Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Danville traffic signal under repair--but working
DANVILLE -- One of the busiest intersections in The Valley remains without a fully functioning traffic signal today. Traffic is being directed at the intersection of Route 54 and Route 11 in Danville, after construction crews disrupted a power supply and control conduit for the light.
The light is partial repaired and does some sequences, and fire police are still assisting. Crews are still at the scene, and motorists are asked to plan extra time, or take an alternate route if driving in that area. Construction crews continue work at that intersection as they prepare for paving next month.
Extradition hearing is set for a man accused of killing a yoga instructor in Union County
ANNAPOLIS, MD – An extradition hearing has been set for August 19th in Annapolis, Maryland for a man accused of killing a yoga instructor in Union County. Joel Snider remains jailed in Baltimore County, charged with criminal homicide in the shooting death of 70-year-old Sudharman, the owner of the Integral Yoga Center in New Berlin.
Snider was arrested in Maryland after the incident earlier this month. Snider’s attorney has been fighting extradition to Pennsylvania, but a hearing is now scheduled, where Snider will be able to appeal and another hearing will be held a month later.
Sudharman’s body was found in his yoga studio wrapped in blankets and a comforter taped shut with duct tape. It was later learned that he was shot multiple times and police then found emails from Snider to another yoga instructor indicating his plans to kill Sudharman. (Ali Stevens)
85th district candidates to debate
LEWISBURG -- Candidates for state representative in the 85th district will participate in a debate next month. The Susquehanna Valley Conservatives will host the debate held at the Best Western in Lewisburg. Democrat Trey Casimir, Republican Fred Keller and Libertarian Erik Viker will participate. The debate is open to the public and will be held Monday, August 9th at 7:00p.m. (Sara Bartlett)
An electrical accident injures a Shamokin Area School District employee
SHAMOKIN – An employee of the Shamokin Area School District was hospitalized following an electrical accident at Shamokin Area Elementary School. The News Item reports Darroll Koch suffered various burns on his body after being jolted by electricity while working in the school on Monday.
Koch was taken to Shamokin Area Community Hospital, where he was kept overnight and then released Tuesday. The incident took place around 7:45 a.m. and the investigation into the electrical accident continues. (Ali Stevens)
Drug bust outside Sunbury leads to charges for a Sunbury man
SUNBURY – A Sunbury man is behind bars following a drug bust at his home on Snydertown Road Monday. Point Township Police say members of the Northumberland Montour Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at the home of Jay Scott Kessler Jr. Officers seized 56 grams of marijuana, 1.1 grams of cocaine, LSD and a large amount of cash.
Kessler was arraigned on charges of possession with intent to deliver, 3 counts of possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Kessler was placed in the Northumberland County Prison on $75,000 cash bail. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending. (Ali Stevens)
Commissioner suffers minor injuries after crash
DANVILLE -- A Montour County Commissioner suffered minor injuries after a crash over the weekend. Around 11:00a.m. Saturday Trevor Finn was driving on Pine Street in Danville when 21-year-old Travis Chappell of Danville pulled from an intersection and collided with Finn's vehicle. Finn hit his head and went to Geisinger Medical Center where he was treated and released. Chappell was not injured and will not be cited for the crash. (Sara Bartlett)
No charges for man who lured teen into vehicle
PENNS VALLEY -- Police say they have identified, and not charged, the man who lured a teen into his vehicle just over the Union County line. The man in his 30's was thoroughly interviewed Wednesday and then released.
Monday morning, the man, who worked for an unknown television satellite company, invited a 16-year-old boy into his vehicle after seeing him on the side of Route 45 in Penns Valley, Centre County.
He then drove the boy to a home on Route 192. On their ride back, the man began to ask the boy to perform sexual acts. No contact was made. Police say there should be no further alarm to the community. (Sara Bartlett)
Deadline for Elk Season approaches
HARRISBURG – Hunters wanting to participate in this year’s Pennsylvania elk season have until August 27th to submit an application through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s automated license system. You can do this online at www.pgc.state.pa.us or stop by any license issuing agent. Application fee for the license is $10.70 and is non-refundable.
A computerized public drawing will then be held on September 10th to award 50 elk licenses. The first 17 applications drawn will receive an antlered license and then the next 33 drawn will receive an antlerless license.
If a hunter’s application is drawn, elk license fees are $25.00 for residents and $250 for non-residents. The game commission says individuals who applied but were not awarded an elk license in 2003-2009 will have their name entered into the drawing eight times. (Ali Stevens)
AAA caught violating the Consumer Protection Law by a local District Attorney
DANVILLE – The American Automobile Association, or AAA ,was caught violating the Consumer Protection Law by a local District Attorney. The Daily Item reports Montour County DA Bob Buehner caught AAA charging some customers an extra $2.00 when they renewed their memberships, without telling them how the money was to be used or the option to opt out of the charge, which went to the AAA Foundation.
Buehner, a longtime member of AAA, filed a complaint in February 2008 with the Bureau of Consumer Protection. State Attorney General Tom Corbett found that AAA had violated the Consumer Protection Law. AAA was sending billing and renewal statements to members without including a description of the charge for $2.00.
AAA is also accused of adding the $2.00 foundation fee to customers who automatically renew their membership, without letting them know about the additional charge. AAA has agreed to pay the state $10,000 and correct their billing process. (Ali Stevens)
Northumberland County natives have a hit on their hands
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Three Northumberland County natives, also known as the group 'Sloppy Secondz' have a hit on their hands. Jason McGuigan of Shamokin, Justin Derr of Sunbury and John Duttinger, a Sunbury native have made a five minute parody video of Katy Perry's 'California Gurls.'
They men are dancing and singing in front of backdrops from Erie to Philly. They sport Amish suspenders in front of a Weis supermarket, dress like Ben Franklin guzzling a lager in front of Pottstown's Yuengling brewery, and don green wigs and beads on St. Patrick's Day in Scranton. The five-minute video has been viewed more than 200,000 times on YouTube since it was posted July 21.
Planners collect info from OHV park supporters, critics
SHAMOKIN -- An Off Highway Vehicle park on about 6,000 acres of land now owned by Northumberland County could be the last chance to bring prosperity to the coal region. That thought was shared by many Tuesday night, as citizens turned out in force for a public meeting about the proposed OHV park.
More than 300 were in the auditorium of the Shamokin Area Junior Senior High School for the first of three meetings, regarding the park, which would create trails mostly for riders of Jeeps, ATV's and dirt bikes. The meeting was conducted by a Pittsburgh area consultant, and was strictly meant to collect information for a planning study. They said answers would come later.
Representatives of ATV clubs from Allentown, and western New York State drove to Coal Township to offer their support, and predicted a well-maintained park would be a hit. They say there is little land available in any northeastern state to ride safely, legally and in a family atmosphere.
But some fear it would be a source of noise pollution, and want buffers set up. Others, such as John Marquette of Bloomsburg want to make sure that non-motorized activities such as hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding can be safely accommodated along side ATV's.
Still others such as Jeff Fodor of Shamokin say people who rode through the coal region for free all their lives, wouldn't want to pay a fee to ride there. How fees would be collected has yet to be determined.
State grants totaling about $250,000 from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Department of Community and Economic Development are supporting the project. Northumberland County Planning Director Pat Mack says the planning study will be done by early next year, and they hope to have some of the park open to users in about a year. (Matt Farrand)
Man accused of luring boy in vehicle, just over Union County line
PENNS VALLEY -- State Police are looking for a man, working for an unknown television satellite company, who lured a teen into his vehicle just over the Union County line. The incident happened around 11:00a.m. Monday when police say a man pulled up to a 16-year-old boy along Route 45 in Penns Valley, Centre County.
He asked the boy directions and then asked the boy to get into the vehicle. The man then drove the boy down Route 45 to a home on Route 192. The man and the teen went into the home and conducted a television service call.
After leaving the home, police say the man began asking the boy sexual questions and asked the boy to perform sexual acts. No contact was made. Police are searching for the man, in his mid-30's, with brown hair and a full beard. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 814-355-7545. (Sara Bartlett)
Tanker truck crash spills fuel into river
CLARKS FERRY (AP) -- Fuel spilled into the Susquehanna River after a tanker truck crash on Routes 22/322 in Perry Counties Tuesday morning. The crashed closed the road for over five hours. Fuel traveled nearly 10 miles down the river and water authorities are monitoring.
A Department of Environmental Protection spokesman said Tuesday that, so far, his agency had not heard of any problems caused by fuel floating down the river. Most of the 7,300 gallons of fuel the being hauled by the truck had leaked into a parking lot and a marsh. Cleanup crews also put containment booms on the river. Some fuel entered the Juniata River through a storm drain just ahead of the Susquehanna River confluence.
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)
NorCo. 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)
NorCo. 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 today (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 a female stabbed him Sunday night 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 is 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)
Latest Pennsylvania news, business, lottery and entertainment
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) - A 19-year-old student has been charged with possessing child pornography allegedly found on his laptop computer after he asked workers at his western Pennsylvania college to fix the device. State police say Tyler Jacob Hess, of Erie, dropped off the computer in April, at a student-work program at St. Vincent College near Latrobe. Hess was attending the private, Catholic school then and wanted the computer repaired thinking it had a virus. State police say workers found child pornography videos in folders labeled "Best," "Good," and "Rare." Hess faces a preliminary hearing Aug. 30. A school spokesman has declined comment. Hess's home telephone has been disconnected and online court records don't list an attorney for him.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Philadelphia jury has convicted two men of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a police officer. Jurors announced Wednesday that they found 41-year-old Levon Warner and 35-year-old Eric Floyd guilty on all counts in the May 2008 death of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski following a bank robbery. Both men could now face the death penalty.
WHITEHALL, Pa. (AP) - Four eastern Pennsylvania teenagers face disorderly conduct charges after police say they staged a fake kidnapping in a store parking lot. Police in Whitehall say the teens filmed the staged event and planned to put the video on YouTube. Officers swarmed the parking lot of a Kmart store in Whitehall shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday after a woman reported seeing a man get tied up and thrown in the trunk of a car. Police say they located the car a short time later and got the man out of the trunk. But they say they quickly determined that all four people involved were teenagers videotaping a prank they planned to put on YouTube. All four teens are charged with disorderly conduct.
ATLANTA (AP) - Pennsylvania has been named a finalist in the second round of the federal "Race to the Top" school reform grant competition. In all, 18 states and the District of Columbia are getting a chance to receive a share of $3 billion. The competition rewards ambitious reforms aimed at improving struggling schools and closing the achievement gap. A panel of peer reviewers screened applications, and finalists will travel to Washington in coming weeks to present their proposals. In all, 35 states and the District of Columbia applied for the second round of the application. The 19 finalists have asked for $6.2 billion, though only $3.4 billion is available. Dozens of states passed new education policies to make themselves more attractive to the judges.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Water authorities are monitoring the Susquehanna River for fuel that spilled from an overturned tanker truck on a south-central Pennsylvania highway. Department of Environmental Protection spokesman John Repetz says, so far, his agency had not heard of any problems caused by fuel floating down the river. Repetz said most of the 7,300 gallons of fuel the being hauled by the truck had leaked into a parking lot and a marsh about 10 miles northwest of Harrisburg. Cleanup crews also put containment booms on the river. Some fuel entered the Juniata River through a storm drain just ahead of the Susquehanna River confluence. Repetz said United Water has not had to close its intake. The city of Harrisburg has a rarely used intake that is closed.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Crews have finished cleaning up a fuel truck spill at Philadelphia International Airport, and a spokeswoman says everything is back to normal. Airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica says the truck apparently tipped over on a service road near Terminal F around 1 p.m., spilling about 200 gallons of fuel. US Airways Express uses the terminal. Lupica says the cleanup of the spill was completed at about 5:30 p.m., and crews then righted the truck and moved it. There are about 290 US Airways flights a day out of Terminal F. US Airways service elsewhere at the airport wasn't affected.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A second lawsuit has been filed against a suburban Philadelphia school district accused of spying on students through cameras in school-issued laptop computers. Jalil Hasan, who graduated from Lower Merion High School last spring, says the school district activated remote-tracking software after he left the laptop at school Dec. 18. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court says the laptop was returned three days later, but the surveillance software remained activated for about two months. The suit alleges that more than 1,000 photos were taken, 469 from the webcam and 543 screen shots. Attorney Mark Haltzman is representing Hasan and his family, as well as the family that filed the original lawsuit against the district in February. Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents the district, has declined comment.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Queen of Soul and a former U.S. secretary of state have teamed up in a rare joint concert in Philadelphia to raise money for inner-city youth. The Aretha Franklin-Condoleezza Rice extravaganza Tuesday night featured Rice on the piano accompanying Franklin's "I Say A Little Prayer" and "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Rice, who is trained as a classical pianist, also performed Mozart's piano concerto in D Minor with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Franklin also included songs from her new album "A Woman Falling Out of Love," to be released later this year. Their aim was to raise money for children from Detroit and Philadelphia, as well as awareness for music and the arts.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Updates on the latest in business:
Dow: 10,499.78, down -37.91
S&P 500: 1,106.51, down -7.33
NASDAQ: 2,265.33, down -22.92
Stocks struggle...Fed's survey...Pope admission cost....
NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks have struggled today on fresh indications of slowing economic momentum. Before the opening bell, the Commerce Department reported orders for durable goods fell 1 percent last month.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book survey finds the pace of economic activity slowing or holding steady across much of the nation. Among the dozen Fed regions, growth was steady in Cleveland and Kansas City, slower in Atlanta and Chicago, while activity elsewhere was said to be modest.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama speaks at a sandwich shop in New Jersey this afternoon. He's pushing an initiative aimed at encouraging lending for small business. After that, he's headed to New York to attend two campaign fundraisers.
LONDON (AP) - Church officials say people will have to pay up to $39 to attend one of the two public events in England being led by Pope Benedict during his visit in September. The charges are thought to be a first for a papal event.
LONDON (AP) - Ivy Bean, known as the oldest user of Twitter, has died in England at the age of 104. Among her thousands of followers: Sarah Brown, wife of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Pennsylvania Lottery Numbers
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn Wednesday:
Mega Millions
Estimated jackpot: $33 million
Midday Big 4
9-1-1-3
Midday Number
5-9-2
Midday Quinto
0-1-1-3-0
Powerball
Estimated jackpot: $67 million
Treasure Hunt
05-06-15-24-27
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn Tuesday:
Big 4
6-1-3-0
Cash 5
06-15-17-25-32
Daily Number
9-4-4
Evening Quinto
5-9-6-1-0
Mega Millions
02-07-10-16-29, Mega Ball: 8
Megaplier
4
Midday Big 4
7-3-4-1
Midday Number
3-2-6
Midday Quinto
4-7-4-6-4
Treasure Hunt
01-19-21-26-30
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
MELISSA RYCROFT IS PREGNANT
NEW YORK (AP) -- In one year, Melissa Rycroft has gone from being dumped on "The Bachelor," to appearing on "Dancing With the Stars, falling in love with an insurance agent, getting engaged, getting married, landing some TV jobs -- and now, she's pregnant. Rycroft made the announcement on "Good Morning America," where she's a contributor. She joked that she and her husband Tye Strickland wanted to see "how many life-changing events" they could cram into one year. The pregnancy won't stop Rycroft from co-hosting the upcoming reality series "Bachelor Pad" with Chris Harrison.
ARETHA FRANKLIN PERFORMS WITH CONDOLEEZZA RICE
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Aretha Franklin has a new accompanist on piano: former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Franklin and Rice performed last night with the Philadelphia Orchestra to raise money for music for urban kids. Rice says they met at a White House function and Franklin found out she plays piano. Franklin calls Rice's playing "formidable."
DC-MEDICAL MARIJUANA
WASHINGTON (AP) - Washington, D.C. isn't the District of Cannabis yet. The D.C. Council passed a medical marijuana law in May. Congress had 30 legislative days to review the law, which has now expired. While it may be legal for patients to smoke pot -- they can't get it. The city still needs to create regs for licensing growers and stores to sell medicinal marijuana. Officials expect that to take at least until the end of the year.
Aretha and Rice make music at Philly concert
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Queen of Soul and a former U.S. secretary of state have teamed up in a rare joint concert in Philadelphia to raise money for inner-city youth. The Aretha Franklin-Condoleezza Rice extravaganza Tuesday night featured Rice on the piano accompanying Franklin's "I Say A Little Prayer" and "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Rice, who is trained as a classical pianist, also performed Mozart's piano concerto in D Minor with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Franklin also included songs from her new album "A Woman Falling Out of Love," to be released later this year. Their aim was to raise money for children from Detroit and Philadelphia, as well as awareness for music and the arts.
DC pushes female condoms to fight HIV epidemic
WASHINGTON (AP) - Officials in Washington, D.C., have launched a citywide effort to promote the use of female condoms, in hopes making them available can help stop the spread of HIV in that city. The District of Columbia has one of the highest infection rates in the country. To encourage the use of female condoms, community groups are handing out 500,000 of the condoms and doing demonstrations on how to properly use them. CVS is selling them in all its District of Columbia drugstores though sales are slow so far. That makes Washington the only place where people can get them outside a health clinic or community group. And city officials have begun a website and put posters on 460 buses, about a third of the city's fleet.
Candidate criticized for remark about Islam
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Republican candidate for governor of Tennessee is being criticized by a Muslim rights group for questioning whether Islam is more of a cult than a religion. At an event in Chattanooga this month, Ron Ramsey said: "You could even argue whether that being a Muslim is actually a religion, or is it a nationality, way of life, cult or whatever you want to call it?" Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Ramsey's comments are part of "a disturbing trend in our nation in which it is suggested that American Muslims should have fewer or more restricted constitutional rights than citizens of other faiths." Ramsey in response issued a statement saying he's concerned that "far too much of Islam has come to resemble a violent political philosophy more than peace-loving religion."
Straubs to drop some bottles
ST. MARYS, Pa. (AP) - Returnable beer bottles aren't being returned. So, a Pennsylvania brewery may stop selling the 16-ounce brewskis. The 138-year-old Straub Brewery is one of the last in the nation to offer the returnable bottles. But officials say their losses are mounting because too many customers toss their empties instead of returning them. Straub and Straub Light are currently sold in the returnable bottles. The brewery also sells those beers and others in 12-ounce nonreturnable bottles and cans, and kegs of various sizes.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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