jobs report in a positive light even though it fell short of what economists had been looking for.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans say they want to replace President Barack Obama's health care plan with "a new vision to improve our health care system without bankrupting our country." In the weekly GOP radio and Internet address new House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia spotlighted money-saving steps being taken by the new GOP House majority. The health care repeal is seen as having little chance of succeeding.

NAJAF, Iraq (AP) - An anti-American cleric just returned to Iraq from self-imposed exile says the new Iraqi government should be given a chance to get American forces out of the country in a "suitable" way. Muqtada al-Sadr, now a formidable political force as well as head of a powerful militia, told thousands of followers today that "we reject America."

WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates is headed to China for a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, a week ahead of the Chinese leader's state visit to Washington. Gates hopes to continue the work of strengthening slowly improving relations with the Pacific military power. He'll also meet with senior Chinese military leaders.

PHOENIX (AP) - Authorities say they'll resume a search this morning for one man still missing after test-driving a Jeep in the Salt River bottom in southwest Phoenix. The bodies of two other men were found last night and they're investigating the deaths as homicides. The search was suspended overnight.