Pennsylvania

Can playing games on Facebook actually bring some good results? Yes, and increasingly so, say creators of online games that aim to save lives in addition to entertain.

ToonUps is a digital entertainment company that creates online games and apps with a mission to "brighten the world." The company is about a decade old, but after a few years of existence, its founders – Raymond and MarySue Hansell and their son, Greg – decided they wanted to use their products in a "more uplifting way," to help people advance their lives, Mr. Hansell told The Christian Post. The vehicle to do that could be online gaming, it occurred to the family – a relatively new and booming field that blends smoothly with another thriving industry – social media.

Hansells started looking around for a proper charity to partner with, which would be "a technology-friendly" organization to work with, as well as one that could do "the maximum amount of good" for the money, and had real passion for the nature of the game, Greg Hansell said. more >>

Jerry Sandusky’s pastor recently shared his thoughts on the child sex abuse scandal surrounding the former Penn State assistant coach, saying the hope for forgiveness always exists, even if such a crime may never be forgotten.

Sandusky, who was charged with sexually abusing eight boys over a 15-year period, appeared for a preliminary hearing at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., on Tuesday.

Edwin Zeiders, who has been Sandusky's pastor for over 20 years at St. Paul's Methodist Church, was present at the hearing. The pastor revealed to CNN that he still talks daily with Sandusky. more >>

The bizarre and disturbing sex-abuse case involving former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky continues to get stranger as Sandusky has waived a preliminary hearing on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty, bringing the case straight to a trial.

The hearing is for the prosecution to prove that they have probable cause to bring this case to trial, but the evidence against Sandusky is so overwhelming that the move isn’t surprising.

Senior Deputy Attorney General E. Marc Constanzo believes waiving a preliminary hearing will be beneficial for the alleged victims, according to the Detroit Free Press. more >>

A Pittsburgh, Pa. family is furious after being fined for displaying a Virgin Mary statue outside of their home.

The Vasko family is believed to have many religious statues inside of their home and claim to have had good intentions when they decided to place a 150 pound Virgin Mary statue outside of their Robinson Township condo.

"I had a Blessed Mother statue sitting out here...It was taken, the association – they stole it," Steven Vasko told KDKA2. more >>

The Rev. Bartley Sorensen, 62, a Roman Catholic Priest, has been arrested and charged with viewing pornographic images of children on his computer.

The Post-Gazette reports that police were contacted by Diocesan officials when a church employee claimed to have walked into the rectory on Friday, catching the Reverend in the act.

The employee claimed to have seen Rev. Sorensen viewing an image of a young male on his computer, naked from the waist down, while the words "Hottie Boys" were spread on the screen. more >>

Despite complaints and threats of protest from an atheist group, a Pennsylvania mayor followed through with his town’s annual Christmas tradition of displaying a Nativity scene in front of the Municipal building on Friday.

Hundreds gathered at Ellwood City’s borough building to support the erection of the Nativity display, which was part of a 50-year tradition of the city, WCN reported. Last year, the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Michigan tried to break the ritual, accusing Ellwood City of endorsing Christianity.

The FFRF contended that the city violated the separation of church and state through the erection of the Nativity scene and threatened to protest this week as a result. more >>