Monday, July 12, 2010

Uganda bombing I: Six locals survive

SELINSGROVE -- Five people part of Christ Community United Methodist Church of Selinsgrove, on a mission trip in Uganda, were seriously injured after two bombings Sunday.  Among those injured include Joanne Kerstetter and Kris Sledge of Selinsgrove, Pam Kramer and her son Thomas Kramer of Lewisburg and Emily Kerstetter of Ellicott City, Maryland (Joanne Kerstetter's Granddaughter). 

Jerry Wolgemuth, Director of Communications for Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church, says five are hospitalized, and some will be moved to other hospitals in Africa for better care.  Three Ugandans in the group, including the Bwaise Pentecostal Church pastor Peter Mutzbazi, were killed when a blast erupted. Pastor Mutzbazi and his church were affiliated with the Christ Community UMC mission.

There were 15 mission members on the month-long trip.  Nine left last week and are back in the area.  Six stayed and were in an Ethiopian restaurant in Kampala early to get good seats to watch the World Cup Soccer game, said Lori Ssebulime, The Christ Community UMC mission leader, who was not seriously injured. 

One of the wounded was 16-year-old Emily Kerstetter. "Emily was rolling around in a pool of blood screaming," said Ssebulime, who has helped bring in U.S. church groups since 2004. "Five minutes before it went off, Emily said she was going to cry so hard because she didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay the rest of the summer here."

Emily Kerstetter sustained a serious leg injury, as did Kris Sledge, who also has wounds on his face and burns.  Joanne Kerstetter has a fractured arm and other wounds, while Pam Kramer has a broken leg and burns. Thomas Kramer is in need of immediate leg surgery. 

Wolgemuth is encouraging prayers for the group.  There is a public prayer meeting tonight at the church along Park and Fisher Roads at 7:30 this evening.  This was just one of the church's many evangelistic mission trips to Uganda.  The group was at a restaurant watching the World Cup when the two bombs hit. (Sara Bartlett/AP)

Uganda bombing II: Pastor of church says prayers continue

SELINSGROVE -- Reverend Kathleen Kind, Pastor at Christ Community United Methodist Church of Selinsgrove says prayers continue for the six members of her congregation that were on a mission trip in Uganda while two devastating bombs went off. 

Five members sustained injuries including burns, deep wounds, bone fractures as well as eye and ear injuries.  Pastor Kind says the members were working with the Bwaise Pentecostal Church in Uganda.  She says many mission groups have been over there, and they never expected that something this devastating would happen.

During their month-long trip, the group was working on building projects to help with schools and churches.  Kind says the group of six stayed a week longer to help, and were scheduled to return home this week.  She says the group was watching the World Cup at a restaurant, following a worship session, when the blast hit.

One bomb hit the restaurant, and another hit a local rugby club nearby.  Family members and friends of the three Selinsgrove residents and two Lewisburg residents who were injured, as well as the team leader Lori Ssebulime, who was not injured, have been gathering at the Selinsgrove church, as well as sending well wishes through the mission team's online site: uganda2010.editme.com. 

Car set on fire in Milton garage

MILTON -- A Milton fire that damaged a garage was arson.  A state police fire marshal said around 12:30a.m. Sunday, someone set fire to the 1986 Corvette parked in the garage at 408 Vine Street.  The home was occupied by 41-year-old Angela Fritzges, though she was not home at the time of the blaze. 

The vehicle was owned by Fritzges' friend and had not been driven for a week.  The garage sustained heavy smoke, heat and water damage.  Damage of the vehicle and property is $30,000.  Milton Borough Police will continue the investigation.

Crashed vehicle may have been stolen

ELYSBURG -- Injuries were reported after a crash near Knoebel’s in Elysburg Monday morning.  Just after 10:00a.m., a vehicle crashed along Route 487.  Locust Township Police were first on the scene and say one person was injured.  They also say one person attempted to flee the scene.  The vehicle may have been stolen, and police are continuing the investigation.  More information is expected to be released later today.

Middleburg Borough issues voluntary water restrictions

MIDDLEBURG – Low rainfall amounts are prompting Middleburg Borough officials to issue a suggestion.  They’re asking borough water customers to make every effort possible to conserve water.  Suggestions include checking for leaky plumbing, limiting outdoor garden watering and taking shorter showers.  The voluntary water restriction was put into effect Monday afternoon.  (Matt Farrand)

Police investigate burglary

MIDDLEBURG -- Police say the investigation continues after a break-in at a Middleburg business last month.  On June 30th, someone attempted to enter the Dollar General store along Route 522 in Franklin Township around 1:30a.m.  Once the alarm sounded, the people involved fled the scene.  Police say arrests are anticipated, but the investigation is ongoing.

Fish and Boat Commission hosts and open house tonight to discuss angling in the state

HARRISBURG – In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s quarterly meeting, the commission is holding an open house this evening for the public to discuss angling on the Susquehanna River.  The open house will be held at commission headquarters in Harrisburg at 7:00p.m.

The discussion will focus on the Susquehanna and challenges facing the smallmouth bass population.  There will be a couple of guest speakers on hand, including a representative from the National Fish Health Research Laboratory.  The public is welcome to attend.  (Ali Stevens)

8th Annual Cavalcade of Champions is this weekend in Lewisburg

LEWISBURG – Saturday is the Annual Cavalcade of Champions Drum & Bugle Corps Competition, which is held at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium at Bucknell University at 7 p.m. Cavalcade committee member, John Yingling, says it’s an event that the whole family can enjoy.

The competing corps this year includes the Bushwackers of Harrison, New Jersey, the Connecticut Hurricanes of Derby, the Empire Statesman of Rochester, New York and Pennsylvania’s Reading Buccaneers.  You can hear more from Yingling and Cavalcade Chairman Graham Showalter on WKOK’s Leaders and Lawmakers program Thursday at 3 p.m. and also online at www.wkok.com. 

Two burglaries under investigation in Montour County

DANVILLE – State police are investigating two burglaries in Montour County.  State police say someone entered a home in the 1900 block of Montour Boulevard in Cooper Township sometime Sunday afternoon.  Once inside the home, a .357 revolver, money and pills were stolen. 

Also, a burglary was discovered at a home on Bald Top Heights in Liberty Township.  State police say a .22 magnum rifle was taken recently from the home near Danville.  Anyone with information on either incident is asked to call state police.

Increase for in-state students at Penn State in State College

UNIVERSITY PARK – A 5.9 percent tuition increase has been approved for in-state students at Penn State’s main campus is State College.  That amounts to an approximate $800-increase in 2010-2011, with tuition now more than $14,000.  University trustees voted Friday to approve the increase as part of a $4-billion budget.  (Ali Stevens)

SUV stolen from a home in Milton

MILTON – State police are investigating after an SUV was stolen from a home on Stamm Road in Milton.  Troopers tell us the resident left the keys in the ignition of her 2004 Acura SUV, which was parked outside her home.  The SUV was taken sometime late last night or early this morning.  The vehicle is white and is an Acura MDX.  Anyone with information is asked to contact State Police at Milton.  (Ali Stevens)

Three injuries after tractor-trailer crash

MONROE TWP -- Three people were injured after a vehicle and tractor-trailer crash Sunday near Selinsgrove.  Around 11:15a.m., 36-year-old Donald Boop, of Mainesburg, Pa in Tioga County, was driving a tractor-trailer along Route 11 when he failed to stop in traffic and hit a vehicle in front of him.  That vehicle was driven by 64-year-old Shirley Knouse of Richfield. 

Knouse's vehicle then hit a vehicle driven by 79-year-old Norman Beck of Northumberland.  Knouse and Beck were both injured, as was Knouse's passenger 71-year-old Richard Knouse.  No word on the extent of injuries or conditions.  Boop was not injured, but will be cited for careless driving. (Sara Bartlett)

Woman sentenced to home confinement for a hit and run horse and buggy accident

SUNBURY – A Berks County woman has been sentenced to home confinement for a hit and run horse and buggy accident in Northumberland County.  The Daily Item reports 35-year-old Jessica Fenstermacher of Boyertown was sentenced to 90 days of home confinement and 20 months of parole on July 2^nd.  Fenstermacher plead guilty to accidents involving personal injury, leaving the scene of an accident and careless driving for the crash on December 27^th. 

Police say Fenstermacher crashed into a horse and buggy on Route 54 in Delaware Township near Seagrave Road, knocking the buggy onto its side.  27-year-old Levi Glick and his wife 24-year-old Mattie were inside the buggy along with two children.  A 4-year-old child broke her leg in the accident.  Fenstermacher says she heard about the crash on the news the next day and turned herself in.  Fenstermacher was also convicted of drunken driving in 2004 in Lehigh County.  (Ali Stevens)

Marino says Supreme Court decision will help deter crime

WILLIAMSPORT -- GOP congressional candidate Tom Marino says big city gun laws have done little to reduce crime.  The former Lycoming County DA and federal prosecutor says the recent US Supreme Court decision affirming in-home gun ownership in all states is a sound one. 

Marino says responsible firearm ownership is a deterrent, based on conversations he's had with defendants; as says many convicted of break-ins conceded they would not have done it if the homeowner had been armed. Marino will face incumbent Democrat Chris Carney (D-10th, Dimock) in the general election.  (Matt Farrand)

Service for Sudharman draws 200 to New Berlin

NEW BERLIN -- Scores of acquaintances, students and relatives filled the Integral Yoga Center Saturday to remember its slain founder.  70-year-old Swami Sudharman was found dead at the center nearly a week ago, and the weekend remembrance of the yoga master drew more than 200 to New Berlin.

Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way President and CEO Keri Albright spoke with Newsradio 1070 WKOK about the void his death leaves locally.  Albright practices yoga and says there was much more she wanted to learn from Sudharman, though in retrospect it may seem selfish.

33-year-old Joel Snider of St. Louis, Missouri is suspected of shooting Sudharman to death, and is currently jailed in Baltimore County, Maryland.  Extradition proceedings are ongoing, and he could be brought to the area within the week.  (Matt Farrand) 

A REAL update on Roundtable this weekend

SUNBURY – Roundtable this weekend goes on the road to Geisinger to find out about the Medical Center’s new REAL program. The program is designed to fight childhood obesity and stands for Recording, Eating, Activity and Lifestyle change.

The effort involves physicians, counselors, children and their families working together to make long-term lifestyle changes. The goal of the program is to reduce obesity immediately and alter eating habits for a lifetime.

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

SUV knocked over in Friday collision

WHITE DEER -- An out-of-state driver will be cited after failing to stop at a stop sign and colliding with a vehicle driven by a New Columbia woman.  State troopers say 30-year-old William Stollings of Texas ran the stop sign at SR 1011 and White Deer Pike, knocking an SUV driven by 38-year-old Heather Fisher onto its side.

Fisher was wearing a seat belt and was treated at the scene for a minor injury.  White Deer Fire and Rescue, Fire Police, Ambulance, and Warrior Run Ambulance responded to the 4:30 p.m. crash on Friday.  (Matt Farrand)

Three teens injured in Thursday night crash

EXCHANGE -- Three Turbotville juveniles were injured Thursday night in a single vehicle crash in Montour County's Anthony Township.  State troopers say the 17-year-old male driver was driving south along Gearhart Road and lost control of the vehicle on a curve near Horseshoe Bend Road. 

The car rolled onto its roof before coming to rest.  A 17-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were also in the vehicle, and sustained what were described as minor injuries in the 8:10 p.m. crash. 

The young driver and his passengers were taken to Geisinger Medical Center by Muncy Valley Medics.  (Matt Farrand)

I-80 bridge work expected to start this week

MONTOURSVILLE -- Interstate 80 commuters should note that work on the westbound bridge at Limestoneville in Northumberland County will start this week.  PennDOT says traffic will be down to a single lane during daylight hours near mile maker 215. 

Motorists are advised to slow down, and turn on their headlights when entering a work zone.  (Matt Farrand) 

Propane truck loses brakes, crashes

SHAMOKIN – We first told you with WKOK News Alert that Route 125 in East Cameron Township was closed for about four hours Friday afternoon. The road was closed after a truck carrying propane rolled over and struck a tree.

State troopers say they will continue to investigate, but the truck may have lost its brakes and its driver was unable to negotiate a curve while traveling downhill. 46-year-old Scott Wieand of Milton sustained minor injuries in the 4:00 p.m. crash, and was taken to Geisinger Medical Center via Area Ambulance. Troopers say charges may be filed pending results of their investigation. (Matt Farrand)

Democrat supports limited amnesty for illegal immigrants

SUNBURY – The divisive immigration issue came on our talkshow Friday and one man running for U. S. Senate says he is not in favor of Arizona controversial new law. Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7th, Media) is a Democrat running for the US Senate seat currently held by Democrat Arlen Specter, and was a phone guest on Friday's On The Mark program.

Sestak opposes the Arizona law that allows police to question the immigration status of people who are already suspected of other crimes, and supports a limited amnesty program proposed a few years ago by then-president Bush, and US Senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy. The retired naval officer says border patrol officers can use the images generated from unmanned aircraft to find people crossing the border with Mexico illegally.

Sestak's support of the replacement of General Stanley McChrystal as US leader in Afghanistan and extension of benefits for the long term unemployed were also among the topics covered. You can hear Friday's On The Mark program in its entirety online at www.wkok.com. (Matt Farrand)

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 meet and preview the stories of 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)

Roundtable this weekend goes on a ‘REAL’ diet

SUNBURY – Roundtable goes on the road to Geisinger this weekend as we find out about the Medical Center’s latest effort to combat childhood obesity. The REAL program stands for Recording, Eating, Activity and lifestyle change.

The effort involves physicians, counselors, children and their families working together to make long-term lifestyle changes. The goal of the program is to reduce obesity immediately and alter eating habits for a lifetime. You can hear Roundtable this weekend on WKOK and on www.wkok.com.

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A western Pennsylvania woman who turned to Facebook when she needed a kidney transplant found a donor online and is now recovering from surgery.  Sarah Taylor, 53, as placed on the kidney transplant waiting list last year after she experienced renal failure. She posted a request on Facebook looking for a kidney donor and got hundreds of responses. Among them were one person from New Zealand and Sara Steelman, 64, who lives near Taylor in Indiana, Pa.  Taylor and Steelman are now recovering from a June 15 surgery in which Steelman donated a kidney to Taylor. Doctors at Allegheny General Hospital said Monday that the surgery went well.      Taylor says the two women are now "connected for life."

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Leaders of the church that was hosting two Hungarian students killed in a tour boat accident in Philadelphia say they are hoping to find spiritual answers to the tragedy. Twenty-year-old Szabolcs Prem and 16-year-old Dora Schwendtner drowned after the duck boat capsized Wednesday when it was hit by a barge.  The victims were remembered Sunday at Marshallton United Methodist Church in Chester County.  Pastor Scott Widmer says the loss of life is impossible to fathom, but he says he hopes it brings people closer together.  John Oostdyk is director of Atlantic Bridge, which arranged the visit of the Hungarian students.  Tearing up at Sunday's service, he said everything happens for a reason.  Federal authorities are investigating how the accident happened.

PHILIPSBURG, Pa. (AP) - Police in central Pennsylvania say a woman is facing charges after she hit a man in the head with a large frying pan.  Pennsylvania State Police say 50-year-old Kimberly Denocheck has been taken to the Centre County Correctional Facility to be arraigned on charges of simple assault and harassment.  Police say she hit a 48-year-old man in the head with the pan around 7:25 p.m. Saturday at an apartment in Philipsburg, near State College.  Police say the man, whose name wasn't released, suffered an abrasion on his head.  It was not immediately clear if Denocheck had an attorney.

BIRDSBORO, Pa. (AP) - Around an eastern Pennsylvania parking lot, motors sputter into life and racers zip around the track.  About 300 people crowd the sidelines as one competitor pulls away at the last moment to win and then powers down the victorious vehicle - a belt sander.  Yes, it's the annual charity belt sander race by Bertie's Inn in Exeter Township, now in its 20th year.  Inn owner Peter Thomas says other people race belt sanders "but we're the only ones who ride them."  Thomas said the idea took root when he and his wife, Anne, were looking for a charity event to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society. A carpenter who was a customer said he sometimes rode belt sanders when he was bored.  Over the years, the quirky race has become hugely popular and raised more than $250,000 to fight multiple sclerosis.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) - Officials in eastern Pennsylvania are trying to determine the extent of flooding damage to four structures in the historic area of Bethlehem.  Flooding along the Monocacy Creek following rains early Saturday damaged four structures in the Colonial Industrial Quarter.  Historic Bethlehem Partnership president Charlene Donchez Mowers says tree branches also slammed against the buildings  and a couple of windows were broken.  Officials worry that the damage might be worse than during Hurricane Ivan six years ago. They say about four or five feet of water seeped into the 1761 Tannery and 1762 Waterworks, a national historic landmark. Water also seeped into the 1869 Luckenbach Mill, which houses the partnership offices.  A few months ago, repairs were completed to the waterwheel system at the Waterworks building, but Mowers says part of the system was under water Saturday.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Two men serving life prison terms are facing a new trial following the death of a man shot during a gas station robbery in western Pennsylvania more than three decades ago. Norman Schohn was left a paraplegic by the October 1976 shooting at the former Parkway Service Station in Pittsburgh. After he died in January, hospital doctors cited natural causes, but the Allegheny County medical examiner's office said an infection stemming from the shooting wound was to blame.   William Jackson Jr. and Donald Unger Jr. were both sentenced to life in the murder of 46-year-old station attendant Donald Wright and the shooting of Schohn, a customer. On Friday, they were in Municipal Court, where a judge ordered them to face new murder charges in the case.  Schohn's 62-year-old widow, Sally, says a conviction would mean closure for the family.

TOBYHANNA, Pa. (AP) - Authorities in eastern Pennsylvania say a car fleeing police crashed into a tree, killing a female passenger.  Lehigh Township Police Chief Kevin Froese says police from Wayne County had been pursuing the driver south on Interstate 380 and then to the Tobyhanna exit on Friday evening.  Pocono Mountain Regional Police were planning to lay down tire spikes, but the car turned off onto side roads. Froese says a township officer later found the car in flames after it crashed into a tree.  Regional police say 26-year-old Allison Strausser of Stroudsburg died while being transported to the medevac landing zone and was pronounced dead by the Monroe County coroner's office. The 32-year-old driver was freed from the vehicle and flown to a Scranton hospital, but officials said his injuries were not life-threatening.

DUBOIS, Pa. (AP) - Tuition is going up again at Penn State. The Board of Trustees has approved a tuition increase of 5.9 percent for freshmen and sophomores from Pennsylvania enrolled at the main University Park campus in State College. That represents an $800 increase per year to about $14,400. Tuition will rise 4.5 percent, or by roughly $1,100, for out-of-state freshmen and sophomores to more than $26,000 a year. University president Graham Spanier says the school is trying to keep tuition as low as possible despite rising costs and stagnant state funding. Trustees approved tuition and the university system's $4 billion budget at a meeting yesterday in DuBois. The budget includes modest faculty and staff pay raises following a salary freeze last year.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner says a newly signed bill does virtually nothing to improve the makeup of the 20-member board of the state's student-aid agency. Gov. Ed Rendell signed the bill yesterday; a day after Wagner asked him to veto it. Wagner had advocated for eight lawmakers on the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency's board to be replaced by top banking and economic development advisers to the governor, college and university leaders and a student. The bill calls for no more than four of the board's 16 legislators to be replaced by a non-legislator, and such an appointment can only be made if a legislator wants to leave. PHEAA has come under fire in recent years for its high executive salaries and spending on lavish board retreats.

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett says some Pennsylvanians would rather collect unemployment checks than go back to work. During a campaign stop in Elizabethtown yesterday, Corbett told Harrisburg radio station WITF that jobs are available, but some construction companies told him laid-off workers refused to come back until their unemployment checks run out. Democratic candidate Dan Onorato says Corbett's comments are unfair to Pennsylvanians who are struggling with the pain of joblessness. He says Corbett's comments show he doesn't recognize that this is a problem. A state Labor and Industry Department spokesman says unemployment provides temporary payments of about half of a worker's weekly pay, up to a maximum of $564. Spokesman David Smith says recipients can't refuse any offer of suitable employment.

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

Update on the latest in business: 

Updates on the latest in business:

Dow: 10,216.27, up 18.24

S&P 500: 1,078.75, up .79

NASDAQ: 2,198.36, up 1.91

NEW YORK (AP) - Stock prices have been little changed so far this session. A measure of investor caution comes ahead of this week's earnings reports. Alcoa gets things started with its quarterly numbers later today.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts has helped move financial overhaul legislation closer to passage. He says despite some misgivings he will now support the regulatory overhaul after all.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal bank regulators have agreed to give the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. unlimited authority to fully investigate banks. That adds clarity to the agency's power that was in question during the financial crisis.

NEW YORK (AP) - BP shares continued a five-day rally as the company appears to be moving closer to containing the Gulf oil spill. The British oil giant also said it is in talks on the sale of company assets. The stock has jumped 35 percent since bottoming out on June 25.

NEW YORK (AP) - Weyerhaeuser plans to distribute more than $5 billion to shareholders through a special dividend. The step is required in Weyerhaeuser's path to becoming a real estate investment trust.

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

 Mega Millions

     Estimated jackpot: $52 million

 Midday Big 4

     5-8-6-9

 Midday Number

     9-7-1

Midday Quinto

     7-7-0-1-6

Powerball

     Estimated jackpot: $20 million

 Treasure Hunt

     07-10-11-26-27

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

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

 Big 4

     2-6-7-8

Cash 5

     01-02-12-17-20

Daily Number

     2-5-8

Evening Quinto

     1-4-5-9-0

Midday Big 4

     7-2-4-0

Midday Number

     2-1-0

Midday Quinto

     5-1-2-3-6

Treasure Hunt

     07-08-16-22-28

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

Gibson tapes

NEW YORK (AP) -- Yet another recording allegedly of Mel Gibson arguing with his girlfriend has been released and in this one, Gibson allegedly admits hitting her. In the recording on RadarOnline.com, Oksana Grigorieva asks Gibson, "what kind of man is that? Hitting a woman when she's holding a child in her hands? Breaking her teeth twice in the face?" A voice that sounds like Gibson's tells her that she "deserved it."

Polanski free

BERN, Switzerland (AP) - The Swiss government has rejected a U.S. extradition request for Roman Polanski on a charge of having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.  The Justice Ministry said Monday in a statement that national interests were taken into consideration in the decision, and that Polanski was now a free man.

Amp-ed up ambulance

NORWICH, Conn. (AP) - What color is an ambulance? If you think white, you're probably not wrong. But white won't do for American Ambulance Service in Norwich, Connecticut. The company has replaced four of its 29 ambulances and the new ones have a blue and yellow checkerboard pattern. American Ambulance President Michael Aliano says the so-called Battenburg pattern is used in Europe. He tells a local paper (Norwich Bulletin) often people don't notice an ambulance with a traditional color scheme, leading to accidents. He adds they needed special permission from state officials to use the new pattern.

Concert to help the Gulf

GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) - The show went on - and tens of thousands of people sang and danced on a broad Alabama beach during a free Jimmy Buffett concert meant to help the Gulf Coast through the oil spill crisis. The show at Gulf Shores, Alabama was designed to lure visitors - even as tourists appear to be avoiding the area because of the spill. Parking lots were fuller than they had been in days outside of hotels, condominiums, restaurants and souvenir stores. Alabama governor Bob Riley says the state may use the $15 million in tourism promotion money given the state by BP to put on similar shows through the fall. The concert originally was set for July 1 - but had to be postponed because of heavy surf from Hurricane Alex.

Twist turns 50

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Hard to believe for some people - the Twist has turned 50. The man who made the dance popular celebrated the milestone Friday in his hometown of Philadelphia. Chubby Checker did a free concert in front of City Hall. About 1,000 people joined in a rendition of the hip-shaking dance.

Golf course landing

CHINO HILLS, Calif. (AP) - Fore! And duck! A pilot ran out of fuel and had to crash-land yesterday on a Southern California golf course. Pilot Phil Samuelian of Pasadena tells KABC-TV he was forced to land near the driving range and clubhouse at the Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills. Samuelian adds he hit a golf cart before his Cessna came to a stop. Golfers tell the TV station about 20 people were on the driving range at the time. But a couple of duffers in the cart didn't let a little thing like a plane crash spoil their day. They bailed from the cart just before the plane hit. Witnesses tell the TV station the two men then finished their round.

Weekend box office

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Steve Carell is "Despicable" -- and that's a good thing. "Despicable Me" opens at number-one this weekend, with more than $60 million. The 3-D animated movie has a voice cast featuring Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand and Julie Andrews. "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" falls to second place. But it has already brought in nearly $240 million. "Predators" opens in third.  After a slow start, the summer movie season is picking up speed. "The Karate Kid," "Toy Story 3," "Eclipse" and "Despicable Me" have all had strong opening weekends. This coming weekend brings "Inception," Christopher Nolan's first film since his blockbuster "The Dark Knight," two years ago.