The investigation continues for the cause of a chemical odor that reportedly sent 54 employees of a Lehigh County pharmaceutical packaging company to the hospital. Friday's incident happened at Sharp Packing Solutions in Upper Macungie Township. Many workers report that they experienced symptoms including nausea, headaches and hoarseness shortly after the odor was first noticed. A spokesperson for the Lehigh Valley Health Network's Emergency Room at Cedar Crest, where many of the workers were taken as a precaution, says that those staffers are expected to be fine.
The Democratic primary for Pennsylvania Auditor General is getting increasingly nasty. In a video Malcolm Kenyatta is seen telling a woman that his opponent, Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley is racist. "So for auditor general in the primary, I don't think we have an opponent. There's the guy Mark Pinsley, who I told you don't like black people. So we'll see if he can get on the ballot. I have no idea. He's from the Lehigh Valley," Kenyatta said. Kenyatta's comments came in the living room of Jacqueline Jones, who says Kenyatta knew there was a camera recording the conversation. Kenyatta has not made any comment. Pinsley says, "I view this as taking a play out of Trump's playbook and trying to create division. And this is just not what we need in our politics right now at all."
Investigators report a Sunday morning fire at a Catasauqua apartment building was started by a child. Flames ignited just before 11:30 a.m. at the Third Street building. Crews say one person was taken from the scene to a local hospital for evaluation and that two apartment units were left uninhabitable. The fire marshal says the blaze was started by a young child on the first floor who was playing with a lit candle.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for more aid for Ukraine. Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick tells Fox News Ukraine should get it. "Ukraine is the front lines of freedom versus dictatorship. This battle was already fought in World War II. Democracy won over communism and dictatorship. We have a rise of dictators across the globe that are now trying to relitigate the outcome of World War II and we have to make sure that they are not successful," Fitzpatrick says. Fitzpatrick is among a group of bipartisan House lawmakers introducing a foreign aid package they say includes aid for Ukraine while also securing the U.S.-Mexico border.
A study from Penn State University has examined what farmers consider before signing leases for solar power. The leases provide income to property owners, and farmland is attractive to developers as it is easy to build on and near transmission lines. Kaitlyn Spangler of the College of Agricultural Sciences is the lead author; she says farmers don't just think of money, but also whether solar is a good fit for farming operations, and how much of their land will be involved. As there are no state laws, municipalities have the option to craft their own ordinances regarding solar development.
A new Pennsylvania State Police recruitment ad debuted during Sunday's Flyers/Penguins game. "To be a trooper is to stand for more. We are the first to respond, the first to protect, the first to serve. We embody courage, integrity and dedication. We push ourselves to be the best because the people of Pennsylvania deserve nothing less," the ad says. The tv ad will also run throughout March Madness television coverage. The recruitment blitz will also include ads on billboards, streaming services, radio, digital and social media.
Pennsylvanians are being warned about a new scam going around. The U-S Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is letting the public aware about a national scam tricking people into paying cryptocurrency to lift fake arrest warrants. Victims of the scam receive court documents saying they're being investigated for fraud and a warrant has been issued. The documents claim to have been sent from the Department of Justice's Civil Division's Commercial Litigation Branch. Those who believe they've received one of these documents, or believes they have been scammed, are to call the D-O-J's National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline.
Eighteen Jersey Shore towns are receiving $100 million to help fund boardwalk repair and reconstruction projects. The largest awards of $20 million each were given to Asbury Park and Atlantic City. Other towns receiving funding include the Wildwoods, Toms River, Belmar, Sea Isle City, Bradley Beach and Cape May.