POLICE SAY A COLLEGE STUDENT IS DEAD AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A VEHICLE WHILE WALKING TO WORK. WEST GOSHEN POLICE SAY 21-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH PIETROFORTE, OF NAZARETH, WAS STRUCK BY AN ELDERLY MOTORIST MONDAY EVENING. PIETROFORTE WAS A STUDENT AT NEARBY WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY. POLICE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING THE CRASH.
PENNSYLVANIA'S TOP OFFICIALS ARE IN LINE TO RECEIVE AUTOMATIC PAY RAISES OF NEARLY 2.2 PERCENT. THE RAISES REQUIRED BY A 1995 STATE LAW REFLECT CHANGES IN THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX. THEY TAKE EFFECT DECEMBER 1. TOP LEGISLATIVE LEADERS WILL SEE THEIR SALARIES RISES FROM ABOUT $128,000 TO $131,000, WHILE RANK-AND-FILE LAWMAKERS' SALARIES WILL INCREASE FROM ABOUT $82,000 TO $84,000. GOV. TOM CORBETT WILL BE ENTITLED TO A $187,000 SALARY STARTING JANUARY 1, BUT HIS SPOKESMAN SAYS HE'LL CONTINUE TO REFUSE THE RAISE AND KEEP HIS SALARY AT $175,000, THE LEVEL IN EFFECT WHEN HE TOOK OFFICE IN 2010. SPOKESMAN KEVIN HARLEY SAYS CORBETT ALSO WILL INSIST ON KEEPING SALARIES FOR HIS CABINET MEMBERS AT THE 2010 LEVEL.
TV TALK SHOW HOST AND CELEBRITY CHEF RACHEL RAY BRINGS HER SHOW TO BREINIGSVILLE THIS MORNING. RAY AND HER GUEST CO-HOST REGIS PHILBIN TAPED THE SHOW AT THE HOME OF RAY AND TINA ALVERADO LAST WEEK. THE ALVERADOS WON THE VISIT AFTER TINA MADE A VIDEO CONVINCING RAY TO BRING HER SHOW TO BREINIGSVILLE. THE VIDEO WAS CHOSEN FROM MORE THAN 1100 ENTRIES. THE FAMILY WAS TAKEN TO A HOTEL FOR THREE DAYS WHILE THE SHOW'S CREW TRANSFORMED THE ALVERADOS' HOME, INCLUDING A COMPLETE LIVING ROOM MAKEOVER. THE SHOW AIRS AT 10 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING ON 6ABC.
ACCORDING TO TRIPLE-A EAST CENTRAL'S THERESA PODGUSKI, LOTS AND LOTS OF AMERICANS ARE HOPPING IN THE CAR OR AIRPLANE THIS WEEK. "WE ARE PROJECTING THAT 43.6 MILLION AMERICANS WILL TRAVEL 50 MILES OR MORE FROM HOME THIS THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY WEEKEND," PODGUSKI SAYS. THAT'S UP JUST A WHISKER FROM A YEAR AGO. PODGUSKI SAYS TODAY IS TYPICALLY THE MOST HEAVILY TRAVELLED DAY OF THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY PERIOD, WHICH RUNS FROM TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY.
LOCAL MALLS, INCLUDING THE LEHIGH VALLEY MALL ARE GETTING A JUMP START ON BLACK FRIDAY BY OPENING UP LATE THANKSGIVING NIGHT. "WE WILL OPEN THE MALL DOORS AT 11 O'CLOCK SO OUR MALL SHOPPERS CAN LINE UP AT THEIR FAVORITE STORE," SAYS THE LEHIGH VALLEY MALL'S AMANDA JOHNSON. HER MALL AS WELL AS THE WHITEHALL MALL BOTH OPEN FOR BUSINESS AT MIDNIGHT THANKSGIVING NIGHT. OTHER LOCAL MALLS LIKE THE PALMER PARK, PHILLIPSBURG AND SOUTH MALLS WILL ALSO OPEN UP AT MIDNIGHT THANKSGIVING NIGHT. THE PROMENADE SHOPS AT SAUCON VALLEY ARE BUCKING THE TREND AND ARE ONLY OPENING AN HOUR EARLIER THAN NORMAL AT 9AM FRIDAY.
A STUDY HAS FOUND THAT SUPERSTORM SANDY WASHED AWAY AN AVERAGE OF 30 TO 40 FEET FROM NEW JERSEY BEACHES, THOUGH SOME LOST MUCH MORE. STEWART FARRELL SAYS TOWNS THAT HAD UNDERTAKEN MANMADE BEACH REPLENISHMENT PROJECTS HAD FAR LESS DAMAGE THAN THOSE THAT HADN'T. NEW JERSEY POLITICIANS ARE ALREADY PUSHING FOR NEW ROUNDS OF FEDERAL FUNDING FOR BEACH REPLENISHMENT. THOSE REQUESTS HAVE PRODUCED GREAT OPPOSITION IN THE PAST FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS IN INLAND AREAS, WHO SAY IT'S A WASTE OF MONEY.
DEMOCRATS WHO LEAD THE NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY HAVE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PROVIDE SALES TAX REBATES TO PROPERTY OWNERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES REBUILDING AFTER SUPERSTORM SANDY. ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SHEILA OLIVER AND MAJORITY LEADER LOU GREENWALD INTRODUCED THE BILL TO PROVIDE SALES TAX REBATES ON CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIES AND SERVICES BOUGHT BETWEEN OCTOBER 30, 2012 AND JANUARY 1, 2014. OLIVER SAYS THE LEGISLATURE'S TOP PRIORITY IS FINDING WAYS TO HELP NEW JERSEYANS AFFECTED BY SANDY AND THE BILL WOULD HELP MOVE THE RECOVERY FORWARD. THE LEGISLATORS SAY A SIMILAR REBATE BILL BECAME LAW AFTER TROPICAL STORM FLOYD IN 1999. THE MEASURE ALLOWS FOR SALES TAX REBATES WITH RECEIPTS ON CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, CARPETING, APPLIANCES, VEHICLES, CONTRACTING SERVICES AND MORE. REBATES WOULD BE OFFERED ONLY ON GOODS AND SERVICES FOR PRIMARY RESIDENCES.
CONFIDENCE AMONG NEW JERSEY BUSINESSES SURVEYED IS AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL IN FIVE YEARS. THE NEW JERSEY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION 2013 BUSINESS OUTLOOK SURVEY RELEASED TODAY FORECASTS CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN THE YEAR AHEAD. NINETEEN PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS ANTICIPATE HIRING MORE WORKERS NEXT YEAR COMPARED TO 11 PERCENT WHO EXPECT TO CUT. FORTY-NINE PERCENT OF THE COMPANIES ANTICIPATE HIGHER SALES REVENUES. SURVEY PARTICIPANTS ALSO EXPRESSED MORE CONFIDENCE IN NEW JERSEY AS A PLACE FOR BUSINESS EXPANSION. NJBIA PRESIDENT PHILIP KIRSCHNER SAYS DAMAGE FROM SUPERSTORM SANDY, WHICH STRUCK ONE MONTH AFTER THE SURVEY, COULD AFFECT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THE SHORT TERM. MOST OF THE 1,470 COMPANIES THAT PARTICIPATED REPORTED SALES, EMPLOYMENT AND PROFITS IMPROVED FOR A THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN 2012.
