[naviga:h3]Child endangerment law gets more teeth[/naviga:h3]

HARRISBURG — A new Pennsylvania law lets authorities factor in the age of the victims and the degree of harm when filing charges in child endangerment cases.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill Thursday to increase penalties when victims are 5 years old or younger.

It also directs judges to consider ordering counseling for those convicted of child endangerment. The law takes effect in 60 days.

It was prompted by the 2010 death of 10-month-old Heath Ryder, who suffered brain and neck injuries after being shaken and thrown. Charges were filed against a 9-year-old girl and the adult baby sitter was sentenced to six to 23 months in jail after pleading no contest to child endangerment.

Authorities say the sitter waited more than an hour to call for help after realizing Heath wasn’t breathing properly.

[naviga:h3]Hospital treats 36 overdoses in 1 day[/naviga:h3]

WILLIAMSPORT — A Pennsylvania hospital network says it has treated 36 people for heroin overdoses in the last 24 hours.

UPMC Susquehanna is warning the surrounding communities of a possibly lethal batch of the drug in the region.

The hospital system posted on its Facebook page that emergency rooms and other facilities dealt the unusually high number of overdoses Thursday.

It operates hospitals in the central part of the state, anchored by the 203-bed Williamsport Regional Medical Center.

[naviga:h3]Pipeline protesters ordered off property[/naviga:h3]

HUNTINGDON — A judge has ordered a central Pennsylvania family and their allies to vacate some of their property which Sunoco Logistics plans to us for its Mariner East 2 pipeline.

An attorney for the Gerhart family isn’t sure whether they’ll appeal Thursday’s order by Huntingdon County Judge George Zanic. He’s given them two days to vacate trees and take down tents where they’ve been staying to protest a right-of-way Sunoco obtained through the property.

The Gerharts are still waiting for the state Supreme Court to hear an appeal of Zanic’s earlier ruling letting Sunoco take 3.2 acres of the family’s 27-acre tract through eminent domain.