Allentown police responded to a shooting overnight in the 300 block of North Seventh Street. It happened just after midnight. It appears at least one person was shot, however police are giving no further details.
The truck driver in a crash that killed three people in Monroe County last year is now facing several charges. The accident happened in March 2023 when a tractor-trailer crossed the center median on Route 33 in Hamilton Township and hit oncoming traffic near Saylorsburg. A 40-year-old Wilkes-Barre woman, a 14-year-old passenger in her car and 25-year-old Bryan Franco, of Hellertown were all killed. The driver of the truck has been arrested and charged with three counts of homicide by vehicle and driving under the influence-related offenses. That driver was arraigned on Wednesday and is being held without bail. His preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 20.
Allentown’s 28th annual Lights in the Parkway holiday lights display returns on Black Friday night. The drive-through display will run from 5:30-10pm every day Nov. 29 through Jan. 6, except on Christmas and New Year’s Day. On Mondays however, the parkway will be closed to vehicles so that pedestrians can walk or bike through the display every Monday from Dec. 2 to Jan. 6. Residents can only buy tickets on the city government’s website. They cost $16 per vehicle that holds up to eight passengers, and $26 for commercial vans, minibuses and limousines under 14 feet in length.
Monroe County leaders have signed-off on a homeless camp behind Glen Park. Stroudsburg Borough Manager Larry Kopp yesterday said the decision was made to keep Stroudsburg's homeless in one place, and that means allowing them to camp in the woods behind the park. The group Street2Feet says it's working with the county and the borough to find permanent homes for the homeless in the camp, but they say the camp is a temporary solution. Kopp said the only issue so far is garbage, so the borough is collecting trash every day.
Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race is headed for a recount, but there are questions about just which ballots will be counted. Democrat Bob Casey yesterday didn't decline an automatic recount, which means election managers will run their ballots again. Republican Dave McCormick leads by about 28,000 votes, which means the race is within the half-a-percent threshold for an automatic recount. But Casey's campaign is asking that the recount include thousands of ballots that were rejected on Election Day because they didn't meet Pennsylvania's ballot standards. That's already led to one lawsuit, and will likely lead to more.
President-elect Donald Trump surprised everybody by nominating troubled Congressman Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general. Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman says everybody knows what Democrats think about the nomination, but he says he's fascinated to see what the Republicans think about it. "We all know what the Democrats think about it. The interesting answers are going to be coming from the GOP who are going to justify voting for that hot mess," Fetterman says. Gaetz resigned from Congress after being nominated. The resignation means the House Ethics Committee investigating Gaetz over allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use will no longer have the ability to continue its probe, which was reportedly in its final stages.
A relatively dry summer followed by a bone dry October is putting a hurt on Pennsylvania Christmas tree farmers like Schuylkill County's Jeff Hill. "We have trees that simply couldn't survive the summer," Hill says. He says newer trees dying off won't help fill what is already a pretty large void. "There's a shortage of Christmas trees and this keeps the shortage going on because you can't get new ones to survive," Hill says. He says this year's losses probably won't be felt until about five years in the future when those trees should have been ready to be sold.
A state lawmaker from Allentown will have an important role at the Capitol. Representative Mike Schlossberg has been named the Majority Whip by the House Democratic Caucus for the upcoming legislative session. Schlossberg has served Pennsylvania's 132nd district since 2013. Before that, he served on the Allentown City Council.
Republican State Rep. Jesse Topper has been picked to lead his party in the Pennsylvania House in 2025. He says after this month's election he expects negotiations to resume on numerous issues. "We're not the only one to have read the tea leaves from the election results. I'm sure the leadership on the other side saw that as well. So, I do believe there will be opportunities to work together for the common sense goals that will move this economy forward. I think the governor will see that and I know the Senate will see that and we'll be happy to work with anybody to advance those goals," Topper said.
There's a plan at the Pennsylvania Capitol that would get the state ready for flying cars. State Senator Marty Flynn is looking to have a law on the books that regulates flying cars, just in case the cars become legal. Flynn has yet to find much support, and there's no expectation that anything will happen this session. Flying car designers and builders say it's best to have a legal framework in place long before the cars hit the streets, or the air. Just two states, Minnesota and New Hampshire, have flying car laws on the books right now.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are supporting a measure that allows pets to be included in protection from abuse orders. The state Senate passed House Bill 1210 in a 47-to-one vote yesterday, forwarding it onto Governor Shapiro for final approval. Humane Action Pittsburgh has been calling for this kind of legislation for several years, saying domestic violence survivors often stay with abusers out of fear that they will lose their pets or the animals will be harmed. Judges will have the authority to grant temporary ownership rights of pets to those seeking protection orders if the bill is signed into law.