REPUBLICAN STATE REP. JUSTIN SIMMONS SAYS WHILE SERVING ON A SCHOOL BOARD IS VIEWED BY MANY AS A NON-PARTISAN POSITION, THE REALITY IS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS MAKE DECISIONS RELATED TO A SCHOOL DISTRICT'S BUDGET AND AFFECT TAXPAYERS' WALLETS.  SIMMONS SAYS VOTERS ARE CONFUSED WHEN A SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE CROSS-FILES AND ELIMINATING THE PRACTICE WOULD PROVIDE SOME CLARITY FOR VOTERS IN SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS.  HIS BILL HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE HOUSE STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE.

  THERE ARE 4.4 MILLION PENNSYLVANIANS REGISTERED AS ORGAN DONORS.  PHILADELPHIA'S LAVERNE CLARK IS ONE OF THOSE ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE SOMEBODY TOOK 30 SECONDS TO REGISTER YEARS AGO.  "BECAUSE SOMEONE SAID "YES" IT GAVE ME 10 YEARS WHERE I BECAME A GRANDMOTHER, I'VE SEEN MY DAUGHTER GRADUATE COLLEGE AND GET MARRIED AND IT ONLY TOOK 30 SECONDS TO SAY YES," CLARK SAYS.  THE GROUP DONATE LIFE PENNSYLVANIA IS PUSHING A NEW PUBLIC-AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TITLED "30 SECONDS" TRYING TO ADD 200,000 NEW REGISTERED ORGAN DONORS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.  MORE THAN 6200 PENNSYLVANIANS ARE WAITING FOR AN ORGAN DONATION.

  HIGHMARK INC. HAS BEEN FINED $50,000 BY THE STATE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT FOR MINOR VIOLATIONS RELATING TO DENYING CLAIMS.  THE PITTSBURGH-BASED HEALTH INSURER DISPUTED THE FINDINGS OF THE TWO-YEAR REVIEW, BUT SAYS IT WILL REVIEW ITS CLAIMS PROCEDURES ANYWAY.  THE REVIEW WAS BEGUN AFTER A CUSTOMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A CLAIM BEING DENIED, WHICH RESULTED FROM A "PROBLEMATIC UPGRADE" OF HIGHMARK'S CLAIM PROCESSING SYSTEM.  THAT CAUSED THOUSANDS OF CLAIMS TO BE DENIED AND THE STATE SAYS TOO MANY OF THOSE DENIALS WEREN'T REMEDIED QUICKLY ENOUGH.  HIGHMARK SAYS MANY OF THE PROBLEMS WERE OUT OF ITS CONTROL AND RESULTED FROM TRYING TO IMPLEMENT NEW RULES FROM THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES, AND OTHER EXTERNAL ISSUES.

  SEVERAL PEOPLE IN A GROUP OF 40 CHAPERONES AND STUDENTS VISITING PENN STATE'S MAIN CAMPUS SAY THEY CAME HOME WITH BEDBUG BITES.  THE SCHOOL SAYS BEDBUGS WERE REPORTED IN THE CURTIN HALL DORMITORY.  THREE ROOMS WERE TREATED, AND ALL OF THE RESIDENCE HALL'S ROOMS ARE BEING CHECKED.  A UNIVERSITY SPOKESWOMAN SAYS A PEST CONTROL SERVICE USED A HEAT TREATMENT TO GET RID OF THE BUGS.  PENN STATE SAYS THREE STUDENTS REPORTED BITES.  THE PITTSBURGH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS STAYING IN THE DORM FOR THE JUNIOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE STATE MEET SCIENCE COMPETITION OVER THE WEEKEND SAY THEY CAME HOME WITH BEDBUG BITES.  PARENTS SAY THE STUDENTS WERE SENT HOME WITH THEIR LUGGAGE AND CLOTHES WRAPPED IN GARBAGE BAGS AND INFORMATION ON HOW TO PREVENT THE BUGS FROM SPREADING TO THEIR HOMES.

  AN ARTIST IS HOPING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WILL COME INTO DOWNTOWN PHILADELPHIA FOR A PROJECT THAT IS BEING CREATED TO HIGHLIGHT THE THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS KILLED EVERY YEAR BY GUN VIOLENCE.  PETER QUINN IS THE ARTIST BEHIND THE CONCEPT FOR "AMERICAN CASUALTIES: A DRAWING."  THE TWO-DAY PROJECT REQUIRES HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS TO SKETCH 12,000 CHALK BODY OUTLINES ALONG EIGHT BLOCKS OF JOHN F. KENNEDY BOULEVARD.  THAT'S THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS KILLED EACH YEAR BY GUNS.  QUINN SAYS PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP WILL BE GIVEN CHALK.  EVERYONE WILL TAKE TURNS LYING ON THE PAVEMENT AND TRACING EACH OTHER'S OUTLINES.  HE SAYS THE SKETCHING WILL TAKE PLACE SATURDAY FROM 9 A.M. TO 8 P.M. THEN ON SUNDAY, THE MASSIVE DRAWING WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL TO SEE.

  THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE IS ISSUING A SPECIAL STAMP COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.  THE STAMPS WILL FIRST BE ISSUED AT A CEREMONY AT GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK ON THURSDAY, A DAY BEFORE THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO GO ON SALE ACROSS THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.  THE STAMP DEPICTS A PAINTED IMAGE OF A CHAOTIC BATTLEFIELD, WITH SMOKE RISING FROM FIRED RIFLES.  THE THREE-DAY BATTLE IN JULY 1863 WAS THE LARGEST OF THE CIVIL WAR.  IT IS CONSIDERED THE WAR'S PIVOTAL MOMENT AFTER NORTHERN FORCES TURNED AWAY A CONFEDERATE ADVANCE.  THE POSTAL SERVICE HAS BEEN COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL WAR WITH A SERIES OF STAMPS.  A STAMP COMMEMORATING THE BATTLE OF VICKSBURG WILL ALSO BE RELEASED NEXT WEEK IN MISSISSIPPI.

  GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE'S CAMPAIGN IS LAUNCHING ITS FIRST SPANISH-LANGUAGE TELEVISION COMMERCIAL OF THE 2013 CAMPAIGN IN WHICH BOTH CANDIDATES ARE COURTING VOTES OF LATINOS.  THE 30-SECOND SPOT FIRST AIRED FRIDAY AND ECHOES AN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE COMMERCIAL THE CAMPAIGN STARTED AIRING EARLIER THIS MONTH.  IN IT, THE GOVERNOR BOASTS ABOUT CHANGING THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND MAKING WHAT THE CAMPAIGN CALLS "PRINCIPLED COMPROMISE."  CHRISTIE DID NOT HAVE ANY SPANISH TV ADS IN HIS 2009 CAMPAIGN.  BOTH CHRISTIE AND HIS EXPECTED DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT, STATE SEN. BARBARA BUONO, HAVE RECEIVED THE ENDORSEMENTS OF LATINO POLITICAL GROUPS.