THE EAGLES GET THEIR MAN AFTER ALL. FORMER OREGON COACH CHIP KELLY WILL BE OFFICIALLY INTRODUCED THIS AFTERNOON AS THE EAGLES' 21ST COACH. HE LANDED IN PHILADELPHIA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. "I KNOW THERE'S A RABID FAN BASE HERE, WHICH IS GOOD. I GOT A TEXT ON THE PLANE THAT I WAS GETTING TRACKED LIKE SANTA CLAUS, WHICH WAS FLATTERING UNTIL I REMEMBERED PHILLY FANS BOOED SANTA CLAUS. I HOPE THEY DON'T BOO ME. I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE. IT'S AN EXCITING TIME AND I'M READY TO GET TO WORK," KELLY SAYS. KELLY, WHO WAS 46-7 IN FOUR YEARS AT OREGON, INTERVIEWED WITH THE EAGLES, CLEVELAND BROWNS AND BUFFALO BILLS, BUT HE OPTED TO REMAIN AT OREGON BEFORE CHANGING HIS MIND.
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE'S 17TH PRESIDENT IS ITS FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT. ALISON BYERLY HAS BEEN CHOSEN TO REPLACE DANIEL WEISS, WHO LEAVES JULY 1 TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF HAVERFORD COLLEGE. SHE SAYS HER FIRST YEAR AT LAFAYETTE WILL BE SPENT DOING A LOT OF LISTENING. "I EXPECT TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE FIRST YEAR BOTH ON CAMPUS TALKING WITH STUDENTS AND FACULTY AND MEETING WITH THE GROUPS THAT I'LL COME TO KNOW WELL, BUT ALSO ON THE ROAD TALKING TO ALUMNI. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AT LAFAYETTE AND WHAT THEY SEE AS THE COLLEGE'S FUTURE," BYERLY SAYS. SHE COMES TO LAFAYETTE FROM MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE IN VERMONT, WHERE SHE HAS BEEN FOR THE PAST 23 YEARS.
A FREEDOM HIGH STUDENT WILL BE SENTENCED FEBRUARY 8 ADMITTING TO BRINGING A PELLET GUN TO SCHOOL APRIL 3. 18-YEAR-OLD KHALID WEBB COULD GET UP TO FIVE YEARS IN JAIL AFTER ADMITTING TO HAVING THE GUN IN HIS BACKPACK. POLICE ALSO FOUND MARIJUANA AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA IN THE BACKPACK, BUT AS PART OF HIS GUILTY PLEA, THE DRUG CHARGES ARE BEING DROPPED. ACCORDING TO WEBB'S GRANDMOTHER, HE IS NOW ATTENDING AN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL AND HOPES TO GRADUATE THIS SPRING.
THE FORMER TREASURER OF THE WILSON LIONS CLUB WILL PLEAD GUILTY TO STEALING MORE THAN $40,000 FROM THAT ORGANIZATION. 60-YEAR-OLD STEPHEN WILLIAMS APPARENTLY WROTE OUT AND CASHED CHECKS WORTH BETWEEN $2000 AND $7000 FROM SEPTEMBER 2010 AND OCTOBER 2011. TODAY'S MORNING CALL REPORTS WILLIAMS HAS $5000 TO REPAY THE LIONS CLUB, BUT PROSECUTORS PLAN TO FORCE HIM TO PAY BACK MORE OF THE MONEY HE STOLE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T YET ROLLED UP YOUR SLEEVE AND GOTTEN A FLU SHOT, YOU'VE GOT CHANCES BOTH TODAY AND TOMORROW IN ALLENTOWN. "YOU CAN WALK INTO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF 6TH AND CHEW STREETS. THERE'S NO RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT AND THERE'S NO CHARGE AND WE HAVE PLENTY OF VACCINE," SAYS THE ALLENTOWN HEALTH BUREAU'S VICKY KISTLER. FREE FLU SHOTS ARE BEING GIVEN OUT TODAY FROM 9 TO 11 AND 2 TO 5 AND AGAIN TOMORROW FROM 2 TO 4. MEANWHILE, THE BETHLEHEM HEALTH BUREAU IS ALSO OFFERING FREE FLU VACCINES FRIDAY TO RESIDENTS OF THE BETHLEHEM SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE SHOTS WILL BE ADMINISTERED TOMORROW FROM 1 TO 3 AT THE HEALTH BUREAU ON EAST CHURCH STREET. CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
TWO ADULT CHILDREN OF FORMER PENNSYLVANIA PASTOR ARTHUR SCHIRMER SAY THEIR FATHER WAS DEVASTATED WHEN BOTH OF HIS WIVES DIED. JULIE CAMPBELL AND MICAH SCHIRMER TESTIFIED WEDNESDAY AT THEIR FATHER'S HOMICIDE TRIAL. THEY WERE CALLED BY THE DEFENSE TO REBUT PROSECUTION WITNESSES WHO CHARACTERIZED THE EX-CLERGYMAN AS CALM, DRY-EYED AND UNEMOTIONAL AFTER THE 1999 DEATH OF JEWEL SCHIRMER AND THE 2008 DEATH OF BETTY SCHIRMER. PROSECUTORS SAY HE BLUDGEONED BOTH WOMEN AND TRIED TO MAKE IT SEEM AS IF THEY'D DIED IN ACCIDENTS, JEWEL IN A FALL DOWN THE STAIRS AND BETTY IN A CAR CRASH. SCHIRMER WILL BE PUT ON TRIAL AT A LATER DATE FOR THE DEATH OF JEWEL.
GOV. TOM CORBETT IS ABOUT TO UNVEIL A TRANSPORTATION PLAN FUNDED PRIMARILY BY NEARLY $2 BILLION A YEAR IN NEW TAXES ON GAS STATIONS. THE GOVERNOR WILL ANNOUNCE THE FINE POINTS OF THE LONG-AWAITED INITIATIVE NEXT WEEK. THE PROPOSAL WOULD REMOVE A STATUTORY CAP ON THE OIL COMPANY FRANCHISE TAX. THE PER-GALLON TAX IS APPLIED UP TO AN AVERAGE WHOLESALE PRICE OF $1.25, AND THE ADMINISTRATION SAYS LIFTING THE CAP COULD PRODUCE $1.9 BILLION A YEAR.
ONE OF THE TWO COMPANIES THAT DROPPED ITS PURSUIT OF A CONTRACT TO MANAGE THE PENNSYLVANIA LOTTERY SAYS IT WAS UNABLE TO GET ALL OF ITS QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY GOV. TOM CORBETT'S ADMINISTRATION. THE COMPANY, RHODE ISLAND-BASED GTECH CORP., ALSO COMPLAINED IN ITS WITHDRAWAL LETTER THAT IT WAS UNFAIRLY REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A FINAL BUSINESS PLAN BEFORE IT COULD SEE A FINAL COPY OF THE PROPOSED MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT. GTECH'S NOVEMBER 6 LETTER WAS RELEASED BY STATE OFFICIALS TUESDAY EVENING. THAT'S FOUR DAYS AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION AWARDED THE CONTRACT TO THE SOLE REMAINING BIDDER, LONDON-BASED CAMELOT GLOBAL SERVICES. CORBETT ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS HAVE CONTENDED THAT GTECH DROPPED OUT BECAUSE THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT SO HEAVILY FAVORED THE STATE. BUT SOME CRITICS QUESTION WHETHER THE PROCESS WAS RUSHED OR FAVORED CAMELOT.
PENN STATE'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS SLATED TO GET NEW LEADERSHIP AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE AS THE SCHOOL DEALS WITH LINGERING FALLOUT FROM THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD SEX ABUSE SCANDAL. MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY'S GOVERNING BODY ARE HOLDING A RETREAT ON CAMPUS TODAY TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL REFORMS, BEFORE STARTING TWO DAYS OF REGULARLY-SCHEDULED MEETINGS IN THE AFTERNOON. KEITH MASSER, WHO OWNS A POTATO FARMING COMPANY IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, IS EXPECTED TO TAKE OVER AS THE BOARD CHAIRMAN IN A VOTE FRIDAY. CURRENT CHAIR KAREN PEETZ ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH SHE WAS STEPPING DOWN FROM HER LEADERSHIP POST. MASSER WAS VICE CHAIR.
A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL IS BEING PLANNED TO MARK THE 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF LONGTIME PENN STATE FOOTBALL COACH JOE PATERNO. A GROUP HOPING TO BUILD A MEMORIAL BRICK WALKWAY IN STATE COLLEGE PLANS THE VIGIL FOR TUESDAY. ORGANIZERS SAY THEY WILL LIGHT 409 CANDLES, ONE FOR EACH OF PATERNO'S VICTORIES BEFORE 111 WERE STRIPPED AS PART OF NCAA SANCTIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE JERRY SANDUSKY SEX ABUSE SCANDAL. SANDUSKY WAS CONVICTED IN JUNE OF 45 COUNTS OF CHILD SEX ABUSE AND IS SERVING A LENGTHY PRISON SENTENCE. HIS ARREST TARNISHED PENN STATE'S STORIED FOOTBALL PROGRAM AND LED TO PATERNO'S FIRING. PATERNO DIED OF LUNG CANCER AT AGE 85. THE GROUP PLANNING THE VIGIL IS CALLED INSPIRATION WAY AND SAYS IT'S A TRIBUTE GROUP.
THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SAYS RELEASES OF TOXIC AIR POLLUTANTS WERE DOWN IN 2011 IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AND THE FEDERAL AGENCY SAYS CLEANER POWER PLANTS ARE PART OF THE REASON. THE EPA SAYS RELEASES WERE DOWN 13.8 PERCENT IN 2011 IN MARYLAND, DELAWARE, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, PENNSYLVANIA AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COMPARED TO 2010. NATIONWIDE, TOTAL TOXIC AIR RELEASES DROPPED 8 PERCENT FROM 2010. THE EPA SAYS REASONS FOR THE DROP INCLUDE THE INSTALLATION OF AIR POLLUTION CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES AT COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS AND A SHIFT TO OTHER FUELS. ELECTRICITY PRODUCERS HAVE BEEN SWITCHING FROM COAL TO CLEANER-BURNING NATURAL GAS, WHICH HAS DROPPED IN PRICE AS A RESULT OF ADVANCES IN DRILLING TECHNIQUES FOR GAS IN SHALE FORMATIONS.
