Pennsylvania

The Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State generated a public outcry for stronger laws against child abuse and neglect. Several bills have been introduced that purportedly provide a "complete overhaul" of Pennsylvania's child-protection laws. For example, Senate Bill 20 makes it clear that any adult who "causes serious bodily injury," either by "kicking, biting, stabbing, cutting, or throwing a child," or "forcefully shakes or slaps a child under one year of age," or "causes serious physical neglect," or "causes a child to be near a methamphetamine lab," or "operates a vehicle in which a child is a passenger while driving under the influence of alcohol," has committed child abuse.

SHAMOKIN, Pa. - The black mountain of coal waste that looms over Route 61 here is both a grimy testament to an ephemeral economy and an apt symbol for this town time has discarded. That anthracite refuse came from long-shuttered mines and collieries, closures that have halved Shamokin's population since the 1930s. Many of the remaining 8,000 residents are as old as the tattered clapboard houses they occupy. (Since 1996 the town, about 70 miles northwest of Allentown and 70 miles northeast of Harrisburg, has issued just four permits for new single-family homes.)

Today's quiz salutes Arlen Specter, the state's longest-serving U.S. senator. 1. Arlen Specter is the son of immigrants. From what country did his father emigrate? a. Poland.       b. Romania.       c. Russia.       d. Lithuania. 2. In what state did Specter grow up? a. Pennsylvania.       b. New Jersey.       c. Iowa.       d. Kansas. 3. Specter shared a hometown with this onetime Republican senator and presidential candidate.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters submitted for publication on the Editorial Page and at www.philly.com may be e-mailed to inquirer.letters@phillynews.com ; faxed to 215-854-4483; or mailed to The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia, PA 19101. Limit letters to 200 words. Letters may be edited. Writers must include a home address and daytime and evening telephone numbers. For more information, call 215-854-2209.  

Boys' Basketball STATE CLASS AA QUARTERFINALS Holy Cross (Pa.) 75, Constitution 61 STATE CLASS AAAA QUARTERFINALS St. Joseph's Prep 67, Coatesville 43 Lower Merion 63, Harrisburg 62 Chester 55, Great Valley 42   Girls' Basketball STATE CLASS AAA QUARTERFINALS Villa Maria 48, Scranton Prep 30 Bethlehem Catholic 67, Prep Charter 46   Boys' Lacrosse NONLEAGUE St. Paul (Md.)...

Supreme Court (Vote "yes" to retain for a 10-year term) Sandra Schultz Newman YES Russell M. Nigro YES Philadelphia Ballot Question Ethics in government City Charter change YES District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham (D.) Common Pleas Court For open seats Leon W. Tucker Charles J. Cunningham Susan I. Schulman Glenn B. Bronson Ann M. Butchart Marilyn Heffley Joyce W. Eubanks For retention Willis W. Berry Jr. YES Gwendolyn N. Bright YES Matthew D. Carrafiello YES Amanda Cooperman YES Idee C. Fox YES Renee Cardwell Hughes YES Marlene F. Lachman YES Patricia A. McInerney YES Lillian Harris Ransom YES Esther R. Sylvester YES John Milton Younge YES Municipal Court Bradley K. Moss Nazario Jimenez Jr. Karen Y. Simmons David C. Shuter (Vote "yes" to retain for a 6-year term)

(97% of vote) *Bob Casey (D) . . . 2,811,141 Tom Smith (R) . . . 2,323,014 Rayburn Smith (L) . . . 90,045 *Incumbent D-Democratic; L-Libertarian; R-Republican

Attorney General (xx% of the vote) *Kathleen Kane (D). . . xxx,xxx David Freed (R). . . xxx,xxx Marakay Rogers (L). . . xxx,xxx Auditor General (xx% of the vote) Eugene DePasquale (D). . . xxx,xxx John Maher (R). . . xxx,xxx Betsy Summers (L). . . xxx,xxx Treasurer (xx% of the vote) *Robert McCord (D). . . xxx,xxx Diana Vaughan (R). . . xxx,xxx Patricia Fryman (L). . . xxx,xxx *Incumbent D-Democratic; L-Libertarian; R-Republican

(Contested races only.) U.S. Senate Arlen Specter (R.) Congress 13th District Joseph Torsella (D.) Ellen Bard (R.) Eighth District Jim Greenwood (R.) Ginny Schrader (D.) Attorney General David Barasch (D.) Bruce Castor (R.) State Senate First District Vincent J. Fumo (D.) Third District Shirley Kitchen (D.) State House 179th district Rafael P. Collazo (D.) Referendum Authorize borrowing $250 million for water and sewer projects - YES

Baseball TRI-COUNTY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP Perkiomen School 3, West-Mont Christian 2 SUBURBAN ONE CONTINENTAL Council Rock South 6, Pennridge 5 NONLEAGUE Marple Newtown 2, Episcopal Academy 1 Haverford School 11, Devon Prep 0 Valley Forge Military Academy 10, Phelps 0 Softball CATHOLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS Little Flower 1, Conwell-Egan 0 St. Hubert 8, Archbishop Carroll 1 Bonner-Prendergast 2, Cardinal O'Hara...

Vice President Joe Biden will be in Philadelphia Monday morning to address the University of Pennsylvania's 257th commencement. The ceremony will be held at Franklin Field and motorists should be prepared for traffic backups in the area. Biden will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree.  

  The Penn Medicine Washington Square tower nearing completion at the corner of Eighth and Walnut Streets in Center City is a sign of big changes at Pennsylvania Hospital. About 100 doctors are scheduled in August to move their outpatient practices into the 12-story building that sits on top of a parking garage, relocating from nine locations on Pennsylvania Hospital's campus, plus the Curtis Center. In February, the clinical lab moved from three floors of the hospital to the basement, freeing space for construction of single rooms for the busy Pennsylvania Hospital maternity unit, where by Christmas every new mother will be assured of having a room to herself, officials said.