Commonwealth Medical College Taken Off Probation

The Commonwealth Medical College moved a step closer to full accreditation on Thursday when it announced the national medical school accrediting body has lifted the college’s probationary status and granted it provisional accreditation.

The advance comes a year after the Liaison Committee for Medical Education placed the school on probation largely because of concerns about its financial stability.

With the new status – a rung higher than the school’s preliminary accreditation before the probation period – the accrediting body also determined that the college has the resources to expand its class size from 65 to 100 medical degree students beginning in 2013.

“This is an external statement by an accrediting body that this school is solid,” Lois Margaret Nora, M.D., the college’s interim president and dean, said. “For anyone who has any questions about permanence, this is just a major statement.”

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/commonwealth-medical-college-taken-off-probation-1.1329922

State: No Bailout For Scranton

HARRISBURG, PA – Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty lobbied Corbett administration officials and leading lawmakers Monday to provide a new sales tax revenue stream to his fiscally troubled city.

Meanwhile, a top state official told city residents not to expect a state bailout for immediate budget problems.

Mr. Doherty said during a visit to the state Capitol that enacting a state law to give Scranton a share of a countywide 1 percent sales tax would be a way to recognize the city’s lead role in a state court case that resulted in it owing millions of dollars of back arbitration awards to city firefighters and police officers.

“We are the one that fought the battle for DCED in Act 47; here is a way to help us out,” Mr. Doherty said.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/state-no-bailout-for-scranton-1.1328492

Vast Defenses Now Shielding New Orleans

English: Landsat 7 image of New Orleans sitting between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River. The city appears a pinkish shade in the April 26, 2000 image. The image uses the ETM+ bands 7, 4, and 2. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NEW ORLEANS — Finally, there is a wall around this city.

Nearly seven years after flood waters from Hurricane Katrina gushed over New Orleans, $14.5 billion worth of civil works designed to block such surges is now in place — a 133-mile chain of levees, flood walls, gates and pumps too vast to take in at once, except perhaps from space.

Individual components of the system can be appreciated from a less celestial elevation. At the new Seabrook floodgate complex, climb up three steep ladders, open a trap door, and step out into the blazing sunlight atop a 54-foot tower that was not here just two years ago. From there one looks out over a $165 million barrier across the shipping canal that links Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/15/us/vast-defenses-now-shielding-new-orleans.html?pagewanted=all

Two Big Country Music Singers To Share The Bill For Allentown Fair Show

A concert featuring the reigning American Country Awards artist of the year and another artist whose first three albums have topped the country charts will headline Allentown Fair’s grandstand, it has just been announced.

Jason Aldean, whose song “Fly Over States” this year became his seventh No. 1 song and who has 10 others – including last year’s “Dirt Road Anthem” — that have gone gold or platinum, will share the stage with Luke Bryan on Aug. 30, the fair announced.

Read more: http://blogs.mcall.com/lehighvalleymusic/2012/06/two-big-country-music-singers-to-share-the-bill-for-allentown-fair-show.html

Power Outage Hits Thousands Of Homes, Park City Center

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A malfunction at a PPL substation in East Petersburg knocked out power to thousands and created traffic backups on area roads Thursday afternoon.

PPL spokesman Kurt Blumenau said a tripped transformer sparked the 4:30 p.m. outage that affected about 5,200 homes and businesses in Manheim and East Hempfield townships as well as a portion of the western part of Lancaster city.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/669443_Power-outage-hits-thousands-of-homes–Park-City-Center.html#ixzz1xsA37GOl

Prison Time For Parking Fines Raises Legal, Monetary Issues

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With a constable waiting to take her to jail, bookstore owner Melody Williams wiped tears and called a friend.

Williams told her to pay the shop’s electric bill and rent. She also said she might have to pack up her apartment.

Struggling for composure, Williams, 36, explained that Senior District Judge Jene Willwerth was sending her to jail for overdue parking fines.

“It was a short and sweet hearing,” recalled constable Karl Salisbury, who took Williams into custody at her store on May 31. “The judge said, ‘You owe $2,300 collateral. You’re being committed to Lancaster County Prison.’ ”

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/669646_Prison-time-for-parking-fines-raises-legal–monetary-issues.html#ixzz1xs7OXs10

2 Cows Fall From Overpass Onto Route 222, Die

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They are among 14 that escaped from farm; police say 1 died on impact, and 1 hit by truck.

Cumru Township police Sgt. James Griffith experienced a first in his career when two cows died after falling onto Route 222 from the Old Lancaster Pike overpass near Gouglersville.

Griffith said one cow died on impact while the other was hit by a tractor-trailer about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The cows belonged to a herd of 14 that escaped from a farm on Beavens Road in Brecknock Township, he said.

They were first spotted near the Gouglersville Fire Company about 1 p.m. before making their way to the retaining wall at the Old Lancaster Pike overpass, Griffith said.

 Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=393230

Reading School District Lays Off 87 More Employees

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nearly 90 more furlough notices have been handed out to Reading School District employees.

Karen B. Gokay, director of human resources, Thursday confirmed that 65 teaching assistants and 22 secretaries have been formally told they will not have jobs with the district next school year. It is unclear exactly when the layoffs will take effect.

“It’s such a devastating blow for the people being furloughed,” said Charlene Weiser, president of the teaching assistant union, adding that the cuts will negatively affect students. “That’s 65 less assistants in classrooms.”

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=393224