Thirty-five year old Michael Skidmore will spend the next thirty-one years to life behind bars for repeatedly sexually assaulting a relative between twelve and fifteen years old.  One of the counts carried a mandatory life sentence.

The victim of these crimes spoke out against her attacker in a tearful statement, before Skidmore learned his fate, “He betrayed me, he said he loved me, but I came to realize that it was just an obsession, it wasn’t love….I just hope he realizes what he’s done, and how much he’s hurt me, and how much I feel that I’ve been betrayed by him.”

Skidmore has maintained his innocence throughout the trial and sentencing.  Judge Sweeney also ordered Skidmore to register as a sexual offender with the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office.

The drudge report, who broke the Clinton affair, all three of them, has once again said it has inside sources that confirm John Edwards, or as we call him “BLINKY”, has infact got a love slut on the side, in spite of the fact his wife has cancer for the fifth time, and may be closer to death than press reports say, and is the father of a love child, which pretty much puts him off the Obama Ticket for the duration of the race.

Edwards met his mistress, blonde divorcée Rielle Hunter, at the Beverly Hilton on Monday night, July 21 - and the NATIONAL ENQUIRER was there! He didn’t leave until early the next morning. Drudge confirmed this report.

Rielle had driven to Los Angeles from Santa Barbara with a male friend for the rendezvous with Edwards. The former senator attended a press event Monday afternoon with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the topic of how to combat homelessness, something Edwards will be once his wife finds out.

But a months-long NATIONAL ENQUIRER investigation had yielded information that Rielle and Edwards, 54, had arranged to secretly meet afterward and for the ex-senator to spend some time with both his mistress and the love child who he refuses to publicly acknowledge as his own.

The NATIONAL ENQUIRER broke the story of Edwards’ love child scandal last year, when Rielle was still pregnant and Edwards was still considered a strong candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Both parties denied the NATIONAL ENQUIRER report and a close friend of Edwards’ came forward and said he was the father of Rielle’s baby. But sources told the NATIONAL ENQUIRER a far different story - they revealed that Edwards was engineering a massive cover up of his shocking infidelity.

Sources came forward after that story appeared and told The NATIONAL ENQUIRER that Edwards and Rielle had met secretly several times, so that he could see his baby and continue his relationship with Rielle.

The NATIONAL ENQUIRER learned ahead of time that one such meeting was set for yesterday.

At 9:45 p.m. (PST) Monday,  Edwards appeared at the hotel, and was dropped off at a side entrance. NATIONAL ENQUIRER reporter Alan Butterfield witnessed the ex-senator get out of a BMW driven by a male companion and stroll into the hotel.
 
Said Butterfield: “Edwards was not carrying anything. He walked in alone. He was wearing a blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was looking around nervously before he entered the hotel.

“Once inside, he interestingly bypassed the lobby and ducked down a side stairs to go to the bottom floor to catch the elevator up - rather than taking the elevator in the main lobby. He went out of his way not to be seen.”
      
Meanwhile, Rielle had reserved rooms 246 and 252 under the name of the friend who had accompanied her from Santa Barbara, Bob McGovern. Rielle was in one room and McGovern was in another with her baby. This allowed her and Edwards to spend time alone, a source revealed.

Edwards went out of the hotel briefly with Rielle, they were observed by the NATIONAL ENQUIRER and then went back to her room, where he stayed until attempting to sneak out of the hotel unseen at 2:40 a.m. (PST). But when he emerged alone from an elevator into the hotel basement he was greeted by several reporters from the NATIONAL ENQUIRER.

Senior NATIONAL ENQUIRER Reporter Alexander Hitchen asked Edwards why he was visiting Rielle and whether he was ready to confirm that he was the father of  her baby.

Shocked to see a reporter, and without saying anything, Edwards ran up the stairs leading from the hotel basement to the lobby. But, spotting a photographer, he doubled back into the basement. As he emerged from the stairwell, reporter Butterfield questioned him about his hookup with Rielle.
    
Edwards did not answer and then ran  into a nearby restroom. He stayed inside for about 15 minutes, refusing to answer questions from the NATIONAL ENQUIRER about what he was doing in the hotel. A group of hotel security men eventually escorted him from the men’s room, while preventing the NATIONAL ENQUIRER reporters from following him out of the hotel.
    
Said reporter Hitchen: “After we confronted him about seeing Rielle, Edwards looked like a deer caught in headlights!

Calls to Edwards Offices in Washington went unanswered, calls to his home office also were un answered.
 

Former KDKA radio reporter Rob Milford will stand trial on firearms charges after allegedly taking a handgun to the Allegheny County Courthouse last month.

During a hearing this morning, Mr. Milford, 53, of Castle Shannon, was held for trial on charges of carring a firearm in a court facility and carring a firearm without a license.

Mr. Milford was arriving at the courthouse to cover a rape trial June 16 when a county police officer said he noticed a .38 caliber snub-nosed revolver in his briefcase when he put it through the metal detector at the courthouse entrance. Mr. Milford’s attorney, Wendy Williams, argued that Mr. Milford did not know the gun was in the briefcase and therefore he did not violate the statute, which states that someone cannot “knowingly” take a firearm into the courthouse.

Mr. Milford resigned from the radio station three days later, which KDKA called a “mutual agreement.”

US President George W Bush has explained the credit crunch savaging US financial markets by saying “Wall Street got drunk”.

“It got drunk and now it’s got a hangover,” Mr Bush said at a private political fundraiser in Houston, Texas.

Members of the media were not invited and the audience had been asked to turn off their cameras.

But somebody recorded the statement on a mobile phone video camera and it was posted on the internet.

‘Fancy instruments’

The comment was made on Friday and by Tuesday had found its way on to the internet.

“The question is, how long will it sober up and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments?” the president asks in the clip.

The White House has issued a more prosaic explanation of his comments.

“He has said before that Wall Street was dealing with very complex financial instruments and that the markets didn’t fully understand the risks that those instruments posed to the system,” said spokeswoman Dana Perino.

“It is certainly a more colourful way of saying what he said before, but he’s described it that way before in terms of his observations of what happened to the market,” she said.

Financial markets in the US and across the world have been thrown into turmoil as banks have discovered that many American home owners cannot afford to repay the mortgages that have been collected into complex bundles sold in stock markets.

The revelations have fed into panic in world financial markets that have led to sharp falls in share prices and a reluctance among banks to lend money - the credit crunch.

In the video, Mr Bush tells the crowd:

“We’ve got a housing issue.

“Not in Houston, evidently not in Dallas, because Laura’s over there trying to buy a house today,” he says to the crowd’s laughter.

Mr Bush said they were looking for somewhere to live when they leave Washington, DC, as Mrs Bush no longer wanted to live on their ranch in Crawford, Texas.

In order to pass their political driving test, successful politicians need to be masters of one tricky manoeuvre in particular - the U-turn.

The contenders in this year’s US presidential election are no exceptions - both John McCain and Barack Obama have engaged in some nifty repositioning.

Mr McCain’s U-turns have mostly increased his appeal to the Republican Party’s base, placing him on a rightward trajectory.

Barack Obama has been performing a more traditional manoeuvre: running to the left during the primaries, when party activists need to be wooed, then shifting to the centre once the nomination is clinched.

Flip-flopping politicians will always attract charges of hypocrisy and opportunism: it may be worth it if it helps them win over undecided voters in the middle, but when the goal is to shore up their political base, the benefits are much less clear.

Here are some examples.

JOHN MCCAIN

Having long been a member of his party’s more moderate wing on a number of issues, Mr McCain began adopting more right-wing positions during the primary campaign.

Immigration

Last year, Mr McCain was one of the key backers of President Bush’s plan for “comprehensive immigration reform”, which would have created “paths to citizenship” for illegal immigrants, while investing more money in border security.

The plan was very unpopular with the Republican rank-and-file, and Senate Republicans succeeded in blocking the scheme.

During the primaries, Mr McCain announced that his immigration focus would be on securing America’s borders, rather than on giving illegal immigrants the chance to become US citizens.

“I understand why you would call it a, quote, shift,” McCain told reporters in November 2007.

“I say it is a lesson learned about what the American people’s priorities are. And their priority is to secure the borders.”

Christian right

Another McCain, quote, shift was in his relationship with the religious right of his party.

During his 2000 bid for the Republican nomination, relations between Mr McCain and Moral Majority founder Jerry Falwell were notoriously fractious.

The Arizona senator memorably described Mr Falwell and fellow members of the religious right as “agents of intolerance”.

But in 2006, ahead of his second presidential run, Mr McCain delivered the commencement address at Mr Falwell’s Liberty University, after which he attended a small private party hosted by his former political adversary.

Interrogation rules

More recently, Mr McCain angered his former allies in the political centre by supporting a bill exempting the CIA from following the same rules on interrogation as the US Army.

Guantanamo

Mr McCain was one of the most prominent Republican voices opposed to the Bush administration’s detention policy in Guantanamo Bay.

But when the Supreme Court recently ruled that Guantanamo detainees should have access to US courts, Mr McCain described it as “one of the worst decisions in the history of the country”.

Oil drilling

Since sewing up the Republican nomination in March, Mr McCain - one of only a few prominent Republicans to accept the argument that human activity is causing climate change - has dropped his previous objection to lifting the ban on oil exploration off the coast of the US.

BARACK OBAMA

Since clinching the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama has also been making headlines for his policy shifts.

Campaign finance

Last month he announced that he would be rejecting public financing for his campaign, and would instead rely on private donations.

The McCain camp accused Mr Obama of “going back on his word”, although Mr Obama insisted that he had never made a promise to stay in the public finance system.

Surveillance programme

Mr Obama also raised eyebrows when he announced that he would not be opposing a bill going through Congress giving immunity to telephone companies involved in the Bush administration’s controversial warrantless wiretap programme.

His decision angered many of his supporters on the left, who accused him of going back on his 2007 pledge “to support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies”.

Gun control

When the Supreme Court decided to overturn Washington DC’s handgun ban, Mr Obama declared that the ruling “provide[d] much-needed guidance”, despite having previously argued (in a written answer that he says was drafted by an aide and which he had not approved) that the ban was constitutional.

Iraq

Withdrawing troops from Iraq has long been one of the central planks of Mr Obama’s campaign, and was something that set him apart from other Democratic candidates running for the party’s presidential nomination.

Since his campaign began, however, conditions in Iraq have changed, violence has reduced, and some commentators have suggested that Mr Obama’s position is out of date.

Mr Obama himself has announced that he plans to visit Iraq, where he will make “a thorough assessment” which could lead him to “refine” his policy.

Some critics have seized on this as an indication that Mr Obama is laying the groundwork for a change in position.

Free trade

Mr Obama recently hinted to Fortune magazine that his strong anti-free trade rhetoric during the primaries may not be reflected in his actual trade policy should he become president.

His remarks are a neat summation of the pressures and temptations that lead politicians to shift their positions during the process of running for office.

“Sometimes during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified,” he said.

“Politicians are always guilty of that, and I don’t exempt myself.”

If you ever drove down I-79, saw thousands of Tents, a Castle, Jousters, medieval Tents, you have come across the worlds largest collection of medieval geeks on the planet, all 30,000 of them.

The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Our “Known World” consists of 19 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Members, dressed in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which may feature tournaments, arts exhibits, classes, workshops, dancing, feasts, and more. Our “royalty” hold courts at which they recognize and honor members for their contributions to the group

The group will start setting up in the next few days and be on site until August 15th. The site is open to the public, and is interesting, to say the least, with housing set up as it would be hundreds of years ago, with those in attendence hard core re-actors.

While the troop is onsite,  the camp ground is closed to the general public.

It is located at the intersection of I-79 and Rt. 422

State Police charged two women, Tuesday, following a fight at a Brady Township trailer park.

Troopers tell The Mercer News that 55-year-old Deborah Steele and Angela Schlagel, who is 31, will be cited for harassment.

Both women sustained minor injuries, in the fight, at Brady Hills Estates, just off Hall Road.

Congressman Phil English today joined members of the Great Lakes Task Force in unveiling bipartisan, bicameral legislation to give congressional consent to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact.

Congressman English said in a statement that preservation of the Great Lakes is essential to maintain the health and wealth of the regional economy, helping local businesses to grow and bring new jobs.

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact covers several major points, including the fostering of economic development through sustainable use and responsible management of basin waters, the development of a consistent standard to review proposed uses of Basin water by states, and development of regional goals and objectives for water conservation and efficiency, to be reviewed every five years.

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down in Butler County last night.

The tornado apparently caused no property damage when it touched down along Route 422 around 9 p.m.

Regional Flatbed  And Van Driver’s Wanted

Class A CDL Regional  Flatbed Drivers & Van Drivers Wanted. Home weekends. Offering Great Pay To Experienced Drivers With 1.5 Years of Experience Or More For Runs In A 10 State Area.

Call 888-284-3749

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Sales
ATV
MOTORCYCLE SALES
ASSOCIATE
Street Track N’ Trail has an immediate openings for ATV Motorcycle sales associates. We are looking for people with a high degree of integrity and a high energy level. If you enjoy working with people and you are a Motorcycle/ATV enthusiast, we encourage you to apply. We offer sales training, weekly pay, monthly incentives and full benefits package including paid vacations, health insurance, 401K and employee purchase plan. call 814-382-4821 or stop in today for an appointment with Bryan Lepley. You can also mail your resume to
Bryan Lepley, C/O Street Track N’ Trail, 13723 Conneaut Lake Rd., Conneaut Lake, PA 16316 Job is located in Conneaut Lake PA.
Street Track n Trail

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Positions Available
JOHN XIII Home
is currently seeking C.N.A.s for the 3-11 shift in our skilled unit. Also, back -up RN Supervisor for all shifts. We offer the qualififed candidate a unique salary scale, great beneft program and a friendly place to work. Apply at 2250
Shenango Valley
Freeway, Hermitage, PA. EOE

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Three openings now exist in a local branch of an International Fortune 500 Company. To qualify you must have self-confidence and be sports minded. A leader in our field, we provide company paid training, offer established accounts, complete corporate benefits. 401K savings plan. Previous experience not necessary. For a personal interview, call Shawn at 412-302-4229.

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GENERAL LABORER needed for Garage. Heavy lifiting required. Must have forklift license. Competitive wages. Paid holiday, sick and vacation days. Benefit package available after probationary periord. Apply in person from Monday thru Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am to 12:00 p.m. at Tri-County Industries, 159 TCI Park Dr, Grove City, PA 16127 NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!

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SALES - Motorcycles & ATVs. Must be an
enthusiast, have MC
license & sales experience. Commission against monthly draw.
Northstar Power Sports, Hermitage. Call Bill at 724-
962-6001 for an appt.

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Outside Sales  

Allen Media seeks an experienced outside sales person to work with the Mercer News, and other online Publications.

Email resume to newsroom@mygtv.net  will consider the rght person with no experience. Commission paid is 45% Of Collected sales.

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LABOR
Work Available
•Production,
$11.00, Niles
•Warehouse,
$10.00, New Castle
•Assembly,
$10.00New Castle
Must have dependable
transportation and be able to pass drug test.
Call for appointment.
724-662-1262

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Now Hiring!
Avg Pay $20/hr, $57,000/yr, incl.
Fed ben. OT. Placed by AdSource, not aff w/USPS who hires.
1-866-533-4708

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BUSINESS CONSULTANTGannon University, a Catholic university, invites applications for a full-time Business Consultant for the Small Business Development Center, available immediately. The successful candidate will provide confidential one-on-one management consulting services to new and established small businesses throughout the Crawford County region as well as manage counseling activities to ensure compliance with PASBDC standards. Must be able to support and promote Gannon’s mission.Requirements include: a bachelor’s degree in a business-related field (MBA preferred); either three to five years’ experience as a consultant or previous related experience in the private sector; a valid driver’s license; excellent verbal and written communication skills; considerable knowledge of accounting, financial statement analysis, finance and marketing; computer skills in Microsoft software, spreadsheets, and internet research. The ability to independently plan and organize one’s own activities, as well as supervisory experience, is preferred.Gannon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that encourages diversity and invites women & members of underrepresented groups to apply. Submit a cover letter, a resume, and the names of three references to:Gannon University,
SBDC Crawford County Search
109 University Square
Erie, PA 16541-0001

or Fax to: (814) 871-7514
Email submissions are preferred to: hrdept@gannon.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and this position will remain open until filled. For more information about Gannon visit www.gannon.edu.
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Internet Fraud Agent
Successful Edinboro-based firm seeking FT Internet Fraud Agent to assist our fraud management team. Our dedicated team supports Fortune 100 corporations in preventing, identifying, and responding to fraud resulting from internet commerce. We’re looking for that unique combination of creative and analytical skills, with experience in data management, customer service, technical savvy, and an eye for detail.

Job requirements:
= Bachelor’s degree
= Above-average proficiency with Windows
PCs, Microsoft Office applications, and
Internet research
= Proven problem-solving ability and
decision-making skills
= Excellent oral and written
communication/presentation skills
= Flexible, positive attitude; willingness to
work hard and have fun

Familiarity with financial analysis, computer forensics, and/or criminal justice experience a strong plus.

IPS offers full medical/dental/vision benefits,
401K & profit sharing. Starting pay $10 - $12/hr, commensurate with qualifications.
Great opportunity for growth.Submit resume, cover ltr & list of 3 references to: Intellectual Property Services
PO Box 14
Cambridge Springs, PA 16403
Fax: (814) 734-8801
E-mail: IPServices@IPServicesInc.com———————————–Edinboro University of PA invites applications for Part time, TemporaryBAGPIPE
INSTRUCTOR
in the Music Department. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until position is filled. For complete details about the position and the University, visit www.edinboro.edu
AA/EOE/M/F/V/D

_________________________ 

Applications are being accepted for the part-time position of
Director of the
Thiel College
Concert Band.
Visit the Thiel College web site at www.
thiel.edu/employment
to learn about the position description and application requirements. EOE

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Education
Instructional Aide – Emotional Support Classroom. Hiring two (2) Part-time (5 hrs/day) instructional aides for Conneaut Lake Middle School for the 2008-09 school year. Assist teacher with activities related to delivery of instruction, supervision, and physical care of students.

Instructional Aide – Learning Support Classroom. Part-time (5 hrs/day) instructional aide for Conneaut Valley Elementary School for the 2008-09 school year. Monitor students, review daily class work, prepare students for tests, and assist teachers with various clerical duties.

Both positions require a minimum of a high school diploma and basic reading, math, and phonics skills. Must possess good communication and organizational skills with the ability to work with students.

To apply: Send a letter of interest, resume, and current Acts 34, 151 & 114 to Mr. Richard A. Rossi, Superintendent, Conneaut School District, 219 W. School Dr, Linesville, PA 16424. Deadline is July 24, 2008. EOE

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LONG-TERM
SUBSTITUTE
LIBRARIAN
with Possible Conversion to Permanent Position anticipated need at Reynolds School District, effective for the 2008-09 school year. Persons interested in applying for the position must possess a Pennsylvania Library Science certification. Candidates must process applications for or provide current Act 34, 114 and 151 clearances and submit a resume and application to the attention of the Superintendent of Schools
Reynolds School
District
531 Reynolds Road, Greenville PA 16125
(724) 646-5501 Application Deadline
July 25, 2008.  EOE.

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Education
Supervisor of Special Education
Must possess a valid PA Supervisor of Special Ed certificate. Full Time 12-month position available immediately. Requirements: Excellent leadership, communication and organizational skills. Working knowledge of IDEA and special education law. Salary range $60,000 to $74,000 based upon qualifications and experience. Send a letter of interest, resume, PDE application, PA certification, current Acts 34, 151, and 114, transcripts, and 3 current professional recommendation letters.

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Assistant Principal.
Must possess a valid PA K-12 or Secondary Professional Administrative Certificate. Permanent 206 day position available immediately. Requirements: Knowledge of curriculum, instruction, assessment, scheduling, student discipline and teacher supv./eval. Strong leadership, communication and organizational skills. Previous administrative experience will strengthen candidacy. Send a letter of interest, resume, PDE application, PA certification, current Acts 34, 151, and 114, transcripts, and 3 current professional recommendation letters.

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Coordinator of Elementary &
Secondary Gifted Programs/
Teacher of Gifted
Must possess a valid Elementary Education Certificate. Masters Degree in Education and/or Administrative Certification preferred. Requirements: Ability to organize, schedule activities and customize learning plans for gifted students. Ability to collaborate with classroom teachers, parents, community groups and school administrators. Excellent time management. Send a letter of interest, resume, PDE application, PA certification, current Acts 34, 151, and 114, transcripts and 3 current professional recommendation letters.
Apply to:
Mr. Richard A. Rossi, Superintendent,
Conneaut School District,
219 W. School Drive, Linesville, Pa. 16424. Deadline is July 24, 2008. EOE

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RN
Full Time & Per Visit
Heartland Hospice has positions available for Full Time or Per Visit Nurse Case Managers to work within our Hospice Division. Experience in Hospice preferred. We offer competitive wages and mileage. Travel required within the Mercer county area. Will train. Please call Ed Newton at 724-813-0911 or email your resume to 4703admin@
hcr-manorcare.com

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Account Liaison
Heartland Hospice is looking for an energetic Account Liaison for our Marketing Team. Ability to manage accounts, build and maintain positive relationships and work somewhat independently at times. Will be responsible for Mercer and Lawrence Counties. A background in healthcare and/or marketing experience required. Please call Ed Newton at 724-813-0911 or email your resume to 4703admin@
hcr-manorcare.com

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Full Time Vending Route Driver
Positions
Stocking, Cleaning, and Maintaining Vending Machines. Physically Demanding Work. Applicant must have current drivers license. Contact:
YOUNG”S VENDING
724-342-9307

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 General
EMT/
SECURITY GUARD

Applicants must be EMT certified and be available for shift work. Full Time openings in the Meadville area. $8.95/Hour with free individual healthcare or $10.52 Hour without healthcare.
877-228-5391
Ask for Chuck
Fax: 412.661.7939
jobs@
cauleysecurity.com

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LAKEVIEW SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Available Positions
Applications are being accepted for the following permanent per diem positions for the 2008-2009 school year: bus drivers; van drivers. Applications are also being accepted for day-to-day substitute teachers in all subject areas, and substitutes for cafeteria teacher aid, custodial, and secretarial/clerk positions for the 2008-2009 school year. All applicants must submit a cover letter, PA application, resume, Acts 34, 151 and 114 clearances. Substitute teachers must also submit a copy of PA certification. Send to Mr. Frank McClard, Superintendent, Lakeview School District, 2482 Mercer Street, Stoneboro, PA 16153. Deadline July 30, 2008 EOE.

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To Advertise, email at newsroom@mygtv.net  cost is 10 cents per word, per day. Advertisers will be invoiced.

Or mail your ad and paymet to Allen Media, 23 Eagle Street, Greenville Pa. 16125

Make payable to “Allen Media”

With a photo of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat looking on, Barack Obama met privately with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday afternoon as part of a day-long set of meetings with Palestinian and Israeli leaders.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is spending his second day in the Middle East as he continues an international tour that aims to boost his foreign policy credentials.

“(Obama) said to the president that if he is elected, he will be a constructive partner in peace between Palestinians and Israelis,” chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told reporters.

America’s middle class is growing increasingly squeezed by sagging incomes and soaring expenses, experts told Congress on Wednesday.

Adjusted for inflation, median household income dropped by $1,175 between 2000 and 2007, said Elizabeth Warren, professor at Harvard Law School, in written testimony before the Joint Economic Committee. At the same time, the average family is spending $4,655 more on basic expenses, such as gas, housing, food and health insurance. Gas alone costs $2,195 more for a family making the same commute in May 2008 as it did eight years earlier.

Families with children saw their child care costs soar. Those with children under age 5 spent an addition $1,508 a month, while after-school costs for older children rose $622.

To cover these soaring expenses, many people have had to turn to credit cards. Nearly 10 percent of total disposable income in the United States goes to paying off such debt, Warren said.

The federal minimum wage jumps 70 cents to $6.55 an hour on Thursday, the second of three scheduled increases mandated by last year’s Fair Minimum Wage Act.

The increase will affect workers in the 25 states that have minimum wages below the new national standard. A third increase, bringing the wage floor up to $7.25 an hour, is scheduled to go into effect in July 2009.

Democrats pushed through a new minimum wage as one of their first acts after taking control of Congress in January 2007. Rep. George Miller, a California Democrat who was one of the sponsors of the measure in the House, said up to 13 million workers benefited from the first increase under the bill, which brought the federal minimum wage to $5.85 per hour in July 2007.

Among other security measures, China approved protest zones away from evens, and public view.

Worries about terrorist attacks, both from international groups and Muslim separatists from western China, and about protests of any kind have prompted one of China’s broadest security clampdowns in years. The overall effect is that while Beijing looks cheerful, with colorful Olympic banners and new signs, the city feels tense.

Vehicle checkpoints ring Beijing. Visa rules have been tightened to keep out foreign activists. Police have swept Beijing neighborhoods to remove Chinese who have come to the capital to complain about local government misdeeds, and known political critics and underground Christians have been told to leave.

In approving the protest zones, Liu said officials noted that Athens set up such areas for the 2004 games. The Salt Lake City Winter Games of 2002 did too. “We have already designated specific areas where people or protesters who want to express their personal opinions can go to do so,” Liu said.

Protests have become commonplace in many parts of China in recent years, especially by state industry workers upset about layoffs and farmers angry about land confiscation. But China’s leadership remains wary about demonstrations in the capital or large-scale protests anywhere, fearing they could snowball into widespread anti-government movements. Three violent protests have occurred in far-flung provinces in recent weeks.

Airline stocks climbed on Wednesday for the second straight session as oil prices — the industry’s greatest burden — continued to fall.

“The main reason (why airline stocks are up) is that oil prices are down, just like yesterday,” said Raymond Neidl, airline analyst for Calyon Securities.

UAL, parent of United Airlines, led the pack with a 14 percent gain in the first hour of trading. The stock forNorthwest Airlines, which reported a net loss for the second quarter on Wednesday, JetBlue Airways, U.S. Airways and AirTran Airways all gained by more than 10 percent.

Journalist Robert Novak said he was cited for failure to yield Wednesday after he unknowingly hit a pedestrian with his car in the nation’s capital.

“I didn’t know I hit anybody,” Novak told reporters for WJLA-TV and the Web site Politico, as he exited a police car near the scene of the incident at 17th and K streets in northwest Washington. “A bicycle rider stopped me and said I had hit someone.”

The journalist said he did not know how badly the pedestrian was hurt, but that he would “check on it.”

A strong earthquake jolted northern Japan early on Thursday, injuring several people, burying three cars under a landslide and cutting off electric power to at least 10,000 homes, media reports and officials said.

The focus of the quake was 120 km (75 miles) below the surface of the earth in Iwate prefecture, a mountainous, sparsely populated region, the agency said.

Japanese media said military planes were flying over the area to try to assess the extent of damage and that local authorities had requested troops be sent to the area to help. Defence Ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Broadcaster TBS said 55 had been injured, while NHK put the figure at 18.

Nippon Oil said its 145,000 barrels per day Sendai refinery was operating normally after quake, but Tohoku Electric said it had manually shut down a 250-megawatt oil-fired power plant in aomori after the quake.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

Thursday’s quake follows a string of earthquakes in the same region, the first of which in mid-June killed at least 10 people and left as many again missing.

The Coast Guard Wednesday closed a nearly 30-mile stretch of the
Mississippi River from central New Orleans downriver after a collision between
a fuel barge and a tanker spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of heavy
fuel oil.

A fuel barge collided with the 590-foot Liberian-flagged tanker Tintomara
about 1:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m. ET) Monday, resulting in more than 419,000 gallons
(13,500 barrels) of oil spilling into the river, said Petty Officer Jaclyn
Young, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.

The tanker was undamaged, but the accident left the barge partially submerged, the National Transportation Safety Board reported

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with her North Korean counterpart in Singapore Wednesday, the highest-level meeting between the two countries in four years.

The encounter, which took place on the sidelines of the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), also included the foreign ministers from China, Russia, Japan and South Korea — all the countries involved in the so-called “six party talks” aimed at getting Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program.

Rice, who told reporters she shook hands twice with North Korean Foreign Minster Pak Ui Chun, called the informal session “a good meeting” but said there were “no surprises.”  She said that all parties emphasized to North Korea the need to complete a three-phase agreement in which Pyongyang promised to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.

A New York judge granted a divorce Monday to the husband of a woman who posted angry, intimate and embarrassing details of their marriage on YouTube, generating more than 3 million hits on the video-sharing Web site.

The judge cited cruel and inhuman treatment of Philip Smith, a Broadway mogul who was the subject of Tricia Walsh-Smith’s Internet rants, in granting the divorce and ordered Smith to pay his ex-wife $750,000 under the terms of prenuptual agreement. Walsh-Smith also has 30 days to vacate the couple’s Park Avenue apartment.

Walsh-Smith’s attorney, Joseph McCafferty, said his client would appeal the judge’s ruling.

Federal authorities said the potentially “catastrophic” decision to assign an inexperienced sailor to a key position led to the grounding last spring of a cruise ship that was carrying nearly 300 people in southeastern Alaska.

“The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the probable cause of the grounding of the Empress of the North was the failure of the officer of the watch and the helmsman to navigate the turn at Rocky Island, which resulted from the master’s decision to assign an inexperienced, newly licensed junior third mate to the bridge watch from midnight to 4:00 a.m.,” the agency said in a report adopted Tuesday but made public Wednesday.

“The third mate was not familiar with the route, the vessel’s handling characteristics, or the equipment on the vessel’s bridge.”

Oil prices shed nearly $4 Wednesday, tumbling below $125 a barrel for the first time since early June on growing fears that high prices and the weak economy are destroying demand.Light, sweet crude for September delivery dropped $3.98 to settle at $124.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The August contract expired Tuesday at $127.95.

At the gas pump, prices continued to decline. A gallon of regular dropped more than a penny to an average of $4.042 nationwide, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. Diesel slipped 0.6 cent to $4.802.

In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures lost more than 6 cents to trade at $3.6127 a gallon, while gasoline futures shed over 7 cents to $3.0762 a gallon. Natural gas prices fell more than 7 cents to $9.992 per 1,000 cubic feet.

September Brent crude fell $2.45 to $127.10 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

The eye of Hurricane Dolly made landfall Wednesday on Texas’ South Padre Island, after its outer bands of driving rain and wind gusts up to 120 mph had already torn roofs from homes, flooded streets and sent residents near the coastal border of Texas and Mexico scrambling for safety.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said landfall occurred around 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT), just hours after Dolly was upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds at 100 mph.

Soon after landfall, the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 1 as wind speeds decreased to 95

Two people were fatally shot in less than 10 minutes and the entire police radio system crashed citywide when Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey called for help at the scene of a domestic dispute.

The infamous $62 million Motorola radio system - including its backup system - was down for more than 40 minutes, forcing cops to retreat to their headquarters and pair up in patrol cars while crimes were still being committed on the street, officials said.

The system had briefly crashed on Monday when lightning struck a communications tower, said FOP president John McNesby.

The Motorola system has been maligned since the city started using it in 2002. In April, the Daily News found that the system was still plagued with problems and had failed 14 times since the city and Motorola claimed to have fixed it in 2005.

“This was a crisis tonight,” McNesby said. “Once again, we see the radio system doesn’t work - from the rookie on the street up to the commissioner.” *

The Mercer News, and News Now Network is no diffrent, we are like each of you, we compete online for bandwidth, a problem you are having, and may not know. Time Warner, in its contract with you, and US, has the ability to limit our access tothe internet, to spite selling you a specific access speed, this happens when heavy sag is going on, and at he sam time, the cable companies in hte usa are not working to increase capasity to the end users, so more and more people are using less and less space on the cable line.

As such, while Time Warner Denies there was a service issue in Greenville Today, many people we spoke with had issues, from not being able to get access to the itnernet, to being totally down,to having there system move slower than dial up for a time period.

We spoke to Keith macMurray, who has just started www.mercerDSL.net Keith says that this does not happen with DSL, even thought Cable is advertised as being faster, you share the line with hundreds of people, but with DSL you are the only one on the wire line, and thus, your system works faster to spite people saying DSL is slower.

Service problems were also reported by St. Pauls, The School, and other locations in Greenville.

Paul Maholm shut down the Astros for eight innings, Freddy Sanchez homered for the second straight game and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Houston 8-2 Tuesday night.

Who could it be? The co-worker who called out today? A cross-country trucker trying his luck? Did you buy a ticket on the way home from the beach, or heading to NYC, who is it,  is it you?

Someone - or a group of someones - won the Mega Millions $125 million jackpot last night. The ticket was sold in New Jersey.

The winning ticket, with numbers 2, 16, 23, 29, 32 and Mega Ball 46, was purchased in Essex County, New Jersey.

The last time the jackpot was hit in the Garden State was December 18 when a group of educators from Morris County won $163 million.

If you’re not the newest millionaire, there is the Powerball multi-state lottery. Powerball’s jackpot is up to $54 million, or $26.1 million in cash. And the next drawing is tonight.

Purchase tickets for the game, which is played in 29 states, in Philadelphia and Delaware.

Or just wait until Friday, when Mega Millions will be looking to make a player $12 million richer.

For more information on either of the multi-state lotteries, go to www.megamillions.com or www.powerball.com.

The voice of business in Ohio is speaking out against a labor-led push to mandate paid sick days for many Ohio workers, saying guaranteeing the time off would overburden employers and make the Buckeye State one of the most unfriendly business states in the country.The Ohio Healthy Families Act would stifle efforts to attract and expand business in Ohio, the Ohio Chamber says in its opposition of the proposed law. The Regional Chamber held a luncheon Tuesday to voice its opposition to the proposal.

Proponents have until Aug. 6 to collect 241,366 signatures to get the measure on the November ballot. Nearly 300,000 signatures have been given to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office.

Backers say the measure would improve productivity and attract the best workers to stay in Ohio.

Opponents on Tuesday called the initiative a ”job killer,” saying Ohio would lose jobs or be taken out of consideration by companies looking to expand or locate in Ohio. Also, more mandates on employers prevent them from providing better benefits.

Ohio’s unemployment rate went from six point three percent to six point six percent last month.

Columbiana, Trumbull, and Mahoning Counties also saw an increases as well.  But officials with the Regional Chamber of Commerce say the first half of the year was showing improvement from 2007.

However, in the last two months, the workforce has had to readjust after some tough losses.  “We lost Indalex and we lost Gold Aluminum in Warren, but we’re seeing the rest of the aluminum industry is pretty strong and have picked up a lot of those people”, explains Tom Humphries, President of the Regional Chamber.

Humphries expect the unemployment rate to improve over the next few months as GM Lordstown begins its third shift.

In Cleveland the Unemployment rate topped 10% as record housing failures lead to many abandoning the homes and leaving the area as detailed by the US Census.

Pitt announced today that the 101st Backyard Brawl with West Virginia at Heinz Field will be a noon kickoff that will be nationally televised on ABC on Friday, Nov. 28.Pitt also announced kickoff times for the first two games of the football season, with the Panthers opening at home against Bowling Green at noon and televised nationally on ESPNU on Aug. 30 and playing host to Buffalo at 6 p.m. on Sept. 6.

The Buffalo game will not be televised.

Other televised games include at South Florida on ESPN on Oct. 2, at Navy on CBS’ College Sports Network on Oct. 18 and at Notre Dame on NBC on Nov. 1. The Panthers open training camp on Aug. 5.