TODAY'S NEWS: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2011

COUNTY KICKS OFF BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY IS CELEBRATING 200 YEARS THIS YEAR. BICENTENNIAL DAY IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN WITH FESTIVITIES TUESDAY MORNING AT 9:00 WITH THE NATIONAL FLAG PROJECT BEGINNING AT 10:00. THE PROJECT WILL DISPLAY FIVE LARGE FLAGS ON THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURTHOUSE STEPS, AND ALSO A PARADE DOWN LAUREL BOULEVARD. VOLUNTEERS AND SPECTATORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COME OUT AND ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES. MORE EVENTS ARE PLANNED TO TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT 2011 INCLUDING THE DEDICATION OF THE COURTHOUSE PARK SPACE, A FIREWORKS CELEBRATION AND THE BICENTENNIAL BALL.

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY FOR NATIONAL CHILDREN’S STUDY

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY IS ONE OF 105 COUNTIES CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN A NATIONAL STUDY EXAMINING THE ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT. THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S STUDY IS THE LARGEST CHILD HEALTH STUDY EVER UNDERTAKEN IN THE UNITED STATES. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THE STUDY IS SEEKING TO INCLUDE MORE THAN 100,000 CHILDREN ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, FOLLOWING THEM FROM BEFORE BIRTH UNTIL AGE 21. THE GOAL OF THE STUDY IS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN AND CONTRIBUTE TO UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE VARIOUS FACTORS HAVE ON HEALTH AND DISEASE.

BOY ALLEGEDLY THREATENED TO KILL KIDS AT SKATE PARK

A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY HAS BEEN ARRESTED AFTER THREATENING TO KILL PEOPLE WITH A KNIFE AND BOW AND ARROW SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT A SHAMOKIN SKATE PARK. POLICE HAVE NOT YET RELEASED THE BOYS NAME, BUT THE NEWS ITEM REPORTS THE BOY WAS FIGHTING WITH A GIRL AND WAS PUNCHED IN THE FACE. THAT’S WHEN THE BOY WENT HOME AND RETURNED WITH A KNIFE THREATENING TO KILL EVERYONE. THE BOY EVENTUALLY LEFT, BUT RETURNED A SECOND TIME WITH A BOW AND ARROW. POLICE WERE CALLED AND TOOK THE 13-YEAR-OLD BOY INTO CUSTODY AND ARE INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT AT THIS TIME.

TOO MANY PA KIDS TOO HUNGRY TO LEARN

THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS IN THE STATE ARE RINGING THE ALARM BELL BECAUSE THEY FEEL TOO MANY KIDS ARE JUST TOO HUNGRY TO LEARN. TOM JOSEPH HAS MORE:

HUNGRY2LEARN

STATE NEWS:

COLLEGEVILLE, PA. (AP) - THERE'S A TENTATIVE CONTRACT DEAL FOR PERKIOMEN VALLEY TEACHERS. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ANNOUNCED THE PACT ON ITS WEBSITE OVERNIGHT, AVERTING A THREATENED STRIKE BY TEACHERS. THE LAST CONTRACT HAD EXPIRED IN AUGUST. THE NEW AGREEMENT NEEDS RATIFICATION BY TEACHERS AND THE SCHOOL BOARD.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA'S CHESTNUT HILL COLLEGE,A PRIVATE CATHOLIC SCHOOL, HAS SACKED A PART-TIME PROFESSOR AFTER HE BLOGGED ONLINE THAT HE IS GAY. THE REVEREND JAMES ST. GEORGE HAD BEEN TEACHING BIBLE STUDIES AND OTHER COURSES AT THE SCHOOL SINCE 2009. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REPORTS HE WAS FIRED AFTER BLOGGING ABOUT HIS INVOLVEMENT IN A GAME RELATIONSHIP FOR 15 YEARS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - TWO MEMBERS OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S CABINET ARE VISITING PHILADELPHIA TODAY. EDUCATION SECRETARY ARNE (AHR'-NEE) DUNCAN AND LABOR SECRETARY HILDA SOLIS (SOH-LEES') WILL TOUR A JOB-TRAINING CENTER FOR NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS -- FOLLOWING IT UP WITH A TOWN-HALL-STYLE FORUM AT PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

NATIONAL NEWS:

LOS ANGELES (AP) - "THE KING'S SPEECH" REIGNS SUPREME AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS. THE DOCUDRAMA ABOUT KING GEORGE VI AND HIS PERSONAL STRUGGLE TO OVERCOME HIS STAMMER HAS WON BEST PICTURE, BEST ACTOR FOR COLIN FIRTH, AND BEST DIRECTOR AND ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY. NATALIE PORTMAN WON BEST ACTRESS FOR "BLACK SWAN."

NEW YORK (AP) - A SURVEY OF ECONOMISTS PREDICTS CONTINUED ISSUES WITH HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT BUT AN ECONOMY GROWING AT A FASTER PACE. THE LATEST PERIODIC SURVEY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR BUSINESS ECONOMICS EXPECTS THE ECONOMY TO GROW 3.3 PERCENT THIS YEAR. THAT'S UP FROM NOVEMBER'S PREDICTION OF 2.6 PERCENT GROWTH. FOR 2012, THE PANEL EXPECTS THE ECONOMY TO GROW 3.4 PERCENT FROM 2011.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA MEETS WITH THE NATION'S GOVERNORS TODAY AND HE'S HOPING TO GET SOME GOOD ECONOMIC RECOVERY IDEAS. AT A DINNER YESTERDAY, OBAMA URGED COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND STATEHOUSES, WHERE REPUBLICANS MADE GAINS AND HAVE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF INFLUENCE IN LEGISLATURES SINCE BEFORE THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

MADISON, WIS. (AP) - ORGANIZERS VOW PRO-UNION PROTESTERS WILL BE BACK IN FULL FORCE TODAY AT THE WISCONSIN STATEHOUSE. POLICE YESTERDAY BACKED AWAY FROM THREATS TO CLOSE THE BUILDING AND ALLOWED PROTESTERS TO CONTINUE A DEMONSTRATION THAT BEGAN TWO WEEKS AGO TO FIGHT LEGISLATION AIMED AT WEAKENING UNIONS.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) - IT'S TIME TO GO OUTSIDE FOR ASTRONAUTS ABOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, BUT THEY WON'T BE PLAYING. TWO OF SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY'S VISITING CREW WILL FLOAT OUTSIDE LATE THIS MORNING AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON MOVING A BROKEN AMMONIA PUMP TO A BETTER LOCATION, INSTALLING AN EXTENSION CABLE AND DOING OTHER CHORES.

SAO PAULO (AP) - BRAZILIAN POLICE SAY A FREAK ACCIDENT DURING A LARGE PRE-CARNIVAL PARADE HAS KILLED 17 PEOPLE. THEY WERE ELECTROCUTED WHEN FIREWORKS LIT BY PARTYGOERS CAUSED A POWER LINE TO FALL ON A TIGHTLY PACKED CROWD DANCING BEHIND A LARGE SOUND TRUCK NORTH OF RIO.