Police have found a 30-year-old woman who jumped into the Delaware River Monday evening. A nearby resident on Durham Road in Riegelsville says the search was intense. "There was a very large response of first responders," one man said. Police were called to Durham Road around 6:30 Monday night for reports of a domestic incident. They determined the woman and a 34-year-old man had left the scene. The woman and three children were discovered on a walking path along the river and as police approached, the woman jumped into the river. The three children are safe, but the woman disappeared. However, she was later found in Riegelsville and will now face unannounced charges. As for the 34-year-old man, he arrived back on the scene and was taken into custody.
The Northampton County Sheriff's Office is warning of a new scam that targets county residents by phone. The caller identifies themselves as Lt. George Volpe, who is an actual sheriff's department officer, as he tries to scam people. The county says the caller tells people they are wanted for failing to appear for a court hearing or jury duty and tells them to send money to make up for it through a Venmo account. Officials say the department does not call residents or solicit money instead of making an arrest.
According to AAA East Central, Pennsylvania's gas prices dropped by nearly three cents over the past seven days. As of Tuesday, Pennsylvania's average price for a gallon of gas stood at $3.33, down three cents from January 9th and 30 cents lower than one year ago. In the Lehigh Valley, the average gas price is $3.25, also three cents lower than one week earlier and 23 cents below in the price last year.
The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley says a J. Crew Factory store will be opening up this spring right in between the Barnes & Noble and Francesca's. Right now, the closest J. Crew Factory stores are in Montgomery and Lancaster counties.
A plan to build a new residential development in Monroe County is taking another step forward. The Pocono Township Board of Commissioners voted to approve a plan for construction of a residential development on 84 acres of land along Route 611 in Tannersville. Trap Enterprises is the company in charge of the project that's known as the Ridge at Swiftwater.
Attorney General Michelle Henry says her office is launching its first-ever Human Trafficking section. It goal is to address and strengthen investigations for prosecuting human trafficking cases, as well as to help victims. Officials in the AG's office testified late last week at a Senate Policy Committee hearing about enforcement efforts that are happening statewide.
Pennsylvania will provide EBT food over the summer for students who normally get free meals during the school year. The Summer-EBT program was created by a federal act last year. The total federal summer-EBT benefit is 40-dollars per month per eligible child and will cover the months of June, July, and August. Pennsylvania will be issuing the Summer EBT benefit as a single 120-dollar payment. Over 600-thousand students will be eligible to take part in the state plan.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is signing legislation that gives more students access to free school meals. The legislation expands eligibility criteria under the Working Class Families Anti-Hunger Act. It calls for public and non-public schools participating in one of two federal programs to provide free breakfast, lunch or both to students whose families have an annual household income of up to 224 percent of the federal poverty level. That will make more than 60-thousand additional New Jersey families now eligible. Murphy says the move ensures that more of New Jersey's young learners will be able to go to class ready to learn, rather than wondering where their next meal will come from.
Governor Phil Murphy has signed into law a bill authorizing pay hikes of 67 percent for state lawmakers, as well as salary increases for the next governor and other officials. The legislation will increase salaries from 49-thousand dollars to $89,000, beginning in 2026. Not all lawmakers who voted for the bill will benefit because it won't take effect for two years. It will be their first raises in 24 years.
New Jersey's senior senator, Democrat Bob Menendez, has asked for a change in the venue of the trial of him and his wife on federal bribery charges. Menendez has also requested separate trials for the two of them, arguing they'd be forced to testify against each other if they're tried together. The embattled senator has denied charges he allegedly worked as a foreign agent for Egypt and used his power to aid the government of Qatar. The veteran Democrat has filed a motion asking the court to toss the indictment, claiming constitutional immunity from prosecution.
The New Jersey gaming industry saw a record set last year for revenue, as gamblers lost $5.77 billion at the nine casinos in Atlantic City. That figure was almost eleven percent higher than 2022. Gaming regulators say the increase was recorded across all three components of the industry: Casinos, online wagering and sports betting. The only metered segment that saw a loss last year was physical table games in Atlantic City. The segment's $736.2 million represented a point-seven percent drop from 2022.