ACCU-WEATHER METEOROLOGIST DEAN DEVORE SAYS YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE SOME SNOW ON WEDNESDAY. "MY PERSONAL FEELING IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET MOST OF THAT ACCUMULATION PROBABLY LATER TOMORROW AND TOMORROW NIGHT BEFORE IT TAPERS OFF WITH SOME SNOW FLURRIES INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON THURSDAY MORNING," DEVORE SAYS. DEVORE EXPECTS ONE TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY AND POINTS NORTH. TO THE SOUTH OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY, THREE TO SIX INCHES OF SNOW IS A POSSIBILITY.
TWO MEN NOW KNOW HOW LONG THEY'LL BE IN JAIL FOR AN AUGUST HOME INVASION IN BETHLEHEM. ON MONDAY, ANTHONY RIVERA-FIGUEROA ADMITTED TO FORCING HIS WAY INTO AN AMPLEX STREET HOME AND STEALING MORE THAN $2300 WORTH OF MARIJUANA, MONEY AND ELECTRONICS. HE WAS SENTENCED TO THREE TO SIX YEARS IN JAIL. JEFFREY MARTE-CARMONA ALSO PLEADED GUILTY ON MONDAY AND WAS GIVEN 28 MONTHS TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON.
A NORTHAMPTON MAN IS CHARGED WITH HAVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. 34-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL TRAUSCHKE IS FREE AFTER POSTING $25,000 BAIL. POLICE SAY TRAUSCHKE HAD 10 VIDEOS OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ON HIS COMPUTER.
STATE GAMBLING REGULATORS SAY GROSS REVENUE FROM SLOT MACHINES AT PENNSYLVANIA'S 11 CASINOS WAS DOWN 9.2 PERCENT LAST MONTH COMPARED TO THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR. THE PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD IS REPORTING ALMOST $196 MILLION IN GROSS REVENUE FROM SLOTS IN FEBRUARY, DOWN FROM $215.7 MILLION. THE LATEST NUMBERS INCLUDE $5 MILLION IN GROSS SLOTS REVENUE FROM VALLEY FORGE CASINO RESORT, WHICH OPENED LAST MARCH. THE 10 CASINOS OPEN DURING FEBRUARY 2012 AND FEBRUARY 2013 SHOWED AN 11.5 PERCENT DECLINE. THE SANDS CASINO IN BETHLEHEM SAW A 7 PERCENT DECLINE IN SLOTS REVENUE LAST MONTH.
LINKS MAGAZINE IS OUT WITH ITS "TOP 100 MOST PRESTIGIOUS PRIVATE GOLF CLUBS" LIST. AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, THE LIST INCLUDES AUGUSTA NATIONAL, ST. ANDREW'S, CYPRESS POINT, BUT THE LIST ALSO INCLUDES THE SAUCON VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB. THE MAGAZINE SAYS SAUCON VALLEY BELONGS ON THE LIST BECAUSE OF ITS HISTORY, FACILITIES AND ABILITY TO HOST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.
SOME STATE SENATORS SAY THAT STATE REGULATION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS AND CYBER CHARTERS IS INADEQUATE. AT A SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING MONDAY, SEVERAL LAWMAKERS CITED A LACK OF FINANCIAL AND ACADEMIC ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE PRIVATELY RUN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SEN. MIKE FOLMER, A LEBANON COUNTY REPUBLICAN WHO CHAIRS THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE, SAYS GOP GOV. TOM CORBETT DIDN'T RENEW HIS CALL FOR CHARTER REFORM IN HIS PENDING STATE BUDGET PLAN AND ASKED WHETHER IT IS STILL A PRIORITY OF THE ADMINISTRATION. STATE EDUCATION SECRETARY RONALD TOMALIS SAYS CHARTER REFORM IS IMPORTANT. BUT HE SAYS ONLY ABOUT 100,000 OF THE 1.7 MILLION YOUNGSTERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS ATTEND THE PRIVATELY RUN CHARTER SCHOOLS. HE SAYS POLICY MAKERS MUST CONSIDER ALL MODES AND METHODS OF EDUCATION.
GOV. TOM CORBETT'S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WANTS TO CLOSE NEARLY HALF OF THE STATE'S HEALTH CENTERS BECAUSE IT SAYS THEY AREN'T EFFECTIVE IN TREATING PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. INSTEAD, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THEY WANT TO TRANSFORM THE SYSTEM TO REACH MORE PEOPLE. ONE WAY IS BY TAKING IMMUNIZATION DRIVES TO PUBLIC EVENTS. THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE PLAN WILL MEAN CONSOLIDATING THE 60 STATE HEALTH CENTERS INTO 34 WHILE ELIMINATING THE JOBS OF 26 NURSES THAT OVERLAP WITH OTHER AGENCIES. DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS SAY 104 NURSES WILL REMAIN ON THE JOB. THE LABOR UNION THAT REPRESENTS STATE NURSES SAYS THE MOVE RUNS THE RISK OF SLOWING DOWN THE DETECTION OR PREVENTION OF OUTBREAKS OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. NURSES SAY CLOSING THE CENTERS WILL ESPECIALLY BE FELT IN RURAL AREAS.
DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR ANDY DINNIMAN SAYS ADDING ARMED SECURITY GUARDS ALONE WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF VIOLENCE IN PENNSYLVANIA'S SCHOOLS. "IF YOU DON'T DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH, YOU DON'T DEAL WITH ANTI-BULLYING AND YOU'RE ONLY DEALING WITH SECURITY GUARDS, THEN YOU'RE ONLY DEALING WITH A SMALL PART OF PREVENTION," DINNIMAN SAYS. EXPERTS WHO TESTIFIED AT A RECENT SENATE COMMITTEE HEARING SAID DISTRICTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO HIRE THEIR OWN SECURITY OFFICERS AND DECIDE IF THOSE OFFICERS ARE ARMED. CURRENTLY 234 OF THE STATE'S 499 SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE THEIR OWN SECURITY OFFICERS AND 131 OF THOSE ALLOW THEIR GUARDS TO BE ARMED.
THREE WOMEN HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AS JURORS FOR THE TRIAL OF A PHILADELPHIA ABORTION PROVIDER CHARGED WITH KILLING A PATIENT AND SEVEN BABIES ALLEGEDLY BORN ALIVE. DR. KERMIT GOSNELL IS CHARGED WITH THIRD-DEGREE MURDER IN A WOMAN'S 2009 DEATH DURING A BOTCHED ABORTION. HE ALSO FACES THE DEATH PENALTY IF CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE NEWBORNS' DEATHS. JURY SELECTION IS EXPECTED TO TAKE A WEEK, GIVEN THE SENSITIVITY OF THE ABORTION ISSUE AND THE DEATH PENALTY. THE THREE JURORS CHOSEN MONDAY TOLD COMMON PLEAS JUDGE JEFFREY MINEHART THEY SUPPORTED ABORTION RIGHTS. THE 72-YEAR-OLD GOSNELL HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY. HE SAYS HE HELPED MANY VULNERABLE WOMEN AND TEENS GET MEDICAL CARE.
NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATIC SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ, WHO HAS MAINTAINED ALL ALONG THAT HE NEVER PAID PROSTITUTES FOR SEX, SAYS HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO WHATEVER EVIDENCE EMERGES FROM COURTS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO VINDICATE HIM. A DOMINICAN LAWYER HAS RELEASED AN AFFIDAVIT FROM A 23-YEAR-OLD WOMAN SAYING SHE FABRICATED A STORY ABOUT MENENDEZ PAYING HER FOR SEX. THAT LAWYER SAYS THAT A WOMAN IDENTIFIED AS NEXIS DE LOS SANTOS NOW CLAIMS SHE'S NEVER MET MENENDEZ. THAT LAWYER, VINCIO CASTILLO SEMAN, IS THE SON OF A DOMINICAN PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER AND HAS BEEN ENTWINED IN THE SCANDAL HIMSELF, ACCUSED OF HOSTING OUTINGS ON HIS YACHT IN WHICH MENENDEZ USED THE SERVICES OF PROSTITUTES.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE SAYS HE'S NOT WORRIED THAT FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS WILL HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON NEW JERSEY. CHRISTIE SAYS MOST STATE RESIDENTS WON'T BE AFFECTED BY THE SEQUESTER, OR $85 BILLION IN AUTOMATIC BUDGET REDUCTIONS THAT WENT INTO EFFECT FRIDAY. CHRISTIE SAYS IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN'T CUT ONE CENT OUT OF ONE DOLLAR WITHOUT BRINGING THE ECONOMY TO ITS KNEES, THEN THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALREADY IN BAD SHAPE. BUT HE EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT WITH WASHINGTON, SAYING NEW JERSEY HAD DONE MORE FISCALLY CHALLENGING THINGS IN SHORTER TIME PERIODS. CHRISTIE SAYS ANY CUTS MUST ADDRESS ENTITLEMENT SPENDING TO ENSURE THE NATION'S LONG-TERM FISCAL HEALTH. CHRISTIE ACCUSED THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OF OVERPLAYING THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THE CUTS, SAYING PLANES AREN'T FALLING FROM THE SKY.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE SAYS HIS DECISION TO HAVE NEW JERSEY PARTICIPATE IN A FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM WAS BASED ON STATE-SPECIFIC FACTORS. CHRISTIE TOUTED HEALTH CENTERS LIKE THE METROPOLITAN FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK IN JERSEY CITY, WHERE HE MADE A STOP MONDAY, AS MODELS OF HOW TO SERVE STATE RESIDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR INSURED STATUS. CHRISTIE HAS SAID 104,000 MORE NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS WILL SIGN UP FOR MEDICAID AS THE INCOME LIMIT IS RAISED THIS COMING JANUARY. CHRISTIE HAS SAID HE'S STILL "NO FAN" OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S HEALTH INSURANCE OVERHAUL, ALTHOUGH THE PLAN WILL PAY FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF MEDICAID EXPANSION IN NEW JERSEY. CHRISTIE SAYS THE STATE WILL USE VARIOUS FORMS OF OUTREACH TO INFORM RESIDENTS ABOUT THE EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY.
A NEW JERSEY APPEALS COURT IS SCHEDULED TO HEAR ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE SECURITY OF VOTING MACHINES USED IN THE STATE. TODAY'S COURT HEARING IS THE LATEST STEP IN A LAWSUIT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY FILED IN 2004 TO CHALLENGE THE COMPUTERIZED MACHINES THE STATE WAS USING. VOTING RIGHTS ADVOCATES SAY THE MACHINES CAUSED PROBLEMS IN THE 2008 AND 2011 ELECTIONS. THEY ALSO SAY SEVERAL STATES HAVE ABANDONED COMPUTERIZED MACHINES THAT DON'T PRODUCE PAPER BALLOTS. NEW JERSEY HAS A LAW REQUIRING A PAPER PRINT-OUT OF BALLOTS AS A BACKUP, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED FULLY.
