Backhoe in Amtrak wreck had periodic right to be on tracks

RV revival motors across Erie region

Good afternoon! Here's a look at AP's general news coverage today in Pennsylvania. For questions about the state report, contact the Philadelphia bureau at 215-561-1133. Ron Todt is on the desk. Editor Larry Rosenthal can be reached at 215-446-6631 or lrosenthal@ap.org. A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change. Expected stories may not develop, or late-breaking and more newsworthy events may take precedence. Advisories, digests and digest advisories will keep you up to date. Some TV and radio stations will receive shorter APNewsNow versions of the stories below, along with updates. GAS DRILLING COLLAPSE TOWANDA — Jami Patel spends long hours behind the front desk of a nearly empty hotel, desperate for someone, anyone, to check in. Hardly anyone ever does, not since the natural gas industry abruptly pulled up stakes amid a prolonged, severe slump in energy prices. An overnight drilling boom in the nation's largest natural gas field made a lot of people feel flush, including Patel, who sunk more than $1 million into renovations a few years back but now wonders how much longer she'll be able to hold on. As the number of rigs drilling for oil and gas fall to historic lows across the country, residents and business owners in rural Pennsylvania say they understand energy markets go up and down — they just weren't prepared for this one to fall so far, so fast. By Michael Rubinkam. SENT: About 1000 words. AP photos, video. POLICE BARRACKS SHOOTING MILFORD — Lawyers for Eric Frein, survivalist charged in fatal ambush of trooper outside state police barracks, argue to get his alleged confession to police on the night of his capture thrown out. Frein told police he fatally shot one trooper and seriously wounded another "because he wanted to make a change (in government) and that voting was inefficient to do so, because there was no one worth voting for," according to a criminal complaint. SENT: NewsNow. UPCOMING: About 250 words. JUDGE RETIREMENTS HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania court on Tuesday was expected to hear argument about whether a referendum on judges' mandatory retirement age should be delayed from next week's primary to the November general election. By Mark Scolforo. SEPT 11-28 PAGES WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says the top-ranking U.S. intelligence official is reviewing classified material in a Sept. 11 report that families of attack victims and some lawmakers are demanding be made public. Several members of the House and Senate, including House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, have joined 9/11 families in pressuring for declassification of 28 pages that are part of government documents compiled on the 9/11 attack amid speculation of a possible role by Saudi Arabia. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attack. BUSINESS: CVS-CURBSIDE SERVICE CVS Health will spread its curbside pickup service to drugstores nationwide this year, as traditional retailers continue to hone their reputations for convenience and fight fierce competition online. The nation's second-largest drugstore chain has partnered with the technology firm Curbside to create CVS Express, a program that lets shoppers buy products with an app and then pick them up about an hour later at a nearby store, where an employee will deliver them to the car. Target, has also teamed up with Curbside and is testing the service in five markets that cover 122 stores, including Philadelphia. By Tom Murphy and Anne D'innocenzio. SENT: About 840 words. AP Photos NCCB201-0418161337, NCCB203-0418161338, NCCB202-0418161337. EXCHANGE: EXCHANGE-RV REVIVAL ERIE — The moment, nearly a decade old, is seared into Scott Boyer's memory. It was a beautiful sunny day in July 2007, and the general manager of Boyer RV Center was walking around his sales lot in Summit Township. Boyer saw his inventory of about 125 new and used recreation vehicles. What he didn't see were customers. Any. "No one came in that entire day," Boyer said recently. "Not a soul." The recession was on the cusp of crippling the American economy, and nearly taking the RV industry with it. The recession almost wiped out the recreational vehicle market. But the industry is back, perhaps stronger than ever, with an RV revival motoring across the nation as well as the Erie region. Gerry Weiss, Erie Times-News. IN BRIEF: WOMAN-THROAT SLASHED — Police say a woman lost a lot of blood after her throat was slashed in Philadelphia's Port Richmond neighborhood. Bystanders saw the woman walking around and bleeding profusely around 3 a.m. Tuesday. HIGHLANDS TEACHERS — Teachers in a western Pennsylvania school district are returning to their classrooms nearly a week after they went out on strike. PITTSBURGH FIRE — Four people have been displaced by a fire that swept through three structures in Pittsburgh. The fire broke out early Tuesday in the structure on the corner of 15th and Sarah. Flames spread to two adjacent structures, leaving two homes and a business undergoing renovations damaged. UBER DRIVER-SEXUAL ASSAULT — Jurors in suburban Philadelphia have returned a mixed verdict in the case of an Uber driver accused of raping a 24-year-old female passenger. OCCUPY PHILADELPHIA-LAWSUIT — Philadelphia has agreed to pay $200,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by Occupy Philadelphia protesters who accused police of unlawful arrest, retaliation and other civil rights violations. ATTORNEY GENERAL-ZAPPALA DONATION — Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. will return $15,000 donated to his campaign for state attorney general from a company owned by a wealthy northeastern Pennsylvania businessman. SPORTS: HKN--PENGUINS-RANGERS NEW YORK — The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins will meet in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series at Madison Square Garden. The series is tried 1-al. By Tom Canavan. 700, photos. UPCOMING: game starts at 7 p.m. EDT. HKN--FACEOFF UNDATED — The Washington Capitals look to sweep the Philadelphia Flyers and become the first team to move on to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, plus a preview of Game 4s between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and New York Islanders and San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings. By Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 750 words, file photos by 6 p.m. EDT. BBN--METS-PHILLIES PHILADELPHIA — Coming off a dazzling, 16-strikeout performance, Vince Velasquez (2-0) tries to keep his 15-inning scoreless streak going when the Phillies host the Mets. Logan Verrett is making his second start in place of Jacob deGrom for New York. By Rob Maaddi. Upcoming. 650 words. AP Photos. With hometown lead on losing team. Game starts 7:05 p.m. EDT. BBN--PIRATES-PADRES SAN DIEGO — Colin Rea and the San Diego Padres, who have won only one of six home games, open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who counter with Francisco Liriano. By Bernie Wilson. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts 7:10 p.m. EDT. ___ If you have stories of regional or statewide interest, please email them to phillyap@ap.org. If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please send them to the AP state photo center in New York, 888-273-6867. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport@ap.org or 877-836-9477. MARKETPLACE: Calling your attention to the Marketplace in AP Exchange, where you can find member-contributed content from Pennsylvania and other states. The Marketplace is accessible on the left navigational pane of the AP Exchange home page, near the bottom. For both national and state, you can click "All" or search for content by topics such as education, politics and business.

BC-PA--Pennsylvania News Digest, PA