15-year-old Treshawn Tracy was shot to death Sunday afternoon near Stevens Park in the area of Sixth and Tilghman streets in Allentown. This woman lives nearby and says Stevens Park isn't exactly ideal for children to play in. "There's people sitting here day in and day out and getting high, drinking, dancing and listening to music. You don't see any kids interacting at all," the woman says. Tracy was a student at Allen High School. Police are still looking for his killer.
An Allentown man is spending up to five decades in prison for a July 2020 killing at Trout Creek Park. A judge handed down a sentence of 24 to 50 years for Kenith Otero-Ruiz yesterday. Investigators say he shot Jose Melendez a total of nine times over a dispute concerning a minor car accident. After killing Melendez, Otero-Ruiz fled and was arrested by U.S. Marshals and Homeland Security ten days later in Puerto Rico.
An Upper Saucon Township couple died after a crash on Route 309 in Upper Bucks County on Friday. At least two vehicles were involved in the crash around 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of 309 and Springfield Street/Hilltop Road, just outside of Coopersburg. 73-year-old Judith Rutherford, who was driving one of the cars involved, died at the scene. Her husband, 83-year-old Robert Rutherford, was taken to the hospital, where he died at very early Saturday morning. He had been riding in the front seat of the car. Police are still investigating.
Both Freedom and Liberty high schools now officially have a girls wrestling club. The Bethlehem Area School Board approved the winter season club with the hope girls wrestling will become a sport sanctioned by the PIAA.
A water main break is causing issues in part of Northampton County. Crews in Northampton borough are digging to find the break on Hollow Lane, near Horwith Drive. Hollow Lane is closed, as is one side of Horwith Drive. They're expected to be closed all day Tuesday. It's not yet clear what caused the break.
Pennsylvanians are running out of time to take advantage of an offer from Gov. Tom Wolf. This Friday is the deadline to apply for the Pennsylvania Pardon Project. It offers pardons to Pennsylvanians with specific minor, non-violent marijuana offenses.
Employees at the Philadelphia Museum of Art are on strike. Dozens of workers spent their time outside of the museum yesterday after not having a contract for the past few years. Nearly 200-employees are represented by the union. No word on how long the strike will last.
Former New Jersey Gov. Jim Florio died Sunday. He was New Jersey's governor for four years from 1990-1994. Florio, who served eight terms in Congress before becoming New Jersey’s 49th governor, was 85. Florio lost his reelection bid in 1993 to Christine Todd Whitman, who said of the former Governor, "He was an American patriot who put principles first."
New Jersey is receiving upwards of 66-million-dollars in federal grants to help fight the opioid crisis. New Jersey Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker made the announcement Monday. The funds will be used to strengthen the state's capabilities to provide drug addiction treatment, recovery and prevention programs. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says over 107-thousand Americans died from fatal overdoses in 2021, which stands as a 15 percent increase from 2020. In March, Governor Phil Murphy said more than 640-million-dollars the state received through litigation against drug companies will be split between the state and municipalities to combat the issue.