It looks like there will be no strike at Mack Trucks. Just after midnight, Mack Trucks announced it has reached a tentative deal with the United Auto Workers union on a new five-year contract covering about 3900 workers at Mack facilities, including here in the Lehigh Valley. Mack President Stephen Roy says the terms would increase employee wages and continue first-class benefits for those employees. At the same time, Roy says it would allow Mack to successfully compete in the market. The agreement still must be ratified by UAW members.
Police said a 53-year-old man was found dead with a gunshot wound and a 51-year-old woman was shot and injured in the 300 block of East 9th Street in Northampton. Police say the woman was taken to a nearby hospital. Her condition is not known. Police said they were dispatched around 11:30 Saturday morning for a report of gunshots inside the home. Police said there is no threat to the public.
A proposed warehouse/industrial project in Hanover Township, Northampton County has residents there trying to block it. A woman among a group protesting the plan Sunday explains why. "We don't need that. Our roads are already too crowded," one protester said. The township has a meeting scheduled for October 10th, to discuss the next steps in this development.
Accu-Weather's Matt Benz says the calendar may say October but the forecast sounds a lot like late August. "It's really August-like weather, maybe early September-like weather. It's hard to imagine it's the first week of October," Benz says. Today's high is expected to be 81. Tomorrow and Wednesday should hit 83. The all-time record for October 3 is 83 and Wednesday's record is 86.
The number of hospitalizations for COVID has increased in many counties in the region. CDC figures on 14-day changes showing the number of people going in for treatment rose 68 percent in Lehigh County. There's been a 32-percent increase for Northampton County. Data is reported by each hospital to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and includes confirmed and suspected adult and pediatric patients.
Following the spending deal that avoided a government shutdown, Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick tells CBS' "Face the Nation" he wants to see more bipartisanship on Capitol Hill. "You should not be coming on the brink of default on our debt, shutting down our government. That's no way to do business," Fitzpatrick says. The deal did not include more money for Ukraine and Fitzpatrick says Congress needs to work on a separate deal to help Ukraine fight off Russia.
Both Pennsylvania senators are happy a government shutdown was averted over the weekend. Neither are happy that it almost happened. In a statement, Democrat John Fetterman says, "The American people should never have to worry about their government shutting down. Pushing the snooze button solves nothing, because these same losers will try to pull the same <expletive> in 45 days." Democrat Bob Casey also points fingers at Republicans saying, "Make no mistake, this was a manufactured crisis that could have been avoided if House Republicans had acted like adults from the start. There is only one way to fund the government and that is through bipartisanship."
A House panel is set to take up a bill to move the Pennsylvania primary to take place earlier in 2024. The House State Government Committee has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday to consider moving the spring primary to March from its current April 23rd date. Lawmakers and Governor Josh Shapiro have called for changing the date to avoid holding the election during the Jewish holiday of Passover and to give Pennsylvania voters a greater role in determining nominees for president.
New Jersey wildlife officials are reminding residents to secure outside trash as New Jersey's black bears enter their fall feeding season. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says property owners and outdoor enthusiasts can reduce the likelihood of encountering a black bear by properly managing trash and cutting down on other potential food sources. Most of New Jersey's black bears live in the northwestern part of the state, but sightings have been reported in all 21 counties.