Ground has been broken on the first emergency care hospital to be built in Lehigh County in almost 50 years. Officials with the Lehigh Valley Health network broke ground Monday on a new hospital on the site of the former Weis Market on Route 100 in Lower Macungie Township. LVHN says the one-story hospital will have an 11-bed emergency room and 10 in-patient beds and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The project also includes a three-story medical office building. The new $27 million complex is projected to open by the end of next year.
An Allentown man who attends Penn State is the only student arrested for a protest that prevented an October on-campus appearance by founder of the Proud Boys, Gavin McInnes. 23-year-old Bram Woolley is charged with disorderly conduct, trespassing and other offenses after he allegedly refused to move away from police horses when told to do so. Woolley has waived his right to a preliminary hearing and remains free.
The Palmer Township Board of Supervisors have granted preliminary and final land development approval for two warehouses. The four-to-one vote came at their meeting Monday night for two distribution centers to be located at the southwest corner of Main Street and Van Buren Road on nearly 53 acres of land. The plan was rejected during last Tuesday's meeting. The developer agreed to pay $134,000 to the township to help with traffic flow, planting trees and building sidewalks for the area.
Berks County District Attorney John Adams says police have arrested the man wanted for a murder just off the campus of Kutztown University. Adams says the killing was completely unnecessary. "We look forward to the prosecution of this case and holding this individual accountable for his actions," Adams says. 22-year-old Xzavier Wayman, of Philadelphia, is charged with the November murder of 18-year-old Diego Velazaquez at an off-campus student apartment complex during a party with Kutztown students and non-students. Wayman is a former KU student while Velazquez was not a student there. Wayman is charged with first- and third-degree murder, along with several other lesser offenses.
Authorities in Northampton County are investigating an apparent head-on crash on Route 191. It happened Sunday afternoon, near the border of Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth townships. Multiple people were hurt. The road was closed for hours while crews cleared the scene. There's no word yet on what led to the crash.
Musikfest has announced the first of its 11 Wind Creek Steel Stage headliners for the 2023 festival. The Goo Goo Dolls will headline Musikfest for the third time after bringing the house down in 2019 and 2012. Tickets for the Wind Creek Steel Stage show go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Friday.
Americans have more time to get the Real ID necessary to board flights or enter federal facilities. The Department of Homeland Security announced the Real ID deadline will be pushed back from May 3rd of next year to May 7th, 2025. DHS said the extension is necessary to address the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another group of migrants are adjusting to life in the Philadelphia area. A sixth-bus full of people seeking asylum arrived at the 30th Street Station on Monday morning. The city provided a SEPTA bus to take them to a nearby welcoming facility. No word on how many people were on the bus but it did include children as well.
Weeks after a ribbon cutting ceremony took place in advance of opening the new Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport, it is delayed. The first 21 gates were supposed to open for business this week, with the remaining 12 following suit next year. However, the fire alarm and security systems have not yet passed the full line of tests.
One of New Jersey's Assembly committees is advancing four pieces of legislation to combat vehicle thefts. The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee says one of the bills would make car thefts and receiving stolen cars separate crimes from the state's general theft statute. Another bill increases the fines and the period a driver is suspended for carjacking and car theft. Assembly Democrats advanced the bills that build on Governor Murphy's previous actions on Monday after consulting Republican legislators about the rise in car thefts.
Christmas came early Monday for Phillies fans. The Phillies have signed shortstop Trea Turner to an 11-year, $300 million free agent contract. MLB Network's Sean Casey says the Phillies just got a lot better. "They're buying one of the best players in the game, one of the most impactful players in the game in so many facets," Casey says. The 29-year-old hit .298 with 21 homers, knocked in 100 runs and stole 27 bases for the Dodgers last season.