NORTHAMPTON COUNTY D.A. JOHN MORGANELLI BELIEVES HE HAS A SERIAL RAPIST BEHIND BARS. 20-YEAR-OLD DAVID MARTINEZ HAS ADMITTED TO RAPING A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL AND A 17 YEAR OLD GIRL LAST YEAR INSIDE HIS BETHLEHEM HOME. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS MARTINEZ CLAIMS TO BE A SEX ADDICT. "IN THE INTERVIEWS HE SAYS THAT WHENEVER HE'S IN HE PRESENCE OF ANY WOMAN HE FELT COMPELLED TO HAVE SEX WITH THEM," MORGANELLI SAYS. MARTINEZ, WHO IS IN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY PRISON UNDER $200,000 BAIL, HAS IMPLIED THERE MAY BE MORE OF HIS VICTIMS OUT THERE. THE D.A. HOPES ANY OTHER VICTIMS COME FORWARD.
ACCU-WEATHER'S DEAN DEVORE SAYS WE APPEAR TO BE ON TRACK TO GET ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO SIX INCHES OF SNOW. "I THINK THE WORST OF IT IS TOMORROW EVENING INTO TOMORROW NIGHT FOR US, IN TERMS OF THE HEAVIER SNOW," DEVORE SAYS. A MIX OF SNOW, SLEET AND RAIN IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. THAT MIXTURE CHANGES OVER TO PLAIN RAIN TOMORROW BEFORE TEMPERATURES DROP AND THE RAIN BECOMES SNOW. DEVORE THINKS YOU MIGHT ESCAPE A BIG PROBLEM ON YOUR DRIVE HOME FRIDAY NIGHT. HE THINKS THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL FALL FROM 7PM TO 2 O'CLOCK SATURDAY MORNING.
BETHLEHEM MAYOR JOHN CALLAHAN WANTS TO BE THE NEXT NORTHAMPTON COUNTY EXECUTIVE. CALLAHAN MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN FRONT OF GRACEDALE. HE'S THE FIRST ANNOUNCED CANDIDATE TO REPLACE JOHN STOFFA, HOWEVER EX-COUNTY EXECUTIVE GLENN REIBMAN IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE LATER THIS MONTH THAT HE'S ALSO RUNNING. MEANWHILE, IN LEHIGH COUNTY, FORMER REPUBLICAN AND NOW-DEMOCRAT TOM MULLER SURPRISED MANY BY ANNOUNCING A RUN FOR LEHIGH COUNTY EXECUTIVE. MULLER, WHO IS CURRENTLY THE COUNTY'S DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, IS THE FIRST DEMOCRAT TO ANNOUNCE HIS CANDIDACY. LEHIGH COUNTY COMMISSIONER SCOTT OTT AND EX-COUNTY COMMISSIONER DEAN BROWNING ARE THE TWO REPUBLICANS RUNNING AT THIS POINT.
12 PEOPLE ARE CHARGED WITH UNDERAGE DRINKING AFTER A PARTY WAS BROKEN UP OVER THE WEEKENED AT THE HOME OF A NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH SCHOOL BOARD VICE PRESIDENT. LeROY SORENSEN SAYS NEITHER HE NOR HIS WIFE SUPPLIED THE ALCOHOL INSIDE HIS WEISENBERG TOWNSHIP HOME. NEITHER SORENSEN NOR HIS WIFE HAVE BEEN CHARGED AT THIS POINT. SIX OF THOSE ARRESTED ARE JUVENILES. THE REMAINING SIX WERE ADULTS UNDER THE AGE OF 21.
AUTHORITIES IN ALLENTOWN SAY AN ELDERLY MAN WAS FOUND BEATEN TO DEATH IN AN ALLEY NEXT TO HIS SOUTH PENN STREET HOME. ALLENTOWN POLICE SAY THE BODY OF 70-YEAR-OLD JOHN LEBAR WAS FOUND AT ABOUT 7:45 P.M. TUESDAY. THE LEHIGH COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE SAID AN AUTOPSY WEDNESDAY DETERMINED THAT HE DIED OF BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO THE HEAD. NEIGHBORS SAID THEY FOUND THE BODY AFTER NOTICING LEBAR'S DOOR LEFT OPEN AND NOT FINDING HIM INSIDE. NO ARRESTS WERE IMMEDIATELY REPORTED, AND AUTHORITIES ASKED ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE ATTACK TO CALL THEM.
RON 'PUNKIN' MILLER DIED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. MILLER WAS WELL-KNOWN IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. HE APPEARED IN A NUMBER OF TV ADS FOR A.B.E. CAR CARE, WAS THE PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCER AT THE ALLENTOWN FAIR FOR DECADES AND WAS ALSO THE LONGTIME P.A. ANNOUNCER AT ALLEN HIGH FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL GAMES AS WELL AS PARKLAND BASKETBALL. MILLER DIED WEDNESDAY AT THE AGE OF 71 AFTER A BATTLE WITH DIABETES.
BEER DISTRIBUTORS AND SOME DEMOCRATS, LIKE LUZERNE COUNTY STATE SENATOR JOHN YUDICHAK, SAY GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT'S PLANS TO PRIVATIZE THE STATE'S LIQUOR BUSINESS WILL BE A KILLER FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. "THESE DISTRIBUTORS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY THE PRICE. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY THE LICENSE FEE OR GO INTO THE AUCTION. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MODERNIZE THEIR STORE," YUDICHAK SAYS. HE SAYS ALLOWING BIG CHAINS LIKE WALMART AND COSTCO TO SELL WINE AND BEER WITH A $35,000 LICENSE IS A HUGE COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE FOR SMALL BEER DISTRIBUTORS WHO WOULD HAVE TO PAY $150,000 IN ORDER TO BE ALLOWED THE SAME PRODUCTS.
A BILL TO REQUIRE EXPLOITATION-AWARENESS PROGRAMS IN PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE BILL SPONSORED BY REP. MAUREE GINGRICH, A LEBANON COUNTY REPUBLICAN, WAS APPROVED 177-18 AND SENT TO THE SENATE. THE BILL WOULD AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE TO REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO ESTABLISH PROGRAMS TO HELP CHILDREN IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE RECOGNIZE AND AVOID EXPLOITATION, SUCH AS SEXUAL ABUSE AND ABDUCTION. SCHOOL PRINCIPALS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY PARENTS ABOUT THE PROGRAM. PARENTS COULD WITHDRAW THEIR CHILDREN FROM THE PROGRAM BY SIGNING AN "OPT OUT" FORM. DEMOCRATS SOUGHT TO USE A PARLIAMENTARY MOVE TO AMEND THE BILL TO INCLUDE PRIVATELY OPERATED CHARTER AND CYBER SCHOOLS, BUT IT FAILED BY A FIVE-VOTE MARGIN.
THE PROSECUTION IS EXPECTED TO WRAP UP ITS CASE IN THE CAMPAIGN CORRUPTION TRIAL OF SUSPENDED STATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JOAN ORIE MELVIN AND HER SUSPENDED AIDE AND SISTER, JANINE ORIE. TODAY, ALLEGHENY COUNTY PROSECUTORS PLAN TO CALL AN ACCOUNTANT TO TESTIFY TO THE MONETARY VALUE OF ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN WORK ALLEGEDLY DONE FOR MELVIN BY HER FORMER SUPERIOR COURT STAFF AND THE STATE-FUNDED STAFF OF A THIRD SISTER, FORMER STATE SEN. JANE ORIE. PROSECUTORS SAY ALL THREE SISTERS CONSPIRED TO ILLEGALLY USE STATE RESOURCES WHEN MELVIN, THEN A SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE, RAN FOR THE SUPREME COURT IN 2003 AND 2009. MELVIN'S ATTORNEYS WILL BEGIN CALLING WITNESSES AFTER THE PROSECUTION RESTS, BUT THEY HAVEN'T SAID WHETHER MELVIN WILL TESTIFY IN HER OWN DEFENSE.
ONE OF THE APPLICANTS FOR THE SECOND PHILADELPHIA CASINO LICENSE HAS ANNOUNCED THAT MOHEGAN SUN WILL BE A PARTNER AND OPERATOR FOR THE PROPOSED CENTER CITY CASINO. MARKET EAST ASSOCIATES IS ONE OF SIX APPLICANTS FOR THE LICENSE. MOHEGAN SUN, OWNED BY THE MOHEGAN TRIBAL GAMING AUTHORITY, OPERATES A FLAGSHIP CASINO IN UNCASVILLE, CONN., AND A RACETRACK CASINO IN WILKES-BARRE. APPLICANTS FOR THE LICENSE ARE TO PRESENT THEIR PLANS FOR PUBLIC REVIEW IN FEBRUARY, WITH PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED IN APRIL. A GROUP THAT ORIGINALLY EARNED THE CITY'S SECOND LICENSE IN 2006 LOST IT AFTER REPEATED DELAYS AND COMMUNITY OPPOSITION SCUTTLED THE PROJECT. CASINOS ALREADY OPERATING IN THE REGION ARE SUGARHOUSE ON PENN'S LANDING, HARRAH'S PHILADELPHIA IN CHESTER, PARX IN BENSALEM AND VALLEY FORGE CASINO RESORT IN KING OF PRUSSIA.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE IS EXPECTED TO DECIDE WHETHER TO SIGN OR VETO A BILL THAT WOULD MAKE NEW JERSEY THE THIRD STATE IN THE NATION TO ALLOW GAMBLING OVER THE INTERNET. TODAY IS THE DEADLINE FOR THE GOVERNOR TO ACT ON THE BILL, WHICH WAS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE IN DECEMBER. CHRISTIE VETOED A SIMILAR BILL IN MARCH 2011, VOICING CONCERNS ABOUT ITS LEGALITY, AND WORRYING ABOUT THE PROLIFERATION OF BACK-ROOM BETTING PARLORS. ATLANTIC CITY'S 12 CASINOS WOULD RUN THE ONLINE GAMBLING OPERATIONS, AND PAY A 10 PERCENT TAX ON WINNINGS, UP FROM THE NORMAL 8 PERCENT TAX ON TRADITIONAL CASINO REVENUE. THE ATLANTIC CITY CASINOS SAY THEY NEED THE EXTRA REVENUE TO COMPETE WITH CASINOS IN NEIGHBORING STATES. NEVADA AND DELAWARE HAVE LEGALIZED ONLINE BETS.
