Trial ordered in stabbing death of man in front of mother

Inquirer writer Lyon keeps working with Alzheimer's

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 A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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: AP EXPLAINS-PENNSYLVANIA BUDGET HARRISBURG — Consolidating, saving and cutting is the order of the day as Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf prepares to release a new budget plan that must handle a projected $3 billion deficit, but confront the reality that the Republican-controlled Legislature is most likely unwilling to back a major tax increase to deal with it. Wolf has kept some secrets and revealed other elements of what will be in a spending plan that could exceed $33 billion for the 2017-18 fiscal year starting July 1. By Marc Levy. UPCOMING: About 700 words by noon EST. STARRY STONEWORT MINNEAPOLIS —An aquatic weed is creeping across the Great Lakes region that grows really fast and is really, really hard to kill. Starry stonewort, which forms dense mats in lakes, has spread as far west as Minnesota and has the potential to spread even farther. Scientists are hurrying to learn more about the plant — and how best to fight it. By Steve Karnowski. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. EXCHANGE: EXCHANGE-BASKETBALL PREGAME TUNES PITTSBURGH — Shaler High School's boys basketball team gathers in a back hallway leading to the gymnasium, standing patiently while the Titans' opponent for the evening, North Hills, warms up about 20 minutes before tipoff. Then, the moment they'd been waiting for: Meek Mill's "Gave 'Em Hope" blares over the speakers. Parents in the stands sit stoically. Fans lean in closer to those next to them to hear each other's conversations. A young child puts his hands over his ears. From Allderdice to Aliquippa, from Brashear to Butler, this is the scene at many high schools across western Pennsylvania each night of the week as the regular season heats up. Before the games begin, it's all about the music the players want to hear — and often times, most of the crowd could do without. And many of the same songs that put players in a competitive state of mind can also give coaches and administrators headaches. Brian Batko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. EXCHANGE-MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES ALLENTOWN — Tim Charles describes himself as a serial entrepreneur. The Allentown native has dabbled in energy efficiency, international trade, manufacturing and real estate. Now, Charles, CEO of PA Cannabis LLC, hopes to bring medical marijuana to Main Street via a dispensary that offers patients a holistic approach to health, private off-street parking and a comfortable ski-lodge-like atmosphere, smack in the middle of Emmaus. It's a stark contrast to the highly clinical approach rolled out byTruVo Health Care, which hopes to acquire a permit to grow and process as well as dispense medical marijuana and says its dispensaries will "really feel like a medical establishment." In many states that have legalized medical marijuana, competition has developed between providers using a clinical model and others taking an alternative medicine approach, said Becky Dansky, legislative counsel with the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project. Scott Kraus, The (Allentown) Morning Call. EXCHANGE-ART WITH SKULL PITTSBURGH — He's got one second - maybe two - to save himself. All his training, all his life's experience and skill will be tested in this one moment. It's to be, or not to be - frozen for 150 years in a diorama popularly known as "Arab Courier Attacked by Lions." That it's a lion, mid-lunge, that's upon him. that his camel mount is going down. that he's got nothing but a dagger to defend himself. those are the exotic details. He is us. We sense it. "The visual drama is stopping you in your tracks," says Erin Peters, assistant curator of science and research at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The courier's uncertain fate has transfixed generations of Pittsburghers. He transfixed New Yorkers before that. He made the throngs pause in 1876 Philadelphia at the Centennial Exposition, and in Paris at the Exposition Universelle of 1867. Donald Gilliland, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. EXCHANGE-SCHOOL PENSIONS YORK — As local school district officials work on budgets for next year, one expense continues to climb — even higher than once expected. State-required pension contributions remain one of the biggest, if not the biggest, expenses increasing in school district budgets, according to some local officials. Even if they didn't spend more on students, most districts would still see expenses grow by hundreds of thousands of dollars due to pension costs alone. For example, Dallastown Area School District's pension contribution was $766,000 in 2009-10, less than a percent of district expenses. This year, the cost is estimated at around $7.6 million, or 7.4 percent of expenses, according to documents on the district website. Angie Mason, York Daily Record. EXCHANGE-ICE SCULPTOR ERIE — Chain saws and a vast assortment of handheld power tools litter Bill Sandusky's Erie Ice Works studio. Inside the 4,500-square-foot facility at 1220 W. 20th St. are two large freezers - one measuring 14 feet by 16 feet, the other 22 feet by 10 feet. Nearby sit two Clinebell blockmakers, each of which can make two 300-pound, crystal-clear ice blocks. Sandusky, a 52-year-old Erie native, opens the door to one of the freezers. A low hum is audible from a computer numeric controller, an ice-carving machine for fine-detail replication of logos. Sandusky calls the $15,000 piece of equipment "my second employee." Sandusky has been carving ice for more than 25 years, at one point he was competing throughout the United States and Europe. These days, he's content appearing at winter festivals and running his business. Ron Leonardi, Erie Times-News. IN BRIEF: FATAL ALLENTOWN STABBING — An eastern Pennsylvania man has been ordered to stand trial in the stabbing death of his former girlfriend's brother, which occurred in front of the victim's mother. FIRE-WOMAN FOUND DEAD — Authorities say a woman found dead following a suburban Pittsburgh basement fire may have died before the flames broke out. SPORTS: BKN--76ERS-HEAT MIAMI — The Miami Heat will try for a 10th consecutive win when they play host to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. Game begins 7:30 p.m. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. HKN--KINGS-FLYERS PHILADELPHIA — The Flyers seek their fifth win in six games when they host the Los Angeles Kings, who've won four in a row. By Rob Maaddi. UPCOMING: 600 words. Starts 1 p.m. EST. AP Photos. HKN--PENGUINS-BLUES ST. LOUIS — St. Louis plays for the first time since the firing of former coach Ken Hitchcock when it hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday night. UPCOMING: 600 word, photos. Game starts at 7 p.m. CT. BKC--T25-PITTSBURGH-DUKE DURHAM, N.C. — Mike Krzyzewski returns to the sideline for No. 21 Duke after a four-week absence to have back surgery, and he hopes to lead the Blue Devils to a third straight victory when they play host to Pittsburgh. By Joedy McCreary. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos from 1 p.m. start. SPORTS WRITER-ALZHEIMER FIGHT BROOMALL ) The hands that wrote the stories that branded him Philadelphia's sports raconteur now tremble when he sits. Bill Lyon smacks the right hand resting on a cane to try to briefly stifle the tremors. "I can no longer write cursive," Lyon said. "Terrible. Completely illegible. Block print." By Dan Gelston. SENT: About 1260 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