http://www.wfmz.com/rss/rss-title.gif http://www.wfmz.com/ http://www.wfmz.com/ The online information service of WFMZ-TV. We feature news, weather, scores, webcams, and other items of interest to our viewers. en-us 30 WFMZ-TV/69News/regional/Poconoshttp://feedburner.google.com http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1296717 Area ski resorts are looking for people who love snow and need a job. Camelback Mountain Resort in Tannersville is hosting a job fair from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. today. Officials say they are looking to hire hundreds of new employees. Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Palmerton says it is also looking to fill more than 100 positions this season.

WFMZ's Bo Koltnow will have more on this story tonight on 69 News at 6.

[ Website: Camelback Mountain Resort ]  [ Website: Blue Mountain Ski Resort ]]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1296701 A man is in the hospital today after being shot in the face during an argument in Carbon County. Police say 31-year-old Gary Hoffer and 35-year-old Brian Hines were arguing in Lower Towamensing Township last night. Police say Hines then pulled out a gun and shot Hoffer in the face. No word on Hoffer's condition.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1296197 The borough of Jim Thorpe is a big tourist attraction in the Poconos, because of its famous namesake. So this change of heart from Thorpe's heirs has created a sticky situation for everyone involved. WFMZ's Bo Koltnow has more in our top story.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1295239 The girlfriend of a Northampton County man who killed a state trooper.. is now facing federal charges. The Feds say Emily Gross lied about giving Daniel Autenrieth the gun he used to kill Trooper Joshua Miller in a shootout. The shootout happened last June. Police say Autenrieth took his son at gunpoint and led police on a chase from Northampton County to Monroe County.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1295178 State Police are trying to find a Schuylkill County woman who's missing and in need of her medication. They're asking for any information that helps them find 51-year-old Teresa Chupak of Cressona. She hasn't been heard from since last Friday. Her family reported her missing on Sunday.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1295005 Borders announced plans today to close several of its area Borders Express and Waldenbooks stores. Among the 200 stores across the country that are on the list are Waldenbooks at the South Mall in Lehigh County, the Palmer Park Mall in Northampton County, and the Fairlane Village Mall in Schuylkill County. 

[ LIST OF STORES TO CLOSE ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1294511 A father and son are sentenced for their role in the 2006 mine explosion that killed a man in Schuylkill County. The accident happened at the R and D Coal Company and killed 43- year-old Dale Reightler of Donaldson. The Attorney General's office says the owner, David Zimmerman and his son and foreman, Stephen Zimmerman, did not follow safety procedures.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1292909 The Stroudsburg Area School District in Monroe County must throw out 5,000 doses of swine flu vaccine because they got too cold, according to the district's superintendent. He says the temperature at which the vaccines were being stored dipped a few degrees below the allowed range.

[ WEB LINK:  ( H1N1 In PA ) ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1292535 Officials in Monroe County say one person has been shot in the same development where four people were shot over the weekend. The shooting happened around 5:30 Monday night in the Emerald Lakes Development in Tunkhannock Township. We're told the victim was taken to the hospital.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1291708 A Schuylkill County man is in critical condition after being burned in a house fire Saturday morning. Fire officials say Danny Smith of Schuylkill Township suffered serious burns to about 25% of his body, including his face, neck and chest. The fire was reported just after 8:00 at the home in the 300-block of Mulberry Street in Tuscarora. The local fire chief says the fire started in an upstairs bathroom. It was ruled accidental.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1289968 Pennsylvania is preparing to roll out its program for low income home energy assistance. The program is better known as LIHEAP. Grant money is distributed based on income level. Applications will be accepted starting November 2.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1290030 A state senator serving Berks and Schuylkill counties is proposing a plan to reduce the size of the state legislature by 20%. The proposal by Senator Dave Argall would eliminate one Senate seat and ten House seats every decade through 2053. All told, it would change the number of Senate seats in Pennsylvania from 50 to 45 and the number of representatives from 203 to 153.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1288726 A two alarm fire badly damaged a home in Schuylkill County Monday evening. Emergency dispatchers say the fire started at this home on Clearmont Avenue in Rush Township around 5:00.  Officials say crews were on scene until about 8. Part of Route 309 in the area was closed for a bit while crews fought the fire.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1288661 Another teachers strike could be brewing this time in Carbon County. Teachers in the Lehighton Area School District voted to reject the school board's final contract offer yesterday. According to the teachers union the sticking points are salaries and retirement. The union says if there is no further progress a strike may be called.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1288673 A landmark in Monroe County goes up in flames. Now investigators want to know what caused the fire. This was the scene around 2:45 Monday morning at the Dansbury Depot. It's located on Crystal Street in East Stroudsburg. The building used to serve as the Dansbury Railroad Station. But it was converted into a restaurant back in the 1980's.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1288445 A landmark in Monroe County was destroyed by fire early this morning. The flames broke out around 2:30 at the Dansbury Depot on Crystal Street in East Stroudsburg. The building used to serve as the Dansbury Railroad Station, but it had since been converted into a restaurant.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1288444 A Monroe County race track will stay silent for the rest of the year, after an explosive fire Saturday evening. The fire broke out at around 5:00 p.m. in a building near the gas pumps in front of Borger's Speedway in Saylorsburg. According to speedway officials, the last race of the season was supposed to be Saturday night; but it was postponed due to rain, leaving the track's grandstands empty. On Sunday, the race was cancelled. The grandstands and track were untouched by the intense flames, which witnesses said they could see from at least a mile away.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1288437 The Lehigh County Coroner has ruled the Friday shooting death of a Schuylkill County woman a homicide. An autopsy on Sandra Pucci, 50, of Pottsville, was completed Sunday morning. The coroner says Pucci died from multiple gunshot wounds, and was pronounced dead on Friday afternoon at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

[ 10/23 - Stephanie Esposito's 5:30 p.m. Report - DA: Man Kills Self Inside Church After Shooting Girlfriend ] 

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1288433 Hundreds of Pennsylvania state employees could be looking for new jobs before the year is out. Governor Ed Renell says he expects hundreds of layoffs right before Thanksgiving, due to cuts in spending. Still, Rendell says many of the details have to be worked out.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1288419 Emergency officials are investigating after an explosive fire Saturday evening at a gas station on the grounds of Borger's Speedway in Saylorsburg, Monroe County. The fire broke out at around 5:00 p.m. at the station on Old Route 115. A speedway official tells 69 News a few blasts were heard before the fire got going. The gas station was decimated; passerby said they could see the flames from a mile away.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1288165 A man shot his girlfriend in the parking lot of the Social Security office in Pottsville around noon today, according to authorities. They say police then followed the gunman, identified as Frank Manganiello, 51, of Schuylkill Haven, from the Social Security office in the 2200 block of West Market to the First United Methodist Church at West Market and 4th.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1284894 Some concerned citizens and members of some environmental agencies spent a rainy Satuday cleaning up tires on Blue Mountain in Northampton County. The tires were dumped illegally, posing a threat to the environment and future plans for a trail. WFMZ's Stephanie Esposito reports from Plainfield Township.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1287652 Police in Carbon County are searching for answers after a body is pulled from a lake. We're told a man drove to Mauch Chunk Lake early this morning and took a canoe out on the water. Officials say at some point that canoe was found with no one inside. Crews in a helicopter spotted the man's body underwater around four o'clock Thursday afternoon.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1287609 A man found guilty in two Monroe County murders has been sentenced to life in prison. Jason Koehler learned his fate Thursday. He was found guilty of first degree and third degree murder Wednesday. Investigators say Koehler killed Jason Gray and Jennifer Cullinan in Polk Township during a drug deal in 2004.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1287412 A fire burned through three houses in Schuylkill County early this morning. The flames broke out shortly before 5:30 in the 100 block of Orwigsburg Street in Tamaqua. About 100 firefighters were called to the scene, according to the fire chief. He says no one was inside any of the houses at the time and that no one was hurt.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1286826 The change of seasons provides us with some of Pennsylvania's prettiest pictures. And all you'll need is a car, a camera and less than a tank of gas to get to where we're going today. WFMZ's Karin Mallett takes us along on tonight's One Tank Trip to the Poconos.

[ WEB LINK: ( Jim Thorpe, PA ) ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1286001 Pennsylvania state employees fought for the budget to be passed for months. And now that it has been passed, some might be losing their jobs. Governor Rendell says he could announce layoffs by the end of this week. The budget that passed cut state spending by 2% overall.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1285464 A Pennsylvania State Trooper is charged with assaulting a man during a traffic stop. The man says Trooper Mark Shutkufski of Bethlehem punched him and pointed his Taser at him during the ordeal. Investigators say it happened in July of last year along Route 191 in Paradise Township, Monroe County.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1284903 As deer hunters gear up for hunting season, the deer they will seek out are seeking out one another. It is deer mating season, a time of year that can become dangerous for drivers as deer more frequently wander onto roads. WFMZ's Jackie Shutack reports on how deer can have an impact on people, their cars, and their pocketbooks.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1284900 Police are investigating following a one-vehicle crash Sunday on Route 54 in Schuylkill County. According to Police in Rush Township, a wrecked Jeep was found at 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning along the highway near Lake Hauto. Investigators found a cell phone inside the vehicle, and based on text messages on it, alcohol may have played a role in the crash.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1284890 Investigators say a fire that burned a pub and several homes in Schuylkill County early Saturday morning was deliberately set. The fire started at approximately 2:50 at Moe's Pub in New Philadelphia, according to State Police, who ruled the fire arson. Flames spread to four homes, causing serious damage before being extinguished.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1284896 A boating accident in Carbon County sent four people, including an infant, into the the frosty waters of Beltzville Lake on Saturday night. Two men - a police officer and an officer from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - acted quickly to help rescue the victims. It all took place at about 6:00 p.m. on the lake in Beltzville State Park, in Franklin Township. Officials say two men, a woman and an infant were in a canoe that capsized about 300 feet off-shore. One of the men swam to shore to call for help.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1284831 Fire officials in Schuylkill County are looking into a fire which struck an establishment Saturday in Schuylkill County. According to emergency officials, the flames broke out at about 3:00 a.m., at Moe's Pub in New Philadelphia, located on Water Street. The fire spread to and damaged at least four other homes in that area. No one was injured.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1284605 Usually, the Poconos are as pretty as a postcard at this time of year. But, rain and snow are robbing autumn of its annual show! WFMZ's Joscelyn Moes reports.



]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1284018 Charlie Lockard and Donna Kiernan, the two Carbon County teenagers missing since last Friday night, have been found safe and sound, according to Charlie's father, Ronnie. The pair were found around 7:00 Thursday night, walking in the woods behind a house near the entrance to the housing development in which they went missing.

[ 10/14/09 REPORT: Father Refuses To Give Up Search For Missing Son ] 
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1283994 We're learning more about the owner of a Monroe County landmark that burned to the ground. Documents show that Ralph Miller III filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in August. Earlier this month the Pocono Playhouse in Barrett Township burned to the ground. It's still not clear how that fire started.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1284011 New details in the search for two missing mentally challenged teenagers in Carbon County. 69 News has now learned that a sweatshirt belonging to 18-year-old Charlie Lockard has been found in a summer home in Penn Forest Township. Police brought in dogs to search that area yesterday. Lockard and 19-year-old Donna Kiernan have been missing since last Friday. 

[ 10/14/09 REPORT: Father Refuses To Give Up Search For Missing Son ] 
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1283830 The girlfriend of a man accused of shooting a Pennsylvania State Police trooper to death has been arrested on charges of supplying him the gun. Police say Emily Gross, 24, bought the gun and left it available to Daniel Autenrieth, who was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

[ 6/09/09 REPORT: Neighbors Say Accused Cop Killer Was Kind Man, Good Father ]
[ 6/08/09 REPORT: Monroe County Mourning Loss Of State Trooper ] 
[ RAW VIDEO: PA State Police Press Conference ] 
[ RAW AERIAL VIDEO: Fallen Trooper's Procession ]
[ RAW GROUND VIDEO: Fallen Trooper's Procession ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1283767 Old Man Winter is raining, or should we say snowing, on autumn's parade. The colorful fall foliage we usually start to see this time of year is being covered by a blanket of white in some areas. In fact, higher elevations of the Poconos could get a few inches of snow from the storm. 

[ 69 NEWS ACCUWEATHER CHANNEL ]   [ 69 NEWS WEATHER LINE: 610-797-5900 ]
[ HOUR-BY-HOUR FORECAST: EASTON  |  LEHIGHTON  |  STROUDSBURG ]

[ Got snow photos? CLICK HERE to share them with us. ]   [ Upload video HERE. ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1283286 The search continues for two mentally challenged teenagers in Carbon County. Police say 18-year-old Charlie Lockard and 19-year-old Donna Kiernan have been missing since Friday. WFMZ's Jaccii Farris reports on a fathers's search for his son. 
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1282640 >> ''Antoine was a loving person.. kind person. He would give you the shirt off his back. He would encourage you to just do better for yourself.'' 


]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1281688 A head-on crash between a car and a van injured several people in Carbon County this morning, according to police. They say a the car turned into the van's path at Route 443 and Mill Road in Mahoning Township just before 6:30. The driver of the car, Rebecca Ondrovic, 25, of New Ringgold, and three passengers in the van were taken to the hospital.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1281333 State Police are on the lookout for two mentally challenged teenagers reported missing in Carbon County. Donna Marie Kiernan (right), 19, and Charles Ray Lockard (left), 18, were reported missing at 6:30 p.m. Friday, from a home in the 100 block of Lenape Trail in Penn Forest Township. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call State Police from the Fern Ridge station at (570) 646-2271.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1281243 The sounds of strumming rock acts were heard Saturday at the Blue Mountain Ski Area in Palmerton, Carbon County. "Rock the Fall" got underway with numerous musical acts, including Disney star Drake Bell.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1281263 Mother Nature was victorious on Saturday before a single ballplayer took to Coors Field. At 11:48 a.m. ET, Major League Baseball postponed Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies. First pitch for the third game in a best-of-five series was re-scheduled for 10:07 p.m. ET Sunday in Denver. WFMZ's Jim Vaughn has the rest of the series schedule and a pitching change for Philadelphia.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1280858 A $27.8-billion state budget is said to be on its way to the desk of Governor Ed Rendell after a 101-day stalemate. The state Senate voted 42-7 to approve the bill after signing off on a companion bill to tap more than $1.5-billion from the state's reserves.

[ 10/8/09 REPORT: PA Reaches 100th Day Without Budget In Place ]
[ 10/8/09 REPORT: PA Budget Puts Allentown State Hospital In Jeopardy ]
[ 10/7/09 REPORT: Women In Crisis Feeling Effects Of No State Budget ]
[ 10/6/09 REPORT: Budget Impasse May Put Lawmakers Jobs' On The Line ]
[ 10/5/09 REPORT: Gov.: We're Close To Reaching Budget Agreement ]
[ 10/1/09 REPORT: Gov. Calls On Lawmakers To Stay Until Budget Is Passed ]
[ 10/1/09 LIVE INTERVIEW: Gov. Rendell Answers Questions ]
 ]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1280856 Authorities have charged a Lancaster County man with propositioning his own 13-year-old daughter on the Internet. Attorney General Tom Corbett says John Forehand, 39, of Lititz, went onto Facebook using the name "Bad Daddy" to locate the girl, with whom he had no contact for about 10 years.

[ NEWS RELEASE ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1280202 Pennsylvania has now gone 100 days without a budget. And while state lawmakers tell us they're making progress, it's hard to believe it's taken this long in the first place. In the latest developments, the state House passed two key elements of the budget package. WFMZ's Joscelyn Moes reports from Harrisburg.

[ 10/5/09 REPORT: Gov.: We're Close To Reaching Budget Agreement ]
[ 10/1/09 REPORT: Gov. Calls On Lawmakers To Stay Until Budget Is Passed ]
[ 10/1/09 LIVE INTERVIEW: Gov. Rendell Answers Questions ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1279066 Almost two dozen animals are safe thanks to the help of the Berks County Animal Rescue League. The shelter rescued 15 horses, two dogs and two goats who were living in unsanitary conditions and were underfed. It also says the animals did not receive veterinary care. You can see some of the animals also have injuries.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1278737 An end to Pennsylvania's budget crisis may be in sight, according to some top lawmakers. Members of the state House is considering a budget bill sent to them by the Senate this morning. It's a $27.8-billion plan, passed after much haggling in the Senate. The big question now is what will the House do with it?

[ 10/5/09 REPORT: Gov.: We're Close To Reaching Budget Agreement ]
[ 10/1/09 REPORT: Gov. Calls On Lawmakers To Stay Until Budget Is Passed ]
[ 10/1/09 LIVE INTERVIEW: Gov. Rendell Answers Questions ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1278146 A family is dealing with losing a wife and mother after a deadly bear attack in Monroe County last night. Officials say Kelly Ann Walz, 37, was mauled to death by her pet bear at her home in Saylorsburg. Now, officials are releasing new information about what happened. WFMZ's Jackie Shutack reports.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1277722 A Monroe County woman was killed after police say she was attacked by a bear she kept as a pet at her house in Ross Township. It happened just after 5:00 Sunday night on Dogwood Lane in Saylorsburg. WFMZ's Jackie Shutack reports.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1277541 Three people were in the hospital Saturday night after a head on crash in Carbon County. Police say Thomas Osgood, 32, was driving north on Route 93 in Packer Township at noon Saturday afternoon. His jeep crossed the center line and crashed into a P-T Cruiser. That car was driven by Elsie Beckett, 78. She and Osgood were taken to Lehighton Hospital with moderate injuries. Georgette Beckett, 52, was a passenger in the car and she was flown to St. Luke's Hospital, no word on her condition.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1277304 Two men have admitted their roles in the death of a Schuylkill County miner. David Zimmerman and Steven Zimmerman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges in connection with the death of Dale Reightler. He was killed after an explosion at the Buck Mountain Mine in Schuylkill County back in 2006.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1277245 A Schuylkill County mine owner and foreman have been sentenced for their roles in a coal miner's death. Authorities say David Zimmerman and Steven Zimmerman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for the death of Dale Reightler. He was killed in a mine explosion in October, 2006 in Tremont Township.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1277125 A summer theater in the Poconos was destroyed by a fire early Friday morning. A steel frame is all that remains of the 500-seat Pocono Playhouse in Barrett Township, Monroe County. WFMZ's Joscelyn Moes reports.

[ WEB LINK: ( Pocono Playhouse ) ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1276404 Governor Rendell has written a letter to the leaders of Pennsylvania's four legislative caucuses, asking that they keep all members of the General Assembly in Harrisburg until they approve a state budget and send it to him for his signature. Rendell said a Sunday deadline he set earlier this week no longer seems realistic.

[ 10/1/09 LIVE INTERVIEW: Gov. Rendell Answers Questions ]
[ 9/18/09 RAW VIDEO: Gov. Rendell Announces Budget Deal ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1275691 A Monroe County couple has been found growing marijuana both inside and outside their house in Barrett Township, according to police. They say Bart Tallada, 39, and Cynthia Vangilder, 38, had a room in their basement constructed for the sole purpose of growing pot plants.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1275689 Three men are behind bars after admitting to police that they're the ones who committed a recent rash of burglaries in southern Schuylkill County. State Police had the men under surveillance when they say two of them -- David Ferrar and Michael Goetz -- broke into the Red and White Market on Route 61 in North Manheim Township early this morning.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1275279 The family of a security guard accused of threatening to kill a high school principal say they want to set the record straight. Armando Perez is Carlos Luis Cintron III's uncle. Cintron worked as a security guard at Shenandoah Valley Junior Senior High School in Schuylkill County.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1274552 Police say they've foiled a threat to kill the principal of a high school in Schuylkill County and an implied threat to go way beyond that. Police say a man working as a security guard at Shenandoah Valley School in Shenandoah, just north of Frackville, has been arrested. 

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1273643 State Police in Carbon County are investigating a deadly crash on Interstate 80. It happened at about 10:00 Friday night on I-80 West in Kidder Township between the Hickory Run and Pennsylvania Turnpike exits. Investigators say the driver of an SUV lost control, it left the highway and rolled, ejecting 18-year-old Shaunte Pearson of Norristown. She was pinned under the SUV and died. The other three people inside the SUV survived.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1273559 A stabbing in Carbon County sends one person to the hospital. It happened just before 8:00 in the 600 block of Franklin Street in Bowmanstown. It's not clear what led to the stabbing.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1272513 A man accused of murder in Monroe County is out of the hospital and in jail. Police say Phillip Vonville was arraigned yesterday. Investigators say he stabbed 18-year-old Christopher Hernandez of New York in Tunkhannock Township Saturday afternoon before stabbing himself in the stomach and slicing his wrist.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1271891 He was badly burned and almost died in a kennel fire six months ago. Today, Timothy Kleinhagen is healing and saying thank you to the people who pulled him through the recovery process. WFMZ's Jaccii Farris reports.


]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1271357 State Police in Carbon County had their hands full tonight. They were involved in a high- speed chase around Palmerton. Police say they were pursuing a motorcycle that had stolen tags.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1271126 The race for Pennsylvania governor is getting crowded. A former U.S. Congressman has thrown his name into the hat. Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, a Democrat, announced on his Facebook page that he's running for governor. He wrote, "I am in the race, and I am ready to ride!"

[ 9/22/09 REPORT: Red Or Blue? How Will PA Vote In The 2010 Governor's Race ] 
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1269974 Police in Monroe County have charged a man with murder after a domestic dispute turned deadly in Tunkhannock Township Saturday afternoon. Phillip Vonville, 29, of Blakeslee, faces one count of homicide for allegedly stabbing Christopher Hernandez, 18, of Yonkers, New York, in the chest with a knife.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1269972 NASA may have the answer to the light many people reported seeing in the sky Saturday night. According to NASA's web site, a rocket experiment that may shed light on the highest clouds in the Earth's atmosphere was conducted from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, launched on a NASA Black Brant XII Sounding Rocket. WFMZ's Stephanie Esposito reports.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1269528 It was a story that grabbed headlines and hearts in Pennsylvania: a deadly kennel explosion. It killed more than a dozen dogs, including one of Martha Stewart's dogs, and seriously injured a propane deliveryman. After months of intense rehabilitation, that driver is talking about his ordeal. WFMZ's Jaccii Farris has the story.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1268710 State Police have arrested four men and charged them with criminal homicide for the beating death of a man in a remote area of Schuylkill County. The victim, Anthony Locascio, 21, of Hazleton, was found dead in a wooded area of East Union Township Tuesday afternoon. The investigation got off to a slow start because police couldn't identify the victim.

[ RAW VIDEO: Police Announce Arrests In Man's Murder ]
[ 9/17/09 REPORT: Murder May Be Retribution Killing ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1267653 Police have identified a man found dead in a wooded area of Schuylkill County and they have determined he was murdered. Police say the body of a white man between the ages of 25 and 35 was found near Old Mill Road in East Union Township. An autopsy is scheduled for earlier today.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1268189 State Police are paying special tribute to one of their own who was shot down in the line of duty. They dedicated this memorial to Trooper Joshua Miller today. It's located at the Swiftwater Barrarcks in Pocono Township. Trooper Miller was killed in a shoot-out in Coolbaugh Township back in June.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1268040 A woman was killed when her car crashed with a box truck at West Main Street (Route 209) and Tanite Road in Stroud Township, Monroe County, according to police. They say Elaine Hinton of Saylorsburg was behind the wheel of a VW Jetta on Tanite Road when her car traveled into the truck's path on West Main shortly before 7:00 this morning. Hinton, 60, was transported to a MedEvac landing zone, but police say she died before being flown to the hospital.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1266534 Governor Ed Rendell says the $28-billion budget proposed last week by House Democrats and Senate Democrats and Republicans is "phony" and "doesn't add up." He said it violates his two main principles by furthering cuts in education and health care spending and by not being balanced in 2010 and 2011. 

[ 9/14/09 REPORT: Local Representative Reacts To Budget ] 
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1266189 Three years after her death, a Schuylkill County soldier's family got a visit from a biker group with a gift Sunday morning. The family of Army Sgt. Jennifer Hartman received an U.S. flag in her honor. The West Penn Township woman was killed on September 14, 2006 when a bomb went off outside her barracks near Baghdad, Iraq.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1266018 While some folks in our region took buses to Washington for Saturday's tea party march on the Capitol, some decided to party right here at home. Members of the Lehigh Valley, Berks County and Pocono Chapters of the region's Tea Party groups got together in Lehighton, Carbon County.


]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1265887 The northbound Northeast Extension is closed from the Mahoning Valley exit to the Pocono interchange. A tracto trailer traveling Southbound crashed through the barrier and into northbound traffic just before 8:00 and struck another vehicle around mile marker 94. No word now on the number or extent of injuries. State Police say the road reopened around 11:00 Friday night.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1265646 GOV. RENDELL'S TOP AIDE SAYS NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP
Pennsylvania's top legislators have outlined their plan to end the state's distinction as the only state still fighting over a budget, but Gov. Ed Rendell's top aide says the numbers don't add up and the governor could veto it.


[ RAW INTERVIEW: Sen. O'Pake Comments On Budget Plan ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1264940 A Monroe County man is in intensive care today after being attacked by a dog inside his home in Paradise Township. It happened Tuesday morning. State Police say they were checking on John Venezia, 48, to see why he hadn't shown up for work. They found him unconsious in a hallway, missing a hand.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1264819 Officials say a woman was killed and several others injured when two cars collided head-on near Routes 222 and 73 in Maidencreek Township, Berks County this morning. Police say a car driven by Daria Desiderio, 47, of Schuylkill County, swerved into the oncoming lane and collided with another car around 5:30.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1264904 Police are looking for the vandals who slashed tires on 31 vehicles in Stroudsburg, Monroe County sometime either late last night or early this morning. They say the vehicles were parked in the alley behind the 100 blocks of North First and North Second streets. They say 75 tires were slashed.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1261982 A former police chief is flown to the hospital after a nasty crash in Schuylkill County. It happened this afternoon on Route 209 in Schuylkill Township, just outside Tamaqua. We're told former Rush Township Police Chief John Rooney's car went down an embankment.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1261775 State Police are investigating a suspicious death in Schuylkill County. Investigators say they the found remains of a man in a wooded area in Frailey Township on Monday. Police believe it may be the body of Keith Wiest of Grantville.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1261205 Pennsylvania is joining dozens of states to help motorists avoid traffic jams. AAA predicts more than 39-million travelers will hit the road this Labor Day Weekend, and PennDOT is ready to help. WFMZ's Dwayne Parker reports.


]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1260508 A Monroe County man accused of gunning down his girlfriend and their young son has apparently confessed to the crime in a jailhouse letter. That letter was obtained by The Pocono Record. It appears to be written by Michael Parrish and sent to the mother of his girlfriend Victoria Adams.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1260533 Health care reform has sparked heated debates across the country. Wednesday, U.S. Senator Bob Casey hosted a somewhat calmer conversation at East Stroudsburg University in Monroe County. WFMZ's Joscelyn Moes reports.


]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1259832 Some big changes are coming to the Diocese of Scranton. Bishop Joseph Martino resigned from his post effective Monday. He cited health reasons. Auxiliary Bishop John Dougherty has also announced his retirement. Pope Benedict has appointed Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia to oversee things until a new bishop is named.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1259627 While it may be a murder case without a body, a judge in Carbon County today decided prosecutors have enough evidence to prosecute Ernest Freeby on charges of killing his wife. Edwina Onyango, 34, was reported missing in December, 2007. Her body was never found, but police did report finding traces of her blood inside Freeby's house. 

[ 8/4/09 REPORT: Man Charged With Killing Wife; Body Not Yet Found ]
]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1259046 The Monroe County coroner has confirmed the identity of the man killed in a plane crash Sunday morning. He's 46-year-old Neal Bond of Saylorsburg. Bond took off in his experimental plane in Chestnuthill Township at around 9 a.m. Sunday, and crashed it into a wooded area.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1258458 A Monroe County man was killed in a motorcycle crash on Route 715 in Chestnuthill Township Sunday morning, according to the State Police. There is no word on when or how it happened, but authorities say a passerby found the body of Michael Scott Frantz, 19, of Effort, and his bike around 10:30 near the intersection with Hillside Drive.

]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1258457 The FAA is investigating the deadly crash of a small plane in Monroe County. The pilot, Neal Bond, 46, was killed when the single-seat, fixed-wing, single-engine experimental plane went down in a wooded area behind a home in the 4100 block of McIlhaney Road in Chestnuthill Township around 10:00 Sunday morning.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1258394 Firemen from counties across the region spent the day closing out a convention in Schuylkill County. The 55th annual Schuylkill County Volunteer Firefighters' Association Convention wrapped up this afternoon with a parade in downtown Tamaqua. More than 200 fire trucks and about 20 bands were part of the parade. The convention started on Sunday with a week chock-full of events. Tamaqua was home to the first Schuylkill-based Convention, back in 1954.


]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1258162 57-year-old Jack Nicholson was found dead in Winter Haven, Florida on Wednesday.  The Polk County Sheriff's Office says Nicholson was found dead in an orange grove next to the body of his girlfriend, 21-year-old Kristy Lisenby.  The Sheriff's Office believes Nicholson killed Lisenby on Tuesday.  They say witnesses saw Nicholson shoot Lisenby while she stood outside the car he was driving.  The witnesses say he then put her body in the car and drove away. ]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1257571 Police say a woman who lied about being raped at East Stroudsburg University is facing charges. State police say 22 year old Laura Gruver claimed she was assaulted at knifepoint on the Monroe County campus earlier this month. Eventually Police say Gruver admitted making up the story.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1257392 A Northampton County woman has been charged with filing a false report of being raped on the camnpus of East Stroudsburg University in Monroe County, according to State Police. They say Laura Gruver, 22, of Lower Nazareth Township, told them she was raped at knifepoint on August 13.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1256156 A Carbon County couple charged with defrauding more than a dozen companies out of millions of dollars is facing a lawsuit. According to court documents. All Staffing Incorporated owned by Stanley and Angela Costello of Lansford was hired to handle workers compensation insurance for several companies in Pennsylvania and New York.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1255425 A Monroe County man is behind bars after police say he slashed a woman's throat. Frederick Weisser is facing a slew of charges including attempted murder. Police say he slashed Patricia Bohner's throat in Ross Township on Saturday.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1255196 Police in Monroe County have charged a man with attempted murder after they say he cut a woman's throat. Police say they were called to the 700 block of Meixell Valley Road in Ross Township, Monroe County, around 7:00 Saturday night. Officers say they found the victim, Patricia Bohner, 55, with several lacerations on her neck. Police say Frederick Weisser, 47, was arrested at the scene.]]> http://wfmz.com/view/?id=1254622 A Tamaqua woman remains in critical condition tonight after a deadly head-on crash early Friday morning. Police say the woman was driving a car south when it hit an out-of-control car, on Route 309 in West Penn Township, Schuylkill County. The two men in the other car died. Police are still investigating.


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