SEQUESTER DAY HAS ARRIVED ON CAPITOL HILL. ON THE SENATE FLOOR THURSDAY, PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR PAT TOOMEY SAID THE SOLUTION ISN'T ALL THAT TOUGH TO FIGURE OUT. "I WILL SAY UNEQUIVOCALLY: WE NEED TO TRIM SPENDING," TOOMEY SAYS. HE SAYS REPUBLICANS HAVE A HANDFUL OF IDEAS ON HOW TO AVOID THE SEQUESTER, WHICH WILL PROMPT ABOUT $85 BILLION IN MILITARY AND DOMESTIC CUTS. HE BLAMES DEMOCRATS FROM BLOCKING DEBATE ON THOSE IDEAS.
THE STATE SUPREME COURT NOW HAS THE FATE OF MICHAEL BALLARD IN ITS HANDS. BALLARD IS APPEALING THE DEATH SENTENCE GIVEN TO HIM IN 2011 FOR KILLING FOUR PEOPLE INSIDE A NORTHAMPTON HOME IN JUNE 2010. BALLARD'S APPEAL IS BASED ON CLAIMS RANGING FROM WHETHER THE PROSECUTOR IMPROPERLY CROSS-EXAMINED DEFENSE EXPERTS TO WHETER AUTOPSY PHOTOS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO THE JURY. BALLARD STABBED TO DEATH EX-GIRLFRIEND DENISE MEHRI; HER FATHER, DENNIS MARSH; HER GRANDFATHER, ALVIN MARSH JR.; AND NEIGHBOR STEVEN ZERNHELT TO TRIED TO STOP THE MASSACRE.
FOR THE NINTH TIME, A MUSIC LEGEND IS COMING TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY. BOB DYLAN WILL PLAY AT STABLER ARENA ON APRIL 18. IT'LL BE THE SEVENTH TIME THE 71-YEAR-OLD DYLAN HAS PLAYED AT STABLER, THE MOST RECENT IN NOVEMBER 2010. NO WORD YET ON WHEN TICKETS GO ON SALE.
THE FORMER COOPERSBURG BOROUGH MANAGER WILL SPEND THE NEXT SIX TO 23 MONTHS IN JAIL FOR USING A BOROUGH CREDIT CARD TO RING UP ALMOST $15,000 IN PERSONAL PURCHASES. DAWN KRESGE WILL ALSO SERVE TWO YEARS OF PROBATION AFTER HER RELEASE FROM JAIL. OVER AN 18-MONTH TIME FRAME KRESGE USED THE CARD TO WITHDRAW CASH AND TO BUY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, GAS, FOOD, A GYM MEMBERSHIP AND INSURANCE. SHE SERVED AS COOPERSBURG'S BOROUGH MANAGER FROM MAY 2008 THROUGH LAST FEBRUARY.
31-YEAR-OLD DAVID MUELLER, OF NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, DIED WEDNESDAY AT A PHILADLEPHIA HOSPITAL AFTER FIGHTING THE FLU AND PNEUMONIA. MUELLER IS THE FIFTH LEHIGH COUNTY RESIDENT TO DIE FROM FLU A FLU-RELATED ILLNESS IN THE PAST FIVE MONTHS. FOUR NORTHAMPTON COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN KILLED BY THE FLU THIS FLU SEASON.
A BROOKLYN MAN DIDN'T TAKE TOO KINDLY TO LOSING AT THE SLOTS AT THE SANDS CASINO RESORT IN BETHLEHEM. JUAN DELGADO IS CHARGED WITH CAUSING MORE THAN $1600 IN DAMAGE TO A SANDS SLOT MACHINE EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. CASINO SECURITY OFFICERS SAY A DRUNK DELGADO PUNCHED A SLOT MACHINE AND THEN GAVE POLICE A BOGUS IDENTITY. HE WAS SENT TO NORTHAMPTON COUNTY PRISON UNDER $10,000 BAIL.
A POPULAR PENNSYLVANIA OUTDOORS SHOW THAT WAS POSTPONED INDEFINITELY BECAUSE OF A CONTROVERSY OVER ASSAULT WEAPONS WILL NOT BE RESCHEDULED THIS YEAR. THE EASTERN SPORTS AND OUTDOOR SHOW HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO START FEBRUARY 2 AT THE FARM SHOW COMPLEX IN HARRISBURG. BUT ITS BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS IN THE WAKE OF A CONNECTICUT SCHOOL SHOOTING LED TO A BACKLASH AND VENDOR BOYCOTT. ORGANIZERS INDEFINITELY POSTPONED THE EVENT LAST MONTH. ON THURSDAY, STATE OFFICIALS WHO RUN THE FARM SHOW COMPLEX SAID THE SHOW WOULD NOT BE HELD THIS YEAR. AN AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN SAYS OFFICIALS HOPE TO HOLD A SHOW OF SIMILAR SIZE IN FEBRUARY 2014.
THOUSANDS OF FACULTY MEMBERS AT PENNSYLVANIA'S STATE-OWNED UNIVERSITIES ARE POISED TO VOTE NEXT WEEK ON THE RATIFICATION OF THEIR FIRST CONTRACT IN NEARLY TWO YEARS. LAUREN GUTSHALL, SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE FACULTY UNION, SAYS THE VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE FROM MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AT THE 14 CAMPUSES. GUTSHALL SAYS THE BALLOTS WILL BE COUNTED AT THE HARRISBURG HEADQUARTERS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY FACULTIES ON NEXT FRIDAY. THE 5,500 FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION HAVE BEEN WORKING WITHOUT A CONTRACT SINCE JUNE 2011. THE FOUR-YEAR PACT RECOMMENDED BY UNION LEADERS INCLUDES CONCESSIONS ON HEALTH CARE, BUT CALLS FOR PAY RAISES OF ONE OR TWO PERCENT IN EACH OF THE LAST THREE YEARS.
PENNSYLVANIA'S NEW AUDITOR GENERAL SAYS HE'LL LOOK INTO A STATE CONTRACT WITH A FIRM THAT FAILED TO PROVIDE TIMELY PAYCHECKS FOR CARE WORKERS FOR THE DISABLED. AUDITOR GENERAL EUGENE DEPASQUALE SAYS HE'LL FOCUS ON THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE'S TRANSITION TO BOSTON-BASED PCG PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS LLC THIS YEAR FROM THE LOCAL GROUPS THAT PREVIOUSLY HANDLED PAYCHECKS FOR 22,000 CARE WORKERS. ADVOCATES FOR THE WORKERS SAID MANY RECEIVED LATE PAYCHECKS OR NONE AT ALL INITIALLY. THE COMPANY SAID IN EARLY FEBRUARY THAT PROBLEMS WERE BEING IRONED OUT. DEPASQUALE SAYS HIS AUDIT WILL FOCUS ON WHETHER THE DEPARTMENT REASONABLY COMPENSATED THE COMPANY FOR ITS SERVICES, PROVIDED ADEQUATE DIRECTION TO THE COMPANY DURING THE TRANSITION AND MONITORED THE QUALITY OF THE SERVICES.
THE LATEST ALUMNI ELECTION FOR THREE SEATS ON PENN STATE'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAS DRAWN MORE THAN THREE DOZEN CANDIDATES, ABOUT TWICE AS LESS AS THE RECORD 86-PERSON SLATE ON LAST YEAR'S BALLOT. THE 39-CANDIDATE POOL FOR THIS SPRING'S ELECTION WAS FORMALLY FINALIZED THURSDAY, WHEN NUMBERS WERE DRAWN FOR BALLOT POSITIONS. THE NUMBER OF HOPEFULS ON THIS YEAR'S SLATE STILL FAR EXCEEDS WHAT HAD BEEN A TYPICAL POOL OF SIX TO NINE CANDIDATES. BUT THAT WAS THE NORM BEFORE SOME ALUMNI BEGAN SCRUTINIZING HOW TRUSTEES HANDLED THE FIRING OFF FOOTBALL COACH JOE PATERNO IN NOVEMBER 2011 AND OTHER ACTIONS IN THE AFTERMATH OF RETIRED DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JERRY SANDUSKY'S ARREST ON CHILD SEX ABUSE CHARGES. TWO INCUMBENTS ARE SEEKING RE-ELECTION, WHILE A THIRD RESIGNED LAST SUMMER. THE BOARD HAS 32 SEATS.
THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SERVED THEIR PUNISHMENT FOR SOME MISDEMEANORS AN EASIER PATH TO CLEARING THEIR CRIMINAL RECORDS. "SECOND DEGREE MISDEMEANORS, IF YOU'VE GONE 10 YEARS WITHOUT ANY KIND OF INFRACTION, YOU'D BE ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THAT TO THE COURTS TO HAVE YOUR RECORD EXPUNGED. THIRD DEGREE MISDEMEANORS, YOU'D HAVE A SEVEN YEAR WINDOW TO HAVE BEEN CLEAN BEFORE YOU'D BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT," SAYS DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR TIM SOLOBAY. HE SAYS LOW-LEVEL MISDEMANORS CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO FIND WORK EVEN YEARS AFTER A PUNISHMENT HAS BEEN SERVED. SOLOBAY SAYS ANY CONVICTION THAT IS SEXUALLY RELATED OR DRUG RELATED WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROCESS.
A FEDERAL JUDGE IN NEW JERSEY HAS RULED AGAINST LEGALIZING SPORTS BETTING IN NEW JERSEY. IN A DECISION RELEASED LATE THURSDAY, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE MICHAEL SHIPP IN TRENTON ISSUED A PERMANENT INJUNCTION BARRING NEW JERSEY FROM OFFERING SPORTS BETTING. SHIPP SIDED WITH THE FOUR MAJOR PRO SPORTS LEAGUES AND THE NCAA. THE ORGANIZATIONS SUED LAST YEAR AFTER GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE SIGNED A SPORTS WAGERING LAW AND ANNOUNCED PLANS TO AWARD LICENSES STARTING IN 2013. THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LATER JOINED THE LEAGUES' SUIT. THE NEW JERSEY LAW WANTED TO 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 RULING IS EXPECTED TO BE APPEALED.
NEW JERSEY'S EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS RELEASED ITS PLAN FOR HOW MUCH STATE AID EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD GET IN GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE'S PROPOSED STATE BUDGET. CHRISTIE'S SPENDING PLAN CALLS FOR GIVING NEARLY $9 BILLION, OR MORE THAN ONE-FOURTH OF THE STATE'S BUDGET, TO SCHOOLS. OVERALL, HE'S CALLING FOR AN INCREASE OF JUST OVER $100 MILLION OVER THE CURRENT AID. THE MAJORITY OF DISTRICTS WOULD SEE INCREASES, BUT MOST WOULD BE UNDER 1 PERCENT. NO DISTRICT WOULD HAVE LESS STATE AID UNDER THE PLAN. SIXTEEN DISTRICTS WOULD SEE STATE INCREASES OF AT LEAST $1 MILLION.
