State News-Wednesday, Oct. 18th

WASHINGTON (AP) - Two more Pennsylvania soldiers have been killed in action in Iraq. The Defense Department says three men died Saturday after a roadside bomb went off near their vehicle in Baghdad. Two of the soldiers were from Pennsylvania: 35-year-old Staff Sergeant Joseph Kane of Darby, and 25-year-old Specialist Timothy Lauer of Saegertown. They were assigned to the First Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, Second Brigade of the Fourth Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. Lauer graduated in 2000 from Cochranton High School and the Crawford County Vocational Technical School. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and one son.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A day after the F-B-I raided offices of a lobbying firm run by Congressman Curt Weldon's daughter and his friend, the Republican's campaign is lashing out at what it calls "the left-wing, liberal attack machine." Weldon is locked in a close race against Democratic challenger Joe Sestak, a retired Navy vice admiral. The two are scheduled to debate on Friday. Sources tell The Associated Press that the F-B-I is investigating whether Weldon used his influence to get Karen Weldon's firm nearly one (m) million dollars in contracts with foreign companies. Weldon initially questioned the timing of the raids and said his sometimes unpopular stances may have angered people on both sides of the aisle. But yesterday, his campaign lashed out at the left. Weldon's campaign spokesman says there are Clinton-era holdovers among the civil-service employees in the Justice Department.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a reputed mobster from northeastern Pennsylvania has tried to kill a witness against him while out on bail. Federal prosecutors say 60-year-old William D'Elia of Hughestown was arrested on the new charges last week. The new indictment charges D'Elia with solicitation of murder, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, violating bail conditions, money laundering and other offenses. He's reputedly the head of the Russell Bufalino crime family. He was indicted in May on charges that included laundering drug money. An 18-count indictment says D'Elia told an informant in August that D'Elia would give him pictures of a witness who cooperated with prosecutors and told him to wait for a signal to kill the man.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Defense attorneys plan to begin presenting witnesses today in the trial of the owner and operator of Pier 34 in Philadelphia. The prosecution completed its case yesterday as relatives of three women who died when the pier and the Heat nightclub collapsed into the Delaware River relived their grief. Other family members in the gallery listened to the testimony and wept. Owner Michael Asbell of Merion and operator Eli Karetny of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, face charges including risking a catastrophe and involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors have presented 37 witnesses and 233 exhibits in three weeks, arguing that Asbell and Karetny ignored warnings that the pier was sagging and was about to collapse. Defense attorneys argue that their clients were not warned.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A state board has given its approval to proposed limits on mercury emissions from power plants that are tougher than the federal standard. The Environmental Quality Board, which is dominated by appointees of Democratic Governor Ed Rendell, voted 17-to-3 yesterday to send the proposal to a state regulatory review committee. That's the last step before it can be submitted to the federal government for approval. The Rendell administration has said the rule would make the nation's fourth-largest coal state a more attractive place for people to visit and live and better protect public health. Opponents say the cost of complying with the tougher rule would force some smaller coal-fired power plants out of business.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state House of Representatives has approved its own broad changes to Pennsylvania's two-year-old slot-machine gambling law and rejected parts of a Senate proposal as the legislative session winds down. But Senate aides say they aren't sure whether the Senate will accept certain changes the House wants to make. The House sent the legislation to the Senate in a 161-to-30 vote late yesterday. The measure preserves some provisions supported by the Senate, which unanimously passed its version last month.
The House's proposal would allow state gambling regulators to grant variances to zoning ordinances in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, which differs from the Senate bill.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Sovereign Bancorp says that its net income for the third quarter has remained stagnant from a year ago and says it will pursue what it's calling "aggressive cost reductions." The Philadelphia-based thrift reported a net income of 184 million dollars, or 37 cents a share. That's compared with profits of 181 million dollars, or 45 cents a share, in the same period last year. The company says it is conducting a review of its cost structure
and management will present recommendations on cost cuts to the board within the next 30 days.