A former Lehigh Valley man previously a person of interest in the disappearance of his co-worker is now charged with killing him following a seven-month Bucks County grand jury investigation. 50-year-old Matthew Branning, of Sellersville has been missing since October 2021 and now 49-year-old Michael Stark is officially charged with kidnapping him and killing him. Stark, who previously lived in Bethlehem and Easton, has been in jail on unrelated charges since being arrested in Michigan last July.
Gov. Josh Shapiro says he will propose a three-year tax incentive of up to $2500 a year for newly certified teachers, nurses and police officers in his upcoming budget address. The governor says it's all part of his plan to put more teachers in the classroom, nurses in the hospital and police officers in communities.
Six Pennsylvania House Democrats say they plan to introduce a bill that would allow individuals with terminal illnesses the ability to have death with dignity. The bill would limit those eligible to patients who are terminally ill with less than six months to live. It prohibits use for patients requesting the service for non-terminal mental health, physical, or socio-economic issues. Lawmakers say their legislation is modeled after Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act and includes protections to ensure that patients remain the driving force behind end-of-life care discussions and can rescind their decision at any time.
Pennsylvania House Republicans say Democrats are not doing enough to investigate allegations of sexual harassment made against St. Rep. Mike Zabel of Delaware County. "Rep. Zabel has been allowed by his leadership to walk around the halls of the Capitol for years when they've known he is a sexual harrasser. That problem has been able to be perpetuated because they have not done anything accountability for that themselves," says GOP spokesman Jason Gottesman. The House Democratic Caucus put out a statement yesterday saying they are committed to creating and maintaining a work environment free from discrimination and harassment.
A family and Super Bowl reunion is in the works tomorrow night. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will host “Saturday Night Live” this week and older brother and Eagles center Jason Kelce will reportedly be making a cameo appearance. Other Kelce family members may also appear.