Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Sholley to seek death penalty against Graham

MIDDLEBURG – Snyder County District Attorney Michael Sholley will seek the death penalty against 26-year-old Travis Graham. The District Attorney made his intentions known Monday, as Graham was charged with an open count of criminal homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, and a number of weapons charges. The DA’s office says a death sentence will be pursued if Graham is convicted of first degree murder.

The Richfield man will be tried in Snyder County Court. Graham is accused of firing a rifle at 46-year-old Jeffrey Stock as he stood on his back porch in West Perry Township. The Snyder County Coroner says the single shot on the night of March 22nd killed Stock. Graham reportedly fought occasionally with Stock, and confessed to the shooting after being apprehended. (Matt Farrand)

DEP in process of approving improvement plans for Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority

SELINSGROVE – There are still no new connections allowed to the sanitary sewer system in parts of Snyder County. The provision enacted by DEP to the Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority nearly a month ago will continue until DEP approves a submitted report by the sewer authority, according to Selinsgrove Borough Manager John Bickhart.

He says local legislators have promised a short turnaround, perhaps in a couple months. The ban comes after an overload of organic materials was reported. Bickhart says it affects all new connections in the Shamokin Dam and Selinsgrove Boroughs, as well as Monroe and Penn Townships.

The ban does growing facilities such as schools. Once a plan of action is approved by DEP, Bickhart says there will be a schedule over the next few years of additional connections being permitted in return for the Regional Authority making the improvements. (Sara Bartlett)

Detergent danger noted by Union County expert

MIFFLINBURG – More than 60 suicides have been reported in Japan during the last month, involving people inhaling toxic gas created when common detergents and other products are mixed. The deaths underscore the danger of using more than one cleaning product in the same bucket, or on the same surface at the same time.

Penn State Cooperative Extension educator Norm Conrad is based in Union County, and explains cleaning agents containing ammonia or bleach do a good job by themselves, but should never be combined. Conrad notes that volunteers mopping up after Hurricane Katrina had to be trained in proper use of cleaning products.

If cleaners containing bleach and ammonia are accidentally mixed, Conrad says it’s important to ventilate the area as soon as possible. And call 9-1-1 if you feel overcome. In early May, police in Japan evacuated more than 300 people from their homes after a neighbor mixed household detergent and other chemicals to commit suicide. Three men were also found dead in a car Monday morning in Japan, having mixed cleaners to produce toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. (Matt Farrand)

Six picked up in Mount Carmel drug investigation

MOUNT CARMEL – Six people were taken into custody Saturday for heroin sales and related charges in Mount Carmel. The News Item reports Mount Carmel Police were assisting Children and Youth Services with an investigation of a West 3rd Street home being rented by 23-year-old Heather Smith. Once inside, several people fled throughout the home.

They were apprehended, as were residents found hiding in a locked room. After being taken to the police station, Smith received a call from 25-year-old Krystal Klinger and her husband David Klinger, of Kulpmont. They were allegedly looking for someone to pick up heroin and cocaine from Reading, PA. Smith was charged with narcotics violations and was taken to Northumberland County Prison.

David Klinger is also in Northumberland County Prison on a probation warrant and Krystal Klinger faces charges of resisting arrest, simple assault and disorderly conduct. Three others face charges of possession with intent to deliver heroin including 25-year-old Daniel Joraskie Jr. of Mount Carmel, 23-year-old Marc Harvey of Bloomsburg and 19-year-old Alexa Murin of Kulpmont. (Sara Bartlett)

WKOK’s Matt Farrand chats with Gov. Ed Rendell

SELINSGROVE – WKOK’s Matt Farrand chatted with Ed Rendell Sunday afternoon, prior to the governor’s address to graduates, parents and friends of Susquehanna University. Their talk covered a range of topics. Rendell expects Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to continue to compete for the Democratic presidential nomination for a while yet.

The Governor advises not counting either of them out, and notes presumptive nominee John McCain was counted out in GOP circles a year ago. Pennsylvania Democrats supported Hillary Clinton, who received the support of Rendell, and also congressman Chris Carney.

The governor also says the Commonwealth is lucky in that the government is running a budget surplus, unlike Ohio, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Florida and California, which are running multi-million dollar budget deficits.

Rendell is optimistic for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008, in spite of their giving up their first round draft picks. He says the addition of kick returner Deshawn Jackson, who should be able to give the Eagles offense better field position. “The Gov” again plans to provide analysis of Eagles games on the Comcast network in 2008. (Matt Farrand)

Local man to be ordained

HARRISBURG – A man originally from Mount Carmel will ordained Saturday as a Roman Catholic deacon. The Diocese of Harrisburg reports 24-year-old Jonathan P. Sawicki will be ordained along with two other men at 10:00 a.m. in St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg.

The ordination follows seven years of study, and is a stage as they will continue to study for the priesthood. Sawicki and the two others are assigned to parishes in the diocese where they assist local pastors in teaching, counseling and working with parish organizations. (Matt Farrand)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell says he's happy with the bids for a 75-year lease of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. He says they're not as high as would have been expected nine months ago, when business conditions were better, but they're good for present times. Preliminary bids came in so close to each other that at least some of the bidders have been given five more days to sweeten the pot. Rendell says the highest bid that came in by Friday's deadline and all other bids that were at least 90 percent of that have until the end of the week to submit a best and final offer. Rendell isn't saying how high the initial bids were or how many bidders qualify for additional time. Rendell wants to use the money to fix roads and bridges and to subsidize mass transit.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A proposed compromise on legislation to ban smoking in most public places in Pennsylvania is stalled. Gov. Ed Rendell and Democratic senators are insisting that state law should not stop municipalities from enforcing stronger prohibitions. Rendell even issued a veto threat just hours before a joint House-Senate committee was to meet to vote on legislation that has been mired in disagreement for 10 months. The governor says he would reject a bill that contains too many exemptions or wipes out a stronger ban enacted by the city of Philadelphia. The committee's lone Senate Democrat, Robert Mellow of Lackawanna County, also says Senate Democrats would not support a bill that prohibits any local smoking ban, even if the bill allowed Philadelphia's to remain standing.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The president of a state university in Florida will be the next chief executive of Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities. John Cavanaugh was selected unanimously Monday by the State System of Higher Education's board of governors to become the third chancellor in the system's 25-year history. He starts his new job July 1. Born in Terre Haute, Ind., and raised in Wilmington, Del., Cavanaugh is 54 and is president of the University of West Florida in Pensacola, where his annual salary is $295,000. He has led the 10,500-student university since 2002. A spokesman says details of his compensation package for the Pennsylvania job are still being worked out. Cavanaugh's predecessor was one of the highest paid state employees.

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

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

MONDAY NIGHT Daily Number 4-5-2

Big 4 5-1-2-5

MONDAY MIDDAY Daily Number 4-1-0

Big 4 6-6-6-8

Treasure Hunt 2-8-12-21-30

The winning numbers drawn Monday in the "Pennsylvania Cash 5" game were: 02-24-28-30-36.

The winning numbers drawn Monday in the "mix & match" game were: 17-09-05-14-13.

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

FEMALE BREWMASTER

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Don't call this brewmaster, "Mister." Tonya Cornett is the first woman to win the brewmaster award at the World Beer Cup sponsored by the Brewers Association. She says she lost her voice so she couldn't scream, but the tears were flowing. Cornett is a brewer at Oregon's Bend Brewing Company. She says she still runs into the stereotype of a brewmaster being a bearded guy. She adds at a recent trade show no one would take her seriously. But Cornett hopes her brewmaster award will inspire more young women to think of beer-making as a career.

GOPHER STATUE

FREEBORN, Minn. (AP) - There's no doubt who Jim Beach is rooting for -- the 12-foot gopher is a sure sign. Jim and Janice Beach are huge University of Minnesota fans. Now, they have a giant Goldy Gopher sitting in front of their home in Freeborn, Minnesota. The Beaches used to have a big oak tree. But when it died, Jim Beach had it carved into the shape of Minnesota's mascot. At first, Janice wasn't too keen on the idea. But the giant gopher is growing on her. It's landmark in their small town, with people stopping by to take pictures of it.

JIMMY FALLON - WILL TAKE OVER FOR CONAN O'BRIEN NEXT YEAR

NEW YORK (AP) - Jimmy Fallon's eighth-grade school yearbook listed him as "most likely to take over for David Letterman." That's pretty close. Fallon and NBC are confirming he'll take over for Conan O'Brien when O'Brien takes over for Jay Leno, sometime next year. The plan's been in the works for a while. Fallon says he's been doing a monologue in his living room the last three years and "it was embarrassing." But, he says his wife seemed to like it. There are lots of details for Fallon to work out, including the show's format and whether he has a sidekick or band. He says he's not sure he's "going to reinvent the wheel with the talk-show format. There's no need."