Second Newscast

Keith Harper Jr.
WKNJ Newscast
October 29, 2009

Good afternoon, it’s Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at _________ o’clock and you’re listening to 90.3 WKNJ-FM Union, New Jersey, and I’m ________ with the news.

In Local News….

In Camden an independent Camden city council candidate is accused of punching a television news cameraman. A crew for Fox 29 in Philadelphia was working on an investigative report about Clyde Cook. A barber shop owner claimed that the minister was demanding a share of the shop's earnings. Cook denied the accusation. A camera crew caught up Cook on the street and sought further comment. Video aired this week shows a confrontation. A reporter said Cook grabbed the camera and punched the cameraman in the head. Cook is charged with robbery, assault and criminal mischief.

Cook told The Courier-Post of Cherry Hill he regrets the situation but said the journalists kept getting in his "face with the camera”.

In other Local News…

Toll collections have risen for four months in a row on the seven toll bridges connecting Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission executive director Frank McCartney called the news "some sunshine for the first time in a long time." Toll collections began slipping two years ago as the nation entered a recession. The bad streak seems to be finished for the agency that operates bridges from Trenton north. Revenue was higher than it was in the corresponding months of 2008 for every month from June through September.

In National News…

The US economy is finally getting back into gear. The U.S. economy grew at a 3.5% annual rate in the third quarter, ending a string of declines over four quarters that resulted in the most severe slide since the Great Depression. But some economists raised doubts about how long such strong growth can last. The increase in GDP, reported by the government Thursday morning, was slightly better than expectations. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast 3.2% growth in gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation's economic activity. The economy shrank at a 0.7% rate in the second quarter. The positive GDP report is one more sign that the economy has likely pulled out of the deep recession that started in December 2007.

In International News…

Dozens of security officials are detained in Iraq bombings. More than 60 people responsible for security in the area of Baghdad where bombers killed 160 people this week have been detained amid growing criticism of a security breakdown in the capital. Gen. Qassim Atta, spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command, confirmed the detentions but did not say whether the people were negligent or complicit in the attack. Of 61 people detained, 11 were officers, including senior police and army commanders, and 50 were security forces, Atta said. They had been responsible for security in Salhiya district in central Baghdad, where suicide blasts targeted government offices Sunday.

In Sports…

The World Series kicked off last night with the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies. The Yanks take a 6-1 loss in game one. In the NFL the Giants are preparing for Sunday’s rival game against the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Jets are doing the same in getting ready for the game with their rival the Miami Dolphins. In the NBA the New York Knicks kick off their season with loss to the Heat 115-93, while the NJ Nets also lose 95-93 to the Minnesota T-wolves.

In Entertainment News…

'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Banks $2.2 Million On Premiere Night. Predictions were that Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” could be the highest-grossing music film of all time, and the documentary chronicling the final concert rehearsals of the King of Pop got off to a good start. A series of late-night screenings pulled in $2.2 million in the U.S. on Tuesday, setting the film up for a possible #1 ranking at the box office this Halloween weekend, according to The Associated Press.

Today’s weather…

Today’s weather is nice & cool. It will be partly cloudy with a high of 60 degrees. The current temp is 53 degrees.

That’s it for your news. You’re listening to 90.3 WKNJ-FM, Union, New Jersey. I’m ______. The news writer for this broadcast is Keith Harper Jr. And we’ll be right back after this.