A BERKS COUNTY COMMUNITY REMEMBERED ONE OF THE SANDY HOOK SCHOOL MASSACRE VICTIMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON.  JOEL BACON IS A 1988 GRADUATE OF CONRAD WEISER HIGH SCHOOL AND RETURNED THERE SUNDAY FOR A MEMORIAL FOR HIS DAUGHTER, CHARLOTTE, WHO WAS AMONG THE 26 PEOPLE KILLED ON DECEMBER 14.  "THE SUPPORT FROM ALL OF YOU HERE MAKES ME PROUD THAT I HAVE ROOTS FROM THIS COMMUNITY," BACON TOLD THE CROWD.  BACON SAYS HIS DAUGHTER WOULD'VE TURNED SEVEN YEARS OLD LAST MONTH.

  LAST WEEK GOVERNOR CORBETT SAID HE'D MEET WITH HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS TO DISCUSS MEDICAID EXPANSION.  ALLENTOWN MAYOR ED PAWLOWSKI HOPES THAT DISCUSSION LEADS TO CORBETT REVERSING COURSE AND EXPANDING MEDICAID HERE AS CALLED FOR UNDER OBAMACARE.  PAWLOWSKI HAS WRITTEN CORBETT A LETTER ASKING HIM TO EXPAND MEDICAID.  PAWLOWSKI CALLS IT AN INVESTMENT IN THE PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA AND SAYS IT WOULD CREATE ABOUT 41,000 NEW JOBS HERE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.  A SEBELIUS-CORBETT MEETING DATE HASN'T YET BEEN SET.

  A CANDLE SPARKED A SUNDAY AFTERNOON FIRE ON WEST ALLEN STREET IN ALLENTOWN.  SEVEN RESIDENTS OF A THREE-STORY HOUSE AT 124 WEST ALLEN STREET WERE DISPLACED BY THE FIRE.  NO INJURIES ARE REPORTED.

  THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SAYS MILITARY SITES IN PENNSYLVANIA WILL BE HEAVILY AFFECTED BY THE AUTOMATIC FEDERAL SPENDING CUTS THAT ARE NOW IN EFFECT.  A LETTER TO GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT SAYS THE ARMY WILL LOSE $7 MILLION IN BASE OPERATIONS FUNDING ACROSS THE STATE, INCLUDING CUTS AT CARLISLE BARRACKS AND FORT INDIANTOWN GAP.  THE LETTER SAYS DEPOT OPERATIONS AT TOBYHANNA AND LETTERKENNY COULD BE CUT BY UP TO $751 MILLION  AND THE STATE'S 26,000 CIVILIAN DEFENSE WORKERS COULD HAVE 22 DAYS OF UNPAID FURLOUGHS, AMOUNTING TO A 20 PERCENT PAY CUT.  GOVERNMENT-WIDE BUDGET REDUCTIONS TOTAL $85 BILLION.  DEFENSE OFFICIALS SENT LETTERS TO 10 STATES THAT WILL BE MOST SEVERELY IMPACTED BY MILITARY CUTS.

  THREE YEARS AFTER DRUG AGENTS STUMBLED UPON A GRUESOME MEDICAL CLINIC IN WEST PHILADELPHIA, ABORTION DOCTOR KERMIT GOSNELL IS GOING ON TRIAL ON EIGHT COUNTS OF MURDER.  JURY SELECTION IS SET TO START MONDAY IN THE DEATH PENALTY CASE.  OPENING STATEMENTS ARE SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 14.  PHILADELPHIA PROSECUTORS HAVE CHARGED GOSNELL WITH KILLING A PREGNANT REFUGEE AND SEVEN VIABLE NEWBORNS.  THE 72-YEAR-OLD GOSNELL HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY.  HE HAS SAID HE TREATED VULNERABLE WOMEN AND TEENS FOR FOUR DECADES.  PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY SETH WILLIAMS DESCRIBES GOSNELL'S CLINIC AS A FILTHY "HOUSE OF HORRORS," WHERE FETAL PARTS WERE KEPT IN GLASS JARS AND STAFF REFRIGERATORS.  IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER GOSNELL IS CONSIDERING A PLEA. 

  DEMOLITION WORK HAS BEGUN ON THE CYCLORAMA BUILDING AT THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK.  WORKERS BEGAN TEARING DOWN THE BUILDING LAST WEEK.  PARK SUPERINTENDENT BOB KIRBY SAYS THE DEMOLITION IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF APRIL.  THE PARK SERVICE HAS PLANNED TO TEAR DOWN THE BUILDING SINCE 1999 BUT THE ARCHITECT'S SON AND A PRESERVATION GROUP OPPOSED THE DECISION, AND A LONG COURT BATTLE ENSUED.  A COURT-ORDERED STUDY LAST YEAR CONCLUDED THAT DEMOLITION WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION.  THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1962 TO HOUSE PAUL PHILIPPOTEAUX'S 360-DEGREE PAINTING OF PICKETT'S CHARGE, WHICH WAS MOVED TO A NEW VISITOR'S CENTER IN 2008.

  NEW JERSEY LAWMAKERS ARE POISED TO TAKE UP TWO MEASURES AIMED AT PREVENTING ANOTHER FUEL CRISIS LIKE THE ONE THAT FOLLOWED SUPERSTORM SANDY.  ONE BILL WOULD AUTOMATICALLY WAIVE A LICENSE REQUIREMENT FOR FUEL DISTRIBUTORS WHO DELIVER FUEL FROM OUT-OF-STATE.  THE OTHER GIVES GAS STATIONS THE CHOICE OF SELLING PREMIUM FUEL AT REGULAR PRICES ONCE THE LOWER-GRADE FUEL RUNS OUT.  BOTH BILLS WOULD TAKE EFFECT ONLY IF THE GOVERNOR DECLARES AN ENERGY EMERGENCY.  THE SENATE'S TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE IS SCHEDULED TO CONSIDER THE MEASURES TODAY.  SPONSORS SAY THE MEASURES ARE BASED ON LESSONS LEARNED FROM SANDY. AFTER THE STORM HIT LAST YEAR, GAS SHORTAGES AND RELATED PROBLEMS SPURRED GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE TO BRIEFLY IMPOSE A RATIONING SYSTEM.
 

  AN ASSOCIATED PRESS INVESTIGATION HAS FOUND THAT NEW JERSEY'S SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ SPONSORED LEGISLATION WITH INCENTIVES FOR NATURAL GAS VEHICLE CONVERSIONS THAT COULD BENEFIT THE BIGGEST DONOR TO HIS RE-ELECTION.  THE CEO AND A FORMER CONSULTANT TO GFS CORP. SAY THAT DR. SALOMON MELGEN INVESTED IN THE FLORIDA COMPANY, WHICH HELPS INDUSTRIES CONVERT DIESEL FUEL-FLEETS TO NATURAL GAS, AND JOINED ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN EARLY 2010.  AT THE SAME TIME, MENENDEZ EMERGED AS A PRINCIPAL DEMOCRATIC SUPPORTER OF LEGISLATION TO BOOST TAX CREDITS TO TRUCK AND VEHICLE FLEETS THAT CONVERTED TO ALTERNATIVE FUELS.  THE BILL HAS YET TO PASS.  MENENDEZ TWICE FLEW ON MELGEN'S PRIVATE JET FOR PERSONAL TRIPS TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.  THERE IS NO EVIDENCE MENENDEZ OFFERED DIRECT HELP OR INTERVENED ON BEHALF OF GFS OR MELGEN.

  THE CALENDAR HAS FLIPPED TO MARCH AND FOR MANY TAXPAYERS THAT MEANS ANXIOSLY AWAITING THEIR TAX REFUND.  TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR'S IS, CLICK ON "WHERE'S MY REFUND?" AT WWW.IRS.GOV.  HOWEVER, SO MANY PEOPLE ARE CHECKING THEIR REFUND STATUS MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THE COURSE OF A DAY THAT THE SERVICE'S AVAILABILITY HAS BEEN LIMITED.  THE I.R.S. SAYS THE "WHERE'S MY REFUND?" FEATURE IS USUALLY UPDATED OVERNIGHT, SO YOUR REFUND'S STATUS AT 8AM WILL PROBABLY BE THE SAME AT 8 O'CLOCK THAT SAME NIGHT. 

  THE NHL HAS SUSPENDED PHILADELPHIA FLYERS FORWARD HARRY ZOLNIERCZYK FOUR GAMES FOR CHARGING OTTAWA DEFENSEMAN MIKE LUNDIN, WHO SUFFERED A CONCUSSION.  THE PLAY HAPPENED SATURDAY MIDWAY THROUGH THE FIRST PERIOD OF THE FLYERS' 2-1 WIN.  ZOLNIERCZYK LAUNCHED HIMSELF INTO LUNDIN AS THE OTTAWA FORWARD WAS CUTTING INTO THE FLYERS' ZONE.  ZOLNIERCZYK RECEIVED A MAJOR PENALTY FOR CHARGING AND A GAME MISCONDUCT ON THE PLAY.  HE WILL BE FINED JUST UNDER $13,000.