LOCAL NEWS: THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011

FIRE LEAVES RYAN TOWNSHIP COUPLE HOMELESS

A FIRE WEDNESDAY MORNING IN RYAN TOWNSHIP LEFT TWO PEOPLE HOMELESS. THE BLAZE DESTROYED THE MOBILE HOME OF JOHN AND SALLY URBAN WHO WERE AWAKENED BY THE SMELL OF SMOKE. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THE COUPLE HAS LIVED IN THE HOME FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS AND DOES NOT HAVE INSURANCE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IS NOW HELPING THE URBANS WITH CLOTHING AND SHELTER.

DANCE INTO SPRING AT SWEET ARROW LAKE

IT'S TIME TO BANISH THE WINTER BLUES FOR GOOD BY GETTING YOUR GROOVE ON. WPPA'S JASMINE BROOKS HAS THE DETAILS ON HOW:

DANCE

FIREARMS RECOVERED FROM AUBURN MAN

AN AUBURN MAN REMAINS BEHIND BARS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON AFTER POLICE FOUND TWO LOADED GUNS, HE WAS NOT PERMITTED TO HAVE, DURING A TRAFFIC STOP. POLICE PULLED OVER 56-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL LUCAS WEDNESDAY MORNING AFTER HE WAS WEAVING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC ON STATE ROUTE 443. LUCAS CONFRONTED TROOPERS AND WAS THEN RESTRAINED BY THEIR TASER GUNS. A SEARCH WARRANT WAS OBTAINED FOR LUCAS’S RESIDENCE AFTER HE TOLD POLICE HE HAD MORE GUNS AT HOME. AN ADDITIONAL TWENTY LONG GUNS, TWO HANDGUNS AND AN ASSORTMENT OF AMMUNITION WERE RECOVERED. AMONG OTHER CHARGES, LUCAS FACES TWO COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND 24 COUNTS OF PERSONS NOT TO POSSESS A FIRE ARM. BAIL WAS SET AT $100,000 STRAIGHT CASH BAIL.

T102/WPPA-CAREER LINK JOB FAIR

IT WAS A SUCCESSFUL DAY AT THE T102/WPPA-CAREER LINK JOB FAIR, JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

JOB FAIR

TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY TO CONTROL STS

THE SCHUYLKILL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY WILL ASSUME COMPLETE CONTROL OF STS TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT. THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE TERMINATION OF THE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT WITH THE REDCO GROUP WEDNESDAY. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THERE WILL BE NO LAYOFFS OR CUTS DUE TO THE NEW MANAGEMENT ASSUMING CONTROL. THE AUTHORITY BOARD IS ALSO CONVERTING OVER THE UNION AGREEMENT, BENEFITS AND RETIREMENT PLANS FOR STS’ 58 EMPLOYEES.

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA HAS PLACED TWO RETIRED PRIESTS ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE, BRINGING TO 23 THE NUMBER OF PRIESTS SUSPENDED FOLLOWING A SCATHING GRAND JURY REPORT THAT ACCUSED CHURCH OFFICIALS OF PROTECTING PREDATOR PRIESTS. CARDINAL JUSTIN RIGALI PLACED THE UNIDENTIFIED PRIESTS ON LEAVE PENDING AN INVESTIGATION.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A PENNSYLVANIA BUS COMPANY INVOLVED IN A DEADLY NEW JERSEY CRASH HAS BEEN TAKEN OFF THE ROAD. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS ANNOUNCED THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN AWAY PERMISSION FOR SUPER LUXURY TOURS TO OPERATE. A BUS OPERATED BY THE WILKES-BARRE COMPANY CRASHED ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE ON MARCH 14TH.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - APPROVAL OF ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AND PUNISHMENT AIMED AT MARCELLUS SHALE DRILLING OPERATORS MUST NOW GO THROUGH TOP OFFICIALS IN GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT'S DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. THE AGENCY TELLS THE PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE THE CHANGE IS AIMED AT IMPROVING ITS CONSISTENCY IN HANDLING THE RAPIDLY GROWING INDUSTRY.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - SIX UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN PITTSBURGH ATTEMPTED TO MATCH WITS WITH IBM'S "JEOPARDY!"-PLAYING COMPUTER KNOWN AS WATSON YESTERDAY AND LOST BADLY IN A MOCK GAME SHOW. CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH HOSTED A SYMPOSIUM WEDNESDAY FEATURING A DISCUSSION OF THE CAPABILITIES OF WATSON.

NATIONAL NEWS:

BRUSSELS (AP) - THE U.S. LEAD ROLE IN AIR OPERATIONS OVER LIBYA HAS OFFICIALLY ENDED. NATO SAYS IT HAS TAKEN OVER ALL AIR OPERATIONS OVER LIBYA AS OF 2 A.M., EASTERN TIME. THE OPERATION - CODENAMED UNIFIED PROTECTOR - NOW INCLUDES ENFORCEMENT OF THE NO-FLY ZONE, MAINTAINING THE ARMS EMBARGO ON LIBYA, AND THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS FROM ATTACKS BY MOAMMAR GADHAFI'S MILITARY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A SENIOR U.S. INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL SAYS BATTLEFIELD SETBACKS ARE HARDENING THE U.S. VIEW THAT THE POORLY EQUIPPED LIBYAN OPPOSITION MAY NEED DECISIVE WESTERN INTERVENTION TO PREVAIL. THE WHITE HOUSE IS DEBATING WHETHER TO ARM THE REBELS, BUT SMALL TEAMS OF CIA OPERATIVES ARE IN LIBYA AND HELPED RESCUE A CREW MEMBER OF A U.S. FIGHTER JET THAT CRASHED.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A TEA PARTY RALLY IS SET FOR TODAY ON CAPITOL HILL TO URGE REPUBLICANS TO ACCEPT NO COMPROMISE ON CUTTING SPENDING FOR THE REST OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. SOME TEA-PARTY-BACKED GOP LAWMAKERS WANT THE ORIGINAL $100 BILLION IN PROPOSED CUTS. CONGRESSIONAL NEGOTIATORS ARE WORKING ON A ROUGHLY $33 BILLION PROPOSAL. THE HOUSE PASSED $60 BILLION IN CUTS LAST MONTH. THERE'S AN APRIL 8 DEADLINE.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A BILL EXPECTED TO CLEAR THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE IS INTENDED TO USE TAX LAW TO CURB ABORTIONS. THE MEASURE WOULD LIMIT TAX BREAKS FOR INSURANCE POLICIES THAT COVER THE PROCEDURE. SUPPORTERS SAY CURRENT LAW DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH IN ENSURING THAT NO TAX MONEY IS USED TO SUBSIDIZE ABORTIONS. THE BILL FACES STRONG OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE.

BRUSSELS (AP) - MICROSOFT IS TURNING UP THE HEAT ON GOOGLE BY FILING A COMPLAINT WITH EUROPEAN UNION COMPETITION REGULATORS. THE FILING ADDS TO AN EXISTING PROBE INTO WHETHER THE SEARCH ENGINE DISCRIMINATES AGAINST COMPETITORS. THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION IS INVESTIGATING HOW GOOGLE LISTS COMPETITORS IN ITS SEARCH RESULTS IN NOVEMBER, FOLLOWING COMPLAINTS FROM SEVERAL SMALLER WEB COMPANIES.