Demolition has begun on a Lehigh Valley eyesore. Construction crews have begun demolishing the former Champion Spark Plug Co. factory in Hellertown, which closed in 1982. The site, at the intersection of Interstate 78 and Route 412, was sold at the end of February for $2.75 million and Lehigh Valley Health Network says it's planning to build a micro-hospital at the site. The property was declared a Superfund site and cleanup and demolition is being done under the watch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Protection.
A Poconos man will spend the rest of his life in prison for crimes he committed a long, long way from his Stroudsburg home. The Department of Justice says 55-year-old Ross Roggio had a former employee of his Roggio Consulting Company abducted and detained at a Kurdish military compound in Iraq for 39 days. Roggio told the victim's captors to suffocate, tase and beat the man and threaten to cut off one of his fingers. Roggio also illegally exported weapons parts to Iraq. Investigators say Roggio retaliated against the employee, who is from Estonia, after the man raised objections about the company's weapons manufacturing. Roggio was convicted of 33 charges last May and has now been sentenced to 70 years behind bars.
Seeking to rebrand itself as more of an entertainment venue than a shopping center, the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley is being renamed Promenade Saucon Valley. Promenade management says it wants to enhance what it calls its growing reputation as the place to go for "delightful experiences and unforgettable memories." Look for a bit of a facelift there, with outside seating, a gazebo and fountain coming and improvements to amphitheater seating and signage.
A Lehigh County home was badly damaged by a late Monday night fire. The fire started around 11:20 p.m. in the 3100 block of Lindberg Avenue in Salisbury Township. There's no word yet on how many people were home at the time of the fire or if anyone was injured.
Dorney Park's Iron Menace Ride for a Cause is getting a big name assist this Friday. Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship will be in town for the event this Friday. Ride for a Cause runs from 5-9pm to debut Iron Menace, which is Dorney's newest roller coaster. Guests can buy ride packages, photo ops, food and beverages. Blankenship will hold a Q&A from 6-9 Friday night. The event raises money for the Eagles Autism Foundation.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are looking to change some of the rules for school bus drivers who have hearing problems. The House Transportation Committee yesterday unanimously approved a plan that would drop the requirement that bus drivers who have hearing aids have their hearing aids undergo an 'electroacoustic analysis.' Bus drivers who have hearing aids will still have to have a standard hearing test. Supporters say the 'electroacoustic analysis' is outdated and redundant.
Wawa is giving away coffee today. The company is offering a free hot coffee, any size, to customers today to celebrate their 60th Anniversary. The coffee will come in retro-styled cups that feature Wawa's logos from throughout its six-decade run. In addition to the free coffee, Wawa is running 60 cent specials on teas, juices, lemonade, and a birthday cake donut, among other things.
Senator Bob Menendez -- who's facing federal corruption charges along with his wife -- has virtually nothing in the first quarter, according to recently filed campaign finance reports. Menendez raised a little more than 12-hundred dollars in the first quarter, mostly from donors who seemingly have recurring payments set up. His campaign war chest still has almost five-point-seven million dollars in it. Menendez has not filed for reelection as a Democrat this year, though he has left open the door for an independent campaign.
Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith is staying in Philadelphia for the long run. ESPN reports both sides have agreed to a three-year extension. Smith and wide receiver A.J. Brown both topped one-thousand receiving yards in 2022 and 2023. The Eagles also extended tackle Jordan Mailata and guard Landon Dickerson earlier in the offseason.