Armstrong to AP: 'People can decide' the truth

Armstrong to AP: 'People can decide' the truth

This Monday, Jan. 14, 2013 photo provided by Harpo Studios Inc., shows talk-show host Oprah Winfrey interviewing cyclist Lance Armstrong during taping for the show "Oprah and Lance Armstrong: The Worldwide Exclusive" in Austin, Texas. The two-part episode of "Oprah's Next Chapter" will air nationally Thursday and Friday, Jan. 17-18, 2013.

Lance Armstrong said viewers can judge for themselves how candid he was in his interview with Oprah Winfrey.

"I left it all on the table with her and when it airs the people can decide," he said in a text message to The Associated Press.

Armstrong responded to a report in the New York Daily News, citing an unidentified source, that he was not contrite when he acknowledged during Monday's taping with Winfrey that he used performance-enhancing drugs. Although the first installment of a two-part interview doesn't air until Thursday night, there has been no shortage of opinions or advice on what Armstrong should say.

Livestrong, the cancer charity Armstrong founded in 1997 and was forced to walk away from last year, said in a statement Wednesday it expected him to be "completely truthful and forthcoming." A day earlier, World Anti-Doping Agency general director David Howman said nothing short of a confession under oath - "not talking to a talk-show host" - could prompt a reconsideration of Armstrong's lifetime ban from sanctioned events. And Frankie Andreu, a former teammate that Armstrong turned on, said the disgraced cyclist had an obligation to tell all he knew and help clean up the sport.

Armstrong has held conversations with officials from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, including a reportedly contentious face-to-face meeting with USADA chief executive Travis Tygart near the Denver airport. It was USADA's 1,000-page report last year, including testimony from nearly a dozen former teammates, that portrayed Armstrong as the leader of a sophisticated doping ring that enveloped the U.S. Postal Service team on the way to title after title at the Tour de France. In addition to the lifetime ban, Armstrong was stripped of all seven wins, lost nearly all of his endorsements and was forced to cut ties with Livestrong.

According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Armstrong has information that might lead to his ban being reduced to eight years. That would make him eligible to compete in elite triathlons, many of which are sanctioned under world anti-doping rules, in 2020, when Armstrong will be 49. He was a professional athlete in the three-discipline sport as a teenager, and returned to competition after retiring from cycling in 2011.

That person also said the bar for Armstrong's redemption is higher now than when the case was open, a time during which he refused to speak to investigators.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a confidential matter.

Armstrong, who always prized loyalty on his racing teams, now faces some very tough choices himself: whether to cooperate and name those who may have aided, abetted or helped cover up the long-time use of PEDs.

"I have no idea what the future holds other than me holding my kids," he said.

Armstrong left his hometown of Austin, where the interview was taped at a downtown hotel, and is in Hawaii. He is named as a defendant in at least two pending lawsuits, and possibly a third. The Justice Department faces a Thursday deadline on a decision whether to join a whistle-blower lawsuit filed by former teammate Floyd Landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title for doping.

That suit alleges Armstrong defrauded the U.S. government by repeatedly denying he used performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong could be required to return substantial sponsorship fees and pay a hefty fine. The AP reported earlier that Justice Department officials were likely to join the lawsuit.

Amber Alert Issued For Missing 5-Year-Old Girl Taken From West Philadelphia School

Amber Alert Issued For Missing 5-Year-Old Girl Taken From West Philadelphia School

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The search is on for a missing 5-year-old girl who police say was abducted from a West Philadelphia School Monday morning.

Investigators say the child, identified as Nailla Robinson, was last seen at Bryant Elementary School at 60th and Cedar Avenue.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Feds Withdraw Reprimand Dealt To Gassy Worker

Social Security worker's excessive flatulence was charted by agency

JANUARY 11, 2013--The Social Security Administration has withdrawn a reprimand letter issued last month to an employee who was accused of excessive workplace flatulence that created an “intolerable” and “hostile” environment for coworkers.
The “official reprimand,” issued to the 38-year-old male worker on December 10, was quickly rescinded after SSA senior managers got wind of the proposed sanction. The letter's withdrawal came days before TSG disclosed its existence in a December 21 story, according to SSA spokesperson Mark Hinkle.
The employee, a claims authorizer who works out of an SSA office in Baltimore, hung up on a reporter when reached this morning at his desk (though he is surely happy to have the matter behind him).
The SSA worker is seen at right in the adjacent photo, which was apparently snapped during an amusement park trip that included a visit with someone dressed as Pepe Le Pew.
The SSA employee was represented by the American Federation of Government Employees union, officials of which recently circulated a redacted copy of the reprimand letter.
The five-page letter accused the worker of  “conduct unbecoming a federal officer” and included a log of representative dates and times when the man was recorded “releasing the awful and unpleasant odor.”
According to the letter, a SSA supervisor first spoke to the worker about his “uncontrollable flatulence” in mid-May 2012. In two subsequent meetings with other agency administrators, the worker was confronted about his frequent release of “bodily gas” and how the resulting “terrible smell that comes with the gas” was disrupting the workplace. 
The reprimand letter recounted a conversation during which the worker suggested to a SSA manager that he would turn on his fan “when it happens.” The manager recalled advising him that, “turning on the fan would cause the smell to spread and worsen the air quality in the module.”
The letter also included a log listing 17 separate dates (and 60 specific times) on which the employee reportedly passed gas. “The following dates show the time of your flatulence,” a manger wrote as an introduction to the log, which revealed that the man’s September 19 output included nine instances of flatulence, beginning at 9:45 AM and concluding at 4:30 PM.
SSA administrators did not reveal how the man’s September-to-November flatulence was memorialized.
Claiming that the worker’s “distasteful behavior” was “discourteous, disrespectful, and entirely inappropriate,” the letter’s author concluded that, “It is my belief that you can control this condition.”
The reprimand letter--the least serious sanction that can be leveled against a federal employee--could have landed in the man’s personnel file for up to one year. The letter's purpose, the author noted, was “to impress upon you the seriousness of your actions and is necessary to deter future misconduct.” (5 pages)

 Click here to read document

Pottstown Police Officer Rescues Trapped Woman From Train Tracks Just Before Impact

Pottstown Police Officer Rescues Trapped Woman From Train Tracks Just Before Impact

POTTSTOWN, Pa. (CBS) – A Pottstown officer pulled a woman to safety just moments before a train hit her vehicle.

The woman, who is from Sanatoga in Montgomery County, was a passenger in a car that became stuck on the train tracks at the South Hanover Street Crossing in Pottstown around 11 p.m. on Thursday night.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Man Charged With Murder In Road Rage Case Claims He Was Trying To Be A Peacemaker

Man Charged With Murder In Road Rage Case Claims He Was Trying To Be A Peacemaker

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A young man charged with a Northeast Philadelphia road rage murder in 2010 testifies his father went after the pedestrian victim and he only tried to break it up – with tragic results. The victim died from head trauma. KYW’s Tony Hanson reports Gerard Shaffer senior and junior had been charged with third degree murder, but the father died of natural causes while awaiting trial.

Gerard Shaffer Jr., sobbing throughout his testimony, has told the jury his father beeped at victim Mark Wallace. They exchanged words and then his father stopped the car, got out and approached Wallace and they started fighting. The defendant says he approached and tried to intervene, pulling his father away, but he was struck by Wallace and he grabbed Wallace, the two men fell and Wallace was unconscious. The Shaffers fled.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Woman Arrested With Gun At South Philadelphia High School Identified

Woman Arrested With Gun At South Philadelphia High School Identified

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A 21-year-old woman went to South Philadelphia high school Thursday morning, her infant child with her, with the intention of signing up for a night class. But she was arrested after police say they found a loaded handgun in the diaper bag she was carrying.

It was 10:45 a.m. when Kelly Jones of the 2500 block of South 69th Street was going through the normal screening process at South Philadelphia High said Captain Lawrence Nodiff of South Detectives.

“It is very similar to when we are all screened at (the airport). During the imaging process of a diaper bag, the school police officer saw a firearm. The firearm’s serial number had been obliterated,” Nodiff said.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

52-Year-Old Pennsylvania Man Charged With Making 17K Lewd Phone Calls

52-Year-Old Pennsylvania Man Charged With Making 17K Lewd Phone Calls

 

MYERSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A man has been accused of making as many as 17,000 harassing and lewd phone calls to more than 30 women in central Pennsylvania.

Police say 52-year-old Robert Glass of Myerstown made that many calls from August to December and they’re still determining how many of those were obscene. Investigators believe there could be hundreds of additional victims.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Reading Woman Accused Of Leaving Kids Home Alone With Loaded Gun, Drugs

Reading Woman Accused Of Leaving Kids Home Alone With Loaded Gun, Drugs

READING, Pa. (AP) — Police are searching for a woman who stands accused of leaving three children alone in an apartment near a loaded gun and drugs.

Reading police found the children on Tuesday when they raided a suspected drug house after getting complaints from neighbors.

They were looking for 34-year-old Jessica Torres. She remains at large.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Steroids fallout: No BB Hall for Bonds, Clemens

Steroids fallout: No BB Hall for Bonds, Clemens 

FILE - This July 8, 2007 file photo shows San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds reacting to flying out during the sixth inning of a baseball game in St. Louis. With the cloud of steroids shrouding many candidacies, baseball writers may fail for the only the second time in more than four decades to elect anyone to the Hall, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013.

NEW YORK (AP) -- No one was elected to the Hall of Fame this year. When voters closed the doors to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa, they also shut out everybody else.

For only the second time in four decades, baseball writers failed to give any player the 75 percent required for induction to Cooperstown, sending a powerful signal that stars of the Steroids Era will be held to a different standard.

All the awards and accomplishments collected over long careers by Bonds, Clemens and Sosa could not offset suspicions those feats were boosted by performance-enhancing drugs.

Voters also denied entry Wednesday to fellow newcomers Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza and Curt Schilling, along with holdovers Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell and Lee Smith.

Among the most honored players of their generation, these standouts won't find their images among the 300 bronze plaques on the oak walls in Cooperstown, where - at least for now - the doors appear to be bolted shut on anyone tainted by PEDs.

"After what has been written and said over the last few years I'm not overly surprised," Clemens said in a statement he posted on Twitter.

Bonds, Clemens and Sosa retired after the 2007 season. They were eligible for the Hall for the first time and have up to 14 more years on the writers' ballot.

"Curt Schilling made a good point, everyone was guilty. Either you used PEDs, or you did nothing to stop their use," Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt said in an email to The Associated Press after this year's vote was announced. "This generation got rich. Seems there was a price to pay."

Biggio, 20th on the career list with 3,060 hits, appeared on 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots, the highest total but 39 votes shy. The three newcomers with the highest profiles failed to come close to even majority support, with Clemens at 37.6 percent, Bonds at 36.2 and Sosa at 12.5.

Other top vote-getters were Morris (67.7), Jeff Bagwell (59.6), Piazza (57.8), Tim Raines (52.2), Lee Smith (47.8) and Schilling (38.8).

"I'm kind of glad that nobody got in this year," Hall of Famer Al Kaline said. "I feel honored to be in the Hall of Fame. And I would've felt a little uneasy sitting up there on the stage, listening to some of these new guys talk about how great they were. ... I don't know how great some of these players up for election would've been without drugs. But to me, it's cheating."

At ceremonies in Cooperstown on July 28, the only inductees will be three men who died more than 70 years ago: Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, umpire Hank O'Day and barehanded catcher Deacon White. They were chosen last month by the 16-member panel considering individuals from the era before integration in 1947.

"It is a dark day," said Jose Canseco, the former AL MVP who was among the first players to admit using steroids. "I think the players should organize some type of lawsuit against major league baseball or the writers. It's ridiculous. Most of these players really have no evidence against them. They've never tested positive or they've cleared themselves like Roger Clemens."

It was the eighth time the BBWAA failed to elect any players. There were four fewer votes than last year and five members submitted blank ballots.

"With 53 percent you can get to the White House, but you can't get to Cooperstown," BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack O'Connell said. "It's the 75 percent that makes it difficult."

There have been calls for the voting to be taken away from the writers and be given to a more diverse electorate that would include players and broadcasters. The Hall says it is content with the process, which began in 1936.

"It takes time for history to sort itself out, and I'm not surprised we had a shutout today," Hall President Jeff Idelson said. "I wish we had an electee. I will say that, but I'm not surprised given how volatile this era has been in terms of assessing the qualities and the quantities of the statistics and the impact on the game these players have had."

Bonds, baseball's only seven-time Most Valuable Player, hit 762 home runs, including a record 73 in 2001. He was indicted on charges he lied to a grand jury in 2003 when he denied using PEDs but a jury two years ago failed to reach a verdict on three counts he made false statements and convicted him on one obstruction of justice count, finding he gave an evasive answer.

"It is unimaginable that the best player to ever play the game would not be a unanimous first-ballot selection," said Jeff Borris of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, Bonds' longtime agent.

Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young Award winner, is third in career strikeouts (4,672) and ninth in wins (354). He was acquitted last year on one count of obstruction of Congress, three counts of making false statements to Congress and two counts of perjury, all stemming from his denials of drug use.

"To those who did take the time to look at the facts," Clemens said, "we very much appreciate it."

Sosa, eighth with 609 home runs, was among those who tested positive in MLB's 2003 anonymous survey, The New York Times reported in 2009. He told a congressional committee in 2005 that he never took illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

Since 1961, the only years the writers didn't elect a candidate had been when Yogi Berra topped the 1971 vote by appearing on 67 percent of the ballots cast and when Phil Niekro headed the 1996 ballot at 68 percent - both got in the following years. The other BBWAA elections without a winner were in 1945, 1946, 1950, 1958 and 1960.

Morris will make his final ballot appearance next year, when fellow pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine are eligible for the first time along with slugger Frank Thomas.

"Next year, I think you'll have a rather large class, and this year, for whatever reasons, you had a couple of guys come really close," Commissioner Bud Selig said at the owners' meetings in Paradise Valley, Ariz. "This is not to be voted to make sure that somebody gets in every year. It's to be voted on to make sure that they're deserving. I respect the writers as well as the Hall itself. This idea that this somehow diminishes the Hall of baseball is just ridiculous in my opinion."

Players' union head Michael Weiner called the vote "unfortunate, if not sad."

"To ignore the historic accomplishments of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, for example, is hard to justify. Moreover, to penalize players exonerated in legal proceedings - and others never even implicated - is simply unfair. The Hall of Fame is supposed to be for the best players to have ever played the game. Several such players were denied access to the Hall today. Hopefully this will be rectified by future voting."

The BBWAA election rules say "voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

An Associated Press survey of 112 eligible voters conducted in late November after the ballot was announced indicated Bonds, Clemens and Sosa would fall well short of 50 percent. The big three drew even less support than that as the debate raged over who was Hall worthy.

Voters are writers who have been members of the BBWAA for 10 consecutive years at any point.

BBWAA president Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle said she didn't vote for Bonds, Clemens or Sosa.

"The evidence for steroid use is too strong," she said.

As for Biggio, "I'm surprised he didn't get in."

Mark McGwire, 10th on the career home run list with 583, received 16.9 percent on his seventh try, down from 19.5 last year. He got 23.7 percent in 2010 - a vote before he admitted using steroids and human growth hormone.

Rafael Palmeiro, among just four players with 500 homers and 3,000 hits along with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray, received 8.8 percent in his third try, down from 12.6 percent last year. Palmeiro received a 10-day suspension in 2005 for a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, claiming it was due to a vitamin vial given to him by teammate Miguel Tejada.

MLB.com's Hal Bodley, the former baseball columnist for USA Today, said Biggio and others paid the price for other players using PEDs.

"They got caught in the undertow of the steroids thing," he said.

Bodley said this BBWAA vote was a "loud and clear" message on the steroids issue. He said he couldn't envision himself voting for stars linked to drugs.

"We've a forgiving society, I know that," he said. "But I have too great a passion for the sport."

NOTES: There were four write-in votes for career hits leader Pete Rose, who never appeared on the ballot because of his lifetime ban that followed an investigation of his gambling while manager of the Cincinnati Reds. ... Two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy received 18.6 percent in his 15th and final appearance. ... At the July 28 ceremonies, the Hall also will honor Lou Gehrig and Rogers Hornsby among a dozen players who never received formal inductions because of restrictions during World War II. ... Piazza has a book due out next month that could change the view of voters before the next election.

Angry Firefighters Confront Mayor Nutter at Opening of New Firehouse

Angry Firefighters Confront Mayor Nutter at Opening of New Firehouse

 

(Mayor Nutter, flanked by other city officials and
neighborhood children, cuts the ribbon on a new firehouse
in Tacony.
 
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter today cut the ribbon on the city’s first new fire station in fifteen years.  But the ceremony was disrupted by members of the firefighters’ union, who say they are launching an effort to boot Nutter from office.

Mayor Nutter helped cut the ribbon for the new Engine Company 38, in the city’s Tacony section.  The $6.7-million station replaces one that was shuttered a few years ago because of the expansion of Interstate 95.

Officials say the new firehouse has state-of-the-art equipment and uses “green” technology and design to make it energy-efficient.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Judge: Army GI in WikiLeaks illegally punished

Judge: Army GI in WikiLeaks illegally punished 

FILE - Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, right, is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Monday, June 25, 2012, after a pretrial hearing. The U.S. Army private charged with sending thousands of classified documents to the WikiLeaks secrets-sharing website faces a pretrial hearing Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 about whether his motivation matters in the largest leak of classified material in the country's history.

FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) -- An Army private suspected of sending reams of classified documents to the secret-sharing WikiLeaks website was illegally punished at a Marine Corps brig and should get 112 days cut from any prison sentence he receives if convicted, a military judge ruled Tuesday.

Army Col. Denise Lind ruled during a pretrial hearing that authorities went too far in their strict confinement of Pfc. Bradley Manning for nine months in a Marine Corps brig in Quantico, Va., in 2010 and 2011. Manning was confined to a windowless cell 23 hours a day, sometimes with no clothing. Brig officials said it was to keep him from hurting himself or others.

Lind said Manning's confinement was "more rigorous than necessary." She added that the conditions "became excessive in relation to legitimate government interests."

Manning faces 22 charges, including aiding the enemy, which carries a maximum sentence of life behind bars. His trial begins March 6.

The 25-year-old intelligence analyst had sought to have the charges thrown out, arguing the conditions were egregious. Military prosecutors had recommended a seven-day sentence reduction, conceding Manning was improperly kept for that length of time on highly restrictive suicide watch, contrary to a psychiatrist's recommendation.

Lind rejected a defense contention that brig commanders were influenced by higher-ranking Marine Corps officials at Quantico or the Pentagon.

Manning showed no reaction as Lind read her decision. He fidgeted when the judge took the bench to announce her ruling, sometimes tapping his chin or mouth with a pen and frequently glancing at his attorney's notepad, but those movements tapered off during the hour and 45 minutes it took the judge to read the lengthy opinion.

Mike McKee, one of about a dozen Manning supporters in the courtroom, said he was disappointed. He called the ruling "very conservative," although he said he didn't expect the charges to be thrown out.

"I don't find it a victory," McKee said. "Credit like that becomes much less valuable if the sentence turns out to be 80 years."

Jeff Paterson of the Bradley Manning Support Network, which is funding Manning's defense, said the sentencing credit "doesn't come close to compensating Bradley" for his harsh treatment.

"The ruling is not strong enough to give the military pause before mistreating the next American soldier awaiting trial," Paterson wrote in an email.

Lind ruled on the first day of a scheduled four-day hearing at Fort Meade, near Baltimore.

The hearing is partly to determine whether Manning's motivation matters. Prosecutors want the judge to bar the defense from producing evidence at trial regarding his motive for allegedly leaking hundreds of thousands of secret war logs and diplomatic cables. They say motive is irrelevant to whether he leaked intelligence, knowing it would be seen by al-Qaida

Manning allegedly told an online confidant-turned-informant that he leaked the material because "I want people to see the truth" and "information should be free."

Defense attorney David Coombs said Tuesday that barring such evidence would cripple the defense's ability to argue that Manning leaked only information that he believed couldn't hurt the United States or help a foreign nation.

Manning has offered to take responsibility for the leaks in a pending plea offer but he still could face trial on charges such as aiding the enemy.

The Crescent, Okla., native is accused of leaking classified Iraq and Afghanistan war logs and more than 250,000 diplomatic cables while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad in 2009 and 2010. He is also charged with leaking 2007 video of a U.S. helicopter crew gunning down 11 men, including a Reuters news photographer and his driver. The Pentagon concluded the troops acted appropriately, having mistaken the camera equipment for weapons.

Manning supporters consider him a whistleblower whose actions exposed war crimes and helped trigger the pro-democracy Arab Spring uprisings in late 2010.

Murder Witness Beaten To Death In West Philadelphia

Murder Witness Beaten To Death In West Philadelphia

 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia police say a witness in a murder case was beaten to death Saturday night.

A half-dozen men attacked 26-year-old Akeel Prout in a west Philadelphia neighborhood late Saturday, punching and stomping him before robbing him and fleeing.

Prout witnessed the October 2011 homicide of a schoolteacher killed by a stray bullet. Prout initially identified the gunman as 19-year-old Daniel Shelley, but recanted at Shelley’s preliminary hearing, testifying he did not know the defendant and had never seen him.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

NJ Police Officer Charged In Gloucester County Shooting

NJ Police Officer Charged In Gloucester County Shooting

DEPTFORD TWP., N.J. (CBS) – A Deptford Township police officer has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault in connection with a shooting that took place early Saturday morning at his home in Gloucester County, New Jersey.

Authorities say 29-year-old James Stuart, who has been with the department for about five years, was charged with the shooting of 27-year-old David Compton at James’ home on Stanford Avenue around 5 a.m.

Compton, who is not a police officer, is in critical condition at Cooper Medical Center with a single gunshot wound to his head.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Ravens top Colts 24-9 in AFC wild card

Ravens top Colts 24-9 in AFC wild card 

Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis, center, celebrates with a victory lap around the field after an NFL wild card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, in Baltimore. Lewis has said he will retire at the end of the season, and the Ravens won 24-9.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Baltimore Ravens want one long final ride for Ray Lewis. Having disposed of Andrew Luck and the Colts, they now face a more imposing challenge.

Next up, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

Anquan Boldin set a franchise record with 145 yards receiving, including the clinching touchdown in the Ravens' 24-9 victory Sunday over Indianapolis in an AFC wild-card game. The win delays star linebacker Lewis' retirement for at least another week as Baltimore (11-6) heads to top-seeded Denver (13-3) next Saturday.

The Broncos beat the Ravens 34-17 three weeks ago.

"I wanted Denver," Boldin said, "because they beat us.

"We'll make it different."

And he wanted the Broncos because it prolongs the Ravens' pursuit of their first NFL title since the 2000 season, when Lewis won the first of two Defensive Player of the Year awards.

"I came to Baltimore to win a championship," Boldin added. "We all did."

Lewis, who made 13 tackles Sunday, ended his last home game in Baltimore at fullback, of all things, for the final kneel-down. He then went into a short version of his trademark dance before being mobbed by teammates.

He followed with a victory lap, his right arm, covered by a brace, held high in salute to the fans after playing for the first time since tearing his right triceps on Oct. 14 against Dallas.

"My only focus was to come in and get my team a win. Nothing else was planned," the 37-year-old Lewis said. "It's one of those things, when you recap it all and try to say what is one of your greatest moments.

"I knew how it started but I never knew how it would end here in Baltimore. To go the way it did today, I wouldn't change nothing."

He would like nothing more than to change past results against Manning, who was 2-0 in the postseason against Baltimore while with the Colts.

"It's on to the next one," the 17-year veteran said. "We saw them earlier in the year and now we get them back again, but with all of our guns back."

The loss ended the Colts' turnaround season in which they went from 2-14 to the playoffs in coach Chuck Pagano's first year in Indianapolis (11-6). Pagano missed 12 weeks while undergoing treatment for leukemia and returned last week.

He was upbeat following the defeat to the team he served as an assistant coach for four years.

"The foundation is set, and we said we were going to build one on rock and not on sand," Pagano said. "You weather storms like this and you learn from times like this."

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who went 9-3 as interim coach, was absent Sunday after being hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. Pagano said Arians "is fine" and would stay overnight for observation before rejoining the Colts on Monday.

Quarterback coach Clyde Christensen called the plays, but Baltimore's suddenly revitalized defense - inspired by Lewis' pending retirement, no doubt - never let standout rookie QB Luck get comfortable.

"It's great making the playoffs, but you can't make mistakes and expect to beat a playoff team like we did," said Luck, who was sacked three times, Paul Kruger getting 2 1/2 of those. "We'll have to look back at those and hopefully fix them."

Sunday's victory enhanced the Ravens' success rate in opening playoff games. Flacco now has won at least one postseason game in all five of his pro seasons, the only quarterback to do it in the Super Bowl era.

His main target Sunday was Boldin, who had receptions of 50 and 46 yards, plus his 18-yard TD on a floater from Flacco in the corner of the end zone with 9:14 to go.

"I told (Flacco) before the game I was going to get 200 yards," Boldin said with a chuckle.

"It's huge for us. It's huge for this city, they've supported us this entire year and they expect a lot from us. In return, we want to give it to them."

Baltimore overcame the first two lost fumbles of the season by Ray Rice, too, as John Harbaugh became the only head coach in the Super Bowl era with wins in his first five playoff campaigns.

Backup halfback Bernard Pierce rescued Rice with a 43-yard burst that led to Boldin's touchdown, and ran for 103 yards.

Flacco also connected with Dennis Pitta for a 20-yard TD and rookie Justin Tucker made a 23-yard field goal.

Indy's only points came on three field goals by Adam Vinatieri, from 47, 52 and 26 yards. Luck completed 28 of 54 passes for 288 yards. It was the most attempts by a rookie in a playoff game.

Reggie Wayne had 108 yards on eight receptions and moved into second in career playoff catches with 91 - 60 behind leader Jerry Rice. But the Colts, who moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984 - they still are despised here - became the second NFL team to improve to 11 wins following a two-win season and then lose in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Ravens also beat the 2008 Dolphins in a similar scenario.

Both teams were sloppy early on, with Rice losing a fumble, Lewis dropping a potential interception, and Luck being stripped of the ball on a sack.

But Rice atoned with a 47-yard gain on a screen pass, leading to Vonta Leach's 2-yard touchdown.

That Pro Bowl backfield was bolstered by the kick returns of another Pro Bowl player, Jacoby Jones. He gained 60 yards on kickoff runbacks and 57 on punt returns.

Vinatieri, familiar with big kicks in the playoffs after winning two Super Bowls for New England with field goals, made a 47-yarder in the second quarter, a 52-yarder as the first half expired, and a 26-yarder near the end of the third period. But he also missed a 40-yarder wide right, his first miss against Baltimore after 18 successes.

NOTES: Ravens LB Dannell Ellerbe sprained an ankle late in the game. The Ravens didn't specify which ankle. ... Harbaugh is 6-4 in playoff games, as is Flacco. ... Rice finished with 70 yards rushing and Flacco threw for 282. ... Rookie Vick Ballard rushed for 91 yards for Indy. ... Colts T Winston Justice injured his arm.

Report: Andy Reid And Chiefs Agree To A Deal

Report: Andy Reid And Chiefs Agree To A Deal

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Chiefs and Andy Reid are just about there.

After firing general manager Scott Pioli, the Chiefs have agreed in principle to a deal with Andy Reid to make him their new head coach, reports 94WIP’s Howard Eskin.

Eskin reports that the Chiefs and Reid are still working out some smaller details, but that should be completed shortly. Eskin reports that Reid has asked Doug Pederson and Juan Castillo to join his staff in Kansas City, and Duce Staley will not be joining Reid’s new staff.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Is It Flu, Or Something Else? Area Doctor Explains

Is It Flu, Or Something Else? Area Doctor Explains

 

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Doctors’ offices around the Delaware Valley are packed with people suffering from aches, fevers, and flu-like symptoms. While many do have the flu, there are other viruses making the rounds.

This year’s flu season has hit early and hard, according to Dr. Richard Tepper, chief of infectious diseases at Holy Redeemer Hospital in Montgomery County, Pa.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

School Bus, SEPTA Bus Collide In Olney Neighborhood

School Bus, SEPTA Bus Collide In Olney Neighborhood

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A school bus and a SEPTA bus collided in the city’s Olney neighborhood Thursday afternoon, according to police.

The accident happened near Mascher Street and Clarkson Avenue. Authorities say the four children on the bus were not injured. However, some passengers on the
SEPTA bus were reportedly injured and taken to an area hospital.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Random Police Foot Patrols To Begin Wednesday In Upper Merion Schools

Random Police Foot Patrols To Begin Wednesday In Upper Merion Schools

 

UPPER MERION, Pa. (CBS) – Upper Merion schools will start 2013 off with a new security measure.

Starting Jan. 2, police officers will conduct random foot patrols at any given time of day, according to Superintendent Jane Callaghan. The announcement comes just weeks after the tragic shooting in Newtown, CT.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Christie: House Inaction On Sandy Aid ‘Inexcusable’

Christie: House Inaction On Sandy Aid ‘Inexcusable’

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS/AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is fuming over the House’s decision to not hold a vote on Tuesday on the Superstorm Sandy relief package.

Christie was just one of several New Jersey and New York elected officials, from both sides of the aisle, who lambasted Boehner’s decision to not hold a vote; demanding he reverse course and allow a vote as their constituents continue to struggle with the aftermath of the devastating storm. President Barack Obama also called for an immediate House vote.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Pa. governor sues NCAA over Penn State sanctions

Pa. governor sues NCAA over Penn State sanctions 

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett speaks at a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013 in State College, Pa. The NCAA overstepped its authority by imposing hefty sanctions on Penn State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, Corbett said in announcing a federal lawsuit against the college athletics governing body.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- In a bold challenge to the NCAA's powers, Pennsylvania's governor claimed in a lawsuit Wednesday that college sports' governing body overstepped its authority and "piled on" when it penalized Penn State over the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.

Gov. Tom Corbett asked that a federal judge throw out the sanctions, which include an unprecedented $60 million fine and a four-year ban on bowl games, arguing that the measures have harmed students, business owners and others who had nothing to do with Sandusky's crimes.

"A handful of top NCAA officials simply inserted themselves into an issue they had no authority to police under their own bylaws and one that was clearly being handled by the justice system," Corbett said at a news conference.

The case, filed under federal antitrust law, could define just how far the NCAA's authority extends. Up to now, the federal courts have allowed the organization broad powers to protect the integrity of college athletics.

In a statement, the NCAA said the lawsuit has no merit and called it an "affront" to Sandusky's victims.

Penn State said it had no role in the lawsuit. In fact, it agreed not to sue as part of the deal with the NCAA accepting the sanctions, which were imposed in July after an investigation found that football coach Joe Paterno and other top officials hushed up sexual-abuse allegations against Sandusky, a former member of Paterno's staff, for more than a decade for fear of bad publicity.

The penalties include a cut in the number of football scholarships the university can award and a rewriting of the record books to erase 14 years of victories under Paterno, who was fired when the scandal broke in 2011 and died of lung cancer a short time later.

The lawsuit represents a reversal by the governor. When Penn State's president consented to the sanctions last summer, Corbett, a member of the Board of Trustees, embraced them as part of the university's effort to repair the damage from the scandal.

Corbett said he waited until now to sue over the "harsh penalties" because he wanted to thoroughly research the legal issues and did not want to interfere with the football season.

The deal with the NCAA has been unpopular with many fans, students and alumni. Corbett, who is up for re-election next year, deflected a question about whether his response has helped or hurt him politically.

"We're not going to get into the politics of this," he said.

An alumni group, Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship, applauded the lawsuit but said Corbett should have asked questions when the NCAA agreement was made.

"If he disapproved of the terms of the NCAA consent decree, or if he thought there was something illegal about them, why didn't he exercise his duty to act long before now?" the group said.

Paterno's family members said in a statement that they were encouraged by the lawsuit. Corbett "now realizes, as do many others, that there was an inexcusable rush to judgment," they said.

Corbett's lawsuit accuses the NCAA of cynically exploiting the Sandusky case, saying its real motives were to "gain leverage in the court of public opinion, boost the reputation and power of the NCAA's president" and "enhance the competitive position of certain NCAA members." It said the NCAA has not cited a rule that Penn State broke.

Corbett charged that the NCAA violated the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibits agreements that restrain interstate commerce. Legal experts called it an unusual case whose outcome is difficult to predict.

The NCAA has faced antitrust litigation before, with a mixed record of success. In 1984, the Supreme Court ruled against the NCAA's exclusive control over televised college football games. And in 1998, the Supreme Court let stand a ruling that said the NCAA's salary cap for some assistant coaches was unlawful price-fixing.

But federal courts have consistently rejected antitrust challenges to NCAA rules and enforcement actions designed to preserve competitive balance, academic integrity and amateurism in college athletics.

In this case, the courts might not be as sympathetic to the NCAA, said Matthew Mitten, director of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University Law School.

"It's difficult to justify the sanctions as necessary to protect the amateur nature of college sports, preserve competitive balance or maintain academic integrity," he said.

Joseph Bauer, an antitrust expert at the University of Notre Dame law school, said of Corbett's line of reasoning: "I don't think it's an easy claim for them to make, but it's certainly a viable claim."

Sandusky, 68, was convicted in June of sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period, some of them on Penn State's campus. He is a serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence.

Michael Boni, a lawyer for one of the victims, said he does not consider the lawsuit an affront. But he said he hopes Corbett takes a leading role in pushing for changes to state child-abuse laws.

"I really question who he's concerned about in this state," Boni said.

Michael Desmond, a businessman who appeared with Corbett at the news conference, said business at his five State College eating establishments was down about 10 percent during Penn State home game weekends this year.

"The governor's actions are going to be immensely popular with all Penn State alumni," Desmond said.

Corbett, a Republican, said his office did not coordinate its legal strategy with state Attorney General-elect Kathleen Kane, who is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 15. Instead, the current attorney general, Linda Kelly, granted the governor authority to pursue the matter.

Kane, a Democrat, ran on a vow to investigate why it took prosecutors nearly three years to charge Sandusky. Corbett was attorney general when his office took over the case in 2009.

Kane had no comment on the lawsuit because she was not consulted about it by Corbett's office.

State and congressional lawmakers have objected to use of the NCAA fine to finance child-abuse prevention efforts in other states. Penn State has already made the first $12 million payment, and an NCAA task force is deciding how it should be spent.

UN says more than 60,000 dead in Syrian civil war

UN says more than 60,000 dead in Syrian civil war 

This citizen journalism image taken from video provided by Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a wounded man being pulled from the site of a Syrian government airstrike on a gas station in the eastern Damascus suburb of Mleiha, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Activists say dozens of people have been killed or wounded in an air raid on a gas station near the capital Damascus.

BEIRUT (AP) -- The United Nations gave a grim new count Wednesday of the human cost of Syria's civil war, saying the death toll has exceeded 60,000 in 21 months - far higher than recent estimates by anti-regime activists.

The day's events illustrated the escalating violence that has made recent months the deadliest of the conflict: As rebels pressed a strategy of attacking airports and pushing the fight closer to President Bashar Assad's stronghold in Damascus, the government responded with deadly airstrikes on restive areas around the capital.

A missile from a fighter jet hit a gas station in the suburb of Mleiha, killing or wounding dozens of people who were trapped in burning piles of debris, activists said.

Gruesome online video showed incinerated victims - one still sitting astride a motorcycle - or bodies torn apart.

"He's burning! The guy is burning!" an off-camera voice screamed in one video over a flaming corpse.

It was unclear if the government had a military strategy for attacking the gas station. At least one of the wounded wore a military-style vest often used by rebel fighters. Human rights groups and anti-regime activists say Assad's forces often make little effort to avoid civilian casualties when bombing rebel areas.

Syria's conflict began in March 2011 with protests calling for political change but has evolved into a full-scale civil war.

As the rebels have grown more organized and effective, seizing territory in the north and establishing footholds around Damascus, the government has stepped up its use of airpower, launching daily airstrikes. The escalating violence has sent the death toll soaring.

The U.N.'s new count of more than 60,000 deaths since the start of the conflict is a third higher than recent estimates by anti-regime activists. One group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says more than 45,000 people have been killed. Other groups have given similar tolls.

"The number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement.

She criticized the government for inflaming the conflict by cracking down on peaceful protests and said rebel groups, too, have killed unjustifiably. Acts by both sides could be considered war crimes, she said.

She also faulted world powers for not finding a way to stop the violence.

"The failure of the international community, in particular the Security Council, to take concrete actions to stop the bloodletting shames us all," Pillay said. "Collectively, we have fiddled at the edges while Syria burns."

The U.S. and many European and Arab nations have demanded that Assad step down, while Russia, China and Iran have criticized calls for regime change.

The new death toll was compiled by independent experts commissioned by the U.N. human rights office who compared 147,349 killings reported by seven different sources, including the Syrian government.

After removing duplicates, they had a list of 59,648 individuals killed between the start of the uprising on March 15, 2011, and Nov. 30, 2012. In each case, the victim's first and last name and the date and location of death were known. Killings in December pushed the number past 60,000, she said.

The total death toll is likely to be even higher because incomplete reports were excluded, and some killing may not have been documented at all.

"There are many names not on the list for people who were quietly shot in the woods," Pillay's spokesman Rupert Colville told The Associated Press.

The data did not distinguish among soldiers, rebels or civilians.

It indicated that the pace of killing has accelerated. Monthly death tolls in summer 2011 were around 1,000. 

A year later, they had reached about 5,000 per month.

Most of the killings were in the province of Homs, followed by the Damascus suburbs, Idlib, Aleppo, Daraa and Hama. At least three-fourths of the victims were male.

Pillay warned that thousands more could die or be injured, and she said the danger could continue even after the war.

"We must not compound the existing disaster by failing to prepare for the inevitable - and very dangerous - instability that will occur when the conflict ends," she said.

The U.N. refugee agency said about 84,000 people fled Syria in December alone, bringing the total number of refugees to about a half-million. Many more are displaced inside Syria.

While no one expects the war to end soon, international sanctions and rebel advances are eroding Assad's power. Rebels recently have targeted two pillars of his strength: his control of the skies and his grip on Damascus.

Rebels in northern Syria attacked a government helicopter base near the village of Taftanaz in Idlib province, activists said. Videos posted online showed them blasting targets inside the airport with heavy machine guns mounted on trucks.

All videos appeared genuine and corresponded with other AP reporting on the events.

In recent weeks, rebels have attacked three other airports in north Syria. They clashed Wednesday with forces inside the Mannagh military airport near the Turkish border as well as near the Aleppo international airport and adjacent Nerab military airport, halting air traffic there for the second straight day.

The fall of those airports to the rebels would embarrass the regime but not fully stop the airstrikes by government jets, many of which come from bases farther south.

In another blow to the regime and to Syria's economy, a company based in the Philippines that handled shipping containers at Syria's largest port said it was canceling its contract, citing an "untenable, hostile and dangerous business environment."

The Manila-based International Container Terminal Services Inc. said the amount of port traffic had gone down, hurting business, while conditions in Syria grew more dangerous.

The company's departure will significantly limit cargo services at the Tartus port.

Also, Wednesday, the family of American journalist James Foley revealed that he has been missing in Syria for more than a month. Foley was providing video for Agence France-Press when he was abducted Nov. 22 by unknown gunmen, his family said in a statement.

"His captors, whoever they may be, must release him immediately," said AFP chairman Emmanuel Hoog.

Covering Syria has been a challenge for journalists. The government rarely gives visas to journalists, prompting some to sneak in with the rebels, often at great danger.

It’s Time Again For Philadelphia’s Grandest Tradition: The Mummers’ Parade!

It’s Time Again For Philadelphia’s Grandest Tradition: The Mummers’ Parade!

Let the strutting begin! Comic brigades begin their march up Broad Street for the 2013 Mummers’ Parade.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — It’s New Year’s Day in Philadelphia, and that of course means another Mummers’ Parade.

It all started at 9:45am as the Comics and the Wench Brigades stepped off — the comics from Broad and Washington, the Wench Brigades from Broad and Dickinson.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Philadelphia Welcomes The First Baby Of 2013

Philadelphia Welcomes The First Baby Of 2013

 

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The year’s first new Philadelphian made her appearance just after midnight at Pennsylvania Hospital, weighing in at six pounds, nine ounces. And her arrival so early in the New Year surprised even her parents.

John and Joly Soto-Hojnowski had planned a real Philadelphia New Year’s — fireworks on the Delaware at midnight and the Mummer’s parade in the morning.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Clinton receiving blood thinners to dissolve clot

Clinton receiving blood thinners to dissolve clot

FILE - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, listens to a reporter ask a question during a news conference with African Union Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, not seen, after their meeting at the Department of State in Washington, in this Nov. 28, 2012 file photo. Doctors treating Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for a blood clot in her head said Monday Dec. 31, 2013 that blood thinners are being used to dissolve the clot and they are confident she will make a full recovery.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton continues to recover in a New York hospital where she's being treated for a blood clot in her head.

Her doctors say blood thinners are being used to dissolve the clot and they are confident she will make a full recovery. Clinton didn't suffer a stroke or neurological damage from the clot that formed after she suffered a concussion during a fainting spell at her home in early December, doctors said in a statement Monday.

Clinton, 65, was admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday when the clot turned up on a follow-up exam on the concussion, Clinton spokesman Phillipe Reines said. The clot is located in the vein in the space between the brain and the skull behind the right ear. She will be released once the medication dose for the blood thinners has been established, the doctors said.

In their statement, Dr. Lisa Bardack of the Mount Kisco Medical Group and Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi of George Washington University said Clinton was making excellent progress and was in good spirits.

Clinton's complication "certainly isn't the most common thing to happen after a concussion" and is one of the few types of blood clots in the skull or head that are treated with blood thinners, said Dr. Larry Goldstein, a neurologist who is director of Duke University's stroke center. He is not involved in Clinton's care.

The area where Clinton's clot developed is "a drainage channel, the equivalent of a big vein inside the skull. It's how the blood gets back to the heart," Goldstein said.

Blood thinners usually are enough to treat the clot and it should have no long-term consequences if her doctors are saying she has suffered no neurological damage from it, Goldstein said.

Clinton returned to the U.S. from a trip to Europe, then fell ill with a stomach virus in early December that left her severely dehydrated and forced her to cancel a trip to North Africa and the Middle East. Until then, she had canceled only two scheduled overseas trips, one to Europe after breaking her elbow in June 2009 and one to Asia after the February 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

Her condition worsened when she fainted, fell and suffered a concussion while at home alone in mid-December as she recovered from the virus.

This isn't the first time Clinton has suffered a blood clot. In 1998, midway through her husband's second term as president, Clinton was in New York fundraising for the midterm elections when a swollen right foot led her doctor to diagnose a clot in her knee requiring immediate treatment.

Clinton had planned to step down as secretary of state at the beginning of President Barack Obama's second term. Whether she will return to work before she resigns remains a question.

Democrats are privately if not publicly speculating: How might her illness affect a decision about running for president in 2016?

After decades in politics, Clinton says she plans to spend the next year resting. She has long insisted she had no intention of mounting a second campaign for the White House four years from now. But the door is not entirely closed, and she would almost certainly emerge as the Democrat to beat if she decided to give in to calls by Democratic fans and run again.

Her age - and thereby health - would probably be a factor under consideration, given that Clinton would be 69 when sworn in, if she were elected in 2016. That might become even more of an issue in the early jockeying for 2016 if what started as a bad stomach bug becomes a prolonged, public bout with more serious infirmity.

Not that Democrats are willing to talk openly about the political implications of a long illness, choosing to keep any discussions about her condition behind closed doors. Publicly, Democrats reject the notion that a blood clot could hinder her political prospects.

"Some of those concerns could be borderline sexist," said Basil Smikle, a Democratic strategist who worked for Clinton when she was a senator. "Dick Cheney had significant heart problems when he was vice president, and people joked about it. He took the time he needed to get better, and it wasn't a problem."

It isn't uncommon for presidential candidates' health - and age - to be an issue. Both in 2000 and 2008, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., had to rebut concerns he was too old to be commander in chief or that his skin cancer could resurface.

Beyond talk of future politics, Clinton's three-week absence from the State Department has raised eyebrows among some conservative commentators who questioned the seriousness of her ailment after she canceled planned Dec. 20 testimony before Congress on the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.

Clinton had been due to discuss with lawmakers a scathing report she had commissioned on the attack. It found serious failures of leadership and management in two State Department bureaus were to blame for insufficient security at the facility. Clinton took responsibility for the incident before the report was released, but she was not blamed. Four officials cited in the report have either resigned or been reassigned.

Sandy Hook students, teachers head back to school

Sandy Hook students, teachers head back to school 

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2012 file photo, a school bus rolls toward a memorial in Newtown, Conn., for victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Nearly three weeks after the shooting rampage, classes are starting Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013 for the Sandy Hook students at a repurposed school in the neighboring town of Monroe, where the students' desks have been taken along with backpacks and other belongings that were left behind in the chaos following the shooting on Dec. 14.

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) -- Since escaping a gunman's rampage at their elementary school, the 8-year-old Connors triplets have suffered nightmares, jumped at noises and clung to their parents a little more than usual.

Now parents like David Connors are bracing to send their children back to school, nearly three weeks after the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. It won't be easy - for the parents or the children, who heard the gunshots that killed 20 of their classmates and six educators.

"I'm nervous about it," Connors said. "It's unchartered waters for us. I know it's going to be difficult."

Classes are starting Thursday at a repurposed school in the neighboring town of Monroe, where the students' desks have been taken along with backpacks and other belongings that were left behind in the chaos following the shooting on Dec. 14. Families have been coming in to see the new school, and an open house is scheduled for Wednesday.

An army of workers has been getting the school ready, painting, moving furniture and even raising the floors in the bathrooms of the former middle school so the smaller elementary school students can reach the toilets.

Connors, a 40-year-old engineer, felt reassured after recently visiting the new setup at the former Chalk Hill school in Monroe. He said his children were excited to see their backpacks and coats, and that the family was greeted by a police officer at the door and grief counselors in the hallways.

Teachers will try to make it as normal a school day as possible for the children, schools Superintendent Janet Robinson said.

"We want to get back to teaching and learning," she said. "We will obviously take time out from the academics for any conversations that need to take place, and there will be a lot of support there. All in all, we want the kids to reconnect with their friends and classroom teachers, and I think that's going to be the healthiest thing."

Teachers are returning as well, and some have already been working on their classrooms. At some point, all those will be honored, but officials are still working out how and when to do so, Robinson said.

"Everyone was part and parcel of getting as many kids out of there safely as they could," she said. "Almost everybody did something to save kids. One art teacher locked her kids in the kiln room, and I got a message from her on my cellphone saying she wouldn't come out until she saw a police badge."

After the evacuation, teachers grouped their children at a nearby fire station, Robinson said. One sang songs, while others read to the students, she said.

Julian Ford, a clinical psychologist at the University of Connecticut who helped counsel families in the days immediately following the shooting, recommended addressing it as questions come up but otherwise focusing on regular school work.

"Kids just spontaneously make associations and will start talking about something that reminds them of someone, or that reminds them of some of the scary parts of the experience," Ford said. "They don't need a lot of words; they need a few selective words that are thoughtful and sensitive, like, `We're going to be OK,' and `We really miss this person, but we'll always be able to think about her or him in ways that are really nice.'"

It will be important for parents and teachers to listen and be observant, Ford said.

"Each of the boys and girls are going to have different reactions to different aspects of the environment, different little things that will be reminders to them," he said.

Parents might have a harder time with fear than children, Ford said.

Before the shooting, a baby sitter would take Connors' children to the bus stop. But Connors said he'll probably take the third-graders to the bus the first few days.

"I think that they need to get back into a normal routine as quickly as possible," Connors said. "If you're hovering over them at all times, it almost intensifies the fear for them."

His children, who escaped unharmed, ask questions about the gunman.

"It's hard for us to say why," Connors said. "That's kind of what we tell them. This person wasn't well, was sick and didn't get the help he needed."

Connors said his children are excited to go back to school but predicted they might be nervous as the first day approaches. He hopes the grief counseling services continue, he said.

"It's going to be a long road back," Connors said. "Back to what I guess is the biggest question. Everyone keeps throwing that word around the new normal. What does the new normal look like? I think everybody kind of has to define that for themselves."