LEHIGH COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JIM MARTIN SAYS SUBSTITUTE TEACHER MICHAEL AGRIPPINE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A 9-YEAR-OLD SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENT IN A RESTROOM IN THE UNION TERRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ALLENTOWN. "THE VICTIM TOLD A CHILD INTERVIEW SPECIALIST WITH THE LEHIGH COUNTY OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH THAT MR. AGRIPPINE PULLED HIS PANTS DOWN," MARTIN SAYS. THE D.A. SAYS THE ALLEGED ASSAULT HAPPENED FRIDAY, BUT WASN'T REPORTED UNTIL SUNDAY WHEN THE BOY TOLD HIS MOTHER. WHILE AGRIPPINE DENIED DOING ANYTHING WRONG AT HIS ARRAIGNMENT, HIS ARREST AFFIDAVIT SAYS AGRIPPINE ADMITTED TO ASSAULTING THE CHILD. HE WAS SENT TO LEHIGH COUNTY PRISON UNDER $75,000 BAIL.
IT'S BECOMING A BROKEN RECORD THIS WEEK. "THE ARCTIC CHILL IS HERE AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S HERE TO STAY FOR THE MOST PART. WE MAY HAVE A SLIGHT MODERATION BY EARLY NEXT WEEK," SAYS. ACCU-WEATHER'S DAN DEPODWIN. WE'LL BE IN THE LOW TO MID-20s NOW THROUGH SATURDAY AND WON'T REACH THE FREEZING MARK UNTIL PERHAPS MONDAY. TONIGHT'S LOW TEMPERATURE LOOKS LIKE FOUR DEGREES. TOMORROW, IT'S EXPECTED TO BE COLD AGAIN WITH AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW EXPECTED TOMORROW AFTERNOON INTO TOMORROW NIGHT.
IT'S FIVE TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR AN ALLENTOWN MAN WHO PLEADED GUILTY TO BEATING HIS BABY. 25-YEAR-OLD CARDELL FREDERICK SAYS HE ABUSED THE BABY AND WOULD COVER THE BABY'S MOUTH TO KEEP THE CHILD FROM CRYING. DOCTORS HAVE SAID THE CHILD SUFFERED A BROKEN HIP, RIBS, LEGS AND ARMS AND HAS SERIOUS AND PERHAPS PERMANENT BRAIN INJURIES. THE ABUSE HAPPENED FROM FEBRUARY 2011 UNTIL LAST JULY.
JURORS IN A DEATH PENALTY CASE HAVE BEEN SHOWN A VIDEO OF THE DEFENDANT BEING INTERVIEWED BY POLICE AFTER THE SLAYING OF A MAN WHO WAS PARKING ON AN ALLENTOWN STREET. EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD MANUEL FIGUEROA OF ALLENTOWN IS CHARGED WITH HOMICIDE AND RECKLESS ENDANGERING IN THE SEPTEMBER 18 DEATH OF 19-YEAR-OLD DANIEL VELEZ. JURORS WEDNESDAY WERE SHOWN THE VIDEO IN WHICH FIGUEROA AT FIRST SAYS HE WAS NOWHERE NEAR THE MURDER BUT LATER SAYS HE WAS THERE BUT SOMEBODY ELSE FIRED AT THE VICTIM. EARLIER, RELATIVES OF VELEZ AND HIS GIRLFRIEND IDENTIFIED FIGUEROA AS THE SHOOTER. PROSECUTORS ARE EXPECTED TO REST THEIR CASE TODAY. THEY HAVE SAID THEY PLAN TO SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY IF FIGUEROA IS CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.
SCOTT OTT LOST A CLOSE RACE FOR LEHIGH COUNTY EXECUTIVE IN 2009 AND HAS DECIDED TO GIVE IT ANOTHER SHOT THIS YEAR. THE REPUBLICAN COUNTY COMMISSIONER SAYS HIS CAMPAIGN AND FOCUS WON'T BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN FOUR YEARS AGO. "WE STILL HAVE THE SAME, BASIC APPROACH, WHICH IS WE THINK GOVERNMENT CAN BE MORE SUSTAINABLE, ACCOUNTABLE, FOCUSED AND EFFECTIVE," OTT SAYS. HE DECIDED TO RUN FOR EXECUTIVE BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THE NEXT COUNTY EXEC NEEDS TO BE FULLY COMMITTED TO REFORMING COUNTY GOVERNMENT, SOMETHING HE SAYS HE IS.
AIR PRODUCTS SAYS ITS FISCAL FIRST-QUARTER NET INCOME CLIMBED 12 PERCENT. THE COMPANY'S RESULTS BEAT WALL STREET'S EXPECTATIONS, AND AIR PRODUCTS BOOSTED ITS FISCAL 2013 EARNINGS FORECAST. THE TREXLERTOWN-BASED COMPANY EARNED $278.3 MILLION FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED DECEMBER 31ST. THAT COMPARES WITH $248.1 MILLION, OR $1.16 PER SHARE, IN THE PRIOR-YEAR PERIOD.
THERE ARE THREE LEHIGH VALLEY WEGMANS MARKETS AND THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THEM ARE EMPLOYED AT ONE OF THE 100 BEST PLACES TO WORK IN AMERICA ACCORDING TO FORTUNE MAGAZINE. THE MAGAZINE LISTS WEGMANS NUMBER 5 ON THE LIST AND CREDITS WHAT IT CALLS EXCEPTIONALLY LOW EMPLOYEE TURNOVER AS ONE OF THE PRIME REASONS. WEGMANS HAS APPEARED ON THE LIST EVERY YEAR SINCE IT WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1998.
THE UNION REPRESENTING FACULTY MEMBERS AT PENNSYLVANIA'S 14 STATE-OWNED UNIVERSITIES SAYS HUNDREDS OF EDUCATORS PLAN TO PROTEST THEIR STALLED CONTRACT TALKS AT A MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITIES' GOVERNING BOARD. AT LEAST 400 UNION MEMBERS PLAN TO PROTEST AT TODAY'S MEETING OF THE STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION BOARD OF GOVERNORS. OFFICIALS SAY UNION PRESIDENT STEVE HICKS AND BOARD CHAIRMAN GUIDO PICHINI BOTH ARE EXPECTED TO MAKE STATEMENTS AT THE BOARD MEETING. THE 6,000 FACULTY MEMBERS REPRESENTED BY THE UNION HAVE BEEN WORKING WITHOUT A CONTRACT SINCE JUNE 2011. BOTH SIDES HAVE TENTATIVELY AGREED ON PAY RAISES SIMILAR TO WHAT OTHER STATE EMPLOYEE UNIONS RECEIVED, BUT THEY DISAGREE ON ISSUES THAT INCLUDE HEALTH CARE AND CLASS SIZES.
UNION MEMBERSHIP IN PENNSYLVANIA DECLINED SHARPLY LAST YEAR, FOLLOWING A TREND THAT BROUGHT THE NATIONAL RATE TO ITS LOWEST LEVEL SINCE THE 1930S. GOVERNMENT FIGURES SHOW UNION MEMBERSHIP IN THE STATE SHRANK FROM 14.6 PERCENT OF THE WORKFORCE TO 13.5 PERCENT. NATIONALLY, MEMBERSHIP DECLINED FROM 11.8 PERCENT TO 11.3 PERCENT AS CASH-STRAPPED STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SHED WORKERS AND UNIONS HAD DIFFICULTY ORGANIZING NEW MEMBERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. RICK BLOOMINGDALE, THE PENNSYLVANIA AFL-CIO PRESIDENT, SAYS THE FEDERAL FIGURES REFLECT THE LOSS OF ABOUT 50,000 UNION MEMBERS. BLOOMINGDALE SAYS HE HOPES TO REBUILD THE MEMBERSHIP THROUGH MANUFACTURING AND OTHER "MIDDLE-CLASS SUSTAINING JOBS."
GOV. TOM CORBETT NOW SAYS HE'LL ANNOUNCE A LONG-ANTICIPATED TRANSPORTATION FUNDING PLAN NEXT MONTH, AFTER HIS ADMINISTRATION INITIALLY TOLD LAWMAKERS IT WOULD BE ROLLED OUT THIS WEEK. CORBETT SAYS HE WILL UNVEIL IT FEBRUARY 5, ALONG WITH HIS BUDGET PLAN FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FIRST REPORTED LAST WEEK THAT PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH THE PLAN SAID ITS CENTERPIECE WAS RAISING NEARLY $2 BILLION A YEAR BY INCREASING TAXES ON THE FUEL SOLD TO GAS STATIONS.
TWELVE JURORS AND FOUR ALTERNATES HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE CAMPAIGN CORRUPTION TRIAL OF SUSPENDED PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JOAN ORIE MELVIN AND HER SISTER, JANINE. THEY ARE CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY USING MELVIN'S FORMER SUPERIOR COURT STAFF TO RUN HER POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS. BOTH DENY WRONGDOING. OPENING STATEMENTS ARE SET FOR FRIDAY IN WHAT'S EXPECTED TO BE A FOUR-WEEK TRIAL. ALLEGHENY COUNTY PROSECUTORS SAY MELVIN USED HER TAXPAYER-FUNDED SUPERIOR COURT STAFF TO CAMPAIGN FOR THE STATE'S HIGHEST COURT IN 2003 AND 2009, WHEN SHE WON A SUPREME COURT SEAT. THE WOMEN ARE ALSO CHARGED WITH CONSPIRING WITH A THIRD SISTER, FORMER REPUBLICAN STATE SEN. JANE ORIE, TO ILLEGALLY USE ORIE'S STATE-FUNDED STAFF TO WORK ON MELVIN'S CAMPAIGNS. THE FORMER LAWMAKER IS IN PRISON FOR MISUSING HER OWN STAFF ON HER OWN CAMPAIGNS.
A NEW POLL SHOWS NEW JERSEY VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT A BROAD RANGE OF GUN-CONTROL MEASURES. THE QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL ALSO FINDS A BARE MAJORITY OF 50 TO 44 PERCENT WANT ARMED POLICE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE POLL IS THE FIRST TO MEASURE NEW JERSEYANS' ATTITUDES ON GUN CONTROL SINCE THE DECEMBER 14 MASS SHOOTING AT A CONNECTICUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. NEW JERSEY ALREADY HAS THE NATION'S 3RD TOUGHEST GUN LAWS. POLL RESPONDENTS SUPPORT A NATIONAL BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS AND HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES. THEY ALSO BACK MANDATORY BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR GUNS BOUGHT AT GUN SHOWS AND A BAN ON GUN SALES TO PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.
THE NHL HAS SUSPENDED PHILADELPHIA FLYERS FORWARD BRAYDEN SCHENN ONE GAME FOR CHARGING NEW JERSEY DEVILS DEFENSEMAN ANTON VOLCHENKOV. SCHENN WILL MISS TONIGHT'S GAME AGAINST THE NEW YORK RANGERS AT THE WELLS FARGO CENTER. SCHENN WILL FORFEIT $4,702.70.
DELMON YOUNG HAS SOME INCENTIVE TO LAY OFF THE DESSERTS: HE CAN EARN $600,000 BASED ON HIS WEIGHT THIS SEASON. YOUNG'S $750,000, ONE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES ALLOWS HIM TO EARN AN ADDITIONAL $2.75 MILLION IN BONUSES. THE DEAL FOR THE AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES MVP CALLS FOR HIM TO GET ON A SCALE ON SIX OCCASIONS TO BE CHOSEN BY THE TEAM. HE'LL RECEIVE $100,000 EACH TIME HE MAKES WEIGHT. THE FIRST THREE TIMES, HE MUST BE 230 POUNDS OR LESS, AND THE SECOND THREE, 235 POUNDS OR LESS.
