The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office says an Allentown police officer shot a woman at the old Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital on South 5th Street Sunday evening. DA Gavin Holihan says at first glance it appears the shooting was justified. "She moved at them with a knife and what appears to be another weapon and when she refused to drop those weapons and moved forward at officers, they were required to fire at her," the district attorney says. Holihan says police were called to the scene for reports of a woman who appeared to be in distress. The DA says the incident remains under investigation.
Police were called to some sort of incident very early this morning in Catasauqua. A police presence was seen in the 200 block of Second Street around 1 o'clock this morning. At this point we don't know what drew that police response.
It's now been one year in office for Lehigh Valley Congressman Ryan Mackenzie and he says he particularly proud of how responsive his office is to his constituents. "Just in the past year, we've been able to resolve over 5500 cases for individuals, and return $10.3 million to our local community. Very significant, and when you look around the country, we're near the top of the charts in each of those categories, and even competitive with some U.S. Senators," Mackenzie said. At a Monday news conference, Mackenzie discussed current events as well, including the shooting of an anti-ICE protester in Minneapolis. Mackenzie called the woman's death a tragic situation, but said it appears to him that the ICE officer was acting in self-defense when he shot the woman.
It looks like a wintry mix is headed our way. Accu-Weather's Joe Lundberg says look for it to arrive Wednesday. "I think it starts as a little bit of rain and ends as wet snow. I think there can be a coating to at most an inch in the area," Lundberg says. But that could be enough to cause some slippery driving Wednesday night perhaps into Thursday morning.
Governor Josh Shapiro is announcing a big funding boost for recreation and conservation projects across Pennsylvania. Shapiro said the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will distribute nearly 82-million-dollars to support hundreds of projects in the Commonwealth that improve and grow recreational areas. Close to two-million will go to Stroud Water Research Center for its efforts to install riparian forest buffers along 208 acres of waterways in Dauphin, Lebanon, and more than a dozen other counties. The York County Rail Trail Authority will also receive funding for improvements to the Hanover Trolley Trail.
The new President of Meta has ties to Pennsylvania. The parent company of Facebook and Instagram announced Monday that Dina Powell McCormick, the wife of U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, will be taking on the role. Powell McCormick served as a deputy national security adviser in President Trump's first term and briefly joined Meta's Board of Directors last year. CEO Mark Zuckerberg says her experience and deep relationships around the world makes her "uniquely suited" to be the company's President and Vice Chairman.
The annual Pennsylvania Farm Show continues at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding invites you to make the trip. "At the Farm Show, we will see the future that has taken shape. Throughout this week, we invite each of you to visit and see the future for yourself. Even see your future in agriculture. See the future of your family and your community right here, inside these doors," Redding says. The Farm Show runs through January 17. Admission is free, however there is a $15 fee to park.
Registration is now open for rare whiskey lotteries through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Residents 21 and up and state liquor license holders can enter for a chance to purchase one of more than 14-hundred limited-release bottles that are up for sale. There are three separate lotteries; one each for the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, Van Winkle whiskeys, and Colonel E.H. Taylor bourbon. Registration needs to be completed by this Friday evening and can be done through the Fine Wine and Good Spirits webpage.