Pennsylvania category, Page 237
Mount Airy Casino fined after patron drives drunk, kills jogger
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania casino has been fined more than $250,000 after a customer was served eight drinks in less than two hours and killed a jogger while driving home. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved the fine against Mount Airy Casino Resort on Wednesday....
Scams abound at tax time
When the tax man comes, the scam man isn’t far behind. Pennsylvania Department of Revenue Sec. Dan Hassell warned taxpayers Wednesday that phishing schemes con artists use to steal money and personal information to file bogus tax returns are common every year at tax time. “Criminals use high-pressure tactics and...
Toomey bill would strip Trump of unilateral tariff authority
Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania’s Republican U.S. senator, went on the offensive Wednesday against the Trump administration’s trade policies, promoting a bipartisan bill to strip the president of the authority to impose tariffs based on national security. Speaking at a Washington, D.C., news conference focusing on the impact of steel and aluminum...
Patient at Philadelphia hospital is being tested for Ebola
PHILADELPHIA — A patient is being tested for Ebola at a hospital in Philadelphia, although officials don’t believe the patient has the potentially deadly illness. Penn Medicine says preliminary testing at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania indicates the person has another condition. They did not release the patient’s...
State board recommends medical marijuana for anxiety, Tourette syndrome
Pennsylvanians with anxiety and Tourette syndrome could soon be eligible for medical marijuana. The state Medical Marijuana Advisory Board voted Friday to recommenced adding both conditions to the list of health problems that can qualify patients for the program, according to the state Department of Health. They would be the...
Republican reactions to Wolf’s budget proposal run the gamut
Republican lawmakers’ reactions on Tuesday to Gov. Tom Wolf’s $34.1 billion 2019-20 budget proposal varied from cautious optimism to accusations of fiscal recklessness. “I thought the governor’s budget address had a positive message and I thought his emphasis on workforce development was significant and a goal that we all have...
Philadelphia trolley crash injures more than 30
PHILADELPHIA — Authorities say a crash involving a trolley and a paratransit vehicle in Philadelphia resulted in injuries to more than 30 people, but the severity of injuries is unclear. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority says the crash happened shortly before 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in west Philadelphia. SEPTA spokeswoman Heather...
Schools, farms and voting machines in Gov. Wolf’s budget sights
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars more for schools in his budget proposal released Tuesday, as well as a sprinkling of money for new voting machines and programs to improve worker training and the agricultural sector. The Democrat is also seeking new college...
Elderly skier dies from injuries suffered in fall at Poconos resort
TANNERSVILLE — Authorities say an 80-year-old man hurt in a skiing accident at a Pennsylvania resort has died from his injuries. Rudolf Huber fell around 10:40 a.m. Saturday while skiing at Camelback Resort in Tannersville. The Pocono Township man was treated on scene by ski patrol members and then taken...
Prosecutor: Former Pa. prison guard forced female inmate to perform sex act
SCRANTON — Prosecutors say a former guard at a Pennsylvania county prison forced a female inmate to perform a sex act on him while he stood outside her cell in 2009. Opening statements got underway Tuesday in the case against 51-year-old George McHale. He’s the first of seven former guards...
Pa. Sen. Daylin Leach withdraws from leadership role on Judiciary Committee
HARRISBURG — State Sen. Daylin Leach announced on Monday that he is stepping aside — at least temporarily — from his role as the Democratic leader on an influential Senate committee as he fights decades-old allegations of sexual abuse. “I have always believed that as elected officials we should always...
National Transportation Safety Board releases ‘Most Wanted’ list for reducing traffic deaths
The National Transportation Safety Board is working to decrease the number of traffic fatalities across the nation by targeting three key factors — speeding, alcohol- and drug-related incidents and distracted driving. The board announced its “Most Wanted” list Monday, targeting 10 safety areas officials think could be improved upon. The...
White Oak lawyer to seek judge seat on Pennsylvania Superior Court
Allegheny County defense attorney Ryan James, 34, of White Oak, will seek the nomination to the Pennsylvania Superior Court, he announced Monday. Two 10-year terms are up for grabs on the statewide appellate court that hears first appeals on most criminal and civil court rulings. After getting a law degree...
Federal move could ‘virtually destroy’ online gambling in Pennsylvania, New Jersey
Online gaming is already a big hit even though it is still in its infancy. Internet gaming has generated a billion dollars in revenue for New Jersey casinos and millions in new income for the state treasuries in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. But an unwelcome guest crashed the internet gaming...
Pregnant Pa. teacher files suit over Catholic school termination
SUNBURY, Pa. — A pregnant Pennsylvania teacher who alleges that she was fired from her Catholic school job because the diocese was upset that she wasn’t married has filed suit contesting her termination. Naiad Reich filed a breach of contract suit Friday in Northumberland County against the Roman Catholic Diocese...
Police: Vehicle falls off rail tracks into Beaver County park, killing 2
ROCHESTER — Authorities say a sport utility vehicle fell nearly 15 feet off railroad tracks in Western Pennsylvania into a park, killing two men. Police in Rochester said the car was being driven along the Norfolk Southern tracks intentionally Saturday, then apparently slid and rolled down a hill, landing on...
Study says Philly court reporters not accurate with black dialect
PHILADELPHIA — There are times in court when Qawi Abdul-Rahman, a Center City-based defense attorney, gets the sense that folks listening didn’t understand a piece of testimony. “You get it all the time, truthfully,” Abdul-Rahman said. He’s been concerned that the true meaning of statements like “I don’t fool with...
Specious claims by lawmakers dog Pennsylvania’s noncitizen voter search
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Two Pennsylvania state lawmakers are making a disputed claim in a long-running effort by elections officials to determine how many non-U.S. citizens had registered to vote over the years. On Tuesday, the lawmakers said there had been confirmation that 11,198 foreign nationals had illegally registered to vote....
Parents sue 28 former Penn State fraternity members in son’s death, settle with the university
The parents of Tim Piazza, who died after an alcohol-fueled fraternity pledge party at Pennsylvania State University two years ago, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against 28 former members of the fraternity, but settled with Penn State without filing a lawsuit, their lawyer said. Neither the university nor Jim and Evelyn...
Punxsutawney Phil doesn’t see his shadow, predicting early spring
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. — Members of Punxsutawney Phil’s inner circle revealed spring is coming early.Handlers for Pennsylvania’s most famous prognosticating groundhog say he didn’t see his shadow when the sun rose Saturday. The festivities have their origin in a German legend that says if a furry rodent casts a shadow on...
Lawsuit: Pennsylvania officer coerced 2 women into sex to avoid arrest
ASHLEY — Two women who say they were coerced into sex with a Pennsylvania police officer have filed a federal lawsuit alleging he violated their constitutional rights. The Citizens’ Voice reports 29-year-old Mark Icker, of Dickson City, is facing sexual assault, official oppression and related charges alleging he pressured the...
Lawsuit: Dorney Park’s Halloween monsters went too far
ALLENTOWN — A woman and her teen daughter are suing a Pennsylvania amusement park, saying the costumed ghouls at its Halloween attraction were too terrifying. The (Allentown) Morning Call reports that Shannon Sacco and her daughter are seeking more than $150,000 from Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom and its parent...
Lawsuit: Pennsylvania officer coerced 2 women into sex to avoid arrest
ASHLEY — Two women who said they were coerced into sex with a Pennsylvania police officer filed a federal lawsuit alleging he violated their constitutional rights. Mark Icker, 29, of Dickson City is facing sexual assault, official oppression and related charges alleging he pressured the two women into performing oral...
Feds indict powerful Philly union boss, councilman, others
PHILADELPHIA — A powerful union boss with a tight grip on construction jobs in the Philadelphia region and outsized influence in city and state politics has been indicted in alleged schemes to embezzle more than $600,000 and have a councilman on the union payroll to do his bidding at City...
Dozens of vehicles in pileup after snow squall in central Pa.
READING — More than two dozen vehicles have been involved in a chain-reaction crash on a central Pennsylvania highway after a snow squall caused whiteout conditions. Wyomissing Police Chief Jeffrey Biehl says about 27 vehicles were involved in the crash just after 1 p.m. Wednesday on Route 222, about 60...
