A former Allentown City Council member and current state representative wants a new job. Joshua Siegel is planning to run for Lehigh County executive in 2025 and plans to make a formal announcement at an event in December. Siegel had announced back in January that he is seeking his second term in the House representing parts of Allentown and Salisbury Township. Current Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong is term limited and cannot seek another term.
A man accused in a Monroe County murder is under arrest in Utah after being shot. 30-year-old Matthew Morales allegedly killed 35-year-old Henry Koroma of Scranton on May 24 outside My Place Bar & Grill in Middle Smithfield Township. Back on Aug. 10, Morales was shot eight times outside a Salt Lake City nightclub and underwent surgery, which is where he was arrested. Morales, who is from Monroe County, remains in the hospital in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending extradition to Pennsylvania.
You'll have to wait a little bit longer to stop by a new Five Guys Burgers & Fries restaurant in Lehigh County. A grand opening event, previously scheduled for Saturday, for a new Five Guys location at Promenade Saucon Valley has been “postponed until further notice,” according to an online event update from the Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce. The event will happen on a yet-to-be-determined date.
Governor Josh Shapiro is re-establishing the Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Shapiro signed an executive order to re-establish the office that was first created by then-Governor Tom Wolf in 2019. The office will develop a gun violence prevention plan for the state and work with other agencies to promote gun safety. The governor said his administration will continue to work to ensure every Pennsylvanian can be safe and feel safe in their communities.
President Joe Biden was seen wearing a Trump ball cap in Pennsylvania yesterday. Biden posed with the red, white and blue "Trump 2024" cap while meeting with first responders Wednesday at a fire station in Shanksville. Biden was there to mark the 23rd anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates posted the photo on his X account. He wrote the president spoke about bipartisan unity after 9-11 and that we need to get back to that. Biden then gave a hat to a Trump supporter, who said that in the same spirit, the president should put on his Trump cap. Biden donned the cap briefly.
NBC News is filing a lawsuit against Butler County over their refusal to release 911 calls related to the assassination attempt of former President Trump. The media organization previously submitted a right-to-know request for the emergency calls recorded during the shooting at the Farm Show grounds rally back in July. County officials denied the request, arguing that the recordings are exempt from disclosure due to the ongoing investigation. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records will make a determination on the release.
Pennsylvania-based Sheetz has been named as one of the best large workplaces in retail. The convenience store chain was ranked second in a recent survey conducted by Fortune and the analytics firm Great Place To Work. Results were calculated based on results of surveys completed by workplace employees. New York-based supermarket chain Wegmans topped the list at number one.
The push to ban smoking in New Jersey casinos is advancing in both the legislature and in the courts. The Assembly GOP promises it will have the votes to support a smoking ban should Democrats fail to secure a majority on the proposal. The bill has been the focus of hearings in the Senate and the Assembly but has yet to receive a floor vote. This follows an appeal of a smoking ban by the United Auto Workers and the group known as CEASE New Jersey to the state Supreme Court after a Superior Court judge rejected their lawsuit.
A Penn State University football player is facing DUI charges, according to the State College Police Department. 23-year-old Amin Vanover, who is currently the Nittany Lions defensive end, is facing misdemeanor charges of DUI of a controlled substance and a summary charge of driving an unregistered vehicle. Back on Aug. 8 officers noticed a black Dodge Charger traveling with an expired tag and pulled the vehicle over. Vanover gave his license to the police, but officers noted that they could allegedly smell marijuana on him. They also noted he allegedly had bloodshot eyes.