The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone for Berks, Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties for Thursday. Officials say hot, high temperatures in the middle 90s will contribute to higher concentrations of ozone during the daytime hours. The alert is only expected to last a day because thundershowers are forecast for Thursday night and into the weekend.
It looks like a pretty good bet we'll be seeing some thunderstorms tonight. "Looks like showers and storms for most of us tonight. About a 60-percent chance of rain and any place that does get showers and storms, you're looking at the chance for some downpours and some strong wind gusts," says Accu-Weather's Bill Deger. He says those storms will lower the temperature by about ten degrees from today into tomorrow.
There's an arrest in a shooting in Easton. 22-year-old Darius Clary was arrested early this morning at his home in Easton. Clary is accused of shooting an 18-year-old several times last Wednesday morning. That victim remains in the hospital and is listed in stable condition. Police are not revealing what led to the shooting.
Investigators say a person shot in Allentown on Wednesday morning is expected to survive their wounds. Police were called to the 800 block of North Seventh Street for a report of a shooting about 10 o'clock Wednesday morning. When they arrived, they found a gunshot victim, who was then taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police said there is no physical threat to the community. The shooting is still under investigation.
A 36-year-old man is charged with trying to attack family members with an axe and then fleeing from police. Nicholas Fodor remains in Monroe County Prison after he allegedly tried to hit several family members with an axe in Pocono Summit around 8:30 Monday night. Police say Fodor then drove off before his vehicle was eventually disabled by police and ended up at a business along Route 611 where he was arrested.
Pennsylvania State Police have identified a 70-year-old woman who died in riding lawnmower accident. It happened Tuesday evening at her home along Countryside Road in Brodheadsville. Gloria Myler was found dead underneath a riding lawn mower around 6 p.m. that night. Officials say there were no signs of foul play and her exact cause of death is under investigation. Her obituary says that Myler was a long-time bus driver for the Pleasant Valley School District.
The Nazareth Area School District board is reportedly considering hiring a collection agency to crack down on student debt. The board is trying to figure out ways to recover money it says students owe for school lunches and other costs. Data from the state department of education shows Nazareth and Northampton are the only school districts in the Valley that aren't participating in the universal free breakfast program. They do offer free or reduced-cost lunches in the federal program.
The University of Idaho will delay plans to demolish the house where four students were killed last year. Family members of the victims want the house to remain, in case it's needed for prosecuting suspect Bryan Kohberger, who is from Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Community members want the structure destroyed, because it's a reminder of what happened. University President Scott Green says the school will pause plans and reconsider the idea in October. A memorial garden for the victims is being planned on the University of Idaho campus.
The search continues for 34-year-old Michael Burham, a murder suspect who escaped from a Warren County, Pennsylvania jail last week. "We have additional information that we have gleaned recently that causes me to have addition concerns that he may be armed," says Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police. He says investigators have also learned there may have been a drone flying in the area of the prison where Burham escaped. There's a nearly $20,000 reward for any leads that result in Burham's arrest.
Both chambers of the General Assembly have now officially left Harrisburg for the summer. Lawmakers in the House and Senate won't reconvene until mid-to-late September, leaving a $46 billion state budget deal undone until then. On Wednesday, the House released a memo indicating it would not return before September 26th, meaning the budget will be three months late. Without a new spending plan in place, school districts, county agencies and other programs won't be able to operate when their funding dries up.
A proposed bill in the state House would make sure that lawmakers get reimbursed only for costs that they actually paid for themselves. Right now, legislators have generous reimbursement rules for expenses, including per-diem costs that don't require a receipt. House Bill 1344 would do away with per-diem expenses and would require lawmakers to provide receipts for their expenses. The measure is sponsored by Republican Representative Brett Miller of Columbia.
A measure that will expand Pennsylvania's property tax and rent rebate program is headed to Governor Shapiro's desk for his signature. It allows for increased monetary benefits by increasing the program's income cap and rebate amounts. Specifically, the maximum rebate will rise from $650 to $1000 and the income cap will increase to $45,000. They'll also be tied to the consumer price index. The new law will mark the first time in nearly 20 years that the amounts have been raised. Most of the program's beneficiaries are seniors and people with disabilities.
Pennsylvania officials will soon have a five-year plan of action for making sure universal broadband service is installed across the state. The plan is required in order for the Pennsylvania to get over a billion dollars in funding from the federal government for internet access expansion. The plan will be submitted to the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority for review July 25th and then sent to the government agency that's handling the proposals by August 12th. FCC data shows the Commonwealth has more than 300 locations that don't have broadband-ranked service or that are under-served overall.
Jurors have begun deliberations in the penalty phase of the trial of convicted Tree of Life shooter Robert Bowers. With Bowers already convicted on charges he murdered 11 people inside the Pittsburgh synagogue, the jury is now tasked with deciding if he is eligible for the death penalty. If they determine that he is, more witnesses and arguments may be presented before a final decision is made. If jurors find Bowers ineligible, he will be sentenced to life in prison.