Joseph Roy's longtime second in command will be replacing Roy as Bethlehem Area School District's superintendent when Roy retires this summer. Jack Silva was the first person Roy hired in 2010 and he was reportedly the school board's first choice to replace Roy, who announced his retirement a week ago. Silva is a Bethlehem resident through-and-through. He attended Fountain Hill Elementary, Broughal Middle School and Liberty High School, graduating in 1982. The school board plans on voting on Silva's appointment on April 24th.
Following last Friday's deadly explosion at the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading, Borough Council President Ryan Lineaweaver says they've been getting offers of help from all levels of government. "Our Berks County commissioners have been wonderful in pledging support. Sen. John Fetterman has reached out. So has Gov. Shapiro and we've heard from as far as the White House," Lineaweaver says.
Friends and family of the seven people killed in last Friday's explosion at the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading are remembering those who never made it out of the factory. "Our loved ones who are gone are watching over us. They're with us every day," one man said. The Berks County Coroner's Office has only officially released the names of two of the victims at this point.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is ordering all state flags to be lowered to half-staff until Friday, in memory of those killed in an explosion last week in Berks County. Seven people died and several people were injured in the explosion Friday evening at R.M. Palmer chocolate factory.
A 76-year-old Stroudsburg man is charged with last June's murder of Michael Powers in Lehigh Township. The Northampton County District Attorney's Office says William Strunk told police he shot Powers four times at Powers' home on Lower Three Mile Lane. Strunk was arraigned Monday and sent to Northampton County jail without bail. A motive for the shooting has not been released.
The Lehigh County Coroner's Office has identified the two men murdered early last Friday morning. 42-year-old Alexander Perez-Sotomayor and 21-year-old Yovanni Suazo, both of Allentown, were killed during an exchange of gunfire last Friday morning in the 100 block of East South Street. Police say the men killed each other after one of the men spotted two people trying to get into parked cars in the area.
A woman is recovering at the hospital after a fire damaged a home in Monroe County. The blaze broke out yesterday afternoon at a home located along Woodhaven Drive in Ross Township. Authorities say the woman was transported to the hospital for breathing in too much smoke. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Officials at Lehigh Valley International Airport have launched a web feature that shows passengers how long they'll be waiting in real time. The information for parking and TSA wait times are now available on both the airport's website, flyABE-dot-com, and on mobile devices. The project used feedback from travelers and local firm Peer Pressure Creative to design the new features.
Tap water will be safe to drink for most of today in Philadelphia. That's the latest message from city officials following a weekend chemical spill into the Delaware River. Water is okay to cook with, bathe and brush your teeth until at least midnight tonight. Around the clock testing is taking place at a dozen locations in the area. The City also has a water distribution plan if things make a turn for the worse.
State transportation crews are fanning out across the Garden State to make repairs in their pothole blitz campaign. The campaign is operating this month and next month. Crews typically fill in hundreds of potholes each day. A relatively mild winter has cut down on the number of potholes that usually dot the state this time of year.
Starting today, New Jersey taxpayers will begin seeing direct deposits from the state's ANCHOR property-tax relief program. State officials say more than 800-thousand direct deposits will land in taxpayers' bank accounts, while paper checks will begin going out next week and most payments will be distributed by the first week of May. Officials say more than one-point-seven million people applied for the program, including one-and-a-quarter million property owners and more than 514-thousand renters.
Major changes are coming at the top of the Flyers organization. Dave Scott has announced his plans to retire as chairman of Comcast Spectator and governor of the Flyers. Dan Hilferty has plans to take over both roles later this year. The organization also fired president and general manager Chuck Fletcher earlier this month.