9/2/10Tax Freeze Legislation Proposed
HARRISBURG – Legislation that would freeze property taxes for those over 65-years-old is being proposed by Northampton County Sen. Lisa Boscola. Senate Bill 798 would allow seniors to claim an exemption from property tax increases. Called the Senior Citizens' Property Tax Freeze Act, the bill says that any county, township, borough or school district that imposes a property tax on residential property would not be able to increase the tax or the tax rate if the individual is 65 years of age or older, they currently reside on the property claiming the exemption and has lived there for at least five consecutive years, and the individual's annual income is not more than $65,000. The bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee.
9/2/10Bills Give Campus Police More Power
HARRISBURG – The state House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on two bills that would grant campus police the same law enforcement and arrest powers currently given to municipal and State Police. Sponsor of the legislation, Luzerne County Rep. John Yudichak said municipal and State Police are burdened with responding to emergency calls on college campuses throughout the state. He said granting campus police the same law enforcement and arrest powers, municipal and State Police could focus on patrolling local communities. Under House Bills 2592 and 2593, the jurisdiction of campus police would be limited to the grounds of colleges and universities.
9/2/10Woman To Stand Trial For Scalding Her Mother
LANCASTER - A Lancaster County woman will stand trial on attempted murder charges for allegedly pouring boiling water on her sleeping mother. 23-year-old Alisa Loump waived her preliminary hearing in Lancaster County Court. Police say the Ephrata woman attacked Jennie Loump in July because she objected to her daughter's relationship with an Indiana man. 18-year-old Antoine Walker of Edinburgh also waived his preliminary hearing. Police say Loump told them she was on the phone with Walker at the time of the attack and he convinced her to attack her mother. Loump and Walker face charges of attempted murder and conspiracy. Loump is also charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. Jennie Loump received second-degree burns over 70% of her body.
9/2/10Lawsuit Pushed By Dauphin County Commissioners
HARRISBURG (AP) – Dauphin County Commissioners have authorized a lawsuit to force local officials in the state capital to pay part of the debt for a costly incinerator overhaul that has threatened to drag the city into bankruptcy. The action means the trustees of a 2007 bond issue that financed upgrades to the Harrisburg incinerator can sue to force the city treasurer to pay nearly $35 million in debt due by Dec. 1. The county has paid more than $3.4 million toward the estimated $288 million incinerator debt to avert a default and is trying to recover those payments from the city and the authority that owns the incinerator. City officials are seeking temporary relief and the mayor has said she favors sale or lease of city assets, higher trash disposal fees for nonresidents, and debt forgiveness or restructuring.
9/2/10Magnifying Glass Woman Dies
ALLENTOWN (AP) - A mentally disabled woman who set herself on fire with a magnifying glass has died. The Lehigh County Coroner's office says 34-year-old Robyn Foose died from her injuries yesterday at a hospital in Allentown. A caregiver at the Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County group home where Foose lived discovered her with her clothing ablaze on Friday evening. Police say Foose appears to have accidentally started the fire while playing alone with a child's magnifying glass. Police said Foose had suffered second and third-degree burns over half her body. A spokeswoman for the Keystone Human Services group home has said the fire was an accident.
9/2/10Red Rose Access Bus Involved In Crash
WEST HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP - A Red Rose Access bus and a minivan collided this morning in Lancaster County. The accident happened around 8 a.m. at the intersection of Summit Drive and Kennel Avenue in West Hempfield Township. Six people were taken to the hospital for treatment.
9/2/10Manor Township Fire Take Two
MANOR TOWNSHIP – Crews are battled a brush fire in Lancaster County. It broke out last night along the Susquehanna River near Chestnut Grove and River Roads in Manor Township and burned through the morning. It was near Star Rock Farms where a hay barn was destroyed by fire late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Investigators say that fire had no connection to this latest fire. Officials are unsure what caused the brush fire. Several acres were affected. The terrain of the land made it a challenge for firefighters to tackle the blaze. No one was hurt.
9/2/10Effort To Free America's Pulpits
JOHNSTOWN - A new political action committee named The Committee to Free the Pulpit has been launched to remove the muzzle placed on America’s pulpits by the federal government. Free the Pulpit Chairman Peg Luksik says “The IRS is now the club that the government is using to silence the voice of morality in this nation.” She adds we need to remove the gag that Washington has tied around America’s pulpits and restore true religious liberty to America. Their web site - www.freethepulpit.com - explains that the PAC will be focusing its efforts initially on repealing an amendment to the IRS code originally inserted by 1954 by then-Senator Lyndon Johnson. The amendment made it illegal for a 501(c) 3 tax exempt organization to engage in political activity. “Repealing the Johnson amendment would have the effect of immediately removing the threat of the loss of tax-exempt status for churches that engage in anything the government thinks is political activity,” explained Executive Director Jason High. “We’ve come to this strange place in American history where for some reason people think that it’s inappropriate to bring any of their moral values into the voting booth. In fact, that’s the exact opposite of the vision of our founders. High added that the first step in restoring that vision is to free our churches from government control.
9/2/10Emergency Declaration For Maryland
ANNAPOLIS, MD (AP) – Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has signed a declaration of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Earl. The emergency declaration requires state emergency management officials to coordinate state agencies' activities in preparation. O'Malley advised travelers not to drive to or from Ocean City during the height of stormy weather from Hurricane Earl. Earl isn't expected to reach Maryland until about 1 a.m. Friday. O'Malley says Friday likely will be a bad day for driving, but he noted that many forecasters are expecting good weather for Labor Day weekend after Earl passes. O'Malley also says it is unlikely Ocean City will need to be evacuated.
9/2/10First Family Visit To Gettysburg
GETTYSBURG (AP) - The National Park Service says First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters traveled from Washington, D.C. to visit the Gettysburg Battlefield. Gettysburg National Military Park Superintendent Bob Kirby told the Gettysburg Times the first lady visited the park on Wednesday with daughters Malia and Sasha. Kirby said Obama requested privacy for a personal trip to see the site of the Civil War's bloodiest battle.
9/2/10Pitts Tour Of Lancaster Amtrak Station
LANCASTER – Area Congressman Joe Pitts will tour the ongoing renovation of the Lancaster Amtrak train station this afternoon. The congressman will get a firsthand look at the improvements being made to the historic station. Lancaster County Commissioner Scott Martin, who also serves as the Chairman of the Lancaster County Transportation Coordinating Committee, will accompany Pitts. The renovation costs about $12 million and is expected to finish in September 2011. The Lancaster train station is the third busiest in the state and upgrades include expanded retail areas and additional parking spaces. Congressman Pitts was recently involved in a joint effort with federal, state, and local officials to work with Amtrak to keep the renovation project on time and on budget.

  
 
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