State News-Friday, Dec. 29th

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A newspaper is reporting that the owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins will meet with state and local leaders to discuss how to fund a new arena in the city and possibly avoid moving the team elsewhere. Penguins owners Mario Lemieux and Ronald Burkle wrote a letter Thursday to Governor Ed Rendell agreeing to a meeting sometime next week. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported the details of the letter on its Web site. Last week, Lemieux said his ownership group would explore moving the Penguins to another city. The announcement came a day after state regulators denied a slot-machine license to Isle of Capri Casinos, which had promised to build the Penguins a new arena. The Penguins' current home is Mellon Arena, a 45-year-old building the team says must be replaced for it to remain viable in Pittsburgh.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Delaware State Police have identified a woman found dead Wednesday in a trash bag near off Interstate 495 near the Cherry Island Landfill. Police positively identified the woman through fingerprints as 42-year-old Aprille E- King of Philadelphia. Two workers collecting trash in the area found King's body around 8 a-m in tall reeds off the northbound ramp from 12th Street to I-495. King's death is being investigated as a homicide and an autopsy is being performed.

McKEES ROCKS, Pa. (AP) - The owners of a Pittsburgh area landmark bakery say they hope to have their fire-damaged facility operating again by the end of January. The Jenny Lee Bakery production plant was damaged in a fire last month. The family-owned business has still been producing some products but hopes to get things back to normal next year. The business was started by the grandfather of Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll. The Baker family has sold baked goods around Pittsburgh since 1875. Customers say they have missed the bakery's fruitcake, fresh breads and hometown hospitality.

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - Company officials say the Miesse Candies factory that was destroyed by a fire earlier this year will be rebuilt and start producing candy in March. Frank Taylor The Third is one of the owners. He says the decision to rebuild the Lancaster factory and reopen one of Miesse's retail stores was made after a new ownership arrangement for the company was finalized over the weekend. Another owner says that architectural drawings for the rebuilt plant were completed this week and will be forwarded to the city next week for approval. An electrical malfunction sparked the March 16th blaze that destroyed much of the factory where chocolates had been made from a World War One-era recipe since 1955.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Residents and business owners in Luzerne County who sustained damage from a tornado that struck earlier this month can apply for low-interest loans to help pay for repairs. Homeowners, renters and business owners in neighboring Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Monroe, Schuylkill, Sullivan and Wyoming counties are also eligible for assistance from the federal Small Business Administration. Up to 40-thousand dollars is available to homeowners and renters to repair or replace personal property. Federal regulations limit home loans to 200-thousand dollars for the repair or replacement of real estate. Business owners may borrow up to one-point-five (m) million dollars. Applications and program information are available from the Small Business Administration. The tornado in Mountain Top was one of two that roared through the state on December First.