The Lehigh Valley desperately needs rain. Accu-Weather's Joe Lundberg says we're almost certainly getting a decent amount today. "Most likely amounts are half-inch to three-quarters of an inch, but some places might get more than an inch if they get a heavier downpour," Lundberg says. He says there's a pretty good chance for more rain on Wednesday as well.
There's another murder investigation underway in Allentown. A 24-year-old man was shot to death just after 12:30 Sunday morning in the area of Grant and Pine streets. Police have not said whether anyone has been arrested and are asking anyone with information on the killing to call detectives at 610-437-7721. Allentown has now had 11 homicides this year.
A 22-year-old man is dead after being struck by two different vehicles over the weekend. It happened just after 9 p.m. Saturday in the area of Rising Sun Road and Mauser Street in North Whitehall Township. The Lehigh County Coroner's Office has not yet released the man's name. Police are continuing their investigation.
Fifteen people are displaced after a three-alarm rowhome fire in Allentown on Sunday. The Allentown Fire Department says it was called to the 500 block of North Fountain Street just before 3pm. One home was extensively damaged. A fire captain said there was an unattended propane grill against a house and the fire extended to nearby homes, causing damage, and one had to be ventilated due to smoke.
Easton's mayor says the city will soon host an initiative to collect furniture for fire victims. Mayor Sal Panto says they're still trying to find a proper location to store everything before opening up the appeal to the public. The fire that broke out in a series of row houses on Ferry Street on Memorial Day affected 15 homes and displaced 44 people.
A section of Interstate 95 near Philadelphia has been shutdown after an overpass collapsed due to a tanker truck fire early Sunday morning. Massive delays on the interstate followed and now drivers in the area have to resort to taking alternate routes. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says it may take a while until things return to normal in the area. "With regards to the complete rebuild of the I-95 roadway, we expect that to take some number of months. We expect it to take that time and we will have that specific timeline once the engineers and PennDOT have completed their review," the governor says. No injuries have been reported, however the driver of the truck is missing.
State health officials say the on-going dry conditions in the Lehigh Valley are affecting allergies pretty badly this year. Dr. Robert Zemble of Bethlehem says he's seeing a lot more patients as the longer stretch of dry air and ground conditions continue. He also says the peak grass allergies season, which runs from May to June will likely be extended a bit this year before the ragweed and mold will pick up in the fall, as well.
User fees for electric vehicles might become a reality under a bill approved by the state Senate Transportation Committee late last week. Senate Bill 656 would create a flat annual fee of $290 for electric vehicles. The fee was calculated based on the average annual gas taxes paid by owners of gas-powered vehicles. Just like the state gas tax, the revenue from the EV flat fees would be deposited into the Motor License Fund for highway maintenance and construction.
A piece of legislation by two state Republican lawmakers would require run-off elections if no one wins the majority of votes in a primary election. Representative Ryan Aument of Lancaster and Representative Frank Farry of Bucks have sent out a memo asking for co-sponsors for the measure. On Friday, Farry said in an op-ed piece that "Just because you got the most votes doesn't mean you got the majority of votes." He adds that a candidate is very unlikely to win an election for major statewide office unless they're able to get at least 50 percent of the vote from their party in the primary.
Testimony is scheduled to resume today in the Tree of Life synagogue massacre trial. Jurors on Thursday heard from a forensics expert testifying for the prosecution in the capital murder trial of Robert Bowers. Bowers is accused of killing eleven worshippers at the Pittsburgh synagogue in October of 2018. One FBI official described her analysis of DNA evidence gathered at the crime scene which she says connects the defendant with weapons recovered and with the victims.
GOP presidential candidate and ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says the indictment against former President Donald Trump is "bad for anyone," let alone a former president. Christie says the indictment was evidence-filled, with the facts being "devastating." He went on to add that the problems were "self-inflicted," and could've been avoided if Trump complied with the DOJ subpoena.