There could be a walkout at some local skilled-nursing facilities before Labor Day. Workers at 24 skilled-nursing facilities in Pennsylvania, including several in our area, have set September 2nd as the date to strike if they don't reach agreements with three major nursing home owners. The facilities include nursing homes owned by Priority Healthcare, which owns The Gardens at Easton, The Meadows at Stroud in East Stroudsburg, Fairlane Gardens Nursing and Rehab in Reading and The Meadows at York Terrace in Pottsville. SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania says the unions want higher pay, the use of temporary agency employees and better staffing ratios.
A man who hasn't been allowed to do his job as a timpanist with the Allentown Symphony for over a year says he'll appeal a U.S. District judge's ruling on union dues. Glen Wilkofsky lost a federal lawsuit in which he claimed the nonprofit and its musicians' union shouldn't be required to pay union dues because the organization is a non-profit. Judge Joseph Leeson Jr. issued his ruling that said the Symphony Association does not fall into the category of public sector employer and because of that Wilkofsky's claim isn't valid.
Allentown police are investigating Tuesday night gunfire in the first block of North Glenwood Street. Officers answered the shots fired call about 9:00 p.m. and found evidence of a shooting but no victims. It's believed nobody was injured in the incident.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area rangers are still looking for someone who's being accused of breaking into vehicles. The rangers released a photo of who they believe is the culprit and he is a white male 25-to-35 years old with dark hair and a beard.
Pennsylvania's primary voting might be open to residents who are not registered to a political party. During a hearing, some state lawmakers voiced support for changing the current system, saying it disenfranchises over a million people. Two bills currently awaiting action in the General Assembly would allow independent voters to choose a major party's primary to participate in.
A campaign aide for Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz is ridiculing his Democratic opponent for having a stroke. Oz campaign adviser Rachel Tripp released a statement this week saying, "If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn't have had a major stroke." The comment comes after Fetterman mocked an Oz "crudité" campaign video from April. Fetterman has issued a response to Tripp's comment, saying "I had a stroke. I survived it. I'm truly so grateful to still be here today. I know politics can be nasty, but even then, I could never imagine ridiculing someone for their health challenges."
The state Health Department has been ordered to show how many medical marijuana patients have received doctors' approval to use cannabis for opioid addiction treatment. A panel of Commonwealth Court judges on friday rejected the idea that releasing the information could lead to criminal charges against employees.
Bryce Harper had a big impact both on and off the field in his first rehab game with the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs. Off the field, Harper's presence drew a sellout crowd of more than 10,000 fans to Coca-Cola Park. On the field, Harper helped the Ironpigs to a 10-5 win over Gwinnett. Harper ended up going 2-for-3, with two home runs, a pair of walks, three runs scored and four runs knocked in.