TODAY'S NEWS: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

ACCOMPLICE TESTIFIES AGAINST ENOE

DAY TWO OF THE MURDER TRAIL OF JULIUS ENOE BEGAN TUESDAY IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT WITH TESTIMONY FROM HIS ACCOMPLICE. DAMON ENNETT ADMITTED HE HELPED PLAN THE MARCH 2010 ROBBERY, BUT SAID HE WAS SHOCKED WHEN ENOE ALLEGEDLY ADMITTED SHOOTING 24-YEAR-OLD BRUCE FORKER OF SHENANDOAH. PROSECUTORS ARE SCHEDULED TO RESUME PRESENTING THEIR CASE AGAINST ENOE TODAY AT 9:30AM.

POWER OUTAGES STILL OVER ONE-THOUSAND

ELECTRIC UTILITIES ARE GRADUALLY RESTORING POWER TO CUSTOMERS WHO LOST POWER DURING HURRICANE IRENE, BUT THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS ARE STILL IN THE DARK ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA. IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, OVER TWELVE-HUNDRED PPL CUSTOMERS ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER. EMERGENCY WORKERS CONTINUED CLEANING UP ALONG IRENE'S PATH ACROSS THE COUNTY TUESDAY BY REPLACING SEVERAL POWER LINES. IN ADDITION TO POWER OUTAGES, FOUR DEATHS RELATED TO THE STORM HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED IN PENNSYLVANIA.

PLANS STALL AT HIGHRIDGE

PLANS TO CONSTRUCT A TRAVEL PLAZA AT THE HIGHRIDGE BUSINESS CENTER HAVE STALLED. THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP AGREED TO BUILD A TRAVEL PLAZA AT THE HIGHRIDGE BUSINESS PARK 10 YEARS AGO BUT HAVE RUN INTO SOME HEAVEY ROAD BLOCKS ALONG THE WAY. MAINLY BECAUSE SEDCO MUST GET APPROVAL FROM DEP ON HOW IT PLANS TO DEAL WITH STORM WATER RUN OFF AT THE SITE AND ALSO GET A PERMIT FROM THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT THAT ALLOWS THE BUILDING OF THE SITE. ONCE COMPLETE THE PLAZA WILL BE ALONG THE I-81 INTERCHANGE NEAR GORDON MOUNTAIN ROAD.

COUNTY JOBLESS RATE INCREASES

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY'S JOBLESS RATE ROSE IN JULY ALMOST TO 9.5% A TWO TENTH INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH. THE COUNTY LOST OVER 1,000 NON FARM JOBS INCLUDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT, TRANSPORTATION AND MANUFACTURING. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY TIED LUZERNE AND MONROE FOR 58TH OF THE 67 COUNTIES IN PA. CAMERON COUNTY CAME IN AT NUMBER ONE WITH 11% OF ITS COUNTY OUT OF WORK.

ANOTHER BUSINESS TO CLOSE ITS DOORS

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY WILL ONCE AGAIN SEE ANOTHER LONG TIME BUSINESS IN THE COUNTY SHUT IT DOORS FOR GOOD. HUMMEL’S GOOD FURNITURE IN ORWIGSBURG HAS DECIDED TO CLOSE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THE BUSINESS WHICH HAS BEEN AT IT’S CURRENT LOCATION SINCE 1982 AND OWNERS CHARLIE AND JUDY HUMMEL HAVE DECIDED TO RETIRE AND SAY THAT THE STORE COULD CLOSE AS EARLY AS THANKSGIVING BUT MAY BE EXTENDED.

STRIP CLUB REMAINS OPE

A WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP STRIP CLUB WILL STAY IN BUSINESS FOR NOW. THE HEARING ON THE LEGALITY OF THE STRIP MINE CABARET WAS TERMINATED AFTER EIGHT HOURS OF TESTIMONY TUESDAY. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY FILED THE LAWSUIT IN JULY CLAIMING THE ADULT CLUB VIOLATES THE ZONING ORDINANCE. THE HEARING WILL RESUME AT A LATER DATE.


ROAD CONSTRUCTION CLOSING ROAD

SPRUCE ST BETWEEN CENTER AND SOUTH RAILROAD STREET IN TAMAQUA WILL BE CLOSED STARTING AT 7AM TOMORROW FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION. SCHOOL BUS TRAFFIC WILL BE REROUTED AND ANYONE TRAVELING TO TAMAQUA AREA HIGH SCHOOL OR LEHIGH CARBON COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARE ADVISED TO USE LEHIGH OR HUNTER STREET. CONSTRUCTION IS PART TAMAQUA TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT


BLOOD DONATIONS NEEDED

HURRICANE IRENE HAS AFFECTED BLOOD DONATIONS ALONG THE EAST COAST AT A TIME WHEN THE NATION'S BLOOD SUPPLY IS ALREADY LOW. SINCE HURRICANE IRENE BEGAN ITS PATH ALONG THE EAST COAST, THE STORM HAS FORCED THE CANCELLATION OF NEARLY 60 AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES, RESULTING IN THE SHORTFALL OF MORE THAN 1,500 UNITS OF BLOOD AND THE NUMBERS COULD INCREASE THIS WEEK WHILE AREAS DEAL WITH THE STORM'S AFTERMATH. THE RED CROSS IS URGING IMMEDIATE BLOOD AND PLATELET DONATIONS AND ASKS THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS CONSIDER DONATING BLOOD IN AFFECTED AREAS, ONCE IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO DONATE BLOOD OR PLATELETS, PLEASE VISIT US ONLINE AT REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG OR CALL 1-800-RED CROSS.

STATE NEWS:

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - AMTRAK SAYS IT WILL RESUME SOME TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN PHILADELPHIA AND NEW YORK CITY TODAY AFTER FLOODING CAUSED BY HURRICANE IRENE. SERVICE WAS SUSPENDED BECAUSE OF FLOODING AT THE TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, STATION. THE RAIL SERVICE SAYS REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT THERE WILL BE DELAYS WHEN TRAINS START RUNNING AGAIN.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - TWO COUSINS HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE IN A DRUG-RELATED DOUBLE MURDER IN NORTH PHILADELPHIA IN 2006. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REPORTS A JUDGE IMPOSED THE MANDATORY SENTENCES YESTERDAY ON MALIK COLLINS, WHO'S ALREADY SERVING TWO LIFE TERMS, AND ANTHONY COLLINS.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - PENNSYLVANIA AUDITOR GENERAL JACK WAGNER IS CRITICIZING THE STATE'S EXPERIMENT WITH WINE VENDING MACHINES. HE SAYS REGULATORS INSTEAD SHOULD KEEP STATE-CONTROLLED LIQUOR STORES OPEN FOR SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 12 HOURS A DAY.


NATIONAL NEWS:

NEWFANE, VT. (AP) - VERMONT RESIDENTS IN SOME 12 COMMUNITIES ARE STILL CUT OFF FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD BECAUSE OF THE BIG WEEKEND STORM, BUT AT LEAST THEY HAVE FOOD AND WATER NOW. HELICOPTERS DROPPED SUPPLIES LATE YESTERDAY. IN NEW JERSEY AND CONNECTICUT
THERE ARE NEW DANGERS FROM RISING WATERS THIS MORNING, AND NEW JERSEY HAS ORDERED EVACUATIONS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY THERE'S NO INDICATION OF A TERROR ATTACK PLANNED FOR THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 9/11 TERROR ATTACKS, BUT THEY SAY SECURITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY WILL BE BEEFED UP ANYWAY. FEDERAL OFFICIALS PLAN TO HAVE MORE SECURITY AT U.S. BORDERS, AIRPORTS, MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS AND OTHER PLACES THAT COULD BE POSSIBLE TARGETS.

NEW YORK (AP) - DOCUMENTS SHOW THAT NEW YORK'S POLICE DEPARTMENT KEPT A LIST OF "ANCESTRIES OF INTEREST" AND SENT UNDERCOVER OFFICERS TO MONITOR MUSLIM BUSINESSES AND SOCIAL GROUPS FOLLOWING THE 9/11 TERROR ATTACKS. THE DOCUMENTS OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REVEAL HOW THE NYPD HAS SINGLED OUT MUSLIM COMMUNITIES FOR SURVEILLANCE AND INFILTRATION.

TRIPOLI, LIBYA (AP) - THOUSANDS OF LIBYANS ARE NOT ONLY CELEBRATING A MAJOR MUSLIM HOLIDAY IN TRIPOLI'S MAIN SQUARE TODAY, THEY'RE ALSO MARKING THE OUSTER OF MOAMMAR GADHAFI. GADHAFI MAY STILL BE ON THE RUN, BUT LIBYANS GATHERED IN MARTYRS' SQUARE THANKED REBEL FIGHTERS AND FIRED CELEBRATORY SHOTS INTO THE AIR. ONE MAN CHOKED BACK TEARS SAYING, "WE JUST WANT TO LIVE FREE."

LOS ANGELES (AP) - FORMER NBA PLAYER JAVARIS CRITTENTON IS SET TO APPEAR IN A LOS ANGELES COURT TODAY FOR A HEARING ON A CHARGE OF MURDER. HE WAS ARRESTED MONDAY. CRITTENTON IS ACCUSED IN THE AUG. 19 SHOOTING DEATH OF A 22-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IN ATLANTA. CRITTENTON WAS PLAYING FOR THE WASHINGTON WIZARDS WHEN HE GOT IN TROUBLE FOR BRINGING A GUN TO THE LOCKER ROOM.