Sunday, June 13, 2010

 Love-n-Care Street Fair draws crowd to Cameron Park

SUNBURY -- The annual festival that supports the Sunbury Health Foundation drew a robust midday crowd to Cameron Park Saturday.  Among the attractions, a cash drawing. Winnings and winners included $1,000 for Amy Price of Northumberland, a 37" flat screen TV for Steve Fisher of Sunbury, and Bob Barnesconi won a wrist watch from John Dagle Jewelers.

Radioman Don Steese has been the announcer for the fair for 30-years and says the mission of the fundraiser has changed through the years.  It once offered direct support for Sunbury Community Hospital.

He said it now supports a foundation that offers health care for the uninsured or underinsured, and aid for persons working toward medical careers.  Love-n-Care Street Fair totals are not yet final and will be released Monday.

Driver cited after tractor-trailer and train collide

WASHINGTONVILLE – A tractor-trailer driver escaped major injury, but will be cited following a collision with a train Friday afternoon in Montour County.  58-year-old Bob Feese of Danville was driving the rig around 2:30p.m. on Route 54 near Washingtonville. 

He drove into the path of a train at a grade crossing.  State troopers say Feese sustained minor injuries and will be charged with not driving at a safe speed. The train was made up of a Norfolk Southern locomotive and at least one freight car.  Significant damage was done to the front of the truck.  (Matt Farrand)

Injuries after DUI crash in Columbia County

BENTON -- A Freeland man sustained injured after a DUI crash in Columbia County.  26-year-old Sean McCoy was driving on Route 487 in Benton around 10:30p.m. Friday when he struck a parked vehicle. 

McCoy's vehicle sustained severe damage and he was taken to Bloomsburg Hospital for treatment of unknown injuries.  Police say he was arrested for DUI, and will be charged following results of a blood test.

Three injured after Columbia County crash

BLOOMSBURG -- A two vehicle accident injured three people Friday afternoon in Columbia County.  20-year-old Robert Winters of Millville was driving on Route 239 in Jackson Township around 2:30p.m. when he failed to stop at a stop sign. 

He was struck by a vehicle driven by 73-year-old Dorothy Souter of Montoursville.  Winters, Souter and a 17-year-old in Winters' vehicle were injured and taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries.  Winters will be cited for causing the accident.   

Looking at the ‘gems’ of The Valley this weekend on Roundtable

SUNBURY – Tourism, unique downtowns and the ‘gems’ of the Central Susquehanna Valley are the topics of our Roundtable program this weekend. The Greats Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce is featured along with the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau executive director Andrew Miller.

Miller said our local fairs and festivals, the confluence of the Susquehanna River, all work to bring people back to our area to visit. The gems of The Valley include places like Knoebels’ Groves, Reptileland and T & D Cats.  

Festivals and fairs, Love-n-Care, River Festival, Lewisburg Arts Festival. You can hear Roundtable (Sunday) on Eagle 107 (107.3FM) at 6a.m., 100.9 (100.9FM), The Valley, at 6a.m., Newsradio 1070 WKOK (1070AM) at 9a.m., Talkradio 1380 WMLP (1380AM), 11a.m., 94KX WQKX (94.1FM) at 11p.m., and anytime, at www.wkok.com

Hundreds come out to support Seth and Alex

SELINSGROVE -- Nearly 500 friends, family and area residents walked the track Friday night at Selinsgrove high school to honor and raise money for 17-year-olds Seth Lauver and Alex Mullen. The walkers were supporting the two high school students were hurt in a post prom car accident last month.  Dave Hess, Selinsgrove Seals football coach, says the turnout was incredible.  He says the night was upbeat and a positive night showing the community coming together. 

Teams of four to six people paid $100 to participate in the Walk-a-Thon, and all of the money will help with Lauver and Mullen's medical expenses.  Chyme Rouse, whose son plays football with Lauver, says the support is amazing.  Rouse says medical costs can be sky high and whatever the community can do to chip in is worth it.

Members of Danville High School's football team also came out to support Seth and Alex.  Seth Lauver suffered spinal injuries and remains at a hospital in Philadelphia.  Alex Mullen remains a Geisinger Medical Center in serious condition.  A fund at Northumberland National Bank continues to accept donations for the families.  

West Branch sojourn could attract up to 90 paddlers

LEWISBURG – Final preparation is underway for an annual canoe and kayak trek down the Susquehanna River. Trish Carothers of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership says they are now getting food, registration materials and other things in place for the 97-mile trip meant to raise awareness of the river. 

The Partnership’s Development and Outreach Officer says Sunday will be devoted to shuttling participants up to Clinton County, followed by their first day on the water. Carothers says the first day will be considered a warm-up of only about a dozen miles of paddling, while their longest day will cover 23 miles.

Carothers also says the Susquehanna Sojourn is in its 20^th year of encouraging public access to the all parts of the river and promoting careful use of the watershed.  Area residents are invited to meet the fleet as they complete the last leg of the sojourn, Saturday the 19th at Shikellamy State Park Marina, at about 5:30p.m.  Up to 90 canoeists and kayakers are expected to join for all or part of the trip.  (Matt Farrand)

$30,000 construction vehicle stolen

KELLY TWP -- A construction vehicle is missing and police are asking the public's help with the investigation.  Milton State Police say a $30,000 skid loader with forklift was taken from a parking lot along AJK Boulevard in Kelly Township, Union County.  The vehicle, owned by a Sunbury construction company, was loaded onto a trailer and taken from the scene sometime between Wednesday and Thursday.  Anyone with information should call police. (Sara Bartlett)

Police investigate tree vandalism

TURBOTVILLE -- Milton State Police are looking for a tree vandal.  Sometime between Wednesday and Thursday, 32 apple trees and six pear trees were cut down at a property along Hickory Road in Anthony Township, Montour County.  The actor fled and left the trees at the scene.  The trees are owned by a Turbotville resident.  Anyone with information is asked to call police at 524-2662. (Sara Bartlett) 

DA waits for crash reconstruction

MIDDLEBURG -- The investigation continues into the post prom crash which injured two Selinsgrove high schoolers. Snyder County District Attorney Michael Piecuch says he expects to hear by next week the crash reconstruction results that injured two Selinsgrove high school students.  He tells us the results, coming from State Police, could determine if the vehicle that 17-year-old Seth Lauver hit along Penns Drive May 22 was parked illegally. 

Piecuch says the driver of the vehicle had stopped to change a tire and that's when Lauver swerved to avoid the car, and his vehicle, carrying 17-year-old Alex Mullen, flipped over.  Piecuch says depending on the outcome of the reconstruction, the driver of the parked vehicle could face some sort of criminal reckless charge.  Both Lauver and Mullen continue to recover at the hospital. (Sara Bartlett)

Nursing home worker wants dismissal of case

MIDDLEBURG -- An Elizabethville woman, charged with felony counts of theft, is looking to have her trial dismissed.  Linda Sullivan, an employee at the Loving Care Nursing Center in Selinsgrove, was charged last year following a lengthy investigation that found she made herself the power of attorney for a mentally handicapped resident and stole money from him. 

That resident, 69-year-old Francis Simonoski, passed away in April and now Sullivan says there is no case against her. 

In court Thursday, Sullivan says there is now no evidence of her alleged actions, but Snyder County District Attorney Michael Piecuch says Sullivan isn't off the hook. 

Piecuch tells us he has other evidence that Sullivan stole money from Simonoski's inheritance and called it a donation to the nursing home.  Union/Snyder County Judge Louise Knight is expected to issue a ruling on the continuation or dismissal of the case in the next two months.  If the case goes further, trial will begin in October. (Sara Bartlett)

Beavertown crash injuries one

BEAVERTOWN -- A McClure man is in fair condition following a crash on Route 522 Friday morning.  40-year-old Kevin Weader was driving near Beavertown around 6:15a.m. when he ran into the back of a pickup truck driven by 41-year-old Keith Drumheller of McClure. 

Weader then struck a modular home being pulled by a tractor-trailer driven by 43-year-old William Hall of Mifflinburg.  Weader had to be rescued from his vehicle and taken by Life Flight to Geisinger Medical Center.  There were no other injuries reported.  The crash shut down Route 522 for an hour and a half Friday morning.  Beavertown and Beaver Springs fire crews assisted at the scene. (Ali Stevens)

McClure man injured in Route 522 crash

BEAVERTOWN -- A McClure man is in fair condition following a crash on Route 522 Friday morning.  40-year-old Kevin Weader was driving near Beavertown around 6:15a.m. when he ran into the back of a pickup truck driven by 41-year-old Keith Drumheller of McClure.  Weader then struck a modular home being pulled by a tractor-trailer driven by 43-year-old William Hall of Mifflinburg. 

Weader had to be rescued from his vehicle and taken by Life Flight to Geisinger Medical Center. He is in fair condition. There were no other injuries reported.  The crash shut down Route 522 for an hour and a half Friday morning.  Beavertown and Beaver Springs fire crews assisted at the scene. (Ali Stevens)

Next step for Selinsgrove schools

SELINSGROVE -- What is the next step for Selinsgrove following the announcement that superintendent Dr. Frederick Johnson is leaving to take another job in the Philadelphia area?  School Board President Eric Rowe tells us the search for a new superintendent will be discussed at the Monday night school board meeting. 

Rowe says he and the district will miss Dr. Johnson, but will move on and not skip a beat. Rowe talked about some of the things the district achieved under Johnson's leadership, including all-day kindergarten, unifying the district onto one campus, large facilities projects and improvement of PSSA test scores. 

Dr. Frederick Johnson has been with the Selinsgrove School District for more than nine years and will be a featured guest on our Thursday Leaders & Lawmakers program on WKOK at 3 p.m.  You can also hear that interview next week online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)

Bear rescue in Danville

DANVILLE -- A 100 pound bear had to be captured in Danville Friday morning. The bear was 'up a tree' on private property when it was tranquilized and captured by the state game commission. Police tell bear was first seen running across the road at Berry and East Mahoning Streets around 6 a.m.

The bear ran into a nearby backyard, before climbing a tree.  The Pennsylvania Game Commission arrived and were able to tranquilize the bear.  Danville police say the bear will be released in the wild in Sullivan County.  Danville Police were assisted by the Danville Fire Department and the bear is said to be doing fine.  (Ali Stevens)

Shikellamy SD hires new super

SUNBURY -- The Shikellamy School District has a new superintendent. Last night the school board, on a seven to one vote, hired Robin Musto to replace Dr. Alan Lonoconus. She will be paid $119,500 in her first year.

Musto is currently an assistant superintendent in the East Lycoming School District in Hughesville. Musto has a Masters degree from Bloomsburg University and has also served as an elementary school principal in the Muncy School District. 

Musto was selected from a pool of six candidates after a national search.  The finalists’ interviews consisted of two formal interviews and a series of informal meetings prior to the school board making their selection.  Musto will begin her duties immediately after being released from her current position in Hughesville.  (Ali Stevens)

Sunnybrook Park is ready to open this weekend in Danville

DANVILLE – Sunnybrook Park outside of Danville has been on the mend is ready to open this weekend in Danville.  If you haven’t been there, you’ll be surprised by its renaissance, according to board president Darla Gill.  She says they are always working to make things better. The park offers pavilions, volleyball courts, a playground and a swimming pool.

This Saturday marks the summer opening of the 83-year-old facility and its swimming pool.  Gill says they’ve upgraded some of the pool’s systems and it’s even sporting a new paint job.  Check out www.sunnybrookpark.org for all the details you’ll need.  The park is along Route 642 east, just off of Route 54 outside of Danville. 

More than 200 bike helmets given away as part of safety event

LEWISBURG -- More than 200 bike helmets were given to children this week during the annual Bike Helmet Safety Event in Lewisburg.  The event is held at the Lewisburg McDonalds in conjunction with the Kiwanis Clubs of Lewisburg and Buffalo Valley Am and Evangelical Community Hospital. 

The clubs raise money to purchase the helmets and then they are distributed to children at the event, which was held last Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m.  This year, 160 children were properly fitted for a bicycle helmet and 60 additional helmets were ordered, bringing the total to 220 helmets.  The event is to promote bike safety for children.  (Ali Stevens)

Sunbury Municipal Authority’s role explained

SUNBURY – Following an email from a listener of WKOK’s On The Mark program, regarding the role the Sunbury Municipal Authority has, Dan Ramer was a call in guest on the show. Ramer is the general manager of the authority and says they perform five functions for the city including providing drinking water, wastewater treatment, transfer station, flood control and recycling.

Ramer says the $20-million wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Sunbury was mandated by the DEP to control runoff of harmful nutrients that could enter the Chesapeake Bay from the Susquehanna River.

Ramer also talked about a flood control fee of approximately $6.00 a month. He says the flood control project has a budget of between $400,000 and $500,000 and as long as the flood control system is operating, the fee is necessary.

You can hear more from Dan Ramer on the Sunbury Municipal Authority from our Thursday On The Mark program online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)

Wolfgang trial to begin in September

SUNBURY -- The murder trial for 49-year-old Steven Wolfgang of Mount Carmel will begin in September. Wolfgang is charged in the 2007 murder of his wife 42-year-old Sherry Wolfgang. Wolfgang has since plead not guilty.

Northumberland County President Judge Robert Sacavage, who will preside over the trial, reiterated his prior ruling this week that Wolfgang is competent to stand trial. Jury selection is scheduled for September 13th, with the trial beginning September 20th.

Mount Carmel man behind bars after a high speed chase

MOUNT CARMEL – A high speed chase and crash resulted in a Mount Carmel man being sent to the Northumberland County Prison on Tuesday night. Police say 31-year-old Richard Erb faces numerous charges for the incident along Route 61 in Mount Carmel Township. Police say Erb was driving in Atlas when police tried to pull him over, but Erb fled at a high rate of speed toward Kulpmont.

Police say Erb reached speeds of 80 to 100 miles per hour through Kulpmont and then struck a curb and a stop sign before the vehicle spun out and went airborne. Erb apparently tried to flee on foot but police used a Taser gun to stop him. He was arrested and charged with several offenses. Erb was treated at Shamokin Area Community Hospital for various injures and then incarcerated at the Northumberland County Prison. (Ali Stevens)

Visitors Bureau optimistic about area tourism

SHAMOKIN DAM -- Tourism is the second largest industry in Pennsylvania, and during a recent meeting of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Valley was touted as a great place for summer activities.

Andrew Miller, Executive Director of the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau, says for residents staying in the area, or outsiders coming in to visit, there is something for everyone. He says outdoor recreation is hugely popular this summer, and we are lucky to have access to the river.

There are a number of river guides, as well as boat rentals and rowing camps. Miller says he is optimistic that the tourism industry in the Central Susquehanna Valley will continue to the thrive in the future. Miller gave a sneak peak of some events in the future. Some things to look forward to, according to Miller, are the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

Over the next four years, there will be a theme: 'The American Civil War, Stories from the Home Front,' and many activities will surround that. He also says the 6,000 acre off-road vehicle park proposed in Northumberland County is also generating excitement nationwide.

Miller says with downtown shops and restaurants, museums, an amusement park and many other attractions, the Central Susquehanna Valley is a great draw for visitors from all over the country. He's also encouraging local residents and families to take day trips in their very backyard. (Sara Bartlett)

Charges could be filed in an incident that left a Dalmatia teen dead

DALMATIA – Charges could be filed next week against a Millersburg man involved in a vehicle death. 29-year-old Thomas Schorr is accused of driving erratically and striking an embankment April 12th on Lenker Road in Lower Mahanoy Township A passenger in the car, 19-year-old Bethany Harris of Dalmatia, was reportedly nervous of the driving and jumped out of the vehicle.

She was taken to Geisinger Medical Center and succumbed to her injuries the next day. Schorr, along with two other passengers in the vehicle, 21-year-old Joel Nies of Northumberland and 23-year-old Jessica Beers of Millersburg, all escaped injury. State police say the investigation is wrapping up and they expect charges to be filed sometime next week. (Ali Stevens)

McClure man injured in Snyder County crash

BEAVER SPRINGS – A McClure man was injured in a crash Thursday morning on Creek Road in Beaver Township, Snyder County. State police say 24-year-old Casey Wagner was heading east on Creek Road near Covered Bridge Road around 4:30 a.m. when he fell asleep at the wheel.

Wagner struck a tree stump with the vehicle, which sent the car airborne into another tree. Wagner was treated at the scene for cuts and scratches. He was charged with careless driving. (Ali Stevens)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment

DEER LAKE, Pa. (AP) - A fire at a split-level home in eastern Pennsylvania has claimed the life of a 44-year-old woman.  Forty-four-year-old Sarah Drummer died in the fire Saturday night at her Deer Lake home. Neighbors say she used a wheelchair and lived with her parents, who were attending a wedding when the blaze began.  Neighbors told the Reading Eagle that they opened the front door of the home but were pushed back by smoke. They say flames were shooting from the back of the house.  Three firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion. Fire Chief Michael Strouse says 75 to 100 firefighters responded and shuttled water to the home because the neighborhood didn't have hydrants.  Deer Lake is about 20 miles northwest of Reading.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Pennsylvania board has ruled that nurses and other health professionals are eligible for unemployment compensation during their month long strike of a Philadelphia hospital.  The Pennsylvania Bureau of Unemployment Compensation said in a decision late Friday that the union's 28-day work stoppage in April constituted a lockout, not a strike. Temple will pay the bill because, like many large employers, it is self-insured for unemployment compensation.  Bill Cruice, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, says officials are "thrilled" that their position had been upheld. The union says Temple will have to pay about $1.5 million in unemployment compensation to 800 or 900 of the 1,500 workers it represents.  Temple hospital president and chief executive Sandy Gomberg said in a brief statement that the hospital will appeal.

POTTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - An eastern Pennsylvania woman has been sentenced to two to six years in prison for violating her parole on animal cruelty charges by possessing animals. Fifty-year-old Virginia Justiniano was granted parole after pleading guilty in February to 117 counts of cruelty to animals as well as drug charges. Prosecutors say animal welfare officers last month removed four cats, a ferret and a goldfish from the Pottsville property she and her fiancé were renovating.  Assistant Public Defender Kent Watkins said his client's problem is an attachment to animals, which she had been barred from owning for 10 years. Schuylkill County Judge Charles Miller on Friday revoked her parole and sentenced her to prison. Justiniano's fiancé, 39-year-old Andy Oxenrider, also pleaded guilty in February to animal cruelty and drug counts.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania regulators have given the go-ahead for drilling to resume at two gas wells owned by the company that had a blowout at a third, nearby well last week. Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Neil Weaver said Friday that Houston-based EOG Resources has been authorized to resume work at two wells that have been inspected and found to have no environmental or operational violations. State officials ordered EOG Resources to stop operations at all its sites after the June 3 accident at a well on the grounds of a Clearfield County hunting club. Work will not resume at that well while an investigation continues, and dozens of the company's other wells remain idle. No one was injured in the 16-hour blowout, which sent highly pressurized gas and polluted water 75 feet into the air.

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - A black bear is headed back to the woods after it had to be removed from the roof of a northeastern Pennsylvania mall. The 400-pound male bear apparently climbed onto the roof of the Viewmont Mall in Scranton after it had been searching for food in a trash bin early Friday. Scranton police say they responded to a report of the bear going through the trash around 2:15 a.m. When they put a spotlight on it, the bear climbed up a fence to the roof and started roaming around atop the mall. Pennsylvania Game Commission officers were called and they climbed onto the roof and tranquilized the bear. It was lowered to the ground by a forklift. Officials planned to release the bear onto state game lands in Monroe County.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Iron City Brewing Co. will pay $750,000 to settle a past-due sewer bill at its former Pittsburgh brewery. The brewery and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority announced the deal Friday. The authority made concessions in 2007 regarding a $2.7 million water and sewage bill that allowed the brewing company to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, only to have Iron City shut down and move its operations 40 miles away to Latrobe last year. Since then, the authority has claimed Iron City still owed $1 million, but the makers of Iron City Beer claimed they owed just $450,000. Under Friday's deal, the brewery will pay $450,000 in September, and $300,000 more later. Some money will be used to redevelop unused buildings at the former brewery site.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania is getting $1 million from the federal government to help cover costs and damages from a series of major snow storms in February. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday that it was granting the assistance for the storms that hit from Feb. 5 through Feb. 11. The money will also go to certain private nonprofit organizations. FEMA says that more funds will be obligated as it continues to process requests for public assistance. A federal disaster declaration was issued for Pennsylvania on April 16 and includes counties from all across the state.

BELLEVILLE, Pa. (AP) - An overhaul of Pennsylvania dog laws has put a serious dent in the state's reputation as the puppy mill capital of the East. Officials say the 2-year-old law has driven most commercial breeders out of business. Scores of substandard commercial kennels have opted to close instead of comply with stringent new health and safety standards. That frees at least 14,000 dogs from bleak surroundings where they typically got little attention or care. Breeders who have stayed in business have shelled out tens of thousands of dollars to upgrade their kennels. The state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement said Friday in its annual report to the Legislature that Pennsylvania has become a "model state" for oversight of commercial breeders.

YORK, Pa. (AP) - Police are investigating an overnight shooting outside a York nightclub that left four people wounded.  Northern York County Regional Police said they arrived at Club XS around 2 a.m. Friday and found about 12 people involved in fights while a crowd of 150 to 200 watched.  Officers breaking up the fights heard gunshots nearby and found three men and a woman with non-life threatening gunshot wounds. Police say they range in age from 17 to 23 and are from Lancaster.  The investigation is continuing. No arrests have been made.

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) - A movie and TV studio facility is coming to suburban Philadelphia.  Officials turned out for a groundbreaking Thursday at what the future home of the 33-acre Sun Center Studios in Chester. The $85 million dollar project is expected to create about 300 permanent jobs during the first year. About $40 million of the cost is coming from private lenders.  Lawyer and developer Jeffrey Rotwitt says the studio will be equal or better to anything in Hollywood.  Rotwitt is being investigated by the FBI for a failed development deal in Philadelphia. He wouldn't discuss the probe, but said he thinks the case will be resolved quickly and favorably.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A contrite Ben Roethlisberger says he got caught up in being a caricature called Big Ben, not the grounded player and person he once was -- leading to his off-field problems and affecting his play as the Steelers quarterback. In his first detailed interviews since a Georgia college student accused him of sexually assaulting her in a nightclub bathroom on March 5, Roethlisberger told Pittsburgh TV stations KDKA and WTAE that he expects to be booed this season. He also apologized for his actions, and promised to become the role model he should have been throughout his career. He blamed his problems on being young, dumb and immature - even though he's 28 - and is especially sorry that his behavior hurt and saddened his parents, sister and other family members. Because lawyers did not permit the questions to be asked, the two-time Super Bowl winner gave no details about the Milledgeville, Ga., nightclub incident that resulted in his six-game suspension by the NFL. But he said his family members know what happened.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State officials have hired a Texas-based petroleum engineer to perform an independent investigation of last week's natural gas well blowout. DEP officials also say they've discovered a new waterway apparently polluted by drilling fluids released during the accident. They say they continue to monitor the unnamed tributary to Little Laurel Run. Meanwhile, the contractor ordered by state officials to stop its well-finishing work in Pennsylvania says it is cooperating. C.C. Forbes Co. of Texas says it had already idled its two Marcellus Shale rigs Friday. No one was hurt in the accident at an EOG Resources well on the grounds of a Clearfield County hunting club.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The number of Pennsylvania homes entering the foreclosure process over the past 12 months rose by more than 20 percent, despite a national rate that stayed flat over the same period. New figures from foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. showed almost 5,300 Pennsylvania homes received at least one foreclosure filing in May. That's a slight drop from April, and about the same percentage decrease nationally over the same period. Nearly 1,600 of those properties in Pennsylvania were seized. Pennsylvania's foreclosure rate in May was two-fifths the national rate, with approximately one in every 1,000 homes receiving a foreclosure filing last month. A year ago, the state's foreclosure rate was one-third the national rate, a sign that Pennsylvania's situation worsened while the nation's foreclosure crisis appeared to level off.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is leaving three gun ordinances on the books in Philadelphia, but the National Rifle Association says they'll eventually be struck down. The high court issued a set of decisions this week that mean, among other things, the city may continue to require people to report lost or stolen handguns. But the justices also declined to overturn a Philadelphia judge's decision that threw out city ordinances limiting how often someone can buy a gun and a ban on assault weapons. National Rifle Association lawyer Scott Shields says as soon as someone has legal standing to challenge the lost-and-stolen law it'll be thrown out, too. Philadelphia city lawyer Richard Feder calls it a "mixed decision."

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

Update on the latest in business:

A few final hurdles for new Wall Street rules

WASHINGTON (AP) - From complex trades by big banks to the plastic in people's wallets, a few contentious issues could undo months of work as lawmakers try to blend House and Senate bills into a single rewrite of banking regulations. The final bill is intended to prevent another financial crisis like the 2008 meltdown that triggered the great recession. President Barack Obama wants to sign the legislation by Independence Day.  But first, House and Senate Democrats must reconcile their differences.  Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of a panel resolving differences in the bills, and Sen. Christopher Dodd, who shepherded the Senate bill, must fend off industry efforts to dilute the final legislation while holding together a fragile Senate coalition that included only four Republicans.

BP exec gives pep talk amid US tensions over spill

SCHRIEVER, La. (AP) - A top BP executive has acknowledged growing tensions between the oil giant and the federal government but also gave workers at a command center a much-needed pep talk.  Chief operating officer Doug Suttles reminded them Saturday of the huge challenge, trying to stop a massive oil leak and keep the crude away from the Gulf Coast.  BP's public image has taken a beating and its stock price plunged since the April 20 explosion of a deep-sea rig that killed 11 people and triggered the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.  Earlier Saturday, the Coast Guard made public a testy letter to Suttles demanding the company pick up its pace and present a better plan to contain the spill by the time President Barack Obama arrives at the coast on Monday.

Pennsylvania Lottery Numbers:

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

 Big 4

     7-3-1-3

Cash 5

     03-13-28-31-35

Daily Number

     0-7-6

Evening Quinto

     4-7-6-9-5

Midday Big 4

     2-0-6-5

Midday Number

     1-1-1

Midday Quinto

     7-3-8-3-7

Powerball

     09-12-13-35-38, Powerball: 30, Power Play: 10

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

Trials of Jesse: Biker to be frequent court figure

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jesse James is getting his day in court. Quite a few of them, actually. The biker businessman and estranged husband of Sandra Bullock was a fixture in a Los Angeles courtroom this week, where he's involved in dueling lawsuits with an apparel manufacturer. James is expected to testify and the 41-year-old will likely attend all the proceedings. He spent two days watching and listening to jury selection - a rare exercise for a sued celebrity.  He is also embroiled in a custody dispute in neighboring Orange County with his ex-wife, Janine Lindemulder. James had been expected to attend a hearing in that case next week, but it may be postponed.  Not to be forgotten, James is getting divorced from Bullock in Austin, Texas. No proceedings have been scheduled in that case.

Small French cinema chain protests Israeli raid

PARIS (AP) - A small French cinema chain has made waves by postponing this month's showing of an Israeli comedy to protest the country's deadly May 31 raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.  The Utopia cinema chain replaced "Five Hours from Paris" with the documentary "Rachel," about an American student crushed to death by a bulldozer in 2003 while protesting Israeli house demolitions in Gaza.  The chain says it was the "only way to express disapproval" about the flotilla raid, which killed nine people.  The French Jewish organization Crif said the decision shows that "knee-jerk anti-Israel sentiment has no limits."  Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand wrote to the chain to express "disapproval" of its decision, Le Figaro newspaper reported on its Web site.