A Lehigh Valley college was placed under lockdown Tuesday night because of gunfire. Police in Allentown say four people were shot around 7 o'clock Tuesday night near 18th and West Turner streets near the Muhlenberg College campus. Students on campus were briefly told to shelter in place. Neighbors said they heard about eight gunshots and were also told by officers to stay inside. Police haven't released any details of what happened, but they're saying there's no threat to the public.
More than a dozen Chester County Democrats say somebody forged their signatures on the nominating petitions of Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley, who is running for state auditor general. Among those is Judge Alito Rovito, who says the signature looks nothing like hers and adds signing anybody's petition would violate the Judicial Ethics Code. Others claiming their signatures were forged include a pair of Coatesville Council member and a township supervisor. Pinsley's campaign says it is looking into the issue. The signatures were gathered by a Temple University student. Auditor general candidates must collect at least 1,000 signatures, with 100 from at least five counties.
As expected, the Lehigh County Coroner has ruled a man's death over the weekend a homicide. The coroner says 33-year-old Migual Dalmasi, of Alburtis, was shot multiple times around 8:30 Saturday night at the intersection of East Walnut Street and South Dauphin Street in Allentown. Police say Dalmasi was at the birthday party of a one-year-old relative when a group of uninvited people showed up at the house and tried to get inside. During an argument, Dalmasi was shot. No arrests have been made.
A Northampton County house has been badly damaged by a Tuesday morning fire. It was reported around 10 a.m. in the 4100 block of Route 248, near Blue Mountain Drive in Lehigh Township. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the township’s fire marshal.
Two cottages in a religious retreat in Salisbury Township went up in flames just before 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon. Investigators are trying to figure out why the two cottages at the E.C. Waldheim Park on South Hall Street caught fire. There are no injuries reported.
Musikfest has now filled half of its ten Wind Creek Steel Stage shows for this August's festival. The fourth headliner is a return hard rock attraction. Shinedown returns to Musikfest on the night of August 3rd. Shinedown had previously been in Bethlehem three years ago. The fifth headline act is making their first Musikfest appearance on the night of August 9th. Pop stars Big Time Rush will be at Musikfest for the first time after appearing at the Great Allentown Fair. Tickets for both shows go on sale to the general public on Friday at 10am.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey was at Lehigh Valley International Airport Tuesday discussing the previously announced $40 million in infrastructure money coming to the airport. That money will be used to expand the airport's cargo operations, something Casey says is needed. "This airport handles the second-most cargo volume of any airport in Pennsylvania," Casey says. LVIA's air cargo activity has grown by 800% over the last 10 years.
Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Bob Casey is leading his likely Republican opponent Dave McCormick by double digits in a new Emerson College/The Hill poll. The survey of 1000 registered Pennsylvania voters found Casey leading 49% to McCormick’s 39%. Nearly 13% said they were undecided. The survey was conducted February 14-16 and has a margin of error of three points.
The College Football Playoff is officially expanding. The CFP board of managers unanimously approved a model that will guarantee the five highest-ranked conference champions' inclusion in the expanded 12-team field this fall, along with the next seven highest-ranked teams. The CFP intentionally won't refer to the Group of 5 in its description of the format, because there is a chance that a champion from one of the Power 4 conferences finishes ranked below the top champion from the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, Mountain West, Sun Belt or Mid-American Conference.