A state General Assembly committee has agreed to audit Allentown's Neighborhood Improvement Zone. Supporters say the area is largely responsible for the economic turnaround in Center City. The state has given more than $500 million in tax money over the past ten years to support downtown development. Lehigh Valley St. Sen. Jarrett Coleman has pushed for the audit saying, “Citizens need this kind of information to hold their government accountable. People want to know if their tax dollars are being used effectively and efficiently.”
A decision has been made on a proposed charter school in the Bethlehem Area School District. The Bethlehem Area Board of School Directors on Monday denied an application for the Bethlehem STEAM Academy Charter School proposed for East Market Street. The 21,000-square-foot school would have featured 17 classrooms and focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The vote came along with approval of a lengthy report on the proposed school's flaws, which included a lack of community support, not knowing who would actually operate the school and nobody involved in the proposal having a background in STEAM curriculum.
The Upper Saucon Township Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the plan for the Route 309 Commerce Center. The project calls for the construction of three "motor freight terminals" on 119 acres of land east of Route 309 between East Hopewell Road and Center Valley Parkway, near the Interstate 78 interchange and former Center Valley Golf Course. The three buildings will house a total of 1.77 million square feet of warehouse space. The largest building will be 1.15 million square feet, while the smaller buildings will be 535,360 and 82,500 square feet, respectively.
The body of the man found in the parking lot of a Lehigh Valley fast food place has been identified. The Northampton County Coroner's Office says 31-year-old Sergio Barajas of Allentown was found dead Saturday morning in the parking lot of the Burger King on Stefko Boulevard in Bethlehem. While no foul play is suspected, the cause and manner of the man's death are pending further investigation.
A brand new roller coaster isn't the only new entertainment coming to Dorney Park this summer. The park calls Summer Nights "a thrilling summertime party, with the perfect blend of rides, food and live entertainment." The evening celebrations will include energetic entertainment, night rides, Caribbean- and Latin American-inspired food and exotic drinks and will be held on select nights from July 12 through August 18. A new Halloween event will also join the park's lineup this year. Tricks and Treats is a family-friendly Halloween-themed event on Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 14 through Oct. 27. Dorney still plans Halloween Haunt on fall nights.
Musikfest's final Wind Creek Steel Stage show this summer will feature rock and roll legends. ZZ Top will be in Bethlehem the night of August 11th. This will be a return performance for the band. ZZ Top previously appeared at Musikfest back in 2015. Also announced as a Steel Stage show is reggaetón duo Jowell & Randy. Tickets for each show go on sale March 1st at 10am.
Police in Philadelphia are searching for a suspect they say escaped from police custody early Monday morning at a hospital. Philly Police Deputy Commissioner of Investigations Frank Vanore says the suspect was in pain and was sent to a hospital to be treated. He describes what happened next. "When he was discharged from Episcopal Hospital, 29-year-old Alleem Bordan was handcuffed in the rear. As the officers were walking him back to their vehicle, he ran from officers and escaped from police custody," Vanore says. Bordan is described as five-foot-six and 145 pounds, with braids and a beard.
A group of House Republicans this week announced they’ll introduce a series of bills aimed at 'swatting incidents.' One part of the package will ensure police are not held accountable just for doing their job. "That standard and that threshold would not change. But at the same time, we want to offer protection personally and want to make sure they're protected them on the civil side. This is not something that they were involved in or instigating themselves," says Republican St. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie. There has been an uptick in instances of swatting in recent years.
State officials are kicking off a campaign to raise awareness of problem gambling. The state efforts are part of National Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The leaders want to increase public awareness of the availability of treatment and recovery services and to encourage health care providers to screen patients for problem gambling. Penn State research shows approximately 16 percent of adult residents engaged in some form of online gambling last year with most of that coming in sports betting. You can find out more information at the state's website, www.responsibleplay.pa.gov.