Authorities are investigating the cause of a house fire in Lehigh County this past weekend. Crews were sent to a home on the 200 block of Ridge Street in Emmaus early Saturday morning. Officials said the flames broke through the roof of the home and gutted the front porch. No injuries have been reported.
Last month, 33-year-old Easton firefighter Tyler Weidner died unexpectedly. Sunday, at Hackett Park in Easton, the community came together to honor Weidner and raise money for his fiancee and one-year-old child. Henry Hennings is the Easton Fire Chief and says Weidner made an impact in a short period of time. "We only had Tyler for a short time, but I watched Tyler grow up from the age of 11. Tyler was a great guy. He was impactful to our department," Hennings says. The day included a celebration with food, raffles, and a motorcycle run.
Spending on November's Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court retention election is breaking records. The latest numbers indicate candidate and outside groups have shelled out more than $8 million for the race, which is usually a no-drama contest. In 50 years of retention elections, only one Supreme Court justice has ever lost, however groups like Citizens for Term Limits are spending a lot of money to change that statistic. That group is pushing a 'defend democracy' message. Left-leaning groups are running ads saying retaining the three justices would protect abortion rights in Pennsylvania. If all three justices fail in the retention vote, the court would be reduced to six justices for perhaps up to two years, with Republican-appointed justices in the majority.
Guests were escorted from the Wild Mouse attraction at Hersheypark Saturday after an article of clothing became lodged in the ride. A spokesperson with the park says a guest who was riding the coaster dropped a sweatshirt, which became lodged beneath the wheel of the ride vehicle. Officials said the ride's safety systems brought the cart to a safe, controlled stop. In a statement, Hersheypark said, "Our maintenance team promptly responded, maintained communication with the riders, and safely removed the sweatshirt from the wheel assembly while escorting guests from the ride."
In observance of Columbus Day, Pennsylvania residents will find most government offices are closed today. Post offices are closed and there will be no regular mail delivery. Most banks will be open.
Cleanup continues following the nor-easter that slammed into New Jersey this weekend. Avalon and Brigantine began receiving the first of the flooding yesterday morning as a high tide rolled into the Jersey Shore. The next high tide moves in this afternoon and could prove the most consequential of the system. The state of emergency remains in effect in New Jersey and a coastal flood warning is in place for the region with more widespread flooding expected. The nor'easter unwinds tomorrow when colder air will take its place.
After losing a third straight game Saturday against 21 point underdog Northwestern, Penn State football coach James Franklin was ready to fix what ails his 3-3 team. "We shouldn't lose that game. That's 100 percent on me and we've gotta get it fixed and I will get it fixed," Franklin said Saturday evening. He won't get it fixed. Franklin was fired Sunday after 11-and-a-half seasons as coach. Penn State's Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Patrick Kraft said in a statement that they "believe this is the right moment for new leadership at the helm of our football program." Associate head coach Terry Smith will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season.