TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY JULY 14, 2011

2 FIRES HAPPEN ON TWO ENDS OF COUNTY, SAME TIME

FIREFIGHTERS WERE FORCED TO BATTLE TWO BLAZES THAT HAPPENED AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE COUNTY. THE FIRST BLAZE DAMAGED A HOME IN PORTER TOWNSHIP. ACCORDING TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMUNICATION CENTER THAT FIRE STARTED IN THE BASEMENT. THEN SHORTLY AFTER THAT A FIRE BROKE OUT AT A GARAGE OF A HOME IN NEW RINGOLD, THE FIRE SPREAD TO A TWO STORY HOME FIREFIGHTERS FROM SCHUYLKILL AND CARBON COUNTIES WERE CALLED OUT TO BLAZE.


SOLICITOR MIKO RESIGNS AND SHIELDS STEPS IN

THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED CAL SHIELDS TO THE COUNTY SOLICITOR POSITION ON WEDNESDAY. SHIELDS WILL TAKE OVER FOR ERIC MIKO WHO WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE TO BECOME THEIR SOLICITOR. SHIELDS SAYS HE IS AWARE THAT THIS JOB COULD JUST BE TEMPORARY. SHIELDS WILL MAKE A LITTLE OVER 31 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE INTERIM.


LOCAL BOY TO BE ABC PERSON OF THE WEEK

THE STORY OF 7 YEAR OLD JOSIAH VIERA OF HEGINS IS ONE OF THE MOST TOUCHING STORIES. YOU SEE JOSIAH WAS BORN WITH HUTCHINSON-GILFORD PROGERIA, COMMENLY KNOWN AS EARLY AGING DISEASE. VIERA’S TRIUMPH OF THE DISEASE TOOK ANOTHER STEP WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT HE WILL BE NAMED PERSON OF THE WEEK BY ABC WORLD NEWS WITH DIANE SAWYER. VIERA WAS THE SUBJECT LAST YEAR FOR AN EPISODE OF ESPN E:60.

STATE NEWS:

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A MOTHER CHARGED IN THE DEATHS OF HER TWO YOUNG SONS HAS SURRENDERED TO POLICE. KDKA-TV REPORTS KIAIRA POLLARD SURRENDERED YESTERDAY, A DAY AFTER AUTHORITIES SAY SHE LEFT HER TWO YOUNG SONS WITHOUT A BABY SITTER WHEN A FIRE BROKE OUT AND KILLED THEM.

YORK, PA. (AP) - A MAN HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF ANOTHER MAN IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA LAST YEAR. JURORS IN YORK COUNTY DELIBERATED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR YESTERDAY BEFORE CONVICTING RASHAAN GREER OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND A
FIREARMS CHARGE. PROSECUTORS SAY HE GUNNED DOWN DRAKKAR GENTRY AFTER A FISTFIGHT IN YORK IN MAY OF 2010.

SOMERSET, PA. (AP) - A WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN WHO SAYS A MASKED INTRUDER KILLED HER HOUSEMATE HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO MURDER CHARGES IN THE CASE. THE (SOMERSET) DAILY AMERICAN SAYS ERIN EVERETT ENTERED THE PLEA TUESDAY IN SOMERSET COUNTY. SHE'S CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL HOMICIDE, FIRST- AND THIRD-DEGREE MURDER AND OTHER CHARGES IN THE DEATH OF TORY MINNICK.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS ISSUED A DISASTER DECLARATION FOR THE SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING THAT STRUCK NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA LAST SPRING, CLEARING THE WAY FOR FEDERAL AID. THE PRESIDENT SAYS DAMAGE FROM THE APRIL STORMS IN BRADFORD,
LYCOMING, SULLIVAN, TIOGA, AND WYOMING COUNTIES CONSTITUTE A MAJOR DISASTER.

NATIONAL NEWS:

LONDON (AP) - BRITAIN'S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAYS MEDIA MOGUL RUPERT MURDOCH SHOULD APPEAR BEFORE A PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PHONE HACKING SCANDAL AT ONE OF HIS NEWSPAPERS. NICK CLEGG SAYS MURDOCH HAS "BIG QUESTIONS" TO ANSWER AFTER THE SCANDAL FORCED MURDOCH'S NEWS CORP. TO ABANDON A BID TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OF BRITISH SKY BROADCASTING.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) - THE ASTRONAUTS ON NASA'S LAST SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHT WILL BE GETTING SOME TIME OFF. THE CREW OF FOUR PLANS TO DO A LITTLE MORE CARGO HAULING AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION THIS MORNING, THEN KICK BACK AND RELAX AFTER NEARLY A WEEK IN ORBIT. ATLANTIS WILL LEAVE THE SPACE STATION NEXT WEEK.

WASHINGTON (AP) - SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON IS HOPING TO RATCHET UP THE PRESSURE ON LIBYAN LEADER MOAMMAR GADHAFI. SHE EMBARKS ON A 12-DAY AROUND-THE-WORLD DIPLOMATIC TOUR TODAY. CLINTON'S FIRST STOP IS ISTANBUL, TURKEY, WHERE SHE'LL MEET WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS FROM NATIONS SUPPORTING NATO'S OPERATION TO
PROTECT LIBYAN CIVILIANS.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT SAYS FOUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN BLAST INSIDE A MOSQUE IN THE SOUTH'S LARGEST CITY. THE INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS AMONG THOSE KILLED IN THURSDAY'S EXPLOSION IN KANDAHAR CITY WAS THE HEAD OF THE CLERIC COUNCIL FOR THE PROVINCE. NO ONE IMMEDIATELY CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ATTACK.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA PLANS TO AGAIN TALK WITH TOP CONGRESSIONAL NEGOTIATORS ABOUT RAISING THE DEBT CEILING. YESTERDAY, HE ENDED A NEARLY TWO HOUR DEBT-LIMIT NEGOTIATION BRUSQUELY, DECLARING: "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH." HE REJECTED REPUBLICAN DEMANDS THAT HE ACCEPT A SHORT-TERM EXTENSION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S
BORROWING AUTHORITY.