TODAY'S NEWS FRI. OCTOBER 28, 2011

WANTED SHENANDOAH MAN TURNS HIMSELF IN

A SHENANDOAH MAN WANTED ON CHARGES OF FELONY BURGLARY, CRIMINAL TRESPASS, AND OTHER CHARGES HAS TURNED HIMSELF IN TO POLICE. FIFTY THREE YEAR OLD MARK TUTKO WAS WANTED ON CHARGES RESULTING FROM A BREAK IN AT THE HOME OF BARBARA BISCO ON SEPTEMBER TWENTY THIRD. IT WAS REPORTED THAT TUTKO WAS HIDING IN A WOODED AREA IN THE BOROUGH, AND THAT IS WHERE POLICE FOUND HIM ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. TUTKO WAS ARRAIGNED BEFORE MAGESTERIAL DISTRICT JUDGE CAROL PANCAKE OF TREMONT, AND COMMITTED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON IN LIEU OF THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS BAIL.

CHESAPEAKE BAY ADVOCATES CONCERNED ABOUT FUNDING IN NEW FARM BILL

AS CONGRESS CONSIDERS THE NEW FEDERAL FARM BILL, CHESAPEAKE BAY ADVOCATES ARE CONCERNED THAT THE WAY THE BILL IS HANDLED THIS TIME COULD MEAN A REDUCTION IN MONIES AVAILABLE FOR PENNSYLVANIA AND ITS FARMERS AS THEY WORK TO REDUCE RUNOFF TO STREAMS THAT FEED THE BAY. WE HAVE THIS REPORT FROM DOUG SIGLIN OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION, AND WPPA'S JOE OLIVER:

LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD AWARDS GRANT TO POTTSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

THE PENNSYLVANIA LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD HAS AWARDED FOURTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE POTTSVILLE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT TO HELP EDUCATE STUDENTS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF ALCOHOL USE. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL USE THE FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE TIDE TASK FORCE, WHICH WAS FORMED IN 2010 WITH THE GOAL OF ENCOURAGING STUDENTS NOT TO DRINK. THE DISTRICT WILL PREPARE A CURRICULUM, THEN PRESENT IT TO THE PLCB FOR APPROVAL. THE LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD SAYS THAT ALCOHOL IS THE MOST COMMONLY USED DRUG AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, AND THIS GRANT WILL ALLOW THE POTTSVILLE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT TO HELP STUDENTS MAKE RESPONSIBLE CHOICES.

COUNTY JUDGES SEEK RETENTION

TWO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY JUDGES ARE RUNNING FOR RETENTION IN NOVEMBER. JUDGES CYRUS PALMER DOLBIN AND CHARLES MILLER BOTH SEEK TO RETURN TO THE BENCH FOR ANOTHER TEN YEAR TERM. DOLBIN AND MILLER ARE THE SUBJECTS OF SEPARATE RETENTION BALLOT QUESTIONS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE CAMPAIGNING TOGETHER. DOLBIN HAS BEEN JUDGE SINCE 1991, MILLER SINCE 2001.

FUNDS GROWING FOR SKATE PARK

THE MINERSVILLE SKATE PARK ASSOCIATION HAS ALREADY RAISED SIX-THOUSAND DOLLARS TOWARDS A NEW SKATE PARK. THE ORGANIZATION HAS ONLY BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS, BUT ORGANIZERS SAY MANY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, PROUDLY GIVING UP THEIR TIME. THE ORIGINAL FIGURES TO BUILD A SKATE PARK IN THE BOROUGH AMOUNTED TO A MINIMUM OF ONE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND DOLLARS, BUT THE GROUP HOPES TO GET THE PROJECT DONE FOR A LOT LESS.

$18K TO REPAIR TRINITY EPISCOPAL STEEPLE

TRINITY EPISCOPAL PARISH IN POTTSVILLE IS UPGRADING ITS CHURCH STEEPLE BY INSTALLING NEW LOUVERS. THE CURRENT LOUVERS ARE DUE FOR AN UPGRADE AFTER BEING INSTALLED OVER FIFTY-YEARS AGO. THE EIGHTEEN-THOUSAND DOLLAR PROJECT IS BEING FINANCED BY DONATIONS AND INVESTMENT MONEY. THE PROJECT SHOULD TAKE ABOUT TWO WEEKS. TRINITY EPISCOPAL IS THE OLDEST PARISH IN THE CITY.

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - WINTER IS STILL NEARLY TWO MONTHS AWAY, BUT FLAKES ARE IN THE FORECAST FOR THIS WEEKEND. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TOMORROW. THE SOUTHERN POCONOS, LEHIGH VALLEY AND BERKS COUNTY COULD RECEIVE FOUR TO SIX INCHES OF SNOW.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT'S LOOKING AT USING MORE DATABASES FOR CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS AFTER A U.S. SENATOR CALLED FOR TIGHTER REGULATIONS BECAUSE OF ALLEGATIONS THAT PEOPLE WERE LOCKED IN A PHILADELPHIA BASEMENT AS PART OF A FRAUD SCHEME. SENATOR BOB CASEY WROTE A LETTER TO THE AGENCY ASKING IT TO CLOSE A LOOPHOLE HE SAYS LET A WOMAN ACCUSED OF RUNNING THE HORRIFIC FRAUD CASE EVADE NOTICE FOR YEARS.

NATIONAL NEWS:

OAKLAND, CALIF. (AP) - THE IRAQ WAR VETERAN WHO WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN A CONFRONTATION BETWEEN POLICE AND ANTI-WALL STREET DEMONSTRATORS HAS BEEN HONORED WITH A VIGIL IN OAKLAND. AT LEAST 1,000 PEOPLE GATHERED AND MANY HELD LIT CANDLES FOR 24-YEAR-OLD SCOTT OLSEN, WHO'S IN FAIR CONDITION. IN TENNESSEE, AUTHORITIES HAVE MADE SOME ARRESTS AT A NASHVILLE ENCAMPMENT.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - THE DEFENSE FOR A DOCTOR CHARGED WITH INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER IN THE DEATH OF MICHAEL JACKSON PLANS TO PRESENT ITS OWN THEORY TODAY. A DEFENSE EXPERT PLANS TO LAY OUT A SCENARIO THAT JACKSON SOMEHOW GAVE HIMSELF A FATAL DOSE OF A DRUG
WHEN HIS DOCTOR LEFT THE ROOM. A VIGOROUS CHALLENGE IS EXPECTED FROM PROSECUTORS.

ST. LOUIS (AP) - DAVID FREESE HOMERED TO LEAD OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE 11TH INNING, AND THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS FORCED THE WORLD SERIES TO A GAME 7 BY RALLYING FROM TWO-RUN DEFICITS AGAINST THE TEXAS RANGERS IN THE 9TH AND 10TH INNINGS TO WIN 10-9 LAST NIGHT. GAME 7 IS TONIGHT IN ST. LOUIS.

THESSALONIKI, GREECE (AP) - GREECE'S PRESIDENT CALLS THE CANCELLATION OF THE ANNUAL MILITARY PARADE COMMEMORATING GREECE'S ENTRY IN WORLD WAR II "SHAMEFUL. A PROTEST BY ANTI-AUSTERITY DEMONSTRATORS FORCED THE PARADE TO BE SCRAPPED.

ERCIS, TURKEY (AP) - TURKISH OFFICIALS SAY THEY'VE UPDATED THE DEATH TOLL IN THE MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE IN EASTERN TURKEY TO 570, WITH MORE THAN 2,500 INJURED AND MORE THAN 185 RESCUED. THE LATEST RESCUE WAS A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY TRAPPED FOR NEARLY FIVE DAYS.