Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Elysburg man in serious condition after crash
MINERSVILLE – An Elysburg man was taken to the hospital Monday after a motorcycle crash in Schuylkill County. Around 6:00p.m., 57-year-old David Lindenmuth was getting off an I-80 exit at Route 901 in the Minersville area, when he pulled into the path of a car driven by 20-year-old Arlin Sensenig of Myerstown. Lindenmuth was thrown from the motorcycle and taken by Life Flight to Geisinger Medical Center. He is listed in serious condition. (Sara Bartlett)
DANVILLE – Police in Danville are still investigating a robbery that happened June 30th at the FNB Bank on Mill Street, and now a local Chamber of Commerce is offering a reward for information regarding the incident. The Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the apprehension and conviction of the person who robbed the bank. The man is described as 6-feet tall and skinny, wearing a covering over his face when he robbed the bank at gunpoint and got away with an undisclosed amount of money. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 275-2101. (Sara Bartlett)
Local author gets national attention for first book
LEWISBURG – A Lewisburg author is getting some national attention. Beth Fantaskey’s book, Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, was mentioned recently on ABC’s Good Morning America as a summer ‘must-read’ for teens. Fantaskey says she had no forewarning her book would be profiled on the show. She says she found out through e-mails and Facebook postings from fans, family and friends. She says she began screaming when she watched the rerun, and couldn’t believed her book was being talked about.
On the segment, the book, in which a young high school girl falls in love with a vampire, is compared to the popular Twilight series, but with a sense of humor. Fantaskey says she is happy with that comparison, but didn’t write it with Twilight in mind, because she didn’t know it existed at the time.
Although she can’t track how many copies were sold, Fantaskey says since the book was mentioned on Good Morning America, it has shot up to number one online at amazon.com’s young adult literature list. Fantaskey’s second book, Jekyll Loves Hyde, is due out next year. Fantaskey will be visiting the Union County Public Library Thursday at 6:30p.m. to talk about her book and about the writing process. All are invited to attend. (Sara Bartlett)
One injury and charges pending after crash in Zerbe Township
ZERBE TWP – Two men may face charges after a crash Sunday in Zerbe Township, Northumberland County. Around 10:00p.m., 25-year-old Stephen Shingara III, of Sunbury, was driving a vehicle that was towing another vehicle along Route 225. The other vehicle was being steered by 22-year-old Joshua Feger of Trevorton. Shingara reportedly hit a ditch and overturned. Shingara sustained moderate injuries and was treated at Sunbury Community Hospital. Feger had no injuries. Police say Shingara will face charges for driving with a suspended license, and charges are pending against Feger. Police say alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. (Sara Bartlett)
SUNBURY – Sunbury Celebration 2009 is coming up this weekend, featuring activities Thursday through Sunday. Throughout the weekend, there will be musical entertainment, food, and games. Saturday crafters, food vendors, a dunking booth, rides and games will line Cameron Park. From 9:00p.m.-10:00p.m., our sister station 94KX will provide a soundtrack for the fireworks, which will began around 9:30p.m. Sunday is the 8th annual Soapbox Derby beginning at 9:00a.m.
There are some traffic changes this weekend because of Sunbury Celebration. On Saturday, North 4th Street will be closed from M&T Bank to the entrance of Beiter’s starting at 7:00a.m. Between 8:30p.m. and 9:00p.m., Memorial Drive from Shikellamy Avenue to John O’Long Softball Field will be closed. Also around that time, North 4th Street Recreation Park will be closed at Shikellamy Avenue, and Shikellamy Avenue will be closed at the start of the fireworks from Front Street to Memorial Drive. Signs and fire personnel will direct traffic around these areas on Saturday.
For more information you can go online to www.cityofsunbury.org. Organizers of Sunbury Celebration will also be on WKOK’s Leaders & Lawmakers this Thursday at 11:00a.m. (Sara Bartlett)
Some urged to stay inside as Williamsport trash pile burns
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - A pile of shredded metal and plastic has been burning through the night and into Tuesday at a Williamsport recycling plant, sending dense smoke several hundred feet into the air. The fire started late Monday at the Penn Recycling Inc. shredder plant. Smoke continues to pour into the air Tuesday, and Williamsport Bureau of Fire spokesman John Grado says authorities have urged nearby residents with respiratory problems to stay inside and turn off air conditioners. The plant is in an industrial area of west Williamsport, with residential areas one-quarter to one-half mile away. Grado says it isn't known how many are affected by the "shelter-in-place" order. Heavy equipment is pulling the huge pile apart as firefighters pour on water. Grado says it's not yet known what started the fire.
Cops: Woman steals over $300 from employer
WATSONTOWN – A Watsontown woman is facing charges after she allegedly stole $330 from her employer. Police say 24-year-old Rachel Smith took the money on two separate occasions in June from a safe at the Short Stop Service Station in Watsontown. Theft charges against Smith were filed before District Judge William Kear in Milton. (Sara Bartlett)
Two involved in Zerbe Township crash
ZERBE TWP – Two men may face charges after a crash Sunday in Zerbe Township, Northumberland County. Around 10:00p.m., 25-year-old Stephen Shingara III, of Sunbury, was driving a vehicle that was towing another vehicle along Route 225. The other vehicle was being steered by 22-year-old Joshua Feger of Trevorton.
Shingara reportedly hit a ditch and overturned. Shingara sustained moderate injuries and was treated at Sunbury Community Hospital. Feger had no injuries. Police say Shingara will face charges for driving with a suspended license, and charges are pending against Feger. Police say alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. (Sara Bartlett)
Vinyl is back, thanks in part to Michael Jackson
SELINSGROVE – The King of Pop will also be remembered as the King of Vinyl. Records, that is. Much of Michael Jackson’s career with the Jackson Five, and as a solo artist was when 7” singles and 12” albums were the only practical way to listen at home. Most of those discs have been retired to closets or sold at yard sales, but in good condition, collectors prize them.
Are albums like “Off The Wall” and “Thriller” in greater demand now? Charles Wagner of Selinsgrove’s Music Plus says for now, there is a big demand for Michael Jackson LP’s. He notes he sold out of vintage Michael Jackson recordings shortly after the passing of the King of Pop. Whether the demand will last is hard to predict, but the argument of whether digital audio or vinyl sounds better will certainly linger.
Wagner says vinyl records in good condition sound richer than the remastered CD’s. Meantime, he says a new generation of young vinyl buffs are enjoying popular music the way their parents and grandparents did. Some say interest in Michael Jackson’s music will fade following this week’s memorial service. But few doubt that many old record collections were dusted off in the last two weeks as people remember the King of Vinyl. (Matt Farrand)
Retail postal services to be retained if Lewisburg building sold
LEWISBURG – Discussions are apparently on going between Bucknell University and the US Postal Service about the sale of the Lewisburg Post Office building. The university is reportedly looking at most of it for use as offices.
University Director of Media Relations Tom Evelyn says all scenarios involve the retention of retail postal services in the building at Third and Market Streets. He notes that discussions are still in preliminary and exploratory stages.
The draft plan calls for a limited postal operation on the first floor of the building, allowing the mailing of letters and packages. The rest of the Lewisburg area’s postal operation would be at another location, most likely outside Lewisburg. (Matt Farrand)
Budget impasse in Harrisburg expected to continue
HARRISBURG – The budget impasse in Harrisburg is likely to continue for at least a month. State House member Merle Phillips (R-108th, Sunbury) told our “On The Mark” program Monday, "August" is the most likely time for a budget agreement in Harrisburg.
He notes, the State Senate passed a budget bill earlier this year, and the matter is now in the hands of the House Appropriations Committee. Phillips says there’s not much to do until it leaves committee. The long time Republican House member says even a version of the bill written by Democrats is better than not having something timely to vote on.
Phillips says part of the delay involves figuring out how much taxpayer money the state actually has to spend. Estimates vary, but the national economic downturn is responsible for an expected $3.3 billion dollar shortfall in state revenue in the fiscal year that started July 1st.
Phillips says both the House and Senate Republicans are adamant about achieving a balanced budget with program cuts and no tax increase. He notes most Democrats and the governor are seeking a one-half-percentage point increase in the state's Personal Income Tax. (Matt Farrand)
Police investigate multiple cabin thefts in Snyder County
BEAVER TWP – Police are searching for someone who stole two guns from cabins along Beaver Ridge Road in Beaver Township, Snyder County. The incident happened sometime between July 1st and July 3rd. Someone reportedly broke windows and entered three cabins.
Police say a .22 caliber bolt-action rifle and a Winchester .30-caliber lever action 1994 anniversary edition gun were stolen, along with ammunition and a camera. The actor fled the scene and anyone with information is asked to call police. (Sara Bartlett)
Celebrating Turbotville’s sesquicentennial
TURBOTVILLE – It’s a week to learn about the history of the borough of Turbotville. Member of the Sesquicentennial Committee, Michael Sechler, says the Committee has been working for over a year to put the events together, and it will celebrate what he says has always been a tight-knit community, where everyone knows each other.
Walking tours of the borough will take place Tuesday through Friday. Sechler says they will focus on different buildings in the town, what they are now and what they once were. Most of the activities take place at the Community Park and the Community Hall. There will be a family-friendly movie Friday night at 5:00p.m. Saturday there is a car show, parade, chicken BBQ and musical entertainment.
Sunday will feature a quilt raffle, community picnic, and a cemetery tour. Sechler says they are also looking for additional items for the historical display, vendors and items for a Chinese auction. For more information you can call Turbotville Mayor Lester Miller at 649-6394. (Sara Bartlett)
Middleburg Police investigate burglaries
BEAVERTOWN – Two juveniles were taken into custody after breaking into a business along West Market Street in Beavertown on the 4th of July. Middleburg Police say they were dispatched around 1:00a.m. and found a burglary in progress involving two 17-year-old boys. Both boys were released into the custody of their parents. Charges of burglary and criminal trespassing are pending.
Meanwhile, Middleburg Police continue to investigate another burglary at a business on West Market Street in Middleburg. An unknown actor reportedly broke through a basement window June 28th, and removed an undisclosed amount of money. Anyone with information is asked to call police. (Sara Bartlett)
Coal Township girl found safe and sound after three-hour search
COAL TOWNSHIP – An 8-year-old Coal Township girl was found safe after being reported missing for over three hours Sunday. The News Item reports Kennedy Joseph’s mother reported her missing around 2:00p.m., after the girl’s scooter was found abandon.
Area police searched on foot and by helicopter, and hundreds of volunteers also assisted in the search. Joseph was found a little after 5:00p.m. swimming in a pool near the Salvation Army in Coal Township. She was unharmed.
Crash injures one in Snyder County
PENN TWP – A Washington, PA woman was injured after a crash Friday along Route 35 in Penn Township, Snyder County. 19-year-old Dayna Martinez failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection with Middlecreek Road.
Police say she hit a vehicle driven by 42-year-old Milfred Portzline Jr. of Mount Pleasant Mills. Portzline was not injured. Martinez sustained moderate injuries and was transported to Evangelical Community Hospital. She will be charged with a traffic violation. (Sara Bartlett)
Latest Pennsylvania news, lottery, business and entertainment
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell says state government will lay off close to 800 employees because of spending cuts that are likely. Rendell said Tuesday that pink slips will go out when he and the Legislature agree on a budget, perhaps sooner. Rendell says he deeply regrets the layoffs, but that he has been unable to persuade labor unions to allow rolling furloughs as an alternative. The Democratic governor and the Legislature are in the seventh day of a budget impasse over how to deal with a multibillion-dollar deficit. During the impasse, state government is unable to pay many bills, including the payroll for much of its 79,000-member workforce. Rendell says he plans to write to the state's larger vendors asking them to continue providing services during the impasse.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A county judge in Harrisburg wants a day or two to consider whether the case against 12 people connected to the state House Democratic caucus is politically motivated. Dauphin County Judge Richard Lewis on Tuesday placed the subpoenas issued to 1 7lawmakers and 29 legislative aides on hold until he weighs defense allegations of selective prosecution. A lawyer for former Rep. Mike Veon says Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett wants to run for governor and Republicans want to use the case to defeat Democrats. Veon and 11 others associated with the House Democrats are charged with theft, conspiracy and conflict of interest stemming from the alleged use of millions of tax dollars to help elect Democrats. No Republicans have been charged since the investigation began in early 2007.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The criminal case against two former state lawmakers and 10 others associated with the Pennsylvania House Democratic caucus is heading to a county judge for argument over pretrial motions. The hearing that's scheduled to begin today in Dauphin County court could last two days. Judge Richard Lewis is being asked to decide if the defendants should be tried separately, if prosecutors are turning over enough discovery material and whether anyone's been improperly singled out for criminal charges. Dozens of subpoenas were issued by some of the defendants' lawyers in recent days, targeting lawmakers and legislative aides. Lewis may have to decide whether to force the recipients to testify. The defendants are charged with theft, conflict of interest and conspiracy. Prosecutors say they diverted public resources and state employees for campaigning or other improper purposes.
Bonus probe:
Who's charged
By The Associated Press
A quick look at the defendants in Pennsylvania's legislative bonuses probe. Each defendant was charged with at least one count each of conflict of interest, theft and conspiracy. - Mike Veon, former House Democratic whip. - Former State Rep. Sean Ramaley, D-Beaver. - Mike Manzo, former chief of staff to House Democratic leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene. - Rachel Manzo, Mike Manzo's wife and executive director of the House Democratic Policy Committee. - Scott Brubaker, former director of staffing and administration for the House Democrats. - Jennifer Brubaker, Scott Brubaker's wife and director of legislative research for the House Democrats. - Brett Cott, former policy analyst to the Democratic floor leader and former Veon aide. - Jeff Foreman, chief counsel to the minority whip and former Veon aide. - Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink, former legislative assistant in Veon's district office. - Stephen Keefer, former director of information technologies for the House Democrats. - Earl Mosley, former personnel director for the House Democrats. - Patrick J. Lavelle, research analyst for the House Democrats.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - There's no indication that progress was made in a meeting between Gov. Ed Rendell and top legislative leaders over the state budget. The meeting broke up after about 20 minutes. The sides are about $2 billion apart, and Republicans are fighting Democratic proposals to add new taxes or expand existing ones. The Democratic governor offered another $72 million in cuts, which Republican leaders said they would examine before meeting again. Monday's brief meeting was the first since the holiday weekend, and came nearly a week after the state started its fiscal year without legal authority for much of its spending.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The University of Pennsylvania is installing more than a dozen sirens on campus as part of an emergency alert system. The 13 speakers will complement a system that already sends text messages, voicemail and e-mail to students, staff and faculty during campus emergencies. The sirens will sound a tone for 15 seconds, followed by voice instructions. Penn safety officials say the system will be heard in about 95 percent of the outdoor campus environment. Officials say the volume is not designed to penetrate buildings, but will be audible above normal street noise in surrounding West Philadelphia. The Ivy League university announced Monday that it will begin testing the system in mid-August.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Update on the latest in business
Dow: 8,237.44, down –87.44
S&P 500: 889.09, down –9.64
NASDAQ: 1,764.38, down –23.02
TOKYO (AP) - Sony says it will enter the growing "netbook" PC market, launching a tiny new laptop beginning next month. The addition to the Vaio line of computers will cost about $630 when it goes on sale in Japan next month. Launches are planned in the U.S. and Europe after that. It will be about the size of a hardback book and run on lower-grade hardware than other Sony models. The small laptops with stripped-down components have been a lone bright spot in the PC market. They have been expanding as consumers cut back on more expensive purchases. The tiny computers have low profit margins and can put well-known brands in direct competition with budget manufacturers. Sony is one of the last major PC makers to enter the market. Apple Inc. is another holdout, with CEO Steve Jobs saying the company doesn't know how to build such a computer "that's not a piece of junk."
NEW YORK (AP) - The American Bankers Association says consumer loan delinquencies edged up to another record high in the first quarter. The trade group blames the continued rise in unemployment has been the main culprit for the latest surge in delinquencies. The group's chief economist says the problem won't improve until companies start hiring again and a "significant" economic turnaround is seen. The rate combining eight types of closed-end installment loans rose to more than 3.2 percent in the first three months of the year. That is the highest recorded since the ABA began tracking the rate in the mid 1970s. Credit card delinquencies also moved higher, rising to 4.75 percent in the latest quarter.
NEW YORK (AP) - Automotive parts supplier Lear Corp. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The move came after getting the support it needed from lenders and bondholders. The move had been expected from Lear, which missed an interest payment on its bond debt last week and revealed its intention to seek court protection from its creditors. The company says units outside the U.S. and Canada are not part of the filings. Lear is the first major automotive parts maker to seek court protection since Visteon Corp., the former parts arm of Ford Motor Co., filed for Chapter 11 in May. Auto parts suppliers have been hammered by the economic downturn as consumers continue to shun new car purchases and automakers slash production. The Chapter 11 filings by General Motors and Chrysler, as well as the idling of most of their factories has dealt a particularly hard blow to the auto supply base.
NEW YORK (AP) - Research firm Gartner says worldwide spending on technology products and services is on track to decline 6 percent this year. Gartner says tech spending will total $3.2 trillion this year, down from $3.4 trillion in 2008. That is a steeper drop than the 3.8 percent decline Gartner had projected for the year in March. The decline is due to the economic turmoil and the rising value of the U.S. dollar against most currencies. That means purchases made in other currencies translate into fewer dollars for U.S. tech companies. Last week, Forrester Research also lowered its global tech pending forecast, saying it expects the market to shrink by 5 percent, more than the 3 percent it predicted in March. Both firms forecast a recovery in 2010.
WORLD MARKETS Asia markets inch higher as recovery weighed
BANGKOK (AP) - Asian markets were in a holding pattern Tuesday, mostly eking out modest gains as investors looked to quarterly earnings as a possible antidote to growing pessimism about a quick economic recovery. Last week's gloomy unemployment figures from the U.S. and Europe continued to dampen sentiment, keeping the brakes on the massive rally in world markets that began in early March on hopes the recession had run its course.
OIL PRICES Crude tumbles
NEW YORK (AP) - Oil prices tumbled to a five-week low Monday. Traders are betting on growing evidence that an extended recession could weigh on energy demand for some time. Benchmark crude for August delivery fell $2.68 to settle at $64.05 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was the fourth straight day of declines on Nymex and since hitting a midday high for the year last Tuesday. Crude prices have fallen nearly 13 percent since then. Natural gas prices plunged as well. In Asia on Tuesday, oil languished near $64 after tumbling the day before, keeping a lid on commodity stocks.
AUSTRIA-MADOFF SCANDAL US, Britain join Austria in Madoff-related probes
VIENNA (AP) - An official says U.S. and British investigators have joined Austrian prosecutors in examining possible ties between a Vienna fund manager and disgraced financier Bernard Madoff. His multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme wiped out thousands of investors and charities worldwide. A spokesman for the Vienna public prosecutor's office tells The Associated Press his office is aiding the U.S. Justice Department and Britain's Serious Fraud Office in separate investigations of Bank Medici and chairwoman Sonja Kohn. Both Kohn and Medici also have been the focus of a fraud investigation in Austria since February. But the official said that Kohn has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing. Kohn's attorney insists that she had no personal dealings with Madoff. The massive Ponzi scheme run by Madoff since at least the early 1990s demolished the life savings of thousands of people, and wrecked charities.
HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL Top Dem senator, hospitals said near health care deal
WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's hospitals are near agreement with a key lawmaker and the White House to pick up part of the cost of President Barack Obama's plan for expanded health care coverage, according to officials. The precise size of any deal was not immediately available. Several days ago talks were focused on about $150 billion over a decade. Officials say under the emerging agreement, hospitals would accept lower-than-anticipated payments under Medicare and Medicaid, the federal health care programs for seniors and the poor. Any agreement involving Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus and the White House would give fresh momentum to efforts to write bipartisan legislation on an issue that Obama has placed atop his list of domestic priorities. Obama has said he wants to sign a bill in October that would reduce medical costs and provide coverage to nearly 50 million uninsured Americans.
US-JAPAN TRADE US, Japan make progress on opening Japanese market
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States says it has made progress in opening Japan's market to foreign investors. The U.S. trade envoy's office says that the countries are acting to speed up regulatory reviews for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The report stems from annual meetings to overhaul regulations. The U.S. says the countries also have strengthened protections for music and motion pictures and improved entry and exit requirements for Americans doing business and living in Japan. U.S. trade envoy Ron Kirk says that fully allowing American beef into Japan remains a priority. Japan imposed a ban on U.S. beef in 2003 after mad cow disease was detected in the United States.
GM-BANKRUPCY Appeals loom in GM plan to sell assets
NEW YORK (AP) - Groups representing plaintiffs in car accidents say they'll oppose General Motors' attempt to quickly exit bankruptcy protection, arguing that hundreds of victims could be hurt by the government-led plan. U.S. Judge Robert Gerber approved a crucial step of the plan Sunday, allowing the troubled automaker to sell its assets to a new company. He said the deal was in the best interest of both the automaker and its creditors, who would get nothing if the automaker had to liquidate. General Motors and the Obama administration praised the judge's decision but opponents readied an appeal to the U.S. District Court in New York. A Chicago law firm representing people who have sued GM in several auto accident cases said they objected to parts of the plan that would free the "new GM" from liability for people injured by a defective GM product before June 1. The new GM has agreed to take on responsibility for future product liability claims involving vehicles made by the old company.
G8 SUMMIT G8 leaders focus on economy, Iran, climate change
ROME (AP) - Leaders of the Group of Eight will push for common positions on promoting democracy in Iran, combating climate change and coordinating their exits from huge government stimulus measures during their annual three-day summit in Italy. Those positions are expected even amid a growing sense that the group's pre-eminence may be fading. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is hosting the summit, boasts that 90 percent of the world economy will be represented by 39 nations at the G-8 summit. It was moved from sun-drenched Sardinia to quake-stricken L'Aquila to boost the local economy and reconstruction efforts.
DUKE ENERGY Duke Energy to invest in carbon dioxide storage
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Duke Energy says it plans to invest about $121 million to study carbon dioxide storage sites in southwest Indiana. The three-year project would result in an average customer rate increase of about 1 percent that would be phased in between 2010 and 2013.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Pennsylvania Lottery numbers
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Tuesday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:
Daily Number: 4 4 1
Big 4: 3 2 8 0
Quinto: 9 5 5 9 0
Treasure Hunt: 10 15 20 24 26
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Monday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:
MONDAY NIGHT Daily Number 9-9-5
Big 4 0-0-2-5
Quinto 9-1-5-8-7
MONDAY MIDDAY Daily Number 7-0-9
Big 4 2-8-3-6
Quinto 6-7-9-4-6
Treasure Hunt 10-11-15-17-22
The winning numbers drawn Monday in the "Pennsylvania Cash 5" game were: 1-26-29-31-40.
The winning numbers drawn Monday in the "mix & match" game were: 4-17-12-19-3.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mariah Carey has given the opening performance at Michael Jackson's memorial with a sweet rendition of the Jackson 5's ballad "I'll Be There." The duet with Trey Lorenz began Tuesday after Jackson's golden casket was placed in front of the Staples Center stage while a church choir sang. The public event followed a private service for family and friends in a cemetery hall in the Hollywood Hills. Jackson's flower-draped casket was brought to Staples Center in a motorcade under law enforcement escort.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Power from the people -- the sweaty people. That's the idea at the University of Kansas. The school plans to put exercising students to work generating electricity. Fifteen elliptical workout machines at a student fitness center will be connected to generators hooked into the building's electric grid. The 15 elliptical trainers will produce about 10 kilowatts of energy a day. That's about what a student apartment would use. The Student Environmental Board is picking up the $15,000 tab for the project.
VIRGINIA REST AREAS
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - If you have to go in Virginia -- you might have to keep going. The state will be closing nearly half of its interstate rest areas in two weeks. Virginia Department of Transportation officials are struggling with a $2.6 billion flood of red ink in their budget. VDOT says it will be adding parking spaces for truckers at the 23 remaining rest areas and welcome centers. State officials say their limited funding must go toward road maintenance rather than rest stops.
Politician vs Jackson
NEW YORK (AP) - A New York congressman says in a YouTube video that Michael Jackson was a "pervert." Rep. Peter King said society is "glorifying" a "low-life" while ignoring the efforts of teachers, police officers, firefighters, veterans and volunteers. Jackson was acquitted of molesting a boy. In the video, the congressman says the "day in and day out" coverage of Jackson's death is "too politically correct." He conceded that Jackson "may have been a good singer" and "did some dancing." King is among the possible Republican contenders for the seat held by Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine says the family is preparing for Jackson's funeral and will not dignify King's statement with a comment.
Senate to post staff salaries, expenses on Web
WASHINGTON (AP) - How do your senators spend their multi-million-dollar budgets for staff salaries, travel and office expenses? The answers may soon be just a computer mouse click away. The Senate is planning to follow the House in posting office expenses on the Internet instead of in volumes that must to be purchased or viewed in Capitol office buildings. The idea, says Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn, is to let people see what their lawmakers are doing with their taxpayer-funded office accounts and let them hold senators' feet to the fire for questionable expenses. Coburn's move was approved by voice vote as the Senate passed a routine appropriations bill funding Congress' own budget. The House and Senate would have to pass a compromise final bill before the new rule could take effect.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)