ACCU-WEATHER METEOROLOGIST DEAN DEVORE SAYS THE FURTHER SOUTH AND WEST YOU ARE, THE LESS SNOW YOU'LL SEE TONIGHT. THAT MEANS THE FURTHER EAST AND NORTH YOU GO, YOU'LL SEE MORE SNOW. "I THINK IF I WERE PUTTING A SINGLE NUMBER ON THE VALLEY CITIES I'D PUT ALLENTOWN AT SIX, MAYBE SIX TO 10 IN BETHLEHEM AND MAYBE SIX TO 12 IN EASTON AND NORTH AND EASTWARD," DEVORE SAYS. PERIODS OF SNOW, SLEET AND RAIN TODAY WILL SWITCH OVER TO STRICTLY SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE UNTIL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
PENNDOT SPOKESMAN RON YOUNG SAYS THERE ARE 210 TRUCKS IN THE LOCAL PENNDOT DISTRICT AND ALL OF THEM WILL BE ON THE JOB BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A SNOWSTORM THAT'S EXPECTED TO LEAVE UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW IN SOME AREAS. "WE'LL HAVE ALL OF OUR OPERATORS AND TRUCKS OUT ON 12 HOUR SHIFTS FOR THE DURATION OF THE EVENT UNTIL IT'S TOTALLY OVER AND THE ROADS ARE ALL CLEAR," YOUNG SAYS. HE SAYS ROADS THAT ARE CLEARED MAY BECOME SNOW COVERED AGAIN BECAUSE STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE DRIFTING THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW.
A SLATE BELT WOMAN WILL BE ON PROBATION FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS AFTER ADMITTING TO STEALING FROM HER DEAD FATHER. MICHELLE WALLACE HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO BREAKING INTO HER FATHER'S PEN ARGYL HOME LAST OCTOBER DAYS AFTER HE DIED AND STEALING GUNS AND FAMILY HEIRLOOMS TO FUND HER HEROIN ADDICTION.
A MAN IS UNDER ARREST AFTER ALLEGEDLY STABBING HIS WIFE INSIDE THEIR S.U.V. EARLY THIS MORNING. POLICE SAY THE INCIDENT HAPPENED JUST AFTER 3:30 THIS MORNING INSIDE THE VEHICLE ON TREXLERTOWN ROAD IN UPPER MACUNGIE TOWNSHIP. POLICE HAVEN'T LISTED A MOTIVE, BUT THEY ARE SAYING ALCOHOL MAY HAVE PLAYED FACTOR. THE WOMAN WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. HER CONDITION ISN'T KNOWN.
THE NCAA SAYS IT WANTS A JUDGE TO THROW OUT THE FEDERAL ANTITRUST LAWSUIT PENNSYLVANIA'S GOVERNOR FILED AGAINST IT OVER PENN STATE'S $60 MILLION FINE AND OTHER PENALTIES RESULTING FROM THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD MOLESTATION SCANDAL. COLLEGE SPORTS' GOVERNING BODY SAID IN A FILING THURSDAY IT DISAGREES WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY ALLEGATION IN THE COMPLAINT AGAINST IT INITIATED BY GOV. TOM CORBETT LAST MONTH. THE NCAA SAYS THE PENALTIES IMPOSED UNDER A JULY CONSENT DECREE WITH THE UNIVERSITY AREN'T RELATED TO REGULATION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, SO ANTITRUST LAW DOESN'T APPLY. IT ALSO ARGUES CORBETT LACKS STANDING TO SUE. THE SUIT SAYS "THE GOVERNOR'S LAWSUIT AN INAPPROPRIATE ATTEMPT TO DRAG THE FEDERAL COURTS INTO AN INTRA-STATE POLITICAL DISPUTE." CORBETT HAS SAID THE NCAA OVERSTEPPED ITS AUTHORITY. HIS SPOKESMAN SAYS LAWYERS WILL REVIEW THE NCAA'S FILING.
THE PENN STATE TRUSTEE WHO FIRED FOOTBALL COACH JOE PATERNO OVER THE PHONE IS LEAVING THE BOARD WHEN HIS TERM ENDS IN JUNE. JOHN SURMA WAS VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES WHEN HE TOLD PATERNO THAT HE WAS BEING OUSTED AS PENN STATE'S HEAD COACH AFTER 46 SEASONS. SURMA DELIVERED THE NEWS ON NOVEMBER 9, 2011, SHORTLY AFTER THE BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO FIRE THE HALL OF FAME COACH IN THE WAKE OF THE CHILD SEX-ABUSE CHARGES AGAINST FORMER PATERNO ASSISTANT JERRY SANDUSKY. PATERNO DIED TWO MONTHS LATER AT AGE 85. PENN STATE ANNOUNCED SURMA'S INTENTIONS ON THURSDAY. SURMA IS CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF U.S. STEEL. HE JOINED THE PENN STATE BOARD IN 2007 AND WAS RE-ELECTED IN 2010.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE SAYS LIFTING THE CAP ON GAS TAXES WON'T SOLVE THE STATE'S TRANSPORTATION WOES. REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR JOHN RAFFERTY SAYS GOVERNOR CORBETT'S PROPOSALS WON'T DO ENOUGH TO MEET THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS OF THE STATE. SO RAFFERTY WANTS TO INCREASE BOTH DRIVERS LICENSE AND VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES AND ALSO INCREASE FINES FOR MOVING VIOLATIONS. RAFFERTY ALSO SAYS A CHANGE IN FEDERAL LAW OPENS THE DOOR TO POSSIBLY TOLLING INTERSTATE BRIDGES.
SOME SENATE DEMOCRATS SAY REPUBLICAN GOV. TOM CORBETT IS UNDERESTIMATING THE PROLIFERATION OF WINE AND BEER STORES HIS LIQUOR PRIVATIZATION PLAN WOULD ALLOW. CORBETT PREDICTS 5,000 RETAILERS WOULD BUY THE LICENSES, ENHANCING CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE. BUT SEN. JIM FERLO, THE RANKING DEMOCRAT ON THE SENATE LAW AND JUSTICE COMMITTEE, SAID THURSDAY AT LEAST TWICE THAT MANY BUSINESSES WILL QUALIFY. HE SAID IT WOULD COMPOUND SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND CRIME IN CITY NEIGHBORHOODS AND COLLEGE TOWNS. THERE'S NO LIMIT ON HOW MANY WINE-AND-BEER LICENSES COULD BE SOLD TO RETAILERS, INCLUDING BIG-BOX STORES, GROCERIES AND PHARMACIES, BUT LICENSE-HOLDERS WOULD FACE ANNUAL FEES AND VARYING LIMITS ON HOW MUCH THEY MAY SELL AT A TIME. CORBETT SPOKESMAN ERIC SHIRK SAYS THE ADMINISTRATION'S CONSULTANT BASES ITS ESTIMATE OF 5,000 STORES ON THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER STATES.
GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT HAS SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ESTABLISHING AN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE STATE PLANNING COMMITTEE. "31 OTHER STATES HAVE WRITTEN A PLAN FOR DEALING WITH ALZHEIMER'S-RELATED ISSUES AND PENNSYLVANIA REALLY NEEDS TO JOIN THEM. BUT, I DON'T WANT TO JUST JOIN THEM. THIS IS A CHALLENGE: I WANT TO LEAD THEM," THE GOVERNOR SAYS. ONE IN 12 PENNSYLVANIA FAMILIES ARE AFFECTED BY ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.
THE PROSECUTION HAS RESTED IN THE CORRUPTION TRIAL OF SUSPENDED PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JOAN ORIE MELVIN AND HER SUSPENDED AIDE AND SISTER, JANINE ORIE. THE DEFENSE WILL BEGIN CALLING WITNESSES TODAY TO REBUT CLAIMS BY ALLEGHENY COUNTY PROSECUTORS THAT THE SISTERS CONSPIRED TO ILLEGALLY USE MELVIN'S STATE-PAID SUPERIOR COURT OFFICE AND STAFF TO CAMPAIGN FOR THE STATE'S HIGHEST COURT IN 2003 AND 2009, AND TO USE THE STATE-PAID STAFF AND OFFICES OF A THIRD SISTER, FORMER STATE SEN. JANE ORIE, FOR THE SAME PURPOSES. A PROSECUTION ACCOUNTANT HAS TESTIFIED THAT THE WORK OF SIX STAFFERS ALONE, FOUR OF SEN. ORIE'S AND TWO OF MELVIN'S, CHEATED TAXPAYERS OUT OF $33,000. THE SISTERS CLAIM THE WORK WASN'T ILLEGAL BECAUSE MELVIN'S STAFF COMPLETED THEIR ASSIGNED WORK OR AMOUNTED TO TOO LITTLE TO BE A CRIME.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WILL TRAVEL TO PHILADELPHIA NEXT WEEK TO HOST A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON GUN CONTROL. BIDEN IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR MONDAY. JOINING HIM WILL BE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL JAMES COLE AND DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF PENNSYLVANIA'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
A NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE HAS CLEARED A MEASURE THAT WOULD ALLOW TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS TO BE PRESCRIBED MEDICATION THAT WOULD END THEIR LIVES. THE MEASURE CLEARED BY A 7-2 VOTE THURSDAY. TWO MEMBERS ABSTAINED. THE DEATH WITH DIGNITY ACT WOULD LET ADULT PATIENTS WHO ARE TOLD THEY HAVE UP TO SIX MONTHS TO LIVE DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO SELF-ADMINISTER THE LETHAL MEDICATION. PROPONENTS SAY IT GIVES THESE PATIENTS A CHOICE TO DIE HUMANELY. THE BILL'S SPONSOR SAYS STATE STATUTES ARE OUTDATED AND THAT NEW JERSEY SHOULD FOLLOW THE EXAMPLES OF OTHER STATES CONSIDERING SIMILAR MEASURES. ABOUT A DOZEN OPPONENTS TESTIFYING BEFORE THE PANEL SAID THE BILL IS UNETHICAL. MANY GAVE EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED A DIAGNOSIS OF DEATH WITHIN SIX MONTHS AND ENDED UP LIVING FOR YEARS.
AN EFFORT TO RAISE NEW JERSEY'S MINIMUM WAGE HAS MOVED ONE STEP CLOSER TO VOTERS. THE SENATE ON THURSDAY APPROVED A RESOLUTION TO CALL FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO RAISE THE RATE AND TIE FURTHER INCREASES TO THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX. VOTERS COULD DECIDE THE ISSUE IN NOVEMBER. TO BE PLACED ON THE BALLOT, THE RESOLUTION HAS TO PASS BOTH HOUSES. IT GOES NEXT TO THE ASSEMBLY. IF APPROVED, IT WOULD RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE FROM $7.25 AN HOUR TO $8.25 NEXT JANUARY AND WOULD INCREASE BASED ON THE ANNUAL PRICE INDEX. LAST MONTH GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE VETOED A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE RAISED THE MINIMUM WAGE BY $1.25 PER HOUR. HE SUGGESTED A $1 PER HOUR WAGE INCREASE IF DEMOCRATS AGREE TO PHASE IT IN OVER THREE YEARS.
THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS HAVE SIGNED DEFENSEMAN KIMMO TIMONEN TO A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION THROUGH THE 2013-14 SEASON. FLYERS GENERAL MANAGER PAUL HOLMGREN ANNOUNCED THE DEAL BEFORE LAST NIGHT'S GAME AGAINST FLORIDA. TIMONEN IS IN HIS SIXTH SEASON WITH THE FLYERS AND 14TH IN THE NHL.
