Community Corner

100-mph Car Chase, Manhunt Ends in Fatal Hit-Run Top Lehigh Valley News

'Hells Kitchen' to feature Parkland grad and ski mask DNA leads to robbery arrest were also among top headlines.

Two stolen police cars plus two high-speed chases in two cities in two states add up to a mountain of charges filed against Shayna Sykes and Blake Bills, a Macungie couple who allegedly went on a drug-fueled joy ride through Camden and Philadelphia on Tuesday. Camden Police Chief Scott Thomson called Sykes and Bills the “junkie version of Bonnie and Clyde.” 

Manhunt for Driver in Fatal Brooklyn Crash Ends in Bethlehem

A three-day manhunt for the alleged driver in a hit-and-run crash in Brooklyn that killed a young pregnant woman and her husband ended Wednesday in Bethlehem. Julio Acevedo surrendered to New York City police in a Turkey Hill parking lot in South Bethlehem. The couple's child had been delivered premature following the crash but subsequently died.

DNA From Ski Mask Links Man to 2010 Robbery: Police

More than two years after it occurred, Hellertown Police say the brazen early morning robbery of the borough's McDonald's has been solved. Police said forensic analysis by Pennsylvania State Police of a black ski mask that was found after the robbery yielded a DNA sample from saliva, which was subsequently matched to that of Rodney Amos Chery, 24.

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Tree Lovers Confront PPL

PPL Corp. will be enforcing its 25-, 35- and 50-foot rights-of-way throughout Lower Macungie Township, a prospect that has unsettled several residents who want their trees for privacy, shelter, shade and more personal reasons. It was an emotionally-charged meeting of the Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners on Thursday as residents listened to a PPL Corp. spokesman explain the company's new policy: to remove woody-stemmed vegetation that could potentially damage power lines.

'Hell's Kitchen' to Feature Parkland Grad

Parkland High School graduate Jessica Lewis will compete on season 11 of the popular TV show "Hell’s Kitchen," which airs at 8 p.m. March 12 on FOX. Lewis is a junior sous chef at Bagatelle, the hot French restaurant in New York's West Village known for its wild, anything-goes brunch parties.

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Third Bomb Threat Closes Emmaus High

Emmaus High School students received a robo call at their homes from Principal Dave Piperato on Wednesday evening, notifying them of yet another bomb threat and the resulting need to close the high school on Thursday. The continued bomb threats—and missed school days—threaten the school's graduation date. 

The Center for Animal Health and Welfare has begun an Easton-wide trap-neuter-return program. The center has gotten a $97,000 grant from PetSmart which requires them to spay and neuter 1,400 cats in the next two years. So far, the center has one board member doing the job and needs help. So the center is looking for people around Easton to set humane traps to catch stray cats and bring them to the shelter.

Pharmacy That Was Raided Closes

A Hellertown drugstore that made headlines last year when it was raided by DEA and FBI agents is closed after its lease was terminated, the borough's zoning and codes enforcement officer, Kris Russo, confirmed Wednesday.

Colonial Regional Police Sued for Age Discrimination

A receptionist for the Colonial Regional Police Department alleges she was forced to resign after Chief Roy Seiple intimidated and retaliated against her for filing an age discrimination claim, according to a federal lawsuit. Barbara Hoell, 61, of Lower Nazareth Township, sued the department in December, claiming she was repeatedly denied “adequate” raises, promotion and advancement opportunities, overtime and health insurance.

The fire marshal and Forks Township Police Department are investigating a fire that destroyed a home under construction in Forks Township Tuesday night.


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