TODAY'S NEWS: FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011

FOR TOO MANY, 4TH OF JULY FUN IS CUT SHORT. MITCHELL HECKMAN HAS TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN STAY SAFE DURING THE HOLIDAY.

BERKS SHOOTER LEFT SUICIDE NOTE BEHIND



AUTHORITIES SAY A MAN WHO FATALLY SHOT SHERIFF'S DEPUTY KYLE PAGERLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT HAD LEFT A SUICIDE NOTE BEHIND. AFTER A TWO-DAY SEARCH, POLICE FOUND 25-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW CONNOR IN A WOODED AREA BEHIND HIS PARENTS HOME IN ALBANY TOWNSHIP, DRESSED FROM HEAD TO TOE IN CAMOUFLAGE AND ARMED WITH AN AK-47 SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE. PAGERLY DIED IN THE EXCHANGE OF GUNFIRE LEAVING BEHIND HIS WIFE WHO IS EXPECTING THEIR FIRST CHILD. POLICE WERE SERVING CONNOR WITH A WARRANT FOR HIS ARREST.

METH LAB IN FRACKVILLE



A WEST MAHANOY TOWNSHIP MOTEL WAS THE SCENE OF THE ARREST FOR TWO COLUMBIA COUNTY RESIDENTS. 43 YEAR OLD LARRY WILCOX AND 36 YEAR OLD CATHERINE WOMER BOTH OF BLOOMSBURG WERE CHARGED WITH RUNNING A METH LAB FROM THE GRANNY'S MOTEL ON COAL ST IN FRACKVILLE. BOTH WILCOX AND WOMER WHERE COMMITTED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON IN LIEU OF 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS BAIL.


POLICE INVESTIGATING THEFT

SATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN POLICE ARE CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE A THEFT THAT OCCURRED EARLIER THIS WEEK AT MORGANS SERVICE IN TREMONT. REPORTS SAY THAT SOMEONE ENTERED THE PROPERTY LATE SUNDAY OR EARLY MONDAY CAUSED CLOSE TO $500 DAMAGE TO THE BUSINESS. CLOSE TO $200 IN CASH WAS STOLEN ALONG WITH A PELLET GUN AND C-O-2 CARTRIDGES. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL STATE POLICE AT 593-2000.


MEMORIAL TO REMEMBER VICTIMS OF PROPANE EXPLOSION

ABOUT 70 PEOPLE GATHERED OUTSIDE ZION’S RED CHURCH IN ORWIGSBURG THURSDAY NIGHT IN REMEMBRANCE OF A TRAGEDY THAT TOOK THE LIVES OF ELEVEN PEOPLE 52-YEARS AGO. ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 2, 1959 A NORTHBOUND BRANCH FREIGHT TRUCK HIT THE BACK OF A SUN GAS CO. TANKER TRUCK LEADING TO A PROPANE GAS EXPLOSION ON ROUTE 61. A PRAYER GARDEN WAS DEDICATED TO THE THOSE WHO DIED AND THE ELEVEN OTHERS WHO WERE INJURED.

STATE NEWS:

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A NEW PENNSYLVANIA STATE BUDGET IS IN PLACE FOLLOWING A CAPITOL SIGNING CEREMONY BY GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT. CORBETT APPROVED THE BUDGET SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT, REACHING HIS GOAL OF ENACTING A NEW SPENDING PLAN BEFORE THE NEW FISCAL YEAR WAS TO START. THE $27.2 BILLION SPENDING PLAN MAKES DEEP CUTS TO EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES BUT DOESN'T RAISE NEW TAXES.

PHILADEPHIA (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS TELLING CAMPAIGN DONORS HE KNEW THERE WOULD BE SETBACKS IN GOVERNING, JUST LIKE HE FACED SETBACKS DURING HIS CAMPAIGN IN 2008. BUT HE APPEALED TO SUPPORTERS YESTERDAY TO SHOW THE SAME ENERGY THEY DID MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO TO SEND HIM TO VICTORY. OBAMA WAS IN PHILADELPHIA FOR TWO FUNDRAISING EVENTS.

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY SAYS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS TRYING TO FIX THE ECONOMY,BUT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS. THE FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR SPOKE TO REPORTERS YESTERDAY OUTSIDE AN ALLENTOWN FACTORY OBAMA VISITED IN DECEMBER OF 2009 TO PROMOTE HIS ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE. THE FACTORY CLOSED THE NEXT MONTH.

NATIONAL NEWS:

ST. PAUL, MINN. (AP) - MINNESOTA'S GOVERNMENT HAS HUNG UP THE 'CLOSED' SIGN AFTER THE GOVERNOR AND LAWMAKERS FAILED TO AGREE ON A STATE BUDGET. PARKS, ROAD PROJECTS AND REST STOPS ARE JUST A FEW OF THE FIRST NOTICEABLE CASUALTIES. STATE WORKER LAYOFFS COULD BE NEXT.

NEW YORK (AP) - A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL TELLS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACCUSER'S CREDIBILITY IN THE NEW YORK CITY SEX ASSAULT CASE AGAINST A FORMER INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND LEADER. THE SOURCE SAYS THE HOTEL MAID LIED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HOURS SURROUNDING THE ALLEGED ATTACK. DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN COULD HAVE BAIL REDUCED AND RESTRICTIONS EASED TODAY.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS RENEWING HIS FIGHT FOR $400 BILLION IN BUSINESS TAX INCREASES AS PART OF A DEFICIT-REDUCTION PACKAGE. HIS PROPOSALS HAVE LANGUISHED ON CAPITOL HILL, REPEATEDLY BLOCKED BY REPUBLICANS, OFTEN WITH HELP FROM DEMOCRATS. REPUBLICANS CONTINUE TO INSIST THE DEBATE SHOULD BE LIMITED TO SPENDING REDUCTIONS.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A MEXICAN MAN WHO STRUCK AND KILLED A BORDER PATROL AGENT WITH A DRUG-LADEN HUMMER IS SET TO BE SENTENCED TODAY IN FEDERAL COURT IN CALIFORNIA. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS IN SAN DIEGO WANT A LIFE SENTENCE. A DEFENSE ATTORNEY IS RECOMMENDING 40-YEARS FOR JESUS NAVARRO, SAYING THE SMUGGLER ONLY MEANT TO AVOID SPIKE STRIPS THE AGENT WAS PLACING.

TOKYO (AP) - JAPAN'S GOVERNMENT IS TELLING MAJOR ELECTRICITY USERS TO CUT BACK BIG-TIME. THE ENERGY RESTRICTIONS ON COMPANIES, SHOPPING MALLS AND OTHER MAJOR ELECTRICITY USERS ARE TO COPE WITH POWER SHORTAGES FOLLOWING THE COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR CRISIS. THE GOVERNMENT IS ORDERING A 15 PERCENT REDUCTION AND FAILURE COULD MEAN FINES.