Building new apartments on the former Morning Call printing press and distribution center site on North Sixth Street in Allentown has taken another step forward. City Center Group presented the Allentown Planning Commission its final plan for The Standard apartments at 111 N. Sixth St. Plans for The Standard call for a four story building with 257 units, 130 of which will be studio apartments, 89 one-bedroom apartments and 38 two-bedroom apartments. City Center leaders hope to have all permits completed this summer and construction to begin sometime in September.
The Emmaus man who died following some sort of police incident at a Lehigh County grocery store has been identified. The coroner's office says 45-year-old Timothy Vanbilliard died at the hospital Sunday afternoon after the incident at the Crest Plaza Shopping Center in South Whitehall Township. While an autopsy has been performed, the coroner says both a cause and manner of death are pending results of toxicology tests.
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in connection to a shooting that happened Monday in Allentown. Police say they were called to the 1200 block of Union Boulevard around 11 o'clock Monday morning for reports of a shooting. They found a juvenile shooting victim inside a vehicle in the 700 block of East Washington Street. That teen was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. Investigators then determined the person responsible for the shooting was inside a home in the 1300 block of East Tremont Street. The suspect was found there and taken into custody.
More reports of Democrats concerned about the wellbeing of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman. New reports indicate Democrat leadership on Capitol Hill is considering holding some sort of intervention for Fetterman to try to help him. One unnamed Democrat claims there have been discussions about how best to help Fetterman, who sought psychiatric treatment at Walter Reed Hospital a year ago. Only one of Fetterman's circle has gone on record and that's ex-chief of staff Adam Jentleson, who has said he believes Fetterman 'won't be with us much longer' if his behavior doesn't change.
A bill that would have legalized recreational marijuana through state-owned stores is dead in the Pennsylvania Senate. A State Senate committee rejected the bill yesterday after it passed in the Pennsylvania House. Among those voting against it was Lehigh Valley Democrat St. Sen. Lisa Boscola, despite her approving of the idea of legalizing marijuana. "For me, this is a no brainer. But this bill is not one that I can support today," Boscola said. She called the bill not a serious attempt to advance legalizing marijuana legislation. Committee chairman St. Sen. Dan Laughlin, who also supports the idea of legalizing pot but voted against this bill, said selling marijuana through state stores would unfairly shut out the private sector and small businesses.
Penn State President Neela Bendapudi is out with her list of seven university satellite campuses that she is recommending for closure. The university announced in February that a dozen campuses were being considered for the chopping block due to financial struggles and declining enrollment. The recommendations announced yesterday include Penn State Dubois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, York, Wilkes-Barre and Shenango. Trustees plan to meet tomorrow to discuss the seven campuses on Bendapudi's list.
Gas prices continue to head south both in the Lehigh Valley and across the commonwealth. AAA East Central's latest report shows the average price for a gallon gas in the Lehigh Valley was $3.11 on Tuesday, down nearly three cents from the week before and 57 cents less than the May 13, 2024 price. Across the state, that price is $3.28 a gallon, down more than 4 cents from the prior week and 48 cents below last year's price.
A bill aimed at protecting students in schools and at school sporting events is working its way through the state legislature. House Bill 191 would require automated external defibrillators to be present if needed in the event of an emergency. The bill has passed the House Education Committee with bipartisan support. Poconos-area State Representative Tarah Probst is among those supporting the measure citing the 2000 death of a student athlete at an East Stroudsburg North High School basketball game as an example as to when AEDs would prove useful.
The New Jersey Shore is getting ready for Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, amid cancellations by Canadian tourists. The state's tourism industry, led by Atlantic and Cape May Counties, broke records last year for the number of tourists and the amount they spent. But there are concerns about a drop-off in Canadian tourists this year because of a weak Canadian dollar and President Trump's trade war. Adding to summer shore woes, is the Canadian Automobile Association's decision not to accept ads by U.S. vacation destinations, including the Cape May Tourism office.