Sunday, July 11, 2010

Fire damages unoccupied Milton home

MILTON -- Firefighters from three counties were busy for about three hours Sunday morning as a house burned in Milton.  The Vine Street residence was not occupied at the time, and there were no apparent injuries among firefighters. 

Damage to the structure is still being assessed following the 12:30 a.m. call.  Fire companies from Milton, Lewisburg, Mifflinburg, Shamokin Dam and Northumberland were among those on hand. 

The fire was contained to the single family structure.  The residential fire follows fires at both an unoccupied warehouse on Mahoning Street nearly two weeks ago, and a fire four days later at the building contained Vogel's Cleaners on South Front Street.  (Matt Farrand) 

Service for Sudharman draws 200 to New Berlin

NEW BERLIN -- Scores of acquaintances, students and relatives filled the Integral Yoga Center Saturday to remember its slain founder.  70-year-old Swami Sudharman was found dead at the center nearly a week ago, and the weekend remembrance of the yoga master drew more than 200 to New Berlin.

Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way President and CEO Keri Albright spoke with Newsradio 1070 WKOK about the void his death leaves locally.  Albright practices yoga and says there was much more she wanted to learn from Sudharman, though in retrospect it may seem selfish.

33-year-old Joel Snider of St. Louis, Missouri is suspected of shooting Sudharman to death, and is currently jailed in Baltimore County, Maryland.  Extradition proceedings are ongoing, and he could be brought to the area within the week.  (Matt Farrand) 

A REAL update on Roundtable this weekend

SUNBURY – Roundtable this weekend goes on the road to Geisinger to find out about the Medical Center’s new REAL program. The program is designed to fight childhood obesity and stands for Recording, Eating, Activity and Lifestyle change.

The effort involves physicians, counselors, children and their families working together to make long-term lifestyle changes. The goal of the program is to reduce obesity immediately and alter eating habits for a lifetime.

You can hear Roundtable (Sunday) on Eagle 107 (107.3FM) at 6a.m., 100.9 (100.9FM), The Valley, at 6a.m., Newsradio 1070 WKOK (1070AM) at 9a.m., Talkradio 1380 WMLP (1380AM), 11a.m., 94KX WQKX (94.1FM) at 11p.m., and anytime, at www.wkok.com

SUV knocked over in Friday collision

WHITE DEER -- An out-of-state driver will be cited after failing to stop at a stop sign and colliding with a vehicle driven by a New Columbia woman.  State troopers say 30-year-old William Stollings of Texas ran the stop sign at SR 1011 and White Deer Pike, knocking an SUV driven by 38-year-old Heather Fisher onto its side.

Fisher was wearing a seat belt and was treated at the scene for a minor injury.  White Deer Fire and Rescue, Fire Police, Ambulance, and Warrior Run Ambulance responded to the 4:30 p.m. crash on Friday.  (Matt Farrand)

Three teens injured in Thursday night crash

EXCHANGE -- Three Turbotville juveniles were injured Thursday night in a single vehicle crash in Montour County's Anthony Township.  State troopers say the 17-year-old male driver was driving south along Gearhart Road and lost control of the vehicle on a curve near Horseshoe Bend Road. 

The car rolled onto its roof before coming to rest.  A 17-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were also in the vehicle, and sustained what were described as minor injuries in the 8:10 p.m. crash. 

The young driver and his passengers were taken to Geisinger Medical Center by Muncy Valley Medics.  (Matt Farrand)

I-80 bridge work expected to start this week

MONTOURSVILLE -- Interstate 80 commuters should note that work on the westbound bridge at Limestoneville in Northumberland County will start this week.  PennDOT says traffic will be down to a single lane during daylight hours near mile maker 215. 

Motorists are advised to slow down, and turn on their headlights when entering a work zone.  (Matt Farrand) 

Propane truck loses brakes, crashes

SHAMOKIN – We first told you with WKOK News Alert that Route 125 in East Cameron Township was closed for about four hours Friday afternoon. The road was closed after a truck carrying propane rolled over and struck a tree.

State troopers say they will continue to investigate, but the truck may have lost its brakes and its driver was unable to negotiate a curve while traveling downhill. 46-year-old Scott Wieand of Milton sustained minor injuries in the 4:00 p.m. crash, and was taken to Geisinger Medical Center via Area Ambulance. Troopers say charges may be filed pending results of their investigation. (Matt Farrand)

Democrat supports limited amnesty for illegal immigrants

SUNBURY – The divisive immigration issue came on our talkshow Friday and one man running for U. S. Senate says he is not in favor of Arizona controversial new law. Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7th, Media) is a Democrat running for the US Senate seat currently held by Democrat Arlen Specter, and was a phone guest on Friday's On The Mark program.

Sestak opposes the Arizona law that allows police to question the immigration status of people who are already suspected of other crimes, and supports a limited amnesty program proposed a few years ago by then-president Bush, and US Senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy. The retired naval officer says border patrol officers can use the images generated from unmanned aircraft to find people crossing the border with Mexico illegally.

Sestak's support of the replacement of General Stanley McChrystal as US leader in Afghanistan and extension of benefits for the long term unemployed were also among the topics covered. You can hear Friday's On The Mark program in its entirety online at www.wkok.com. (Matt Farrand)

The health of the Chesapeake Bay is improving

UNDATED – Water quality is improving along the Chesapeake Bay according to Chesapeake Bay Foundation president and CEO Will Baker, who was a recent guest on WKOK’s Leaders & Lawmakers program. Baker says underwater grasses have never been as abundant as they are now in the last 25 to 30 years.

He says blue crabs have rebounded in the last two years and the so called “dead zones,” which are parts of the bay that have very low dissolved oxygen, have been retreating. Also, there are some early signs that oysters may be developing a resistance to two toxins that had decimated their population.

However, Baker says there is still much work to be done. Baker says the Chesapeake is still a system dangerously out of balance. The bay area adds about 1.5-million new residents every decade, which means you have to work faster to keep the bay healthy.

Baker says we can do plenty to help the condition of the Susquehanna River, which dumps into the Chesapeake Bay. Something as simple as what you drive can make a difference in the health of the bay. You can hear more from Baker on the state of the Chesapeake Bay from a recent Leaders & Lawmakers program online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)

94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon will soon be here

SUNBURY – As the 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon draws closer, we will start to meet and preview the stories of some of the Miracle Children that will be featured during the three day event at the end of the month.

Chloe Dickson of Sunbury is 9-months-old and was born with Spina Bifida, a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings. She is now crawling and wearing braces on her feet so she will soon be able to stand.

However, Chloe still faces serious health challenges, living her life with one kidney and a very fragile spine. Her mother, Jessica is also balancing a busy schedule, taking care of Chloe’s health needs, while also raising her two other children, 7-year-old Trent and 5-year-old Savannah.

Jason Dickson says he wouldn’t change a thing because Chloe is their special little girl and they love her no matter what. Jessica Dickson says the Children’s Miracle Network is special to them because of the care they received for Chloe at the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital.

Find out more about Chloe Dickson and other area Miracle Children during the 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon, which will be held July 30th, and 31st and August 1st at the Susquehanna Valley Mall, to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Saturday will feature Ashley’s Auction at the mall with hundreds of items to bid on as part of the massive silent auction that raised more than $13,000 last year. There will also be a Princess and Pirate Party at the mall that day for all children to attend. Find out more about the 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon in the coming weeks here on WKOK. (Ali Stevens)

Roundtable this weekend goes on a ‘REAL’ diet

SUNBURY – Roundtable goes on the road to Geisinger this weekend as we find out about the Medical Center’s latest effort to combat childhood obesity. The REAL program stands for Recording, Eating, Activity and lifestyle change.

The effort involves physicians, counselors, children and their families working together to make long-term lifestyle changes. The goal of the program is to reduce obesity immediately and alter eating habits for a lifetime. You can hear Roundtable this weekend on WKOK and on www.wkok.com.

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Two men serving life prison terms are facing a new trial following the death of a man shot during a gas station robbery in western Pennsylvania more than three decades ago. Norman Schohn was left a paraplegic by the October 1976 shooting at the former Parkway Service Station in Pittsburgh. After he died in January, hospital doctors cited natural causes, but the Allegheny County medical examiner's office said an infection stemming from the shooting wound was to blame.   William Jackson Jr. and Donald Unger Jr. were both sentenced to life in the murder of 46-year-old station attendant Donald Wright and the shooting of Schohn, a customer. On Friday, they were in Municipal Court, where a judge ordered them to face new murder charges in the case.  Schohn's 62-year-old widow, Sally, says a conviction would mean closure for the family.

TOBYHANNA, Pa. (AP) - Authorities in eastern Pennsylvania say a car fleeing police crashed into a tree, killing a female passenger.  Lehigh Township Police Chief Kevin Froese says police from Wayne County had been pursuing the driver south on Interstate 380 and then to the Tobyhanna exit on Friday evening.  Pocono Mountain Regional Police were planning to lay down tire spikes, but the car turned off onto side roads. Froese says a township officer later found the car in flames after it crashed into a tree.  Regional police say 26-year-old Allison Strausser of Stroudsburg died while being transported to the medevac landing zone and was pronounced dead by the Monroe County coroner's office. The 32-year-old driver was freed from the vehicle and flown to a Scranton hospital, but officials said his injuries were not life-threatening.

DUBOIS, Pa. (AP) - Tuition is going up again at Penn State. The Board of Trustees has approved a tuition increase of 5.9 percent for freshmen and sophomores from Pennsylvania enrolled at the main University Park campus in State College. That represents an $800 increase per year to about $14,400. Tuition will rise 4.5 percent, or by roughly $1,100, for out-of-state freshmen and sophomores to more than $26,000 a year. University president Graham Spanier says the school is trying to keep tuition as low as possible despite rising costs and stagnant state funding. Trustees approved tuition and the university system's $4 billion budget at a meeting yesterday in DuBois. The budget includes modest faculty and staff pay raises following a salary freeze last year.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner says a newly signed bill does virtually nothing to improve the makeup of the 20-member board of the state's student-aid agency. Gov. Ed Rendell signed the bill yesterday; a day after Wagner asked him to veto it. Wagner had advocated for eight lawmakers on the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency's board to be replaced by top banking and economic development advisers to the governor, college and university leaders and a student. The bill calls for no more than four of the board's 16 legislators to be replaced by a non-legislator, and such an appointment can only be made if a legislator wants to leave. PHEAA has come under fire in recent years for its high executive salaries and spending on lavish board retreats.

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett says some Pennsylvanians would rather collect unemployment checks than go back to work. During a campaign stop in Elizabethtown yesterday, Corbett told Harrisburg radio station WITF that jobs are available, but some construction companies told him laid-off workers refused to come back until their unemployment checks run out. Democratic candidate Dan Onorato says Corbett's comments are unfair to Pennsylvanians who are struggling with the pain of joblessness. He says Corbett's comments show he doesn't recognize that this is a problem. A state Labor and Industry Department spokesman says unemployment provides temporary payments of about half of a worker's weekly pay, up to a maximum of $564. Spokesman David Smith says recipients can't refuse any offer of suitable employment.

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

Update on the latest in business: 

Oil unleashed temporarily in attempt to contain it

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil are being allowed to spew into the fouled waters of the Gulf of Mexico while BP engineers prepare to install a new containment system they hope will catch it all in the coming days.  Officials say there's no guarantee for such a delicate operation nearly a mile below the water's surface and the permanent fix of plugging the well from the bottom remains slated for mid-August.   Robotic submarines removed the cap that had been placed on top of the leak in early June to collect the oil and send it to surface ships for collection or burning. BP aims to have the new, tighter cap in place as early as Monday and said that, as of Saturday night, the work was going according to plan.

Dubai World property arm sells off Malaysia stake

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A property arm of struggling state conglomerate Dubai World is backing out of a plan to build luxury homes in Malaysia as it looks to shore up its finances. The cash-strapped company's Limitless division is selling off its stake in a partnership with Malaysia's Bandar Raya Developments to develop waterfront land in the southern city of Nusajaya.  Limitless will generate about $23.8 million in the deal, according to a regulatory filing on Malaysia's stock exchange.  Limitless said in a statement Sunday that it continues "to review our business activity to reflect market conditions."  The company's parent Dubai World needs cash as it works to pay back $23.5 billion in debt.

Pennsylvania Lottery Numbers:

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

 Big 4

     7-2-6-3

 Cash 5

     08-11-16-26-34

 Daily Number

     6-7-3

 Evening Quinto

     9-4-3-5-5

 Mega Millions

     Estimated jackpot: $52 million

 Midday Big 4

     9-3-1-7

 Midday Number

     0-1-7

 Midday Quinto

     1-8-6-5-5

 Powerball

     20-21-27-28-56, Powerball: 4, Power Play: 4

 Treasure Hunt

     02-09-13-27-29

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

Hemingway's son approves new footwear line

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - The 82-year-old son of writer Ernest Hemingway says his famous father would approve of a new line of shoes named after the Pulitzer and Nobel prize-winning author that are divided into angler, literary and sportsman collections. Bozeman resident Patrick Hemingway tried on a pair of loafers Friday at Schnee's Boots and Shoes and says the best part is he can wear them without socks, and that his father also hated socks.  Thomas Raymond & Co. is launching the Hemingway line of men's footwear and plans to distribute them to 12 different retailers around the U.S. this fall.  The Hemingway shoes are made in El Salvador using bison and calf hide and cost from $150 to $235.   Patrick Hemingway says a lot of celebrity endorsements are phony but not this one.

Carrie Underwood marries hockey player Mike Fisher

ATLANTA (AP) - Grammy-winning country singer Carrie Underwood has married NHL player Mike Fisher at a resort in Georgia.  "Yes, Mike and Carrie are married," Underwood's publicist Jessie Schmidt said in an e-mail to The Associated Press early Sunday.  The wedding took place Saturday at the Reynolds Plantation resort in Greensboro, Ga.  Underwood, 27, rose to fame after winning the fourth season of "American Idol." Fisher, 30, is a forward for the Ottawa Senators.  No details on where Underwood and Fisher will spend their honeymoon have been released.

Naomi Campbell will testify at war crimes trial

LONDON (AP) - Fashion model Naomi Campbell says she will testify at the war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor. Taylor is accused of supporting the rebels in Sierra Leone's 11-year civil war in exchange for diamonds and other natural resources. He denies trading in the so-called "blood diamonds."  Prosecutors at Taylor's trial in The Hague have summoned Campbell to testify later this month about reports that she received diamonds from Taylor during a 1997 reception in South Africa.  The Outside Organization, a public relations company that represents Campbell, announced on Friday that Campbell would testify. Her appearance is scheduled for July 29.