TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011

COP TRIAL UPDATE…

CURRENT SHENANDOAH POLICE CHIEF, JOSEPH HALL, STATED HAYES, PIEKARSKY & NESTOR TOOK VACATIONS TOGETHER. HALL ALSO TESTIFIED THAT MOYER WAS VIEWED BY THE COMMUNITY AS AN HONEST, FAIR MAN. DIANE BACHMAN, AN INVESTIGATION OPERATIONS AGENT FOR THE FBI, TESTIFIED TO PHONE RECORDS SHOWING CALLS MADE BETWEN THE BOYS, PARENTS & OFFICERS ON JULY 12th & 13th 2008.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY TESTIFIES IN COP TRIAL

LENGTHY TESTIMONY CONTINUED WEDNESDAY IN THE TRIAL OF THREE LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS...WPPA'S BRITTANY HAS MORE:

COP TRIAL

MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY

THE 2010 MAKE A DIFFERENCE AWARD RECEPTION WAS HELD AT SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER EAST NORWEGIAN ON WEDNESDAY. RECIPIENTS RECEIVED CERTIFICATES OF COMMENDATION AND SPECIAL RECOGNITION. IN ADDITION THE ABOVE AND BEYOND CERTIFICATE WAS PRESENTED TO A RECIPIENT FOR GROUP EXCELLENCE. THE MAKE A DIFFERENCE TROPHY WAS ALSO PRESENTED AS WELL AS OTHER DRAWING PRIZES. A VARIETY OF PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED THIS YEAR INCLUDING A CHINESE AUCTION, A DOG WALK, AND EVEN A FOOD FIGHT CHALLENGE. THERE WERE 114 REGISTERED PROJECTS FOR 2010 THAT HELPED OUT OVER TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE AND COUNTLESS ANIMALS.

FIRE AT RUBBERMAID COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS

FIREFIGHERS WERE CALLED TO RUBBERMAID COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS IN POTTSVILLE AT 6:35AM WEDNESDAY FOR AN ACCIDENTAL FIRE. WHEN THEY ARRIVED ON SCENE ALL EMPLOYEES WERE ALREADY EVACUATED AND THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM HAD THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL. WITHIN JUST 15 MINUTES THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT. FIRE CHIEF, TODD MARCH SAID THE MIDDLE WAREHOUSE CONTAINED HEAVY SMOKE WHICH TOOK TWO HOURS TO REMOVE. WORKERS WERE ABLE TO LEAVE, BUT HAD TO RETURN FOR WORK AT 11AM.

AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ACT

A NEW ANALYSIS HAS BEEN RELEASED SHOWING THAT WITHOUT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, UP TO 5.5 MILLION NON-ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF PENNSYLVANIA WHO HAVE A PRE-EXISTING HEALTH CONDITION, MAY BE AT RISK OF LOSING HEALTH INSURANCE. PRE-EXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS MAY INCLUDE HEART DISEASE, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, ARTHRITIS, AND CANCER. UNDER THE ACT TO BE ENACTED BY 2014, AMERICANS LIVING WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS CAN EASILY GET HEALTH COVERAGE, BUT REPEALING THIS LAW WOULD LEAVE MILLIONS WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER COVERAGE WILL BE THERE WHEN THEY NEED IT.

GOODMAN WELCOMES CORBETT

STATE REPRESENTATIVE NEAL GOODMAN OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CONGRATULATED GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT FOR BEING SWORN IN WEDNESDAY. GOODMAN SAID DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES, HE LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH CORBETT TO ADVANCE THE COMMONWEALTH. GOODMAN ADDED THAT LAWMAKERS AND THE GOVERNOR MUST MAKE SURE PENNSYLAVIA'S SCHOOLS REMAIN A TOP PRIORITY AND HEALTH CARE REMAINS AVAILABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE. GOODMAN ALSO IS CONCERNED ABOUT BALANCING THE BUDGET.

HORSE DIES IN BUGGY ACCIDENT

A HORSE IS DEAD AFTER A NON-MOTORIZED AMISH BUGGY FAILED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND WAS STRUCK BY A LOG TRUCK. THE CRASH OCCURRED WESTBOUND ON STATE ROUTE 25 IN MIFFLIN TOWNSHIP, DAUPHIN COUNTY. THE IMPACT CAUSED THE BUGGY TO FLIP ON ITS SIDE. MINOR DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THAT BUGGY AND THE LONG TRUCK THAT WAS CARRYING APPROX. 73,000 POUNDS OF LOGS. NO PEOPLE WERE INJURED.

TWO CORRECTIONS OFFICERS FIRED

THE COUNTY PRISON BOARD VOTED TO FIRE TWO CORRECTIONS OFFICERS AT THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON WEDNESDAY. 30-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW FARRONE OF GIRARDVILLE AND 41-YEAR-OLD JEFFREY HARNER OF HEGINS ALLEGEDLY ABUSED INMATES. BOTH MEN HAD BEEN SUSPENDED WITH PAY SINCE LAST MONTH, BUT ANOTHER PERSON WILL BE SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY FOR TWO WEEKS IN CONNECTION WITH THE INCIDENT.

PRERELEASE CENTER WILL USE LOCAL UNION WORKERS

ON WEDNESDAY THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS VOTED TO IMPLEMENT A PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT FOR A PROPOSED PRERELEASE CENTER IN RYAN TOWNSHIP. THE AGREEMENT MANDATES LOCAL UNION LABOR BE USED FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE CENTER. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THE COUNTY'S UNION CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ARE CURRENTLY OUT OF WORK.

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - AN ABORTION CLINIC DOCTOR IN PHILADELPHIA HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH EIGHT MURDER COUNTS IN THE DEATHS OF A WOMAN AND SEVEN BABIES PROSECUTORS SAY WERE BORN ALIVE BEFORE THEY WERE THEN KILLED WITH SCISSORS. PROSECUTORS ALSO SAY STATE REGULATORS REPEATEDLY IGNORED COMPLAINTS ABOUT DR. KERMIT GOSNELL'S CLINIC.

YORK, PA. (AP) - CLOSING ARGUMENTS COULD COME TODAY IN THE MURDER TRIAL OF A YORK MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING A MAN WHO WAS GOING TO TESTIFY AGAINST HIM IN A DRUG CASE. THE YORK DAILY RECORD REPORTS HERALD MORALES TOOK THE STAND IN HIS OWN DEFENSE YESTERDAY, TELLING JURORS HE WAS INNOCENT OF THE KILLING. PROSECUTORS ARE SEEKING THE DEATH PENALTY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - AFTER A DAY SPENT CLEARING OUT DEBRIS, INVESTIGATORS ARE NOW TRYING TO PINPOINT THE CAUSE OF TUESDAY NIGHT'S GAS EXPLOSION THAT KILLED A UTILITY WORKER IN NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA AND INJURED SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE. AT LEAST ONE OF THE INJURED REMAINS HOSPITALIZED IN CRITICAL BUT STABLE CONDITION.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - FEDERAL SAFETY OFFICIALS HAVE FINED HORSEHEAD CORPORATION $45,000 FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS LINKED TO LAST JULY'S EXPLOSION THAT KILLED TWO WORKERS AT A BEAVER COUNTY ZINC PLANT. THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW REPORTS THE COMPANY IS REVIEWING THE SAFETY CITATIONS.

NATIONAL NEWS:

TUCSON, ARIZ. (AP) - LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER SURVIVING A BULLET THROUGH THE BRAIN, ARIZONA REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS NEXT STEP IS REHAB. THE QUICK TRANSITION IS BASED ON THE LATEST RESEARCH, WHICH SHOWS THE SOONER REHAB STARTS, THE BETTER PATIENTS RECOVER. GIFFORDS' FAMILY HOPES TO MOVE GIFFORDS TO A HOSPITAL IN HOUSTON AS SOON AS SHE IS ABLE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED HOUSE PLANS TO VOTE TODAY TO DIRECT FOUR COMMITTEES TO COME UP WITH ALTERNATIVES TO THE HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL MEMBERS VOTED TO REPEAL. REPUBLICANS WANT TO END THE MANDATE TO PURCHASE INSURANCE AND INSTALL TORT REFORM LIMITING MALPRACTICE AWARDS. SENATE APPROVAL WILL BE REQUIRED AND IS CONSIDERED UNLIKELY, AS IT IS WITH THE REPEAL.

GENEVA (AP) - THE MAN WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE HANDED DETAILS OF RICH TAX CHEATS TO WIKILEAKS IS ONCE AGAIN IN POLICE CUSTODY IN SWITZERLAND. RUDOLF ELMER WAS CONVICTED BY A ZURICH COURT YESTERDAY IN AN EARLIER CASE OF COERCION AND BREAKING SWITZERLAND'S STRICT BANK SECRECY LAWS. THE FORMER JULIUS BAER BANKER SAYS HE IS TRYING TO EXPOSE A WIDESPREAD SYSTEM OF TAX EVASION BY RICH BUSINESSPEOPLE AND POLITICIANS.

CHICAGO (AP) - A SENTENCING HEARING IS TO BEGIN TODAY FOR A DECORATED CHICAGO POLICE LIEUTENANT CONVICTED OF LYING ABOUT THE VIOLENT MEANS HE AND HIS MEN USED TO GET CONFESSIONS. PROSECUTORS SAY JON BURGE'S PERJURY AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE CONVICTIONS ADD UP TO 30-PLUS YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON. DEFENSE ATTORNEYS ARE ARGUING FOR LESS THAN TWO YEARS. BURG'S NAME HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH POLICE BRUTALITY IN CHICAGO.

WASHINGTON (AP) - FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA IS SCHEDULED TO JOIN WAL-MART EXECUTIVES TODAY TO ANNOUNCE THE RETAILER'S PLANS TO REFORMULATE THOUSANDS OF PRODUCTS TO MAKE THEM HEALTHIER. THE COMPANY PLANS TO REDUCE SODIUM AND SUGARS IN SOME ITEMS, BUILD STORES IN POOR AREAS THAT DON'T ALREADY HAVE GROCERY STORES AND REDUCE PRICES ON PRODUCE.