State News-Thursday, Jan. 4th

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bob Casey says he plans to use a Bible that belonged to his father when he's sworn in as a U-S senator today. Casey, a Democrat, is the son of Robert Casey Senior, who was Pennsylvania's governor from 1987 to 1995. The elder Casey died in 2000. The younger Casey says he considers it a blessing to be able to follow his father into public service. He's been named to the Senate Agriculture Committee, which should be quite busy with the farm bill up for reauthorization this year. He's also on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is to begin hearings on the Iraq war. Casey says he will be listening and asking questions during the hearings to make up his mind about the next course of action in Iraq.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Democratic leaders in the state House of Representatives and the new Republican speaker are establishing a group to recommend reforms, and there's no shortage of possible subjects. Potential initiatives include limits on late-night voting, expanded public access to government records and information, term limits for legislators, shrinking the Legislature, cutting back on lawmakers' perks, and reducing the power of the parties' top leaders. Other possible topics are redistricting, lame-duck session rules, election law, lobbying, and campaign financing. Some even want to hold a constitutional convention. That's a move that would require approval by both the Legislature and the voters. Democratic Leader Bill DeWeese says the House is "going to have to deliver."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A news conference is scheduled today in Kansas City, Missouri about owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting there. The team is considering moving to Kansas City, where a new arena is under construction. The 18-thousand seat Sprint Center, set to open in the fall, is looking for an anchor tenant. Other cities that have expressed interest in the Penguins are Houston; Winnipeg; Portland, Oregon, and possibly Oklahoma City. There's also a chance the team will remain in Pittsburgh.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A spokesman for Saint Francis University of Pennsylvania says basketball coach Bobby Jones is to undergo more tests today at a hospital in Washington, D-C. Jones has been at Sibley Memorial Hospital after suffering stroke-like symptoms following his team's loss to American University Tuesday night. It's unclear just yet whether Jones will be at tonight's home game against Central Connecticut State.

READING, Pa. (AP) - Berks County authorities say a sheriff's deputy acted appropriately when he fired through the windshield of a car that hit him, killing the driver. Deputy Aaron Ogden was thrown onto the hood of the car Tuesday night but fired a shot before he was tossed off the moving vehicle. Reading city police Captain Francis Drexler says Ogden had "no other recourse" but to shoot 18-year-old Jorge Santini. Deputies were trying to serve a warrant on Santini. Officials say he accelerated quickly and tried to shake Ogden off his hood by swerving from left to right.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The Montgomery County district attorney says the slaying of a professor's wife was disguised to look like a burglary. D-A Bruce Castor says University of Pennsylvania professor Rafael Robb is a supect in the killing of Ellen Robb. The professor denies killing her and isn't charged with a crime. Castor says Robb told a 9-1-1 dispatcher "her head is cracked," indicating that he knew she was beaten. But Castor says the beating was so brutal that investigators initially thought the victim had died from a shotgun blast to the face at close range. Ellen Robb's body was found December 22nd in the kitchen of their house in an upscale Philadelphia suburb. Castor says she was seeking a divorce and told several people she planned to move out January First.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - There's no ruling yet in a lawsuit against Wal-Mart. Lawyers for Wal-Mart workers in Pennsylvania are seeking more than the 78 (m) million dollar judgment they already won for working off the clock and through rest breaks. Their lawyers are seeking another 62 (m) million dollars in damages, arguing they deserve 500-dollars each because the jury found Wal-Mart acted in bad faith. Lawyers for Wal-Mart say the plaintiffs don't meet the requirements under state labor laws for the additional payment. The case is being heard in Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A woman who was jailed for three weeks on drug charges for what turned out to be flour-filled condoms has settled a lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia. The 180-thousand dollar settlement pre-empts a trial that was scheduled to begin today. Janet Lee was a freshman at Bryn Mawr College in 2003 when she tried to take three condoms filled with flour in her carry-on bag on a flight to Los Angeles. Airport screeners found the condoms. The flour-filled condoms were a phallic toy that freshmen at the women's college would squeeze to deal with exam stress. Lee thought the toys were funny, so she packed them to show to friends at home. It's unclear why a field test showed drugs, but a later test showed Lee's story was true.