The Lehigh Valley is mourning the unexpected loss of U.S. District Judge Edward Smith, who passed away Monday night at the age of 62. Michael Mohn is a retired Northampton County sheriff's deputy who spent a lot of time with Smith during Smith's time as a Northampton County judge and says Smith was a special person. "He was a man of integrity. He served his country," Mohn says. Smith was a 27 year Navy veteran, a Northampton County judge from 2002 to 2014 and a federal judge since then. A longtime member of Smith's staff has issued a statement that reads, "Judge Smith’s passing is a devastating and shocking loss to all of us and he will be greatly missed.”
Authorities are investigating the cause of a crash that left at least one person dead in Carbon County. The accident happened yesterday afternoon on I-80 eastbound in Kidder Township around mile marker 281. There's no word on if there are any other injuries.
Firefighters were called to a Lehigh Valley strip club this morning. A fire started at Silhouette's Showbar in Coopersburg just after midnight. Apparently a mattress was burned, however there's no word on how it was ignited. Everyone was able to get out of the building safely and no injuries have been reported.
Most Pennsylvanians driving to Thanksgiving Day gatherings saw lower gas prices once again. According to AAA East Central, the average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania was $3.56 as of Tuesday, down three cents from the prior week and 40 cents less than one year ago. However, in the Lehigh Valley the average price essentially remained flat at $3.39 a gallon. That is 48 cents below the November 28, 2022 price however.
UGI customers will see their natural gas rates lower for the month of December. UGI announced Tuesday its natural gas rates will decrease starting Friday. Company officials say the average customer will see their monthly bill decrease by about $22. UGI serves more than 740,000 electric and natural gas customers across 45 counties in Pennsylvania.
Republican Pennsylvania State Representative Craig Williams is running for Attorney General. The US Marine Corps Veteran announced his candidacy yesterday, saying, "Pennsylvania needs an AG who focuses on prosecution, not political posturing." In December last year, Williams was appointed to the team of three managing the impeachment of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
The newest Pennsylvania State Supreme Court history center is now open to the public. The Pennsylvania Judicial Center in Harrisburg gives visitors insight into the state's storied legal history. The center is filled with several items, some more than a century old. The Pennsylvania Judicial Center is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Governor Murphy says he's "very open" to letting New Jerseyans grow their own weed at home. During his weekly call-in TV show, the governor says it's currently illegal to grow your own marijuana at home in the Garden State, but he's open to changing that. He added that he expects that to eventually happen and that "it's down the road." Three years ago, New Jersey voters approved legalizing recreational cannabis and it's been a year-and-a-half since sales started.