Penn Township crash claims life of Shamokin Dam man

Shamokin home uninhabitable after fire

SHAMOKIN – Three residents of 690 Bear Valley Avenue in Shamokin were rendered homeless Saturday after an accidental fire that did extensive damage to their home.  Two escaped without injury, while the third was reportedly not at home at the time of the blaze, called in at 7:50 a.m. Saturday. . Flames and heavy smoke were seen coming from the basement as fire crews from Shamokin, Coal Township and Overlook arrived. 

Geisinger program encourages life-saving bone marrow donations

DANVILLE – June 24^th, 2009 will remain a red-letter date for 59-year-old Thomas Wisniewski of McAdoo.  That was the day he received the bone marrow transplant that likely saved his life.  The one-time salesman had previously been diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome, or what some call “pre-leukemia.”  But treatment stopped working, and he qualified for the transplant program at Geisinger Medical Center. 

A bone marrow donor was then sought to help Wisniewski combat what had turned into an acute form of the disease.  His younger sister Gloria proved to be best match, and gladly served as donor.  Wisniewski’s body accepted the cells, but a long recovery process followed.  It included constant trips to a clinic and occasional bouts with dehydration. 

Roundtable looks at the hard work of the regional chamber of commerce

SUNBURY – 2010 could be a big year for the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce as the chamber is launching several initiatives to help bolster the local economy. One of the promotions you’ll hear more about in 2010 is the ‘buy local’ effort that started last month with the chambers ‘don’t ship…shop.’

Charlie Ross, the new CEO of the chamber wants local folks to consider supporting local folks. He said the ‘buy local’ effort seems simplistic but it has a major impact with local dollars supporting local merchants six-times over.

Ross is on our Roundtable program this weekend talking about the new programs and the good old programs that are part of the chamber. The Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce will have bi-monthly discussions on Roundtable this year.

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.

Snyder County Commissioner Bud Bickhart resigns

MIDDLEBURG – Snyder County Democratic Minority Commissioner Richard ‘Bud’ Bickhart has announced his resignation.  At 65-year-old, Bickhart says he feels it’s time to relax, spend time with family and maybe play some golf.  Bickhart informed his fellow commissioners of his decision Friday, and says they were surprised by the announcement. 

Bickhart says he is proud of the accomplishments made over the six years that he has been a commissioner, including the renovation of the CareerLink building and updating of the 911 center, which Bickhart says is now one of the best in the state.

The Snyder County Democratic Party will make recommendations to both Judge Harold Woelfel and Judge Mike Sholley for someone who could take Bickhart’s place, then those interested will be asked to send in resumes.  The final decision will be made by the judges, but can’t be done until Bickhart’s last day, which is January 29^th. (Sara Bartlett)   

Fatal accident in Columbia County

SCOTT TOWNSHIP – A Bloomsburg man was killed following a crash Friday morning in Scott Township, Columbia County.  52-year-old Arthur Beck Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on Route 487.  Beck was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 55-year-old Bonnie Waters of Bloomsburg.  Waters hit a vehicle driven by Colin Meck of Lancaster County.  Meck and passenger Sarah Snyder, also of Lancaster County, sustained moderate injuries, as did Waters.  The three were taken to Geisinger Medical Center after the 12:30a.m. crash.  The investigation into the accident continues. (Ali Stevens)

Missing man found

SUNBURY – The Sunbury man reported missing has been found safe.  Police say 55-year-old James Campbell was found Friday afternoon around 2:00 in a barn.  He was reported missing Thursday afternoon.  Campbell was transported to Sunbury Community Hospital for a routine evaluation.   

Local lawmaker not happy at all about the legalization of table games

SUNBURY – Governor Ed Rendell's signature is on the new law legalizing table games at Pennsylvania's slots casinos. The governor signed the bill in private Thursday, saying he had mixed feelings about it.  However State Representative Merle Phillips (R-108^th, Sunbury) is strongly against the law, not only because he is personally against gambling.  He says the bill put back in a lot of pet projects for different legislators and he says that’s absolutely wrong. 

Phillips says he always felt that if table games should be passed, it should be for property tax relief, but the money generated will go into the general fund instead.  He had a number of other problems with the bill including ATM machines being allowed in the casinos, even though they are away from the table games.  Phillips says he was afraid the day would come when table games were passed due to the change of the legislature.

The new law is designed to generate millions in license fees to close a gap in the current year's budget, and produce revenues for state and local governments in future years. Table games include poker, blackjack and roulette. Regulators say it'll be at least six months before table games are up and running. (Ali Stevens)

Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate gives tips on electric choice

SUNBURY – Electric choice is confusing to many and that’s why the Consumer Advocate of Pennsylvania is working hard for consumers to help them through the process.  Sonny Popowsky has been Consumer Advocate since 1990 and says when shopping for a service provider, look at the price for 2010 and focus on just this year.  Also, make sure you understand how long the price is good for and how long the contract is for if you choose them.  Make sure you know if there is a cancellation fee if you choose another provider later on.  When it comes to PPL, Popowsky says they don’t care who you choose.  He says believe it or not, they are completely happy if you switch.  He says they don’t make money off of this part of their business anymore.  They just buy the power at wholesale and sell it to you at resale for the same price.

Popowsky says you can shop for electric service providers on PPL’s website and know the information is safe and accurate.  You can learn more about electric choice from Popowsky from WKOK’s On The Mark program on Friday online at www.wkok.com.  (Ali Stevens)

Lewisburg man behind bars in Northumberland County charged with burglary

MILTON – A Lewisburg man is locked up in the Northumberland County prison, charged with burglary at a restaurant early Thursday morning.  State police say 21-year-old Todd Jacob Smith kicked the front entrance door a restaurant on Route 405 in Turbot Township around 2:50 a.m., causing damage to the door.  The alarm was activated and police arrived on scene while Smith was still there.  Smith was arrested and arraigned before District Judge William Kear.  He was sent prison on $25,000 cash bail.  (Ali Stevens)

New Milton library to receive $500,000 in state funds

Higher rates not expected for Citizens’ Electric customers

LEWISBURG – Though many PPL Electric Utilities customers are considering shopping for cheaper electricity, customers of Lewisburg-based Citizens’ Electric will not be able to choose an electric provider for now. President and CEO Eric Winslow explains that rate caps which applied only to PPL customers until the start of the year discouraged other suppliers from offering alternatives to customers.

Winslow says the regulated rates were too low, and Citizens’ Electric service area was simply too small to justify marketing directly to it. However, wholesale electricity prices vary from month to month, and Winslow says customers in Lewisburg and surrounding townships will thus get a break in generation rates.

Contracts with suppliers now in effect are lower than in portions of 2008, when all energy prices were going through the roof. Rate caps on PPL electric service expired at the start of the year. Alternative suppliers began offering what they touted as money saving deals to PPL customers in the closing months of 2009. (Matt Farrand)

Selinsgrove man sentenced to state prison for stabbing a Danville man in the stomach

DANVILLE – A Selinsgrove man has been sentenced to five years in prison for the stabbing of a Danville man outside the Days Inn Hotel in Valley Township, Montour County. 26-year-old Raymond Vasquez Jr. was sentenced for the stabbing of 32-year-old Joshua Seidel on August 29th.

Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Warren tells us Vasquez told the court he was struggling with the recent shooting death of his cousin when he stabbed Seidel, who suffered a deep stab wound in the stomach.

His cousin, 19-year-old Anthony Rodriguez, was shot in the back and killed on May 11th. Three men have been sentenced for their roles in the shooting in Monroe Township, Snyder County. Vasquez has been sentenced to state prison and his sentence will begin immediately. (Ali Stevens)

Home Improvement Show starts today

SELINSGROVE – Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation’s Home Improvement Show starts today at the Susquehanna Valley Mall—and continues until Sunday. Nichols Mechanical Services is just one of over fifteen local companies that will set up displays.

Owner Jason Nichols says they will show off some of their newest and most energy efficient items. Nichols says now is as good of time as any to browse and buy new systems if yours is old or inefficient. Nichols is also giving away a home heating system; everyone is welcome to register at the show, and the winner will be announced on our sister station 94KX Monday.

Others at the show include Brookside Homes, Culligan Water Conditioning and Kuhn’s Brothers Surplus Outlet. The Home Improvement Show is tomorrow through Sunday during mall hours at the Susquehanna Valley Mall. For more information go online to www.wkok.com. (Sara Bartlett)

Tourism funds help local organizations

LEWISBURG – Organizations in Snyder, Union and Northumberland Counties will get a boost thanks to recent tourism fund grants. In Snyder County over $36,140 in funding was given to five organizations, including $10,000 to Selinsgrove Projects Inc., $9,200 to T&D Cats of the World and over $7,000 to the Beaver Community Fair Association.

In Union County, fourteen organizations will benefit from over $65,000 in funding. This includes $10,000 to the Veteran’s 4th of July Committee, over $8,000 to the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and $7,000 to both the River Town Race Series and the Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority.

In Northumberland County, over $8,000 will held fund programs for five organizations, including $2,500 for the Warrior Run Fort Freeland Heritage Society and $1,100 for Friends of the Joseph Priestley House.

The grant dollars are the result of a partnership between the three county’s commissioners and the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau. They come from a portion of room tax dollars collected in each county and visitors staying overnight and paying hotel room tax generate the funds.

Latest Pennsylvania news, lottery, business and entertainment

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - The first company given a permit in an eastern Pennsylvania county to drill for natural gas on the potentially lucrative Marcellus Shale formation has been ordered to cease operations.  Greenfield Township in Lackawanna County says Exco Resources Inc. violated a local zoning ordinance. State regulators last summer gave the company a permit to drill near the Skyline Public Golf Course, which is zoned for commercial recreation.  Township supervisor Joseph Slebodnik says gas drilling is not allowed in that area. Exco has 30 days to appeal the violation notice to the township's zoning hearing board.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Four of the five Democratic candidates for governor made their pitches Saturday during the kickoff of the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. The candidates refrained from criticizing each other at a luncheon sponsored by the Penn Ag Democrats and sounded more like friends than competitors.  Jack Wagner, the state auditor general who has criticized Gov. Ed Rendell's administration, said he would lead the way in reforming state government.  Allegheny County Executive Don Onorato and Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty touted their efforts to turn around local communities and vowed to create new jobs statewide.  Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel said he would tax the extraction of natural gas to raise money for agriculture and social programs.  Philadelphia businessman Tom Knox, who's also seeking the Democratic nomination, stayed home sick.

UNDATED (AP) - It's one of the bleak realities of the economic recovery: Even as more employers are starting to hire, the new jobs typically pay less than the ones that were lost.  And people hired at lower wages in a tight job market tend to lag behind their peers for years, sometimes decades.  That means a few short months of unemployment could haunt workers such as 34-year-old Jessica Moore for years.  Moore had been employed since graduating from Penn State University more than 12 years ago. But in March, she was laid off from her job as managing editor for digital media at the nonprofit Sesame Workshop in New York, which produces "Sesame Street."  In April, Moore got an interview for a job opening as editor and publisher of the nonprofit Teen Voices magazine in Boston. The job paid 25 percent less than her previous position. And the company was a fraction the size of Sesame Workshop. Still, she leapt at the offer.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – U.S. Senator Arlen Specter says he'd back legislation to make witness intimidation a federal offense in state cases.  Specter held a hearing on Friday in Philadelphia to search for answers to what he says is a big problem in many city neighborhoods: witness intimidation.  Philadelphia police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said that many good citizens live in neighborhoods where criminals are effectively enforcing a "don't snitch" mentality.  Two people testified at the hearing whose children were killed before they could testify in criminal cases.

GLENMOORE, Pa. (AP) - U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach says he'll seek re-election to Congress, now that he's dropped out of the Republican race for governor.  Gerlach, who represents a suburban Philadelphia district, said Friday his position on the ballot may have changed, but not his goals of holding down taxes and giving businesses more freedom to operate.  The four-term congressman abandoned his gubernatorial campaign Thursday, saying the cost of a statewide campaign is prohibitive.  His withdrawal leaves only state Attorney General Tom Corbett, who is widely regarded as the front-runner, and state Rep. Sam Rohrer, in the race to be decided in the May 18 primary.

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

Updates on the latest in business:

China overtakes Germany as biggest exporter

BEIJING (AP) - China has overtaken Germany as the world's biggest exporter after December exports rose 17.7 percent despite weak global demand.  Chinese state media said Sunday the country's total 2009 exports were $1.2 trillion.  That was just above the 816 billion euros ($1.17 trillion) in exports forecast last month by Germany's national foreign trade association for 2009. Germany's national chamber of commerce said earlier it was likely to lose its position as top exporter.  Chinese exports rose in December for the first time in 13 months, the official Xinhua News Agency and state television reported, citing customs data. 

Senate health bill: Mixed mark on reining in costs

WASHINGTON (AP) - Government economic experts give the Senate's health care bill a mixed grade on controlling runaway health costs.  Medicare number crunchers report that the Senate bill would raise total health care spending slightly as it provides coverage to an additional 34 million Americans.  But over time, cost-cutting measures in the legislation could start to reduce the annual increases in health care spending, offering the possibility of substantial savings in the long run. But, according to the report, that's if lawmakers refuse to roll back Medicare cuts.  The White House says Saturday's report is a good sign for the Senate.  GOP critics, however, aren't likely to be swayed.

Canadian police release man arrested in bomb probe

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - The lawyer for an anti-energy industry activist arrested in connection with the investigation into a series of pipeline bombings in northeastern British Columbia says his client has been released from custody.  Wiebo Ludwig's lawyer Paul Moreau said Saturday that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have not given any reasons for why they released Ludwig after arresting him Friday.  Moreau indicated at the time of the arrest that his client was being investigated on charges of extorting pipeline company, EnCana, the target of six oil and gas pipeline bombings that have taken place since October 2008.  Moreau says no charges are pending and he wonders what made police change their minds in the last 24 hours.  No one was injured in the bombings of the EnCana pipelines in British Columbia.

 PA Lottery:

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

Daily Number

     6-1-3

Big 4

     5-1-3-0

Quinto

     9-3-6-6-8

Cash 5

     18-23-28-32-40

Midday Big 4

     7-8-7-8

Midday Number

     1-8-8

Midday Quinto

     2-3-4-1-7

Treasure Hunt

     05-09-18-19-28

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

CBS chief: Prime-time Leno great for us

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - Jay Leno's show on NBC has been bringing in the ad dollars -- for CBS.  So says CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler who claims her network took in more advertising revenue for its 10 p.m. dramas because NBC decided to put Leno's low-rated comedy show on at that hour.  NBC is considering moving Leno back to late-night TV because its affiliates are upset that the show is hurting late local news programs.  Tassler also says the "creative community was to some degree somewhat bruised by" the Leno move.   Hollywood actors, writers and producers had been upset about Leno's show from the beginning, seeing it as taking away from prime-time hours usually filled by scripted shows.  Tassler says NBC seems to keep coming up with new prime-time strategies to boost ratings when "there's no substitute for just developing and producing and launching great shows."

Mexico transfers inmates for reported Gibson film