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Former Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs plans summer camp for runners

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:46:32 GMT

Joetta Clark Diggs knows running.

The four time track and field Olympian is sharing that knowledge with kids in Easton at a summer camp.

joettasportsandbeyond.com

Easton Area School District votes to eliminate 43 positions

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:15:20 GMT

The Easton Area School Board approved the elimination of 43 positions, 19 of which are teachers, during Tuesday night’s meeting.

The majority of the teaching positions cut, 14, came through attrition, according to Michael Simonetta, EASD chief operating officer, following the meeting.

A breakdown of the staff cuts are as follows:

- Easton Area High School will lose a total of six teachers, one each in French, Spanish, Special Education, Technology Education, Family and Consumer Science and English as a Second Language.

- Easton Area Middle School in seventh and eighth grades lose one “Read 180” teacher

- Easton Area Middle School in fifth and sixth grades lose one special education teacher

- Kindergarten through fourth grades schools will lose one librarian and seven classroom teachers

- District-wide the EASD will lose one home and school visitor, certified school nurse, and athletic trainer

- The district will lose two Technology Integration Specialists as part of non-certified Act 93 positions

- Various support staff positions were also eliminated, including seven custodial workers, one full-time general maintenance job, one class A instructional paraprofessional full-time job and one part-time, one part-time administrative professional and 11 assistant coaches.

Superintendent Susan McGinley explained to the board that the district's head coaches would be the ones making the decisions on which assistants would be relieved of their duties.

The district is no stranger to layoffs. Last year EASD cut 131 jobs and in 2010 a total of 70 teachers were furloughed.

Last month the board approved a $134.3 million budget that cut staff members and also raised taxes by 1.7 percent. The tax hike means the average property owner with a home assessed at $60,000 will pay an extra $56.

Simonetta said the district will use $750,000 from the general fund balance to produce the balanced budget.

In addition, the board approved a resolution reorganizing administrators and assigned the soon-to-be-departed McGinley the position of fifth grade principal at Easton Area Middle School.

Her contact as superintendent was not renewed and expires June 30th.

Stabbing outside Pottstown Elks club

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:09:02 GMT

Police in Montgomery County are investigating a stabbing. It happened around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday at 609 Walnut Street in Pottstown at the Montgomery Elks Lodge.

Officials say there was some type of altercation inside the club and a man in his late 30s was stabbed in the neck.

The victim was taken to Reading Hospital for treatment.

There's no word on his condition.

So far police do not have any suspects.

Penn State scandal defendants lose second appeal

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:55:53 GMT

Two former Penn State administrators lost a second state appeals court ruling in less than two weeks Tuesday, when Superior Court threw out their request to review whether a grand jury judge had authority dismiss charges against them.

The appeals court agreed with prosecutors, who argued the Supreme Court alone can consider matters regarding a grand jury investigation. The high court earlier this month, in a parallel matter, also ruled against retired vice president Gary Schultz and former athletic director Tim Curley.

The two men face criminal charges for an alleged conspiracy to cover up complaints about former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky acting inappropriately with children. Sandusky, a former assistant football coach, was convicted a year ago of 45 counts of child sexual abuse and is serving a decades-long state prison sentence.

A spokesman for the state attorney general's office and Schultz's lawyer Tom Farrell both declined comment. A message was left for Curley's legal defense team wasn't immediately returned.

In a filing made last month, Farrell told Superior Court the judge who supervised the grand jury that recommended charges against Curley, Schultz and Sandusky was wrong to decide he did not have authority to throw out charges against them. Farrell also said the judge, Barry Feudale, should have held a hearing on that motion and on the role played before the grand jury by Penn State's then-general counsel, Cynthia Baldwin.

Baldwin accompanied the men to their grand jury appearance, but later testified against them, prompting complaints their right to legal counsel was violated.

Farrell wrote that the issue was "the allegation that Ms. Baldwin's attendance at the grand jury testimony of Mr. Schultz and his co-defendants was breach of grand jury secrecy if she was not acting as counsel to those witnesses" and the prosecution's failure to obtain a judicial ruling before offering attorney.

The state Supreme Court on June 7 issued a pair of unsigned orders that denied petitions for review filed by the two defendants and specified they were free to raise the same issue during their criminal prosecution.

Curley and Schultz were first arrested, along with Sandusky, in November 2011. Late last year prosecutors added more charges against them, and for the first time also charged Graham Spanier, who was forced out as Penn State president after Curley, Schultz and Sandusky were charged.

Spanier has a pending motion for dismissal in Dauphin County court, according to the online court docket. He has not appealed to the state's Superior or Supreme courts.

There has not been a preliminary hearing for the charges against Spanier, or for the 2012 charges against Curley and Schultz.

Bethlehem council backs state grant for charter school despite educators' misgivings

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:08:05 GMT

Opponents of a $3 million state grant for a new charter school in Bethlehem came up short Tuesday night in an effort to have city council back off in helping the school get the money.

Despite strong pleas from Bethlehem Area School Board president Michael Faccinetto and Bethlehem Education Association president Jolene Vitalos, city council voted 5-2 to allow Mayor John Callahan to help the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts apply for funds from the state's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Grant Program.

Council president Eric Evans and council member J. William Reynolds cast the no votes.

The school intends to relocate to 321 East 3rd Street for the 2014-2015 school year, after operating in leased space at 675 East Broad St. since 2003. Ground was broken for a new, three-story, $27 million building 11 days ago.

Faccinetto, speaking for the school board, said that while the Charter High School for the Arts "has every right to expand," giving the school $3 million from a state program designed to spur redevelopment "is not fair to [the school district] and an insult to public education. ... There will be no new tax revenue and no new job creation."

Vitalos made similar points, noting that even though the charter school is being built in a Tax Increment Financing zone, "the land will never be available for tax purposes." And, she asked, "what economic development is being created?"

She also noted that while state grant money is available for a charter school, the Corbett administration has a moratorium on public school construction projects.

Council members David DiGiacinto, Michael Recchiuti and Robert Donchez were not unsympathetic to what Faccinetto and Vitalos had to say.

But DiGiacinto said if the city did not act as the "pass through" agency for the grant, the county or redevelopment authority would, while Recchiuti and Donchez said the school could help other businesses along 3rd Street.

"This parcel has been vacant for 15 years, and SteelStacks is kind of on an island," Recchiuti said. "The school helps bridge the gap that's there between SteelStacks and the main business district.

Council member Karen Dolan was the most passionate in her support of helping the charter school get the grant, and she forcefully refuted accusations that the $3 million that charter school would be getting from the state is coming at the expense of projects such as the proposed Nitschmann Middle School renovation.

"They don't pull from the same source of funding," she declared. "If we want to get at Governor Corbett, let's do it directly, not by stopping a good development. ... You don't hold up a grant from passing through for philosophical reasons."

Dolan also had some harsh words for Faccinetto and Vitalos. "This is [city council's] decision to make. ... To send a message a message on behalf of the teachers is a very bad way to go. ... It's not our job."

Charter school director Diane LaBelle told council that helping the school to expand "is the right thing to do," while project architect Christine Ussler predicted, "In the long run, more tax dollars will be coming from the South Side."

Parkland will pass a 1.92 percent tax increase next week

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:30:47 GMT

Residents of the Parkland School District can expect a 1.92 percent increase in their 2013-14 school taxes.

Parkland School Board is expected to approve that tax increase at its June 25 public meeting.

An update on the budget was presented to six school board members attending a public workshop meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

No one from the public attended to comment on the 2013-14 budget or to ask questions about it. Board members also had no comments on the final proposed budget.

It will be the lowest annual increase in at least the last three years, said John Vignone, Parkland’s director of business administration, who gave the presentation.

He said taxes increased 3.67 percent in the current school year.

Assuming the board approves the new budget, tax bills containing the increase will be sent July 1, the first day of the new school year.

An average home in the district has an assessed value of $221,000, according to Vignone, and that homeowner will pay $3,036 in school taxes.

“I’m happy that we can bring forth a budget that balances our wish to provide a high quality, comprehensive educational program -- that’s rich in visual and performing arts and athletic opportunities -- and balance that need and desire with the taxpayers’ ability to afford it,” said Parkland superintendent Richard Sniscak. “That’s what we strive to do and work hard to do.”

Explaining the evolution of the proposed budget since February, Vignone said: “We started at 5.82 percent and we ended up at 1.92 percent. A lot of hard work went into that, a lot of cuts, a lot of reductions.”

Vignone said the school board has been working on the 2013-14 budget since November.

The district’s 2013-14 budget totals $143.6 million, which Vignone said is more than 4 percent higher than the 2012-13 budget.

Vignone said Parkland is using half of its $1 million reserve to help balance the budget, as well as $4 million from its $21 million fund balance.

He said salaries for administrators will increase 2.5 percent. Teachers, who will be in the second year of a two-year contract, will get a flat $1,250 stipend rather than a percentage increase in their salaries. He said they got no increase in the first year of their contract.

Five teachers and two members of the support staff who retired or left will not be replaced, said Rodney Troutman, assistant superintendent, and other replacement personnel have been hired at lower salaries.

The number of teachers is dropping from 600 to 595, according to Troutman, who said the district has a total staff of more than 1,300.

Vignone told the board three positive “adjustments” totaling $480,443 have been made to the budget since late May, when the district was facing a possible 2.43 percent increase.

One adjustment was generated by Lehigh County’s reassessment, which created many appeals. The district projected property tax decreases based on those appeals because “you cannot budget money that you may lose in the appeal process,” explained Vignone.

But now that appeal hearings are being held, “we are mitigating many of those losses we thought we were going to receive. That brings assessed value back onto the district’s rolls. Our revenue goes up. As our revenue goes up, the value of a mill is more and we need less mills to balance the budget.”

He said a second positive adjustment is anticipated new construction, which will produce the same result.

The third adjustment is an unexpected savings on dental insurance, with no increase in the district’s premiums in 2013-14 and only 11 months of payments required for 12 months of coverage.

Vignone said every property in the district also will get a $105 “assessed value exception” on their tax bill. Clarifying, he said residents won’t get checks or $105 knocked off their tax bills. “We’ll translate that $105 into an assessed value reduction” – meaning the assessed value of properties will decrease by $105, so property owners will pay somewhat less in taxes. He explained that is possible because of gambling revenue received from the state.

During the board’s regular meeting after the workshop Tuesday night, the superintendent explained that the federal government has mandated a 10-cent increase in school lunch prices. Lunches will be $2.25 for elementary students, $2.50 for secondary students and $3.50 for adults.

Sniscak said prices are not increasing for milk, breakfast or reduced lunches and breakfasts.

One of the many items approved without discussion during the board’s regular meeting was a $99,878 contract with Prism Response, Inc., of Drums, Luzerne County, to remove asbestos from Kratzer Elementary School.

Maple syrup used to vandalize St. Thomas More church

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:20:55 GMT

Police are asking for the public's help in tracking down the people who vandalized a Roman Catholic church in Chester County. On the night of June 10, the doors were left open at the St. Thomas More church located at 2101 Pottstown Pike in Pottstown, police said. That's when the vandals got inside and sprayed fire extinguishers throughout, took maple syrup from the pantry and emptied it onto the kitchen floor, and then stole a bottle of wine, investigators said. Micaela Pupek is a long-time member of the church and was even baptized there. She calls the crime shocking. "I find it really upsetting," Pupek said. "Because I feel like churches should be able to have the doors open, and stuff shouldn't happen like that." Now just when this crime couldn't get any more concerning, nearby business owners tell 69 News that this crime also happened hours before the church was to open its doors for a funeral. "They had a large cleaning crew over there just to clean things up to prep the church for the funeral," said Jim Fitch. Fitch owns Fitch Enterprises, an auto repair shop across the street from the church, and has even worked on the head priest's car. Fitch says he hopes police find the culprits. "But just to go in and destroy someone else's property, it has to be a demented mind that does something like that," Fitch said. If you have any information, you are urged to contact state police immediately, at (610) 486-6280

New proposal waters down liquor privatization plan

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:00:49 GMT

Gov. Tom Corbett wants to get Pennsylvania out of the booze business, but his privatization plan is on life support.

Now, one local lawmaker is offering a less ambitious alternative that seeks to protect mom-and-pop beer businesses.

At Beerco Distributing in Allentown, Robert Mickus can sell you almost any kind of brew you want -- as long as it comes in a case.

"It pays my mortgage," he said. "It pays my health insurance and it pays for the food on my table."

But like a lot of distributors, Mickus is nervous about Corbett's push to overhaul alcohol sales in Pennsylvania.

"It does scare me," said Mickus.

With opposition mounting, powerful State Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, R - Bucks Co., is proposing a watered-down compromise.

"To try to do this all at once caused a lot of problems," McIlhinney said of Corbett's plan.

McIlhinney's alternative would not allow any new grocery or convenience stores to sell alcohol. That was a cornerstone of Corbett's plan. He insists grocery store sales will be more convenient for customers, but beer distributors fear they can't compete.

Many distributors spent tens of thousands of dollars for their beer licenses.

"I would not be able to stay in business," said Mickus.

As far as wine and liquor, those infamous "state stores" would stay open -- for now. But they'd have competition.

McIlhinney would allow beer distributors like Mickus, as well as restaurants and pubs, to sell spirits. Those businesses would still have to buy booze wholesale from the state, but they'd get it at a discount.

The idea is to run the "state stores" out of business -- slowly.

"They're being charged with closing the stores once the private sector has fulfilled that service in the area," said McIlhinney.

Opponents call the compromise a buzzkill.

"More retail outlets will be able to sell wine and spirits, but they'll still have to get their product from the government," said Nathan Benefield with the Commonwealth Foundation, which supports Corbett's original proposal. "And that's going to mean less selection for consumers."

Even Mickus thinks that adding liquor sales would not help him out much.

"That's a completely different business, and it's a different business model," he said.

Mickus would get another perk though. Under the McIlhinney plan, distributors, taverns, and restaurants would also be allowed to sell six-packs. Right now, they are limited to cases and kegs.

Either way, time is running out. Lawmakers in Harrisburg have two weeks to pass something before the state budget is due. Small business are hoping they're not left with a nasty hangover.

Nationals no match for Lee, fall to Phillies 4-2

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:47:31 GMT

The Washington Nationals hardly look like the team that ended the Philadelphia Phillies' five-year reign atop the NL East.

Cliff Lee struck out nine in eight impressive innings, Michael Young tied a career high with three doubles and the Phillies beat the Nationals 4-2 Tuesday night.

Lee (9-2) allowed two runs and five hits to win his fifth straight decision. The three-time All-Star lefty lowered his ERA to 2.53 and helped the Phillies move into a second-place tie with the defending division champs.

Both teams are seven games behind Atlanta. Nationals manager Davey Johnson isn't ready to panic.

"I'm an optimist," Johnson said. "It's a long season. We just have to right our ship. We'll figure things out."

Injuries have hurt Washington, which hasn't fielded its regular starting eight since April 14. Bryce Harper has missed the last 20 games, Danny Espinosa and three other players also are on the disabled list.

"When you have success like we did last year, it's hard to change things," shortstop Ian Desmond said. "We're not giving ourselves a chance to breathe."

Jayson Werth and Jeff Kobernus hit solo homers for Washington.

Ross Detwiler (2-5) took the loss in a game that started one hour, 10 minutes late because of rain. He allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.

"Detwiler was matching Lee pitch for pitch until the sixth," Johnson said. "He was throwing the ball good."

The Phillies have won two in a row over the Nationals after returning from a 3-7 road trip that left them four games under .500.

Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for his 14th save a night after blowing his first of the season and then getting the win.

It was 1-all going into the bottom of the sixth before Ben Revere started it with a bunt single. Young then lined an RBI double down the right-field line to give the Phillies the lead. Jimmy Rollins followed with a single and Ryan Howard was hit by pitch to load the bases.

Detwiler struck out Domonic Brown and Delmon Young before Kevin Frandsen hit a two-run single to make it 4-1.

"You come up with two outs and the bases loaded, you have to get in a good count," Frandsen said. "I got it to 2-0 and got a pitch to hit."

Kobernus connected as a pinch-hitter in the eighth for his first career homer to cut it to 4-2.

Werth lined a shot out to left to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the fourth. A Nationals fan secured the ball in the stands and wouldn't throw it back on the field as Phillies fans have been doing since Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004. The fan drew some boos that weren't as loud as the ones Werth receives whenever the Nats visit.

Werth helped the Phillies win the 2008 World Series and hit 36 homers for them when they won the NL pennant in '09, but he left for a $126 million, seven-year deal after the 2011 season.

Michael Young hit a double to start the bottom of the fourth, advanced on Rollins' sacrifice and scored on Howard's sacrifice fly to tie it at 1.

"Looks like his bat is a little quicker," manager Charlie Manuel said of Young. "He' expects a lot out of himself and he wants to do more. He's starting to relax."

Lee nearly gave himself a lead in the fifth on a two-out single, but center fielder Denard Span threw out Delmon Young trying to score.

"I love playing behind Cliff," Michael Young said. "He loves to have the ball in his hands, he loves to compete and he can hit."

NOTES: The Nationals are 4-27 when scoring less than three runs. ... Kobernus' homer was Washington's third by a pinch-hitter. ... Gio Gonzalez (3-3, 3.40) goes for the Nationals against Kyle Kendrick (6-4, 3.76) on Wednesday night.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/06/18/4948667/nationals-no-match-for-lee-fall.html#storylink=cpy

Life Lessons: Summer jobs for teens

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:00:00 GMT

It's June and your teenager has been on that same spot on the couch since the last day of school.

It's probably too late for them to get a summer job, right?

Wrong! The Internet can be a great tool to help your teen find that summer job.

Simply open a search engine and type in your city and state and teen employment.

There are also websites dedicated to hiring teens, such as www.teens4hire.org and www.summerjobs.com.

If they're applying online, they should create a resume.

Include their name, but for safety reasons do not put their address or phone number. Instead -- create an e-mail address for employers to contact them.

Educators say you may also want to encourage your teenager to volunteer or even get an internship.

Neither pays but both look good on a resume and could be great experiences.

Rosin leads Fightin Phils over Portland in twin bill split

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:09:53 GMT

Seth Rosin was dominant in a 4-1 win over Portland on Tuesday night in game 1 of a double-header at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The righty went all seven innings, striking out five Sea Dogs and allowing just three hits improve his record to 4-4 this year.

Jim Murphy knocked in two runs in the fifth when it was a 2-1 game to put things on ice for Reading.

The game was delayed more than an hour due to rain at the start.

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The Sea Dogs responded in game 2 with a 3-0 shutout at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Charlie Haeger threw 5.2 shutout innings for Portland, limiting the Fightins to just 4 hits.

Berks County falls in Carpenter Cup opener

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:04:37 GMT

Tri-Cape defeated Berks County, 9-8, on Tuesday night in each team's Carpenter Cup opener.

Berks trailed by three a pair of times during the game. Eric Hartranft tied the game at 3 in the fifth inning.

After Tri-Cape grabbed a 6-3 lead, Hunter Wysocki drove in Connor Tom to once again knot the game up at 6 in the 6th inning.

Berks County took their only lead in the 7th when Dan Louviaux scored on an error to make it 7-6.

But Tri-Cape roared back to capture a 9-8 win late and eliminate Berks County from the Carpenter Cup.

Arturo Trujillo habla sobre su primera victoria como pugilista profesional

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:05:59 GMT

Arranca el prgrama RBI en la ciudad de Reading

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:03:25 GMT

El condado Berks fue escenario para otra nueva temporada de béisbol para niños que residen en la ciudad de Reading.

La ligao programa llamada "Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities" inició hoy en el estadio Gordon Hoodak en Reading, Pensilvania.

El programa es auspicada por los Filis de Filadelfia y los Reading Fightin Phils.

Pero todo es organizado por el Club Boys and Girls de Olivet.

El programa es para niños de entre diez a 18 años de edad.

Allentown Immigration rally encourages reform

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:01:41 GMT

A big vote on immigration reform is coming up in the U.S. Senate next week and that has local politicians and community leaders sounding off on the issue. Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski took part in an immigration rally Tuesday at City Hall accompanied by City Council President, Julio Guridy. The event, organized by a local democratic and immigrant support group had just one message and that is to urge Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey to vote in favor of the senate's immigration bill. “I think it's critical for our American economy, I think it's critical for our city, I think it's critical for the country as a whole to get behind comprehensive immigration reform that has a path to citizenship,” said Pawlowski. However that may not be easy, the bill would offer a 13-year path to citizenship for the nation's 11-million undocumented immigrants. Even if the Senate approves the bill, it could face a tough fight in the GOP-controlled House. "Any immigration reform bill that is going into law ought to have the majority of both parties support, if we are really serious about making that happen. I don't see any way of bringing an immigration bill to the floor that doesn't have a majority support of Republicans," said House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Tuesday. A recent poll done by CNN/ORC shows a small majority of Americans in support of the Senate's immigration bill. With 51% in favor and 45% against. When it comes to a pathway to citizenship only 36% of those polled believe that should be the government's main focus while 62% say there needs to be an increase in border security. Regardless, those who spoke at Tuesday's rally believe Washington is closer than ever in passing meaningful reform. "They've been talking about it for some time, they have tried so many times and have failed. and I think in a bipartisan way with this gang of eight I think they're going to be successful," said City Council President, Julio Guridy. Boehner is scheduled to meet with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Wednesday to discuss immigration reform. The senate is expected to have its vote on the bill by the end of next week.

Fire damage at Timet Corporation tops $3 million, officials say

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:58:02 GMT

An explosive 3-alarm fire at a metal manufacturing company in Berks County caused $3.5 million worth of damage, a state police fire marshal said Tuesday.

The massive fire that drew dozens of firefighters from Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties ignited at the Timet Corporation on Hemlock Road in Caernarvon Township shortly before 8 p.m. Monday.

The fire started in the area of the processing machine and bins of staged titanium waiting to be processed, said Tpr. Michael Yeity, a Pa. State Police fire marshal.

"I was sitting right outside the garage door and I seen a loft of oil-based smoke come out," said a worker who was standing feet from the flames.

Workers activated the suppression system and were then told to get out.

"The bosses realized there was no way we were going to stop this, so they got on the intercom and said all raw materials meet at our evacuation area," said the worker.

At one point, firefighters who battled the flames were forced to retreat. A fork lift filled with propane that was sitting near the flames exploded. Firefighters saw the tank leaking and got out in the nick of time, said officials.

"A ball of fire came out the side and they had all the fire company members retreat in the area due to the potential danger of flash or another explosion," said Chief Paul Stolz, Caernarvon Twp. Police Dept.

Miraculously, no one was injured during the fight. It took dozens of firefighters from about 20 different departments more than three hours to bring it under control.

Firefighters were forced to use foam to contain the fire because of the substances inside the building. Titanium is highly flammable, and officials said water would have caused the fire to spread.

Plumes of smoke billowed above the manufacturing company and could be seen for miles in the Morgantown area.

"It was a stubborn fire because of the type of building and the ventilation until they got the roof opened up and allowed ventilation, that's when they got the fire under control," said Stolz.

Authorities credited Timet's safety training of its employees for helping to prevent injuries and minimize and contain the fire damage.

Alice Cooper rocks Reading

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:57:41 GMT

Alice Cooper is rocking Reading. The shock rocker is playing right now at the Sovereign Center. Cooper was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011 and is known for hits including "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "School's Out." He was in town Tuesday night for the "Masters of Madness" tour. Marilyn Manson also hit the stage.

Carlos Zambrano dominant in IronPigs win at Toledo

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:40:43 GMT

Carlos Zambrano was dominant in a 3-0 IronPigs win over Toledo on Tuesday night.

Zambrano tossed seven shutout innings, striking out six and scattering five hits to shut down the Mud Hens in his second start for Lehigh Valley.

Cesar Hernandez drove in two runs for the 'Pigs with Steve Susdorf adding the other.

The IronPigs will continue their series in Toledo on Wednesday night at 7:00.

Distillery plan unveiled in Phillipsburg

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:29:38 GMT

Phillipsburg Town Council heard plans Tuesday night for a distillery in Union Square.

Nick Piperata of the Piperata Group opened his presentation with his local history as a 1989 graduate of Phillipsburg High School, in the town where his parents opened their own small business and his mother donated her home to house the local fire department. Piperata is now planning to open his own business: a distillery.

A month ago, a brewery operating in Phillipsburg relocated to Whitehouse Station, leaving a distillery-ready building vacant in Union Square.

Piperata is in discussions with the building owner to lease the property in the event he is able to proceed with his business plan. He explained the process of opening a distillery in the State of New Jersey, where the business owner has to seek approval from both the state and the municipality in which it operates.

Piperata compared his business model to that of the Crayola Factory in Easton, where he would begin operations as a non-foot traffic business that would eventually expand to attract tourists.

He assured the council he had the ability to ferment his wine in-house, bottle his product and begin as his own distributor as the property he is looking at sits directly across from a wine and spirits store.

Production would take about three months, and while distillery start-ups typically cost approximately $1 million, Piperata believes that he could open his at ten percent of that cost with his personal network of engineers and other technicians.

As a veteran, he will be seeking grants and aid from the Small Business Administration.

"I'm asking the town's permission to get this off the ground," Piperata said. "I'd like to get this started as soon as possible."

The council was very receptive to his proposal and engaged in some discussion on their best course of action. A town engineer was in attendance at the meeting and was able to answer some of the council's questions on the next appropriate steps for the distillery project. The property would have to be granted a conditional use permit to function as a distillery and the town council would later have to approve a liquor license.

Town Attorney Richard Wenner stated that the current zoning of the property would have to be examined after Piperata came to a formal lease agreement with the building owner. Members of council pointed out that the Union Square area is in need of redevelopment and Councilman Todd Tersigni called it a "positive endeavor" he will support "100 percent."

The council passed a no-action motion to move the project forward and to discuss their formal role in approving and licensing the distillery at a later meeting.

Berks County falls in Carpenter Cup opener

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:29:17 GMT

The Berks County baseball team fell in the opening round of the Carpenter Cup, 9-8, to Tri-Cape on Tuesday morning at FDR Park in Philadelphia.

Berks came back from a pair of three-run deficits. In the 5th, they tied it at 3 when Eric Hartranft knocked in Josh Kline.

They tied it once again in the 6th inning. Trailing 6-3 entering the frame, Hunter Wysocki knocked in Connor Tom to knot things up.

Berks took its only lead of the game in the 7th when Dan Louviaux scored on an error to give Berks a 7-6 lead.

But Tri-Cape rallied late for a 9-8 win to eliminate Berks County from the Carpenter Cup.

NCC set to expand dormitories

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:24:37 GMT

Northampton Community College will double its dormitory capacity thanks to a zoning change in Bethlehem Township. The Township Supervisors have changed a zoning ordinance that had barred the construction of new dormitories since the early 1990s. College officials say that construction ban was put in place after the last new dorms were built in the late 1980s. They say there had been concerns from neighboring residents about quality-of-life issues which have since subsided. The new dorms will add about 270 beds. The college is hoping to begin construction by next spring.

Man accused of using MMA move to kill friend headed to trial

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:23:17 GMT

A New Jersey man accused of strangling his friend during a fight in Monroe County is now facing a homicide trial. Charles Derr of East Hanover was in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing. A homicide charge against Derr was held for court but drug charges were dropped. Police say Derr killed his friend, Matthew Stilwell, by the use of a martial arts move known as "a rear naked choke hold."

New urgent care center to open in Slate Belt

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:01:51 GMT

The Lehigh Valley Health Network will open a new urgent care center in Bangor early next year.

It will be called the Health Center at Bangor. The center will be located at the former Majestic Athletic Factory Outlet in the Bangor Plaza.

A town hall meeting was held on Monday at the Washington Township Fire Hall to inform the community of plans for the center. 225 people attended the meeting -- too many for the hall forcing some people to be turned away.

Construction has already begun on the campus that will contain 30 full time employees on its 32,000 square foot campus. It will be open twelve hours a day during the week and eight hours a day on the weekend. Many health care services will be offered on site, such as physical therapy, chemotherapy, digital x-rays, and breast health services.

This health center will be a good starting point for the community to get health care in their own area, said Brian Downs, Media Relations Director of the Lehigh Valley Health Network. The community has expressed interest for this center to be in the area.

While there were citizens in attendance who felt the same as Downs, there were those who felt differently. Some people were disappointed by the services offered because they felt as though their families' needs would not be met at the health center. However, one of the main reasons the staff held the meeting Tuesday night was to hear the community's requests so they can use the additional 18,000 square feet of land they have to offer more services needed by those in the area in the future.

Open houses will be held for the community prior to its tentative scheduled opening of February 3, 2014.

DEP wants Allentown to think twice before voting on "Clean Air Ordinance"

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:10:39 GMT

The Department of Environmental Protection is warning Allentown to slow down and think twice about the possibility of making the City's air quality standards stricter than the state's.

Wednesday night, Council is expected to vote on an ordinance that would allow the City to set stricter air quality control than the state's own Air Pollution Control Act. This all stems from the plan for Delta Thermo to build a waste-to-energy plant in the city.

If Council votes it down, the issue will go to the voters as a referendum on the November ballot.

Council has yet to decide if it strengthen the City's standards but Tuesday John Marchetto, a lawyer for the DEP, warned Council that city ordinances do not supersede state law.

For one, he pointed to the ordinance's requirement to set emissions limits, fees and penalties for the waste-to-energy plant as being in conflict with the fact that state lawmakers have given the DEP exclusive authority to regulate emissions.

Again, City Council has not voted on this ordinance but the City's spokesperson said it's unclear how this letter will influence Council members' votes. Allentown City Council meets Wednesday at 7:00pm.

You can read the letter from the DEP here.

Ex-custodian suing Bethlehem YMCA for allegedly defaming her

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:33:40 GMT

A custodian at the Bethlehem YMCA who was fired last year over a missing wallet on the same day she was given a raise is claiming in court her former employer defamed her.

Nancy Rivera, of 1115 Fritz Drive, Bethlehem, filed an amended complaint Monday in Northampton County Court against the YMCA branch at 430 East Broad St., Bethlehem, and two of its staff members.

Rivera says in her suit that after she had finished her shift on Aug. 15, 2012, she was called at home by Chris Brown, acting branch manager at the Bethlehem Y, and told she was fired because she was seen on camera stealing a wallet from the Y's "teen room."

Brown's call came just a short time after Rivera had been told at work by her supervisor, Rob Fritz, that her request for a raise had been approved, the suit says.

The lost wallet was eventually found in the Y parking lot with nothing missing, the suit says.

Rivera claims in her suit that Brown and Jenna Spirk Camasta, the Y's child-care coordinator, made "defamatory, malicious, slanderous, false, distorted [and] incomplete" statements about her to Y employees and staff as well as the alleged victim (and Rivera's co-worker at the Y), Kirby White.

The statements were intended to "inflict emotional distress and damage," the suit says.

Rivera also claims that Brown and Camasta portrayed her in a false light.

Brown reported to Bethlehem police that Rivera was seen stealing the wallet from a locker room at the Y, the suit says.

Rivera's attorney, Joshua Fulmer, told WFM.com Tuesday afternoon that the wallet was found next to White's car.

The suit points out that Rivera, whom Fulmer said worked at the Y for 10 years, never walked through the parking lot because she doesn't own a car; that she used public transportation, and that the bus stop is located in the opposite direction of the lot.

Also, the suit says, the Y videotape does not show Rivera stealing White's wallet.

Fulmer said the video shows Rivera emptying a trash can in a classroom with lockers used by Y employees, including White, "but she [Rivera] did not take anything."

Fulmer said Y officials concluded Rivera must have taken the wallet "because she was the only person in the room" at the time the theft supposedly happened. Rivera does not ask for a specific amount of money in the suit, but she is requesting legal costs as well as punitive and other damages.

Atty. Ed Easterly, who is representing the Y, told WFMZ.com Tuesday afternoon he could not comment on Rivera's amended complaint because he has not yet seen a copy of it.

He said, "We will vigorously defend any and all claims against the Y by Ms. Rivera."

Easterly said he filed preliminary objections against Rivera's original complaint in February, because it did not mention the specific names of Y employees and staff to whom Brown and Camasta allegedly defamed Rivera.

Rivera's amended complaint cites a maintenance employee named Jim and another employee named Gaye, but says she does not know their last names.