A Laurys Station pediatrician is in trouble in Warren County, New Jersey. Investigators say 47-year-old Dr. Moshe Markowitz, of Allentown discussed oral sex and other acts with a juvenile last December over the Discord app. Markowitz is free after being charged with endangering the welfare of a child, which is a third-degree felony. Arrest records indicate Markowitz, who was part of the Lehigh Valley Health Network, admitted that phone and computer records link him to the Discord account used in the conversation.
A Monroe County man is behind bars after he allegedly stabbed his own mother. The incident happened yesterday morning at a home in Hamilton Township as police say 29-year-old Justin Grimley grabbed a knife and stabbed his mother in the chest. Grimley's facing several charges including attempted homicide.
The Americus Hotel in Allentown hosted a Tuesday evening forum for residents to speak out on the Allentown Parking Authority. Among those in attendance was Allentown City Councilman Daryl Hendricks, who explains why it was important for him to be there. "I'm here because I'm concerned about how we're functioning and I want to hear from the public and what they have to say," Hendricks said. Allentown City Council has approved $20,000 to study the parking authority's operations and to look at bringing their operations under city control.
The Easton Area School District has a new superintendent. The Easton Area School District Board of Directors has chosen current assistant superintendent Tracy Piazza, to be the district's next superintendent. Now, the board needs to iron out a contract with Piazza before officially voting to approve her promotion. Piazza will replace David Piperato, who announced his retirement two weeks ago.
The executive director of the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association says the Lehigh Valley Auto Show, which begins today, is loaded with local dealerships. "We have more manufacturers represented here at the Lehigh Valley Auto Show than were at Philadelphia," says Dan Moyer. The show runs through Sunday at Lehigh University's Goodman Campus.
February was a good month for Lehigh Valley International Airport. Last month, 64,679 passengers traveled through LVIA, a 22-percent increase from last February. Airport officials expect March's numbers to be good as well with spring break and vacation travelers flying in and out.
AAA East Central says the average price for a gallon of gas across Pennsylvania dropped four cents from the previous week and sits at $3.58 as of Tuesday. That number is 74 cents below the statewide average one year ago. In the Lehigh Valley, the price of a gallon of gas dipped six cents from the previous week and is now at $3.43, which 84 cents below the price last March 21st.
U.S. News & World Report has released a list of the 36 best waterparks in the United States, and Pennsylvania is well-represented. The list included four parks in Pennsylvania, including he Camelbeach Waterpark in Monroe County. Hersheypark's waterpark also makes the list, however Dorney Park's Wildwater Kingdom does not. The other two Pennsylvania water parks to make the list are in the western part of the state.
The YMCA in the Poconos is preparing for a major expansion project. Officials announced yesterday that the Y in Stroudsburg is partnering with the Lehigh Valley Health Network. While the main section of the building will undergo serious upgrades, doctors and rehab units will move into one of the buildings on Main Street. The project is expected to begin in the spring of next year and it'll cost more than 16-million-dollars.
Pennsylvania State Senator Art Haywood is renewing his call to raise the state minimum wage within this new legislative session. He tweeted to constituents Tuesday that "if Harrisburg politicians get a raise, then so should you." The lawmaker from Philadelphia has called for the wage to be set at 15-dollars an hour. Currently, the state's minimum hourly wage is seven-dollars-and 25-cents.
The state of Pennsylvania has launched new, military-themed license plates for veterans and their families. The commonwealth already offers a long list of custom plates to service members, but the new plates cover Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans, as well recipients of air medals. Another new one is also now available for blue star families. To apply for the plate, vets must submit specific information along with a DD 214 form.
A Commonwealth Court has ruled that workers' compensation should cover the cost of medical marijuana for people who are injured on the job. The court has ruled on cases brought by workers who were hurt on the job and were initially prescribed opioids for treatment. But in both cases, the workers said pot had been more effective in treating their pain. The judges also said that employers aren't being ordered to break federal law because they are not being required to pay for the marijuana, but rather they would be reimbursing patients for their medical costs.
Lawyers representing accused Tree of Life Shooter Roberts Bowers say he suffers from schizophrenia and epilepsy. The illnesses were noted in documents filed earlier this week. Defense attorneys say the conditions were diagnosed through a variety of testing conducted by a group of medical experts, including a neuropsychologist and neuroradiologist. In a notice filed by the defense team in February they said they planned to introduce expert evidence related to mental disease if the case move into sentencing but they did not specify the conditions at that time. Bowers is accused of opening fire in the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, killing eleven people.
Eight dolphins are dead after getting stranded on a beach in Sea Isle City Tuesday. It happened between the 51st and 52nd street beaches. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center says two dolphins died on the beach and the other six were in bad health and had to be euthanized. Necropsies were scheduled for Tuesday night. This comes as more whales and dolphins have been washing ashore over the past several months.
Phillies president Dave Dombrowski says injured star Bryce Harper continues progressing on schedule. "He's doing great, very well. It feels good. He's not having any setbacks whatsoever. He's doing great," Dombrowski says. Harper initially wasn't expected to return to the lineup until July after undergoing offseason elbow surgery, but now Dombrowski is leaving the window open to a possible earlier return than that.
The Phillies' new video board is being installed and you can already see it from the street near Citizens Bank Park. The new structure above the seats in left field is 77 percent larger than the previous scoreboard. Managers for Citizens Bank Park say it will be ready to go for the team's first home game in April. The new sign is reportedly among the largest in all of Major League Baseball.
The Eagles are adding a new player to their linebacker corps. Philadelphia reached a deal with former Bears linebacker Nicholas Morrow on Tuesday. Morrow finished last season with well over a-hundred tackles and an interception. The Eagles also signed safety Justin Evans from the Saints.