The Allentown School District Board of Directors will likely appoint an interim superintendent at a Thursday night meeting. John Stanford was terminated at a meeting last week and his separation is effective Friday. The Special Board Meeting will be held on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
The Lehigh Valley Charter Arts High School in Bethlehem was evacuated Monday morning while police investigated an anonymous threat that reported shortly after 8 a.m.. Police determined the threat was not credible, and students and staff returned to the building and classes resumed by 10 a.m. A 17-year-old student at the school has been charged with making the threat.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has banned eight people from Pennsylvania casinos for leaving children unattended while they went onto casino floors. One of those banned is a man who went inside the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino, while leaving a 13-year-old, a 12-year-old and a 10-year-old unattended in a vehicle in the casino parking lot while he observed table games.
Bethlehem police are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing man. Willie Coleman Jr. was last seen about 8 p.m. Saturday wearing a multi colored shirt, blue jeans and a yellow or white hat. Police say Coleman is known to visit the Southside Greenway and the Wind Creek Casino. Anyone with information on where Coleman might be is asked to call the police.
The attorney for former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane is arguing that a drunken-driving case against her should be dismissed because prosecutors did not present sufficient evidence. Defense Attorney Jason Mattioli also seeks to bar prosecutors from presenting results of Kane's field sobriety test. He also wants to bar video reportedly showing her drinking before her arrest and testimony about her refusal to submit to a blood alcohol test. Kane is awaiting trial in Lackawanna County Court on charges of driving under the influence and careless driving in connection with a minor accident March 12 in Scranton. Kane has denied that she was intoxicated, maintaining that the crash occurred because she made a wide turn to avoid a snowbank and slid on the ice.
Democratic Sen. Bob Casey says while tonight's John Fetterman-Mehmet Oz debate is important, he believes Fetterman will be Pennsylvania's next senator regardless of how things transpire. "I still think John Fetterman is going to win, principally because people in our state know John Fetterman. He's made a strong connection to voters in his work as lieutenant governor and as a candidate and I don't think the other side can say that," Casey says. The Oz-Fetterman debate begins tonight at 8 o'clock.
Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman is expected to get a boost from President Biden and former President Obama just two weeks from the midterms. A senior Pennsylvania Democrat says Biden and Obama will stump for Fetterman and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro on Nov. 5.
Pennsylvania's General Assembly may look different next year as dozens of lawmakers retire or look to switch chambers. All 203 seats in the PA House of Representatives and 25 slots in the state Senate are up for election on November 8th. Republicans have maintained control of both chambers since 2011. However, some political watchdogs say that might change as many lawmakers are also running in newly redrawn districts, which creates opportunities for flipped seats.
An event that was supposed to feature the founder of the Proud Boys at Penn State has been cancelled. Student Carolina Whelan supports the decision. "It's not something that you want on campus," Whelan says. University police said they prevented the scheduled Monday night event from happening because of the threat of escalating violence. Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes is a far-right commentator who started the group. Opponents say his organization promotes violence and hate speech.
Abortion rights groups say their demonstration on the Capitol steps Monday was a huge success. Hundreds of women from across the state rallied for what they call safe, accessible abortion care in the rally slated as "Abortion Freedom for All." Philadelphia lawmaker Elizabeth Fiedler says the objective was to show that the people of Pennsylvania do not want the General Assembly to tear away their rights. The rally was held just as lawmakers were reconvening.