WHEN LEHIGH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEET TONIGHT, THEY'LL HAVE TWO BUDGET PROPOSALS TO CHOOSE FROM. COMMISSIONER SCOTT OTT OUTLINES COUNTY EXECUTIVE BILL HANSELL'S PLAN. "IT INCREASES SPENDING BY ABOUT $3.35 MILLION DESPITE THE TOUGH ECONOMY WE'RE IN AND DOES A SORT OF A GIMMICKY ONE-TIME GIVEBACK OF $6.5 MILLION," OTT SAYS. THE BUDGET BACKED BY OTT AND FOUR OTHER COMMISSIONERS WOULD CUT BOTH THE TAX RATE AND SPENDING. OTT SAYS THEY NEED ANOTHER VOTE TO VETO-PROOF THE BUDGET HE AND FOUR OTHER REPUBLICANS ARE SUPPORTING. THE COMMISSIONERS' MEETING BEGINS AT 7 O'CLOCK TONIGHT.
PINK SLIPS WILL BE HANDED OUT AT LEHIGH VALLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO TODAY'S MORNING CALL, THE AIRPORT WILL BE LAYING OFF AT LEAST 10 PERCENT OF ITS 110 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND SOME SERVICES WILL BE ELIMINATED AS WELL. AS PART OF THE AIRPORT'S TENTATIVE $19.9 MILLION BUDGET SERVICES LIKE A FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE TAKING PEOPLE TO THEIR CARS. THE AIRPORT SAYS IT COULD SAVE $300,000 BY ELIMINATING THE SHUTTLE.
AN ADMITTED CHILD ABUSER WILL GO ON TRIAL FOR BEATING AND SHAKING A 9-MONTH-OLD BABY. CARDELL FREDERICK, OF ALLENTOWN, WAIVED HIS RIGHT TO A PRELIMINARY HEARING AND REMAINS IN LEHIGH COUNTY PRISON UNDER $250,000 BAIL FOR ABUSING THE BABY BECAUSE THE BABY WAS CRYING TOO MUCH. DOCTORS SAY THE CHILD SUFFERED FRACTURES TO AN ARM, HIP, LEGS AND RIBS AND MAY HAVE PERMANENT BRAIN INJURIES FROM THE BEATINGS.
FEDERAL AVIATION AUTHORITIES SAY THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT A HELICOPTER THAT CRASHED IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA EARLIER THIS MONTH, KILLING TWO PEOPLE, HAD ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD SAYS IN A PRELIMINARY REPORT THAT MINUTES BEFORE THE OCTOBER 9 CRASH, A PASSENGER HAD TEXTED THAT THEY WERE "RUNNING LATE." AUTHORITIES SAID THE 2007 BELL 407 AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING IN INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS, MEANING THE PILOT COULD NOT HAVE SEEN THE GROUND OR HORIZON, BEFORE IT WENT DOWN IN COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP. KILLED WERE 52-YEAR-OLD PILOT WILLIAM ELLSWORTH, OF CALIFON, N.J., AND 51-YEAR-OLD TIGHE SULLIVAN, OF DARIEN, CONN., WERE KILLED AND A THIRD MAN WAS INJURED. OFFICIALS SAID THE THREE WERE ON THEIR WAY BACK FROM A GOLF OUTING IN NEW YORK.
STATE POLICE SAY THE DEATH OF A NEW JERSEY MAN FOUND IN A SHALLOW GRAVE IN AN ISOLATED FOREST IN THE POCONOS IS BEING INVESTIGATED AS A HOMICIDE. POLICE FROM THE FERN RIDGE BARRACKS SAY THE VICTIM WAS IDENTIFIED TUESDAY AS 33-YEAR-OLD JUBAR HUGHES OF NEWARK, N.J. OFFICIALS IN CARBON COUNTY SAY A RESIDENT FOUND THE BODY MONDAY AFTER SPOTTING A FRESH GRAVE WHILE ON A WALK. CORONER BRUCE NALESNIC RULED THE DEATH A HOMICIDE AND SAID THE BODY HAD BEEN IN THE GRAVE FOR LESS THAN 24 HOURS.
AUTHORITIES IN BERKS COUNTY SAY A WOMAN WAS KILLED AND A MAN WAS INJURED WHEN A SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLE STRUCK THEIR HORSE-DRAWN BUGGY. POLICE SAY THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED LATE MONDAY NIGHT IN MAIDENCREEK TOWNSHIP. DEPUTY CORONER KURT KATZENMOYER SAYS 27-YEAR-OLD LAURA RINGLER DIED SHORTLY AFTER SHE WAS TAKEN TO READING HOSPITAL. A MAN WHO WAS FLOWN TO THE HOSPITAL WAS REPORTED IN GOOD CONDITION YESTERDAY. THE MENNONITE COUPLE WERE RIDING HOME AFTER A SHOPPING TRIP WHEN AN SUV STRUCK THE VEHICLE. CORONER DENNIS HESS SAYS THE BUGGY HAD WORKING HEAD AND TAIL LIGHTS, AS REQUIRED BY LAW. THE HORSE WAS ALSO SEVERELY INJURED AND A POLICE OFFICER EUTHANIZED THE ANIMAL BEFORE A VETERINARIAN ARRIVED.
COAL-MINING JOBS AND LOSING JOBS TO CHINA ARE PART OF PENNSYLVANIA'S U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES' BATTLE FOR BLUE-COLLAR VOTERS. DEMOCRATIC SEN. BOB CASEY ON TUESDAY HIGHLIGHTED HIS LEADERSHIP IN WINNING THE SENATE'S BIPARTISAN PASSAGE OF A BILL TO PUNISH COUNTRIES THAT ARTIFICIALLY UNDERVALUE THEIR CURRENCY. MEANWHILE, REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER TOM SMITH RELEASED A TV AD CRITICIZING CASEY'S SUPPORT FOR TOUGHER ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS ON POLLUTION FROM COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS. SMITH SIDES WITH MOSTLY REPUBLICAN OPPONENTS TO CASEY'S CURRENCY BILL WHO SAY IT COULD TRIGGER A TRADE WAR. SMITH SAYS CASEY SUPPORTS A "WAR ON COAL," BUT CASEY SAYS HE'S SUPPORTED COAL BY WRITING LEGISLATION TO FUND FEDERAL RESEARCH ON CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGY. SMITH'S NEW AD ELICITED A RESPONSE FROM AFL-CIO PRESIDENT RICHARD TRUMKA, WHO SAYS EMPLOYMENT IN COAL MINING REACHED A 15-YEAR HIGH.
MORE THAN 100,000 PENNSYLVANIA HOUSEHOLDS WHO WERE KICKED OFF THE MEDICAID ROLLS AMID A STATE EFFORT TO PURGE THE PROGRAM OF WASTE WILL GET A CHANCE TO HAVE THEIR BENEFITS REINSTATED. ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN AND THE POOR SAY THEY'VE REACHED A SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS THAT ELIGIBLE FAMILIES WERE IMPROPERLY REMOVED FROM THE HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM. UNDER TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, HOUSEHOLDS WILL BE ABLE TO SUBMIT A ONE-PAGE FORM REQUESTING THAT THEIR MEDICAL BENEFITS BE REINSTATED. ELIGIBLE FAMILIES WILL BE ABLE TO GET REIMBURSED FOR ANY OUT-OF-POCKET MEDICAL EXPENSES THEY INCURRED. THE DISPUTE BEGAN AS THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE TACKLED A BACKLOG OF 385,000 CASES THAT STATE OFFICIALS SAID WERE OVERDUE FOR ELIGIBILITY REVIEWS.
THE HERSHEY COMPANY PLANS TO TEAR DOWN PART OF THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY BUILT BY FOUNDER MILTON HERSHEY AFTER COMPLETING A MOVE TO NEW FACILITIES ACROSS TOWN. THE CHOCOLATE COMPANY IS SEEKING PERMISSION FROM DERRY TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS TO TEAR DOWN PART OF THE FORMER FACTORY, ALTHOUGH THE ICONIC SMOKESTACKS AND MUCH OF THE BUILDING'S OFFICE SPACE WOULD REMAIN INTACT. THE DERRY TOWNSHIP DESIGN REVIEW BOARD WILL HOLD A HEARING NEXT WEEK ON THE PLANS FOR THE FACTORY LOCATED AT 19 EAST CHOCOLATE AVENUE.
NEW JERSEY GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE COMMENDED PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S PERFORMANCE IN THE THIRD PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ON MONDAY, THEN TEMPERED HIS PRAISE BY SAYING A COMMANDER IN CHIEF IS EXPECTED TO BE WELL-VERSED IN FOREIGN POLICY. CHRISTIE SAYS THE 90-MINUTE FACE-OFF BETWEEN OBAMA AND REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER MITT ROMNEY WAS NO GAME-CHANGER BECAUSE BOTH MEN DID WELL. LIKE MANY POLLSTERS, CHRISTIE CALLS THE RACE "A DEAD-EVEN DOG FIGHT" AND SAYS THE RESULT WILL BE BASED ON TURNOUT.
