A missing hiker has been found dead. Police say an unidentified hiker on the Appalachian Trail was found dead Sunday in Northampton County, near the Carbon County line. State Police asked for help from the Lehigh Township Fire Department to find the missing hiker. A Northampton County emergency Management Command Center was then set up in the area of the Blue Mountain Ski Resort and search dogs and numerous vehicles were brought in. The coroner's office has not yet released the hiker's name nor how they died.
A man was stabbed late Saturday night in the area of Friendship Park on East North Street in Bethlehem. Police were initially called to the scene for reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they found the stab victim as well as evidence of gunshots there as well. Police say the man's injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. The investigation continues.
Anti-Israel protests continue at college campuses nationwide. While President Biden has condemned the protests, he has received backlash from both sides of the aisle for his handling of the demonstrations as well as his handling of the Israel-Hamas war as a whole. On CBS' "Face the Nation", Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman defended the President against the criticism he's received. "It's perfectly normal if you don't agree with the President on this issue or any other issue. But, it's very strange when we have this incredibly important election right in front of us and there's two stark choices," Fetterman said. Fetterman adds that if voters are “willing to walk away from Joe Biden, you’re actually supporting Trump.”
Pennsylvania lawmakers are eyeing a plan to put cameras in the state's courtrooms. State Representative Jamie Flick says he wants to get cameras into court as a way to hold the justice system accountable. Unlike many other states, Pennsylvania doesn't allow cameras to broadcast or even take pictures of video of court proceedings. Flick says it would be better for the people, and better for the justice system to inject a little transparency. He hopes to file his legislation by the beginning of June.
Pennsylvania has spent just over half of its opioid settlement money, but there are millions left to spend. The Pennsylvania Opioid Trust last week said it has $41 million in unspent settlement dollars. Trust chairman Tom VanKirk says they want to spend that money quickly, but he said they also want to make sure it's spent wisely. VanKirk says the Trust has approved 55 percent of almost 400 opioid-related projects proposed by counties across the state.
Governor Phil Murphy has announced a special primary election in July to fill the seat of the late Democratic Congressman Donald Payne Junior. The governor has set July 16th for the primary election and September 18th for the general election for Payne's seat. The decision means the filing deadline for the primary will be at 4 p.m. May tenth -- this Friday. Payne was in the middle of his sixth congressional term when he passed away April 24th. The 65-year-old father of three was also a former Newark city council president and former Essex County freeholder.
New Jersey lawmakers are considering a bill that would bar certain offshore wind project charges from being collected from ratepayers. State Senator Holly Schepisi introduced the bill last week. It states the Board of Public Utilities cannot require ratepayers to pay or prepay any costs associated with subsidies for qualified offshore wind projects. Right now, such projects can sell renewable energy certificates to electric power suppliers -- which are funded through ratepayer surcharges.
New Jersey transportation officials are warning motorists to be wary of text messages that are scams for the state's EZ Pass system. The scams are in the form of text messages. They claim to come from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority or another toll agency and warn the recipient that they must pay a toll balance or risk late fees. The recipient is urged to click on a link to make a payment. Anyone who has clicked on the link should contact their bank or credit card company immediately.
The Phillies remain hot. Their 5-4 win over San Francisco Sunday night is their fifth win in a row. Bryce Harper hit a three-run homer in the win and says getting off to a good start this season is nice, but guarantees nothing. "Obviously games in April mean a lot, but we've got to be consistent in the way we play and we've got to be consistent throughout the whole season and not just April and May or August and September. We have to ride that wave and understand we're going to go through ebbs and flows throughout the course of a season. We have to stay the course and play good baseball and I think we're doing that right now," Harper said. The Phillies are two-and-a-half games ahead of Atlanta in the NL East and have the best record in baseball at 24-11.