ALLENTOWN MAYOR ED PAWLOWSKI TELLS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WHILE HIS PRIORITY IS WINNING RE-ELECTION IN 2013 HE IS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING A RUN FOR GOVERNOR IN 2014. HOWEVER, PAWLOWSKI TELLS THE MORNING CALL HIS "FIRST AND PRIMARY GOAL IS RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF ALLENTOWN" AND HE WANTS TO FINISH WHAT HE STARTED IN ALLENTOWN.
THE LEHIGH VALLEY MALL OPENED ITS DOORS LATE LAST NIGHT AND THE MALL'S AMANDA JOHNSON EXPECTS THAT WILL SPREAD OUT THE CROWDS AT THE MALL TODAY. "LAST YEAR WE SAW TRAFFIC KIND OF SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE DAY SINCE WE OPENED UP AT 4 O'CLOCK INSTEAD OF 5 OR 6 LIKE WE DID IN PREVIOUS YEARS. I FULLY EXPECT THAT TO BE THE SAME TODAY," JOHNSON SAYS. BRIAN MOLCHANY, THE MANAGER OF THE PALMER PARK AND SOUTH MALLS, EXPECTS THE SAME. HE FIGURES AFTER THE INITIAL RUSH OF CUSTOMERS AT MIDNIGHT THERE WILL BE SOME LULLS AND THEN SOME REALLY BUSY STRETCHES AS WELL.
HAMILTON STREET BETWEEN 6TH AND 7TH STREETS WILL BE CLOSED FROM 10:30 THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY TO ALLOW FOR THE SAFE DEMOLITION OF THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING. THE BUILDING IS BEING TORN DOWN TO MAKE WAY FOR TWO CITY CENTER, WHICH WILL BE AN 11-STORY BUILDING AND THE NEW HEADQUARTERS OF NATIONAL PENN BANCSHARES WHEN IT OPENS IN 2014.
THE NINE-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR BRAD WASHBURN REMAINS A NINE-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE. NORTHAMPTON COUNTY JUDGE LEONARD ZITO HAS REFUSED THE REQUEST OF WASHBURN'S FATHER AND ATTORNEY FOR A LIGHTER SENTENCE FOR VIOLATING HIS PAROLE. BACK IN 2009, WASHBURN WAS WITH BANGOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER GINA RISO WHEN SHE OVERDOSED ON HEROIN. A YEAR LATER, WASHBURN ADMITTED TO PROVIDING DRUGS TO STUDENTS FROM NOVEMBER 2008 THROUGH MAY 2009 WHEN HE WAS A BANGOR SCHOOL TEACHER'S AIDE. HE WAS RELEASED IN DECEMBER BUT WAS RE-ARRESTED IN MAY AFTER POLICE FOUND HIM ASLEEP INSIDE HIS CAR IN SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP WITH HEROIN AND A SYRINGE ON HIS LAP. THAT ARREST GOT WASHBURN A ONE TO TWO YEAR SENTENCE IN LEHIGH COUNTY AS WELL THE NINE YEARS HE GOT IN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY FOR VIOLATING HIS PAROLE.
PPL IS LOWERING ITS GENERATION RATES FOR RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS CUSTOMERS WHO DON'T SHOP AROUND FOR ALTERNATIVE SUPPLIERS. PPL SAYS THE NEW RATES ARE EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 1. THE UTILITY SAYS ITS AVERAGE CUSTOMER WILL SEE A SAVINGS OF JUST BELOW FOUR DOLLARS A MONTH. HOWEVER, 21 OF 41 ELECTRIC SUPPLIERS COMPETING IN PPL TERRITORY HAVE A LOWER "PRICE TO COMPARE." THAT'S ACCORDING TO TWO STATE WEBSITES THAT TRACK RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY PRICES. THE "PRICE TO COMPARE" IS THE STATE-MANDATED FORMAT THAT SUPPLIERS MUST USE WHEN QUOTING PRICES. THE FIGURE COMBINES GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION CHARGES THAT EQUAL TWO-THIRDS OF THE TOTAL BILL.
FEDERAL EDUCATION OFFICIALS HAVE REJECTED PENNSYLVANIA'S REQUEST TO MEASURE CHARTER SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT USING MORE LENIENT CRITERIA. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NOTIFIED STATE OFFICIALS THAT CHARTER SCHOOLS MUST BE ASSESSED THE SAME WAY AS TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS. THE ISSUE SURFACED IN SEPTEMBER WHEN THE STATE'S LATEST STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES WERE RELEASED. FOR THE FIRST TIME, CHARTER SCHOOLS WERE TREATED AS DISTRICTS, NOT INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS. THAT MADE IT EASIER FOR CHARTERS TO REACH A FEDERAL BENCHMARK KNOWN AS "ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS," OR AYP. ABOUT 59 PERCENT OF CHARTERS MADE AYP UNDER THE NEW METHOD. ONLY 37 PERCENT OF CHARTERS WOULD HAVE MADE AYP WITHOUT IT. A LETTER FROM FEDERAL OFFICIALS RELEASED WEDNESDAY ORDERS PENNSYLVANIA TO RE-EVALUATE CHARTER SCHOOLS' AYP STATUS USING THE OLD STANDARD.
IT'S TIME FOR ROUND TWO OF THE CASINO SELECTION PROCESS IN PHILADELPHIA. THE PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD HAS BEGUN PAGING THROUGH SIX APPLICATIONS FOR THE CITY'S SECOND CASINO LICENSE. THE BOARD AND ITS STAFF WILL ALSO CONDUCT BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS, HOLD HEARINGS AND COLLECT FEEDBACK. BOARD CHIEF COUNSEL DOUGLAS SHERMAN SAYS IT WILL LIKELY TAKE AT LEAST A YEAR BEFORE THE BOARD MAKES A DECISION. THE PROPOSALS INCLUDE BIDS BY CASINO MAGNATE STEVE WYNN, LOCAL DEVELOPER BART BLATSTEIN, THREE SEPARATE PLANS THAT WOULD PUT SLOTS AND TABLE GAMES IN SOUTH PHILADELPHIA AND A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD PUT A CASINO IN A PARKING LOT NEAR THE CITY'S HISTORIC DISTRICT. PHILADELPHIA'S FIRST CASINO OPENED IN 2010. ELEVEN CASINOS ARE OPEN IN PENNSYLVANIA, AND THE LAW CALLS FOR A SECOND IN PHILADELPHIA.
THE NITTANY LION SHRINE AT PENN STATE IS GETTING A MAKEOVER. THE MUCH-PHOTOGRAPHED STATUE OF THE SCHOOL'S MASCOT WILL SOON BE SURROUNDED BY A STONE PLAZA INSTEAD OF MULCH. THE SITE WILL ALSO HAVE BETTER LIGHTING, A NEW SIDEWALK AND STEPS MADE OF STONE FROM MOUNT NITTANY. UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES APPROVED THE PROJECT LAST WEEK. THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE THE GIFT FROM THE CLASS OF 2012. OFFICIALS HOPE THE CHANGES WILL MAKE THE SITE MORE ACCESSIBLE AT TIMES LIKE GRADUATION AND FOOTBALL GAMES, WHEN LINES TO TAKE PICTURES CAN BE DOZENS OF PEOPLE DEEP. A PENN STATE SPOKESMAN SAYS WORK IS EXPECTED TO RUN FROM MARCH TO AUGUST. THE TOTAL COST ISN'T YET KNOWN.
