State News-Friday, Sept. 1st

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Starting today, more than 150-thousand senior citizens who participate in Pennsylvania's low-cost pharmaceutical programs will be required to bring their new federal Medicare drug card when they pick up prescription drugs. The change marks the introduction of the state's new program,PACE Plus Medicare. The new program combines the new Medicare drug benefit, called "Part D," and the state's drug programs, PACE and PACENET. Under PACE Plus Medicare, the federal government provides the primary drug coverage, and PACE and PACENET fill in gaps in Medicare's coverage. Tom Snedden, the director of PACE and PACENET, says the combination of the plans mean PACE Plus Medicare will lower the cost of prescription drugs through Medicare Part D's coverage by12-hundred dollars.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission says it's going to appeal a court decision that could trigger higher electric bills for residential customers of P-P-L. P-P-L will also appeal the ruling, which it says will have minimal effect on revenue but could significantly hike residential rates. No rate increases are expected to occur while the Pennsylvania Supreme Court considers the appeals, which the P-U-C and the utility say they're going to file tomorrow. In an August 4th ruling, the Commonwealth Court required the P-U-C to recalculate how it apportioned a 222 million dollar annual rate increase it granted to the utility in 2004.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Authorities are searching for two moisture density gauges containing radioactive material that were stolen from a temporary job site in Stroudsburg. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency says JBC Associates of King of Prussia and SITE-Blauvelt Engineers of Mt. Laurel, NewJersey, reported the theft to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Wednesday. The gauges, encased in yellow transportation containers, were stolen from a locked shed. The state agency says there is no public hazard as long as the devices are not tampered with or damaged. But handling the gauges without their covering could lead to potentially dangerous radiation exposure. The companies are offering a reward of five hundred dollars for information leading to the immediate return of the devices.

BOSTON (AP) - "Broadway" Charlie Wagner, a former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox who worked for the organization for 70 years, has died of an apparent heart attack early this morning in Pennsylvania. He was 93. Wagner was stricken after attending a Reading Phillies-New Britain Rock Cats game in his hometown of Reading, Pa. Police say Wagner was found in the passenger seat of his car in the parking lot at FirstEnergy Stadium, where he was a fixture and had earlier participated in an awards ceremony. Wagner earned the nickname "Broadway" Charlie because he was an immaculate dresser. He is survived by his son, Craig, and daughter-in-law, Nancy. A funeral is planned for September 6th at the Kuhn Funeral Home in West Reading, Pennsylvania.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Police in Philadelphia say a couple who stumbled upon a man raping a woman in their driveway were in turn killed by the rapist. Police say the victim of the alleged rape in the Fern Rock neighborhood was shot in the arm and leg but is expected to recover. According to police, the woman broke free of her attacker and began screaming about the assault. The couple and the teen then fled on foot while the attacker fired at them with a semi automatic handgun. The names of the couple are being withheld pending notification of family. Twenty-four-year-old Kevin White of Philadelphia was arrested a short time later and police say he will be charged with murder, rape, aggravated assault and other offenses.