"THERE WAS JUST A RUSH TO INJUSTICE," SAYS EX-PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR AND U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL DICK THORNBURGH. HE DOESN'T THINK TOO MUCH OF THE LOUIS FREEH REPORT THAT STATED THAT FORMER PENN STATE FOOTBALL COACH JOE PATERNO TRIED TO BURY CHILD SEX ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIS FORMER ASSISTANT COACH JERRY SANDUSKY. THORNBURGH SAYS HIS INVESTIGATION JUST DOESN'T SHOW THAT. "I FOUND THE REPORT TO BE INACCURATE IN SOME RESPECTS, TO BE SPECULATIVE AND UNSUPPORTED BY THE RECORD THAT WAS COMPILED IN THE COURSE OF PREPARING THE REPORT AND IN SHORT, FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED," THORNBURGH SAYS. THORNBURGH IS PART OF A NEW REPORT COMMISSIONED BY PATERNO'S FAMILY. ITS FINDINGS ARE POSTED AT WWW.PATERNO.COM.
PENN STATE SAYS THE SCHOOL'S INVESTIGATION INTO THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD SEX ABUSE SCANDAL BY FORMER FBI DIRECTOR LOUIS FREEH WAS INTENDED TO FIX SHORTCOMINGS IN GOVERNANCE AND COMPLIANCE TO MAKE SURE FAILURES DON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THE UNIVERSITY RELEASED A STATEMENT SUNDAY AFTER JOE PATERNO'S FAMILY UNVEILED A RESPONSE TO FREEH'S FINDINGS IN JULY. FREEH ACCUSED PATERNO AND THREE FORMER ADMINISTRATORS OF COVERING UP ALLEGATIONS AGAINST EX-ASSISTANT COACH SANDUSKY. THE NCAA CITED THE FINDINGS IN LEVYING UNPRECEDENTED SANCTIONS ON THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM. THE SCHOOL SAYS "IT WAS UNDERSTANDABLE AND APPRECIATED THAT PEOPLE WILL DRAW THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS AND OPINIONS FROM THE FACTS UNCOVERED IN THE FREEH REPORT." FREEH MADE 119 RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN POLICIES. THE MAJORITY HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED, ACCORDING TO PENN STATE, AND THE PROCESS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY YEAR'S END.
A MAN AND A WOMAN ARE BOTH RECOVERING AFTER BEING STABBED SEVERAL TIMES AT A BETHLEHEM PARTY LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. POLICE SAY AN ARGUMENT APPARENTLY RESULTED IN BOTH BEING STABBED INSIDE AN ONTARIO STREET APARTMENT JUST BEFORE 11 O'CLOCK SATURDAY NIGHT. POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A MAN WHO WAS AT THE PARTY AND IS IDENTIFIED AS A SUSPECT. BOTH VICTIMS ARE EXPECTED TO SURVIVE.
THREE FAMILIES ARE OUT OF THEIR HOMES AFTER A WEEKEND FIRE IN BETHLEHEM. THE FIRE HAPPENED SATURDAY MORNING JUST AFTER 10 O'CLOCK ON TOWNSHIP LINE ROAD NEAR ROUTE 22. SIX ADULTS AND THREE CHILDREN ARE BEING PROVIDED WITH FOOD, CLOTHING AND LODGING BY THE AMERICAN RED CROSS.
POLICE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR 30-YEAR-OLD ROGEL SUERO SINCE LAST YEAR'S HOME-INVASION AND MURDER OF 76-YEAR-OLD CARRIE SMITH. TODAY'S MORNING CALL REPORTS SUERO WAS CAPTURED LAST WEEK IN TEXAS AND IS AWAITING EXTRADITION BACK TO THE LEHIGH VALLEY. SMITH'S GRANDDAUGHTER, REBECCA JOHNSON, AND JOHNSON'S COUSIN, DAVID BECHTOLD, ARE ALSO CHARGED IN SMITH'S MURDER. A FOURTH SUSPECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. SMITH DIED MONTHS AFTER THE ROBBERY, BUT NORTHAMPTON COUNTY CORONER ZACHARY LYSEK RULED THE HOME-INVASION EXACERBATED A HEART CONDITION AND EVENTUALLY KILLED HER.
THERE'S NOW A REPUBLICAN WHO WANTS TO BE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY EXECUTIVE. BANGOR MAYOR JOHN BROWN WANTS TO FOLLOW JOHN STOFFA, WHO IS NOT RUNNING AGAIN. HE SAYS HE'LL RUN ON HIS RECORD AS MAYOR. "I'VE HAD A FAIRLY GOOD RUN AS MAYOR UP IN BANGOR. I COME FROM A STRONG BUSINESS BACKGROUND AND I THINK I CAN LEVERAGE THE SAME SKILLS INTO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ROLE," BROWN SAYS. BETHLEHEM MAYOR JOHN CALLAHAN THREW HIS HAT IN THE RING LAST WEEK AND FORMER COUNTY EXECUTIVE GLENN REIBMAN WILL DO LIKEWISE NEXT WEEK.
IF YOU'RE A PARENT CONCERNED YOUR TEENAGER IS A VICTIM OF EITHER MENTAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE IN THEIR DATING RELATIONSHIP, TURNING POINT OF LEHIGH VALLEY'S JESSICA HAHN SAYS YOU NEED TO TALK WITH YOUR CHILD. "ABSOLUTELY LISTEN WITHOUT JUDGMENT. ANYBODY TALKING TO ANYBODY ABOUT ABUSE NEEDS TO LISTEN WITHOUT JUDGMENT," HAHN SAYS. SOME SIGNS YOUR TEENAGER MIGHT BE A DATING ABUSE VICTIM ARE FALLING GRADES, MAJOR PERSONALITY CHANGES, AVOIDING EYE CONTACT AND NO LONGER HANGING OUT WITH THEIR FRIENDS.
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS COMING TO PHILADELPHIA TO HOST A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON GUN CONTROL. BIDEN WILL BE JOINED MONDAY AT GIRARD COLLEGE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, U.S. DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL JAMES COLE AND DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF PENNSYLVANIA'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S ADMINISTRATION IS PUSHING FOR NEW GUN-CONTROL MEASURES IN THE WAKE OF THE SCHOOL SHOOTING IN NEWTOWN, CONN., ON DECEMBER 14. PROPOSALS INCLUDE A NEW BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS, A BAN ON HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES CARRYING MORE THAN 10 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION, AND BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR ALL GUN SALES. FEDERAL LAWMAKERS EXPECTED TO ATTEND THE EVENT INCLUDE REPS. BOB BRADY, CHAKA FATTAH AND ALLYSON SCHWARTZ, AND SEN. BOB CASEY.
POLICE SAY A SNOWMOBILE ACCIDENT ON A FROZEN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA LAKE CLAIMED THE LIFE OF A MAN OVER THE WEEKEND. OFFICIALS IN WAYNE COUNTY SAY 45-YEAR-OLD KEVIN MULLIGAN OF HONESDALE WAS OPERATING A SNOWMOBILE ON BEACH LAKE AT ABOUT 9:10 SATURDAY NIGHT. INVESTIGATORS SAID HE RODE OFF THE LAKE AND INTO A STACK OF ALUMINUM DOCKS ON THE SHORELINE. POLICE SAID MULLIGAN WAS THROWN FROM THE SNOWMOBILE AND INTO THE DOCKS AND WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE FROM AN APPARENT HEAD INJURY. OFFICIALS SAID HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE BY WAYNE COUNTY CORONER EDWARD HOWELL. AUTHORITIES SAID MULLIGAN, WHO WAS WEARING A HELMET, MAY HAVE BECOME DISORIENTED PRIOR TO THE CRASH.
GROUNDBREAKING IS SCHEDULED THIS SUMMER FOR A VISITOR CENTER AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS AT THE FLIGHT 93 NATIONAL MEMORIAL IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE OFFICIALS TOLD THE FLIGHT 93 ADVISORY COMMISSION ON SATURDAY THAT FINAL DOCUMENTS WILL BE READY FOR CONTRACTING NO LATER THAN MARCH 19. COMMISSION VICE CHAIRWOMAN DONNA GLESSNER SAYS "VISITORS WILL SEE CONSTRUCTION THIS SUMMER." THE VISITOR CENTER WILL HOUSE PERMANENT EXHIBITS AND HAVE A VIEWING WINDOW ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LOOK DOWN TO THE SITE. THE $20 MILLION WORK ALSO INCLUDES A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER THE WETLANDS AND PERHAPS A LEARNING CENTER. THE FINAL PHASE TO BE COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 2016 WILL BE THE 93-FOOT TOWER OF VOICES CONTAINING 40 WIND CHIMES, ONE FOR EACH PASSENGER AND CREW MEMBER.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE IS MAKING A THREE-DAY CAMPAIGN SWING THROUGH CALIFORNIA THAT WILL END AT THE HOME OF FACEBOOK FOUNDER MARK ZUCKERBERG. ZUCKERBERG IS HOSTING A CAMPAIGN EVENT FOR CHRISTIE ON WEDNESDAY IN PALO ALTO. THE 50-YEAR-OLD CHRISTIE WILL BE A GUEST AT FUND-RAISING EVENTS IN LOS ANGELES, LA JOLLA AND SANTA BARBARA EARLIER IN THE WEEK. THE REPUBLICAN MAY SEEK HIS PARTY'S PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION IN 2016. HE HAS ALREADY BANKED MORE THAN $2 MILLION TOWARD HIS GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION BID IN NOVEMBER.
AN ASSEMBLY PANEL IS POISED TO CONSIDER REFORMS TO THE STATE'S RED LIGHT CAMERA SYSTEM THAT INCLUDE INCREASING THE DURATION OF SOME YELLOW LIGHTS. THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE IS DUE TO TAKE UP THE MATTER TODAY. IF THE REFORMS ARE APPROVED, THE DURATION OF YELLOW LIGHTS WOULD RISE BASED ON THE SPEED LIMIT AND SIZE OF THE INTERSECTION. THE BILL'S SPONSOR SAYS THE REFORMS ARE BASED ON SUGGESTIONS FROM OTHER LAWMAKERS AND COMPLAINTS THAT CURRENT YELLOW LIGHT DURATIONS ARE INEFFECTIVE AND LEAVE PEOPLE STUCK IN INTERSECTIONS. THE BILL ALSO MAKES SOME CHANGES TO TRAFFIC TURNS, PROPOSING THAT THOSE RULES BE IN EFFECT DURING A FIVE-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM. THE RED LIGHT CAMERA SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO TICKET VEHICLE OWNERS WHO ARE CAPTURED COMMITTING TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.
