A Lehigh County gym owner is refusing to close after he was cited for violating the state's shutdown mandate. Ed Frack owns SuperSets gym in Hanover Township and say he'll stay open until state authorities force him to close up shop. State police issued two citations on Monday and say they'll cite every individual who enters the gym, but Frack says he has no alternative as closing the gym would mean he'd go bankrupt. He's the first Lehigh Valley business owner to be cited for violating the shutdown order and only one of three in the state. Frack says he's taking precautions to ensure customer safety, including allowing only 10-15 people inside at a time and making those people make appointments ahead of time.
Over the Memorial Day weekend, there were plenty of gatherings in which way more than the recommended crowd size were in attendance. State Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine is less-than-thrilled to have seen it. "As we've been saying, there's still community spread of COVID-19 and if people are in large gatherings and not practicing social distancing, not washing their hands as much as they should, not using hand sanitizer and not wearing masks, then I would be concerned about the spread of COVID-19 in those individuals," she says. Levine says Tuesday brought 451 new cases of coronavirus and 13 new deaths.
New Jersey's governor says graduation ceremonies can begin there in the first week of July. Pennsylvania's governor doesn't sound all that bullish on the idea here. "The guidelines have certain numbers of people beyond which we don't think it's really safe. So social distancing is always going to be important. Wearing a mask is always going to be important. I think there should be limits on how many people actually come together in any one event," says Gov. Tom Wolf. He says that goes for any Pennsylvania county, regardless of their red, yellow or green designation in his reopening plans for the commonwealth.
Gov. Phil Murphy says New Jersey is moving closer to entering phase two in the reopening of its economic restart. The latest coronavirus numbers in the state show 54 new deaths and 703 additional cases of COVID-19. However, officials say the numbers may be skewed due to a lag in reporting because of the Memorial Day holiday.
Pennsylvania State Police are still looking for a man wanted for a pair of murders in Connecticut. Investigators think 23-year-old Peter Manfredonia stole a black Hyudnai Santa Fe overnight Monday into Tuesday in the East Stroudsburg area. John Aiello is with the Connecticut State Police and he's urging Manfredonia to turn himself in. "The one thing that we're missing now is you. We want you to be able to tell your story," Aiello said. Manfredonia was last seen in the East Stroudsburg area on Sunday. The stolen vehicle has Pennsylvania plates reading KYW-1650. If you spot that missing Santa Fe, call 911.
Police in Carbon County are investigating the deaths of three people found inside a home in Lansford Tuesday afternoon. Police were called to the 600 block of East Patterson Street around 2:30 p.m. and found the bodies. Two other people inside the home were found safe. Authorities say there is no danger to the public.
A bill that would freeze pay for state lawmakers and other state workers is on its way to the state Senate after passing the House of Representatives. The bill would freeze pay increases for senior members of the executive branch as well.
State lawmakers are considering a temporary state budget due to the coronavirus pandemic. The five-month spending plan, valued at $25.8 billion, passed the state house 103-99 Tuesday and is now off to the Senate. Lawmakers are trying to move forward on the shorter term plan because of the uncertainty of the economy's recovery.
Two state senators are trying to convince Gov. Tom Wolf to allow Pocono Raceway to host NASCAR races at the end of the month. Republican senators Mario Scavello and Lisa Baker said in a letter to the governor that time is running out to drop the green flag on holding the race due to the amount of preparation that goes into it. Tuesday, Wolf said his administration is speaking with NASCAR to make sure guidelines are there to keep competitors and raceway workers safe.
Two Philadelphia sports teams can return to their training facilities. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy gave the thumbs up to professional sports teams in the state to return to practice. The Philadelphia Flyers practice in Voorhees and the 76ers practice in Camden.
If the NHL is able to resume, it will skip the rest of the regular season and head right into a 24-team playoff. Commissioner Gary Bettman says teams would play games in two still-to-be-determined hub cities. The Philadelphia Flyers will join the other top four seeds in the Eastern Conference in a round robin tournament to determine the order of those four top seeds, all of whom are getting a first round bye.