THE LATEST MORNING CALL/MUHLENBERG COLLEGE POLL OF 444 LIKELY PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS SHOWS PRESIDENT OBAMA ENJOYING A WIDER EDGE THAN IN A POLL TAKEN TWO WEEKS AGO. IN THE POLL TAKEN OCTOBER 17 THROUGH SUNDAY, THE PRESIDENT HAS A FIVE POINT EDGE, ONE POINT BETTER THAN IN A POLL TAKEN OCTOBER 10 THROUGH THE 15TH. IN THE SENATE RACE, BOB CASEY NOW HOLDS AN EIGHT POINT ADVANTAGE OVER REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER TOM SMITH. TWO WEEKS AGO, THE SAME POLL HAD SMITH TRAILING BY ONLY TWO POINTS.

  A TWO-YEAR-OLD ALLENTOWN BOY WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AFTER A SUNDAY MORNING FIRE. THE FIRE APPARENTLY BEGAN JUST BEFORE 4AM IN THE KITCHEN AT 1136 WEST CHEW STREET AND SPREAD TO THE NEIGHBORING 1138 WEST CHEW STREET. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED IN ABOUT A HALF-HOUR, BUT NOT BEFORE IT FORCED 12 PEOPLE FROM THE TWO ADDRESSES. THERE'S NO WORD ON THE CONDITION OF THE BOY.

  TWO WOMEN ARE SAFE AFTER GETTING LOST WHILE HIKING IN THE LEHIGH GORGE STATE PARK JUST NORTH OF JIM THORPE. RESCUERS SAY THE WOMEN BECAME DISORIENTED WHILE HIKING SUNDAY AND EVENTUALLY CALLED FOR HELP AFTER BECOMING TOO TIRED TO CONTINUE HIKING. THEY WERE FOUND JUST AFTER 5 O'CLOCK SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THEY WERE UNINJURED.

  THE BATTLE BETWEEN PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, A DEMOCRAT, AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE MITT ROMNEY IS CASTING A LONG SHADOW ON PENNSYLVANIA'S RACE FOR U.S. SENATE. THERE ARE FEW BIG DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REPUBLICAN TOM SMITH AND ROMNEY OR DEMOCRATIC SEN. BOB CASEY AND OBAMA. BUT CONTROL OF THE SENATE IS UP FOR GRABS THIS YEAR, AND CASEY AND SMITH ARE SPENDING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF TIME RUNNING AGAINST THE OTHER POLITICAL PARTY'S RECORD. SMITH PAINTS HIMSELF AS RIDING TO THE RESCUE OF AN AMERICA THAT HE SAYS IS BEING DRIVEN DEEPER INTO DEBT AND ECONOMIC STAGNATION. CASEY SAYS GOP TAX-CUTTING PLANS WOULD HELP THE RICH AND HURT THE MIDDLE CLASS, AND THEY WOULD WRECK SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE.

  THE EDITORIAL BOARDS OF THE PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE AND PATRIOT-NEWS OF HARRISBURG ARE ENDORSING DEMOCRATIC U.S. SEN. BOB CASEY FOR A SECOND TERM. THE POST-GAZETTE'S EDITORIAL SUNDAY SAID CASEY HAS A HISTORY OF WORKING WITH BOTH PARTIES AND IS AN ACTIVE ADVOCATE FOR PENNSYLVANIA. IT SAYS HIS RECORD OF PUBLIC SERVICE IS AN "OPEN BOOK" THAT IS "WITHOUT A HINT OF SCANDAL OR LAX PERFORMANCE." IT CRITICIZES REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER TOM SMITH AS SOMEONE WHO WOULD "RAMP UP POLITICAL POLARIZATION ON CAPITOL HILL WITH HIS TEA PARTY AGENDA." THE PATRIOT-NEWS SAYS CASEY IS A "SOLID MEMBER OF THE U.S. SENATE WHO SEEKS OUT WAYS TO WORK WITH, AND HAS THE RESPECT OF" REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS. BOTH SAY SMITH REFUSED TO MEET WITH THEM.

  THE NEW AMERICAN REVOLUTION EXHIBIT AT THE LEHIGH VALLEY HERITAGE MUSEUM OPENED UP OVER THE WEEKEND AND CURATOR JILL YOUNGKEN SAYS FAMILIAR AND MAYBE SOME UNFAMLIAR NAMES WILL BE FEATURED. "WE ALWAYS BLEND THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL TOGETHER IN ALL OUR EXHIBITS BECAUSE THAT MAKES SENSE. SO, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE BOTH LOCAL REVOLUTIONARY WAR HEROES AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE NATIONAL HEROES," YOUNGKEN SAYS. AMONG THE LOCAL FIGURES FEATURED ARE GEORGE TAYLOR, ONE OF THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND JAMES ALLEN, WHO BUILT TROUT HALL IN ALLENTOWN AND WAS CONSIDERED A BRITISH LOYALIST. THE EXHIBIT RUNS THROUGH NEXT JULY.

  SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES IN MOST NEW JERSEY TOWNS ARE NOW FINDING THEY NEED TO SHARE IN A WAY THEY HAVE NOT BEFORE. THIS YEAR, MOST DISTRICTS MOVED THEIR ELECTIONS FROM SCHOOL-ONLY BALLOTS IN APRIL TO THE GENERAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER UNDER A NEW STATE LAW. THAT MEANS THAT INSTEAD OF BEING AT THE TOP OF THE BALLOT, SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES ARE AT THE BOTTOM OR OFF TO THE SIDE. SO INSTEAD OF FACING THE CHALLENGE OF GETTING VOTERS TO THE POLLS, THEY'LL NOW HAVE THE CHALLENGE OF GETTING VOTERS TO REMEMBER THAT THEY'RE ON THE BALLOT AT ALL.

  A MUSEUM IN PHILADELPHIA IS UNWRAPPING THE MYSTERY OF MUMMY CONSERVATION. THE NEWLY INSTALLED ARTIFACT LAB AT THE PENN MUSEUM ALLOWS VISITORS TO PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES AS STAFF MEMBERS PRESERVE RELICS FROM ANCIENT EGYPT. HUMAN AND ANIMAL MUMMIES, AS WELL AS AN INTRICATELY INSCRIBED COFFIN, ARE AMONG THE ITEMS UNDERGOING TREATMENT AND REPAIR. MUSEUM OFFICIALS SAY THE GLASS-ENCLOSED WORKSPACE ALLOWS THE PUBLIC TO SHARE RESEARCHERS' SENSE OF WONDER AND THE THRILL OF DISCOVERY. FLAT-SCREEN MONITORS DISPLAY MAGNIFIED IMAGES OF WHAT STAFF MEMBERS ARE WORKING ON. CONSERVATORS WILL ALSO SET ASIDE TIME TWICE A DAY TO ANSWER VISITORS' QUESTIONS. THE ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY MUSEUM'S 42,000-PIECE EGYPTIAN COLLECTION IS AMONG THE LARGEST IN THE U.S.