Lafayette College President Nicole Hurd lost a faculty no-confidence vote. At its Tuesday evening faculty meeting, 102 faculty members voted in favor of the no-confidence motion, while 86 members voted against the motion and six faculty members abstained from the vote. Ten faculty members prompted the vote, claiming Hurd has deprioritized Lafayette's academic mission and shut out the faculty from the decision making process. The vote is mostly a symbolic gesture of disapproval of Hurd's leadership. A statement from a Lafayette spokesman says, "She acknowledges the vote and pledges to continue working closely with the faculty to advance the academic mission of the college."
We now know where the new Easton Area High School will be built. The Easton Area School District Board of Directors has decided the new school will be built on the current high school campus's northeastern corner, at the corner of 25th Street and Route 22, which is currently home to a baseball field. The new high school will be between 450,000 and 480,000 square feet with a projected 3,200 student enrollment. The current building is 377,000 square feet. Groundbreaking is scheduled for May 2027, with project completion set for July 2031. The project cost is expected to fall between $290 million and $320 million.
A man is dead after a crash last night in Lehigh County. Officials said a vehicle collided with a tractor-trailer at Route 100 and Weilers Road shortly after seven p.m. The victim is only identified as a male who was a passenger in the car. Authorities are investigating.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture says all 50,000 chickens at a Lehigh County poultry farm are being euthanized. The decision comes after the state's first case of bird flu was found in a commercial flock at the Lynn Township egg laying poultry farm. The Agriculture Department has also quarantined the affected farm, nearby poultry farms and restricted movement of chickens and poultry products within a 6.2-mile radius to help prevent the virus from spreading.
Police are reporting the arrest of a former Monroe County nurse practitioner accused of rape. State Police received a report in August of last year that a person had been sexually assaulted multiple times while a patient at the Lehigh Valley Physician's Group Endocrinology in Smithfield Township. The victim has reportedly been raped three times between 2021 and 2022 by 53-year-old Timothy Clark. Clark was arrested Monday on multiple charges associated with those crimes.
There's essentially no change in gas prices in the Lehigh Valley and across the commonwealth. According to AAA East Central, the average price of a gallon of gas in the Lehigh Valley is $3.24, down a penny from last week's number and a nickel lower than January 28, 2024. Statewide, the average price is unchanged at $3.37, which is two pennies more than one year earlier.
UGI is seeking permission to increase rates on natural gas customers. The company filed paperwork yesterday with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission requesting a ten-percent monthly increase for residential customers. Rates would go up by eight-point-six percent monthly for commercial customers and by seven-point-five percent for industrial customers. UGI says the price hikes would support system improvements and cover operational costs.
New Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick is calling on Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey to change his tone on working with ICE. With reports of immigration raids in the U.S. in recent days, the mayor on Monday said that his administration will not be working with ICE -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Gainey says his team will do whatever is necessary to make the city more welcoming. Senator McCormick released a statement on Tuesday saying that Gainey needs to follow the law and the lead of some other democratic mayors working to keep American cities safe.
The recent resignation of Pennsylvania's child advocate, MaryAnn McEvoy, has caused concern. Kathleen Palm, the founder of "Center for Children's Justice", says "She's the second person to depart the office since it was created in 2019. We said then that it seemed more like a gesture of show than a gesture of substance," Palm says.
An 18-year-old Temple University student has died after falling from a light pole while celebrating the Eagles victory in the NFC Championship Game. Tyler Sabapathy fell from a light pole in Center City Sunday night and he was rushed to the hospital with a serious brain injury but he died yesterday. City officials are reminding people to celebrate responsibly.
Philadelphia Police have arrested a woman for driving into a crowd of Eagles fans after the NFC Championship. Investigators said 26-year-old Rebekah DeShields was behind the wheel of a Mercedes Benz Sunday night near North Broad and Spring Garden streets. At least eight people suffered minor injuries. DeShields was driving without a license and charged with aggravated assault and other related offenses.
Geese found dead at a pond at Gettysburg College have tested positive for bird flu. The dead geese were discovered around Quarry Pond earlier this month. The announcement comes one day after the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture confirmed the first bird flu outbreak in the state at a poultry farm in Lehigh County. Officials say the public health risk related to bird flu is low, but students are still urged to stay away from the pond.
Hershey is getting into the shoe game. The candy giant has announced a collaboration with footwear company Ground Up International. The partnership will introduce shoes inspired by iconic Hershey products including Kisses, Reese's, and Twizzlers. It is set to officially launch in Spring 2026.
Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez will be sentenced in Manhattan court today. Menendez, who served as senator for more than 18 years, stepped down last July after being convicted of several bribery charges. The charges tie back to an investigation launched in 2022 when agents raided Menendez's home and found more than a dozen gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. As prosecutors consider a 15-year prison sentence, his legal team is arguing he serve less than two years because of his age, adding he has also suffered financial and professional ruin.