The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is approving a bill saying people can’t be held liable for damage to a car if they force themselves in to save a child. The measure does require people use no more force than necessary and believe the child is in imminent danger and cannot exit the vehicle on their own. The good Samaritan must still make a reasonable effort to find the driver and call police.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is moving to toughen penalties for people who do not report suspicions about repeated child sexual abuse and make it explicit that nondisclosure terms in contracts cannot prevent people from talking to police in child molestation investigations. Both proposals are based on recommendations in a landmark grand jury report last year into the sexual abuse of children by about 300 Roman Catholic clergy in the state. The House approved the proposals Wednesday.
The Office of State Inspector General has agreed to look into whether the Department of Human Services acted properly in its handling of the Grace Packer case.
“It is obvious to anyone inside or outside government that she was failed by the system,” said state Rep. Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “She was horrifically abused and then failed by the system every time something was brought to light. And we have got to get some answers.”
Grace endured years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse before her death in a sweltering attic outside Philadelphia. An internal DHS probe has already found that county child welfare agencies had ample cause to remove her from the home but failed to do so.
The teenager’s adoptive mother, Sara Packer, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced last month to life without parole for plotting her brutal death. A jury gave the death penalty to Sara Packer’s boyfriend, Jacob Sullivan, who raped and strangled Grace while her mother watched. He had also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges. Sullivan and Sara Packer kept Grace’s remains in cat litter for several months before dismembering the body and dumping it in a wooded area.
Kauffman and state Rep. Karen Boback, R-Luzerne, chairwoman of the Children and Youth Committee, noted in a letter to Inspector General Bruce Beemer that DHS has oversight responsiblity for county child welfare agencies. DHS is also supposed to investigate abuse allegations itself when the suspected perpetrator works for a county agency. Sara Packer was a former adoptions supervisor with Northampton County’s children and youth agency.
“It’s a matter of high public concern and urgency,” said Clarke Madden, Beemer’s spokesman. “We’re going to put a lot of resources into it.”
Beemer said in a response to Kauffman and Boback that the review could help the human services department “improve their operations.”
DHS spokeswoman Ali Fogarty said the agency welcomes the investigation.
“Nothing is more integral to our mission than protecting children. We work closely with the inspector general and we welcome any effort to build upon the recommendations included in the state’s report,” she said.
Legislation introduced separately in the House last week would create a 17-member commission tasked with improving the state’s child welfare system.
The Ellwood City Medical Center’s CEO says it isn’t their fault some workers’ paychecks weren’t cashed this week. In a statement Wednesday, Beverly Annarumo says one bank teller at a local bank branch refused to cash a few payroll checks. Annarumo says the bank admitted to their error yesterday and the situation was resolved. For the past seven paydays, hourly workers were given minimum-wage checks with the rest of their pay made up within two weeks.
AUDITOR GENERAL EUGENE DEPASQUALE IS INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PA CYBER AND LINCOLN LEARNING SOLUTIONS, A ROCHESTER NON-PROFIT. DEPASQUALE HAS ORDERED A PROBE INTO PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING BEING SENT TO THE ORGANIZATION. HE SAYS THAT FULL ACCOUNTING IS NEEDED FOR THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF TAXPAYER MONEY THAT IS BEING PAID TO THE NONPROFIT THROUGH CYBER CHARTER SCHOOLS.
A lawyer is agreeing to represent Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto against civil lawsuits over gun laws if necessary. Mayor Peduto confirmed Tuesday that his legal defense would be taken care of in the event that private criminal charges are filed against him. The city faces at least three lawsuits after passing three laws, one of which bans assault-style rifles. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office said it won’t do anything with private criminal complaints filed by citizens until the new laws take effect and are enforced against someone.
The suspect in a shooting on New Castle’s west side last month waived is right to a preliminary hearing yesterday. According to police, 27 year old Randall Angry Jr., of Linesville is accused of shooting 32 year old Todd Walker of Glenn Avenue back on March 21st. Angry faces charges of criminal homicide aggravated assault, simple assault, along with several gun charges. He remains in the Lawrence County Jail without bond.
The suspect in a deadly double shooting in New Castle is behind bars. Police say Anthony Thurman turned himself in yesterday to face criminal homicide charges. Thurman is accused of killing Michael Riser and injuring another man last week on East Winter Avenue. He’s being held without bond in the Lawrence County Jail.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 18TH, 2019
TODAY – GENERALLY CLOUDY. HIGH – 81.
TONIGHT – CLOUDY SKIES. SLIGHT CHANCE OF A RAIN
SHOWER. LOW – 63.
GOOD FRIDAY – RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS…
AND MUCH COOLER. HIGH NEAR 70.
SATURDAY – MOSTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF A RAIN
SHOWER. HIGH NEAR 60.
EASTER SUNDAY – CONSIDERABLE CLOUDINESS WITH OCCASIONAL RAIN SHOWERS. HIGH – 62.
Two days away from the 33rd Radio Rotary Auction, it was time for the head honcho to step aboard.
Richard A. Martin is the head of Beaver County’s Radio Rotary Auction Committee for 2019, and he joined Matt Drzik on A.M. Beaver County to talk about his role in the Rotary, the history of the auction, and the benefits that the county receives through this annual event. Martin is also a registered representative of Fortune Financial Services in New Brighton, an organization that also is home to several county Rotarians.
REMINDER: This year’s auction tabloid can be found on our website here.
If you’d like to listen back to the interview, click on the player below.
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