TODAY'S NEWS: SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2011

SCHUYLKILL RIVER SOJOURN

A WET AND WILD EVENT IS COMING TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY TODAY. THE 13TH ANNUAL SCHUYLKILL RIVER SOJOURN IS A 112 MILE GUIDED CANOE OR KAYAK TRIP ON THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER. THE JOURNEY BEGINS IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN AND ENDS IN PHILADELPHIA. THIS WEEK-LONG SOJOURN INVITES PARTICIPANTS TO REGISTER FOR AS MANY DAYS AS THEY CAN, OR FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP.

GRANT TO IMPROVE POTTSVILLE’S SAFETY

STATE REPRESENTATIVES NEAL GOODMAN AND MIKE TOBASH ANNOUNCED THAT POTTSVILLE HAS RECEIVED A STATE GRANT WORTH NEARLY $15,000 FOR NEW TRAFFIC SIGNALS, POLES, AND CONTROLS TO HELP GUIDE PEDESTRIANS ACROSS THE CITY’S STREETS. GOODMAN SAYS THIS PROGRAM GENERATES REVENUE THAT HELPS MUNICIPALITIES LIKE POTTSVILLE IMPROVE SAFETY AND REDUCES CONGESTION. TOBASH CONGRATULATES POTTSVILLE FOR ATTAINING POSITIVE RESULTS BY PURSUING A GRANT THAT PROMOTES THE SAFETY OF ALL CITIZENS. THE MONEY FOR THE GRANT WAS GENERATED BY PHILADELPHIA’S RED LIGHT CAMERA ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM.

FREE MAP OF SCHUYLKILL RIVER TRAIL

IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL TRAIL DAY, THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER HERITAGE AREA HAS PRODUCED AN UPDATED, FULL-COLOR BROCHURE OF THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER TRAIL. THE MAP INCLUDES ALL TRAIL INFORMATION ON AMENITIES IN KEY TOWNS ALONG THE ROUTE. THE 2011 MAP WILL BE AVAILABLE AT NO COST BEGINNING TODAY FROM 9AM TO NOON. FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF WHERE TO PICK UP YOUR FREE MAP, LOG ON TO WPPA RADIO.COM

• SCHUYLKILL BANKS INFORMATION CENTER, PHILADELPHIA
• VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, BETZWOOD TRAILHEAD
• POTTSTOWN RIVERFRONT PARK TRAILHEAD, POTTSTOWN
• BRENTWOOD TRAILHEAD, READING
• KERNSVILLE DAM TRAILHEAD, HAMBURG (9:30AM-12:30PM)
• SCHUYLKILL RIVER HERITAGE AREA OFFICES, POTTSTOWN

STORM DAMAGE ASSISTANCE WORKSHOP FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY

RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY THAT WERE AFFECTED BY ANY OF THE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS FROM MAY 23 TO MAY 26 ARE INVITED TO ATTEND A WORKSHOP TO REPORT ANY DAMAGES. THE WORKSHOP IS BEING CONDUCTED JOINTLY BY SCHUYLKILL COUNTY AND THE PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (PEMA). IF ENOUGH ELIGIBLE DAMAGE IS REPORTED, THE VICTIMS OF THESE STORMS COULD POSSIBLY QUALIFY FOR LOW-INTEREST LOANS FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA). SCHUYLKILL COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE ASKING ANYONE AFFECTED TO GO TO BLUE MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA BETWEEN 3PM AND 7:30PM MONDAY, JUNE 6.

6TH ANNUAL HAWK MOUNTAIN ARTS TOUR AND SALE

MORE THAN TWO DOZEN ALBANY TOWNSHIP ARTISTS WILL OPEN THEIR DOORS FOR VISITORS TO DISCOVER A VARIETY OF WORK AT THE 6TH ANNUAL ARTS AND TOUR SALE GOING ON TODAY. HOSTED BY HAWK MOUNTAIN SANCTUARY, THE SALE WILL GO FROM 10AM UNTIL 4PM AND WILL FEATURE A 25 MILE RADIUS OF ART. THIS EVENT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET LOCAL ARTISTS. FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE YOU CAN FIND A PRINTABLE MAP VISIT WPPA RADIO.COM.

A PRINTABLE MAP IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD AT WWW.HAKMOUNTAIN.ORG AND A SIGN WILL MARK EACH LOCATION.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's regulators say they
believe companies drilling in the huge Marcellus Shale natural gas
formation have largely stopped taking salty, chemically tainted
wastewater to riverside treatment plants. Department of
Environmental Protection spokeswoman Katy Gresh says the agency's
staff has confirmed that the flow of millions of gallons of
wastewater has dwindled to possibly a handful of truck deliveries
in the past two weeks.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Allentown has agreed to pay $600,000 to
settle a federal lawsuit over the death of a 4-year-old boy who was
standing on a sidewalk when a police cruiser struck him. The
Allentown Morning Call reports court papers say the city will pay
the mother of Daviay (DAH'-vee-ay) Legrand, who died in May 2007.
Daviay died when two Allentown police cars collided downtown while
responding to a report of a man with a gun.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a suburban
Philadelphia man defrauded investors of more than $6 million in a
Ponzi scheme involving closeout and overstock merchandise. The U.S.
Attorney's Office in Philadelphia says Ira Pressman was charged
Friday with fraud and money laundering counts. Court documents
allege that solicited people to invest in the deals and promised
returns of up to 100 percent a year.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Philadelphia woman is suing Dunkin'
Donuts, saying a worker mistakenly put sugar in her coffee that
ultimately caused her to go into diabetic shock. Danielle Jordan
claims she downed the drink in July of 2009 and experienced
dizziness, light-headedness and ended up making an emergency trip
to the hospital.

ATLANTA (AP) - Officials say three of four U.S. residents
sickened by a European food poisoning outbreak have kidney failure.
It's a complication of E. coli that has become a hallmark of the
outbreak. One of the four fell ill while on a plane to the U.S. All
were in Germany in May. More than 1,800 people have fallen ill,
nearly all in Germany. The government says U.S. produce is safe.

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) - The deployment of British Apache attack
helicopters against Libyan government troops today is seen as a
significant boot to rebels. The Apaches, along with French attack
helicopters, hit Moammar Gadhafi's troops overnight near a key oil
city.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) - Police in Pakistan say 26 Islamist
militants have been killed in a troubled tribal region near the
Afghan border. Officials say militants invaded Pakistani security
forces from Afghanistan's Kunar province and opened fire on troops,
who suffered no casualties in the latest fighting.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A fast is being held today by supporters of
a hiker from suburban Philadelphia being held in Iran. They're
protesting the man's second straight birthday behind bars. Elkins
Park, Pa., resident Josh Fattal (fuh-TAHL') turns 29. He and
28-year-old Shane Bauer have been imprisoned in Tehran since July
2009 on espionage charges.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal officials say they've ordered a tour
bus company to stop trying to do business under other names. Sky
Express Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., had its operating authority
revoked this week after a fatal accident. The government says the
company was trying to sell tickets under the names 108 Tours and
108 Bus. The government has subpoenaed records of three
ticket-selling websites.