The National Weather Service has determined a tornado touched down near the Lehigh and Bucks county borders during Wednesday's storms. An EF0 tornado caused damage around 3:15 Wednesday afternoon. An EF0 tornado has maximum wind speeds of 85 mph. According to a damage survey Wednesday, the twister lifted and dropped several times as it traveled about two miles before fading out in Spinnerstown. Despite being a weak tornado, it snapped trees and damaged at least one roof.
Dorney Park is announcing it's pulling souvenir bullets from its gift shop. At least one Twitter user pointed out earlier this week that the amusement park had been selling an item called the Personalized Little Bullet, which is a bullet shell on a keychain that can have names engraved into the casing. The park replied via social media Thursday, thanking those who pointed out the items and then assuring that the bullet has been pulled from merchandise.
The old Cottingham Elementary School in Easton's West Ward has new life. The long-vacant building on Northampton Street will welcome tenants to 14 new apartment units on Saturday. Rent will run from $900 to $1100 per month.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is weighing in on a U.S. Supreme Court decision involving the Boyertown Area School District. Wolf says the court's decision not to take up a challenge to the district's transgender restroom policy affirms the state's values of tolerance and respect. "The Supreme Court's decision is an affirmation that there is no place in Pennsylvania for discrimination, especially in our public spaces. This ruling should be a reminder that Pennsylvania should be a place where everyone is treated fairly and with respect."
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale says the Pennsylvania Game Commission needs to get its act together. "In all, my audit contains 11 findings and 43 recommendations and while I know this might be a little nerdy in the audit world, but this actually the highest number of recommendations I've had of any single agency," DePasquale says. While DePasquale says he found plenty of issues, there's no evidence any money has been misappropriated. One big issue DePasquale says the commission needs to improve upon is keeping better track of revenue it earns from gas and oil leases. He says it earns millions of dollars from these businesses but relies on those companies to say how much they owe.
State police are announcing that nine people died in traffic crashes over the four-day holiday weekend. Trooper report that between May 24th and May 27th, 755 crashes were investigated and that in addition to the nine deaths, 216 people were injured. More than 14,000 received speeding tickets and 582 people were also arrested for driving under the influence. State police say alcohol was a factor in two of the fatal crashes.
The state says it will be funding the construction of 11 affordable housing projects across the commonwealth. Gov. Tom Wolf says Pennsylvania's HOME program will disburse $3.4 million to ten counties to ensure residents have a roof over their heads. The HOME program allocates federal money to municipalities that need to expand on housing for low-income Pennsylvanians.
The New Jersey State Senate is approving a bill that will expand the availability of medical marijuana in the state. The measure, passed Thursday, will raise the amount patients will be able to receive for medicinal purposes to three ounces. It also does away with the requirement that patients must see a doctor up to four times a year and only requires an annual visit. While the measure has already been approved in the Assembly, the Assembly must vote again since the new legislation contains an amendment that allows cannabis industry workers to unionize.