FirstEnergy Corp. says their distribution and transmission system is prepared to meet the anticipated increase in customer electricity usage associated with summer’s first heat wave expected to spread across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions beginning early next week. The company offers these tips to beat the heat and save energy: Set thermostats as high as comfort will allow. Use fans - moving air cools skin faster, resulting in greater comfort on hot days. During sunny weather, close drapes or blinds on windows facing the sun to prevent direct radiant heating from impacting interior temperatures. Use a programmable or smart thermostat to keep temperatures higher when no one is home and to reduce the temperature before arrival back home. Seal any leaks with caulk or weather stripping to prevent hot air from sneaking into your home. Check air conditioner and furnace fan filters. Clogged filters waste energy and money by forcing HVAC systems to work harder than necessary. Avoid using heat-producing appliances during the hottest hours of the day. The less heat produced at home, the less work the air conditioner must do.
A man reportedly accidentally shot himself in a Lehigh County ice cream shop over the weekend. According to WFMZ-TV, a gun the man was carrying in his leg accidentally fired at King Kone in Whitehall Township on Saturday. He is not believed to be seriously injured.
Officials in Northampton County say nobody was injured in a large fire over the weekend. A two-alarm blaze broke out early Saturday morning in a detached garage on the 500 block of Seip Avenue in Nazareth. The cause of the fire is not known at this time.
Police in Allentown partnered with Pennsylvania State Police's helicopter unit Saturday night in an effort to enhance public safety in the city. According to a post on the Allentown police department's Facebook page, the partnership "will continue through the summer to enhance relationships and make our community safer." The patrol effort also includes a state trooper contingent on the ground. The post also expressed gratitude to the PA State Police and Allentown officers "working together to hold people accountable who choose to engage in criminal activity.”
The 2024 Miss Pennsylvania was crowned in York over the weekend. Page Weinstein of Pittsburgh won the pageant on Saturday and is headed to Miss America. Weinstein is a flight attendant that is looking to become a pilot. Abby Traxler, Miss Central Pennsylvania, finished second.
The federal bribery trial of Senator Bob Menendez is expected to resume today -- if a co-defendant of the senator's -- businessman Fred Daibes -- has recovered from his bout with COVID. Judge Sidney Stein paused the trial last Thursday when Daibes' diagnosis was first reported. Prosecutors say Menendez's efforts to intervene in court cases was one way he tried to reward businessmen who paid him and his wife bribes of cash and gold bars. The senator and his wife have denied wrongdoing.