PENNSYLVANIA REGULATORS ARE FINING A UTILITY THE MAXIMUM $500,000 FOR A 2011 NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION THAT KILLED FIVE PEOPLE IN ALLENTOWN. THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION HAS APPROVED A SETTLEMENT THAT ALSO REQUIRES UGI TO REPLACE ALL ITS CAST IRON PIPELINES WITHIN 14 YEARS AND TO ENHANCE ITS TESTING AND MONITORING PROGRAMS. THE CAUSE OF THE FEBRUARY 2011 EXPLOSION WAS TRACED TO A CRACK IN A CAST IRON GAS MAIN. COMMISSION CHAIRMAN ROBERT POWELSON AND VICE CHAIRMAN JOHN COLEMAN SAY THE CASE MARKED THE EIGHTH TIME IN FOUR YEARS THAT THE PANEL HAS DEALT WITH ALLEGED GAS-SAFETY VIOLATIONS BY A UGI-OWNED DISTRIBUTION UTILITY. THEY CALLED THAT RECORD "DOWNRIGHT ALARMING."
IF THE VERY COLD WEATHER THIS WEEK GOT YOU IN THE MOOD FOR A LITTLE SNOW, ACCU-WEATHER'S DAN DEPODWIN SAYS YOU'LL GET YOUR WISH LATER TODAY. "IT STARTS AROUND 3 OR 4 THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUES PROBABLY UNTIL ABOUT 9 OR 10 O'CLOCK TONIGHT BEFORE IT STARTS TAPERING OFF," DEPODWIN SAYS. HE EXPECTS ONE OR TWO INCHES OF SNOW BEFORE THINGS WRAP UP TONIGHT.
THE ORGANIZER OF A LARGE OUTDOORS SHOW IN HARRISBURG IS POSTPONING IT INDEFINITELY AFTER ITS BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS TRIGGERED A BACKLASH AND BOYCOTT. REED EXHIBITIONS POSTED A NOTICE THURSDAY ON THE WEBSITE OF THE EASTERN SPORTS AND OUTDOOR SHOW, SAYING "THERE IS AN EMOTIONALLY CHARGED ATMOSPHERE THAT WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD AN EVENT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE FAMILY ENJOYMENT." THE NINE-DAY SHOW IN THE FARM SHOW COMPLEX HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO START FEBRUARY 2. MANY OF THE VENDORS HAD ANNOUNCED THEY WERE PULLING OUT. AN EMAIL SENT TO TICKET-BUYERS PROMISES REFUNDS AND SAYS THE PROCESS WILL BE POSTED ON ITS WEBSITE. THE ORGANIZERS BANNED THE SALE AND DISPLAY OF ASSAULT WEAPONS AND HIGH-CAPACITY AMMUNITION MAGAZINES. REED SAYS THE SHOW IS POSTPONED "FOR NOW," BUT ISN'T ELABORATING.
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY HAS NAMED A LEHIGH VALLEY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR TO BE ITS FIRST ATHLETICS INTEGRITY OFFICER. JULIE DEL GIORNO HAS BEEN CHIEF OF STAFF AT MORAVIAN COLLEGE AND ITS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY SHE'LL BEGIN HER NEW JOB AT PENN STATE ON APRIL 1. THE POST WAS CREATED IN THE WAKE OF THE SEX ABUSE SCANDAL SURROUNDING FORMER ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH JERRY SANDUSKY. DEL GIORNO WILL OVERSEE COMPLIANCE INVOLVING INTEGRITY, CIVILITY, ETHICS AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL AT PENN STATE. SANDUSKY WAS CONVICTED IN JUNE OF 45 COUNTS OF CHILD SEX ABUSE.
GOV. TOM CORBETT SAYS HE HOPES TO MAINTAIN CURRENT FUNDING LEVELS NEXT YEAR FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE FOUR STATE-RELATED UNIVERSITIES, BUT WARNS THAT COULD CHANGE IF HE DOESN'T GET CHANGES TO PUBLIC SECTOR PENSION PLANS. CORBETT DESCRIBED HIS APPROACH IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. THE FIRST-TERM REPUBLICAN DIDN'T LAY OUT ALL THE DETAILS OF HIS PENSION PROPOSAL, SAYING THEY WOULD BE PART OF HIS FEBRUARY 5 BUDGET ADDRESS. BUT HE SAYS HIS BUDGET IS "BASED ON SOME ASSUMPTIONS," AND IF THE REFORMS HE WANTS AREN'T PASSED, THEN "THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET." CORBETT SAYS HE DOESN'T ENVISION CHANGES TO RETIREES' BENEFITS, OR TO THE PENSION BENEFITS ACTIVE EMPLOYEES HAVE ALREADY ACCRUED.
FACULTY UNION LEADERS AND THE BOARD CHAIRMAN OF PENNSYLVANIA'S 14 STATE-OWNED UNIVERSITIES ARE ACCUSING EACH OTHER OF BEING UNREASONABLE IN THEIR STALLED CONTRACT TALKS. HUNDREDS OF FACULTY MEMBERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE PROTESTED THURSDAY OUTSIDE THE STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION OFFICES WHILE THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS HEARD FROM BOTH SIDES AT ITS QUARTERLY MEETING. THE HEAD NEGOTIATOR FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY FACULTIES, KEN MASH, SAYS THE SYSTEM IS PROLONGING THE 17-MONTH IMPASSE BY MAKING UNREASONABLE DEMANDS FOR CONCESSIONS ON HEALTH COVERAGE AND OTHER ISSUES. BOARD CHAIRMAN GUIDO PICHINI SAYS HEALTH BENEFITS FOR THE 6,000 FACULTY MEMBERS ARE MORE GENEROUS THAN THE COVERAGE PROVIDED FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER STATE EMPLOYEES. HE SAYS CONCESSIONS ARE NECESSARY TO ENSURE AFFORDABLE, QUALITY EDUCATION.
REPUBLICAN SENATOR PAT TOOMEY SAYS CONGRESS SHOULD NOT BE A BODY OF CAREER POLITICIANS. THAT'S WHY HE AND LOUISIANA SENATOR DAVID VITTER WILL REINTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO CREATE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT LIMITING SENATORS TO TWO TERMS AND CONGRESSMEN TO THREE TERMS IN WASHINGTON. A SIMILAR BILL CO-SPONSORED BY TOOMEY A YEAR AGO FAILED IN THE SENATE BY A 75-24 MARGIN.
EFFECTIVE THURSDAY, IT'S NO LONGER LEGAL TO THROW AWAY ELECTRONIC DEVICES. "THE ITEMS CONTAIN HEAVY METALS LIKE CADMIUM AND MERCURY, WHICH ARE BEST KEPT OUTSIDE OF LANDFILLS AND OUTSIDE OF INCINERATORS," SAYS STATE D.E.P. SECRETARY MIKE KRANCER. THOSE ELECTRONICS INCLUDE TV SETS, LAPTOPS, TABLETS, COMPUTERS AND MONITORS. TRASH HAULERS ARE NOW NO LONGER ALLOWED TO TAKE AWAY THOSE ITEMS UNLESS YOUR MUNICIPALITY HAS AN ELECTRONICS COLLECTION PROGRAM.
