A 12-YEAR-OLD BOY IS DEAD AFTER AN ATV ACCIDENT IN CARBON COUNTY. POLICE SAY MICHAEL KULP WAS RIDING WITH A FAMILY MEMBER WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN TOWAMENSING TOWNSHIP. THE BOY WAS A PASSENGER ON AN ATV DRIVEN BY A 31-YEAR-OLD RELATIVE.
THE LEHIGH COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE SAYS IT WAS A BUCKS COUNTY MAN WHO DIED IN A SATURDAY EVENING MOTORCYCLE CRASH IN LOWER MACUNGIE TOWNSHIP. 21-YEAR-OLD KEVIN O'DONNELL WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT ON INDIAN CREEK ROAD. INVESTIGATORS SAY O'DONNELL LOST CONTROL OF HIS MOTORCYCLE, CAUSING IT TO SLIDE INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE WHERE HE WAS HIT BY AN ONCOMING SUV.
POLICE SAY AN UPPER SAUCON TOWNSHIP MAN AND HIS WIFE WERE INJURED AS THE MAN WAS DRILLING A SMALL HOLE INTO A PROPANE TANK. STEPHEN LUTHER AND HIS WIFE, MERRIE, WERE BOTH BURNED WHEN LUTHER DRILLED A HOLE INTO THE TANK TO PREPARE THE TANK FOR RECYCLING. POLICE SAY USING A DRILL ON A PROPANE TANK IS NEVER RECOMMENDED. BOTH THE HUSBAND AND HIS WIFE ARE LISTED IN STABLE CONDITION.
THE IRS IS WARNING HURRICANE SANDY VICTIMS ABOUT POSSIBLE SCAMS TAKING PLACE IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE SANDY. "SOMEBODY PUTS UP POSTERS ON A TELEPHONE POLL THAT CLAIMS THEY'LL FILL OUT YOUR TAX RETURN AND YOU'LL BE DUE MONEY FOR TAX RELIEF. THEY'RE BASICALLY FILING FALSE TAX RETURNS FOR UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS," SAYS IRS SPOKESMAN DAVID STEWART. IF YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT TAX RELIEF OR DISASTER RELATED TAX ISSUES CALL THE IRS' DISASTER ASSISTANCE NUMBER AT 1-866-562-5227.
A PENNSYLVANIA CONVENIENCE STORE CHAIN SAYS IT'S JUST NOW FEELING THE EFFECTS OF SUPERSTORM SANDY, THREE WEEKS AFTER THE MASSIVE STORM. SHEETZ STORES IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA REPORTED RUNNING OUT OF 87 AND 89 OCTANE GASOLINE OVER THE WEEKEND. A COMPANY SPOKESWOMAN SAYS THE SHORTAGE IS A DELAYED REACTION TO THE STORM THAT MADE LANDFALL LATE LAST MONTH. SPOKESWOMAN MONICA JONES SAYS THAT UP UNTIL NOW THE CHAIN HAS BEEN USING GAS PRODUCED BEFORE THE STORM HIT. THAT SUPPLY WAS DISRUPTED WHEN REFINERIES ALONG THE COAST WENT OFFLINE. THE COMPANY HOPES THE INTERRUPTION IS TEMPORARY.
THIS MONTH'S ELECTION RESULTS HAVE CREATED A LESS FRIENDLY POLITICAL LANDSCAPE FOR GOV. TOM CORBETT AS HE PREPARES FOR A RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN 2014. THE DEMOCRATS WHO WERE NEWLY ELECTED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL AND AUDITOR GENERAL PLEDGE TO HOLD THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR ACCOUNTABLE AND THE GOP'S SENATE MAJORITY HAS NARROWED. DEMOCRATS CITE THEIR GAINS IN HARRISBURG AS PROOF OF PUBLIC DISENCHANTMENT WITH CORBETT'S 22 MONTHS IN OFFICE, THOUGH REPUBLICANS DISAGREE. CORBETT HAS BEEN MUM ON HOW HE WILL TAILOR HIS POLICY PURSUITS TO AID HIS RE-ELECTION EFFORT. LAWMAKERS EXPECT THE NEXT TWO YEARS TO BE DOMINATED BY EFFORTS TO FIND NEW SOURCES OF MONEY FOR TRANSPORTATION AND TO OVERHAUL PUBLIC PENSION PLANS. MEANWHILE, THE FISCAL CHALLENGES THE STATE FACES ARE ARGUABLY NO LESS DAUNTING THAN 2011, WHEN CORBETT TOOK OFFICE.
DESPITE RECENT GAINS FOR GAY MARRIAGE IN A NUMBER OF STATES, ANALYSTS SAY PENNSYLVANIA MAY BE UNLIKELY TO JOIN THEIR NUMBER ANYTIME SOON. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE DID NOT BECOME AN ISSUE IN ROW OFFICE ELECTIONS EARLIER THIS MONTH DESPITE SUPPORT BY THE THREE DEMOCRATS WHO SWEPT THE RACES. GOV. TOM CORBETT AND MANY IN THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED GENERAL ASSEMBLY OPPOSE GAY MARRIAGE, AND STATE LAW BARRING IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPEALED OR STRUCK DOWN BY A COURT. THOSE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE SAY THE COMMONWEALTH'S POLITICAL CLIMATE HAS NOT FORCED LAWMAKERS TO TAKE A STAND ON THE ISSUE, WHICH ISN'T VIEWED AS A HIGH PRIORITY. AND WHILE POLLS SHOW GROWING SUPPORT, SURVEYS OF LIKELY VOTERS STILL SHOW A DIVIDED ELECTORATE.
COMMONWEALTH COURT JUDGE ROBERT SIMPSON HAS SCHEDULED A STATUS CONFERENCE FOR DECEMBER 13 ON EFFORTS TO PERMANENTLY BLOCK THE STATE'S VOTER ID LAW FROM GOING INTO EFFECT FOR NEXT SPRING'S PRIMARY ELECTION. STATE SENATOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PREVIEWS WHAT MIGHT BE DISCUSSED. "I WOULD IMAGINE HE WOULD SORT OF LAY OUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST ELECTION, DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF THE LAW AND ANALYZE HOW MANY VOTERS ACTUALLY HAD IDENTIFICATION AND HOW MANY WOULD BE POTENTIALLY AFFECTED BY THE NEW LAW," WILLIAMS SAYS. SIMPSON RULED THE LAW COULD NOT TAKE EFFECT FOR THE ELECTION EARLIER THIS MONTH.
LEHIGH'S FOOTBALL TEAM IS ONE OF JUST FOUR 10-WIN TEAMS IN THE NCAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION BUT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR. THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS WERE LEFT OUT OF THE 20-TEAM FCS PLAYOFF FIELD DESPITE A 10-AND-1 RECORD AND A NATIONAL RANKING OF 13TH IN THE MOST RECENT POLL.
DEMOCRATS ARE AGAIN PUSHING LEGISLATION TO RAISE NEW JERSEY'S MINIMUM WAGE. ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SHEILA OLIVER WILL LEAD THE CHARGE MONDAY, AS SHE HOLDS AN EVENT WITH MINIMUM-WAGE WORKERS BEFORE A SENATE PANEL CONSIDERS A BILL TO BOOST THE WAGE TO $8.50 PER HOUR, UP FROM $7.25. THE ASSEMBLY PASSED THE BILL IN MAY. BUT IT STALLED IN THE UPPER HOUSE WHEN SENATE PRESIDENT STEVE SWEENEY DIDN'T POST IT BECAUSE OF AN ANTICIPATED VETO BY GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE. SWEENEY PROPOSED PUTTING THE WAGE HIKE BEFORE VOTERS NEXT YEAR INSTEAD. CHRISTIE OPPOSES CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION OVER WAGES.
NEW JERSEY HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY 31 CASES OF FUNGAL MENINGITIS HAVE NOW BEEN REPORTED IN THE STATE. THE CASES, TWO CONFIRMED AND 29 CONSIDERED PROBABLE, ARE LINKED TO A RECALLED, POTENTIALLY TAINTED STEROID PRODUCED BY A SPECIALTY PHARMACY IN MASSACHUSETTS. NATIONALLY, MORE THAN 400 CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN 19 STATES, INCLUDING 32 DEATHS. STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY NO ONE IN NEW JERSEY HAS DIED FROM THE ILLNESS. TEN PATIENTS REMAIN HOSPITALIZED, AND ALL OF THOSE SICKENED CONTINUE TO RECOVER. FOUR MORE CASES, ALL INVOLVING CUMBERLAND COUNTY RESIDENTS, WERE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED.
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS ASSURING NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WON'T ABANDON THEM AFTER HURRICANE SANDY. BIDEN, WHO SPENT SUMMERS AT THE JERSEY SHORE AS A BOY, SAYS HE'S "A HOMEBOY" WHO UNDERSTANDS THE NEED TO REBUILD. THE VICE PRESIDENT SPENT THE BETTER PART OF SUNDAY VISITING STORM-WRECKED AREAS OF NEW JERSEY, INCLUDING THE BOARDWALK AT SEASIDE HEIGHTS AND A DAMAGED RAIL STATION IN HOBOKEN. SANDY KILLED MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE IN 10 STATES, BUT HIT NEW JERSEY AND NEW YORK THE HARDEST.
DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBERG, WHOSE NEW MOVIE ABOUT ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS NOW IN THEATERS, WILL MAKE THE KEYNOTE REMARKS AT THE 149TH COMMEMORATION OF "THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS." SPIELBERG'S SPEECH TODAY AT SOLDIER'S NATIONAL CEMETERY IN GETTYSBURG WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A RECITATION OF THE FAMOUS SPEECH BY A LINCOLN RE-ENACTOR. THE CEREMONY AT GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK IS EXPECTED TO TAKE ABOUT AN HOUR AND IS FREE. PREVIOUS SPEAKERS INCLUDE PRESIDENTS HARRY TRUMAN AND DWIGHT EISENHOWER, AND PENNSYLVANIA GOV. TOM RIDGE.
EAGLES RUNNING BACK LESEAN MCCOY LEFT PHILADELPHIA'S 31-6 LOSS TO THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER WITH A CONCUSSION. MCCOY WAS TAKEN OFF THE FIELD ON A CART AFTER STAYING DOWN FOLLOWING A 7-YARD RUN WITH LESS THAN 2 MINUTES LEFT SUNDAY. TIGHT END BRENT CELEK WAS CHECKED FOR A HEAD INJURY BUT PASSED TESTS AND WAS DEEMED OK.
