Monday, April 21, 2008

McCain’s “lock” on race could keep local GOP home

LEWISBURG – Will John McCain’s virtual clinching of the Republican presidential nomination keep some GOP members home on primary day?  Union County Republican chair Yvonne Morgan says it may, in spite of well-publicized races for State Senate and Congress.  The Arizona Senator has been the “presumptive nominee” for weeks, and Morgan says while she would be happy with 30% voter turnout, 19% is more likely.  Locally, Dan Meuser and Chris Hackett’s race for their party’s Congressional nomination, and the three-way race for State Senate have been characterized by charges of not being conservative enough for their respective districts. 

Morgan hopes all Republicans to unite and play on the same team in the fall.  (Matt Farrand)

Absentee votes mirror interest in primary

MIDDLEBURG – Absentee ballots can make a difference in a close political race.  Snyder County election commissioner Pat Nace says absentee balloting can also mirror the interest the voting public has in the contests on the ballot.  Nace says of the 200 absentee ballots requested, about 170 have been returned to date, which she calls pretty good.  Nace notes historically a 30% voter turnout is average in a presidential primary.

Voting machines are secured and in place at the 25 polling places county wide, and poll workers have all the supplies they need for when voting places open up at 7:00 a.m.  Nace says on election night, her office will be busy putting together results from the memory cards of the electronic voting machines, sending unofficial numbers to the PA Department of State, and posting them on line.  The results won’t be official until provisional, absentee and military ballots are considered.  (Matt Farrand)

Ongoing water line project in Middleburg

MIDDLEBURG – An ongoing water line project in the Middleburg Borough may temporarily interrupt water service.  Contractors are making connections to the main line, which may cause dirty water for some customers.  The project is expected to be complete by June. 

Lewisburg musician performs at Obama rally

LEWISBURG – Lewisburg singer/songwriter Earl Pickens and the Band Named Thunder got the chance to perform their hit song “Obama Everywhere in Pennsylvania” at an Obama rally at a train station in Lancaster over the weekend.  Pickens says the Democratic presidential hopeful’s campaign asked him to perform to song before Obama hit the stage, and the crowd loved it.

He says he’s never been a publicly political person, but felt the Obama campaign was something he could support using his art.  Unfortunately, Pickens says he did not get to meet Obama personally at the event.  Pickens and his band performed nine songs including two versions of “Obama Everywhere in Pennsylvania.”  Since being posted on the online video-sharing site You Tube, the song has had over 25,800 views. (Sara Bartlett) 

The impact of rising gasoline prices…a five-part series

ELYSBURG – In part one of a week-long series on the impact of rising prices on tourism this summer, we spoke with Knoebel’s about what they expect.  We also spoke with our listeners about how they will handle summer travel plans.

Joe Muscato of Knoebel’s says the higher prices might actually help them, because people will stay local and take more trips to Knoebel’s.  He says since they have free parking, admission and picnic facilities, more people will find Knoebel’s to be an affordable alternative to pricey attractions.  Muscato says of the 55 rides they have, only about a dozen will be more expensive and the price increase is only about 10 cents.  Muscato says they work very hard to keep prices down. 

Local drivers’ travel plans face change

Sheryl Schlegel says because of high gas prices, she has not been able to take a vacation for a couple of years.  Even though she drives an economy car, Sheryl says she has to drive to work and needs to avoid unnecessary trips throughout the week.  She says she would carpool if she could.  Schlegel adds that each president should have to take a month and live in the real world on a middle-class salary.

Dave Dye just retired and says he does plan to travel, but will not take two-day trips.  When he travels, he will drive somewhere, stay as long as possible and then come home.  This will maximize the stay and minimize the number of trips.  For more comments, stay tuned to WKOK this week.

Several counties assist in battling forest fires in McClure

MCCLURE – Fire companies from all across the region were busy battling forest fires in McClure on Saturday afternoon.  Crews from Snyder, Union, Mifflin, Juniata and Northumberland County were sent to the Shade Mountain around 2 on Saturday afternoon and many crews remained on the scene until early Sunday morning.  Additional crews were sent out for a second fire on Kline Hill Road near McClure.  No serious injuries were reported.  A plane from the Bureau of Forestry assisted with water drops over Shade Mountain.   Officials say about 25 acres were burning late Saturday afternoon.  (Ali Stevens)

Five-year-old boy critical after farm accident near Riverside

RIVERSIDE – A-five-year-old boy is in critical condition following an accident with a tractor on Saturday morning near Riverside.  This is the second accident on the farm since April, when a toddler was crushed a truck.  State police say 34-year-old Dennis Lehman of rural Danville was driving a farm tractor on Boyd Station Road with a five-year-old and three-year-old riding along.  The tractor went off the right side of the road and struck an embankment, knocking 5-year-old Trenis Lehman too the ground.  Trenis was taken to Geisinger Medical Center with serious injuries.  The three-year-old did not fall and was not injured. 

State police are investigating the accident. The Daily Item reports Trenis Lehman is the brother of 19-month-old Jeffrey Lehman, who was killed on April 10^th when he was run over by a truck at his family’s farm.  (Ali Stevens)

Danville woman critical after Sunday morning crash

DANVILLE – A Danville woman is in critical condition following a crash Sunday morning in Montour County.  State police say 20-year-old Ashley Vanhorn was a passenger in a vehicle that went off of McCracken Road in Valley Township and went down a 20-foot embankment.  The vehicle flipped two times before coming to rest.  Vanhorn was taken to Geisinger with serious injuries and remains in intensive care.  The driver, 22-year-old Zachery Bachman of Danville, was treated for minor injuries.  The investigation continues.  (Ali Stevens)

Police investigate hit and run crash on Main St in Watsontown

WATSONTOWN – Watsontown police are investigating a hit and run crash on Main Street Sunday night.  Police say just after 10 p.m. a maroon truck hit a car and then fled the scene.  Witnesses say the truck started making squealing noises after the crash and fluids were leaking from the truck.  Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Watsontown police.  Damage to the passenger side of the truck should be evident.  (Ali Stevens)

Snyder County District Attorney Mike Sholley on L&L

UNDATED – Snyder County Commissioners are preparing to create a hiring board to determine who will replace former county EMA Director Dave Nichols and First Deputy William Michaels.  Both were fired in February after a reported misuse of county money.  Snyder County District Attorney Mike Sholley says the EMA investigation continues, though it was delayed for a time following the county’s homicide investigation.  He says they are still working with federal and state agencies, but he did not give specifics regarding the investigation. 

At their upcoming Thursday salary board meeting, the county commissioners are expected to choose a group of local law enforcement and emergency personnel to serve on a board in charge of selecting replacements in the EMA center.  Chad Auker is currently serving as the acting EMA director.

Hours dwindle before primary day

SUNBURY – The race for the Republican 10th District Congressional nomination is in its final complete day. Supporters of both candidates Dan Meuser and Chris Hackett are each accusing the other side of past support of liberal ideas or candidates . Hackett was on WKOK’s On The Mark Friday morning.

Hackett says the district needs a conservative voice in Washington, as the prior Republican to represent the district usually enjoyed huge support across the board. Hackett says he supports bringing competitive bids to government purchases of pharmaceuticals through Medicare part “D.”

Hackett and Meuser are both business owners and new to politics. Incumbent Democrat Chris Carney also claims to be a fiscal conservative, and is a member of the “Blue Dog” group of self-named conservative Congressional Democrats. You can hear Hackett’s latest comments at www.wkok.com. (Matt Farrand)

Former Katie’s Kleeners owner passes away at 72

NORTHUMBERLAND – Friends, family and community members are noting the passing of a local business figure, as William V. Pakuta died Friday at the age of 72. He is remembered as a member of the local chamber of commerce, chairman of the United Fund and the owner of a dry cleaning business that he ran with his wife.

Bill and Kathryn Pakuta ran Katie’s Kleeners in Sunbury for many years, and had a variety of other interests. Pakuta was a member of St. Monica’s Church in Sunbury, where there will be a memorial service Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Funeral arrangements are through the Olley-Gotlob Funeral Home in Sunbury. (Matt Farrand)

Market higher, though local stocks mostly lag

NEW YORK – Market watchers say housing figures to be released Tuesday and Thursday could be bleak. The National Association of Realtors is scheduled to release the existing-home sales Tuesday, and economists forecast sales would decline to a 4.9 million pace from more than a 5 million unit pace in February.

The Commerce Department is forecast to report that sales of new houses dropped to an annual pace of 580,000 on Thursday, that would be a 13-year low. Declining sales are prompting builders to slash construction and cut prices. Stock in homebuilder Fleetwood Enterprises rebounded a bit Friday, and enters the new week at more than 4 dollars per share.

Meantime, the banks will be worth watching again as M&T Bank settled down a fraction, MidPenn Bancorp was down more than 1.2% and FNB Corp fell more than 5.0% to 16 dollars per share on the last day of the trading week. But Sovreign Bancorp gained nearly 4.0% to 9.29. The Dow Industrials enter the new week more than 4.% higher than a week ago at 12,849, in spite of record high oil prices. (Matt Farrand)

Five-year-old injured in farm vehicle crash

RIVERSIDE – The investigation continues after a farm vehicle crash, which injured an unidentified five-year-old. State Police say the five-year-old and a three-year-old were riding on a tractor driven by 34-year-old Dennis Lehman of the Danville area, along Boyd Station Road in Rush Township, Montour County.

The tractor went off the road and hit an embankment, the five-year-old fell off the vehicle. He was taken to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment. The three year old was not injured in the 10:30 a.m. accident. No names or medical conditions are disclosed by state police or Geisinger. (Matt Farrand)

Driver sought after Snyder County hit and run

MT PLEASANT MILLS – Authorities are looking for the driver of an SUV who fled the scene of an accident Saturday at about 11:45a.m. State Police describe the driver as a white male in his 40’s with dirty blonde hair arranged in a ponytail. He failed to stop at a stop sign at Oriental Road and Route 104 in Chapman Township, Snyder County.

The green Jeep Cherokee struck a vehicle driven by 52-year-old Cynthia Seiders of Pine Grove. Neither Seiders nor her passenger, 55-year-old George Seiders were injured. Troopers say half the front bumper fell off of the SUV that fled the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call State Police at 374-8145. (Matt Farrand)

“Blue” beats “White” 27-14

STATE COLLEGE – In a game heard on Newsradio 1070, WKOK, Penn State football players finally got back to the game Saturday after an off-season full of talk about suspensions and coach Joe Paterno's future. The Nittany Lions donned their pads and helmets for the annual spring scrimmage. About 73,000 fans filled Beaver Stadium to watch the practice game.

Quarterbacks Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin each tried to make an impression, however, it's unclear who will be chosen to lead the offense. Fans also got their first glimpse at running back Stephfon Green, who red shirted last year. He didn't waste any time getting into the action, eluding a tackle and darting down the left sideline for a 57-yard touchdown.

Earl Pickens sang at Obama rallies

LEWISBURG— The voice of Earl Pickens was heard by hundreds of supporters for Democratic Presidential candidate, Barack Obama, Saturday. Lewisburg’s Earl Pickens performed “Obama Everywhere,” at a rally in Lancaster. The song features the names of many towns throughout the state of Pennsylvania and has become increasingly popular over the past week on YouTube.

His lyrics state that Barack Obama is “everywhere,” and he will win it “fair and square” in the Pennsylvania primary election. Pickens says he was contacted by the Obama campaign Friday and asked to appear in Lancaster was Obama did ‘whistle stop’ train stops.

Snyder County D-U-I Awareness Day was on Roundtable

SUNBURY – The upcoming Snyder County D-U-I Awareness Day is the topic of this week’s Roundtable program. It is a joint effort of the Snyder County Probation Department and the Ashley and Erika Foundation. Kerry Davis, the deputy chief of the probation department said DUI is a very current problem, in fact, statistics show numerous drunk drivers are on the road right now.

You can hear more about the DUI problem in Snyder County and the upcoming awareness day, on this week’s Roundtable. The awareness day will involve fun and informational activities for families. The Ashley and Erika Foundation is named after two 12-year-old girls killed by a drunk driver in 2005. You can hear Roundtable Anytime, at www.wkok.com.

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - Barack Obama is predicting that Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton will get the critical victory she needs in Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary. But he says his goal is to keep it close.  Obama told Pittsburgh radio station KDKA today he's not predicting a win. He said, "I'm predicting it's going to be close and that we are going to do a lot better than people expect."  Clinton aides are trying to downplay expectations, insisting they will be grateful for a single-digit win. While the New York senator began the race with a hefty 20-point lead in several polls in the state, Obama's extensive campaigning and heavy ad buy have significantly cut into Clinton's lead.  She told supporters in Scranton today, "We really need to bear down in these last few days." She said, "The whole world is watching." 

BLUE BELL (AP) - Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are making their final arguments ahead of tomorrow's Pennsylvania primary. Clinton is running an ad that marks the first time a Democratic candidate has used Osama bin Laden in a campaign commercial in the 2008 race. The terrorist appears along with images from the stock market crash, the bombing at Pearl Harbor, the collapse of the Berlin Wall and Hurricane Katrina as an announcer tells voters the political contest is for "the most important job in the world." His campaign is accusing Clinton of playing on voters' fears.  Obama tried to end on a positive note after days of escalating accusations against Clinton. He didn't criticize his rival as he spoke with voters in suburban Philadelphia.  Obama has already hinted that Clinton will win tomorrow's primary, but says it will be closer than some people think.

UNDATED (AP) - Two new polls show Hillary Rodham Clinton maintaining her lead over Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary race in Pennsylvania.  A poll by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut finds the numbers virtually unchanged since April 8, when a surge by Obama stopped.  Clinton leads Obama, 51 percent to 44 percent, with a sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points in interviews with 1,027 likely Pennsylvania Democratic voters contacted by telephone from Friday through Sunday.  A poll by Boston-based Suffolk University has a slightly wider spread in the numbers -- 52 percent for Clinton to 42 percent for Obama.  That poll was conducted by telephone on Saturday and Sunday among 600 likely Democratic voters in Pennsylvania. The margin of sampling error there was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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

Daily Number

     5-3-9

 Big 4

     2-1-4-0

 Treasure Hunt

     8-13-15-26-30

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