An accident on Route 22 in Whitehall had traffic a mess in both directions for much of the morning rush hour today. A three-vehicle crash on westbound 22 resulted in traffic being backed up from MacArthur Road to Route 512. 22 East was jammed from MacArthur Road to 309 due to the crash.
The state House has followed the state Senate's lead and has voted overwhelmingly in favor of creating a bidding process that would lead to the sale of the old Allentown State Hospital. The House voted 200-1 to allow the state Department of General Services to create the bidding process as well as to form a committee to review bids and recommend a buyer. That committee would consist of a representative from the City of Allentown, General Services Secretary Curt Topper, St. Rep. Michael Schlossberg and St. Sen. Pat Browne, who sponsored the Senate bill. The Senate voted 49-0 in favor of that measure earlier.
A Lehigh Valley man is now officially charged with having homemade bombs in his Northampton County home. The U.S. Attorney's office has indicted Bangor's Jason Muzzicato on charges related to weapons possession by a person under a domestic violence protective order. Muzzicato allegedly was found with homemade explosives, as well as assault rifles and guns. He's also allegedly responsible for exploding some of those bombs around rural Washington Township. If convicted, he could end up in jail for as many as 20 years.
Two Lehigh County Jail inmates are being charged with attacking correctional officers there. Roland Phare, of Allentown, and Coopersburg's Jordan Wenhold were arraigned Tuesday on related counts. Phare allegedly punched and spit on an officer last month while being handcuffed, while Wenhold is accused of biting a guard on the hand in March.
An Easton doctor is being charged with taking money and rewards in exchange for prescribing a powerful opioid. Kenneth Sun was indicted Tuesday on charges related to receiving health care kickbacks and conspiring to defraud the United States. Sun allegedly took more than $140,000 from an Arizona-based pharmaceutical company in exchange for prescribing Subsys, a narcotic that contains fentanyl, to patients that didn't either want or need it. Sun also allegedly took bribes disguised as remuneration for educational presentations while causing Medicare to pay more than $847,000 for medically unnecessary Subsys prescriptions.
Independent voters could have a voice in primary elections in Pennsylvania. The state Senate voted 42-8 in favor of allowing unaffiliated voters to cast ballots for either Democrat or Republican candidates beginning with next year's primary. The Senate also voted 30-20 in favor of ending straight party ticket voting that currently allows voters to cast their votes for a single party without going through the ballot race by race.
Local police across the Commonwealth may soon be able to use rader when working to catch speeders. The state Senate voted in favor of a bill Tuesday that would allow local police to employ radar technology when monitoring traffic. Currently only state police are permitted to use radar, leaving local police to use other methods. Pennsylvania is the only state in the country that doesn't allow municipal police to utilize radar for speed control.
State senators approved a bill Tuesday to eliminate annual emission inspections for gas-powered vehicles less than nine-year-old. The measure was part of a four-bill package that aimed to modernize emission inspection rules in the commonwealth. Some of those changes, if approved, would also need the EPA's green light. The bill is now off to the state House for consideration.
The chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party is stepping down because of a sexting scandal. GOP officials have announced the resignation of Val DiGiorgio after the Philadelphia Inquirer reported he sent a sexually explicit photo of himself to a former Philadelphia City Council candidate and then exchanged sexual text messages with her. DeGiorgio claims he was engaged in a consensual relationship with Irina Goldstein. The Inquirer reports the relationship ended when Goldstein allegedly told DiGiorgio he was sexually harassing her.
Wildlike officials have no idea how a cobra managed to get onto a Bucks Couinty woman's patio. Falls Township's Kathy Kehoe says she discovered the snake outside her apartment Monday and nudget its tail. She says she realized it was a cobra when it rose up and spread its hood. Kehoe then used a shovel to kill the snake. Wildlife officials removed 20 deadly snakes from an apartment in the same complex back in March. Even so, they're not sure that's where the cobra came from.
For the next few months, Picasso is calling Harrisburg home. The Susquehanna Art Museum is displaying several of Pablo Picasso's works between now and September 22nd. The pieces displayed come from the John Szoke Gallery and were collected over a 45-year span.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is nominating a registered nurse to serve as the next Commissioner of the state Department of Health. Murphy says RN Judy Persichilli will take over the job in July as current Commissioner Shereef Elnahal steps down to take over as CEO of University Hospital. Persichilli would be the first registered nurse to hold the position. Murphy calls her a true health care professional who has sharp insight into the management of health systems.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is praising the state Health Department for its authorizing paramedics to use anti-withdrawal medication when saving the life of someone suffering from an opioid overdose. Earlier this week, the state Department of Health approved the use of Buprenorphine on patients after they've been treated with Naloxone. Murphy says the move will keep New Jersey a leader in the battle against the opioid epidemic.