A man is recovering after an incident that left him stuck in a mountain of dirt for several hours. It all started just before 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon when a pair of men were working at an Allentown construction site behind a home on Gordon Street and a trench collapsed. One of the workers made it out but the other was stuck for around eight-hours. Allentown Fire Captain John Christopher says the rescue process wasn't quick. "Every time we moved the dirt, we had to shore up even more or else it collapses back in. That's why it's such a tedious process," Christopher says. He says the trench was heated to keep the man warm and he was given fluids and pain meds to make sure he was okay. He was taken to a nearby hospital for a precautionary evaluation late last night.
Two people were shot around 6:30 Wednesday night in the 700 block of Harrison Street, near the Bridgeview Apartments. When police arrived on the scene they found one victim with a non-life-threatening injury. Shortly after that, a second victim arrived at a hospital, also with non-life-threatening injuries. Police say the investigation is active and there is no threat to the public at this time.
It appears the shuttered Allentown State Hospital has a buyer. City Center Investment Corp. has signed an agreement to buy the 195-acre Allentown State Hospital property directly from the state for $5.5 million. Meanwhile, new St. Sen. Jarrett Coleman has begun a review of the failure of the state’s attempt to sell the property via a competitive bid process. The 2019 law that established the process led to a pair of bids on the property, each of which were given the thumbs down.
Longtime Allentown School Board Director and former board President Charlie Thiel will reportedly resign from the board today during a special meeting that was called to interview candidates for another vacant school board seat. Because of Thiel's resignation, the remaining school director will need to fill both Thiel's seat and the one vacated by Nick Miller, who is now a state senator. There's no word yet on why Thiel has decided to resign.
A Wednesday morning two-alarm fire in Allentown forced nine residents from two homes in the 1500 block of Walnut Street. While no residents were injured, four city firefighters were treated for exhaustion. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Police are looking for two men who robbed the Northampton Crossings GameStop Tuesday night. It happened just after 8 o'clock when two men came into the store asking about merchandise stocked in the back of the store. When an employee went back to get the item, the pair followed him, and told him not to move and threatened him. The pair stole 10 Sony Playstation 5 video game consoles, which retail for $500 each. No money was taken.
The 28-year-old Pennsylvania man who's facing charges for allegedly killing four University of Idaho students in November will be back in court again today. Bryan Kohberger will return to court in Latah County Idaho Thursday for a pretrial hearing where he will enter a plea for the charges against him. He is currently being held in that county's jail without bail. The Washington State University student was arrested at his parents' house in Monroe County late last month. He's charged with four counts of first-degree murder and could face the death penalty if convicted.
Pennsylvania state senators have approved three proposed constitutional amendments. If the House approves them, the amendments will appear on the ballot for Pennsylvania voters to vote on in an upcoming election. The items involve requiring residents to show a valid ID before voting, calling for a two-year window for sexual abuse victims to sue their abusers, and a proposal to prevent a governor from vetoing disapproval of a regulation that had been voted on by the General Assembly.
Pennsylvania residents who lack health coverage are being urged to sign up for Pennie before the 2023 deadline, which is this Sunday. Acting Insurance Commissioner Mike Humphreys says even if you declined coverage in years past it's worth another look. "Check the affordability of plans. Check the type of plans that might be available to you. If you shopped four or five years ago on the exchange and didn't think it was affordable then, come back," Humphreys says.
Nearly 30 Pennsylvania colleges and universities will soon be getting a million dollars to help make their campuses hunger-free. In announcing the funding Wednesday, Governor Tom Wolf said more than a third of students know someone who dropped out of college during the pandemic due to food insecurity. The 28 schools are the first group of awardees to benefit from the program since it was created recently.
Pennsylvania State Police say they seized more than $65 million dollars worth of illegal drugs in the commonwealth in 2022. $28 million of that $65 million came from various marijuana products and nearly $16 million from cocaine and crack cocaine.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is announcing higher prices for thousands of alcoholic beverages. The agency says retail costs for around 35-hundred products are going up by four percent beginning this Sunday. A PLCB spokesperson says the price hikes are to account for higher operating costs. The liquor board has not raised any retail prices since 2019.
State leaders are postponing a trial that could lead to the removal of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. The trial was set to begin next Wednesday. The state Senate voted to delay the trial indefinitely. A judge recently said the impeachment articles weren't enough to meet the standards constitutionally. No word on when a new date will be set.
The farm show's as busy as ever this year. Parking revenues on just Saturday came in higher than all eight days during the 2022 event. As you might imagine, vendors are quite pleased. "Last year was good. This year is a lot stronger. I'm really happy," one vendor says.
PepsiCo is replacing their Sierra Mist brand with another lemon-lime-flavored soda. The company says the caffeine-free soft drink, called Starry, is shipping to stores beginning this week. Pepsi officials claim Starry tastes fruitier and is more aromatic than the previous beverage, available in regular and sugar-free recipes. Sierra Mist served as Pepsi's competitor to Sprite for more than two decades.