Three people were hit by a vehicle while stopping to help at an accident scene in Lehigh County. One of those three died. The initial two-vehicle crash happened around 5:30 Tuesday afternoon on Route 309 at Mountain Road in Lynn Township. A minivan and pickup truck collided, causing the truck flip on its side. Several passersby stopped to help and that's when a minivan driving south on Route 309 hit three of them. 49-year-old Lloyd Musick, of Summit Hill, was killed. A second victim suffered serious injuries and the third sustained only minor injuries. Police are still investigating.
It appears likely Pennsylvania's minimum wage is going up to $9.50 per hour over the next two years. Democrat St. Sen. Christine Tartaglione has been pushing for a higher minimum wage for years but says she's disappointed the number isn't considerably higher. "If we had control of both chambers, this deal would look a lot different. We would've had $15 an hour," Tartaglione says. The bill passed the state Senate Wednesday in a 42-7 vote. It now heads to the state House for consideration.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are moving forward on changing child sex crime laws. The state Senate Wednesday passed several measures that were directly connected to recommendations made in a report from last year by a Pennsylvania grand jury looking into sexual abuse by Catholic priests. Republican St. Sen. Jim Gregory says there's plenty more work to be done. "There's a long way to go but I'm confident that once we pass this hurdle I have the support of my leadership and that it will run again next session," Gregory says. The proposed changes include dropping the statute of limitations for victims of child sex crimes, extending the window for filing a civil suit and making it a felony to fail to report abuse. The state House could take up the measures as soon as today.
Police have arrested one of two men suspected in a Tuesday night shooting in Easton. Jaquan Harris was arrested Wednesday evening in the 1100 block of Butler Street in Easton. He was wanted for a stabbing that happened on November 11 in Easton but detectives also want to talk to Harris regarding the shooting that injured a 43-year-old man Tuesday night. The man told police two men came up to his Elm Street apartment and shot him through the window. Police are still looking for Latrell Mathis, who is believed to be armed and dangerous and may be in the Easton area.
A bill passed in the state Senate to ban abortions based on the prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome. The Senate voted 27-22 to pass the bill, which got House approval earlier this year. The bill appears to be dead on arrival at Gov. Tom Wolf's desk however. Wolf has repeatedly said he will veto any bill that seeks to limit health care options for women and politicize difficult moments for families.
A woman is recovering after being shot early Wednesday morning in the 500 block of West Gordon Street in Allentown. Police say a man was seen leaving the area on foot, but no arrests have been made. The victim is expected to recover.
Allentown City Council has approved a borrowing plan to help pay for capital projects. At Wednesday night's meeting, the proposal passed by a vote of 3-2. As part of the proposal, the city will borrow nearly $3,000,000 from its cash reserves to pay for upcoming capital projects, but has made an "official intent" declaration to reimburse the reserves from future tax-exempt obligations.
Jim Thorpe has dropped its lawsuit against the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. Jim Thorpe had been seeking nearly $100,000 in unpaid amusement taxes it says it's owed by the business. The railway has said it's ending passenger rides next Monday in response to the lawsuit. There's no word yet if the decision to drop that lawsuit will change those plans.