Thursday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health added 222 new cases of coronavirus to the overall statewide total, which is now 1,213,543. Another 11 new deaths attributed to the virus were also added, leaving the state's overall total at 27,729. Currently, there are 295 people hospitalized with COVID-19, 58 of whom are in the intensive care unit.
A Hellertown woman will be staying with her daughter's family for a while after a tree crashed through the woman's home during a Thursday night storm. "I looked up and the tree was there and the house was just collapsed around me," says Carol Gretzinger. She says she's in the process of selling her home and this will certainly throw a monkey wrench in that process.
While the Southmoore Golf Course will become warehouses, Moore Township is trying to limit the size of the project. Neighbors have said they are concerned about traffic, noise, and a change in their lifestyle. Township officials suggest the township limit the height to just 44 feet and the maximum lot coverage at 75%. Moore Township's planning commission next meets on July 26.
Bethlehem plans to use $700,000 in blight remediation funding to target three Southside properties, which are on Broadway, Shields and Fourth streets. They’ve all been identified as blighted by the city and gone through the blight certification process.
Authorities are launching an investigation after a man was found dead inside a home in Monroe County. Naseem Kareem was found dead inside a home on Murray Road in Middle Smithfield Township. Police say a gas generator had been running due to power outages and it emitted a deadly level of carbon monoxide gas into the house.
There's now a week left for parents in Pennsylvania to decide if they want their children held back a grade. Mark DiRocco heads up the PA Association of School Administrators. "There's a tight timeline. Parents have to make a decision by July 15th. Schools already have their budgets done. They already have their personnel established for the upcoming year, so they're going to have to make some adjustments throughout the summer," DiRocco says. A new law allowing parents to decide about their kids grade level was passed late last month because of pandemic-related issues some kids have had in the classroom.
Hundreds of jobs are possibly at stake as a Pennsylvania financial aid agency is planning to stop working with the U.S. Department of Education once their contract ends. Officials with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency say they don't know exactly how many of its more than 2000 employees will be impacted. The agency has been collecting and keeping track of student loan borrower' payments for the DOE since 2009, but its contract is slated to expire on December 14th of this year.
Crime is rising across the United States, particularly in major cities. Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Dan Meuser tells Fox Business Network Republicans have put forth some legislation to address it, but Democrats refuse to be bothered with it. "There's been a number of bills taking place in both the House and Senate. The Democrat Caucus needs to come to the table and deal with this in a real way that makes a difference. It's the law of cause and effect. You weaken the police, heighten crime," Meuser says. Democrats proposed their own police reform bill last year known as the 2020 George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, but it was never taken up for a vote in the then-Republican controlled Senate.
Brad Miller got a start last night for the Phillies and made it pay off. He hit three homers in the Phillies 8-0 win over Chicago. Miller says he loves playing at Wrigley Field. "I've been here in high school with my family. It's just one of those iconic ballparks, like the one we're going to next. It's fun," Miller says. The Phillies leave Wrigley Field for Fenway Park for a weekend series against the Red Sox.