A Lehigh Valley man is in custody after allegedly killing three people over the weekend in Florida. Grady Judd is the Polk County, Florida sheriff and says it could've been a lot worse. "He chased a fourth victim into the street and struck him in the shoulder and back area with the baseball bat that he had beaten the others with," Judd says. Three others were able to escape. Judd says Shaun Runyon of Nazareth was in town working for a Schuylkill County electric company when he got into an argument with his supervisor around 2 o'clock Saturday morning. He allegedly punched the supervisor and then left. Nearly eight hours later, Runyan allegedly returned with a baseball bat and knife and beat and stabbed three people to death. Runyan was arrested after a search of two hours.
A recent report by the FBI is revealing that Pennsylvania saw a spike in homicides during 2020. Last week, the FBI released their annual crime report which showed a nearly 30-percent increase in murders across the nation last year, while in Pennsylvania, homicides spiked by nearly 50-percent.
Both Lehigh Valley and St. Luke's University health networks have begun administering COVID-19 booster shots. LVHN's Dr. Tim Friel says the booster shot is exactly the same serum used in the first and second shots, so does that mean if you didn't feel all that great after your earlier vaccines you'll be under the weather again after the booster? "Not necessarily. Everyone is very different. I've taken care of hundreds of individuals who've been vaccinated and everyone's experience is very, very different," Friel says. He says he's seen more vaccine-related side effects among younger people.
FEMA is reporting that more than $8 million have been approved for Pennsylvanians impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Assistance is available for homeowners and renters in York, Bedford, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties. They added that more than 17,000 households have already applied for assistance. The deadline for Pennsylvanians impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Ida to apply for help is November 10th, and they can apply by calling 1-800-621-3622.
PennDOT is in need of employees for the winter. Officials say they're already hiring for the snow season, and they usually hire 150 seasonal workers, but about less than 30 positions have been filled so far. PennDOT is looking for plow drivers, mechanics and more. Seasonal jobs will run from November to March, and the department is holding recruitment events throughout this month in several south central Pennsylvania counties.
Pennsylvanians have rallied for abortion justice and reproductive rights. Hundreds gathered near the state Capitol Saturday for the Bans Off Our Bodies rally to protest the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to not block a Texas bill that essentially bans abortions after around six-weeks. The rally featured several speakers, including Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who says abortion is a woman's right, and as long as he is serving the state, he will protect it.
Pennsylvania Lottery players will be watching with great anticipation tonight as numbers are drawn in the Powerball game. Tonight's jackpot is an estimated $670 million dollars. With winning numbers picked three times each week, June 5th was the last time that someone won the game's grand prize and the jackpot has been growing ever since. Powerball numbers will be drawn just before 11 o'clock tonight.
The winningest coach in the history of Lafayette College football has died. Bill Russo passed away Saturday at the age of 74. He coached at Lafayette from 1981-1999 and went 103-98-4 and won three league titles during his tenure.
The Eagles are now 1-3 after losing at home to Kansas City 42-30. Head coach Nick Sirianni says the team has to correct its mistakes. "You can see there are some things to build on, but the self-inflicted wounds have to stop. I know I sound the same, but it's true. We've gotta stop the self-inflicted wounds," Sirianni says. Next up for the Eagles is a trip to North Carolina to play the 3-1 Panthers.