NOBODY WAS HURT TUESDAY MORNING WHEN SHOTS WERE FIRED OUTSIDE A SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP HOME. POLICE WERE CALLED TO 2021 FOCHT AVENUE JUST BEFORE 10:30 FOR A REPORT OF GUNSHOTS. INVESTIGATORS STILL AREN'T SURE WHAT HAPPENED. NO ARRESTS ARE REPORTED YET.
A BATH MAN IS CHARGED WITH CARELESS DRIVING IN A SEPTEMBER CRASH THAT KILLED TWO PEOPLE. 51-YEAR-OLD LESTER SMITH IS ACCUSED OF DRIVING HIS CAR INTO THE ONCOMING LANE ON HANOVERVILLE ROAD AND SLAMMING HEAD-ON INTO THE CAR DRIVEN BY 67-YEAR-OLD CLIFFORD BABIN JUNIOR. BABIN AND HIS 88-YEAR-OLD MOTHER, GERTRUDE, WERE BOTH KILLED.
AUTOPSIES ARE BEING DONE TODAY ON THE BODIES OF TWO MEN FOUND SHOT TO DEATH IN READING. A POLICE OFFICER FOUND THE BODIES EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING AFTER RESPONDING TO REPORTS OF GUNFIRE. THE OFFICER FOUND ONE OF THE VICTIMS BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A CAR AND FOUND THE OTHER BODY ON THE SIDEWALK, ABOUT 10 YARDS AWAY. THAT MAN WAS 22-YEAR-OLD DARIO McLEMORE OF PALMER TOWNSHIP.
IT'S SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR IN PRISON FOR A HIV-POSITIVE EASTON MAN WHO SPIT BLOOD IN THE FACE OF AN EASTON POLICE OFFICER BACK IN MAY. 20-YEAR-OLD NATHANIEL WATSON PLEADED GUILTY TO THE CHARGE HE SPIT BLOOD IN THE BACK OF A SQUAD CAR AFTER STRUGGLING WITH POLICE WHO WERE TAKING HIM INTO CUSTODY. AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS HE THEN SPIT BLOOD ON THE OFFICER.
INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY NOW KNOW WHAT STARTED A FIRE THAT INJURED A LOCAL COLLEGE STUDENT. AN OFF-CAMPUS FIRE THAT BURNED A LEHIGH UNIVERSITY STUDENT WAS STARTED BY A CANDLE INSIDE THAT STUDENT'S ROOM. BETHLEHEM FIRE INVESTIGATORS SAY THE FIRE, WHICH IS NOW RULED ACCIDENTAL, FORCED NINE LEHIGH STUDENTS FROM THEIR ATTACHED HOMES ON MONTCLAIR AVENUE. ANDREW DOUGLAS WAS INJURED IN THE FIRE AND IS NOW RECOVERING AT HOME.
FORMER PENN STATE PRESIDENT GRAHAM SPANIER WANTS A JUDGE TO LOOSEN HIS BAIL RULES TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR HIM TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE PENNSYLVANIA AND OVERSEAS. SPANIER IS ACCUSED OF COVERING UP COMPLAINTS ABOUT JERRY SANDUSKY, A FORMER ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH CONVICTED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING BOYS. SPANIER'S REQUEST FILED LAST MONTH SAYS HE WANTS TO VISIT HIS SECOND HOME IN NEW YORK CITY AND RELATIVES IN IOWA AND CHICAGO. HE SAYS WORK ON EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS REQUIRES TRAVEL TO NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, AND HE HAS "CONTINUING CONTACT" WITH OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON. SPANIER WANTS HIS PASSPORT BACK FOR FOREIGN TRAVEL TO A RELATIVE'S WEDDING, TO HIS FATHER'S HOMETOWN IN GERMANY, AND TO THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR WORK. STATE PROSECUTORS SAY THE REQUESTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
THE WIVES OF PENNSYLVANIA SENATORS BOB CASEY AND PAT TOOMEY ARE PITCHING IN TO HELP COMPLETE THE FLIGHT 93 MEMORIAL. KRIS TOOMEY SAYS THE MEMORIAL IS LONG OVERDUE. "I WAS MOVED TO DO THIS AFTER I WAS AT THE MEMORIAL DEDICATION. I WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN I HEARD THE MEMORIAL HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS," TOOMEY SAID. MRS. TOOMEY AND MRS. CASEY CO-HOSTED AN EVENT FOR MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND THEIR SPOUSES TUESDAY TO RALLY SUPPORT FOR RAISING THE $5 MILLION NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE MEMORIAL IN SOMERSET COUNTY.
A STATE REPRESENTATIVE FROM CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA IS RAISING MONEY AS A HOLIDAY PRESENT FOR A FORMER HIGH-RANKING HOUSE REPUBLICAN SERVING PRISON TIME FOR PUBLIC CORRUPTION. REP. GARTH EVERETT SAID THE CASE HAS "WREAKED HAVOC" ON THE FINANCES OF FORMER STATE REP. BRETT FEESE, HIS PREDECESSOR IN A LYCOMING COUNTY DISTRICT, SO EVERETT EMAILED FELLOW HOUSE REPUBLICANS ON MONDAY. EVERETT SAID HE'S RECEIVED SOME DONATIONS, WHICH WILL BE ADDED TO FEESE'S ACCOUNT AT WAYMART STATE PRISON IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. EVERETT SAID FEESE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE REQUEST, AND WILL PROBABLY BE ANNOYED TO LEARN ABOUT IT. FEESE WAS CONVICTED A YEAR AGO OF ALL 40 COUNTS AGAINST HIM. HIS CASE INVOLVED USING PUBLIC MONEY TO HIRE OUT-OF-STATE CONSULTANTS AND HAVING LEGISLATIVE WORKERS DEVELOP COMPUTER SOFTWARE TO AID CAMPAIGN EFFORTS.
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE 1980s THE CAPITOL CHRISTMAS TREE WAS LIT OUTSIDE ON THE STEPS OF THE CAPITOL. "ONE OF THE REASONS WE DECIDED TO PUT THE TREE ON THE FRONT STEPS WAS TO NOT ONLY SHARE THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT BUT FRIENDSHIP WITH PEOPLE OF THIS CITY AND THE MANY VISITORS FROM AROUND THE STATE AND AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT COME TO SEE HARRISBURG," GOVERNOR CORBETT SAID. THE GOVERNOR, HIS WIFE AND THE FAMILY OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JIM CAWLEY LIT THE TREE TUESDAY EVENING. THE 22-FOOT DOUGLAS FIR WAS GROWN IN LEHIGHTON.
TWO MEN ROBBED A SCRANTON MAN OF HIS CHICKEN-SALAD SANDWICH AFTER LEARNING HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY ON HIM. ACTING SCRANTON POLICE CAPT. GLEN THOMAS SAYS THE ASSAILANTS APPROACHED A 30-YEAR-OLD MAN AT AN INTERSECTION SHORTLY BEFORE 1 A.M. TUESDAY AND DEMANDED HIS MONEY. WHEN THEY FOUND OUT HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CASH, ONE OF THE MEN PUNCHED HIM. THEN THEY SWIPED HIS SANDWICH AND TOOK OFF ON FOOT.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE'S CAMPAIGN SAYS HIS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WILL RUN FOR RE-ELECTION. CAMPAIGN OFFICIALS SAID KIM GUADAGNO WOULD JOIN CHRISTIE ON THE 2013 GOP TICKET.
THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB PLANS TO HONOR PENN STATE'S SENIORS FOR THE PLAYERS' COMMITMENT AND LEADERSHIP DURING A CHALLENGING SEASON. THE 31 SENIORS WILL RECEIVE THE THOMAS BROOKSHIER SPIRIT AWARD AFTER THE NITTANY LIONS FINISHED 8-4 FOLLOWING THE NCAA SANCTIONS FOR THE SCHOOL'S HANDLING OF THE CHILD MOLESTATION SCANDAL INVOLVING RETIRED ASSISTANT COACH JERRY SANDUSKY. THE SENIORS HELPED KEEP MOST OF THE TEAM TOGETHER FOLLOWING THE PENALTIES. THE PAST YEAR ALSO INCLUDED THE PASSING OF FORMER COACH JOE PATERNO AND THE TRANSITION TO SUCCESSOR BILL O'BRIEN'S TENURE AS COACH. MAXWELL PRESIDENT RON JAWORSKI IN A STATEMENT PRAISED THE SENIORS AND CALLED THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS "ASTONISHING" IN LIGHT OF UNPRECEDENTED CIRCUMSTANCES.
