Police: Rockview Inmate Alone With Woman For 27 Minutes During Sexual Assault

Counties constituting the Happy Valley Region of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A former Rockview state prison inmate charged Thursday with the brutal sexual assault of a female employee was alone with the woman for 27 minutes, despite the fact that she sounded her emergency whistle, police say.

Omar Best, 36, faces multiple felony counts, including rape and aggravated assault, stemming from the July 25 assault. He is accused of raping the woman and choking her unconscious.

Charging documents filed Thursday by state police revealed new details about the assault.

Police said Best was able to get the woman alone by walking into a clerical area where she was working. She blew a whistle to signify she was in danger when Best approached her, but no help came, police said.

Read more here:  http://www.centredaily.com/2013/10/10/3831816/inmate-charged-with-july-rape.html#storylink=cpy

Pittsburgh’s Water And Sewer Rates Will Rise To Cover Capital Improvements

A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its neighborhoods labeled. For use primarily in the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority customers will see their rates rise over the next four years to help pay for capital improvement to the city’s antiquated infrastructure, projected to cost $150 million over the next three years.

The board of PWSA voted todaty to approve a graduated rate increases for 2014 through 2017. The average household customer will see rates increase about $8.29 a month over three years, from $42.03 a month to $50.32 a month. Rates will rise about $3 a month for the first year, $1.94 for the second, $1.26 for the third and 77 cents for the fourth.

Larger consumers — like industrial customers — will share a larger portion of the increased burden.

The additional revenue will be used to pay down the $150 million bond issue expected to be finalized by the end of this year.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/pittsburghs-water-and-sewer-rates-will-rise-to-cover-capital-improvements-707198/#ixzz2hRV7cnjN

Armstrong World Industries To Invest $41 Million In Lancaster Plant, Will Lead To 57 New Jobs At Facility

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

Armstrong World Industries said Thursday it will invest $41 million in its Lancaster floor plant, so it can make luxury vinyl tile there.

Adding production of the residential and commercial vinyl tile will lead to 57 new jobs at the 160-employee facility, the company said.

Armstrong will start constructing the new lines inside the current Dillerville Road plant in the first quarter of 2014.

Shipping of luxury vinyl tile from the 600,000-square-foot city plant is set to begin in mid-2015.

Armstrong now has its luxury vinyl tile made for it by a manufacturer in China.

Shifting that production here will enable the company to serve its North American customers faster and less expensively.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/904464_Armstrong-World-Industries-to-invest–41-million-in-Lancaster-plant–will-lead-to-57-new-jobs-at-facility.html#ixzz2hRRxQSUC

Funds For More Cops, No Tax Hike In Proposed 2014 Wilkes-Barre Budget

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

WILKES-BARRE, PA – Mayor Tom Leighton proposed a $42.7 million 2014 budget Friday morning without any tax or fee hikes and with funding to hire additional police officers.

“My goal is to hire at least 10 new officers in 2014, but we will closely monitor the strength of city finances to hire as many officers as the general fund can afford,” Leighton said during his budget presentation at city hall.

City employees will receive a 3 percent raise. Leighton’s salary also will increase 3 percent for 2014 to $82,309. He said he has not taken a raise for the last seven years.

Read more:  http://citizensvoice.com/news/funds-for-more-cops-no-tax-hike-in-proposed-2014-w-b-budget-1.1567105

DA: More Girls Say Pennridge Softball Coach Had Sex With Them

Map of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Four more teenagers reported that a softball and basketball coach had sex with them, prosecutors revealed as investigators continue to look into allegations against the 36-year-old Richland Township man.

The girls came forward following Eric Romig’s arrest last week on a half-dozen sex charges, including institutional sexual assault, after a 16-year-old girl’s parents discovered he was allegedly having sex with their daughter, according to court records.

The new allegations were enough for Jennifer Schorn, chief of the Bucks County district attorney’s major crimes division, to request Romig’s bail be raised.

Following a bail modification hearing Wednesday, Judge Wallace Bateman ordered Romig’s bail raised from 10 percent of $500,000 to $1 million cash, meaning Romig would have to post $1 million to be released.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-pennridge-softball-coach-more-sex-charges-20131010,0,705708.story#ixzz2hRI2JG9b
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Termination Hearing For YouTubing Gilberton Police Chief Continued After Gun Falls From Supporter’s Holster

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

GILBERTON, PA – The termination hearing of Gilberton police Chief Mark Kessler, whose curse-riddled YouTube videos about gun rights have gone viral, was stopped Thursday after a loaded handgun fell from a bystander’s holster onto the concrete floor.

The gun did not go off, but Kessler’s attorney, Joseph Nahas, directed that person to leave the room packed with 40 people. After a short private meeting, officials announced that the hearing would be reconvened at a later date at a larger room at the Schuylkill County Courthouse.

“We’re in a very small room. It’s made of concrete. If a gun were to be chambered and land on concrete, like it just did, someone can be injured,” Nahas said.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-gilberton-pa-police-chief-guns-termination-20131010,0,4249276.story#ixzz2hRDYfE6A
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Montco Urged To Sell Nursing Care Complex For $39M

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

NORRISTOWN, PA — A “working group” of senior county staff is recommending the sale of Montgomery County’s Parkhouse Providence Pointe nursing care complex to a Maryland-based company.

While no action has yet been taken regarding the proposed Parkhouse transaction, the Montgomery County commissioners are entertaining the idea of selling the facility to a private firm, Mid-Atlantic Health Care LLC, for $39 million.

The nine-member working group is composed of senior staff from the Department of Aging and Adult Services, the county planning commission and Parkhouse Providence Pointe administrators. Of 10 respondents, all members of the group vouched Tuesday for Mid-Atlantic as the outstanding applicant to the request for proposals the county issued in June.

As part of an overall review of all county enterprises, about 200 acres of land at Parkhouse near Royersford could be put on the block. This sale, however, would exclude the newly-zoned open space across from Route 113, the home to more than 1,700 unmarked graves, some dating back to the early part of the 19th century.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20131011/montco-urged-to-sell-nursing-care-complex-for-39m

Progress Reported In Pa. Transportation Bill Talks

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch and others involved in discussions on a massive transportation bill said Thursday they have been encouraged by recent discussions but cautioned that no deal has been reached.

Schoch said talks with Democrats and Republicans in the state House are the “correct way to find a solution,” although a number of issues remain unresolved.

“At this point it will succeed or fail, but I’m confident it will be well-vetted,” Schoch said. “If it doesn’t work, that way I’ll at least know I gave it the best shot we could to get it done.”

House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, recently delayed a House vote on a Senate-passed, $2.5 billion-a-year package. At the request of Gov. Tom Corbett, he said the vote would occur next week, giving the administration more time to seek a deal.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=516205

Pa. Senate Leader To Seek Higher Speed Limit

HARRISBURG, PA – A leading Pennsylvania state senator says it’s time to increase the state’s maximum allowable speed limit from 65 mph to 70 mph.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati said today he will introduce legislation soon to allow the higher maximum speeds on interstates.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=516214

Predictions Mixed For Winter In Berks County

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

When the 2014 Farmers’ Almanac came out in August, it predicted this winter would be bitterly cold with significant snowfalls.

On Thursday, AccuWeather released its long-range winter forecast, calling for winter to get off to a slow start in the East in terms of cold temperatures and snowfall.

“Winter will begin mildly, with a long duration of above-normal temperatures,” AccuWeather predicted. “One snow system and some chilly air could come at times during November, however.

“Temperatures will fall in the latter part of the season, likely the beginning of January, allowing snow to fall along the I-95 corridor.”

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=516185