A MAN CHARGED IN THE FATAL SHOOTING OF A FREEMANSBURG POLICE OFFICER RESPONDING TO A DISTURBANCE COMPLAINT AT HIS HOME SAYS HE THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO BREAK INTO HIS HOUSE. GEORGE HITCHO JR. TESTIFIED WEDNESDAY HE THOUGHT THE STUN GUN THAT OFFICER ROBERT LASSO WAS POINTING WAS A REAL GUN. HE SAYS HE FEARED FOR HIS LIFE. HITCHO SHOT LASSO IN THE HEAD WITH A SHOTGUN AS THE OFFICER TRIED TO FEND OFF HITCHO'S DOGS. LASSO WAS RESPONDING TO A NEIGHBOR'S COMPLAINT WHEN HE WAS KILLED. DEFENSE ATTORNEY MICHAEL CORRIERE WANTS THE JURY TO CONSIDER A VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER OR THIRD-DEGREE MURDER VERDICT. PROSECUTORS HAVE ALLEGED HITCHO DESERVES A FIRST-DEGREE MURDER CONVICTION AND THE DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING LASSO LAST AUGUST.
JERRY SANDUSKY IS AGAIN ASKING A JUDGE TO THROW OUT THE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CHARGES AGAINST HIM, ARGUING THAT SOME COUNTS ARE TOO VAGUE TO DEFEND AND OTHERS INVOLVE ALLEGED VICTIMS WHOSE IDENTITIES HAVEN'T BEEN DETERMINED. A LAWYER FOR THE FORMER PENN STATE ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH FILED MOTIONS ON WEDNESDAY, LESS THAN THREE WEEKS BEFORE TRIAL IS SCHEDULED TO GET UNDER WAY. DEFENSE ATTORNEY JOE AMENDOLA WRITES THAT CHARGES RELATED TO A PERSON DESCRIBED AS VICTIM 2 CAN'T BE SUSTAINED BASED ON THE TESTIMONY OF MIKE MCQUEARY, AN ASSISTANT COACH WHO'S SAID HE SAW SANDUSKY ATTACK THE BOY IN A TEAM SHOWER A DECADE AGO. AMENDOLA ARGUES PROSECUTORS WON'T BE ABLE TO SHOW THERE WAS ANY SEXUAL CONTACT WITH VICTIM 6, AND THAT THE VICTIM 8 ALLEGATIONS REQUIRE IMPERMISSIBLE HEARSAY.
THE SENATE VOTED ON FIVE REPUBLICAN-SPONSORED BUDGET PROPOSALS WEDNESDAY, INCLUDING ONE DRAWN UP BY PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR PAT TOOMEY, WHO TOLD THE SENATE THERE ARE BLACK CLOUDS ON THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT HORIZON. "WE HAVE A FULL-BLOWN CRISIS THAT AWAITS US. IT COULD ARRIVE AT VIRTUALLY ANY MOMENT IF WE DON'T CHANGE THE COURSE WE'RE ON," SAYS TOOMEY. THE SENATOR SAYS THE DEFICIT IS UNSUSTAINABLE AND COULD LEAD TO ECONOMIC DISASTER BEING SEEN NOW IN EUROPE AND GREECE IN PARTICULAR. DESPITE HIS PLEA ON THE SENATE FLOOR, THE SENATE VOTED DOWN TOOMEY'S BUDGET IN A 57-42 VOTE.
IS THERE A GANG PROBLEM BREWING IN BANGOR? A MEMBER OF EASTON'S GANG PREVENTION TASK FORCE SAYS YES. TERRENCE MILLER HAS TOLD THE BANGOR BLOCK WATCH GROUP HE SAW LOTS OF SIGNS OF GANG ACTIVITY IN THE BOROUGH, INCLUDING GANG GRAFFITI FROM THE BLOODS AND LATIN KINGS. MILLER TOLD THE WATCH GROUP PARENTS IN THE BOROUGH NEED TO TALK WITH LOCAL KIDS AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE HEARING AND SEEING IN BANGOR.
EASTON HOSPITAL SAYS IT IS PUTTING A HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER IN THE OLD LANECO STORE ALONG SULLIVAN TRAIL IN FORKS TOWNSHIP. THE CENTER WILL FEATURE DOCTOR OFFICES, LAB AND IMAGING SERVICES AND NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY WALK-IN CARE. THE NEW CENTER IS EXPECTED TO OPEN THIS SUMMER.
THE ALLENTOWN SCHOOL BOARD'S FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL BE STARING AT SOME DISCOURAGING NUMBERS AT ITS MEETING TONIGHT. BY 2017, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD BE LOOKING AT A $17 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT ALONG WITH A RESERVE ACCOUNT THAT'S $40 MILLION IN THE RED. THE DISTRICT'S FIVE-YEAR PROJECTIONS INDICATE EXPENSES WILL FAR EXCEED REVENUE PROJECTIONS BETWEEN 2013 AND 2017. THE COMMITTEE WILL ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT THE 2012-2013 BUDGET THAT CURRENTLY CALLS FOR TAX HIKES OF 5.2 PERCENT.
GOV. TOM CORBETT SAYS SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHOULD BE DIPPING INTO THEIR RESERVES TO AVOID CUTTING PROGRAMS NEXT YEAR, ALTHOUGH PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATES SAY MOST DISTRICTS ARE ALREADY USING THE MONEY. CORBETT SAYS NOW'S THE TIME TO USE THE RESERVES. DISTRICTS ARE PLANNING 2012-13 BUDGETS AS THEY STRUGGLE WITH CUTS IN STATE AID, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF FEDERAL STIMULUS DOLLARS, LACKLUSTER TAX COLLECTIONS AND RISING COSTS. PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATES AGREE THIS IS A DIFFICULT TIME. FOR INSTANCE, SEVERAL DISTRICTS HAVE RAISED THE IDEA OF ELIMINATING KINDERGARTEN ENTIRELY. BUT JIM BUCKHEIT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND JAY HIMES OF THE PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS SAY THEY BELIEVE MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF DISTRICTS ARE ALREADY USING RESERVES TO BALANCE THIS YEAR'S BUDGETS.
PROMISES MADE, PROMISES BROKEN. THAT'S THE GENERAL THEME TO A NEW $25 MILLION TV AD CAMPAIGN THAT HAMMERS PRESIDENT OBAMA'S RECORD. THE ADS BEGIN THURSDAY IN 10 KEY STATES, INCLUDING HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE ADVOCACY GROUP CROSSROADS GPS IS PAYING FOR THE AD CAMPAIGN, WHICH WILL FOCUS ON JOBS, THE ECONOMY, THE DEBT AND THE PRESIDENT'S HEALTH CARE REFORM.
THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION SAYS A WASHINGTON, D.C. FUNDRAISER FEATURING TWO FORMER PRESIDENTS RAISED $2 MILLION FOR THE FLIGHT 93 NATIONAL MEMORIAL. FOUNDATION SPOKESWOMAN MARJORIE HALL SAYS WEDNESDAY THAT AFTER THE PREVIOUS NIGHT'S EVENT $8 MILLION IN PRIVATE DONATIONS ARE STILL NEEDED TO FINISH THE MEMORIAL LOCATED NEAR SHANKSVILLE, ABOUT 75 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PITTSBURGH, ALONG WITH $4 MILLION IN PUBLIC FUNDING. BILL CLINTON, GEORGE W. BUSH AND HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER HOSTED THE D.C. BENEFIT. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE MEMORIAL WAS DEDICATED IN SEPTEMBER. THE SITE HONORS THE 40 PASSENGERS AND CREW MEMBERS WHO DIED WHEN UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93 CRASHED IN A FIELD NEAR SHANKSVILLE ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. PASSENGERS AND CREWMEMBERS FOUGHT TERRORISTS FOR CONTROL OF THE HIJACKED PLANE THAT WAS TARGETING WASHINGTON.
LEGISLATION REVERSING A 2010 LAW THAT ALLOWED THE STATE TO CLAIM THE VALUE OF DORMANT GIFT CARDS AS REVENUE WILL BE CONSIDERED THURSDAY. THE SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE IS BEING ASKED TO VOTE TO REMOVE GIFT CARDS FROM THE STATE'S UNCLAIMED PROPERTY LAW. THE BILL ALSO PROHIBITS RETAILERS FROM CHARGING DORMANCY FEES ON IDLE CARDS OR IMPOSING EXPIRATION DATES. THE STATE ANTICIPATED $65 MILLION IN NEW REVENUE BY EXPANDING THE LAW. BUT RETAILERS SUED AND THE LAW HAS STALLED. THREE MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE GIFT CARD MARKET TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LAST MONTH THEY WOULD QUIT DOING BUSINESS IN NEW JERSEY IN JUNE OVER DIFFICULTIES COMPLYING WITH THE NEW LAW. THE COMPANIES, AMEX, BLACKHAWK NETWORK AND INCOMM, PROVIDED GIFT CARDS SOLD AT MALLS, GROCERIES AND CONVENIENCE STORES.
TWO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF BILLS HAVE BEEN TABLED IN THE NEW JERSEY SENATE AS LAWMAKERS CONSIDER OTHER FISCAL PROPOSALS THAT COULD AFFECT GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE'S $32.1 BILLION STATE BUDGET. SENATE PRESIDENT STEVE SWEENEY'S PLAN TO PROVIDE A TAX CREDIT TO HOMEOWNERS HAS BEEN TABLED FOR NOW. SO HAS A BILL LIMITING THE AMOUNT THE STATE CAN WITHHOLD FROM TOWNS ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION FOR TAX REVENUES THEY FOREGO BECAUSE OF POWER LINES AND OTHER UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED A SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY MAN ON A DRUNKEN DRIVING CHARGE FOR THE FIFTH TIME IN FIVE WEEKS. VINELAND POLICE SAY 45-YEAR-OLD ANDERSON SOTOMAYOR WAS CHARGED AROUND NOON WEDNESDAY AFTER A RESIDENT CALLED POLICE TO REPORT AN ERRATIC DRIVER ON A CITY ROADWAY. SOTOMAYOR WAS JAILED ON $10,000 BAIL. SOTOMAYOR'S LAST DUI CHARGE CAME ON SATURDAY. HE ALSO WAS CITED FOR DRUNKEN DRIVING ON APRIL 9, 11 AND 25. SOTOMAYOR WAS ALSO ISSUED FIVE SUMMONSES, NOT INCLUDING DRUNKEN DRIVING, ON APRIL 2. POLICE SAY THAT DAY, HE SWERVED AROUND A SCHOOL BUS AS IT UNLOADED KIDS, RAN INTO A STOP SIGN, SMASHED INTO A CAR AND FLED THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT.
