PENNSYLVANIA'S LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SAYS THE COMMONWEALTH IS WAY BEHIND THE CURVE WITH ITS STATE LIQUOR STORE SYSTEM. "48 OTHER STATES EITHER WERE THERE FROM THE BEGINNING OR HAVE MIGRATED TO THIS POSITION AS WELL," JIM CAWLEY SAYS. HE SAYS HE "ABSOLUTELY" BELIEVES THE HOUSE WILL APPROVE LEGISLATION TO PRIVATIZE THE STATE LIQUOR SYSTEM AND WILL VOTE ON THE ISSUE TODAY.
LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK SAYS IT MET WITH POLICE TUESDAY TO PLAN A DRILL INVOLVING A GUNMAN IN THE HOSPITAL ONLY HOURS BEFORE AN ELDERLY MAN SHOT AND KILLED HIS WIFE AND THEN HIMSELF IN HER HOSPITAL ROOM AT LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL IN ALLENTOWN. THE HOSPITAL TELLS THE MORNING CALL THEY ARE CONSTANTLY TRAINING FOR SITUATIONS SUCH AS THE ONE THAT HAPPENED TUESDAY AND THAT TRAINING PREVENTED PANIC FROM SETTING IN AFTER THE GUNFIRE. THE HEALTH NETWORK SAYS IT HAS A POLICY SAYING GUNS ARE NOT ALLOWED INSIDE ITS HOSPITALS AND WILL POST SIGNS SOON ANNOUNCING THAT POLICY.
POLICE SAY A FIRE THAT KILLED FOUR PEOPLE IN AN EMMAUS APARTMENT HOUSE DOESN'T APPEAR SUSPICIOUS, BUT THE CAUSE REMAINS UNKNOWN. THE FIRE BROKE OUT LATE SUNDAY MORNING IN EMMAUS. POLICE SAY INVESTIGATORS HAVE DETERMINED THE FIRE WAS NOT SUSPICIOUS AND THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. TWO WOMEN, A MAN AND A TEENAGER WERE KILLED.
A BUSHKILL TOWNSHIP COUPLE WAS HELD AT GUNPOINT IN AN EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING HOME INVASION. LORENZO AMBROSINI SAYS HE HAD NO IDEA WHY THREE OR FOUR MEN KICKED IN THE DOOR TO HIS WEST HIGH STREET HOME JUST BEFORE 1 O'CLOCK WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE MEN STOLE TV'S, JEWELRY, CAMERAS AND A 2012 RED TOYOTA 4RUNNER.
IT'S FOUR TO 10 YEARS IN JAIL FOR A SLATINGTON WOMAN WHO ACCIDENTALLY SHOT HER 19-MONTH-OLD SON TO DEATH LAST OCTOBER. HOLLY PALLONE SAYS THE SHOOTING HAPPENED AS SHE WAS UNLOADING A GUN SHE PLANNED TO SELL TO A DRUG DEALER. DURING HER SENTENCING, PALLONE SAID SHE WASN'T A BAD MOM, BUT HAD A PROBLEM WITH DRUGS.
THE CITY OF BETHLEHEM HAS PICKED COMPANIES FROM CHICAGO AND EASTON TO BEGIN A STUDY THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF A NEW CONVENTION CENTER. BACK IN NOVEMBER, THE CITY ANNOUNCED IT WANTS AT LEAST A 100,000-SQUARE-FOOT CENTER. THE $50,000 STUDY IS BEING PAID FOR BY A GRANT FROM THE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY HOTEL ROOM RENTAL TAX FUND. THE REPORT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN JULY.
THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY'S ROSEMARIE MURPHY HOPES THE 40TH AND FINAL DAFFODIL DAYS WILL BE A BIG SUCCESS. "THIS YEAR, OUR NET GOAL IS $211,000," MURPHY SAYS. DIRECT SALES RUN NOW THROUGH SUNDAY AT LOCAL MALLS, HOSPITALS, REDNERS SUPERMARKETS AND THE ALLENTOWN FAIRGROUNDS FARMERS MARKET. THE CANCER SOCIETY IS DISCONTINUING DAFFODIL DAYS AFTER THIS YEAR TO REFOCUS ON OTHER FUNDRAISERS LIKE THE RELAY FOR LIFE. MURPHY SAYS THE COST OF THE FLOWERS IS GOING HIGHER, CUTTING INTO THE SOCIETY'S PROFITS.
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
A LAWYER FOR A PHILADELPHIA ABORTION PROVIDER CHARGED WITH KILLING SEVEN BABIES BORN ALIVE IS WORKING TO SHOW THE FIRST DEATH OCCURRED IN THE WOMB. THE YOUNG WOMAN WHO ABORTED THAT BABY WHEN SHE WAS 17 TESTIFIED WEDNESDAY AT DR. KERMIT GOSNELL'S MURDER TRIAL. PROSECUTORS BELIEVE SHE WAS NEARLY 30 WEEKS PREGNANT, WELL BEYOND THE 24-WEEK LIMIT IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE LIMIT IN DELAWARE, WHERE GOSNELL BEGAN THE THREE-DAY PROCEDURE, IS 20 WEEKS. A MEDICAL ASSISTANT FROM GOSNELL'S CLINIC IN WEST PHILADELPHIA HAS SAID THE BABY'S LARGE SIZE AND PINKISH COLOR DISTURBED HER. SHE SAYS BABIES WERE ROUTINELY CUT WITH SCISSORS AFTER DELIVERY. BUT DEFENSE LAWYER JACK MCMAHON, ON CROSS-EXAMINATION, SUGGESTED THAT NO BABIES SURVIVE AFTER THE DRUG DIGOXEN IS ADMINISTERED. RECORDS SHOW THE TEEN'S AUNT WAS CHARGED $2,750 FOR THE PROCEDURE.
NOW THAT MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS LEGAL IN NEW JERSEY, LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING SOME NEW ISSUES RELATED TO THE MEASURE. THEY ARE DUE TO VOTE TODAY ON A MEASURE THAT WOULD ENSURE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR ORGAN TRANSPLANTS OR ANY OTHER MEDICAL CARE. COMMITTEES OF BOTH CHAMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE HAVE ALREADY ADVANCED THE BILL. THE VOTE COMES AMID COMPLAINTS FROM MEDICAL MARIJUANA ACTIVISTS THAT STATE-SANCTIONED POT IS ONLY AVAILABLE AT ONE DISPENSARY, EVEN THOUGH THE STATE LEGALIZED IT MORE THAN THREE YEARS AGO.
POLICE IN SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY SAY THEY ARE NOT FILING CHARGES AGAINST A MAN WHO SAYS HE BELIEVES AN ONLINE PHOTO OF HIS YOUNG SON WITH A RIFLE LED CHILD WELFARE WORKERS AND POLICE TO THE FAMILY'S HOME. POLICE IN THE TOWN OF CARNEYS POINT SAY THEY WENT TO THE HOME OF SHAWN MOORE WITH CASEWORKERS LAST WEEK AFTER GETTING A TIP THAT HIS 10-YEAR-OLD SON MAY HAVE HAD ACCESS TO GUNS AND AMMUNITION. MOORE SAYS HE BELIEVES THE RESPONSE WAS DUE TO A PHOTO HE POSTED ON FACEBOOK OF HIS SON JOSH HOLDING A .22-CALIBER RIFLE THAT LOOKS LIKE A MILITARY-STYLE ASSAULT RIFLE. MOORE SAYS THE GUN WAS A GIFT FOR THE BOY'S UPCOMING 11TH BIRTHDAY.
NOT EVEN SUPERSTORM SANDY COULD WASH AWAY A HISTORIC TOURIST SEASON LAST YEAR IN NEW JERSEY. GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE SAID TOURISM ACCOUNTED FOR NEARLY $40 BILLION, UP FROM $38 BILLION IN 2011. ABOUT 82.5 MILLION VISITORS CAME TO NEW JERSEY LAST YEAR, AN INCREASE OF NEARLY 5 PERCENT OVER 2011 LEVELS. THE STORM HIT ON OCT. 29, AFTER THE SUMMER TOURISM SEASON HAD ENDED. MANY TOURISM-RELATED BUSINESSES AND SHORE COMMUNITIES SAID GOOD WEATHER DURING THE SUMMER LED TO A GOOD SEASON THROUGH LABOR DAY WEEKEND. TOURISM IS NEW JERSEY'S THIRD-LARGEST INDUSTRY, AFTER PHARMACEUTICALS AND CHEMICALS.
THE MISS AMERICA PAGEANT WILL BE BROADCAST FROM ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., ON SEPTEMBER 15. GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE ANNOUNCED THE BROADCAST DATE WEDNESDAY. THE PAGEANT WILL BE HELD AT THE PLACE WHERE IT BEGAN IN 1921. THE PAGEANT IS RETURNING TO ATLANTIC CITY AFTER BEING HELD IN LAS VEGAS THE PAST SIX YEARS. THE ENTIRE PAGEANT WILL SPAN 13 DAYS FROM THE END OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND THROUGH THE BROADCAST FINALE.
