Allentown School District Superintendent Carol Birks is reflecting on what she says has been a "particularly difficult week." The chaos includes multiple bomb threats toward campuses, a middle school principal under investigation, and a mother who says an elementary school let her six-year-old son walk out the door. Birks said the events are a reminder of the "importance of maintaining a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment." She said the district will expand school-based counseling, mental health support, and online resources in an effort to prevent future crises.
A person is in the hospital after they were hit by a vehicle. Northampton County officials said a pedestrian was struck on the 300 block of Orchard Road in Upper Mount Bethel Township Thursday morning. They reportedly sustained serious injuries. The crash is being investigated.
Authorities say a Carbon County man died earlier this week after an explosion. Officials said 61-year-old Kevin Koch passed away Tuesday from injuries he sustained when a pyrotechnic device exploded last Friday. His death was ruled an accident. The cause of the blast remains under investigation.
Plans are underway for the 33rd edition of Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem, including something new. ArtsQuest says a new Winter Wonderland will be turning what used to be an ice skating rink into an expanded holiday village. More Christmas photo opportunities will be added, the lighting will be improved, a new glassblowing area will be added and an additional entrance/exit point will be added to cut congestion during peak hours of the festival, which begins, Friday, November 14th.
Northampton County Council held its first meeting since commissioner Kelly Keegan's comments after the murder of Charlie Kirk last week. They heard from many residents who want Keegan booted from council for calling Kirk a monster and saying his wife and children are better off without him. Council President Lori Vargo Heffner said that isn't an option. "While the county has a clear social media policy for employees, it does not apply to council as we are elected officials and not supervised by the administration," Vargo Heffner said. Keegan had three defenders address council, saying she was within her First Amendment rights when she made her comments. Keegan did not attend the meeting in person, but was a virtual participant.
The final weekend of summer is upon us and Accu-Weather's Joe Lundberg says the weather will be almost picture perfect. "Sunshine and warm today. Not as warm for the weekend but it'll be sunny tomorrow and at least partly sunny for Sunday and I think we'll make it four good days in a row with another good one coming up on Monday," Lundberg says. Autumn officially arrives Monday afternoon at 2:19.
Officials in York County are releasing more information about Wednesday afternoon's murders of three police officers there. It happened in Codorus Township when police went to a home to serve a warrant for a suspected stalker. York County DA Tim Barker says the 24-year-old Matthew Ruth hid inside his ex-girlfriend's home with a rifle when the attack unfolded. "They decided they were going to go in. The door was unlocked and upon immediately opening the door, the actor repeatedly fired at the officers with multiple rounds," Barker said. Ruth was shot and killed during the incident. The fallen officers were identified yesterday as Detective Sergeant Cody Becker, Detective Mark Baker, and Detective Isaiah Emenheiser, all members of the Northern York County Regional Police Department.
The Northern York County Regional Police Department is making its first public statement since the shooting that claimed the lives of three of its officers. The department said Wednesday was a "dark and heartbreaking day," and they are devastated by the loss. NYCRPD said it also continues to pray for the recovery of a fourth officer who remains in the hospital after the shooting. The department's administrative offices will be closed for the time being, and its service calls will be covered by neighboring agencies and state troopers.
Travelers who fly in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport have faced a lot of frustration this past year with flight delays, ground stops and staffing issues. Those frustrations manifested themselves in the latest J.D. Power survey that ranked the Newark Airport dead last in customer satisfaction. The study was conducted from July last year to this past July at the height of the airport's problems. J.D. Power looked at factors ranging from ease of traveling through the airport to terminal facilities and airport staff.
The Eagles host the Rams Sunday in a battle of 2-0 teams. While the Eagles are unbeaten, their offense hasn't really clicked into gear yet, something quarterback Jalen Hurts says is his fault. "I take accountability for a lot of it. Just how we go out there. My job is to be the general, orchestrate everything and ultimately make plays. Given the opportunities we've had I'm very critical of myself for trying to make the most of what's given to us," Hurts says. Head coach Nick Sirianni says the offense is continuing to work on being both efficient and explosive heading into Sunday's game.