LOCAL NEWS: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

BASEMENT FIRE IN HAVEN

A FIRE BROKE OUT MONDAY AFTERNOON IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN AT THE HOME OF DAVID CULLATHER OF 15 PARKWAY. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN FIRE CHIEF ROBERT PEEL SAYS THAT THEY WERE DISPATCHED TO THE HOME FOR SMOKE IN THE BUILDING AND UPON ARRIVAL FOUND A WORKING FIRE IN THE BASEMENT. DAMAGE WAS CONTAINED TO JUST THE BASEMENT WITH SOME SMOKE DAMAGE OCCURRING IN THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR AND IN A VACANT HOUSE NEXT DOOR. THE HOME IS NOW DEEMED UNLIVABLE UNTIL THE SMOKE DAMAGE IS CLEANED. CAUSE OF THE FIRE IN UNKNOWN AND AN INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.

FRACKVILLE MUSEUM CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING

THE GRAND OPENING OF THE FRACKVILLE MUSEUM AND HERITAGE HALL WAS HELD MONDAY. FILLED WITH DONATED MEMORABILIA DATED BACK TO 1908, THE MUSEUM WILL PRESERVE THE BOROUGH'S HISTORY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS, STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVID ARGALL PRESENTED A CITATION TO A LIFELONG BOROUGH RESIDENT, AUTHOR AND HISTORIAN LORRAINE STANTON. THE MUSEUM IS LOCATED ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE FRACKVILLE MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY CENTER.

ORWIGSBURG WELCOMES BACK HERITAGE DAY

HERITAGE DAY IS RETURNING TO ORWIGSBURG THIS WEEKEND FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2009. THE SATURDAY EVENT WILL BE HELD IN THE BOROUGH SQUARE AND FEATURE ARTISTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SEVERAL NEW EVENTS. ADMISSION IS FREE AND RAIN DATE IS SEPTEMBER 17.

PACK TO SCHOOL HEALTHY LUNCH PROGRAM

IN ORDER TO INSTILL HEALTHY EATING HABITS IN YOUNG CHILDREN, THE PACK TO SCHOOL HEALTHY LUNCH PROGRAM IS BEING LAUNCHED AT THREE BOYER'S LOCATIONS THIS MONTH. PARENTS AND CHILDREN WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT PACKING HEALTHY LUNCHES TO GET CHILDREN INTO GOOD FOOD HABITS EARLY. REGISTRATION IS LIMITED ON THIS FREE PROGRAM.

TO REGISTER CALL (570) 875-6950

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA POLICE SAY A TEMPLE UNIVERSITY STUDENT EXCHANGED GUNFIRE WITH A TEEN SUSPECT TRYING TO ROB HIM EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING. POLICE HAVE CHARGED THE 15-YEAR-OLD SUSPECT. SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THE STUDENT, ROB EELLS, IS RECOVERING AT A HOSPITAL. POLICE SAY HE HAD A LICENSE TO CARRY THE FIREARM.

VERONA, N.Y. (AP) - POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE THAT STRUCK AND KILLED A PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA MAN WHO FELL OUT OF A MOVING BUS ON THE NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY. ACCORDING TO THE ONEIDA DAILY DISPATCH, AUTHORITIES SAY THE BUS WAS CARRYING PASSENGERS FROM THE ONEIDA INDIAN-OWNED TURNING STONE CASINO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING WHEN BRIAN BAUER FELL FROM THE REAR EMERGENCY EXIT.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - ROMAN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN PHILADELPHIA ARE SET TO OPEN TOMORROW WHETHER OR NOT TEACHERS HAVE A NEW CONTRACT IN PLACE. THE TWO SIDES ARE EXPECTED TO VOTE TODAY. A SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE ARCHDIOCESE TELLS THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER TALKS OVER THE WEEKEND WERE PRODUCTIVE. BUT THE UNION PRESIDENT SAYS THE TWO SIDES REMAIN FAR APART ON KEY ISSUES.

JOHNSTOWN, PA. (AP) - A NEW VIDEO SHOWS A CLOUD OF GRAY SMOKE RISING IN THE SKY MINUTES AFTER UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93 CRASHED IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ON 9/11. THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT NEWSPAPER OF JOHNSTOWN SAYS THE VIDEO WAS FILMED AND NARRATED BY SOMERSET COUNTY RESIDENT DAVE BERKEBILE (BERK'-UH-BYL), WHO DIED THIS YEAR.


NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE LINE BETWEEN PURSUING TERRORISM AND PRESERVING CIVIL LIBERTIES IS NOT A STRAIGHT ONE. A POLL BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS-N-O-R-C CENTER FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT U.S. RESIDENTS ARE OK WITH SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS IN PUBLIC PLACES AND MAYBE EVEN AIRPORT SCANS. BUT THEY BALK AT SNOOPING ON PERSONAL EMAIL AND PHONE CALLS.

SINGAPORE (AP) - THE HEAD OF THE WORLD BANK SAYS HE DOESN'T THINK THE U.S. IS HEADED TOWARD ANOTHER RECESSION, BUT STILL HAS A ROCKY ROAD AHEAD. WORLD BANK PRESIDENT ROBERT ZOELLICK SAYS THE U.S. ECONOMY WILL LIKELY LIMP ALONG WITH SLOW GROWTH AND HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT. HE ALSO SAYS THE EUROPEAN DEBT CRISIS POSES MORE IMMINENT CHALLENGES.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS SAY THIEVES HAVE CAUGHT ON TO THE SKYROCKETING VALUE OF GOLD. POLICE NATIONWIDE ARE SEEING AN UPTICK IN ROBBERIES AND BURGLARIES RELATED TO GOLD PRICES, WHICH PEAKED AT $1,891 AN OUNCE LAST MONTH, UP MORE THAN $600 FROM A YEAR EARLIER.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE DIRE STRAITS OF THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE COME TO CAPITOL HILL TODAY. POSTMASTER GENERAL PATRICK DONAHOE IS AMONG THE WITNESSES SCHEDULED TO APPEAR BEFORE THE SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. THE POSTAL SERVICE IS FACING A SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR OF LOSSES OF $8 BILLION OR MORE AND IS CONSIDERING CUTBACKS AND LAYOFFS.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - CALIFORNIA'S SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BAN GOES BEFORE THE STATE SUPREME COURT TODAY. THE COURT HAS BEEN ASKED TO SHED LIGHT ON WHETHER THE MEASURE'S BACKERS HAVE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO APPEAL THE RULING THAT OVERTURNED PROPOSITION 8. A FEDERAL COURT HEARING CONSIDERING THAT CASE WANTS THE STATE COURT TO WEIGH IN BEFORE ISSUING A DECISION.