IT MIGHT NOT BE A PLEASANT CONVERSATION, BUT KIDSPEACE'S JODI CAMPBELL SAYS PARENTS NEED TO TALK WITH THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT FRIDAY'S SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN CONNECTICUT. SHE OFFERS A TIP ON HOW TO GO ABOUT IT. "KIND OF LET THEM BE THE GUIDE. THEY'RE GOING TO ASK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED. DON'T ELABORATE FURTHER THAN THEY ASK. IF THEY ASK IF ANYBODY DIED, JUST SAY YES. YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL THEM HOW MANY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE THEM THE DETAILS. JUST GIVE THEM THE ANSWERS THAT THEY NEED," CAMPBELL SAYS. SHE SAYS IT'S MUCH BETTER FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO HEAR ABOUT THE MASSACRE FROM YOU RATHER THAN ON TV, RADIO OR IN SCHOOL.
"YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO REFINE AND REVISE YOUR SECURITY MEASURES," SAYS PARKLAND SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT RICK SNISCAK. HE SAYS THE SCHOOL MASSACRE IN CONNECTICUT GIVES THOSE REVISIONS AND REFINEMENTS A BIT MORE URGENCY. HE SAYS HE MEETS REGULARLY WITH LOCAL FIRE, POLICE, EMS AND THE D.A.'S OFFICE TO REVIEW POLICIES IN PLACE AND HOW TO IMPROVE UPON THEM.
IN A 4-3 VOTE, BETHLEHEM CITY COUNCIL HAS NIXED MAYOR JOHN CALLAHAN'S CONTROVERSIAL PLAN TO HIRE A CITYWIDE GARBAGE HAULER. COUNCIL CUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM CALLAHAN'S BUDGET AT THE SAME TIME TO LOWER THE PROPERTY TAX HIKE FROM 8.5 PERCENT TO 7 PERCENT. OPPONENTS OF THE SINGLE-HAULER TRASH PROPOSAL SAY THE PLAN WOULD HAVE HURT SENIOR CITIZENS AND COST PEOPLE JOBS. SUPPORTERS SAY IT WOULD HAVE SAVED THE AVERAGE FAMILY MORE THAN $100. COUNCIL HAS A FINAL VOTE ON THE BUDGET THURSDAY NIGHT.
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOHN MORGANELLI SAYS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE FATAL HEROIN OVERDOSE IN AUGUST OF EAGLES COACH ANDY REID'S OLDEST SON REVEALED THERE WERE STEROIDS IN HIS ROOM THE DAY HE DIED AT EAGLES TRAINING CAMP AT LEHIGH UNIVERSITY. "THESE SUBSTANCES WERE HOWEVER UNRELATED TO HIS DEATH," MORGANELLI SAYS. GARRETT REID WAS HELPING THE TEAM'S STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH HOWEVER MORGANELLI SAYS THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT LINKS THE STEROIDS TO THE TEAM. "WE COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE OR SUBSTANTIATE THAT ANYBODY IN THE EAGLES ORGANIZATION WAS INVOLVED WITH THIS," THE D.A. SAYS. EAGLES OWNER JEFFREY LURIE SAYS HE'S CERTAIN REID'S ACTIONS WERE UNKNOWN TO THOSE AROUND HIM AND DID NOT INVOLVE THE TEAM.
AFTER THREE FAILED ATTEMPTS, THE ALLENTOWN ENGINEERING ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL IS TRYING A FOURTH TIME TODAY TO GET APPROVAL FOR A PUBLICLY FUNDED SCHOOL. BACKERS OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL SAY THEY HAVE NEW CURRICULUM AND NEW PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROJECT, WHICH WAS REJECTED BY THE ALLENTOWN SCHOOL BOARD IN THE 2005-2006, 2009-2010 AND 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEARS. THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL WOULD BE DEDICATED TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. THE SCHOOL BOARD DISCUSSES THE ISSUE AT A 7 O'CLOCK MEETING TONIGHT.
HUNDREDS CAME OUT TO THE KING GEORGE INN MONDAY TO BUY EVERYTHING FROM DINNERWARE TO MENUS TO A PORTRAIT OF GEORGE WASHINGTON. MONDAY'S AUCTION CAME ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AFTER THE INN'S OWNER CLOSED ITS DOORS. THE KING GEORGE INN HAS STOOD AT THE INTERSECTION OF CEDAR CREST AND HAMILTON BOULEVARDS IN SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP SINCE 1756. THE BUILDING'S FUTURE REMAINS IN DOUBT.
IT'S 30-TO-64 YEARS IN PRISON FOR A 29-YEAR-OLD MAN, WHO RAPED A 77-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IN NOVEMBER 2008. JOHN VEGA ORIGINALLY ADMITTED TO RAPING THE WOMAN INSIDE HER NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP HOME, BUT WITHDREW THAT PLEA AND MAINTAINED HIS INNOCENCE DURING MONDAY'S SENTENCING. THE SLATINGTON-AREA MAN IS ALSO CHARGED WITH SIMILAR CRIMES IN BOTH NORTHAMPTON AND CARBON COUNTIES.
A UNION REPRESENTING STATE WORKERS HAS FILED A LAWSUIT THAT SEEKS TO PREVENT GOV. TOM CORBETT'S ADMINISTRATION FROM PRIVATIZING THE PENNSYLVANIA LOTTERY. CORBETT IS WEIGHING A 20- TO 30-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH CAMELOT GLOBAL SERVICES TO MANAGE THE $3.5 BILLION LOTTERY. CURRENTLY, THE 41-YEAR-OLD LOTTERY IS RUN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, AND PROFITS BENEFIT PROGRAMS FOR THE ELDERLY, INCLUDING TRANSIT, RENT AND PROPERTY TAX REBATES, PRESCRIPTION DRUG ASSISTANCE, SENIOR CENTERS AND LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES. AFSCME COUNCIL 13, WHICH REPRESENTS 233 LOTTERY EMPLOYEES, FILED SUIT IN COMMONWEALTH COURT ON MONDAY. IT'S ASKING THE COURT TO KEEP THE ADMINISTRATION FROM IMPLEMENTING A PRIVATE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT. CORBETT SPOKESMAN KEVIN HARLEY CALLED THE SUIT "FRIVOLOUS." HE SAYS NOTHING HAS BEEN PRIVATIZED AND THAT THE STATE IS DOING ITS DUE DILIGENCE IN EXAMINING THE IDEA.
PENNSYLVANIA'S HIGHEST COURT SAYS POLICE ACTED PROPERLY WHEN THEY USED A SUSPECT'S CELL PHONE TO SEND TEXTS TO AN ALLEGED ACCOMPLICE, PRETENDING TO BE A PARTNER IN CRIME. THE SUPREME COURT RULED MONDAY THAT THE STATE POLICE DID NOT VIOLATE THE PENNSYLVANIA WIRETAPPING AND ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE ACT DURING THE 2007 INVESTIGATION OF A VEHICLE WITH ARIZONA PLATES STOPPED ALONG INTERSTATE 80 IN CLEARFIELD COUNTY. THE OPINION SAYS TROOPERS RECOVERED 35 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA, METHAMPHETAMINE, A GUN AND A CELL PHONE FROM THE CAR DRIVEN BY MICHAEL AMODEO. THE RULING SAYS TROOPERS GOT AMODEO'S HELP TO SEND FAKED MESSAGES TO STEPHEN LANIER OF TUCSON, ARIZONA. LANIER AND CODEFENDANT JEFFREY CRUTTENDEN WERE LATER ARRESTED AT A MEETING SPOT AND CHARGED WITH DRUG OFFENSES.
PENNSYLVANIA GAMBLING REGULATORS SAY GROSS REVENUE FROM TABLE GAMES AT THE STATE'S 11 CASINOS WAS UP 3.4 PERCENT LAST MONTH COMPARED TO NOVEMBER 2011. THE STATE'S GAMING BOARD SAID MONDAY TABLE GAMES REVENUE WAS $55.9 MILLION LAST MONTH, UP FROM $54 MILLION DURING THE SAME PERIOD THE YEAR BEFORE. THIS YEAR'S FIGURES, HOWEVER, INCLUDE $2.6 MILLION GENERATED FROM TABLE GAMES AT THE STATE'S NEWEST CASINO, VALLEY FORGE CASINO RESORT. TABLE GAMES REVENUE WAS ACTUALLY DOWN SLIGHTLY WHEN LOOKING ONLY AT REVENUE FROM CASINOS THAT WERE OPEN DURING BOTH PERIODS.
INTERNET GAMBLING IN NEW JERSEY HAS MOVED A STEP CLOSER TO REALITY. THE ASSEMBLY APPROVED THE PROPOSAL MONDAY. IT WOULD ALLOW ATLANTIC CITY CASINOS TO ACCEPT INTERNET BETS FROM GAMBLERS IN OTHER STATES, AS LONG AS SUCH ACTIVITY IS CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL LAW. THE MEASURE NOW HEADS TO THE FULL SENATE FOR ITS CONSIDERATION, BUT A VOTE THERE HAS NOT YET BEEN SCHEDULED.
A FEDERAL JUDGE IS EXPECTED TO DECIDE WHETHER TO TEMPORARILY DELAY NEW JERSEY'S PLAN TO ALLOW SPORTS GAMBLING BEGINNING NEXT MONTH. U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE MICHAEL SHIPP WILL HEAR ARGUMENTS TODAY FROM BOTH SIDES IN A LAWSUIT FILED BY THE NCAA AND THE FOUR MAJOR PRO SPORTS LEAGUES AGAINST GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE. THEY SUED CHRISTIE IN AUGUST AFTER HE VOWED TO DEFY A FEDERAL BAN ON SPORTS WAGERING. NEW JERSEY'S LEGISLATURE ENACTED A SPORTS BETTING LAW LAST JANUARY, LIMITING BETS TO THE ATLANTIC CITY CASINOS AND THE STATE'S HORSE RACING TRACKS. THE STATE HAD PLANNED TO LICENSE SPORTS BETTING OPERATIONS AS SOON AS JANUARY, AND ALREADY PUBLISHED REGULATIONS GOVERNING LICENSES. NEW JERSEY HAS ARGUED THAT A 1990S FEDERAL BAN ON SPORTS BETTING IN ALL BUT FOUR STATES IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
