Both the Hecktown Fire Company and Bethlehem Fire Department hosted gun buyback events over the weekend. Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck says the events were busy. "This gun buyback was a no-questions-asked gun buyback. The car would pull up, the police would take the weapon and gift cards would be given," Houck says. However, Houck says checks will be run on all guns turned in and if they were involved in any type of crime, they'll be used as evidence. If not, they'll be destroyed. Houck expects more gun buybacks to be scheduled.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has named Lehigh Valley Congresswoman Susan Wild to chair the House Ethics Committee. Wild will serve on an acting basis until her appointment is approved by the full House Democratic caucus. The Democrat from the seventh district replaces outgoing Chair Ted Deutch of Florida, a Bethlehem native. He announced that he's resigning from Congress on Friday.
It was the end of an era in Allentown Sunday. Zion's Reformed U.C.C. on Hamilton Street held its final service after 260 years of existence. Due to dwindling congregations and difficult financial times, the church is disbanding. The building will be used by the Resurrected Life Community Church, with that transition expected to happen sometime next month. While a new group of worshippers will be in the church, the future of the adjoining Liberty Bell Museum remains up in the air.
Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman continues to push abortion as the number one issue in next month's election. Republican Mehmet Oz tells Fox News he's way off. "The big issue right now in Pennsylvania is the lawlessness, the crime that's out of control. We just had our 1000th carjacking in Philadelphia. I'm in Pittsburgh right now. People don't feel safe walking through the streets. There are fentanyl deaths happening all the time. We're in the top five in the country caused by an open border," Oz says. Election Day is five weeks from tomorrow.
State officials have announced the sudden passing of Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Max Baer. He died Saturday at the age of 74 at his home near Pittsburgh. He had been set to retire at the end of the year. Governor Tom Wolf will now need to fill the vacancy left on the state's highest court.
Pennsylvania State Police want to remind residents that they would never call you to ask for gift cards or payments over the phone. They announced Sunday that scammers are spoofing state police phone numbers to convince a target that they are interacting with a known, trusted source. The scammers ask for payments or gift cards and threaten arrest if they're not forwarded. Trooper Megan Frazer says you should never give out personal information to anyone you don't know.
Treasurer Stacy Garrity says the state has transferred a little over two-billion-dollars to its Rainy Day Fund. The action was authorized as part of the state budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23. Garrity says with the deposit, the Rainy Day Fund is now approaching five-billion-dollars. The account serves as a safety net for state spending, helping to ease pressure to raise taxes or makes program cuts during an economic downturn.
The last day of the Bloomsburg Fair was held yesterday. Nearly 367,000 people attended the nine-day event this year. That's down slightly from the 369,791 in 2021. This year marked the 167th annual fair.
Pennsylvania farm officials have revealed the theme for next year's Pennsylvania Farm Show. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced the theme is "Rooted in Progress." "This year we're recognizing the deep roots of Pennsylvania agriculture and celebrating the industry's natural drive and vision to innovate and inspire," Redding says. The 107th Pennsylvania Farm Show will run from Saturday, January 7th through Saturday, January 14th at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.
Police say a man is dead after falling from an escalator after he attended the Steelers-Jets game in Pittsburgh. The unidentified man fell from the escalator at Acrisure Stadium and was taken to a hospital where he eventually died. Police continue to investigate.
Legendary Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw is recovering from cancer treatments. The hall-of-famer and football analyst announced two separate diagnoses during NFL pre-game coverage yesterday. Bradshaw says he underwent surgery and other treatments for bladder cancer last November, and for a rare skin cancer-related tumor in March. He says he is now cancer free, feeling great, and working toward returning to his old self.
Heating bills are going up as natural gas price increases are now in effect. Charges for most Garden State residents will be nearly 25-percent higher. The change was approved by a state board last month.
State lawmakers in New York and New Jersey are in a war of words over New York's automated red light and speed cameras. Trenton is considering a bill that would outlaw the sharing of motor vehicle records with other states for the purpose of automated traffic enforcement because they say automated enforcement does not lead to safer roads and is abused by states to make money. Albany legislators say if New Jersey passes the bill, Albany would allow a 50-dollar charge on vehicles from New Jersey driven into New York City, as a non-compliance fee. In response, Trenton says they'll propose their own fee to New York drivers entering New Jersey of 100 dollars, and New Jersey's proposed bill is awaiting to be heard by the state assembly.
After the Phillies blew out Washington 8-1 and Milwaukee lost to the Marlins, the Phillies' magic number to clinch a playoff spot sits at one. Catcher J.T. Realmuto hopes to make that number zero tonight when the Phils visit Houston. "We control our own destiny. That's all you can ask for at this time of the season. We're exicted to go in there and play a really good ballclub. It's going to be a fun series. These games mean a lot to us. We're just going to go out there and have fun and make the most of it," Realmuto says. The Phillies have not made the playoffs since 2011.
After falling behind 14-0, the Philadelphia Eagles came back to beat Jacksonville 29-21. Running back Miles Sanders says he enjoys being the NFL's only unbeaten team. "I'm excited. I've never been 2-0, never been 3-0 here. The best thing about being 4-0 is being able to be 5-0," Sanders says. The Eagles hope to go 5-0 this Sunday when they visit the Arizona Cardinals.