The Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that would move up the 2024 primary election. In a 45-2 vote the Senate approved moving the date to March 19, 2024. Under the current law, the election is set to take place on April 23, 2024, which falls during the Jewish holiday of Passover. Lawmakers said keeping it there would disenfranchise Jewish people who follow the traditional laws prohibiting writing, driving, or the use of electricity on the holiday. There has been a push among PA lawmakers to move up the primary date in the past. Many have said Pennsylvania doesn't play a major role in the primary process and said often times the nominee is already decided by the time Pennsylvanians hit the polls. Multiple bills in the House of Representatives have been proposed to change the primary election date. One would move it to March 19, and the other would move it to April 4. Neither bill has gotten a vote yet in a house committee.
Allentown City Councilman Ed Zucal had introduced an ordinance authorizing an investigation into City Hall. The move comes after Allentown's NAACP alleged discrimination and harassment directed at city employees and the claim by the city's ex-human resources director, who says Mayor Matt Tuerk fired him over a difference of opinion on issues involving minority employees. "This is about transparency for the people who pay their taxes and for the people who work there every day," Zucal says. Tuerk, who did not attend Wednesday night's meeting, previously said he'd prefer a committee over an investigation because he's concerned an investigation would cause waves in the workforce.
An 86-year-old Lower Saucon Township man died Wednesday, three days after the riding lawn mower he was operating rolled over onto him. The accident happened September 17th when Frank Fabian was operating the tractor.
There were a few nervous moments Wednesday morning in Palmer Township, where a gas leak prompted a short shelter-in-place order. Firefighters were called to 2906 William Penn Highway about 7:30 a.m. for a report of a gas leak after a contractor at the business struck a main service line while digging there. Residents, businesses and the nearby Easton Area High School were asked to shelter in place for about 20 minutes while crews shut the gas off.
Wert's Cafe on North 18th Street in Allentown says it expects to reopen on September 27th after a partial ceiling collapse temporarily closed the business. The partial ceiling collapse happened September 12th. One employee suffered only a minor injury.
Gas prices went up quite a bit in the seven days ending Tuesday. According to AAA East Central, Pennsylvania's average price for a gallon of gas jumped up by six cents from $3.86 to $3.92. That's seven cents higher than last September 19th. In the Lehigh Valley, the price of gas jumped by nine cents to $3.86 a gallon, which is a dime more than one year earlier.
The Lehigh Valley Zoo has a new resident. The latest addition to the zoo was born September 12. It’s the first alpaca ever born at the zoo. The new alpaca's parents arrived at the zoo last year for breeding purposes.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has banned a man who they say left a child outside in 22-degree weather while he gambled. The action was announced Wednesday against the unnamed man who left the five-year-old child in a car in the parking lot of Wind Creek Bethlehem Casino. The gaming board says there were 126 such incidents across the state though the first seven months of this year.
State gambling regulators are saying an online sports betting company was fined by New Jersey for three different violations. Officials are saying the company PointsBet allowed bettors to wager on situations that are not allowed and were in direct violation of state gambling laws. One violation was allowing New Jersey bettors to gamble on in-state collegiate athletics, such as St. Peter's "Cinderella" run in the 2022 NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, which is illegal. The company is also accused of allowing underage minors to compete in eSports tournaments. The company was fined $25,000.
A federal grand jury in New York is looking into whether New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez illegally accepted gold bars from an admitted felon. NBC 4 New York says prosecutors are investigating whether New Jersey's senior senator offered to contact the Justice Department to help Fred Daibes in exchange for 400-thousand-dollars in gold bars given to Menendez' wife. The Edgewater developer and one-time bank chairman was facing more than a dozen bank fraud charges at the time. Witnesses are now testifying about the gold bars as the grand jury considers bringing corruption charges against Menendez.
The Philadelphia Flyers hit the ice in Voorhees today for their first practice of training camp. All sessions are open to the public. Philadelphia begins the preseason against the Devils in Newark on Monday and will stay on the road for a matchup against the Islanders later next week.