TODAY'S NEWS : MONDAY AUGUST 8, 2011

HEALTH CENTER FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES

A HEALTH CENTER COULD BE ESTABLISHED TO HELP FAMILIES OF LOW INCOMES AND NO INSURANCE. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY'S VISION IS A GROUP HOPING TO PROVIDE A CLINIC FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT INSURANCE. THEIR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE PRIMARY MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICES FOR ALL INCOME LEVELS IN NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. THE GROUP FORMED FROM MEMBERS OF FOUR LOCAL HOSPITALS AS THE COMMITTEE MAKES FUTURE PLANS THE GROUP WILL EXPAND AND MORE PEOPLE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE.

TRADITION RENEWED IN ASHLAND

THE ASHLAND BOYS ASSOCIATION WILL SEE A REVIVAL NEXT MONTH. THE ASHLAND MUMMERS CLUB ANNOUNCES THAT AN EVENT WILL BE HELD LABOR DAY WEEKEND. A-B-A PRIDE DAY WILL BE A COMMEMORATION OF THE EVENT THAT WAS HELD FOR OVER 100 YEARS. ITS BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE THE LAST TIME THE MUMMERS PARADE WAS HELD, IT WAS CANCELED SHORTLY AFTER TO DO LACK OF FUNDS AND INTEREST. THIS YEARS EVENT WILL BEGIN AT EUREKA PARK AND FEATURE A PERFORMANCE FROM THE NORTH SCHUYLKILL HIGH SCHOOL BAND.

FALL CLEAN UP DATE IS SET

THE 12TH ANNUAL COUNTYWIDE EVENT KNOWN AS THE FALL CLEANUP IS OFFICIALLY SCHEDULED FOR THE WEEKS OF SEPTEMBER 19 AND SEPT. 26. THE EVENT IS BEING FUNDED BY THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. RESIDENTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISPOSE OF JUST ABOUT ANYTHING, FROM TIRES TO ELECTRONICS. DROP OFF SITES WILL BE LOCATED IN WAYNE TWP, HEGINS, POTTSVILLE, RINGTOWN AND PORTER AND NORTH MANHEIM TWP THE FIRST WEEK AND MINERSVILLE , TAMAQUA AND GIRARDVILLE IN THE SECOND WEEK.

BODY FOUND IN BERKS CREEK

STATE POLICE AT HAMBURG HAVE RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF A MAN WHO WAS FOUND LYING IN A CREEK IN UPPER TULPEHOCKEN TWP. POLICE SAY IT IS THE BODY OF 47 YEAR OLD DON HOFFMAN. AN AUTOPSY IS SCHEDULED TODAY AT READING HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER IN WEST READING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND MANNER OF THIS DEATH. STATE POLICE CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION YOU ARE ASKED TO CALL THE STATE POLICE AT HAMBURG.

FAIR CLOSES WITH LOWER TURNOUT

ANOTHER YEAR HAS COME TO A CLOSE FOR THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY FAIR. ACCORDING TO THE REPUBLICAN HERALD TURNOUT NUMBERS FOR THIS YEAR'S FAIR HAS BEEN LOWER THAN IN RECENT YEARS. CARL JONES PRESIDENT OF THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY FAIR TELLS THE HERALD THAT THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN DROPPING SINCE 2008. THIS YEARS FAIR MANAGED TO ONLY DRAW A LITTLE OVER 20,000 TO THE SIX DAY EVENT. JONES ADDS THAT FOUL WEATHER MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR TO THE LOW TURNOUT AT LAST WEEK'S FAIR.



STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - WORKERS IN PHILADELPHIA ARE AMONG THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED EMPLOYEES ON STRIKE AFTER TALKS BROKE DOWN WITH THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY. ABOUT A DOZEN RED-SHIRTED STRIKERS AND OFFICIALS OF THE
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA WERE OUTSIDE TWO DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS YESTERDAY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA FAMILY IS MOURNING THE DEATH OF ONE OF THE NAVY SEALS KILLED IN THE CRASH OF A HELICOPTER SHOT DOWN IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN LATE FRIDAY. RELATIVES OF PETTY OFFICER FIRST CLASS MICHAEL STRANGE SAY MILITARY OFFICIALS
CAME TO THEIR HOME IN THE CITY'S MAYFAIR SECTION SATURDAY TO TELL THEM OF HIS DEATH. THEY DESCRIBED HIM AS A FRIENDLY, FUNNY PERSON.

ERIE, PA. (AP) - POLICE IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ARE INVESTIGATING AN EARLY MORNING SHOOTING THAT INJURED FOUR PEOPLE IN A DANCE CLUB IN DOWNTOWN ERIE. POLICE TELL THE ERIE TIMES-NEWS SHOTS WERE FIRED INSIDE THE METROPOLITAN EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING. THE VICTIMS ARE REPORTEDLY THREE MEN AND A WOMAN. POLICE SAY THE INJURIES AREN'T BELIEVED TO BE SERIOUS.

SAN FRANCSICO (AP) - A NINE-YEAR-OLD PHILADELPHIA BOY HIT BY A SUSPECTED DRUNKEN DRIVER AFTER A SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS GAME THURSDAY NIGHT IS CONTINUING TO MAKE WHAT A HOSPITAL SPOKESWOMAN CALLS "SMALL IMPROVEMENTS" BUT REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. RYAN WHITE WAS HIT BY A PICKUP TRUCK AS HE AND HIS FAMILY WALKED IN A CROSSWALK A FEW BLOCKS FROM AT&T PARK.

NATIONAL NEWS:

LONDON (AP) - STOCKS TOOK A BEATING IN ASIA TODAY, BUT THEY'RE OPENING HIGHER IN EUROPE. A SIGNAL FROM THE EUROPEAN CENTER BANK THAT IT WOULD BUY SPANISH AND ITALIAN BONDS TO LOWER THOSE COUNTRIES' BORROWING COSTS IS ENCOURAGING INVESTORS. THE DOWNGRADE OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S CREDIT RATING HELPED DRIVE ASIAN MARKETS TO HEAVY LOSSES.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - NATO SAYS COALITION TROOPS HAVE SECURED THE SITE WHERE A CHINOOK HELICOPTER WENT DOWN OVER THE WEEKEND. THE CRASH KILLED 30 AMERICAN TROOPS, SEVEN AFGHAN SOLDIERS AND AN AFGHAN INTERPRETER. A NATO SPOKESMAN SAYS TROOPS ARE WORKING
TO RECOVER EVERY LAST PIECE OF THE HELICOPTER AND NOBODY IS BEING ALLOWED IN OR OUT OF THE AREA WHILE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE IS CONDUCTED. SEVERAL U.S. OFFICIALS HAVE SAID IT APPEARS INSURGENTS SHOT DOWN THE CHINOOK.

PARACHINAR, PAKISTAN (AP) - PAKISTAN IS CLAIMING GAINS IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST TALIBAN MILITANTS. A PAKISTANI OFFICIAL SAYS SECURITY FORCES HAVE KILLED MORE THAN 200 MILITANTS OVER THE PAST MONTH IN A TRIBAL AREA NEAR THE BORDER WITH AFGHANISTAN, WHILE ONLY ONE
GOVERNMENT SOLDIER HAS BEEN KILLED. THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS HAVE FLED THE AREA TO AVOID THE SUMMER CONFLICT.

BEIRUT (AP) - ACTIVISTS SAY A CITY IN EASTERN SYRIA HAS COME UNDER A FRESH ROUND ARTILLERY FIRE. THE REPORTS COME A DAY AFTER AT LEAST 42 PEOPLE WERE KILLED THERE IN AN INTENSIFYING CRACKDOWN AGAINST PROTESTERS CALLING FOR AN END TO PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD'S
RULE. THE MILITARY ASSAULT HAS KILLED MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE IN THE PAST WEEK AND IS LEAVING THE COUNTRY'S LEADERSHIP INCREASINGLY ISOLATED.

LONDON (AP) - BRITISH POLICE HAVE ARRESTED MORE THAN 160 PEOPLE AFTER A WEEKEND OF RIOTING AND LOOTING ACROSS LONDON. GROUPS OF YOUNG PEOPLE LOOTED SHOPS, ATTACKED POLICE OFFICERS AND SET FIRE TO VEHICLES, INJURING NEARLY THREE DOZEN POLICE OFFICERS. THE VIOLENCE BEGAN SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE NORTH LONDON SUBURB OF TOTTENHAM AMID ANGER OVER A FATAL POLICE SHOOTING. POLICE SAY "COPYCAT" VIOLENCE HAS SPREAD SINCE.