Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Carney says Afghanistan leaks are treason
UNDATED -- Congressman Chris Carney (D-10th, Dimock) says he is angry following the leak of over 90,000 classified documents on Afghanistan. Carney says, even though some of the information is not new, the leak rises to a level of treason and those involved must be punished. He says the fact that this was done undercuts the credibility of the U.S. military to keep secrets. He says it also undermines the trust that allies have in the U.S. ability to keep secrets as well.
22-year-old Bradley Manning, an Army Intelligence Analyst, has been named in connection with the leak, and Carney says he hopes the investigation will help determine how Manning was able to release these documents. Carney says he wants to know where the oversight was on Manning.
In a statement Tuesday, President Barack Obama says he's concerned about the leak, but that the papers didn't reveal any concerns that weren't already part of the debate about U.S. policy there. (Sara Bartlett/AP)
Northumberland Co. Accident I: Rollover crash injures Sunbury man
SHAMOKIN -- A Sunbury man is in fair condition after a crash in Shamokin Tuesday morning. Just after 7:00a.m., 30-year-old James Early was driving on Route 61 when he swerved to avoid a vehicle in front of him.
Early hit a culvert and his vehicle rolled over and knocked over the sign for Northumberland Memorial Park. Early was taken to Geisinger Medical Center and is listed in fair condition. Police say he will be cited for operating a vehicle on a suspended license. (Sara Bartlett)
Northumberland Co. Accident II: Wires down after Route 147 crash
NORTHUMBERLAND -- A crash outside of Northumberland backed up traffic for about an hour Tuesday morning along Route 147. The accident happened just after 10:00a.m. when a SUV ran into a utility pole near the Sports Zone.
The pole and wires came down across the roadway, and traffic was backed up for a few miles, while crews worked to clear the scene. The driver of the SUV sustained injuries and was taken to a local hospital. More information expected to be released later. The crash site was cleared by about 11:20a.m. (Sara Bartlett)
Racecar driver to meet with public in Lewisburg
LEWISBURG -- Auto racer Jerick Johnson will make an appearance in Lewisburg Wednesday. Johnson, who drives an American Legion/Freedom Car 76, will be at the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Armory in Lewisburg from 6:00p.m.-9:00p.m, as he makes his way to Pocono Raceway for a race July 31st.
Johnson will also participate in a community covenant signing between leaders from the 3rd Battalion, 103rd Armor Regiment of the PA National Guard, the American Legion, and the towns of Lewisburg and New Berlin. The purpose of the signing is to reaffirm support for troops and their families. All are invited to the event and to meet Johnson Wednesday. (Sara Bartlett)
Valley's community college group searches for new president
LEWISBURG – The organization that was established to bring a community college to the Northumberland, Snyder, Union and Montour County region is in need of a new leader. The Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project is looking for a new president following the resignation of Lenaire Ahlum.
Steve Connolley is a member of the board of directors for the project and says they need more support, both financially and politically. Connolley says they need a “political champion” to step up and say an investment needs to be made in our community. He says a community college is not a cost, but an investment.
Connolley says a number of studies have already been done showing that the project is viable, showing a significant number of people who would take advantage of jobs at the college or attend the college and showing tremendous support for the project.
He says they were able to secure funding two years ago from the Montour County Commissioners, but now they need more support to continue with their goals. You can find out more about the project at www.newcommunitycollege.com. The board is currently advertising to secure a new president. (Ali Stevens)
Mifflinburg man admits to stabbing himself
MIFFLINBURG – A Mifflinburg man is facing a number of charges after police say he stabbed himself and then accused a woman of attacking him. WKOK first reported the incident on Monday and police have released more information. Mifflinburg police say 19-year-old Craig Pursley initially reported that he was stabbed Sunday night by a female during a domestic dispute at a home on Chestnut Street.
Pursley was transported to the hospital and after an investigation, he admitted to making up the story and that he actually stabbed himself to get the woman in trouble. He has been charged with filing false reports with police, simple assault and harassment. After treatment for his wounds, he was sent to the Union County Prison on $5,000 cash bail.
In a separate incident, Pursley was charged with stealing a wallet from a vehicle in Mifflinburg parked on Cherry Street Sunday afternoon. The wallet was recovered and returned to the owner. He was charged with theft from motor vehicles, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. (Ali Stevens)
Snyder County Prison inmate charged with assaulting a corrections officer
SELINSGROVE – An inmate at the Snyder County Prison is charged with aggravated assault on a corrections officer for an incident Monday at the prison. State Police say 29-year-old Kevin Stuckey, an inmate from Wisconsin, is accused of kicking the 57-year-old officer in the chest area, bruising his ribs.
Stuckey was arraigned before District Judge Willis Savidge and charged with aggravated and simple assault. Bail was set at $50,000 and Stuckey was returned to the Snyder County Prison, where he is being held awaiting court proceedings in Union County. (Ali Stevens)
Two men from Northumberland County face charges for separate sexual assaults
SUNBURY – Two men from Northumberland County are facing charges for separate sexual assaults in the county.
A 57-year-old Sunbury man is charged with sexually assaulting a mentally-disabled man. Police say 57-year-old Duane Whitenight was caught in the act of assaulting a 64-year-old man who apparently has the mental capabilities of an 8-year-old. Whitenight is jailed in the Northumberland County Prison on $100,000 bail.
A Mount Carmel man is also behind bars, accused of having indecent contact with two 14-year-old girls. Police say 32-year-old Luis Torres assaulted the girls in May and June of this year. He was charged by Mount Carmel police and his behind bars on $100,000 cash bail. (Ali Stevens)
Former owner of Eagles and Flyers tells his 'rags to riches' story
BLOOMSBURG -- The former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia Flyers will speak at Bloomsburg University Thursday. Jerry Wolman, of Shenandoah, will share his story with high school students, and the public is also invited to the free event.
Wolman's story is called one of "rags to riches," beginning as a high school dropout, becoming very successful in real estate, eventually becoming the youngest owner in the NFL when he purchased the Eagles and later co-owning the Flyers. You can hear Wolman's story Thursday at 11:00a.m. in the McCormick Center at Bloomsburg University. (Sara Bartlett)
Out of town property owners pose challenge to city
SUNBURY -- Sunbury City Council is putting the owners of more than a dozen neglected houses on notice. The structures are now considered nuisance properties and one step closer to being condemned, unless their owners fix them up. Nearly people from outside of the City of Sunbury own three-quarters of the properties, and none have been lived in for at least half a dozen years. They include:
420-427 Chestnut Street, 923-925 Reagan Street, 852 North 6th Street, 141 North 6th Street, 139-141 Church Street, 143 Walnut Street, 158-160 Linden Street, 219 Pine Street, 128 South Street, 1126-1128 Wolverton Avenue, 83-85 North 8th Street, 18-20 Catawissa Avenue, 313 Parker Street, 1106-1108 Miller Street, and 1031 North River Avenue.
Mayor David Persing expects legal challenges, but says the goal is to rid the city of eyesores, and maintain the value of adjoining properties. The city's Office of Code Administration is part of the project, as the integrity of many of the structures has declined to where they are hazards. (Matt Farrand)
Troopers coordinate arson probe
SUNBURY – Officials are still looking into who set a fire Saturday morning that extensively damaged a garage along Sunbury's Edison Avenue. Sunbury Police Chief Stephen Mazzeo says the investigation into the fire that did as much as $30,000 in damage is ongoing, and being led by state police.
Mazzeo says his department is providing all the information it can about the 4:00 a.m. fire that damaged a car and equipment used by a lawn care service. It was one of three fires reported roughly at the same time. Another fire in a boat parked at the Rescue Hose Company, and a brush fire in the 900 block of Edison Avenue are also being investigated. (Matt Farrand)
Cameron Park to host National Night Out activities
SUNBURY -- Recently renovated Cameron Park in Sunbury will be among the local sites to host activities on National Night Out. National Guard members, Sunbury firefighters, police and EMS personnel will be on hand August 3rd, for the event that is meant to promote crime prevention and awareness of public services.
The first Tuesday of August is traditionally known as National Night Out , and activities in Cameron Park are planned for 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. (Matt Farrand)
Former council member returns to public life
SUNBURY -- A former Sunbury City Council member is returning to public life. John Shipman will be serving on the Sunbury Redevelopment Authority, having served on city council through January of this year. The current council approved his appointment last (Monday) night.
Shipman will join authority members Adam Purdy, Sue Morrison and Brian Betz. A single opening remains on the board that is responsible for improvement of buildings within the city limits.
Mayor David Persing says the Sunbury Redevelopment Authority was dormant for a time, but working with the code enforcement bureau and sifting through so-called nuisance property issues should give them plenty to do.
Shipman and his wife survived an auto accident in April. A Sunbury woman died in the crash after driving into the path of their vehicle along the Old Trail in Hummels Wharf. (Matt Farrand)
Superintendent talks success in the region and the state
LEWISBURG -- Higher school taxes aren't necessarily a bad thing in one community. In the Lewisburg Area School District, the taxes are the result of higher property values than neighboring communities, and Superintendent Dr. Mark DiRocco says it helps the district do more than meet just minimum requirements.
For example, he says in the middle school, there is a reading class in addition to English class, which many surrounding districts do not offer. Because of that, DiRocco says it takes more money to have additional teachers.
DiRocco, who appeared recently on our On The Mark program also credits the community in for the successful school district. He says when parents are engaged in the education process, the better off a district is, and he sees the Lewisburg community as a group that values education.
Recently, Lewisburg Area School District was ranked 17th in the state in assessment scores and Donald Eichhorn Middle School was awarded a 2010 National Schools To Watch site. Last week, DiRocco received a contract extension for an additional five years. (Stephanie Klock)
30-year-old in prison after sexual relationship with teen
PENN TOWNSHIP -- A Selinsgrove man is in prison after having a sexual relationship with a teen girl. Police say 30-year-old Brian Wagner had sex with a 15-year-old girl over a two-week period this month. The incidents happened at Wagner's Fair Oak Road residence in Penn Township.
Wagner is in Snyder County Prison on a probation violation, and is charged on seven counts including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors. (Sara Bartlett)
Candidate for the 85th District responds to questions about campaign finance reports
UNDATED – The Democratic candidate for the 85th District is questioning his opponent's financial records. Trey Casimir says online financial reports of Fred Keller showed major irregularities, that include no income and a debt of more than $41,000 in the second reporting cycle.
However, going into the third reporting cycle, Keller's income showed more than $41,000, with $3,500 in expenditures. In a release Casimir says "after all the noise Keller's campaign made about Maurice Brubaker's status as an accountant, you would think they would be more careful about their addition and subtraction."
Keller tells us he has contacted the Department of State and errors in the finance reports have been corrected. He says he is glad to go over finance reports with anyone, and that they are filed as public record at the Snyder County Courthouse. (Ali Stevens)
Public invited to meeting about proposed off highway vehicle park
SHAMOKIN -- A public information session will be held tomorrow to discuss the off highway vehicle park proposed in Coal Township. The master plan will be explained, and the public is welcome to bring their opinions and questions to the session.
The master plans include the park on 6,000 acres of county-owned property. It would be open to motorized vehicles, such as ATVs, as well as non-motorized vehicles such as bicycles.
In addition, there would be hunting and camping opportunities, as well as trails for hiking. The meeting is the first of two public sessions to talk about the park. All are invited at 6:30p.m. in the Shamokin Area Junior-Senior High School auditorium on State Street. (Sara Bartlett)
The 6th year for Ashley’s Auction to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network
SELINSGROVE – This will be the sixth year for Ashley’s Auction, which has raised more than $35,000 in five years for the Children’s Miracle Network. Ashley Brubaker was treated at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital when she was just 6-months-old, diagnosed with autism, mild cerebral palsy and severe anxiety disorder. Now as an adult, she is in her sixth year of raising money for the hospital through her silent auction.
Ashley works with her mother, Deb Brubaker to compile the silent auction that stretches from one end of the Susquehanna Valley Mall to the other. Deb Brubaker says this is the perfect project for Ashley since she can send emails to donors from the home, but has also given Ashley the confidence to go out into the community and make more contacts in the area. There are hundreds of items on the auction each year, which are stored at the Brubaker’s home in Snyder County. Her husband, Myron, has expanded their shed to store the items and it takes six trucks to bring all of the items to the auction on the day of the event.
The auction is Saturday from 10 to 3p.m. at the Susquehanna Valley Mall. There are trips on this year’s auction, handcrafted furniture, tickets, gift certificates and countless sports items, items for the home and much more. For a complete list, go to www.wkok.com, and click on the 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon banner. Last year, Ashley Brubaker raised $13,000 in her auction. This year she wants to top that. (Ali Stevens)
Man critically injured in a motorcycle crash July 4th has died
DANVILLE – A Catawissa man, who was critically injured in a motorcycle crash on July 4th, has died from his injuries. 25-year-old Shawn Richendrfer was pronounced dead on Sunday at Geisinger Medical Center. He was taken to the hospital following a crash on Route 42 in Columbia County.
He lost control of his motorcycle rounding a curve and collided with some trees. Richendrfer is one of several deadly victims involved in motorcycle crashes this summer in the Central Susquehanna Valley. (Ali Stevens)
Latest Pennsylvania news, lottery, business and entertainment
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Fuel spilled from a tanker truck that crashed and overturned on a south-central Pennsylvania highway is leaking into the Susquehanna River. State Trooper Ed Asbury told the Patriot News on Tuesday that fuel has traveled as far as eight to 10 miles down the river. He said downriver communities, including the city of Harrisburg, have been warned. Firefighters were putting booms on the river to contain the fuel, which traveled through a drainage intake about 10 miles northwest of Harrisburg just west of the Clarks Ferry Bridge. PennDOT said Routes 22/322 in Dauphin and Perry counties were reopened around 2:30 p.m. after being closed much of the day.
HAZLETON, Pa. (AP) - Emergency officials say a pile of about 1,000 tires caught fire at an auto parts store in northeastern Pennsylvania. The massive blaze started in Hazle Township, just outside Hazleton, around 7:15 p.m. Monday. Dozens of firefighters and nearly two dozen tanker trucks responded. There's no word on how the tire started.
CHESWICK, Pa. (AP) - The subcontractor that employed two welders killed in a Pittsburgh-area oil and gas well explosion last week had paid federal workplace safety fines in two other well fires in western Pennsylvania. Officials at Northeast Energy Management Inc., of Indiana borough, did not immediately return a call for comment Tuesday. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the company $5,965 for a drilling rig fire in Clarion County that burned a worker in September 2007. The company paid a $4,000 fine for a drilling rig fire in Charleroi in November 2008. OSHA and other investigators have yet to determine the cause of Friday's explosion in Indiana Township that killed 56-year old Andy Yosurak Jr., of Creekside, and 46-year-old Kevin Henry, of New Florence.
ST. MARYS, Pa. (AP) - A 138-year-old brewery in central Pennsylvania may stop selling beer in returnable bottles because too many customers aren't returning them. Executive senior vice president Dan Straub says Straub Brewery Inc., of St. Marys, spent about $150,000 buying 25,000 returnable bottles "four or five years ago, and none of them are coming back." Customers pay a $1.50 deposit on a case of 24 returnable bottles. Straub says the family-owned brewery 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh is one of the few left in the country to use the environmentally friendly returnable bottles, but can't afford to keep losing money on them. The company sells its Straub and Straub Light in 16 oz. returnable bottles. It also sells those beers, and others, in 12 oz. nonreturnable bottles and cans, and kegs.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A district judge says he's heard enough evidence to send public corruption charges against Rep. Bill DeWeese to a county court for trial. Linglestown District Judge William Wenner made the ruling yesterday after listening to testimony for part of the day. The case revolves around the role campaign work played in the offices of the Greene County Democrat. DeWeese's preliminary hearing began yesterday with testimony from former employees. DeWeese is a veteran lawmaker who's been speaker, majority leader and whip.
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - A northeastern Pennsylvania businessman has pleaded guilty in federal court to a felony charge of failing to report information about illegal payments made to an elected official. Fifty-three-year-old Thom Greco of Wilkes-Barre entered the plea yesterday before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Thomas Blewitt in Scranton. He is to be sentenced next month. Greco did not speak as he arrived at federal court and his attorneys declined comment. Federal authorities announced a plea deal with Greco in May. A statement read in court said the charge was related to the purchase of televisions for an elected Luzerne County official linked to the county's purchase of property from Greco. The official has not been named. Prosecutors have charged more than two dozen people since January 2009 as part of an investigation into public corruption in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Joe Sestak isn't sparing fellow Democrats from blame for what he views as key ingredient in Wall Street's meltdown and the recession. Sestak said yesterday he blames not only his Republican opponent Pat Toomey but also fellow Democrats, including Bill Clinton, Joe Biden and Harry Reid, for supporting the deregulation of financial services in 1999. Sestak was responding to a question at a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon. Federal law had walled off banks, investment companies and insurance firms. But deregulation removed those walls without subjecting the institutions to the same rules that had applied to banks. Toomey supported the bill as a House member representing the Lehigh Valley. Reid and Biden, both senators at the time, voted for it and then-President Bill Clinton signed it.
CHESWICK, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger says there's "no definitive word yet" on what caused a fatal explosion at a natural gas and oil well near Pittsburgh last week. Hanger says the agency hopes to announce its findings within 45 days and is working closely with the Allegheny County fire marshal. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the well's owner, Huntley & Huntley Inc. of Monroeville, are also investigating the cause of Friday's explosion that killed two workers in Indiana Township. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the victims as 56-year-old Andy Yosurak Jr., of Creekside, and 46-year-old Kevin Henry, of New Florence.
CHICORA, Pa. (AP) - The state Department of Environmental Protection hasn't pinpointed the source of a flammable gas that burned a western Pennsylvania man when he turned on a well water pump. DEP spokeswoman Freda Tarbell says there are no permitted natural gas wells in the area where 33-year-old Paul Edwards, of Donegal Township, Butler County, was burned Sunday. She says a utility company has lines in the area, but so far no leaks have been found. Sometimes, Tarbell says, natural gases from the earth simply gather in such wells, though it's not clear if that happened in this instance. Edwards says he was burned after he flipped an electrical switch at the well near a camping area. He's being treated for second-degree burns in a Pittsburgh hospital.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Updates on the latest in business:
Dow: 10,537.69, up 12.26
S&P 500: 1,113.84, down -1.17
NASDAQ: 2,288.25, down -8.18
NEW YORK (AP) - Stock prices have faltered a bit today after recent gains. At risk is the Dow's three-day streak of triple-digit advances.
DETROIT (AP) - GM has announced that its Chevy Volt electric car will cost $41,000, going on sale in November. It is eligible for a federal tax credit that will cut the price by $7,500.
NEW YORK (AP) - Failing to see broad improvement in the job market, Americans' confidence in the economy has slipped this month. The Conference Board says its index slipped nearly 4 points to 50.4 this month.
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) - Apple has unveiled its newest desktop computers. The latest iMac desktops boast faster speeds and offer the option of multi-touch controls similar to those used on the iPhone.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration plans a conference at the Treasury Department next month to discuss the future of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Republicans have complained that the financial overhaul signed into law last month failed to address reform of the two firms. Stabilizing them has cost taxpayers $145 billion.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn Tuesday:
Mega Millions
Estimated jackpot: $24 million
Midday Big 4
7-3-4-1
Midday Number
3-2-6
Midday Quinto
4-7-4-6-4
Powerball
Estimated jackpot: $67 million
Treasure Hunt
01-19-21-26-30
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
'Jersey Shore' cast heads north to ring open NYSE
NEW YORK (AP) - Forget Black Friday. It was Tan Tuesday. The cast of MTV's "Jersey Shore" skipped the beach for a day to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday. Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi gave a thumbs up to stock brokers before ringing the bell and waving to the crowd. Fellow cast members Paul DelVecchio and Vinny Guadagnino pumped their fists in the air, and the rest of the group applauded. The second season of the show will make its premiere Thursday.
Jack Hanna fights off a bear
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The zookeeper who's been appearing on Letterman for years had a close encounter with three grizzlies in Glacier National Park in Montana. Jack Hanna says the mother bear and one of her cubs walked by him, his wife and some other hikers, but the other cub charged toward them. Hanna took his own advice and pepper-sprayed the cub in the face. It ran away. Hanna had recently filmed a message for the National Park Service recommending that hikers carry pepper spray.
Unclaimed winning tickets
DES PLAINES, Ill. (AP) - Easy come -- easy go. Now, one Illinois Lottery player has just a few days before it's gone for good. State lottery officials say a second-place winning Mega Millions ticket will expire Friday. If that ticket isn't presented before the deadline -- the winner can't collect the 250-grand in prize money. The ticket was for the July 31, 2009, drawing and was sold at a 7-Eleven in Des Plaines. If no one claims the lotto prize, the money goes into a state education fund.
KINGS OF LEON GET POOPED ON
ST. LOUIS (AP) - The pigeons of St. Louis clearly are not Kings of Leon fans. Kings of Leon played the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre outside St. Louis Friday. They cut the show short after being bombarded by pigeon poop. Band representatives had been warned about a pigeon infestation in the rafters. The band's management says bassist Jared Followill was hit several times in the first two songs, including near his mouth, and that's a health hazard. Followill says in a statement the pigeons went after the opening bands, The Postelles and The Stills. He says they couldn't believe what they looked like after their sets. Followill says, "We tried to play. It was ridiculous." Fans will get full refunds.
FAKE NUN
NEW YORK (AP) - Restaurant owners are telling the "sister" to take a hike. A woman dressed as a nun has been hitting up diners for contributions in New York's "Little Italy." But Mindy LeGrand isn't really a nun. The New York Post reports LeGrand begged for five hours on a recent Saturday afternoon. Later, LeGrand Grand pulled off her habit and skirt, lit up a cigarette and walked off wearing a pink tank top and brown shorts. The owner (Nick Mesce) of Giovanna's Ristorante Italiono says they'll ask the non-nun to leave if she comes around again.
STATE PRISON-GEESE
ALBION, Pa. (AP) - It's a prison flap in Pennsylvania. But it has nothing to do with the inmates. Officials at a state prison in northwestern Pennsylvania would like pesky geese to take off. The birds are making a mess of prison grounds and a parking lot outside. The prisoners have been cleaning up all that bird you-know-what. But the geese gross-out is so bad, prison officials are turning to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for help. U.S.D.A experts say they'll try some non-lethal techniques to scare away the birds, like booms from propane cannons and trained dogs.
Offshore Boozing
SAN DIEGO (AP) - San Diego's City Council has banned so-called "floatopia" parties where people booze it up on inner tubes offshore. The council voted 8-0 Monday to close the loophole on a beach alcohol ban that was approved by voters in November 2008. Several speakers told the council that the ban was an overreaction and would drive away tourists. But council members - with strong support from police officials - said it was a question of public safety and the cost of policing the crowds. Attendance at "floatopia" events has reached up to 6,000 people, requiring dozens of rescues. The ban takes effect immediately
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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