TODAY'S NEWS THU. OCTOBER 20, 2011

A FREE PROGRAM WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TONIGHT. IT'S ALL ABOUT LIVING WITH LYMPHEDEMA. JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL PROVIDED A GROUP OF STUDENTS A CHANCE TO MEET WITH COMMUNITY BUSINESS LEADERS WEDNESDAY AT A "STUDENT HIGHLIGHT LUNCH". JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

THE RED CROSS CAME TO PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL WEDNESDAY TO GET STUDENTS INVOLVED WITH DONATING BLOOD. JASMINE BROOKS HAS MORE:

U.S. SENATOR COMING TO SCHUYLKILL COUNTY

RESIDENTS IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO RECEIVE HELP FROM A U.S. SENATOR THIS MORNING WHEN SENATOR PAT TOOMEY'S PERSONAL STAFF HOLDS A CASEWORK DAY. YOU CAN VISIT REPRESENTATIVE MIKE TOBASH’S OFFICE IN NORTH MANHEIM TOWNSHIP AND SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH REPRESENTATIVE TOOMEY’S STAFF. CITIZENS WHO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY FROM 10:30AM TO 3PM.

CRESSONA MAN PLEADS GUILTY, FACES UP TO 13-YEARS

A CRESSONA MAN FACES UP TO 13-YEARS IN STATE PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO DOZENS OF CRIMES WEDNESDAY IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURT. 27-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM KISTLER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A ROBBERY AT RED AND WHITE MARKET AND A CRIME SPREE THAT CONTINUED ACROSS SOUTHERN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY IN 2010. KISTLER MUST NOW PAY COSTS AND OVER $9-THOUSAND RESTITUTION.

COMMISSIONERS FIELD REQUESTS FROM ELECTION BUREAU

ELECTION BUREAU DIRECTOR FRANNIE BRENNAN BROUGHT SEVEN ISSUES BEFORE THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AT WEDNESDAY'S WORKSHOP. CHIEF AMONG THEM ARE THREE POLLING PLACES THAT WILL BE RELOCATED WITHIN THE COUNTY. HOSE HOOK AND LADDER FIRE COMPANY IN PINE GROVE WILL REPLACE THE PINE GROVE LIONS CLUB UNTIL THE LIONS CAN REPAIR THE FLOOD DAMAGE TO THEIR BUILDING. THE PHOENIX FIRE COMPANY WILL REPLACE THE GREENWOOD HILL FIRE COMPANY FOR POTTSVILLE'S FIRST WARD VOTERS, AND SCHUYLKILL HEALTH SCHOOL OF NURSING WILL BE THE NEW POLLING PLACE FOR SECOND WARD VOTERS, ALSO REPLACING THE GREENWOOD HILL FIRE COMPANY.

POTTSVILLE MAROONS RETURN TO TOWN AT SOVEREIGN MAJESTIC

AN OFF-BROADWAY PRODUCTION GROUP FROM PHILADELPHIA CALLED THE IRON AGE THEATER WILL PRESENT A PREVIEW OF THE PLAY "MAROONS:THE ANTHRACITE GRIDIRON" ON SUNDAY AT THE SOVEREIGN MAJESTIC THEATER IN POTTSVILLE. THE FULL SCALE PRESENTATION WILL BE PERFORMED AT THE CENTRE THEATER IN NORRISTOWN STARTING ON NOVEMBER 4. THEATER-GOERS WILL SEE DUKE OSBORN, TONY LATONE, AND THE REST OF THE MAROONS AS THEY DEFEAT THE CHICAGO CARDINALS FOR THE NFL TITLE. THE SHOW OPENS AT 2:00 ON SUNDAY, AND TICKETS ARE TEN DOLLARS.

SHENANDOAH POLICE SEEK STALKER

POLICE IN SHENANDOAH ARE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A MAN WHO MAY BE LIVING IN THE WOODS NEAR THE BOROUGH. OFFICERS SAY THAT MARK TUTKO BROKE INTO THE HOME OF BARBARA BISCO BY REMOVING A WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER. HE WOKE BISCO BY RUBBING HER LEG WHILE SHE SLEPT, AND BISCO FORCED HIM TO LEAVE HER HOME. TUTKO HAS BEEN SEEN IN THE VICINITY OF BISCO'S HOME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SINCE THEN, BUT POLICE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE HIS WHEREABOUTS.

STATE NEWS:

FBI INVESTIGATING CASE OF THOSE LOCKED IN BASEMENT

THE CASE OF THE FOUR DISABLED ADULTS FOUND LOCKED IN A PHILADELPHIA BASEMENT MAY BECOME ONE OF THE FIRST PROSECUTED UNDER A 2009 FEDERAL HATE-CRIMES LAW. THE FBI IS TAKING A BROAD LOOK AT THE APPARENT SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUD CASE, WHICH ALREADY STRETCHES FROM TEXAS TO FLORIDA TO PENNSYLVANIA. PHILADELPHIA POLICE BELIEVE ALLEGED RINGLEADER AND CONVICTED MURDERER LINDA WESTON GAINED THE TRUST OF DISABLED PEOPLE BEFORE WRESTING CONTROL OF THEIR DISABILITY CHECKS.

HARRISBURG BANKRUPTCY BILL ON GOVERNOR'S DESK

A BILL AIMED AT GIVING THE GOVERNOR THE POWER TO FORCE THE CITY OF HARRISBURG INTO AN APPOINTEE'S PLAN TO DEAL WITH ITS STAGGERING DEBT APPEARS TO BE ALL BUT LAW IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE HOUSE VOTED 177-18 ON WEDNESDAY TO SEND THE BILL TO THE DESK OF GOV. TOM CORBETT. A SPOKESWOMAN SAYS HE'LL LIKELY SIGN IT LATER THIS WEEK.
IT IS UNCLEAR HOW THE MEASURE WILL AFFECT PENNSYLVANIA'S CAPITAL, NOW THAT A CITY COUNCIL PETITION IS IN FEDERAL BANKRUPTCY COURT, PENDING A NOV. 23 COURT DATE. THE BILL IS A RESPONSE TO AN UNPRECEDENTED REJECTION BY HARRISBURG'S CITY COUNCIL OF A FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN PRESENTED TO IT BY STATE-APPOINTED CONSULTANTS UNDER A MUNICIPAL AID LAW OFTEN REFERRED TO AS ACT 47. OPPONENTS SAY IT'S AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL OVERREACH.

COVERED BRIDGE RECOVERED FROM CREEK IN LANCASTER

ENGINEERS IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA HAVE SALVAGED 127-YEAR-OLD COVERED BRIDGE THAT WASHED AWAY IN FLOODS STEMMING FROM TROPICAL STORM LEE. TWO CRANES HOISTED THE SIEGRIST MILL SPAN OUT OF CHIQUES CREEK ON TUESDAY. FLOODS HAD RIPPED THE HISTORIC, 50-TON COVERED BRIDGE OFF ITS ABUTMENTS ON SEPT. 8 AND DUMPED IT INTO THE RAGING WATER. THE 92-FOOT-LONG WOODEN STRUCTURE SITS NEAR LANCASTER ON THE LINE BETWEEN RAPHO AND WEST HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIPS. LANCASTER COUNTY OFFICIALS EXPECT TO SOLICIT BIDS IN THE COMING WEEKS FOR ITS REHABILITATION. COUNTY FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR CHARLIE DOUTS SAYS THE PROJECT'S COST IS UNCLEAR, BUT THAT HE EXPECTS FEDERAL DISASTER AID TO OFFSET MOST OF THE EXPENSE. HE SAYS THE COUNTY HOPES TO REOPEN THE BRIDGE BY NOVEMBER 2012.

COUPLE SENTENCED IN PHILLY JEWELRY STORE ROBBERY

A JUDGE HAS IMPOSED WIDELY DIFFERENT SENTENCES ON A NORTH PHILADELPHIA COUPLE CONVICTED OF ROBBING A JEWELRY STORE LAST YEAR AND LEAVING THEIR 4-YEAR-OLD SON BEHIND. THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS SAYS 48-YEAR-OLD JOHN BENSON WAS SENTENCED WEDNESDAY TO 30 TO 72 YEARS IN PRISON IN THE FEBRUARY 2010 ROBBERY OF THE PLATINUM & ICE STORE. BENSON WAS CONVICTED IN AUGUST OF ATTEMPTED MURDER, CONSPIRACY, RETAIL THEFT, CHILD ENDANGERMENT, AND ROBBERY, AND OF ASSAULTING THE JEWELER WHOSE THROAT WAS SLASHED AS HE CHASED THE ROBBER. THE JUDGE SENTENCED 32-YEAR-OLD SHEAKIA (SHUH-KEE'-UH) STUBBS TO 11 1/2 TO 23 MONTHS WITH IMMEDIATE PAROLE AND TWO YEARS OF PROBATION, NOTING THAT SHE HAD LEFT THE STORE WITH THE CHILD BEFORE THE ROBBERY. SHE WAS CONVICTED OF CONSPIRACY, RETAIL THEFT AND CHILD ENDANGERMENT.

NATIONAL NEWS:

SIRTE, LIBYA (AP) - THE HOMETOWN OF LIBYA'S MOAMMAR GADHAFI HAS BEEN OVERRUN BY REVOLUTIONARIES. REPORTERS SAY ABOUT FIVE CARLOADS OF GADHAFI LOYALISTS TRIED TO FLEE SIRTE (SERT), BUT WERE KILLED. THE REVOLUTIONARIES ARE NOW SAID TO BE SEARCHING HOMES AND BUILDINGS.

SALINAS, CALIF. (AP) - BAGS OF SALAD BLENDS MADE BY TAYLOR FARMS OF SALINAS, CALIF., ARE BEING RECALLED BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE SALMONELLA. TAYLOR SAYS THE RECALL IS VOLUNTARY, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF ILLNESS. MORE THAN 3,200 CASES OF SALAD BLENDS WERE DISTRIBUTED IN 14 STATES AND PUERTO RICO.

ATHENS, GREECE (AP) - ANOTHER DAY OF PROTESTS OUTSIDE THE GREEK PARLIAMENT AS IT PREPARES TO VOTE ON YET MORE AUSTERITY MEASURES TO GET THE COUNTRY'S DEBT UNDER CONTROL. MORE THAN 10,000 PEOPLE HAVE GATHERED ON THE SECOND DAY OF A GENERAL STRIKE THAT'S VIRTUALLY PARALYZED GREECE.

BERLIN (AP) - GERMAN SCIENTISTS SAY ONE OF THEIR SATELLITES THAT'S SLOWLY SLIDING BACK TO EARTH WILL PLUNGE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE THIS WEEKEND. THEY DON'T KNOW YET WHERE. THE SATELLITE IS AS BIG AS A MINIVAN. UP TO 30 FRAGMENTS WEIGHING ALMOST TWO TONS ARE EXPECTED TO SURVIVE RE-ENTRY.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A WILDLIFE RESCUE GROUP IN SAN FRANCISCO SAYS IT WILL TAKE TODAY OFF FROM TRYING TO CAPTURE A RED-TAILED HAWK THAT WAS APPARENTLY SHOT IN THE HEAD WITH A NAIL GUN. THEY'VE TRIED TO CATCH IT FOR THREE DAYS. THE HAWK HAS BEEN EATING, BUT IS BELIEVED TO BE WEAKENED.