INVESTIGATORS ARE STILL TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER WHAT PROMPTED GUNFIRE OUTSIDE THE PUERTO RICAN BENEFICIAL SOCIETY IN BETHLEHEM EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. "IT STARTED OUT AS AN INCIDENTAL, MINOR CONTACT BETWEEN PEOPLE INSIDE THE CLUB AND IT SPILLED OUTSIDE, DOWN THE STREET AND THEN THE GUNFIRE," SAYS NORTHAMPTON COUNTY D.A. JOHN MORGANELLI. 23-YEAR-OLD YOLANDA MORALES WAS CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE AND WAS KILLED. MORGANELLI SAYS ALL THREE SHOOTERS HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. TWO REMAIN HOSPITALIZED. THE THIRD SHOOTER HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AND IS COOPERATING WITH AUTHORITIES.
ONE PERSON IS DEAD AFTER AN OVERNIGHT ONE-CAR ACCIDENT IN MOORE TOWNSHIP. POLICE SAY A CAR ON DRIVING ON ROUTE 512 WHEN THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE INTO A TREE NEAR THE SOUTHMOORE GOLF COURSE JUST BEFORE 1 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE NAME OF THE DRIVER HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED.
A 4-YEAR-OLD NORTHAMPTON BOY IS DEAD AFTER BEING HIT BY A CAR JUST AFTER 5 O'CLOCK SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE LEHIGH COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE SAYS GAGE SRAMEK DIED LESS THAN AN HOUR AFTER HE WAS HIT AT VIENNA AND CZAPP STREETS IN THE BOROUGH. POLICE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING AND AREN'T RELEASING MANY DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT AND AREN'T SAYING IF CHARGES WILL BE FILED.
EASTON DISTRICT JUDGE GAY ELWELL WAS FOUND DEAD MONDAY INSIDE HER HOME. NORTHAMPTON COUNTY CORONER ZACHARY LYSEK SAYS HE'LL MAKE A RULING ON THE CAUSE AND MANNER OF DEATH. THE 54-YEAR-OLD ELWELL HAD BE A JUDGE SINCE 1996. IT'S BEEN A DIFFICULT YEAR FOR THE ELWELL FAMILY. HER BROTHER, JONATHAN, WAS FOUND DEAD IN IOWA IN JUNE, TWO MONTHS AFTER HE LEFT HIS BERKS COUNTY HOME FOR A VACATION. INVESTIGATORS HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE HOW HE DIED.
TWO YEARS AFTER HER SON COLLAPSED AT LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL AND LATER DIED, THE MOTHER OF JUANYA SPADY IS SUING THE BETHLEHEM SCHOOL DISTRICT AND FIVE OF ITS EMPLOYEES. MICA SPADY'S LAWSUIT CLAIMS SCHOOL NURSES AND OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WAITED ALMOST 20 MINUTES TO CALL AN AMBULANCE AFTER HER 16-YEAR-OLD SON COLLAPSED IN A CLASSROOM. HER SUIT CLAIMS THAT DELAY, CAUSED BY A LACK OF EMPLOYEE TRAINING, WAS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN HER SON'S DEATH. SHE IS SEEKING MORE THAN $150,000 IN DAMAGES.
PENNSYLVANIA'S 2013 TEACHER OF THE YEAR IS ABOUT TO BE REVEALED. STATE EDUCATION SECRETARY RON TOMALIS IS SCHEDULED TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AT A BANQUET IN HERSHEY THIS AFTERNOON. THE STATE'S TOP TEACHER IS ONE OF A DOZEN TEACHERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE WHO WERE NAMED AS FINALISTS IN THE ANNUAL COMPETITION TO RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING. AMONG THE FINALISTS IS JANET MILTENBERGER, A READING SPECIALIST IN THE SOUTHERN LEHIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT.
STATE SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER DOMINIC PILEGGI IS RENEWING HIS CALL FOR PENNSYLVANIA TO CHANGE THE WAY IT COUNTS ITS ELECTORAL VOTES. NOW THAT THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS OVER, THE DELAWARE COUNTY SENATOR INDICATED THAT HE IS SEEKING CO-SPONSORS FOR A BILL SIMILAR TO A PROPOSAL HE FLOATED UNSUCCESSFULLY LAST YEAR. PILEGGI'S GOAL IS TO DIVIDE THE 20 ELECTORAL VOTES BETWEEN THE CANDIDATES, INSTEAD OF AWARDING ALL OF THEM TO THE ONE WHO ATTRACTS THE MOST POPULAR VOTES. PILEGGI'S LATEST PLAN WOULD AWARD TWO VOTES TO THE STATEWIDE WINNER AND DIVIDE THE REMAINING 18 VOTES BASED ON THE PERCENTAGES OF THE POPULAR VOTE EACH CANDIDATE RECEIVES. CURRENTLY, ALL STATES BUT MAINE AND NEBRASKA AWARD THEIR ELECTORAL VOTES ON A WINNER-TAKE-ALL BASIS.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE REP. MIKE FLECK IS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S FIRST SITTING REPUBLICAN STATE LEGISLATORS WHO IS OPENLY GAY. DENIS DISON OF THE WASHINGTON, D.C.-BASED GAY & LESBIAN VICTORY INSTITUTE SAID MONDAY THAT FLECK IS ALSO CURRENTLY THE COUNTRY'S ONLY SITTING REPUBLICAN STATE LEGISLATOR WHO IS OPENLY GAY. THE 39-YEAR-OLD FLECK OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY CAME OUT IN A LOCAL NEWSPAPER INTERVIEW PUBLISHED SATURDAY. THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN ATTENDED LIBERTY UNIVERSITY, THE EVANGELICAL SCHOOL FOUNDED BY THE LATE REV. JERRY FALWELL, AND HE REPRESENTS A CONSERVATIVE DISTRICT BETWEEN ALTOONA AND STATE COLLEGE.
"INFLUENZA SEASON TENDS TO PEAK IN JANUARY AND FEBRAURY, SO WE HAVE A GOOD BIT OF THE SEASON LEFT," SAYS THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S HOLLY SENIOR. SHE HOPES YOU MAKE TIME TO ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVE AND GET IMMUNIZED DURING NATIONAL INFLUENZA VACCINATION WEEK. "THIS WEEK IS DESIGNATED TO GIVE ONE LAST PUSH TO REMIND FOLKS THAT IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO GET YOUR INFLUENZA VACCINE," SENIOR SAYS. THE STATE HEALTH OFFICE AT 1600 NORTHAMPTON STREET IN EASTON HOSTS A CLINIC TUESDAY FROM 9 TO NOON AND THE STATE HEALTH OFFICE AT 3730 LEHIGH STREET IN WHITEHALL DOES LIKEWISE WEDNESDAY FROM 1 TO 4. OTHER LOCAL CLINICS ARE IN JIM THORPE AND STROUDSBURG FROM 9 TO NOON ON FRIDAY. SENIOR SAYS YOU CAN CALL AHEAD TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT OR WALK-IN FOR A SHOT.
NEW JERSEY STATE OFFICIALS ARE NOW PUTTING THE NUMBER OF DEATHS IN THE STATE TIED TO SUPERSTORM SANDY AT 38. SEVERAL DEATHS WERE RECENTLY ADDED TO THE OFFICIAL STATE LIST AND THE STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER MONDAY TOOK ONE OFF, RECLASSIFYING THE DEATH OF AN 83-YEAR-OLD HAWTHORNE MAN AS NOT SANDY-RELATED.
NEW JERSEY GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE WANTS FULL FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR SOME SUPERSTORM-RELATED COSTS. CHRISTIE SENT A LETTER TO THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ON MONDAY REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COSTS FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL AND EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE MEASURES FOR THE 90 DAYS AFTER SUPERSTORM SANDY HIT THE STATE AT THE END OF OCTOBER. THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR CITES THE FINANCIAL BURDEN CONFRONTING THE STATE AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND SAYS DEBRIS REMOVAL MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE IF GOVERNMENTS AREN'T FULLY REIMBURSED. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TYPICALLY DOESN'T REIMBURSE FOR THE TOTAL COST OF SUCH SERVICES. BUT THE CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION SAYS THERE'S PRECEDENT FOR THE REQUEST: OTHER STATES HAVE RECEIVED THE AID FOR LIMITED PERIODS AFTER SIMILAR NATURAL DISASTERS.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES COACH ANDY REID SAYS ROOKIE NICK FOLES WILL BE THE STARTING QUARTERBACK EVEN WHEN MICHAEL VICK RETURNS FROM A CONCUSSION. REID MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON MONDAY AFTER FOLES HAD HIS BEST PERFORMANCE IN A 38-33 LOSS AT DALLAS ON SUNDAY NIGHT. FOLES, A THIRD-ROUND PICK, HAS STARTED THE LAST THREE GAMES SINCE VICK WAS INJURED ON NOV. 11.
PENN STATE QUARTERBACK MATT MCGLOIN HAS WON THE BURLSWORTH AWARD, GIVEN TO THE TOP COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A WALK-ON. MCGLOIN HELPED THE NITTANY LIONS TO AN 8-4 RECORD THIS SEASON, SETTING SCHOOL RECORDS FOR YARDS PASSING (3,266) AND TOUCHDOWNS (24) IN A SEASON. THE SENIOR ALSO HOLDS THE SCHOOL MARK FOR CAREER PASSING TOUCHDOWNS (46). THE WEST SCRANTON NATIVE'S ONLY SCHOLARSHIP OFFER OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL WAS FROM LEHIGH.
