HARRISBURG — Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday he will sign a bill intended to dramatically improve the care and treatment of dogs kept in Pennsylvania's larger commercial kennels.

The measure would impose new regulations to increase the size of cages, require annual veterinary checkups and crack down on what critics describe as inhumane puppy mills. It was passed Wednesday by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The rules would pertain mostly to commercial kennels that provide dogs to dealers or pet shops, or that traffic in at least 60 dogs per year.

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh mother will spend between 1 and 2 years in jail for a house fire that killed her 6-year-old son.Mia Marshman, 29, was also sentenced to 5 years of probation and ordered to undergo drug and alcohol treatment on Wednesday. Marshman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment last month.Authorities say Marshman had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before the March 4 fire that started when a pot of grease was left on a stove.Marshman escaped with one of her other children, an 8-month-old baby, and firefighters rescued another of her children.

MEADVILLE — An Amish man who killed his wife in a schizophrenic frenzy in 1993 will spend 3 months in jail for illegally using a firearm while deer hunting last fall.Authorities say 42-year-old Edward Gingerich was prohibited from using or possessing a gun because he was found guilty but mentally ill of involuntary manslaughter in the killing and disemboweling of his wife, Katie. He served 5 years in prison.Gingerich pleaded guilty to a weapons violation and was sentenced Wednesday in Crawford County Court.

PITTSBURGH — A suburban Pittsburgh teenager accused of trying to kill family members with homemade chemical bottle bombs will stand trial.Christopher Janney, 16, of South Fayette, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday on attempted homicide and related charges.Police say Janney placed the bombs by the head of five family members as they slept early Saturday morning.Authorities added a sixth attempted homicide charge Wednesday because they say another person was in the home at the time.The bottles did not explode and no one was injured.