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MCCONNELSVILLE TEEN PLEADS GUILTY TO MURDER:

A Morgan County teen is facing life in prison after pleading guilty today to the murder of a single mother earlier this year.

Travis Lee Fischer, 17, of McConnelsville, was charged with aggravated murder the day after the bludgeoned body of Abi S. Matthews, 35, was found on June 2 in her Malta apartment. He pleaded guilty today to one count each of aggravated murder, rape, aggravated burglary, grand theft and arson.

As part of a plea agreement, four charges were dismissed against Fischer - aggravated robbery, tampering with evidence and two additional counts of aggravated murder (he could only have been sentenced on one of these counts).

The aggravated murder charge to which Fischer pleaded guilty carries a possible life sentence. He is scheduled to be sentenced at noon on Thursday, Nov. 19, in Morgan County Common Pleas Court.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT SCHEDULES H1N1 MIST VACCINE CLINIC:

A third H1N1 vaccination clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Washington County Health Department, again targeting specific groups of people and this time including only the mist vaccine.

Those who can participate in Saturday's clinic are people ages 2 to 24 with no long-term health problems, health care and emergency medical service personnel age 49 and younger with no long-term health problems and those 25 to 49 who have no long-term health problems and who live with or care for infants 6 months old or younger.

Other adults aren't eligible to receive the vaccine at this time, and pregnant women and children under 2 can't receive the mist vaccine, which is a weakened live virus as opposed to the killed virus that is injected.

The health department is located at 342 Muskingum Drive.

AARP TO BACK HOUSE DEMS' HEALTH CARE PLAN:

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a coup for House Democrats, AARP will endorse sweeping health care overhaul legislation headed for a history-making floor vote, officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

An endorsement from the seniors' lobby was critical when then-President George W. Bush pushed the Medicare prescription drug benefit through a closely divided Congress in 2003. House Democratic leaders are hoping it will work the same political magic for them as they strive to deliver on President Barack Obama's signature issue.

An announcement from the 40-million member group is expected Thursday, said officials with knowledge of the group's decision. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the endorsement is not official yet.

Backing the 10-year, $1.2 trillion House bill is a tricky move for AARP. Many retirees are concerned about cuts in Medicare payments to medical providers, which will be used to finance an expansion of health insurance coverage to millions of working families who now lack it.

Floor votes on the House bill could come as early as this weekend. Asked Wednesday if Democratic leaders had the 218 needed for passage, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., responded: "We're counting. We're counting."