TODAYS NEWS: TUESDAY JULY 26, 2011

YUENGLING BREWERY CELEBRATED ITS 3RD ANNUAL CHRISTMAS IN JULY MONDAY. JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:
CHRISTMAS IN JULY

FEDERAL ASSISTANCE DENIED FOR TORNADO VICTIMS

AFTER TWO TORNADOES HIT SCHUYLKILL COUNTY IN MAY, MANY RESIDENTS WERE LEFT TO FIX DAMAGES TO THEIR PROPERTIES. THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ANNOUNCED MONDAY NO FEDERAL ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE TO HELP THOSE AFFECTED. AFTER AN INITIAL CONSULTATION, THE EFFORTS WERE FOCUSED ON SECURING A SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DISASTER DECLARATION WHICH WOULD MAKE LOW INTEREST LOANS AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO MEET THE LOAN CRITERION. IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A DECLARATION FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, THE COUNTY HAD TO SHOW A SUBSTANTIAL DEGREE OF UNINSURED LOSS TO AT LEAST 25 HOMEOWNERS, RENTER S, NONFARM BUSINESSES OR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. BASED ON THE INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THESE GROUPS, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH LOSS TO MEET THE CRITERIA.

POTTSVILLE WOMAN CONVICTED OF STEALING FROM SENIOR CITIZEN

A POTTSVILLE WOMAN WILL SPEND THE NEXT ONE TO THREE YEARS IN STATE PRISON FOR STEALING MONEY FROM A PALO ALTO SENIOR CITIZEN. 42-YEAR-OLD BARBARA DOYLE WAS SENTENCED MONDAY IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT. DOYLE ADMITTED TAKING NEARLY EIGHT-THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE LATE MARY CARESTIA.

HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN CAUSE HEAT STRESS IN LIVESTOCK AND PETS

ROUND ONE OF THE HEAT WAVE HAS PASSED, BUT NOT WITHOUT AFFECTING MUCH OF THE STATE AND COUNTY. AGRICULTURE SECRETARY GEORGE GREIG CAUTIONS LIVESTOCK AND PET OWNERS TO TAKE MEASURES TO PROTECT ANIMALS FROM HIGH TEMPERATURES THAT CAN CAUSE THEM TO SUFFER FROM HEAT-RELATED STRESS. GREIG RECOMMENDS LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF STRESS IN LIVESTOCK THAT ARE OUTSIDE DURING THE HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY. THESE SIGNS INCLUDE ANIMALS BUNCHING TOGETHER, HEAVY PANTING, SLOBBERING, LACK OF COORDINATION AND TREMBLING. THE HEAVIER, FATTENED LIVESTOCK, ANIMALS WITH DARKER COATS AND THOSE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS ARE AT THE GREATEST RISK OF STRESS FROM THE EXTREME HEAT. PET OWNERS SHOULD NOT LEAVE ANIMALS IN VEHICLES AND IF LEFT OUTSIDE SHOULD HAVE SHADE AND PLENTY OF COLD WATER.


FIRE UPDATE IN MAR LIN

THE FIRE THAT BROKE OUT ON SATURDAY IN MARLIN HAS BEEN RULED ACCIDENTAL. FIRE OFFICIALS TELL US THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. 50 FIREFIGHTERS FOUGHT THE SATURDAY MORNING BLAZE AT 215 CHESTNUT ST FOR OVER 30 MINUTES THAT LEFT JASON AND BETHANY CLARK AND THEIR SON TEMPORARILY HOMELESS.


ASHLAND RESERVOIR UPGRADE

IN ORDER TO MAKE A MANDATED SAFETY UPGRADE THE ASHLAND AREA MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY WILL SEE A PROJECT INCREASE TO $500,000 TO THE A-A-M-A RESERVOIR. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REQUIRES THE RESERVOIR CREST TO BE RAISED BY SIX FEET ABOVE ITS CURRENT HEIGHT. THE IMPROVEMENT WILL ALLOW FOR AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF STORM WATER THE RESERVOIR WILL HOLD AND WILL CONTROL THE WAY WATER LEAVES THE RESERVOIR. THE A-A-M-A HAS SECURED A $650,000 LOAN TO PAY FOR THE PROJECT.

GILLINGHAM REPAIR

THE CITY OF POTTSVILLE IS STILL WAITING ON A PROPOSAL FROM THE GILLINGHAM CHARTER SCHOOL COLLABORATIVE ON HOW THEY PLAN TO BRING THE SCHOOL BUILDING UP TO CODE. RENOVATIONS TO THE SCHOOL ARE ESTIMATED AT JUST OVER $300,000 BUT MEMBERS OF THE COLLABORATIVE INSIST THAT THE 116 YEAR OLD SCHOOL BUILDING WILL BE READY TO GO BY SEPTEMBER. THE COLLABORATIVE WILL ALSO HOLD A MEETING TODAY WITH THE INTENTIONS OF SELECTING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

STATE NEWS:

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - A FORMER PROSECUTOR WHO DISAPPEARED SIX YEARS AGO HAS BEEN DECLARED DEAD. CENTRE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY RAY GRICAR DISAPPEARED ON APRIL 15, 2005, ABOUT NINE MONTHS BEFORE HE WAS TO RETIRE AS THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA COUNTY'S TOP PROSECUTOR. HE HAD TAKEN A DAY OFF FROM WORK AND HAD TOLD HIS GIRLFRIEND THAT HE WAS GOING FOR A DRIVE. HIS CAR LATER WAS FOUND ABANDONED. THE CENTRE DAILY TIMES NEWSPAPER REPORTS THAT CENTRE COUNTY JUDGE DAVID GRINE HAS RULED THAT GRICAR BE DECLARED DEAD.

WILKES-BARRE, PA. (AP) - HEAVY RAINS CAUSED FLOODING PROBLEMS YESTERDAY IN PARTS OF THE STATE. AUTHORITIES IN SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA SAY A 12-YEAR-OLD BOY NEARLY DROWNED IN A CREEK DURING TORRENTIAL RAINS. STRANDED VEHICLES WERE REPORTED IN WILKES-BARRE.
AND FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED EARLIER IN FAYETTE COUNTY, JUST OUTSIDE PITTSBURGH.

PETERSBURG, PA. (AP) - A CORONER IS SEEKING DNA TESTS TO CONFIRM THE IDENTITIES OF FOUR PEOPLE WHO DIED IN A FIRE AT A CABIN NEAR STATE COLLEGE IN ROTHROCK STATE FOREST. THE HUNTINGDON COUNTY CORONER SAYS AN INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING, BUT PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS ARE THE VICTIMS ARE MEMBERS OF THE SAME FAMILY AND THEY
DIED OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A TEENAGER WHO PLEADED GUILTY TO KILLING AN ELDERLY SOUTH PHILADELPHIA MAN NEARLY A YEAR AGO HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO 17 1/2 TO 40 YEARS BEHIND BARS. THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS REPORTS EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD REINALDO AMADOR PLEADED GUILTY TO THIRD-DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF HARVEY MARINOFF. MARINOFF'S BODY WAS FOUND IN A CRAWL SPACE UNDER A STAIRWAY IN HIS HOME.

ALLENTOWN, PA. (AP) - THE DEATH OF AN ALLENTOWN MAN WHO WAS STABBED AND THEN PLUNGED FROM A SECOND-FLOOR WINDOW EARLIER THIS MONTH HAS BEEN RULED A HOMICIDE. ACCORDING TO THE MORNING CALL OF ALLENTOWN, THE LEHIGH COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE SAYS ERICK HERNANDEZ MAYEN DIED OF BLUNT AND SHARP FORCE INJURIES FROM THE JULY 17TH
ATTACK AT AN ALLENTOWN APARTMENT.


NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS MADE A LAST-DITCH CALL FOR COMPROMISE, BUT HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER SAYS NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE WHITE HOUSE OVER RAISING THE DEBT CEILING HAVE BEEN FUTILE. OBAMA SAYS THE PUBLIC CANNOT BECOME "COLLATERAL
DAMAGE TO WASHINGTON'S POLITICAL WARFARE." BOEHNER SAYS OBAMA WON'T "TAKE YES FOR AN ANSWER."

WASHINGTON (AP) - DEBT STRESS IS MAKING A STRONG COMEBACK JUST AS AMERICANS HAD BEEN FEELING BETTER ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL FINANCES. A NEW ASSOCIATED PRESS-GFK POLL SAYS THAT NEARLY HALF THE COUNTRY IS EXPERIENCING DEBT STRESS, WHICH IS UP 17 PERCENT FROM NOVEMBER.

OSLO, NORWAY (AP) - NORWAY'S JUSTICE MINISTER ISN'T SAYING THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE DEAD BUT HE DOES SAY TODAY THAT EMPLOYEES FROM HIS DEPARTMENT ARE STILL MISSING AFTER A BOMBING IN OSLO AND A SHOOTING SPREE AT A NEARBY ISLAND. OFFICIALS SAY IN ALL, 76 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE TWIN ATTACKS THAT HAVE STUNNED PEACEFUL NORWAY.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - FIERCE FIGHTING LATELY ACROSS VOLATILE SOUTHWEST HELMAND PROVINCE IS TAKING A TOLL. AN AFGHAN OFFICIAL SAYS CLASHES HAVE KILLED 22 INSURGENTS AND TWO POLICE OFFICERS. THE OFFICIAL SAYS THE LATEST CLASHES WERE YESTERDAY.

TRIPOLI, LIBYA (AP) - A U.N. FACT-FINDING MISSION SAYS ALL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS DESPITE A VENEER OF NORMALCY IN THE PART OF LIBYA UNDER MOAMMAR GADHAFI'S CONTROL. A U.N. STATEMENT LATE YESTERDAY SAYS THERE ARE FOOD, CASH AND FUEL SHORTAGES. AT LEAST 30 COUNTRIES HAVE RECOGNIZED LIBYAN REBELS AS THE COUNTRY'S LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVES.