Police in Upper Macungie Township got an unusual call Wednesday afternoon. They were called to a Fogelsville home for reports of a large snake wrapped around the neck of a man who was in serious trouble. Lt. Peter Nickischer says the responding officer had no choice but to shoot the snake in the head. "Luckily it started slithering away from the officers, away from the direction that they were trying to pull this gentleman because they realized it was a matter of life and death," Nickischer says. The 28-year-old man was rushed to the hospital. His condition is not known. It's believed the snake, which was reportedly at least 15 feet long, was the man's pet.
Allentown City Council has voted to support city employees' access to abortions. Council voted 5-2 in favor of a resolution to express its opposition to the "imposition of restrictions on reproductive choice" by the governments of Pennsylvania and the United States, and to recommend the City of Allentown cover travel expenses related to abortion access for all city employees, should the need arise. The resolution states that a certain dollar amount for abortion travel would be determined through a future amendment to the personnel code and budget.
New Jersey is partnering with the federal government to protect reproductive health for residents and those from out of state. Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin says the collaboration also protects health care workers, increases security for abortion providers, and protects data privacy rights. Platkin has also released guidelines for county prosecutors across the state about charges that could be brought against people who interfere with abortion access. The measures have been introduced in response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
A Berks County man has agreed to plead guilty for his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Fleetwood's Alan Byerly has agreed to a plea deal after initially pleading not guilty to charges, including assaulting police officers and a photographer during the riot.
It's day three of a heat wave that won't be ending until next week according to Accu-Weather's Joe Lundberg. "It's going to be hot. Not just today, but several more days. Today, tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. Even Monday looks to be pretty warm but a front will come through finally and quell this heat after six days in a row of it," says Lundberg. The hottest day of this stretch is expected to be Sunday when the afternoon high could flirt with 100 degrees.
The City of Allentown is trying to help people get through this heat wave. All city pools are free again today for kids under 13 and adults over 60. Admission is half-price for adults 14-59 years old. The city noted that admission for non-residents is still full price. Cedar Beach and Mack pools are open from 12-7 p.m.
People looking to cool off in Easton had to go to plan B Wednesday. Eddyside Pool was closed Wednesday due to a mechanical issue. Heil Pool, which is usually only open on odd dates, was open instead. The city did not say how long it will take to fix the issue at Eddyside.
A fast-food restaurant in Lehigh County is on its way out with the same restaurant coming in its place. The current Taco Bell on Route 100 in Upper Macungie Township is being torn down and will be replaced with a new Taco Bell. The proposed project calls for a double drive-thru layout and other site improvements such as curbing, landscaping and lighting.
Democratic Senate nominee and current Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman says he's having a few residual problems since his stroke in May. But he tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he is "100 percent able to run fully and to win" against the GOP's Mehmet Oz. The 52-year-old says he's working with a speech therapist and that he wouldn't be running if he thought he couldn't endure the campaign trail.
At least one of Pennsylvania's senators backs a bill on Capitol Hill that would make same-sex marriage part of federal law. In a tweet, Pennsylvania’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey says, "Every American has the right to marry who they love. It's more important than ever that marriage equality be enshrined into federal law. I support the Respect for Marriage Act because LGBTQ rights are human rights.” Meanwhile, the commonwealth’s Republican senator, Pat Toomey, had not yet decided. He says, "I have not looked at that bill. So I'm not going to speculate on something I haven't seen.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirms just over 20,000 new positive COVID cases over the past week state officials say that amounts to a little under 2900 new cases ever per day. Also, there were 98 new deaths for the week.
President Biden is set to make another visit to Pennsylvania today. The White House says he'll visit Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre to discuss the Safer Communities Act and gun violence. The President's comments are scheduled to begin at 3:15. From Wilkes-Barre, the President heads to Philadelphia for an evening fundraiser.
James Harden is staying in the City of Brotherly Love. The 76ers guard has signed a two-year, $68.6 million contract with a player option for the 2023-24 season. The signing comes after the star declined a $47.4 million option to give Philadelphia cap flexibility. Harden is guaranteed $33 million for the upcoming year, and can decline a $35.6 million option and re-enter free agency next summer.