TODAY'S NEWS: FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2011

TRAVELING RAILROAD

ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST CORPORATIONS, MADE EVEN MORE FAMOUS BY THE GAME OF MONOPOLY, IS THE READING RAILROAD. JASMINE BROOKS HAS THE DETAILS ON HOW YOU CAN CHECK OUT ITS TRAVELING MODULAR DISPLAY.

RAILROAD

THE READING COMPANY TECHNICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS ACCEPTING DONATIONS AT THE MALL DISPLAY. THEY ALSO HAVE VARIOUS ITEMS FOR SALE; THOSE PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THEIR MUSEUM LOCATED IN HAMBURG WHICH FEATURES OVER 80 PIECES OF FULL SIZED TRAIN EQUIPMENT. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT READINGRAILROAD.ORG

SHENANDOAH ROAD UPGRADE YEARS AWAY

PENNDOT AND LOCAL OFFICIALS MET THURSDAY IN SHENANDOAH TO DISCUSS NEEDED ROAD REPAIRS. TEMPORARY FIXES HAVE BEEN MADE THROUGHOUT THE BOROUGH TO REPAIR POTHOLES, BUT WINTER WEATHER AND MAINTENANCE CAUSE WEAR AND THE HOLES REOPEN. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS SHENANDOAH BOROUGH MANAGER, JOSEPH PALUBINSKY, WROTE TO THE PENNDOT OFFICE IN ALLENTOWN REQUESTING THE MEETING TO DISCUSS A MAJOR ROAD PROJECT. THE PROJECT WOULD REQUIRE TIME AND MONEY, BUT MICHAEL REBERT, ENGINEERING EXECUTIVE FROM PENNDOT SAID WITHIN A MONTH AND A HALF TALKS COULD BEGIN FOR A PROJECT START IN THREE YEARS.

PENNDOT TO OFFER MOTORCYCLE SAFETY SEMINARS

PENNDOT IS OFFERING TWO MOTORCYCLE SAFETY SEMINARS THIS WEEKEND AT THE STURGIS ROAD SHOW IN HARRISBURG. RIDERS AND ENTHUSIASTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE SATURDAY APRIL 16TH AND SUNDAY APRIL 17TH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LIVE FREE RIDE ALIVE CAMPAIGN AND PENNSYLVANIA MOTOR SAFETY PROGRAM. BOTH PRESENTATIONS WILL BE OFFERED EACH DAY AND AFTERWARD RIDERS CAN ENROLL IN A FREE MOTORCYCLE SAFETY PROGRAM OFFERED AT 70 LOCATIONS FROM MARCH THROUGH OCTOBER. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ENROLL IN SEMINARS AND PROGRAMS LOG ON TO PAMSP.COM

FREE TAX RETURN ASSISTANCE

TODAY IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO RECEIVE FREE ASSISTANCE IN PREPARING YOUR TAX RETURNS. WITH MONDAY'S TAX DEADLINE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, SCHUYLKILL COMMUNITY ACTION WILL HOLD ITS FINAL TAX PREPARATION HOURS FOR THE SEASON FROM 9AM TO NOON TODAY IN THE TERRY REILEY CENTER, 12TH STREET. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS SCA HAS BEEN RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS SINCE 2003 TO HELP LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY IDENTIFY WHICH TAX CREDITS THEY QUALIFY FOR.

STATE NEWS:

STROUDSBURG, PA. (AP) - AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA JURY HAS CONVICTED A FORMER U.N.WEAPONS INSPECTOR NABBED IN AN ONLINE SEX STING ON ALL BUT ONE COUNT. PROSECUTORS SAY SCOTT RITTER EXCHANGED EXPLICIT MESSAGES WITH A DETECTIVE POSING AS AN UNDERAGE GIRL AND MASTURBATED EVEN AFTER THE UNDERCOVER OFFICER STRESSED DURING THE CHAT THAT HE WAS A MINOR.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - CITGO DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY $177 MILLION IN CLEANUP COSTS FROM A MASSIVE 2004 OIL TANKER SPILL INTO THE DELAWARE RIVER. A U.S. JUDGE RULED THIS WEEK THAT CITGO ISN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPILL, CAUSED WHEN THE SINGLE-HULL TANKER STRUCK A RUSTY ANCHOR IN THE RIVER'S BOTTOM.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A JUDGE WILL NOT STOP THE ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT FROM USING MONEY THAT IN THE PAST HAD HELPED PAY FOR PENNSYLVANIA'S SHUTTERED HEALTH-CARE PLAN FOR LOW-INCOME ADULTS. COMMONWEALTH COURT SENIOR JUDGE JAMES KELLEY HAS DENIED A MOTION TO ORDER THE STATE TREASURER TO HOLD ONTO
PENNSYLVANIA'S ANNUAL DEPOSIT OF MONEY FROM A 1998 SETTLEMENT WITH MAJOR CIGARETTE MANUFACTURERS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE CONTINUED TO DROP IN MARCH FOR A THIRD STRAIGHT MONTH AND IS NOW AT ITS LOWEST LEVEL IN TWO YEARS, ALTHOUGH A SEPARATE SURVEY OF EMPLOYERS SHOWED THAT PAYROLLS DIPPED SLIGHTLY. THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY SAID THURSDAY THAT THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN MARCH WAS 7.8 PERCENT, A DROP OF 0.2 PERCENT. NATIONALLY, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 8.8 PERCENT IN MARCH.

NATIONAL NEWS:

TOKYO (AP) - THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT IS ORDERING TOKYO ELECTRIC POWER TO PAY $12,000 TO EACH HOUSEHOLD FORCED TO EVACUATE BECAUSE OF RADIATION LEAKING FROM THE COMPANY'S TSUNAMI-DAMAGED NUCLEAR PLANT. ROUGHLY 48,000 HOUSEHOLDS WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR WHAT'S BEING DESCRIBED AS AN INITIAL ROUND OF COMPENSATION. BUT SOME OF THE DISPLACED COMPLAIN THE PAYMENTS ARE NOT ENOUGH TO COVER THEIR LOSSES AND EXTRA EXPENSES.

TRIPOLI, LIBYA (AP) - MOAMMAR GADHAFI'S DAUGHTER IS SENDING NATO A DEFIANT MESSAGE. SPEAKING ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF A U.S. BOMBING THAT LEFT HER FATHER'S COMPOUND BADLY DAMAGED, AISHA AL-GADHAFI TOLD A CHEERING CROWD THAT LIBYA WAS NOT DEFEATED BY
AIRSTRIKES THEN AND WON'T BE DEFEATED NOW. PUMPING HER FIST IN THE AIR, SHE DIRECTED A MESSAGE DIRECTLY TO NATO, SAYING: "LEAVE OUR SKIES WITH YOUR BOMBS."

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE WORLD'S MAJOR ECONOMIES ARE PLEDGING TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR NEW GOVERNMENTS LIKE THOSE TAKING POWER IN EGYPT AND TUNISIA. AN OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL SAYS THE TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA COULD UNLOCK ECONOMIC PROSPERITY IN THE REGION LIKE THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL DID IN EASTERN EUROPE MORE THAN TWO DECADES AGO.

WASHINGTON (AP) - SOME SCIENTISTS SAY THE BEST SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FALLING ASLEEP DURING OVERNIGHT SHIFTS IS TO LET THEM DO IT MORE. CURRENT REGULATIONS FORBID CONTROLLERS FROM SLEEPING AT WORK. BUT SLEEP STUDIES SHOW NIGHTTIME WORKERS WHO ARE ALLOWED "RECUPERATIVE BREAKS" SUCH AS A NAP ARE MORE ALERT WHEN THEY RETURN TO THEIR JOBS.

TUSHKA, OKLA. (AP) - AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE ARE DEAD AND DOZENS MORE INJURED AFTER A LARGE TORNADO CUT THROUGH A TINY TOWN IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA LAST NIGHT. THE TWISTER HAS LEFT THE TOWN OF TUSHKA (TUHSH'-KUH) WITHOUT A PUBLIC SCHOOL AND FORCED MANY TO SEEK SHELTER WITH FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. ONE WOMAN WHO FOUND SHELTER IN A STORM CELLAR SAYS THE TORNADO "FELT LIKE A BOMB" WHEN IT HIT.