TODAY'S NEWS: TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

BREAKING NEWS:

FORKLIFT TIPS AT HIGHRIDGE BUSINESS PARK

AN ACCIDENT AT HIGHRIDGE BUSINESS PARK ALONG I-81 HAS BEEN REPORTED AT 10:42AM. POLICE TELL US A FORKLIFT ALLEGEDLY CAME OFF THE BACK OF A TRACTOR TRAILER WITH ONE MAN INSIDE. EMERGENCY CREWS ON SCENE ARE MINERSVILLE AMBULANCE, WEST SCHUYLKILL PARAMEDICS, SOUTH CASS TOWNSHIP FIRE COMPANY AND POTTSVILLE/YORKVILLE RESCUE.


TWO MEN LEAD POLICE ON HIGH SPEED CHASE LATE MONDAY

TWO MEN LEAD POLICE ON A HIGH-SPEED CHASE LATE MONDAY THAT RESULTED IN THIER CAR BURSTING INTO FLAMES. IT IS REPORTED THE MEN TOOK OFF AFTER POLICE TRIED TO STOP THE DRIVER FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION.THE CAR WAS PURSUED BY VARIOUS POLICE DEPARTMENTS UNTIL IT CAUGHT FIRE NEAR GIRARDVILLE. THE CAR WAS REPORTEDLY DESTOYED. BOTH MEN ARE IN CUSTODY AT THIS TIME AND CHARGES ARE PENDNING. WE WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE.



MINERSVILLE RESPONDS TO INCONSISTENCIES

MINERSVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT JOE BRADY RESPONDED LAST NIGHT TO THE INCONSISTENCIES THAT HAVE PLAGUED THE DISTRICT FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS SINCE THE PENNSYLVANIA SYSTEM OF SCHOOL ASSESSMENT RELEASED A REPORT THAT STATED MANY DISTRICTS IN THE COMMONWEALTH WERE FOUND TO BE CHEATING ON STATE ISSUED TESTS. BRADY’S STATEMENT WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE REPORT DOES NOT IMPLY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DID ANYTHING WRONG OR INAPPROPRIATE ON THE TESTS. ABOUT THREE DOZEN SCHOOLS DISTRICTS IN THE STATE WERE NAMED IN THE STUDY INCLUDING NORTH SCHUYLKILL AND HAZLETON.

TAMAQUA LACKING IN HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

A RECENT STUDY CONDUCTED SHOWS THAT TAMAQUA AREA IS BEHIND NOT ONLY NATIONALLY BUT STATEWIDE AS WELL IN HEALTH RELATED ISSUES. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT HOLLIE GIBBONS, MANAGER OF DISEASE PREVENTION PROGRAMS A ST LUKE'S HOSPITAL AND HEALTH NETWORK, SUMMARIZED THE HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY AT A MEETING LAST WEEK. IN THE STUDY IT WAS FOUNDED THAT 15% OF TAMAQUA RESIDENTS AGES 51-60 HAD NO HEALTH INSURANCE, WHICH IS 4%HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AND THAT 71% REPORT A VERY SERIOUS TO SERIOUS ABUSE OF ALCOHOL, ILLEGAL DRUGS AND THAT CIGARETTE SMOKING IN TAMAQUA WAS HIGHER THAN IN STATE AND NATIONAL AVERAGE.

POWER OUTAGE AFFECTS SHENANDOAH AND WEST MAHANOY TWP

A PORTION OF SHENANDOAH AND WEST MAHANOY TWP WERE AFFECTED BY A POWER OUTAGE MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE OUTAGE AFFECTED ALMOST 1500 CUSTOMERS OF PPL ELECTRIC UTILITIES. TERI MCBRIDE A REGIONAL COMMUNTIY RELATIONS DIRECTOR WITH PPL SAYS THAT WORK WAS BEING CONDUCTED ON A CROSS ARM ON WEST CHERRY ST THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE PARTIAL BLACKOUT, BUT AN INVESTIGATION CONTINUES INTO THE CAUSE.

REPRESENTATIVE KNOWLES COMMENTS ON HONOR RECIPIENT CEREMONY

A MEMORIAL MARKER HONORING MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT CHIEF MASTER SGT. RICHARD ETCHBERGER WAS UNVEILED MONDAY DURING A CEREMONY AT THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS GROVE AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN HARRISBURG. ETCHBERGER WAS KILLED DURING A CLASSIFIED MISSION DURING THE VIETNAM CONFLICT IN 1968. REP. JERRY KNOWLES (R-SCHUYLKILL, BERKS) SAID HE IS GLAD THAT ETCHBERGER’S HEROIC ACTIONS IN HELPING TO RESCUE 3 WOUNDED COMRADES WHILE EXPOSING HIMSELF TO ENEMY FIRE, HAVE FINALLY BEEN RECOGNIZED.

PAIN KILLERS STOLEN FROM POTTSVILLE MAN'S HOME

STATE POLICE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN ARE NOW INVESTIGATING THE THEFT OF A BOTTLE OF PRESCRIPTION PILLS TAKEN FROM A POTTSVILLE MAN’S HOME. POLICE TELL US APPROXIMATELY 140 OXYCODONE PILLS WERE REMOVED FROM 48-YEAR-OLD ROBERT WAGNER’S MEDICINE CABINET SOMETIME BETWEEN SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING.

NEW ENERGY POLICIES FOR PA

LAWMAKERS BEGAN A SERIES OF HEARINGS THIS WEEK IN HARRISBURG TO TAKE A DETAILED LOOK AT PENNSYLVANIA'S ENERGY POLICIES AND HOW THEY AFFECT THE STATE'S CONSUMERS AND BUSINESS CLIMATE. REPRESENTATIVE DAVID REED, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE SAID THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN DETERMINING IF THE PRESENT POLICIES ARE WORKING AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO REDUCE THE COST OF ENERGY AND ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC GROWTH.

SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA, BATH SALTS NOW BANNED IN PA.

POSSESSION AND SALE OF SO CALLED FAKE DRUGS LIKE SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA, BATH SALTS AND SALVIA ARE NOW AGAINST THE LAW IN PENNSYLVANIA. UNDER THE LAW THE FIRST OFFENSE FOR DELIVERY OR POSSESSION WITH THE INTENT TO DELIVER CARRIES A PENALTY OF UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON AND A $15,000 FINE. STATE REPRESENTATIVE, JENNIFER MANN, SAYS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THESE DRUGS WAS THE ACCESS. MANN ADDS, A 17-YEAR-OLD COULDN’T WALK INTO A MINI MART AND BUY CIGARETTES OR WALK INTO A BAR AND BUY ALCOHOL, BUT BEFORE THIS LAW COULD WALK INTO A SMOKE SHOP AND BUY A SYNTHETIC VERSION OF COCAINE. PENNSYLVANIA IS THE 21ST STATE TO BAN THESE DRUGS.

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - POLICE SAY GUNFIRE ERUPTED AT A SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA BASKETBALL COURT DURING HALFTIME OF AN ADULT LEAGUE GAME, INJURING SIX PEOPLE, ONE CRITICALLY. AUTHORITIES SAY ABOUT 500 PEOPLE WERE AT THE 19-AND-OVER LEAGUE PLAYOFF GAME LAST NIGHT AT KINGSESSING RECREATION CENTER WHEN SHOTS RANG OUT.

SLATINGTON, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES HAVE CHARGED A POTTSTOWN AREA MAN IN THE BEATING AND STABBING DEATH OF A SLATINGTON MAN OVER THE WEEKEND. POLICE SAY THE BODY OF BRYAN MAYES WAS FOUND EARLY SATURDAY IN THE MIDDLE OF ROUTE 873 IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. OFFICIALS SAY MAYES DIED OF STAB WOUNDS AND BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA. AUTHORITIES SAY ROBERT CHARLES SLOSS WAS ARRESTED AT THE SCENE.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - AUTHORITIES SAY A MAN HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL AFTER PLUNGING FROM A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA BRIDGE INTO THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER. STATE POLICE SAY THE DOVER RESIDENT WAS SEEN TALKING ON A CELL PHONE INSIDE A CAR PARKED ALONG THE SHOULDER OF INTERSTATE 83 ON THE JOHN HARRIS MEMORIAL BRIDGE IN DAUPHIN COUNTY. A TROOPER SAYS THE MAN THEN JUMPED INTO THE RIVER.

NATIONAL NEWS:

NAGUA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (AP) - HURRICANE IRENE COULD HIT FLORIDA, GEORGIA OR SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORE THE END OF THE WEEK, AND FORECASTERS SAY IT COULD BECOME A DEADLY AND POWERFUL CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE BEFORE THEN. IRENE WAS LAST TRACKED AS A CATEGORY 2HURRICANE, ON ITS WAY TO THE TURKS AND CAICOS AND THE BAHAMAS.

TRIPOLI, LIBYA (AP) - A SON OF LIBYA'S MOAMMAR GADHAFI WHO HAD BEEN REPORTED CAPTURED BY REBELS IS FREE AND HE'S VOWING TO FIGHT ANTI-GOVERNMENT FORCES. EARLY THIS MORNING SEIF (SAYF) AL-ISLAM GAVE REPORTERS A TOUR OF PARTS OF TRIPOLI STILL UNDER HIS FATHER'S CONTROL AND HE SAID, "WE ARE GOING TO HIT THE HOTTEST SPOTS IN TRIPOLI."

GENEVA (AP) - THE U.N.'S TOP HUMAN RIGHTS BODY IS DEMANDING THAT SYRIA END ITS BLOODY CRACKDOWN AND COOPERATE WITH AN INTERNATIONAL PROBE INTO POSSIBLE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY BY PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD'S GOVERNMENT. THE U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL'S RESOLUTION WOULD DISPATCH A HUMAN RIGHTS TEAM TO SYRIA. CHINA AND RUSSIA SAY THE U.N. MEASURE IS UNNECESSARY INTERVENTION.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A SURVEY OF LEADING ECONOMISTS SAYS HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND WEAK CONSUMER SPENDING WILL HOLD BACK THE U.S. ECONOMY INTO 2012. THE ECONOMISTS INTERVIEWED IN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SURVEY ALSO SAY THERE'LL PROBABLY BE NO MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT IN THE U.S. ECONOMY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, BUT THAT ANOTHER RECESSION IS NOT LIKELY EITHER.

NEW YORK (AP) - THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN NEW YORK IS EXPECTED TO ASK A JUDGE TODAY TO FORMALLY DISMISS SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES AGAINST DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN, THE FORMER CHIEF OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. BUT THE HOTEL MAID ACCUSING STRAUSS-KAHN IS ASKING THE JUDGE TO TAKE THE DA'S OFFICE OFF THE CASE AND PUT IT ON HOLD UNTIL A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR CAN BE APPOINTED.