Joan Balik used to work in Martin Tower when it was the headquarters of Bethlehem Steel. "It was a landmark. It was a beautiful building," Balik says. She admits Sunday morning's implosion of what had been the Lehigh Valley's tallest building was a little tough to stomach. "What really bothers me the most is it was a reminder of many, many good years that I had with that company," Balik says. She admits to crying when Martin Tower collapsed onto itself in a matter of seconds.
Bethlehem police have a warning for people trying to get a closer look or souvenirs of the demolished Martin Tower. Bethlehem Police Chief Mark DiLuzio says there have been a number of people climbing under fences to get onto the property. He says that's trespassing, which is illegal and unsafe because the area is an active construction zone and will be for some time. City officials said people climbing on or around the pile of rubble could cause it to shift. Anyone caught inside the fenced-in area will be charged, DiLuzio said.
Some heavy thunderstorms caused a tree to fall onto a home in Williams Township. The tree crashed into a home around 10:30 p.m. in the 2700 block of Morgan Hill Road. A section of the home was essentially destroyed. A woman and her son live at the home and the woman was taken to the hospital for some minor injuries, but she's expected to be okay.
Lycoming County officials are offering advice on how to handle tonight's visit from President Trump. The President will be in Montoursville around 7 o'clock. Montoursville Mayor Steve Bagwell reminds residents there that the area will likely be swollen with people, so they should expect traffic and parking problems. Locals are also being asked to be kind to out-of-towners and show respect to any protestors. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend and all heading to the event shoule prepare to stand for long periods of time in direct sun and temperatures in the 80s.
Gov. Tom Wolf will be in Monroe County this morning to discuss the funding of dam rehabilitation. The governor will be at the Middle Dam along Sambo Creek near East Stroudsburg at 11am. Wolf is expected to talk about how his administration's Restore Pennsylvania proposal could provide financial backing for dams in need of repair. Restore Pennsylvania is intended to create development opportunities while addressing infrastructure needs across the commonwealth.
State flags are flying at half-staff today in honor of a state trooper who died over the weekend. Trooper Donald Brackett was found dead Sunday outside of his cruiser, the victim of what's being described as a medical episode. He was found unresponsive in along Interstate 276 in Bucks County. Commonwealth flags will be kept at half-staff until sunset on Wednesday and again on the day of Brackett's funeral, which has not been announced.
The Lehigh Valley will have a presence on the track at this Sunday's Indianapolis 500. Marco Andretti will start on the inside of Row 4 after qualifying tenth over the weekend. Nazareth's Sage Karam (carom) qualified for his sixth straight Indy 500. He'll start 31st. And on the 50th anniversary of his father's win at Indy, team owner Michael Andretti has five cars in the field, including his son Marco. Andretti cars will start 9th, 10th, 11th, 22nd and 28th.