A Berks County native is among the five people who died in a shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado over the weekend. Derrick Rump, who graduated from Kutztown Area High School in 2002, was killed in the Saturday night shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs.
Firefighters battled a smoky house fire in a neighborhood near Emmaus. The fire was reported just before 11 o'clock Monday morning in the 4100 block of Mink Drive, off of Route 29, in Upper Milford Township. It's not yet known what may have sparked the blaze.
It could take several more weeks to completely clean up gasoline spilled last week in Bethlehem. While the flipped-over tanker truck is long gone, crews are still cleaning up the gasoline it spilled and trying to keep it out of the nearby Monocacy Creek. Gasoline found its way into storm drains and to a culvert in the area of Union Boulevard between Paul and Raymond avenues. The state Department of Environmental Protection says cleaning up and treating that culvert could take several more weeks.
A Harrisburg woman has been found guilty of two felonies for helping to steal Speaker Nancy Pelosi's computer during the January 6th rioting at the U.S. Capitol. A news release Monday from the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. says 23-year-old Riley Williams was found guilty after video footage showed her encouraging other rioters to take the laptop and use gloves. The two felony counts include interfering with law enforcement officers and resisting or impeding law officers, as well as committing four misdemeanor offenses in a Capitol Building. She will be sentenced in February of next year.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has ruled against a decades-old state law that kept severely mentally ill people behind bars indefinitely. The court's September ruling in Commonwealth versus Jquan Humphrey has cleared the way for judges to dismiss charges against defendants who would never be deemed competent to stand trial. Supporters say the ruling corrects a 50-year-old state law that gives unclear instructions about what to do when someone has long-term intellectual disabilities, brain injuries, or cognitive disorders such as dementia.
Hundreds of Sheetz gas stations are lowering their gas prices ahead of Thanksgiving. The chain is dropping its Unleaded 88 fuel to one dollar and 99-cents a gallon. The offer is available through next Monday November 28th at more than 360 locations that can be found on the company's website. Sheetz says the Unleaded 88 gas, which has five-percent more ethanol, is approved by the EPA for cars built since 2001.
Governor-elect Josh Shapiro, still the state's attorney general, has reached a settlement deal with the food delivery service Grubhub. An investigation by Shapiro's office had previously determined that Grubhub customers were frequently charged higher prices for their ordered items than they would have paid had they ordered from restaurants directly. According to the settlement announced yesterday, Grubhub will donate 125-thousand dollars to Pennsylvania food banks in addition to adding price disclosures to pages on their app.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is sharing their annual report on alcohol sales in the state. Mini bottles of Fireball Whiskey were the top seller over the last fiscal year, raking in four-and-a-half-million dollars. New Amsterdam Vodka came in second, followed by Tito's Vodka.
Another group of migrants have arrived in the City of Philadelphia. Officials say the bus arrived with around 46 asylum seekers yesterday morning. They were greeted by city officials who provided them with blankets, food and other welcome items. Just last week, a bus arrived from Texas full of people seeking asylum. Mayor Jim Kenney has made it clear that the city will help in anyway they can.
It's expected to be a busy week ahead at Philadelphia International Airport. Officials are encouraging anyone with an upcoming flight to have a ride to and from the airport or utilize ride share services. Parking is limited at the airport with the amount of travelers expected around the Thanksgiving holiday. Folks are reminded to check the list of prohibited items that are not allowed past TSA checkpoints before you pack your bags. Up to the minute flight information can be found at phl-dot-org.
A popular shrub has been deemed invasive by the state Department of Agriculture and will be phased out of sale in Pennsylvania. Burning bush, a widely planted landscape shrub popular for its bright red fall foliage will be added to the state's Controlled Plant and Noxious Weeds list as of January 10, meaning those plants will be banned for sale in Pennsylvania garden centers and nurseries. Owners of these shrubs won't have to remove them, but the state is encouraging them to do so to prevent the shrub's spread.
Pennsylvania fire officials are reminding residents of the dangers of deep frying a frozen turkey. A video posted on the city of Harrisburg's website shows the unthawed bird immediately causing a big fire the moment it hits the oil. "If you're going to get that turkey, make sure you get that thing in the refrigerator to thaw out if you're going to fry it," says Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline.
New Jersey is one step closer to bolstering gun laws. The full assembly approved legislation that would require more background checks before a permit is issued, block permit holders from carrying guns in sensitive areas, and sets up insurance and training requirements to protect gun owners and the public. The legislation has received support from an array of groups, including New Jersey's Police Benevolent Association and Moms Demand Action. The bill now awaits further action in the senate.
Lehigh University needs to find a new football coach. Two days after losing the most important game on the calendar, Lehigh coach Tom Gilmore resigned Monday. Gilmore lost to Lafayette Saturday in what would be his final game as the Mountain Hawks coach. Gilmore leaves with a record of 9-27 and as the first coach to leave with a losing record at Lehigh since 1975.
A star player on the Philadelphia 76ers will miss time due to a foot injury. Joel Embiid has been ruled out of the next two games as he deals with a sprained left foot. The All-Star center was injured during the team's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Embiid will be re-evaluated later in the week.