TODAY'S NEWS: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011

FATAL ACCIDENT IN BERKS COUNTY

A MAN WAS KILLED WEDNESDAY EVENING IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT IN BERKS COUNTY. HAMBURG POLICE TELL US 30-YEAR-OLD WAYNE VANNESS JR. OF EASTON CRASHED HIS MOTORCYCLE ON STATE ROUTE 78 IN GREENWICH TOWNSHIP. VANNESS LOST CONTROL WHEN HE STRUCK A PIECE OF A TIRE ON THE ROAD WHICH CAUSED HIS BIKE TO FLIP OVER. VIRGINVILLE FIRE COMPANY AND THE HAMBURG AMBULANCE WERE ON SCENE.

COUNTY EMA UPDATES ON RELIEF EFFORTS

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY EMA DIRECTOR JOHN MATZ HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE TO UPDATE RESIDENTS ON THE RELIEF EFFORTS GOING ON FROM THE FLOODING LAST MONTH. MATZ SAYS THAT 629 PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY HAVE REGISTERED WITH FEMA FOR FEDERAL AID. FEMA REPRESENTATIVES WERE ON HAND AS WELL AS REPS FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. THE GROUP LET IT BE KNOWN THAT FEDERAL AID IS OUT THERE AND THAT FEMA AND COUNTY EMA WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER IN PLACE AT THE PINE GROVE HOOK AND LADDER BUT THAT TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SERVICE. MATZ SAYS THAT THE MONEY IS THERE. RESIDENTS WHO STILL NEED HELP PUMPING WATER OR OIL FROM THEIR BASEMENTS ARE ASKED TO CONTACT THEIR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE THEIR FREE SERVICE WILL EVENTUALLY END. DEADLINE TO SUBMIT FOR FEDERAL AID IS NOV 14.


CLEANUP EFFORT SET FOR THIS WEEKEND

THIS WEEKEND IN PINE GROVE A BOROUGH CLEAN UP EFFORT WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 9AM-5PM SATURDAY. PINE GROVE MAYOR KIMBERLY BROWN ZERBE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK. RESIDENTS ARE ASKED TO BRING THEIR OWN TOOLS, RAKES, SHOVELS, AND ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS. THOSE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE ARE ASKED TO MEET AT THE NORTH END FIRE COMPANY ON NORTH TULPEHOCKEN ST.


2ND FIELD FUNDING IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN

AT WEDNESDAY’S SCHUYLKILL HAVEN COUNCIL WORK SESSION THE TALK WAS ABOUT FUNDING FOR A SECOND FIELD AT THE ISLAND. ALBERT EVANS, PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL ANNOUNCED THAT FUNDING IS NEEDED IS PLANS ARE TO CONTINUE FOR THE FIELD. COUNCIL WAS ASKED TO CONSIDER DONATING OR LOANING MONEY FOR THE INFIELD DIRT ON THE FIELD, ABOUT $20,000 IS NEEDED FOR THE DIRT. OVERALL, AROUND $175,000 HAS BEEN DEVOTED TO THE FIELD.


DENTIST OFFICE ON WHEELS

POTTSVILLE HAS WELCOMED TWO NEW DENTISTS TO THE CITY, BUT PATIENTS MAY WANT TO PAY A VISIT BEFORE THEIR OFFICE DRIVES AWAY BECAUSE THIS COMPLETE DENTIST OFFICE IS ALL ON WHEELS. IT’S CALLED DENTEX DENTAL MOBILE AND ITS PURPOSE IS TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE ON MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. DENTEX WILL ALSO SERVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOVERNMENT INSURANCES THAT AREN’T ACCEPTED BY MEDICARE AND MEDICAID. WALK-INS ARE WELCOME AT THE BUS, WHICH IS OPEN WEEKDAYS BETWEEN 9AM AND 5PM.

AESTHETICS COMMITTEE REFRESHED

PADCO IS NOW LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO STAFF A GROUP CALLED THE AESTHETICS COMMITTEE WHICH CONCENTRATES ON THE LOOK OF DOWNTOWN POTTSVILLE. WITH THE HELP OF THE POTTSVILLE AREA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THIS COMMITTEE WILL GET A FRESH START. ONE OF THE PRIMARY GOALS WILL BE TO FIND SOURCE TO FUND FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THE AESTHETICS COMMITTEE IS DEDICATED TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE AND BEAUTIFICATION OF DOWNTOWN POTTSVILLE.

VOLUNTEER FIRE AND AMBULANCE GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED

REP. MIKE TOBASH WOULD LIKE TO INFORM VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY AND AMBULANCE SERVICE OFFICIALS THAT THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR THE 2011 VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY AND VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE GRANT PROGRAM HAS BEEN EXTENDED BY TWO WEEKS. VOLUNTEER PROVIDERS NOW HAVE UNTIL 4 P.M. FRIDAY, NOV. 4, TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION PROCESS. THE CHANGE IS DUE TO EXTENSIVE VOLUNTEER RESPONSE TO FLOODING THAT HAS PLAGUED THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE. THE GRANTS MAY BE USED FOR CONSTRUCTION OR RENOVATION OF A UNIT'S STATION, THE PURCHASE OR REPAIR OF EQUIPMENT, TRAINING OR DEBT REDUCTION. THE MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT IS $15,000 FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES AND $10,000 FOR VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICES. A TOTAL OF $25 MILLION WILL BE AWARDED THROUGH THE PROGRAM. GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE FIRE COMPANIES WILL BE CONTINGENT ON THEIR AGREEING TO PARTICIPATE IN AND REPORT INFORMATION USING THE PENNSYLVANIA FIRE INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEM.

STATE NEWS:

YORK, PA. (AP) - CLOSING ARGUMENTS ARE SET FOR TODAY IN THE TRIAL OF A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA MAN CHARGED IN THE SLAYING AND PARTIAL DISMEMBERMENT OF HIS BROTHER A YEAR AGO. JUSTIN CARBAUGH OF FAWN TOWNSHIP IS CHARGED IN YORK COUNTY WITH FIRST- AND THIRD-DEGREE MURDER AND ABUSE OF A CORPSE IN THE AUGUST 2010 SLAYING OF BRANDON CARBAUGH.

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) - GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT IS NOT MAKING AN ENDORSEMENT IN THE CROWDED FIELD VYING FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S NOMINATION TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT NEXT YEAR. CORBETT SAYS HE'S STAYING NEUTRAL FOR NOW. THE FIELD INCLUDES RICK SANTORUM, WHO REPRESENTED PENNSYLVANIA AS A U.S. SENATOR FOR 12 YEARS UNTIL 2007.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A GROUP DUBBED OCCUPY PHILADELPHIA PLANS TO HAVE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE PROTESTING AT CITY HALL, ECHOING THE WALL STREET PROTESTS IN NEW YORK CITY. ORGANIZERS SAY TODAY'S GATHERING IS MEANT TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST CORPORATE GREED. A SPOKESMAN SAYS PROTESTERS PLAN TO CAMP OUT, GIVE FOOD TO THE HOMELESS AND CHANT SLOGANS CONDEMNING CORPORATE GREED IN POLITICS.

NATIONAL NEWS:

UNDATED (AP) - APPLE AND THE FAMILY OF STEVE JOBS AREN'T SAYING WHAT CAUSED THE DEATH OF THE COMPANY'S FOUNDER. BUT MEDICAL EXPERTS NOT INVOLVED IN HIS CARE SAY THE LIVER TRANSPLANT HE HAD TWO YEARS AGO WAS PROBABLY A SIGN THAT HIS RARE TYPE OF PANCREATIC CANCER HAD RETURNED. STEVE JOBS WAS 56.

CHICAGO (AP) - TRIBUTES AND CONDOLENCES REGARDING THE DEATH OF APPLE CO-FOUNDER STEVE JOBS ARE IN TWEETS AND NEWS ALERTS PULSING THROUGH IPHONES, IPADS AND LAPTOP COMPUTERS. AND AT AN APPLE STORE IN LOS ANGELES ON WEDNESDAY, 20-YEAR OLD JOEY GONZALEZ SAID JOBS SHAPED THE WAY HE LISTENS TO MUSIC AND COMMUNICATES.

BRUSSELS (AP) - OFFICIALS SAY NATO'S BOMBING CAMPAIGN IN LIBYA WILL CONTINUE DESPITE THE COLLAPSE OF MOAMMAR GADHAFI'S REGIME. SPEAKING AT A NATO MEETING IN BRUSSELS, FRANCE'S DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS THE AIRSTRIKES, NOW IN THEIR SEVENTH MONTH, WILL NOT STOP UNTIL ALL POCKETS OF RESISTANCE ARE SUPPRESSED AND THE NEW GOVERNMENT ASKS FOR THEM TO END.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) - HUNDREDS OF AFGHANS HAVE TAKEN TO THE STREETS OF KABUL TO DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF INTERNATIONAL TROOPS. THE PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION IS MARKING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN.

LONDON (AP) - OFFICIALS WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE DECISION SAY A SPORTS COURT HAS OVERTURNED A DISPUTED IOC DOPING RULE, CLEARING THE WAY FOR REIGNING OLYMPIC 400-METER CHAMPION LASHAWN MERRITT TO DEFEND HIS TITLE AT THE LONDON GAMES NEXT YEAR. MERRITT HAD BEEN DEEMED INELIGIBLE TO COMPETE IN LONDON EVEN THOUGH HE COMPLETED HIS DOPING BAN EARLIER THIS YEAR.