A MEETING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE LAST THURSDAY WILL NOW TAKE PLACE TONIGHT AT 6 O'CLOCK IN ALLENTOWN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS. THE FOCUS OF THE MEETING IS A BALLOT QUESTION THAT WOULD GIVE VOTERS A SAY IN THE SALE OR LEASE OF CITY ASSETS LIKE THE CITY'S WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS. MAYOR ED PAWLOWSKI WANTS TO LEASE BOTH OF THOSE UTILITIES TO HELP PAY OFF THE CITY'S EXPLODING EMPLOYEE PENSION PLANS. IF APPROVED, THE BALLOT QUESTION WOULD ASK IF VOTERS SHOULD APPROVE THE SALE OR LEASE OF ANY ASSET WORTH MORE THAN $10 MILLION.
THE FLU SEASON IS SO BAD, LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL-CEDAR CREST HAS OPENED UP AN AUXILLARY E.R. DEDICATED TO HANDLE THE OVERFLOW OF FLU CASES. LVH HOPES THE TEMPORARY E.R. WILL PREVENT THE SIX TO SEVEN HOUR WAITS THAT WERE SEEN OVER THE WEKEEND AT THE HOSPITAL'S PERMANENT EMERGENCY ROOM. A BIG TENT OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL WILL BE OPEN TODAY FROM 11 TO 11 AND AFTER TODAY THE HOSPITAL WILL DECIDE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS WHETHER TO KEEP IT OPEN.
JURY SELECTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED IN THE CASE OF A RETIRED PENNSYLVANIA PASTOR CHARGED WITH KILLING BOTH OF HIS WIVES WHO IS ON TRIAL IN THE DEATH OF HIS SECOND WIFE. SIXTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD ARTHUR SCHIRMER IS CHARGED WITH KILLING BETTY JEAN SCHIRMER IN 2008 AND STAGING A CAR ACCIDENT TO COVER IT UP. A PANEL OF 12 JURORS AND FOUR ALTERNATES WAS CHOSEN MONDAY. OPENING STATEMENTS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AT THE MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN STROUDSBURG. SCHIRMER ALSO STANDS ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS FIRST WIFE, JEWEL, IN 1999. A TRIAL DATE HASN'T BEEN SET. A GRAND JURY HAS SAID SCHIRMER LIKELY USED BLUNT OBJECTS TO KILL THE WOMEN. THE RETIRED CLERGYMAN DENIES HURTING EITHER OF HIS WIVES.
PENN STATE FOOTBALL COACH BILL O'BRIEN SPOKE AT BEAVER STADIUM FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE END OF AN 8-4 SEASON AND SAID HE DIDN'T TALK WITH NFL TEAMS ABOUT HEAD COACHING JOBS AS A POWER PLAY TO GET MORE MONEY AT PENN STATE. "I HAVE NEVER ASKED FOR A RAISE. NOBODY AT PENN STATE HAS EVER COME TO ME AND SAID TO ME THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE A DONATION SO YOU CAN GET A RAISE. THAT'S A BUNCH OF MALARKEY. IT'S NOT TRUE. IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED AND IT NEVER WILL HAPPEN," HE SAID MONDAY HE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH A FEW NFL TEAMS WHO REACHED OUT LAST WEEK WHILE HE WAS ON VACATION, BUT NO JOB WAS EVER OFFERED.
PENN STATE'S PRICE TAG TO COVER LEGAL BILLS, CONSULTANTS AND OTHER FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CHILD MOLESTATION SCANDAL INVOLVING FORMER DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JERRY SANDUSKY IS APPROACHING $26 MILLION. UPDATED FIGURES MONDAY ON A UNIVERSITY WEBSITE SHOWED THAT $12.7 MILLION OF THE $25.9 MILLION BILL AS OF THE END OF OCTOBER PAID FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES' INTERNAL INVESTIGATION, LED BY FORMER FBI DIRECTOR LOUIS FREEH, AND COMMUNICATIONS FIRMS. ANOTHER $7 MILLION PAID FOR LEGAL FEES. THE TOTAL WOULD NOT INCLUDE THE FIRST OF FIVE $12 MILLION ANNUAL INSTALLMENTS PAID LAST MONTH TO COVER THE $60 MILLION FINE AS PART OF THE NCAA'S LANDMARK SANCTIONS ON THE SCHOOL FOR THE SCANDAL. GOV. TOM CORBETT LAST WEEK FILED A FEDERAL LAWSUIT IN AN EFFORT TO HAVE THE NCAA PENALTIES THROWN OUT.
THERE'S A NEW CHAIRPERSON ON THE LEHIGH COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. IN A 5-4 VOTE MONDAY, BRAD OSBORNE WAS PUSHED ASIDE IN FAVOR OF FELLOW REPUBLICAN LISA SCHELLER. OSBORNE TOOK SOME HEAT FROM FELLOW REPUBLICANS LAST FALL ON HIS HANDLING OF AN OCTOBER MEETING AND FOR NEGOTIATING WITH DEMOCRATS ON THE COUNTY BUDGET WHILE EXCLUDING THEM FROM THE TALKS. IN ADDITION TO VOTING FOR HERSELF, SCHELLER GOT SUPPORT FROM COMMISSIONERS SCHWARE, CREIGHTON, OTT AND MAZZIOTTI.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE IS SET TO PROVIDE A ROADMAP FOR NEW JERSEY'S RECOVERY AFTER HURRICANE SANDY IN HIS STATE OF THE STATE MESSAGE. THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS ON TUESDAY WILL FOCUS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON HOW TO REBUILD AFTER THE STATE'S WORST NATURAL DISASTER. CHRISTIE SAYS RECOVERING FROM SANDY WILL SUPERSEDE OTHER PRIORITIES HE HAD HOPED TO ADDRESS IN THE FINAL YEAR OF HIS FIRST TERM. THE SUPERSTORM DEVASTATED THE STATE WITH HIGH WINDS AND STORM SURGES THAT CAUSED $36.9 BILLION IN DAMAGES AND MITIGATION COSTS.
NEW JERSEY'S DEMOCRATIC SENATE LEADER SAYS REPUBLICAN GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE MAY HAVE "PRAYED" FOR SUPERSTORM SANDY TO HIT BECAUSE IT HAS GIVEN HIM COVER FOR HIS FAILED ECONOMIC POLICIES. SENATE PRESIDENT STEPHEN SWEENEY SAYS CHRISTIE'S JOBS PLAN BEFORE THE LATE OCTOBER STORM WAS A DISASTER AND NOW THE RECONSTRUCTION WILL PROVIDE AN ECONOMIC BOOST THROUGH THOUSANDS OF CONSTRUCTION JOBS. THE STORM KILLED PEOPLE IN 10 STATES BUT HIT NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY THE HARDEST, FLOODING NEIGHBORHOODS AND DESTROYING HOMES. SWEENEY SAID AT A MONDAY PRESS CONFERENCE HE GUESSES CHRISTIE "PRAYED A LOT AND GOT LUCKY BECAUSE A STORM CAME." THE STATE'S MOST POWERFUL ELECTED DEMOCRAT IMMEDIATELY APOLOGIZED FOR HIS REMARK. REPUBLICANS CALL SWEENEY'S COMMENT "WAY OUT OF LINE."
