HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania has recorded the first human cases of West Nile virus in the commonwealth this year.

The state Department of Health said Monday that a Franklin County woman is recovering after being hospitalized with meningitis due to the virus.

Officials said a Lancaster County woman is recovering from West Nile fever, a milder form of the virus.

Residents are being urged to minimize exposure to mosquitoes due to what officials are calling an “unprecedented” level of virus-carrying insects, probably due to the mild winter.

The department says statewide sampling shows higher numbers of infected mosquitoes than in any summer since monitoring began a decade ago.

Older people and those with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk of severe illness including encephalitis if they are infected.

Monsignor denied bail on appealPHILADELPHIA — A Roman Catholic monsignor from Philadelphia will not be released on bail while he appeals his conviction in the church sex-abuse scandal.Common Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina denied the request Monday, citing what she called the serious nature of Monsignor William Lynn’s conduct that led to his conviction of child-endangerment in June. Lynn is serving a three- to six-year term.Lawyers for the 61-year-old Lynn say they will take their appeal of that conviction to state superior court.Lynn served as secretary for clergy at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004. He admits he let an abuse complaint against former priest Edward Avery fall through the cracks in 1992.Avery is in prison for sexually assaulting a different boy in 1999.

Redistricting session setHARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next month in its Philadelphia courtroom on 13 appeals to the new map of state legislative districts.The high court also said Monday that the Sept. 13 session will be broadcast live on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.Seats inside the courtroom, located in Philadelphia City Hall, will be parceled out on a first-come, first-served basis.Challengers to the plan include the state Senate’s Democratic members.The Legislative Reapportionment Commission voted 4-to-1 in favor of the plan in June. It’s the second version and was produced because the Supreme Court threw out the previous plan in January.Legislative races in the November election are being conducted with 50 Senate and 203 House district maps that date back more than a decade.