HARRISBURG— State hunting regulators are considering a proposal to expand an area of southeastern Pennsylvania where hunting deer with rifles is banned.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is scheduled to vote today on proposed regulations that would ban deer-hunting rifles in the Lehigh Valley. The ban applies to Philadelphia and parts of four surrounding counties.

Commission staffers say the rifle ban is needed because the Lehigh Valley is growing rapidly. Shotgun hunting would still be allowed.

If the proposal passes, the commission would have to take a final vote in April before it could go into effect for the 2008-09 hunting season. It would be the first major expansion of shotgun-only areas since 1991.

Samantha Karns scored 27 points to lead the Butler County Community College women's basketball team to a 57-35 victory over CCAC-Boyce Monday.Karns, a Butler High graduate, connected on 15 of 16 free throws, missing on her first attempt of the evening.Ashley Nocera (Butler) added 13 points for the Pioneers (9-6, 6-3 in the WPCC).In men's action, the Pioneers (2-17, 0-9) fell to the Community College of Beaver County 85-51, despite 20 points from Nick Rutkoski (Freeport) and 16 from Jace Lumley.