PALMER TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS HAVE GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT FOR 306 APARTMENTS TO BE BUILT BEHIND THE NORTHAMPTON CROSSINGS WAL-MART THIS SUMMER. SUPERVISORS APPROVED A SIMILAR PROJECT THREE YEARS AGO, BUT NOW THEY SAY A NEW DEVELOPER HAS IMPROVED ON THOSE PLANS BY MAKING THE BUILDING FOUR STORIES AND REDUCING ITS OVERALL FOOTPRINT. MADISON AT PALMER VIEW WILL FEATURE ONE-AND-TWO-BEDROOM UNITS.
JOHN HANGER, THE ONLY DECLARED CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR IN 2014, SAYS HIS CAMPAIGN HAS TAKEN IN $200,000. HANGER, A DEMOCRAT, SAID HE PERSONALLY INVESTED $25,000 OF THE NEARLY $54,000 IN CONTRIBUTIONS THAT HE LISTED ON HIS FIRST CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT FILED THURSDAY. THE FORMER STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SECRETARY AND FORMER STATE UTILITY REGULATOR SAYS HE RAISED THE REST OF THE $200,000 SINCE THE END-OF-YEAR CUTOFF FOR THAT REPORT. AT LEAST A HALF-DOZEN OTHER DEMOCRATS ARE CONSIDERING CHALLENGES TO REPUBLICAN GOV. TOM CORBETT WHEN HE RUNS FOR A SECOND TERM NEXT YEAR. CORBETT'S YEAR-END REPORT WAS NOT AVAILABLE THURSDAY, BUT HE SPENT $24 MILLION ON HIS 2010 CAMPAIGN AND REMAINS A POTENT FUNDRAISER. LAST YEAR, HE GAVE MORE THAN $200,000 TO THE STATE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE GOP'S LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEES.
LEADERS OF THE TWO LARGEST PUBLIC-EMPLOYEE UNIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA ARE VOWING A COURT FIGHT IF GOV. TOM CORBETT AND LAWMAKERS CUT FUTURE BENEFITS FOR CURRENT STATE AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. MIKE CROSSEY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION AND DAVID FILLMAN OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES SAID FRIDAY THAT CASE LAW MAKES IT CLEAR THAT ANY REDUCTION IN BENEFITS FOR CURRENT WORKERS VIOLATES THE STATE CONSTITUTION. CORBETT SAYS HE MIGHT SEEK TO CUT BENEFITS NOT YET EARNED BY EMPLOYEES AND REDESIGN PENSION BENEFITS FOR NEW EMPLOYEES. IT'S AN ATTEMPT TO ACHIEVE SAVINGS IN THE BUDGET CORBETT'S SLATED TO UNVEIL TUESDAY.
THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY SAYS THE NUMBER CANCER SCREENINGS HAS DECLINED OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS. CHUCK REED SAYS SAYS COST, FEAR AND CONFUSION MAY BE THREE REASONS WHY. "PEOPLE AREN'T SURE EXACTLY WHEN TO GO IN TO GET THAT FIRST SCREENING. THAT'S WHY I STRONGLY RECOMMEND TO EVERYBODY TO VISIT THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY WEBSITE AND GET OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCREENINGS," REED SAYS. GENERAL GUIDELINES CALL FOR A FIRST MAMMOGRAM AT AGE 40, THE FIRST COLONOSCOPY AT AGE 50, PAP TESTS DONE EVERY THREE YEARS AND PROSTATE SCREENINGS DONE BY THE AGE OF 50.
NEW JERSEY'S EDUCATION COMMISSIONER HAS UPHELD THE PUNISHMENTS FOR THE FIRST TWO STUDENTS WHOSE PARENTS CHALLENGED THE STATE'S TOUGH NEW ANTI-BULLYING LAW. IN A PAIR OF RULINGS, COMMISSIONER CHRISTOPHER CERF AGREED WITH ADMINISTRATIVE LAW DECISIONS THAT FOUND THAT SCHOOL OFFICIALS IN TENAFLY AND SOUTH BRUNSWICK WERE WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS TO PUNISH STUDENTS FOR BULLYING. UNDER A LAW THAT TOOK EFFECT IN 2011, NEW JERSEY MANDATED ANTI-BULLYING PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS. BOTH CASES WERE BASED ON INCIDENTS IN THE FALL OF 2011. A TENAFLY FOURTH-GRADER TOLD OTHERS THAT A CHILD DYED HER HAIR BECAUSE SHE HAD HEAD LICE AND AN EAST BRUNSWICK SIXTH-GRADER SAID ANOTHER STUDENT "DANCED LIKE A GIRL" AND WAS "GAY."
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY IS ANNOUNCING A NEW CENTER NAMED AFTER THE STUDENT WHO KILLED HIMSELF AFTER HIS ROOMMATE USED A WEBCAM TO SEE HIM KISSING ANOTHER MAN. THE UNIVERSITY SAYS THE TYLER CLEMENTI CENTER WILL BUILD PROGRAMS TO HELP PEOPLE TRANSITION FROM HOME TO COLLEGE. IT WILL ALSO OFFER LECTURES AND TRAINING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, YOUTH SUICIDE, BULLYING AND OTHER TOPICS. THE 18-YEAR-OLD KILLED HIMSELF IN SEPTEMBER 2010, JUST WEEKS INTO HIS FIRST YEAR AT RUTGERS. ROOMMATE DHARUN RAVI WAS CONVICTED LAST YEAR OF INVASION OF PRIVACY, BIAS INTIMIDATION AND OTHER COUNTS AND SERVED LESS THAN A MONTH IN JAIL.
