WHILE IT IS ASSUMED MITT ROMNEY WILL BE THE WINNER OF TODAY'S REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY IN PENNSYLVANIA, HE'S TAKING NOTHING FOR GRANTED. ROMNEY CAMPAIGNED MONDAY OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA AND ADDRESSED THE PROCESS OF PICKING A RUNNING MATE. "WE'RE EVALUATING VARIOUS CANDIDATES AND THAT'S A PROCESS WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT LEGAL RESOURCES TO HELP IN THAT PROCESS, ACCOUNTING STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT TAX RETURNS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE," SAYS ROMNEY. ONE OF HIS POTENTIAL RUNNING MATES IS FLORIDA SENATOR MARCO RUBIO, WHO CAMPAIGNED WITH ROMNEY ON MONDAY.
EVENTHOUGH IT APPEARS MITT ROMNEY HAS NO SERIOUS OPPOSITION IN TODAY'S PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY, POLITICAL ANALYST TERRY MADONNA SAYS THE RESULTS BEAR WATCHING. "HE NEEDS TO DECISIVELY DEFEAT RICK SANTORUM SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THESE NAGGING QUESTIONS OF WHETHER EVANGELICALS OR THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES TRUE CONSERVATIVES ARE ON BOARD," SAYS MADONNA. ROMNEY CAMPAIGNED WITH POTENTIAL RUNNING MATE MARCO RUBIO OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA ON MONDAY.
BESIDES THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE AND REPUBLICAN SENATE BATTLE, TODAY'S LOCAL BALLOT FEATURES SEVERAL RACES OF NOTE. AMONG THEM IS TIM HOLDEN AGAINST MATT CARTWRIGHT IN A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CONTEST. HOLDEN HAS BEEN IN WASHINGTON FOR 20 YEARS, BUT IS NEW TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY THANKS TO CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING, WHILE CARTWRIGHT IS WELL KNOWN IN THE SCRANTON AREA. ALSO ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE OF THE BALLOT IS RICK DAUGHERTY TAKING ON JACKSON EATON IN THE 15TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. THE WINNER THERE CHALLENGES INCUMBENT CHARLIE DENT THIS NOVEMBER. REPUBLICAN RYAN MACKENZIE AND DEMOCRAT PATRICK SLATTERY ARE FIGHTING IT OUT TO FILL OUT THE REMAINING TERM OF STATE REP. DOUG REICHLEY, WHO LEFT HARRISBURG TO BECOME A LEHIGH COUNTY JUDGE.
PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS ARE EXPECTED TO TURN OUT IN SMALL NUMBERS FOR TUESDAY'S PRIMARY ELECTION. THERE'S LITTLE TO ENTICE THEM AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET AND SCATTERED COMPETITION FOR PARTY NOMINATIONS IN CONGRESS, THE STATEWIDE ROW OFFICES AND THE LEGISLATURE. MITT ROMNEY HAS HAD NO SERIOUS OPPOSITION FOR THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION SINCE FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SEN. RICK SANTORUM DROPPED OUT TWO WEEKS AGO. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS UNOPPOSED FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOD. THE BALLOT ALSO HAS CONTESTS FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION TO CHALLENGE DEMOCRATIC U.S. SEN. BOB CASEY'S RE-ELECTION BID. VOTERS ALSO CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE ASKED FOR PHOTO IDENTIFICATION AS PART OF A TEST RUN OF THE STATE'S TOUGH NEW VOTER ID LAW.
THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN IS COUNTERSUING DEVELOPER ABE ATIYEH, WHO IS CHALLENGING THE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT ZONE, A TAX ZONE SURROUNDING THE CITY'S DOWNTOWN ARENA. THE CITY IS SUING ATIYEH FOR $50 MILLION, CLAIMING HE IS TRYING TO DELAY THE ARENA'S CONSTRUCTION BY STOPPING THE CITY FROM TAKING OUT A $220 MILLION BOND THAT IS NECESSARY TO BUILD THE ARENA. ATIYEH AND SEVERAL LOCAL TOWNSHIPS HAVE SUED, TRYING TO STOP THE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT ZONE, WHICH USES STATE AND LOCAL TAX DOLLARS TO HELP PAY FOR THE ARENA AND NEARBY PRIVATE PROJECTS. ATIYEH CALLS THE COUNTERSUIT 'BOGUS" AND SAYS MAYOR ED PAWLOWSKI IS A BULLY.
PROSECUTORS SAY A PENNSYLVANIA FATHER AND SON DISPATCHED PROSTITUTES TO NEW YORK CITY, WHERE LIVERY CAB DRIVERS HELPED THE WOMEN FIND CUSTOMERS. SIX DRIVERS PLEADED NOT GUILTY MONDAY TO PROMOTING-PROSTITUTION CHARGES IN AN UNUSUALLY BROAD SEX-TRAFFICKING CASE. THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SAYS THE CASE IS EXPECTED TO INCLUDE CHARGES AGAINST NOT ONLY THE ALLEGED RINGLEADERS AND DRIVER-RECRUITERS BUT ALSO SOME ACCUSED CUSTOMERS. THE FATHER AND SON FROM ALLENTOWN, ARE BEING HELD WITHOUT BAIL. VINCENT GEORGE SR. AND VINCENT GEORGE JR. PLEADED NOT GUILTY EARLIER THIS MONTH TO SEX TRAFFICKING AND OTHER CHARGES. PROSECUTORS SAY THE PROSTITUTES GROSSED AS MUCH AS $500,000 A YEAR APIECE FOR THE MEN, BUT THE WOMEN GOT ONLY A FEW DOLLARS A NIGHT TO BUY FOOD AND OTHER NECESSITIES.
NO WORD YET ON WHAT CAUSED AN EARLY MONDAY MORNING FIRE THAT DAMAGED A THREE-STORY APARTMENT HOUSE IN THE 800 BLOCK OF NORTH SEVENTH STREET IN ALLENTOWN. NINE PEOPLE WERE LEFT HOMELESS AND ONE OF THEM WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL.
A PERSON FAMILIAR WITH THE DISCUSSION SAYS PENN STATE INFORMALLY OFFERED TO RENAME BEAVER STADIUM AFTER JOE PATERNO, AND THE COACH'S FAMILY REPLIED THROUGH BACK CHANNELS THAT IT WASN'T INTERESTED BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER IMPORTANT TO THE LATE HEAD COACH. THE PERSON SAID THAT THE QUESTION AROSE WHILE THE TWO SIDES ALSO WERE ALSO DISCUSSING DETAILS OF PAYMENTS AND BENEFITS DUE TO PATERNO'S ESTATE AND FAMILY UNDER PATERNO'S CONTRACT. HE DIED AT AGE 85 IN JANUARY. A SCHOOL SPOKESMAN SAID MONDAY THAT UNIVERSITY ATTORNEYS DID NOT DISCUSS THE NAMING ISSUE WITH PATERNO REPRESENTATIVES.
THREE LEHIGH COUNTY PARKS WILL BE SHARING $625,000 IN STATE GRANTS. THE JORDAN CREEK GREENWAY IN ALLENTOWN WILL USE THE MONEY TO FINISH A 2-MILE SEGMENT OF A TRAIL THAT CONNECTS UP TO 30 EXISTING PARKS, GAME LANDS AND OTHER GREENWAYS. STEVENS PARK, ALSO IN ALLENTOWN, WILL USE ITS MONEY FOR BOTH LONG AND SHORT TERM IMPROVEMENTS, WHILE THE LEHIGH MOUNTAIN PARK'S PORTION OF THE MONEY WILL BE USED TO PROTECT THE PARK FROM ILLEGAL DUMPING, UNAUTHORIZED MOTOR VEHICLE USE AND INVASIVE PLANTS. THE MONEY COMES FROM A PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SAY THE SPRING STORM THAT PROMPTED A DISASTER EMERGENCY DECLARATION HAS BEEN LESS SEVERE THAN FEARED. PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY SPOKESWOMAN RUTH MILLER SAYS TEMPERATURES WERE WARMER THAN ANTICIPATED, SO THE STORM'S MOST SEVERE EFFECTS WERE LIMITED TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
GOV. TOM CORBETT DECLARED A DISASTER EMERGENCY BECAUSE OF HEAVY SNOW IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA THAT PROMPTED SCHOOL CLOSURES. THE SPEED LIMIT ON THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE WAS LOWERED TO 45 MPH IN AFFECTED AREAS. A PENELEC SPOKESMAN SAID ABOUT 25,000 CUSTOMERS IN 31 COUNTIES WERE WITHOUT POWER MONDAY MORNING, MOSTLY IN NORTHERN AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, BUT THAT NUMBER HAD DROPPED TO ABOUT 4,500 LATE MONDAY NIGHT.
A BILL SPONSORED BY LEHIGH VALLEY STATE REP. JUSTIN SIMMONS, WHICH WOULD STRENGTHEN THE PENALTIES FOR THE CRIME OF CONCEALING THE DEATH OF A CHILD, IS NOW IN THE STATE SENATE AFTER ITS UNANIMOUS APPROVAL IN THE HOUSE. A KEY PART OF THE LEGISLATION IS SIMMONS' DECISION TO APPLY THE LAW TO EVERYBODY FROM NATURAL PARENT TO BABYSITTERS AND COACHES. "THAT LAST PROVISION CLOSES A POTENTIAL LOOPHOLE IN THE CURRENT LAW, WHICH PROHIBITS A PERSON FROM CONCEALING THE DEATH OF HIS OR HER CHILD, WHICH COULD BE INTERPRETED AS APPLYING ONLY TO THE BIOLOGICAL PARENTS OF THAT CHILD," SAYS SIMMONS. THE BILL IS KNOWN AS 'CAYLEE'S LAW' AND IS NAMED AFTER CAYLEE ANTHONY, WHOSE MOTHER WAS FOUND NOT GUILTY OF KILLING HER IN FLORIDA, BUT GUILTY OF PROVIDING FALSE INFORMATION TO POLICE INVESTIGATING THE GIRL'S DISAPPEARANCE.
THE HERSHEY CO. SAYS ITS FIRST-QUARTER PROFIT ROSE 24 PERCENT AS HIGHER PRICES AND COST CUTTING HELPED OFFSET HIGHER INGREDIENT COSTS. HERSHEY SAID HIGHER PRICES SPURRED A 11 PERCENT GAIN IN REVENUE. THE CANDY MAKER SAID TUESDAY THAT NET INCOME ROSE TO $198.7 MILLION, OR 87 CENTS PER SHARE, FOR THE QUARTER ENDED APRIL 1. THAT IS UP FROM $160.1 MILLION, OR 70 CENTS PER SHARE, A YEAR AGO. REVENUE ROSE 11 PERCENT TO $1.73 BILLION.
LEGISLATION AIMED AT RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE INCREASING NEED FOR ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS THROUGHOUT NEW JERSEY HAS BEEN SIGNED BY GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE. THE MEASURE REQUIRES THE STATE TREASURY DEPARTMENT TO DISSEMINATE ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION INFORMATION WITH EMPLOYEE PAYCHECKS AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL. IT ALSO DESIGNATES APRIL AS 'DONATE LIFE MONTH' IN NEW JERSEY. CCORDING TO NEW JERSEY ORGAN AND TISSUE SHARING NETWORK, NEARLY 110,000 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE IN NEED OF ORGAN TRANSPLANTS, INCLUDING ABOUT 5,000 PEOPLE IN NEW JERSEY. THE ORGANIZATION NOTES THAT ROUGHLY 18 PEOPLE DIE EACH DAY DUE TO THE LACK OF AVAILABLE ORGANS FOR TRANSPLANT.
A SURVEY OF CHILD WELL-BEING IN NEW JERSEY FINDS MORE KIDS LIVING IN FAMILIES WITHOUT ENOUGH FOOD OR MAKING ENOUGH MONEY TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. THE KIDS COUNT SURVEY RELEASED TODAY SHOWS A SHARP RISE IN THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHOSE FAMILIES RECEIVE FOOD STAMPS. IT FINDS ONE-THIRD OF NEW JERSEY CHILDREN, 619,000 KIDS, LIVING IN LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.
VETERAN SAFETY BRIAN DAWKINS IS RETIRING FROM THE NFL AFTER 16 SEASONS. DAWKINS POSTED THE NEWS ON HIS TWITTER ACCOUNT MONDAY, THANKING THE TEAMS HE PLAYED FOR, HIS COACHES AND TEAMMATES AND FANS. DAWKINS SPENT HIS FIRST 13 SEASONS WITH THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AND HIS LAST THREE WITH THE DENVER BRONCOS. "I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE EAGLES & THE BRONCOS 4 BELIEVING IN ME," HE TWEETED.
THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS NAILED DOWN THE FINAL PLAYOFF BERTH IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE AND SPOILED THE NETS' FINAL GAME IN NEW JERSEY WITH A 105-87 VICTORY MONDAY NIGHT. THADDEUS YOUNG SCORED ALL 15 OF HIS POINTS IN THE SECOND HALF TO HELP THE 76ERS MAKE THE POSTSEASON FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR AND ELIMINATE THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION. THE WIN MOVED PHILADELPHIA (34-30) INTO A TIE WITH THE NEW YORK KNICKS FOR THE NO. 7 SEED WITH TWO GAMES REMAINING IN THE REGULAR SEASON.
