TODAY'S NEWS: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT VISITS PINE GROVE


GILBERTON COUNCILMAN SUES OFFICIALS

A GILBERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL MAN WHO ALLEGES THAT THE MUNICIPALITY, MAYOR AND POLICE CHIEF UNCONSTITUTIONALLY CAUSED HIM TO BE ARRESTED AND STRIP SEARCHED HAS FILED A LAWSUIT IN FEDERAL COURT. REPRESENTED BY THE A-C-L-U ROBERT WAGNER SAYS THAT CHIEF MARK KESSLER AT THE DIRECTION OF MAYOR MARY LOU HANNON IMPROPERLY ARRESTED WAGNER ON TWO COUNTS OF HARASSMENT BECAUSE HE MADE PHONE CALLS TO THEM COMPLAINING OF KIDS RIDING 4 WHEELERS AND DIRT BIKES AT LATE HOURS.

COAL COMPANY OWES TRUCKING FIRM

A POTTSVILLE BUSINESS HAS BEEN ORDERED TO PAY MORE THAN $2 MILLION IN ACTUAL AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES TO A NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY TRUCKING FIRM FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT AND INTERFERING WITH ANOTHER. READING ANTHRACITE WILL PAY OVER $500,000 IN ACTUAL DAMAGES AND $1.5 MILLION IN PUNITIVE DAMAGES TO EMPIRE TRUCKING COMPANY IN SHAMOKIN. THE LAWSUIT WAS FILED IN 2008 AGAINST READING ANTHRACITE ALLEGING THE COAL COMPANY DID NOT PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FUEL SURCHARGES. ATTORNEY’S FOR READING ANTHRACITE SAY THE COAL COMPANY FEELS THEY DID NOTHING WRONG TO EMPIRE TRUCKING AND IT EXPECTS TO FILE AN APPEAL.

FINALLY FOUND, POLICE ARREST ASHLAND MAN

A 29 YEAR OLD ASHLAND MAN WANTED BY BOROUGH POLICE FOR ESCAPE AND ALSO OUTSTANDING WARRANTS FROM THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY DOMESTIC RELATIONS OFFICE WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY. WILLIAM SMITH IS CHARGED WITH ESCAPE, RESISTING ARREST, FLIGHT TO AVOID APPREHENSION AMONG DRUG CHARGES. THIS STEMS FROM AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED BACK ON JULY 4TH WHERE ASHLAND POLICE OBSERVED SMITH NEAR THE PIONEER TUNNEL POSSIBLY TAKING DRUGS WHEN CONFRONTED BY POLICE ABOUT THE OUTSTANDING WARRANTS SMITH BROKE AWAY FROM POLICE CUSTODY AND HAS BEEN ON THE RUN UNTIL WEDNESDAY. SMITH WAS ARRAIGNED AND REMANDED TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY PRISON ON $50,000 BAIL.

FAMILY FUN DAY PLANNED IN ORWIGSBURG

AN ORWIGSBURG ORGANIZATION KNOWN FOR DEVOTING TIME TO BUILDING COMMUNITIES AT HOME AND IN PLACES OF NEED WILL HOST FAMILY FUN DAY ON SATURDAY. TEAM ORWIGSBURG A MISSION GROUP BASED AT THE SALEM METHODIST CHURCH IN ORWIGSBURG WILL HOST THE EVENT AT THE ZION’S RED CHURCH GROVE JUST OF RT 61. MANY EVENTS ARE PLANNED THROUGHOUT THE DAY LIKE A PUMPKIN DROP, WHERE PEOPLE WILL GET A CHANCE TO DROP A PUMPKIN FROM 40 FEET IN THE AIR, MANY LOCAL RESTAURANTS WILL OFFER SAMPLES OF THEIR MENU WITH A TASTE OF ORWIGSBURG AND MUCH MORE. FAMILY FUN DAY WILL RUN FROM 10AM-4PM TOMORROW

STATE NEWS:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - SCHOOLS AND UNION OFFICIALS IN PHILADELPHIA HAVE TENTATIVELY AGREED TO A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR 15,000 DISTRICT EMPLOYEES. A UNION OFFICIAL TELLS THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED NOT TO PUBLICLY DISCUSS DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED DEAL. IT WILL BE PUT UP FOR A VOTE NEXT THURSDAY.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - A DAUPHIN COUNTY WOMAN WHO FATALLY SHOT HER DISABLED DAUGHTER BEFORE SHOOTING HERSELF HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY BUT MENTALLY ILL IN THE KILLING. BETTY SCOTT, WHO WAS PARTIALLY PARALYZED IN LAST YEAR'S SHOOTING, WILL SERVE LIFE IN PRISON, WITH PART OF HER SENTENCE INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT.

PETERSBURG, W. VA. (AP) - WEST VIRGINIA SEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THE WRECKAGE OF A PLANE THAT WENT MISSING SUNDAY NIGHT ALONG THE VIRGINIA-WEST VIRGINIA BORDER WITH THREE PEOPLE FROM WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ABOARD. A STATE POLICE HELICOPTER SPOTTED THE PLANE YESTERDAY IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA OF HARDY COUNTY. THERE'S BEEN NO IMMEDIATE WORD ON THE FATE OF THOSE ON THE PLANE.

ERIE, PA. (AP) - A REPUBLICAN PARTY OFFICIAL SAYS A GOP POLITICIAN WHO ENDORSED A DEMOCRAT IN THIS FALL'S CAMPAIGN DIDN'T BREAK PARTY RULES. THE ERIE TIMES-NEWS REPORTS A LOCAL REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE MEMBER ASKED FOR A RULING ON THE ENDORSEMENT BY MILLCREEK SUPERVISOR JOSEPH KUJAWA OF DEMOCRATIC SUPERVISOR BRIAN MCGRATH.

NATIONAL NEWS:

WASHINGTON (AP) - ECONOMISTS SURVEYED BY FACTSET PREDICT TODAY'S GOVERNMENT FIGURES WILL SHOW SEPTEMBER WAS ANOTHER WEAK MONTH FOR THE ECONOMY. THEY PREDICT LITTLE OR NO JOB CREATION AND NO CHANGE IN THE 9.1 UNEMPLOYMENT RATE. THE WEAKNESS UNDERSCORES THE SLUGGISHNESS OF THE ECONOMY AND THE RISK OF ANOTHER RECESSION.

CAMP SPRINGS, MD. (AP) - SNOW IS WORKING ITS WAY BACK INTO THE WEATHER FORECAST. WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE UP FOR NORTHERN PARTS OF THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST, AS A CHANGE IN THE WEATHER PATTERN HAS BROUGHT EARLY-SEASON SNOWS TO MANY OF THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. STORM WARNINGS ARE POSTED FOR MUCH OF THE HIGH COUNTRY IN WYOMING, SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO AND NORTHERN UTAH.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A NEVER-BEFORE HEARD INTERVIEW WITH THE DEFENDANT IS EXPECTED TO BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE PROSECUTION'S CASE TODAY IN THE TRIAL OF THE DOCTOR ACCUSED IN MICHAEL JACKSON'S DEATH. IN IT, DR. CONRAD MURRAY LAYS OUT HIS VERSION OF EVENTS AND DETAILS HOW HE TREATED JACKSON, INCLUDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ANESTHETIC PROPOFOL.

WASHINGTON (AP) - SEN. JIM WEBB SAYS A WASHINGTON POLICE POLICY BEING REPORTED IN THE MEDIA IS OVER THE TOP. THE VIRGINIA DEMOCRAT SAYS JAILING DRIVERS FOR HAVING EXPIRED TAGS IS COMPLETELY UNJUSTIFIED. HE'S ASKING MAYOR VINCENT GRAY TO LOOK INTO IT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE GOVERNMENT HAS COLLECTED MORE THAN $4 MILLION COMBINED IN CIVIL PENALTIES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR FROM TWO PRIVATE DEBT COLLECTION COMPANIES. ANOTHER FEDERAL AGENCY ACCUSED THEM OF USING OBSCENE LANGUAGE WITH CONSUMERS, MAKING ILLEGAL THREATS AND COMMITTING OTHER VIOLATIONS.