Today's News Mon. December 19, 2011

Local News For Mon. December 19, 2011

Holiday Stress Magic Number For Pennsylvania $646.00

With the Christmas shopping season entering the home stretch, financial planners say now is a good time for a check-up on the family budget. Tom Joseph reports:

BUDGET

2012 May Be Tough For Pennsylvania's Dairy Producers

The droughts, floods, and tornadoes of 2011 are now just a fading memory to most Americans, but an ag economist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says the year's bad weather will impact next year's milk supply. More from Gary Abdullah:

MILK

Changes Coming To Hunting License Regulations

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has announced the passage of House Bill 735, which removes the requirement for hunters and trappers to display their licenses on an outer garment. The bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Keith Gillespie of York County, has been under consideration by the House since it was introduced by Schuylkill County Rep. Neal Goodman in 2003. Game Commission Executive Director Carl Roe said "With today's new license format, this change in law will make hunting less complicated, improve license management by hunters and trappers, and limit the inconveniences and troubles associated with lost or misplaced licenses." The new regulation does not take effect until February 13, so hunters must continue to display their licenses until then.

U.S. Representative Tim Holden's Territory Shifts North And East

The Pennsylvania Senate has approved the redistricting plan for the Commonwealth, and if it is also approved by the House, and signed by Governor Corbett, the Seventeenth District of Rep. Tim Holden will look dramatically different than it does now. Instead of extending southward and westward into Berks and Dauphin counties, it will now stretch north and east into Carbon, Monroe, and Northampton counties all the way to the New Jersey border. Gone will be the cities of Reading, Lebanon, and Harrisburg, but Holden will welcome Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, and Easton under his umbrella. This move would mean that Rep. Holden would represent virtually the entire anthracite coal region in Congress.

Shenandoah Police Seek Information On Armed Robbery

A man armed with a handgun walked into the Valero convenience store on South Main Street in Shenandoah at about 10:40 p.m. Saturday night. He demanded money from the clerk while brandishing the handgun, and when he got what he came for, he fled on foot. It is not known how much money the thief got, nor do police have a description of his clothing or the type of handgun he used. The robber was described as a white male about five feet seven inches tall, with a thin build. If anyone has any information about this crime, contact Shenandoah Police at 570-462-1008. All information received will remain confidential.

DUQUESNE, Pa. (AP) - Western Pennsylvania authorities say one person is dead and seven others wounded after a shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party. Police were called to the Duquesne home before midnight on Saturday after shots rang out in the basement. Officials say 18-year-old Drew Bracey was pronounced dead early yesterday at a hospital. Police tell WPXI-TV about 50 people were inside the home for the party.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Experts say Marcellus Shale natural gas production is expected to keep rising in 2012, yet landowners may find signing lease deals isn't as easy as in years past. That's because the business of Marcellus Shale gas drilling is starting to change as new forces emerge. Among them are drilling opportunities in shale states other than Pennsylvania.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A western Pennsylvania newspaper says hospitals nationwide are spending billions on large new facilities "in a medical arms race" to dominate markets and increase profits. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says this will ultimately increase health care costs for patients, taxpayers and others. Pennsylvania ranks fourth in spending and has no agency to regulate the need for hospital construction.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A new study says poor Philadelphia residents charged with murder and represented by a court-appointed lawyer are convicted more often and serve longer prison terms than those represented by public defenders. The Philadelphia Inquirer says the federally funded RAND Corporation study concludes public defenders
reduce their clients' murder conviction rate by 19 percent and lower the probability their client gets a life sentence by 62 percent.

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) - North Korea is calling on the country to "faithfully revere" its new leader following the death of Kim Jong Il. The North's official Korean Central News Agency describes Kim's son, Kim Jong Un, as a "great successor" to the country's guiding principle of self-reliance.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Residents of Los Angeles' normally bustling Koreatown are reacting quietly so far to the death of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il. Few looked up from their food and drinks as news of the death played on virtually every television Sunday night in bars and cafes in the densely packed neighborhood.

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republican leaders are getting set to make changes after shunning a bipartisan payroll tax cut bill approved by the Senate. The House returns to work today, but it's initially unclear what changes House GOP leaders might make to satisfy conservative lawmakers.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Investigators aren't sure whether the video is authentic, but party officials in Iowa are taking no chances with the security of their upcoming caucuses Jan. 3 after an anonymous hacking threat. Republican Party officials have instructed precincts to use paper ballots as a backup and they've taken other steps to protect the database and website.

CAIRO (AP) - Syria's deputy foreign minister is expected to sign an agreement today allowing Arab observers into the country. The Arab League has given Syria until Wednesday to sign the deal. If not, the League says it will likely turn to the U.N. Security Council for action to try to end the Syrian regime's crackdown on a 9-month-old popular uprising.