NORTHAMPTON COUNTY EXECUTIVE JOHN STOFFA HAS GIVEN COUNTY COUNCIL A 2013 BUDGET THAT USES ALMOST $16 MILLION IN RESERVES TO BALANCE HIS PROPOSED $326.3 MILLION BUDGET. STOFFA'S PROPOSAL CUTS SPENDING BY MORE THAN $33 MILLION AND HOLDS THE COUNTY TAX RATE AT 10.8 MILLS. THE COUNTY'S FIRST BUDGET HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY.
JILL BIDEN, THE WIFE OF VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, IS COMING TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY NEXT WEEK TO CAMPAIGN FOR HER HUSBAND AND PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN SAID SHE'LL SPEAK MONDAY AT DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN EVENTS IN HARRISBURG, SCRANTON, HAZLETON AND ALLENTOWN. THE FOLLOWING DAY, TUESDAY, SHE'LL SPEAK AT CAMPAIGN EVENTS IN READING, LANCASTER AND PHILADELPHIA. THE CAMPAIGN SAYS IT'LL RELEASE MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE EVENTS IN THE COMING DAYS.
INVESTIGATORS IN SALISBURY TOWNSHIP SAY A THURSDAY MORNING FIRE THAT DESTROYED A VACANT HOME WAS DELIBERATELY SET. POLICE SAY AN ALLENTOWN POLICE DOG SNIFFED OUT TRACES OF A FIRE ACCELERANT AT THE HOME ON LEHIGH AVENUE. WHAT TYPE OF ACCELERANT WAS USED IS NOT YET KNOWN. THE FIRE, WHICH COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE HOME WAS SET JUST BEFORE 2 O'CLOCK THURSDAY MORNING.
A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA JURY HAS SENTENCED A MAN TO DEATH FOR KILLING A STATE GAME WARDEN DURING A POACHING INVESTIGATION. THE ADAMS COUNTY JURY ISSUED ITS VERDICT IN THE PENALTY PHASE OF CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON'S TRIAL AROUND 9 O'CLOCK THURSDAY NIGHT, AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF DELIBERATION. JURORS WERE DECIDING BETWEEN GIVING JOHNSON LIFE IN PRISON OR DEATH IN THE KILLING OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION OFFICER DAVID GROVE. JOHNSON WAS CONVICTED EARLIER THIS WEEK IN ADAMS COUNTY OF FATALLY SHOOTING GROVE IN 2010.
THE WIFE OF FORMER PENN STATE ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH JERRY SANDUSKY IS GETTING BACK THE $50,000 SHE PUT UP FOR HIS BAIL BEFORE HIS CONVICTION ON 45 COUNTS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. A JUDGE ON THURSDAY GRANTED SANDUSKY'S REQUEST TO REFUND THE BAIL TO DOTTIE SANDUSKY AND TO RELEASE THE COURT'S HOLD ON THEIR HOME, WHICH HAD BEEN PUT UP AS $200,000 COLLATERAL. THE 68-YEAR-OLD SANDUSKY HAS BEEN IN A COUNTY JAIL SINCE HIS JUNE CONVICTION ON SEXUALLY ABUSING 10 BOYS, SOME ON CAMPUS. BEFORE THAT, HE'D BEEN ON HOUSE ARREST TO AWAIT TRIAL. HE'S EXPECTED TO GET A LENGTHY STATE PRISON TERM WHEN SENTENCED NEXT WEEK, BUT HE MAINTAINS HIS INNOCENCE AND PLANS TO APPEAL.
THE BRONZED STATUE OUTSIDE BEAVER STADIUM IS GONE. THE RECORD OF 409 CAREER VICTORIES ERASED BY THE NCAA, BUT REMINDERS OF THE LATE HEAD COACH JOE PATERNO STILL ABOUND ON PENN STATE FOOTBALL GAME DAYS AROUND BEAVER STADIUM, LIKE THE "409" TAILGATE BANNERS IN THE PARKING LOTS. ONE FAN LAST MONTH LEFT A LIFE-SIZED CARDBOARD CUTOUT OF PATERNO AT THE SITE WHERE HIS STATUE ONCE STOOD. ANOTHER LEFT A PATERNO MINI-BOBBLEHEAD DOLL. REMINDERS WILL LIKELY SPROUT UP AGAIN SATURDAY WHEN THE NITTANY LIONS HOST NO. 24 NORTHWESTERN FOR THE HOMECOMING WEEKEND GAME. PATERNO'S LEGACY HAS BEEN BLEMISHED FOLLOWING NCAA SANCTIONS AGAINST PENN STATE FOR THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD SEX ABUSE SCANDAL. BUT SOME ALUMNI, FORMER PLAYERS AND FANS REMAIN DISTRUSTFUL OF THE SCHOOL'S ACTIONS AND ANGRY ABOUT THE SEVERE NCAA PENALTIES.
PHILADELPHIA'S MAYOR IS APOLOGIZING TO A WOMAN SHOWN ON VIDEO BEING PUNCHED BY A POLICE LIEUTENANT AT A PARADE LAST WEEKEND. "I WANT TO EXTEND MY PERSONAL AND DEEPEST APOLOGY TO MISS GUZMAN. SHE WAS INJURED AND HUMILIATED AT THE HANDS OF SOMEONE WHO KNOWS BETTER, OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER," SAYS MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER. HIS APOLOGY COMES A DAY AFTER THE POLICE COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCED LT. JONATHAN JOSEY WAS BEING SUSPENDED FOR 30 DAYS WITH THE INTENT TO DISMISS. A VIDEO POSTED ONLINE SHOWS AIDA GUZMAN BEING STRUCK IN THE FACE AND FALLING TO THE GROUND, HER FACE BLOODIED, AND THEN BEING LED AWAY IN HANDCUFFS. POLICE SAY PEOPLE HAD BEEN THROWING LIQUID AT OFFICERS DURING A CELEBRATION AT THE CITY'S PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE.
PENNSYLVANIA'S HEALTH SECRETARY, BEST-KNOWN FOR GETTING INTO A DISPUTE OVER AN EGG SANDWICH, IS LEAVING GOV. TOM CORBETT'S CABINET. THE RESIGNATION OF ELI AVILA WAS ANNOUNCED THURSDAY BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. AVILA SAYS HE WANTS TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN, WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO LIVE IN ALBANY, N.Y., SINCE HE TOOK THE JOB IN HARRISBURG LAST YEAR. EARLY IN HIS TENURE, AVILA ATTRACTED NOTORIETY WHEN HE GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH A RESTAURANT OWNER OVER THE FRESHNESS OF AN EGG SANDWICH.
PENNSYLVANIA HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY TWO PAIN CLINICS IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA DISPENSED STEROID SHOTS LINKED TO AN OUTBREAK OF FUNGAL MENINGITIS THAT HAS KILLED AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE AND SICKENED 35 IN SIX OTHER STATES. HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF DEATH OR ILLNESS IN PENNSYLVANIA SO FAR. BUT THEY ARE WORKING WITH THE CLINICS TO CONTACT PATIENTS WHO RECEIVED THE MEDICATION. THE STEROIDS LINKED TO THE MENINGITIS OUTBREAK WERE PRODUCED BY A COMPOUNDING PHARMACY IN MASSACHUSETTS AND SHIPPED TO 23 STATES. THE COMPANY RECALLED THE MEDICATION LAST WEEK.
NEW JERSEY'S SENATE HAS PASSED A BILL THAT WOULD CREATE AN ONLINE MARKETPLACE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE. THE BILL PASSED 21-17. IT AIMS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES AND SOME CONSUMERS BUY HEALTH INSURANCE. THE STATE HAS UNTIL NOVEMBER 16 TO DECIDE IF IT WILL CREATE ITS OWN HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE OR JOIN A FEDERAL PROGRAM. ON MONDAY GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE SAID HE'D TAKE THE REMAINING TIME TO CONSULT WITH POLICY EXPERTS. CHRISTIE VETOED A SIMILAR BILL IN THE SPRING.
IT'S OFFICIAL. THE LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS NEED A NEW MANAGER. THE PHILLIES HAVE PROMOTED RYNE SANDBERG TO SERVE AS THE TEAM'S THIRD-BASE COACH AND INFIELD INSTRUCTOR. PHILLIES MANAGER CHARLIE MANUEL SAYS HE'S NOT THREATENED BY SANDBERG'S PRESENCE. "IT DOESN'T PUT ANY PRESSURE ON ME. SINCE WE HIRED HIM HERE AND I'VE BEEN AROUND HIM IN TWO SPRING TRAININGS AND IN THE WINTER TIME AND I'VE HAD A LOT OF TIME TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH HIM, I LIKE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM," MANUEL SAYS. G.M. RUBEN AMARO SAYS SANDBERG'S PROMOTION DOESN'T MEAN HE COULDN'T LEAVE IF A MAJOR LEAGUE MANAGERIAL JOB WERE OFFERED TO HIM. A DAY AFTER THE PHILLIES FIRED FIRST-BASE COACH SAM PERLOZZO, HITTING COACH GREG GROSS AND BENCH COACH PETE MACKANIN IT WAS ANNOUNCED PITCHING COACH RICH DUBEE WILL RETURN, MICK BILLMEYER GOES FROM BULLPEN COACH TO CATCHING COACH. IRONPIGS PITCHING COACH ROD NICHOLS REPLACES BILLMEYER IN THE BULLPEN AND JUAN SAMUEL, THE FORMER THIRD-BASE COACH, WAS OFFERED THE ROLE OF FIRST-BASE COACH AND OUTFIELD AND BASERUNNING INSTRUCTOR. STEVE HENDERSON IS THE PHILLIES NEW HITTING COACH.
