AFTER MONTHS OF WORK AND A NASTY LEGAL FIGHT, THE CITY OF ALLENTOWN AND THE OWNERS OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS HOCKEY TEAM HELD AN OFFICIAL GROUNDBREAKING THURSDAY AFTERNOON AT THE SITE OF THE UNDER-CONSTRUCTION ARENA. MAYOR ED PAWLOWSKI COULDN'T BE HAPPIER. "THANK YOU ROB AND JIM BROOKS AND EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES ALLENTOWN'S BEST DAYS ARE AHEAD OF US," PAWLOWSKI SAID. OWNERS ROB AND JIM BROOKS, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS' G.M. PAUL HOLMGREN AND LOCAL POLITICAL LEADERS ATTENDED THE GROUNDBREAKING. THE PHANTOMS ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN PLAY IN ALLENTOWN IN THE FALL OF 2014.
IT APPEARS FAMILY MEMBERS OF FIVE PATIENTS KILLED BY SERIAL KILLER NURSE CHARLES CULLEN HAVE AGREED TO SETTLE WITH BOTH CULLEN AND ST. LUKE'S UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. TODAY'S MORNING CALL REPORTS THE SETTLEMENT IS SEALED, BUT COULD BE WORTH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THE CASES WERE FILED ON BEHALF OF FIVE ST. LUKE'S PATIENTS WHOM CULLEN HAS ALREADY ADMITTED TO KILLING OR TRYING TO KILL WHILE HE WAS A NURSE AT THE HOSPITAL. CULLEN HAS ADMITTED TO KILLING 29 PATIENTS WHILE HE WORKED AS A NURSE AT HOSPITALS IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY AND NEW JERSEY AND IS SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE.
TWO PHARMACISTS ARE AMONG 10 PEOPLE CHARGED IN A NATIONAL, MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ONLINE PRESCRIPTION DRUG FRAUD SCHEME. LENA LASHER AND PETER RICCIO, BOTH OF NEW JERSEY, RUN THE HELLERTOWN PHARMACY AND WERE ALLEGEDLY PART OF A SCHEME THAT RAN FROM 2010 UNTIL THIS MONTH. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE TWO ARE CHARGED WITH NARCOTICS CONSPIRACY, MAIL AND WIRE FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING. THE SCHEME CENTERED ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRESCRIPTION PAIN MEDICINE.
A LOCAL POLICE OFFICER FINDS HERSELF ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE LAW. PALMER TOWNSHIP POLICE OFFICER SUSAN SIEGFRIED DROVE HER JEEP INTO A TREE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. WHEN POLICE ARRIVED, THEY SAY SIEGFRIED WAS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE AND APPEARED DRUNK AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR A BLOOD TEST. THE TEST SHOWED HER BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS .32 PERCENT, OR FOUR TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT. THE 19-YEAR PALMER TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT VETERAN HAS BEEN PLACED ON LEAVE.
EFFECTIVE SATURDAY, U.G.I. GAS CUSTOMERS WILL SEE THEIR GAS PRICES DROP BY ALMOST 4 PERCENT. U.G.I. SAYS THAT'LL MEAN THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL HEATING CUSTOMER'S BILL WILL DROP BY A LITTLE MORE THAN $3 PER MONTH. U.G.I. SAYS THE PRICE CUT IS DUE TO FALLING WHOLESALE NATURAL GAS PRICES.
WHILE ARTSQUEST IS KNEE DEEP WITH ITS ANNUAL CHRISTKINDLMARKT RIGHT NOW, IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT FORGETTING ABOUT MUSIKFEST 2013. COUNTRY STAR DARIUS RUCKER IS THE FIRST ANNOUNCED MUSIKFEST 2013 ACT. HE'LL BE ON THE SANDS STEEL STAGE THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 9. TICKETS, WHICH ARE $39 AND $54, GO ON SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON DECEMBER 21.
GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT SAYS HE MAY AGREE TO TALK WITH INVESTIGATORS FOR THE STATE'S INCOMING ATTORNEY GENERAL IN HER PROMISED PROBE OF THE OFFICE'S HANDLING OF THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD SEX-ABUSE CASE. CORBETT WAS ATTORNEY GENERAL WHEN THE STATE INVESTIGATION OF THE EX-PENN STATE ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH BEGAN. HE SAID YESTERDAY HE PROBABLY WOULD CONSENT TO AN INTERVIEW SO LONG AS HE IS CONVINCED THE INVESTIGATION IS NOT A POLITICAL GAME. ATTORNEY GENERAL-ELECT KATHLEEN KANE PROMISED TO LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION INTO WHY IT TOOK 33 MONTHS TO ARREST SANDUSKY. SANDUSKY WAS CONVICTED ON 45 COUNTS OF ABUSING BOYS AND SENTENCED TO AT LEAST 30 YEARS IN PRISON. CORBETT SAYS INVESTIGATORS NEEDED TIME TO FIND MULTIPLE VICTIMS WILLING TO TESTIFY TO ENSURE SANDUSKY WAS CONVICTED.
THE FORMER LEADER OF PENNSYLVANIA'S SENATE DEMOCRATS IS DUE IN COURT TODAY TO BE SENTENCED IN A PUBLIC CORRUPTION CASE INVOLVING THE MISUSE OF HIS TAXPAYER-FUNDED STAFF. ROBERT MELLOW PLEADED GUILTY LAST MAY TO A FEDERAL CONSPIRACY CHARGE. PROSECUTORS SAY MELLOW, ONCE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL FIGURES IN STATE GOVERNMENT, USED HIS OWN SENATE STAFF AND STAFFERS FOR OTHER DEMOCRATIC SENATORS TO RUN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS. PROSECUTORS ARE SEEKING AT LEAST TWO YEARS IN PRISON. HIS LAWYERS SAY MELLOW'S BACKGROUND AND STATUS AS A FIRST-TIME OFFENDER JUSTIFY A SENTENCE OF PROBATION. MELLOW WILL BE SENTENCED BY A FEDERAL JUDGE IN SCRANTON.
THE NEW JERSEY STATE SENATE HAS PASSED A BILL TO HIKE THE STATE'S MINIMUM WAGE NOW AND TIE AUTOMATIC YEARLY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX. THE SENATE APPROVED THE MEASURE YESTERDAY BY A PARTY-LINE 23-16 VOTE. THE BILL WOULD RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE BY $1.25 TO $8.50 PER HOUR. THE BILL COULD BE HEADED FOR A VETO BY REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE. THE DEMOCRAT-LED SENATE IS PREPARED FOR A VETO AND ALSO PASSED A MEASURE TO PUT THE AUTOMATIC YEARLY ADJUSTMENTS ON THE BALLOT AS A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
THE STATE SENATE HAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE STATE'S E-ZPASS SYSTEM TO TELL MOTORISTS HOW MUCH IS BEING DEDUCTED FROM THEIR ACCOUNTS AT EACH TOLL. SUPPORTERS OF THE "TRUTH IN TOLLING ACT" SAY IT WILL ELIMINATE THE MYSTERY ABOUT E-ZPASS CHARGES. CURRENTLY, A DIGITAL READOUT TELLS MOTORISTS THAT THEIR TOLL HAS BEEN PAID. BUT IT DOESN'T SPECIFY A DOLLAR AMOUNT. THE BILL WOULD REQUIRE THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE AUTHORITY AND SOUTH JERSEY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY TO MAKE THE CHANGE DURING THEIR NEXT SCHEDULED EQUIPMENT UPGRADES. THE BILL WOULDN'T APPLY TO TOLL BOOTHS AT MAJOR BRIDGES AND TUNNELS THAT ARE CONTROLLED BY BI-STATE AGENCIES, OR TO HIGH-SPEED EXPRESS E-ZPASS LANES. THE MEASURE NOW GOES TO THE ASSEMBLY FOR CONSIDERATION.
GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE, ALONG WITH HIS COUNTERPARTS IN NEW YORK AND CONNECTICUT, ARE JOINING FORCES IN A REGIONAL EFFORT TO LAND MORE FEDERAL AID FOR RECOVERING FROM SUPERSTORM SANDY. THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME YESTERDAY FROM CUOMO'S OFFICE. HE SAYS FEDERAL AID WILL HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE SO STATES CAN USE IT WITHOUT TOO MANY RESTRICTIONS. CHRISTIE, A REPUBLICAN, IS SEEKING $37 BILLION FOR RECOVERY AND REBUILDING. CUOMO, A DEMOCRAT, IS ASKING FOR $42 BILLION FOR REPAIRS AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES.
THE NEW JERSEY STATE SENATE HAS DELAYED A VOTE ON A MEASURE THAT WOULD MAKE MARRIAGES A BIT MORE EXPENSIVE BUT EASIER TO UNDO. THE BILL WOULD RAISE THE FEE FOR A MARRIAGE LICENSE TO $60 FROM $30 AND ALLOW ANNULMENTS WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE CEREMONY IF REQUESTED BY EITHER PARTY. IT WAS SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION YESTERDAY BUT WAS NOT VOTED ON. THE BILL WOULD APPLY TO CIVIL UNIONS OF SAME-SEX COUPLES. IT WOULD GIVE JUDGES THE POWER TO WAIVE THE 72-HOUR WAITING PERIOD FOR MARRIAGE LICENSES IN CASES OF EMERGENCY AND LET COUPLES APPLY FOR A LICENSE IN THE TOWN WHERE THEY LIVE, NOT JUST WHERE THEY INTEND TO TIE THE KNOT. IT WAS ALREADY PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY.
EAGLES QUARTERBACK MICHAEL VICK REMAINS SIDELINED AFTER THE TEAM SAYS HE DIDN'T PASS A LEAGUE-MANDATED CONCUSSION TEST THIS WEEK. VICK TOOK THE EXAM ON WEDNESDAY. ROOKIE BACKUP NICK FOLES WILL LIKELY GET THE CALL TO START SUNDAY AGAINST THE COWBOYS IN DALLAS.
