Former Hellertown police Chief Robert W. Shupp III turned himself in Monday on charges he stole almost $123,000 in borough funds by falsifying time records, requesting petty cash for investigations that did not exist and stealing drug forfeiture money. The Northampton County district attorney’s office also says Shupp also forged the names of officers from his own and other departments on the petty cash requests. The 47-year-old Shupp faces 16 felony charges. The crimes are alleged to have occurred between 2015 and this year. Shupp resigned in October after Hellertown Borough Council announced it had discovered payroll discrepancies.
There are still more questions than answers after a Monday night shooting in Easton. A 30-year-old man was taken to the hospital after being shot multiple times around 9:30 last night in the 200 block of Northampton Street in Easton's Centre Square. The man was taken to an area hospital with what are being called "survivable injuries." Police say he was not cooperating in their investigation and may have known the shooter. A parked vehicle and two businesses were also struck by gunfire in the incident.
Those looking to sign up for health care coverage through Pennsylvania's insurance exchange should do so soon. Pennsylvania's insurance exchange, also known as "Pennie", is for those who don't have coverage through an employer or a government program. You need to sign up for insurance through Pennie by Friday if you want coverage to start on New Year's Day.
Treasurer Stacy Garrity is warning residents of a recent gift card scam. A victim received a letter that appeared to come from Treasurer Garrity stating he needed to buy gift cards to cover thousands of dollars in taxes to secure a grant. Garrity states the Treasury does not collect taxes and residents should be aware. Police should be contacted for any calls, letters or emails received regarding a similar scam.
The Fairmount fire in Philadelphia last year killed 12 people, including eight children. President Biden is looking to make sure something like that doesn't happen again. He spoke at a firehouse in Philadelphia Monday, announcing a $22 million grant to allow three firehouses to reopen. "On the day of the Fairmount fire, if the company hadn't been decommissioned, Ladder 1 would've been the closest trucks to the fire. God only knows if get there that much earlier and saved lives," Biden said. All three firehouses receiving the grant had been closed for almost 15 years. Some of the funds will go towards staffing the locations with firefighters and EMTs.
Former New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney is announcing a run for governor in 2025. "I will always put New Jersey's kids, working families and seniors first. You know that's who I'll fight for because that's who I've always fought for," Sweeney said in the video he released Monday highlighting his work as a steel worker and, while in office, the progressive causes he's backed in New Jersey including gay marriage and expanded paid family leave. Sweeney joins Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop as the two Democrats who have officially announced a run for governor.
New Jersey state lawmakers have advanced bills to crack down on discrimination during property appraisals. The bills would bar appraisal professionals from discriminating against anyone based on race, creed, color or national origin. Another bill would clarify whether the discrimination is focused on the buyer or the seller. The bills must now pass the Assembly before they head to the governor's desk.
New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez are pushing back against changes being proposed in the nation's immigration laws. Republicans in the Democrat-controlled Senate have blocked any aid package for Ukraine that doesn't make changes to U.S. asylum laws that would reduce the number of migrants arriving at the border. Booker says proposals to eliminate asylum will not lead to a humane immigration policy. Menendez says there should be no preconditions on providing aid to Ukraine.
A new study is revealing that drivers in New Jersey are the least likely to drive drunk. Forbes Advisor said out of all the U.S. states, drivers in the Garden State are the least likely to get behind the wheel after drinking too much. The study looked at the percentage of fatal crashes caused by drunk driving, with Montana taking the top spot. Meantime, the most recent statistics show nearly 30-percent of fatal car accidents in November and December in 2021 involved a drunk driver.