99 NEWS HEADLINES FOR FRIDAY, 1/15/10

SUNY POTSDAM EARTHQUAKE EXPERT EXPLAINS HAITI QUAKE POWER--Dr. Frank Revetta, internationally-known quake scholar says the event in Haiti this week released the energy of several atomic bombs. He says the reading of 7 on the Richter Scale means the Haiti quake was 30 times stronger than if it were a '6'....the power increase is exponential. Revetta says the Haiti quake registered on his seismographs, but could not be felt here.

ARMED ROBBERY IN MASSENA--Village Police say a man wielding a knife entered Shirley's Discount Liquors on East Orvis St. about 7pm demanding money. The man is described as between 25 and 30 years of age, wearing a black face mask, a black Carhartt jacket and black pants. The suspect made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. Anyone with information is asked to call 769-3577.

FORD: "OLIVE BRANCH" EXTENDED TO GOP FOR 23RD CANDIDATE--Hank Ford, Chair of the county Conservative Party said Monday the Republicans need to know any candidate they choose for the next Congressional District race cannot win without a Conservative endorsement. No Republican for statewide office has won since 1974 without the endorsement. Ford says he and many other county chairs were miffed last fall when Doug Hoffman was shoved down their throats as the one to support, after Hoffman backed away from Republican Dede Scozzafava and divided the right wing throughout the campaign...putting the seat in Democrat Bill Owens's hands.  He says the GOP and Conservatives should back one, fusion candidate if they expect any chance of bringing back any conservative values to the Congressional seat, at all.