WEBCAST: Extreme Cold Causes School Closures

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Extreme cold is plunging much of the nation into a deep freeze, from the Dakotas to New England and down into the deep south. That arctic air is pushing temperatures to as much as 30 degrees...


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Garage damaged in explosion in Allentown

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An Allentown man is lucky to have survived an explosion Tuesday, in his garage on St. John Street in Allentown.


Officials said the man was spray-painting in his garage with a kerosene heater on nearby.


The fumes from the paint made it to the kerosene heated and that ignited.


There was visible damage to the garage with some walls blown out, but the man was not hurt according to reports.






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Swearings-in take place in Harrisburg

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Newly elected officials across the State are ready to start their terms in office after swearing-in ceremonies in Harrisburg.


State Rep. Mike Schlossberg (D-Lehigh) and State Senator Mario Scavello (R-40) were among officials sworn into office Tuesday.


Schlossberg took the oath of office for a second term representing the 132nd Legislative District.


He said he is focusing on constituent service and a fresh start for Pennsylvania schools and families.


"There is a lot to be done to put Pennsylvania on a more productive path, but I am ready to get to work," said Schlossberg.


He pledged to work with the incoming governor and his colleagues across the aisle to ensure that the state is honoring its commitment to community schools, fostering a strong economy and creating opportunities for all Pennsylvania families.


He also said he intends to continue fighting for women's health and equality for all Pennsylvanians and he is committed to improving Pennsylvania's economy by voting to support investments in roads and bridges while continuing to bolster the health care and manufacturing industries.


Schlossberg will represent the newly configured 132nd District, which now includes parts of South Whitehall and Allentown's East Side.


Meanwhile State Senator Mario Scavello (R-40) was also sworn into office to represent the new 40th Senatorial District covering parts of Monroe and Northampton counties.


Scavello said "I am honored and humbled to join the Senate today. I'm hopeful for what the future holds, but fully aware of the work to be done.


Prior to his election to the Senate, Senator Scavello served more than a decade in the House of Representatives, representing Monroe County's 176th Legislative District.


Senator Scavello has also been a small business owner, mayor of Mount Pocono and chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners.


Voters elected both men to their respective posts in the November 2014 election.






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Artic blast can put your plumbing at risk

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The bitter blast of winter weather had Hector Rivera from Reading pulling out all the stops to protect his home.


Topping the list, making sure the pipes were ready for the deep freeze.


Rivera said he lets water run out of his outdoor faucets to keep his pipes from freezing.


"I open the faucet so the water runs through," said Rivera.


And he has the right idea, according to plumbing experts at The Plumbing Works in Reading.


The owner here, Scott Kissinger said preventative maintenance goes a long way.


Kissinger also recommends making sure heat gets into those crawl spaces.


"Even though they might be spending a little bit more money on heating, the damage sometimes can get more costly," said Kissinger.


Experts add that while it's tempting to turn down the thermostat while you're not home to save money, it could cause your pipes to burst and leave you with a hefty repair bill.


"With these temperatures, I don't think turning your heat down is probably a good idea," said Kissinger.


Cold temperatures are expected last throughout the remainder of the week.






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Bottom Dollar closing all of its stores

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The end is nearing for a local discount food store in our area.



Bottom Dollar Food on Lancaster Avenue in Reading was a store welcomed by many in the Reading area for its deep discounts on grocery items.



"I shop here all the time because they have good prices," said Amanda Fetterolf, a shopper.



"It is so close to home. We just like coming here all the time," said Elsie Rodriguez, a shopper.



But in just a week, the store will be closing its doors for good on January 15th.



"I am definitely going to miss Bottom Dollar and the bargains that they have here compared to the other competitor markets," said Cindy Binkley, a shopper.



Bottom Dollar has locations in both Reading and Exeter Township. But back in November, the chain announced it was sold to ALDI and would be closing all 66 of its stores in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas. It is a move some customers, who prefer Bottom Dollar over ALDI, are not happy about.



"I do not like them. Their prices are more expensive. They say they are cheap but they are not. And they do not have name brands like Bottom Dollar does," said Fetterolf.



It is unclear if ALDI will reopen the Bottom Dollar locations, especially after building brand new stores nearby. But customers tell us they hope the chain does.



"It is just sad. Hopefully something else opens here, another market or something, that is good and has reasonable prices," said Rodriguez.



"I will just have to look for bargains elsewhere. Amelia's sometimes has good bargains so I can go there and get things," said Binkley.



More than 1,600 employees are affected by the closures. But Bottom Dollar says associates will be offered severance and eligible associates will be offered help finding a new career.






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Killed Over Allowance? Ex-Girlfriend of Thomas Gilbert Jr. Speaks Out

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Anna Rothschild offers possible motive for her ex-boyfriend as he faces charges of murdering his father, a hedge fund founder.


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Oldest Time Capsule: What Did Paul Revere Stash?

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The oldest time capsule discovered in the country that dates back to 1795 was opened today in Boston. American Revolution patriot Paul Revere and then-Gov. Samuel Adams placed the relic under...


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RAW VIDEO: Two Police Officers Shot in NYC

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A gunman who allegedly shot two New York City police officers during robbery call on Monday was arrested today and charged with attempted murder, authorities said. Jason Planco has also been...


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Pohatcong Police use Facebook to catch thieves

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In this day and age it seems almost everyone is using social media in one form or another.



Law enforcement is no exception.



The Pohatcong Township Police Department in Warren County, New Jersey in just one department using Facebook to its advantage.



"Things go viral on the internet all the time so why can't it happen in the interest of public safety?" said Patrolman Alan Hill.



The department posts images and videos of suspects who are wanted in various crimes. Hill said the public has been a big help in identifying people.



"In the past couple months I would say we're at about 50 percent success rate when we post stuff on Facebook," he said.



Facebook users recently helped police identify a woman caught on camera allegedly stealing a TV from Walmart. Pohatcong Township Police said she was identified and charged.



"In large part it's all Facebook's help," said Hill. "We had people within 24 hours letting us know who it was."



Walmart spokesperson Betsy Harden said efforts like this from police are appreciated and the retailer wants to be good partners with law enforcement.



"We appreciate anything they can do to help catch criminals who are shopping in our stores and stealing from our stores," she told 69 News.



The Pohatcong Township Police Department's Facebook Page isn't just for criminal cases.



"If we find dogs we'll post them on Facebook, a lot of success. They get a lot more shares than the shoplifters do," said Hill.



This is just one example of a police department adapting in this age of technology and Hill said it's making a difference.



He said, "Absolutely I believe it's deterring crime. Just the fact that if you do get away with it for the time being that your picture might be on Facebook, absolutely. I wouldn't want mine out there."






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Family continues to hope missing woman will be found

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An Allentown family is hoping that the new year brings their loved one home.


The family of 53-year-old Maria Quinones-Garcia and Allentown police, have been looking for her since she went missing on May 17, 2014.


Police said she was last seen in the area of Fourth and Chew Streets in Allentown when she went missing, but authorities said she has been seen in the South Bethlehem area.


Family members also said Maria has mental health issues and would sometimes not take her medication.


The family reported that Maria has gone by the name Corin in the past when she has been off her medication, however, they believe she is currently taking her medication.


Despite attempts to find her, police said she is still missing at this time. Maria is 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds.


Anyone with information is asked to call Allentown police at (610) 437-7751






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LVH-Muhlenberg ready to treat Ebola patients

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Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg is now a designated Ebola treatment center.



The hospital is one of only four in Pennsylvania picked to have an Ebola treatment center right inside the facility and prepared to provide long-term treatment to people with the lethal infection.



One reason is because of its location to several international airports and the other is because of its reputation for excellence.



The hospital was picked by The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



Terry Burger is the director of the infection control and prevention department for Lehigh Valley Health Network.



She said, "I think our number one goal right from the beginning is to ensure we could protect our patients, our community and our employees so the fact that they recognize that we have that capability is great news."



Burger said Ebola patients would be in a defined location with special flushing toilets, air filtering systems and cameras.



She explained, "We felt that it would be important to have a unit designated where we could safely care for that patient while continuing regular operations at all of our facilities."



The hospital is one of 48 hospitals across the country with the centers.



In some states, workers walked out because they were worried about being exposed to the virus, but at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg employees dealing with Ebola patients are volunteers who make up "The Passion Team."



"They are there because they want to be there and because they feel comfortable that we have provided them with the personal protective equipment and the education to protect themselves," said Burger.



Burger said although more people are talking about protecting themselves from the flu right now, Ebola is still a concern.



On Sunday, an American health care worker who was exposed to Ebola while working in Sierra Leone arrived at hospital in Nebraska for observation.






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Lehigh women face defending champ Army Wednesday

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A week into Patriot League play, the Lehigh women are still perfect at 2-0, one of only two teams in the league without a loss so far.The Mountain Hawks also have the best overall record of any team in the league this year at 10-2. Tomorrow night, they try to stay in first place against defending league champion and preseason league favorite Army. It's a big early opportunity for the Lehigh women and they understand that even just over a week into the league schedule.For the Mountain Hawks, a key this year has been the amount of players they can count on to make plays, and that may also be what helps them through the grinding league schedule.






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Acosta sworn in as state first latina legislator

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New members to the state legislature were sworn-in today, including the first latina member.


Leslie Acosta, elected from the 195th district located in Philadelphia, was one of eight new Democratic and 21 new Republican members of the state House of Representatives.


In the state Senate, 25 members including three Democratic freshman were sworn in.






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Death sentence for Monroe County killer

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A possible serial killer convicted in a Monroe County killing has been formally sentenced to death.




Charles Hicks was convicted last year in the 2008 murder of Deanna Null.


Police said Hicks killed and dismembered Null, before leaving her remains scattered along several highways in the Poconos.


During the trial, prosecutors said Hicks admitted to killing five women in Texas.


That remains under investigation.






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Which diets are best for your goal

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It's that time of the year when people are watching what they eat to get fit for the new year.



So U-S News and World Report ranked 35 diets.



The first one mentioned is the popular Dash Diet.



It's low in sodium and has a nice balance of lean proteins, fibers and vegetables.



Jonie Troutman is a registered dietician at Lehigh Valley Health Network and said, "It does so by emphasizing higher intakes of your vegetables, especially your non starchy vegetables, which are vegetables that don't include things like your potatoes, your corn, your peas."



Troutman said The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes or TLC diet may not be the best for targeted weight loss, but it helps improve cardiovascular health.



This diet focuses on good fats just like the Mediterranean diet, which also has a big emphasis on Fish and seafood.



Troutman said the Mayo diet is great for diabetes, but not if you have a short term weight loss goal.



The Flexitarian diet was also mentioned in the report, which works for all ages and focuses on plant based protein.



Troutman said, "It really is a vegetarian based diet with what would I would call a cheat day.



Troutman said people choose popular diets like weight watchers for convenience.



Whether you choose pre-made meals or fix your own plate you should have three ounces of lean meat and protein, whole grains and of course lots of fruits and vegetables.



She said, "The largest part of your plate should be your fruits and non starchy vegetables."



Remember what you put in your body represents what it looks like and how hard you'll have to work to lose weight.



Troutman said five pounds of fat is only going to burn two calories per pound per day, but five pounds of muscle can burn anywhere from 35 to 55 calories per pound per day.



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Leaders make plans to shelter the homeless during cold snap

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With a stretch of brutally cold temperatures on tap, community leaders met Tuesday in Allentown to come up with ways to keep the homeless safe and warm.



The Lehigh County Conference of Churches was a big part of that meeting.

"We are currently experiencing below freezing temperatures," Ryan Vernick of the Lehigh County Conference of Churches said. "Our primary reason is to keep people from freezing to death."

This year the Lehigh County Conference of Churches opened Alliance Hall in Allentown through April 30th for anyone who needs a place to stay. The Hall has purchased 50 cots and has paid supervisors on hand to watch over the groups at night.

Housing Director for the Lehigh Conference of Churches Deanne Malacsics Best, says the total cost to keep doors open for a season is about $150,000 dollars. It is a number the group did not meet this year. Deanne says as a result, instead of closing doors at Alliance Hall, fewer accommodations will be made for guests.

"We wanted to provide a meal but that has not been able to have been provided because we do not have the funding to do so," Malacsics Best said.

Now the group is looking for additional funding sources to meet its needs this year as well as prepare for next year. To help with the effort a Go Fund Me Account has been set up.

Deanne says while the funding sources for the effort are typically met through the city and private donations, more contributions are still needed.






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