THE DOROTHY RIDER HEALTH CARE TRUST, THREE LOCAL HOSPITALS AND GOOD SHEPHERD REHAB HAVE PUBLISHED A COMMUNITY HEALTH PROFILE THAT SAYS THE LEHIGH VALLEY'S OVERALL DEATH RATES ARE BETTER THAN MOST. THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS. THE BAD NEWS IS THE LOCAL RATES OF DEATH BY LUNG DISEASE IN LEHIGH COUNTY IS HIGHER THAN BOTH THE STATE AND NATIONAL FIGURES. NORTHAMPTON COUNTY HEART DISEASE DEATH RATES ARE A BIT HIGHER THAN BOTH THE STATE AND NATIONAL NUMBERS. THIS REPORT IS BEING CALLED A FIRST STEP IN A FIVE TO 10 YEAR LOOK AT THE LEHIGH VALLEY'S HEALTH.
FACULTY AT PENNSYLVANIA'S 14 STATE-OWNED UNIVERSITIES STARTED STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTES YESTERDAY AMID DISCUSSIONS FOR A NEW CONTRACT DEAL. THE VOTING IS SCHEDULED THROUGH TOMORROW FOR FACULTY AND COACHES AT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION SCHOOLS. IF PASSED, THE VOTE EMPOWERS UNION CHAPTER PRESIDENTS AT EVERY SCHOOL TO CALL A STRIKE; 10 OF THE 14 MUST APPROVE A WALKOUT. A UNION COMMITTEE WILL MEET ON FRIDAY IN HARRISBURG TO COUNT BALLOTS FROM THE STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTES. THE UNION REPRESENTS MORE THAN 6,000 FACULTY AND COACHES. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A FACULTY STRIKE IN THE STATE SYSTEM. MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY FACULTIES HAVE BEEN WORKING WITHOUT A CONTRACT SINCE JUNE OF 2011. AMONG THE ISSUES SEPARATING BOTH SIDES ARE HIGHER HEALTH CARE DEDUCTIBLES AND CO-PAYMENTS AS WELL AS COMPENSATION FOR ONLINE EDUCATION.
SENATOR PAT TOOMEY SAYS HE'S SHOCKED AND VERY DISAPPOINTED BY DAVID PETRAEUS' ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AN EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR AND HIS RESIGNATION AS HEAD OF THE CIA. "HE'S ENORMOUSLY RESPECTED AND SO IT'S A VERY, VERY SAD DEVELOPMENT," TOOMEY SAYS. HE SAYS PETRAEUS HAS BEEN A HERO WITH HIS WORK IN TURNING AROUND IN AFGHANISTAN AND MAKING SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS IN AFGHANISTAN.
THE CORONER'S OFFICE SAYS A 61-YEAR-OLD MACUNGIE MAN WAS KILLED IN A SUNDAY NIGHT ACCIDENT INVOLVING A TANKER TRUCK. JAMES HELLER WAS DRIVING WEST ON BUCKEYE ROAD IN UPPER MILFORD TOWNSHIP WHEN HE HIT THE TANKER TURCK AS IT WAS TURNING ONTO BUCKEYE ROAD FROM A ROAD THAT LEADS TO A LARGE FUEL STORAGE AREA. HELLER WAS DECLARED DEAD AT THE SCENE. THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK WASN'T SERIOUSLY INJURED. POLICE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING.
AUTHORITIES IN LEHIGH COUNTY ARE INVESTIGATING THE DEATH OF AN INMATE IN HIS LEHIGH COUNTY PRISON CELL. CORONER SCOTT GRIM SAYS THE 23-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE IN THE CELL AND PRONOUNCED DEAD JUST AFTER 7:32 A.M. MONDAY. GRIM SAID AN AUTOPSY IS SCHEDULED TODAY TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND MANNER OF DEATH. HIS NAME WAS NOT RELEASED PENDING NOTIFICATION OF HIS RELATIVES.
GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT HAS SIGNED SEVEN PIECES OF LEGISLATION INTO LAW. ALL ARE WRITTEN UP TO HELP PENNSYLVANIA'S VETERANS. "IT'S ABOUT HONORING A DEBT THAT WE ALL OWE TO OUR VETERANS," CORBETT SAYS. THE NEW LAWS ESTABLISH THE VETERANS TRUST FUND TO PROVIDE FOR VETERANS' PROGRAMS AND A PROGRAM ENCOURAGING STATE AGENCIES TO DO BUSINESS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES OWNED BY VETERANS.
THE TIGHT SQUEEZE ON ROUTE 22 IN THE AREA OF MacARTHUR ROAD AND ON MacARTHUR ROAD ITSELF IS GOING TO BE ELIMINATED IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. "THERE WILL BE NO LONG-TERM RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE, OR PROBABLY SHORT-TERM UNLESS THERE'S AN EMERGENCY, DURING THE HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON," SAYS PENNDOT SPOKESMAN RON YOUNG. CREWS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF PHASE TWO OF THE FIVE PART PROJECT. PHASE THREE IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN EARLY JANUARY. YOUNG SAYS WORK ON RECONFIGURING THE 22-MacARTHUR ROAD AREA IS ON PACE FOR A DECEMBER 2013 COMPLETION.
RECOVERY FROM SUPERSTORM SANDY CONTINUES TO INCH FORWARD IN NEW JERSEY AS GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE ANNOUNCES AN END TO ODD-EVEN GAS RATIONING. GAS RATIONING, WHICH HAS BEEN IN PLACE IN 12 NORTHERN COUNTIES SINCE NOVEMBER 3, ENDED AT 6 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING.
A RARE COLLECTION OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR AUTOGRAPHS IS MAKING A STOP IN PHILADELPHIA BEFORE GOING ON THE AUCTION BLOCK. THE COMPLETE SET OF ALL 56 MEN WHO SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IS EXPECTED TO FETCH MORE THAN $1 MILLION AT AUCTION NEXT MONTH. TODAY THE COLLECTION IS BEING DISPLAYED AT THE SITE OF THE FUTURE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN THE CITY'S HISTORIC DISTRICT. NEW HAMPSHIRE-BASED AUCTION HOUSE RR AUCTION CALLS IT THE ULTIMATE ACCOMPLISHMENT IN AMERICAN AUTOGRAPH COLLECTING. THE AUCTION HOUSE SAID MOST OF THE SIGNATURES ARE PART OF LETTERS BY SOME OF THE NATION'S MOST IMPORTANT FOUNDING FATHERS. THE AUCTIONEER SAID A HIGHLIGHT IS THE AUTOGRAPH OF GEORGIA SIGNER BUTTON GWINNETT. ONLY 51 EXAMPLES OF HIS HANDWRITING ARE KNOWN TO EXIST.
PHILADELPHIA COACH ANDY REID SAYS MICHAEL VICK SUFFERED A "PRETTY SIGNIFICANT' CONCUSSION SUNDAY AGAINST THE COWBOYS AND TOLD THE QUARTERBACK TO STAY HOME AND REST. "HE HAS A HEADACHE. IT'S A PRETTY GOOD ONE AND HE'S TIRED. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT HE GETS REST," REID SAYS. REID HASN'T RULED VICK OUT FOR SUNDAY'S GAME IN WASHINGTON, HOWEVER IT'S UNLIKELY THAT VICK WILL BE READY TO GO.
