BJORN TRENT, OF ALLENTOWN, IS CHARGED WITH KILLING JUAN DEVARIE EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING IN THE 700 BLOCK OF SOUTH HALL STREET IN ALLENTOWN. POLICE SAY DEVARIE, HIS DAUGHTER, HER COUSIN AND HER FRIEND GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH TWO MEN AND A WOMAN AROUND 2:30 WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE ARGUMENT ESCALATED AND POLICE SAY THAT'S WHEN TRENT ALLEGEDLY BEAT DEVARIE TO DEATH. AS OF NOW, HE'S THE ONLY PERSON CHARGED.
POLICE SAY 26-YEAR-OLD AMY SOULE APPARENTLY LEFT WORK AT 11 O'CLOCK TUESDAY NIGHT BUT NEVER MADE IT BACK TO HER ALLENTOWN HOME. HER HUSBAND, CRAIG FRIEBOLIN REPORTED HER MISSING WEDNESDAY MORNING AND HOURS LATER HIS WIFE'S BODY WAS FOUND IN A HOME ON COUNTRY CLUB ROAD IN BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP. POLICE BELIEVE SOULE WAS VISITING A MAN WHO LIVES IN THAT HOME AND THAT MAN SAYS HE FOUND HER DEAD WHEN HE RETURNED HOME WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. HER DEATH IS BEING TERMED SUSPICIOUS.
AN EX-DIERUFF HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER IS HEADED FOR JAIL. TIMOTHY MOLL WILL BE IN JAIL FOR SIX TO 23 MONTHS FOR OFFERING A 16-YEAR-OLD STUDENT EXTRA CREDIT IN EXCHANGE FOR NUDE PHOTOS OF HERSELF. MOLL WAS SENTENCED WEDNESDAY, ABOUT TWO MONTHS AFTER HE PLEADED GUILTY TO A CORRUPTION OF MINORS CHARGE. MOLL ASKED THE JUDGE FOR WORK RELEASE SO HE COULD KEEP A JOB HE HAD JUST OBTAINED.
ALLENTOWN CITY COUNCIL HAS PASSED THE CITY'S 2013 BUDGET, BUT THAT COULD BE MOOT IF COUNCIL OK'S MAYOR ED PAWLOWSKI'S PLAN TO LEASE THE CITY'S WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS. AS OF NOW, THE BUDGET STANDS AT $88 MILLION AND KEEPS WATER, SEWER AND TRASH RATES FLAT AND DOESN'T TAP INTO THE CITY'S RESERVE FUND. THE MAYOR WANTS COUNCIL TO APPROVE LEASING THE WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS TO HELP OFFSET SPIRALING PENSION OBLIGATIONS.
POLICE HAVE FILED CHARGES AGAINST THE PARENTS OF A SERIOUSLY ILL BABY ACCUSED OF TAKING HER FROM LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL WITHOUT PERMISSION. LEHIGH COUNTY PROSECUTORS SAY APRIL SAUL AND DANIEL RIVERA TOOK THEIR DAUGHTER OUT OF LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL AGAINST DOCTOR'S ORDERS. AUTHORITIES SAY THEY ALSO USED OBSCENE LANGUAGE WHEN CONFRONTED BY MEDICAL STAFF. THE BABY WAS BORN PREMATURELY LAST JULY. SHE REMAINED AT THE HOSPITAL UNTIL OCTOBER 23, WHEN SAUL AND RIVERA REMOVED THE CHILD AND SAID THEY PLANNED TO TAKE HER TO PHILADELPHIA FOR TREATMENT. PROSECUTORS SAY THE CHILD WAS TOO ILL TO LEAVE. SAUL AND RIVERA WERE CHARGED WEDNESDAY WITH ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT, BOTH MISDEMEANORS.
PRESIDENT OF LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK DR. RONALD SWINFARD REMAINS PROUD OF THE NETWORK'S FREE WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING LAST MONTH'S DRIVE-THRU FLU SHOT CLINICS AT COCA-COLA PARK AND DORNEY PARK. "MORE THAN 600 VOLUNTEERS GAVE AN AVERAGE OF 1000 VACCINATIONS PER HOUR. WE DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 11,200 FLU SHOTS AT THESE EVENTS. WE ALSO COLLECTED 13,400 POUNDS OF FOOD FOR LOCAL FOOD BANKS AND LOCAL HOMELESS SHELTERS," SWINFARD SAYS. AT THE NETWORK'S ANNUAL MEETING, SWINFARD REPORTED A RECORD $251 MILLION COMMUNITY BENEFIT. THE NETWORK ENDED THE YEAR WITH $82.9 MILLION MORE IN REVENUES THAN EXPENSES AND INCREASES IN PATIENTS ADMITTED AND E.R. VISITS.
JUDGES ARE POSTPONING A PRELIMINARY HEARING AND A SEPARATE TRIAL FOR FORMER PENN STATE ADMINISTRATORS ACCUSED OF COVERING UP THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD MOLESTATION SCANDAL. A PRELIMINARY HEARING WON'T BE HELD AS PLANNED NEXT WEEK FOR THE SCHOOL'S FORMER PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR. A JANUARY TRIAL FOR TWO OF THEM IS ALSO ON HOLD. A DISTRICT JUDGE DECIDED TO PUT OFF THE PRELIMINARY HEARING FOR GRAHAM SPANIER, TIM CURLEY AND GARY SCHULTZ. A COUNTY JUDGE IN HARRISBURG MADE A SIMILAR DECISION NOT TO START THE TRIAL OF CURLEY AND SCHULTZ ON SOME OF THE CHARGES ON JANUARY 7. NEW DATES WEREN'T ANNOUNCED. THE THREE DENY THE ALLEGATIONS THAT INCLUDE PERJURY, OBSTRUCTION, CONSPIRACY AND FAILURE TO PROPERLY REPORT SUSPECTED ABUSE.
GOV. TOM CORBETT'S TOP BUDGET ADVISER ISN'T SAYING WHETHER CORBETT WILL ASK THE LEGISLATURE FOR DEEP SPENDING CUTS WHEN HE PRESENTS A SPENDING PLAN IN FEBRUARY. BUDGET SECRETARY CHARLES ZOGBY SAYS HIS OFFICE IS TRYING TO PRODUCE A BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE DEEP SPENDING CUTS, BUT HE SAYS IT'S TOO EARLY TO SAY IF THAT'S ACHIEVABLE. THE GOVERNOR MAKES HIS BUDGET ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATURE ON FEBRUARY 5. CORBETT TOOK A CAMPAIGN PLEDGE IN 2010 NOT TO INCREASE TAXES, AND HE HAS PUSHED THROUGH DEEP CUTS IN SPENDING ON EDUCATION, SOCIAL SERVICES AND AID FOR THE POOR TO BALANCE HIS FIRST TWO BUDGETS. ZOGBY SAYS HIS GUIDANCE IS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET WITHOUT INCREASING TAXES. BUT HE ALSO PREDICTS A $1.3 BILLION INCREASE IN COSTS PRIMARILY FOR MEDICAID AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSIONS.
GOV. TOM CORBETT'S TOP BUDGET ADVISER SAYS FEDERAL AID FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND PENNSYLVANIA'S POOREST SCHOOL DISTRICTS COULD TAKE THE BIGGEST HIT IF MANDATORY SPENDING CUTS GO INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1 AS PART OF THE SO-CALLED "FISCAL CLIFF." BUDGET SECRETARY CHARLES ZOGBY SAYS HIS OFFICE ESTIMATES THAT AN 8 PERCENT CUT IN FEDERAL SPENDING TO CERTAIN PROGRAMS COULD MEAN A LOSS OF UP TO $300 MILLION FOR PENNSYLVANIA. HIS OFFICE SAYS THAT WOULD MEAN AN ANNUAL CUT OF ABOUT $43 MILLION FOR POOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS KNOWN AS TITLE I DISTRICTS AND A CUT OF ABOUT $33 MILLION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA. HOWEVER, HE NOTES THAT THE STATE'S ECONOMIC FORECASTING FIRM ASSUMES THAT A DEAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C., WILL AVOID THE FISCAL CLIFF.
STATE GAMING OFFICIALS SAY PENNSYLVANIA CASINOS SAW A SLIGHT RISE IN GROSS SLOTS REVENUE LAST MONTH, COMPARED TO NOVEMBER 2011. BUT THE PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD SAYS THE INCREASE WAS LESS THAN A HALF A PERCENT, UP TO $192.5 MILLION AND IT WAS BOOSTED BY THE MARCH OPENING OF THE STATE'S 11TH CASINO, VALLEY FORGE CASINO RESORT. THE GAMING BOARD SAYS REVENUE FIGURES DECLINED ABOUT 1.9 PERCENT WHEN LOOKING ONLY AT THE 10 CASINOS THAT WERE OPEN DURING BOTH PERIODS.
NEW JERSEY'S FIRST MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY IS FINALLY OPENING ITS DOORS. GREENLEAF COMPASSION CENTER IN MONTCLAIR INITIALLY WILL SEE PATIENTS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. ABOUT 20 PATIENTS ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET TODAY WITH GREENLEAF STAFF, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLING PATIENTS IN THE ORDER THE STATE ISSUED THEIR IDENTIFICATION CARDS. STATE OFFICIALS HAVE REGISTERED 338 PATIENTS, AND ANOTHER 61 APPLICATIONS ARE UNDER REVIEW. PATIENTS ARE LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN TWO OUNCES OF MARIJUANA PER MONTH. BUT GREENLEAF INITIALLY PLANS TO SELL NO MORE THAN A HALF-OUNCE TO EACH PERSON, SO THE SUPPLY CAN STRETCH TO EVERY REGISTERED PATIENT. IN OCTOBER, GREENLEAF BECAME THE FIRST MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROVIDER LICENSED IN NEW JERSEY NEARLY THREE YEARS AFTER PASSAGE OF A LAW TO ALLOW MEDICINAL CANNABIS IN THE STATE.
