A busy Tuesday morning for Bethlehem firefighters. They were called to a house fire in the 500 block of West Union Boulevard just before 5:30 this morning. We're told the home's occupants were able to get out of the home safely and there are no reports of injuries. No word yet on what may have sparked the fire.
An Allentown man is under arrest, accused of stabbing a woman several times during a domestic incident in the city. Just after 2:30 Monday afternoon, Allentown police officers were called to the 700 block of Saint John’s Street for a reported stabbing. Police say 43-year-old Amir Whitehurst stabbed a 49-year-old woman several times. That woman was rushed to the hospital and is listed in critical but stable condition. Whitehurst is now charged with attempted homicide, endangering the welfare of a child, and other related offenses.
The Lehigh Valley observed Memorial Day Monday and one man explains why he took part. "Memorial Day is not just all about firing up the grill and jumping in the pool. It's really about paying tribute and remembering the soldiers who paid the ultimate price for our country," one man said. The holiday was marked with parades, wreath laying and moments of solemn rememberances.
April's unemployment numbers in Pennsylvania are out. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry reports the commonwealth's April's unemployment rate was unchanged from March's 4.2 percent. The Commonwealth’s unemployment rate matched its April 2025 level of 4.2 percent.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported today that the combined total revenue generated from all forms of gaming including fantasy contests during April 2026 was $594,978,674 or 6.49% above revenue generated in April 2025. The resulting tax revenue during April of this year was $255,257,991*.
Pennsylvania can move ahead with spending more than $700 million to expand high-speed internet access in rural areas after federal officials dropped a challenge tied to state labor law. The funding is expected to help connect roughly 130,000 homes and businesses that still lack broadband service. Most of the expansion will use fiber-optic cable, although some locations will receive satellite internet instead.
A state lawmaker is looking to limit the ways the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission gets into contact with users. Republican State Representative Brenda Pugh is introducing a measure that would bar the commission from sending text messages related to unpaid tolls and fees. Pugh says the bill is meant to protect the privacy of citizens and eliminate confusion over whether the notices are legitimate. People have been reporting scam texts related to unpaid turnpike tolls for months.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill is denied access to a controversial ICE facility in Newark following a protest outside. A number of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall began a hunger strike last Friday, prompting a Monday morning protest by supporters who clashed with ICE agents. "Here in this country everyone should be treated with dignity," one protester said. Sherrill showed up hoping to see for herself but was turned down because the Governor is not a federal official and, therefore, has no oversight power. She was joined by New Jersey Senator Andy Kim who got to tour on Sunday and talk to inmates and emerged saying Delaney Hall should be shut down.
Police are warning seniors about the so-called "grandparent scam." It's an attempt to con the elderly out of their savings by getting them to think one of their grandchildren is in trouble. Just last month, police in Teaneck, New Jersey got a call from the Shakopee Police Department in Minnesota about a scam that had just happened. The Minnesota victim got a call from someone pretending to be her grandson saying he needed ten-thousand-dollars to help a friend who'd been in a car crash. Grandma fell for it and mailed the money via UPS overnight delivery to what turned out to be a vacant house in Teaneck. Police were waiting and arrested the New York man who showed up to retrieve the package. Zhenye Chen of Bellerose is facing multiple charges including theft by deception and impersonation.
Invasive jumping worms are damaging gardens in New Jersey and beyond. Experts say these wrigglers can jump up to a foot off the ground when they're done eating leaves and then burrow into the soil. Experts say they can damage or destroy plants, vegetable gardens, your lawn and even the soil's ecosystem. These pests look different than regular worms, with their grey bodies and white collars, and strike some gardeners as snake-like with their slithery moves. They've turned up in 38 states, including the Garden State, where they've been spotted in northern counties and Jersey Shore towns. If you see one, you're advised to bag it, freeze it or leave it in the sun for six hours and then throw it out.