A man is accused of driving drunk and causing the death of a woman who was in his vehicle when he crashed it over the weekend. It happened around 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1600 block of Stefko Boulevard in Bethlehem. The Northampton County District Attorney's Office says Matthew Torres of Bethlehem, was drunk and driving recklessly at the time of the crash. The victim, identified as Leanna Farraj, 24, of Brooklyn, died at the scene of multiple injuries sustained in the wreck.
The City of Allentown could lose millions in federal funding after the city council delayed a vote on a new police headquarters. City officials say nine-million-dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act could be lost, as the money must be committed through contracts by the end of the year. Council members are deliberating the construction management contract for the new facility. The resolution is being pushed back until after a proposed 2025 budget is introduced in October.
The owner of a beloved Lehigh Valley restaurant – known for its cheesesteaks, burgers and hoagies – is looking to sell the property and continue serving the eatery’s dishes via a mobile format. Mike Sewards, the second-generation operator of Sewards Steak Shop at 202 S. 17th St. in Allentown, has put the business’ property and an attached home up for sale. Following the sale, he and longtime Sewards employee Nelson Villanueva plan to transition the family-run business to a fully mobile operation in the form of a new Sewards food truck, which would make appearances at local businesses along with public and private events throughout the Lehigh Valley region.
The Butler County Coroner is sharing findings from recently-completed reports on the bodies of Thomas Crooks and Corey Comperatore. Crooks is the man that opened fire at a Trump rally last month at the Butler Farm Show grounds and Comperatore was a rally-attendee who was fatally shot while shielding his family from the gunfire. A Secret Service agent shot and killed Crooks as he was firing shots from a rooftop. Coroner William F. Young III [[ The Third ]] has classified both deaths as homicides with both Crooks and Comperatore's deaths each attributed to single gunshot wounds.
Pennsylvania first responders are headed to North Carolina to assist with the impact of Tropical Storm Debby. State officials said 45 members of Pennsylvania Task Force One will report to Raleigh to help with the response to the storm. Governor Josh Shapiro said Pennsylvania stands ready to help any state affected by Debby get back on its feet.
Researchers say sightings of two sharks off the coast of Cape May in the last couple of weeks is cause for excitement -- but not concern. Officials with the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center say the sharks are known as basking sharks -- and are harmless. Researchers say they filter feed and eat tiny planktons. Basking sharks are the second-largest living shark species and can grow up to 45 feet in length. These sharks were about 15 feet long.