TODAY'S NEWS: TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2011

MAN HOSPITALIZED AFTER FIRE

FIRE TORE THROUGH A GARAGE AND DAMAGED A HOME IN CRESSONA YESTERDAY MORNING. THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY JAMES HAHN OF RIVER ST WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE BY FIRE OFFICIALS NEAR THE REAR OF THE HOME WITH FACIAL TRAUMA. STATE POLICE REPORT THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF BLOOD ON HAHN'S CHEST. HAHN WAS FLOWN TO LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL. FIRE OFFICIALS THERE SAY THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNDETERMINED YET AND THAT THE AREA IS BEING DESIGNATED AS A CRIME SCENE BY STATE POLICE UNTIL AN INVESTIGATION CAN LEAD TO A DETERMINATION OF HOW THE BLAZE STARTED AND HOW HAHN WAS INJURED.

TOWER CITY COUPLE ENDANGER TWO-YEAR-OLD CHILD

A TOWER CITY COUPLE FACE CHARGES AFTER THEIR TWO-YEAR-OLD SON WAS FOUND WALKING IN A GAS STATION PARKING LOT ALONE. POLICE SAY 23-YEAR-OLD JACOB CASSELL AND 22-YEAR-OLD VICTORIA MCMILLEN WERE ASLEEP WEDNESDAY WHEN THEIR TWO-YEAR-OLD SON WAS FOUND WALKING IN THE TOWER SALES GAS STATION PARKING LOT BAREFOOT AND IN HIS UNDERWEAR. THE CHILD WALKED INTO THE WESTBOUND LANE OF STATE ROUTE 209 BEFORE A CUSTOMER COULD GRAB HIM.

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY SEEKING FEDERAL HELP FOR STORM DAMAGE

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY AND THE PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY HOSTED A WORKSHOP MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR ALL COUNTY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS AFFECTED BY SEVERE WEATHER DURING THE END OF MAY. DOORS OPENED AT 3PM AND BY 4:30PM MORE THAN 20 PEOPLE WERE BEING ASSISTED. THE WORKSHOP ALLOWED PEOPLE TO REPORT ANY DAMAGES TO THEIR PROPERTIES AS PART OF THE COUNTY’S EFFORT TO QUALIFY FOR A SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DISASTER DECLARATION.

NEW PHILADELPHIA MAN SHOOTS CAT WITH CROSSBOW

A NEW PHILADELPHIA MAN ADMITS THAT HE SHOT HIS NEIGHBOR'S CAT WITH A CROSSBOW LAST SUMMER. PROSECUTORS SAY 37-YEAR-OLD PATRICK CANFIELD SHOT THE CAT ABOUT 10 MONTHS AGO. THE CAT HAS MADE A FULL RECOVERY, BUT HIS OWNERS WANT TO SEE JUSTICE UPHELD. THEY SAY HEARING CANFIELD ADMIT HIS GUILT WAS THE FIRST STEP. CANFIELD WILL FACE UP TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON AND A $5,000 FINE WHEN HE IS SENTENCED.

GUNS STOLEN FROM HAMBURG HOME

POLICE SAY GUNS WERE ONE OF THE ITEMS TAKEN FROM A HAMBURG COUPLE'S HOME MONDAY AFTERNOON. 64-YEAR-OLD DAVID SCHLEGEL AND HIS WIFE, 65-YEAR-OLD JANET SCHLEGEL, CALLED POLICE AFTER GUNS, JEWELRY AND A CELL PHONE WERE TAKEN OUT OF THEIR HOME ON WINDSOR CASTLE ROAD IN PERRY TOWNSHIP. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL HAMBURG POLICE AT 610-562-6885.

COURT ORDERS ANOTHER LOOK INTO IMMIGRATION ACT

THE SUPREME COURT ORDERED A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT TO TAKE A NEW LOOK AT A CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. THE HIGH COURT DISMISSED A RULING BY THE 3RD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS THAT PREVENTED THE CITY OF HAZLETON FROM ENFORCING REGULATIONS TO BUSINESS OWNERS WHO EMPLOY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND LANDLORDS WHO RENT TO THEM. THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION RELIEF ACT WHICH WAS DESIGNED BY CONGRESSMAN LOU BARLETTA WHILE HE WAS MAYOR OF HAZLETON HAS MET WITH SOME APPROVAL IN THE U-S RECENTLY, ARIZONA HAS APPROVED A SIMILAR ACT TO PENIALIZE EMPLOYERS OF ILLEGALS.BARLETTA SAYS THAT "HAZLETON HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR OTHER CITIES AND STATES TO ENACT SIMILAR LAWS AND THE PEOPLE OF HAZLETON WHO HAD TO ENDURE CRITICISM FROM THOSE WHO OPPOSED WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DIDN'T WANT TO DO THEIR JOB."


STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS STARTED ISSUING THOUSANDS OF LAYOFF NOTICES TO TEACHERS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES. BUT A JUDGE HAS ORDERED THE DISTRICT TO RESCIND SOME OF THEM. THE DISTRICT SAID YESTERDAY 3,024 NOTICES WERE BEING ISSUED, INCLUDING 1,523 TO TEACHERS, IN ORDER TO HELP CLOSE A $629 MILLION BUDGET GAP.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT SAYS HE DIDN'T ASK FOR THE FOUR NEW SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLES STATE POLICE PURCHASED FOR THE EXECUTIVE SECURITY TEAM TO DRIVE HIM, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND THEIR WIVES. CORBETT SAYS THE PURCHASE WAS A SECURITY ISSUE FOR THE STATE POLICE.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY A 12-YEAR-OLD BOY PULLED FROM A BURNING HOUSE IN NORTH PHILADELPHIA WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION. FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED LAST NIGHT TO THE HOME IN THE STRAWBERRY MANSION SECTION OF THE CITY AND SAW SMOKE POURING OUT OF THE TWO-STORY BUILDING.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - WAR AND ECONOMIC TURMOIL ARE EXPECTED TO DOMINATE THE MEETING TODAY BETWEEN PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL. ISSUES INCLUDE NATO OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN AND LIBYA, THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS AND THE WORLD ECONOMY. LATER, OBAMA PLANS TO TREAT MERKEL TO A NIGHT OF HIGH POMP AT THE WHITE HOUSE, INCLUDING A FORMAL DINNER.

SPRINGERVILLE, ARIZ. (AP) - A SMOKY HAZE HAS DRIFTED OVER STATES AS FAR AWAY AS IOWA FROM THE THIRD LARGEST WILDFIRE IN ARIZONA HISTORY. THE OUT OF CONTROL WILDFIRE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN ARIZONA HAS GROWN TO 360 SQUARE MILES, PROMPTED EVACUATIONS AND THREATENED TOWNS. MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WARNED TO GET READY TO MOVE.

HAMBURG, IOWA (AP) - THE SWOLLEN MISSOURI RIVER IS ALREADY THREATENING THE SMALL SOUTHWEST IOWA TOWN OF HAMBURG, BUT OFFICIALS SAY THAT MAY BE JUST THE BEGINNING. FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BREAK DECADES-OLD RECORDS THIS SUMMER AND TEST THE SYSTEM OF LEVEES, DAMS AND FLOOD WALLS LIKE NEVER BEFORE. OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO REPAIR BREACHES THREATENING HAMBURG.

CHICAGO (AP) - IT'S ANOTHER DAY OF CROSS-EXAMINATION BY PROSECUTORS FOR OUSTED ILLINOIS GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH AT HIS CORRUPTION TRIAL. PROSECUTORS ARE EXPECTED TO TRY ONCE AGAIN TO DISCREDIT BLAGOJEVICH'S TESTIMONY. THE DEFENDANT IS TAKING THE STAND FOR A SEVENTH DAY.

SINGAPORE (AP) - AIRLINES LOOKING FOR WAYS TO WIN BACK PASSENGERS PUT OFF BY LONG AND IRRITATING AIRPORT SECURITY MEASURES MAY HAVE ONE. THE INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION HAS UNVEILED PLANS FOR A SYSTEM INTENDED TO SHARPLY REDUCE CHECK-IN TIME. THE NEW SYSTEM WOULD FEATURE IRIS SCANNERS TO MATCH A PASSENGER'S EYE TO HIS PASSPORT AND INFORMATION CHIPS INSIDE PASSPORTS.