The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is holding a special meeting on May 29th to discuss the proposed sale of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem to Poarch Creek Indians Gaming Authority. Depending on how that meeting goes, the sale of the Sands could be approved that day, meaning a sale close could happen within a month or so.
Bethlehem's mayor warns residents that Sunday may not be the best day for water in the city. Martin Tower is set to be imploded on Sunday and as a result, Mayor Bob Donchez says water customers may experience discolored water or lose pressure as a result. Donchez advises the best solution is to run cold water for a few minutes at a time every hour until the water runs clear. He says running hot water will draw sediment into your hot water tank. The mayor notes that while the water will be safe to drink, it won't be fit for washing clothes, but that this should only be a short-term condition.
Police in Emmaus are on the lookout for the man behind a bank robbery. Police say a man walked into the Santander Bank on Chestnut Street Wednesday morning and gave a teller a note demanding money before fleeing the scene on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. Several nearby schools went into security lockdown mode as a result of the holdup.
A former Penn State frat member will now serve house arrest instead of prison time for his role in the hazing death of a pledge. Luke Visser was resentenced Wednesday to 45 days house arrest and six months probation instead of two months behind bars. Last month, a judge changed the jail sentences to house arrest for the two other former Beta Theta Pi members. Visser had entered a guilty plea for his role in the death of Timothy Piazza in 2017.
The man killed Monday in a two-car crash in Bethlehem is being identified. The Northampton County Coroner says David Stone, of Hanover Township, died after his car collided with another vehicle driven by a 70-year-old woman Monday morning at the intersection of Linden Street and Westbury Drive.
Musikfest has a new platz. A contest to rename Experienceplatz rounded up nearly 500 suggestions. The one chosen is Zinzenplatz, which is a nod to early Moravian leader Countess Benigna von Zinzendorf. Zinzenplatz will be found at Main and Lehigh streets when Musikfest opens its annual run August 1st.
Gamblers will soon get a chance to place their sports bets at the Mohegan Sunn in Luzerne County. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved Mohegan Sunn Pocono's petition to offer sports betting Wednesday. The casino's planned sportsbook doesn't yet have an official date to begin taking bets, but it's expected to include seven sports betting terminals, three teller booths and a video wall. It's expected to be up and running by the start of the NFL season.
The Richmond Elementary School will be shutting down at the end of the school year. The Fleetwood school board voted on the move Wednesday night, saying enrollment at the school has declined to the point where the school is only half-full. Students will be sent to either the Willow Creek or Andrew Maier elementary schools next year. The superintendent says the move will save the district about $300,000.
The future of legalized recreational pot in New Jersey is moving to the hands of the people. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney announced Wednesday that while lawmakers will push forward with expanding medical cannabis and expungement reform legislation, efforts toward the legalization of adult use marijuana will cease. Sweeney added that voters will get their chance on whether to legalize pot when they vote on it in November 2020. Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday that he had a mixed reaction toward Sweeney's decision and does agree with him on the medical marijuana and expungement issues.