Lancaster County Jobless Rate Drops Under 6 Percent

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

Lancaster County‘s unemployment rate fell again in November, dipping to 5.9 percent from October’s 6.1 percent, the state reported Friday.

In declining for the third straight month, the local jobless rate sank to its lowest point since December 2008, when it was 5.6 percent.

The new rate means the county continues to slowly make progress toward its pre-recession level of unemployment.

“It’s taking a lot of time to settle down,” said Bill Sholly, an analyst with the state Department of Labor & Industry.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/939510_Lancaster-County-jobless-rate-drops-under-6-percent.html#ixzz2pRyoxj1x

Police Say Duo Had More Than 300 Packets Of Heroin

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

KINGSTON, PA — A New Jersey man and his homeless associate were arrested Friday in a drug bust in which police seized more than 300 packets of heroin.

Kingston police say they received a phone call Friday morning from a confidential informant, who told them a drug deal was about to take place on Wright Avenue. The informant provided a description of the suspects and the vehicle — a red Jeep Cherokee — that would be involved.

Plain clothes detectives from the Kingston Police Narcotics Unit established surveillance in the area and saw a male fitting the description of one of the males provided by the informant in the area of Wright Avenue and Pierce Street not long after 12:30 p.m.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news/1100762/Police-say-duo-had-more-than-300-packets-of-heroin

Several Factors Led To No Slayings In Coatesville In 2013

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

COATESVILLE, PA  –   Coatesville, long considered the hotbed of crime in Chester County, went without a homicide in 2013 after seeing six, including three in 10 days, the previous year.

Law enforcement officials are attributing the drop to an intense targeting of high-risk criminals and to factors outside their control – such as the weather.

“You don’t know which one of those was the silver bullet that really caused this drop,” Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan said Thursday. “So your only real choice for law enforcement is to keep all of them up for as long as you can.”

What happened in Coatesville mirrored trends in much larger cities across the country. Philadelphia had 247 killings last year, a 25 percent drop from 2012. In New York and Chicago, the fewest homicides were recorded since 1963 and 1965, respectively.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140104_Several_factors_led_to_no_murders_in_Coatesville_in_2013.html#Bf4Uy35BFgHSCPUv.99

Eagles Won’t Let Inexperience Be Another Foe On The Field

EAGLES COACH Chip Kelly explained it the best the other day when asked about his team’s unfamiliarity with being in the NFL playoffs.

“Depends on who wins, right?” Kelly said when asked about the difference in experience between the Eagles and the New Orleans Saints, tonight’s opponent in an NFC wild-card game. “If we lose, we were inexperienced. If we win, then there will be another story.

“We are concerned with how do we prepare to play a really good Saints team, and that’s all we can really be concerned with.”

Experience is an intangible, and intangibles come into play only when the tangible parts of a matchup are played at an even or near-even level.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/20140105_Eagles_won_t_be_inexperience_be_another_foe_on_the_field.html#M8sFZT7D1QyowqpI.99

Philadelphia Eagles Fans Eating Up Collegeville Italian Bakery’s Team Tribute

Location of Lower Providence Township in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

LOWER PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP, PA — With a canvas of tomato sauce and brush strokes of parmigiana reggiano, Collegeville Italian Bakery/Giovanni’s Italian Market has created what could be the tastiest piece of sports memorabilia you’ll ever sink your teeth into.

When husband and wife team Steve and Patrizia Carcarey, owners and operators of the popular spot that’s been an institution for two decades now, decided four years ago to pay a culinary tribute to the Philadelphia Eagles with their classic tomato pie, customers quickly warmed up to the idea.

But it’s only recently that the Eagles-themed pies are selling almost as fast as mint Mickey Mantle baseball cards at a sports collectables expo.

“The sales have really picked up this season,” said Steve. “It’s just a neat idea we came up with that people really like.”

Read more: http://www.timesherald.com/business/20140103/philadelphia-eagles-fans-eating-up-collegeville-italian-bakerys-team-tribute

Pennsylvania Turnpike Rates Jump Again On Sunday

Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The new year will take its toll on Pennsylvania motorists — literally.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will raise tolls for the sixth consecutive year, with the price increases taking effect Sunday.

Drivers paying in cash will see a 12-percent rate increase, while E-ZPass users will incur a more palatable 2-percent hike as the commission tries to encourage drivers to use the more efficient electronic option to traverse the toll road.

Increased tolls have become customary after Gov. Ed Rendell signed Act 44 into law in 2007, requiring the commission to fork over $450 million annually to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/20140103/pennsylvania-turnpike-rates-jump-again-on-sunday

Berks County Unemployment Declines

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

Berks County‘s unemployment rate decreased to 7.3 percent in November from 7.4 percent in October, the lowest unemployment rate since January 2009, when it was also 7.3 percent, the state Department of Labor and Industry reported Friday.

Berks’ unemployment rate was the eighth-lowest among the state’s 14 metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs.

“For Berks, as an MSA, it did rather well compared to other MSAs,” said Steven Zellers, industry and business analyst at Labor and Industry.

Lebanon and Centre counties had the lowest rates, 5.8 percent, while Scranton/Wilkes-Barre‘s was the highest at 9.1 percent.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article/20140104/MONEY/301049989#.Usgx5_RDsxI