Thursday, January 21, 2010

NorCo biomass energy facility benefiting from state’s alternative energy funds

MOUNT CARMEL – A nearly $5 million loan has been given to a biomass energy facility in Mount Carmel Township.  IntelliWatt Renewable Energy LLC will receive the $4.98 million alternative and clean energy program loan to assist with construction of the system.  Biomass is burned waste that is used as a fuel or energy source.  The money is part of Governor Ed Rendell’s Alternative Energy Investment Fund throughout the state.  IntelliWatt is the region’s first biomass energy system and will generate nearly 205,000-megawatt hours of electricity per year, which is enough to power about 20,000 homes.  The power will also be sold to PPL.  The $9.9 million project is expected to create 31 jobs in three years.

Weis Markets expands beer sales to Lewisburg store

LEWISBURG – Beer sales at the Weis Markets began Thursday in Lewisburg.  Dennis Curtain, Weis Markets spokesman says they began stocking the shelves Wednesday and opened the sit-in café Thursday, following a thorough review process by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.  He says the PLCB sends an inspector to make sure all regulations are followed including a separate entrance, a separate register and a 20-seat café.

Last summer, beer sales began at the Weis Markets in Sunbury and Curtain says they have had positive feedback from customers.  Curtain says there are no current plans to place any new in-store cafés in other Weis Markets in the area.  Weis currently sells beer in seven stores throughout the state. (Sara Bartlett)

Criminal cases continue to rise in Northumberland County

SUNBURY – Criminal cases have reached a record number in Northumberland County.  According to District Attorney Tony Rosini, 1,661 criminal cases were filed in 2009, and that’s up from 1,553 in 2008.  Rosini attributes the rise to the recession and increased drug use, saying they typically see more drug use when the unemployment rate goes up. 

The number of juvenile and miscellaneous appeals also increased, according to Rosini, but he says summary appeals and juvenile cases both dropped in 2009.  Rosini says the increase in work is putting a strain on staff and is hopeful for decreased criminal cases in 2010.  

H1N1 flu shots given at Weis Markets

Sex offender from Florida captured in Milton

MILTON – Milton police captured a fugitive Florida sex offender yesterday. The United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force worked with Milton police to locate Robert Allen Hendee. Marshals say they had a tip that the fugitive was staying at 144 Ridge Avenue, Milton.

Hendee was found hiding in an upstairs bedroom around 10 last night. He was arrested and sent to the Northumberland County Prison. Police say he failed to provide a change of address as required of sex offenders and a warrant was issued for him in Florida. (Ali Stevens)

Local GOP committee member says special election results bode well for local party

SUNBURY – State Republican committee member Donald Ely of Sunbury says Scott Brown’s win over Democrat Martha Coakley for a Massachusetts US Senate seat is a litmus test on the policies of President Barack Obama.

Ely says he’s not completely surprised by the result, but wonders who would have dreamed six months ago that a Republican would be elected to finish the term of the late Democrat Ted Kennedy, considered an icon among liberals.

Though Brown’s win with 52% of the vote may reflect the natural ebb and flow of political fortunes, Ely says it bodes well for local Republicans. He notes that some had almost written off the GOP as a dead party after setbacks in 2006 and 2008. Meantime, President Barack Obama says the victory by Scott Brown reflects the mood of the American people, who he says are "angry" and "frustrated." (Matt Farrand)

New Snyder County District Attorney excited to begin duties

SELINSGROVE – Michael Piecuch says he is humbled by the faith and trust President Judge Harold Woelfel Jr. and Judge Mike Sholley have put in him. Piecuch was chosen as Snyder County’s new District Attorney Wednesday.

He says he is honored to serve Snyder County, and says he is looking forward to being a part of the solution and bringing victims to justice in the county. Piecuch is the current Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Attorneys Association. He says he has had the advantage of seeing in DA’s offices statewide what programs work and don’t work.

He says he will continue work with the county’s drug court, something Judge Sholley is an advocate of. Piecuch, a resident of Selinsgrove, says he has a mix of public policy and criminal prosecution experience, which he believes will be an asset to the DA’s position in Snyder County. He begins his duties in February. (Sara Bartlett)

Michael Piecuch chosen as next Snyder County District Attorney

MIDDLEBURG – The Executive Director of Pennsylvania’s District Attorneys Association has been appointed as Snyder County District Attorney. Michael Piecuch was one of four who showed interest in the position. President Judge Harold Woelfel Jr. and Judge Michael Sholley made the decision Wednesday.

Piecuch lives outside of Selinsgrove and also serves as the Director and Legal Resource Prosecutor for the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Institute. He will begin his responsibilities February 16th after being sworn in. (Sara Bartlett)

Will Bob Run? Veteran house member waiting for test results

MOUNT CARMEL – State Representative Bob Belfanti (D-107th, Mount Carmel) has not yet make his decision about seeking reelection this year. Officials in Belfanti’s office tells us that the house member has not made his decision yet and is waiting to get medical tests back. Belfanti was hospitalized last February with a severe case of pneumonia.

He spent many months recovering, and finally returned to Harrisburg in the summer. Belfanti has held the position, covering Northumberland, Montour and Columbia counties, since 1981 and also chairs the Labor Relations Committee. Last month both State Representatives Merle Phillips (R-108th, Sunbury) and Russ Fairchild (R-85th, Winfield) announced that they would not seek reelection. (Sara Bartlett)

21st century aircraft lands at mall this weekend

SELINSGROVE – It’s a 700-pound, $135,000 two-seater airplane and it will be on display this weekend during Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation’s Big Boys Big Toys Expo. Jim Taylor is the General Manager of Heritage Aviation, the group that runs the Penn Valley Airport in Selinsgrove, and says they’ll take the wings off their newest plane today (Thursday) so it can travel to the mall. Taylor says it is a state of the art trainer aircraft.

Heritage Aviation took over the airport in October 2008, and since then have significantly reduced their debt, as well as picked up business significantly. You can learn more about Heritage Aviation and check out the new plane this weekend at the Susquehanna Valley Mall.

The Big Boys Big Toys Expo will feature over a dozen venues, as well as welcome Pittsburgh Steelers seven time Pro Bowl linebacker Andy Russell, who will sign autographs. The expo takes place during mall hours. For more information go to www.wkok.com. (Sara Bartlett)

$100-million facility set to open on Geisinger campus

DANVILLE – Geisinger Medical Center has started the media tours of their new Hospital for Advanced Medicine on the Danville campus. The facility will officially open to patients February 9th, a ribbon cutting ceremony is set for tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. Selected media are getting previews. Geisinger president and CEO Glenn Steele will be the guest speaker.

Today, Geisinger employees, their families and friends got to tour the new facility. Local TV and radio reporters got a preview too. The new building has nine floors and will feature an electronic intensive care unit, or EICU.

There are cameras and microphones inside intensive care rooms so doctors and nurses can monitor patients without being in the room with them. The new hospital will concentrate on heart health and cardiovascular surgery. (Ali Stevens)

Crews called to apartment blaze near Mount Carmel

MOUNT CARMEL TWP – Fire damaged a Mount Carmel Township apartment Wednesday morning. The News Item reports fire crews were called to the Brookwood Apartments around 8:30a.m. Flames were contained to a second floor bedroom, but firefighters made quick work of the fire.

They were able to put out the blaze before it spread to more rooms or any of the adjoining apartments. Joan Simmons and Shannon McGinley live in the apartment, but were not home when the blaze started. No injuries were reported and the fire is still under investigation.

OTM guest: Marcellus Shale severance tax not needed

SUNBURY – Should there be a tax on companies that want to drill in the Marcellus Shale? That was one of the topics discussed on WKOK’s On The Mark program Wednesday with Senator Gene Yaw (R-23rd, Williamsport). Yaw says for some, the consensus is that companies wanting to come to the Marcellus Shale and drill are making lots of money without contributing.

Yaw says that is not the case and that companies are already paying employment taxes, sales taxes and they are renting or buying property so they are paying real estate taxes. Also, they have hundreds of vehicles registered here. Yaw says businesses wanting to come and drill have many obstacles to face in this state and regulations they are not used to.

Also, he says any other industry willing to pump billions of dollars into the economy would receive the royal treatment if they wanted to come to Pennsylvania. And Yaw says there is another problem on the horizon regarding a severance tax and that will be once the severance tax is implemented, how will the money be divided up in the state.

You can hear more from Senator Gene Yaw on WKOK’s Wednesday On The Mark program online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)

Northumberland County’s assistant solicitor is named chief clerk

SUNBURY – The new chief clerk in Northumberland County is the current assistant solicitor. Kymberley Best will succeed Rose Marquardt, who resigned and will work her last day as chief clerk on January 29th. Marquardt is moving on to pursue other opportunities as a Reverend in the Mount Carmel area.

Best will start her new position next week and will continue working as the assistant solicitor also. Since the commissioners won’t need to hire an assistant solicitor, Best’s salary was raised from about $47-thousand annually to more than $68,000. (Ali Stevens)

$300,000 to support the Danville Area Community Center

DANVILLE – A grant totaling $300-thousand has been awarded to the Danville Area Community Center from the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The money will allow a major upgrade to the pool and locker room areas at the center. Also windows will be replaced and a family locker room will be added. The center will also have a capital campaign to raise the additional funding needed for the $1.2-million project. Knouse says she is “elated on behalf of the entire community” about this grant. The Danville Area Community Center has been open for about 25 years and serves more than 3,000 area residents.

Former bus driver not charged with duct-taping students

BLOOMSBURG – A former bus driver accused of duct taping two students mouths shut will not be charged by police. The News Item reports bus driver Walter Slavinsky of Riverside passed a polygraph test about the incident on October 15th on a Southern Columbia School District bus.

The assistant district attorney in Columbia County determined there was not enough evidence to proceed with charges against Slavinsky. Slavinsky was accused of putting duct-tape over the mouths of two students and made them keep the tape on until they reached their bus stops.

Slavinsky says he was joking with the students while patching a tear in a bus seat and says the students were having fun with it. He resigned shortly after being placed on administrative leave. (Ali Stevens)

Latest Pennsylvania news, lottery, business and entertainment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A new report says jobs in Pennsylvania were harder to find in December than they have been in more than a decade.  The state Department of Labor and Industry said Thursday that statewide unemployment jumped to 8.9 percent last month.  The October rate also was 8.9 percent, the highest level in 25 years, before dipping to 8.5 percent in November.  The department says employers eliminated about 8,100 jobs in December, leaving Pennsylvania with fewer than 5.6 million jobs – the lowest level since September 1999.  The state's unemployment rate is below the national average of 10 percent. Among the 10 most populous states, only Texas' rate is lower.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gamblers are putting more money into slot machines in Pennsylvania than they are in Atlantic City, N.J.  The Gaming Industry Observer says December was the first month ever that slot-machine handle in Pennsylvania surpassed Atlantic City's.  Editor Joseph Weinert calls it a milestone that is a result of declining slots play in New Jersey and rising slots play in Pennsylvania.  The difference was $2.1 billion in Pennsylvania to about $2 billion in New Jersey. On top of that, Weinert is forecasting an increase in Pennsylvania's slots revenue in 2010 and a drop in Atlantic City's.  However, Atlantic City casinos brought in more money total because of table games revenue there. Pennsylvania just legalized table games earlier this month.

CANADENSIS, Pa. (AP) - A soldier from the Poconos has suffered a fatal heart attack while serving in Afghanistan.  Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon died Sunday. He was 52.  The New York City native first enlisted in the Army in 1977. He was a retired prison warden.  Shannon was married with three children. His wife Donna says Shannon "was a soldier through and through."

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Some of the Haitian orphans that arrived in Pittsburgh are starting to be released to their adoptive families. So far, at least seven children have been released. Two of the five adopting families were hoping to return home on Tuesday. Fifty-three children arrived in Pittsburgh on Tuesday and the final child -- who went missing just as a military jet was leaving Port-au-Prince -- arrived Wednesday with her caretaker. That child is a twin whose sister was apparently counted twice. She was found a short time later in the U.S. Embassy. Two Pittsburgh-area sisters were helping run the adoption center in Haiti when the earthquake hit.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell has signed a death warrant for an unemployed white immigration attorney responsible for a Pittsburgh-area shooting rampage that eventually left six people dead. Forty-four-year-old Richard Baumhammers of Mount Lebanon is scheduled to be executed March 18th. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court in November 2008 rejected arguments that an Allegheny County jury didn't hear enough evidence about Baumhammers' mental illness before imposing a death sentence. Baumhammers shot his Jewish neighbor, two Indian men, a Chinese man, a Vietnamese man, and a black man on April 28, 2000. He was sentenced to death for the five victims who died outright. The sixth victim, one of the Indian men, was left paralyzed but died of complications from pneumonia in 2007.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Lawyers have picked the 12 men and women who will probably serve as jurors when former state Rep. Mike Veon's corruption trial starts next month. The second day of jury selection ended Wednesday with 12 primary jurors and two alternates chosen. The presiding judge says he hopes to pick four more alternates, although two of them will probably be dismissed before opening statements on Feb. 1. The primary jury consists of eight women and four men. Two men were selected as alternates. The former state representative from Beaver County and three aides who worked under him for the House Democratic caucus are accused of a conspiracy to divert state resources and employees for campaigns and other illegal purposes. The trial is expected to take three or four weeks.

BALTIMORE (AP) - A new report says biofuels made from plants grown in the Chesapeake Bay watershed would also create jobs and help restore the bay. The report issued Wednesday says biofuels hold the potential to create 18,000 jobs in the region and nearly 15 percent of the gasoline used in the Washington metropolitan area while preventing millions of pounds of runoff into the bay. The Chesapeake Bay Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture released the report. The fuels could be made from plants such as switchgrass, winter crops such as barley planted on unused fields, and fast-growing trees such as willow and poplar.

HARBORCREEK, Pa. (AP) - A northeastern Pennsylvania man is dead after police say he accidentally shot himself in the chest while checking for an intruder. State Police say 61-year-old David Swope accidentally killed himself shortly before 5 a.m. Wednesday while checking for an intruder in is home in Harborcreek, just outside of Erie. Investigators say Swope was carrying a gun when he fell down and the gun fired, striking him in the chest. He was transported to a hospital where he died.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A state association of homebuilders and several private developers are suing over Pennsylvania's residential and commercial building codes. The lawsuit filed Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Builders Association and others says recent updates to the codes will increase the cost of construction and hurt homebuyers. They are seeking a court injunction reversing the changes. The suit says the changes were written by the International Code Commission and adopted Dec. 31 by the state Department of Labor and Industry. The plaintiffs say that violates the state Constitution because the Legislature cannot delegate its lawmaking authority to a private person or group. They also say a state panel empowered to make recommendations to the governor on new codes did not have a chance to do so.

HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A man who coordinated Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign in a central Pennsylvania county has been fined $56 for taking 40 Obama campaign signs. Thirty-eight-year-old Michael Jennings, of Hollidaysburg, was fined Tuesday after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct. Jennings claims he took the signs in Blair County just before the November 2008 election because he claims they were illegally placed on PennDOT rights of way and because he claimed Democrats were stealing McCain signs. Blair County Democrats denied stealing McCain signs, but agreed to a plea bargain to drop a misdemeanor theft charge. In return, Jennings agreed to plead guilty to disorderly conduct, provided his fine was no more than the value of the signs, or $56.

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

Update on the latest in business

Dow: 10,389.88, down –213/27

S&P 500: 1,116.48, down 21.56

NASDAQ: 2,265.70, down –25.55

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama urges tougher U.S. regulations on banks, limiting the size and complexity of large financial institutions. His proposal would limit banks' ability to engage in high-risk trades.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is condemning a decision by the Supreme Court to roll back restrictions on campaign donations by corporations and unions. He says the administration will work with congressional leaders to devise what he calls a "forceful response" to the high court's action.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she lacks the votes to quickly move the Senate's sweeping health overhaul bill through the House. She is also signaling that advancing health legislation through Congress will likely be a lengthy process at best.

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

 Midday Big 4

     7-9-5-1

 Midday Number

     9-3-9

 Midday Quinto

     2-2-5-0-6

 Treasure Hunt

     10-11-15-19-26

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

Big 4 9-9-3-4

Cash 5 11-19-27-28-39

Daily Number 1-4-2

Evening Quinto 9-4-8-7-6

Midday Big 4 0-9-8-3

Midday Number 3-3-2

Midday Quinto 4-8-7-1-4

Powerball 15-32-43-44-46, Powerball: 19, Power Play: 4

Treasure Hunt 04-08-10-26-27

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

O’Brien strikes a deal

NEW YORK (AP) -- If Conan O'Brien is having a tough time swallowing losing the "Tonight Show" after about seven months, perhaps his $33 million dollar buyout will be like a heaping spoon full of sugar to help the medicine go down. O'Brien also got NBC to pay his staff $12 million in severance and O'Brien added to that with money from his own pocket. O'Brien's last show will be tomorrow night. Tom Hanks will be a guest, along with Will Ferrell who was O'Brien's first guest when he started the Tonight Show in June. O'Brien can start another TV job after September first. So far, his manager says they don't have any concrete offers yet. Jay Leno will return to the show he hosted for 17 years on March first.

YouTube sensation beauty queen on reality show

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Remember the beauty queen who became a YouTube sensation when she botched a question about why so many people can't identify the U.S. on a map? She was known as Lauren Caitlin Upton then. Now, she's dropped the Lauren, and as  Caitlin Upton she'll compete in the next "Amazing Race" with her boyfriend Brent Horne. The winner of "Big Brother 11," Jordan Lloyd, will team up with her boyfriend Jeff Schroeder. Bisexual actress Brando Snow and her girlfriend Carol Rosenfeld are also contestants. Two undercover detectives will work together and so will bull-riding brothers. The winners get $1 million. The new season starts February 14th.

Canadian celebs participate in benefit for Haiti
 

More bias in US against Muslims than other faiths

NEW YORK (AP) - A new survey shows Americans are more than twice as likely to express prejudice against Muslims than against Christians, Jews or Buddhists. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they have little or no knowledge of Islam. Still, a majority dislike the faith. In the poll, just over half of Americans said they felt no prejudice against Muslims. However, 43 percent acknowledged at least "a little" prejudice against Muslims, a significantly higher percentage than for the other four faiths in the survey. The analysis is from the Gallup World Religion Survey and is set to be released today. It's part of a project on finding ways to increase understanding between Americans and Muslims.

CONAN O'BRIEN

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (AP) - Tonight and tomorrow night could be Conan O'Brien's last as host of the "Tonight Show." There's been no official word yet and a severance deal hasn't been struck. But on last night's show, O'Brien joked that all the signs were there. He says he should have known something was up when the 2010 calendar he got for Christmas from NBC only ran through January. O'Brien notes his ratings have jumped by 50 percent since all the fuss started. He says NBC execs told him that's further proof he doesn't belong on the network.

LENO - LETTERMAN

UNDATED (AP) - Things are getting nasty in late night. David Letterman has been ripping into Jay Leno. But, last night, it was Leno's turn. Leno asked band leader Kevin Eubanks, "What's the best way to get Letterman to ignore you?" The answer, "Marry him." And, on his show last night, Letterman said Leno would have to work out on "the Chinmaster" to get in shape to return to the "Tonight Show."

Michelle Obama-Tourists

WASHINGTON (AP) - White House tourists got a surprise Wednesday. None other than first lady Michelle Obama showed up as their greeter to mark the end of Barack Obama's first year as president. Mrs. Obama brought the family dog, Bo, to the Blue Room. She chatted with guests and hugged many of them as they filed in. The Obamas began the presidency with a promise to open the White House to more visitors. The White House says more than 614,000 guests visited in the first year. That figure includes tourists, participants in the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn, and the spring and fall garden tours.