TODAY'S NEWS: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010

FREEZING MAY BE CAUSE OF TROOPER DEATH

POLICE SAY THE SUSPENDED STATE TROOPER, FOUND IN THE WEISER STATE FOREST ONE WEEK AGO, MOST LIKELY FROZE TO DEATH. 34-YEAR-OLD DAVID LYNCH WAS FOUND LAST WEDNESDAY WITH NO VISIBLE INJURIES. POLICE ARE WAITING FOR TOXICOLOGY REPORTS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE A FEW MONTHS, BUT MAY ALSO REVEAL MORE.

COAL TOWNSHIP WOMAN MISSING

A COAL TOWNSHIP WOMAN WAS REPORTED MISSING SUNDAY NIGHT WHEN SHE DIDN'T RETURN HOME FROM WORK. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF 43-YEAR-OLD DEBORAH DEMSHOCK MARKS THE THIRD MISSING PERSON INVESTIGATION IN THE AREA IN THE LAST TEN DAYS. POLICE REPORT, DEMSHOCK WAS LAST SEEN LEAVING GRANDVIEW HEALTH HOME IN DANVILLE WHERE SHE WORKS. A STATE POLICE HELICOPTER WAS USED MONDAY MORNING TO SEARCH FOR DEMSHOCK AND HER VEHICLE, BUT NEITHER WAS LOCATED. DEMSHOCK'S FAMILY IS OFFERING A $500 REWARD FOR ANY INFORMATION LEADING TO HER DISAPPEARANCE. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT COAL TOWNSHIP POLICE.

DUI CAUSE OF ROUTE 61 ACCIDENT

AN ACCIDENT ON ROUTE 61 RESULTED IN A DUI TUESDAY NIGHT. 58-YEAR-OLD JOHN MORRISON, OF ORWIGSBURG, WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND THROUGH NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP WHEN HE FAILED TO SLOW BEHIND A VEHICLE MAKING A RIGHT TURN. MORRISON'S PASSENGER SIDE STRUCK THE REAR OF THE TURNING TRUCK. WHILE NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED, STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL DETERMINED MORRISON’S BLOOD ALCOHOL WAS ABOVE THE LEGAL LIMIT AND CHARGES WILL BE FILED.

FREEDOM OF CHOICE BILL HAMPERS HEALTH CARE REFORM

THERE IS A DEBATE HAPPENING IN PENNSYLVANIA OVER WHAT CONSTITUTES REAL HEALTH CARE REFORM AND WHAT DOESN’T. TOM JOSEPH HAS MORE:

REFORM


STATE NEWS:

HUNLOCK CREEK, PA. (AP) -STATE POLICE SAY A MALE INTRUDER WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN AN APPARENT HOME INVASION IN LUZERNE COUNTY YESTERDAY. WITNESSES SAY THREE PEOPLE WEARING MASKS FORCED THEIR WAY INTO A HOME. IN THE GUNFIRE THAT FOLLOWED ONE OF THE ATTACKERS WAS KILLED AND A WOMAN IN THE HOME WAS INJURED IN THE ARM. THE OTHER TWO ATTACKERS FLED.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PURSUIT AND SHOOTOUT INVOLVING PHILADELPHIA POLICE HAS LEFT ONE SUSPECT DEAD AND ANOTHER CRITICALLY WOUNDED. POLICE SAY OFFICERS BEGAN FOLLOWING WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS A STOLEN VEHICLE INTO NORTH PHILADELPHIA WHEN THE SUSPECTS IN THE CAR FIRED AT POLICE, WITH OFFICERS THEN RETURNING FIRE. THE OFFICERS WERE NOT INJURED.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE DEATH OF A WOMAN WHO HAD GOTTEN A SILICONE INJECTION INTO HER BACKSIDE AT A HOTEL NEAR PHILADELPHIA'S AIRPORT. DETECTIVES SAY THE WOMAN AND THREE COMPANIONS HAD TRAVELED FROM LONDON TO HAVE BUTTOCKS ENLARGEMENT WORK DONE. POLICE ARE SEEKING TWO PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE COSMETIC PROCEDURE.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - TWO PEOPLE ARE SUING A UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH MEDICAL CENTER-AFFILIATED FIRM, SAYING IT VIOLATED THEIR RIGHTS TO FREE SPEECH BY FIRING THEM AFTER THEY FORWARDED AN E-MAIL COMPARING PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TO "TAR BALLS" FROM THE GULF OIL SPILL. A UPMC SPOKESWOMAN SAYS IT HAS A "ZERO-TOLERANCE" POLICY BARRING E-MAILS THAT COULD BE RACIALLY OFFENSIVE.

NATIONAL NEWS:

CAIRO (AP) - EGYPTIAN OPPOSITION GROUPS ARE INFURIATED OVER A VAGUE ULTIMATUM BY VICE PRESIDENT OMAR SULEIMAN. HE SAYS PROTESTERS HAVE TWO OPTIONS -- "DIALOGUE" OR "COUP." OPPOSITION LEADERS CALL THAT A DANGEROUS THREAT. SULEIMAN HAS REJECTED ANY DEPARTURE BY PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK. MEANWHILE, MASSIVE PROTESTS CONTINUE IN CAIRO.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE CIA'S ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS FOR OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THE AGENCY'S INTERROGATION PROGRAM IS FLAWED. THAT'S ACCORDING TO AN ASSOCIATED PRESS INVESTIGATION THAT FOUND SOME CIA OFFICERS WHO COMMITTED SERIOUS MISTAKES HAVE RECEIVED ONLY MINOR ADMONISHMENTS OR NO PUNISHMENT AT ALL. SOME EVEN MOVED UP THE LADDER.

BRUSSELS (AP) - GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS SAYS NATO IS NOW IN CONTROL OF SAFE HAVENS IN AFGHANISTAN "THAT MATTER TO THE TALIBAN." BUT THE TOP U.S. AND NATO COMMANDER IS WARNING THAT COMBAT WILL LIKELY ESCALATE DURING THE SPRING THAW AS TALIBAN INSURGENTS TRY TO RETURN TO AREAS CLEARED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FORCES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN BEN BERNANKE WILL MAKE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE BEFORE THE HOUSE SINCE REPUBLICANS TOOK CONTROL. AND THIS MORNING'S TESTIMONY BEFORE THE BUDGET COMMITTEE WILL LIKELY BE TOUGH. BERNANKE WILL BE GRILLED ABOUT THE FED'S $600 BILLION TREASURY BOND PURCHASE PROGRAM THAT MANY THINK COULD IGNITE INFLATION.

HONOLULU (AP) - RELATIVES OF THOSE WHO DIED WHEN THE SUBMARINE USS GREENEVILLE RAMMED INTO A JAPANESE FISHING VESSEL ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND A SERVICE REMEMBERING THE NINE MEN AND BOYS KILLED EXACTLY A DECADE AGO. THE CEREMONY WILL BE HELD TODAY AT THE EHIME MARU MEMORIAL AT A PARK NEAR DOWNTOWN HONOLULU OVERLOOKING THE PACIFIC.