Pennsylvania State Police are saying a juvenile worker at the Giant supermarket along Hamilton Boulevard in Trexlertown put sewing needles into grocery items between April 13th and 19th. "Upon investigation of troopers and personnel from Giant it's been determined that the juvenile employee could be responsible for this and this investigation is ongoing at this point," says State Police Trooper Nathan Branosky. He says the categories believed to be affected include: single serve Tastykakes, fresh bagged green beans, loose sweet yellow and white onions, fresh green asparagus, soft packaged dog food and treats, soft packaged cat food and treats, boxed instant mashed potatoes and cleaning sponges.
What began as an early Thursday morning police chase ended with a Reading woman dead. Pennsylvania State Police say it happened around 1:30 Thursday morning in Stroud Township, Monroe County. Troopers say they stopped a vehicle for suspected DUI and traffic violations, and found the driver had an active arrest warrant. That driver refused to get out of the vehicle, then sped off, prompting a roughly 19 mile chase before the driver crashed in a wooded area. The driver and a passenger had to be freed from the car and were taken to the hospital with injuries. Another passenger, 33-year-old Lidia Burgos, died of injuries sustained in the crash.
Police at Lehigh University are considering charges after a reported hate crime against a student on campus. Last weekend, a group of four people was driving on the campus and yelled racist comments at a Black student who was walking with a group of other students. Lehigh's police chief says the student ran after the car, but then rejoined his friends. That's when the four, who were white and were not Lehigh-affiliated or from the Bethlehem area, allegedly got out of their car and followed the Lehigh students and assaulted the Black student. After another argument, some of the four reportedly continued following the group into a dorm hall and assaulted the student again. The student was not seriously hurt. The group of four left campus before the incident was reported to Lehigh police, but investigators tracked them down and are considering criminal charges.
Northampton County Council voted 6-3 Thursday to override Executive Lamont McClure's veto of the tax break for River Pointe, a huge industrial development along the Delaware River in Upper Mount Bethel Township. That extends the program for five years. The vote means new construction at RPL will receive a property-tax break that declines and then eventually expires over 10 years.
Republican leaders are reportedly upset about Pennsylvania state Senator Doug Mastriano's possible bid for the U.S. Senate. The far-right Republican, who lost the governor's race last year by 15 percentage points, has hinted that he'll run to unseat Democratic Senator Bob Casey next year. Politico reports former President Donald Trump is even against the idea. He's reportedly said he believes Mastriano would hurt his chances in a general election if they were on the ballot together.
Panelists at a major gaming conference on Thursday are saying the construction of three new casinos in New York could force casino closures in Atlantic City. The experts are saying the new gaming halls in New York could cut Atlantic City gaming revenue by twenty to thirty percent. Atlantic City has been trying for years to diversify its business model to make it less reliant on gambling. That has included investments in new hotel rooms, restaurants, entertainment and conference venues, and shopping and personal care amenities, according to The Press of Atlantic City.
Republican Chris Christie says he's investigating a potential presidential bid while taking shots at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. "I don't think Ron DeSantis is a conservative, based on his actions towards Disney," Christie says. The former two-term New Jersey governor says he doesn't think DeSantis is a conservative based on his ongoing battle with Disney, noting DeSantis lacked foresight in his attempts to restrict and control the Florida entertainment giant. Christie said "That's not the guy I want sitting across from President Xi and negotiating our next agreement with China, or sitting across from Putin and trying to resolve what's happening in Ukraine".
ESPN reports that the Philadelphia Eagles have hired a former assistant coach of the New England Patriots. Eagles' Head coach Nick Sirianni hinted during a news conference Thursday that Matt Patricia is reportedly going to be Philly's new senior defensive assistant. The 48-year-old has spent 16 seasons as an assistant with the Patriots, including six years as defensive coordinator. The three-time Super Bowl champ was also head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2018 to 2020.