BCCC Alum to Address Graduating Class

Illustrator James Bennett returns to BCCC as commencement speaker.

James Bennett, an award-winning illustrator and graduate graduate of Bucks County Community College, will address the 2013 graduating class at commencement on Thursday.  Bennett, who still lives in Bucks County, earned an associates degree in fine arts from BCCC, continued his education at the School of Visual Arts in New York after his 1983 graduation.  Bennett's work has appeared in the New York Times, Forbes, Time, Sports Illustrated, Mad, Business Week, Reader’s Digest, and Philadelphia magazines. He has also illustrated books including "Tell Me a Scary Story...But Not Too Scary" by Carl Reiner, and "Halloween" by Jerry Seinfeld. The college will recognize Bennett’s achievements by granting him an honorary Doctor of Public Service …

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State News

Corbett Administration Pushes Back Against Medicaid Expansion Savings

As much as $515 million in costs and savings of Medicaid expansion were mis-estimated by the IFO, according to the Corbett Administration.

By Eric Boehm | PA Independent HARRISBURG — The administration of Gov. Tom Corbett says a report on Medicaid expansion by the state’s Independent Fiscal Office improperly claims as much as $515 million as savings, revenue or underestimated costs to the state. The IFO report, published in April and updated last week to reflect new information, showed expanding Medicaid in Pennsylvania would produce $180 million in savings for the next during the next budget year – mostly due to shifting state-level costs to the federally funded Medicaid program. The expansion of Medicaid is a part of the federal health-care reform law, but states must voluntarily opt-in to the program, something Corbett has so far been unwilling to do. In a letter sent to …

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McKessy, Block Victorious in School Board Primary

Incumbent Kyle McKessy won in Region 9 and Andy Block was victorious in Region 8 in the race for Council Rock School Board.

Incumbent Kyle McKessy was reelected to represent Region 9 on the Council Rock School Board during a primary race Tuesday. McKessy and her opponent, Le Sheppard, both cross filed, allowing Democrats and Republicans alike to cast votes for them. McKessy received 72 percent of the Republican vote and 75 percent of the Democratic vote. She received 424 votes to Sheppard's 158. McKessy, a Wrightstown resident, has three children in the district. She has served on the board since 2008; in 2011 and 2012 she was board president. This year, she was elected as vice president. In Upper Makefield, resident Andy Block was victorious in a three-way race for Region 8. Block bested Diana Nolan and Theo Caputi. Block received 733 votes; Nolan received 554…

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Memorial Day BBQ? 8 Money-Saving Tricks (Sponsored)

Who’s NOT planning a BBQ this weekend? If the weather holds and you’ve got propane or charcoal, chances are, you’re grilling something with your friends and family. Here are new ideas for keeping your costs down. Sponsored by Home Depot.

Here at Patch, we like to be thrifty, so we talked to two barbecue experts and uncovered some really good ideas to help you save money on your next outdoor party.   1. Start with a marinade. This means planning ahead—say, Friday. But it’s worth it, says Rick Browne, host of Barbecue America on PBS, because you can pass up that well-marbled rib eye steak and buy a less tender and less expensive choice to grill like a flank steak or chuck steak. Just marinate it or brine for one or two days and then cook long and slow on the barbecue grill to break down tissues but maintain moisture. “You need to include an acid in the marinade, perhaps juice, vinegar or soy sauce, but avoid cola which is so acidic it can turn meat into a soggy mess.” Try …

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Police & Fire

State Police Arrest 5 at DUI Checkpoint

The intent of a checkpoint is to keep drivers safe, police say.

The Pennsylvania State Police at Trevose on Monday announced the results of a DUI checkpoint it staged over the weekend. Between 11 p.m. Saturday and 3 a.m. Sunday at an unspecified location in Bucks County police  The checkpoints are designed to keep drivers safe, police said. "The goal of a roving DUI detail is to reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related fatal and serious crashes, and to reduce the number of DUI drivers on Pennsylvania's highways," they said in a written release. 

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NAC Outdoor Pool Opening Pushed Back

The new outdoor pool complex at the Newtown Athletic Club will not be open Memorial Day weekend as planned.

Rain and a delay in material deliveries have caused the Newtown Athletic Club to push back the opening of its outdoor pool complex. The outdoor pool complex, which features a zero-entry pool and a lazy river, was slated to open Memorial Day weekend. But just recently, the club announced that wasn't feasible.  "We just could not make the Memorial weekend target,"NAC Director of Marketing Linda Mitchell said.  "Early June is what we are shooting for and feel confident we can do it," Mitchell said. "We are learning it is impossible to give an exact date, but we have caught up on our rain days and all the delayed material deliveries have arrived so we are in good shape." Mitchell said "each day gives us a better idea of what we can do" and …

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Linda Mitchell

10:57 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Barbara - Although the owner of the NAC is involved in the Acme site, the two are not related in terms of when construction can begin or end on either of the projects. The reason that the Acme site has not begun has to do with sewage permits. This information comes directly from Kurt Ferguson, the Newtown Township Manager as recently as yesterday, 5/21/13. The township is working diligently to …   more ›

11 Teens Cited for Underage Possession of Alcohol

A group of teens were seen loading beer into a pickup truck Friday afternoon at the Acme parking lot, Newtown Township Police said.

A group of teens who were seen loading beer into a pickup truck Friday afternoon at the Acme parking lot will each receive citations for underage possession of alcohol, Newtown Township Police said. According to police, an officer who was on patrol at the Newtown Shopping Center around 2 p.m. that day saw a group of teens gathered around several parked cars.  Police said the officer saw “multiple” cases of beer being loaded into a pickup truck “in plain view.” As the officer got closer, the juveniles closed the pickup truck bed door and started to walk away, police said. When the officer asked the teens whose truck it was, all initially denied they owned it but eventually one admitted it was his, according to police. That teen admitted the…

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Pennsylvania Chief Justice’s Record Held Up, Torn Down by Reform Group

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Castille is running for retention this fall, after serving two terms on the court.

By Melissa Daniels | PA Independent HARRISBURG — Judges in Pennsylvania typically have no problems securing their offices in retention races. In 45 years, only Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro lost his seat in 2005, after an infamous pay raise lawmakers gave themselves in the middle of the night inflamed state voters. Eric Epstein with the government reform group Rock the Capital thinks the ease with which judges are retained should give voters pause as Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Castille campaigns for 10 more years this fall. “Why should people automatically vote yes?” he asked. “And what does it takes before somebody calls into question the ability of someone to serve on the bench?”  A new Rock the Capital voter guide urges …

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