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Associated Press
Published: October 18, 2012
Published: October 18, 2012
PENN STATE-ABUSE
Pa. House Dems asks feds to review Sandusky probe
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Democratic leaders in the Pennsylvania House are asking the U.S. Justice Department to look into how the investigation of Jerry Sandusky was handled by the state attorney general's office.
Rep. Frank Dermody, the floor leader, and Rep. Mike Hanna, the whip, asked Wednesday for "an independent eye" to look into how the child molestation case was investigated.
The letter was sent after House Republicans blocked a similar resolution earlier this week.
The former Penn State assistant coach is serving at least 30 years after a conviction on 45 criminal counts.
The letter notes the case was begun three years before charges were filed. It began while Republican Gov. Tom Corbett was attorney general, but news of the investigation didn't break until a few months after his inauguration early last year.
PENN STATE-ABUSE-LAWSUIT
In lawsuit, man says Sandusky groped him in 2005
UNDATED (AP) A 22-year-old man claims in a new lawsuit that Jerry Sandusky fondled him at a summer camp on the Penn State University campus in 2005.
The plaintiff, called "John Doe" in the lawsuit, says the former Penn State assistant football coach approached him in a swimming pool and grabbed his genitals. He says he backed away and left the camp.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Scranton. The defendants include Sandusky; his charity for troubled youths; Penn State; and former university officials.
Victims or accusers in the child sexual abuse scandal have filed at least four other lawsuits seeking monetary damages. Penn State has said it wants to settle the claims.
Sandusky was sentenced last week to at least 30 years in prison for sexually assaulting 10 boys.
STATE UNIVERSITIES-FACULTY
Pa. university faculty take 1st step toward strike
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) The union representing faculty at Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities is taking the first step toward a possible strike.
Union officials say delegates from each campus will meet Saturday in State College for a strike authorization vote.
The move was announced amid stalled contract negotiations. On Monday, state higher education officials declined the union's offer for binding arbitration.
The two sides disagree on pay for temporary faculty, health care and retiree benefits. The union's last contract expired in June 2011.
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties represent more than 6,000 faculty and coaches.
The union's general membership also must vote to authorize a strike before one can be called. That vote has not been scheduled.
The universities serve about 120,000 students. There has never been a faculty strike.
TAX DIVERSIONS
Corbett gets bill to let firms keep payroll taxes
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) An income tax incentive to encourage companies to hire in Pennsylvania is on its way to Gov. Tom Corbett's desk following passage in both chambers of the Legislature.
The House voted 111-to-80 late Wednesday in favor of the Promote Employment Across Pennsylvania program, which would let employers retain state income tax money related to new hires.
Corbett's office says he's not sure if he'll sign the measure, which was passed about six weeks after it was first introduced.
The Senate vote earlier in the day was 33 to 16.
SEXTING-MINORS
Lawmakers send Corbett bill on juvenile sexting
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A bill that creates criminal penalties for minors who transmit nude or sexually explicit images of themselves or other youths is on its way to the governor.
The House and Senate both voted overwhelmingly Wednesday in favor of the measure.
It's designed to punish kids who are 17 or younger for the practice known as sexting. It would impose or a summary offense or a misdemeanor, depending on the facts.
Minors charged under the law could be referred to a diversionary program and potentially get their records expunged.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Lawmakers wrap without charter schools bill
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A closely watched proposal to rewrite Pennsylvania's charter school law appears dead for the time being.
The House of Representatives wrapped up voting Wednesday without a final vote on a bill to toughen oversight of the publicly funded, privately run schools.
The Senate approved the measure Tuesday, but House Speaker Sam Smith says there wasn't enough time to deal with the complicated bill, and funding was a sticking point. Neither chamber plans votes on any blils before the session ends Nov. 30.
The bill would subject school officials to tougher ethics rules, limit how much surplus cash the schools could keep and require annual audits and performance standards.
Improving conditions for charter schools to operate is a key goal of Gov. Tom Corbett, and he supports the bill.
LAWMAKER VIDEO
Pa. House member calls video 'personal attack'
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A Pennsylvania state representative from the Hazleton area says she's one of the people in a newly posted YouTube video that shows young women in a room with a bong and what appears to be marijuana.
But Rep. Tarah Toohil said in a statement Wednesday that the images in the "Pizza Party" video are more than a decade old. She said "I am not that young woman today."
She called the video "a blatant and personal attack" intended to "degrade me for photos taken many years ago."
Toohil says she's speaking out to tell young people that drugs are not OK and to warn them to be careful in making choices.
The Luzerne County Republican, a lawyer, is finishing her first term after upsetting Democrat Todd Eachus two years ago.
APARTMENT FALL
PSU cheerleader still critical after apt. fall
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) A Penn State cheerleader who fell from a fifth-floor window at an off-campus apartment building remained in critical condition Wednesday.
A friend of the family of Paige Raque (rah-KAY'), said the 19-year-old student showed less movement compared to Tuesday, when Raque opened her eyes. According to Randy Jepson, doctors have said that's normal for someone recovering from such traumatic head and pelvic injuries.
Jepson is head coach of the Penn State men's gymnastics team. Raque's brother, Parker is the team captain.
Police have said Raque, of Louisville, Ky., fell about 39 feet through a screen and out the window on to pavement during a party Saturday night. She was flown to Altoona Regional Health System.
Authorities have said the fall appears to be accidental, though an investigation is continuing.
TEACHER-STUDENT SEX
Ex-Pa. teacher gets 20 to 40 years in sex case
(Information in the following story is from: Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era , http://lancasteronline.com)
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) A former central Pennsylvania teacher has been sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison on convictions related to sexual relationships with two teenagers, including one from the school where she worked.
Thirty-four-year-old former McCaskey High School teacher Christy Lee Smith was convicted in Lancaster County of 18 of 22 counts involving relationships with teens between 2008 and 2010.
Prosecutors said one teen met Smith through school, the other through a dance class.
The (Lancaster) Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era says Judge Dennis Reinaker said Wednesday that Smith was a good teacher but "proved incapable of knowing where to draw the line" with students.
Smith declined comment in court. Defense attorney Merrill Spahn said she didn't agree with the verdict and asked the judge to consider her good works.
BEAVER FALLS SHOOTING
Man gets 10 to 20 years in Xmas Eve Pa. slaying
(Information in the following story is from: Beaver County Times, http://www.timesonline.com/)
BEAVER, Pa. (AP) A western Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 10 to 20 years in state prison for a slaying in a bar early on the day of Christmas Eve.
Thirty-one-year-old Lamont North of Beaver Falls was convicted in August of third-degree murder and reckless endangerment in the Dec. 24 shooting death of 20-year-old Mark Waldron in a Beaver Falls bar. He was acquitted of first-degree murder.
The Beaver County Times says North apologized in court Wednesday to Waldron's family, saying "I pray for you more than I pray for myself."
North testified that three armed men had burst into his apartment Dec. 19 and fired two shots. In the bar, he said, Waldron told him "Next time, I won't miss." No one has been charged in the home invasion.
STABBING DEATH
Defense wants evidence tossed in Pa. murder trial
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) The attorney representing a man accused of having stabbed a man to death in an argument over about $20 worth of marijuana earlier this year is trying to get some of the evidence tossed out before his client's trial.
Twenty-one-year-old Tyler Marlatt of State College is charged in Centre County with first-, second- and third-degree murder as well as robbery and aggravated assault in the Jan. 16 slaying of slaying of 20-year-old Tyler Struble in Lemont.
Defense attorney Ed Blanik says his client acted in self-defense. He said in motions filed Monday that marijuana found in his client's apartment and text messages from his girlfriend should be excluded because they could prejudice jurors.
The trial is scheduled to start Nov. 5.
Pa. House Dems asks feds to review Sandusky probe
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Democratic leaders in the Pennsylvania House are asking the U.S. Justice Department to look into how the investigation of Jerry Sandusky was handled by the state attorney general's office.
Rep. Frank Dermody, the floor leader, and Rep. Mike Hanna, the whip, asked Wednesday for "an independent eye" to look into how the child molestation case was investigated.
The letter was sent after House Republicans blocked a similar resolution earlier this week.
The former Penn State assistant coach is serving at least 30 years after a conviction on 45 criminal counts.
The letter notes the case was begun three years before charges were filed. It began while Republican Gov. Tom Corbett was attorney general, but news of the investigation didn't break until a few months after his inauguration early last year.
PENN STATE-ABUSE-LAWSUIT
In lawsuit, man says Sandusky groped him in 2005
UNDATED (AP) A 22-year-old man claims in a new lawsuit that Jerry Sandusky fondled him at a summer camp on the Penn State University campus in 2005.
The plaintiff, called "John Doe" in the lawsuit, says the former Penn State assistant football coach approached him in a swimming pool and grabbed his genitals. He says he backed away and left the camp.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Scranton. The defendants include Sandusky; his charity for troubled youths; Penn State; and former university officials.
Victims or accusers in the child sexual abuse scandal have filed at least four other lawsuits seeking monetary damages. Penn State has said it wants to settle the claims.
Sandusky was sentenced last week to at least 30 years in prison for sexually assaulting 10 boys.
STATE UNIVERSITIES-FACULTY
Pa. university faculty take 1st step toward strike
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) The union representing faculty at Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities is taking the first step toward a possible strike.
Union officials say delegates from each campus will meet Saturday in State College for a strike authorization vote.
The move was announced amid stalled contract negotiations. On Monday, state higher education officials declined the union's offer for binding arbitration.
The two sides disagree on pay for temporary faculty, health care and retiree benefits. The union's last contract expired in June 2011.
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties represent more than 6,000 faculty and coaches.
The union's general membership also must vote to authorize a strike before one can be called. That vote has not been scheduled.
The universities serve about 120,000 students. There has never been a faculty strike.
TAX DIVERSIONS
Corbett gets bill to let firms keep payroll taxes
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) An income tax incentive to encourage companies to hire in Pennsylvania is on its way to Gov. Tom Corbett's desk following passage in both chambers of the Legislature.
The House voted 111-to-80 late Wednesday in favor of the Promote Employment Across Pennsylvania program, which would let employers retain state income tax money related to new hires.
Corbett's office says he's not sure if he'll sign the measure, which was passed about six weeks after it was first introduced.
The Senate vote earlier in the day was 33 to 16.
SEXTING-MINORS
Lawmakers send Corbett bill on juvenile sexting
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A bill that creates criminal penalties for minors who transmit nude or sexually explicit images of themselves or other youths is on its way to the governor.
The House and Senate both voted overwhelmingly Wednesday in favor of the measure.
It's designed to punish kids who are 17 or younger for the practice known as sexting. It would impose or a summary offense or a misdemeanor, depending on the facts.
Minors charged under the law could be referred to a diversionary program and potentially get their records expunged.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Lawmakers wrap without charter schools bill
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A closely watched proposal to rewrite Pennsylvania's charter school law appears dead for the time being.
The House of Representatives wrapped up voting Wednesday without a final vote on a bill to toughen oversight of the publicly funded, privately run schools.
The Senate approved the measure Tuesday, but House Speaker Sam Smith says there wasn't enough time to deal with the complicated bill, and funding was a sticking point. Neither chamber plans votes on any blils before the session ends Nov. 30.
The bill would subject school officials to tougher ethics rules, limit how much surplus cash the schools could keep and require annual audits and performance standards.
Improving conditions for charter schools to operate is a key goal of Gov. Tom Corbett, and he supports the bill.
LAWMAKER VIDEO
Pa. House member calls video 'personal attack'
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A Pennsylvania state representative from the Hazleton area says she's one of the people in a newly posted YouTube video that shows young women in a room with a bong and what appears to be marijuana.
But Rep. Tarah Toohil said in a statement Wednesday that the images in the "Pizza Party" video are more than a decade old. She said "I am not that young woman today."
She called the video "a blatant and personal attack" intended to "degrade me for photos taken many years ago."
Toohil says she's speaking out to tell young people that drugs are not OK and to warn them to be careful in making choices.
The Luzerne County Republican, a lawyer, is finishing her first term after upsetting Democrat Todd Eachus two years ago.
APARTMENT FALL
PSU cheerleader still critical after apt. fall
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) A Penn State cheerleader who fell from a fifth-floor window at an off-campus apartment building remained in critical condition Wednesday.
A friend of the family of Paige Raque (rah-KAY'), said the 19-year-old student showed less movement compared to Tuesday, when Raque opened her eyes. According to Randy Jepson, doctors have said that's normal for someone recovering from such traumatic head and pelvic injuries.
Jepson is head coach of the Penn State men's gymnastics team. Raque's brother, Parker is the team captain.
Police have said Raque, of Louisville, Ky., fell about 39 feet through a screen and out the window on to pavement during a party Saturday night. She was flown to Altoona Regional Health System.
Authorities have said the fall appears to be accidental, though an investigation is continuing.
TEACHER-STUDENT SEX
Ex-Pa. teacher gets 20 to 40 years in sex case
(Information in the following story is from: Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era , http://lancasteronline.com)
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) A former central Pennsylvania teacher has been sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison on convictions related to sexual relationships with two teenagers, including one from the school where she worked.
Thirty-four-year-old former McCaskey High School teacher Christy Lee Smith was convicted in Lancaster County of 18 of 22 counts involving relationships with teens between 2008 and 2010.
Prosecutors said one teen met Smith through school, the other through a dance class.
The (Lancaster) Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era says Judge Dennis Reinaker said Wednesday that Smith was a good teacher but "proved incapable of knowing where to draw the line" with students.
Smith declined comment in court. Defense attorney Merrill Spahn said she didn't agree with the verdict and asked the judge to consider her good works.
BEAVER FALLS SHOOTING
Man gets 10 to 20 years in Xmas Eve Pa. slaying
(Information in the following story is from: Beaver County Times, http://www.timesonline.com/)
BEAVER, Pa. (AP) A western Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 10 to 20 years in state prison for a slaying in a bar early on the day of Christmas Eve.
Thirty-one-year-old Lamont North of Beaver Falls was convicted in August of third-degree murder and reckless endangerment in the Dec. 24 shooting death of 20-year-old Mark Waldron in a Beaver Falls bar. He was acquitted of first-degree murder.
The Beaver County Times says North apologized in court Wednesday to Waldron's family, saying "I pray for you more than I pray for myself."
North testified that three armed men had burst into his apartment Dec. 19 and fired two shots. In the bar, he said, Waldron told him "Next time, I won't miss." No one has been charged in the home invasion.
STABBING DEATH
Defense wants evidence tossed in Pa. murder trial
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) The attorney representing a man accused of having stabbed a man to death in an argument over about $20 worth of marijuana earlier this year is trying to get some of the evidence tossed out before his client's trial.
Twenty-one-year-old Tyler Marlatt of State College is charged in Centre County with first-, second- and third-degree murder as well as robbery and aggravated assault in the Jan. 16 slaying of slaying of 20-year-old Tyler Struble in Lemont.
Defense attorney Ed Blanik says his client acted in self-defense. He said in motions filed Monday that marijuana found in his client's apartment and text messages from his girlfriend should be excluded because they could prejudice jurors.
The trial is scheduled to start Nov. 5.
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