A cockfighting ring in Bucks County was broken up Monday. Cindy Kelly is with the Bucks County SPCA and says she and other authorities arrived on the scene just after one fight ended. "When we walked in, there were two roosters that had been fighting and were still loose and you could tell that one was really suffering," Kelly says. Police say they were tipped off to a cockfighting ring in the 1000 block of North Easton Road in Plumstead Township. Nearly 50-chickens were rescued. One person has been arrested, however more arrests are expected.
The Lehigh Valley can now claim another spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Community board members at the 19th Street Theater, which is also known as Civic Theatre, announced Monday, the venue has been added to the federal registry. The art-deco-style theater was built in 1928 and was slightly renovated six years ago. It's located at 527 North 19th Street in Allentown. Nearly 60 places in Lehigh County are now part of the registry.
Monday marked the 25th anniversary of the massive Concept Sciences explosion in Hanover Township, Lehigh County. Five people died in the blast, which was strong enough to register on the Richter Scale. Garren Knoll was a volunteer firefighter and says the toll could have been even greater. "We did have some crews manage to save some people who were trapped inside of the building," Knoll says. Federal investigators said the blast likely happened due to high concentration and temperature in a tank with the unstable chemical.
Today is the final day to challenge a federal or state candidate's nominating petition. State election officials say such a challenge mean the races could change if someone did not gather enough valid signatures from registered voters in their district and could eventually booted from the ballot. The Pennsylvania primary for both state and presidential candidates is set for Tuesday, April 23rd.
The state Chamber of Business and Industry is looking for new contenders to be the coolest thing made in Pennsylvania. Last year's public voting resulted in the "Almost Famous" Primanti Brothers' sandwich being chosen. The Pittsburgh-area favorite contains french fries. The chamber wants to hear from residents about new contenders for this year's edition of the contest, which is modeled on the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. Nominations can be submitted online.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has made it official: He's running for governor of New Jersey. Baraka made the announcement yesterday during a Black History Month event in Trenton with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. Baraka joins state Senate President Steve Sweeney and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop as Democratic candidates for governor. Governor Phil Murphy's term ends next year.
There's a new effort to bring back the classic blue New Jersey license plates from the 1980s. A bill that would bring them back has been reintroduced and referred to the State Senate Transportation Committee. The blue plates were issued from 1979 through 1991. In addition to the cost of registration fee, the plates would carry a $50 application fee and a $10 annual fee for classic plates. The money would go towards transportation projects.
New federal data show more than one-third of all homes in New Jersey are now mortgage free. The fact reflects a similar trend nationwide. Census data from 2022 show 36-point-seven percent of homes in New Jersey are owned outright, with no mortgage or home equity loan. The figure is up sharply from 2010, when just under 29 percent of all homes in the Garden State were owned outright. Analysts say many older homeowners reached the end of their traditional 30-year mortgage terms. Also, many homeowners refinanced when interest rates were low and paid off their mortgages early.