ALMOST THREE WEEKS AFTER LINNY FOWLER DIED, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOHN MORGANELLI HAS CHARGED SHAWNTA AND HASSAN CARMON WITH SCAMMING FOWLER OUT OF $1.1 MILLION FROM 2008 TO LAST YEAR. THE D.A. ALLEGED THE CARMONS TOLD FOWLER THEY NEEDED MONEY FOR DENTAL AND COLLEGE EXPENSES AND TO HELP A SICK CHILD. INSTEAD, THEY USED THE MONEY TO GAMBLE, BUY JEWELRY, CLOTHING AND LIMO RIDES. FOWLER GAVE AWAY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS BEFORE HER FEBRUARY 4 DEATH.
GOV. TOM CORBETT IS TAKING MORE TIME TO DECIDE WHETHER TO CHALLENGE ATTORNEY GENERAL KATHLEEN KANE'S REJECTION OF HIS EFFORT TO HIRE A BRITISH FIRM TO MANAGE THE $3.5 BILLION PENNSYLVANIA LOTTERY. A DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE SPOKESWOMAN SAID FRIDAY THE ADMINISTRATION AND LONDON-BASED CAMELOT GLOBAL SERVICES AGREED TO EXTEND THE FIRM'S BID THROUGH MARCH 18. SPOKESWOMAN ELIZABETH BRASSELL SAYS THE ADMINISTRATION HAS A MARCH 16 DEADLINE TO APPEAL KANE'S DECISION IN COURT. KANE SAID LAST WEEK SHE WOULDN'T APPROVE CAMELOT'S 20- TO 30-YEAR CONTRACT BECAUSE STATE LAW DOESN'T ALLOW THE GOVERNOR TO PRIVATIZE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE LOTTERY NOR DOES IT ALLOW THE EXPANSION OF GAMBLING THAT THE CONTRACT WOULD PERMIT. THE CONTRACT'S LEGALITY IS ALSO BEING CHALLENGED IN COURT BY DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS AND THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS LOTTERY EMPLOYEES.
A DEMOCRAT STATE LAWMAKER IS CALLING ON SUSPENDED PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JOAN ORIE MELVIN TO RESIGN OVER HER CONVICTION ON CAMPAIGN CORRUPTION CHARGES. STATE REP. BRANDON NEUMAN, OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, SAYS HE'S PREPARED TO FILE A PETITION TO START THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS IN THE STATE HOUSE IF MELVIN DOESN'T RESIGN IMMEDIATELY. THE JUSTICE WAS CONVICTED THURSDAY OF USING HER FORMER SUPERIOR COURT STAFF, AND THE SENATE STAFF OF HER SISTER, FORMER STATE SEN. JANE ORIE, TO WORK ON HER 2003 AND 2009 CAMPAIGNS FOR THE SUPREME COURT. MELVIN WON A 10-YEAR TERM ON THE COURT IN 2009, BUT THE COURT HAS BEEN DIVIDED POLITICALLY AND IDEOLOGICALLY, WITH THREE DEMOCRATS AND THREE REPUBLICANS, SINCE SHE WAS SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY BY THE COURT OF JUDICIAL DISCIPLINE IN AUGUST.
OLYMPIC LUGE SLEDS LOST BY A RECRUITER FOR THE U.S. TEAM LAST FRIDAY ON AIRPORT ROAD HAVE BEEN LOCATED. STATE POLICE SAY A PERSON FOUND THEM IN THE ROAD. THAT PERSON INITIALLY THOUGHT THE SLEDS BELONGED TO A NEIGHBOR AND STORED THEM INSIDE A GARAGE. HOWEVER, AFTER HEARING NEWS REPORTS THAT THE SLEDS FELL OUT THE BACK OF A TRUCK, THAT PERSON CONTACTED STATE POLICE, WHO ARE MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR U.S.A. LUGE TO PICK THEM UP. THE SLEDS COST BETWEEN $400 TO $600 EACH.
AMERICA'S FIRST PRESIDENT TURNED 280 ON FRIDAY AND THE SIGAL MUSEUM IS REMEMBERING GEORGE WASHINGTON FROM NOW THROUGH THE END OF THIS MONTH. THE MUSEUM'S KIM ROSE SAYS ONE OF THE 18 WASHINGTON-RELATED DOCUMENTS ON DISPLAY IS A RARE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT. "WE DO HAVE AN ORIGINAL LETTER SIGNED BY HIS SECRETARY WRITTEN THE DAY AFTER HE DIED, WHICH WAS QUITE UNEXPECTED. THOSE LETTERS WENT OUT TO PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO BE NOTIFIED. WE THINK THERE ARE ABOUT 12 OF THOSE LETTERS AND WE HAVE ONE OF THEM," ROSE SAYS. THE MUSEUM ALL WEEKEND AND ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON, PHILLIPSBURG AUTHOR JEFF FINEGAN WILL BE THERE TO DISCUSS HIS BOOK ON THE UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND HIS SLAVE WILLIAM LEE.
AFTER YEARS OF DISCUSSION, THE U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT OFFICIALLY MAKES THE SWITCH TO PAPERLESS BENEFITS ON FRIDAY. THE AARP'S CRISTINA MARTIN FIRVIDA WARNS YOU OF SCAMS THAT ALWAYS SEEM TO ACCOMPANY CHANGES. "DON'T GIVE THAT OUT. NOBODY FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO ASK YOU FOR THAT KIND OF INFORMATION BY PHONE OR BY E-MAIL. YOU SHOULD NEVER RESPOND TO THOSE KINDS OF INQUIRIES," FIRVIDA SAYS. EFFECTIVE FRIDAY SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS WILL EITHER BE DEPOSITED DIRECTLY INTO A BANK ACCOUNT ON ONTO A DEBIT CARD TO BE ISSUED MONTHLY BY THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
