NORTHAMPTON COUNTY JUDGE EMIL GIORDANO SCOLDED BOTH SIDES IN A LAWSUIT FILED BY A FORMER LEHIGH UNIVERSITY STUDENT WHO SAYS SHE WAS GIVEN A GRADE OF C+ BECAUSE SHE IS A SUPPORTER OF GAY RIGHTS AND BECAUSE SHE COMPLAINED SHE AND THREE OTHER STUDENTS WERE FORCED TO FIND A SUPPLEMENTAL INTERNSHIP MIDWAY THROUGH THE SEMESTER. GIORDANO SAYS "IT'S REGRETTABLE THAT THIS CASE HASN'T BEEN RESOLVED" AND "I REMAIN UNCONVINCED THAT THE JUDICIARY SHOULD BE INJECTING HIMSELF IN THE ACADEMIC PROCESS." MEGAN THODE, WHOSE FATHER IS A LEHIGH PROFESSOR, IS SUING THE SCHOOL FOR $1.3 MILLION.
WHEN MAYFAIR RETURNS FOR ITS ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND RUN THIS SPRING, IT'LL DO SO AT A NEW LOCATION. SAYING THEY WANT TO ESSENTIALLY WEATHER-PROOF THE FESTIVAL, MAYFAIR ORGANIZERS ARE SHIFTING THE FESTIVAL TO THE ALLENTOWN FAIRGROUNDS. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ARLENE DAILY SAYS THE FAIRGROUNDS' EXHIBIT HALLS GIVE THE FESTIVAL WHAT IT DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE: CLIMATE-CONTROLLED INDOOR SPACE AND FREE ONSITE PARKING. MAYFAIR SAYS INDOOR VENUES WILL ALLOW MANY ART FORMS TO BE DISPLAYED THAT COULDN'T BE BEFORE BECAUSE OF ELEMENTS LIKE HEAT, HUMIDITY AND WIND.
THERE WILL BE SOME BIG CHANGES COMING WITHIN THE ALLENTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. TODAY'S MORNING CALL REPORTS POLICE CHIEF ROGER MacLEAN, TWO ASSISTANT CHIEFS AND TWO CAPTAINS ARE AMONG MORE THAN A DOZEN OFFICERS WHO WILL BE RETIRING THIS YEAR AS PART OF A PENSION DEAL THEY AGREED TO NEARLY FIVE YEARS AGO. THOSE OFFICERS COULD HAVE RETIRED IN 2005 WHEN ABOUT 80 OTHER OFFICERS RETIRED UNDER A CONTROVERSIALLY GENEROUS RETIREMENT PACKAGE OFFERED BY THEN-MAYOR ROY AFFLERBACH. INSTEAD OF RETIRING THEN, THE OFFICERS STAYED ON WHILE RECEIVING RETIREMENT BENEFITS. NOW, THOSE OFFICERS WILL BE RETIRING THIS YEAR, PROMPTING A COMPLETE OVERHAUL AT THE TOP OF ALLENTOWN'S POLICE DEPARTMENT.
GOV. TOM CORBETT IS PRESSING STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL KATHLEEN KANE TO SAY WHETHER SHE'LL APPROVE A CONTRACT TO HIRE A BRITISH FIRM TO MANAGE THE $3.5 BILLION PENNSYLVANIA LOTTERY. CAMELOT GLOBAL SERVICES' BID TO TAKE OVER LOTTERY MANAGEMENT FROM STATE EMPLOYEES EXPIRES SATURDAY. KANE HAS A LITTLE OVER THREE WEEKS TO DECIDE WHETHER THE 20- TO 30-YEAR CONTRACT IS LEGAL. IN THE MEANTIME, THE CONTRACT'S LEGALITY IS BEING CHALLENGED IN COURT BY DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS AND THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS LOTTERY EMPLOYEES. KANE, A DEMOCRAT, ISN'T SAYING WHEN SHE'LL DECIDE, BUT SAYS IT'S DISINGENUOUS TO SUGGEST THAT THE CONTRACT REVIEW IS A SIMPLE, MINISTERIAL EXERCISE. CORBETT, A REPUBLICAN, SAYS HE EXPECTS A DECISION THIS WEEK, BUT ISN'T SAYING WHETHER HE'S DISCUSSING A BID EXTENSION WITH CAMELOT.
A FORMER METHODIST CLERGYMAN CONVICTED OF HAVING BLUDGEONED HIS SECOND WIFE TO DEATH IN THE POCONOS HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO HAVING KILLED HIS FIRST WIFE IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. 64-YEAR-OLD ARTHUR SCHIRMER WAIVED A LEBANON COUNTY HEARING WEDNESDAY IN THE 1999 DEATH OF JEWEL SCHIRMER, HIS WIFE OF MORE THAN THREE DECADES. SCHIRMER WAS CONVICTED LAST MONTH IN MONROE COUNTY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND EVIDENCE TAMPERING IN THE JULY 2008 DEATH OF 56-YEAR-OLD BETTY SCHIRMER. PROSECUTORS SAID HE KILLED HER WITH A CROWBAR AND THEN STAGED A LOW-SPEED ACCIDENT TO TRY TO CONCEAL THE CRIME. SCHIRMER HAS VOWED TO APPEAL. HE HAS SAID THAT JEWEL SCHIRMER FELL DOWN THE BASEMENT STAIRS WHILE VACUUMING, BUT PROSECUTORS SAY THAT ACCIDENT WAS ALSO STAGED.
THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE'S BILL CAPONE SAYS GETTING E-Z PASS JUST GOT EASIER. "WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE WAL-MART JOIN THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE'S E-Z PASS RETAIL NETWORK. WITH THE ADDITION OF 63 WAL-MART STORES, IT BRINGS TO MORE THAN 300 LOCATIONS WHERE THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE IS OFFERING E-Z PASS ENROLLMENT THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH," CAPONE SAYS. E-Z PASS WILL BE SOLD AT THE CUSTOMER-SERVICE COUNTER AT THOSE 63 WAL-MARTS.
NEW JERSEY'S EFFORTS TO OFFER LEGAL SPORTS GAMBLING ARE BEING PUT TO THE TEST IN FEDERAL COURT. ATTORNEYS FOR THE STATE AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ARE SCHEDULED TO ARGUE TODAY IN TRENTON OVER WHETHER A FEDERAL LAW RESTRICTING SPORTS BETTING TO FOUR STATES IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THE FOUR MAJOR PRO SPORTS LEAGUES AND THE NCAA SUED LAST YEAR AFTER GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE SIGNED A SPORTS WAGERING LAW AND ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTIONS OF AWARDING GAMBLING LICENSES THIS YEAR. THE LAW WOULD ALLOW SPORTS WAGERING AT ATLANTIC CITY CASINOS AND THE STATE'S HORSE RACING TRACKS. IT WOULD EXEMPT GAMES INVOLVING NEW JERSEY COLLEGES OR COLLEGE GAMES PLAYED IN THE STATE. THE FEDERAL LAW ALLOWS SPORTS GAMBLING IN NEVADA AND IN THREE OTHER STATES THAT ALREADY OFFER LIMITED FORMS OF BETTING.
THE MISS AMERICA PAGEANT IS HEADED BACK TO ATLANTIC CITY. THE PAGEANT WAS AN ATLANTIC CITY STAPLE FOR DECADES BEFORE IT WAS MOVED TO LAS VEGAS IN 2006. GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE'S SPOKESMAN MICHAEL DREWNIAK CONFIRMED THE NEWS OF THE PAGEANT'S RETURN TO ATLANTIC CITY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. LT. GOV. KIM GUADAGNO IS SCHEDULED MAKE A FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY ON ATLANTIC CITY'S BOARDWALK HALL.
A NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY PANEL HAS APPROVED SEVERAL GUN CONTROL MEASURES THAT INCLUDE EXEMPTING FIREARMS RECORDS FROM THE STATE'S OPEN RECORDS LAW. THE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE PASSED THE 20 MEASURES WEDNESDAY AS PART OF A PACKAGE OF GUN CONTROL BILLS INTRODUCED BY ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS. THE BILLS INCLUDE MEASURES THAT REQUIRE THE STATE TO SUBMIT CERTAIN MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS TO THE NATIONAL BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM. ANOTHER MEASURE WOULD DISQUALIFY ANYONE ON A FEDERAL TERRORIST WATCH LIST FROM OBTAINING FIREARMS. THE PANEL ALSO SENT TO THE FULL ASSEMBLY A BILL EXEMPTING FIREARMS RECORDS FROM NEW JERSEY'S PUBLIC DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS. A LARGE NUMBER OF ACTIVISTS WHO BELIEVE THE STATE'S GUN LAWS ARE ALREADY TOO RESTRICTIVE WERE IN TRENTON FOR THE HEARING. NEW JERSEY'S GUN LAWS ARE AMONG THE NATION'S TOUGHEST.
PITCHERS AND CATCHERS ARE IN CLEARWATER FOR PHILLIES SPRING TRAINING. AMONG THEM IS ROY HALLADAY, WHO SAYS HE APPROACHED HIS OFFSEASON WORKOUT PROGRAM DIFFERENTLY AFTER AN INJURY-PLAGUED 2012. "THE THROWING PROGRAM WAS DIFFERENT. THE LIFTING PROGRAM WAS DIFFERENT. YOU HAVE TO DO IT OVER YOUR CAREER. YOU TRY TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, BUT UNFORTUNATELY SOMETIMES THERE ARE THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO DIFFERENTLY TO CHANGE THE WAY YOUR FEEL. BUT, I FEEL AS GOOD NOW AS I HAVE AT ANY OTHER SPRING TRAINING," HALLADAY SAYS. HALLADAY MISSED TIME WITH A BAD SHOULDER, BUT ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT HE HAD BACK ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE SEASON AS WELL.
