TODAY'S NEWS: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2011

DA DECLARES CANDIDACY FOR JUDGE

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JAMES GOODMAN ANNOUNCED SATURDAY MORNING AT A&C CATERING HALL IN MAHANOY CITY THAT HE IS SEEKING A SEAT AS JUDGE. THE 43-YEAR-OLD GOODMAN, WHO WAS ELECTED DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN 2005, WILL SEEK THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS SPOT VACATED EARLIER THIS YEAR BY JUDGE D. MICHAEL STINE. GOODMAN IS THE FIRST TO DECLARE HIS CANDIDACY FOR JUDGE.

AUTOPSIES SCHEDULED

AUTOPSIES ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 8AM WEDNESDAY ON THE TWO MISSING PERSONS FOUND SATURDAY IN SEPARATE WOODED AREAS IN COAL TOWNSHIP. DEBORAH DEMSHOCK AND JUSTIN BOYLES’ CASES ARE UNRELATED, BUT BOTH WERE FOUND SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OUTSIDE COAL TOWNSHIP. POLICE PULLED THE BODY OF BOYLES OUT FROM A WOODED AREA BEHIND THE ANTHRA PLAZA. DEMSHOCK WAS FOUND IN HER SUV THAT ROLLED OVER A 50-FOOT EMBANKMENT ALONG ROUTE 901. FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ONCE THE AUTOPSIES ARE COMPLETED.

PROSECUTION PROPOSES VERDICT CHECKLIST FOR JURY

PROSECUTORS IN THE KIDS-FOR-CASH TRIAL FILED A PROPOSED ROAD MAP THAT WILL GUIDE JURORS WHILE DECIDING WHETHER MARK CIAVARELLA, A FORMER LUZERNE COUNTY JUDGE, IS GUILTY. CIAVARELLA FACES 39 COUNTS OF RACKETEERING, BRIBERY, MONEY LAUNDERING, EXTORTION AND OTHER RELATED CHARGES. IF FOUND GUILTY, THE 60-YEAR-OLD JUDGE FACES A SENTENCE OF DECADES IN PRISON. ACCORDING TO THE STANDARD SPEAKER, THE PROPOSED VERDICT SLIP WILL PROVIDE THE JURY WITH QUESTIONS AND A CHECK-LIST TO HELP DETERMINE WHETHER CIAVARELLA SHOULD BE CONVICTED ON EACH COUNT. THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS CAN CHALLENGE THIS, BUT THE JUDGE WILL MAKE THE FINAL DECISION.

PIPE 'IMPERFECTION' FOUND AFTER FATAL BLAST IN ALLENTOWN

(AP) - INVESTIGATORS LOOKING INTO THE CAUSE OF A GAS EXPLOSION THAT KILLED FIVE PEOPLE IN ALLENTOWN LAST WEEK ARE FOCUSING ON AN "IMPERFECTION" IN A PIPE NEAR THE BLAST SITE. WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S EXPLOSION FLATTENED A PAIR OF ROW HOUSES AND SET FIRE TO A BLOCK OF HOMES, KILLING FIVE PEOPLE - INCLUDING A 4-MONTH-OLD BOY AND A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL. ON SATURDAY, INVESTIGATORS TOLD THE MORNING CALL OF ALLENTOWN THEY WERE ZEROING IN ON AN ABNORMALITY IN A SECTION OF PIPE. FIRE CHIEF ROBERT SCHEIRER SAID WORKERS WERE TO DIG UP THE SECTION OF PIPE SUNDAY AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. THE PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION WILL THEN SEND THE PIPE TO A FORENSICS EXPERT. A SPOKESMAN FOR READING-BASED UGI UTILITIES INC., SAYS THE PUC IS RUNNING THE INSPECTION AND WILL REPORT TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD.

BATH SALTS

THE DANGEROUS OF THE OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUG KNOWN AS BATH SALTS WAS THE TOPIC AT THE MOUNT CARMEL SENIOR ACTION CENTER THURSDAY EVENING. LOCAL POLICE, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND FRIENDS AND FAMILY CONCERNED ABOUT THE HORRIFYING DRUG GATHERED AT THE MEETING FOR THE NEWLY FORMED "TAKE OUR COMMUNITY BACK" GROUP. THE ONGOING PROBLEM OF K2- OR SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA- IN THE COMMUNITY WAS ALSO DISCUSSED. THE NEWS ITEM REPORTS, THE ASSEMBLY WORKED ON A STRATEGY TO RID THE COMMUNITIES FROM THE MENACING DRUG. THE PLAN OF ATTACK IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE DANGERS AND BE PRO-ACTIVE IN BANISHING IT.

"BRUSHING UP" ON PREVENTING TOOTH DECAY FOR PA KIDS

SET ASIDE THAT VALENTINE CANDY FOR JUST A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBLE AFTER-EFFECTS. FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL CHILDREN'S HEALTH DENTAL MONTH, A GOOD TIME TO REINFORCE TO YOUR KIDS THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING CARE OF THEIR TEETH. TOM JOSEPH HAS MORE:

NATIONAL CHILDREN'S DENTAL MONTH

STATE NEWS:

LAKEVILLE, PA. (AP) - TWO PEOPLE ARE DEAD AFTER THEIR SNOWMOBILE HIT A TREE ON AN ISLAND IN A FROZEN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA LAKE. STATE POLICE TELL THE TIMES-TRIBUNE OF SCRANTON JOSEPH JONES AND JEANINE MAXSON, BOTH OF LAKE ARIEL, DIED IN THE CRASH WHICH HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER THE SNOWMOBILE HAD LEFT THE FROZEN LAKE SURFACE ONTO THE ISLAND.

NEW YORK (AP) - A PUBLIC DEFENDER FOR A MAN ACCUSED OF A DEADLY 28-HOUR STABBING RAMPAGE THROUGH NEW YORK DESCRIBES HIS CLIENT AS "CALM" AND "RATIONAL." MAKSIM GELMAN WAS ARRAIGNED LATE YESTERDAY. HE'S ACCUSED OF HACKING THREE PEOPLE TO DEATH, KILLING A PEDESTRIAN WITH A CAR AND ATTACKING SEVERAL OTHERS. AMONG THE WOUNDED WAS A PHILADELPHIA MAN, JOSEPH LOZITO.

LEWISTOWN, PA. (AP) - AS MIFFLIN COUNTY SCHOOLS MOVE TO MERGE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS, OFFICIALS SAY THE DISTRICT COULD FACE UP TO $7.3 MILLION IN FUNDING CUTS THAT COULD FORCE A SPEEDED-UP SERIES OF BUILDING CLOSURES. THEY ALSO TELL THE (LEWISTOWN) SENTINEL THE DISTRICT MAY FACE OTHER DIFFICULT DECISIONS SHOULD FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS HOLD UP.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - SOME FOUR DECADES AFTER THE HIT O'JAYS SONG, THE "LOVE TRAIN" REALLY WAS JUST THAT ON PHILADELPHIA'S MARKET-FRANKFORD LINE YESTERDAY. KRISY PLOURDE AND TOM GOLDEN EXCHANGED WEDDING VOWS ON A SPECIAL SUBWAY CAR FESTOONED WITH WHITE GARLANDS AND PACKED WITH FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.

NATIONAL NEWS:
LOS ANGELES (AP) - ARCADE FIRE HAS CAPTURED THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR AWARD AT THE GRAMMYS FOR THE "THE SUBURBS." THE GROUP BEAT OUT LADY ANTEBELLUM'S "NEED YOU NOW," KATY PERRY'S "TEENAGE DREAM," "THE FAME MONSTER" BY LADY GAGA AND EMINEM'S "RECOVERY" -- THE 2010 BEST SELLING ALBUM. BUT LADY A IS HARDLY GOING HOME EMPTY HANDED. THE BAND GRABBED FIVE GRAMMYS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - REPUBLICANS ARE CRITICIZING PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S $3 TRILLION-PLUS PROPOSED SPENDING PACKAGE FOR 2012 AS SPENDING TOO MUCH AND SAVING TOO LITTLE. OBAMA IS TO SUBMIT THE PLAN TO LAWMAKERS TODAY. HIS BUDGET DIRECTOR SAYS IT SHOWS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS WILLING TO MAKE TOUGH CHOICES. THE PLAN PROMISES $1.1 TRILLION IN DEFICIT REDUCTION OVER 10 YEARS.

UNDATED (AP) - AN ASSOCIATED PRESS REVIEW SHOWS ONLY A FEW DOZEN PROSECUTIONS PER YEAR FOR THREATS AGAINST FEDERAL OFFICIALS. THE REVIEW FOLLOWS LAST MONTH'S SHOOTINGS OF ARIZONA CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE GIFFORDS AND FEDERAL JUDGE JOHN ROLL IN TUCSON. A PRIVATE GROUP CITES HUNDREDS OF THREATS A YEAR BUT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYS SUSPECTS IN MANY CASES CAN'T BE IDENTIFIED.

WASHINGTON (AP) - YEMEN'S COUNTERTERRORISM UNIT IS GOING TO GET SOME U.S. HELP. IT'S THE FIRST TIME THE U.S. MILITARY HAS TRAINED YEMEN'S COUNTERTERRORISM UNIT, WHICH HAS TRADITIONALLY FOCUSED ON PROTECTING THE COUNTRY'S CAPITAL. THE NEW TRAINING AGREEMENT COMES AMID AN INCREASINGLY ALARMING THREAT FROM AL-QAIDA IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA.

SINGAPORE (AP) - THE INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION
EXPECTS ASIA TO LEAD AN INDUSTRY EXPANSION AND AIRLINE TRAVEL TO JUMP TO 3.3 BILLION PASSENGERS BY 2014. IATA SAYS CHINA IS EXPECTED TO BE THE FASTEST GROWING MARKET FOR INTERNATIONAL PASSENGERS, FOLLOWED BY UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, VIETNAM AND MALAYSIA.