The Bucks County man killed in a wrong-way crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Lehigh County has been identified. 50-year-old John Sweeney Jr., of Bristol, was killed when his motorcycle was hit by a SUV driven the wrong direction by a 24-year-old New Jersey woman. State Trooper Nathan Branosky offers common sense tips on what to do if you see a vehicle coming your way. "Go to another lane of travel. Go to the shoulder. You just want to avoid that collision," Branosky says. The accident happened on the northbound side of the Turnpike near the Lehigh Valley Tunnel Sunday morning. Sweeney's son, Colin, was injured in the crash. Branosky says the wrong-way driver's name has not yet been released, but eventually will be.
The principal of the Hanover Elementary School in the Bethlehem Area School District, Erin Hines, has been placed on a leave of absence. The school district isn't offering an explanation, other than to say it's due to an incident that happened last weekend off of school grounds.
A lottery ticket worth $818,000 was sold last week at the Giant supermarket on West Emmaus Avenue in Allentown. A Cash 5 with Quick Cash ticket was sold Friday at the store. The ticket matched all five balls drawn. The winner has a year to claim the prize. The Giant will get a $5,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
Another Lehigh Valley diner is resuming 24 hour dining. Beginning this Friday, the Nazareth Diner is bringing back 24/7 dining. The diner had previously offered 24 hour service but that disappeared when the COVID pandemic hit five years ago. Last month, the Starlite Diner on Route 100 in Upper Macungie Township resumed its 24/7 service after ten years without it.
Twenty employees at Chester Community Charter School have been charged with child abuse involving 26 elementary students enrolled in their emotional support program. Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer reacted to the charges. "This is awful to watch these grown people, the way they are treating these young kids. You can just imagine what it's going to be like for these children going forward. This is just not the way we are supposed to treat young people, particularly in a school setting. It's been a complete failure," Stollsteimer says. Of the 20 charged, nine allegedly physically abused students, while 11 allegedly failed to report the abusive behavior, which is illegal under Pennsylvania law. The charges relate to incidents from November and December last year.
The Game Commission says the 2024 overall deer kill, covering all deer seasons including archery and firearms, was about a half a million, which is up eleven percent from the year before. According to the State Game Commission, 28 percent of licensed hunters went home with at least one deer.
CVS is making measles vaccines available across Pennsylvania. The move is in response to positive cases that were reported out of Erie County. People age 18 and older can get their vaccine at CVS Pharmacy locations and children age four to six can get their second doses at the company's MinuteClinics. Measles infections have been reported in a number of states in recent weeks.
New Jersey health officials say the rate of overdose deaths in the state has declined across all ethnic and racial groups for the first time in a decade. Officials say overdose deaths among Black and Hispanic residents in New Jersey had been steadily increasing from 2012 to 2022 but new data shows deaths in both groups declined in 2023. Still, the overdose rate for Blacks remains twice as high as it is for whites in the state.
New Jersey Democrat Sen. Cory Booker plans a long filibuster to rail against what he calls the Trump administration's "reckless actions." "So many heroes before us would say that this is the time to stand up, to speak up. This is the time to get into some good trouble, to get into necessary trouble," Booker said. Booker began his filibuster last night on the Senate floor, saying he would hold his filibuster as long as he's physically able. In 2016, Booker helped Senator Chris Murphy's nearly 15-hour filibuster.