TODAY'S NEWS: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2011

MATRIARCH OF WEIS FAMILY DIES

JANET C. WEIS, ONE OF THE MATRIARCHS OF THE FAMILY THAT BUILT WEIS MARKETS, AND THE PERSON FOR WHOM GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER'S JANET WEIS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IS NAMED, HAS DIED. SHE WAS 91-YEARS OLD. MRS. WEIS, THE WIDOW OF THE LATE WEIS MARKETS CHAIRMAN SIGFRIED WEIS, DIED MONDAY EVENING, ACCORDING TO A REPORT TUESDAY MORNING FROM A FAMILY SPOKESMAN. SIGFRIED AND JANET WERE ACTIVE PHILANTHROPISTS AND GAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION, MEDICINE AND THE ARTS. IN ADDITION TO THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, THE JANET C. WEIS AND SIGFRIED WEIS RESEARCH CENTER AT GEISINGER, AND THE WEIS CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS AT BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY ARE NAMESAKES. MRS. WEIS IS SURVIVED BY THREE DAUGHTERS AND SIX GRANDCHILDREN.

PRISON INVESTIGATION MAY BE NEARING END

THE INVESTIGATION OF THREE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON OFFICER MAY BE NEARING AN END, ACCORDING TO POTTSVILLE POLICE CHIEF JOESPH MURTON. THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN IN DECEMBER AFTER THREE OFFICERS WERE SUSPENDED AFTER AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION THAT MAY HAVE UNCOVERED ETHICS VIOLATIONS. THE SUSPECTS HAVE NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED DUE TO PENNSYLVANIA'S RIGHT O KNOW LAW.

REP. TOBASH SWORN INTO STATE HOUSE

STATE REPRESENTATIVE TOBASH COMMENTS TUESDAY AFTER BEING SWORN IN AS A NEW MEMBER OF THE HOUSE. MIKE DAVIES HAS MORE...

TOBASH

STATE NEWS:

UNDATED (AP) - OUTGOING DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
SECRETARY JOHN HANGER SAYS HE'S CONFIDENT THAT WASTEWATER DISCHARGED INTO RIVERS AND STREAMS BY NATURAL GAS DRILLERS HASN'T DEGRADED THE STATE'S DRINKING WATER. HE SAYS HE BELIEVES NEW REGULATIONS ARE ADEQUATE TO PROTECT WATER SUPPLIES.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SAYS RETIRED SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER WILL TEACH AT ITS LAW SCHOOL THIS FALL ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONGRESS AND THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. THE SCHOOL SAYS SPECTER'S COURSE WILL FOCUS ON THE SEPARATION OF POWERS AND THE SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION PROCESS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - IT WILL SOON COST MORE TO BUY THE MORNING NEWSPAPER IN PHILADELPHIA. THE SINGLE-COPY PRICES OF THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER AND THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS WILL BE INCREASING FROM 75 CENTS TO $1 AT THE END OF THE MONTH. HOME DELIVERY PRICES WILL REMAIN THE SAME.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE MAN WHO BECOMES SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE TODAY SAYS THE NEW REPUBLICAN MAJORITY THERE IS BRINGING IN "NEW ENERGY."
REPUBLICAN LEADERS WILL BE SETTING OUT QUICKLY TO VOTE ON A REPEAL OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL LAW. BUT THAT'S NOT EXPECTED TO GET ANYWHERE IN THE SENATE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - WHEN THE NEW SENATE IS SWORN IN TODAY, DEMOCRATS WILL BE SEVEN VOTES SHORT OF THE 60 THEY WOULD NEED TO CUT OFF FILIBUSTERS THAT ARE USED TO DELAY LEGISLATION. AND ONE GROUP OF DEMOCRATS IS EXPECTED TO PROPOSE CHANGES TODAY THAT WOULD MAKE IT HARDER FOR THE MAJORITY TO USE THOSE TACTICS. THE FILIBUSTER RULES WERE LAST CHANGED MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A CENTURY AGO. NO DECISION IS EXPECTED ON THE ISSUE FOR WEEKS.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S ENVOY FOR NORTH KOREA TODAY IS WORKING TO EASE FEARS OF WAR ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA. STEPHEN BOSWORTH SAYS THE U.S. AND SOUTH KOREA ARE WORKING ON WAYS TO DEAL WITH THE NORTH IN THE WAKE OF A DEADLY SHELLING OF A FRONT-LINE ISLAND.

NEWARK, DEL. (AP) - POLICE IN DELAWARE STILL DON'T KNOW WHERE JOHN WHEELER WAS KILLED. BUT THE BODY OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE CONSULTANT WAS DUMPED IN ONE OF THE 10 TRASH BINS COLLECTED ON NEW YEAR'S EVE IN THE COLLEGE TOWN OF NEWARK. AND WHOEVER DUMPED THE BODY APPARENTLY RISKED BEING DETECTED -- SINCE SOME OF THOSE CONTAINERS ARE IN WELL-LIT PARKING LOTS, NEAR RESTAURANTS, STORES AND SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS.

PHOENIX (AP) - SOME AMERICANS ARE A LOT RICHER TODAY THAN THEY WERE YESTERDAY. LOTTERY OFFICIALS SAY THE $355 MILLION MEGA MILLIONS JACKPOT FROM LAST NIGHT'S DRAWING WILL BE DIVIDED UP BETWEEN THE HOLDERS OF TWO TICKETS. ONE WAS SOLD IN IDAHO, AND THE OTHER IN WASHINGTON STATE.