Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz will be in the Lehigh Valley today. Walz is scheduled to appear in Allentown, but details of the event have yet to be announced. It's part of a three-city tour in Pennsylvania today that includes stops in Philadelphia and Scranton. The Allentown School District says classes will be dismissed early in anticipation of potential road closures for Walz's visit. Former president Donald Trump will hold a rally in Allentown next week. The Trump Campaign has announced the event will be held Tuesday at the PPL Center. Trump is scheduled to speak at 6 p.m.
Bethlehem police are looking for Jean Carlos Rodriguez-Ortiz, who allegedly stabbed his neighbor Wednesday night. The stabbing happened on the 600 block of Atlantic Street around 8:30 Wednesday night. The victim was stabbed four times in his upper back and neck, but is expected to survive. The victim says Rodriguez-Ortiz appeared to be drunk, and made rude comments towards a guest of the victim. A short time later, Rodriguez-Ortiz called out to the victim to apologize, and when the victim approached to speak with him, Rodriguez-Ortiz stabbed him multiple times and then fled.
Crews were able to get a large brush fire in Lehigh County under control yesterday. Firefighters were called to the scene near West Church Street in Slatington at around 2:30 p.m. Officials said crews were able to contain the blaze before it reached a nearby fireworks store. No injuries have been reported.
Pennsylvania's Supreme Court has ruled 4-3 that Pennsylvanians must be given a chance to vote on Election Day if their mail ballots have been rejected because of a disqualifying mistake. That means voters who fail to correctly sign or date the return envelope or fail to use a secrecy envelope are entitled to cast a provisional ballot on Election Day at a polling place and have it counted. Republicans arguing that counting provisional ballots should not be allowed to protect election integrity, but Justice Christine Donahue wrote Republicans failed to show what voting principle would be violated in counting a provisional ballot. Justice Kevin Brobson and two others disagreed, saying the state’s Election Code was “clear and unambiguous” on the issue and expressly prohibits the counting of those provisional ballots.
A video on social media appearing to show ballots being destroyed in a crucial Pennsylvania county is fake. That's according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, which said the video was fabricated in an attempt to undermine confidence in the election. The post was investigated by the DA's office and Yardley Borough Police. The office added that they are working with the FBI to locate the source of the video.
Charges have been filed against a New Jersey man accused of requesting a mail-in ballot for his dead mother. The man's mother had been a resident of Indiana County Pennsylvania before her death. Sixty-three-year-old Richard Lack reached out to the Indiana County Board of Elections earlier this month to inquire about the mail-in ballot request for his mother and was told that she was removed from the voter rolls after her passing.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are giving drivers the option of community service if they can't afford their fines. The legislature approved the plan in an effort to help people avoid jail time. Republican state Senator Pat Stefano says when people can't pay their traffic tickets, they face the choice of driving illegally or not driving at all. He said not driving is not an option for many people in rural Pennsylvania. Numbers from Harrisburg show drivers didn't pay nearly four million-dollars in fines between 2019 and 2022. The proposal is now on the governor's desk, waiting for his signature.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is tomorrow. If you've got unwanted, expired or unused prescription drugs you'll be able to safely dispose of them at drop-off locations all across the state. Among the local drop-off locations are Lehigh Valley Hospital-17th Street Allentown campus, the Salisbury Township Police Department, Fountain Hill Police Department and the Wegmans along Route 248. A complete list of those sites can be found at www.dea.gov/takebackday.
The Pennsylvania State Police reports that scammers are targeting sex offenders registered on Megan's List. People on the list who are registered in Indiana and Cambria Counties have reported receiving calls from someone claiming to be with the Pennsylvania State Police. The caller reportedly asks the offender to send money in relation to their registration and promises further action by law enforcement if the funds are not sent. The Pennsylvania State Police reminds people that they never solicit funds.
When asked to comment on rape allegations against two of his former players, Penn State football coach James Franklin walked away from the microphone, took a sip of water and motioned for a spokesman to come forward. "Regarding two former Penn State football players, we released a statement yesterday that program and athletics department would have no further comment," the spokesman said. 19-year-old former defensive end Jameial Lyons and 19-year-old ex-linebacker Kaveion Keys are both charged with raping a 17-year-old girl in their apartment on July 7. Penn State suspended both from the football team in August.