Free

Puppies found stuffed in bag on frigid day in Pa.

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) -- Police in Lancaster are searching for whoever stuffed two puppies in a blue backpack and left them to die on one of the coldest days of the year. Mike Diehm of the Lancaster County SPCA said the pups -- one male, one female -- were nearly frozen when a man heard them crying from inside the backpack Wednesday morning as he walked by. They're believed to be Chihuahua mixes and around two months old. They have been warmed and are doing well. The shelter staff has dubbed the female dog Breeze and the male Lucky.

Russian wild boar shot roaming Pa. neighborhood

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) -- The Pennsylvania Game Commission says a Russian wild boar was shot by a homeowner. Wildlife conservation officer Dennis Warfel told The Intelligencer/Lancaster New Era the thick-haired 100- to 150-pound male boar with tusks was shot with a rifle Friday after being spotted in a homeowner's yard in Holtwood. There have been no further sightings but the Game Commission is worried about non-native feral pigs getting established in Pennsylvania and urges licensed hunters to shoot such swine on sight.

In Ky., it was cold enough for an escapee to turn himself in

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Just how cold is it in Kentucky? Apparently cold enough for an escaped prisoner to decide to turn himself in. Authorities said the inmate escaped from a minimum security facility in Lexington on Sunday. As temperatures dropped into the low single digits Monday, officials say the man walked into a motel and asked the clerk to call police. Robert Vick, 42, of Hartford told the clerk he wanted to turn himself in and escape the arctic air, Lexington police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts said.

How cold was it? At Chicago zoo, even the polar bear came inside

CHICAGO (AP) -- It was even too cold for Chicago's resident polar bear. The city's Lincoln Park Zoo says its polar bear, Anana, was kept inside Monday because of the record-low temperatures. Zoo spokeswoman Sharon Dewar says that while the below-zero weather might be comparable to what polar bears experience in the wild, Anana doesn't have a thick layer of fat that bears typically get from eating things such as seals and whale carcasses. That extra insulation would make it uncomfortable to live in Chicago during the rest of the year, so Anana gets a different diet.

The PE Sneak Peek: Jan. 8, 2014

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy Wednesday: * Road rage was the reason behind a crash that caused injuries this afternoon, police say. See our breaking online report. * The death of a bright new doctor made headlines last spring. Now her family is suing the Geisinger Health System. Check back for more. * A third suspect is charged in the "pizza deliveryman" burglaries of student apartments.

Cold delays school openings

For the second day in a row, the cold has some area schools adjusting their schedules. Here's the list as of 6:30 a.m., as compiled from wnep.com and whlmam.com * Benton Area, two-hour delay * Berwick Area, two-hour delay * Bloomsburg Area, two-hour delay * Bloomsburg Christian, two-hour delay * Columbia County Christian, two-hour delay * Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech, two-hour delay * Central Columbia, two-hour delay * Danville Area, two-hour delay

Utility asks for conservation in cold snap

ALLENTOWN -- PPL Electric customers are being asked to conserve energy during this cold snap, according to a press release. PJM, the electricity grid operator for the region, says it needs to ensure adequate power supplies during the peak electricity use periods of 6-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. Among the things PPL suggests: * If you have electric heat, set your thermostats lower than usual if your health permits. * Postpone using major electric appliances like stoves, dishwashers and clothes dryers until noontime or after 9 p.m., when demand decreases.

Cold freezes out students

All area school districts but Central Columbia have shut down for the day due to extreme cold weather. Here's the list, compiled from wnep.com and whlmam.com. * Benton, CLOSED * Berwick, CLOSED * Bloomsburg, CLOSED * Bloomsburg Christian, CLOSED * Columbia County Christian, CLOSED * Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech, CLOSED * Danville Area, CLOSED * Millville Area, CLOSED * Northwest Area, CLOSED * Southern Columbia, CLOSED

Pages