AP PA Headlines 4/9/19
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Hearings are beginning in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives on heavily-lobbied legislation that backers say is necessary to ensure the long-term profitability of the state’s five nuclear power plants, albeit at a cost to electric ratepayers. The first testifier Monday was former Gov. Tom Ridge, who as governor two decades ago ushered in Pennsylvania’s competitive electricity markets that nuclear power plant owners now say don’t provide an even playing field.
Ridge’s lobbying firm, Ridge Policy Group, represents a subsidiary of Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp. that owns Beaver Valley nuclear power plant in western Pennsylvania. Still, Ridge says he believes nuclear power is important to the nation’s energy reliability and security. The legislation is opposed by oil and gas trade associations, the AARP and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, among others.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A constitutional amendment to enshrine the rights of crime victims in the Pennsylvania Constitution is a state Senate vote away from going before voters in a referendum. Pennsylvania’s proposed version of Marsy’s Law was approved in the House of Representatives Monday by a vote of 190 to 8. It would give victims the right to be notified, to attend and to weigh in during plea hearings, sentencings and parole proceedings.
Supporters say the amendment will help ensure victims are not ignored during court proceedings.
Opponents warn it could infringe on the rights of criminal defendants to get a fair and speedy trial.
It passed both legislative chambers in the past session, so Senate approval later this year could put it on the ballot in November.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Two related bills designed to help victims of child sexual abuse are moving ahead in the Pennsylvania Legislature and could pass the state House in the coming days. The House Judiciary Committee voted overwhelmingly Monday for a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse crimes and for a constitutional amendment that would permit child sexual abuse lawsuits that would otherwise be outdated during a two-year period.
Both measures are widely supported in the House, but the state Senate’s Republican majority blocked similar legislation last year. Constitutional amendments must pass both chambers in two consecutive two-year sessions and then be approved by voters. A state grand jury report last year concluded about 300 Roman Catholic priests had abused more than 1,000 children over seven decades.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A former legislative aide who did prison time for drug and weapons offenses is taking over as secretary to the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons amid efforts to streamline the clemency process.
Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman on Monday announced the appointment of Brandon Flood to the $89,000-a-year administrative post. Flood’s pardon was signed several weeks ago by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.
The 36-year-old Flood spent nine years in prison after being convicted of possession with intent to deliver cocaine and a firearms violation. The Steelton resident has been a policy aide at the Department of General Services, a lobbyist and executive director of the state House’s Legislative Black Caucus. Flood says the pardons process can be streamlined and wants to improve public awareness. Other reforms will require legislative approval.
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A county tourism group is sticking by its decision to hold a meeting at a historic venue in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, despite an outcry of the locale’s policy banning same-sex weddings. The Star Barn is a top wedding spot in Elizabethtown, surrounded by farmland, orchards and vineyards in scenic Lancaster County.
A teacher who recently attended a function there took to social media when he discovered the policy.
Owner David Abel tells PennLive.com same-sex weddings go against his Roman Catholic convictions.
Now, some business partners with Discover Lancaster say they won’t attend the annual meeting at the Star Barn on Thursday. LNP reports the tourism group sent an email to members saying they chose Star Barn for the meeting long before the controversy, and say they understand if some members feel like they can’t attend.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Fresh from a victory in Pennsylvania last fall, anti-gun violence advocates are turning their attention to legislation to empower family members or police to ask a judge to order the immediate, if temporary, seizure of someone’s firearms. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America went to the state Capitol on Monday to press the case for the bill.
It would create an “extreme risk protection order” for someone who’s deemed to represent a danger of suicide or to another person. Everytown for Gun Safety says 14 states have similar laws. Joining activists was the brother of a victim of last year’s mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Last year, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed legislation to force people with a domestic violence ruling against them to more quickly surrender their guns.
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — A pair of thieves has seen the light — apparently after seeing video of their heist. Police in West Chester, Pennsylvania, say thieves swiped a statue of a lion from outside a home in the Philadelphia suburb last Wednesday. Police posted surveillance video of the theft — and Friday, police posted another video. This one was of the thieves returning the statue. The culprits also left a bouquet of flowers and a card. Police say the owner is grateful for the statue’s return — adding that for the thieves, it was a “smart move to return the property.”
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Features
BOSTON (AP) — “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman and a dozen other prominent parents have agreed to plead guilty in the college admissions bribery scam that ensnared wealthy families and athletic coaches at some of the nation’s most selective universities, federal authorities said Monday. The actress and the other parents were charged last month in the scheme, which authorities say involved rigging standardized test scores and bribing coaches at such prestigious schools as Yale and Georgetown.
Huffman, 56, was accused of paying a consultant $15,000 disguised as a charitable donation to boost her daughter’s SAT score. Authorities say the actress also discussed going through with the same plan for her younger daughter but ultimately decided not to. She will plead guilty to a single charge of conspiracy and fraud, according to court documents. Those charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison, but the plea agreement indicates prosecutors will seek a sentence of four to 10 months.
LONDON (AP) — Prince William, spy extraordinaire? Kensington Palace officials have revealed that William has spent three weeks working with Britain’s secret services to understand how the country’s security and intelligence services work. He spent time shadowing the foreign intelligence service MI6, worked with the domestic security service MI5, and finally with GCHQ, the government’s secret listening service.
Officials said the prince completed his final day of his work placement at GCHQ on Saturday. In a statement, William said it was a “humbling” experience working with “people from everyday backgrounds” who cannot tell their family and friends about their secret work and all the stresses they face. The head of counter-terrorism at GCHQ, who remained anonymous, said the prince “worked exceptionally hard to embed himself in the team.”
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Somebody slowed the police’s roll: Thieves keep stealing the wheels off of the patrol cars in Mississippi’s capital city. Jackson police spokesman Sgt. Roderick Holmes tells local news outlets that three police cars were towed Saturday after police discovered their wheels had been stolen. The cars had been parked behind a police museum in downtown Jackson. Holmes says police aren’t sure when the wheels were taken.
It’s the second time thieves have taken wheels from a Jackson patrol car in recent weeks. A car was left on blocks outside the police training academy in March in west Jackson after thieves stole tires and rims.
Holmes says police continue to investigate the thefts. The thieves and the stolen wheels remain at large.
RIDGEFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Authorities say it could cost over $50,000 to repair a Connecticut baseball diamond where somebody dumped gasoline and set it on fire to dry out the infield. Police are investigating the fire in Ridgefield in which 25 gallons of gasoline was poured on the field Saturday. First Selectman Rudy Marconi told Hearst Connecticut Media that 75 to 100 people watched as it happened, with some recording video on their cellphones.
The town’s high school baseball team had been planning to host Amity on the field.
Workers from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded. A hazardous waste removal crew began digging up the contaminated soil Sunday, and Marconi says the spill team will move it off site this week. No one has been charged.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
PA Sports, Scores & Skeds
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rhys Hoskins hit two solo homers, Odubel Herrera hit a two-run shot and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 4-3. Kurt Suzuki and Brian Dozier went deep for the Nationals. Bryce Harper was 0 for 3 with a walk in his third game against his former team but helped prevent a run with a perfect relay throw. The Phillies play on 1070AM WKOK, while our normal programming continues on WKOK.com. The Phils continue the series with the Nationals tonight 6:30pm.
CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer and Chicago’s beleaguered bullpen stepped up after Jon Lester departed with left hamstring tightness, leading the Cubs to a 10-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in their home opener. Brad Brach, Brandon Kintzler, Randy Rosario and Pedro Strop combined for seven innings of four-hit ball after Lester was removed with two on and none out in the third. Brach got his first win with the Cubs.
Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events:
———
INTERLEAGUE
Final L-A Angels 5 Milwaukee 2
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 5 Chi White Sox 1
Final Baltimore 12 Oakland 4
Final Houston 4 N-Y Yankees 3
Final Seattle 13 Kansas City 5
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Chi Cubs 10 Pittsburgh 0
Final Philadelphia 4 Washington 3
Final St. Louis 4 L-A Dodgers 3
Final Atlanta 8 Colorado 6
Final San Diego 6 San Francisco 5
———
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final OT (2) Virginia 85 (9) Texas Tech 77
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
———
INTERLEAGUE
Minnesota at N-Y Mets 7:10 p.m.
Texas at Arizona 9:40 p.m.
Milwaukee at L-A Angels 10:07 p.m.
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland at Detroit 1:10 p.m.
Toronto at Boston 2:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Chi White Sox 2:10 p.m.
Oakland at Baltimore 7:05 p.m.
N-Y Yankees at Houston 8:10 p.m.
Seattle at Kansas City 8:15 p.m.
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami at Cincinnati 6:40 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia 7:05 p.m.
L-A Dodgers at St. Louis 7:45 p.m.
Atlanta at Colorado 8:40 p.m.
San Diego at San Francisco 9:45 p.m.
———
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Memphis at Detroit 7:00 p.m.
Boston at Washington 7:00 p.m.
Charlotte at Cleveland 7:00 p.m.
Philadelphia at Miami 7:30 p.m.
N-Y Knicks at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Golden State at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
Toronto at Minnesota 8:00 p.m.
Phoenix at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Denver at Utah 9:00 p.m.
Houston at Oklahoma City 9:30 p.m.
Portland at L.A. Lakers 10:30 p.m.
———
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Montreal at D.C. United 8:00 p.m.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
