Memorial services are being planned for a woman who famously survived a deadly bank robbery in Northampton County more than 30 years ago. Services are going to be held this Saturday for Marcia Hauser of Forks Township, who died last week at the age of 64. Hauser was only 31 when she and three other women were shot during a June 1986 bank robbery. Northampton County DA John Morganelli says he kept in touch with Hauser in the years after she was shot. "I think that Marcia is an example of a heroic person whose life is transformed and negatively affected on many levels from that terrible day. But, she never gave up," Morganelli says. Three people were murdered inside the First National Bank of Bath that day and Hauser was shot in the head, leg and wrist and left for dead. Hauser survived despite losing the sight in one eye and suffering permanent physical issues.
A woman is dead after a weekend fire on the South Side of Bethlehem. The victim is only being described at this time as a 55-year-old woman who died inside a Wyandotte Street home Saturday morning. Warren Achey is the Bethlehem Fire Chief. "It went to two alarms and firefighters found the victim inside," Achey said. Achey isn't yet sure what caused the fire, but says it appears it started on the second floor of the home around 7 o'clock Saturday morning.
A Northampton County man is facing charges after his gun went off outside a busy Easton restaurant. Wilson's Samuel Morello was allegedly drunk when he dropped a legally concealed gun Saturday near Colonial Pizza on Spring Garden Street and it went off. Morello then allegedly picked up the pistol and walked away, but police tracked him down and made the arrest.
State police say they've arrested a Monroe County man for a shooting that happened over the weekend. Thomas Modzel of Chestnuthill Township faces attempted murder and related charges and police say he shot at four people in a Toll Road home with a shotgun Saturday night before fleeing the scene. The victims were all taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono for treatment. No motive has been publicized and the case remains under investigation.
Classes are in session today in one Warren County school district despite a threat posted on social media last night. Phillipsburg School District superintendent Gregory Troxell announced via social media early this morning that a threat was posted online against Phillipsburg High School last night. Police in both Lopatcong Township and Phillipsburg are investigating, as is the Warren County Prosecutor's Office. However, Troxell says since there is an armed police officer in every district building, the school day will proceed as usual.
Some Democrat lawmakers are unveiling a package of bill designed to strengthen Pennsylvania's hate crime laws. The package would increase civil and criminal penalties for anyone convicted of a hate crime, train police on how to better investigate those crimes and give the state attorney general the option of investigating as well.
New Jersey Senator and presidential candidate Cory Booker is disagreeing with his fellow 2020 presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren's call to break up some of the nation's most powerful tech companies. Booker told ABC's "This Week" that as President, he would call for Justice Department investigations and antitrust laws to rein in monopolies. Sen. Warren had said she plans to create a level playing field by breaking up companies like Facebook, Amazon and Google, which she has accused of unfair competition and eating up startup companies.
The Sixers' season ended in heartbreaking fashion Sunday night in Toronto. Kawhi Leonard's off-balance corner jump shot bounced off the rim four times before dropping through as time expired to beat the Sixers 92-90 in game seven of their playoff series. Sixers coach Brett Brown says he had a bad feeling once Leonard's shot first bounced off the rim. "I really felt when it hit the rim that it was going end up going in. It didn't surprise me when it went in. When it hit at that angle and goes kind of straight up, you feel like there's a chance that it's going to go in," Brown said. It's the second straight year the Sixers' season ended in the second round of the playoffs.