Monday, December 28, 2009

NorCo Commissioners and Judge reach compromise

SUNBURY – The Northumberland County Commissioners and the Northumberland County President Judge resolved a budget impasse today that basically maintains court funding at its current level. The compromise means the commissioners can adopt their austere budget tomorrow and the courts can operate at their current level of funding.

The compromise puts the brakes on a lawsuit filed by the judge—but the deal today is not the last word—both the courts and the commissioners must further negotiate the final spending level. The judge was seeking $6.4 million for the courts and the county was planning to pass a budget with $5.8. In 2009, the courts will spend about $6.1 million.

Attorneys for both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcome. Hiring the two Philadelphia lawyers to reach this compromise cost taxpayers an estimate $10,000 to $20,000. No new negotiations are planned, but the commissioners need to pass their budget at a meeting tomorrow.

Driver who hit a buggy has been identified

WATSONTOWN – State troopers say they have their hit and run driver—the driver who fled after slamming a van into to a horse and buggy last night, leaving behind injured children in the overturned buggy. State police at Milton say the name of the driver isn’t being disclosed pending further investigation and the filing of charges. The driver slammed into the buggy operated by Levi Glick of the Watsontown area.

Three people on the buggy—including two young children were injured. The driver of the van then left the scene. The 7:30p.m. crash happened on Route 54 in Delaware Township, Northumberland County. This is the latest in a series of buggy versus automobile accidents…other accidents in the region have also been ‘hit and run’ incidents and one involved a fatality.

Smokers…advice on quitting in the New Year

LEWISBURG – Lots of folks will make a few New Year’s resolutions to quit smoking and there is help available today. One common New Year’s resolutions that people make…is to quit smoking. Susan Sidler is assistant director of cardio-pulmonary services at Evangelical Community Hospital and offered some helpful advice.

Sidler says it is important to quit when you are mentally ready and no one else is pressuring you to make that decision. She said there are a few therapeutic drugs available for those wishing to quit and people should talk with their doctor about which is right for them.

She says ‘the patch’ can work well for some people, especially those who smoke a pack a day or less. And she says quitting smoking must be the only resolution. For those wishing to lose weight and quit smoking, Sidler says you should just pick one resolution.

Those who try to quit smoking generally gain weight, due to a change in metabolism, but most only gain about 10 pounds. Sidler says it’s never too late to quit and adds that if you are going to try to quit on your own, you need to be prepared with smoking distractions like exercise, healthy snacks, gum and enjoyable activities. (Ali Stevens)

11-year-old boy injured in a crash

PAXINOS – An 11-year-old boy was the only person injured in a three-vehicle accident Sunday afternoon in Shamokin Township, Northumberland County. State police say 45-year-old Scott Holtzapple of Sunbury rear-ended a vehicle on Route 61, driven by 19-year-old Joseph Kasper of Shamokin. Kasper’s vehicle was then forced into a vehicle driven by 46-year-old Brian Kimmel of West Chester.

No drivers were injured in the crash, but Kimmel’s son, 11-year-old Grant Kimmel, was transported to Geisinger Medical Center, where he was treated and released for minor injuries. Holtzapple will be cited for causing the chain reaction crash around 4 p.m. Sunday. (Ali Stevens)

LifeFlight called to a farming accident in Columbia County

MADISON TOWNSHIP – LifeFlight was called to the scene of a farming accident this morning in Columbia County. Dispatchers tell us one person was trapped under a farm tractor on Camp Road in Madison Township. The incident took place around 9:30 this morning. We will update you on this story when more information is available. (Ali Stevens)

Latest Pennsylvania news, business update, lottery numbers, and entertainment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania court system has new disaster plans to help ensure the judiciary will be able to respond effectively to a range of potential crises. The state Supreme Court on Monday adopted rules to help it cope with terrorist attacks, major floods or public health emergencies. The rules let the justices suspend or modify procedural or administrative rules upon the declaration of a judicial emergency. Under certain circumstances, county president judges can order endangered court facilities closed, move court operations to a safe location, change court calendars, and cancel or suspend trials and jury duty.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) - The new Roman Catholic bishop for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend will be formally installed during an invitation-only Mass next month. The diocese says the installation Mass for Bishop Kevin Rhoades will be Jan. 13 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne. Among those expected to participate are Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican's ambassador to the United States. A solemn vespers service is scheduled for Jan. 12 at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend. The 52-year-old Rhoades has been bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania for five years. He is replacing Bishop John D'Arcy, who has led the northern Indiana dioceses since 1985.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Police in Harrisburg are meeting with the FBI to see how the agency can assist in a high-tech investigation that local authorities aren't equipped to perform. On Christmas, the Lower Paxton Township police department spent at least $1,300 in tracing fees and overtime chasing what turned out to be a false report of a woman shooting her 9-month-old daughter. Police said the woman had called a local CVS, claiming to be looking for her mother because she needed a delivery of bleach and paper towels to clean up. There was no such incident and the caller concealed her location by using an Internet-based phone service.

Update on the latest in business

NEW YORK (AP) -
Dow Jones Averages 30 industrials 10547.08 up 26.98 or 0.26 percent
20 transportation 4163.49 down 24.37 or -0.58 percent
15 utilities 404.02 up 0.65 or 0.16 percent
65 stocks 3614.28 down 0.54 or -0.01 percent

Major Market Indexes
New York Stock Exchange 7261.24 up 6.24
American Stock Exchange 1824.35 down 0.03
Nasdaq composite 2291.08 up 5.39
Standard and Poors 500 1127.78 up 1.30

DALLAS (AP) - Airline officials say in-flight security rules have been eased after a two-day clampdown. Industry officials say that at the captain's discretion, passengers may keep blankets and other items on their laps or move about the cabin during the tail end of flight.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Reserve is proposing that banks be allowed to set up the equivalent of certificates of deposit at the central bank. The proposal is aimed at helping the Fed reel in the unprecedented amount of money injected into the economy during the financial crisis.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Walt Disney Co. is nearing completion of its $4.2 billion acquisition of comic’s powerhouse Marvel Entertainment this week. The cash-and-stock deal brings Marvel's thousands of characters to an entertainment empire that already includes Mickey Mouse, Kermit the Frog and Hannah Montana.

NEW YORK (AP) - Tyra Banks is pulling the plug on her syndicated TV talk show. The former model says "The Tyra Show" will end after its fifth season.

MIAMI (AP) - It was a rough year for Ponzi schemes. An Associated Press analysis of all 50 states shows that the recession caused nearly four times as many Ponzi scheme collapses in 2009 as there were in 2008. Tens of thousands of investors watched more than $16.5 billion disappear. That included the life savings of many people. Investors lost more money to such scams in 2008 thanks to the failure of Bernie Madoff's long-running scheme estimated at $21 billion to $50 billion. But experts say the main reason so many more Ponzi plots collapsed this year was that investors had less money to risk. The Madoff case also made investors more careful and brought tighter regulation from federal authorities. More than 150 Ponzi schemes collapsed in 2009 compared with about 40 in 2008.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

Pennsylvania Lottery Numbers

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

Midday Big 4 9-9-2-2

Midday Number 9-0-1

Midday Quinto 7-3-4-0-0

Treasure Hunt 01-05-08-10-13

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

More sports and entertainment from the Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Eagles center Jamaal Jackson tore a knee ligament in Sunday's win over Denver and will miss the rest of the season. Jackson anchored an offensive line that has been shuffled numerous times because of several injuries to starters. He made his 71st consecutive start and had been Philadelphia's only offensive player to play every snap until he got hurt in the first half.

Box office record likely

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- One analyst is predicting that at the rate "Avatar" is going, it could eventually gross more than $1 billion worldwide. It made another $75 million over the holiday weekend, a drop of only three percent from its opening week. Movies like that usually drop up to 50 percent in their second week. Avatar has already made $212 million in this country in its first 10 days. "Sherlock Holmes" had a record opening of more than $65 million. That shatters the Christmas weekend record set by "The Fockers" by $19 million. The new "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie opened in third place, followed by "It's Complicated" and "Up in the Air."

Tyra Banks says she's ending her talk show

NEW YORK (AP) - Tyra Banks is pulling the plug on her talk show. The former model says the syndicated "The Tyra Show" will end after its fifth season. Banks says she's sticking with the reality show "America's Next Top Model" and is forming a new production studio with plans to make movies. She also promised new digital projects, but wouldn't give details. In a statement on her Web site, Banks also paid tribute to talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey, who's ending her talk show in 2011. About her own show, Banks told fans: "I've been loving having fun, coming into your living rooms, bedrooms, hair salons for the past five years."

NEW YEAR'S EVE BALL GETS MAKEOVER

NEW YORK (AP) - It's been a tradition since 1907. But the annual New Year's Eve ball drop in New York's Times Square is getting a couple of new wrinkles this time around. The first has to do with the ball itself. The 300 Waterford crystal triangles have been shaped into a new design. Organizers of the celebration say the crystals will be in an interlocking ribbon pattern, woven into a Celtic knot. It's all to highlight the theme for 2010: "Let There Be Courage." The other new thing - a new iPhone application called "Clink-Clink," also designed by Waterford. As the name implies, the app lets people make toasts with champagne flutes and cocktail glasses that are displayed on their phones' screens.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Another hit and run incident: Vehicle vs. buggy

MILTON – State police are investigating after a van struck a horse and buggy in Northumberland County and then fled the scene. The incident took place last night around 7:30 along Route 54 in Delaware Township. Troopers tell us the van struck the rear of the buggy before driving away.

27-year-old Levi Glick of the Watsontown area was the operator of the buggy and sustained minor injuries. His passengers, 24-year-old Mattie Glick and two children, ages 2 and 4, were all taken to Evangelical Community Hospital for treatment. The injuries were described as minor to moderate. The horse was not injured.

Troopers say the van is described as an older model, white in color and possibly a minivan. The van was last seen traveling east on Route 54 towards Turbotville. Anyone with information should contact State Police at Milton. There have been several vehicle vs. horse and buggy collisions this year—including at least one other hit and run incident. (Ali Stevens)

Several guns and other items taken from a home in Northumberland County

MILTON – Several guns, a laptop computer, an LCD television and other items were taken from a home in Turbot Township, Northumberland County. State police say the burglary took place at a home in the 800 block of Hepburn Street.

The incident took place sometime between Wednesday and Saturday, when the residents were not home. About 10 rifles and shotguns were taken along with a handgun and a safe. Anyone with information is asked to contact state police. (Ali Stevens)

Snyder County man to be charged with rape and other counts

MOUNT PLEASANT MILLS – State police will charge a Mount Pleasant Mills man with raping a 13-year-old girl. Troopers tell us 37-year-old James Criley entered the girl’s home around 3 a.m. Sunday and sexually assaulted her while she slept on the couch.

Criley was arrested and sent to the Snyder County Prison on a probation violation. Criley will be charged with rape, sexual assault, burglary, aggravated indecent assault and other counts. (Ali Stevens)

Clinton County judge to hear case in Northumberland County today

SUNBURY – A hearing will be held today discussing Northumberland County President Judge Robert Sacavage’s decision to sue the county commissioners. Sacavage says he cannot run the court system properly with the proposed $600,000 cuts by the commissioners in the 2010 budget.

Recently, Commissioner Vinny Clausi says the days of open checkbook of government are over at the county level, and while it is up to a court to decide whether the cuts will stand, the county is prepared to defend its actions. Monday’s hearing will be presided over by a Clinton County judge and will determine if a ruling can be made to stop to commissioners from cutting the court’s budget.

Needy Family fund exceeds $110,000

SUNBURY – The Needy Family Fund is now at $110,902.50. The latest group contributions include $410 from Employees at Central Penn Health Care of Lewisburg, and $100 from Molesevich Environmental of Lewisburg.

Individual or family donations include $200 from Michael W. and Anne C. Beckley of Mifflinburg, and $100 from Timothy R. and Debbie Dutrow of Milton. Jane E. and John L. Moore of Sunbury donated $100 in memory of Kenneth Kessler, and Gary R, Hallock and Deborah L. Hallock of Winfield also contributed $50 in memory of Susan Birster. Additionally, there were anonymous donations of more than $360.

An additional $25,000 Degenstein Challenge Grant was awarded to the fund, after the announced goal of $75,000 was reached on Christmas Day. Each year, The Daily Item, Susquehanna Bank, Salvation Army and The Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation sponsor The Needy Family Fund.

Contributions to the Needy Family Fund are still being accepted. Donations can be directed to any branch of Susquehanna Bank, or mailed to 400 Market Street, Sunbury, PA, 17801. You can get more information at www.wkok.com

Icy start follows rainy day

BLOOMSBURG – Icy roadways were reported Sunday morning, as overnight temperatures fell below freezing. The chill follows a day of rainfall on top of largely frozen ground, but county communications desks reported no local flooding. About three-quarters of an inch of rain fell in Union and Lycoming Counties, with amounts over an inch reported in Columbia County and to the east of the Central Susquehanna Valley.

Meantime, power is back on for Columbia County PPL customers after a windstorm Christmas Night knocked out service for more than 1,200. The Bloomsburg area received the most damage from the high winds, with areas to the west going largely unscathed. (Matt Farrand)

Fire near Mifflinburg damages residence

MIFFLINBURG – A Saturday night fire home damaged two floors of a Mifflinburg area home. Union County Communications says firefighters from Mifflinburg, New Berlin and Snyder County were called at about 6:30 p.m. to a home along Shirk Road in Lewis Township for reports of a kitchen fire.

It apparently spread to a second floor. Medics from Evangelical Community Hospital were also on the scene, but there were no reported injuries. Firefighters remained on the scene for about two hours. (Matt Farrand)

Big retailer seeks common ground with local business

LEWISBURG – The impact a Barnes & Noble bookstore will have on other businesses in downtown Lewisburg is likely to be wide ranging. Executive Director Linda Sterling of the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership says plans are being made prior to its opening to introduce the management of the new store to owners of existing businesses. Sterling says local retailers will be met with individually some time early in the New Year.

The deal that brought Barnes & Noble to downtown Lewisburg spurred a backlash among some small business owners. But Sterling notes the project is also new to the big bookseller, in that it has never before opened a location in such a small college town in rural surroundings.

The store at 3rd and Market streets in Lewisburg will also serve as the primary bookseller for Bucknell University students and is expected to be open by the start of classes in the fall of 2010. Bucknell University will play a major role in the store’s management. (Matt Farrand)

Latest Pennsylvania news, lottery, business and entertainment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Ed Rendell is a smaller man than he used to be - 56 pounds smaller, to be exact. But the Democrat vows to remain a weighty political force in his final year as governor. Rendell says he will press for a controversial tax on natural gas drilling and another boost in education spending next year - even as major new financial pressures are expected to mount. He dismisses the notion that his Capitol clout will wane as the public's attention gravitates toward the gubernatorial primary races in May. Rendell says he'll provide background briefings to any candidate interested in the intricacies of the state budget or any other topic. He also holds open the possibility of endorsing a Democratic candidate before the primary.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Police in Pittsburgh are investigating the attempted robbery and shooting of two deaf men. The 24-year-old victims told police through a sign-language interpreter that they were on their way to an after-hours establishment in the city's Hill District when a gunman accosted them. Police Lt. Kevin Kraus says the victims fought back after the suspect forced them into an alley around 5 a.m. Sunday. Kraus says the gunman then shot one man in the leg and the other in the buttocks and back of the head. Kraus says the bullet did not penetrate the victim's skull. Kraus says the suspect ran away and did not steal anything from the men. Both victims are alert and conscious at the hospital. The victims' deafness caused initial complications in the investigation.

UNDATED (AP) - A tragic plane crash and a dramatic mine rescue. A shocking schoolhouse massacre and a breathtaking juvenile justice scandal. State headlines in the past 10 years have been frightening, uplifting and life changing. Pennsylvanians witnessed lost children found, a landmark evolution debate, and the ka-ching of slot machines throughout the commonwealth. The decade's biggest events grabbed the world's attention, too. United Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. A disturbed milk-truck driver shot 10 Amish girls, five fatally, in their schoolhouse in Nickel Mines. And rescuers worked frantically for 77 hours to free nine men trapped in the flooded Quecreek coal mine.

NEW YORK (AP) - Jon Gosselin's lawyer says someone slashed, stole and smashed furniture and other items in the reality star's New York City apartment while he spent Christmas with his children in Pennsylvania. Attorney Mark Jay Heller says Gosselin came home Saturday to find the destruction - and a note "speared" to his bedroom dresser with a butcher knife. Heller wouldn't disclose who signed the note or what it said. He says electronics, pots and dishes were stolen, a family-heirloom vase was shattered and Gosselin's clothes and furnishings were cut. Police are declining to comment. The 32-year-old Gosselin rose to fame on TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8" before splitting with wife Kate this year.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Update on the latest in business

WALL STREET Dow starts week with new highs for year

NEW YORK (AP) - The stock market ended last week's holiday-shortened session at new highs for the year. That followed upbeat reports on unemployment and durable goods orders. A weaker dollar also buoyed the market, lifting energy and materials stocks. Volume is likely to remain light this week, which will be shortened by the New Year's Day holiday.

WORLD MARKETS Asian stocks rise amid jump in Japan production

BANGKOK (AP) - Asian stock markets rose as a jump in Japan's factory production suggested the region's economic recovery is gathering pace. In Tokyo trade, the Nikkei 225 stock average was up 129.42 points, or 1.2 percent, to 10,624.13 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng advanced 166.28, or 0.8 percent, to 21,638.28. South Korea's Kospi was flat. China's Shanghai benchmark jumped 1.2 percent to 3,180.14 while Taiwan's market gained 1 percent and Thailand's SET index rose 0.4 percent. Markets in Australia and New Zealand remained closed. Stock futures augured modest gains Monday on Wall Street. Dow futures were up 17, or 0.2 percent, at 10,483 and S&P futures added 1.4, or 0.1 percent, to 1,123.40.

OIL PRICES Oil extends gains above $78 in Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Oil prices extended gains above $78 a barrel in Asia ahead of inventory figures later in the week that could send it through the $80 mark. Benchmark crude for February delivery rose 48 cents to $78.53 at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Trading was thin due to the holiday season. The contract rose $1.38 to settle at $78.05 on Thursday, the first time in more than a month that it closed above $78. Oil markets were closed on Friday for Christmas. Inventory figures from the Energy Information Administration later this week will determine if oil prices can end the year above $80 a barrel. That's according to Clarence Chu, a trader with Hudson Capital Energy in Singapore. Last week the government reported a crude stocks drawdown of five million barrels and if inventories continue to decline - suggesting improved demand - it will be a boost to crude prices.

WEEK AHEAD Economic reports out this week

UNDATED (AP) - There are just a few economic reports due out on this last week of the year. This afternoon, the Federal Reserve releases its regular weekly report on interest rates. And on Tuesday, the Conference Board issues its survey on consumer confidence. On New Year's Eve, the Labor Department releases its weekly report on initial claims for unemployment insurance. And Freddie Mac issues its Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week.

HOLIDAY SALES Shoppers spend a little more during holiday season

NEW YORK (AP) - Data suggests holiday shoppers spent a little more this season, giving merchants some reason for cheer. The spending bounce means retailers managed to avoid a repeat of last year's disaster even amid tight credit and double-digit unemployment. Profits should be healthier, too, because stores had a year to plan their inventories to match consumer demand and never needed to resort to fire-sale clearances. Figures from MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse show retail sales rose 3.6 percent from Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, compared with a 3.2 percent drop in the year-ago period. Adjusting for an extra shopping day between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the number was closer to a 1 percent gain. Online sales were a particular hot spot, fueled by a big increase the weekend before Christmas. They rose 15.5 percent on the season, though they make up less than 10 percent of all retail sales. One worrisome sign: Merchants are facing big hurdles to lure shoppers back in January amid lean inventories and what appear to be weak gift card sales.

NEW TOWERS-VEGAS More Vegas hotel rooms for "upscale" customers

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Two more casino resorts are preparing to open new hotel towers, less than two weeks after the debut of the 4,000-room Aria casino-hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The 1,201-room PH Towers at the Planet Hollywood Resort, and the 374-room HRH Tower at the Hard Rock Hotel are set to open today (Monday). Executives at the two properties say they're aiming to please high-end guests. Planet Hollywood Resort President Bill Feather says rooms in the 52-story PH tower on the Las Vegas Strip are for the "upscale customer who wants to enjoy an all-suite product."

WHOLE FOODS-CEO Whole Foods CEO gives up chairmanship

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The chief executive of organic supermarket chain Whole Foods Market Inc. will remain on its board even though he is surrendering his title as chairman. This follows years of petitioning by an activist shareholder who has sought to separate the two roles. Co-founder and CEO John Mackey is voluntarily giving up his chairmanship, a position he's held since the Austin, Texas, company went into business in 1978. So says a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Whole Foods said that lead director John Elstrott will become chairman. His current position will be discontinued.

RAILROAD LETTER Surface Transportation head asked to rule on rail line

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) - Three members of Oregon's congressional delegation have sent a letter to the new chairman of the federal Surface Transportation Board, asking him to quickly decide on whether to allow a railroad company to operate a 218-mile commercial rail line between Oregon and California. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Rep. Peter DeFazio sent the letter to Daniel Elliott, asking him to bring the matter to a vote. The line between Dillard, Ore., and Black Butte, Calif. would be operated by Yreka Western Railroad Co. Two years ago, Roseburg-based Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad curtailed southbound service between Ashland and Weed, Calif., and sliced northbound service from five or six days a week to two.

ECONOMY-'NEW ABNORMAL' Economist says don't expect a lot out of economy the next decade

WASHINGTON (AP) - A well-known economist says people may have to ratchet down their economic expectations for awhile, maybe for the next 10 years. David Levy, chairman of the Jerome Levy Forecasting Center, says the country faces a new era of chronically high unemployment, a jobless rate possibly averaging 8 percent or more over the next decade. He calls it the "New Abnormal." Levy thinks the New Abnormal also means that average pay will dwindle, along with consumer prices. He warns that such a scenario would make it harder for households to pay down debt.

BOX OFFICE Merry Christmas in Hollywood: Box-office record falls

NEW YORK (AP) - It was a memorable and merry Christmas in Hollywood as moviegoers shattered box-office records, responding in droves to a diverse array of high-profile releases over the holiday weekend. The estimated $278 million in weekend box-office revenue broke the previous record of roughly $253 million set in July 2008, the weekend "The Dark Knight" was released. A diverse group of films drew throngs to the multiplexes: James Cameron's "Avatar" pushed strongly into its second week while "Sherlock Holmes," "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" and "It's Complicated" all opened. "Avatar," the 3-D epic, topped them all, earning $75 million for 20th Century Fox, according to studio estimates. In second was "Sherlock Holmes," Guy Ritchie's reboot of the franchise with Robert Downey Jr. starring as Arthur Conan Doyle's detective. The Warner Bros. film opened with a weekend total of $65.4 million. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," came in third taking in $50.2 million this weekend. Coming in at No.4 was Nancy Meyer's "It's Complicated," the romantic comedy starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. The Universal film took in $22.1 million. "Up in the Air," in the No. 5 position took in $11.8 million.

EMIRATES-NUCLEAR UAE signs $20 billion nuclear deal with S. Korea

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The United Arab Emirates has awarded a South Korean consortium a prized $20 billion deal to build nuclear reactors as the oil-rich Persian Gulf nation races to meet its booming energy needs. Korea Electric Power Corp.'s winning bid beat out rival offers from more seasoned atomic power producers in France, Japan and the United States. The deal marks the first time South Korea will export a nuclear power plant. Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. valued the deal for four 1,400-megawatt reactors at about $20 billion -- considerably less than some earlier estimates suggested. The Korean consortium includes Samsung, Hyundai and Doosan Heavy Industries. Japan's Toshiba Corp. and its Westinghouse subsidiary will also play a role.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Pennsylvania Lottery numbers

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

Daily Number 1-1-6

Big 4 9-2-9-0

Quinto 0-3-3-5-4

Cash 5 4-14-35-41-42

MIDDAY

Daily Number 1-9-4

Big 4 8-7-4-7

Quinto 4-3-5-5-9

Treasure Hunt 2-8-21-28-30

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Holiday Shopping

NEW YORK (AP) - Merchants may have some reason to celebrate. New numbers indicate that holiday shoppers spent a little more this season. It would mean that retailers managed to avoid a repeat of last year's disaster, even though credit is tight and unemployment is in double-digits. According to MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse, which tracks all forms of payment -- including cash -- retail sales rose by 3.6 percent from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve. When adjusted for an extra shopping day between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the number was closer to a 1 percent gain. The higher spending should bring healthier profits, since stores had a year in which to plan their inventories to match consumer demand, and didn't have to resort to drastic price-cutting.

Airline Safety Review:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration is promising a sweeping review of aviation security after a Nigerian man allegedly attempted to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight as it made its descent to Detroit on Christmas Day. Investigators are now trying to piece together how Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and the deadly explosive material escaped detection. Law enforcement officials believe Abdulmutallab tried to ignite a two-part concoction of PETN and possibly a glycol-based liquid explosive, setting off popping, smoke and some fire but no deadly detonation. PETN is the primary ingredient in detonating cords used for industrial explosions. They say the suspect hid the material in a small bag below his torso. Experts say airport "puffer" machines that blow air on a passenger to collect and analyze residues would probably have detected the powder, as would bomb-sniffing dogs or a hands-on search using a swab.

BOX OFFICE: TALLY BREAKS RECORD

NEW YORK (AP) - It was a merry Christmas, indeed at the multiplex. The Christmas weekend busted box office records - taking in $278 million. That shatters the previous mark of about $253 million set in July, 2008 - when "The Dark Knight" was released. Leading the way at the box office this past weekend was "Avatar" - which took in $75 million. followed by "Sherlock Holmes," "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," "It's Complicated" and "Up In The Air."