Investigators say they can't tell yet whether a fire that nearly destroyed a Palmer Township home was caused by a lightning strike. Palmer Municipal Fire Deputy Chief Ken Sobieski says both residents at the two-story home in the one-hundred block of Clover Hollow Road escaped safely with their two pet birds early Saturday morning. He says while the lightning storm was intense at that time, Deputy Chief Sobieski says they're not yet sure whether it played a role in the fire. The colonial-style home was deemed uninhabitable by fire officials as it roof was totally destroyed. No injuries were reported.
Musikfest 2023 ended on a high note. Its traditional fireworks finale Sunday night marked the end of the ten-day festival that draws more than a million people to Bethlehem. Promoters for ArtsQuest, the group that puts on the festival, say only some bad weather marred some of the concerts. CEO Kassie Hilgert says all events went off without a hitch and thankfully lacked the shooting violence that marred last year's festival. She says 2023 Musikfest is likely to generate close to 75-million dollars in economic impact in the Lehigh Valley. It is billed as the largest non-gated, free music festival in the country.
A Stroudsburg man has been identified as the person who died after suffering a medical event Friday while hiking in New Hampshire. Twenty-one-year-old Jason Apreku was hiking with friends on Mount Madison when he collapsed. The group called for help but dangerous winds prevented an Army National Guard helicopter from reaching the hikers and Apreku died on the mountain.
Poison cases in Pennsylvania are reportedly on the rise due to kids' exposure to e-cigarette and vape use. Officials with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia say there have been 89 cases of exposure to vaping liquids or E-cigarettes among children this year, as compared to 58 cases from the same time last year. They tell the Philadelphia Inquirer that nicotine exposures among children -- especially in kids under five -- are rapidly rising. The term "exposure" is where someone has ingested or is suspected to have ingested a substance. Officials say they're especially worried because disposable E-cigarettes, which are now the most popular type of vape on the market. They can contain as much nicotine as multiple packs of cigarettes and aren't required to have child-resistant packaging.
A proposal in the state legislature would help boost the use of solar panels in Pennsylvania schools. The initiative would give the Department of Community and Economic Development the ability to set up a grant program so that schools could apply for federal money to cover part of the cost of installing solar panels. The state would also provide help to navigate the grant process. The "Solar for Schools" bill passed the House in June and now waits for Senate action. One of its legislative sponsor says one district that installed solar panels three years ago has reduced its annual electrical bill by about 275-thousand-dollars.
New state legislation could be coming to help struggling emergency medical service providers. Heather Sharar with the Ambulance Association of PA says many companies are experiencing financial difficulties like the now-shuttered Jeannette EMS. State officials have introduced a measure that would reimburse EMS operators at four dollars per mile through Medicaid for complete trips, as opposed to only those over 20 miles. Also, new rules are being discussed that would allow county leaders to create public safety authorities. That could lead to the establishment of regional ambulance providers, according to industry officials.
check their pantry shelves for packages of a Nestle Toll House product involved in a national recall. Nestle is recalling two batches of their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough "break and bake" Bar products. The products produced on April 24th and 25th could contain the presence of wood fragments. Specific batch codes can be found at FDA-gov. Customers who have a package included in the recall are advised to return it to the point of purchase for a full refund.
Another dead whale has been discovered washed up on a Jersey Shore beach. Lifeguards at Takanassee Beach along Ocean Avenue in Long Branch spotted the carcass Saturday. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is performing the necropsy on the carcass and has confirmed it was a humpback. It has been more than ten weeks since the last whale was recorded stranded along the New Jersey coastline.