Traffic in Northampton County was a mess Wednesday afternoon due to a pair of crashes, one of which left one person dead. The first crash happened around 2:30 on Route 33 North between Route 248 and the Tatamy Road exit. that crash involved a Lanta mini bus and a car. The bus ended up on its side and the car flipped over a bridge and tumbled into a creek below it. Several people were taken to the hospital. The second crash happened just before 4:30 on Route 22 East near the 25th Street exit in Palmer Township. Authorities say a 59-year-old man lost control of his motorcycle, was thrown from it and was thrown into a car. He was declared dead at the scene.
There are still more questions than answers surrounding a death in the Poconos. Authorities in Monroe County are investigating the death of an inmate. The DA's office says a 43-year-old female inmate died early Sunday morning after falling from an upper level of the Monroe County Correctional Facility. An autopsy has been scheduled.
A gun threat led to a temporary lockdown Tuesday morning at Northampton Area High School. The school was notified early Tuesday that a student had a gun at the school. School officials say at that point they secured the building and the student. The lockdown lasted about ten minutes.
Part of the northeast extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed for much of the day. The southbound lanes are scheduled to close from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. This is between the Pocono/Interstate 80 exit (mile 95) and the Hickory Run/Route 903 exit (mile 87). The Turnpike Commission says this is for emergency road work.
Easton Area High School cheerleaders are headed to Florida. They hopped on a bus Wednesday for the Universal Cheerleaders Association tournament to be held February 9-12 at Walt Disney World. Easton's cheerleaders took bronze a little more than a week ago at the PIAA Competitive Spirit championships in Hershey.
Chaos in Delaware County where two police officers were shot while responding to calls of an 11-year-old girl being shot inside her home. District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer says the officers were met with gunfire upon arrival and then the home went up in flames. He says investigators are concerned that there could be people still inside the burned out home. "We know the victims' families had a lot of people living in that house, including children. We are aware that there are at least six to eight people who are unaccounted for from that family. It is our terrible fear that they were inside that house when it was burned. We are hopeful that is not true," Stollsteimer says. The DA says they will not know the full details until detectives are cleared to enter the house and conduct a search for any potential bodies and additional evidence.
Pennsylvania is one of eight states where a Wegman's hummus product is being recalled. The FDA recall covers Wegmans Harissa Hummus Topped With Harissa. The action was prompted because of undeclared sesame in the product. Although no illnesses have been reported, the company says people with sesame allergies can have serious or life-threatening reactions. The recalled product was sold between January 29th and February 2nd. It can be returned to Wegmans for a full refund.
The NTSB has set a date of February 21st for a meeting in which officials will vote on the final findings in the investigation of the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge. Ten people were injured when the span collapsed in January of 2022. Investigators later found corrosion and deterioration on each of the bridge's four legs. This month's meeting will be made available for viewing online.
A federal court is ruling that refusing to wear a mask during the COVID pandemic is not protected under the First Amendment. Two state residents filed claims to the Appeals Court that they faced retaliation from school officials and police in Freehold and Cranford, after they refused to wear a mask while mask mandates were in place. The court's ruling stays consistent with other similar legal decisions that found that masks were not a political symbol, but rather safety devices and protective equipment.
A new court filing in the bribery case against Senator Bob Menendez suggests a confidential informant made secret recordings of the senator during the ongoing criminal investigation. As part of the government's evidence, they claim to have information from a confidential source that includes audio recordings. The court filing does not name the source or specify exactly what is present on the tape. Menendez, his wife Nadine and three New Jersey businessmen have all pleaded not guilty.
A popular free Jersey Shore zoo will soon be able to accommodate more visitors. The Cape May County Zoo is adding 1400 more parking spots in a major expansion. The upgrade will also include readjusting several entrances. Officials say some 700,000 people visit the zoo each year and these upgrades will help with the flow of traffic and safety of visitors.