Harrisburg

William R. Hite Jr. knows it's a tough ask: $120 million from a state that historically views Philadelphia and its public schools "as a cesspool. " So, the superintendent figures, the only way the nearly-broke Philadelphia School District is getting the cash it needs from state coffers is to end teacher seniority. "If we stand any chance to get money from Harrisburg, it's going to have to support something that is different from what we have now," Hite told the Inquirer Editorial Board on Thursday, adding that legislators are unlikely to support a system where "individuals get another increase just because they're remaining on the job another year.

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania's financially troubled capital is preparing to auction 8,000 artifacts bought by a former mayor who had hoped to transform the city into a historical tourism destination. Mayor Linda Thompson's office said Friday it had selected three finalists to appraise, market, and auction the collection. City spokesman Robert Philbin said it spans three centuries of American history. The artifacts cost millions of dollars in public money and were purchased by Thompson's predecessor, Stephen Reed, as part of a failed plan to build museums dedicated to sports, the Wild West, and African American history.

SHRINKING the state Legislature? That's an idea whose time came long ago. Philadelphia is covered by a total of 35 state reps and senators, yet only 17 City Council members. Take the state population, 11 million, divide by 203 state reps and 50 state senators. That's one legislator for each 43,000 residents. Now take the city population of 1.5 million and divide by 16 council members. You get about 94,000. Why not eliminate 15-20 folks from the Harrisburg trough and turn that money back to us in the city?

HARRISBURG - Traffic delays on Interstate 81 near Harrisburg resulting from a tanker crash and fire Thursday will continue for a couple more days, PennDot said Sunday. The crash, on the ramp from northbound I-81 to westbound Route 22/322, forced the closure of a bridge and the area of I-81 beneath it. The first section of the bridge was removed Saturday morning, with full demolition expected by Tuesday, PennDot said. - Diane Mastrull

The Harrisburg Senators eliminated Trenton from the Eastern League playoffs last night with a 5-2 victory over the visiting Thunder. Jason McCommon outdueled Jared Fernandez as Harrisburg took the best-of-five series by three games to one to win the Southern Division championship. The Senators will face the Portland Sea Dogs for the league championship in a best-of-five series that starts tonight in Harrisburg. Portland won the Northern Division title last night with a 7-3 victory over visiting Binghamton in the fifth game of their series.

Democratic voters in financially troubled Harrisburg denied Mayor Linda Thompson a second term Tuesday, choosing bookstore owner Eric Papenfuse to try to help the financially strapped capital. Harrisburg is the only Pennsylvania municipality under a state takeover - the result of a multimillion-dollar debt on its trash incinerator that pushed it to the edge of bankruptcy. Harrisburg officials hope to negotiate a bailout that includes the sale of the incinerator. Papenfuse defeated Thompson in the primary, along with other challengers City Controller Dan Miller and former state employee Lewis Butts Jr. No Republican is running this year.

At the Liquor Control Board building in Harrisburg, employees on the second floor figure ways to sell more alcohol, while on the sixth floor, others design programs to prevent irresponsible consumption. Government can't promote alcohol, while at the same time urging folks to guard against its evils. It's hypocritical and counterproductive. It sends a mixed message. And it sends the wrong message. Privatizing the state system will correct this nonsensical situation. It will allow the private sector, under intense regulation, to sell alcohol, while allowing government to focus exclusively on protecting the public through enforcement and education.

A four-run sixth led the Senators to a 5-2 win over the Phillies and starting pitcher Darrell Goedhart last night. Rick Hirtensteiner's RBI triple and a two-base error by Reading first baseman Ron Lockett on a grounder by Derrick White were the key blows in the Harrisburg sixth. Tim Laker also had an RBI hit to rout Goedhart, who failed to win for the third straight start. Sam Taylor broke an 0-for-19 slump with an RBI double in the third that gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead.

HARRISBURG - Gov. Corbett is warning of a takeover of financially troubled Harrisburg if city leaders do not produce a recovery plan. Mayor Linda Thompson spoke to reporters Friday to relay Corbett's comments from her meeting with him earlier in the day as she lobbied the City Council to approve her recovery plan. Corbett, a Republican, took the same position in a Tuesday letter to the Democratic mayor, the Patriot-News of Harrisburg reported. "If there is no approved plan at this point, then the city is likely to become mired in litigation and financial chaos," Corbett told Thompson in the letter.

Democratic voters in financially troubled Harrisburg denied Mayor Linda Thompson a second term Tuesday, choosing bookstore owner Eric Papenfuse to try to help the financially strapped capital. Harrisburg is the only Pennsylvania municipality under a state takeover - the result of a multimillion-dollar debt on its trash incinerator that pushed it to the edge of bankruptcy. Harrisburg officials hope to negotiate a bailout that includes the sale of the incinerator. Papenfuse defeated Thompson in the primary, along with other challengers City Controller Dan Miller and former state employee Lewis Butts Jr. No Republican is running this year.

All on the road must obey rules Driving alongside bicyclists has become a dangerous activity in Philadelphia. Cyclists ignore stop signs and red lights while weaving in and out of car lanes, making left turns across lanes of cars and straying far from bike lanes where they exist. Many cities, like Chicago, are heavily fining cyclists for breaking any and all rules of the road. Chicago also fines drivers for "dooring" an oncoming cyclist, which can cause the cyclist serious injury.

THE MAYOR and City Council agree that the school district needs more money. After that, they part ways - once again. Mayor Nutter has proposed three solutions to the district's request for $60 million: increase delinquent tax collections to raise $28 million; up the across-the-bar drink tax from 10 percent to 15 percent to raise about $22 million; impose a $2-a-pack local tax on cigarettes sold in Philadelphia to raise $45 million this year....

HARRISBURG - Allegheny County Judge Jack McVay defeated Philadelphia Municipal Judge Joseph Waters Jr. yesterday for the Democratic nomination for a vacant seat on the state Superior Court. The McVay, 56, a former pharmacist who's serving his sixth year in the county's Family Court division, beat Waters, 60, a retired Philadelphia police captain who is in his fourth year on the bench, in the only statewide race on primary day. McVay will face Harrisburg lawyer Vic Stabile, who's unopposed for the Republican nomination, in the November general election.

William R. Hite Jr. knows it's a tough ask: $120 million from a state that historically views Philadelphia and its public schools "as a cesspool. " So, the superintendent figures, the only way the nearly-broke Philadelphia School District is getting the cash it needs from state coffers is to end teacher seniority. "If we stand any chance to get money from Harrisburg, it's going to have to support something that is different from what we have now," Hite told the Inquirer Editorial Board on Thursday, adding that legislators are unlikely to support a system where "individuals get another increase just because they're remaining on the job another year.

How do you blame a city for lying to taxpayers and bond buyers about its sad financial shape - without also blaming its mayor, or its finance officers, or any of the paid lawyers, bankers, and advisers who helped tell the lies? That's what the Securities and Exchange Commission did last week when it busted Pennsylvania's capital city, Harrisburg, for lying about its financial condition from 2008 to 2012, after it borrowed too much and started going broke. The SEC settled the case.

HARRISBURG - Traffic delays on Interstate 81 near Harrisburg resulting from a tanker crash and fire Thursday will continue for a couple more days, PennDot said Sunday. The crash, on the ramp from northbound I-81 to westbound Route 22/322, forced the closure of a bridge and the area of I-81 beneath it. The first section of the bridge was removed Saturday morning, with full demolition expected by Tuesday, PennDot said. - Diane Mastrull

HARRISBURG - Perennial fixtures on the legislative calendar, bills to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation have gone nowhere in the last decade. This time, the tables may be turning. Companion bills in the House and Senate have attracted a record number of cosponsors, among them the General Assembly's first two openly gay lawmakers, while a new poll shows solid majority support across the state for such a ban. The bills, introduced Tuesday with 102 cosponsors including both Republicans and Democrats, would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression in employment, housing, credit, and public accommodations.

DIOCESE OF HARRISBURG officials say Bishop Joseph McFadden died of a heart attack last week after suddenly falling ill while attending a meeting of the Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania. McFadden, 65, died Thursday morning at Holy Redeemer Hospital in Huntingdon Valley. Officials say McFadden awoke feeling ill and was taken to a hospital. McFadden was an Overbrook native and well-known locally as a longtime coach and teacher in Philadelphia's Catholic school system. Church officials say McFadden's funeral is scheduled for Wednesday following several days of services.