Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Squirrel trips breaker, causes power outage

SHAMOKIN -- More than 8,000 homes and businesses in the Shamokin and Coal Township area were without power after a squirrel disrupted service Tuesday. According to PPL, 8,178 homes were out of power at the height of the outage. PPL spokesman Don Stringfellow says crews investigating confirmed a squirrel tripped circuit breakers at a substation.

Three thousand customers were expected to have their power back by 11:00 p.m. The other 5,000 were expected to have power again in the early morning hours. However, information supplied by the utility indicated the restoration of power was taking longer than initially predicted. (Matt Farrand)

Northumberland Borough Council swears in replacement for Bryan Wolf

NORTHUMBERLAND -- The now-retired controller for a building supply company is the newest member of Northumberland Borough Council. James Warriner was approved and sworn in Tuesday night to fill out the term held by finance chair and former board president Bryan Wolfe.

The long time controller for Central Building Supply was one of three men who submitted letters of interest, along with James Book and T.G. Fasold. Current members of council touted his financial expertise. Warriner will fill the term of Wolfe, which expires at the end of 2011. Wolfe resigned amid suspicions that he misused a borough debit card, and an investigation of theft from a former employer. (Matt Farrand)

Teens caught with alcohol in beer distributor parking lot

TREVORTON -- Two teens were charged with underage drinking after being caught in a beer distributor parking lot. Police say they noticed a suspicious vehicle parked at a distributor in Trevorton around midnight Sunday.

They then found 18-year-old Cody Houser of Dornsife and 18-year-old Logan Ranck of Herndon in the vehicle and in possession on alcohol. Both teens were charged with purchase, consumption, possession or transportation of alcohol.

Mifflinburg man facing shooting charges

MIFFLINBURG -- The man accused of accidentally shooting a Mifflinburg teen last month will face charges. Police say 18-year-old Alexander Shoemaker of Mifflinburg has been charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of recklessly endangering another person.

Shoemaker is accused of shooting and killing 16-year-old Anthony Hernandez while the two, and another 16-year-old, were hanging out at a home along Walbash Road in West Buffalo Township, Union County, early in the morning of May 8th. Shoemaker retrieved a 9mm handgun from a gun cabinet and it discharged hitting Hernandez in the chest. Charges were filed against Shoemaker in the office of District Judge Jeffery Mensch. (Sara Bartlett)

Non-union attorneys will pay own fees in Northumberland County

SUNBURY -- Full and part time non-union attorneys in Northumberland County will now be responsible to pay their own licensing and Bar Exam fees. This follows a motion by Commissioner Vinny Clausi Tuesday who says the county paying the fees is a rip-off to taxpayers. He says there is no reason the county should be paying for these fees. The fees are approximately $275 every one or two years.

Commissioner Frank Sawicki says Tuesday's motion will affect about seven attorneys in the county. Currently, the commissioners could not do the same with union attorneys. All three commissioners were unanimous in the vote to stop the county from paying the fees. (Sara Bartlett)

Inmate assault

LEWISBURG -- An inmate at the Lewisburg Penitentiary is receiving outside medical attention following an assault Tuesday morning. An officer at the prison says the assault involving two inmates occurred around 7:50a.m. Staff immediately secured the inmates and there was no further incident.

One inmate received injuries requiring outside medical attention. No staff was injured and there was never a threat to the public, according to the officer. The incident remains under investigation by the FBI.

Driver critically injured was DUI

MOUNT PLEASANT MILLS -- A Mount Pleasant Mills man remains at the hospital following a crash last month, and police tell us Tuesday the driver was under the influence of alcohol when he crashed. 39-year-old Michael Gaugler was driving on Route 104 in Chapman Township, Snyder County around 12:20 the morning of May 21st. His vehicle landed on the roof after striking a guide rail.

Life Flight took Gaugler to Geisinger Medical Center. Police say, after testing, Gaugler was found to have a blood alcohol level over the legal limit. Charges were filed against him in district court. A nursing supervisor says he is in critical condition. (Sara Bartlett)

New state program can supply funding for municipalities in Snyder County

MIDDLEBURG – The Snyder County Commissioners are discussing a recovery zone bond allocation provided through the federal stimulus program. Commissioner Malcolm Derk says the government created a special fund to allow private companies or government entities to take out a bond for a recovery or improvement project.

The commissioners have not yet made a decision on whether or not they will apply for the funding. Derk says if a private company is interested, they could receive a more than $1-million loan at a low interest rate for a construction or revamping project.

Also the county or local municipalities could receive federal funding through the program. Derk doesn’t see the county needing the bond money, but many local municipalities are in the middle of upgrading water and sewer plants, including Freeburg, Penns Creek and Middleburg. The funding could help support those projects. The commissioners say they will investigate further before resolving to move forward with the bond. (Ali Stevens)

Local perspective on gulf oil spill

UNDATED – A local environmentalist says we are all responsible when it comes to the oil spill tainting the Gulf of Mexico. Mike Molesevich of Molesevich Environmental in Lewisburg says BP and the president are often blamed, but he says our dependency on oil makes us part of the problem too. Molesevich says this is an important learning experience for all of us.

Molesevich says although this is a big environmental disaster, it will be more of an environmental and energy disaster if we don’t learn something from it and don’t do something about it. President Barack Obama says an independent commission investigating the Gulf oil spill will thoroughly examine the disaster and its causes to ensure that the nation never faces such a catastrophe again.

The president says that if laws are insufficient, they'll be changed and he says that if government oversight wasn't tough enough that will change too. You can hear more from Mike Molesevich on the oil spill in the Gulf from our Tuesday On The Mark program online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)

Economy slowly recovering, says local prof

UNDATED – As we head into the summer months, it appears the economy is slowly recovering locally, according to an area expert. Matthew Rousu is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at Susquehanna University and was a recent guest on WKOK’s On The Mark program.

Rousu says the economy overall is creeping upwards. He says it’s a slow, methodical climb, with no dramatic improvement, but things are better now than last year. He says this is impacting the job front also. Rousu says both statistics and local job numbers are on the rise. Rousu says one way to make cuts in state spending is to cut back on funding some government programs.

He says people will agree that funding for transportation is needed, but may not agree that funding for ACORN is important. He also talked about tax cuts, saying they do generate revenue and help the overall economy. To hear more from Matthew Rousu from Susquehanna University, listen to our Thursday On The Mark program online at www.wkok.com.

Injuries in ATV collision

COAL TOWNSHIP -- Two teens were injured following an ATV crash Monday afternoon in Coal Township. 16-year-old Charles Troup III of Shamokin and 19-year-old Dustin Zink of Mount Carmel were riding ATVs along Lower Excelsior Road around 3:20p.m. when they collided.

Zink was taken to Geisinger Medical Center and is listed in fair condition. Troup was taken to Shamokin Area Community Hospital. No condition has been reported. Both riders were thrown off their vehicles. The accident is still under investigation. (Matt Farrand)

A section of Route 104 is now open after being closed for several hours

MOUNT PLEASANT MILLS -- A section of Route 104 in Snyder County has reopened to traffic after it was closed for several hours in the Mount Pleasant Mills area, because of an accident around 6:00 Tuesday morning. The crash happened near the Lester Stuck Building Supply store.

PPL had to restore utility lines and the road was closed for about 5 hours between Martin Brothers Road and Buckwheat Valley Road. Traffic in the area was detoured onto local roads. No injuries were reported in that accident this morning. (Ali Stevens)

EconPA receives $200,000 in grants from private citizens

SELINSGROVE – Economics Pennsylvania, a not-for-profit economic organization, has received $200,000 in grants from private citizens to support programs such as “The Stock Market Game.” Fritz Heinemann, president and CEO of Economics Pennsylvania, says one of the $100,000 grants was from an anonymous donor.

The other $100,000 grant came from retired businessman Richard P. Simmons of the Pittsburgh area, who now teaches business ethics at Carnegie Mellon University. Heinemann emphasized the importance of the two contributions saying at a time when 6 out of 10 high school students don’t know what a federal deficit is and 9 out of 10 don’t understand the concept of compounded interest, the urgency of Economics PA’s mission becomes even more critical.

Economics PA works to help teach students how the American free market economy works, how to manage money and how to choose careers and explore opportunities. For more on Economics Pennsylvania, visit their website at www.economicspa.org. (Ali Stevens)

Latest Pennsylvania news, business, lottery and entertainment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state's nine operating casinos and a tenth that is expected to open soon in Philadelphia have paid their licensing fees to begin operating table games. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said Wednesday that the state has received $165 million as the casinos prepare to start rolling dice and dealing cards in July.  The deadline for payment was Tuesday. Each owed $16.5 million.  Pennsylvania lawmakers legalized table games at existing slot-machine casinos in January as part of a deal with Gov. Ed Rendell to settle last year's protracted budget stalemate and raise additional revenue.  The state will take 14 percent of the casinos' revenue from table games, while 2 percent will go to local counties and municipalities. At the end of the second year, the gross tax rate will drop to 14 percent.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Transportation officials have placed weight restrictions on 11 bridges in northeastern Pennsylvania after inspections showed structural deterioration. Two bridges on Rt. 715 in Monroe County are among those affected, including the bridge spanning the Pocono Creek in Pocono Township. PennDOT says about 12,000 vehicles use that stretch of roadway daily.  Other spans now facing restrictions serve fewer vehicles, including the Long Pond Road Bridge over Interstate 80 in Tunkhannock Township and the Rt. 715 Bridge over McMichael Creek.  Both those bridges see about 3,000 vehicles daily.  The bridges with new restrictions are each at least 45 years old. PennDOT says about 5,600 of the state's 25,000 bridges are categorized as structurally deficient, or in need of repair. That's the most in the country.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - President Barack Obama says the country's dependence on fossil fuels jeopardizes national security, the economy and the environment - and must be ended.  The president said: "An America that runs solely on fossil fuels should not be the vision we have for our children and grandchildren."  Obama spoke to an audience in Pittsburgh Wednesday as the broken oil well in the Gulf of Mexico continued to spew oil unchecked.  He called for rolling back billions of dollars in oil company tax breaks and using the money on clean-energy technologies. And Obama pledged to find the votes for Congress to pass a sweeping energy bill that's stuck in the Senate.  The president said that without a major change in energy policy America will continue to send money overseas for fuel.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Revenue Department says general-fund revenue collections for May came in nearly $125 million below projections. The figures released Tuesday left the state $1.2 billion below assumptions for the fiscal year that wraps up at the end of June. Year-to-date collections are running nearly 5 percent less than anticipated. The weak numbers are an ominous sign for the likely contentious state budget talks that will accelerate over the coming weeks.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Democrat running for governor says he agrees with many of the suggestions to change the Legislature made by a grand jury impaneled by his Republican counterpart. Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato says he thinks some of the grand jury recommendations unveiled last week are worth

implementing. He also says he has no problem with the grand jury issuing such a report, despite criticism from some lawmakers that the panel overstepped its authority. The grand jury impaneled by Attorney General Tom Corbett investigated the state legislative corruption scandal known as Bonusgate. Corbett is the Republican nominee for governor. Both Corbett and Onorato are pressing substantial reform platforms.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is delivering his latest assessment Wednesday on the nation's economic recovery. The president is scheduled to speak at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where the White House says he will discuss the five pillars for a new economic foundation he laid out a year ago.

Those are: new rules for Wall Street; investments in education, renewable energy and health care; and reductions in federal spending to bring down budget deficits. While the administration has made some of the investments the president called for through the economic stimulus and health care overhaul, Wall Street reform is still tied up in Congress. And the debt has increased on Obama's watch.

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

Updates on the latest in business:

Dow: 10,199.43, up 175.41

S&P 500: 1,092.66, up 21.95

NASDAQ: 2,266.93, up 44.60

NEW YORK (AP) - Stock prices are rising strongly. The Dow has been up more than 100 points, along with the other key averages which are up more than 1 percent.

DETROIT (AP) - Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC saw double-digit sales increases over the same month last year, when GM was headed into bankruptcy protection and Chrysler was already there. Several Japanese and South Korean car makers also saw gains of 20 percent or more. But sales for Toyota Motor Corp. rose just 7 percent, driven by strong demand for its Lexus brand, while sales of some sedans like the Camry and the Avalon declined.

NEW YORK (AP) - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett says ratings agencies "made the wrong call" about the risks of the housing crisis. But he says few could have predicted its severity and says the ratings agency CEOs shouldn't be fired for missing the warning signs.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - An environmental group says more than 40 major retailers and apparel makers have agreed to limit the use of lead in handbags and other fashion accessories. The companies will set new industry standards for lead use in their products as part of a $1.7 million legal settlement.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Homebuyers were rushing to meet an end-of-April deadline for a federal tax credit. The National Association of Realtors says pending home sales rose 6 percent in April, rising to the highest level since October.  

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

Pennsylvania Lottery Numbers

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

 Mega Millions

     Estimated jackpot: $12 million

 Midday Big 4

     4-9-9-1

Midday Number

     5-4-9

 Midday Quinto

     5-1-8-2-6

Powerball

     Estimated jackpot: $260 million

 Treasure Hunt

     03-07-22-28-29

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's

drawing of the "Megaplier" game were:

2

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's

drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery's "Daily Number" game were:

4-3-7

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's

drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery's "Cash 5" game were:

13-15-27-31-36

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's

drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery's "Big 4" game were:

9-4-3-9

Winning numbers drawn in 'Evening Quinto' game

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's

drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery's "Evening Quinto" game were:

3-0-8-7-0

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

Tuesday:

Midday Big 4

5-1-2-5

Midday Number

0-5-5

Midday Quinto

0-1-9-0-9

Treasure Hunt

10-11-14-17-30

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

Jackson's hometown moves ahead with museum plans

GARY, Ind. (AP) - The mayor of Michael Jackson's hometown says crews will break ground as early as next year on a museum and arts center dedicated to the city's most famous former resident.  Mayor Rudy Clay says the Jackson Family Museum and Hotel and the Michael Jackson Performing Arts and Cultural Center and Theaters in Gary, Ind., will cost about $300 million.  The mayor says the money will come from investors and donations, but the city is donating 300  acres of land for the project.  Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, attended a Wednesday news conference in Gary. He says he's carrying on his son's legacy by making sure the project comes to fruition.  Michael Jackson was last in Gary in 2003 to talk about the project, but nothing had happened since then.

McCartney's long, winding road goes to White House

WASHINGTON (AP) - After all those hits along the long and winding road to fame, you'd think nothing would fluster Paul McCartney. Think again.  Sir Paul has confessed he's "slightly nervous" about Wednesday night's concert at the White House. That's where President Barack Obama will present McCartney with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.  There's an all-star lineup for the tribute concert, including the Jonas Brothers, Faith Hill, Stevie Wonder and Jerry Seinfeld.  Also performing: Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, White Stripes singer and guitarist Jack White and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. McCartney himself will be performing, too. Those not on the guest list can catch the concert July 28th, when it's televised on PBS.

Iron Chef ready to serve LeBron

CLEVELAND (AP) - One of the Cavaliers' most famous fans is hoping the way to LeBron James' heart is through his stomach.  Cleveland native Michael Symon, one of Food Network's Iron Chefs, has offered to go to James' house once a month and cook a meal for the MVP's family and friends if he re-signs as a free agent with the Cavaliers. Symon posted a letter to James on his Facebook page.  Symon thanked James for all he has done for the city and urged him to follow his heart when making his decision. Symon also pointed out that some legendary athletes - Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Jim Brown, Bill Russell and Michael Jordan - created their legacies primarily with one team.

Al and Tipper Gore, married 40 years, to separate

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The couple many thought would go the distance are separating after 40 years of marriage. Former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, said in e-mails to friends that it was a mutual decision made after "careful consideration." During his eight years as vice president, their image as a happily married couple, contrasted the Clintons' marriage, which was rocked by Bill Clinton's affair with an intern. At one time, Gore called his wife "someone I've loved with my whole heart since the night of my high school senior prom." On Halloween, Al and Tipper Gore would dress up in costume and greet trick-or-treaters who made their way to the vice president's mansion. Friends say the couple told them they "grew apart" and there was no affair involved.

CAN JAMES CAMERON HELP WITH THE OIL SPILL?

WASHINGTON (AP) - It sounds like the government will take help on how to stop that oil spill wherever they can get it. Like with James Cameron. He has a fertile imagination and he's into techie things, including dealing with the ocean. So, federal officials hope maybe he can dream up ideas about how to plug the oil that's spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. Cameron was with a group of scientists and other experts yesterday. They met with officials from the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies for a brainstorming session on stopping the massive oil leak. Along with directing blockbusters like "Avatar" and "Titanic," Cameron is considered an expert on underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies.

Judge orders school to reinstate student suspended over rosary

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A federal judge says a school in Schenectady, N.Y., must reinstate a seventh-grader who was suspended for wearing rosary beads, pending a hearing into whether the suspension violated the boy's civil rights. School officials contend that 13-year-old Raymond Hosier violated a ban on gang-related clothing, as rosary beads are sometimes worn as gang symbols. The boy, who was suspended from Oneida Middle School two weeks ago, says he wears the purple rosary in memory of his brother, who died while clutching the beads after a bicycle accident. The American Center for Law and Justice filed a lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court contending the suspension violated Hosier's rights to free speech and religious expression. Judge Lawrence Kahn ordered Hosier reinstated pending a June 11 hearing.

Simultaneous Toilet Flush

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking for 250 students to help with an important task and there's only one major requirement: You must know how to flush a toilet. Construction is near completion on the NHL team's new arena, the Consol Energy Center. But like with any new arena or stadium, officials need to simultaneously flush all the toilets and urinals to make sure everything is working. The Penguins are calling the June 10 event the "Student Flush," a spinoff of their popular ticketing program known as "Student Rush." Students already involved in the ticketing program can enter for a chance to win. Students must be 18 or older to participate in the flush-apalooza. In all, there will be 400 flushers, including some construction officials, on hand that day.

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