Tom Corbett

The Obama and Romney campaigns turned their attention to Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes this weekend as polls showed the president holding only a slight lead in the state coming into Tuesday's election. In Franklin County, Pa., registered Republican voters outnumber Democrats nearly 2-to-1. Still, county political watchers say turnout will be key when polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voter turnout was 72 percent in Franklin County in November 2008, according to published reports.

FAYETTEVILLE, PA. A Fayetteville man is in Dauphin County (Pa.) Prison on charges he attempted to lure a 12-year-old girl into meeting him after discussions in an Internet chat room with an undercover agent with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office. Bradley L. Doyle, 34, of 5500 Lincoln Way East, Lot 7C, was arrested Monday at a Harrisburg, Pa., area mall, and agents found a rope, sexual aid and lotion in his vehicle, according to a news release from Attorney General Tom Corbett's office.

Legislation updating Pennsylvania's education code containing a measure authored by Rep. Todd Rock that allows school districts in Pennsylvania to retain school resource officers (SROs) was recently signed into law by Gov. Tom Corbett. According to a news release from Rock's office, previous law did not permit school districts to use taxpayer funds to contract with local police departments or county probation offices in order to have their personnel keep regular hours and interact with school personnel.

FAYETTEVILLE, Pa. -- U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey said Tuesday he'll win in Franklin County, Pa., but he wants supporters to help him do so by a wide margin. Toomey, a Republican, is running against Democrat Joe Sestak for the Senate seat held for five terms by Arlen Specter. Specter changed parties to become a Democrat and was beat out by Sestak in the primary. On Tuesday, Toomey made a campaign stop at Norlo Park east of Chambersburg, Pa. He was greeted by approximately 50 supporters and 10 people holding Sestak signs.

DRV NOW ... TXT L8R for nontexters means drive now, text later, and it's a warning that could save your life. Pennsylvania Wednesday became the 35th state to ban texting while driving when Gov. Tom Corbett signed a bill into law prohibiting it. The law, which goes into effect in March, will make texting a primary offense, meaning police can pull over drivers they see violating the law. It carries a potential $50 fine. There were 13,790 crashes and 66 fatalities in Pennsylvania in 2010 caused by distracted driving, according to Corbett.

Legislation designating Pa. 997 within the borough of Mont Alto as Sgt. Edward W. Shaffer Memorial Highway was signed into law Wednesday by Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett. Shaffer, 23, a resident of Mont Alto, died Dec. 27, 2006, from injuries sustained while on active duty in Ramadi, Iraq. He served with the 3rd Platoon B of the U.S. Army's 136th Infantry. The measure to name the highway after Shaffer was sponsored by State Rep. Todd Rock, R-Franklin. "Moving forward, I hope the Sgt. Edward W. Shaffer Memorial Highway will forever serve as a constant and lasting reminder of America's ever-growing roll call of military heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation," Rock said.

State Sen. Richard Alloway and state Rep. Rob Kauffman have started the 2011 session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly by reintroducing their favored legislation that didn't pass in previous years. Alloway, R-Franklin/Adams/York, introduced a bill that would expand the Castle Doctrine in Pennsylvania to protect gun owners who act in self-defense. According to a news release, Senate Bill 273 would remove the "duty to retreat" clause when an individual is threatened by an attacker in any place that an individual has a right to be, including the individual's home or vehicle.

Developing a balanced budget for fiscal 2012 by the end of this fiscal year will be the main focus of the Pennsylvania General Assembly in coming months, according to Franklin County legislators. "That is by far the biggest priority at this point. With the $5 billion deficit at this time, that's not easy," said state Rep. Todd Rock, R-Franklin. The legislature will now be working with a Republican governor, Tom Corbett. It will try to prove "even though it's difficult, we can get it done and get it done on time," Rock said of the budget.

The 9th Congressional District will retain Franklin and Fulton counties if Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signs the redistricting bill headed to his desk. The state House of Representatives approved the proposed new map, 136-61, on Tuesday; it already passed the Pennsylvania Senate. The Republican governor is expected to sign it into law. “Overall, I'm pleased with how my map came out,” said U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, who represents the 9th District. Shuster lost parts or all of Cumberland, Juniata, Somerset, Huntingdon and Mifflin counties.

The Waynesboro Area School Board passed a resolution Tuesday night that would allow it to make significant changes to its curriculum. The board will send documents to the Pennsylvania Department of Education seeking permission to make cuts in several programs, including foreign languages, physical education and health, technology education, and family and consumer science. Some board members described the resolution as a starting point for future budget discussions and emphasized they're not bound by the proposals.