Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Commissioners ask for spending specifics

SUNBURY – Northumberland County Commissioner Vinny Clausi found a new ally Tuesday when the Commissioners asked the county attorney to get detailed credit card receipts from the county courts and the county probation department.  Clausi wants to see how the probation department is spending tens of thousands of dollars in Act 35 money, which are defendants’ funds from fines levied by the court system.  The courts will only disclosed the total, not what the money was used for. 

Commissioner Kurt Masser agreed with Clausi, saying that specific purchasers should be made public.  The court administrator said they will comply on a few conditions.  Those are that, the commissioner’s attorney makes the request for the receipts, the information doesn’t violate privacy, the information adheres to appropriate separation of county powers, and that it doesn’t compromise the court function.  Clausi says he’s being trying for a while to get the actual credit card receipts, but he has always been denied that request.

Millville man accused of sexually assaulting young girl

MILLVILLE – A Columbia County man is in jail after allegedly having sexual contact with a young girl.  71-year-old Paul Moser, of Millville, was arraigned Tuesday on charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors.  Police say Moser was involved in sexual contact with a girl at his home when she was between the ages of six and eight-years-old.  The girl is now 12-years-old.  Bail was set at $30,000 for Moser, and he will have a preliminary hearing before District Judge Ola Stackhouse next week. (Sara Bartlett) 

Simulation brings poverty to life

LEWISBURG – Stressed, hungry, overwhelmed and lonely were just a few of the words that described the way people felt after the Union-Snyder Community Action Agency held their second annual poverty simulation in Lewisburg.  About 30 people participated, acting as part of families of different income levels.  A month was played out in four 12-minute segments, where families had to get their children to school, go to jobs and grocery shop.  Dave Drezner, of Williamsport, played a 20-year-old single mom trying to raise a family while attending college.  Drezner says the simulation really changes the perspective of poverty and the working poor.  Lauren Scholl of Selinsgrove, who played a 25-year-old on welfare, says paying bills was the was the toughest thing, and sometimes her family had to choose between paying electric bills and eating.

Harry Adrian is the Executive Director of the Community Action Agency and hailed the simulation as a success.  He said participants could really see how it’s difficult to get motivated and reach goals when you are struggling to live day to day.  The Community Action Agency will hold their next poverty simulation in Selinsgrove on Thursday, May 14^th.  It will be a daylong event at Saint Pius X.  For more information you can call 374-0181. (Sara Bartlett) 

A fifth full-time officer is finally hired in the borough of Selinsgrove

SELINSGROVE – The position of a 5^th full-time officer in Selinsgrove has finally been filled, after a yearlong wait.  Borough council approved the hiring of Enoch Powell as a full-time officer.  Powell has been working as a part-time officer in the borough for 2 ½ years, so he won’t need to go through additional training.  Police Chief Tom Garlock says he is pleased that the position is finally filled, saying additional help has been needed for a considerable period of time.  The borough may also have an additional officer in place next year, if funding from the COPS Hiring Recovery Program comes through after the borough applied for the funds.  (Ali Stevens)

Jail time for a man charged with killing his neighbor’s cats with antifreeze

BERWICK – A Berwick man was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of killing more than a dozen of his neighbor’s cats using antifreeze.  The Press Enterprise reports 27-year-old Franklin Snyder said he wasn’t proud of poisoning the 17 cats by pouring antifreeze on their food.  Snyder says the neighbor’s cats were damaging his property in Berwick and no one would respond to his requests for help.  However, animal control officer Kathy Barrett claims Snyder never contacted her about the problem cats. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail.  (Ali Stevens)

Governor Ed Rendell talks about the idea of consolidating school districts

HERSHEY – Governor Ed Rendell answered a variety of questions as a guest speaker at the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcaster’s Convention in Hershey on Monday.  One question was about the plan to consolidate Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts into approximately 100 districts.  Governor Rendell says he supports the idea in an effort to cut costs.  Rendell says consolidating school districts doesn’t always mean consolidating schools.  He says there are so many duplicate services rendering significant costs that need to be whittled down. 

Governor Rendell says he is not necessarily advocating that we get down to one school district per county, but says some other states have that system and it works well for them with lower costs.  He adds that having so many Intermediate Units in the state is very expensive and he would like to eliminate that system.  (Ali Stevens)

Arlen Specter hopes to be chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee

Senator Arlen Specter was a guest speaker at the annual Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Convention held in Hershey Monday.  Specter fielded a number of questions about his decision to switch from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party and his strong beliefs in stem cell research.  He was also asked, how he felt his chances were for becoming chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  Specter says the prospects are pretty good since he’s retained his seniority under an agreement he made with Senator Harry Reid, if he is elected as a Democrat.

SUV lands in a creek after a crash on Irish Valley Road

PAXINOS – A 19-year-old escaped injuries after a crash Monday morning on Irish Valley Road in the Paxinos area. Chanae Kohan of Shamokin was heading south on Irish Valley Road, near Route 61 around 11 a.m. when she lost control of her SUV on a curve and traveled down an embankment into a small creek.

A passenger in the vehicle, Mark Staner of Shamokin, was not injured either. Motorists witnessing the accident called 911. Elysburg, Overlook and Stonington crews responded to the scene. (Ali Stevens)

Theft charges after bank error

BLOOMSBURG – A Bloomsburg woman has plead guilty to theft after a banking error led to over $100,000 being deposited into her banking account. In January, 36-year-old Melissa Pratt reportedly deposited a check for about $1,700 in her account, and it showed up as about $177,000.

Pratt and her husband, 50-year-old Randy Pratt, then used the money to make purchases, and were eventually traced after purchasing a home in Florida. Melissa Pratt plead guilty Monday in Columbia County Court. Randy Pratt also faces charges, but has not yet been in court. (Sara Bartlett)

Credit card Bill of Rights heads for Senate

WASHINGTON, DC – The Credit Card Holders Bill of Rights is now in the US Senate, having been passed by the House last week. It contains an amendment co-written by Congressman Chris Carney (D-10th, Dimock) that would give responsible consumers leverage against issuers.

Carney says infrequent users of credit cards sometimes have their accounts cancelled without notice, as companies find them less profitable. The amendment would require issuers to give holders 30-days notice before cancellation , and would have to clarify the potential negative impact on a credit rating if an account is cancelled.

Some consumers find lower credit scores and difficulty finding new credit often follow credit card cancellation. However, Carney says troubles be avoided if a cardholder personally chooses to close an account. The amendment to the bill was co-written with California Democrat Susan Davis. (Matt Farrand)

Five candidates for borough council start campaign to target Democrats

NORTHUMBERLAND – Five Northumberland residents on the Republican ticket for Borough Council have gotten together and asked Democrats to write-in their names during the primary election. Jim Hartman, Interim President of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, says he, along with four others who have never been on council, can bring a change to the county.

Hartman says is personal motivation is to bring his experience to council. Dan Perna, an Educational Consultant in Shamokin Dam, is also running and reaching out to Democrats in the borough. He says the write-in idea gives Democrats in a mostly Republican borough a chance to voice their opinions.

Flyers are being handed out in the borough featuring pictures of both Harman and Perna, along with Independent Consultant Adam Klock, Supervisor at UGI-PNG, Stephen Reed, and Service Technician at Penn Natural Gas, T.G. Fasold, urging Democrats for their write-in vote.

No Democrats filed their name for the position. Also running on the Republican side is current council members John Reese and Frank Wetzel, as well as former member Greg Carl. There are four 4-year seats open and one 2-year seat open for borough council in Northumberland. (Sara Bartlett)

Fireman’s Fair brings in $22,000

SUNBURY – Saturday’s Fireman’s Fair in Sunbury brought in nearly $22,000 for the city’s six fire companies and fire police. Treasurer of the Fair Committee, Dan Satxon, says despite cooler weather, they did have a good turnout in Cameron Park. Saxton thanked those in attendance, businesses and volunteers for their help.

Adding to the $22,000 total will be money raised from their basket bingo fundraiser and the Mustang giveaway. A brand new red Mustang was raffled off courtesy of Sunbury Motors. The winner was Clifford Adams of Hawley, PA. (Sara Bartlett)

Jury selection postponed for Jack Harclerode

LEWISBURG – There will be a delay before Judge Louise Knight hears the latest sex charges against a retired Bucknell University professor. Officials with Union County Court say the matter was postponed Monday, and a new date for jury selection has not been set.

The defense for Jack Harclerode says publicity surrounding a pending appeal of a child pornography conviction could make it tougher to find enough impartial jurors to hear the current case against him. The current allegations are that Harclerode repeatedly had inappropriate contact with a juvenile boy in his university office between 1992 and 1995.

Attorney Peter Campana is representing Harclerode in both matters concerning the 73-year old. He says there is a hearing regarding the appeal scheduled for May 19th. In March, Harclerode was sentenced to up to 13 years in prison for possession of child pornography. In that trial, he had waived his right to a jury. He is currently serving up to 30-months in state prison for sexually assaulting a young boy at a Columbia County campground in 2006. (WKOK)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Eastern box turtle is a step closer to being named Pennsylvania's official state reptile, a campaign launched by a suburban Philadelphia elementary school class. Students from Glenside Elementary School were on hand Tuesday to see the state House of Representatives pass 177 to 17. It was sent to the state Senate.  Senator Gene Yaw’s (R-23^rd, Williamsport)  effort failed to table the measure until after the budget passed so the Eastern timber rattlesnake could be considered as the state reptile.  The students lobbied for the turtle because its numbers are declining as habitat shrinks and they are harmed by pollution, vehicles, predators and other factors.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee says Tom Ridge may challenge Sen. Arlen Specter's bid for a sixth term in Pennsylvania.  Texas Sen. John Cornyn confirmed to an Associated Press reporter Tuesday that Ridge is considering mounting a campaign for the GOP nomination next year.  Ridge is one of Pennsylvania's best-known politicians. He was a congressman from Erie before he was elected to the first of two terms as governor in 1994. Ridge left the governorship when President George W. Bush tapped him as the nation's first homeland security chief following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Specter announced last month that he was switching from Republican to Democrat because the GOP had become too conservative and he felt he was unlikely to win the nomination for re-election.     

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pennsylvania health officials say they are investigating 15 probable swine flu cases statewide, while only one case remains confirmed.  State health officials said, as of late Tuesday afternoon, they are investigating five possible cases in Philadelphia, two each in Montgomery and Bucks counties, and one each in Allegheny, Chester, Franklin, Lycoming, Luzerne and York counties.  The state's single confirmed case of swine flu was reported Sunday. The 31-year-old man in suburban Philadelphia's Montgomery County had recently arrived from Mexico but had recovered.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state Supreme Court has set a June 1 deadline for juveniles affected by an alleged kids-for-cash scheme set up by a pair of former northeastern Pennsylvania judges.  The Pennsylvania Supreme Court says eligible juveniles or their representatives have until that date to file written requests for copies of records that will be expunged by the court.  In March the court ordered the records of about 800 juveniles be cleared after former Luzerne County judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan pleaded guilty to fraud. Prosecutors say they took more than $2 million in kickbacks from private juvenile detention centers.  Ciavarella and Conahan face several civil suits. Additional cases could be vacated by a Berks County court judge in charge of reviewing their work.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A new poll shows Sen. Arlen Specter probably boosted his re-election prospects by switching from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party. But the poll also shows a well-known GOP nominee such as Tom Ridge could give Specter a run for his money. When he switched parties last month, Specter said his prospects of beating conservative Pat Toomey in next year's primary were bleak. The survey by Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University showed Specter the Democrat would handily defeat Toomey if he were the GOP nominee and the general election were held today. But the poll says a showdown between Specter and former governor and homeland security secretary Ridge would be a virtual tie. Ridge had not commented publicly on whether or not he is interested in running for Senate.

IRVING, Texas (AP) - The company that built the Dallas Cowboys' training facility says the roof that collapsed over the weekend had been replaced last year. Summit Structures said Monday that proper engineering practices were used when the $4 million facility was built in 2003 and when the roof was replaced. Summit president Nathan Stobbe says he's in Irving working with team and local officials to assess what he called a "severe weather event." The tent like practice facility collapsed Saturday, injuring 12, including a scouting assistant who was permanently paralyzed. The Allentown, Pa., company's statement said few answers about precisely what happened Saturday are available so far.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The head of a Philadelphia museum says its sample of Abraham Lincoln's blood may get DNA testing, but some questions must be answered first. The 16th president's blood is on a strip of a pillowcase in the collection of the Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library, which is in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia. John Sotos, a cardiologist, believes Lincoln had a rare genetic disorder and wants the DNA test to prove his hypothesis. The museum's board met Monday night and rejected Sotos' request to test the artifact. Board President Eric Schmincke says more questions need to be answered about how the artifact will be treated. He says it's possible that testing will be overseen by the National Museum of Health and Medicine.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell says the state budget favored by Pennsylvania Senate Republicans would devastate school districts. Rendell says aid to school districts needs to be adjusted for inflation. The Democratic governor says limiting the aid to this year's level could lead to higher property taxes and teacher layoffs. Republicans say their budget proposal is appropriate to the times and reflects the money that's available. The Senate Republicans' $27.3 billion budget plan that would hold overall spending to slightly less than this year's level while avoiding tax increases. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted along a straight party line Monday to send the plan to the Senate floor. Leaders of the Republican majority said they anticipate final Senate approval as early as Wednesday.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Update on the latest in business

DOW: 8387.95, down –38.79

S&P 500: 903.22, down –4.02

NASDAQ: 1,752.99, down –10.57

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is offering a bit of optimism regarding the economic outlook. He tells a congressional panel that the economy should start growing again later this year.

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico has unveiled steps aimed at jump starting economy hurt by swine flu. Mexico's Finance Secretary announced a $1.3 billion stimulus package, mostly for small businesses and tourism.

DALLAS (AP) - Southwest Airlines says it has reached a tentative agreement that gives pay raises to customer-service employees. The carrier didn't say how much the raises are. The four-year contract covers about 5,300 of Southwest's 35,000 employees.

UNDATED (AP) - D.R. Horton's chief executive says smaller, more affordable homes are selling well in some areas and will bring higher profits to the nation's largest home builder. CEO Donald Tomnitz says smaller homes are cheaper to build and attract first-time buyers because they are priced competitively with foreclosures.

OIL PRICES Crude rises above $54

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A report pointing to increasing energy demand in China is credited for lifting oil above $54 a barrel Monday. Benchmark crude for June delivery gained $1.27 to settle at $54.47 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after settling at $53.20 on Friday. China's monthly survey of purchasing managers for more than 700 manufacturers, a key indicator, rose to 53.5 in April from March's 52.4. Retail gasoline is nearly 43-percent cheaper now than it was last May. Natural gas is close to seven-year lows. People are already driving much less than they were last year, even when gasoline prices were soaring. Now fears of a flu pandemic may be affecting consumer travel, and that could pressure fuel prices further.

BERNANKE Bernanke likely to give less dour take on economy

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is set to give Congress an economic health update today. It's likely to contain information on recent improvements along with a warning that it'll be awhile, maybe years, before the economy gets back to normal. And members of Congress' Joint Economic Committee are likely to pepper Bernanke with tough questions about the Fed's multitrillion-dollar efforts to bust through credit clog and get banks lending more freely again to people and businesses. Lawmakers worry that the Fed's programs and bailouts will encourage companies to take excessive risks because Uncle Sam will clean up their messes. There's also concern among lawmakers that the Fed should disclose the identity of banks and investment firms that draw loans from its emergency lending program and what collateral they put up for them.

CHRYSLER-UAW UAW chief says union will sell its Chrysler stock

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) - The United Auto Workers union says it intends to sell off its 55-percent stake in the new Chrysler as soon as possible to help cover the trust fund that will be responsible for retiree health care as of next year. The total retiree health-care obligation is nearly $11 billion. That covers some 82,000 Chrysler retirees plus current workers who will eventually retire. Union President Ron Gettelfinger says the fund will be starting with $1.5 billion from an existing company health-care trust and will get $300 million from Chrysler next year. He says he's confident it will work out long term, but acknowledges that initially, the fund "will be on life support" and may have to further trim benefits. Dental and vision coverage have already been cut.

CRAIGSLIST-ATTORNEYS GENERAL State AGs to meet with Craigslist over sexual ads

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - State attorneys general from Missouri, Illinois and Connecticut plan to begin negotiations with Craigslist to eliminate ads they say are for illegal sexual activities. The three officials will represent a group of the nation's attorneys general today at a meeting in New York City with officials from the Internet classified ad service. Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster says investigators have found several ads offering sex-for-money in his state. The negotiations come amid national attention to online ads because a Boston medical student has been accused of killing a masseuse he met through Craigslist.

BOSTON GLOBE FUTURE Job guarantees cause impasse in Globe, union talks

BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Globe and its largest union say they plan to talk some more but negotiations have reached an impasse, largely over lifetime job guarantees. The 137-year-old newspaper says the guarantees have to end for the Globe to survive. The newspaper's owner, the New York Times Co., struck agreements with six of seven unions at the Globe in an effort to cut $20 million in annual costs. But talks stalled with the largest union, the Boston Newspaper Guild, which represents about 700 editorial, advertising and business employees. Globe management backed off - at least temporarily - on a threat to file a notice required by federal law to begin the process of shutting down the newspaper. Both sides said they would resume talks in coming days, but did not specify when. The guild said it had offered more than the $10 million in concessions demanded from it by the Times Co.

HAWAII-HOTEL OCCUPANCY Hotel occupancy rate falls in Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) - One industry expert describes the hotel business in Hawaii as "a pretty fast train, going the wrong way." The recession has pushed the vacation state's hotel occupancy rate down to the lowest level since monitoring began in 1987. It was just under 67 percent in March. That's down from more than 77 percent a year ago. Hospitality Advisors President Joseph Toy says "Everybody is hurting." He's looking for a "very soft summer" for Hawaiian tourism and thinks it will be the middle of next year before there's a sustained uptick. Hawaiian hotels, in the meantime, have cut room rates by an average of better than 16 percent, to $182 a day.

LEAD LAW-MOTORBIKES CPSC votes to delay law for ATVs

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Consumer Product Safety Commission will delay enforcement of a new anti-lead law as it pertains to the sale of youth ATVs and dirt bikes. The law has kept all-terrain vehicles and other motorbikes designed for children off showroom floors because some bike parts contain lead. The agency's two commissioners voted for the delay late Friday. The enforcement delay will be effective for two years, until May 1, 2011. The law was intended to keep lead away from young children by banning the metal, except in small amounts, from products for children who are 12 years and under. The bill passed Congress last year after a series of toy recalls because of lead paint.

EARNS-DR HORTON Builder narrows losses

UNDATED (AP) - Homebuilder D.R. reports narrowing its losses in the latest quarter. It dramatically reduced charges it had to take on falling land values and unsold homes. The Fort Worth, Texas-based company said it lost nearly $109 million, or 34 cents a share. That compares with a loss of $1.3 billion, or $4.14 a share, a year earlier. The results included $48 million in pretax charges for inventory and land. Homebuilding revenue fell 52 percent. Analysts had expected a loss of 30 cents a share.

CHINA-GM GM's China sales surge 50 pct to monthly record

SHANGHAI (AP) - General Motors says that sales in China soared 50 percent in April to a monthly record of 151,084 vehicles, thanks to strong demand for Buick brand cars and Wuling minivehicles. The company said in a statement that sales of the Buick Excelle sedan, a staple in GM's Shanghai-produced portfolio, more than doubled from a year ago to 22,078, the company said in a statement. Overall it said that Buick sales jumped 63.6 percent in April to 38,071 units. GM's minivehicle joint venture, SAIC-GM-Wuling, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Chinese government policies aimed at encouraging purchases of small cars and minivans. Wuling minivehicle sales surged 60.6 percent from a year earlier in April, to 95,544 units, it said. Vehicle sales in China so far this year have outpaced those in the U.S. If those trends continue, China would replace the U.S. as the world's biggest auto market.

INDIA-TATA NANO Tata sells 203,000 Nanos, makes $512 million

MUMBAI, India (AP) - India's Tata Motors says more 203,000 people bought its ultra-cheap Nano car during its initial two-week production run. It says that's yielded sales of 25 billion rupees, or $512 million. In a statement last night, Tata said it wants to express gratitude to the people of India for the "warm welcome." The Nano sales are significant considering just 1.5 million passengers cars were sold in India last year. The super-cheap Nano sells for a little over $2,000 for the base model and the price goes up when AC and power windows are added on. The Nano was envisioned as a transportation revolution for the developing world, putting cars within reach of many first-time buyers.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Pennsylvania Lottery numbers

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

 Daily Number

     4-6-5

 Big 4

     7-4-8-6

 Quinto

     1-9-6-4-5

 Treasure Hunt

     6-8-17-19-21

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

MONDAY NIGHT

Daily Number 8-1-0

Big 4 3-1-0-2

Quinto 5-0-7-2-5

MONDAY MIDDAY

Daily Number 1-5-9

Big 4 5-6-0-2

Quinto 6-6-7-7-0

Treasure Hunt 9-14-16-21-27

The winning numbers drawn Monday in the "mix & match" game were: 6-14-11-19-7.

The winning numbers drawn Monday in the "Pennsylvania Cash 5" game were: 13-19-25-31-36.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

DeLuise dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Blazing Saddles" fans will never forget Dom DeLuise directing the big musical number at the end of the film. Mel Brooks cast DeLuise in several of his movies. He was the voice of Pizza the Hutt in "Spaceballs." DeLuise also co-starred with his friend Burt Reynolds in "The Cannonball Run" and the sequel. DeLuise told AP Radio in 1993 that he hoped people would remember him as a nice guy. DeLuise died in his sleep after a long illness. He was 75.

No. 1 and No. 2 satisfy sizzling burger craving

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - It's like this: When you want a burger, you have to have a burger.  In this state of mind, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden took a short - but wholly noticeable - motorcade ride from the White House to Virginia and pulled into a small, independent burger joint called Ray's Hell Burger.  The two leaders went right up to the counter where the meat was being grilled and ordered.  Each fetched cash from his pocket and paid, and then the pair stood like the rest and waited for their number to be called before going to a table.  The restaurant, which prides itself on premium aged 10-ounce burgers, sits in a small strip plaza. The burgers sell for $6.95.

'Family Guy' spinoff gets added boost from Fox

Swine Flu-Fraud

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration says it has found at least 20 Web sites that may be fraudulently marketing products with claims they guard against or cure swine flu. The FDA on Monday publicly rebuked one such site - rebuildermedical.com - for offering a $199 "SilverCure Swine Flu Protection Pack" consisting of shampoo, lotion, conditioner and soap that supposedly deposit traces of silver. The FDA says no silver-based products have been approved for swine flu treatment or prevention. Alyson Saben, who heads a new FDA swine flu consumer fraud team, says Rebuildermedical will have 48 hours to take corrective action. A phone message and e-mail to Rebuildermedical were not immediately returned.

Surviving Swine Flu

NEW YORK (AP) - Hurricanes, plane crashes, tsunamis, and now, swine flu. The Spike television network says a swine-flu themed episode will be included in a new series called "Surviving Disaster." The series is expected to be on the air early next year. "Surviving Disaster" will offer tips on what to do should the unexpected happen. Cade Courtley, a former Navy SEAL, is host of the show. Spike spokeswoman Debra Fazio-Rutt says the network had been considering an episode on pandemics, and the current swine flu outbreak sealed the deal.

Lincoln's DNA

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The head of a Philadelphia museum says its sample of Abraham Lincoln's blood may get DNA testing, but some questions must be answered first. The 16th president's blood is on a strip of a pillowcase in the collection of the Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library. Cardiologist John Sotos believes Lincoln had a rare genetic disorder and wants the DNA test to prove his hypothesis. The museum's board met Monday night and rejected Sotos' request to test the pillowcase. Board President Eric Schmincke says more questions need to be answered about how the artifact will be treated. He says it's possible that testing will be overseen by the National Museum of Health and Medicine.