Northampton County Judge Michael Koury has handed out the maximum sentence for a murder than happened more than two years ago. A man will spend 40-to-80 years in prison after pleading guilty to murdering his girlfriend and trying to kill his four-year-old daughter. 40-year-old Richard Fantauzzi (fanta-uzi)-Aviles was sentenced yesterday for the death of Shante Mason and attempted murder of his child. Mason was killed and the child was seriously injured in a stabbing at a home in Wilson Borough in August 2023. During sentencing, Mason's mother told Fantauzzi-Aviles, "You will live in hell."
There was heavy traffic for several hours on Route 100 yesterday following a deadly crash. Authorities say three vehicles collided near the KOA Campground in Lowhill Township shortly after 3 p.m. One person was killed and several others were injured. The crash is being investigated.
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk's proposed 2026 budget includes a nearly four percent property tax increase. The $245 million budget includes the property tax increase and a previously approved $140 increase in garbage fees. Budget hearing begin next week. City council and the administration must adopt an annual budget no later than December 31.
The Allentown Police Department is being found not guilty of retaliating against whistleblowers. Three officers who came forward with allegations of officers committing crimes while on duty claimed they were transferred out of the Vice Unit because of their actions. However, the arbiter sided with the department, which argued the officers were transferred because they were needed to mentor younger officers on patrol. Two APD officers are facing charges following the whistleblowers' report.
Construction is underway on a new parking deck near Coca-Cola Park. That parking deck will sit beneath a brand new 4000-seat stadium to be used by the Executive Academy Charter School. Bob Lysek is a co-founder of the school and says construction workers need to hustle. "We are neighbors and we share a parking lot, so we have to get portions of this done before baseball season starts back up," Lysek says. Construction of the parking deck is scheduled to be completed by March, followed by six months of stadium construction.
Another round of "No Kings Day" protests against the Trump Administration are set to take place in the area tomorrow. Demonstrations are scheduled across the Lehigh Valley and North Central Pennsylvania. Around two-thousand demonstrations are expected to be held across all 50 states as well as Canada and Mexico on Saturday in protest of President Trump and his administration. Republican leadership has criticized the protests, even dubbing it a "hate America rally."
The FAA is investigating the PA system hack at Harrisburg International Airport. A recording played over the PA system on Tuesday with messages including "Free Palestine" and expletives toward President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Incidents were also reported at three Canadian airports. In a social media post, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the incident "absolutely unacceptable" and said it "understandably scared travelers."
Beachgoers -- and anyone else who love the waterfront -- are invited to help clean up their beaches this weekend in Ocean City. The group, Clean Ocean Action, is holding its annual Fall Beach Sweeps from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.n. tomorrow at locations across New Jersey. Clean Ocean Action launched its annual campaign in 1985 to promote cleaner beaches. The group estimates volunteers have removed more than eight million pieces of trash from New Jersey beaches since the campaign began.
In a preliminary assessment, state environmental protection officials say this week's nor'easter caused notable erosion along the Jersey Shore. State officials found moderate to major erosion from Cape May to Strathmere, in addition to dune scarping and dune loss. Upper Township officials say sections of dune in Strathmere were completely swept away after years of dune loss. Congressman Jeff Van Drew has asked the Army Corps of Engineers for a damage assessment of the beaches hit hard by the nor'easter this week.
The state of New Jersey has sued the Trump Administration over its cancellation of seven billion dollars in grants to help families install solar panels who could not otherwise afford it. The EPA in August announced its cancellation of the program called Solar for All, of which New Jersey was scheduled to receive 156-million dollars. The lawsuit alleges the EPA violated the Constitution's Separation of Powers Doctrine when it cancelled the program. Attorney General Matthew Platkin says the EPA had dedicated seven-billion dollars for the program last year and that it's illegal for the agency to claw back the money a year later.
The 76ers are getting terrible news before the season starts. ESPN reports Paul George will miss opening night as he recovers from offseason knee surgery. The forward is making "significant" progress but needs to hit "checkmarks" before playing a regular-season game. George dealt with several issues last season and was shut down in March. The Sixers visit the Celtics on Wednesday.
There are three big Phillies prospects who may be ready for the major leagues next season. Phillies manager Rob Thomson says he'd welcome them with open arms. "I love young players because they bring energy. But, you've gotta perform too. It'll be very interesting next spring training because those guys are on the door step and a couple of them are ready to go, so we'll see," the manager says. Thomson also said that if he goes into 2026 with mostly the same team as this year, he'd be perfectly find with that as well.