Charles Barkley has something to say about race in America

Man gets 30 to 60 years in assaults in Philadelphia park

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 A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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. Also please note: The AP is moving election test reports for the November Pennsylvania general election on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1-3 p.m. These test tables are NOT for publication, broadcast or use online. TOP STORIES: SENATE 2016-PENNSYLVANIA HARRISBURG — You won't see this in one of Pat Toomey's TV ads: the U.S. senator's voting record makes him one of the most conservative members of Congress. But that conservative voting record is a dominant feature of Toomey's nearly six years in the U.S. Senate, and it is a major draw for the backers who have poured millions of dollars into Pennsylvania to help his campaign. By Marc Levy. SENT: About 800 words. PENNSYLVANIA FLOODING WILLIAMSPORT — Officials say they haven't seen much impact from a gasoline spill during a freak storm in central Pennsylvania, but they are monitoring water supplies in the area. EXCHANGE: EXCHANGE-PRISON GARDENS CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS — A group of women laughs as they pull back lush green tomato leaves, revealing pepper plants growing underneath filled with tiny fruit. "They look too adorable to eat," says one. There is such a feeling of happiness and enthusiasm in this group, it feels infectious. It's not an uncommon sight in many gardens — the difference here is this one is surrounded by a 20-foot-tall fence topped with razor wire. The vegetable garden at SCI Cambridge Springs has been here for six seasons, and the past four have seen a marked improvement in production with help from Valerie Walton and her team from the Penn State Master Gardeners of Crawford County. Debbie, who is an inmate, has gardened here since the beginning. "I love it," she says. "I like the food; I also like sharing it and seeing people so happy because it's been so long since we've had really fresh vegetables." Doug Oster, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. EXCHANGE-FEMALE FUNERAL DIRECTORS WASHINGTON, Pa. — When Danielle Andy Belusko was a teenager, she announced to her family that she wanted to become a funeral director. Her parents repeatedly asked if she was certain about her career choice. "They still say, 'Are you sure this is what you want to do?' laughed Belusko, 41, owner of an all-female funeral home, Cremation & Funeral Care by Danielle Andy Belusko, in McMurray. "It was a male-dominated industry. I faced a lot of obstacles when I started." Until recently, few women were funeral directors in the American funeral industry. In 1991, one-third of mortuary students were female; in 1971, just 5 percent were. But that is changing. Today, nearly 60 percent of mortuary science students are female, and women make up more than 16 percent of all National Funeral Directors Association members - a nearly 7 percent hike over a decade before, according to the association. Karen Mansfield , (Washington) Observer-Reporter. EXCHANGE-BRAVING THE ATLANTIC ERIE —Most people opt to make a transatlantic sea voyage on a cruise ship. Matt Kent, the U.S. Brig Niagara's fourth mate, plans to sail the Atlantic Ocean in 2017 in a boat measuring just 3 feet 6 inches by 3 feet 6 inches. If successful, Kent, 33, a native of Portland, Oregon, would set a world record for the smallest sailboat to cross the Atlantic. He has spent the past five years designing and building his boat, "The Undaunted," as part of his Little Boat Project. Kent, who has been on the Niagara's crew for eight years, is attempting to raise money for science-based education programs at The Bioreserve, a nonprofit in Glenmont, New York. Kent hopes to use his vessel as a science, technology, engineering and math (S.T.E.M.) educational tool. Kent plans to begin his 4,700-mile voyage on March 1 from La Gomera Island in the Canary Islands off the African coast, aiming for a spot near Miami on a 3½- to four-month voyage. Ron Leonardi, Erie Times-News. VETERANS' HAIR WAX BUSINESS CARBONDALE — About once a month, Dave Misiura and his three partners at the Lox Hair Wax Co. meet near Richmondale at a place they call Asgard, the mythological home of the Norse god Odin, to cook a batch of Battle Wax. The all-natural, handmade hair and beard pomade is the six-month-old company's only product, but the small tins featuring a bearded, well-groomed skull and a Viking ax stand out at the barber shops where they're sold. Misiura and his partners, all veterans, find the Viking imagery appropriate for their hair-care product, which they're marketing for the warrior class. "There are a ton of products for every kind of way of life, but mainly it's always the West Coast, the surfer dude, the hipster," said Misiura, company owner and founder. "We're really marketing towards ... the policeman, the firefighter, the EMT, the corrections officer, basically any kind of first responder out there." Jeff Horvath, The (Scranton) Times-Tribune. EXCHANGE-FOOD COLORING STATE COLLEGE — When Greg Ziegler was helping his son decide on a science fair project, Ziegler, a professor of food science at Penn State, didn't consult the tea leaves for guidance. Instead, he found the answer — and the idea for his future company — while making guacamole. "I said 'why don't we extract this starch from the seed?' " Ziegler said. "And when we went ahead to look at the starch, we got this brilliant orange color that developed." Their code orange was vexing at first, a harmless lab accident in Ziegler's kitchen. But as with many other inventions, one man's avocado pit was another's golden idea. Or in Ziegler's case, red, yellow and orange. Ziegler and his team have discovered how to capture unlikely colors — blood reds to Tang-like oranges — from avocado seeds, using a process that's part science-part miracle of nature. Roger Van Scyoc, Centre Daily Times. IN BRIEF: CLAIRTON HOMICIDE — Jurors in western Pennsylvania have acquitted a man in a shooting death near Pittsburgh four days after Christmas last year. MISSING HUNTER-SEARCH — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is asking Adirondack Park hunters for help in finding an 82-year-old man who's been missing for almost a year. SPORTS: FBC--T25-OHIO STATE-PENN STATE STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — No. 2 Ohio State brings a 20-game winning streak in road games into Happy Valley to face Penn State, which has lost four straight against the Buckeyes. By College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo. 700 words, with photos. Game starts at 8:15 p.m. HKN--PENGUINS-PREDATORS NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators host the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, on Saturday night. By Mark McGee. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. Game starts at 8 p.m. ET. BKN--BARKLEY-THE RACE CARD NEW YORK — Charles Barkley calls it friendly fire. When he talks about racial issues, it isn't only whites he risks angering. Some of the biggest complaints come from fellow blacks, who figure he's too rich, too successful to possibly understand their struggles. "Like, those people say he's not black anymore, he shouldn't speak on black issues," Barkley said. "I'm like, 'Dude, I'm always going to be black,' but that's a double-edged sword I'm willing to deal with." So not only will he keep talking, he wants to lead the conversation. By Brian Mahoney. SENT: About 1060 words. ___ 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