POLICE SAY A FIRE AT AN APARTMENT BUILDING IN EMMAUS HAS LEFT FOUR PEOPLE DEAD. AUTHORITIES SAY THE FAST-MOVING FIRE WAS REPORTED SHORTLY BEFORE NOON SUNDAY. EMMAUS POLICE SGT. TODD GARLOFF SAYS INVESTIGATORS FOUND FOUR BODIES INSIDE. NAMES AND AGES OF THE VICTIMS WEREN'T IMMEDIATELY RELEASED. GARLOFF SAYS A POLICE OFFICER WHO RESPONDED ALSO SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. NEIGHBORS SAY THE BUILDING HAD BEEN A FUNERAL HOME UNTIL THE 1960S OR 1970S, WHEN IT WAS CONVERTED INTO APARTMENTS. GARLOFF SAYS THE CAUSE OF THE BLAZE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. INVESTIGATORS DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RELEASE THE CAUSE OF DEATH OF THE VICTIMS.
OLD MAN WINTER IS NOT READY TO GO QUIETLY. "IT'S GOING TO BE SNOW AT THE ONSET. EVEN IF THE TEMPERATURE GOES ABOVE THE FREEZING MARK BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE PRECIPITATION, I THINK WE'LL COOL THE COLUMN OF AIR AND HAVE SOME SNOW RIGHT AT THE ONSET," SAYS ACCU-WEATHER'S DEAN DEVORE. HE SAYS THE SNOW WILL EVENTUALLY MIX WITH SLEET AND LEAVE ONE TO THREE INCHES IN OUR AREA BEFORE IT CHANGES OVER TO ALL RAIN TONIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS COULD REACH UP TO SIX INCHES UP IN THE POCONOS AND FURTHER NORTH.
A LEHIGH COUNTY MAN IS CHARGED WITH HITTING A WOMAN WITH A CELL PHONE CHARGER AND A DOOR, AFTER CHOKING HER AND THREATENING TO KILL HER. PAUL VOROS, OF LOWER MACUNGIE TOWNSHIP, GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH THE WOMAN LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND IS NOW CHARGED WITH ASSAULT, HARASSMENT AND MAKING TERRORISTIC THREATS.
POLICE IN ALLENTOWN ARE INVESTIGATING AN EARLY SUNDAY MORNING SHOOTING. A 20-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS SHOT SEVERAL TIMES JUST BEFORE 1:30 SUNDAY MORNING IN THE 1300 BLOCK OF CHEW STREET. POLICE SAY THE VICTIM, WHO HAS NOT YET BEEN IDENTIFIED, WAS CRITICALLY WOUNDED, BUT IS EXPECTED TO SURVIVE.
A PHILADELPHIA ABORTION PROVIDER IS GOING ON TRIAL IN A MURDER CASE THAT COULD SEND HIM TO DEATH ROW. A TRIAL BEGINS MONDAY FOR 72-YEAR-OLD DR. KERMIT GOSNELL, CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER FOR ALLEGEDLY KILLING SEVEN LATE-TERM BABIES BORN ALIVE. HE ALSO IS CHARGED WITH THIRD-DEGREE MURDER IN THE 2009 OVERDOSE DEATH OF A FEMALE PATIENT. GOSNELL HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY. INVESTIGATORS SAY GOSNELL'S CLINIC WENT YEARS WITHOUT INSPECTIONS BY STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS. THE 2011 GRAND JURY REPORT ON GOSNELL PROMPTED STATE LAWMAKERS TO INSIST THAT ABORTION CLINICS NOW MEET THE SAME STANDARDS AS WALK-IN SURGICAL CENTERS. BUT STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY FEW IF ANY CLINICS IN PENNSYLVANIA HAVE CLOSED OVER THE NEW RULES.
DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR JIM FERLO SAYS IT'S TIME TO MODERNIZE, NOT PRIVATIZE, THE STATE'S LIQUOR BUSINESS. "MY PLAN INCLUDES THE ABILITY OF THE STATE STORES SYSTEM TO IMPROVE ITS CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE, DIRECT WINE SHIPMENTS WOULD BE ALLOWED FOR CUSTOMERS, RELOCATION AND BETTER LOCATION OF ITS STORES AND OPERATING HOURS," FERLO SAYS. HE SAYS HE'LL PUSH A BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW WINE MAKERS TO SHIP DIRECTLY TO CUSTOMERS, ALLOW BEER DISTRIBUTORS TO SELL SIX PACKS AND 22-OUNCE BOTTLES, REMOVE THE CAP ON THE NUMBER OF LIQUOR STORES THAT CAN BE OPEN ON SUNDAYS AND EXTEND LIQUOR STORE HOURS ON SUNDAY. FERLO SAYS THE CHANGES AND STREAMLINING THE SYSTEM WILL GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL $100 MILLION A YEAR.
THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RESOURCES' TERRY BRADY SAYS THIS TIME OF YEAR IS PRIME FOR WILDFIRES IN PENNSYLVANIA. "STATE FORESTS ARE EXPOSED RIGHT NOW. THERE'S NO LEAF CANOPY AND THEY CAN DRY OUT VERY QUICKLY AND BECOME A TINDERBOX IN JUST ONE OR TWO DAYS. WE'VE SEEN THAT EVERY SPRING," BRADY SAYS. 85 PERCENT OF PENNSYLVANIA'S WILDFIRES HAPPEN IN MARCH, APRIL AND MAY. WILDFIRES BURN ABOUT 10,000 ACRES OF WOODLANDS EVERY YEAR. WILDFIRE PREVENTION WEEK BEGAN SUNDAY.
DESPITE THE DEVASTATION THAT SUPERSTORM SANDY BROUGHT TO THE JERSEY SHORE, NOT EVERYONE WANTS THE GOVERNMENT TO BUILD SAND DUNES TO PROTECT THEIR HOMES. SHORE TOWNS CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH BEACH REPLENISHMENT AND DUNE PROJECTS UNTIL ALL THE OCEANFRONT PROPERTY OWNERS SIGN EASEMENTS, GIVING GOVERNMENT THE RIGHT TO ACCESS THEIR LAND TO DO THE PROTECTIVE WORK. THOUGH FEWER IN NUMBER AFTER THE STORM, SOME HOLDOUTS FEAR THE LOSS OF PRECIOUS OCEAN VIEWS, WHILE OTHERS FEAR THE EASEMENTS COULD PAVE THE WAY FOR BOARDWALKS OR AMUSEMENT RIDES NEAR THEIR HOMES. GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE WANTS HOMEOWNERS AND TOWNS TO AGREE SOON ON HOW TO DO THE WORK, OR ELSE HE SAYS THE STATE MIGHT STEP IN AND FORCE THEM TO DO IT.
THE QUARTERBACK RACE AT PENN STATE BEGINS MONDAY, THOUGH COACH BILL O'BRIEN SAYS HE WON'T NAME A STARTER BY THE TIME SPRING PRACTICE ENDS IN A MONTH. O'BRIEN SAID SUNDAY THAT STEVEN BENCH AND TYLER FERGSON WILL SPLIT THE REPS IN SPRING BALL. THEY'LL BE EVALUATED AT SPRING'S END, THOUGH O'BRIEN DOESN'T EXPECT TO SETTLE ON A STARTER UNTIL DURING TRAINING CAMP IN AUGUST. THE NITTANY LIONS ARE LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT FOR RECORD-SETTING STARTER MATT MCGLOIN. THE SENIOR HELPED GUIDE PENN STATE TO A BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED 8-4 RECORD IN HIS ONE AND ONLY SEASON WITH O'BRIEN. BENCH SERVED AS MCGLOIN'S BACKUP AS A FRESHMAN LAST SEASON BUT PLAYED SPARINGLY. FERGUSON IS A JUNIOR COLLEGE TRANSFER FROM CALIFORNIA. PRIZED RECRUIT CHRISTIAN HACKENBERG ALSO ARRIVES AT PENN STATE THIS SUMMER.
ROY HALLADAY LEFT SUNDAY'S START FOR THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES AFTER ONE INNING BECAUSE OF A STOMACH VIRUS. HALLADAY ALLOWED ONE HIT AND A WALK AGAINST THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES BEFORE LEAVING THE DUGOUT BEFORE THE START OF THE SECOND INNING. HE WAS SWEATING PROFUSELY WHEN HE WAS PITCHING AND AT ONE POINT BENT OVER BEHIND THE MOUND.
