THANKS TO INCREASED PENSION COSTS, BETHLEHEM MAYOR JOHN CALLAHAN SAYS HIS CITY WILL FACE A $4.8 MILLION DEFICIT IF IT DOES NOTHING NEXT YEAR. CALLAHAN SAYS A TAX INCREASE IS NOT BEING RULED OUT WHEN HE RELEASES HIS BUDGET LATER TODAY. DUE TO STATE REQUIREMENTS, THE MAYOR SAYS BETHLEHEM'S PENSION OBLIGATION WILL JUMP FROM $7.2 MILLION THIS YEAR TO $11.1 MILLION NEXT YEAR.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE JUSTIN SIMMONS WANTS DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER KEVIN DEELY TO THROW IN THE TOWEL IN THE CLOSE 131ST DISTRICT HOUSE RACE. DEELY SAYS HE'S NOT QUITE READY TO DO THAT HOWEVER. THE MOST RECENT VOTE COUNT HAS SIMMONS WITH 25 MORE VOTES THAN DEELY IN LEHIGH COUNTY AND AHEAD BY 430 VOTES IN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY. LEHIGH COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICIALS SAY THEY STILL HAVE 133 PROVISIONAL, A FEW REMAINING ABSENTEE BALLOTS AND 60 MILITARY BALLOTS TO COUNT TODAY.
CONDEMNED KILLER HUBERT MICHAEL CAN LOOK FORWARD TO RETURNING TO HIS HOME PRISON IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, AT LEAST UNTIL GOV. TOM CORBETT SIGNS A NEW DEATH WARRANT. AN 11TH-HOUR RULING BY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT ENDED ANY CHANCE OF MICHAEL BEING EXECUTED BY LETHAL INJECTION THURSDAY NIGHT FOR THE MURDER OF A TEENAGE GIRL 19 YEARS AGO. THE HIGH COURT AGREED WITH A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULING EARLIER IN THE DAY THAT STAYED THE EXECUTION AT ROCKVIEW STATE PRISON IN BELLEFONTE. MICHAEL'S LAWYER HELEN MARINO SAYS "THE COURTS ON THURSDAY SAW COMPELLING CLAIMS RELATING TO MR. MICHAEL'S DEBILITATING MENTAL CONDITIONS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN REVIEWED BY ANY COURT." SHE SAYS "MICHAEL CONTINUES TO BE INCREDIBLY REMORSEFUL FOR HIS CRIME." CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN SUE MCNAUGHTON SAYS ANOTHER EXECUTION WOULD BE SCHEDULED "DIRECTLY" ONCE THE STAY IS LIFTED. PENNSYLVANIA HAS PUT TO DEATH ONLY THREE INMATES IN THE PAST 50 YEARS AND NONE SINCE 1999.
GOV. TOM CORBETT IS PLANNING A SECOND INTERNATIONAL TRADE MISSION. THIS TIME HE'LL BE HEADED TO BRAZIL AND CHILE IN THE SPRING. CORBETT'S OFFICE SAID THURSDAY THAT THE PEOPLE TRAVELING WITH HIM IN APRIL WILL INCLUDE UNIVERSITY LEADERS AND MEMBERS OF THE STATE'S TOURISM INDUSTRY. CORBETT SAYS THE TRIP WILL BE PAID FOR WITH MONEY RAISED FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THEY'LL SEEK TO PROMOTE THE STATE'S EXPORTS AND PORT SYSTEM, WHILE ATTRACTING FOREIGN INVESTMENT, STUDENTS AND TOURISTS. CORBETT ESTIMATED THAT HIS SIX-DAY MISSION IN MARCH TO FRANCE AND GERMANY NETTED $1.25 MILLION IN NEW EXPORT SALES, IN ADDITION TO GENERATING POTENTIAL TRADE AGREEMENTS, INVESTMENT LEADS AND 10 ACTIVE PROJECTS. CORBETT HAS REINTRODUCED THE TRADE MISSION CONCEPT USED BY FORMER GOV. TOM RIDGE. CORBETT'S PREDECESSOR, FORMER GOV. ED RENDELL, TOOK NONE.
ON SATURDAY, LOCAL BOY SCOUTS WILL BE CANVASSING THE LEHIGH VALLEY TO PICK UP BAGS OF NON-PERISHABLE FOOD WITH THE GOAL OF COLLECTING MORE THAN 250,000 POUNDS OF FOOD FOR AREA HUNGRY. AMONG THE ORGANIZATIONS TO BENEFIT IS THE ALLENTOWN RESCUE MISSION. "WE GET FIVE TO SEVEN THOUSAND POUNDS A YEAR FROM THE SCOUTS. BUT THEY HELP LOTS OF FOOD BANKS AND ORGANIZATIONS AND THAT'S WHY THE SCOUTING FOR FOOD DRIVE IS SO VERY IMPORTANT," SAYS THE MISSION'S GARY MILLSPAUGH. HE SAYS THE SCOUTS' HELP IS A HUGE PART OF THE MISSION'S FOOD AND SUPPLIES DRIVE, WHICH CONTINUES THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND.
THREE DEVELOPERS HAVE OFFERED PROPOSALS FOR A SECOND PHILADELPHIA CASINO WITH ONE WEEK TO GO BEFORE THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR A STATE GAMING LICENSE. CASINO MOGUL STEVE WYNN PLANS TO FILE AN APPLICATION FOR A CASINO ON THE DELAWARE RIVER NOT FAR FROM THE SUGARHOUSE CASINO THAT'S CURRENTLY THE CITY'S ONLY GAMBLING HALL. A DEVELOPER LAST MONTH UNVEILED A PROPOSAL FOR A CASINO ON NORTH BROAD STREET IN THE FORMER HEADQUARTERS OF THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER AND THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS. ANOTHER PROPOSAL WOULD TURN A HOLIDAY INN AT THE SOUTH PHILADELPHIA STADIUM COMPLEX INTO A CASINO. THE 2004 STATE GAMBLING LAW CALLS FOR TWO CASINOS IN PHILADELPHIA. THE STATE REVOKED A LICENSE ISSUED FOR ANOTHER CASINO PROJECT IN 2010 AFTER IT NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND. THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 15.
THE ALLENTOWN FAIRGROUNDS FARMERS MARKET IS COLLECTING ITEMS TO BE SENT TO VICTIMS OF HURRICANE SANDY UNTIL 7 O'CLOCK TONIGHT AND TOMORROW FROM 9 TO 4. AMONG THE ITEMS IN DEMAND ARE TOILETRIES, BABY SUPPLIES, BOTTLED WATER AND CLEANING SUPPLIES. ITEMS DONATED TODAY AND TOMORROW WILL BE TRUCKED TO NEW YORK AND DISTRIBUTED TO THOSE AFFECTED BY HURRICANE SANDY.
NEW JERSEY'S ATTORNEY GENERAL IS FILING THE FIRST LAWSUITS IN THE STATE FOR ALLEGED STORM-RELATED PRICE GOUGING. ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFFREY CHIESA SAYS HE'LL ANNOUNCE CASES AGAINST EIGHT BUSINESSES TODAY. THEY ARE THE FIRST PRICE GOUGING CASES TO BE BROUGHT IN NEW JERSEY RELATED TO SUPERSTORM SANDY. THE BUSINESSES BEING SUED INCLUDE GAS STATIONS AND A LODGING PROVIDER. THE STATE'S DIVISION OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS HAS RECEIVED NEARLY 2,000 COMPLAINTS FROM CONSUMERS ABOUT ALLEGED STORM-RELATED PRICE GOUGING. CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICIALS SAY THEY'VE SERVED ABOUT 170 SUBPOENAS SO FAR TO BUSINESSES BASED ON CONSUMER ACCUSATIONS OF PRICE GOUGING.
