Sunday, April 13, 2008
Bill campaigns for Hill Sunday at Bucknell
LEWISBURG – 42nd US President Bill Clinton will visit Bucknell University today at 11:15 a.m. He’ll be speaking on behalf of his wife and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The talk is planned for Sojka Pavilion. Doors will open at 10:15 a.m. Entrance and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The appearance is sponsored by Bucknell's College Democrats, and will also be simulcast in Trout Auditorium. Several surrogates representing the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and her Democratic opponent Barack Obama have visited Bucknell over the past several weeks. Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton visited Bucknell on April 3.
Bucknell President Brian C. Mitchell notes that all of the presidential candidates from all parties are invited to speak. The University does not endorse any candidate or party, but encourages engagement in the democratic process and critical thinking and analysis of the candidates and the issues. Bill Clinton served as president from 1993 to 2001. (Matt Farrand)
Local rally shows support for Obama
SELINSGROVE— A handful of people turned out for yesterday’s rally in Selinsgrove, showing their support for Senator Barack Obama. Less than two weeks away from Pennsylvania’s primary elections, the walk was organized to demonstrate support for Obama, who is vying for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Participants showed up at the Selinsgrove Elementary School sporting t-shirts, hats and signs. Some even said they changed their party affiliations recently, so that they could take part in the primary election and cast a vote for Obama.
Meanwhile, on Friday, singer Jason Mraz came to the campus of Susquehanna University. Although his tour hasn’t been touting support for Obama, many comments throughout the show marked support for the Illinois Senator. Mraz was joined by special guests Bushwalla and illusionist Justin Kredible. The tour was part of an effort to educate and engage music fans to promote environmental sustainability. (Sara Lauver)
Police search for hit and run driver
SELINSGROVE – Selinsgrove Police are searching for a hit and run driver that ran into a shed on Old Colony Road in Penn Township. Police say it happened Saturday at around 9:00a.m. when a vehicle crossed into the opposite side of the roadway and hit the shed at 203 Old Colony Road. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 374-8145. (Sara Bartlett)
Woman injured in hit and run crash
MILTON – Milton Police say they’re looking for the driver of a tan or burgundy van who reportedly fled the scene of an accident Friday afternoon in the borough. Sargeant Rob Graham says the van failed to stop at a stop sign and hit a vehicle broadside at about 1:40p.m at Garfield Avenue and Lower Market Street. The vehicle driven by 35-year-old Melanie Trate then careened into a nearby building. Meantime, police say they have no plate number for the suspected burgundy van.
It may be a Chrysler product, and it will likely have a substantial amount of front-end damage, as well as blue paint from the vehicle that as hit. Milton police request a call at 742-8757 if you have information. (Matt Farrand)
Early departures announced for papal visit
HARRISBURG – Pope Benedict XVI visits Nationals Park Thursday. It will be an early start if you are one of 500 ticket holders for a bus trip to the papal visit coordinated by the Diocese of Harrisburg. The Diocese says the bus for DC is scheduled to leave the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church in Elysburg at 2:30a.m. Departures from other locations in the state are likewise planned for early in the morning as busses are scheduled to leave Camp Hill and Lancaster at 3:00am, and Harrisburg, York and Hanover at 3:30a.m. (Matt Farrand)
Stocks up slightly as discount retailers optimistic
NEW YORK – Are you looking for bigger bargains when you shop these days? If that’s so, analysts say you’re not alone, as discount retailer Wal-Mart increased its first quarter earnings forecast from 70 to 74 cents per share. Stock in Wal-Mart and competitor Costco advanced Thursday, on the strongest session for stocks in the last three. Stocks of local interest were largely higher as M&T Bank, Susquehanna Bancshares and FNB gained 1.0% or more.
MidPenn Bancorp was up a fraction to 25.40, but Sovreign was down nearly 4.0% to 8.72. Sara Lee, Weis Markets, and Community Health Systems enter the new day fractionally higher. However, Conagra and Fleetwood Enterprises are down slightly, and utility PPL Corp is off nearly 2.5% to 47.29. Monroe Marketplace developer Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust enters the last day of the trading week up a fraction at more than $25 dollars per share. (Matt Farrand)
Expansion and spike in jobs at former Merck plant
DANVILLE – Over 100 jobs could be created after an expansion at the former Merck plant in Riverside. State Senator John Gordner says he and State Representative Merle Phillips are working with new owner, Cherokee Pharmaceuticals, and the Department of Community and Economic Development to get funds for the project. Gordner says the jobs that will be created are just the kind that Montour County needs, with great benefits and salaries up to $60,000.
Gordner says if things go as planned, the expansion and creation of jobs will take between two and three years. Since the sale of the plant nearly four months ago, Cherokee officials have been in full support of expanding the business and bringing more and better jobs to the area. (Sara Bartlett)
Here is the latest Pennsylvania news from The Associated Press:
PITTSBURGH
(AP) - Pittsburgh Public Schools will eliminate 183
jobs next year because of declining enrollment. Superintendent Mark
Roosevelt says cuts include 153 teachers and 16 assistant
principals. The cuts are expected to save $10 million. Enrollment
this school year is down nearly 1,200 students over last year.
SAEGERTOWN,
Pa. (AP) - A Crawford County woman has been ordered
to stand trial on charges she killed her fiance's 22-month-old
girl. Twenty-four-year-old Melynda French, of Cambridge Springs, is
charged with third-degree murder and related offenses in the Feb. 5
death of Kierstan Bressette.
PITTSBURGH
(AP) - A former Mercer County chiropractor will spend
three years in prison for defrauding an insurance company.
Prosecutors say Brent Detelich, of Clearwater, Fla., submitted
fraudulent claims to Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield and split the
payments with some patients. He was sentenced Friday.
BEAVER, Pa.
(AP) - A Beaver County woman who was seven months
pregnant when she smashed a beer bottle against a bartender's head
after being refused another drink has been sentenced to probation
for three years. Keisharra Abercrombie was sentenced Friday in
Beaver County Court after pleading guilty to aggravated assault for
the Feb. 9 attack on Ricki Shields.
SOMERSET,
Pa. (AP) - The parents of a Somerset County man who
was fatally shot outside another man's apartment have filed a
wrongful death suit. Jay and Carolyn Zimmerman are seeking
unspecified damages against Matthew Eperjesi in the April 2006
death of their son Perry. Eperjesi was cleared of criminal
wrongdoing.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Here are the winning numbers selected Saturday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:
SATURDAY NIGHT
Daily Number
7-4-9
Big 4
0-4-7-8
The winning
numbers drawn Saturday night in Powerball are:
11-29-48-52-55
Powerball: 36
Power Play: 04
SATURDAY MIDDAY
Daily Number
6-2-8
Big 4
7-1-6-7
Treasure Hunt
1-4-7-22-25
The winning
numbers drawn Saturday in the "Pennsylvania Cash
5" game were:
17-19-21-30-31
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)