Friday, July 9, 2010
Electricity demand spikes to almost record levels
UNDATED -- As homes and businesses cranked their air conditioning over the past four days, the demand for electricity has nearly reached record-setting levels for PPL Electric Utilities. PPL spokeswoman Teri MacBride tells us levels spiked Thursday. She says around 2:00p.m., the grid peaked at 7,362 megawatts. It didn't quite reach a record, which was set August 1, 2006, when the peak was 7,554.
MacBride says the electric grid is functioning very well, and during this week's extreme hot weather, the company brought in extra personnel to respond to any local problems. MacBride says there were no major issues.
MacBride says customers can help keep electricity use down
themselves. Some tips include keeping thermostats at around 75
degrees, pull down window shades, and limit the use of lights and
laundry appliances. (Sara Bartlett)
The health of the Chesapeake Bay is improving
UNDATED – Water quality is improving along the Chesapeake Bay according to Chesapeake Bay Foundation president and CEO Will Baker, who was a recent guest on WKOK’s Leaders & Lawmakers program. Baker says underwater grasses have never been as abundant as they are now in the last 25 to 30 years. He says blue crabs have rebounded in the last two years and the so called “dead zones”, which are parts of the bay that have very low dissolved oxygen, have been retreating.
Also, there are some early signs that oysters may be developing a resistance to two toxins that had decimated their population.
However, Baker says there is still much work to be done. Baker says the Chesapeake is still a system dangerously out of balance. The bay area adds about 1.5-million new residents every decade which means you have to work faster to keep the bay healthy.
Baker says we can do plenty to help the condition of the Susquehanna River, which dumps into the Chesapeake Bay. Something as simple as what you drive can make a difference in the health of the bay. You can hear more from Baker on the state of the Chesapeake Bay from a recent Leaders & Lawmakers program online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)
94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon will soon be here
SUNBURY – As the 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon draws closer, we will start to preview the stories and meet some of the Miracle Children that will be featured during the three day event at the end of the month.
Chloe Dickson of Sunbury is 9-months-old and was born with Spina Bifida, a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings. She is now crawling and wearing braces on her feet so she will soon be able to stand. However, Chloe still faces serious health challenges, living her life with one kidney and a very fragile spine. Her mother, Jessica is also balancing a busy schedule, taking care of Chloe’s health needs, while also raising her two other children, 7-year-old Trent and 5-year-old Savannah.
Jason Dickson says he wouldn’t change a thing because Chloe is their special little girl and they love her no matter what. Jessica Dickson says the Children’s Miracle Network is special to them because of the care they received for Chloe at the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital.
Find out more about Chloe Dickson and other area Miracle Children during the 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon, which will be held July 30th and 31st and August 1st at the Susquehanna Valley Mall, to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network. Saturday will feature Ashley’s Auction at the mall with hundreds of items to bid on as part of the massive silent auction that raised more than $13,000 last year. There will also be a Princess and Pirate Party at the mall that day for all children to attend. Find out more about the 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon in the coming weeks here on WKOK. (Ali Stevens)
More weather records shattered in the Valley
UNDATED -- We broke more weather records in the Valley yesterday. Around 4:00p.m., we hit 104, which breaks a record of 99 on that day set back in 1988. That also marks four days in a row that temperatures were above 100, which sets a new record of consecutive days above 100 for our area.
There was a 7-day period in August of 1930 when temperatures hit above 100 four days in the same week, and one of the days hit 105, but there has never been four days in a row above 100
Family Fun night kicks off Sunbury Celebration 2010
SUNBURY -- Kids enjoyed the cold water of Oppenheimer Playground's fountain during Thursday's hot weather as they gathered for the opening day of Sunbury Celebration 2010. The playground, along North 2nd Street, was packed for the free family fun night. 9-year-old Hailey and 6-year-old Avery of Sunbury were taking in the festivities.
Hailey says she enjoyed playing in the water, while Avery showed his skills on the monkey bars. Sunbury Celebration continues tonight at 7:00p.m. with a free splash hop at the Sunbury Pool. There will be free refreshments, as well as musical entertainment. Many more activities fill the weekend for Sunbury Celebration. For a full schedule go online to www.wkok.com. (Sara Bartlett)
Memorials set for slain yoga master
NEW BERLIN – The man accused of shooting and killing a New Berlin yoga master will not return to Pennsylvania this week. 33-year-old Joel Snider of St. Louis, Missouri is fighting extradition. Milton State Police Trooper Matt Burrows tells us the extradition will take place within 30 days. He was taken into custody this week in Baltimore County, Maryland.
Swami Sudharman will be memorialized both publicly and privately. A public ceremony for the Swami is planned for Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the Integral Yoga Center in New Berlin.
A separate private ceremony is also planned for Sudharman. Students of the long time yoga instructor are encouraging monetary support the Integral Yoga Center, in lieu of flowers. They also say classes are canceled until further notice, but will return at a date to be announced. (Matt Farrand)
GMC history unearthed by construction crew
DANVILLE -- Pieces of the building that was on the site of Danville's Geisinger Medical Center were recently unearthed by construction workers. The crew found five sections of the columns that once lined the main entrance to what was known as the George F. Geisinger Memorial Hospital.
Associate Vice President for Facilities Operations Al Neuner explains says they were putting an addition to the MRI Building near the Janet Weis Children's Hospital, when they found the Corinthian style column segments. Neuner says they were probably removed from the original hospital building in the 1940's.
Neuner says the crews first thought they'd hit a patch of rocks, as they worked along Red Lane, north of the hospital. He says the segments look somewhat like the columns on the US Capitol building and weigh more than two tons.
The sandstone pillar parts may be used to decorate a healing garden that is being considered for the north end of the new Hospital for Advanced Medicine. (Matt Farrand)
Lost Chihuahua reunited with owners
POINT TOWNSHIP -- It turns out that a Chihuahua found Thursday along Ridge Road in Point Township was not intentionally the victim of animal cruelty. Point Township Police say the dog was simply a long way from home, though their follow-up statement neither reveals where home was, or why the dog was tied to a tree.
The white and tan dog was bruised and nearly lifeless when found near Hookies Grove Road; but it was not thrown from a car as initially feared. The dog was taken to the Sunbury Animal Hospital, and later reunited with its owners.
Police say thanks go to citizens who took the time to make phone calls, so they could complete their investigation. (Matt Farrand)
Energy upgrade bids to be opened next week
SUNBURY -- Thursday's meeting of the Shikellamy school board was postponed for a week. Board Vice President Linda Van Der Pool says bids are due Tuesday for some of the district's planned improvements to heating and cooling equipment.
Among them, cooling equipment for the C.W. Rice Middle School. Van Der Pool says they postponed the regular meeting rather than scheduling a separate meeting just to open the bids.
The next board meeting is now planned for Thursday the 15th at 7:00 p.m. The board issued bonds to pay for the $3 million dollar project, with the hopes that energy savings would pay for the borrowing. (Matt Farrand)
Lewisburg driver causes accident
DANVILLE -- A Lewisburg woman is facing charges after causing a crash in Montour County Thursday afternoon. Around 12:10p.m. 69-year-old Leanelda Reese was driving on Route 45 in Liberty Township when she began passing several vehicles in a no passing zone. She ended up rear-ending a vehicle attempting to turn left from Route 45. That vehicle was driven by a 17-year-old Danville woman. No injuries were reported in the accident. Reese is facing a number of vehicle violations.
Pickup truck and buggy crash in Montour County
TURBOTVILLE -- A vehicle ran into a horse and buggy Thursday morning in Montour County and a woman sustained minor injuries. 36-year-old Elizabeth Hostetler of Turbotville was in the horse and buggy on Route 54 around 9:00a.m. A pickup truck, driven by a 17-year-old Danville man, struck the back of the buggy. The buggy was inoperable after the crash and the horse died upon impact. Hostetler declined medical treatment at the scene, but was taken to Geisinger Medical Center by a private driver. The teen driver did not sustain injuries and will be citing for speeding. (Sara Bartlett)
Supervisor's thoughts on Union Township zoning ordinances
UNDATED -- Zoning ordinances have been a recent topic on our live telephone talk show On The Mark, and on Thursday's program the question was asked, 'should Union Township, Union County impose zoning laws?' Union Township supervisor Billy Allred was a guest on the program and thinks zoning is an infringement of property rights.
Union Township currently has no zoning ordinances. Many who are in favor of zoning say it would help keep what may be unwanted business from building. Allred says that isn't necessarily true, since zoning laws must still allow some building. He says zoning doesn't prohibit building; it makes it necessary to have a zone for every possible use, whether it be industries, farms or houses.
Allred says there are a lot of pressures from the county, state and even federal government to push for zoning laws. But, he says that there are many alternatives, including homeowners associations, private negotiations, deed restrictions and nuisance laws, to government power interference. (Sara Bartlett)
Coal Township woman locked up following a domestic dispute
COAL TOWNSHIP – A Coal Township woman is behind bars, charged with threatening to stab two people during a domestic dispute. 19-year-old Brittany Brown of West Mulberry Street is accused of grabbing a woman by the throat and scratching a man inside the home.
She is also accused of threatening to stab both victims. She was arraigned by District Judge Bob Bolton of Sunbury on charges of terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment. Brown was sent to the Northumberland County Prison on $8,000 cash bail. (Ali Stevens)
Sunbury Celebration features fun events all weekend
SUNBURY – There is plenty to do this weekend in Sunbury as Sunbury Celebration is now underway. Sunbury Celebration is an annual event that has now been going on for 9 years in the city. Friday evening, there will be a splash hop at the Sunbury pool featuring refreshments and live music.
There is also a baseball and softball tournament throughout the Sunbury Celebration weekend.
Saturday features plenty of games, food and prizes throughout the day at the North 4th Street Complex. Saturday night at 9:30 will be the annual fireworks display featuring a soundtrack from our sister station 94KX.
And Sunday is a special event for the kids…the annual soap box race down Market Street. For a complete list of events and activities, go to our website at www.wkok.com.
Preliminary hearing continued for a man charged with aggravated assault for a deadly attack
SUNBURY – A hearing has been delayed for a Sunbury man accused of attacking another man. 26-year-old Frank Brannon Jr. has had his preliminary hearing delayed three times so far. Brannon is accused of assaulting Jorge Cruz on May 14th at Third Street and Raspberry Avenue in Sunbury.
Cruz was hospitalized and died several days later from injuries sustained in the assault. Brannon has not yet been charged with homicide but faces charges of aggravated and simple assault, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Brannon remains locked up in the Northumberland County Prison. (Ali Stevens)
Watsontown man still hospitalized following motorcycle crash
LEWISBURG -- A Watsontown man has been upgraded to serious condition following a motorcycle crash last month. Clinton Mettler remains at Geisinger Medical Center after a crash June 29th on North 7th Street in Lewisburg.
Mettler was struck by a turning vehicle driven by Robert Bowersox. Mettler was thrown from the motorcycle, which then landed on top of him. Recently he was upgraded from critical condition to serious condition. Bowersox was not injured in the crash. (Sara Bartlett)
Latest Pennsylvania news, lottery, business and entertainment:
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Hungarian officials say a female body recovered in the Delaware River is that of a missing student who disappeared after the amphibious tour boat she was riding in was struck by a barge. A statement from Hungary's foreign ministry says U.S. authorities informed its consul Friday that they had recovered the body of one of two Hungarian citizens missing since Wednesday's accident. Officials say the body of a young woman was recovered around 4:45 a.m. Friday, just north of the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia. Sixteen-year-old Dora Schwendtner was one of two people who disappeared following the collision. The other, 20-year-old Szabolcs Prem, has not been found.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Philadelphia judge has rejected a survivor's petition to file criminal charges for the fatal 1985 police bombing of a home. Ramona Africa had sought charges against officials including former Mayor Wilson Goode, police officials and the officers involved in the deaths of 11 members of the militant group MOVE. At a hearing Thursday, Common Pleas Judge Frank Palumbo rejected Africa's request to issue murder warrants in the case. The district attorney's office had earlier rejected a similar request. In 1985, police dropped a bomb on the MOVE compound in an effort to arrest members. Africa is one of two MOVE members who escaped. No public official has been criminally prosecuted in the case.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - A Pittsburgh hospital has shut down its lung transplant program. Allegheny General Hospital said Thursday that it was deactivating the 3-year-old lung transplant program while the hospital focuses on "adding some additional components to the service." The hospital wouldn't provide details, but did say it would continue to perform heart, liver and kidney transplants. Surgeons at the hospital have performed four lung transplants since the program began. There are six patients on its lung transplant waiting list, and hospital officials have referred them to other facilities. The hospital is part of the West Penn Allegheny Health System, which recently announced cutbacks. A spokesman said the changes in the lung transplant program are not related.
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (AP) - Several witnesses tell federal officials that a small plane was having engine trouble before it crashed in central Pennsylvania, killing three people. A preliminary report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board says witnesses heard coughing and sputtering sounds before the fatal June 21 crash in Lock Haven. Some witnesses described the plane as struggling to maintain altitude or flying lower than normal. The plane had been chartered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for an aerial pest detection survey. The two Forest Service workers on board and the pilot were killed when the plane went down as it approached William Piper Memorial Airport.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell says he's hoping a proposed major expansion of railroad yards in Pennsylvania will ease growing truck traffic on the highways. The Democrat said Thursday that Pennsylvania and four other states will apply later this month to the federal government for $115 million to expand Norfolk Southern's rail freight corridor between the Northeast and the Gulf Coast. That money includes $25 million for the rail yard in Harrisburg and $8 million for a terminal at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Pennsylvania is already spending millions to expand the Philadelphia facility. Rendell says expanding the rail line could mean thousands of new jobs, while taking trucks off the road. he governor warns that congestion on the nation's highways will worsen if ports and railways aren't expanded considerably.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Philadelphia sightseeing operation whose amphibious boat was struck by a barge and sank says it followed safety recommendations. Thirty-seven people were dumped into the Delaware River on Wednesday when a barge collided with the duck boat, which looks like a boat with wheels and can travel on roads and in water. Two people are missing. Federal regulators recommended duck boats increase buoyancy after one sank in Hot Springs, Ark., in 1999. A spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Ride the Ducks operation says its boats added buoyancy. Spokeswoman Sharla Feldscher said Thursday all National Transportation Safety Board modification requests were followed. The Norcross, Ga., company that owns Ride the Ducks has suspended operations in San Francisco, Atlanta, Newport, Ky., and Branson, Mo. A Seattle operation is independently owned and remains open.
Update on the latest in business:
Dow: + 58.73 (10,197.72)
S&P 500: + 7.68 (1,077.63)
NASDAQ: + 21.05 (2,196.95)
FDA review spotlights heart risk of diabetes pill
WASHINGTON (AP) - A review by federal health scientists reinforces potential ties between the diabetes pill Avandia and heart attack and death, opening the door for government action, including a possible withdrawal of the once blockbuster drug. The FDA posted an exhaustive 700-page review of the drug online ahead of a meeting next week to review the safety of Avandia, which is used by hundreds of thousands of diabetics in the U.S. Prescriptions for the GlaxoSmithKline drug have plummeted since 2007, when a medical journal article first linked the drug to heart attacks. The FDA responded by adding a warning label to the drug. But new data on Avandia's risks and pressure from Capitol Hill have prompted the agency to re-examine the drug's safety.
Wholesale inventories rise 0.5 percent in May
WASHINGTON (AP) - Inventories held by wholesalers rose for a fifth consecutive month in May but sales fell for the first time in more than a year, sending a mixed signal about the strength of the recovery. The Commerce Department says wholesale inventories rose 0.5 percent in May but sales dropped by 0.3 percent. It was the first decline for sales since March of 2009. The May sales decline is the latest sign that the economic recovery could be losing momentum as it enters the second half of this year. Weakness in sales could discourage businesses from boosting their orders. That would translate into a slowdown in factory production.
Curbs on speculative trading passed in Germany
BERLIN (AP) - Germany's upper house of parliament has approved a plan to formalize and extend curbs on speculative trading practices following the country's abrupt imposition of restrictions in May. The chamber, which represents Germany's 16 states, gave its approval Friday to the government bill. It now needs only President Christian Wulff's signature - usually a formality - to take effect. Germany's regulator has banned so-called naked short-selling of eurozone government debt and major financial stocks, as well as naked credit default swaps involving eurozone debt. The legislation extends the ban to all stocks traded on German exchanges. The government says its bill is aimed at speeding agreement on stronger European rules.
Pennsylvania Lottery Numbers:
Daily Number: 0-2-8
Big 4: 6-1-7-6
Quinto: 9-3-0-7-4
Treasure Hunt: 1-7-18-20-30
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Susan Boyle seeks duet partner for next album
LONDON (AP) - She dreamed a dream, and now Susan Boyle says she wants to make someone else's dream come true. The Scottish singer is searching for an unknown to duet with her on her upcoming album, "The Gift." Aspirants can upload videos of themselves singing "Silent Night" to Boyle's website (www.susanboylemusic.com) and her YouTube channel. The competition closes July 23, with a winner announced July 26. Boyle, 49, became an overnight sensation last year after her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" on the TV show "Britain's Got Talent" was viewed millions of times on the Internet. Her debut album has sold more than 9 million copies.
UK dealer cleared of theft of Shakespeare's plays
LONDON (AP) - A book dealer has been cleared of stealing a rare first edition of Shakespeare's plays, but was found guilty of handling stolen goods and removing stolen property from Britain. Raymond Scott had been accused of theft after the 1623 folio was stolen from Durham University in 1998. He was arrested after the volume was taken to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington. Scott claimed he found the folio - which has been described as part of England's "cultural heritage" - in Cuba. At Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, Judge Richard Lowden remanded Scott in custody, warning "there will, in due time, be an inevitable substantial custodial sentence.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)