The Republican field to run against Democrat incumbent Congresswoman Susan Wild this November has shrunk. Republican Matt Connolly has dropped out of the Lehigh Valley GOP primary after fellow candidate Dean Browning found invalid signatures on Connolly's petition to get on this spring's primary. Today's Morning Call says Connolly blames that on what he calls 'lazy' volunteers. Connolly has now teamed up with Browning and will work to get Browning and not Lisa Scheller on the November ballot. Scheller's campaign claims Browning asked Lehigh County DA Jim Martin to investigate Connolly's petitions but dropped the request after Connolly quit and joined Browning's campaign in a paid position. Browning denies doing that.
What does the future hold for the dying Phillipsburg Mall? Lopatcong Mayor James Mengucci offers one possible answer. "We've only had one group in to talk with us so far. They're loking to put in a warehouse in that area," Mengucci says. He says he doesn't know when he'll have a definitive answer because he's had limited communication with the mall's ownership. The property is not currently zoned for warehouses.
A man may go to trial for allegedly stabbing his wife at the Hamilton Crossings Shopping Center. Jonathan Rompilla waived his preliminary hearing Thursday. The 58-year-old faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and terroristic threats for stabbing his wife twice in the stomach at the shopping center on January 8th. A formal arraignment is coming up in April.
Allentown police are investigating an armed robbery. It happened at the CVS in the 300 block of Emmaus Avenue around 10 o'clock Thursday night. Police say the suspect was described as a Hispanic male. So far, no arrests have been made.
St. Luke's Hospital in Allentown may soon be growing. St. Luke's plans to ask the Allentown Planning Commission for approval to build a 5-story addition, at the commission's March 10th meeting.
A man wanted for trying to run over two constables last November in the Slate Belt is now in jail. 32-year-old Adam Kutz was wanted on charges of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment since the Nov. 22 incident in Lower Mount Bethel Township.
Former Lebanon County St. Sen. Michael Folmer has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. Folmer was charged in September 2019 after a search warrant found images of child pornography on his phone. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro says, "The defendant was entrusted to represent and serve the Commonwealth, but instead chose to participate in the sexual exploitation of children. No one is above the law."
The Wolf Administration says it will be providing free naloxone to Pennsylvania airports. Dr. Rachel Levine is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health. "This is a life-saving medication that is integral to our efforts in the opioid crisis. You cannot get addicted to naloxone. You can't get high from naloxone. All it does is save people's lives who are suffering from an overdose to an opioid," Levine says. The naloxone will be stored with airport defibrillators and first aid kits and airports will be enouraged to train all airport personnel on how to use it.
Plans to open the nation's first safe injection site in Philadelphia are being canceled for the time being. Constitution Health Plaza officials announced last night that they are canceling the lease for the proposed site. A federal judge had ruled against the Department of Justice Tuesday and determined the nonprofit Safehouse Philadelphia wasn't violating federal law by trying to create a site where people can use illegal drugs under medical supervision.
The lawyer for former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez wants a Westmoreland County judge to set him free on bond. Gary Gerson asked the court this week to set bond for Vazquez, claiming he doesn't have enough money to be a flight risk. Vazquez has been held without bond since September, when he was accused of having sexual contact with a 13-year-old Scottdale girl.