State News - Saturday Jan. 27

JIM THORPE, Pa. (AP) - Nearly two dozen Carbon County employees had to evacuate their offices after officials found structural problems in a county courthouse building. Officials say support beams in part of the Carbon Courthouse Annex in Jim Thorpe cracked. That caused the floor in the county controller's office to sag two to four inches and forcing the evacuation of some employees yesterday. Inspectors think the damage is isolated to a 30- by 50-foot area of the building. But county officials say engineers will likely inspect the rest of the building to make sure there aren't anyother problems. Commissioners evacuated a total of about 20 employees from the controller and data processing departments, along with employees in the tax assessment, mapping and tax claim bureau.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania State Museum has been closed until further notice for emergency repairs to its fire alarm system. So, you'll have to put your plans on hold if you were hoping to see the gowns of Pennsylvania's first ladies or photos of the state's steel history. Jane Crawford, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Historical andMuseum Commission, says the alarm system at the downtown Harrisburg museum malfunctioned during routine testing. The repairs are expected to take several days. The museum is visited by about 315-thousand children and adults each year.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Prince Charles and his wife are in Philadelphia for a whirlwind weekend tour, after arriving at afour-star hotel last night. Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, along with their 18-person entourage, were welcomed at the Four Seasons hotel yesterday. They begin their official appearances this morning at Independence Hall, where they will be greeted by the mayor, governor and other officials at the very site where colonial settlers declared their independence from Britain. The couple will then meet with students at the Liberty Bell, followed by a reception with community leaders at the National Constitution Center. Tomorrow morning, the prince and duchess will attend services atArch Street Presbyterian Church before taking a private train toNew York.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A judge has ruled that Philadelphia's jails are so overcrowded and conditions so poor that inmates' constitutional rights are being violated and the jails must again be put under federal monitoring. U.S. District Judge R. BarclaySurrick ordered the city to immediately provide prisoners with clean cells, toilets, showers, beds and medical attention.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Target Corporation will pay 775-thousand-dollars to 14 black workers in Springfield, Pennsylvania to settle discrimination complaints filed by federal civil rights monitors. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says Target must also train managers and supervisors at its Springfield store about the company's equal opportunity policies.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Philadelphia man who said his tormented conscience led him to confess to an unsolved 1987 killing has been convicted by a jury of third-degree murder. Fifty-five-year-old Brian Hall confessed to police in 2005 that he strangled 18-year-old Rosella Atkinson nearly two decades earlier.