During a lengthy Wednesday night meeting, Allentown City Council decided to table a proposed data center ordinance for the city until later this month. The proposal would permit data centers in the General-Industrial and Industrial Manufacturing zoning districts by way of a special exception, which requires a hearing before the zoning hearing board. After hearing conflicting legal opinions on the matter, council instructed its solicitor to conduct a legal service review prior to the June 17 council meeting. A data center project for West Emaus Avenue is already on the table.
A man who fell off of a vehicle in Northampton County last month is dead. Officials said 20-year-old Daniel Maffea passed away last Friday, a week after he was thrown from a moving vehicle in Bethlehem Township while riding on the closed trunk. His death has been ruled an accident.
A 19-year-old is hospitalized after he was hit by a car Tuesday night on Bethlehem’s West Side. The man was hit by a car about 10:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of West Broad Street and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment of injuries, which are reportedly life-threatening. The driver and the vehicle remained at the scene after the crash and is cooperating with investigators. There is no indication that impairment was a factor in the crash and witness statements indicate that the man tried to cross the road between vehicles right before the crash.
Beginning Monday, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom will offer memberships for its guests, promising yearlong access and benefits there and at other Six Flags parks. For a monthly fee, the membership will provide access to all or some parks including Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, as well as seasonal events, free parking at select parks, friend pass offers, and discounts on food and merchandise. The standard gold membership provides access to East Coast parks, while prestige membership provides access to Six Flags parks across the country. The memberships, which as completely separate from season passes, will provide 12 months of access from the date of purchase.
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman doesn't have much good to say about Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner. "The one good thing you can say about the guy is he's said so many offensive things, it's hard to keep up with it," Fetterman says. Platner is taking heat for sending sexual text messages to women who weren't his wife and had a Nazi symbol tattoo, among other things. Fetterman calls Platner a creep for the texting and a Nazi sympathizer for his tattoo.
A volunteer firefighter in Montgomery County is accused of intentionally setting three fires within a 30-hour span. Investigators say 29-year-old Justin Sholly started a fire near the home of his former boss who fired him and then responded to two of the scenes with his fire company between May 29th and May 30th. Investigators linked a vehicle found traveling near all of the fire locations to Sholly, and he allegedly admitted to the crimes during an interview with detectives. Sholly faces several charges including arson.
A police sergeant is reportedly doing better, after he and another officer were shot while serving a warrant Tuesday afternoon in Atlantic City. The president of the Police Benevolent Association's Local 24 says Sergeant Christian Ivanov is in serious but stable condition, and making progress in an intensive care unit. The second officer, Robert Reynolds, was treated and released Tuesday night. The state Attorney General's office says early findings show 52-year old Donald Gardiner, who also goes by Donald Capriotti, was shot and killed by a third officer, after they went to the residence to serve a warrant. A GoFundMe page so far raised almost $171,000 for Sergeant Ivanov, who is a married father of three.
Water bills are about to spike along with rising costs of everything else in the Garden State. New Jersey American Water has proposed a 12-percent rate increase to help pay for upgrades to enable them to eliminate old lead service lines, and to filter out lead, forever chemicals and other toxins from their system. Natural Resources Defense Council's New Jersey attorney Larry Levine says the average homeowner's water bill would jump to about 94-dollars a month if the rate hike is approved.
Phillies pitcer Cristopher Sanchez's scoreless streak ended in the seventh inning last night. But not before he set the major league record for consecutive scoreless innings for a lefthanded pitcher at 50-and-two-thirds innings. After he gave up a run, Sanchez received a long ovation from Phillies fans and after the game, via a translator, Sanchez said he appreciated it. "I'll be forever grateful to these fans and this city. They're the best fans in the world. The best fans in all of MLB. Whether I'm here or not, they'll forever be the best fans in baseball," Sanchez said. Sanchez still picked up the 3-2 win over the Padres. His scoreless streak is the fourth longest in MLB history.