AP PA Headlines 2/23/19

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s elected auditor says officials in 18 of the state’s 67 counties reported accepting gifts, meals or trips from firms competing to sell voting machines ahead of the 2020 elections. Democratic Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said Friday that accepting the gifts is wrong, even though it’s a legal practice and officials may have taken no action in return. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is pressing counties to buy new voting machines with voter-auditable paper backups.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s prison system says it’s close to settling two federal lawsuits over how it processes mail sent to inmates by lawyers.  The Department of Corrections and civil rights groups said Friday they were finalizing a settlement after trial was stopped while the parties negotiated.  At issue is a policy designed to combat drug smuggling in prisons.

It was enacted in September after an increase in prison employees seeking medical care for suspected exposure to synthetic marijuana.  A prisoner and four civil rights groups sued to challenge the policy, which directs prison workers to open legal mail in the inmates’ presence, give them copies and keep the originals for 45 days.  Prison officials say that by early April they expect to again provide prisoners with original legal mail documents.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania health care giant UPMC is going on the legal offensive against the state attorney general’s office in a battle over insurance coverage rules.  UPMC filed a federal lawsuit against Attorney General Josh Shapiro this week and responded in state court to a lawsuit against UPMC that Shapiro’s office began earlier this month.

UPMC says Shapiro is unlawfully interfering in federal programs and claims he has illegally taken over nonprofit health care in the state.  Shapiro’s lawsuit seeks to keep UPMC from ending its business relationship with rival Highmark Health.  UPMC’s federal lawsuit aims to clarify its rights and obligations under federal law.  A spokesman for Shapiro says UPMC’s new filings indicate it will devote resources to a legal battle instead of focusing on its nonprofit charity mission.

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Features 

CHICAGO (AP) — Lawyers for Jussie Smollett say the Chicago Police Department put on an “organized law enforcement spectacle” when its superintendent detailed investigators’ findings about the alleged attack on the “Empire” actor.  In a statement, Smollett’s legal team said Superintendent Eddie Johnson’s comments had no place in the American legal system.

Johnson said Smollett owes the city an apology and should admit what he did. Smollett is accused of paying two men to help stage the Jan. 29 attack.  Smollett’s lawyers say the presumption of innocence was trampled upon at the expense of Smollett.  The statement called Smollett a man of “impeccable character and integrity” who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence.

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — Police in Massachusetts have charged teenage girls ages 14 and 15 with robbing a bank.  Fall River police say the 14-year-old girl walked into a BayCoast Bank branch in the city on Wednesday afternoon and told a teller she would “blow everything up and kill everybody” if the teller did not hand over cash.

A bank employee handed the girl an “undetermined” amount of money and she left.  The girl was seen on surveillance video getting into a black Toyota Camry outside the bank allegedly driven by the older girl.

Police got a look at the license plate and traced the car to a home in the city where they found the girls.

Both are charged with armed robbery. Their names were not released because of their ages.

ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico woman is on a desperate hunt for her disappearing pet that can’t run fast and can’t be missed — a 100-pound tortoise.  KOB-TV reports Dusty the Turtle went missing earlier this month in Roswell, New Mexico after strong winds knocked open a gate that housed him.

Shana Emmert, who was pet sitting Dusty for her niece, says she believes the turtle strolled away from the backyard and into the desert during the wind storm.  According to Emmert’s neighbors, the 100-pound (45-kilogram) Dusty was last spotted near Berrendo Creek in Roswell and hasn’t been seen since.  The family is offering a $500 reward for the turtle’s safe return.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

PA Sports, Scores & Skeds

WKOK Saturday sports schedule:

11:30am  on WKOK and WKOK.com, Penn State at Illinois

1:00pm on 1070AM WKOK, while the Penn State basketball continues on WKOK.com: Phillies

4:30pm on WKOK and WKOK.com, wrestling, District 4/9 Finals at Clearfield

Friday’s Scores

BOYS HS BASKETBALL

Class 3A District 4

Quarterfinal

Loyalsock 97, Troy 38

Class 4A District 4

Quarterfinal

Danville 78, Jersey Shore 29

Mifflinburg 70, Athens 51

Montoursville 72, Milton 42

Class 2A District 3

Semi-Final

Steelton-Highspire 64, Millersburg 45

GIRLS HS BASKETBALL

Class 2A District 4

Semifinal

Mount Carmel 43, Southern Columbia 37

Class 3A District 4

Quarterfinal

East Juniata 36, Wellsboro 35

Lewisburg 36, Hughesville 25

Loyalsock 70, Bloomsburg 45

Warrior Run 54, Towanda 26

Class A District 3

Quarterfinal

Greenwood 48, Christian School of York 27

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved