Bethlehem developers have broken-ground on a new downtown apartment complex at the site of the former Boyd Theatre. DLP Capital's Don Wenner says the property deserves better than what it's seen for the past many years. "This has been an iconic location here in the Lehigh Valley for so many years. It's been in disrepair for more than a decade now and has a tremendous need for reinvestment," Wenner says. The project has quite a different look than originally proposed. The building is down to six stories from 13, with a black and brick façade. It will include more than 200 units, 10 Airbnb rooms and will feature amenities including a pool, a recreation center, garden space and a small movie theater for residents that could also be used for community events.
An Allentown City Council committee has given preliminary approval to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs for federal funds for renovating Coca Cola Park. At its meeting Tuesday night, the Allentown Budget and Finance Committee gave a nod to giving $1.5 in American Rescue Plan Act funds the team had asked for to make MLB-mandated improvements. The IronPigs need a total of $10 million to complete the improvements required to continue the team's affiliation with Major League Baseball and the Philadelphia Phillies. The committee also initially approved $1 million for the Da Vinci Science Center. Both items still need final approval from the full council.
Bethlehem detectives want to speak to anyone who may have seen a shooting over the weekend. It happened Saturday afternoon around 2:00 p.m. when a woman was shot in the leg in the 3300 block of East Boulevard. The 29-year-old victim was taken to the hospital - she is expected to recover. You're urged to call Bethlehem Police if you know anything about this shooting.
The man who founded the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown is taking a job in the Biden administration. Adrian Shanker will join the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as the senior advisor on LGBTQI+ health equity.
A Montgomery County teenager is accused of threatening to "shoot up" Liberty High School in Bethlehem. 18-year-old Kori Kindem allegedly called two teens at Liberty High and threatened to kill them and said he would "shoot up" the school to get to them. Police say the threat prompted the Bethlehem Area School District to increase security last week.
Governor Tom Wolf is now tasked with appointing a new justice to fill a vacancy on the State Supreme Court, although his choice will be subject to state senate approval. The position became vacant with the death of Chief Justice Max Baer last weekend. An election for the seat has been scheduled for 2023. The court says Justice Debra Todd, who was set to replace Mr. Baer after he retired, will now serve as chief justice. She is the first woman to lead the state's high court.
Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz has reportedly raised about 17-million dollars in the third quarter of this year. His campaign released the figures Monday for the time period that ended September 30th. The 17-million includes a personal loan Oz made of seven- million-dollars. The numbers reportedly are an increase from the last quarter, when Oz brought in just under four million.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is continuing to bring in tax revenue that's been higher than original estimates. Officials with the state Independent Fiscal Office say the state brought in a little over eleven percent more revenue than expected in September. Corporate taxes also brought in more than expected - they were a little over 22 percent above estimates.
State police say remains discovered in Luzerne County are those of 14-year-old Joan Dymond of Wilkes-Barre. The teenager was last seen in Wilkes-Barre in 1969. Her remains were found in November 2012 at a former coal mining operation in Newport Township. People digging for relics made the discovery. An examination determined that Dymond died from "foul play." State police are still trying to determine who is responsible for the teenager's death. After DNA testing failed, authorities sent the remains to a company for genetic genealogy testing and were able to make a positive identification.
The water in the fountain at the State Capitol is now pink to serve as a visual reminder about breast cancer. Doctors and health advocates say it's important that people get regular mammograms to check for the disease, especially if they have a family history of breast cancer. In those cases, they recommend getting screenings before age 40, the age that they recommend women begin getting yearly exams. They also say genetic testing can look for mutations that put people at higher risk.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is announcing the launch of a new resource that includes behavioral health agencies. Approximately 15-million-dollars in American Rescue Plan funds will be used to create the New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services network.. The announcement follows a rising demand from students and families for access to mental health services. The network is scheduled to launch for the 2023-24 school year.
Wawa is ordering a New Jersey congressional candidate to stop using its goose logo. The popular East Coast convenience store chain has sent a cease-and-desist order to Democrat Matt Jenkins, a business consultant who is trying to unseat Republican Chris Smith. Smith has represented South Jersey for 41 years. Jenkins is using a goose logo that Wawa claims looks just like theirs. Jenkins says that's the point, hoping Wawa's popularity rubs off on him. The goose flap is getting him name recognition. With just ten-thousand dollars in his war chest, compared to Smith's one-million-dollars, Jenkins is hoping for an upset on a wing and a prayer.