Friday, March 14, 2008

Escrow checks OK in Northumberland tax office

NORTHUMBERLAND – Third party tax payments are acceptable in Northumberland Borough, if the taxpayer brings them in.  Tax collector James Snyder says checks from escrow accounts have always been OK if delivered that way.  Snyder is currently collecting borough taxes, but drew the attention of state legislators last year when refusing for a time to accept checks sent directly from escrow companies for Shikellamy District school taxes. 

Snyder reportedly claimed agents would send in multiple checks, with varying amounts, for mixes of properties, complicating the collection process.  (Matt Farrand)

ESPN, NCAA sportsmanship expert speaks at SU

SELINSGROVE – The author of a manual for parents, coaches and young athletes says he sees outrageous excesses in youth sports. Dan Doyle is the author of the Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting, and was a featured speaker Thursday night at Susquehanna University.

The author and ESPN commentator encourages parents and coaches to find middle ground to agree on. He calls it the balance between deficiency and excess, as recommended by Aristotle. Likewise, Doyle says student-athletes also have lessons to learn, as he demonstrated in a series of leadership exercises with SU students.

Doyle says feedback he collected about parental misbehavior over a ten-year period inspired him to write the 36-chapter volume. He is a former basketball coach, also serves as a consultant to the NCAA and is founder of the Institute for International Sports. (Matt Farrand)

Commodities bought as hedge against weak dollar

LEWISBURG – Energy department figures for last week say inventories of crude oil are up, and gasoline inventories are at a 15-year high. Then, why are prices at record levels at your neighborhood gasoline station?

Bucknell University Economics Professor Michael Moohr says part of it is a US dollar that doesn’t buy what it once did. It’s made more complicated by global markets that only accept dollars as payment for petroleum.

Many commodities are being bought as a hedge against a weak dollar, as gold prices topped $1,000 an ounce for the first time ever Thursday, and prices for farm products such as corn are at or near records. Meantime, April crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed again at a record high of more than 110 dollars per barrel. Professor Moohr says high demand is also partially at fault, especially from India and China. (Matt Farrand)

Odor sends students outside their school

SHAMOKIN – About 1,000 elementary students were evacuated Wednesday in Shamokin due to a foul odor. The Shamokin Area School District reports the odor came from the west side of the elementary school around 7:30 Wednesday morning near the cafeteria.

Students were taken to the gymnasium in the Middle-High School, which is right next to the elementary school, and remained there for about two hours. The school was ventilated and an unused pulper line was identified as the cause of the odor. No students were reported to be sick following the discharge of the line. (Ali Stevens)

Lady Bison to play in the NCAA tournament

LEWISBURG – The lady Bison have a few days off after winning the Patriot League Tournament Wednesday and clinching their spot in the NCAA tournament. Ryan Unger is the broadcast voice of the women’s basketball team and says it was a six-hour bus trip home from Worcester Massachusetts Tuesday morning, after the Bison beat top-seeded Holy Cross.

He says the entire team is thrilled to be playing in the “Big Dance.” Who will the Bison be facing off against in the first round of the NCAA Tournament? They will most likely have to play against Connecticut or Tennessee, with the Bison taking the last seed at 16.

Unger is also looking forward to being the voice of the game, saying many broadcasters before him didn’t get the opportunity and he is honored to be a part of it and looks forward to traveling to one of the top seeded schools for the broadcast. (Ali Stevens)

PIAA Swimming and Diving Championship draws thousands

LEWISBURG – Over 5,000 people are expected to pack the Central Susquehanna Valley during the five day PIAA swimming and diving championship at Bucknell University. Athletes from 205 high schools from all over the state will compete.

Executive Director of the Susquehanna Valley Visitors’ Bureau, Andrew Miller, says they, along with the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and the PIAA have worked with hotels and restaurants to get ready for the rush of people.

Aquatics Director at Bucknell, Pam Armold, says the event not only highlights the region, but also the University, and is a showcase for Bucknell’s natatorium facilities. Before coming to Lewisburg, the event was held in State College.

Bucknell will also host the championship in 2009, and plans to put in a bid to host the event in years to come. This year’s championship will continue until Saturday. For information, schedules and results go online to www.piaa.org. (Sara Bartlett)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

MONTROSE, Pa. (AP) - A man convicted of killing a close friend more than three decades ago due to a love triangle faces an automatic life term when he is sentenced today (Friday). A jury deliberated only two hours yesterday (Thursday) before convicting Dr. Stephen Scher of first-degree murder in the 1976 death of 30-year-old Martin Dillon. Prosecutors say the now-67-year-old Scher wanted to marry Dillon's wife. Scher argued that Dillon confronted him about his affair and was killed accidentally as the pair struggled over a shotgun. Scher showed no reaction as the verdict was read. He was also convicted of first-degree murder in 1997, but an appeals court ordered a new trial in 2004. Dillon's sister, Joann Reimel, says relatives are grateful to the jury. She says she hopes that this time, in her words, "they throw away the key."

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Police have accused the former treasurer of a 261-congregation Lutheran church synod of stealing more than $1 million dollars from the institution. Barry R. Herr of Lancaster is facing 36 counts of criminal use of a communication facility and a count of theft. He was charged yesterday (Thursday) by Lower Paxton Township Police in the Harrisburg suburbs. The 61-year-old served for 28 years as treasurer of the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The synod's bishop sent a letter to the 122,000-member organization saying the money was taken from bequests to a global mission program and from a fund to help pastors who need financial assistance. Court records say the scheme dated back to 1991. A phone message left at Herr's home wasn't immediately returned, and court officials weren't sure if he had obtained a lawyer.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton plan to debate in Philadelphia next month. ABC News will host the debate on a date still to be determined. Pennsylvania voters go to the polls April 22 for the primary, a contest with 158 delegates at stake. Obama's campaign says he has also agreed to a matchup on April 19 hosted by CBS News in North Carolina. North Carolina has 115 delegates up for grabs in its May 6 primary. CBS News says it is awaiting word on whether Clinton will participate. The contenders have debated 20 times during the presidential campaign.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Democratic presidential contender Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is slated to make two campaign stops in Pittsburgh today (Friday). Clinton's campaign has not released details about the afternoon appearances. She also plans to appear at the city's St. Patrick's Day parade tomorrow (Saturday). Clinton's campaign says she will also appear at a St. Patrick's Day parade in Scranton tomorrow (Saturday).

HAVERTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Michelle Obama says her husband, Sen. Barack Obama, has met every presidential campaign challenge thrown at him. Mrs. Obama told hundreds of supporters at Villanova University's field house yesterday (Thursday) that some people doubted that the junior Illinois senator could raise enough money or build a national organization. She says her 44-year-old husband "has won in big states, small states, red states, blue states, (and) swing states." Before Villanova, Michelle Obama led a rally at Abington Senior High School, where she got a warm welcome from 1,100 people in the auditorium. Another 500 filled two overflow rooms. She started her swing through suburban Philadelphia with a stop at St. George's Episcopal Church in Haverford Township. She spent her time reading Dr. Seuss to children and joining a women's round-table. Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are waging an intense battle for the 158 delegates at stake in the April 22nd Democratic primary.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) - Starting this fall, Lehigh University students whose families have incomes less than $50,000 will receive grants instead of having to take out student loans. The grants will be funded by the endowment of the 4,657-student university in Bethlehem. The university also says students with family incomes of $50,000 to $75,000 will not have to borrow more than $3,000 a year. Lehigh officials say they are boosting aid to lower- and middle-income students to send a message that all families can afford an education at the private university. The new policy will cost the university $3 million a year. Lehigh recently announced that the cost of tuition, room and board, fees, and personal expenses will rise to $47,320 for the next academic year. ---

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Thursday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:

THURSDAY NIGHT Daily Number 3-1-7

Big 4 5-0-5-8

THURSDAY MIDDAY Daily Number 7-6-3

Big 4 5-0-7-3

Treasure Hunt 8-11-17-20-26

The winning numbers drawn Thursday in the "Pennsylvania Cash 5" game were: 11-18-21-23-27.

The winning numbers drawn Thursday in the "Mix & Match" game were: 08-07-04-02-03.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

XENIA, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio church is offering a unique route to salvation -- via the gas pump. Tomorrow, the Xenia Christian Center will be giving 25 cents off per gallon of gas purchased at a local convenience store. The congregation will make up the price difference. Pastor Wesley Miller says his church will be promoting its Easter services with the gas discount. He adds he doesn't care if people show up just looking for cheap gas instead of religion. He says they want to reach them, too.

NEW YORK (AP) - The offers are already coming for the woman at the center of the Eliot Spitzer call-girl scandal. She's wanted on the pages of Penthouse. The magazine has been trying to reach out to 22-year-old Ashley Alexandra Dupre, but has not succeeded. Penthouse Magazine Group president and publisher Diane Silberstein says Penthouse would "love to have her in the magazine" and would consider offering her a cover shot. Dupre has been identified in news reports as the prostitute whose hotel-room tryst with the New York governor led to his resignation Wednesday. Silberstein says the aspiring musician sounds like she's very interesting and talented and has a great story to tell. She adds that the magazine would make a photo shoot worth her while. A representative from Playboy says the magazine has no plans to reach out to Dupre.

BOSTON (AP) - Boston has joined others cities in banning artery-clogging trans fats from food served in restaurants and grocery stores. Businesses, as well as schools and hospitals, will have to stop using oils and spreads that contain trans fats. Prepackaged foods such as a bag of chips or cookies won't be included. The city Public Health Commission approved the ban unanimously yesterday. Fines would be up to $1,000 per violation. New York and Philadelphia have similar bans. Many Boston restaurants have already stopped using trans fats. Also known as partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats extend a food's shelf life and enhance flavor.