The battle lines are drawn in Harrisburg. In a 28-22 vote, the state Senate adopted a resolution to force Revenue Secretary Pat Browne to answer questions about Allentown’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone. Under Senate rules, Browne must appear within three legislative days to testify under oath. If he fails to do so, Lehigh Valley St. Sen. Jarrett Coleman, who defeated Browne in the Republican primary in 2022, has said he'd introduce another resolution seeking to hold Browne in contempt and if convicted, Browne could then end up behind bars until he testifies. Browne and the Department of Revenue have declined to provide the information citing confidentiality concerns.
It will be next summer when Bryan Kohberger goes to trial for the murders of four University of Idaho students. A judge yesterday set Kohberger's trial date for August of 2025. Kohberger, who is from the Poconos, is accused of stabbing four college students to death in their apartment back in November of 2022. The trial will not be in Moscow, Idaho where the killings happened. Kohberger has said he cannot get a fair trial there. Prosecutors say while the trial is set to start next August, they expect the trial to take as long as four months.
Easton City Council approved an agreement to sell the former Easton Iron and Metal site Wednesday night. The deal, with Foundry Development Group LLC is for the property located along Bushkill Drive for the purchase price of $1.5 million. Plans for the property include apartments and retail.
A bridge in Bethlehem closed after a crash yesterday is open again. The Hill to Hill Bridge was shut down following a wreck that involved two 18-wheelers and another vehicle. Three people were injured, but their conditions are not known at this time.
Martin Guitar has cut the ribbon on its brand-new custom shop, where you can design every aspect of a guitar, from the body to the finger board. Also new at Martin Guitar is a completely sound-proof studio where guitar players can hear exactly how their instrument sounds without any outside noise at all.
Former President Donald Trump hit the campaign trail in Reading Wednesday night, where he said he has been on a mission to rescue the country. "In that mission, I will never quit. I will never bend. I will never break. I will never, not ever, under any circumstances, even in the face of death, we will never give up," Trump told a roaring crowd. Earlier in the day, the former president appeared in Scranton for a rally there.
Lawmakers in Harrisburg are close to a deal on PTSD workers comp benefits for first responders in the state. The State Senate on Wednesday approved the plan that will guarantee workers compensation payments for police officers, firefighters, and paramedics who are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress. The proposed law says the PTSD doesn't have to come from 'abnormal working conditions,' and first responders have three-years to file a claim. Twenty five other states already have similar workers comp protections for first responders.
Typically Penn State's football team flies to their Saturday road games on Friday. For this week's game at USC, coach James Franklin's team will fly cross-country today out of Harrisburg. He says that's necessary because his team can't fly out of State College. He's not thrilled about the idea. "You're talking about adding another two hours to your trip on top of the flight. I think the flight is about five-and-a-half hours, so, that's pretty much a full day," Franklin said. Franklin says based on runway length, size and weight of the plane and fuel on the plane, they would have had to stop for fuel if they had used the State College Airport. Franklin says renovating the local airport would be good for his team, the community and local businesses. The Nittany Lions will face the USC Trojans this Saturday, October 12, at 3:30 p.m.