TODAY'S NEWS TUES. NOVEMBER 1, 2011

MANY LOCAL RESIDENTS STILL WAITING FOR POWER

ACCORDING TO A SPOKESPERSON FROM PPL UTILITIES, THERE ARE STILL ABOUT THIRTEEN HUNDRED SCHUYLKILL COUNTY RESIDENTS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY SINCE SATURDAY'S SNOWSTORM. PPL CREWS, AS WELL AS CREWS FROM SURROUNDING STATES ARE STILL WORKING DAY AND NIGHT TO RESTORE POWER TO THOSE CUSTOMERS. PPL RANKS THIS AS ONE OF THE WORST STORMS IN RECENT MEMORY FOR POWER OUTAGES, MAINLY DUE TO THE HEAVY WET SNOW FALLING ON TREES THAT STILL HAD THEIR LEAVES. PPL ROUTINELY TRIMS TREE LIMBS FROM THE POWER LINES, BUT CANNOT GET ACCESS TO SOME LINES BECAUSE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS WILL NOT ALLOW THE TREES TO BE CUT. OVER TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND PPL CUSTOMERS IN THIS AREA LOST THEIR ELECTRICITY DURING THE STORM.

TAMAQUA AREA COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP RECEIVES GRANT

THE TAMAQUA AREA COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP HAS RECEIVED A ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE LOCAL INITIATIVES SUPPORT CORPORATION. THE GRANT WILL HELP TAMAQUA SUPPORT SAFETY PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION. LISC IS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT USES MONEY COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES TO HELP NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY GROUPS. TAMAQUA HAS RECEIVED GRANTS TOTALING THREE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS FROM LISC SINCE 2007 TO HELP MAKE THE BOROUGH A SAFER, CLEANER PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK.

FAULTY PROPANE HEATER DAMAGES SCHUYLKILL HAVEN HOME

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO A RESIDENCE AT 315 HAVEN STREET ON MONDAY MORNING, WHERE A FAULTY WALL MOUNTED PROPANE HEATER CAUGHT THE HOME ON FIRE. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN FIRE CHIEF ROBERT PEEL REPORTED THAT THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO THE REAR WALL OF THE HOME WHERE THE HEATER WAS MOUNTED. A RESIDENT OF THE HOME WAS TREATED AT THE SCENE FOR SMOKE INHALATION. MANY RESIDENTS HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO USE PROPANE FUELED HEATERS IN THEIR HOMES. THE PROPANE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH COUNCIL HAS A WEBSITE WHERE HOMEOWNERS CAN LEARN ABOUT USING PROPANE SAFELY. GO TO USEPROPANE.COM TO FIND THESE IMPORTANT SAFETY TIPS.

ASHLAND AIMS TO REDUCE DELINQUENT BILLS

WATER CUSTOMERS IN ASHLAND, WHO REFUSE TO PAY THEIR DELINQUENT BILLS, HAVE RUN UP A TOTAL OF $140,000. WHILE THE BOROUGH MANAGER IS LOOKING FOR DIRECTION FROM THE AUTHORITY AND BOROUGH COUNCIL, MEMBERS OF THE AUTHORITY BOARD WANT ACTION ON GETTING THE TOTAL DELINQUENCIES REDUCED. IN ADDITION, SOME PROPERTIES HAVE DOUBLE CONNECTIONS FROM THE MAIN LINE. ACCORDING TO S. JOHN PRICE, AUTHORITY SOLICITOR, THE AUTHORITY NOW HAS THREE OPTIONS IN DEALING WITH A DELINQUENCY: FILING OF LIENS AGAINST THE PROPERTY, FILING OF JUDGMENTS THROUGH THE LOCAL MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT JUDGE, AND TERMINATING SERVICES.

NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM GIVES FREE AGENT TRAINING SEMINARS

THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM (NFIP) IS OFFERING AGENT TRAINING SEMINARS ON FLOOD INSURANCE IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA. THE FREE SEMINARS WILL COVER BASIC INSURANCE ISSUES AND ALSO FOCUS ON HOW BEST TO ASSIST NFIP POLICYHOLDERS AFTER A FLOODING EVENT. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SEMINARS, ATTENDEES WITH LITTLE OR NO PRIOR NFIP EXPERIENCE WILL UNDERSTAND IMPORTANT COMPONENTS REGARDING THE FLOOD INSURANCE POLICY. MORE EXPERIENCED ATTENDEES WILL DEVELOP AN EVEN BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF A NUMBER OF TOPICS. TAMAQUA WILL BE HOLDING A SEMINAR ON NOVEMBER 9

TO REGISTER, VISIT WWW.H2OPARTNERSUSA.COM/NFIPTRAINING/PENNSYLVANIA.HTML
REGISTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE REGARDLESS OF THE DATE AND LOCALITY AS SEATING IS LIMITED FOR THESE FREE SEMINARS. THE SIGN-IN TIME FOR ALL SEMINARS IS 12:30 TO 1:00 P.M. THE SESSIONS ARE FROM 1:00 TO 4:00 P.M.

FLU VACCINATION

THE PA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SOUTHEAST DISTRICT OFFICE, THE SCHUYLKILL IMMUNIZATION COALITION, AND THE THE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY WILL PARTNER WITH THE SCHUYLKILL MALL TO CONDUCT A FREE INFLUENZA IMMUNIZATION CLINIC ON THURSDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2011 FROM 4:00 PM TO 7:00 PM IN THE SCHUYLKILL MALL'S COMMUNITY ROOM LOCATED AT 50 MALL ROAD IN FRACKVILLE. THE CLINIC WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND IS 100-PERCENT FREE! THIS EFFORT WILL BE SUPPORTED BY STAFF FROM THE PA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY EMA AND THE SCHUYLKILL MALL. ANYONE OVER 6 MONTHS OF AGE IS WELCOME TO RECEIVE THE VACCINATION AT THIS CLINIC. THE SEASONAL INFLUENZA VACCINE CONTAINS COVERAGE AGAINST THREE STRAINS OF INFLUENZA INCLUDING THE H1N1 AND H3N2 INFLUENZA A STRAINS. ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO PROTECT AGAINST THE FLU IS TO GET IMMUNIZED.

STATE NEWS:

WAYLAND, MASS. (AP) - THE RARE OCTOBER SNOWSTORM THAT WREAKED HAVOC ON THE NORTHEAST IS BEING BLAMED FOR AT LEAST 21 DEATHS, INCLUDING ONE IN CANADA. AT LEAST EIGHT PEOPLE DIED IN PENNSYLVANIA AS A RESULT OF THE WEEKEND STORM.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A DISTRACTED TUG BOAT PILOT WHO SANK A TOUR BOAT IN PHILADELPHIA WILL BE SENTENCED TODAY IN THE DEATHS OF TWO HUNGARIAN STUDENTS. PROSECUTORS ACCEPT THAT PILOT MATTHEW DEVLIN HAD A TRUE FAMILY EMERGENCY, BUT SAY HE SHOULD HAVE HAD SOMEONE ELSE TAKE THE WHEEL. INSTEAD, DEVLIN SPENT MOST OF THE HOUR BEFORE THE JULY 2010 CRASH ON HIS CELLPHONE OR LAPTOP.

NATIONAL NEWS:

LOS ANGELES (AP) - TODAY COULD BE THE FINAL DAY OF TESTIMONY IN THE INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER TRIAL OF MICHAEL JACKSON'S DOCTOR. DEFENSE LAWYERS EXPECT TO CALL THEIR FINAL MEDICAL WITNESS. TESTIMONY FROM DEFENDANT DR. CONRAD MURRAY IS UP IN THE AIR. HE SAYS HE'LL MAKE THAT DECISION TODAY.

LONDON (AP) - EUROPEAN MARKETS TANKED IN EARLY TRADING TODAY OVER THE SURPRISE DECISION BY GREECE TO CALL A REFERENDUM ON LAST WEEK'S NEW BAILOUT PACKAGE FOR THE DEBT-STRICKEN COUNTRY. EUROZONE LEADERS AGREED LAST WEEK THAT PRIVATE HOLDERS OF GREEK BONDS SHOULD TAKE A 50 PERCENT LOSS ON THEIR HOLDINGS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - AN INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE REPORT OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAYS FREAKISH NASTY WEATHER LIKE RECORD FLOODS OR THE OCTOBER NORTHEAST SNOWSTORM IS ON THE RISE. THE FINAL DRAFT FROM A PANEL OF THE WORLD'S TOP CLIMATE SCIENTISTS PAINTS A WILD FUTURE AND SUGGESTS SOME LOCATIONS COULD BECOME "INCREASINGLY MARGINAL AS PLACES TO LIVE."

WAYLAND, MASS. (AP) - THERE ARE STILL CLOSE TO 2 MILLION CUSTOMERS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY IN PARTS OF THE NORTHEAST AS IT TRIES TO RECOVER FROM A SURPRISE OCTOBER SNOWSTORM. AT LEAST 21 DEATHS ARE BLAMED ON THE STORM AND HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-TREATING WAS POSTPONED IN MANY AREAS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE FEDERAL RESERVE BEGINS A TWO-DAY POLICY MEETING TODAY. FEW EXPECT ANY BOLD NEW STEPS AS FED POLICYMAKERS LIKELY WANT TO GAUGE THE IMPACT OF ACTION THEY'VE TAKEN RECENTLY TO KEEP INTEREST RATES LOW. ONE ANALYST SAYS THE FED'S TOOLS ARE LIMITED AND IT DOESN'T WANT TO USE ONE UNLESS IT HAS TO.