Party spurns US Senate candidate who almost won in 2010

Charges planned in October death of Pittsburgh bicyclist

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 A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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. TOP STORIES: SENATE 2016-PENNSYLVANIA HARRISBURG— Former Congressman Joe Sestak looks to win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and get a shot at Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who only very narrowly beat him in 2010. The Democratic establishment is pulling for one of his three rivals, Katie McGinty, a longtime enivronmental policy official. By Marc Levy. SENT: About 850 words. AP Photos. With: —SENATE 2016-PENNSYLVANIA-GLANCE, an issues glance. WOMAN SLAIN-HUSBAND DIES IRWIN — Authorities say a man being sought in the shooting death of his wife killed himself when police attempted to stop him for questioning on a rural western Pennsylvania road. SENT: NewsNow, will be updated. EXCHANGE: EXCHANGE-RECOVERY HOMES-NEIGHBORS BRISTOL — Charlie Mastriana stood behind the screen door of his home in the Goldenridge section of Bristol Township on a recent Saturday afternoon, motioning to one of the neighborhood's recovery houses. The recovering drug and alcohol addicts who live there haven't caused him any problems, he said. His main gripe about the houses isn't his safety. It's economics. "I guess they deserve some protection because they're recovering, but Bristol Township has enough of them (recovery homes)," Mastriana said. "I know that everyone needs a chance, but we need a chance as far as our property values go." Property values, along with public safety, over-saturation and overall quality of life are among the main concerns of some residents of Bristol Township, which has the highest concentration of these houses in Bucks County. Marion Callahan, Jo Ciavaglia and Jenny Wagner, Bucks County Courier Times. EXCHANGE-CHURCH CLOSINGS PITTSBURGH — Andrea Evans is in mourning. The sacred space she valued as her place of refuge for six decades suddenly is off limits, its holy relics stripped away, doors bolted shut and almost 400 weekly worshippers told to go elsewhere. St. John Vianney church in Pittsburgh's Allentown neighborhood closed this month, the latest in more than 150 Diocese of Pittsburgh church closures in three decades. The Catholic church built by German immigrants, known as St. George Church for most of its 105 years, is where Evans, 64, made her First Communion, married her husband of 41 years and had her three children — now ages 30, 32 and 40 — baptized. She and her neighbors refer to the twin-steepled structure at the heart of their community as "the beacon on the hill." ''It's almost like a death in the family," Evans said. "We're all hurting and lost." Natasha Lindstrom, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. EXCHANGE-SAVING HISTORY NEWPORT — For almost half a century, Charlie Wentz has been the caretaker for thousands of men and women buried in Newport Cemetery. He has buried hundreds of people, men and women from all walks of life who share in one common thread — their final resting places on this quiet hillside that overlooks the Perry County town. Each time Charlie buries someone, his wife Fran writes their name and location — section and plot number — on a 3-by-5 index card, which is then filed in a cabinet located in their home next to the grounds. The Newport Cemetery recently digitized grave records, which had previously been recorded on window blinds. Nick Malawskey, PennLive.com. EXCHANGE-LURING GOLFERS PITTSBURGH — The headlines have been nothing short of funereal. Golf is dead, they say. Or at least it's in decline. You can thank the Great Recession for that. Generational change. Maybe, some say, the fault lies with the sport, which is too slow, too expensive, too elitist and too hard to learn. Travis Lindsay doesn't pay attention to those headlines, the statistics and trend lines that predict golf's demise. "I don't even think about the national figures," said Lindsay, the general manager of Birdsfoot Golf Club in South Buffalo, Armstrong County. "Last year, we've actually had more rounds than we've ever had." Back in the day, it was a privilege for golfers to play at a golf club. Not so much anymore. "The script's been flipped," he said. "The golf courses have to look at their customers and feel privileged to have them on the golf course." Elizabeth Bloom, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. EXCHANGE-WILDLIFE PARK FARMINGTON — Kiwi is settling in to her new home in the Laurel Highlands. The 6-month-old African lion cub was acquired two months ago from a privately-owned zoo in Florida and soon will help replenish what now will be a pride of five lions at Nemacolin Woodlands. "She has the run of the place when there are no guests here," Nemacolin director of activities Mandy Burnsworth said as Kiwi entertained a crew from the Herald-Standard. "The place" is the animal nursery at Nemacolin's Wildlife Adventure, just off Route 40, where visitors can interact with 150 animals, from a dog sledding team and horses to a host of exotic creatures. It is part of a long list of adventures found at the resort, and in turn includes a Wildlife Academy dedicated to providing interactive entertainment and live animal programs with an emphasis on education. Pat Cloonan, The (Uniontown) Herald-Standard. IN BRIEF: STATE TROOPER-IMPERSONATION — Authorities say a New Jersey man has been charged with impersonating a public servant after he attempted to pull over an off-duty state trooper. SWIMMING POOL-BABY DIES — The death of a baby girl who fell into a western Pennsylvania swimming pool has been ruled an accident. SPORTS: BBN--PIRATES-DIAMONDBACKS PHOENIX — After combining for six home runs in the series opener, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks meet again at hitter-friendly Chase Field. By Bob Baum. UPCOMING: 700 words. AP Photos. 8:10 p.m., EDT. BBN--PHILLIES-BREWERS MILWAUKEE — Charlie Morton (1-1) takes the hill when the Philadelphia Phillies play the middle game of a three-game set against Milwaukee. Chase Anderson (1-1) goes for the Brewers. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. Game starts 6:10 p.m. CT. WIth hometown lead on losing team. ___ 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.

AP-PA--Pennsylvania News Digest, PA