A nearly 100-year-old Lehigh County bridge is closing. The Walnut Street Bridge in Slatington was built in 1925 and runs over Trout Creek and Factory Street, however the bridge is closing because of structural issues. The bridge will remain closed until a new bridge can be constructed. That new bridge is expected to cost $7.5 million and will take up to three years to construct. Bids for the contract to build the new bridge are expected to open in December.
Firefighters were called to a building near the Phillips Pet Supply Outlet in East Allen Township early Sunday morning. The fire was reported just before 4:30 a.m. at a building and brought under control just after 9 a.m. The building contained at least one apartment, but everybody inside managed to get out safely. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Jack Curcio has died. Curcio was the former president and CEO of Mack Trucks. He took the job in the 1980s and was in charge when when part of Mack's operations moved from the Lehigh Valley to South Carolina. Curcio was also a war hero, earning the Purple Heart and Bronze Star while serving with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.
The National Association of Letter Carriers held a rally in Allentown over the weekend. They're backing federal legislation they say would protect letter carriers and they're asking for a new contract. "Postal would provide over $7 billion to install high-security collection boxes, increase prosecution rates on crimes against letter carriers and create harsher sentencing for those crimes against our own," one postal worker said. The call is in response to a spike in violent crimes against mail carriers often in attempts to steal collection box keys.
The PA State Senate and House have both passed a bill that would require schools to observe a moment of silence on Sept. 11. The legislation passed both chambers unanimously. If Governor Shapiro signs into law, it would direct the Department of Education to create a curriculum for schools to use to remember the significance of 9/11.
Testimony resumes this week in the corruption trial of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. Friday, former state Attorney General confirmed prosecutors' allegations that Menendez twice called him while he was the state's AG in an attempt to interfere with an insurance fraud investigation. The prosecution alleges Menendez made those calls after being bribed by an associate of the subject of that investigation. Also Friday, a businessman testified that he bribed New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez with a Mercedes-Benz. During the senator's corruption trial in Lower Manhattan, Jose Uribe said he was involved in a quarter-million-dollar bribe scheme and he hoped the senator would help stop an insurance fraud investigation that could lead to Uribe's own daughter and other family members.
The Phillies coughed up a ninth inning lead to lose 6-5 to the New York Mets in the final game of their series in London, England. Despite the way the trip ended, Phillies manager Rob Thomson says the experience was one to remember. "They treated us with class and it's been a great experience. It was a tough loss today, but it was a great ballgame for fans to watch," Thomson says. The Phils are off today and begin a series in Boston Tuesday night.
Sixers fans are mourning the loss of a legendary player. Chet Walker passed away over the weekend. He spent the first seven seasons of his career with the team. He was known to many as "The Jet" and he won the 1967 NBA Championship with the 76ers. Walker was 84.