A MOTHER IS CHARGED WITH INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER IN THE DEATH OF A 19-MONTH-OLD BOY HIT BY A GUNSHOT IN HIS CRIB. 26-YEAR-OLD HOLLY PALLONE WAS ARRAIGNED SUNDAY MORNING FROM LEHIGH COUNTY PRISON ON THAT CHARGE ALONG WITH RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT. OFFICERS WERE SENT TO A SLATINGTON APARTMENT LATE SATURDAY AND FOUND ANTHONY PALLONE JR. WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND. INVESTIGATORS ALLEGE THAT HIS MOTHER SAID SHE WAS PLANNING TO SELL THE WEAPON AND WAS UNLOADING IT WHEN IT DISCHARGED. CORONER SCOTT GRIM RULED THE DEATH A HOMICIDE AND SCHEDULED AN AUTOPSY TODAY.
POLICE IN WILSON BOROUGH ARE LOOKING FOR A 27-YEAR-OLD MAN WANTED FOR A WEEKEND SHOOTING. VICTOR RIVERA ALLEGEDLY SHOT AN EASTON MAN DURING A FIGHT EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. JESUS JACKSON IS EXPECTED TO RECOVER FROM HIS WOUNDS. RIVERA IS CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS.
A BODY FOUND LATE SATURDAY MORNING ALONG THE DELAWARE RIVER HAS STILL NOT BE IDENTIFIED BY AUTHORITIES. THE BODY WAS FOUND JUST BEFORE NOON SATURDAY ON THE PHILLIPSBURG SIDE OF THE RIVER. INVESTIGATORS ARE NOT SAYING WHETHER THE BODY IS THAT OF AN EASTON WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE FRIDAY. POLICE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR 34-YEAR-OLD KARA NISKI AFTER GETTING A CALL FROM A CONCERNED FAMILY MMEBER. HER CAR WAS FOUND EARLY FRIDAY MORNING IN HARMONY TOWNSHIP, WARREN COUNTY.
SOON AFTER HIS TUESDAY SENTENCING, JERRY SANDUSKY WILL PROBABLY BE WALKING INTO A PENNSYLVANIA STATE PRISON WITH LITTLE MORE THAN A WATCH AND WEDDING BAND. HE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK A 30-HOUR WEEK TO MAKE A FEW DOLLARS. HE'LL BE ABLE TO WATCH PENN STATE FOOTBALL, BUT NOT VIOLENT MOVIES. IF THE FORMER PENN STATE ASSISTANT COACH GETS THE LENGTHY STATE PRISON TERM HIS LAWYER EXPECTS, HE'LL BE LIVING UNDER THE MANY RULES OF THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. HIS FIRST STOP WILL BE THE CAMP HILL STATE PRISON, WHERE MALE INMATES UNDERGO TESTING AND CLASSIFICATION. FROM THERE, HE'LL BE SENT OUT TO A HOME PRISON, BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO PREDICT WHERE HE'LL END UP. IF HE WRITES A BOOK, STATE LAW WILL PREVENT HIM FROM PROFITING FROM IT.
THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE RETURNS TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY LATER TODAY WHEN THE WIFE OF VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN STOPS IN LEHIGH COUNTY. JILL BIDEN WILL BE MAKING STOPS FOR HER HUSBAND AND PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ON MONDAY AT CAMPAIGN FIELD OFFICES IN HARRISBURG, SCRANTON AND HAZELTON, FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER EVENT AT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION IN WESCOSVILLE. THE VICE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE SAYS SHE'LL BE ENCOURAGING SUPPORTERS AND VOLUNTEERS TO REMIND PENNSYLVANIANS TO REGISTER TO VOTE BEFORE TUESDAY'S REGISTRATION DEADLINE. ON TUESDAY, SHE'LL ATTEND EVENTS IN READING AND LANCASTER, BEFORE A FINAL EVENT IN PHILADELPHIA.
LAST WEEK, MEDICARE BEGAN FINING HOSPITALS THAT HAVE TOO MANY PATIENTS READMITTED WITHIN 30 DAYS. LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK'S DR. TONY ARDIRE SAYS THE REASON IS NOBLE. "THIS IS ONE OF THE MEASURES THAT THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE/MEDICAID SERVICES HAS PUT IN PLACE TO TRY TO IMPROVE QUALITY AND REDUCE THE COST OF CARE," SAYS ARDIRE. HOWEVER, ARDIRE SAYS IT'S MISGUIDED. HE SAYS A PATIENT READMITTED FOR ANY REASON, PERHAPS NOT RELATED TO HIS ORIGINAL TREATMENT, WITHIN 30 DAYS OF TREATMENT WOULD MEAN A FINE. ARDIRE SAYS THE FINES WILL BE ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR URBAN HOSPITALS, WHICH OFTEN TIMES DO NOT HAVE MONEY AVAILABLE TO PAY OFF FINES.
THIS PAST SPRING ABOUT 95,000 PENNSYLVANIANS FILED FOR AN AUTOMATIC SIX-MONTH EXTENSION TO FILE THEIR TAX RETURNS. THE I.R.S.' DAVID STEWART SAYS THOSE SIX MONTHS ARE UP A WEEK FROM TODAY AND HE ENCOURAGES THOSE WHO STILL HAVEN'T FILED TO GO TO WWW.IRS.GOV AND E-FILE. "E-FILING FOR 70 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE CAN BE DONE AT WWW.IRS.GOV FOR FREE. IT'S FAST, IT'S SAFE AND IT'S SECURE. THE CALCULATIONS ARE GOING TO BE CORRECT FOR YOU. YOU CAN PICK SOMETHING OFF THE SHELF IF YOU LIKE," STEWART SAYS. ACROSS AMERICA, MORE THAN 11 MILLION TAXPAYERS FILED FOR THAT EXTENSION.
POLICE SAY A CASINO SUPERVISOR HAS BEEN CHARGED AFTER HE RIGGED A COMPUTER GAMBLING SYSTEM. STATE POLICE SAY 37-YEAR-OLD PHILLIPSBURG, N.J., RESIDENT EDWARD E. WEIDNER III MADE FRAUDULENT ENTRIES IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM AT SANDS CASINO RESORT BETHLEHEM BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 30 AND OCTOBER 5. AUTHORITIES ALLEGE HE MADE CHANGES THAT INCREASED A PATRON'S COMPENSATION CREDIT AND MADE IT APPEAR THE PATRON WAS GAMBLING MORE FREQUENTLY THAN HE ACTUALLY WAS. THE CREDITS WERE LATER REDEEMED FOR $2,000 IN GIFT CARDS AND A $45 MEAL. WEIDNER WAS CHARGED WITH THEFT BY DECEPTION AND UNLAWFUL USE OF A COMPUTER.
A CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKER SAYS A FATHER'S PLEA HAS PROMPTED HIM TO PROPOSE A BAN ON HUMAN BRANDING PROCEDURES ON YOUNG PEOPLE. REP. KEITH GILLESPIE SAYS THE MEASURE WAS PROMPTED BY HIS CONVERSATION WITH THE FATHER OF A 14-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO BRANDED HIMSELF TWICE ON THE TORSO WITH A RED-HOT THREE-INCH NAIL UNDER THE INSTRUCTIONS OF AN 18-YEAR-OLD DURING A SLEEPOVER. GILLESPIE SAYS THE BRANDING LEFT THIRD-DEGREE BURNS ON THE BOY. HE SAYS APART FROM THE PAIN, THE PRACTICE LEAVES A MINOR "ESSENTIALLY PHYSICALLY MARKED FOR LIFE." THE BILL WOULD AMEND THE CRIMINAL CODE REGARDING TATTOOING AND BODY PIERCING OF A MINOR WITHOUT CONSENT OF A PARENT, MAKING THE OFFENSE A THIRD-DEGREE MISDEMEANOR FOR A FIRST OFFENSE AND A SECOND-DEGREE MISDEMEANOR AFTER THAT.
AN INTERNAL REPORT SHOWS SCREENERS AT NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ARE PROPERLY EXECUTING STANDARD PAT-DOWNS OF PASSENGERS ONLY 16.7 PERCENT OF THE TIME. SCREENERS IDENTIFY AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON PROHIBITED ITEMS IN ONLY A QUARTER OF ALL CASES. BUT IT ALSO FOUND THAT IN NUMEROUS CATEGORIES, INCLUDING REMOVING PROHIBITED ITEMS FOUND DURING PHYSICAL SEARCHES AND EXHIBITING GOOD LISTENING SKILLS, SCREENERS PERFORMED THEIR DUTIES PROPERLY 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME. THE REPORT WAS COMPILED BY UNDERCOVER TEAMS OF TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION EMPLOYEES FROM OTHER AIRPORTS WHO OBSERVED THE NEWARK LIBERTY SCREENERS AT WORK OVER SEVERAL MONTHS. TSA OFFICIALS CONDUCT THE EVALUATIONS AT AIRPORTS AROUND THE NATION AND USE THE RESULTS TO IMPROVE THEIR SCREENING PRACTICES.
