3RD newscast

Keith Harper Jr.

WKNJ Newscast

December 16, 2009

Good Afternoon, Wedesday, December 16^th at___________ o’clock and your’e listening to 90.3 WKNJ-FM Union, New Jersey and I’m ___________ with the news.

In Local New…

BRIDGEWATER NJ -- The principal at Bridgewater Raritan High School made a plea to students today to stop texting rumors about a possible attack on the school in hopes of calming a school community on edge since the arrest of a junior in an alleged bomb plot last week. "Let me assure you, I value my life as much as you value your life," Riccobono said. "I would not come to school, or ask you to come to school if I felt that our safety was jeopardized."A strong police presence will continue to remain at the school throughout the week and be evaluated on a day-to-day basis next week.

ATLANTIC CITY -- Two men convicted in a videotaped sex sting of an Atlantic City councilman are going to prison. A judge today sentenced Ronald Callaway to nine years behind bars. He'll be eligible for parole after four. Floyd Tally was sentenced to 12 years, with parole eligibility in six. The judge told the men the crime perpetuates Atlantic City politics as "a dirty business." Tally and Callaway were found guilty of conspiracy, criminal coercion and invasion of privacy. The charges involved the clandestine videotaping in 2006 of Councilman Eugene Robinson. The Baptist minister was lured to a motel and received oral sex from a prostitute hired by the defendants and the mastermind of the scheme, former Council President Craig Callaway.

National News…

President Obama met Tuesday with Senate Democrats and emerged to say Congress was "on the precipice" of passing a sweeping health care reform bill.

"There are some differences that still have to be worked on," Obama said after talks with Democrats trying to push their bill through the Senate. But "there is broad consensus around [a set of] reforms." Obama spoke after Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman indicated he was prepared to back reform legislation on condition that the bill drops both a controversial government-run public health insurance option and a provision allowing 55- to 64-year-olds to buy into Medicare. If the public option and Medicare buy-in are removed from the bill, "then I'm going to be in a position where I can say ... that I'm ready to vote for health care reform," Lieberman told reporters on Capitol Hill. In a later interview with CNN, Lieberman said he was "moving very much in the direction of saying yes, pending just seeing what I've been told is happening with the bill." An independent who caucuses with the Democrats, Lieberman has emerged as the main obstacle to the majority party's efforts to get the health care bill passed by the Senate before Christmas. He threatened over the weekend to join a GOP filibuster if the legislation contains either the public option or the Medicare expansion.

In World News…

In a strong blow to one of Mexico's most notorious drug cartels, Mexico's navy killed a top drug kingpin in a shootout Wednesday at an upscale resort. Arturo Beltran Leyva, head of the Beltran Leyva cartel, was killed in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca, the navy said. His brother, who was known as Mario Alberto Leyva or Hector Leyva, also was killed, according to the navy. He also was a top leader of the cartel. Five other cartel members also died in the gun battle at a housing complex called "Altitudes," navy spokesman Adm. Jose Luis Vergara said Thursday. He added that one of the gang members killed himself as authorities closed in. Three navy personnel were wounded by hand grenades, one fatally, President Felipe Calderon said. Navy 3rd Petty Officer Melquisedet Angulo Cordova died while being treated for his injuries, he said. One of the other two navy men was in serious condition and the other was in stable condition, Vergara said. The Beltran Leyva cartel is one of the most violent and feared drug organizations in Mexico. Authorities presented to the media three people -- two women and a man -- who were arrested in the raid. Their role with the cartel was not made clear.

The arrested women were identified as Catalina Castro Lopez and Gabriela Vega Perez. The man's name was not immediately released. Arturo Beltran Leyva was one of Mexico's top three most-wanted criminals, Calderon said. "This operation was the result of an intense intelligence effort by the Mexican navy," he said.

In Sports…

In the NFl Cincinantii Begals wide receiver Chris Johnson has died, one day after falling out of the back of a pickup truck in what authorities described as a domestic dispute with his fiancée.

The Giants have the day off

The Jets have the day off

In the NBA…

The Knicks had the night off but play the Chicago Bulls tonight

The Nets take a loss agaist the Mavs 108-82

Now for weather…

Today will be sunny with temps in the high 30’s with winds off 10mph so dress warm

That’s the news for today I’m________ and we’ll be back afer this break and this nwes report was written by Keith Harper Jr.