A daily look at late-breaking news, coming events and stories that will be talked about in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
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CLOSING ARGUMENTS EXPECTED IN RACKETEERING TRIAL OF 6 FORMER DRUG SQUAD OFFICERS
Federal prosecutors say the Philadelphia officers skimmed more than $400,000 during illegal drug raids. About 160 drug convictions have since been overturned and dozens of lawsuits have been filed as a result of the criminal charges.
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STATE HOUSE MAY BE VOTING TO REDUCE ITS SIZE
The lawmakers are debating whether to reduce its 203 members by about a quarter, to 151 representatives. A final vote on the proposal in the House could happen as early as today. Reducing the size of the Legislature requires a constitutional amendment, so it has to pass both chambers in two consecutive two-year sessions. There’s also a pending proposal to cut the number of senators from 50 to 38.
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4 FAMILY MEMBERS ESCAPE MOBILE HOME FIRE THAT KILLED THREE OTHERS
The blaze was reported in the double-wide trailer in West Caln Township yesterday. Three women were killed, while two children and two other relatives escaped. Their names have yet to be released.
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FRACKING FLUIDS FOUND IN THREE WATER WELLS
The Penn State study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, says fracking fluids likely escaped an unlined borehole and migrated thousands of feet into a residential drinking-water supply in Bradford County. That’s located in the heart of the Marcellus Shale drilling boom.
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WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA OFFICER DEAD AFTER HEAD-ON CRASH
State police say a van was driving in the wrong direction when it collided with a patrol vehicle driven by Ligonier Township Lt. Eric Eslary. He was killed early this morning and his police dog was injured and rushed to surgery. Police are still investigating the crash.
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