FAMILY MEMBERS SAY MILDRED OSMAN HAD BEEN SUFFERING AND GIVEN ONLY A FEW WEEKS TO LIVE. THEY SAY HER HUSBAND OF 64 YEARS, ELWOOD, APPARENTLY COULDN'T STAND WATCHING HIS WIFE SUFFER ANY LONGER AND DECIDED TO KILL HER TUESDAY AFTERNOON INSIDE HER HOSPITAL ROOM AT LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL'S ALLENTOWN CAMPUS. LEHIGH COUNTY D.A. JIM MARTIN DESCRIBES WHAT HAPPENED. "THE WOMAN'S HUSBAND SHOT AND KILLED THE PATIENT AND THEN TURNED THE GUN ON HIMSELF," MARTIN SAYS. IT HAPPENED JUST AFTER 1 O'CLOCK TUESDAY AFTERNOON. IN A STATEMENT, LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL SAYS, "THIS IS A VERY TRAGIC EVENT AND OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THE FAMILY OF THE DECEASED AND OUR LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK COLLEAGUES WHO WERE INVOLVED."
THE LEHIGH COUNTY CORONER HAS OFFICIALLY IDENTIFIED THE FOUR VICTIMS OF A SUNDAY FIRE IN EMMAUS. 48-YEAR-OLD MELISSA TWINING; HER 16-YEAR-OLD SON, MONTANA; HER BOYFRIEND, 65-YEAR-OLD DAVID JENKINS JR.; AND TWINING'S 56-YEAR-OLD NEIGHBOR LENA MARIE ADAMO ALL DIED IN THE FIRE AT 36 AND 38 SOUTH FIFTH STREET. THE CORONER'S OFFICE SAYS ALL DIED FROM BURNS AND SMOKE INHALATION. THE INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE CONTINUES.
A FORMER NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH SCHOOL SECRETARY WILL NOT BE GOING TO JAIL FOR USING THE DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT'S PASSWORD TO HACK INTO PERSONAL FILES AND CHANGE HER CHILDREN'S GRADES. CATHERINE VENUSTO WAS SENTENCED TO NINE MONTHS HOUSE ARREST AND TWO YEARS OF PROBATION ON TUESDAY FOR ILLEGALLY ACCESSING THE COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR A YEAR-AND-A-HALF BEGINNING IN AUGUST 2010. SHE FACED A POTENTIAL SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON.
A SECOND PERSON HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY OPERATING A METH LAB IN BETHLEHEM. 39-YEAR-OLD DAVINA BOWLER WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY TUESDAY, A WEEK-AND-A-HALF AFTER A METH LAB CAUSED AN EXPLOSION AT A GREENLEAF STREET HOME. ON MONDAY, 64-YEAR-OLD ELAINE NOONE, WHO OWNS THE HOME, WAS ARRESTED. POLICE SAY TWO MEN, JEFFREY CAULFIELD AND DANIEL HOUSER, BOTH REMAIN AT LARGE.
LEHIGH COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JIM MARTIN SAYS HIS OFFICE WILL NOT PRESS CHARGES AGAINST 29-YEAR-OLD CHRISTOPHER LEE, OF WHITEHALL. LEE WAS DRIVING ON SCHANTZ ROAD THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 26 WHEN HE HIT 14-YEAR-OLD JORDAN STEIMETZ, WHO WAS TRICK-OR-TREATING WITH A FRIEND AND DIED A SHORT WHILE LATER AT THE HOSPITAL. MARTIN SAYS THERE'S NO BASIS FOR CHARGES TO BE FILED IN THIS CASE AND THAT LEE STOPPED AT THE SCENE, CALLED FOR HELP AND COOPERATED WITH POLICE.
A LEHIGH VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL WANTS ITS STUDENTS TO CUT BACK ON THE BODY SPRAY. FREEDOM HIGH SCHOOL IN BETHLEHEM SAYS ONE OF ITS STUDENTS WAS RECENTLY HOSPITALIZED FOR EXPOSURE TO AXE BODY SPRAY. NOW, OFFICIALS ARE ASKING STUDENTS TO STOP USING IT AS A COLOGNE OR FRAGRANCE WHILE ATTENDING THE SCHOOL. IN A STATEMENT POSTED ON THE SCHOOL WEBSITE, OFFICIALS SAY THE AFFECTED STUDENT IS SEVERELY ALLERGIC TO THE SPRAY AND RECENTLY HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE AFTER BEING EXPOSED. IT ISN'T CLEAR WHAT TYPE OF REACTION THE STUDENT HAD, OR WHAT CHEMICAL IN THE SPRAY MAY HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM.
THE LEHIGH VALLEY'S JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WENT UP ONE-TENTH OF A POINT TO 8.7 PERCENT. LABOR ANALYST STEVEN ZELLERS SAYS IT COULD'VE BEEN WORSE. "PENNSYLVANIA WENT UP THREE-TENTHS AND THAT MATCHED THE U.S. JUMP OF THREE-TENTHS," ZELLERS SAYS. THE LOCAL NUMBER IS ONE-TENTH HIGHER THAN DECEMBER AND THREE-TENTHS HIGHER THAN JANUARY 2012. ONLY SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE, JOHNSTOWN AND PHILADELPHIA HAD A HIGHER JOBLESS RATE THAN THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN JANUARY.
THE STATE HOUSE IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN DEBATE ON THE CAMPAIGN TO PRIVATIZE PENNSYLVANIA'S SYSTEM OF STATE-OWNED LIQUOR STORES, AN INITIATIVE BACKED BY REPUBLICAN GOV. TOM CORBETT. THE HOUSE PLANS TO TAKE UP THE LIQUOR PRIVATIZATION BILL TODAY, BUT IT'S NOT KNOWN IF THERE WILL BE A VOTE. ABOUT 120 AMENDMENTS ARE BEING PROPOSED TO THE BILL. THOSE AMENDMENTS ARE COMING FROM BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS. THE BILL WOULD GIVE BEER DISTRIBUTORS FIRST SHOT AT 1,200 WINE AND SPIRIT LICENSES AND OPENS WINE SALES TO SUPERMARKETS. IN ADDITION, THE STATE'S WINE AND SPIRIT STORES WOULD BE PHASED OUT AS THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE OPERATES GROWS. ON MONDAY, THE HOUSE LIQUOR COMMITTEE BACKED THE BILL IN A 14-10 VOTE.
THE PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS TRYING TO END SO-CALLED "TRIPLE DIPPING" WHERE RETIREES COME BACK TO WORK AND THEN LEAVE TO COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. STATE LAWMAKERS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY YESTERDAY TO SEND THE SENATE A BILL THAT WOULD PROHIBIT JOBLESS BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING PENSIONS BUT COME BACK TO WORK, THEN LEAVE. THE BILL IS AIMED PARTICULARLY AT STATE WORKERS WHO COME BACK FROM RETIREMENT FOR NO MORE THAN 95 DAYS. BECAUSE THE STATE MAKES THEM LEAVE AFTER 95 DAYS OR LOSE THEIR PENSION, THEY'RE CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION. THE PRIME SPONSOR, JUNIATA COUNTY STATE REP. ADAM HARRIS, SAYS THAT IN 2011, 239 STATE RETIREES COLLECTED MORE THAN $1.1 MILLION IN BENEFITS AFTER COMING BACK TO WORK FOR A FEW MONTHS AND THEN RETIRING AGAIN.
A JURY WEIGHING MURDER CHARGES AGAINST A PHILADELPHIA ABORTION PROVIDER IS HEARING ABOUT UNORTHODOX PROCEDURES USED ON CLINIC PATIENTS. DR. KERMIT GOSNELL IS CHARGED IN THE DEATHS OF A PATIENT AND SEVEN BABIES. HE FACES THE DEATH PENALTY IF CONVICTED OF KILLING BABIES BORN ALIVE. A PATIENT WHO HAD A 2008 ABORTION AT THE CLINIC TOLD JURORS YESTERDAY THAT SHE ENDED UP IN A HOSPITAL FOR TWO WEEKS WITH AN INFECTION AND BLOOD CLOT AND A MEDICAL ASSISTANT ADMITTED THAT SHE CUT THE NECKS OF THE ABORTED BABIES. SHE SAYS GOSNELL TAUGHT HER TO DO THAT TO "ENSURE FETAL DEMISE." GOSNELL'S LAWYER SAYS THE 72-YEAR-OLD DOCTOR SERVED POOR WOMEN AND OTHERS SEEKING SECOND-TERM ABORTIONS, EVEN IF IT WASN'T "THE MAYO CLINIC." THE TRIAL RESUMES TODAY.
FORMER PENNSYLVANIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SECRETARY KATHLEEN MCGINTY SAYS SHE'S SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR. MCGINTY SAYS SHE'LL TAKE A LEAVE FROM HER JOB AS AN EXECUTIVE WITH WEST CHESTER-BASED WESTON SOLUTIONS TO CONCENTRATE FULL-TIME ON THE PROSPECTIVE CAMPAIGN. THE 49-YEAR-OLD DEMOCRAT HAS FILED PAPERS TO FORM A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE CALLED "NEW JOBS, BRIGHT FUTURE PA" SO SHE CAN RAISE MONEY. MCGINTY, WHO HEADED THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FOR FIVE YEARS UNDER GOV. ED RENDELL, JOINS MORE THAN HALF-DOZEN OTHER DEMOCRATS WHO ARE CONSIDERING RUNNING OR ALREADY IN THE RACE. THE CHESTER COUNTY RESIDENT CALLS HERSELF "A CENTRIST, PRO-JOBS, PRO-GROWTH, AND PRO-ENVIRONMENT" CANDIDATE.
A NEW REPORT FINDS THAT CHESTER COUNTY IS THE HEALTHIEST PLACE TO LIVE IN PENNSYLVANIA, WHILE NEIGHBORING PHILADELPHIA IS RANKED AS THE WORST. THE REPORT WAS RELEASED WEDNESDAY BY THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN POPULATION HEALTH INSTITUTE. THE COUNTY HEALTH RANKINGS REPORT EVALUATES MORE THAN TWO DOZEN FACTORS THAT RESEARCHERS BELIEVE INFLUENCE A PERSON'S HEALTH. THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE OBESITY AND SMOKING, ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, INCOME AND EDUCATION LEVELS. THE REPORT SAYS THE TOP FIVE HEALTHIEST COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA ARE CHESTER, UNION, CENTRE, CUMBERLAND AND SNYDER. LEHIGH IS RANKED 18TH, NORTHAMPTON IS RANKED 25TH, MONROE RANKS 31ST AND CARBON IS LISTED AS THE 42ND HEALTHIEST COUNTY IN THE STATE. IT SAYS THE FIVE UNHEALTHIEST ARE PHILADELPHIA, FAYETTE, GREENE, SULLIVAN AND FOREST COUNTIES.
HUNTERDON COUNTY IS CONSIDERED NEW JERSEY'S HEALTHIEST COUNTY. A NATIONAL SURVEY OF COUNTY HEALTH STATISTICS CONDUCTED BY THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION AND UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SHOWS HUNTERDON FOLLOWED BY MORRIS, SOMERSET, BERGEN AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES. CUMBERLAND WAS NEW JERSEY'S UNHEALTHIEST COUNTY. IT WAS FOLLOWED BY SALEM, ESSEX AND CAMDEN COUNTIES. THE SURVEY SHOWS HOW LONG AND HOW WELL PEOPLE LIVE DEPENDING ON MULTIPLE FACTORS THAT INCLUDE CHILDHOOD POVERTY, RATES OF SMOKING, OBESITY LEVELS AND ACCESS TO PHYSICIANS AND DENTISTS.
MORE NEW JERSEYANS OPPOSE INTERNET GAMBLING THAN SUPPORT IT, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS ARE GETTING CLOSER. FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY PUBLICMIND RELEASES A POLL TODAY THAT FINDS 46 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS OPPOSE THE STATE'S RECENT DECISION TO LEGALIZE INTERNET BETTING, WITH 41 PERCENT FAVORING IT. THAT'S DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY FROM JUST TWO YEARS AGO, WHEN 67 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS TO THE POLL SAID THEY WERE AGAINST INTERNET GAMBLING. GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE SIGNED AN INTERNET GAMBLING BILL INTO LAW LAST MONTH, BUT ONLINE BETTING HAS NOT YET BEGUN IN NEW JERSEY.
