IT WAS A BUSY OVERNIGHT FOR FIREFIGHTERS IN BOTH CARBON AND LEHIGH COUNTIES. CREWS WERE CALLED TO A HOUSE FIRE ALONG THE LIMEPORT PIKE IN LOWER MILFORD TOWNSHIP JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT. MEANWHILE, UP IN JIM THORPE, FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED TO WHAT APPEARS TO BE A VACANT HOME ON SOUTH STREET AROUND 11:30 LAST NIGHT. THERE ARE NO REPORTS OF INJURIES IN EITHER BLAZE.
LEHIGH COUNTY'S NOVEMBER BALLOT WILL BE A LITTLE LESS CLUTTERED. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE VOTED TO TAKE A PAIR OF REFERENDUMS OFF THIS FALL'S BALLOT. ONE OF THE THEM COULD HAVE LIMITED COMMISSIONERS TO THREE FOUR-YEAR TERMS WHILE GIVING COUNTY EXECUTIVES THE CHANCE TO SERVE THREE, RATHER THAN TWO, TERMS. THE SECOND REFERENDUM QUESTION ASKED IF THE COUNTY COURT SHOULD APPOINT ROW OFFICERS, WHO ARE NOW ELECTED. THE REPEALS OVERTURNED DECISIONS MADE BY THE PREVIOUS BOARD AT THE END OF 2011.
THE ATTEMPTED-MURDER TRIAL OF 65-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM KIMMEL IS SCHEDULED TO RESUME TODAY AFTER BEING SUSPENDED WEDNESDAY. NEITHER SIDE IS SAYING WHY JUDGE STEPHEN BARATTA PUT THE BRAKES ON THE TRIAL, BUT THE JUDGE SAYS HE'S GIVING PROSECUTORS UNTIL TODAY TO CLEAR UP UNDISCLOSED LEGAL ISSUES. KIMMEL IS ACCUSED OF SEVERELY BEATING HIS WIFE, SANDRA, INSIDE THEIR BETHLEHEM HOME IN NOVEMBER 2010. THE DEFENSE SAYS SANDRA KIMMEL'S INJURIES COULD'VE JUST AS EASILY HAPPENED IN A FALL DOWN THE STEPS.
THE STATE'S AFL-CIO IS HOSTING AN UNEMPLOYMENT RESOURCE FAIR THURSDAY FROM 10-TO-5 AT THE IBEW LOCAL 375 ON WEST LIBERTY STREET IN ALLENTOWN. THE FAIR WILL FOCUS ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES RELATED TO UNEMPLOYMENT LIKE EDUCATION AND RETRAINING, STARTING A BUSINESS AND UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION. THE LEHIGH VALLEY FAIR IS ONE OF SIX PLANNED ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH.
A STATE JUDGE IS ORDERING A TEMPORARY HALT TO PORTIONS OF PENNSYLVANIA'S NEW MARCELLUS SHALE LAW THAT LIMIT THE POWER OF MUNICIPALITIES TO REGULATE THE BOOMING NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION INDUSTRY. COMMONWEALTH COURT SENIOR JUDGE KEITH QUIGLEY ISSUED A 120-DAY INJUNCTION WEDNESDAY AFTER HEARING ARGUMENTS EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE EIGHT-WEEK-OLD LAW'S LOCAL-ZONING PROVISIONS WERE SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT SATURDAY. A GROUP THAT INCLUDES SEVEN MUNICIPALITIES SOUGHT THE INJUNCTION IN THE SHORT-TERM TO GIVE THEM TIME TO ARGUE THEIR LAWSUIT THAT THE LAW UNCONSTITUTIONALLY TAKES AWAY LOCAL POWERS THAT PROTECT THEM FROM POTENTIAL HARM. SENIOR DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL HOWARD HOPKIRK ARGUED THAT THE STATE CREATED THE MUNICIPAL PLANNING CODE, AND MUNICIPALITIES HAVE NO RIGHT OR STANDING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT PERCEIVED HARM TO ITS RESIDENTS IF THE STATE PRE-EMPTS PARTS OF IT.
GOV. TOM CORBETT SAYS PENNSYLVANIANS UPSET OVER RISING SCHOOL TAXES SHOULD DEMAND EXPLANATIONS FROM THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS. CORBETT SAID STATE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS AT RECORD LEVELS WHEN THE COST OF TEACHER PENSIONS IS INCLUDED. HE SAYS THOSE PENSION COSTS WILL RISE FROM $1.6 BILLION TO OVER $4 BILLION IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. THE DEMOCRATIC MINORITY IN THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SAY IT'S MISLEADING TO COUNT THE PENSION CONTRIBUTION SINCE IT IS NOT RELATED TO STUDENTS' EDUCATION. THE CURRENT STATE BUDGET SLASHED SPENDING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION BY HUNDREDS OF MILLION OF DOLLARS. CORBETT PROPOSES TENS OF MILLIONS IN ADDITIONAL CUTS FOR THE BUDGET THAT STARTS JULY 1.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE TROOPERS HAVE ALREADY ISSUED 31 CITATIONS FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE STATE'S FIVE-WEEK-OLD BAN ON TEXTING WHILE DRIVING. A STATE POLICE SPOKESWOMAN SAID THE TOTAL AS OF WEDNESDAY DOESN'T INCLUDE THE MANY WARNINGS THAT ALSO HAVE BEEN ISSUED. THE LAW PROHIBITS TEXTING OR READING TEXTS, BUT DOESN'T BAN THE USE OF HAND-HELD CELL PHONES. IT CARRIES A $50 FINE AND GIVES POLICE AUTHORITY TO PULL OVER SUSPECTED VIOLATORS ON SIGHT.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, REPUBLICAN PENNSYLVANIA SENATE CANDIDATE STEVE WELCH UNVEILED A NEW TV AD CALLING OPPONENT TOM SMITH THE WORST REPUBLICAN IMPOSTER OF ALL TIME. NOW, SMITH IS FIRING BACK AT BOTH WELCH AND A THIRD REPUBLICAN, SAM ROHRER. THE AD STATES: "IN THE RACE FOR U.S. SENATE, WHO'S THE TRUE CONSERVATIVE? NOT CAREER POLITICIAN SAM ROHRER. IN THE STATE HOUSE, ROHRER VOTED HIMSELF A MASSIVE PAY RAISE. AT MIDNIGHT. IT WAS CALLED A MUGGING OF TAXPAYERS. LIBERAL STEVE WELCH? HE VOTED FOR BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT," THE AD CONTINUES. THE AD CONCLUDES WITH SMITH BEING DESCRIBED AS A LIFE-LONG CONSERVATIVE. ELECTION DAY IS APRIL 24.
A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS UNSEALED SEVERAL DOCUMENTS IN THE PUBLIC CORRUPTION CASE INVOLVING FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER ROBERT MELLOW. JUDGE JOEL SLOMSKY REFUSED A PROSECUTOR'S REQUEST TO KEEP THE DOCUMENTS SECRET. A NEWSPAPER HAD PETITIONED THE JUDGE TO MAKE THEM PUBLIC. THE JUDGE DID NOT RESPOND TO THE NEWSPAPER BUT SIMPLY DENIED THE PROSECUTOR'S REQUEST TO KEEP THEM UNDER WRAPS. THE DOCUMENTS INVOLVED A DISPUTE OVER THE LOCATION OF MELLOW'S APRIL 27 ARRAIGNMENT. SLOMSKY HAS TRANSFERRED THE ARRAIGNMENT FROM PHILADELPHIA TO SCRANTON. MELLOW, WHO SPENT 40 YEARS IN THE SENATE BEFORE STEPPING DOWN MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, WAS CHARGED LAST MONTH WITH MISUSING SENATE STAFF FOR FUNDRAISING AND CAMPAIGN PURPOSES. HE PLANS TO PLEAD GUILTY.
PENN STATE COACH BILL O'BRIEN IS LOOKING FOR SEPARATION SOON IN THE THREE-MAN RACE FOR THE STARTING QUARTERBACK JOB. MATT MCGLOIN, ROB BOLDEN AND PAUL JONES ALTERNATE FIRST-STRING REPS EACH DAY. BUT HALFWAY THROUGH SPRING PRACTICE, O'BRIEN SAYS THERE'S NO SEPARATION AMONG THE TRIO. SEVEN PRACTICES REMAIN AFTER WEDNESDAY, AND SPRING DRILLS CONCLUDE APRIL 21 WITH THE BLUE-WHITE GAME. O'BRIEN HAS SAID HE DOESN'T PLAN ON NAMING A STARTER UNTIL JUST BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER 1 OPENER AGAINST OHIO. PENN STATE ALSO ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY THAT O'BRIEN WOULD EMBARK ON A NINE-DAY BUS TOUR TO MEET FANS STARTING APRIL 30 IN PHILADELPHIA.
