GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT SAYS IT'S TIME TO BRING PENNSYLVANIA'S LIQUOR BUSINESS INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. "I BELIEVE IT'S TIME TO GIVE THE PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA WHAT THEY WANT: CHOICE AND CONVENIENCE," CORBETT SAYS. CORBETT'S PLAN WOULD CLOSE DOWN THE MORE THAN 600 STATE-OWNED LIQUOR STORES AND THEN AUCTION OFF PRIVATE RETAIL LICENSES. THE GOVERNOR SAYS HIS PROPOSAL DOESN'T FORGET ABOUT CURRENT EMPLOYEES. "MY PLAN INCLUDES TAX CREDITS FOR BUSINESSES THAT EMPLOY OUR WORKERS. THIS MEANS GOOD, PRIVATE-SECTOR JOBS FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO WANT TO STAY IN THE BUSINESS," THE GOVERNOR SAYS. CORBETT BELIEVES SELLING OFF LICENSES WOULD GENERATE $1 BILLION IN REVENUE OVER THE PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS. HE SAYS HE'D USE THAT MONEY FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
DEMOCRATS ARE PANNING GOVERNOR CORBETT'S PLAN TO PRIVATIZE THE STATE'S LIQUOR BUSINESS. STATE SENATOR JIM FERLO SAYS THE PROPOSAL PUTS PENNSYLVANIANS AT RISK. "GOVERNOR CORBETT WILL ANNOUNCE THAT INSTEAD OF LIMITING THE AVAILABILITY OF ALCOHOL IN ORDER TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND KEEP IT OUT OF THE HANDS OF MINORS, HE ENVISIONS PENNSYLVANIA AS THE WILD WEST OF BOOZE SALES," FERLO SAYS. HE SAYS THE GOVERNOR'S IDEA WOULD MEAN LOST JOBS AND UNDERCUT THE STATE BUDGET.
AUTHORITIES SAY A BODY BELIEVED TO BE THAT OF A MISSING NEW JERSEY WOMAN HAS BEEN FOUND IN A CANAL NOT FAR FROM WHERE SHE WENT MISSING AFTER SHE LEFT A BAR IN PENNSYLVANIA LAST WEEKEND. HUNTERDON COUNTY PROSECUTOR ANTHONY KEARNS SAYS THE BODY WAS FOUND SHORTLY BEFORE 5 P.M. WEDNESDAY BY STATE POLICE DIVERS IN THE DELAWARE & RARITAN CANAL. IT MATCHES THE DESCRIPTION OF 39-YEAR-OLD SARAH MAJORAS, BUT A POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE. MAJORAS WAS LAST SEEN AROUND 2 A.M. SATURDAY, WHEN SHE LEFT A NEW HOPE. BAR WHERE SHE WORKED AS A BARTENDER AND CROSSED OVER THE BRIDGE INTO LAMBERTVILLE. KEARNS SAID THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY IN THE DEATH OF MAJORAS, BUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING HER DEATH REMAIN UNDER INVESTIGATION.
A MAN KNOWN AS THE "SILENT BANDIT" HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO NEARLY SIX YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR ROBBING SIX BANKS IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY AND NEW JERSEY. FAWZI ATRA TOLD A JUDGE IN SCRANTON WEDNESDAY THAT HE STAGED HIS TWO-WEEK ROBBERY SPREE BECAUSE HE OWED THE GOVERNMENT $11,000 FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS HE'D RECEIVED IN ERROR WHILE OUT OF WORK. THE JUDGE CALLED ATRA'S CONDUCT OUTRAGEOUS AND TOLD THE SUSPECT HE WAS EITHER STUPID OR HAD A CHARACTER DEFECT. THE ROBBERIES TOOK PLACE IN APRIL AT BANKS IN BETHLEHEM, WARMINSTER, QUAKERTOWN AND MOUNT POCONO IN PENNSYLVANIA AS WELL AS MARLTON AND PENNINGTON IN NEW JERSEY. ATRA WAS ORDERED TO PAY BACK NEARLY $10,000 TO THE BANKS. THE 43-YEAR-OLD BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP MAN HAD NO PRIOR CRIMINAL RECORD.
A 15-YEAR-OLD PALMER TOWNSHIP GIRL WHO HAD BEEN MISSING SINCE JANUARY 24 HAS BEEN FOUND SAFE AT A FRIEND'S HOME IN LANCASTER COUNTY. HAYLEY KRAUSS APPARENTLY RAN AWAY FROM HOME AND ENDED UP IN LEOLA. SHE WAS FOUND WEDNESDAY AFTER A WOMAN NOTIFIED POLICE THAT KRAUSS WAS THERE.
JERRY SANDUSKY ISN'T GETTING THE NEW TRIAL HE ASKED FOR AFTER ARGUING THAT HIS LAWYERS WEREN'T GIVEN ENOUGH TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE PROCEEDING THAT ENDED WITH A 45-COUNT GUILTY VERDICT. JUDGE JOHN CLELAND ON WEDNESDAY ISSUED A 27-PAGE ORDER THAT SAID SANDUSKY'S LAWYERS CONCEDED THAT THEIR POST-TRIAL REVIEW TURNED UP NO MATERIAL THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED THEIR TRIAL STRATEGY. HE ALSO HAS REJECTED POST-SENTENCING MOTIONS REGARDING JURY INSTRUCTIONS, HEARSAY TESTIMONY AND OTHER MATTERS. THE FORMER PENN STATE ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH IS SERVING A 30- TO 60-YEAR STATE PRISON SENTENCE FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF 10 BOYS. HE'S MAINTAINED HIS INNOCENCE AND VOWED TO APPEAL. SANDUSKY LAWYER NORRIS GELMAN SAYS THE DECISION MEANS THE DEFENSE WILL APPEAL TO MID-LEVEL SUPERIOR COURT WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
A DAUPHIN COUNTY RULING IN WHICH A JUDGE TOSSED OUT A DUI CHARGE OVER CONCERNS ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF A BREATHALYZER HAS PROMPTED STATE POLICE TO SUSPEND THE USE OF BREATHALYZERS AND STRICTLY USE BLOOD TESTS. SPOKESMAN ADAM REED SAYS THE CHANGE WILL ACTUALLY HELP AND NOT HURT THEIR CAUSE. "IT'S OUR BELIEF THAT THAT'S GOING TO RESULT IN MORE D.U.I. ARRESTS SIMPLY BECAUSE THE BLOOD TEST CAN REVEAL A LOT MORE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE IN YOUR SYSTEM," REED SAYS. HE SAYS THE APPEALS PROCESS IN THE DAUPHIN COUNTY CASE WILL DETERMINE HOW LONG THE USE OF BREATHALYZERS IS SUSPENDED.
A NEW POLL SHOWS STRONG SUPPORT IN PENNSYLVANIA FOR CERTAIN GUN-CONTROL MEASURES. THE TELEPHONE SURVEY BY CONNECTICUT-BASED QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY SHOWS 95 PERCENT OF PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS SUPPORT BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR ALL GUN BUYERS. THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND THAT VOTERS SUPPORT, BY A THREE-TO-TWO MARGIN, NATIONWIDE BANS ON THE SALE OF SO-CALLED ASSAULT WEAPONS AND THE SALE OF LARGE-CAPACITY AMMUNITION MAGAZINES.
A NEW POLL SHOWS ONLY TWO-THIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICANS HOLD A FAVORABLE VIEW OF THEIR OWN PARTY. THE QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL RELEASED WEDNESDAY FOUND 66 PERCENT OF GOP RESPONDENTS ARE HAPPY WITH THE PARTY, WHILE 21 PERCENT VIEWED IT UNFAVORABLY AND 12 PERCENT TOOK NO POSITION. EIGHTY-ONE PERCENT OF PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATS SAY THEY'RE SATISFIED WITH THEIR PARTY. STATE GOP CHAIRMAN ROB GLEASON SAYS IT'S JUST ONE POLL AND THAT 80 PERCENT OF GOP VOTERS TYPICALLY VOTE FOR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. HE SAYS THE PARTY WILL WORK TO SHORE UP ITS BASE BEFORE THE 2014 ELECTIONS. AMONG INDEPENDENT VOTERS, THE POLL SHOWS 57 PERCENT VIEW THE REPUBLICAN PARTY UNFAVORABLY AND 47 PERCENT VIEW THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY UNFAVORABLY.
THURSDAY MARKS THE END OF STALKING AWARENESS MONTH IN PENNSYLVANIA. CAROLINE FLEMING SAYS TECHNOLOGY MAKES STALKING EASIER AND MORE FREQUENT THAN IT USED TO BE. "IT'S BECOMING SO MUCH EASIER TO FOLLOW PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS THROUGH LOTS OF DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THEY'RE BEING WATCHED," FLEMING SAYS. SHE SAYS SPYWARE, HIDDEN CAMERAS AND G.P.S. DEVICES ALLOW MORE AVENUES FOR STALKING. IT'S BELIEVED ONE IN SIX WOMEN AND ONE IN 19 MEN HAVE BEEN STALKED AT SOME POINT.
THE PHILADELPHIA ZOO WILL OPEN ITS NEW $32 MILLION EXHIBIT FOR CHILDREN THIS SPRING. OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY THAT ZOO-GOERS CAN VISIT KIDZOOU BEGINNING APRIL 13. THE NATION'S FIRST ZOO BROKE GROUND ON THE PROJECT IN JUNE 2011. IT CLOSED THE OLD CHILDREN'S ZOO IN DECEMBER. OFFICIAL SAY THE KIDZOOU WILL FOCUS ON DOMESTIC RARE BREED ANIMALS. IT WILL ALSO FEATURE A TRAVEL AND EXPLORATION SYSTEM THAT OFFERS ANIMALS MORE ROOM TO ROAM.
NEW JERSEY SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ'S OFFICE SAYS HE REIMBURSED A PROMINENT FLORIDA POLITICAL DONOR $58,500 FOR THE FULL COST OF TWO OUT OF THREE TRIPS ON THE DONOR'S PLANE TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. THERE WAS NO PUBLIC DISCLOSURE. MENENDEZ SPOKESWOMAN TRICIA ENRIGHT SAYS THE NEW JERSEY SENATOR PAID FOR THE TWO TRIPS OUT OF HIS PERSONAL ACCOUNT, SO THERE WERE NO REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. DETAILS OF MENENDEZ'S TRIPS EMERGED AS HIS OFFICE SAID UNSUBSTANTIATED ALLEGATIONS THAT THE SENATOR ENGAGED IN SEX WITH PROSTITUTES IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ARE FALSE.
