2013 Pennsylvania Farm Show Butter Sculpture Unveiled

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The 97th Pennsylvania Farm Show officially begins this weekend, but the annual farmfest received its unofficial start Thursday evening as officials unveiled the butter sculpture that will be on display for the duration of the show.

The nearly half-ton of butter depicts various Pennsylvania agricultural products, including milk and cheeses from the dairy industry, grapes and wine, as well as Christmas trees, fruits and vegetables.

The 8-day Farm Show and its famous food court opens to the public on Saturday with the theme “Made in PA. It makes a difference.”

After the conclusion of the exposition, the butter used for the sculpture will be donated to a Juniata County farm, where it will be converted to about 65 kilowatt hours of electricity.

 

Slots Revenue Increases in Pennsylvania for a Sixth Straight Year

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Slot machine revenue rose in Pennsylvania last year for a sixth consecutive year.   There was a 2.7% increase in gross revenue from slot machine gaming in 2012. The numbers were boosted in part by the opening of the Valley Forge Resort Casino.   Six of the existing casinos posted increases for the year, while four saw declines in slots play.

SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia posted the biggest gain, increasing slots play by more than 11% over the previous year. Presque Isle Downs and Casino saw the biggest decline at more than 9%.

Doug Harbach, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says fluctuations are expected, especially as gaming expands in neighboring states.    Gaming is expanding in Ohio and Maryland. But Pennsylvania’s newest resort casino is expected to open later this year in Fayette County.

Tax revenue generated by the play of slots topped 1.3 billion dollars last year. Pennsylvania’s first casino opened in November of 2006.

The Board also posted monthly slot machine revenue for December. There was a decrease of 2% for the month compared to December of 2011.

The casino industry in Pennsylvania employs more than 16 thousand people, while providing funds for property tax relief, the horse racing industry, economic development and community-based projects.

Numbers for table games won’t be out until later this month.

cows, dairy

97th Pennsylvania Farm Show Opens Saturday

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The weather forecast is fair, and officials expect more than 400,000 visitors over the eight-day Pennsylvania Farm Show.  “We’re dealing with about 24-acres under roof, just about a million square feet under roof, and that includes three arenas and eight major halls,” explains Farm Show Complex Executive Director Pat Kerwin.  It’s considered the largest indoor agricultural event in the country. 

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary George Greig is double-booked all week long as the Farm Show’s unofficial host.  “I want to represent each faction of agriculture and in Pennsylvania we have a very diverse agriculture group,” Greig tells Radio PA.  Greig is a dairy farmer from Crawford County and says the Farm Show is also a good time to reconnect with old friends from western PA. 

The famed Farm Show Food court churned out 140,000 milkshakes last year, and more than 22,500 dozen potato doughnuts.  New fare for this year’s show includes bacon on a stick, pumpkin funnel cakes and apple cider slushies, but you can’t go wrong with the old standards.  “I like the fried cheese, milkshakes and roast beef sandwiches with horseradish.  I’m a big horseradish person,” says Greig. 

Some of the new attractions for the 2013 show include the Great Grape Stomp, a new wine tasting area and a polo demonstration.  “But the thing that seems to be getting a lot of attention – which is somewhat odd in my opinion – is cow patty bingo,” Kerwin explains.  Just picture a giant bingo card on the large arena floor with roaming bovines providing their own special markers.

The 97th PA Farm Show runs from this Saturday through Saturday January 12th at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.  Admission is free; parking will cost you ten dollars.

Governor Corbett Announces Lawsuit Against NCAA Over Penn State Penalties

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Governor Corbett is suing the NCAA in an effort to have the sanctions against Penn State thrown out.  He announced the federal anti-trust suit in State College.

The Governor is calling the sanctions against Penn State in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal arbitrary and illegal.  He said after months of research, he has concluded the sanctions were overreaching. He says they didn’t punish those charged, they punished past, present and future students of the University. Corbett believes the NCAA had no authority to punish the school.

Governor Corbett says Penn State had no practical alternative but to accept the sanctions.  He says the NCAA seized upon the opportunity for publicity for their own benefit to make a showing of aggressive discipline on the backs of the citizens of the Commonwealth and Penn State University.

The Governor consulted with Attorney General Linda Kelly before proceeding with the legal action, but did not consult with incoming Attorney General Kathleen Kane.  He says the suit is not a political case, it’s being filed on behalf of the citizens of Pennsylvania, the businesses in State College and Centre County and throughout Pennsylvania that are being harmed by this.

The sanctions banned the school from bowl games for four years. They also stripped the school of  a number of scholarships and removed 112 victories from the record books.

The NCAA issued a statement calling the legal action without merit, saying  it’s an affront to all of the victims in this tragedy. The University issued a statement saying it’s not a party to the suit and has not been involved in its preparation.

 

United Way Calls for Review of Welfare Savings

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As state lawmakers enter the 2013 budget cycle, the head of Pennsylvania’s United Way wants an independent review of a 2011 law that paved the way for $400-million dollars in savings at the Department of Public Welfare.  United Way of Pennsylvania President Tony Ross says Act 22 gave the DPW secretary unprecedented authority to implement new regulations in order to achieve the savings.  “We think it’s very important for policymakers and others to have information about what those cost containment measures meant – in terms of waste, fraud & abuse, and also impact on vital services,” Ross says. 

Ross tells Radio PA there’s anecdotal evidence on both fronts, but an independent review can get to the bottom of it.  “We don’t particularly have a preference,” he says of whether it comes from the Auditor General, Independent Fiscal Office or the Legislative Budget & Finance Committee. 

DPW spokeswoman Donna Morgan says a lot went into the attainment of the $400-million in savings, not just Act 22.  She points out that no legal challenges have been filed since the law passed the General Assembly and was signed by the governor.  “It’s not about just cutting here and cutting there,” Morgan explains.  “It’s about making these programs more efficient, breaking down the barriers between different programs and providing more flexibility so that tax dollars can be used more efficiently.” 

Welfare spending accounts for over 38% of the current General Fund budget, and mandatory medical assistance costs alone are expected to increase by $650-million dollars in the new fiscal year, according to the Mid-Year-Budget Briefing.

Deadline Extended for Pennsylvania Lottery Management Offer

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Governor Corbett will have more time to consider a bid to privatize management of the Pennsylvania Lottery. Officials have announced that the lone bidder has agreed to extend its deadline, which was set to expire at midnight December 31st.  The administration now has until January 10th to consider the offer from Camelot Global Services PA LLC.

The Revenue Department says the extension will allow the union representing Lottery employees to present a counter-proposal for commonwealth review.

The bid extension will also allow more time for the risk mitigation firm Kroll Advisory Solutions to analyze the suitability of Camelot as a potential private manager for the Pennsylvania Lottery.

Meanwhile, State Senator Mike Brubaker, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, issued a statement saying he’s pleased with the extension.  He adds he has been informed that a second extension is anticipated.

As a result, the Senate Finance Committee will not alter plans to hold a public hearing on January 14th to provide an opportunity to fully vet the impact of privatizing lottery management.

Andy Reid is Out in Philadelphia

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The Philadelphia Eagles have officially cut ties with head coach Andy Reid.  The Eagles fired Reid after 14-seasons with the team, which ended a 4 – 12 2012 campaign by suffering a 42 – 7 loss to New York Giants on Sunday afternoon.  Reid is the winningest coach in Eagles history with 140-career victories, and he ranks 22nd on the NFL’s all-time list. 

In 1999, Reid’s first year with the organization, the team went 5 -11, but only had two other seasons below the .500 mark. 

Off-the-field drama also affected Reid earlier this year when his 29-year-old son Garrett passed away at the team’s training camp facility on the campus of Lehigh University.

Radio PA’s Top 10 Pennsylvania Stories of 2012 – Part 4

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As 2012 draws to a close, Radio PA is looking back at the top 10 Pennsylvania stories of the year as voted on by the news staff and other members of the statewide media. In this installment, we reveal the #1 story of the year, one which has dominated headlines dating back to last year.

Click the audio player to hear Radio PA’s recap of the story.

 

#1 – The Trial and Conviction of Jerry Sandusky   2012Top10-1FINAL
It was the trial of the century so far in June as Gerald Sandusky walked into a Centre County courtroom. The trial would last just over a week; the jury would need just a couple of days; and just like that, Sandusky was headed to prison, convicted on 45 of 48 counts related to the sexual abuse of young boys. In October, Sandusky received a 30-60 year prison term, a virtual life sentence for the 68-year old serial pedophile. Sandusky maintains his innocence, but he did not testify at his trial in Bellefonte last summer. Instead, we heard from Sandusky on the eve of his sentencing, as he released a rambling audio statement from jail. The conviction brought to an end one of the saddest chapters in Pennsylvania history, one that saw the once proud Penn State program humiliated and shattered at least 15 young lives. The next chapter will pick up in 2013 as several civil lawsuits are pending, along with an expected Sandusky appeal. The trial and conviction of former Penn State Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky is Radio PA’s #1 story of 2012.

 

RadioPA Roundtable

Radio PA Roundtable 12.28.12

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On this week’s Radio PA Roundtable, Brad Christman and Matt Paul reflect on the top 5 Pennsylvania stories of the year, as voted on by the Radio PA news staff. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Radio PA Roundtable is a 30-minute program featuring in-depth reporting on the top news stories of the week.

Click the audio player below to hear the full broadcast:

[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/witfaudio/radiopa/Roundtable12-28-12.mp3]

Radio PA’s Top 10 Pennsylvania Stories of 2012 – Part 3

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As 2012 draws to a close, Radio PA is looking back at the top 10 Pennsylvania stories of the year as voted on by the news staff and other members of the statewide media. In this installment, we reveal stories 4 through 2, beginning with what was arguably the biggest political fight of the year.

Click the audio players to hear Radio PA’s recap of each story.

#4 – Voter ID   2012Top10-4FINAL
The biggest political battle in Pennsylvania this year was played out in the courts rather than at the ballot box. 2012 may be forever known as the year of the Voter ID. It began when Republican lawmakers passed a bill requiring voters to show a valid form of photo ID when they vote. Governor Tom Corbett, a strong supporter of the measure, signed it into law prior to the primary election last spring. That election would be used as a “soft rollout” for the law with the intention that it would be in full effect in November. Court challenges led to an atmosphere of confusion for voters as the case went all the way to the PA Supreme Court. The justices sent the case back to Commonwealth Court where a final decision was made to allow the state to ask for the IDs, but with no obligation by the voters to show it. The law is set to be in full effect for the off-year elections in 2013, but additional court challenges are already in the works and a cloud of uncertainty continues to hang over the Voter ID law. Voter ID comes in as Radio PA’s #4 story of 2012.

#3 – The Penn State Sanctions   2012Top10-3FINAL
In the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State University, many knew that the NCAA was lying in wait. Shortly after Sandusky’s conviction and the release of the Freeh Report which detailed the actions and inactions of PSU administrators, the NCAA dropped the hammer. The sanctions were among the harshest ever handed out, including a $60 million fine; 4-year bowl ban; the loss of scholarships; mandatory oversight; and the vacating of all football wins dating back to 1998. It’s that last sanction that had many scratching their heads due to the fact that the Penn State situation, as horrific as it was, had nothing to do with the on-field conduct of the team. Instead, the vacating of wins was seen as a slap at former Head Coach Joe Paterno, whose name was subsequently erased from the record books. Despite the intense media scrutiny and the defection of runningback Silas Redd and placekicker Anthony Fera, the Penn State football team came together to produce an unexpected 8-4 record under 1st-year Head Coach Bill O’Brien, who was named Big 10 Coach of the Year. The Penn State sanctions, and a group of extraordinary young men who played under them, rank as Radio PA’s #3 story of 2012.

#2 – The Death of Joe Paterno   2012Top10-2FINAL
Like Arlen Specter, Joe Paterno’s passing in January of this year marked the loss of an iconic Pennsylvanian. Despite the turmoil of his final months, Paterno is forever etched into the soul of this Commonwealth. His victories and his failings will always be a part of the Pennsylvania landscape, even after the removal of the statue erected in his honor at Beaver Stadium. In life, Paterno joked that he was fearful of leaving the game, afraid he would suffer the same fate as legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant, who passed away less than a month after retiring. Paterno’s death came just over 2 months after his dismissal as head coach in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The scandal has forever tainted the Paterno years at Penn State and the legacy of a man who donated millions to his school and community during his 6 decades at Penn State University, but thousands still lined up on a cold January day in State College to stroll past the coach’s closed casket and pay final respects. The death of Joseph Vincent Paterno is Radio PA’s #2 Pennsylvania story of 2012.

 

Coming soon….Radio PA’s #1 story of 2012.