AN ANTITRUST LAWSUIT BY PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT AGAINST THE NCAA ARGUES THE ORGANIZATION ACTED ILLEGALLY AND WAS MOTIVATED BY A DESIRE TO GAIN POWER FOR ITS PRESIDENT AND WEAKEN THE UNIVERSITY. "AFTER MONTHS OF RESEARCH AND DELIBERATION THE COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEYS AND I HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE NCAA'S SANCTIONS WERE OVERREACHING AND UNLAWFUL," CORBETT SAYS. THE 43-PAGE COMPLAINT SEEKS TO VACATE ALL OF THE PUNISHMENT RELATED TO THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD MOLESTATION SCANDAL, INCLUDING A $60 MILLION FINE AND FOUR-YEAR BOWL BAN. THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE NCAA WAS MOTIVATED BY A DESIRE TO "GAIN LEVERAGE IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION." THE FAMILY OF LATE PENN STATE FOOTBALL COACH JOE PATERNO RELEASED A STATEMENT THAT SAYS CORBETT "NOW REALIZES, AS DO MANY OTHERS, THAT THERE WAS AN INEXCUSABLE RUSH TO JUDGMENT" IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD SEX-ABUSE SCANDAL. PATERNO WAS FIRED AS A RESULT OF THE SCANDAL.
THE NCAA SAYS IT'S DISAPPOINTED THAT PENNSYLVANIA'S GOVERNOR IS SUING THE COLLEGE ATHLETICS ORGANIZATION OVER ITS DECISION TO ISSUE LANDMARK SANCTIONS AGAINST PENN STATE. NCAA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL DONALD REMY SAID WEDNESDAY THAT THE LAWSUIT APPEARS TO BE WITHOUT MERIT. HE CALLED IT "AN AFFRONT TO ALL OF THE VICTIMS" OF JERRY SANDUSKY, THE FORMER PENN STATE ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH CONVICTED OF MOLESTING 10 BOYS. THE NCAA FINED PENN STATE $60 MILLION, BANNED THE FOOTBALL TEAM FROM POST-SEASON PLAY FOR FOUR YEARS, AND IMPOSED OTHER PENALTIES AFTER CONCLUDING THAT UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS COVERED UP THE ABUSE. GOV. TOM CORBETT SAYS THE SANCTIONS ARE HURTING STUDENTS, STUDENT-ATHLETES, AND OTHERS WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ABUSE.
JOE PATERNO'S FAMILY SAYS IT'S ENCOURAGED BY WORD THAT PENNSYLVANIA'S GOVERNOR IS FILING A FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST THE NCAA OVER ITS SANCTIONS AGAINST PENN STATE. THE LATE FOOTBALL COACH'S FAMILY RELEASED A STATEMENT WEDNESDAY THAT SAYS THAT GOV. TOM CORBETT "NOW REALIZES, AS DO MANY OTHERS, THAT THERE WAS AN INEXCUSABLE RUSH TO JUDGMENT" IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD SEX ABUSE SCANDAL. THE NCAA IMPOSED A $60 MILLION FINE, A MULTIYEAR BOWL BAN AND OTHER PENALTIES IN THE WAKE OF A REPORT BY FORMER FBI DIRECTOR LOUIS FREEH THAT CONCLUDED PATERNO AND OTHER PENN STATE OFFICIALS COVERED UP ABUSE REPORTS. THE SCANDAL COST PATERNO HIS JOB TWO MONTHS BEFORE HIS DEATH LAST JANUARY AT AGE 85. CORBETT SAYS HE IS SEEKING TO GET THE NCAA SANCTIONS TOSSED.
AFTER VOTING FOR THE DEAL TO AVERT THE SO-CALLED FISCAL CLIFF, REPUBLICAN SENATOR PAT TOOMEY SAYS THE AGREEMENT IS FAR FROM IDEAL BUT IS MUCH BETTER THAN WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT A DEAL. "WE COULD'VE SAID FINE, WE'LL JUST LET TAXES GO UP ON ALL AMERICANS. I THOUGHT THAT'S A BAD IDEA. I DON'T THINK WE CAN SOLVE THIS PROBLEM WITH TAX INCREASES. SO WHAT WE DID IS SPARED AS MANY AMERICANS AS WE COULD FROM A TAX INCREASE," TOOMEY SAYS. SPEAKING ON MSNBC, TOOMEY SAYS THE TAX INCREASE PRESIDENT OBAMA WANTED WILL ONLY SOLVE ABOUT 6 PERCENT OF THE DEFICIT PROBLEM OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS BUT DOES NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE OTHER 94 PERCENT OF THE PROBLEM, WHICH TOOMEY SAYS IS CAUSED BY WAY TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT SPENDING.
A FORMER PRIEST IN THE ALLENTOWN DIOCESE IS CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A BOY IN OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND 32 YEARS AGO. BRUNO TUCCI, A FORMER PRIEST OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL IN NESQUEHONING, IS ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING A BOY IN AUGUST 1981. TUCCI ALSO TAUGHT AT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN BERKS COUNTY AND SERVED AT SEVERAL BERKS COUNTY CHURCHES FROM 1977 TO 1981. HE WAS REMOVED FROM ACTIVE MINISTRY IN 2002 AFTER HE WAS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE. HE WAS NEVER PROSECUTED BECAUSE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS HAD EXPIRED.
BETHLEHEM CITY COUNCIL HAS GIVEN ITS UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF AN AMUSEMENT TAX THAT WILL ADD A 5 PERCENT TAX ON TICKETS TO EVENTS THAT COST MORE THAN $10. IF OK'D A SECOND TIME BY COUNCIL, THE TAX WOULD BE CAPPED AT $1.50 PER TICKET. THE CITY OF EASTON HAS A SIMILAR AMUSEMENT TAX ALREADY IN PLACE.
A ROULETTE DEALER AT THE SANDS CASINO IN BETHLEHEM IS CHARGED WITH STEALING $600 FROM HIS TABLE. POLICE SAY DAVID GREGER ROLLED SIX $100 BILLS INTO HIS FIST, PUT THE MONEY IN HIS POCKET AND LEFT THE CASINO ON SUNDAY.
GENERALLY STRONG TAX COLLECTIONS IN DECEMBER HELPED KEEP PENNSYLVANIA'S STATE BUDGET IN THE BLACK HALFWAY THROUGH THE BUDGET YEAR. THE REVENUE DEPARTMENT SAID WEDNESDAY THAT TAX PAYMENTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDING IN DECEMBER TOTALED $12.2 BILLION OR 1.4 PERCENT ABOVE PROJECTIONS. DECEMBER COLLECTIONS ALONE WERE RUNNING NEARLY FIVE PERCENT ABOVE ESTIMATES. COLLECTIONS OF INCOME TAX TOTALED $4.8 BILLION, ABOUT 1 PERCENT HIGHER THAN PROJECTIONS FOR THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD. BUT THE OTHER MAJOR STATE LEVY, THE SALES TAX, LAGGED PROJECTIONS BY $125 MILLION OR NEARLY 3 PERCENT. THE DEPARTMENT SAYS CORPORATE TAX COLLECTIONS TOTALED $244 MILLION DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE FISCAL YEAR, ABOUT 20 PERCENT ABOVE ESTIMATES.
AUTHORITIES SAY A NATURAL GAS LEAK FORCED THE EVACUATION OF AN OFFICE BUILDING NEAR THE PENNSYLVANIA CAPITOL AND, EVENTUALLY, THE EARLY DISMISSAL OF MANY STATE EMPLOYEES. UTILITY WORKERS RESPONDED TO THE REPORT OF A GAS ODOR IN THE BASEMENT OF THE CAPITOL COMPLEX'S NORTH OFFICE BUILDING ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES SPOKESMAN TROY THOMPSON SAYS WORKERS WERE EVACUATED AROUND NOON. SHORTLY AFTER, OFFICIALS DECIDED TO SEND EMPLOYEES HOME FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. ABOUT 400 EMPLOYEES WORK IN THE BUILDING FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENTS OF STATE AND GENERAL SERVICES, AND FOR SOME LEGISLATIVE OFFICES. THOMPSON SAYS NOT ALL WERE AT WORK WEDNESDAY BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS. NO INJURIES OR ILLNESSES RELATED TO THE GAS ODOR WERE REPORTED.
A LONGTIME LABOR LEADER WHO REPRESENTED THOUSANDS OF FOOD WORKERS AS WELL AS PENNSYLVANIA'S STATE LIQUOR STORE EMPLOYEES HAS DIED. WENDELL YOUNG III WAS 74. A UNION STATEMENT SAYS YOUNG DIED OF CANCER TUESDAY AT HIS HOME IN THE PHILADELPHIA SUBURB OF LAFAYETTE HILL. YOUNG HEADED THE UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS LOCAL 1776 FOR 43 YEARS. THE UNION REPRESENTS THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES IN INDUSTRIES INCLUDING RETAIL, FOOD PROCESSING AND HEALTH CARE. THE UNION HAS BEEN LED BY HIS SON, WENDELL YOUNG IV, SINCE 2005.
NEW JERSEY GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE IS BLASTING FELLOW REPUBLICAN JOHN BOEHNER FOR THE HOUSE SPEAKER'S DECISION TO DELAY A VOTE ON SUPERSTORM SANDY RELIEF AND SAYS THE INACTION IS "INEXCUSABLE." CHRISTIE SAYS THE HOUSE IS PLAYING POLITICS WITH THE $60 BILLION AID REQUEST AND IT'S HURTING NORTHEASTERNERS WHO ARE RELYING ON AID TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR THEIR HOMES, REOPEN BUSINESSES AND MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT HOW TO REBUILD AFTER THE OCTOBER STORM. THE GOVERNOR HINTED THAT HE MIGHT CAMPAIGN AGAINST SOME MEMBERS OF HIS OWN PARTY WHO ACTED TO DELAY A STORM-AID VOTE.
RESORTS CASINO HOTEL PLANS TO SPEND $60 MILLION IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2013 ON RENOVATIONS AND AN EXPANSION DESIGNED TO HELP IT BECOME MORE OF A PLAYER IN THE ATLANTIC CITY GAMBLING MARKET. IN ADDITION TO THE $35 MILLION JIMMY BUFFETT-THEMED MARGARITAVILLE ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX, RESORTS IS ALSO RENOVATING HOTEL ROOMS, RE-DOING BATHROOMS, ADDING A FOOD COURT AND TWO NEW VIP PLAYERS' CLUBS, AND LAYING DOWN NEW CARPET ON THE CASINO FLOOR.
