BIMBO BAKERIES HAS BOUGHT 30 ACRES OF LAND ON BOULDER DRIVE IN BREINIGSVILLE WITH THE PLAN TO BUILD A 240,000 SQUARE FOOT PLANT. IN A COMPANY STATEMENT, THE BAKERY SAYS CONSTRUCTION SHOULD BEGIN WITHIN A FEW MONTHS AND COULD BE WRAPPED UP BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. THE $75 MILLION BAKERY IS EXPECTED TO BRING MORE THAN 100 JOBS WHEN IT IS FULLY OPERATIONAL EARLY NEXT YEAR. THE BAKERY WILL BE BUILT NEAR AN OCEAN SPRAY BOTTLING PLANT THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
IN A 6-1 VOTE, ALLENTOWN CITY COUNCIL VOTED DOWN A BALLOT QUESTION THAT WOULD GIVE VOTERS A SAY ON THE SALE OR LEASE OF CITY ASSETS. HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE QUESTION WON'T APPEAR ON THE BALLOT THIS YEAR. THE VOTE MEANS THE QUESTION WILL BE ON THE MAY PRIMARY BALLOT FOR VOTERS TO CONSIDER AND AGAIN IN NOVEMBER AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CHARTER. HAD COUNCIL VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE QUESTION WOULD HAVE PUT THE CHARTER AMENDMENT ON THIS SPRING'S BALLOT. MAYOR ED PAWLOWSKI WANTS TO LEASE THE CITY'S WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS TO HELP PAY OFF THE CITY'S PENSION OBLIGATIONS.
THE MAN BEATEN IN EASTON ON CHRISTMAS EVE HAS NOW DIED. ANDRES RUIZ-AVELIZAPA DIED MONDAY NIGHT AT EASTON HOSPITAL, TWO WEEKS AFTER HE WAS ASSAULTED IN THE 400 BLOCK OF NORTHAMPTON STREET. POLICE SAY 33-YEAR OLD ANTONIO ORTIZ IS THE MAN WHO BEAT UP RUIZ-AVELIZAPA. HE'S IN PRISON FOR ASSAULT CHARGES AND COULD FACE ADDITIONAL CHARGES.
POLICE IN ALLENTOWN ARE INVESTIGATING A PAIR OF TUESDAY EVENING SHOOTINGS. A MAN AND A WOMAN WERE BOTH SHOT NEAR NEW AND ALLEN STREETS JUST BEFORE 6 O'CLOCK. POLICE AREN'T SURE IF BOTH WERE SHOT THERE, IF THEY KNOW EACH OTHER OR IF ANYBODY ELSE WAS INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTINGS. THE MAN WAS SHOT IN THE BACK AND THE WOMAN WAS WOUNDED IN THE SHOULDER. BOTH ARE EXPECTED TO SURVIVE.
WILLIAM REYNOLDS WANTS TO BE THE NEXT MAYOR OF BETHLEHEM. THE DEMOCRATIC CITY COUNCILMAN OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED HIS BID TUESDAY AFTERNOON, SAYING BUILDING STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS WILL BE THE FOUNDATION OF HIS CAMPAIGN. AS OF NOW, REYNOLDS AND FELLOW DEMOCRATIC COUNCILMAN ROBERT DONCHEZ ARE THE ONLY TWO ANNOUNCED CANDIDATES TO REPLACE JOHN CALLAHAN, WHO CANNOT RUN AGAIN AFTER COMPLETING HIS SECOND FOUR-YEAR TERM.
PENNSYLVANIA'S LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SAYS HIS BOSS'S TOP PRIORITY FOR 2013 IS THE SAME AS IT HAS BEEN FOR HIS FIRST TWO YEARS IN OFFICE. "IT'S GOING TO BE TO PASS ANOTHER BUDGET ON TIME, WITHOUT RAISING TAXES," LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JIM CAWLEY SAYS. GOVERNOR CORBETT WILL RELEASE HIS BUDGET NEXT MONTH. CAWLEY SAYS THE GOVERNOR WILL ALSO PUSH LAWMAKERS TO TACKLE THE ISSUE OF PENNSYLVANIA'S GROWING PENSION OBLIGATIONS RATHER THAN JUST PUTTING IT OFF FOR YET ANOTHER YEAR.
FORMER PENN STATE PRESIDENT GRAHAM SPANIER WANTS A JUDGE TO MODIFY HIS BAIL CONDITION THAT PREVENTS HIM FROM ANY CONTACT WITH CURRENT OR FORMER MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES. SPANIER'S LAWYERS FILED A MOTION MONDAY THAT SAYS THE RESTRICTION IN A DECEMBER 31 DAUPHIN COUNTY COURT ORDER ISN'T PRACTICAL AND MAY BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. SPANIER SAYS HE SEES TRUSTEES ALL THE TIME IN STATE COLLEGE, AND TWO FORMER TRUSTEES LIVE IN HIS APARTMENT BUILDING. HE SAYS HE ENCOUNTERS OTHERS SOCIALLY, OR WHILE SHOPPING. HE SAYS ANOTHER PROVISION, BARRING CONTACT WITH ANY WITNESSES, ISN'T PRACTICAL UNLESS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE DISCLOSES WHO IT PLANS TO CALL AT TRIAL. SPANIER REMAINS A TENURED FACULTY MEMBER ON PAID LEAVE. HE FACES CHARGES IN AN ALLEGED COVER-UP OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT JERRY SANDUSKY.
PENNSYLVANIA'S ELECTED FISCAL WATCHDOG SAYS THE TURNPIKE COMMISSION LOST ABOUT $109 MILLION IN INTEREST RATE SWAPS AND SAYS IT NEEDS GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY IN HOW THE FIVE COMMISSIONERS' EXPENSES ARE REPORTED. AUDITOR GENERAL JACK WAGNER SAID TUESDAY THAT GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES SHOULD NOT BE USING SWAPS, GIVEN THE RISK THEY CARRY AND FIXED-RATE BORROWING BEING CHEAP. TURNPIKE OFFICIALS SAY WAGNER USED INCORRECT METHODS TO CALCULATE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THE SWAPS. WAGNER ALSO CRITICIZED THE COMMISSIONERS FOR EXPENSES THAT INCLUDED HOTEL STAYS THAT SOMETIMES EXCEEDED $300 A NIGHT AND AN OVERALL "LACK OF TRANSPARENCY" IN ACCOUNTING FOR THE COSTS. WAGNER SAYS THE TURNPIKE ALSO SHOULD INSTALL FIRE DETECTION SYSTEMS IN ALL ITS TUNNELS AND HAVE MORE RIGOROUS PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW UP ON TUNNEL INSPECTIONS.
LATE LAST MONTH, DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR DAYLIN LEACH SAID IT'S TIME FOR PENNSYLVANIA TO FOLLOW COLORADO AND WASHINGTON. HE'S CONTINUING THAT PUSH IN THE NEW YEAR. "WE'VE GOTTA STOP RUINING LIVES NOW, WHICH IS WHY I'M INTRODUCING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA," LEACH SAYS. THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEMOCRAT SAYS THE STATE SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD TO JAIL MARIJUANA USERS AND HE WANTS TO ALLOW MARIJUANA USAGE IN A MANNER TO SIMILAR TO ALCOHOL USE. HIS LEGISLATION WOULD PROHIBIT DRIVING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MARIJUANA, RE-SELLING THE DRUG, OR ANYBODY UNDER 21 FROM HAVING POT.
NEW JERSEY GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE IS PROMISING HIS STATE WILL BE BACK "STRONGER THAN EVER" AFTER SUPERSTORM SANDY AND WILL DO IT WITHOUT RETURNING TO THE "OLD WAYS OF WASTEFUL SPENDING AND RISING TAXES." CHRISTIE MADE THE PLEDGE IN HIS ANNUAL STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS TUESDAY AND FOCUSED ON NEW JERSEY'S RECOVERY FROM ITS MOST COSTLY NATURAL DISASTER. IT WAS MORE A PEP TALK THAN A BLUEPRINT FOR THE STATE'S FUTURE, MORE TESTIMONY TO THE STATE'S GRIT THAN POLICY PRESCRIPTION. CHRISTIE SAYS "THE STATE IS RECOVERING AND GROWING, NOT DECLINING AND DESCENDING." CHRISTIE HAS A RE-ELECTION BID FOR THIS YEAR.
THE EAGLES WILL INTERVIEW LOVIE SMITH FOR THEIR COACHING VACANCY ON THURSDAY. SMITH WAS FIRED AFTER NINE SEASONS WITH THE BEARS. HE LED CHICAGO TO THREE DIVISION TITLES AND ONE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP. HE LOST HIS JOB AFTER THE TEAM WENT 3-5 FOLLOWING A 7-1 START AND MISSED THE PLAYOFFS. THE EAGLES, WHO FIRED ANDY REID AFTER 14 SEASONS, ALSO PLAN TO INTERVIEW INDIANAPOLIS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BRUCE ARIANS AND SEATTLE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR GUS BRADLEY THIS WEEK. THEY'VE ALREADY INTERVIEWED FIVE OTHER CANDIDATES.
