TODAY'S NEWS: MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011

FATAL CRASH

AN EARLY MORNING CRASH IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP SUNDAY CLAIMED THE LIFE OF A PINE GROVE TEEN AND INJURED FIVE OTHERS. POLICE RELEASED NAMES EARLY THIS MORNING OF 16-YEAR-OLD BRYNAN BELL AS THE DECEASED, AND 18-YEAR-OLD PASSENGER, PATRICK JOSEPH SUFFERING SEVERE INJURIES. THE SIX TEENS WERE TRAVELING WEST ON HICKORY ROAD WHEN THEIR 1997 FORD EXPLORER SPUN CROSSING BOTH LANES, FLIPPED AND CAME TO FINAL REST AFTER HITTING TWO TREES. THREE PASSENGERS WERE TRANSPORTED TO SCHUYLKILL MEDICAL CENTER AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FLOWN FROM THE SCENE; ONE TO HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER AND THE OTHER TO GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER. THE DRIVER OS THE VEHICLE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL, BUT THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE OTHER FOUR TEENS REMAINS UNKNOWN. STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN ARE CONTINUING THE INVESTIGATION OF THE CRASH AND CAUSE.

TAKE BACK DAY

THE U.S DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION HELD ITS’ FIRST NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK DAY ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2010. MORE THAN $40,000 WORTH OF UNUSED OR EXPIRED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS WERE TURNED IN AT A DROP-OFF SITE IN POTTSVILLE BEFORE BEING DESTROYED AT AN INCINERATOR IN OHIO. THE NATIONWIDE EVENT WILL BE HELD ONCE AGAIN HERE IN POTTSVILLE ON APRIL 30 FROM 10AM TO 2PM. THE LISTING FOR SITES IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY WILL BE POSTED AT THE DEA WEBSITE AT DEADIVERSION.USDOJ.GOV.

POLICE INVESTIGATE HIT & RUN

STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN ARE INVESTIGATING A HIT AND RUN THAT OCCURRED EARLY MONDAY MARCH 7TH. THE OWNER OF A JEEP WRANGLER, POSSIBLY BROWN OR GOLD IN COLOR, WAS TRAVELING WEST ON MILL CREEK ROAD IN NORWEGIAN TOWNSHIP WHEN IT STRUCK THE LEFT SIDE OF AND ILLEGALLY PARK CHEVY AVEO. THE DRIVER FLED THE SCENE TRAVELING WEST TOWARD ROUTE 61. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION REGARDING THIS INCIDENT IS ASKED TO CONTACT STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN.

MOTORCYCLE CRASH INJURES ONE

AN ALLENTOWN MAN WAS FLOWN TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER FOLLOWING A MOTORCYCLE CRASH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE CRASH HAPPENED AROUND 12:30 ON WEST ADAMSDALE ROAD IN NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP. POLICE SAY 57-YEAR-OLD STEVEN MARKOWITZ LOST CONTROL OF HIS MOTORCYCLE ON A CURVE. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MODERATE INJURIES. (WGRC)


SPRING CLEANING CAN RESULT IN HARMFUL WASTE

NOW THAT WE'VE SET OUR CLOCKS FORWARD AND SPRING ARRIVES IN JUST A FEW DAYS, MANY PENNSYLVANIANS WILL TACKLE THE ANNUAL RITUAL OF SPRING CLEANING. BUT NOT EVERYTHING IN YOUR CABINETS, GARAGE AND BASEMENT SHOULD END UP IN THE TRASH. TOM JOSEPH HAS MORE:

SPRING CLEANING


STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A PHILADELPHIA MAN ACCUSED OF POURING RUBBING ALCOHOL ON HIS FAMILY'S PUPPY AND SETTING IT ON FIRE IN FRONT OF HIS CHILDREN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO TWO TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON. JOHN FLEET HAS PLEADED NO CONTEST IN COMMON PLEAS COURT TO ANIMAL CRUELTY, CHILD ENDANGERMENT AND CORRUPTING A MINOR. HE TOLD JUDGE CHARLES CUNNINGHAM III THAT HE WAS UNDER STRESS AND "TOOK IT OUT ON THE DOG."

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE IN PHILADELPHIA SAY A MAN WAS CRITICALLY INJURED AFTER HE WAS SHOT BY AN OFFICER WHO AUTHORITIES SAY HAD BEEN THREATENED WITH A KNIFE. POLICE SAY AN OFFICER FOUND THE MAN HOLDING A BLADE TO HIS OWN THROAT. THEY SAY HE IGNORED AN ORDER TO DROP THE KNIFE AND CHARGED AFTER THE OFFICER TRIED TO SUBDUE HIM WITH A TASER, AND THE OFFICER THEN FIRED ONCE, STRIKING THE MAN IN THE CHEST.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ARE SEEKING A SUSPECT IN THE MURDER OF A MAN STABBED TO DEATH IN HIS PITTSBURGH-AREA HOME 6 1/2 YEARS AGO. THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD ANTHONY MORGAN OF PITTSBURGH WAS CHARGED LAST WEEK WITH CRIMINAL HOMICIDE IN THE SEPTEMBER 2004 DEATH OF DEON SAMUEL THOMAS IN MOUNT OLIVER, WHICH BORDERS PITTSBURGH.

JOSEPHINE, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SAY A MAN WANTED IN A ROBBERY-RELATED SLAYING IN OHIO EARLIER THIS MONTH HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. STATE POLICE IN INDIANA COUNTY TOLD THE INDIANA GAZETTE THAT 20-YEAR-OLD DONZELLE CROSBY OF LORAIN, OHIO, WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY FRIDAY NIGHT NEAR BLAIRSVILLE.

NATIONAL NEWS:

SOMA, JAPAN (AP) - THE U.S. SEVENTH FLEET SAYS IT'S MOVING ITS SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT AWAY FROM A QUAKE-DAMAGED JAPANESE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AFTER DISCOVERING LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION. THERE'S BEEN A SECOND HYDROGEN EXPLOSION AT THE PLANT, INJURING 11 WORKERS. AND ANOTHER UNIT HAS LOST ITS COOLING ABILITY.

TAKAJO, JAPAN (AP) - THE DEATH TOLL FROM FRIDAY'S MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI IN JAPAN IS NOW ABOUT 2,800, AFTER ANOTHER 1,000 BODIES WASHED UP ALONG THE MIYAGI COASTLINE. THE POLICE CHIEF SAYS HE EXPECTS THE NUMBER TO CLIMB TO MORE THAN 10,000 IN THAT PROVINCE ALONE.

TOKYO (AP) - JAPAN'S CENTRAL BANK IS TRYING STABILIZE THE QUAKE-DAMAGED COUNTRY'S ECONOMY. IT'S INJECTING A RECORD $184 BILLION INTO MONEY MARKETS. IT'S ALSO EXPANDING THE SIZE OF AN EXISTING PROGRAM TO BUY ASSETS, SUCH AS GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE BONDS. IT WILL KEEP THE KEY INTEREST RATE AT VIRTUALLY ZERO.

NEW YORK (AP) - PASSENGERS AND WITNESSES TO A DEADLY TOUR BUS CRASH IN NEW YORK ARE DISPUTING THE DRIVER'S ACCOUNT OF THE ACCIDENT. HE SAYS THE BUS WAS CLIPPED BY A TRACTOR-TRAILER, WHILE THEY SAY THE DRIVER WAS SWERVING AND THEY DIDN'T FEEL ANYTHING HIT THEM. FOURTEEN PEOPLE DIED IN THE CRASH.

NEW YORK (AP) - A NEW SURVEY SHOWS MORE AMERICANS ARE GETTING THEIR NEWS FROM THE INTERNET. NEWS CONSUMPTION ONLINE INCREASED 17 PERCENT LAST YEAR FROM THE YEAR BEFORE. IT ALSO SHOWS NEWSROOM STAFFS ARE, ON AVERAGE, 30 PERCENT SMALLER THAN THEY WERE IN 2000.