LANTA's bus service will be restored beginning Thursday, meaning LANTA's emergency schedules will no longer be in effect. Restoration of regular service means LANTA will be operating under changes that were to take effect on Monday. Those changes impact 14 bus routes.
Lehigh Valley Zoo says it will be closed through Friday due to freezing temperatures. The zoo asks that people check its website and social media pages for more potential closures regarding this weekend. The zoo says its Animal Care Team, Education Team, and Maintenance Team have been working to ensure the safety of its animals and staff.
Allentown School District students will be learning remotely for the rest of the week. The school district says because of poor conditions throughout the city following Sunday’s winter storm don't allow for safe transportation to school. The district says it will let parents know as soon as possible when in-person classes will resume.
Easton City Council has approved a resolution authorizing a lease agreement with Greenlight Networks for space in the Fourth Street Garage. Greenlight will pay the city $18,000 annually during the five-year lease for space mainly on the ground floor of the garage to install fiber and electric conduit and a generator. The deal means the city is ending its internet service deal with PenTeleData. That will save the city about $6600 every year.
It's a good news-bad news weather outlook. The good news is it appears the Lehigh Valley will completely miss a potential weekend snowstorm. The bad news is the coldest weather of this lengthy cold spell is coming. "Tomorrow is the coldest day. In fact I'd say tomorrow through Saturday morning is going to be the coldest time in this stretch," Lundberg. Tomorrow's high will be just 15 degrees and nighttime lows could dip below the record of -5 set back in 1928.
Investigators say a Bucks County man has admitted to killing his sister and parents in Northampton Township. DA Joe Khan says the murder scene inside a Heather Drive home was grisly. "The officers discovered a horrific scene. Deborah, dead in the kitchen. Fred and Judith, dead in the master bedroom," Khan says. 90-year-old Frederick Castiglia, his 84-year-old wife Judith and their 53-year-old daughter Deborah were allegedly all killed by 55-year-old Kevin Castiglia. Police were first notified of trouble when Deborah Castiglia's boyfriend told them told them he went to the home to check on his girlfriend because he hadn't heard from her in a few days. When he showed up, he says Kevin Castiglia told him she was probably on vacation and then threatened to kill him. Police arrived and a five-hour standoff ensued before Kevin Castiglia was taken into custody. Investigators say he told them he killed his parents in their sleep and his sister when she discovered the bodies.
Lehigh Valley Health Network's third neighborhood hospital opened up Wednesday in Bartonsville, Monroe County. LVH Pocono Creek will offer 24/7 care according to hospital president Holly Badali. "Medical emergencies come without warning. For those working and living in the communities and neighborhoods near here, LVH-Pocono Creek is now open and here to serve you and the community," Badali says. Adjacent to the hospital is a health center which offers cardiac care, physical therapy, CT scanning, MRI, x-rays and ultrasound services.
UGI's natural gas customers could see higher bills later this year. UGI Utilities' gas division filed a request Wednesday with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to increase its base rates for residential, commercial and industrial customers by $99.4 million annually. If the rate hike is approved, UGI says the total monthly bill for an average residential heating customer would increase by 8.7%. UGI natural gas customers last saw their bills go up less than two months ago.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner supports "ICE Out" legislation and promises to hunt down and prosecute agents, calling them "wannabe Nazis." Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman isn't a fan of that kind of language. "That can incite violence and I strongly reject that and condemn that sort of language in the strongest terms. Members of ICE are not Nazis. I don't compare anyone to gestagp and those things," Fetterman said. Fetterman calls the rhetoric “gross”.
Two bills to strengthen natural gas safety measures in Pennsylvania after the R.M. Palmer factory explosion passed in the State House with bipartisan support. One bill would require steam pipelines in the public rights-of-way to be registered with the One Call System, while the other would direct the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission to develop guidance on how to address threats to degrading plastic pipelines. Investigators believe the March 2023 explosion that killed seven people and injured ten others was caused by a degraded natural gas connection.