A federal judge has ordered Saucon Valley School District to allow the After School Satan Club to meet at the middle school. The ruling says the district must allow the club to meet at the times and places as agreed upon back in February. After initially agreeing to permitting the club to meet on school grounds, the district's superintendent rescinded that agreement a week later after a threat related to the club shut down the district for a day. The judge's order says Saucon Valley had rescinded approval because of the Satanic Temple's "controversial views on religion" and the community's negative reactions to the club, therefore violating the group's First Amendment rights. The district had argued that the club violated district facility policies when it advertised on social media.
Beginning next year, insurance companies will be forced to pay for preventative care for women at high risk of breast cancer. At a bill signing ceremony, Gov. Josh Shapiro said he's sure the new law will save lives. "For women with hereditary risks of breast cancer, these preventative screenings like ultrasounds and MRI's along with genetic testing and counseling are invaluable tools for detecting cancer early and then treating it quickly," the governor said. Shapiro credited Senate President Kim Ward, a breast cancer survivor, with pushing the legislation through both the House and Senate.
Allentown firefighters were called to the 700 block of East Allen Street around 11:30 Monday morning. It only took firefighters 15 minutes to knock down the fire, however the home was badly damaged. It's believed the fire started on the back porch. Investigators are now trying to determine what caused it.
The human remains found in Stroudsburg last week have been identified as a woman who was reported missing last year. Investigators say the remains of Dana Smithers, of Stroudsburg, were found last Thursday in the woods just off of Route 611 near the exit for I-80. Smithers was reported missing on June 4, 2022 and had been last seen one week earlier after leaving the residence of a friend. Investigators are trying to figure out how and when Smithers died.
State senators have approved a bill to ban supervised injection sites anywhere in the state. The 41-to-nine vote Monday night is seen by some as an attempt by a the state government to intervene in a nonprofit group's attempt to open such spaces. Supervised injection sites are places where people can use their own drugs under clinical supervision to prevent overdoses. The senate vote was unanimously approved by all Republicans. Nine of 22 Democrats voted against it. The bill must pass the state House now before it heads to Governor Shapiro, who has said he'd support banning such sites.
The state House appears poised to pass landmark protections from discrimination for members of the LGBT-plus community. House Bill 300 was approved by the Judiciary Committee last week along a 12-9 party line vote. Republicans who object to the legislation say it would force doctors to perform gender reassignment procedures even if they object to doing so. If the bill passes the House, it will go to the Senate where its future is unclear. Governor Shapiro has said before that he would sign the legislation if it reaches his desk.
It costs a lot to be a home owner in New Jersey. According to a new poll, New Jersey ranks in the top ten in the United States among states with the most expensive homes. Data from Zillow showed the median price for a home in the Garden State is just over 451-thousand-dollars, which is almost a six-percent increase from just a few months ago. The top three most expensive states for homes were Hawaii, California and the District of Columbia.
Bryce Harper will hit the diamond today for the Philadelphia Phillies. That's the word from team officials only 160 days after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The slugger will serve as a designated hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Harper helped lead the team to the World Series last fall. The 30-year-old has been with the Phillies since 2019.
James Harden scored 45 points to the lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 119-115 game one win over the Boston Celtics. Head coach Doc Rivers says even without an injured Joel Embiid in the lineup, his team is equipped to win. "We really believe. James has missed games and we win. Joel has missed games and we win. That's the difference between this year's team and last year's team. We have a bunch of street fighters," Rivers said. Game two is tomorrow night in Boston.