Veterans and the community alike joined Monday to observe Memorial Day. Many veterans attended ceremonies and one explained why it's important for them to do so. "It's always a personal appreciation for the community for having these events," one veteran said. Parades were held in Bethlehem, Easton and other locations on Memorial Day.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says it is a solemn duty to make sure the names of those who fought and died for the United States are never forgotten. At the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel Monday, Murphy was among those remembering the 1562 New Jerseyans who died during that war 47 years ago. Murphy added that each soldier was also a person with a family and a dream.
It was a busy Monday evening for rescue crews in the Lehigh Valley. Police were called to the area of Scott Park in Easton just before 6:30 Monday night for reports of a person in distress in the Delaware River. Rescue crews were seen on both the Easton and Phillipsburg side of the river and a helicopter was seen flying overhead. However, in less than two hours, crews departed after having apparently found nobody. Police are now calling it an ongoing investigation.
Accu-Weather's Joe Lundberg says the local record book may be rewritten this afternoon. "The record for the day is 95 and that's well within reach today," Lundberg says. His projected high temperature today is 94.
Mask mandates are back at the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State. Pitt resumed the requirement Friday for all indoor facilities on all of their campuses. Penn State's mask mandate returns today at all indoor facilities at all campuses.
Hundreds of people have shown their support for the people who died and families who lost their homes in an explosion in Pottstown Thursday night. A vigil was held Sunday for the five people, including four children, were killed in the blast. Two others are being treated for serious injuries. At least 10 other families have been displaced by the explosion, whose cause has yet to be determined. Structural damage from the force of the blast is still being evaluated, but several homes have been marked as being unsafe for living in.
A federal appeals court is ruling against a U.S. Postal Service worker who sought a religious exemption from working on Sundays. A panel from the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia has ruled against Pennsylvania postal worker Gerald Groff. One of the judges on the panel wrote that the exemption would cause an undue hardship for the Postal Service. The judges dismissed the case for failure to show Groff was treated differently because of his Christian faith.
Big Snow at the American Dream Mall is officially back in business. The massive indoor snow park had been shut down due to the pandemic as well as a significant fire eight months ago. The 180,000 square foot park is considered North America's first indoor, real-snow ski and snowboard center. The resort reopened on Friday, ahead of the holiday weekend.