Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Harclerode pleads guilty to sex with minor

LEWISBURG – Former Bucknell University professor, 74-year-old Jack Harclerode, pleaded guilty today to eleven counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.  Harclerode agreed to the deal after a two hour hearing in Union County Court. The plea involves three years of indecent contact in the 1990’s involving a Milton boy who was under 16 when the incidents began.

Harclerode will face 5-10 years in jail.  The victim was not present in court.  Union County District Attorney Pete Johnson says the Commonwealth is pleased with the maximum 10 year sentence and that a plea agreement has been reached so that the victim could avoid testifying and seeing Harclerode in court. 

In exchange for the guilty plea, Harclerode will not be able to withdraw the plea unless he can demonstrate that someone coerced him into pleading guilty.  Harclerode was recently found guilty on counts of having child pornography on his computer.  He will be resentenced for that when he is sentenced for this case. 

He is in jail currently for a case in Columbia County where he is accused of touching another boy inappropriately.  He was sentenced to up to 30 months in prison for that incident, and his Union County sentence will run consecutive to the one he is currently serving.  

Shamokin Dam officials support sports park

SHAMOKIN DAM – The Shamokin Dam borough officials say they support plans to develop a tract of land along the west bank of the Susquehanna River for a “Sports Park.”  The land is located within the Shamokin Dam borough near the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge. 

SEDA-COG has studied the use and potential of the area surrounding Lake Augusta and devised a potential plan for the “Sports Park” which would include a boat house for rowers, river access, reconstruction of a portion of the canal and a visitor’s center and park. 

Borough officials in Shamokin Dam says they support the efforts of State Representative Merle Phillips (R-108^th, Sunbury) for the acquisition and development of the land as an addition to the Shikellamy State Park.

The next step is to form a joint planning committee of elected officials and representatives from Shamokin Dam, SEDA-COG and others to being and guide the planning and development of the land.  (Ali Stevens)

Plant to close their doors in New Columbia

NEW COLUMBIA – A factory that produces steel joists used on large buildings will be closing their doors, leaving about 200 people without a job.  Due to decreasing sales, CMC Joist and Deck will close in the next three months.

The parent company of the New Columbia factory made the announcement Friday that they will not longer produce joist and deck products and will close approximately 15 plants, including the one in New Columbia.  A date for closure has not been announced.  (Ali Stevens)

Trevorton man charged with sexual assault

SUNBURY – A Trevorton man has been charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy.  69-year-old Willett Earnest is charged with numerous counts for allegedly allowing the boy to drive his car to convince him to engage in sex acts.  Earnest reportedly tried to assault the boy and touched him inappropriately, but the boy was able to fight him off. 

Earnest was arraigned last month and sent to the Northumberland County Prison, but is now free on bail and waived all charges against him onto court last week.  Police say Earnest assaulted the boy at his home on December 27^th.  (Ali Stevens)

Shik star is a 1,000 pointer

SUNBURY – Shikellamy High School’s Kelly Bickel scored her 1,000^th career point Tuesday night.  Bickel helped her team beat Midd West 56 to 31 in the District Four Class AAA (triple A) semifinal.  The Shikellamy High School girls now advance to the state tournament for the first time in their careers.  Bickel says she was well rested for the big game and was ready to get 1,000 points. 

And what are Bickel’s plans for the future when she graduates this spring? Bickel hopes to go to Lock Haven University and continue playing basketball.  Next up, the top-seeded Braves will meet the winner of tonight’s game (Wednesday’s game winner) between Shamokin and Mifflinburg.  The state tournament begins March 12^th.  (Ali Stevens)

State Rep candidate holds meet and greet

MIFFLINBURG – A Republican running for state representative in the 85^th district seat is holding an event Thursday in Mifflinburg.  Public accountant and small business owner Maurice Brubaker is holding the meet and greet and petition signing from 6:00-8:30p.m. at the Carriage Corner Restaurant. 

All are invited.  Brubaker is making a run for the seat held by retiring State Representative Russ Fairchild (R-85^th, Winfield), along with Republicans Betsy Snook and Fred Keller, and Democrat Trey Casimir. 

Chamber: Expect good news soon on I-80 tolling

MILTON – The Central Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce says a decision will come soon on I-80 tolling and they believe it will be good news for the Central Susquehanna Valley. Maria Culp is president and CEO of the chamber and says when you go back and you look at the requirements of the program that PennDOT and the turnpike commission applied to, none of those conditions are met with this application.

Culp adds that the fact the application has already been rejected twice bodes well for it to be rejected again. When it comes to the governor using proceeds from I-80 tolls, which don’t yet exist, in his proposed budget, Culp says a lot of what the governor proposed in recent budgets didn’t pan out.

She adds that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh mass transit is saying they will have millions of dollars in deficit if I-80 isn’t tolled, but our area doesn’t have mass transit and we shouldn’t have to pay for problems in the big cities. Culp says there hasn’t been a lot of information forthcoming on when the decision will be made, but it is expected to come sometime this month. (Ali Stevens)

Leaders of Elijah’s Bowl will soon be honored

SUNBURY – The 2010 Sunbury Citizen of the Year honor will be awarded year to a couple who has been helping to run Elijah's Bowl in Sunbury for nearly 20-years. The award, from the Sunbury Rotary Club, will be given to Connie and Steve Lenig. They have chaired Elijah's Bowl at the First Presbyterian Church since 1991.

Each week, the free soup kitchen and food distribution program serves more than 100 individuals including many children. A hot, nutritious meal, and donated food, is made available to any family or person interested.

The Lenig’s will receive their honor at the Sunbury Citizen of the Year award ceremony March 25th at the Edison in Sunbury. The public can attend by making a reservation with the Sunbury Rotary Club. Rotary recently began presenting the award after the American Legion Post in Sunbury founded the award.

Three will be charged with retail theft

LEWISBURG – Three men will be charged for taking audio equipment and a gardening tool from a local retail store. State troopers charged 23-year-old Ivan Valentin of Mifflintown, 23-year-old Damian Rivera of Selinsgrove and 18-year-old Hector Montanez of Selinsgrove.

The three men face retail theft and other misdemeanors after allegedly leaving the Lewisburg area Wal-Mart without paying for items worth close to $250. They were caught Monday afternoon at about 2:00 p.m. (Matt Farrand)

$1.5 million could expedite education center design

SUNBURY – How quickly a portion of the Shikellamy State Park Marina can be turned into an environmental education center may hinge on a midweek decision by Governor Ed Rendell. DCNR Chief Engineer Gene Comoss is optimistic that the governor will announce an additional $1.5 million in state spending, speeding up the renovation of an underused building.

Comoss says the long-talked-of education center will prove valuable to high schools, and local universities involved in river research. Supporters hope the additional money can be used to complete the design phase of the project this year, allowing work on research, education and conference facilities to start in 2011. Comoss credits local officials for drawing attention to the project that would cost a total of $4 million. (Matt Farrand)

Burglars ransack Sunbury area home

SUNBURY – State troopers at Stonington are appealing to the public for help in figuring out who broke into a home in Upper Augusta Township and stole several items, including a firearm and ammunition. Burglars also ransacked the home along Mile Post Road after apparently gaining entry by prying open a rear patio door.

The break-in happened between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Cash, gold chains, jewelry, and a six-inch hunting knife were taken in addition to a Winchester 1300 12-gauge shotgun. State Police at Stonington request a call to 286-5601 if you have information. (Matt Farrand)

CF organization busy helping

LEWISBURG – Cystic Fibrosis affects a minority of the population, about 70,000 people worldwide, 30,000 people in the United States, and 1,000 in Pennsylvania, but the genetic disease that affects the respiratory and digestive systems can be fatal.

Bob Derr is the founder of Pennsylvania Cystic Fibrosis Inc, based in Mifflinburg, which provides support and services to individuals and families in the state affected by CF. Derr says the nonprofit, all volunteer organization also allocates research funds to some of the best CF research projects in the country.

Recently, over $14,000 was raised at the annual Mike & Dot’s Chili Cookoff in Mifflinburg for Pennsylvania Cystic Fibrosis Inc. A portion of the money will also go to the Ashley Angel’s Transplant Fund, started for Sunbury teenager Ashley Spotts who suffers from CF, and recently got a lung transplant.

Another fundraiser for Ashley will be held Saturday at the Masonic Hall in Sunbury from 4:00p.m.-7:00p.m.. There will be a ham pot pie dinner and a puppet show by Kingdom Kidz. Tickets are $7.00 for those ages 10 and up, $4.00 for those ages 4-9, and free for kids 3 and under. For more on this and other events of Pennsylvania Cystic Fibrosis Inc go online to www.pacfi.org. (Sara Bartlett)

Clausi fires back at local attorney and deputies

SUNBURY – Northumberland County Commissioner Vinny Clausi has filed a countersuit against Northumberland Attorney Gregory Stuck and former sheriff’s deputies Joe Jones and Michael Boris. Clausi says the multimillion dollar suit is the result of a ‘frivolous and baseless lawsuit’ the three defendants filed against him in January claiming that the Commissioner made defamatory remarks against the sheriff’s department.

The lawsuits stem from incidents of pornography found on computers in the Northumberland County sheriff’s department. Clausi alleged that pornography was viewed under the computer log-in names of Jones and Boris, but never claimed that they were the ones who were looking at it.

A suit filed by Stuck claims that Clausi did accuse and defame the two deputies, who were recently fired. Clausi says the Stuck suit was filed ‘solely to embarrass and humiliate him and the taxpayers of Northumberland County.’ He tells us his countersuit is funded with his own money, and he is seeking $3 million in damages from the defendants.

Local postmaster supports curtailing Saturday delivery

SELINSGROVE – The U.S. Postal Service is increasing the pressure for dropping Saturday home delivery as it seeks to fend off massive financial losses. Selinsgrove Postmaster Mike Wolfberg, who is coming up on 30 years working for the postal service, offered his thoughts on changing from 6 to 5 delivery days a week.

Wolfberg says over the last couple of years, he has seen the mail volume drop drastically and like every other business out there, they have pretty much been asked to do more with less. He says he does support the plan to go from 6 to 5 days of delivery a week.

The agency was $297 million in the red in a period from October through December, which is usually its best season because of holiday mailings. Restructuring the way the post office runs is the plan, however, Wolfberg says this doesn’t mean that local post offices will close. He says they will be able to offer more services door to door for the customer’s convenience.

The Postal Service has previously proposed eliminating delivery six days a week, but got a cold reception in Congress. The renewed effort comes with a series of consultant reports supporting that idea, as well as other changes. (Ali Stevens/AP)

Suicide among military personnel

SUNBURY – One of the most alarming trends that the military is looking at now is the constant rise in suicide among active military personnel. John Deppen of Northumberland is an active historian and local advocate for veterans and was guest on our On The Mark Program talking about the growing problem of suicide in the military.

He says the most disturbing statistic that he’s seen recently is the fact that in January of 2010, more American soldiers committed suicide than were killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Deppen says that is a problem that absolutely must be addressed.

And what is being done to try and solve the problem? Deppen says the military has been making more of an effort to try and address the enormous stress that is produced by multiple deployments for many soldiers. He says those soldiers going through multiple deployments tend to be the ones involved in the suicide statistics.

Also the army recruiters are experiencing higher levels of suicides, due to the pressure of getting more volunteers to sign up. You can hear more from John Deppen from our Tuesday On The Mark program online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)

Central PA Chamber will soon have a new home in Milton

MILTON – The Central Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce will soon have a new home in Milton. Chamber president and CEO Maria Culp talks about their move later this month. Culp says this will be their first permanent home with a great location in Milton to service all their members.

Culp says they will be able to offer so much more in the new facility, including “Webinars” onsite, videoconferencing, more space for staff, office space for entrepreneurs and startup businesses and expansion of a partnership with Bucknell’s Small Business Development Center, with more conferences planned.

The chamber is getting ready to pack and are working on their new building at the Milton Industrial Park on Lawton Lane. Once renovations are complete, they hope to move in about three weeks. (Ali Stevens)

Up to 60 years in prison

MIDDLEBURG – It’s up to 60 years in prison for a Philadelphia man charged with killing a man from Snyder County. 27-year-old David Cannie Junior was sentenced Monday to 21 to 60-years behind bars for the shooting death of Steven Rodriguez in Monroe Township on May 11th. Police say Cannie shot Rodriquez twice, killing him in his apartment in Monroe Township.

Also charged in the case was 26-year-old Abdul Walker of Williamsport and 27-year-old Ibrahim Wells of Mill Hall. The three men went to Rodriguez’s apartment to confront him over a stolen pound of marijuana. Cannie admitted to the shooting death of Rodriquez and the other men involved were charged with lesser crimes. (Ali Stevens)

Fatal crash on Route 35

FREEBURG – A McAlisterville man was killed Tuesday morning in a crash along Route 35 south of Freeburg. Just after 4:15a.m. 28-year-old Joshua Gerber was driving south when his vehicle went into the northbound lane and struck a vehicle head-on driven by 30-year-old Brian Wileman of Port Royal. Snyder County Coroner Bruce Hummel pronounced Gerber dead at the scene.

Wileman was taken to Geisinger Medical Center with minor injuries. Assisting Selinsgrove State Police at the scene was Dauntless Hook & Ladder, Freeburg and Americus fire companies, as well as Snyder County District Attorney Michael Piecuch.

Aggravated assault in Shamokin

SHAMOKIN – An Overlook man is charged with aggravated assault after an incident Sunday night in Shamokin. 18-year-old Steven Moyer was arraigned Monday morning before District Judge John Gembic and sent to the Northumberland County Prison on charges including aggravated and simple assault, harassment and two counts of disorderly conduct.

Police say Moyer assaulted another man between 11:15 and 11:30 Sunday night at Pine and Franklin Streets. The victim is from Coal Township and was punched in the face multiple times and was treated in the emergency room at Shamokin Area Community Hospital and then transferred to Geisinger, where he underwent surgery to his broken jaw. The investigation continues. (Ali Stevens)

Latest Pennsylvania news, lottery, business and entertainment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A former campaign coordinator for Democrats in the Pennsylvania House says using the Legislature's taxpayer-supplied blast e-mail system saved his candidates more than $1 million.  Dan Wiedemer told jurors in the public corruption case of a former state lawmaker and three ex-aides that the blast e-mails were only part of the public resources commandeered to run elections while he served as executive director of the House Democratic Campaign Committee.  He says the election efforts in 2006 alone were also bolstered by more than 50 opposition research reports generated by state workers. Wiedemer says those types of reports can cost more than $2,500 apiece to purchase from private vendors.  Wiedemer is the latest witness to testify in the 4 1/2-week-old criminal trial of former Rep. Mike Veon and three former aides.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The late Rep. John Murtha is being honored by colleagues and other dignitaries at a Capitol Hill ceremony.  Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Defense Secretary Robert Gates are among those attending the event Wednesday in the Capitol.  The Pennsylvania Democrat was the powerful chairman of a defense appropriations panel. He died last month at age 77 after complications from gallbladder surgery.  Murtha was a former Marine who became a leading advocate for veterans on Capitol Hill and later an outspoken and influential critic of the Iraq War.  His opposition rattled many in Washington, where he enjoyed bipartisan respect for his work on military issues.  Murtha was an officer in the Marine Reserves in 1974 when he became the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress.

ALBION, Pa. (AP) - A western Pennsylvania man has gone to court over a borough's recent policy banning guns in some borough-owned buildings and on land containing wells feeding the public water system. Dan Galena, of East Springfield, has filed a private criminal complaint against the borough of Albion and local officials over the policy, which he says violates Pennsylvania's constitution and state law barring local governments from regulating firearms. The complaint was sent to the Erie County district attorney's office for review, and an official said Tuesday it had not yet reached the office. Council president Jerry Hall said last month officials were worried about people being injured by firearms. He said anyone coming into a posted building with a gun will not be arrested but merely asked to remove it.

NARBERTH, Pa. (AP) - Some suburban Philadelphia parents are trying to figure out how to respond to a lawsuit accusing their school district of using cameras in school-issued laptop computers to spy on students at home. About 150 people met at Narberth Borough Hall on Tuesday night to talk about trying to have a say in the litigation against the Lower Merion School district. Leaders say they fear it could cost the district millions and the matter should be resolved without a class-action lawsuit. Harriton High sophomore Blake Robbins accuses district employees of remotely activating the webcam on his laptop to photograph him. His attorney, Mark Haltzman, sought unsuccessfully to address the meeting. He says the family hopes the matter can be resolved quickly "with prompt disclosure" of pictures and other information captured by the webcams.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - More than a dozen states have formed an alliance to battle dismal college completion rates and figure out how to get more students to follow through and earn their diplomas. Stan Jones, Indiana's former commissioner for higher education, is leading efforts in 17 states, with about $12 million in startup money from several national nonprofits including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Jones founded the nonprofit Complete College America last year and says about one in every two Americans who start colleges don't finish. The campaign's goal: Make sure 60 percent of adults between the ages of 25 and 35 hold an associate or bachelor's degree by 2020, up from the 38 percent that now claim this status. States participating include Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Police in Harrisburg are now ticketing motorists under a city cell-phone ban. Harrisburg police began enforcing the ban on hand-held cell phone use behind the wheel on Monday. Fines start at $100 for the first offense and top out at $1,000 for the fourth and subsequent violations. Harrisburg police Chief Pierre Ritter says signs will not be posted advising motorists of the ban so officers will use discretion when dealing with out-of-towners. Police issued about 200 warnings in February as they prepared to enforce the ban.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A new poll shows Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter now leads conservative Pat Toomey, the Republican challenger who drove Specter out of the GOP last April. The Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday reflects a significant change in a hypothetical general-election matchup that had been tied since last summer. The survey shows the fifth-term Specter leading, 49 to 42 percent. It also says Specter maintains a decisive lead over Rep. Joe Sestak in the May 18 Democratic primary. Toomey nearly beat Specter in the 2004 GOP primary and is considered the front-runner for the nomination this year. The telephone poll of 1,452 Pennsylvanians was conducted during the week that ended Sunday. The sampling error margin is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

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

Updates on the latest in business

Dow: 10,402.88, down –3.10

S&P 500: 1,119.12,  up .81

NASDAQ: 2,280.15, down -.64

WASHINGTON (AP) - The economy is growing even though harsh snowstorms crimped activity in some parts of the country last month. A new survey by the Federal Reserve says that "economic conditions continued to expand," but not at a strong enough pace to persuade companies to ramp up hiring.

NEW YORK (AP) - An upbeat report on services industries and more takeover news are boosting stocks for a fourth day. Wall Street also is buoyed by news that debt-ridden Greece made major budget cuts. Investors have worried that Greece's problems would spill over to other economies.

NEW YORK (AP) - Jobs remain hard to find even though a report by a private trade group says growth in the service sector accelerated in February to its fastest pace in more than two years. The Labor Department is expected to report on Friday that the unemployment rate edged up to 9.8 percent last month.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Prime Minister George Papandreou says he would go the International Monetary Fund to help his debt-ridden country as a last resort. He says he would seek IMF help if Greece's European partners fail to provide practical support after deep spending cuts. Greece announced $6.5 billion in cuts today.

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

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

Daily Number: 0-7-9

Big 4: 5-5-7-3

Quinto: 3-5-3-5-6

Treasure Hunt: 03-12-20-23-27

Burt Reynolds released from hospital after bypass

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - Burt Reynolds' manager says the actor has been released from a Florida hospital after a planned heart bypass operation.  Erik Kritzer said in a statement Wednesday that Reynolds had been scheduled for the operation for over a month.  Kritzer said Reynolds went into the hospital on Monday and was discharged Tuesday.  Kritzer says the star of "Smokey and the Bandit," "Deliverance" and "Boogie Nights" told him that he has "a great motor with brand new pipes" and is "feeling great."  Last year, Reynolds spent time in a Florida rehab center after treatment for painkiller abuse following back surgery.  Reynolds is 74.

SNL 'presidents' gather for Web video summit

NEW YORK (AP) - The comedians who played presidents on "Saturday Night Live" have gathered for a comedic summit in a new Web video on FunnyOrDie.com.  The video, posted Wednesday, stars Fred Armisen as President Barack Obama. During the night, he is visited by the ghosts of presidents past, who urge him to push for financial reform.  Will Ferrell reprises his President George W. Bush, Darrell Hammond plays President Bill Clinton, Dana Carvey returns as President George H.W. Bush, Dan Aykroyd plays President Jimmy Carter and Chevy Chase returns as President Gerald Ford.  Jim Carrey, the lone comedian not a veteran of "SNL," appears as Ronald Reagan.  The video, directed by Ron Howard, was made in association with Americans for Financial Reform, a pro-regulation coalition of labor and consumer activists.

Romney jokes that airplane spat 'broke my hair'

NEW YORK (AP) - Mitt Romney says a recent airplane scuffle with a rap star "broke my hair. " The 2008 Republican presidential contender joked about the confrontation Tuesday on the "Late Show with David Letterman."  Romney says rapper Sky Blu ignored the instruction "we've all heard 10,000 times" to put his seat back upright, so the former Massachusetts governor "tapped him on the shoulder and reminded him of that direction."  Blu is a member of LMFAO and the grandson of Motown founder Berry Gordy. His real name is Skyler Gordy. He says Romney clasped him with a "Vulcan grip" on the Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Los Angeles, so he reacted instinctively by lashing back at him.  The highly gelled Romney says: "He gave a good swat - and broke my hair."  Romney also says he'll "keep the door open" to another run in 2012. And he calls potential rival Sarah Palin "terrific."

DC churches schedule same-sex weddings

WASHINGTON (AP) - Some churches in Washington D.C. are scheduling weddings for gay and lesbian couples now that same-sex marriage has become legal in the nation's capital. The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block the law from taking effect, freeing the city to issue its first marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Couples must then wait three full business days for their licenses before exchanging vows. The senior minister of Washington's All Souls Unitarian Church, the Rev. Robert Hardies, says his phone is "ringing off the hook" with gay and lesbian couples asking to schedule weddings. Hardies says he'll perform a same-sex wedding next Tuesday and another on the following Sunday, with more sure to follow. He's one of 200 local pastors who supported legalizing same-sex marriage. Other pastors failed to convince city officials and the courts that voters should decide the issue.

GRASS CLASH

ORANGE, Calif. (AP) - A California couple is in trouble over their grass -- or rather the lack of it. Quan Ha has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of violating the Orange city code. Ha and his wife replaced their grass with wood chips in 2008. They just had a baby and say they were thinking about the future. Southern California cities people for overwatering their lawns. And the Has say they figured eliminating the grass was the right thing to do. Code enforcement officials charge the couple hasn't maintained the required live landscaping over 40 percent of the yard.

BLAME YOUR MATTRESS

UNDATED (AP) - Blame it on your mattress. A poll finds nearly a third of people asked say they've been late to work or school because they were tossing and turning the night before. A bad night's sleep could also get you in trouble on the job. About 10 percent blame a bad mattress for snapping at a boss, while 8 percent said they've secretly napped at work. Sure, a new mattress can be expensive. But the poll finds a third of those asked say they would buy a new mattress if they thought it would improve their sex life. The random telephone survey of about 1,000 Americans was conducted by the market research firm Harris Interactive.

New Zealand-Fast Food Diet

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - Weight Watchers has given its seal of approval to some McDonald's items -- including Filet-O-Fish and Chicken McNuggets. But so far at least, it appears to apply only in New Zealand. The Weight Watchers director for New Zealand and Australia says the idea is to show that "you can enjoy life ... while still achieving your weight loss goals." Filet-O-Fish, Chicken McNuggets and Sweet Chilli Seared Chicken Wrap will be worth 6.5 points each under the Weight Watchers program. The senior adviser to the Australian Obesity Policy Coalition says what it's all about is sales. She says it implies that such food, which is often high in fat and salt, is healthy. McDonald's New Zealand says it knows of no plans to expand the partnership to other countries.