Monday October 15 2012

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

SPECTER DIES OF CANCER

FORMER US SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER DIED SUNDAY MORNING AT THE AGE OF 82. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO, HIS FAMILY ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS BEING TREATED FOR NON-HODGKINS LYMPHOMA. SPECTER PREVIOUSLY BATTLED A BENIGN BRAIN TUMOR AND HODGKIN’S DISEASE. SPECTER SERVED 30 YEARS IN THE US SENATE AND SWITCHED FROM THE REPUBLICAN TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN 2009. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, HE LOST THE PRIMARY TO THEN-CONGRESSMAN JOE SESTAK. HE IS ALSO REMEMBERED AS ASSISTANT COUNSEL ON THE WARREN COMMISSION, WHERE HE HELPED DEVISE THE SINGLE BULLET THEORY IN THE ASSASSINATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY. SPECTER WILL BE LAID TO REST FOLLOWING A PUBLIC FUNERAL TOMORROW.

PRESIDENT OBAMA IS SENDING HIS CONDOLENCES TO THE SPECTER FAMILY. GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT SAYS “PENNSYLVANIA HAS LOST A POLITICAL FIGURE WHOSE CAREER STRETCHED FROM PHILADELPHIA’S CITY HALL TO THE CHAMBERS OF THE U.S. SENATE.” CONGRESSMAN MARK CRITZ SAYS “WE ARE A BETTER COMMONWEALTH AND NATION BECAUSE OF HIS SERVICE” AND U-S SENATOR BOB CASEY SAYS “ARLEN FOUGHT CANCER COURAGEOUSLY AND HIS ENDURING LEGACY OF SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH WILL HELP COUNTLESS AMERICANS AS THEY BATTLE CANCER AND OTHER AILMENTS.”

PENN STATE STUDENT FALLS 5 STORIES

A 19 YEAR OLD PENN STATE STUDENT WAS LISTED IN CRITICAL CONDITION LAST NIGHT AT ALTOONA REGIONAL TRAUMA CENTER AFTER FALLING 39 FEET OUT OF A 5TH STORY WINDOW SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT SATURDAY. IT HAPPENED AT THE CALDER COMMONS APARTMENT COMPLEX AND POLICE SAY THE YOUNG WOMAN HIT THE PAVEMENT OUTSIDE THE WINDOW. AUTHORITIES DO NOT SUSPECT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, BUT THEY ARE INVESTIGATING.

MAN HIT BY TRAIN

A MAN WAS FLOWN TO ALTOONA REGIONAL TRAUMA CENTER AFTER HE WAS HIT BY A TRAIN IN CRESSON JUST AFTER 3:30 SUNDAY MORNING. IT HAPPENED ALONG THE TRAIN TRACKS ON FRONT STREET. NO WORD ON THE VICTIM’S CONDITION. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILWAY POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING.

PUPPIES POISONED

2 PIT BULL PUPPIES HAVE DIED AND 4 OTHERS ARE RECOVERING AFTER SOMEONE APPARENTLY POISONED THEM AT THE CENTRAL P-A PIT-BULL WALK AT LEGION PARK IN HOLLIDAYSBURG ON SATURDAY. THE PUPPIES WERE ALL IN A CAGE AT THE EVENT. AUTHORITIES THINK SOMEONE PUT SOMETHING INTO THEIR DRINKING WATER. IF YOU WANT TO HELP, DONATIONS CAN BE MADE THROUGH THE WEBSITE FOR A DARRAH BULL BULLY RESCUE.

SANDUSKY SCANDAL

NEGOTIATORS FOR PENN STATE SAY THEY HAVE BEGUN PRELIMINARY SETTLEMENT TALKS WITH AT LEAST 20 MEN WHO ACCUSE JERRY SANDUSKY OF SEXUAL ABUSE. ATTORNEY MICHAEL ROZEN, WHO WAS HIRED ALONG WITH HIS PARTNER TO HANDLE SETTLEMENT TALKS, TOLD THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER THAT MEDIATORS HAVE NOT STARTED EVALUATING ANY OF THE CASES AND OFFICIALS ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO TRANSPARENTLY “PUT THE CLAIMS INTO SOME SORT OF HIERARCHY.” THE CASES INCLUDE 8 PEOPLE NAMED IN THE PROSECUTION OF SANDUSKY, 4 OTHERS WHO HAVE FILED LAWSUITS OR TOLD REPORTERS THEY WERE MOLESTED, AND AT LEAST 8 OTHERS WHO HAVE NOT PUBLICLY AIRED ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE.

PENN STATE TRUSTEES WILL HOLD A SPECIAL MEETING OCTOBER 26TH AT THE PENN STATER CONFERENCE CENTER TO CONSIDER GIVING ONE OF THE BOARD’S SUBCOMMITTEES THE POWER TO APPROVE SETTLEMENTS REACHED WITH JERRY SANDUSKY VICTIMS. THE BOARD’S NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING IS NOVEMBER 16TH AND PENN STATE SPOKESMAN DAVID LA TORRE TELLS THE CENTRE DAILY TIMES THE BOARD IS NOT WAITING UNTIL THEM TO TAKE THE ACTION BECAUSE “IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE PREPARED IN THE EVENT THAT SETTLEMENTS ARE REACHED PRIOR TO THE NOVEMBER MEETING.”

ANN ROMNEY VISITING ALTOONA

ANN ROMNEY, THE WIFE OF REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY, IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR AT A LUNCHTIME FUNDRAISER TODAY AT THE BLAIR COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER. CONGRESSMAN BILL SHUSTER SAYS ABOUT 200 GUESTS ARE EXPECTED AND HE THINKS SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS COULD BE RAISED.

BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

THE BLAIR COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WILL INDUCT 5 BUSINESSES INTO THE BUSINESS HALL OF FAME TONIGHT AT THE BLAIR COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER. THEY INCLUDE: ALPHA, FORMERLY KNOWN AS COOKSON ELECTRONICS…CHILD ADVOCATES OF BLAIR COUNTY…HEALTHSOUTH REHABILIATION HOSPITAL OF ALTOONA…AND HOSS’S STEAK AND SEA HOUSE. THE ALTOONA TRIBUNE WILL BE HONORED IN THE HERITAGE CATEGORY. FOREVER BROADCASTING WILL RECEIVE A COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD.