A Moore Township home has been badly damaged in an overnight fire. The fire was reported around 1:30 this morning on Overlook Lane in the Hickory Hills Community. No injuries were reported.
The Route 33 off-ramp to Route 512 was closed for several hours Monday afternoon because of a rollover crash. It happened in Plainfield Township shortly after 2 o'clock. There's no word of any injuries, or what may have caused the accident.
Lehigh Valley Health Network is building a new facility with the focus on mental health. In partnership with Universal Health Services, LVHN says it plans to build a 144-bed behavioral health center at the corner of Schoenersville and Macada roads, just off of Route 22 and across the street from its current Muhlenberg campus. LVHN CEO Brian Nester says the need for behavioral health programs and services is far outpacing regional capacity, and those needs are only growing. A groundbreaking is anticipated for spring 2024 with a fall 2025 opening planned.
A 58-year-old man was shot Monday morning at a Montgomery County convenience store after being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pottstown police were called to the Wawa near Pottstown Hospital just after 8am for a report of a man shot in the face. That man was airlifted to a hospital with injuries to his face and eye. Investigators say the incident at the Wawa began as a domestic situation that occurred over the weekend in Lower Pottsgrove Township. Police say a 37-year-old man was involved in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. That man was fueling a truck at the gas pumps Monday morning when he was attacked by the girlfriend's 19-year-old son and another individual. During the incident the 37-year-old man pulled out a handgun and fired one round into the ground of the parking lot. Investigators say shrapnel from the round ricocheted and struck the innocent bystander, who was walking across the lot at the time.
The FBI has a warning about so-called romance scams. Field officers in Pennsylvania say thieves scour places like online dating websites, apps and chat rooms to build relationships with the goal of accessing people's financial assets and personal information. The officials say you should look out for posters who profess love quickly and be suspicious of someone who is unwilling to meet in person. Scammers also will ask for small amounts of money to test a victim's willingness and generosity; then will start increasing the amount of their requests over time.
A coalition of nearly 80 groups is calling on the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to strengthen its sexual harassment policies. They want lawmakers to protect anyone who experiences harassment from a House member while they are engaging in official duties or while in a House-owned or House-leased facility. Currently, sexual harassment complaints are limited to House employees. The group also wants the House to consider the policy when it votes on internal operating rules as soon as possible after lawmakers reconvene.
State Rep. Tom Mehaffie, a Republican from Dauphin County, says he's lost his office at the state Capitol after House Republican leaders are making him move out of spite. He tells Penn-Live-dot-com the leadership told him to remove his belongings by Wednesday afternoon and has not been re-assigned a new space. Mehaffie says he thinks the action is punishment for not being a team player in not voting with his caucus on a parliamentary maneuver that required support from all Republicans.
PennDOT is working to gauge the thoughts of Pennsylvania drivers on traffic safety. A new online survey put together by the state asks folks to give their opinions on things like distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and seat belt usage. PennDOT says they hope to use the information to gain a better understanding about attitudes towards highway safety. The survey will be available through February 28th at www.penndot.pa.gov/travelinpa.
State officials have launched a lottery that promises to give winners the chance to purchase rare bottle of whiskey. More than 800 bottles, some of vary rare varieties, are included as part of the event run by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Three separate drawings will be held...one for bottles from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, one for each of ten bottles of Michter's Straight Bourbon Limited Release 20 Year Old, and the last for over 300 bottles of Blanton Straight From The Barrel Bourbon. Lottery registration ends at 5 p.m. this Friday. More info can be found at www.finewineandgoodspirits.com.
New Jersey lawmakers held a public hearing Monday afternoon to discuss banning smoking at casinos. It's the first public hearing on a bipartisan bill that would make smoking illegal in Atlantic City casinos, closing a 17-year-old loophole that allows smoking areas. Dealers have been lobbying for smoke-free casinos for years saying their health is being affected by secondhand smoke. The casinos are concerned they'd lose business to Pennsylvania where smoking is permitted at gaming tables.
Eagles' fans welcomed their team back to Philadelphia Monday, less than 24 hours after the Eagles lost Super Bowl 57 in Arizona. The fans were a mix of proud and disappointed. "It was a little somber. We're all a little disappointed and sad. But, we're also like a big family. We still support our Birds no matter what," one woman said.