NATIONAL PENN BANK IS MOVING ITS CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TO TWO CITY CENTER, WHICH IS BEING BUILT AT SEVENTH AND HAMILTON STREETS IN ALLENTOWN. NATIONAL PENN SAYS ABOUT 275 EMPLOYEES WILL RELOCATE TO THE ALLENTOWN OFFICE BUILDING, WHICH SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE SPRING 2014. NATIONAL PENN SAYS IT WILL KEEP ABOUT 150 EMPLOYEES IN THE COMPANY'S CURRENT BUILDINGS IN BOYERTOWN, WHICH HAD BEEN THEIR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS. THE COMPANY SAYS IT WILL ALSO OPEN UP A NEW OFFICE OUTSIDE READING AND WILL RENAME ITS KNBT AND NITTANY BANK DIVISIONS "NATIONAL PENN" BY NEXT SPRING.
BACK IN AUGUST A MORNING CALL/MUHLENBERG COLLEGE POLL SHOWED PRESIDENT OBAMA WITH A NINE POINT EDGE ON MITT ROMNEY IN PENNSYLVANIA. LAST MONTH THE MARGIN WAS DOWN TO SEVEN POINTS. A NEW POLL SHOWS ROMNEY CLIMBING WITHIN FOUR POINTS OF THE PRESIDENT AND WITHIN THE MARGIN OF ERROR. THE SAME POLL HAS REPUBLICAN SENATE CANDIDATE TOM SMITH WHITTLING WHAT HAD BEEN A DOUBLE DIGIT DEFICIT DOWN TO ONLY TWO POINTS BEHIND INCUMBENT BOB CASEY. THE POLL INCLUDED 438 LIKELY VOTERS AND WAS TAKEN LAST WEEK.
TIGHTENING INDEPENDENT POLLS ARE GIVING HOPE TO REPUBLICANS IN PENNSYLVANIA, ALTHOUGH THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS SHOW NO SIGNS OF BRINGING THEIR CANDIDATES OR TV ADS BACK TO THE STATE. A QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL SHOWS A NARROWING RACE BETWEEN PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND REPUBLICAN NOMINEE MITT ROMNEY. THE POLL SAYS 50 PERCENT OF LIKELY VOTERS SUPPORT OBAMA, VERSUS 46 PERCENT FOR ROMNEY. JUST THREE WEEKS AGO, QUINNIPIAC REPORTED OBAMA WITH 54 PERCENT TO ROMNEY'S 42 PERCENT. THE RACE FOR U.S. SENATE ALSO APPEARS TO BE NARROWING. QUINNIPIAC'S SURVEY SHOWS DEMOCRATIC SEN. BOB CASEY WITH 48 PERCENT, VERSUS REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER TOM SMITH'S 45 PERCENT. QUINNIPIAC'S AUGUST 1 SURVEY SHOWED CASEY LEADING, 55 PERCENT TO SMITH'S 37 PERCENT.
ANN ROMNEY IS TELLING VOTERS IN PENNSYLVANIA THAT SHE BELIEVES THE STATE, AND ITS 20 ELECTORAL VOTES, CAN BE WON BY HER HUSBAND, MITT. ASKED WHETHER SHE BELIEVES PENNSYLVANIA IS IN PLAY IN THE CLOSING WEEKS OF THE CAMPAIGN, ROMNEY SAID, "I CERTAINLY DO. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE AND THERE'S A STRONG MESSAGE OUT THERE SOME STATES THAT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THEY WERE IN PLAY BEFORE AND ARE IN PLAY AGAIN NOW." HER REMARKS WERE MADE AHEAD OF A ROUSING RALLY AT ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE, WHICH DREW AN ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD OF WHAT ORGANIZERS SAID WAS ABOUT 900 PEOPLE.
PENNSYLVANIA'S REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE, TOM SMITH, IS REPORTING THAT HE SPENT NEARLY $7 MILLION DURING THE THREE-MONTH THIRD QUARTER, LARGELY ON TV ADS. THAT'S ALMOST THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS DEMOCRATIC U.S. SEN. BOB CASEY REPORTED SPENDING MONDAY DURING THE QUARTER THAT ENDED SEPTEMBER 30. CASEY IS FIGHTING TO KEEP HIS SEAT AS SOME POLLS SHOW THE RACE TIGHTENING. SMITH ALSO REPORTED THAT HE LOANED HIMSELF ANOTHER $10 MILLION, BRINGING THE TOTAL HE'S INVESTED IN HIS CAMPAIGN TO MORE THAN $16 MILLION. CASEY REPORTED JUST OVER $5 MILLION IN HIS CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT AS OF OCTOBER 1, WHILE SMITH REPORTED MORE THAN $7 MILLION. SMITH REPORTED RAISING $1.6 MILLION IN THE PERIOD, SLIGHTLY MORE THAN CASEY.
ARLEN SPECTER, PENNSYLVANIA'S LONGEST-SERVING U.S. SENATOR, WILL BE REMEMBERED AT A FUNERAL SERVICE ATTENDED BY VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, HIS LONGTIME SENATE COLLEAGUE. THE 82-YEAR-OLD SPECTER DIED SUNDAY OF COMPLICATIONS FROM NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA. THE PUBLIC SERVICE IS SCHEDULED FOR NOON TUESDAY AT HAR ZION TEMPLE IN SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS ORDERED FLAGS TO BE FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS TUESDAY IN HONOR OF THE FORMER SENATOR.
ALLENTOWN MAYOR ED PAWLOWSKI SAYS THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN GENERAL AND ALLENTOWN IN PARTICULAR OWE A DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO EX-SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER. "HE WAS ABLE TO BRING BACK MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HELP US WITH VERY VITAL PROJECTS," PAWLOWSKI SAYS. SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS INCLUDE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS IN THE CITY'S DOWNTOWN, ADDING MORE POLICE OFFICERS AND UPCOMING WORK ON THE AMERICAN PARKWAY BRIDGE. PAWLOWSKI CALLS SPECTER A GREAT SENATOR AND A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT. SPECTER DIED SUNDAY AT THE AGE OF 82.
PENNSYLVANIA'S GOVERNOR HAS ORDERED STATE FLAGS BE FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF TO HONOR FORMER SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER, WHO DIED SUNDAY AT THE AGE OF 82. "OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD A GREAT IMPACT ON NOT ONLY THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, BUT THE NATION AS A WHOLE," CORBETT SAYS. HE ORDERED PENNSYLVANIA FLAGS AT THE CAPITOL AND AT ALL OTHER STATE FACILITIES TO BE LOWERED UNTIL SUNDOWN TUESDAY, THE DAY OF SPECTER'S FUNERAL.
A BUCKS COUNTY MAN WILL SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO A PAIR OF JANUARY MURDERS. 41-YEAR-OLD LLOYD HILL ADMITS TO FATALLY STABBING HIS ESTRANGED WIFE, STEFANIE, AND BEATING HER BOYFRIEND, FREDERICK TARANTINO JR., TO DEATH WITH A BASEBALL BAT ON JANUARY 27. HILL WAS IMMEDIATELY SENTENCED TO A PAIR OF CONSECUTIVE LIFE SENTENCES WITH NO CHANCE OF PAROLE.
THE FORMER TREASURER OF THE LIONS CLUB IN WILSON IS CHARGED WITH STEALING MORE THAN $45,000 FROM THE CLUB BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2010 AND OCTOBER 2011. POLICE SAY 60-YEAR-OLD STEPHEN WILLIAMS WROTE AND THEN CASHED 11 CHECKS RANGING FROM $2000 TO $7000. INVESTIGATORS AREN'T SURE HOW WILLIAMS SPENT THE MONEY.
A COALITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION GROUPS HAS FILED A FEDERAL CHALLENGE TO A NEW HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER LINE THAT WOULD RUN THROUGH PARKLAND SPANNING PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY, ON EITHER SIDE OF THE DELAWARE RIVER. THE LAWSUIT WAS FILED YESTERDAY IN WASHINGTON AGAINST THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. THE AGENCY RECENTLY APPROVED THE SUSQUEHANNA-ROSELAND LINE, WHICH IS SLATED TO RUN THROUGH THE DELAWARE WATER GAP NATIONAL RECREATION AREA. THE ROUGHLY $1 BILLION PROJECT WOULD RAISE THE LINES' CAPACITY FROM 230 KILOVOLTS TO 500 KILOVOLTS AND RAISE TOWERS TO AS HIGH AS 190 FEET TALL. PARTIES TO THE LAWSUIT SAY IT WILL SCAR THE LANDSCAPE AND HAVE A NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
A STATE HOUSE RESOLUTION SEEKING A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION OF THE JERRY SANDUSKY CASE APPEARS TO BE DEAD FOR THE CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION AFTER REPUBLICANS BLOCKED ANOTHER EFFORT TO BRING IT TO A VOTE. THE HOUSE VOTED SEVERAL TIMES MONDAY AGAINST A DEMOCRATIC-LED ATTEMPT TO BRING THE RESOLUTION TO THE FLOOR. SUPPORTERS WANT THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO LOOK INTO WHETHER THE THREE-YEAR PROBE OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE FORMER PENN STATE ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH TOOK TOO LONG AND PUT CHILDREN'S SAFETY AT RISK. SANDUSKY IS VOWING TO APPEAL AFTER BEING SENTENCED LAST WEEK TO AT LEAST 30 YEARS IN STATE PRISON FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF 10 BOYS. PENN STATE HAS CONFIRMED FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SOUGHT A WIDE RANGE OF SANDUSKY-RELATED MATERIALS, BUT THE TARGET AND NATURE OF THEIR INVESTIGATION AREN'T CLEAR.
STATE GAMBLING REGULATORS SAY GROSS REVENUE FROM TABLE GAMES WAS UP 15.4 PERCENT LAST MONTH COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD A YEAR AGO. THE PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD REPORTED MONDAY THAT THE STATE'S 11 CASINOS GENERATED $59.3 MILLION IN GROSS REVENUE FROM TABLE GAMES LAST MONTH. THAT'S UP FROM $51.4 MILLION IN SEPTEMBER 2011. THIS YEAR'S NUMBERS INCLUDE $2.9 MILLION GENERATED AT VALLEY FORGE CASINO RESORT, WHICH OPENED IN MARCH. WHEN COMPARING ONLY CASINOS OPEN DURING BOTH PERIODS, GROSS TABLE GAMES REVENUE WAS UP A LITTLE LESS THAN 10 PERCENT LAST MONTH.
A PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN WHO CALLED HERSELF JIHAD JANE AND ADMITTED SHE PLOTTED TO KILL A SWEDISH ARTIST WHO OFFENDED MUSLIMS FACES A LIFE SENTENCE IN DECEMBER. PENNSBURG RESIDENT COLLEEN LAROSE HAS BEEN IN CUSTODY SINCE SHE RETURNED FROM IRELAND TO SURRENDER TO THE FBI IN 2009. HER ARREST WAS KEPT SECRET UNTIL SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WERE ROUNDED UP MONTHS LATER. A MARYLAND TEENAGER HAS BEEN CHARGED. COURT PAPERS SHOW THE 48-YEAR-OLD LAROSE CALLED HERSELF JIHAD JANE IN AN ONLINE VIDEO AND SAID SHE WAS "DESPERATE" TO HELP MUSLIMS. LAROSE PLEADED GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY TO MURDER A FOREIGN TARGET AND SUPPORT TERRORISTS AND LYING TO THE FBI. THE MURDER PLOT WASN'T CARRIED OUT. PROSECUTORS SAID MONDAY LAROSE'S SENTENCING WILL BE DECEMBER 19 IN PHILADELPHIA.
WHEN ANDY REID USES THE WORD "PATHETIC" TO DESCRIBE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, IT MUST'VE BEEN REALLY BAD. THE EAGLES BLEW A 10-POINT LEAD WITH 5:18 LEFT AND LOST 26-23 IN OVERTIME TO DETROIT ON SUNDAY TO FALL TO 3-3 GOING INTO THEIR BYE WEEK. IT WAS THE SECOND STRAIGHT GAME THEY WASTED A LATE LEAD, A COMMON THEME OVER THE PAST TWO SEASONS. REID WAS UNCHARACTERISTICALLY CRITICAL OF THE OFFENSE FOR ITS LAST TWO SERIES. MICHAEL VICK AND CO. WENT THREE-AND-OUT LATE IN THE GAME, ALLOWING THE LIONS ENOUGH TIME TO GET THE TYING FIELD GOAL TO FORCE OVERTIME. AFTER WINNING THE COIN TOSS, THEY WENT THREE-AND-OUT AGAIN WITH VICK GETTING SACKED ON THE FIRST TWO PLAYS TO LOSE 21 YARDS.
THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES HAVE HIRED WALLY JOYNER TO BE THEIR ASSISTANT HITTING COACH. JOYNER WILL ASSIST NEW HITTING COACH STEVE HENDERSON. THE 50-YEAR-OLD JOYNER FINISHED HIS CAREER WITH A .289 BATTING AVERAGE, 409 DOUBLES, 204 HOME RUNS AND 1,106 RBIS IN 2,033 GAMES.
