Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey says he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last month. Via Twitter, Casey says, "While this news came as a shock, I can report that I have an excellent prognosis, as well as the benefit of exceptional medical care and the unwavering support of my family. In the coming months I will undergo surgery, after which I am expected to make a full recovery. I am confident that my recommended course of treatment will allow me to continue my service in the 118th Congress with minimal disruption, and I look forward to the work ahead."
A court document unsealed Thursday morning describes what led prosecutors to charge a Poconos man in a quadruple homicide in Idaho. The affidavit of probable cause in Bryan Kohberger's case was released to the public and in it, police say they ultimately used DNA to link the 28-year-old Kohberger to the crime scene in Moscow, Idaho. Authorities say they obtained trash from Kohberger's Poconos home that matched him to DNA found on a knife sheath left at the scene. The affidavit also says a nearby cell phone tower picked up his phone 12 times before the murders, suggesting he may have been stalking and planning the murders.
A Nazareth man has been arrested and is charged with firing bullets into a Palmer Township home last week. The Northampton County D-A's office says Jonathan Cornelius is being held for the December 31st shooting in which bullets were fired into a house in the 2500 block of Eldridge Avenue. Eleven people were in the home at the time, including a four-year-old child, but no one was hurt. The motive for the shooting is unclear.
An autopsy is planned Friday for a 36-year-old Emmaus man, who died on the job Wednesday. The Lehigh County Coroner's office says Nicholas Varec died Wednesday afternoon when he became pinned between construction equipment and a trench box in the 4100 block of Mountain View Drive in Lehigh Township. The Lehigh Township police department and OSHA are both investigating the death.
A local company moving within the Lehigh Valley will mean at least 61 new jobs in Northampton County. The Wolf administration says CryoConcepts is relocating from its current 7500-square-foot facility in Bethlehem to a 23,200-square-foot facility in Forks Township. The bigger building means additional job positions will need to be filled at the company, which manufactures portable cryosurgery and cryotherapy products.
Food service workers at Lehigh Valley Health Network will soon be looking for new jobs. Morrison HealthCare, which employs 478 workers at LVHN locations has filed a layoff notice to provide the necessary 60-day notification to workers. LVHN says all Morrison employees will have the opportunity to apply for jobs with Sodexo, who has now been chosen by the health network to take over food services in March.
Police in Monroe County are looking for a man who is being accused of scamming people around the Poconos. According to police, five people have come forward about how Anthony Valera stole over 150-grand from them for taking their money on construction projects and not finishing them. Authorities say Valera drives a white Nissan work van and if you see him, please call 911 immediately.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are expressing frustration about not having a Speaker yet. Susan Wild, whose 7th District covers the Lehigh Valley area, tells The Morning Call that the lawmakers haven't even been able to be sworn in to start work on new legislation. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has now been through eleven failed votes and still hasn't received enough of them from his majority party to become Speaker. The House adjourned Thursday night and will reconvene at 12 p.m. Eastern Friday to try again.
The cost of using the Pennsylvania Turnpike will increase again in a few days. Tolls will go up by five percent beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m. However, E-Z Pass holders will continue to get a huge discount compared to toll-by-plate customers. The turnpike commission says the most common toll for cars will increase to a dollar- 80 for E-Z Pass customers and up to four-dollars-and 40 cents for toll-by-plate drivers.
Lottery officials say sales are brisk at convenience stores across the Commonwealth. After no one bought a winning ticket in the drawing this past Tuesday, the Mega Millions jackpot rose to an estimated 940-million-dollars. That's the sixth-largest jackpot in U.S. history. If you win and take the payout option, your amount decreases after taxes to an estimated 484-million dollars.
You will not be able to use cash this year to pay for parking at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Shannon Powers at the Ag Department says visitors should like the change. "We have had trouble hiring people. Processing cash takes longer and makes the people behind you wait longer," Powers says.
The biggest challenge the Pennsylvania healthcare industry's faced in recent years is staffing. Officials with the Hospital and Healthsystem Sssociation of PA say the tight labor market's leaving medical centers competing for workers with other industries. "One of the recommendations is to create a state government entity, a healthcare workforce council led by a chief healthcare talent officer," says the organization's Jeff Bechtel.
New Jersey is receiving half a billion dollars to improve wastewater and drinking water systems. The 500-million-dollar federal loan is the first to be issued through a program run by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Assistant Administrator for Water says New Jersey will invest in more than 90 communities across the state and create 16-thousand jobs while also saving tens-of-thousands of dollars. New Jersey's water infrastructure is aging and has led to water main breaks and lead pipe replacement in recent years.
In last Sunday's loss to New Orleans, the Saints recorded six sacks and Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni says that's way too many. "Obviously, you never want to give up that many sacks because they're worse than an incomplete pass because you're losing yards on them. There's plenty of blame to go around for those sacks," Sirianni says. The Eagles need a win Sunday against the New York Giants to wrap up the number one overall seed in the NFC and a first round bye in the upcoming playoffs.