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The Lehigh County coroner is looking for information on a deceased man's family.
According to coroner Scott Grim, 60-year-old Gary R. Munson of the 1300 block of West Chew St., in Allentown, died Tuesday afternoon at his home.
Anyone with information on Munson's next of kin is asked to call the Lehigh County coroner's office at 610-782-3426.
Police in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, have a homicide investigation on their hands.
Police said they were dispatched Monday afternoon to a home at 2272 Norwegian Street to investigate reports of an injured man.
When officers arrived around 12:40 p.m., they found Dat Cong Huynh, 32, of Philadelphia, who had died of multiple gunshot wounds inside the home, police said.
Police said they believe the incident was isolated to those living at the home and their acquaintances, and that it wasn't a random act.
So far, no arrests have been made, but police said they were preparing to execute several search warrants in relation to the death Tuesday.
A state police forensic unit was also at the scene for several hours gathering evidence.
An autopsy on Huynh confirmed his death was due to multiple gunshot wounds. His death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators say they're looking to identify a dark colored SUV that was reported to be parked just east of 2272 W. Norwegian St. at the time of the shooting.
They also want to identify a light-skinned male and a darker-skinned male who were seen walking east on Norwegian Street before they quickly left the area in the dark-colored SUV.
Anyone with information on the SUV or these men is asked to call the Pottsville police department at 570-622-1234 and ask for extension 340, 331 or 332.
All information can remain confidential.
o'clock hour. >>> melanie falcon: Do you think you can use martial arts in the business world? Not in a physical form, of course, but one woman believes the mental aspect can help. WFMZ's Nancy Werteen explains in Life Lessons. >>Nancy: Say your at a tough meeting and it's not going well...could you use martial arts skills to shift the negotiations? It's a new idea one woman says can help many of us in the workplace. >> nat sound (Aikido class) (:02) >>nancy: merlyn (pronounced Marilyn) holmes practices how to move with the energy of her opponent in this aikido (EYE-key-doe) class. >>Merlyn Holmes Ki-Aikido Student and Business Woman It just clicked.The application of Ki-Aikido to life, at work, in a university setting is very rich and has lots of possibilities.(:11) >>nat sound (yell) (:01) >>nancy: lessons in the aikido (EYE-key-doe) studio have helped holmes succeed in her job as a communications coordinator at the university of colorado. >>Merlyn Holmes i have found over time with the Ki-Aikido practice that i am able to stay in that place of calmness much longer and really hear and respond to the range of things and voices coming at me in a much more enjoyable manner. (:15) >> nat sound (teaching) (:02) >>nancy: fifth degree black belt and aikido (EYE-key-doe) instructor susan chandler teaches the parallels between this japanese martial art and business. >> Susan Chandler Ki-Aikido Instructor and Business Coach Its strictly defensive martial arts where you move with someone elses force rather than blocking them.And then use that energy to take them to the ground, to balance them and take them to the ground. (:10) >>nancy: at business functions and shares her message of mental arts. >>Susan Chandler We talk about the traing as being for daily life and having to do with situations where youre under pressure and in conflict in anything you do and finding that place of confidence and calm and clear mindedness. (:12) >>nancy: although holmes has been practicing aikido (EYE-key-doe) for only a couple of years shes now turned into a lifer.>> Merlyn Holmes The philosophy underneath it is so rich and so nourishing and then the practice of it i love! (:07) >>nancy: success on the mat transforming into success at the office. --- --->>Nancy: Aikido classes are also offered to children to
A Lehigh County man is facing charges after police say he downloaded and viewed numerous files of child pornography on his computer.
A special agent with the Bureau of Special Investigations of the Pa. Attorney General's office was conducting investigations of people using peer to peer file sharing programs to identify those possessing and sharing child pornography.
On January 15, the agent made a direct connection to a computer and downloaded a file that depicted a young nude girl, approximately 2-4 years old, engaged in a sex act with an older male.
Through an investigation, the agent was able to trace the computer to an apartment in the unit block of Jordan Drive in Whitehall Township, and secured a search warrant.
On March 3, the search warrant was executed and 24-year-old Brian Joseph Verga answered the door, according to court documents.
Verga told police he has a computer and has been searching for, downloading, viewing and masturbating to child pornography since he was 12--nearly 13 years, court documents say.
The court documents show that Verga said he views child pornography about once a month, then feels guilty and deletes everything. He also told police he "knows this is a terrible addiction and needs help for it."
Police said they recovered at least 75 images of apparent child pornography from a computer at Verga's apartment.
Verga was charged with sexual abuse of children, and criminal use of a communication facility.
He was taken to the Lehigh County Jail after being unable to post $75,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing is set for March 10 at 1:30 p.m.
Some area schools have made the decision to change from a delay status to closed for the day.
Find out if your school is closed or delayed by visiting our 69 News StormCenter Update page.
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Guns and money were on the agenda for action by Bethlehem City Council Tuesday night.
Council gave initial approval to changing firearms rules in two ordinances so the city will be in compliance with state Act 192, which allows organizations to sue municipalities if they fail to revoke local firearms ordinances that are stricter than state laws.
Council also gave initial approval to borrowing $5 million for capital projects in the city, as well as refinancing another $4.4 million of existing debt— which is expected to save Bethlehem more than $111,000.
Changes in the ordinances involving firearms, as well as the new borrowing/refinancing, will be up for final approval by council at its March 17 meeting.
All got unanimous first reading approval from council Tuesday.
Also during council’s meeting, a resident blasted the city administration, suggesting it is forcing a long-time administrator out of her job.
Resident Dana Grubb stood to tell council that Mary Jo Reed, the city’s purchasing director, will work her final day Friday.
Grubb, who later guessed Reed has been employed by the city for at least 20 years, said she is leaving before she planned to do so.
He charged that Reed, as well as others in City Hall, “has been bullied, intimidated and shown nothing but disrespect by certain administrators.”
“I find it disgusting that this kind of behavior is permitted and continues in City Hall,” said Grubb.
“Morale needs to be built, not destroyed, because it does affect the quality of services owed to the taxpayers.”
Grubb, who worked in the city’s community and economic development department for 27 years, told council he worked closely with Reed.
He praised her for saving Bethlehem money and for “the integrity she has bought to the position.”
He said Reed is held in high regard by other government purchasing agents in the Lehigh Valley area.
And he noted she is one of “a shrinking group of city administrators who actually reside in Bethlehem.”
Maintaining many “veteran employees” are leaving City Hall, Grubb told council that city government is being left “with much inexperience and even less institutional knowledge. That does not serve this city well.”
He urged the city to advertise to fill the purchasing director vacancy to get “the best and the brightest” applicants from outside City Hall. To do otherwise, said Grubb, would be completely irresponsible.
“You can’t claim to be hiring the best people if you don’t at least advertise and seek qualified candidates outside of city government.”
But he told council that won’t happen “with the inbreeding that might take place if another member of a certain City Hall clique is slotted into this position."
Grubb continued: “I’d be very concerned if another amateur from that clique is placed in a position that requires a huge amount of responsibility.
“We have a number of people already in the administration who are not qualified to do their jobs. The taxpayers deserve much better qualified public servants.”
No one from the administration responded to Grubb’s criticism. Mayor Robert Donchez was not at the council meeting.
This isn’t the first time Grubb has been highly critical of the city administration at a City Council meeting.
Last June, he told City Council that the administration’s Continuous Improvement program for city employees was like something out of Nazi Germany — run by vicious tyrants who used Gestapo tactics and interrogation methods.
That time Grubb also did not name names when addressing council, but later said he was talking about David Brong, the city’s business administrator who headed that program.
Changing gun laws
Council made initial votes to change firearms language in two ordinances.
One change removes language banning firearms in Bethlehem parks. The other regulates discharging firearms in the city.
Dr. Fritz Walker of South Whitehall Township, a board member of CeaseFirePA, spoke in response to threats of lawsuits against Bethlehem, and even criminal action against City Council members, if they did not change their ordinances.
Walker told council members the threat of criminal prosecution against them has no support in law and that “every attorney I speak to is incredulous regarding the threat.”
“It is unfortunate that the gun lobby has so little regard for the safety and welfare of Pennsylvania’s cities like Bethlehem that they threaten you with such a suit,” said Walker.
“It is typical of extreme gun rights organizations like the NRA and Pennsylvanians for Self-Protection that they resort to such bullying tactics.”
The threats were made to council at its Feb. 17 meeting by Tom Campione of Pennsylvanians for Self-Protection.
Campione said warnings of civil action against the city, and criminal action against council members who did not agree to change the ordinances, were in a Feb. 10 letter to City Council from Atty. Joshua Prince, who represents Pennsylvanians for Self Protection and other organizations.
“I urge Bethlehem City Council not to be intimidated by this bully’s ridiculous threats,” said Walker Tuesday.
Campione of Pennsylvanians for Self-Protection, who was not at Tuesday’s meeting, also introduces himself as vice chairman of the Lehigh Valley Tea Party.
Bethlehem resident Frank Baran said the Tea Party claims it wants local control over public affairs, “yet here they’ve asked the state to invalidate our local control.”
Baran stood before council to repeat a suggestion he made on Feb. 17 — that Bethlehem should file a friend of the court brief in support of legal action being taken by Philadelphia, Lancaster, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh to challenge the legality of Act 192.
Baran said doing that would pose no legal liability for the city or City Council members.
“City Council has the right to pass resolutions that express its opinion,” he said. “There’s nothing in Act 192 that precludes a city from expressing an opinion under the First Amendment.
“It’s important that the city make a statement that residents of the city do not support what Pennsylvanians for Self-Protection and the other groups want to do.”
Council president William Reynolds was the only council member to comment on firearms changes in the two ordinances before council unanimously voted to give them initial approval.
Reynolds said he agreed with many of the comments made by Walker and Baran, adding: “You would find that many members of council would agree as well.”
Said Reynolds: “The future here, as far as some of these issues are concerned, does unfortunately lay out of our hands.”
But he added council and its solicitor, in conjunction with the city administration, will look at available options.
“Hopefully, in Harrisburg we will have leadership that will act in a way that is consistent with the wishes of the majority of Americans, the majority of Pennsylvanians and the majority of the citizens of Bethlehem,” said Reynolds.
Capital improvements and refinancing
The $5 million Bethlehem plans to borrow will be used for two dozen capital improvement projects this year, according to a list provided by Mark Sivak, the city budget & finance director.
The most expensive items on that list are $920,000 for a 911 radio system software upgrade, $600,000 for street overlays, $597,500 for a fire apparatus replacement program and $300,000 for city center improvements.
Among other items on that list are $225,000 for park and playground improvements, $185,000 for a large dump truck, $140,000 for bridge repairs, $125,000 for pool repairs, $75,000 for Broad Street crosswalks and $75,000 for firehouse improvements.
Those “non-utility capital projects” were presented to City Council with the 2015 budget in December, said Brong, the city’s business administrator.
He predicted the city will have that money around the beginning of May and indicated it will be used for those projects this year and in 2016.
While borrowing that $5 million, the city also plans to refinance about $4.4 million of debt on bonds issued in 2010, in order to get a lower interest rate.
Refinancing that debt is projected to save Bethlehem $111,395.
Earlier Tuesday night, Scott Shearer, managing director with Public Financial Management in Harrisburg, told council’s finance committee that interest rates no longer are at all-time lows, but it’s still a very good time for borrowing.
Shearer said the average interest rate on the 2010 bonds is 3.15 percent. He said the average rate on new bonds should be about 2.25 percent.
“We’re lowering the interest rate by not quite a full percent,” said Shearer. “That’s what’s generating the savings.”
The financial consultant said if long-term interest rates go up a quarter of a percent, “we just won’t do the transaction.”
He added the $4.4 million refinancing component of the proposed deal can just be dropped “if market conditions dictate that.”
After hearing Shearer’s presentation, the three council members on the finance committee voted to advise council to approve the refinancing and new borrowing deal.
It did so with a 7-0 initial vote.
A deadly accident in Northampton County leaves at least one person dead.
Officials tell us the accident happened around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday on Route 33 southbound at the Route 191 overpass in Stockertown.
Officials say the accident involved two vehicles, and that the coroner has been called.
No word yet on the cause of the crash.
Southbound traffic on Route 33 are being directed off at Route 191 and back on just beyond the overpass.
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Imagine a tough client meeting at work, and it’s not going well. Now imagine tapping into your skills as a Japanese martial arts student to shift the energy into a successful negotiation.
Merlyn Holmes practices how to move with the energy of her opponent in an Aikido class.
Holmes says, “It just clicked. The application of Ki-Aikido to life, at work, in a university setting is very rich and has lots of possibilities.”
Lessons in the Aikido studio have helped Holmes succeed in her job as a communications coordinator at the University of Colorado.
“I have found over time with the Ki-Aikido practice that I am able to stay in that place of calmness much longer and really hear and respond to the range of things and voices coming at me in a much more enjoyable manner,” says Holmes.
Fifth degree black belt and Ki-Aikido instructor Susan Chandler teaches the parallels between this Japanese martial art and business.
Chandler says, “It’s strictly defensive martial arts where you move with someone else’s force rather than blocking them. And then use that energy to take them to the ground, to balance them and take them to the ground.”
Chandler speaks at business functions and shares her message of mental arts.
“We talk about the training as being for daily life and having to do with situations where you’re under pressure and in conflict in anything you do and finding that place of confidence and calm and clear mindedness,” says Chandler.
Although Holmes has been practicing aikido for only a couple of years, she’s now turned into a lifer.
Holmes says, “The philosophy underneath it is so rich and so nourishing and then the practice of it I love!”
Aikido classes are also offered to children and can be a useful tool to teach confidence and conflict resolution in youngsters as well.
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