TODAY'S NEWS: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2011

TEEN HITS HOME

A HAMBURG TEEN WAS FLOWN TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL SUNDAY NIGHT AFTER HITTING A HOME WITH A VEHICLE. THE CRASH HAPPENED JUST BEFORE 10:00 IN THE VILLAGE OF EDENBURG, BERKS COUNTY. THE VEHICLE, REGISTERED TO DALE STERN OF HAMBURG, HIT TWO TREES AND A SIGN BEFORE STRIKING THE HOME.

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR LINE MOUNTAIN STUDENT

A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL WAS HELD SUNDAY NIGHT FOR A LINE MOUNTAIN STUDENT WHO WAS FOUND DEAD WEDNESDAY MORNING IN HER TREVORTON HOME. THE NEWS ITEM REPORTS, APPROXIMATELY 200 PEOPLE GATHERED TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF 17-YEAR-OLD BRITNEY TONGEL WHO WAS A VICTIM OF BULLYING. TO HELP WITH FUNERAL EXPENSES, A DONATION CONTAINER WAS PASSED AROUND AND T-SHIRTS WERE SOLD.

POLICE & CRIMESTOPPERS SEEK INFORMATION

AFTER AN ATTEMPTED ABDUCTION, TAMAQUA POLICE AND SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CRIMSTOPPERS ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR HELP. POLICE REPORT A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL WAS APPROACHED IN THE FIVE POINTS INTERSECTION BY A WHITE MAN DRIVING A DARK COLORED JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE MAN CALLED GIRL TO THE CAR AND GRABBED HER BY THE ARM, BUT SHE WAS ABLE TO BREAK FREE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST AFTER 8:00 ON SUNDAY FEBRUARY 13TH. CRIME STOPPERS ARE OFFERING $1,000 FOR ANY INFORMATION LEADING TO THE MAN INVOLVED. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CRIMESTOPPERS OR THE TAMAQUA POLICE.

VOLUNTEER FOR DAY OF CARING

THE UNITED WAY IS ASKING VOLUNTEERS TO STEP UP TO PROMOTE THE VALUE OF BEING A VOLUNTEER AND RECOGNIZE SERVICE AGENCIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE ANNUAL DAY OF CARING WILL BE HELD APRIL 15TH & 16TH THIS YEAR, AND VOLUNTEERS CAN SIGN UP FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT JOBS THAT BEST SUITES THEIR INTERESTS. THE EVENT IS SET UP FOR VOLUNTEERS TO WORK TOGETHER TO COMPLETE PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND AREA SERVICE AGENCIES. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS OVER 150 VOLUNTEERS AND 20 COMPLETED PROJECTS DURING DAY OF CARING 2010. THOSE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING CAN CONTACT THE SCHUYLKILL UNITED WAY THE DEADLINE TO SIGN UP IS MARCH 25TH.

KEEPING PA HIGHLANDS A KEY STOPOVER FOR SWANS

SOME PENNSYLVANIA FARM FIELDS PROVIDE A MUCH NEEDED STOPOVER FOR THOUSANDS OF BIRD FLYING THOUSANDS OF MILES AS THEY GET FROM VIRGINA AND NORTH CAROLINA TO NORTHERN ALASKA AND CANADA. TOM JOSEPH:

STOPOVER


STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A FORMER CHURCH OFFICIAL HAS BEEN PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE OVER ACCUSATIONS HE ENDANGERED CHILDREN BY PUTTING PEDOPHILE PRIESTS INTO POSTS WHERE THEY HAD CONTACT WITH YOUNGSTERS. MONSIGNOR WILLIAM LYNN HAD BEEN A TOP ARCHDIOCESE OFFICIAL FROM 1992 TO 2004. HIS ATTORNEY SAYS LYNN DOESN'T CONCEDE THAT HE KNEW HE WAS PUTTING CHILDREN AT RISK.

WEST LAWN, PA. (AP) - BERKS COUNTY AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED A SUSPECT IN A HAMMER ATTACK THAT KILLED AN ELDERLY WOMAN AND LEFT HER HUSBAND WITH HEAD WOUNDS. PROSECUTORS SAY MANUEL CARRERO FACES MURDER AND ASSAULT CHARGES. THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE ATTACK REMAINS UNCLEAR.

STRABANE, PA. (AP) - A TWO-CAR CRASH NEAR CANONSBURG HAS KILLED TWO PITTSBURGH MEN. STATE POLICE SAY THE MEN WERE IN A SEDAN THAT WAS HIT BY AN SUV ON ROUTE 79 YESTERDAY. THE SEDAN ROLLED, THROWING NICKOLAS MERCOLINI AND ALEX MERCOLINI JR. FROM THE CAR. TWO WOMEN IN THE CAR WERE ALSO HOSPITALIZED.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND FOR THE "THON" -THE ANNUAL PENN STATE IFC/PANHELLENIC DANCE MARATHON RAISED A RECORD $9.56 MILLION DOLLARS OVER ITS 46 HOURS. THE CENTRE DAILY TIMES REPORTS ROUGHLY 700 DANCERS TANGOED AND TWISTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND TO RAISE MONEY FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER PATIENTS AT PENN STATE HERSHEY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.

NATIONAL NEWS:

MADISON, WIS. (AP) - THE HEAD OF WISCONSIN'S POWERFUL TEACHERS' UNION IS CALLING ON EDUCATORS TO RETURN TO CLASSROOMS RATHER THAN CONTINUE BEING ABSENT TO PROTEST AN ANTI-UNION BILL AT THE STATE CAPITOL. OPPONENTS OF THE MEASURE ARE EXPECTED TO RALLY IN MADISON FOR A SEVENTH DAY TODAY.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - RESIDENTS OF MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN WHO DON'T HAVE PRESIDENTS DAY OFF ARE EXPECTED TO FACE A DISMAL COMMUTE, THANKS TO A WINTER STORM THAT'S COATED ROADS WITH ICE AND SNOW. THE STORM THAT BLEW THROUGH THE UPPER MIDWEST LED AIRLINES TO CANCEL HUNDREDS OF FLIGHTS.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - POLICE SAY A SUICIDE BOMBER BLEW HIMSELF UP AT THE ENTRANCE TO A GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN, KILLING AT LEAST 28 PEOPLE. THE BUILDING HOUSES THE DISTRICT POLICE AND A GOVERNMENT OFFICE THAT DISTRIBUTES OFFICIAL IDENTIFICATION PAPERS.

BAGHDAD (AP) - IRAQI POLICE AND HOSPITAL OFFICIALS SAY A SUICIDE ATTACKER HAS DETONATED A CAR BOMB AT A POLICE STATION IN THE NORTHERN CITY OF SAMARRA, KILLING 10 OFFICERS. AT LEAST 19 PEOPLE WERE WOUNDED.

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA (AP) - A POLICE OFFICER IN SOMALIA SAYS A SUICIDE BOMBER DETONATED A CAR BOMB AT A POLICE STATION IN THE CAPITAL MOGADISHU, KILLING AT LEAST EIGHT PEOPLE. THE APPARENT TARGET WAS A TRAINING STATION FOR GOVERNMENT TROOPS.