DEVELOPERS HAVE UNVEILED THEIR VISION FOR A HUGE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT ALONG 25 ACRES OF ALLENTOWN'S RIVERFRONT. IF ALL GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN, CONSTRUCTION ON WHAT'S BEING CALLED 'THE WATERFRONT' WOULD BEGIN IN 2014 ON THE $250 MILLION PROJECT, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE OFFICE BUILDINGS, APARTMENTS AND WALKING TRAILS. THE PROJECT WOULD RUN ALONG THE WEST BANK OF THE LEHIGH RIVER FROM ALLEN STREET TO JUST BEYOND THE TILGHMAN STREET BRIDGE.
EVENTHOUGH JOHN HEANEY III HAS BEEN FOUND NOT GUILTY OF HOMICIDE BY VEHICLE, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY D.A. JOHN MORGANELLI IS SATISFIED WITH THE GUILTY VERDICTS ON MANSLAUGHTER AND RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT CHARGES. HE SAYS AS OF MONDAY NIGHT HE WAS WORRIED THERE WOULDN'T BE A VERDICT AT ALL OR HEANEY WOULD WALK COMPLETELY. "THE JURY WAS HUNG. THEY WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY REACHING A UNANIMOUS VERDICT ON ALL THE CHARGES. WE KNEW THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT CASE. THIS WAS A 50-50 CASE. AS IT TURNS OUT, WE WERE VERY PLEASED WITH THE VERDICT. WE WERE CONCERNED HE MIGHT BE ACQUITTED ON ALMOST ALL THE CHARGES AND THAT THE JURY WOULD BUY THAT THIS WAS A MEDICAL PROBLEM RATHER THAN FROM THE ALCOHOL," MORGANELLI SAYS. HEANEY'S ATTORNEY CLAIMED LOW BLOOD SUGAR CAUSED BY A GASTRIC BYPASS OPERATION, AND NOT ALCOHOL, CAUSED HEANEY TO LOSE CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE. MOTORCYCLISTS KEITH MICHAELSON AND MICHAEL ZADOYKO WERE BOTH KILLED WHEN HEANEY DROVE HIS PICKUP TRUCK INTO THE PATH OF A MOTORCYCLE PROCESSION ON ROUTE 512 IN BANGOR IN JULY 2010. THE FORMER LOPATCONG TOWNSHIP POLICEMAN IS SCHEDULED TO BE SENTENCED ON JANUARY 14.
A DISTRICT JUDGE SAYS THERE'S ENOUGH EVIDENCE AGAINST MICHAEL LINDGREN TO PUT HIM ON TRIAL FOR KILLING HIS MOTHER AND SERIOUSLY INJURING HIS FATHER. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE 51-YEAR-OLD LINDGREN BEAT HIS MOTHER, SHIRLEY, TO DEATH AND SEVERELY BEAT HIS FATHER, JOHN, INSIDE THE PARENTS' BETHLEHEM HOME BACK IN AUGUST. BETHLEHEM POLICE OFFICERS TESTIFIED TUESDAY THAT LINDGREN SAID AFTER HIS ARREST THAT HE "HAD TO KILL THEM" AND "THEY TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME." LINDGREN HAS A HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS.
BETHLEHEM MAYOR JOHN CALLAHAN HAS ASKED LEHIGH UNIVERSITY, MORAVIAN COLLEGE AND LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL-MUHLENBERG TO PITCH IN AND HELP CLOSE A $4.8 MILLION BUDGET GAP NEXT YEAR. SAYING ITS ECONOMIC IMPACT IN THE AREA IS AT LEAST $475 MILLION AND IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THOUSANDS OF JOBS, LEHIGH UNIVERSITY SAYS IT WON'T BE WRITING A CHECK HELP FILL IN THAT BUDGET HOLE. MORAVIAN COLLEGE AND LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK AREN'T COMMENTING YET ON CALLAHAN'S REQUEST.
THERE WILL BE 175 MORE SEATS AT COCA-COLA PARK WHEN THE LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS RETURN IN APRIL 2013. THE IRONPIGS SAY THEY'RE ADDING A 48-SEAT 'HOT CORNER' TO A GRASSY AREA BEHIND THIRD BASE. THE TEAM SAYS IT'S PUTTING 127 SEATS ABOVE THE RIGHT-FIELD WALL IN WHAT'S BEING CALLED THE 'BACON STRIP'. THAT AREA HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN AVAILABLE FOR FANS WHO PREFERRED TO STAND AT THE GAMES.
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THEY'VE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE FLU ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA RECENTLY. THE NUMBER OF CASES REPORTED TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT MORE THAN DOUBLED IN THE PAST WEEK. FLU ACTIVITY IS NOW CONSIDERED WIDESPREAD IN PENNSYLVANIA. THAT MEANS AT LEAST HALF THE STATE IS EXPERIENCING OUTBREAKS OF INFLUENZA OR INCREASES IN FLU-LIKE ILLNESSES. ACTING HEALTH SECRETARY MICHAEL WOLF IS URGING STATE RESIDENTS TO GET FLU SHOTS. OFFICIALS SAY THE FLU STRAINS SEEN HERE APPEAR TO BE WELL MATCHED TO THIS YEAR'S VACCINE. THE FLU APPEARED EARLIER THAN USUAL THIS YEAR. WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY IS USUALLY NOT SEEN UNTIL JANUARY.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNION REPRESENTING THE FACULTY OF 14 STATE-OWNED SCHOOLS SAYS HE'S DISAPPOINTED IN THE PACE OF CONTRACT TALKS WITH THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION. ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY FACULTIES PRESIDENT STEVE HICKS SAYS AN OFFER WAS GIVEN TO UNIVERSITY NEGOTIATORS LAST WEEK AND HE'D HOPED TUESDAY'S SESSION WOULD INCLUDE A COUNTEROFFER. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE STATE SYSTEM SAYS THE TERMS OF THAT OFFER ARE STILL BEING EVALUATED. ADDITIONAL CONTRACT NEGOTIATING SESSIONS HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED INTO NEXT MONTH. UNION MEMBERS VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY LAST MONTH TO GIVE THEIR LEADERSHIP THE AUTHORITY TO CALL A STRIKE BUT THE FACULTY HAS ASSURED STUDENTS THERE WILL BE NO WALKOUT BEFORE THE END OF THE FALL SEMESTER.
THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE COMMISSION IS BRINGING IN A TOP OFFICIAL FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO BE ITS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE. THE TURNPIKE COMMISSION SAID TUESDAY THAT MARK COMPTON OF MANHEIM WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY AND WILL START WORK IN FEBRUARY. HE'LL BE TAKING THE JOB MOST RECENTLY HELD BY ROGER NUTT, WHO RESIGNED IN OCTOBER, CITING HEALTH ISSUES. COMPTON'S CURRENT JOB AS DEPUTY SECRETARY OF ADMINISTRATION FOR PENNDOT INCLUDES OVERSIGHT OF HUMAN RESOURCES, FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS.
A NEW REPORT BY A CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY GROUP SAYS THAT AS PENNSYLVANIA WORKS TO IMPROVE ITS HANDLING OF CHILD ABUSE COMPLAINTS, IT MUST ALSO GUARD AGAINST ANY INADVERTENT WEAKENING OF EFFORTS TO PREVENT NEGLECT AND ABUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE PENNSYLVANIA PARTNERSHIPS FOR CHILDREN IS RELEASING ITS ANNUAL "STATE OF CHILD WELFARE" REPORT TODAY. THE GROUP NOTES THAT PENNSYLVANIA IS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN ITS CHILD ABUSE REPORTING SYSTEM IN THE WAKE OF THE JERRY SANDUSKY MOLESTATION SCANDAL AT PENN STATE. BUT IT CAUTIONS THAT A "HIGHER VOLUME OF ABUSE REPORTS" THAT MAY COME WITH TOUGHER REPORTING RULES WOULD NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THE STATE IS DOING A BETTER JOB OF PROTECTING CHILDREN. IT SAYS THE STATE MUST KEEP PROGRAMS THAT WORK TO PREVENT ABUSE.
MICHAEL VICK AND LESEAN MCCOY RETURNED TO PRACTICE TUESDAY AND COULD BE ACTIVE WHEN THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES HOST CINCINNATI ON THURSDAY NIGHT. BOTH PLAYERS HAVE BEEN SIDELINED BY CONCUSSIONS SINCE NOVEMBER. EACH STILL MUST BE CLEARED BY AN INDEPENDENT NEUROLOGIST AND THE TEAM DOCTOR BEFORE PLAYING IN A GAME. "WE'RE NOT LISTING THEM AS OUT," HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER RICK BURKHOLDER SAID. "THEY'RE STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE FOR THINGS AND WE'LL SEE HOW THEY DO TODAY AND TAKE IT DAY BY DAY." TIGHT END BRENT CELEK WON'T PLAY AGAINST THE BENGALS BECAUSE OF A CONCUSSION HE SUSTAINED ON THE FIRST PLAY IN A 23-21 WIN OVER TAMPA BAY.
