Police in Easton say they're getting no cooperation in their investigation into what they're calling a targeted shooting. An 18-year-old man was shot early this morning in the 100 block of St. John's Street on Easton's South Side. Police were called around 12:30 this morning and found the man lying in the street. He was taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. Police say multiple people were reported fleeing the area shortly after the shooting. The victim's identity and condition have not yet been released.
A tractor-trailer driver has been cited after a crash that closed Route 22 for hours Monday afternoon. 52-year-old Richard Weatherspoon, of Allentown, was driving on the on ramp from Cedar Crest Boulevard onto Route 22 West at a high rate of speed, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The truck overturned, spilling the trash it had been carrying across all lanes of Route 22. Weatherspoon had minor injuries after the crash. The stretch of Route 22 was closed for about five hours as crews cleaned up the scene.
Police in the Poconos are continuing to ask the public for help with finding a missing man from Monroe County. 62-year-old Daniel Martinez was last seen at his residence in Price Township last Wednesday. Martinez reportedly suffers from several health issues and left his home to walk to the local store without his cell phone. He was last seen wearing a black polo jacket, light blue jeans and black shoes. Anyone with any information on Martinez's whereabouts are being asked to contact 911 immediately.
Slatington held a very different Independence Day display Tuesday night. Instead of fireworks, dozens of brightly colored drones lit up the sky and did so virtually silently. "I'm interested in seeing it. It's something different," one woman said. 75 drones were used in the display.
The Poconos were packed to celebrate the Fourth of July yesterday. Beltzville State Park filled to capacity just minutes after it opened to celebrate Independence Day. People who didn't make it in time before it filled to maximum capacity were directed to other parks in the area like Hickory Run. Beltzville State Park is preparing to be very busy through the weekend.
Perhaps the most popular places to be on Tuesday were area Sheetz gas stations. In celebration of Independence Day, Sheetz changed gas prices to $1.776 per gallon. The opportunity to save nearly $2 a gallon prompted dozens of cars to line up almost all day at Sheetz stations with wait times reaching more than an hour in some places.
America was born in Philadelphia 247 years ago. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was there Tuesday. "Let's recommit ourselves to continuing the work of our founders, to ensure the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness extends to all so that we can finally secure real freedom here in this city, all across the commonwealth and across this great nation," the governor said. Shapiro's comments came in front of Independence Hall.
Five people are dead and two more have gunshot wounds from a mass shooting in Philadelphia Monday night. District Attorney Larry Krasner calls for the state legislature to pass stricter gun laws or face the consequences from voters. "It is time for everybody in our legislature, including ones who like to walk around with an AR-15 lapel pin, it is time for every one of them to face the voters and if they're not going to do something, then voters are going to have to vote them out," Krasner says. The suspect in the killings is due in court today.
The Pennsylvania state Senate has closed its current session and isn't scheduled to be back until Monday, September 18th. Late last week, the legislative body passed its proposed state budget and forwarded it on to the House. Lawmakers in the House will reconvene Wednesday to continue work on the budget and many other measures that still need to be approved. The House is set to start back up today at noon.
Marijuana sales have now begun in yet another state that borders Pennsylvania. Legal marijuana sales began in Maryland this past Saturday on July 1st. State police say they'll be on the lookout for residents who bring the substance into the commonwealth. It's not legal to possess marijuana in Pennsylvania as it's use is still considered illegal under state law. Medical marijuana is allowed, however. Out of the PA tri-state area, Pennsylvania is the only state that has yet to decriminalize or legalize marijuana.
A report from the ACLU says New Jersey leads the nation in reduction of its prison population. But the report also says Blacks make up a disproportionate part of the state's prison population. The report says New Jersey's prison population plummeted by 45-percent from 2017 to last year. It says the Garden State released a higher share of inmates during the pandemic than other states, largely due to the Public Health Emergency Credit. The program enabled New Jersey to release some nine-thousand inmates.