St. Sen. Mike Folmer is accused of possessing child pornography. The four-term Republican was charged Tuesday night after an investigation by the attorney general's child predator unit and search of his Lebanon home. The investigation began with a March 4th tip from the microblogging site Tumblr. The 63-year-old was elected to the state Senate in 2006.
More details are expected to emerge today about sexual assault charges filed against Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star pitcher Felipe Vazquez. State police are expected to discuss the case today after Vazquez was charged with statutory sexual assault and other offenses. The Pirates closer is accused of trying to have sex with an underage girl last year. He was arrested on related charges out of Florida before the local charges were filed.
A Northampton County man is in custody for allegedly injuring his infant daughter with her own baby bottle. Hanover Township's Michael Hogg has been arrested on charges of assault, reckless endangerment and child endangerment. Hogg allegedly responded to the baby's crying by hitting the two-month-old girl in the head with the bottle. The child arrived at the hospital Monday with skull fractures and bleeding on the brain.
A New York City woman is facing charges for calling 911 and claiming to be a Bethlehem resident in trouble. Joselyn Rodriguez allegedly called and pretended to be a city resident who was off her medication and about to harm a child. When police arrived at the address given during Rodriguez's phony call, they found a man asleep and nothing related to the call. Rodriguez is expected to be arraigned on counts related to making a false 911 call and criminal mischief.
Pennsylvania residents are getting a chance today to pick up free doses of an opioid overdose antidote medication. Free naloxone will be available for pick up at more than 90 locations statewide between 11am and 7pm while supplies last. Naloxone is used to fight an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids on the brain and state officials say more than 25,000 Pennsylvanians have been revived by the drug since November of 2014. The medication will be offered again for free next Wednesday. In Northampton County, naloxone can be picked up at the Northampton County State Health Center at 1600 Northampton Street in Easton. In Lehigh County, the kits can be found at the Lehigh County State Health Center at 3730 Lehigh Street in Whitehall.
New Jersey's Department of Human Services is giving free doses of an opioid antidote to a number of homeless shelters. Around 1200 doses of naloxone nasal spray will be distributed to around three dozen participating shelters with the intention of saving lives. Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson says back on June 18th when New Jersey gave away naloxone to residents, the responded in overwhelming numbers.
Jury selection is underway in a Bucks County courtroom in the murder trial of Sean Kratz. He's accused of working with his cousin, Cosmo DiNardo, to kill four ment in Solebury Township in 2017 and then disposing of their bodies on DiNardo's family farm. Kratz rejected a plea deal in the case earlier this year that would have spared him the death penalty. DiNardo already pleaded guilty to killing all four men and is currently serving a life sentence. Testimony is expected to begin in the Kratz trial in November.
Pennsylvania is gearing up for a birthday celebration 250 years in the making. Members of the America250PA commission were sworn in Tuesday evening in Philadelphia and will help the state prepare for the nation's 250th birthay in 2026. Gov. Tom Wolf says a celebration this big needs more than six years of prep work. "This is really a big deal. Pennsylvania deserves to have a 250th anniversary celebration that is worthy of Pennsylvania. This is where this nation started and we want this 250th to pay adequate tribute to Pennsylvania to make sure the whole world understands how great we really are," Wolf says. The commission includes 20 private citizens, four lawmakers in a voting role and another 11 state officials in non-voting roles.
State officials are confirming the first case of West Nile Virus in a Pennsylvanian this year. The Department of Health is saying a Philadelphia resident is believed to have been infected, although further testing is being conducted. As a result, both the departments of Health and Environmental Protection are strongly advising all residents keep their exposure to mosquitoes to a minimum. Not every person stricken with West Nile will show signs, but those who do may demonstrate flu-like symptoms, while others develop potentially life-threatening inflammation of the brain or spinal cord.
It's Child Seat Safety Week in Pennsylvania. Both Penndot and the Pennsylvania State Police are holding events across the region where parents can see if they've installed their youngsters' seats properly. Trooper Stuart Koch describes something they see a bit too often. "It is not touching the seat in front of it. It's common for parents to jam the seat in and we don't want to see that," Koch says. Officials say it's extremely important to read the instructions booklet that comes with every car seat before actually installing that car seat.
The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission is getting ready for its fall and winter trout stocking. Commission officials say they'll stock more than 113,000 hatchery-raised adult rainbow, brook and brown trout in more than 110 waterways statewide.
Pennsylvania's 2020 fishing license button will feature the image of a pumpkinseed sunfish. The design was selected by voters over a solid color vintage green option earlier this month. The 2020 button will be available for purchase starting December 1st at the commission's online store and at more than 700 issuing agents across Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson is expected to miss at least two weeks due to an abdominal strain. Jackson was limited to just 11 snaps last Sunday night in a loss to Atlanta. He caught eight passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a week one win over Washington. Jackson reportedly declined to have surgery so he can return as soon as possible.