POTTSVILLE — A veteran state senator was seriously injured in a car accident in northeastern Pennsylvania on Friday night.

Sen. James J. Rhoades and his wife, Mary, were hurt in a collision with another vehicle near Brodheadsville in Monroe County at around 7:30 p.m., according to police.

Both were flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital near Allentown, but their conditions were not released. Rhoades' chief of staff, Champ Holman, said he has been told that the senator's injuries are serious.

The accident happened as Rhoades was traveling north on Route 209 and his Cadillac collided with a truck traveling the other way, police said. After the initial crash, Rhoades car then struck another vehicle that had pulled onto the shoulder.

Rhoades, R-Schuylkill, had been attending a function at a high school before the accident, Holman said.

His district includes Schuylkill County and parts of Berks, Monroe, Northampton, Lehigh and Carbon counties.

HARRISBURG — College affordability will be the focus of five upcoming public hearings across Pennsylvania.The State Board of Education's higher-education council says it's seeking testimony from students, parents, college officials and others about the challenges of paying for rising college costs. The council also wants to know how students might be able to obtain a degree without taking on massive debt.Officials say Pennsylvania college students graduate with an average of almost $23,000 in student-loan debt.The hearings will be held Oct. 23 in Nanticoke; Oct. 24 in Philadelphia; Oct. 28 in Harrisburg; Oct. 29 in Monroeville; and Nov. 3 in Clarion.More information is available online by visiting www.pde.state.pa.us and clicking on the State Board of Education link.

SHANKSVILLE — The National Park Service will use an independent appraiser to determine the value of 275 acres needed for the Flight 93 Memorial and could use eminent domain to acquire the plot if all else fails.The Families of Flight 93 say the U.S. government will decide when and if to use eminent domain.Svonavec's property is one of the last large chunks of land needed for the 2,200-acre memorial. The property includes the area where the plane crashed.Svonavec's treasurer, Mike Svonavec, says the park service has not done enough to negotiate a deal.Flight 93 was the fourth plane to crash on Sept. 11. Passengers stormed the cockpit, bringing the plane down in rural Western Pennsylvania.