TODAY'S NEWS: FRIDAY SEPT, 2011

THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN AFRICA WILL BE CLIMBED BY A FRACKVILLE NATIVE AND IT'S ALL FOR A GREAT CAUSE. JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

A DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER IN PINE GROVE CONTINUES TO HELP FLOOD VICTIMS TODAY. JASMINE BROOKS REPORTS:

POSSIBLE CLOSURE OF LOCAL POST OFFICES

RESIDENTS OF MAHANOY PLANE AND CUMBOLA LEANED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL CLOSING OF THEIR POST OFFICES AT COMMUNITY MEETING THURSDAY. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THE MEETING WAS HELD BY THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE AND MODERATED BY THE MANAGER FOR THE HARRISBURG DISTRICT FOR THE 178 AND 179 ZIP CODE AREAS. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY HAS A TOTAL OF SEVEN POST OFFICES.

SHENANDOAH MAN FREE ON BAIL

A SHENANDOAH MAN IS FREE ON BAIL AFTER WAIVING HIS RIGHT TO A PRELIMINARY HEARING THURSDAY. 19-YEAR-OLD CHARLES WISHNEFSKY WAS FOUND WITH TWO MOLOTOV COCKTAILS, A LIGHTER AND ILLEGAL NARCOTICS IN AUGUST. WISHNEFSKY'S BAIL WAS REDUCED TO $10,000 UNSECURED, ALLOWING HIM TO BE RELEASED FOLLOWING THE HEARING PENDING FURTHER ACTION IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT.

CARGO AIRPORT DECISION BACK TO COUNTY ZONING HEARING BOARD

CONTROVERSY IS STIRRING OVER THE POSSIBILITY OF A CARGO AIRPORT BEING BUILT IN EAST UNION TOWNSHIP. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY ZONING OFFICIALS WILL MAKE THE NEXT DECISION ABOUT WHETHER TO ALLOW CONSTRUCTION AFTER A JUDGE DISMISSED AN EFFORT TO BLOCK CONSIDERATION OF THE ISSUE. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS A JUDGE OVERTURNED EAST UNION TOWNSHIP'S APPEAL AT A HEARING THURSDAY.

DRS TO OPEN IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY

THE U.S. FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA) AND THE PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (PEMA) WILL OPEN A DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER (DRC) IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 TO HELP RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS WITH THEIR RECOVERY FROM THE RECENT STORMS AND FLOODING. REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT LOW INTEREST RATE LOANS. THE CENTER WILL BE AT THE CAREER LINK CENTER ON ARCH STREET IN SHAMOKIN. DISASTER OFFICIALS RECOMMEND THAT YOU REGISTER BEFORE VISITING A DRC SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS THEY CAN BE ANSWERED FACE TO FACE. YOU MAY VISIT ANY DRC REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU LIVE OR WORK. TO REGISTER FOR ASSISTANCE, CALL 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).


HEARING CONTINUED FOR MAHANOY CITY WOMAN

THE HEARING FOR THE MAHANOY CITY WOMAN WHO WAS CHARGED WITH TAMPERING OR FABRICATING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE HAD HER HEARING CONTINUED THURSDAY. 39 YEAR OLD TAMMY CASSERLY WAS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR BEFORE DISTRICT JUSTICE ANTHONY KILKER BUT HE CONTINUED THE CASE BECAUSE CASSERLY HAD NO LEGAL REPRESENTATION. CASSERLY WAS CHARGED BY STATE POLICE AT FRACKVILLE WITH REMOVING A GUN FROM A SUICIDE SCENE IN FEBRUARY 2010. CASSERLY'S NEW HEARING HAS BEEN SET FOR EITHER OCTOBER 6 OR 13TH WITH OR WITHOUT LEGAL COUNSEL.

STATE NEWS:

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A SPENDING FIGHT IN CONGRESS COULD AFFECT FLOOD VICTIMS WAITING FOR HELP IN PENNSYLVANIA. FEDERAL DISASTER OFFICIALS SAY FUNDING IN A DISASTER RELIEF FUND COULD RUN OUT SOMETIME NEXT WEEK. HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO GET THE VOTES TO OK A $3.7 BILLION DISASTER AID PACKAGE THAT WAS SURPRISINGLY DEFEATED ON WEDNESDAY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - FORMER PENTAGON HEAD ROBERT GATES HAS BEEN AWARDED THE LIBERTY MEDAL AT PHILADELPHIA'S NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER. TWO IRAQ WAR VETERANS PRESENTED THE MEDAL TO GATES, WHO STEPPED DOWN THIS SUMMER AFTER SERVING AS DEFENSE SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENTS GEORGE W. BUSH AND BARACK OBAMA.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - TOURS AROUND THE TOWER AT PHILADELPHIA'S HISTORIC CITY HALL HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED AFTER A CRACK TURNED UP IN THE STRUCTURE. OFFICIALS BELIEVE THE CRACK MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE EARTHQUAKE THAT STRUCK THE REGION EARLIER THIS MONTH. THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS REPORTS REPAIRING THE CRACK COULD TAKE A MONTH.

NATIONAL NEWS:

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) - THE GROUP OF 20 LEADING ADVANCED AND EMERGING ECONOMIES SAYS IT'S "COMMITTED TO A STRONG AND COORDINATED INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO ADDRESS THE RENEWED CHALLENGES FACING THE GLOBAL ECONOMY." IN A STATEMENT RELEASED TODAY IN SOUTH KOREA AMID SLIDING STOCK MARKETS, THE G-20 SAYS SOME OF THE MAIN CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED ARE "FINANCIAL SYSTEM FRAGILITY, MARKET TURBULENCE, WEAK ECONOMIC GROWTH AND UNACCEPTABLY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT."

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE LATEST MUST-PASS BILL IN CONGRESS COULD BE THE LATEST SHOWDOWN BETWEEN HOUSE REPUBLICANS AND SENATE DEMOCRATS. THE HOUSE BILL ATTEMPTS TO PREVENT A LOOMING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND REPLENISH DISASTER FUNDS. SENATE DEMOCRATS OBJECT TO CUTS TO TWO CLEAN ENERGY PROGRAMS.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A SEVERE SHORTAGE IS FORCING HOSPITALS TO BUY LIFE-SAVING DRUGS AT HUGE MARKUPS BY SECONDARY SOURCES. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FOUND AT LEAST 15 RECENT DEATHS ARE BLAMED ON THE SHORTAGES, MAINLY OF WIDELY-USED, GENERIC INJECTED DRUGS THAT ORDINARILY ARE CHEAP.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THE NEXT TWO DAYS WILL FIND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEES VOTING ON WHETHER TO ACCEPT A DEAL THAT THEIR UNION LEADERS NEGOTIATED WITH THE REGION'S LARGEST GROCERY CHAINS, IN HOPES OF HEADING OFF A STRIKE. UNION OFFICIALS SAY THE PLAN ADDRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT FUNDING FOR THE EMPLOYEES' HEALTH PLAN.

PERUGIA, ITALY (AP) - PROSECUTORS IN ITALY ARE MAKING CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN THEIR FIGHT AGAINST THE CHALLENGE OF THE MURDER CONVICTION OF AMERICAN EXCHANGE STUDENT AMANDA KNOX IN THE BRUTAL 2007 SLAYING OF HER ROOMMATE. KNOX'S FATHER SAYS HE IS HOPEFUL THAT A REVIEW OF DNA EVIDENCE WILL HELP HIS DAUGHTER GET THE CONVICTION OVERTURNED.