Thursday, March 18, 2010

Danville 'empty house' fire ruled arson

DANVILLE – Fire that destroyed an abandon building in Danville Wednesday night has been ruled arson.  A state police fire marshal says the blaze at 110 Lower Street in Mahoning Township started outside on the corner of the building and spread to the attic area.  The property is owned by John Pickin, who is not insured.  Damage is estimated at $28,000.  The investigation continues and anyone with information on the blaze that started just after 8:00p.m. is asked to call Mahoning Township Police.

Man accused of robbing a convenience store will go to court

DANVILLE – A Danville area man is going to court on charges related to a convenience store robbery in January.  Police say 23-year-old Joshua Marr entered a food mart on McCracken Road at Route 54 on January 28^th wearing a ski mask.  Marr reportedly demanded money and cigarettes from the clerk and fled on foot around 11:15p.m. Marr’s sister told police that her brother was responsible and his mother identified him in a surveillance photo.  The clerk was not injured.  Marr waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday and is due in Montour County Court on April 19^th.  (Ali Stevens)

Road closed due to a truck crash in Union County

LEWISBURG – Crossroads Drive outside of Lewisburg is closed at this hour due to a crash earlier today.  Crossroads Drive is closed between Fort Titzell Road and Creek Road in Kelly Township.  Traffic is being detoured onto Fort Titzell Road, Pleasant View Road and Creek Road.  PennDOT tells us Cross Roads Drive will remain closed for the next several hours, after a truck snapped a utility pole and overturned, spilling spilling much of its load on the roadway. (Ali Stevens)

Bloomsburg man charged with stabbing his roommate

BLOOMSBURG – A Bloomsburg man is behind bars, charged with stabbing his roommate.  Police were called to a home on West Fourth Street around 1:30 this morning for a report of an assault.  They found 39-year-old Jiang Xin Bing, who had been stabbed in the chest and arms.  Bing told police his roommate, 32-year-old Hui Chen, attacked him.  Chen has been charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.  He’s locked up in the Columbia County Prison.  No word on Bing’s condition.  (Ali Stevens)

House of Hope hosts their annual Dance Marathon

DANVILLE – The 4^th annual Dance Marathon will take place Friday and Saturday to raise money for the House of Hope in Danville.  The House of Hope is a home away from home for teens struggling with issues such as addictions and abuse.  They teach teen girls how to become healthy and contributing members of society through a Christian based program.  The Karen Gronsky School of Dance will host the Dance Marathon at the Danville Elks.  Also at this year’s event is international drummer Aaron Kennedy from Dublin, Ireland.  Kennedy will be hosting an air drumming competition at the event with numerous prizes to give away.  Everyone is invited to take part in the Dance Marathon with 13 hours of non-stop dancing to support the House of Hope.  (Ali Stevens)

Spring-cleaning of NorCo Prison

SUNBURY – Tidying up and upgrades are underway at the Northumberland County Prison. Recently completed were repairs to the wall surrounding the prison. The new warden Roy Johnson says there was a bulge in the wall causing a safety issue, but it was fixed this week.

In addition, Johnson says there is a plan in development to disconnect and remove an old coal-fired boiler, in order to reduce sludge found in the steam system. Some inmate cells will also be renovated, and there are plans to install additional showers in the prison as well.

Johnson also says fresh coats of paint inside and pressure washing outside of the prison is also in the future plans. The 135-year-old prison has been the target of criticism, with some citing safety concerns in the outdated facility, as well as overcrowding. (Sara Bartlett)

Doctor says tort reform, fewer tests can fix broken health care system

LEWISBURG – Wednesday night’s first-ever lecturer to speak on behalf of the late Dr. Charles P. Fasano believes America’s health care system is broken. However, bioethics expert Dr. Arthur Caplan says tort reform, preventive medicine and providing basic public care are among ways to fix it.

He says excessive tests such as mammograms in many cases, are also part of what’s making everything more expensive. Caplan also says Congress needs to pass some sort of reform this week, even if it is not great. He says if it is in place, it can be crafted and revised, otherwise it may be a dozen or more years before health car reform arises again.

Modern Health Care magazine considers Dr. Caplan one of the 50 most influential people in American health care. He spoke before several hundred supporters of the Fasano Endowment at Bucknell University’s Trout Auditorium. (Matt Farrand)

Thousands welcomed to Valley during swimming championship

LEWISBURG – Over the next three days the Central Susquehanna Valley will welcome about 5,000 people thanks to the PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships taking place at Bucknell University. Andrew Miller, of the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau, says they helped businesses get ready for the influx of teams, coaches, officials, families and fans.

He says there is a big banner in downtown Lewisburg, and businesses are filled with balloons and banners. Connie Buck is the General Manager at the EconoLodge in Shamokin Dam, and says they have nine teams staying with them during the event.

Buck says the championship is a financial boost for the area, and it is one of their biggest revenue generators of the year. The championship takes place at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium and runs through Saturday. (Sara Bartlett)

Early childhood summit held in Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND – Can an adult’s health suffer because they didn’t have a quality early childhood? Dr. Judy Cameron, a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, was a speaker Wednesday in Northumberland at a summit on investing in early childcare, and says there is a direct correlation between adult heart problems and severe life events in early childhood.

Those events include divorce, being taken away from parents, or being in a state of poverty, among others issues. Dr. Cameron says other things can be looked at as well besides cardiovascular disease, including drug and alcohol abuse. The summit was held by The Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way. Another topic included how investments in children at a very young age have economic benefits.

You can participate in a national study being conducted by the American Cancer Society

SUNBURY – The American Cancer Society is conducting a new study and you can participate. Karen Maurer of the American Cancer Society in Williamsport says this is the third cancer prevention study sponsored by the American Cancer Society’s research team.

The study is called “Research Today for a Cancer Free Tomorrow” and they are trying to enroll 500,000 people nationally. And Maurer says local residents can take part with enrollment taking place at the Williamsport Relay for Life in May and the Selinsgrove Relay for Life in June.

Those taking part in the study would be agreeing to be followed by the cancer society for the rest of their lives and must start the study not having previously been diagnosed with cancer. Those who have been touched by a relative or friend with cancer are encouraged to participate. You can also call the Williamsport office of the American Cancer Society at 570-326-4149. (Ali Stevens)

The Orange’s biggest fan likes their NCAA prospects

MIFFLINBURG – A local basketball fan and graduate of Syracuse University is confident her Orange can make it to the NCAA Final Four, and win it. However, it will have to start Friday night with a victory over the University of Vermont, the team that eliminated Syracuse in 2005. Mifflinburg Main Street Manager Becky Hagenbaugh hopes memories of that loss can serve as an incentive.

Hagenbaugh predicts top-seeded Syracuse will then beat Gonzaga, UTEP and a talented Kansas State team to make it to the Final Four. Hagenbaugh honors the Orange by driving an orange Mustang and says they’ll beat the Kansas Jayhawks in the national semi-final, then beat Duke in the final. She credits their success to an efficient zone defense. (Matt Farrand)

More than 100 girls take part in a symposium just for them

LEWISBURG – More than 100 high school girls from all area school districts took part in Junior Achievement’s Young Women’s Futures Symposium on Tuesday at Bucknell University. The girls were taught about the variety of career choices available to them, how to write a resume and cover letter, how to dress for success, how to budget your money and much more.

The guest speaker at the event was a nationally known motivational speaker Harriet Turk, who taught the girls to be proud of who they are. The career symposium took place all day on Tuesday and businesswomen from across the valley volunteered their time to work with the girls and help mentor them about making good choices. (Ali Stevens)

Police look for car thief

TREVORTON – State Police at Stonington are looking for information on a theft from a car in Northumberland County. Sometime on March 6th or 7th, police say an unknown person smashed the windows of a vehicle in a Zerbe Township parking lot along Route 890. Over $1,600 worth of items, mostly power tools, were stolen. Anyone with information is asked to call police.

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Jurors in the public corruption trial of a former Pennsylvania lawmaker and three of his former aides say they want to end talks for the day.  Jurors told the presiding judge Thursday that they wanted to conclude for the day and go home around 4:45 p.m.  There's no word on how close they might be to a verdict in the trial of former state Rep. Mike Veon and former staffers Brett Cott, Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink and Steve Keefer.  The jury's been deliberating for more than 35 hours over five days.  The defendants are accused of theft, conspiracy and conflict of interest. Prosecutors say they ran a scheme to siphon off taxpayer resources to wage political campaigns and underwrite other activities.

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - A newspaper is reporting that a Lancaster County couple believes an underwater snapshot they took off the coast of Aruba reveals human remains on the ocean floor. The Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era reported Thursday that the photo taken by John and Patti Muldowney of Manheim last fall has been turned over to the FBI.  Patti Muldowney took the shot while snorkeling near the Caribbean island. Only later did the couple notice one photo shows what could be a human corpse or skeleton.  John Muldowney says he has a gut feeling it may be Natalee Holloway, the Alabama honors student who disappeared in Aruba nearly five years ago. The FBI has declined to say what, if anything, it's doing with the picture.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A fourth day of deliberations in the public corruption trial of a former state lawmaker and his aides is over without a verdict, and jurors are showing the strain. The eight-woman, four-man panel wrapped up late Wednesday without concluding the theft, conspiracy and conflict-of-interest trial of former Rep. Mike Veon and aides Brett Cott, Steve Keefer and Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink. They've now deliberated for about 29 hours since their closed-door sessions began late Friday. One juror told the judge they've been turning on each other, and three seemed to be wiping tears as they left the courtroom. The defendants are accused of using public resources to wage political campaigns. Testimony lasted nearly six weeks.

LEWISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Emily Cameron's first PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships final did not get off to a great start – but it sure had a great finish. The Warwick High School freshman became the first female scholastic swimmer in state history to break the two-minute mark in the 200 individual medley. Her time of 1:59:00 in the Class AAA finals Wednesday was one of the highlights on the first day of the four-day event at Bucknell University. Three swimmers won two gold medals each: Hershey's Katelyn Miller in AAA girls' 200 medley relay and 50 freestyle, Emmaus' Ryan Stahley in the 200 medley relay and 50 freestyle, and North Allegheny's Jonathan Buerger in the 200 freestyle and 200 freestyle relay.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Muslim civil liberties group is protesting a series of children's textbooks that it says contains misleading and inflammatory rhetoric against Islam. The Pennsylvania chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has begun a public awareness campaign Wednesday against the "World of Islam" books by Mason Crest Publishing. The group says the books inaccurately portray Muslims as inherently violent and deserving of suspicion. It was not immediately clear where the books are being used. The publisher did not respond to a request for comment. The vice president of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, which partnered with Mason Crest on the books, said Wednesday the Muslim group is misconstruing the meaning of the books. The publisher, based in the Philadelphia suburb of Broomall, did not return a request for comment.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A member of Congress from Pennsylvania whose parents recently died of cancer is denouncing a TV ad that questions her interest in preventing cancer. Democratic Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper says she's outraged by the ad, which is running in 18 Democratic congressional districts and urges the defeat of proposed health care legislation. Two independent fact-checking groups said the ad contains serious distortions. The ad is identical in each district until the end, when it asks constituents to contact their representative. Dahlkemper called for the ad to be pulled. But its sponsor, the conservative Americans for Prosperity, says the ad is appropriate because it "is based on an overarching concern about a stronger government role in health care."

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

Updates on the latest in business

Dow: 10,762.62, up 28.95

S&P 500: 1,163.95, down –2.26

NASDAQ: 2,388.44, down -.65

NEW YORK (AP) - Stock prices are narrowly mixed. The market is pausing after its recent run to higher ground.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has delayed his trip to Asia for a second time, ahead of an expected House vote on a $940 billion health bill. It would provide coverage to 32 million people who are now uninsured.

WASHINGTON (AP) - New reports out today portray an economy growing modestly without producing inflation. The number of newly laid-off workers filing for unemployment benefits fell slightly for the third straight week.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - A cruise liner hit by an outbreak of intestinal illness for a third straight trip from South Carolina has returned a day early. Operator Celebrity Cruises is bringing in an extra crew to scrub the ship down for three days.

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

Pennsylvania Lottery Number

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

 Midday Big 4

     9-2-3-1

 Midday Number

     5-9-2

 Midday Quinto

     4-9-5-6-3

 Treasure Hunt

     01-02-10-21-27

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

Big 4 6-6-8-9

Cash 5 01-15-19-22-24

Daily Number 0-7-9

Evening Quinto 3-0-2-5-1

Midday Big 4 9-0-9-3

Midday Number 0-1-3

Midday Quinto 9-3-4-7-7

Powerball 24-26-45-48-55, Powerball: 8, Power Play: 2

Treasure Hunt 07-12-13-25-27

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

Bullock cancels appearance at London premiere

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Sandra Bullock has canceled her appearance at the London premiere of "The Blind Side" amid Internet reports she is having trouble in her marriage and has left the couple's Southern California home.  The Associated Press has been unable to confirm the reports, and calls and e-mails to representatives for Bullock and her husband, celebrity motorcycle builder Jesse James, weren't immediately answered.  The 45-year-old actress said in a statement by Warner Bros. UK that she cannot attend next Tuesday's premiere for "unforeseen personal reasons." She canceled her appearance two weeks after winning an Oscar for her performance in the movie.  Bullock goes on to apologize for canceling her commitment and to thank people for their support of the film, which has made nearly $253 million domestically.  She and James were married in July 2005.     

Singing Cornish fishermen sign major-label deal

LONDON (AP) - After singing soldiers and harmonious priests, a group of English fishermen is the latest unorthodox band to sign a major-label recording contract.  The Fisherman's Friends come from Port Isaac in England's southernmost county of Cornwall and specialize in traditional sea shanties.  Universal Music said Thursday that it had signed the 10-member band after a producer spotted them performing in a local pub. They will release an album of traditional tunes and folk songs next month.  Universal's other artists include Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse, but the label also is home to less mainstream acts including the military band of the Coldstream Guards.  Other unusual acts to enjoy chart success include singing servicemen The Soldiers and clerical combo The Priests.     

Dear Mr. President

Bill could charge faith-healing parents with child abuse

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow prosecutors to charge parents with child abuse if they refuse medical help for their children on religious grounds. The measure stems from the case of Dale and Leilani Neumann, who prayed while their 11-year-old daughter died of undiagnosed diabetes in their home. Under current Wisconsin law, parents can't be found guilty of child abuse if they choose spiritual treatment rather than medicine or surgery. The bill's author says children shouldn't have to die for their parents' beliefs. But Joe Farkas, legislative liaison for Christian Science churches in Wisconsin, says the bill is vague and raises questions about whether parents can teach their children religious values.

Ten Commandments monument moved from courthouse

STIGLER, Okla. (AP) - A Ten Commandments monument has been moved from its location outside the Haskell County Courthouse in Stigler, Okla. Muskogee Marble and Granite transferred the monument Wednesday morning to property in front of the American Legion building about 80 feet away. Janice Williams of the Stigler Chamber of Commerce says the granite structure was moved without incident and with little fanfare. The monument was placed at the courthouse in 2004, but a federal appeals court ruled it was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. The U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to hear an appeal of that decision.

Aussies enjoying NCAA hoops tourney

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Vegemite could be on the menu, as number-10 seed St. Mary's plays seventh-seeded Richmond today in the NCAA Tournament. Six of the players are Aussies. Five Australians play for St. Mary's, while one plays for Richmond. Of course, Australia is a huge country. St. Mary's forward Ben Allen says he doesn't know countryman Josh Dunker, who plays for Richmond. As for the Vegemite, it's a spread that Aussie kids eat like peanut butter.

Hooters Lawsuit

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Three dozen current and former Hooters workers are suing over work and wage violations, saying they were forced to buy their own uniforms and work without pay. Attorneys representing the former and current employees have filed two lawsuits seeking class-action status Tuesday in Sacramento and Los Angeles. They follow a lawsuit filed in San Francisco last year. The plaintiffs say the Atlanta-based franchise required them to buy their own uniforms, work off the clock and failed to provide lunch breaks as required by law. The lawsuits say managers skimmed money from tips. San Francisco attorney Burt Boltuch says the employees are seeking millions in reimbursement and penalties. The national restaurant chain and several locations in California are named in the suit. Hooters did not immediately return an e-mailed request for comment on Wednesday.

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