Monday, January 11, 2010
Penn Township crash claims life of Shamokin Dam man
SELINSGROVE – It was a Shamokin Dam man who died in a one-vehicle crash early Sunday. State police say 19-year-old Tyler Bingaman apparently lost control of his vehicle along Route 204 between Mill Road and Hill End Road in Snyder County’s Penn Township. The car left the road, struck a tree and came to rest on its roof. Snyder County Coroner Bruce Hummel pronounced Bingaman dead at the scene of the 2:55 a.m. crash. (Matt Farrand)
Woman seriously injured in a house fire remains in critical condition
SELINSGROVE – A woman injured in a Penn Township house fire last week remains hospitalized in critical condition. Jennifer Beaver was taken to the Lehigh Valley Burn Unit in Allentown after fire destroyed her home at 949 Beaver Road on Thursday morning.
Beaver injured her back when she had to leap from a second story window to escape the flames and also was treated for burns to her hands and back. Also injured in the fire was Christopher Beaver, who was taken to Geisinger Medical Center, where he was treated for smoke inhalation and then released.
State police fire marshal Norman Fedder ruled the fire as undetermined in origin. Damage is estimated at $215,000. The home is a complete loss. About 60 firefighters worked for two hours to bring that blaze under control. (Ali Stevens)
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.
The News-Item reports 30-year-old Chastity Lahr and 25-year-old Noelle Fabrizio were alerted by smoke detectors and escaped without injury. 32-year-old Shannon Long, who also lived there but was not at home at the time, owned the building. No damage estimate was immediately available, but Long is said to be insured for the loss. The Red Cross assisted at the scene and all are staying with relatives. (Matt Farrand)
Roundtable looked 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 was 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 the interview at www.wkok.com.
Geisinger program encourages life-saving bone marrow donations
DANVILLE – June 24th, 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.
Wisniewski says he still needs to be cautious as he faces challenges unique to transplant recipients, including the loss of immunity from polio, mumps, and other diseases he’d previously been vaccinated against. He says he avoids crowds, but is easily able to do tasks such as family food shopping. (Matt Farrand)
Back and forth in county porn allegation continues
SUNBURY – The back and forth between Northumberland County Commissioners and Northumberland County Sheriff’s Department employees regarding allegations that the employees looked at pornography material on work computers continues.
Friday, the Commissioners sent a letter addressed to Sheriff Chad Reiner asking him to “address the personnel issues and work directly with the commissioners to a final resolution.” The commissioners also ask that he make a “sincere and public apology to the men and women in the maintenance department” of the county.
Reiner had previously not denied the activity on the computer, but said it could have been the cleaning staff that logged on to look at the pornographic material. In the stern letter, the commissioners go on to say that “failing to ignore the matter and hoping it goes away is not an acceptable position to take as an elected officials, and that voters can be very unforgiving of their perception of dishonesty.”
A statement released by Attorney Gregory Stuck, who is representing members of the Sheriff’s Department, says that nine of the ten staff members named in a defamation action against Commissioner Vinny Clausi will work to come to an “amicable resolution, which would benefit the taxpayers by avoiding a lawsuit.”
It goes on to say that if “Mr. Clausi will issue an apology, the Sheriff’s staff will discontinue the action and not disclose the content of their complaint.” Commissioner Vinny Clausi had previously said that he will defend his remarks in court if need be. Calls to Sheriff Reiner have not been returned.
Latest Pennsylvania news, lottery, business and entertainment
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Candidates for Pennsylvania governor this year enjoy a wealth of big themes to explore. But no topic touches the lives of more residents than public education. So far the candidates have tended to address the issue with generalities. But the time to flesh out their ideas is rapidly approaching as the campaign begins to heat up. Education spending consumes more than a third of Pennsylvania's general-fund state budget, with state taxes covering $9.8 billion a year of what it takes to teach 1.8 million students from pre-kindergarten through high school. Pennsylvania's 500 school districts spend $24.3 billion annually, with a staggering 3,240 public schools that employ about 126,000 teachers. The candidates might start by outlining what they would do about failing schools, incompetent teachers, district-by-district funding disparities, college affordability and dropout rates.
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.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
Update on the latest in business
Stocks up last week NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street managed to chalk up gains last week, even as it ended with a jobs report that was less than hoped-for. For the week, the Dow rose 1.8 percent. The S&P added 2.7 percent and the Nasdaq surged 2.1 percent. In Friday trading, the Dow gained just 11 points to 10,618. The S&P was up 3 to 1,145 and the Nasdaq jumped 17 to 2,317. Before the opening bell, the Labor Department said employers cut payrolls by 85,000 jobs.
WORLD MARKETS Asian stocks rise HONG KONG (AP) — A surprisingly strong rebound in China's exports last month offset a dismal U.S. jobs report to push Asian stock markets ahead today. Hong Kong and Shanghai markets led the region after the government announced exports jumped nearly 18 percent in December after 13 months of declines, buoying confidence in Asia's prospects as Western economies struggle. Expectations of greater Chinese demand helped lift commodities. Oil prices neared $84 a barrel while gold topped $1,150 an ounce. The dollar, meanwhile, weakened against the yen and the euro as investors bet the U.S. government would stick to its looser monetary policies after a bleak employment report Friday showed the world's largest economy shed far more jobs in December than analysts expected. The unemployment rate held at 10 percent. Japan's stock market was closed for a holiday.
OIL PRICES Crude rises SINGAPORE (AP) — Oil prices jumped above $83 a barrel Monday in Asia amid signs of strong Chinese demand for crude and rebel attacks on Nigerian supplies. China said Sunday that oil imports rose 14 percent last year to a record high in December, part of a 56 percent surge in overall imports last month. The better than expected Chinese figures helped investors brush off Friday's disappointing U.S. jobless report, which showed the economy lost 85,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate was steady at 10 percent. Crude prices have spiked 20 percent in the last month as a rash of cold winter weather in parts of the U.S., Europe and Asia boosted demand for oil products such as heating oil.
ECONOMY-WEEK AHEAD Reports due on deficits, retail sales WASHINGTON (AP) — Investors will be treated this week to reports on retail sales, as well as trade and budget deficits. The government tomorrow releases a reading on the November trade balance, followed by Wednesday's release on the December federal deficit. The Commerce Department releases December retail sales on Thursday. Other releases this week include the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, and the Consumer Price Index.
CHINA-TRADE 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 $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. The Xinhua News Agency and state television, citing customs data, say Chinese exports rose in December for the first time in 13 months.
CHINA-CADMIUM JEWELRY Toxic metal in kids' jewelry from China LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chinese manufacturers have been banned from using lead in children's jewelry, so some have started switching to an even more dangerous toxin. An Associated Press investigation finds the heavy metal cadmium in charm bracelets, shiny pendants and movie tie-in products being sold throughout the United States. Lab tests show one tainted trinket had as much as 91 percent cadmium by weight. The jewelry items were purchased New York, Ohio, Texas and California. The tests show that some pieces easily shed the heavy metal, raising additional concerns about the levels of exposure to children. Cadmium is a known carcinogen. Like lead, it can hinder brain development in the very young. A Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman says the agency is looking into the study.
QATAR-ALTERNATIVE FUELS Qatar Airways, other firms seeking green jet fuel DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar Airways and other state companies in the tiny energy-rich Gulf nation say they are targeting the development of alternative jet fuel. The airline said Sunday it will work with Qatar Petroleum, the Qatar Science & Technology Park and plane maker Airbus to study biofuel strategies with the aim of producing "sustainable bio jet fuel" that could initially be used by the national airline. The companies did not provide a timeframe or details of their financial commitment to the project. Qatar Airways announced in October it had operated the world's first commercial flight using fuel made from natural gas. Qatar is one of the world's biggest exporters of the fossil fuel.
JAPAN AIRLINES Reports: Troubled JAL to cut workforce by one-third, decline offers from Delta TOKYO (AP) — Japan Airlines is reportedly set to cut about 15,600 jobs -- a third of its work force -- and reject billion-dollar cash offers from Delta and American Airlines. The airline is expected to file for bankruptcy and embark on a government-led turnaround. Kyodo News says JAL would make the job cuts during the three fiscal years through March 2013, under a rehabilitation plan now being hammered out by a state-backed corporate turnaround body. The plan would include a fresh investment of $3.3 billion by the body and wipe much of its soaring debts under bankruptcy protection. The Asahi newspaper reports that JAL's shares, which have plunged in recent weeks, are to be delisted the media reports also say the state-backed Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp. of Japan will decline cash offers from Delta and American Airlines. The agency apparently fears giving foreign carriers a stake in the company would complicate the restructuring. Instead, the airline will reportedly pursue only greater cooperation with either Delta or American. A Japanese business daily says the turnaround body will pick one of the U.S. carriers as JAL's partner after February.
AUTO SHOW-GM Lutz: GM should be 'solidly profitable' down road DETROIT (AP) — A top executive for General Motors Co. says the automaker should be "solidly profitable" when demand for new cars and trucks rebounds to normal levels. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz told the Society of Automotive Analysts on Sunday that the company has made strides only months after it restructured through more than $50 billion in federal aid and a government-led bankruptcy. His prediction follows statements last week by chairman and interim CEO Ed Whitacre Jr. Whitacre said GM could be profitable this year. Lutz also says GM is at least two years from production of the Cadillac Converj, a luxury version of the Chevrolet Volt hybrid. The Volt is to be released later this year. Lutz spoke on the eve of the Detroit auto show.
NBC-VANCOUVER Sports chief says NBC expects to lose money on Olympics PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — NBC Universal says it expects to lose money on the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver. NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol says advertising sales for the games have picked up over the past few months. He said the loss is more due to the heavy rights fee NBC paid to show the games. NBC won the rights to broadcast the Vancouver Olympics and the 2012 Summer Games in London for $2.2 billion. The head of NBC's parent company, General Electric's Jeffrey Immelt, told investors recently that he expected NBC would lose millions of dollars on the games. NBC and its cable companies will begin showing the games Feb. 12.
BOX OFFICE 'Avatar' remains in orbit with $48.5M weekend LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Avatar" remains the top box-office draw for the fourth straight weekend with $48.5 million. The science-fiction epic has rocketed past $400 million to become the No. 1 domestic hit for 2009. James Cameron's tale of humans and aliens in conflict on a distant world climbed to $429 million domestically, putting it at No. 6 on the all-time box-office chart. Worldwide, "Avatar" has streaked to $1.34 billion, second on the global revenue chart only to Cameron's "Titanic," which took in $1.8 billion. Among new movies, Ethan Hawke's vampire thriller "Daybreakers" opened at No. 4 with $15 million, Amy Adams' romance "Leap Year" finished sixth with $9.2 million and Michael Cera's teen comedy "Youth in Revolt" was No. 9 with $7 million.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
Pennsylvania Lottery Numbers
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn on Sunday: Big 4 6-2-6-8
Cash 5 20-21-29-31-38
Daily Number 6-5-3
Evening Quinto 8-9-4-5-6
Midday Big 4 0-7-5-9
Midday Number 6-1-3
Midday Quinto 8-1-4-5-2
Treasure Hunt 01-18-22-26-28
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
White House seeks to 'regularize' relations with US Muslims
WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships says the Obama administration is working with American Muslims on more than just security issues. Joshua DuBois says the president wants to "regularize" relationships with Muslims and other non-Christian Americans so that "on education and the economy and so forth, they're at the table with everyone else." He says Obama believes in a pluralism that invites people of various faiths to work together without abandoning their unique beliefs and practices. DuBois spoke at yesterday's Sunday Forum at Washington National Cathedral.
McCain aide: Palin believed candidacy 'God's plan'
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former McCain campaign strategist says Sarah Palin believed that God intended for Sen. John McCain to choose her as his running mate. Steve Schmidt describes the Alaska governor as being "very calm" just before McCain put her on the 2008 Republican presidential ticket. Schmidt told CBS' "60 Minutes" he asked Palin about such serenity ahead of becoming "one of the most famous people in the world." He says she responded, "It's God's plan." Schmidt credits Palin with being a quick study and for giving a great speech at the Republican national convention. But he said it soon became clear that her remarks were often inaccurate. He conceded, however, that McCain's margin of defeat to Barack Obama would have been much worse if Palin hadn't been on the ticket.
No pants day on the subway
NEW YORK (AP) — No pants? No problem -- at least for a day on the New York City subway. Yesterday was the ninth annual No Pants Subway Ride. Hundreds of strap-hangers stripped down to their skivvies, for a bit of subterranean street theater. Many of the guys wore boxers, while the women had on bikini-style undies. The fully clothed riders seemed to take their fellow no-pants passengers in stride. But Dawn Young says the pantsless riders at the 96th street station looked chilly.
Cow power being researched
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — its cow power. That's the experiment at Western Kentucky University. A local newspaper (The Daily News) reports the school is trying to develop a cost-effective way to use cow manure to create electricity. The methane gas from the cow you-know-what will be used to power a generator. Researchers say the technology would also help to reduce the stink from manure piles. It's hoped cow power someday will be used by farmers to help cut the costs of electricity for everything from greenhouses to milking machines.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.