Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Credit troubles could extend to consumers
LEWISBURG – Faulty short-term strategies are partly why some financial houses are in the shape they are in. So says Associate Professor of Economics Michael Moohr of Bucknell University. Dr. Moohr says some institutions borrowed heavily, investing in bonds based on risky sub-prime mortgages. He calls it a near-sighted strategy, but says it is hard to resist, as the practice often yielded returns of up to 20%.
However, Dr. Moohr says it backfired as the economy slowed, and certain mortgage holders couldn’t keep up with their payments. He notes that troubles that led to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers ought to prompt further regulation of industry practices. Meantime, he says homeowners, students, farmers and retailers who buy on credit could have a hard time finding it for a time. (Matt Farrand)
No more metal roof over Sunbury’s Stroh Alley
SUNBURY – There’s no longer a roof above Stroh Alley between Market Street and Woodlawn Avenue in Sunbury. Mayor Jesse Woodring says the city saved thousands of dollars by having their own city crew take down the metal structure. Woodring says renovation will continue in the area, and the CVS building, Market House and Edison Plaza are all moving ahead with improvements. The city has intentions to reseal the parking area and install up-to-date meter machines that will allow anyone to park there.
Revitalization of the city and the River Front Project will be the topic of a public meeting next week, which we will preview on Leaders & Lawmakers this Thursday at 11:00a.m. (Sara Bartlett)
Man jailed after child pornography charges
MILTON – A member of the US Coast Guard and former volunteer at the Milton Fire Department faces a number of child pornography charges. 21-year-old Dreistadt is in prison on $25,000 bail. (Sara Bartlett)
Snyder County shooting still considered accidental
MIDDLEBURG – The investigation into a shooting in Snyder County continues. 39-year-old Kathleen Day, of Salem Church Road in Center Township, Snyder County, allegedly shot 22-year-old David Vazquez in the back Saturday morning. Police notified Vazquez’s family Monday. Initial reports call the shooting accidental, and it’s still not clear what, if any, charges will be filed against Day for the incident. (Staff)
Entertainment, food, crafts…all at Milton Harvest Festival
MILTON – After a successful weekend, the Milton Harvest Festival continues downtown this week. Chairman of the Harvest Festival committee, Dale Kriner, says they have musical entertainment in the upcoming days with music in the park Wednesday and a pops concert Thursday.
Saturday’s events begin at 9:00 a.m. with over 150 arts, crafts, antique and food vendors that line Broadway & Bound Avenue downtown. The annual parade begins at 4:30 p.m. and the tournament of high school bands is at 6:00 p.m. The festival ends Sunday with a car cruise and a block dance. All are invited to the events of the Milton Harvest Festival, which is now in its 32nd year. For more information you can go to www.miltonharvestfestival.org. (Sara Bartlett)
Breast health is the topic of “Talk With the Doc”
SELINSGROVE – October is breast cancer awareness month and Evangelical Community Hospital is hosting a “Talk with the Doc” seminar featuring two local doctors talking about breast health. Topics include breast cancer screen and treatment, along with follow-up care.
Public Relations Assistant at Evangelical Community Hospital, Liz Hendricks, says the featured doctors are John Turner, MD and Bradley Mudge, DO, of Central Susquehanna Surgical Specialists in Lewisburg. All are invited to the free “Talk With the Doc” event Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Susquehanna Valley Mall Community room. You can register by calling 522-2693. (Sara Bartlett)
I-80 crash backs up Montour County traffic
DANVILLE – Eastbound traffic on Interstate 80 was shut down for a time Tuesday morning after a tractor-trailer overturned in Montour County. State police say the trucker from New York lost control of his rig around 1:10 a.m. and the trailer overturned, blocking both eastbound lanes of the interstate. The highway was shut down at mile maker 217 and remained closed for several hours. One lane reopened around 5 a.m. and then both lanes reopened a couple hours later. Troopers say the trucker was not injured in the early morning crash. (Ali Stevens)
New traffic signals to be activated along Routes 11 and 15
SELINSGROVE – You get one more week on Routes 11 & 15 before some more delays will slow your commute. The new traffic signals at Monroe Marketplace along Routes 11 & 15 will soon be fully operational. The signals will be placed in flashing mode starting sometime today.
Full activation, meaning stop and go lighting, will start on next Tuesday, September 23rd. Motorists are advised to remain alert for the new signals at Nina Drive and Monroe Marketplace Boulevard along Routes 11 & 15 in Monroe Township, Snyder County. (Ali Stevens)
U.S. Supreme Court Justice welcomed to Susquehanna University
SELINSGROVE – The Arlin M. Adams Center for Law and Society on the campus of Susquehanna University was rededicated Monday evening in the honor of Arlin Adams and his wife Neysa Adams. The event also served as the opening of the Neysa C. Adams Pro Se Assistance and Mediation Clinic, which is operated by the Center for Law and Society.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Jr. was welcomed to the stage and gave a speech called Constitution Day Thoughts: The Contributions of Arlin and Neysa Adams. He called Arlin a unique individual and a “model jurist who took each case with an open mind,” and said his wife Neysa was a “model of public service, who is devoted her career to the community.”
Also speaking at the rededication was the couple’s daughter Dr. Judith Adams, who recalled her life growing up and meeting many distinguished leaders at a young age. Sunbury lawyer Sidney Apfelbaum also spoke of going to school with Arlin, and a videotape of Judge Leonard Garth was also presented. Director of the Center,
Allen Sobel, and University President Dr. L. Jay Lemons, then unveiled portraits of Arlin and Neysa Adams, which will hang in the Center for Law and Society. Arlin Adams spent 17 years on the bench of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Neysa Adams is involved in numerous community services, and was designated by Governor Ed Rendell as a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania. The Arlin M. Adams Center was established at Susquehanna University in 2001. (Sara Bartlett)
VA chooses Snyder County for Outreach Clinic site
CLARKS SUMMIT – The Veterans Administration is choosing Snyder County as the site for a new Outreach Clinic. Sites in Northumberland County were also considered, but apparently passed over. VA announced Monday the clinic will offer services to veterans from an existing building. The clinic will be able to offer basic medical services by the end of the year. The exact location of the VA clinic is not known. (Matt Farrand)
Local stocks follow market down
NEW YORK – Banking and financial stocks of local interest are down following news of the bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers brokerage and buyout of Merrill Lynch by the Bank of America. As expected, local banking stocks followed the market lower, in spite of some gains early in the day. Sovereign Bancorp is down more than 8.0% to $9.00 per share.
M&T Bank was up a fraction early in the day, but lost about 3.0% by the closing bell. Susquehanna Bancshares was down more than 2.2% to 18.29, and Fulton Financial fell to 12.11 after brief gains at the start of the day. Meantime, utility PPL Corp remains near a 52-week low at 38.21, Weis Markets dropped more than 3.0% to 35.34, Sara Lee is down more than 2.8% to 13.83, and Conagra was down a more than 1.3% to 18.76. (Matt Farrand)
Shooting victim’s name released
MIDDLEBURG -- The name of the man shot to death Saturday in Snyder County has been released. Selinsgrove State Police say 22-year-old David Vazquez, of Center Township, was reportedly shot in the back by a 39-year-old woman at 939 Salem Church Road. Police say his family was notified Monday.
Initial reports call the shooting accidental. Vazquez was allegedly shot around 9:35 a.m. Saturday with a large caliber handgun, then taken to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. The Montour County Coroner pronounced him dead around 2:15 PM.
Local foods showcased in Lewisburg Friday
LEWISBURG – Friday is the first Lewisburg Local Night Out, a chance to showcase locally grown food. The event kicks off in Hufnagle Park with the Susquehanna Valley Growers Market. Trish Carothers is the coordinator of the region’s Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign, and says buying locally grown foods helps keep the money in our area.
It also helps the environment because the food doesn’t have to travel far to get to its destination and is a benefit the local farmer and farmlands. Restaurants involved include the Brasserie Louis, Bull Run Inn, Cherry Alley Café, Elizabeth’s, Mya’s Café, Puirseil’s Irish Pub, Reba and Pancho’s, The Town Tavern and Zelda’s Café.
Lewisburg Local Night Out begins at 4:00p.m. in Hufnagle Park with the Central Susquehanna Valley Growers Market and a musically performance by Woody Wolfe. Restaurants will be serving food from 6:00p.m.-8:00p.m. Friday night. (Sara Bartlett)
Local Red Cross chapters seeking volunteers for Ike relief
LEWISBURG – More than 30 deaths and devastation across nine states are the legacy of Hurricane Ike. The most notable is around Houston and Galveston, Texas. Disaster Services Coordinator Anne Smith of the Union County Chapter of the American Red Cross says while the loss of life is less than expected, property damage in the aftermath of the storm is widespread.
Water and electric power is not available to many communities, making cleanup difficult for remaining homeowners. Smith notes first timers are welcome, as most of what needs to be done is simple, such as handing out supplies.
Smith hopes the Central Susquehanna region responds to Hurricane Ike with the same generosity seen following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Residents of Union County should call 524-0400, and others are encouraged to call their local Red Cross chapters to volunteer. (Matt Farrand)
Skunk let into a house this morning in Northumberland County
MOUNT CARMEL – A Mount Carmel woman thought she was petting a neighbor’s cat, but it turned out to be a skunk. Mount Carmel police were called to a home Monday after the skunk sprayed the woman and the animal ran into her home around 5a.m. Northumberland County Emergency Services says it took several hours to clear the animal from the house. (Ali Stevens)
Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - Democrat John Morganelli says he would create a cold case squad in the Pennsylvania attorney general's office if elected as the state's next top prosecutor. And the Northampton County district attorney says the first case he would assign to that unit would be the disappearance of Ray Gricar, the former Centre County prosecutor missing since April 2005. Morganelli says his opponent, incumbent Republican Tom Corbett, hasn't provided enough leadership to help solve the case. Corbett's spokesman Kevin Harley says local authorities have had ample resources available to them from the state. He says Morganelli is politicizing the Gricar case for partisan reasons.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state Senate is back in Harrisburg after a two-month break, with the state's cancer-stricken lieutenant governor presiding. Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll received a brief ovation from senators during the hour-long session, the chamber's first since she revealed in August that she has neuroendocrine cancer. In brief comments to reporters, Knoll said it feels good to be back, although her family and aides are saying little about her condition or prognosis. Also on the floor was Sen. Vincent Fumo, the Philadelphia Democrat who is facing a federal corruption trial. Fumo is not running for re-election and hadn't planned on returning to the Senate floor after July, but the start of his trial this week was postponed because of the presiding judge's illness.
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Johnny Cash's efforts to help a Pennsylvania minister build a hospital in Kenya will get a jump start when a live DVD of a benefit concert Cash performed is released next month. "Cash for Kenya: Live in Johnstown" was recorded at a show Sept. 17, 1991 that raised $15,000 for the Rev. Jack Shaw's project. Shaw was a spiritual adviser to Cash and is now an elder at the Greater Johnstown Christian Fellowship, about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh. Shaw says raising money and getting Kenyan approval has been slow but he hopes the hospital will be built on 10 acres in the African country by next year. The DVD goes on sale Oct. 21 with proceeds benefiting the hospital.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell's choice to head up the Pennsylvania State Police is a 30-year veteran of the force who's been acting commissioner since July. Rendell sent the nomination of Lt. Col. Frank Pawlowski to the Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday for its consideration. If confirmed, he will succeed Col. Jeffrey Miller, who recently retired and took a security director job with the National Football League. Pawlowski's career with the state police has included patrol and criminal investigation duties in southeastern Pennsylvania.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has ordered a hiring freeze and other spending cuts to save $200 million, saying the state is beginning to feel the effects of the weakening national economy. Rendell says he's also directing state agencies to end out-of-state travel and asking Cabinet secretaries to cut as much as 4.25 percent from their budgets. The Democratic governor says his order isn't intended to fill any gap in the current $28 billion state budget, but it's meant as a precautionary measure to ensure the state doesn't run up a deficit. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate rose to 5.4 percent in July, and revenue collections through August are 3.3 percent below projections.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania state employee union says it's fighting an outdoor smoking ban at the campuses of 14 state-owned universities and wants the system's administration to negotiate changes to the policy. The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees says it filed a demand to bargain with the State System of Higher Education. The union represents about 2,500 maintenance, dining hall, skilled labor and clerical workers. As of Tuesday, the system's faculty union hadn't decided yet whether to take any action. A new state law bans smoking in most indoor spaces, including educational facilities, but the university system's chancellor has decided to go a step further and prohibit outdoor smoking on campus. The new law took effect Thursday. University system administrators say it doesn't allow exceptions for unionized employees.
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - Police say a man trying to rob a woman in Williamsport shoved a sock in her mouth and used a Taser gun to try to subdue her. The victim, a student at Pennsylvania College of Technology, fought back. She bit the man hard enough to draw blood. The man then fled the scene of Tuesday morning's attack. No arrests were immediately made.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state Senate is back in Harrisburg after a two-month break, with the state's cancer-stricken lieutenant governor presiding. Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll received a brief ovation from senators during the hour-long session, the chamber's first since she revealed in August that she has neuroendocrine cancer. In brief comments to reporters, Knoll said it feels good to be back, although her family and aides are saying little about her condition or prognosis. Also on the floor was Sen. Vincent Fumo, the Philadelphia Democrat who is facing a federal corruption trial. Fumo is not running for re-election and hadn't planned on returning to the Senate floor after July, but the start of his trial this week was postponed because of the presiding judge's illness.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Tuesday in the midday Pennsylvania State Lottery drawing:
Daily Number 5-4-2
Big 4 3-0-7-8
Quinto 6-4-9-7-7
Treasure Hunt 4-5-12-17-23
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)