A Bethlehem man has pleaded guilty in a shooting at the Lehigh Valley Mall last spring. 20-year-old Miles Harper pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of aggravated assault. Prosecutors say Harper, a member of the Bethlehem-based Money Rules Everything gang, was the trigger man in a shooting outside the Macy's on June 1. Two people were shot and injured, and police say one of the victims was from a rival gang. Surveillance video from the mall's security camera system shows a fight before the shooting. A sentencing date for Harper has not yet been set.
A local school bus driver is being charged with being high during a crash that injured three students. Bethlehem police say blood tests reveal that Freemansburg's Susan Turzanski was under the influence of prescription painkillers when she passed out behind the wheel back on January 10th. She was driving 26 passengers at the time and the bus crashed into a tree in Bethlehem near Brodhead Avenue and West Fourth Street. Three 17-year-olds were injured in the crash and Turzanski is now facing charges related to driving a school bus while under the influenece.
Rock fans get not one but two shows at the Great Allentown Fair Grandstand on the night of August 27th. Bush will be in town that night for Preview Night and so will the reunited band Live. Tickets for the Bush/Live show go on sale March 15th. The addition leaves the fair with two Grandstand shows yet to be filled.
Somebody vandalized a $6000 digital speed limit sign in Upper Mount Bethel Township over the weekend. State police say sometime between 11 o'clock Friday night at 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon somebody spray painted the sign and cut its battery wires.
Pennsylvania residents can now get a REAL ID. The new form of ID is optional but it will be required if you want to board a commercial flight without a passport or enter a federal building starting in October of next year. You can order a REAL ID online if you've been pre-verified. You can also visit a PennDOT Driver's License Center and as long as you bring the proper documentation an ID will be mailed to you.
The state is reporting that another 11 people have died in Pennsylvania due to flu-related complications. The confirmed fatality count in Pennsylvania due to the flu this season has risen from 57 to 68, with 40 of those victims being ages 65 and older. The total number of flu cases reported across the state jumped by about 8000 since last week.
Financial troubles are looming over the Pennsylvania Turnpike. State officials say the turnpike commission is $11 billion in debt and behind on payments for transit projects. At issue is a lawsuit filed by motorists' groups claiming toll dollars should not be used for non-turnpike projects. The turnpike commission can't make its obligations to the state while the lawsuit is pending.
A state lawmaker from Lebanon County is looking for co-sponsors on a bill that would eliminate daylight saving time in Pennsylvania. Russ Diamond says right now he has six supporters for his measure and they come from both sides of the aisle. Diamond argues springing forward and falling back are outdated practices that not only reduce employee productivity but also negatively affect a person's health.
State police say they fined 245 drivers for being on the roads despite commercial vehicle restrictions during this weekend's snowstorm. That number is down significantly from the previous two storms in January and February, when they handed out between 800 and 1000 for each event. The ticket for failing to observe travel restrictions includes a fine of $300 plus court costs.
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission officials say they've begun stocking hundreds of lakes and streams ahead of the 2019 fishing season. In all, more than 3.2 million trout will be placed in more than 700 streams and 127 lakes this season. Fishing season begins in the southeastern counties on March 30th and then statewide on April 13th.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is giving you the chance to view a black bear family as it develops through the spring and beyond. Most people probably know that approaching a bear den with cubs would be a dangerous move, but the commission has pointed a camera at a den located in Monroe County so there's absolutely no need to try. It's not known how many cubs might be in there but at least one was revealed Tuesday on social media. The link to the cam can be found on the Pennsylvania Game Commission website.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled his proposed 2020 budget Tuesday, one that expands that state's millionaire's tax. "Those at the very top are shouldering less and less of their fair share of the tax burden. Let's work together to apply the millionaire's tax to every millionaire," Murphy says. Last year, Murphy settled on a tax that only hit those earning $5 million or more. This year, he wants that 10.75 tax rate to be placed on anybody earning a minimum of $1 million. He says the expanded tax hike would net the state about $447 million.
Ex-New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey is suggesting Garden State high school students should be permitted to get a bit more sleep in the morning. Codey, now a state senator, is sponsoring a bill that would lead to a pilot program which would test out later start times at select high schools around the state. The former governor says a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics finds sleep deprivation to be a problem with teens. If passed, five different schools would try a start time of 8:30am or later, then evaluate if any academic and health benefits are achieved.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Lane Johnson agreed to a restructured contract. The terms of the deal aren't known but Johnson carried a cap number north of $15 million. This is the second season in a row Johnson has restructured his deal in order for the Eagles to free up cap space to make other moves.