17 people suspected of being in the U.S. illegally were taken into custody Wednesday in Bethlehem. All were said to be restoring The Five 10 Flats apartment building on East 3rd Street. Those caught up in the sweep got sympathy from some. "I just feel like, right or wrong, they were just working hard, trying to make a living," one woman said. ICE released a statement that says, "17 employees of a construction contracting company were encountered, interviewed and arrested for immigration violations and subsequently detained pending removal proceedings." Bethlehem police say they were given notice of the operation but did not take part in it.
Tuesday came word that Lehigh County's Kevin Esterly was being charged with raping a girl from 2013 to 2017, beginning when she was about 12 years old. Wednesday came word Esterly was arrested in West Virginia after two police pursuits. Esterly was released from prison in 2022 after pleading guilty to corruption of minors charges for taking a girl to Mexico, prompting a two-week hunt for them. The girl denied having any sexual relationship with Esterly. Lehigh County DA Gavin Holihan says Esterly will be extradited back to Lehigh County.
Grocery wholesaler United Natural Foods is closing its distribution center in Lehigh County, resulting in more than 700 layoffs. According to a notice filed with the state, layoffs will begin in mid-August and continue through mid-October at the facility at 4255 East Independence Drive in North Whitehall Township. The notice says 716 workers will be getting pink slips.
After spending more than $20 million to renovate the Westgate Mall in Bethlehem, Onyx Equities is selling the shopping center. The 270,000-square-foot shopping center features 26 tenants, including McDonald's, Sky Zone, Harbor Freight Tools and Weis Markets. About 84% of the mall's space is leased, leaving 41,000-square-feet available.
A person only identified as a male is in critical condition after he was pulled from the creek in Allentown's Jordan Park on Wednesday. First responders say CPR was used to restore the person's heartbeat.
The work is underway to build an anti-climb fence around the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence after the arson attack in April. Crews were seen putting up the fence yesterday near Front and Geiger Streets. The fence is one of several ways Pennsylvania State Police are increasing security after a man climbed the previous barrier and set a fire inside the residence. The Department of General Services said the security upgrades "are part of a broader effort to ensure the long-term safety and functionality of the historic property while honoring its significance to the Commonwealth."
The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts is warning you about text messages claiming the recipient owes payment on an outstanding traffic ticket. These messages contain a suspicious link and also threaten the recipient's license suspension, criminal charges and damage to their credit score if payment isn't made. Officials say if you receive such a text, do not click the link and then report it via email to scams@attorneygeneral.gov.
Officials in Gettysburg are warning people not to scan QR codes on parking meters. They were put there by scammers looking to take people's money and credit card information. Borough manager Charles Gable says it's not the first time it's happened. "We are aware of something that happened several months ago where we believe there was a victim of fraud. We don't know the exact details of that, but this is the second time this type of activity has happened," Gable says.
Former senator Bob Menendez has lost his bid for bail as his scheduled date to report to prison looms. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the request for bail by the ex-New Jersey senator. He's scheduled to report to federal prison on Tuesday. The court did not give a reason for the decision but said one of the judges on the three-judge panel would have granted the request. Menendez was found guilty last July of accepting cash, gold bars and a Mercedes and acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. Menendez's wife Nadine was also found guilty in the scheme in April and will be sentenced in June.
The player leading the NFL in merch sales is none other than the Lehigh Valley's own Saquon Barkley. The Eagles star ranked at the top in NFLPA-licensed products sold over the past year. Barkley is the first running back to lead the league in merch sales in nearly a decade. Fellow Philly teammate Jalen Hurts came in third while Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes was second.