Pennsylvania Department of Health officials added 816 new COVID-19 cases to the state's overall total, which now stands at 135,611 since the pandemic began. There were 21 more deaths related to coronavirus complications reported. The state's death toll now sits at 7712.
While still recommending no school sports games be held at all until January, Gov. Tom Wolf is rolling out new guidelines which will now permit spectators at those games. There will be a limit of 250 people at any outdoor high school sports event, including players, coaches, officials, media and now spectators. Everyone must also wear face coverings and practice social distancing. Indoor sports events will be limited to 25 participants and spectators.
Kutztown University says 20 more students have tested positive for COVID-19. All of those students are in isolation and the university is performing contact tracing. They say the majority of cases can be attributed to social gatherings. In addition, Kutztown says it will delay all in-person athletic activities until further notice.
New Jersey officials say they're preparing for a school year unlike any other. Health and school officials are figuring out what the school year will look like if COVID-19 cases spike. The Department of Health is providing guidelines ranging from quarantining the class to shuttering schools, if a student comes down with COVID. Officials have approved nearly 550 school districts reopening plans, which include hybrid, all remote learning and all in-person learning models.
A new Monmouth University poll shows Democrat Joe Biden with a three point edge over President Trump in Pennsylvania. The poll of registered voters takes into account what is expected to be a high voter turnout. A Monmouth poll taken last month showed Biden leading the President seven to ten points. Pollsters say Biden has lost support among men under the age of 50 and in key swing counties. The most recent Monmouth poll surveyed 400 registered voters between August 28th and 31st.
Some changes to Pennsylvania's mail-in voting law are approved after a near party-line vote in the state House. The 112-90 vote Wednesday intends to fix some gray areas in the existing law. The law does include a provision as to where mail-in ballots can be delivered by hand, effectively banning drop boxes that more highly populated regions were planning to use in November.
A dispute in Easton ended with a woman being shot, but now that woman is in jail. The Northampton County district attorney says the shooting just over two weeks ago was a case of self-defense. 30-year-old Tiasha Ennis is facing charges for the incident on August 17 in the 900 block of Ferry Street. During the investigation, police determined an unidentified woman walked out of her home as Ennis approached her, accusing her of being involved with her child's father. The woman denied it, and then police say Ennis lunged toward her. The DA says the woman was unable to break free from Ennis' grasp and was pinned up against the wall and continued to get punched in the head and face, causing her to pull out a gun, shooting Ennis in the shoulder.
A Berks County judge has dismissed all charges against Steven Haddad, the owner of the now-defunct Bieber Bus Company. The 55-year-old Haddad, of Weisenberg Township, was charged in June with 50 counts of bad checks for allegedly issuing payroll checks that were returned for non-sufficient funds. However, all charges were dropped after Haddad fully compensated all of the victims prior to Wednesday's hearing. The district attorney's office said it held off on charging Haddad until June because he had requested to resolve the matter by fully compensating the employees.
A New Jersey judge is making history. Fabiana Pierre-Louis is the first black female to be sworn in to the state's Supreme Court. The 39-year-old was sworn in and is the youngest member on the bench by roughly 20 years. State lawmakers say they're excited for her fresh perspective, especially when it comes to racial injustice.
Atlantic City's mayor is warning protesters not to paint a Black Lives Matter tribute on the famous boardwalk. Mayor Marty Small says painting the boardwalk is illegal and the city promises it will do its own painting on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Activists say they still plan on rallying tomorrow but it's unclear if they'll try to paint the boardwalk.