There's an arrest in a September murder on North Law Street in Allentown.
The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office says 29-year-old Obadiah Whack, of Allentown, killed Giselle Trabal at a home in the 600 block of North Law Street early in the morning of September 29th. Investigators say Whack and Trabal knew each other and it appears Whack fired a shot through the front door of the apartment, hitting and killing Trabal. Whack was taken into custody at an apartment in the 300 block of N. 14th Street in Allentown.
Easton police are looking for a 64-year-old New Jersey man they say approached a 4-year-old girl in a downtown park. Samuel Brown of Phillipsburg is facing charges for the August 15 incident. City police said Brown approached and interacted suspiciously with the child at about 8:30 p.m. at Riverside Park. The child was not harmed in the incident, police said.
When the Northampton County Council meets tonight, one of the items on the agenda is a plan to provide a $250 property-tax rebate to volunteer firefighters and emergency-medical service crew members. Two council members have introduced the bill in an effort to draw more people to volunteer.
It appears three local firemen will be honored. The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved a bill Wednesday to rename part of Route 143 from the Route 309 intersection to the Berks County border in honor of Zachary Paris and Marvin Gruber, the two New Tripoli firefighters who were killed while fighting a fire last December. A separate Senate bill would also rename part of Lehigh Street in front of the Allentown Fire Training Academy after the late Chief Christopher Kiskeravage, who died of cancer earlier this year.
Officials are encouraging drivers to watch out for animals on or near roadways in the coming months. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reports that October, November and December are traditionally the most dangerous months when it comes to animal collisions.
The USDA says dairy product production is continuing to decline alongside milk supplies. The forecast for milk production in 2024 has been lowered, to just under 231-billion pounds. Industry analysts say the lower forecast is due to a projected decrease in cow numbers and less milk consumption. Pennsylvania dairy farmers produced just over 9.9 billion pounds of milk in 2022, which was down from the two previous years. The USDA also says total cheese production has also declined.
It appears that crabs are a hot commodity in Philadelphia. According to police, nearly 73-thousand-dollars worth of crabs were taken from a truck yesterday morning on Germantown Avenue. Investigators say the driver of the truck was asleep as thieves got to work. The entry to the truck had a padlock but that wasn't enough in this case. Anyone that might know something regarding the incident is asked to call the police.
New information has come to light regarding which officials New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez allegedly contacted in exchange for gifts. NBC 4 New York reports the states senior senator contacted two people who wanted to become the state's U.S. Attorney General, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez and Phillip Sellinger, who ultimately got the job. The FBI says Menendez, in exchange for cash and gold, wanted someone in place who would sympathize with businessman Fred Daibes, who was facing federal bank fraud charges. Menendez allegedly reached out to State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, too, on behalf of Jose Uribe who was being investigated in a criminal matter after Uribe gifted the Senator's wife a Mercedes.
It's going to be a playoff rematch when the Phillies take on Atlanta in round two of the baseball playoffs. The Phillies advanced with a 7-1 win over Miami Wednesday night. Manager Rob Thomson believes his team matches up well with the team that had baseball's best regular season record. "Out offense can go against anybody's. Our two guys (Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola) who pitched in this series are really pitching well and they're on a roll and hopefully they stay on a roll," Thomson says. Game one is Saturday in Atlanta.