Thursday, February 4, 2010

Snyder County house fire

PERRY TWP – Fire crews remained on the scene of a Snyder County house fire for over two hours Thursday.  The fire broke out at the Becky Swartz home along Route 104 just before 11:00a.m.  The fire started in the chimney, and destroyed a good portion of the house.  Swartz, four children and a friend all got out of the house in time and no injuries were reported. 

Police arrest Danville man connected with robbery

DANVILLE – Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the robbery of a Montour County convenience store in Danville last week.  23-year-old Joshua Marr of Danville faces charges of robbery, theft, receiving stolen property and possession of instruments of crime.  Last Thursday around 11:00p.m. Marr reportedly went into the store along McCracken Road in Danville and demanded money from the clerk.  He then fled the scene.  Police made the arrest Thursday and Marr is now in Montour County Prison on $50,000 bail. (Sara Bartlett)

Shikellamy State Park Marina remains closed after flooding

SUNBURY – The Shikellamy State Park Marina is still closed after high waters covered the park last week during flooding.  Park manager Frank Nanna and says 23 ½ feet of river water has a big impact on the marina and it is now too dangerous for people to go there. He says they have signs warning people to stay away.   There is plenty of debris scattered across the park that must be cleared. 

Nanna says the main road to the marina closes anytime the river reaches 17 feet or more.  Also closed is the Milton State Park, which was also flooded.  Nanna says they have four workers cleaning up both parks to get things back to normal. They hope to have the parks opened sometime next week and appreciate park visitor’s patience while they work to get the parks cleaned up.  (Ali Stevens)

Coal Township Commissioner will run for state house

COAL TOWNSHIP – A Coal Township Commissioner wants to run for state representative in the 107^th legislative district, now that Representative Bob Belfanti plans to retire.  Democrat George Zalar has thrown his hat into the ring and says if elected, he will have big shoes to fill. Zalar says Belfanti has done a fantastic job in the 107^th District and says there aren’t enough people in Harrisburg like Belfanti. 

Zalar has received the endorsement from Bob Belfanti himself and feels very honored by that. Zalar feels strongly about mine reclamation efforts and preserving the area we live in. The 40-year-old not only serves as Coal Township Commissioner, but also works as Business Agent for Iron Workers Local 404.  He has lived in Coal Township his whole life and served as commissioner for 10 years.  He lives in Coal Township with his wife Amy and two children.  (Ali Stevens)

PA Tourism Industry fighting against budget cuts

LEWISBURG – The Pennsylvania Tourism Industry continues to fight state budget cuts.  Executive Director of the Susquehanna Valley Visitors Bureau, Andrew Miller, says grant funding in our area from the state for tourism was cut drastically, nearly $70,000, in this year’s budget.  Miller says a report in 2006 showed over $300 million in visitor spending comes into Snyder, Union and Northumberland Counties yearly.   

Miller says with tourism being the number two industry in the commonwealth, it needs to be financially supported.  He says they would like to see a line item in the budget, so they don’t have to worry about cuts year and year.  He also says there is an ongoing discussion on some funds for tourism even coming from the upcoming table games in the commonwealth.  Miller says they are also keeping an eye on gubernatorial candidates to find out their views on the tourism industry.    

Miller is a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, a group strongly opposed to the recent round of budget cuts put into place by Governor Ed Rendell’s administration.  More information is available at www.patourismequalsjobs.com. (Sara Bartlett)

Local congressional candidate worked closely with casino owner Louis DeNaples

SUNBURY – Tom Marino of Williamsport announced earlier this week that he was seeking the 10^th District congressional seat, currently held by Chris Carney (D-10^th, Dimock).  Marino was a recent guest on WKOK’s On The Mark program and talked about his publicized relationship with casino owner Louis DeNaples, who was once charged with perjury. 

Marino admitted that he worked closely with Louis DeNaples as a business law attorney, but not while he was working as a U.S. Attorney, as the Democratic Party has indicated.   Marino says while working as U.S. Attorney, if there were any investigations that came through his office involving some he knows, he must recuse himself, which he did. 

However, some say there is still a conflict of interest because Marino worked as a U.S. Attorney when Louis DeNaples was being investigated by the state for perjury charges and then Marino went to work for DeNaples after his term was up.  Marino says he’s been a prosecutor for 18 years and he treats everyone equally and once he recused himself, he had no knowledge of the ongoing investigation. 

DeNaples was charged in February 2008 with lying to the State Gaming Control Board about his connection to organized crime.  Perjury charges against him were dropped in April of last year.  You can hear more from Tom Marino from WKOK’s Tuesday On The Mark program online at www.wkok.com.  (Ali Stevens)

State police investigate the thefts of two trucks from a car dealership in Hummels Wharf

Time to replace the Northumberland County prison 

NORTHUMBERLAND – County commissioner and prison board chairman Frank Sawicki says the state Department of Corrections now has enforcement powers over the Northumberland County Prison.

He says all local prisons statewide face the same scrutiny. However, Sawicki says there could now be sanctions with consequences, if the 133-year-old facility is not in compliance with state rules.

Sawicki says the building is structurally sound, but it’s tough for the county to comply with every regulation issued by the state. Thus, he says the time is right to talk about replacing the county’s jail, and discussions that could lead to that started at this week’s prison board meeting. (Matt Farrand)

Impending Belfanti retirement lures Masser into race

ELYSBURG – A local county commissioner hopes to represent portions of Northumberland, Columbia and all of Montour County in Harrisburg. Republican Northumberland County Commissioner Kurt Masser says he is running for the seat currently held by Bob Belfanti (D-107th, Mount Carmel).

It’ll be his first try for the state house, but not the first time he’s considered state level office. Masser is the first to announce his intentions following Belfanti’s decision to retire, and believes the time is right for real reform in Harrisburg.

Masser says part ownership of several local eateries has made him aware of the burden of excessive regulations on small business. He has served as Northumberland County commissioner for the past six years.

Meantime, Belfanti announced earlier this week he would not seek another term. The Democrat is the third local state house member to announce that this term would be their last, following similar announcements by Russ Fairchild (R-85th, Winfield) and Merle Phillips (R-108th, Sunbury) last month. (Matt Farrand)

Commissioners argue over court system

SUNBURY – Northumberland County Commissioners Vinny Clausi and chairman Frank Sawicki had a heated discussion yesterday regarding whether or not a settlement should be reached over the court system’s budget.

Sawicki says $50,000 in attorney fees have already been paid with taxpayer dollars and now is the time to reach an agreement on the courts budget, so more money isn’t wasted. However, Clausi claims it’s not up to them to settle and the president judge should talk with the solicitor to resolve the matter.

Near the end of last year, the court and President Judge Robert Sacavage agreed to the same budget as last year, or level funding, which is about $6-million for the court system. This after Sacavage sued the county when they wanted to cut $600-thousand from the court’s budget.

However the two sides are still negotiating over an additional $200,000 that Sacavage is seeking. Sawicki says they are wasting taxpayer dollars and an olive branch should be extended by the commissioners to resolve the issue. (Ali Stevens)

NorCoController wants an open primary 

SUNBURY – Northumberland County Controller Chuck Erdman is running for the 108th District State House Seat and says he wants an open primary. Erdman says on Monday night at the county Republican party committee meeting, he decided that he would ask the committee not to endorse a candidate in the race for the 108th district.

He says in his time working with the party over the last 20 years, he’s seen the effects of endorsements, both good and bad. He adds that endorsements can create fractures in the party and that weakens the nominee as they head into the general election and that’s something he would like to avoid in Northumberland County.

The county GOP may still be stinging from their endorsement of Dan Meuser in the U.S. Congressional race two years. They strongly endorse Meuser—who went on to lose in the primary.

Erdman says the Republican Committee received his announcement very favorably. Erdman says currently he is the only announced Republican candidate for the seat being vacated by State Representative Merle Phillips (R-108th, Sunbury). (Ali Stevens)

The Slifer House Museum of Lewisburg has a new director

LEWISBURG – The Slifer House Museum in Lewisburg has announced the hiring of a new director. Kathryn Balistrieri of Lewisburg has been named director of the museum. Balistrieri has worked at various museums along the east coast, serving as both director and manager. The Slifer House Museum is currently closed for re-organization and updating of the exhibits and will re-open in March.

The Slifer House is a large mansion built in the early 1860’s. The property is the former home of Eli Slifer, a Lewisburg businessman who served Pennsylvania as a state senator. It is located on the campus of Riverwoods Senior Living Community. (Ali Stevens)

Northumberland County Emergency Services is upgrading their computer dispatch system

SUNBURY – The Northumberland County Emergency Services Department is busy upgrading their computer dispatching system. Paul Froutz is director of public safety in Northumberland County and talks about the “CAD” system, which is Computer Aided Dispatch.

Froutz says it’s a great tool for dispatchers to be able to find information such as addresses and phone numbers and supply that information to the responders. The county’s CAD system will be upgraded to provide Pre-Arrival Instructions, since the county commissioners have approved the purchase of the upgraded system.

The priority dispatch upgrade will allow dispatchers to give pre-arrival instructions such as telling the person to take an aspirin if they think they are having a heart attack or talking the caller through CPR instructions. The priority dispatch is new technology and relatively new to the area.

Froutz says they are busy training to get ready for the upgrade. The notification system being put into place will provide mass public notification of weather, shelters, disaster, events and other important information. The information can then be sent to the cell phones of first responders who are needed on the scene. (Ali Stevens)

Help the state champs get rings in Selinsgrove

SELINSGROVE – A fundraising dinner is planned to help the Selinsgrove State Champion Football Team pay for championship rings. A spaghetti dinner is being held at the Selinsgrove VFW on February 20th and the public is encouraged to attend. The football team will be the ones serving that evening.

There will be a basket auction at the event at 7 p.m. with championship merchandise to give away and you can also buy merchandise at the dinner. Tickets are available at a number of businesses in the area including Selinsgrove Ford, Dunkin Donuts, Applebee’s, Heimbach’s Country Store and the Pepper Tree.

Players will also have tickets for sale and you can get them at the door the night of the dinner. Everyone is encouraged to attend the spaghetti dinner on February 20th at the Selinsgrove VFW. The players say they are looking forward to getting championship rings so they can remember this season forever. (Ali Stevens)

Latest Pennsylvania news, lottery, business and entertainment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A long-serving state senator from southwestern Pennsylvania will retire when his term ends this year.  Sen. Barry Stout said in a statement Thursday that he will not seek re-election because a recently fractured pelvis will make it difficult to serve.  The Washington County Democrat's term expires Nov. 30.  The 73-year-old Stout came to Harrisburg in 1971 and served six years in the state House of Representatives before he was elected to the Senate in 1977.  The 46th District represented by Stout includes parts of Washington, Greene, Westmoreland, Beaver and Allegheny counties.

NEW FREEDOM, Pa. (AP) - Police say a serial arsonist is leaving behind playing cards and taunting notes for investigators at the scenes of a string of car fires in central Pennsylvania. Police in York County say a trail of playing cards have been left at five car fires since last week. The latest fires happened early Wednesday morning in Shrewsbury and New Freedom, about 40 miles south of Harrisburg near the Maryland border.  Southern Regional Police Chief James Childs says the arsonist left a taunting note on a playing card left at one of Wednesday's fires. He says two other notes were left at fires on Monday.  No one has been hurt in the fires, which began Jan. 27.

SHICKSHINNY, Pa. (AP) - State police in the Shickshinny area say students at a local high school have engaged in what authorities call a "fight club" off campus. Police at the Shickshinny barracks in Luzerne County say the Northwest Area Senior High School students met on Jan. 25 and Jan. 27 for bouts in which two students would fight while other students cheered them on. Police say about 18 students were at the first bout and about 25 at the second one. Police say administrators at the high school contacted police after seeing footage of the fights on the Internet. Police say they are identifying the students involved as part of a disorderly conduct investigation. They say such unregulated activities can result in serious and even permanently disabling injuries.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A former Pennsylvania House Democratic staff aide testified that caucus leaders tapped into the public treasury for political chores from sending blast e-mails to dispatching state workers to campaign door-to-door. Mike Manzo gave the testimony Wednesday. It was his second day on the stand in the second trial resulting from the attorney general's legislative corruption investigation. Former Rep. Mike Veon and three of Veon's former assistants are being tried on charges of theft, conspiracy and conflict of interest. Manzo pleaded guilty to related charges last month as part of an agreement to cooperate with prosecutors. He says he conferred regularly with Veon about campaign matters, often during work hours during the Capitol. Manzo is the first witness in what is expected to be a month long trial.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The chairman of the state Democratic Party says a rule that made its endorsement harder to get will probably prevent any of the gubernatorial candidates from being endorsed this year. The 2004 rule changed the endorsement threshold from a simple majority vote of the Democratic State Committee to a two-thirds majority. State party chairman T.J. Rooney says that makes a gubernatorial endorsement unlikely because the vote will be divided among four candidates. Sen. Arlen Specter is hoping for an endorsement from his new party when the committee meets Saturday in Lancaster. That would be an important symbolic victory in the former Republican senator's bid for a sixth term. Specter faces a primary challenge from U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, who has sought to portray Specter as a political opportunist.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Penn State University says it will proceed with an investigation into a leading climate scientist after an internal inquiry into alleged research misconduct stemming from leaked e-mails at the center of a controversy over global warming. A university committee has been looking into e-mails pertaining to professor Michael Mann or his work since late November, when computer hackers obtained messages between scientists from a British research center. Mann's work has long criticized by skeptics of man-made global warming theories. A report Wednesday said the inquiry committee could not make a "definitive finding" on an allegation of inappropriate research conduct, warranting further investigation. The report said other allegations contained "no substance."

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Update on the latest in business

Dow: 10,029.46, down –241.09

S&P 500: 1,066.42, down –20.86

NASDAQ: 2,131.17, down –59.74

NEW YORK (AP) - It's a rough day on Wall Street. Stocks have tumbled after disappointing jobless claims numbers set investors worrying about the government's January jobs report due out tomorrow. The Dow was down more than 200 points in afternoon trading.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Economists says companies still feel bruised by the recession. Squeezing more output from their existing staffs allowed companies to boost productivity by 6.2 percent in the last quarter. The Labor Department says the number of newly laid off workers filing for jobless benefits last week jumped by 8,000.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Commerce Department says orders to U.S. factories posted a one percent gain in December, far exceeding expectations. It was the eighth increase in the past nine months. Today's report added to evidence that the manufacturing sector is supporting the economic recovery.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's announcement that it's investigating brake problems in the 2010 Prius caused Toyota shares to fall today. This came after the automaker announced a $1.7 billion profit for the fourth quarter.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the Senate will take up a jobs bill Monday. Key Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have been working today on a plan to give businesses a tax break for hiring unemployed workers. Reid says he hopes senators will be ready to unveil all the details later today or tomorrow.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Pennsylvania Lottery Numbers

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn on Thursday:

 Midday Big 4

     8-2-2-8

 Midday Number

     7-8-5

 Midday Quinto

     2-9-4-0-0

 Treasure Hunt

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn on Thursday:

Big 4 1-9-7-1

Cash 5 06-12-21-24-28

Daily Number 8-2-7

Evening Quinto 5-0-4-1-2

Megaplier 4

Midday Big 4 4-2-2-0

Midday Number 8-3-8

Midday Quinto 8-1-4-3-2

Powerball 17-22-36-37-52, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 2

Treasure Hunt 04-07-17-23-29

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Brittany Murphy cause of death

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Six weeks after her mom made a frantic 911 call, it's been ruled that Brittany Murphy died from pneumonia. But the coroner says several prescription drugs were also found in her system. He says the death was accidental. A former chief medical examiner says the wording of the report indicates that drugs were probably the main reason she died. He says if Murphy died of pneumonia, the cause of death would've been listed as natural causes, not accidental. He says a person doesn't usually die of pneumonia that quickly. Murphy was 32 when she died. The coroner says a list of drugs that were in her system would be available in a couple of weeks.

MJ Doc negotiating surrender

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Jackson's doctor is negotiating his surrender. Dr. Conrad Murray is expected to be charged with involuntary manslaughter tomorrow. Two law enforcement officials say prosecutors will accuse Murray of giving Jackson a powerful anesthetic that led to his overdose last June.

Coming clean on cleansers
 

Obama joining thousands at National Prayer Breakfast

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is starting his day by speaking at the 58th annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. The president and first lady join thousands of guests, including members of Congress and other government and religious leaders from around the world. Also scheduled to speak is Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who has aroused Vatican opposition for supporting gay marriage and the easing of restrictions on abortion and divorce. The National Prayer Breakfast is sponsored by a secretive Christian group known as the Fellowship, or the Family. The group gained notoriety last year when prominent politicians who had lived at its Capitol Hill boarding house admitted they had cheated on their wives.

Apology, church attendance keep teen out of jail

ADRIAN, Mich. (AP) - Go to jail or go to church. Given that choice by a judge, a Michigan teenager who pleaded guilty to trying to break into a church opted for the latter. Circuit Judge Timothy Pickard told 17-year-old Dylan Patrick Karle last week that he could avoid jail if he would apologize to the congregation of the United Methodist Church in Tecumseh and attend services there for the next three Sundays. Karle, who is a member of the church, promptly accepted Pickard's offer. The judge also placed Karle on probation, but his felony conviction will be expunged if he stays out of trouble for three years. Karle was among several juveniles arrested Sept. 27 while trying to break into the church in the town southwest of Detroit.

"AVATAR" BREAKS DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE RECORD

LOS ANGELES (AP) - "Avatar" is now king of the movie world. It's has passed "Titanic" to become the highest-grossing movie ever in North American theaters. For the last 12 years, "Titanic" had held the domestic box-office record at $600.8 million. But, on Tuesday, the same day it was nominated for 9 Oscars, 'Avatar" reached $601.1 million domestically. "Avatar" had already shattered Titanic's international record, to become the movie with the highest box-office take worldwide with more than $2 Billion dollars in ticket sales. That happened last week. Both of these mega-blockbusters are from James Cameron.

MARIJUANA TAX

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The government should get its cut from pot sales. That's what a California lawmaker wants. Democratic state Sen. Ron Calderon is proposing that all marijuana growers and sellers be licensed in the state. He says that way cash-strapped Cali could collect sales tax on pot. While legal medical marijuana dispensaries are supposed to pay sales taxes, officials say many don't. The measure would also apply to illegal pot sales. The lawmaker estimates taxing pot could bring in $168 million.

Sex-Change-Taxes

BOSTON (AP) - A woman who battled the IRS over a tax deduction for the costs of her sex-change operation says she feels like she won a victory for all transgender people. Rhiannon O’Donnabhain sued the Internal Revenue Service in 2007 after the agency rejected a $5,000 deduction for about $25,000 in medical expenses associated with the sex-change surgery. She was born a man. The IRS said the surgery was cosmetic and not medically necessary. The U.S. Tax Court disagreed. The court ruled Tuesday that O'Donnabhain should be allowed to deduct the costs of treating her gender-identity disorder, including hormone therapy and sex-reassignment surgery. O'Donnabhain said an interview Wednesday that the court "has spoken for my community."