The teenage driver involved in a fatal TikTok challenge stunt is now being charged in the case. In a separate, but similar TikTok challenge, a 19-year-old woman faces charges for an accident that seriously injured a friend. Northampton County DA Stephen Baratta says the parents of the victims don't want the drivers put in jail and neither does he. "Neither set of parents is out to seek revenge, or even punishment for the drivers. But they also knew that if nothing is done there will be other young victims as these TikTok challenges seem to increase in attraction," Baratta says. Baratta says back in June, a 17-year-old drove in the parking lot of Freedom High School while 17-year-old David Nagy was riding on top of an upside-down folding table that was being dragged behind the car. Nagy was eventually whipped into a parked vehicle, killing him. In the other incident, a 20-year-old woman suffered what are likely permanent brain injuries after she was thrown from a moving vehicle while she was standing on the trunk. That incident happened at the Park and Ride on William Penn Highway in Bethlehem Township.
It appears to be an end of an era in Allentown. The owner of the Maingate Nightclub on North 17th Street says due to issues like noise complaints, insurance, operating costs, crowd control and lawsuits he is permanently closing the club, which had operated for the past 45 years. Dominic Germano says he'll either repurpose the building or simply turn the property into a parking lot. The Maingate, which has been plagued with violent incidents in recent years, has not been open at all this year. Germano says he’ll instead focus on operating the next-door Fairgrounds Hotel restaurant that he also owns.
A suspect is in custody for a hit-and-run crash in Northampton County this past summer that left a woman with critical injuries. Leroy Mendez is accused of hitting a woman who was standing next to a parked vehicle on East Fourth Street in Bethlehem and then fleeing the scene. The woman is reportedly still in a coma following the crash on July 19th. Mendez faces numerous charges including aggravated assault and DUI.
St. Luke's will continue to recommend Tylenol to pregnant patients despite President Trump's comments earlier this week. The healthcare system says evidence-based medicine and expert recommendations support the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy when taken as needed in moderation and after consulting with a doctor. The president claimed Monday taking Tylenol during pregnancy could lead to a greater chance of autism. Trump said he encourages women to not take the medicine while carrying a child, but if they have to, only sparingly.
Two people are in the hospital after a crash in Northampton County Tuesday morning. Officials said an SUV collided with an 18-wheeler on the Main Street/Route 33 exit ramp in Palmer Township. The driver of the SUV and a passenger are reportedly in critical condition. The crash is being investigated.
Avona Elementary School in Northampton County is among a dozen other schools on the first Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon Schools list. The Wilson Area School District elementary school was recognized for academic growth. In the 2022-23 school year, 14% of its students demonstrated growth in reading proficiency and third and fourth graders scored above the state average on PSSA assessments in math, English and science.
Republican Pennsylvania treasurer Stacy Garrity has begun her campaign to defeat incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro. In her first campaign stop, she said voters will have a clear choice between her and Shapiro. "I just have a totally different vision for what our commonwealth can be. We don't have to be at the bottom of the pack. We should be leading the nation," Garrity says. Garrity's first campaign stop was in Erie, which is also where she began her first campaign for treasurer in 2020.
The redesign of a popular Hersheypark attraction is complete. Hersheypark has converted its Laff Trakk indoor roller coaster into the "Shaq-A-Licious Laff Track". The park says the transformation will give riders a bigger, bolder, XL ride through the Shaq-ified world of giant glowing gummies. The change, which is lasts only through the park's Halloween season ending November 2nd, is part of the Hershey company's partnership with NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal and his Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies.
"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" returned to the air last night, but not in the Harrisburg area. The talk show was preempted on ABC 27 by Nexstar Media Group as it remains in talks with the network. It was Kimmel's first show since ABC suspended him indefinitely last week following comments he made related to Charlie Kirk's assassination. In his opening monologue, Kimmel said it wasn't his intention to make light of Kirk's killing.