A group of nine Republicans from across the Commonwealth, including ex-Lehigh Valley Congressman Charlie Dent have broken ranks and offered their endorsement of Josh Shapiro for governor of Pennsylvania. In a statement, Dent said, “I’ve been a Republican my entire life, and I have always supported Pennsylvania’s Republican Governors - but in this election, I am proud to endorse Josh Shapiro. Josh has integrity and always works to bring people together. We may not always agree on every policy position, but that is to be expected. His focus on improving our economy, strengthening our schools, and keeping our communities safe is what Pennsylvania needs now.” Dent went on to call Republican nominee Doug Mastriano a "threat to the rule of law and the constitutional order."
A 54-year-old Lower Saucon Township man is charged with attempted homicide after he used a baseball bat Saturday afternoon to beat a person, then threw the victim down a flight of stairs before hitting them again with the bat. By the time police arrived on scene, the victim had escaped to a nearby home, but before that Larry Kabana had allegedly hit the victim several times and threw the victim down the stairs. Kabana was sent to Northampton County Prison under $500,000 bail. The victim suffered multiple injuries but is expected to recover.
Four years after it was initially suggested, a proposed eight-story hotel on South Delaware Drive received unanimous conditional preliminary approval Wednesday night from the Easton Planning Commission. Developer Terry Briggs is proposing the 108-room "Grand Riverview Hotel" to be located on the river corridor at 289-303 S. Delaware Drive, near Route 611 and Ann Street. The 160,000-square-foot hotel will create more than 60 full- and part-time positions and will include guest rooms, meeting and event spaces, a restaurant and bar, rooftop venue, terrace, gazebo and more.
Six days past the official deadline, Pennsylvania state lawmakers are still working on a deal to pass a roughly $42 billion budget. Leaders in both parties have not talked about specific negotiations, but a House Republican spokesperson says they hoped to pass the budget by today. Both the state House and Senate reconvened Wednesday.
Following the killing of eight people during an Independence Day parade in Illinois, Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman is calling for more gun control. In a statement, Fetterman said it's time for a ban on what he calls "military-grade assault weapons" and the implementation of universal background checks. Fetterman called on Senate Democrats to get rid of the filibuster in order to pass gun control laws that are currently stuck in neutral.
A measure that would give drivers 24 hours to get ice or snow off their vehicles following heavy storms is on its way to Gov. Tom Wolf's desk. Pennsylvania St. Sen. Lisa Boscola says "Christine's Law" will help prevent deaths like that of Christine Lambert of Palmer Township. She died on Christmas Day more than 15 years ago when a large piece of ice from a box truck and crashed through her windshield.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking hunters to support a bill that would make it easier to obtain an antlerless deer license. The Game Commission says Senate Bill 431 would amend the Pennsylvania Wildlife Code to where deer hunters could simply purchase their antlerless deer licenses over-the-counter or at a state website. The bill also would require the licenses to be issued through the state's automated licensing system.
Two police officers are recovering after being shot during a fireworks show in Philadelphia on Monday night. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Frank Vanore says officer Sergio Diggs was returning from tossing his trash when he felt an object hit his hat. "He stumbled and some of the officers noticed. They didn't know what was wrong because nobody reported hearing a gunshot at this point. This is just before the fireworks, about a minute or two later, the fireworks start," Vanore says. Vanore says someone quickly noticed Diggs was bleeding. Vanore says that nearby Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy John Foster was then hit in the shoulder. Investigators believe both men may have been struck by celebratory gunfire. The two police officers are now recovering at home.
New Jersey is allocating $40 million to expand high quality preschool programs. The Department of Education is encouraging school districts to apply for the funds as long as at least 10-percent of their student body comes from lower-income families. The money is coming from the recently approved state budget, which puts more than $991 million towards pre-school aid. Schools are expected to be notified of the funding in September so they can implement upgrades by October.