The state Superior Court has upheld Lehigh County Judge Doug Reichley's ruling that denied Allentown's attempt to prohibit the Lehigh County Authority from switching to monthly water billing of Allentown's customers. That switch increased the average Allentown water customer's bill by about 30 percent, something the authorty says was necessary to cover budget shortfalls and to pay for expensive capital projects in the future. The city says it continues to hold talks with the authority to settle the dispute.
A Lehigh Township home is badly damaged after a Thursday night fire. The fire was reported around 9:15 p.m. in the 1100 block of Quince Road and at one point flames were shooting out the top of the house. There are no reports of how the fire began or of any injuries.
A Lehigh County school district is warning students and parents about possible food poisoning. The Whitehall-Coplay School District says it has been advised that some of the fresh broccoli served at schools between October 1st and November 5th may have been tainted by Listeria. If ingested, the bacterium can cause of a variety of gastrointestinal issues, fever, headaches and muscle aches.
Another big retailer is closing up shop in the Lehigh Valley. Sears' parent company announced it's closing 96 more Sears and Kmart stores, including the Sears at the Whitehall Mall. A going-out-of-business sale begins at the local Sears on December 2nd.
The state is getting ready to beef up a well-known Northampton County waterway. The governor's office says it's granting $150,000 to restore and improve conditions in Monocacy Creek through both the city and Bethlehem Township. Items being improved will be the streambank, while forest buffers would be planted along a section of the creek and a dam will be removed. More than 25 similar grants have been made statewide, with environmental projects like what's planned for Monocacy Creek getting around $2.2 million.
If you plan on catching some high school playoff football tonight, you better bundle up. "We're going to be down right around that record, which is 19 from 1967," says Accu-Weather's Heather Zehr. She says tonight's very cold temperatures will carry over into a colder-than-typical day tomorrow as well.
The annual drive-thru flu shot clinics offered by Lehigh Valley Health Network are happening tomorrow and Sunday. "The first day is at Dorney Park from 9-to-3 on Saturday and the second day is at Coca-Cola Park on Sunday, same time from 9-to-3," says LVHN's Terry Burger. She says even at the busiest time of the clinics, the wait to get immunized is short, but if you almost want to drive in and drive out with no waiting come in the afternoon. You can fill out needed paperwork in advance by going to www.lvhn.org.
Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's resentencing on a 45-count child sexual abuse conviction is being delayed another two weeks. Judge Maureen Skerda has pushed the hearing originally set for today back to November 22nd. The ruling came after Sandusky's defense lawyer and prosecutors filed a joint request, saying they need more time to prepare for argument about Sandusky's designation as a sexually violent predator, among other things.
Former Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Rick Santorum says President Trump and to a greater extent the GOP has a problem in America's suburbs, especially here in the Keystone State. "I look at my state of Pennsylvania and clearly the suburbs there are turning and they are not turning in our direction and Donald Trump is not a help in that regard, especially among suburban women. That's apparent," Santorum tells CNN. He believes the president's personality and demeanor are a turnoff for suburban voters.
The newly re-elected mayor of Philadelphia claims Berks County is a contributor to violence in his city. Jim Kenney says they've taken more guns off the street in the last four years than ever before, claiming that individuals head to Berks County among other places and buy "bags of guns" without needing to prove who they are. Berks County DA John Adams strongly refutes that claim and says his office has never received any information about guns from Berks County being used in crimes committed in Philadelphia.
New Jersey is urging veterans to check their eligibility and then pre-certify to claim the state's Veterans Income Tax Exemption. With Veteran's Day coming up Monday, officials are taking an opportunity to point out that the exemption doubled to $6000 this year. Officials say only around one-third of the Garden State's 400,000 eligible veterans are properly pre-certified. Other tax benefits offered by the state include the Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption, the Veterans Property Tax Deducation, the Wounded Warrior Caregivers Relief Act and the Gold Star Family Counseling Credit.