Former Republican Senate candidate David McCormick was in Pittsburgh Thursday to announce another bid for Senate. "We need leadership that can ensure that can have the opportunities that we deserve to make the American dream available for every citizen of Pennsylvania," McCormick told supporters. In his announcement, McCormick said, "Under the failed leadership of Joe Biden, America is in decline, economically, militarily, spiritually. He hopes to defeat Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey in the 2024 Pennsylvania Senate race. McCormick lost an extremely tight GOP Senate primary to Dr. Mehmet Oz last year.
Lehigh Valley Health Network has entered into an affiliation agreement with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Both health care providers say the arrangement will significantly improve children's health care throughout the region. The two organizations already had a lengthy relationship, but Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital president Anne Baum says the new agreement takes that relationship up a notch, giving parents the confidence their children are in the absolute best hands. In a joint press release, LVHN and CHOP say, "The affiliation is guided by the principle that children requiring care should see the most appropriate clinical team in a timely fashion and in the most appropriate location that is closest to their home and family,"
An arrest has been announced by the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office for an October 2021 fatal drug overdose. 49-year-old Eugene Lewis, of Bethlehem, is charged with drug delivery resulting in death. Investigators say Lewis gave 43-year-old Leslie Sherman the drugs that she overdosed on nearly two years ago inside a home on Riverbend Road in Lower Macungie Township.
The Hallmark Channel has released its list of "Countdown to Christmas" movies and one of them will feature Bethlehem. Kind of. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel will air "Miracle in Bethlehem, PA," on the night of December 21st. However, if you are looking forward to seeing some familiar Bethlehem landmarks on your screen, forget it. The television movie isn't being shot in Bethlehem, or for that matter this country. Filming is to begin next week in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Lehigh County Authority says it has solved the problem of a foul odor coming from the Kline's Island Wastewater Treatment plant on Union Street in Allentown. The authority says the stench came from the buildup of excess solids, which isn't that uncommon. However, officials say a mechanical problem at the pre-treatment plant in Fogelsville made the problem worse this summer.
Accu-Weather's Bill Deger has a piece of advice for you. "Today is the day to get outside and do what you need to do. Get that yard work finished before the rain moves in," Deger says. He says high school football tonight should be dry, but overnight tonight rain will move in and stay here for the entire weekend. He expects one-to-two inches of rain to fall before we dry out Monday.
A lousy weekend weather forecast could not have come at a worse time for the organizers of the annual Celtic Classic in Bethlehem. Jayne Ann Recker is the executive director of the Celtic Cultural Alliance and says the festival opens with a fan favorite this afternoon before the rain arrives. "Friday kicks off with our annual Haggis Bowl on Highland Field, where we have 15 contestants trying to see who can eat one pound of haggis the fastest," Recker says. She says the record fastest time to eat that pound of haggis is 47 seconds. Regardless of the weather, Recker says the weekend will be loaded with Celtic food, athletics, music and dancing.
People in the Poconos will be able to visit a popular park for the first time in years in 2024. The George W. Childs Park in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area has been shutdown since 2018 after it took significant damage from back-to-back winter storms. Crews have been hard at work to repair the damages and also upgrade the park. Officials announced they're expecting to welcome back visitors next summer.
Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed an executive order to establish standards for artificial intelligence use by commonwealth agencies. He says he wants to get ahead of the emerging technology. "This executive order sets a set of core values in this order respecting privacy, ensuring safety and security, promoting fairness, increasing accuracy and empowering our employees," the governor says. Shapiro says now is the time to deal with the artificial intelligence issue.
Democrats in the Pennsylvania House and students at some state schools, including the University of Pittsburgh, are demanding that Republican lawmakers pass a college funding bill. A measure earmarking roughly 600-million dollars for Pitt, Penn State, and others needs support from two-thirds of both the House and Senate to pass. Democrat representatives say failure to pass the measure would mean that students would be on the hook for an additional 16-thousand dollars per year without the tuition discounts covered by the funding. Republicans have criticized the universities that would receive the money for frequent tuition increases and a lack of transparency.