LOCAL NEWS: MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

FREE HEALTH FAIR FOR CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS

THOSE SUFFERING WITH CHRONIC PAIN MAY FIND NEW SOURCES OF RELIEF THANKS TO THE INTERVENTIONAL PAIN DEPARTMENT AT GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER-DANVILLE. THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE HOSTING A FREE HEALTH FAIR PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON CHRONIC PAIN THURSDAY, APRIL 14TH FROM 5 TO 7PM. THE EVENT WILL OFFER MATERIAL ON A VARIETY OF TREATMENTS, SUPPORT GROUPS, DEVICES AND ALSO STAFF AND A GUIDED TOUR OF THE PAIN MANAGEMENT FACILITY. BEGINNING AT 6:00 WILL BE A PANEL OF STAFF AND PATIENT REPRESENTATIVES TO PROVIDE SUFFERERS WITH FEEDBACK. ANYONE INTERESTED IS WELCOME TO JOIN OR FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT GEISINGER.ORG/PAIN.

STATE POLICE ISSUE CITATIONS FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL

PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS WEEK THE CITATION OF NEARLY 800 COMMERCIAL VEHICLES TRANSPORTING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS DURING A ONE-DAY ENFORCEMENT EFFORT. THE INITIATIVE KNOWN AS COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFE TRANSPORTATION OF PLACARDED SUBSTANCES, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS S.T.O.P.S, ENSURES TRUCKS CARRYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ARE SAFE AND DO NOT PRESENT A DANGER TO OTHER MOTORIST ON PENNSYLVANIA HIGHWAYS. IN ADDITION TO THE 790 CITED TRUCKS, ANOTHER 174 OF THE 1600 STOPPED WERE PUT OUT OF SERVICE.

ASHLAND MAN CITED FOR DUI

AN ASHLAND MAN WILL BE CHARGED WITH DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE AFTER A CRASH ON INTERSTATE 81 SATURDAY NIGHT. POLICE REPORT 46-YEAR-OLD JOHN DUBOSKY WAS PARKED ALONG THE NORTHBOUND BERM OF THE ROAD WHEN A PARK RANGER FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES ACTIVATED HIS EMERGENCY LIGHTS AND PULLED BEHIND HIM TO CHECK ON THE VEHICLE. THAT’S WHEN DUBOSKY DROVE OFF THE BERM AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. DUBOSKY WAS NOT INJURED BUT WAS TAKEN TO STATE POLICE BARRACKS FOR A BREATH TEST WHICH REVEALED A BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.185 PERCENT. CHARGES WILL BE FILED WITH MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT JUDGE ELIZABETH ROMING, FRACKVILLE.

PINE MAN GROVE FLIPS VEHICLE ON STATE ROUTE 78

A PINE GROVE MAN WAS INJURED SATURDAY MORNING AFTER A CRASH ON STATE ROUTE 78. POLICE REPORT 29-YEAR-OLD JEREMY SHECHTMAN EXITED AT THE OFF-RAMP OF EXIT 40 AND ONTO THE ON-RAMP, TRAVELING THROUGH THE STOP SIGN AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. SHECHTMAN LOST CONTROL AND HIT AN EMBANKMENT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO FLIP ONTO THE ROOF. HAMBURG AMBULANCE TRANSPORTED SHECHTMAN TO LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL.

INFO WANTED ON STOLEN CAMPAIGN SIGNS

POLICE IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY ARE REMINDING PEOPLE THAT ANYONE REMOVING ANY CAMPAIGN SIGN CAN BE CHARGED WITH THEFT. THAT AFTER NUMEROUS ELECTION SIGNS WERE STOLEN AND DUMPED OFF ALONG ROUTE 61 AT ADAMSDALE ROAD IN NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON WHO STOLE THE SIGNS OR ANYONE WHO MAY BE MISSING AN ELECTION SING SHOULD CALL THE STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN. (WGRC)

PA SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM PUT TO THE TEST

SCHOOL VOUCHERS ARE A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE IN THE STATE CAPITOL AND NOW A NEW REPORT IS TURNING ATTENTION TO A PROGRAM IT SAYS ALREADY DIVERTS PLENTY OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS. TOM JOSEPH HAS MORE:

VOUCHERS

STATE NEWS:

CHESTER, PA. (AP) - THE SHOOTINGS AT A TEENAGE PARTY THAT KILLED TWO PEOPLE AND INJURED EIGHT OTHERS HAVE RESIDENTS OF CHESTER IN SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA CITY ONCE AGAIN DECRYING THE RECURRING VIOLENCE THAT PROMPTED THE MAYOR TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY LAST SUMMER. TWO OF THE VICTIMS DIED SATURDAY, OFFICIALS SAY THREE PEOPLE REMAIN HOSPITALIZED.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE IN PHILADELPHIA SAY TWO MEN SITTING INSIDE A CAR IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PART OF THE CITY WERE SHOT, KILLING ONE AND CRITICALLY INJURING THE OTHER. DETECTIVES SAID THE VICTIMS WERE SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT SATURDAY IN THE KINGSESSING SECTION.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY RESEARCHER WHO HAS BEEN A VOCAL CRITIC OF GAS DRILLING SAYS HE IS LEAVING HIS POST BECAUSE THE UNIVERSITY DOESN'T WANT HIM SPEAKING PUBLICLY ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. CONRAD "DAN" VOLZ TELLS THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW THAT HE WAS NOT FIRED AND HAS NOT BEEN UNDER PRESSURE TO RESIGN.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - A MINI-PARTRIDGE FAMILY REUNION WAS HELD SATURDAY IN ATLANTIC CITY WHEN DAVID CASSIDY AND DANNY BONADUCE PLAYED ON A SONG ONSTAGE TOGETHER. THEY SAY IT WAS ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN 40 YEARS THEY'VE DONE SO. BONADUCE IS A PHILADELPHIA DISC JOCKEY AND PLAYED CASSIDY'S YOUNGER BROTHER ON THE '70S TV HIT.

NATIONAL NEWS:

SENDAI, JAPAN (AP) - A MAGNITUDE-7.1 AFTERSHOCK HAS RATTLED JAPAN ON THE ONE-MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEADLY QUAKE AND TSUNAMI. A WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR A 3-FOOT TSUNAMI. IT'S THE SAME WARNING THAT CAME AFTER ANOTHER 7.1 AFTERSHOCK THAT SHOOK THE NORTHEAST COAST LAST WEEK. THERE WAS NO TSUNAMI AFTER THAT QUAKE.

MAPLETON, IOWA (AP) - IT WILL TAKE MONTHS TO REBUILD THE IOWA TOWN OF MAPLETON, HEAVILY DAMAGED BY A WEEKEND TORNADO. ABOUT 100 HOMES WERE DESTROYED, AND HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN DISPLACED. MORE STORMS MOVED ACROSS THE NATION'S MIDSECTION YESTERDAY EVENING AND EARLY THIS MORNING, WITH SEVERAL HOMES DAMAGED IN WISCONSIN AMID REPORTS OF POSSIBLE TORNADOES.

BEIRUT (AP) - WITNESSES SAY THE SYRIAN ARMY HAS ENTERED A PORT CITY THAT WAS THE SCENE OF A DEADLY SHOOTOUT. HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS SAY SYRIAN SECURITY FORCES AND PRO-GOVERNMENT GUNMEN KILLED FOUR PROTESTERS THERE YESTERDAY AS HUNDREDS GATHERED FOR AN ANTI-GOVERNMENT RALLY. STATE TV REPORTED THAT NINE SOLDIERS WERE KILLED IN AN AMBUSH NEAR THE CITY.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - THE COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE U.S. AND PAKISTAN IS AT A LOW POINT, AS PAKISTAN'S SPY CHIEF BEGINS A VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES. HE'S EXPECTED TO MEET WITH THE HEAD OF THE CIA. THE U.S. SEES ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH PAKISTAN AS A KEY PART OF THE EFFORT TO BRING STABILITY TO AFGHANISTAN. BUT PAKISTAN'S INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WAS ANGERED BY THE FATAL SHOOTINGS OF TWO PAKISTANIS IN JANUARY BY AN AMERICAN CIA CONTRACTOR.

HONG KONG (AP) - STOCKS OVERSEAS ARE FALLING TODAY, AMID CONTINUED WORRIES ABOUT SOARING OIL PRICES AND JAPAN'S STRUGGLE TO RECOVERY FROM THE EARTHQUAKE. OIL PRICES HAVE BEEN HOVERING AT 30-MONTH HIGHS ABOVE $112 A BARREL.