A FORMER STATE LAWMAKER HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO AT LEAST THREE MONTHS IN PRISON FOLLOWING HIS ARREST FOR ASSAULTING HIS WIFE AND DRIVING DRUNK. FORMER DEMOCRATIC REP. JOSEPH BRENNAN WAS ARRESTED IN AUGUST AFTER POLICE SAY HE PUNCHED AND CHOKED HIS WIFE AT THEIR FOUNTAIN HILL HOME, THEN DROVE AWAY DRUNK. IT WAS HIS SECOND DUI ARREST IN AS MANY YEARS. BRENNAN DROPPED HIS RE-ELECTION BID AND PLEADED GUILTY TO SIMPLE ASSAULT AND DRUNKEN DRIVING. HE WAS SENTENCED THURSDAY IN LEHIGH COUNTY COURT AFTER HE PLEADED WITH THE JUDGE FOR HOME CONFINEMENT, SAYING A PRISON TERM WOULD JEOPARDIZE HIS NEW JOB. THE JUDGE REJECTED HIS REQUEST AND ORDERED HIM TO REPORT TO LEHIGH COUNTY PRISON ON MONDAY TO BEGIN A THREE- TO 23-MONTH SENTENCE.
PENNSYLVANIA'S ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS SHE GRANTED GOV. TOM CORBETT THE AUTHORITY TO FILE A FEDERAL ANTITRUST LAWSUIT AGAINST THE NCAA BECAUSE HER OFFICE IS CURRENTLY PROSECUTING THREE PENN STATE ADMINISTRATORS. ATTORNEY GENERAL LINDA KELLY SAYS "AN ACTUAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST COULD, AND LIKELY WOULD, ARISE IF THIS OFFICE WERE INVOLVED IN BOTH CASES." KELLY SAYS THE "SIZE AND SCOPE" OF THE CRIMINAL CASES "MADE IT UNTENABLE" FOR THE STATE PROSECUTORS' OFFICE TO ALSO BE INVOLVED IN THE CIVIL LAWSUIT. KELLY SAYS HER OFFICE GOT THE REQUEST FROM CORBETT ON DECEMBER 14 AND GRANTED IT A FEW DAYS LATER. CORBETT NOMINATED KELLY TO SUCCEED HIM AS ATTORNEY GENERAL TWO YEARS AGO, WHEN CORBETT BECAME GOVERNOR.
A JUDGE IS ALLOWING FORMER PENN STATE ASSISTANT COACH JERRY SANDUSKY TO LEAVE HIS STATE PRISON CELL IN ORDER TO APPEAR NEXT WEEK AT A COURT HEARING. JUDGE JOHN CLELAND ON THURSDAY SIGNED THE ORDER PERMITTING SANDUSKY TO TRAVEL JANUARY 10 FROM THE STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT GREENE IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA TO THE HEARING AT THE CENTRE COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN BELLEFONTE IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. HE WAS CONVICTED IN CENTRE COUNTY COURT IN JUNE ON 45 COUNTS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE INVOLVING 10 BOYS. SANDUSKY WILL BE PICKED UP AND TRANSPORTED BY CENTRE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES. THE HEARING WILL ADDRESS SANDUSKY'S POST-SENTENCING MOTIONS. SANDUSKY MAINTAINS HIS INNOCENCE AND IS PURSUING APPEALS. AUTHORITIES HAVE SAID SANDUSKY MOLESTED VICTIMS INSIDE UNIVERSITY FACILITIES, AREA HOTELS AND INSIDE HIS HOME.
BILL O'BRIEN IS STAYING AT PENN STATE. O'BRIEN'S AGENT, JOSEPH LINTA, SAID LAST NIGHT THAT THE NITTANY LIONS' HEAD COACH GARNERED INTEREST FROM SEVERAL NFL TEAMS FOR VACANT JOBS AT THE NEXT LEVEL. BUT LINTA SAID THE "HEARTSTRINGS" OF O'BRIEN'S EXPERIENCE FROM PENN STATE'S 8-4 SEASON IN HIS FIRST YEAR OUTWEIGHED THE POTENTIALLY BIG RAISE HE COULD HAVE RECEIVED AS AN NFL HEAD COACH. HE SAID O'BRIEN MADE THE DECISION TO STAY AT PENN STATE AND NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH POTENTIAL NFL OPPORTUNITIES YESTERDAY. O'BRIEN HAS BEEN LAUDED FOR GUIDING PENN STATE TO A SUCCESSFUL SEASON FOLLOWING STRICT NCAA SANCTIONS ON PENN STATE FOR THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD SEX ABUSE SCANDAL.
GOOD NEWS ON THE LOCAL JOBS FRONT. "OVERALL, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DECREASED ONE-TENTH OF A PERCENT DOWN TO 8.6 PERCENT," SAYS LABOR ANALYST STEVEN ZELLERS. THAT'S THE SAME NUMBER SEEN HERE IN NOVEMBER 2011. WHILE THE LEHIGH VALLEY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DROPPED JUST A BIT IN NOVEMBER, THE NUMBER STILL IS TIED FOR THE THIRD HIGHEST IN PENNSYLVANIA.
POLICE IN BETHLEHEM ARE INVESTIGATING A WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACCIDENT THAT LEFT AN ELDERLY MAN DEAD. 96-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH DABROWSKI DIED LESS THAN A HALF HOUR AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A CAR AT THE INTERSECTION OF MAIN AND RASPBERRY STREETS AT 8 O'CLOCK WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE LEHIGH COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE HAS RULED DABROWSKI'S DEATH AN ACCIDENT.
POLICE IN SALISBURY TOWNSHIP SPENT THEIR THURSDAY AT A TRAFFIC CHECKPOINT ON CHESTNUT HILL ROAD HOPING TO GET LEADS FROM LOCAL DRIVERS NEAR WHERE A WOMAN'S BURNING BODY WAS FOUND LATE LAST MONTH. THE WOMAN'S BODY WAS FOUND DECEMBER 27 BY A DRIVER ON CHESTNUT HILL ROAD. INVESTIGATORS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE WOMAN BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THE BURNS, BUT THEY BELIEVE SHE WAS EITHER WHITE OR A LIGHT-SKINNED HISPANIC BETWEEN 20 AND 40 YEARS OF AGE.
A WILLIAMS TOWNSHIP MOBILE HOME IS DESTROYED AFTER A THURSDAY AFTERNOON FIRE. NOBODY WAS HOME AND NOBODY WAS HURT IN THE FIRE, WHICH WAS REPORTED JUST BEFORE 1 O'CLOCK THURSDAY AFTERNOON AT 15 ROYAL MANOR.
PENNSYLVANIA HIGHER EDUCATION OFFICIALS ARE HEADING BACK TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE WITH THE UNION REPRESENTING STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY. THE TWO SIDES ARE SLATED TO MEET TODAY FOR THE FIRST DISCUSSIONS SINCE DECEMBER 11. MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY FACULTIES HAVE BEEN WORKING WITHOUT A CONTRACT FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS. BARGAINING HAS STALLED OVER ISSUES INCLUDING PAY FOR PART-TIME INSTRUCTORS, HEALTH CARE BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION FOR ONLINE EDUCATION. THE UNION HAS AUTHORIZED ITS LEADERSHIP TO CALL A STRIKE. OFFICIALS AT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION SAY THEY NEED TO CONTROL COSTS DURING TIGHT ECONOMIC TIMES. THE SYSTEM SERVES ABOUT 115,000 STUDENTS ON 14 CAMPUSES ACROSS THE STATE.
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S DAY HAVE COME AND GONE AND FOR SOME, IT'S TIME TO BEGIN TAX FILING SEASON. REGARDLESS IF YOU'RE AN EARLY FILER OR A LAST MINUTE FILER, THE IRS' DAVID STEWART URGES YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE SUBMITTING YOUR INFO TO A LEGIT WEBSITE. HE SAYS THERE ARE PLENTY OF BOGUS SITES OUT THERE HOPING TO STEAL YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. "I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT THEY LOOK REALLY GOOD. THEY ARE KNOCKOFFS OF THE IRS.GOV WEBSITE," STEWART SAYS. HE SAYS THE ONLY LEGIT IRS WEBSITE IS AT WWW.IRS.GOV. ANY OTHER WEB ADDRESS CLAIMING TO BE WITH THE IRS SHOULD NOT BE TRUSTED AND SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE IRS SO IT CAN BE SHUT DOWN.
THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY IS SEEKING TO RECOUP NEARLY $214,000 IN LEGAL COSTS FROM ITS SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE AGAINST A REPUBLICAN PARTY-BACKED BALLOT CHALLENGE. PAUL ROSSI, THE LEAD LAWYER FOR THE LIBERTARIANS, SAID IN A MOTION FILED MONDAY IN COMMONWEALTH COURT THAT THE CHALLENGERS VIOLATED A COURT ORDER BY INTENTIONALLY MISLEADING HIS CLIENTS IN AN EFFORT TO PRESSURE THEM INTO GIVING UP. BUT IN OCTOBER, AFTER A REVIEW THAT LASTED MORE THAN SEVEN WEEKS, SENIOR JUDGE JAMES GARDNER COLINS RULED THAT THE LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT, U.S. SENATE AND THE THREE STATEWIDE "ROW OFFICES" HAD ENOUGH VALID SIGNATURES TO STAY ON THE BALLOT. MIKE BARLEY, DIRECTOR OF THE STATE REPUBLICAN PARTY, SAYS THE LIBERTARIANS' CLAIMS ARE BASELESS. HE SAYS THE GOP SIDE ACTED IN GOOD FAITH THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
THE BUTTER SCULPTURE AT THE 97TH PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOW PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE STATE'S HOME-GROWN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. THE EAGERLY AWAITED 1,000-POUND TABLEAU WAS UNVEILED THURSDAY EVENING. IT FEATURES MILK AND DAIRY ITEMS, GRAPES AND WINE, CHRISTMAS TREES, AND FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. THE FARM SHOW IS BILLED AS THE NATION'S LARGEST INDOOR AGRICULTURAL EVENT. HELD AT A MASSIVE COMPLEX IN HARRISBURG, IT FORMALLY BEGINS ON SATURDAY AND RUNS THROUGH JANUARY 12. THE FOOD COURT AND EQUINE AREA OPEN AT NOON FRIDAY. NEW FOOD COURT OFFERINGS INCLUDE VEAL MEATBALL SANDWICHES, BACON ON A STICK, PUMPKIN FUNNEL CAKES AND APPLE CIDER SLUSHIES. THE FARM SHOW FEATURES ABOUT 6,000 ANIMALS, SOME 10,000 EXHIBITS AND A WIDE VARIETY OF FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN.
ANDY REID IS REPORTEDLY NEARING A DEAL TO REPLACE ROMEO CRENNEL AS COACH OF THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS. REID HAS NO PLANS TO INTERVIEW FOR OTHER JOBS, ACCORDING TO THE PERSON WHO SPOKE TO THE AP ON CONDITION OF ANONYMITY THURSDAY BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT AUTHORIZED TO DISCUSS THE NEGOTIATIONS. THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES FIRED REID ON MONDAY, THE SAME DAY THE CHIEFS PARTED WAYS WITH CRENNEL.
