The Lehigh County DA says police have arrested the person responsible for an October 2 Allentown murder. 21-year-old Ethan Bastien was arrested the day of the shooting, but investigators did not announce that until Tuesday morning. Bastien allegedly shot 18-year-old Sian Cartagena inside a bedroom at 2010 West Green Street. Cartagena died two days later. Investigators say Bastien called 911 and claimed Cartagena took a gun and shot herself in the head, however it's been determined Bastien actually killed her.
A former Bethlehem police officer is suing the city and several city employees, claiming she was discriminated against and unfairly fired. Tina Vu is suing for unspecified damages over what she claims “unlawful and invidious employment discrimination” based on her sex, race and religion. Vu was a Bethlehem police officer from June 2020 and October 2021. Her lawsuit alleges the Bethlehem PD fosters a hostile work environment for minorities liker her. Vu is a woman, Vietnamese and Buddhist. Vu's lawsuit names police Chief Michelle Kott, Deputy Chief Scot Meixell and several other senior police officers as well as the city’s human resources director, the city itself and the city’s police department.
Students, teachers and staff could soon be walking through metal detectors at some schools within the Allentown School District. District Superintendent Dr. Carol Birks says that is what parents, students and faculty want. "We had more than 7000 people respond to our survey. I also met with all student leaders in our three high schools and this is what they said to us," Birks says. The superintendent said school administration will recommend later this week that those devices be purchased and installed. 73 knives and 2 guns were recovered last school year in the Allentown School District.
On their first full day on the picket line, striking workers at Mack Trucks facility in Lower Macungie Township were paid a visit by U.S. Sen. John Fetterman on Tuesday. "I am inspired by all of you being able to stand up to these gigantic corporate interests," Fetterman told picketers. Congresswoman Susan Wild and St. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie also visited striking workers, who walked off the job Monday morning.
According to AAA East Central, the average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania continues to drop a bit. As of Tuesday, that price stood at $3.81 a gallon. That is five cents less than what is was last October 10th. In the Lehigh Valley, the price sits at $3.63 gallon, down nine cents from a week ago and 19 cents lower than last October 10th.
Someone in Monroe County is getting a big treat before Halloween. A winning Pennsylvania Lottery Match-Six ticket worth $1 million was sold this past Friday at the Tobacco Stop Two located along Route 611 in Tannersville. The shop will get a $5000 bonus for selling the ticket. The lucky winner is being asked to sign the back of the ticket and call your nearest P-A Lottery office as soon as possible.
Treasurer Stacy Garrity today warned Pennsylvanians that scammers are targeting senior citizens with a new scam called “The Phantom Hacker,” which involves convincing victims that their financial accounts have been hacked. According to the FBI, perpetrators of the Phantom Hacker scheme gain the trust of victims in three phases: First, they pose as a tech support representative and convince the victim to download a piece of software. Then they call a second time, pretending to be from the victim’s bank or another financial institution. Finally, they claim to be an employee of a federal agency. The goal of the scam is to convince people to move their money into an “alias” account, where the scammers can steal it. The scam can include emails, texts, phone calls, and even letters sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
A man charged with buying and selling stolen body parts has plead not guilty to local charges Monday morning in Cumberland County. Jeremy Pauley is 41, and from Bloomsburg. The local charges include receiving stolen property and abuse of a corpse. Pauley was indicted in June on federal charges that stemmed from his alleged part in a nationwide network of people who bought and sold human remains. Prosecutors say they were stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary.
Legislation that's been introduced in the Pennsylvania state Senate would add more regulations to so called "skill games." Senate Bill 950 would cover gambling machines that are currently loosely regulated and found at restaurants, bars and gas stations. If passed, the measure would define where skill games can be located, limit the number of games, as well as apply an additional tax to them. State Senator Gene Yaw of Lycoming County who sponsored the measure says it could generate about 300-million-dollars in tax revenue if it's passed. It's not been voted on yet.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is ordering flags across the state to be flown at half-staff in recognition of the lives lost in Israel. The order, which runs through Friday, means all United States and Commonwealth flags on all Commonwealth facilities, grounds and public buildings will be flown at half-staff.
Flags across New Jersey will fly at half-staff, as the state honors those lost in Israel and the Mideast. Governor Phil Murphy says "We will continue to stand with the people of Israel in this dark hour," noting that New Jersey is home to one of the largest Jewish and Israeli-American communities in the world. Meantime, the governor spoke in Hoboken last night at a candlelight vigil for the victims.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy says he stands with the people of Israel in the aftermath of attacks by Hamas. He says New Jersey has one of the largest Jewish and Israeli American communities in the world, and is praying for all the victims, their families, and the people of the region, who deserve peace and security." Over the weekend, the Governor's mansion in Princeton was shining in blue and white lights in support of Israel.
The world's largest modern Hindu temple located outside of India has opened in New Jersey. The temple in Robbinsville sits on a 180-acre campus. The BAPS Akshardham was built by Indian artisans and thousands of volunteers from two-million cubic feet of imported limestone and marble. The work took an estimated four-point-seven-million man hours.
Governor Phil Murphy has announced the creation of a task force that will study emerging artificial intelligence technologies in New Jersey. The governor says the task force will examine the potential impacts of AI on society. The task force will also recommend how the government can encourage the ethical use of AI technologies. The governor also announced an initiative to educate and train New Jersey's State workforce on the development and risks of AI.
NASCAR fans in the Poconos will be able to catch next year's race at Pocono Raceway a weekend earlier. The raceway announced the Tricky Triangle in Long Pond will host all three NASCAR National Series races from July 12th through the 14th, a weekend earlier than it was this past summer. The Pocono Raceway saw its largest crowd since 2010 last season.
It's game three for the Braves and Phillies late this afternoon. Aaron Nola will pitch for the Phillies and says he's looking forward to pitching in front of the home crowd. "I think we have the best home field advantage in the league. I think our crowds are the rowdiest and we love playing in front of them. I think it is tough for opposing teams to play in this stadium. We like it a lot and we feed off of it," Nola says. The series is tied 1-1. Game four is Thursday, also in Philadelphia.