TODAY'S NEWS: FRIDAY JULY 15, 2011

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES INTO TESTS

EARLIER THIS WEEK WPPA REPORTED THAT THE STATE DEPT OF EDUCATION FLAGGED OVER THREE DOZEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR INCONSISTENCIES TO INCLUDE CHEATING ON STANDARDIZED TESTS IN 2009. EDUCATION SECRETARY RONALD TOMALIS HAS NOW ISSUED THE SAME INVESTIGATION INTO 2010 TESTS AS WELL. SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE 30 DAYS TO REPORT BACK TO TOMALIS. LOCALLY MINERSVILLE, NORTH SCHUYLKILL AND HAZLETON AREA SCHOOLS WERE SOME OF THOSE NAMED IN THE INVESTIGATION.


COALDALE MAYOR CHARGED WITH CHILD PORN

COALDALE MAYOR HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH DOWNLOADING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AT HIS PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. RICHARD CORKERY WAS ARRESTED ON THURSDAY ON 28 COUNTS OF VIEWING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AT HIS JOB IN NESQUEHONING. POLICE REPORTS SAY THAT THEY WERE TIPPED OFF ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS THROUGH AN ANONYMOUS LETTER. CORKERY ADMITTED TO VIEWING THE PORN SITES DURING HIS INTERVIEW WITH AUTHORITIES AND WAS RELEASED ON $50,000 UNSECURED BAIL.


INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUES INTO FIRE

THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES FOR TWO FIRES THAT OCCURRED ON WEDNESDAY. THE FIRST FIRE THAT CAME IN AROUND 10PM AT THE HOME OF JOHN PARKER OF MUIR, FIRE OFFICIALS NOW SAY THAT THIS FIRE WAS ACCIDENTAL AND WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. THE SECOND FIRE WHICH OCCURRED LESS THAN AN HOUR LATER IN WEST PENN TOWNSHIP ,THAT CAUSE, HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED IN EITHER INCIDENTS.



MAHANOY TO ENFORCE BLIGHT LAWS

AT THIS WEEKS BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING IN MAHANOY CITY MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS WERE INFORMED ON ACT 90 OF 2010. BOROUGH SOLICITOR MICHAEL O'PAKE TOLD THOSE IN ATTENDANCE THAT WHAT ACT 90 DOES IS GIVE THE BOROUGH MORE CONTROL OVER BLIGHTED PROPERTIES AND ALLOWS THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO HOLD OWNERS OF PROPERTIES MORE ACCOUNTABLE BY ALLOWING OFFICIALS TO ISSUE FINES ON UP TO TAKING MORE LEGAL ACTION. O'PAKE ALSO SAYS THAT IT WILL ALSO EFFECT THOSE APPLYING PERMITS BY DENYING THAT PERMIT IF A PERSON HAS CODE VIOLATIONS IN THE BOROUGH OR OTHER JURISDICTIONS.


LYKENS MAN DIES IN MOPED ACCIDENT

AN ELDERLY MAN WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AFTER HE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN PORTER TOWNSHIP. POLICE REPORTS TELL US THAT 74 YEAR OLD LLOYD KREISER DIED AT THE SCENE OF THE 4PM ACCIDENT IN WHERE KREISER'S MO-PED COLLIDED WITH A PROPANE TRUCK AT THE INTERSECTION OF RT 209 AND EAST GRAND AVENUE AND NORTH KEYSTONE ST. THE DRIVER OF THE PROPANE TRUCK WAS NOT INJURED AND REPORTS SAY THAT KREISER WAS WEARING A HELMET.

STATE NEWS:

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORS ARE QUESTIONING THE NEED FOR A 39-MILE NATURAL GAS PIPELINE THROUGH NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA'S ENDLESS MOUNTAINS REGION. OPPONENTS SAY IT WOULD DAMAGE PRISTINE FORESTS AND STREAMS. CENTRAL NEW YORK OIL AND GAS IS SEEKING REGULATORY APPROVAL FOR ITS PIPELINE IN BRADFORD, SULLIVAN AND LYCOMING COUNTIES.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE SAY A PHILADELPHIA SHOOTING HAS LEFT A 4-YEAR-OLD BOY DEAD. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED LAST NIGHT IN THE CITY'S KENSINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE CHILD WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD AND TAKEN TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL, WHERE HE DIED.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE AND ANIMAL WELFARE OFFICIALS SAY THEY RESCUED 29 CATS AND A DOG FROM A PHILADELPHIA HOME YESTERDAY AND FOUND 17 DEAD ANIMALS BURIED IN THE FRONT YARD. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE HOME IS OCCUPIED BY THREE WOMEN WHOSE NAMES HAVEN'T BEEN RELEASED. OFFICIALS SAY THE WOMEN WILL FACE ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES.

UNDATED (AP) - PITTSBURGH STEELERS LINEBACKER JAMES HARRISON HAS APOLOGIZED FOR USING AN ANTI-GAY SLUR TO REFER TO NFL COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL IN AN INTERVIEW WITH "MEN'S JOURNAL." HARRISON SAYS HIS CRITICAL STATEMENTS ABOUT TEAMMATES WERE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. HARRISON POSTED A STATEMENT ON HIS TWITTER ACCOUNT LAST NIGHT.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - A DEBT CEILING PROPOSAL THE WHITE HOUSE CALLS A "FALLBACK OPTION" IS TAKING ROOT IN THE SENATE AS REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS ASSESS THE MOOD OF THEIR MEMBERS AMID A CONTINUING IMPASSE ON DEFICIT REDUCTION. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS SCHEDULED A NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY.

ST. PAUL, MINN. (AP) - DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATE LEADER TOM BAKK (BAHK) SAYS A BUDGET DEAL TO END MINNESOTA'S GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DOESN'T SOLVE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. DEMOCRATIC GOV. MARK DAYTON AND GOP LEADERS WILL RELY ON DELAYED AID TO SCHOOLS AND SELLING BONDS IF THE LEGISLATURE GOES ALONG.

ORLANDO, FLA. (AP) - A HEARING IS SCHEDULED TODAY IN A LAWSUIT AGAINST CASEY ANTHONY. AN ATTORNEY FOR A WOMAN SUING FOR DEFAMATION WILL ARGUE IN COURT THAT ANTHONY SHOULD BE DEPOSED BEFORE SHE'S RELEASED FROM JAIL. THE WOMAN SAYS HER REPUTATION WAS MALIGNED WHEN ANTHONY USED HER NAME TO FALSELY CLAIM A BABYSITTER KIDNAPPED THE 2-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO WAS LATER FOUND DEAD.

ISTANBUL (AP) - THE GROUP MOST LIKELY TO GOVERN LIBYA IN A POST-MOAMMAR GADHAFI AGE IS ASKING DELEGATES FROM NEARLY 40 COUNTRIES FOR MORE FINANCIAL AID AND DIPLOMATIC SUPPORT. THE CONTACT GROUP ON LIBYA IS MEETING IN TURKEY. THE REBELS ARE STILL
STRUGGLING TO DEFEAT GADHAFI.

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (AP) - ALASKA WANTS ITS MOON ROCKS BACK IN A STATE MUSEUM. ALASKA OFFICIALS ARE CONTESTING A LAWSUIT FILED BY A FORMER RESIDENT WHO CLAIMS HE RESCUED THE MOON ROCKS FROM A GARBAGE HEAP 38 YEARS AGO AFTER A MUSEUM FIRE. THE ROCKS ARE FROM THE APOLLO 11 MISSION.