It was a very busy Wednesday morning for firefighters in Lehigh County. A two-alarm fire began just after 5:30 this morning at the Fastenal Fulfillment Center in Upper Macungie Township and it prompted Route 100 to be closed for the entire morning rush hour. Firefighters had the fire brought under control around 8:30 but not until it caused heavy damage. There are no injuries reported.
It looked like a tornado and now it's confirmed it 'was' a tornado that hit Mahonoy City, Schuylkill County Monday night. The National Weather Service says an EF1 tornado had maximum estimated wind speeds of 90 mph, was 75 yards wide and had a path length of 1.5 miles. The twister formed at 7:38 Monday night just west of Mahonoy City and then headed northeast. Trees were uprooted, several homes were damaged and debris was scattered across the area before the tornado lifted six minutes after it formed. Despite the damage, no injuries were reported.
A 30-year-old Macungie man is charged with sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl last week. Investigators say last Friday afternoon Jared Gerhard inappropriately touched the teenager inside a Marshall's store on Hamilton Boulevard in Lower Macungie Township. The girl screamed and Gerhard bolted out of the store and was arrested a short time later allegedly speeding through the parking lot to get away. Gerhard, who has served as a substitute teacher in several area school districts, faces one felony and one misdemeanor charge and is free on $35,000 bail.
A Friday evening DUI crash in Carbon County has now claimed the life of a second man. 50-year-old Jason Reed, of Lower Towamensing Township died Tuesday from injuries suffered in the crash that happened on Ashtown Drive in Mahoning Township. 36-year-old Trevor Hunsicker, of Kingston, died the day of the crash. Investigators say Hunsicker was speeding when he lost control and crashed into the second vehicle. Hunsicker and Reed, who was a passenger in the vehicle, were both ejected from the vehicle as a result of the crash. Officials report a 36-year-old female and a 32-year-old man from Lehighton were also involved in the crash.
Another local school board has voted to increase property taxes. Tuesday night, the Whitehall-Coplay school board voted 5-4 in favor of a $95.7 million budget that includes a 4.5% tax increase on property owners.
A restaurant chain is opening its first Pennsylvania location in the Lehigh Valley later this year. Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls will open a 1500-square-foot restaurant this summer at Promenade Saucon Valley. Its menu will feature New England menu items like lobster rolls, soups, salad and other desserts. Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls has more than 30 locations in the country, but none in Pennsylvania.
A Tuesday fire damaged an East Stroudsburg University building. It appears a problem with the HVAC system caused the fire at the ESU Innovation Center. East Stroudsburg vice president Michael Sachs explains what happens next. "We have to do a walk-through to determine how much damage there is in those areas and what areas can be occupied and which ones can't," Sachs says. Everybody inside the building when the fire began was able to get out safely. The center was built in 2012 and is used for administrative offices for the university.
Lawmakers in Harrisburg are looking to close a seat belt loophole for little kids. The Pennsylvania House last week approved a change that would end the seat belt exemption for large trucks in the state. Currently Pennsylvania law doesn't require kids to wear seat belts in any truck larger than seven thousand-pounds. That means drivers of heavy duty trucks and Hummers don't have to buckle-in their kids. State Rep. Joe McAndrew says he wants to make sure that all kids are protected.
Penn State Health is ending the liver and kidney transplant programs at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The health system made the announcement yesterday, saying the decision was based on "ongoing challenges" highlighted in discussions with the United Network for Organ Sharing and an internal review. Over 150 patients who were on the liver and kidney transplant waiting lists will now have to find another care provider. Penn State Health says they are offering assistance to those patients.
Prosecutors are giving jurors a detailed listing of evidence, including emails and phone records, in Senator Bob Menendez's federal bribery trial this week. Yesterday, an FBI agent described the government's case against Menendez, who's accused of playing a key role in an international bribery scheme, involving his wife Nadine, the governments of Egypt, Qatar, and three New Jersey businessmen. Last week, a USDA Halal meat expert testified that Menendez helped secure an overseas meat inspection business with the Egyptian government for a co-defendant. Menendez has pleaded not guilty.