The Pennsylvania Department of Health Thursday added 5253 new cases of COVID-19 to the state's total, which is now 1,496,399. 108 new COVID-related deaths were also reported, leaving the state with 30,336 since the pandemic began. Currently, 2978 people are hospitalized with the virus, 664 of whom are in the intensive care unit.
After sixteen years as a state lawmaker, St. Sen. Bob Mensch says he's retiring when he term expires in January 2023. The Republican spent three years as a state representative before becoming a state senator in a special election in 2009, a job he has held since. Mensch represents the 24th Senatorial District, which includes parts of Berks, Bucks and Montgomery counties.
A man wanted for a New York City murder was arrested Thursday morning in Northampton County. U.S. Marshals arrested 21-year-old Arys Rodriguez at an apartment building in the 3100 block of Middletown Road in Bethlehem Township. He's charged in a homicide in the Bronx on August 3 and will be returned to New York to face those charges.
Air Products says it will build a $4.5 billion clean energy facility in Louisiana. The planned complex will produce “blue hydrogen,” which uses natural gas to produce an alternative fuel with the carbon dioxide emissions captured and stored underground. Air Products said the facility will create 170 permanent jobs with a total annual payroll of $15.9 million, plus thousands of construction jobs to build the site over three years. The facility is expected to be operational in 2026.
Comedian Bill Cosby is facing another lawsuit for sexual assault at an Atlantic City hotel. The victim, Lili Bernard, filed the lawsuit Thursday, and has previously said Cosby victimized her. The lawsuit states Cosby convinced Bernard to travel from New York to Atlantic City to meet with a producer. Following a meal Barnard says she and Cosby moved to a suite where he allegedly, drugged and raped her.
The State System of Higher Education says three merged state-owned universities will be known as Pennsylvania Western University or Pennwest for short. Officials revealed the new name yesterday after combining Edinboro, Clarion, and California universities to overcome financial troubles and enrollment losses at all three institutions. Students who began a degree before the integration will complete it on the same campus, and sports teams and mascots will be retained at all three schools.
The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-4 after losing 28-22 to Tampa Bay on Thursday Night Football. They trailed 28-7 late in the third quarter before making things interesting. Head coach Nick Sirianni says his team has to be better earlier in games. "We've just gotta do a better job to start off the football game and get ourselves off to a fast start. I know we scored on our first possession, but after that, it fluttered all the way into the second half," Sirianni says. Next up for the Eagles is a trip to Las Vegas to play the Raiders.