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With phones ringing off the hook, Super Bowl Sunday marks a different kind of game day for pizza purveyors.
"It's a pretty big day," said Joseph Marciante with Marco's Pizza, located in the Gilbertsville Shopping Center.
Already, customers have placed bulk orders for pickup on the big day. According to Marciante, whose family owns the business, Super Bowl Sunday is easily their biggest takeout day of the year.
"That day, we're not waiting for anybody to [dine] in. It's gonna be all takeout and delivery," he said. "I've had a couple orders already confirmed, lots of wings and pizzas."
Marciante said he expects to sell nearly 200 pizzas and more than 100 pounds worth of wings over the course of the day.
The mass orders take lots of extra preparation and work. In gearing up for the big day, the shop stocks up on extra ingredients, weighing in at hundreds of pounds.
Most orders are placed early Sunday. Marciante encourages customers to call as early as possible.
"That would be great. That would help us out a lot, but we're not gonna not serve ya, you know," he said.
By the late-evening, the rush dies down, according to Marciante. At that point, he plans to catch some of the game.
Although not normally a New England Patriots fan, Marciante is rooting for the team's fullback, James Develin.
Develin is a local native and Boyertown Area High School graduate. He and Marciante went to school together.
"It's pretty cool that he does play for the NFL now, so, definitely rooting for him," he said.
Cheering on the team, however, will occur only after the shop tackles its own duties of dishing out Super Bowl snacks.
"Just call in," he said, "and get your pizza!"
Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski says the state of the city is strong and getting stronger.
Pawlowski gave his 10th annual State of the City address Friday afternoon at the new Renaissance Hotel in Allentown.
2014 was a big year for the Queen City. The mayor said the Neighborhood Improvement Zone, including the PPL Center arena and City Center buildings, have given a new heart to the city, but he said it won't be enough until every family living in Allentown is living a better life.
"My goal is to once again capture our role as a major city in business while focusing on making Allentown a great place to raise a family and a great place to live," Pawlowski said.
Pawlowski said Allentown is also making strides in the war on crime. He said homicide is at its lowest level in more than a decade.
State police are on the hunt for the man who robbed a bank in Berks County on Friday.
The holdup happened around 10:40 a.m. at the VIST Bank at Pricetown Road and Route 73 in Ruscombmanor Township.
Surveillance photos of the robbery show the man wearing a camouflage coat with a hood over his head as he demanded money from a teller.
Police have not said how much money he got away with.
Investigators said they are working with Reading police to determine whether the robbery is connected to a holdup at the National Penn Bank on North Sixth Street in center city on Wednesday.
City detectives on Thursday announced they had obtained a felony warrant for the arrest of Jason Lee Serrano in that robbery. He remains at large.
Anyone with information about either robbery is asked to call Crime Alert Berks County at 877-373-9913. A cash reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
As nurses at the Poconos' largest hospital approved a last-minute deal to avoid a strike, two state reports are revealing staffing issues that left some employees "overwhelmed" and "in tears."
A spokesman for Pocono Medical Center insisted that patient safety was never at risk though.
Roughly 500 PMC nurses have threatened to strike over staffing levels and patient safety concerns.
Thursday, nurses voted on a deal to avoid a walk-out beginning Sunday. The nurses union JNESCO, announced the results of the voting on its website late Thursday. Union representatives did not returns calls for comment Thursday.
Meantime, a pair of reports from the Pennsylvania Department of Health is revealing just how serious those staffing concerns were.
After several employees complained, DOH inspectors showed up at the hospital unannounced on August 20 and 21. Regulators found Pocono Medical Center did not have adequate staffing in its emergency department and its cardiovascular telemetry (CVT) unit. Regulators said one employee felt "overwhelmed and was not able to safely care for the patients." Another "confirmed feeling nervous about completing their assignment due to the increased acuity needs of the patients."
Medical staffers told state inspectors there were sometimes 10 patients for every one medical worker. Employees said they sometimes had to give up dinner and even bathroom breaks to keep up with the patient load. One worker told inspectors "there were many days the staff was crying."
Hospital spokesman Geoffrey Roche acknowledged staffing issues, but insisted that patient safety was never at risk. He said PMC has since restructured and filled several open positions, but in a second unannounced visit in November, DOH found staffing levels still weren't adequate. They recommended placing PMC under what's called "immediate jeopardy," a federal classification that could put Medicare Medicaid funds at risk. Roche noted that the Federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services never actually designated the hospital as "immediate jeopardy."
The state health department now says that Pocono Medical Center is in compliance.
Neither the hospital nor JNESO, the nurses' union, would speak on camera about the state reports. Both sides agreed not to make any public statements Thursday while nurses voted on the new contract deal.
This report was updated Thursday evening, after contract vote results were released by the union.
The new contract will take effect Sunday and run through January 31, 2018.
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Someone threw this puppy out of a car and into a snow bank at Walmart in East Stroudsburg, leaving her shivering, scared and possibly injured.
It happened around 3 p.m. Thursday.
The pup, possibly a shepherd mix, is only about six weeks old.
A Good Samaritan took her to Animal Welfare Society of Monroe, a no-kill shelter in Stroudsburg.
The shelter staff named her Bonnie Bell, simply because they decided "the name is cute, just like her."
They don't have details about what happened, only that a witness told them the pup had been thrown from the car onto a hard-packed and icy snowbank. That witness was so concerned about the pup that he or she did not get a license number.
Kim Loffio, the shelter's general manager, asked anyone else who saw what happened to call.
Loffio said the puppy does not seem to be in pain, but may have been injured when thrown, because she's walking "bow-legged."
The shelter's veterinarian is going to evaluate Bonnie Bell this weekend.
After photos of the puppy were posted on the shelter's website, several people expressed an interest in adopting her.
But Loffio said she still is too young to be adopted.
For information about adopting pets from the shelter, which is at 3129 Godfrey Ridge Drive in Stroudsburg, call 570-421-3647.
Pennsylvania state Treasurer Rob McCord will plead guilty to federal charges after telling two potential campaign contributors that he could make it difficult for them to continue to do business with the state.
"I essentially said the potential contributor should not make an enemy of the state treasurer," McCord said. "Clearly, that was wrong, I was wrong, it was a mistake."
McCord, making the statement in a video released Friday by his lawyer, said he is resigning immediately.
McCord's lawyer, Bob Welsh, said McCord will plead guilty to certain federal charges. He said the charges stem from the incident that happened last year.
What looks like dots on a simple piece of paper could be the key to quickly diagnosing Ebola and other infectious diseases.
"It's bio-based diagnostics," said Keith Pardee, research scientist at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. "Potentially, they could identify people more rapidly and define the outbreak more easily."
Known as a paper-based gene circuit, researchers at Wyss Institute at Harvard University developed the test that uses a patient's blood or saliva and a piece of blotting paper embedded with genetic information.
Each spot is a potential diagnostic test for Ebola or any other infection, bacterial or viral
"It's just like pH paper or a pregnancy test, with the advantage that we can sort of rapidly reprogram those tests to look for Ebola or look for some other emerging pathogen," Pardee explained.
The test can tell the difference between strains of infections and could one day be used at your home to diagnose a flu or cold.
"And that can help inform you as to whether you should go into the doctor to seek medical treatment or take antibiotics, things like that," said Pardee.
It's a simple test with a huge impact.
The portable paper diagnostic test costs between four and 60 cents to make. It can be freeze-dried and used up to a year later out in the field or anywhere in the world.
Pardee and his researchers hope to solve some of the key technological challenges within a year and then make the test commercially available. Once available, results will take only 30 to 60 minutes.
DOWNLOAD and VIEW research summary and an in-depth interview with the doctor
Ri Edwards for a look at the roads. >>> jaciel cordoba: We begin this morning with shocking new details about the death of a woman from Lehigh County who police say was killed by her stepfather.>> eve tannery: The District Attorney investigating her death has revealed more about the possible "sexual authorities say was behind the death. 33-year-old Jessica Padgett was found buried behind the shed of Gregory Graf, her stepfather.. on Friday in Allen Township, Northampton County. Police say she of the head.. and that Graf admitted to the shooting. District Attorney John Morganelli says there was a possible "sexual motive" behind the crime. Last night, he elaborated on that theory on the Nancy Grace show. >> d.a. john MORGANELLI:"We believe that there was a sexual motive behind this. And at sexual motive is still being developed. But it's either during or prioro the murder.. or a desire, perhaps, to have sex with a deceased body. >> eve tannery: Morganelli says there is no evidence that Padgett and
A Northampton County man is heading to trial on charges he brutally murdered his stepdaughter, and abused her corpse.
Gregory Graf, 53, of Allen Township, waived his preliminary hearing Friday afternoon.
Investigators say Graf shot and killed his stepdaughter, Jessica Padgett, 33, back in November.
Officials say Padgett left work at the Duck Duck Goose Daycare in Northampton on Friday, November 21, to send a fax from Graf's home office in Allen Township, where he lived with Padgett's biological mother. The mother was on vacation at the time.
Padgett wasn't heard from again, and when Graf's home and office were searched on November 26, police said they found Padgett's body behind a shed.
Investigators say Graf shot and killed Padgett, then videotaped himself sexually abusing her corpse.
On Friday, District Attorney John Morganelli said he showed the tape of Graf engaging in the sexual act with Padgett's corpse to Graf's attorney, John McMahon.
McMahon then decided to waive the hearing. He says he's looking into a mental health defense.
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against one of two people accused of sexually assaulting and killing an elementary school math teacher.
Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman said Friday that Thomas Moore, 25, tortured Nicole Mathewson and killed her after committing multiple felonies.
Those factors, Stedman said, are aggravating circumstances that warrant capital punishment.
Moore's 16-year-old co-defendant, Marcus Rutter, can't face the death penalty because of his age, Stedman said.
Moore and Rutter are charged with homicide, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, burglary, robbery and other offenses in the Dec. 15 killing at Mathewson's home on North Franklin Street in Lancaster.
Moore's lawyer has said his client isn't responsible for Mathewson's death.
Mathewson, 32, taught sixth-grade math at Brownstown Elementary School near Ephrata. Police said she'd been home alone, and Moore and the teen didn't know her.
A mother's fate is now in the hands of a Lehigh County jury.
Wendi Stanford, formerly of Allentown, is charged with killing her 2 month old son in 2003.
She smiled to her family as she headed into the courtroom. But that smile was short lived as the prosecution once again showed the jury graphic pictures of her dead son.
During closing arguments Friday morning, the prosecuting attorneys told the jury they're speaking on behalf of Dillon Harbin.
They say, back in November of 2003, Stanford shook the infant repeatedly and then bashed his head onto bedroom furniture to stop him from crying.
They told the jury it's outrageous and ridiculous that Stanford blamed the boy's death on her 2 year old daughter, whom Stanford claimed dropped the baby a few feet onto a carpeted floor a few days before.
The defense painted a picture of a simple mother, with only a 10th grade education, who would never harm her child.
They don't dispute how the baby died but told the jury Stanford didn't do it and suggested it could have been her now ex-husband Geoff Harbin or his father. Both men lived inside the Walnut street home.
The defense said the case hinges on Harbin's word, who told police a decade after his son died, he saw Stanford slap the boy a month before his death.
During the prosecution's closing arguments Stanford could be seen repeatedly shaking her head repeating, "that's not what happened."
The case is now in the hands of the jury.
WFMZ's Bo Koltnow is at the Lehigh County courthouse and will have a complete story on 69News beginning at 4.
News at Noon starts right now. >>>eve tannery: First at noon... a mother's fate is now in the hands of a Lehigh County Jury. Wendi Stanford.. formerly of Allentown... is charged with killing her 2 month old son in 2003. WFMZ's Bo Koltnow is live outside the Lehigh County Courthouse with the details.>> Eve, Wendi Stanford smiled to her family as she headed into the courtroom. But that smile was short lived as the prosecution once againshowed the jury graphic pictures of her dead son.>>REPORTERDuring closing arguments the prosecution told the jury they're speaking on behalf of Dillon Harbin. They say... back in November of 2003 the 2 month old boy's mother Wendi Stanford shook him repeatedly..and then bashed his head onto bedroom furniture to stop him from crying. Then telling the jury it's outrageous and ridiculous that Stanford blamed the boy's death on her 2 year old daughter, whom Stanford claimed dropped the baby a few feet onto a carpeted floor..a few days prior.painted a picture of a simple mother, with only a 10th grade education, who would never harm her child. They don't dispute how the baby died but told the jury Stanford didn't do it... and suggested it could have been her now ex-husband Geoff Harbin..or his father..both of whom lived inside the Walnut street home. The defense said the case hinges on Harbin's word...who told police a decade after his son died.. he saw Stanford slap the boy a month before his death. During the prosecution's closing arguments Stanford could be seen repeatedly shaking her head repeating "that's not what happened." The case is now in the hands of the jury. Live in Allentown Bo Koltnow
If you love Girl Scout cookies, you'll love these new ways to enjoy them!
The Girls Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania have partnered with ArtsQuest for the inaugural "Girl Scout Cookie Crunch," taking place Sunday, Feb. 8 at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.
Participating restaurants will prepare dishes using Girl Scout cookies.
Girl Scout Thin Mint Bars
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 – 8oz boxes – Girl Scout Thin Mints
4 oz. soft butter
Filling:
8oz cream cheese
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1tsp vanilla extract
1 sleeve - Girl Scout Thin Mints
Cut each cookie into 4 equal pieces.
Directions:
Using a food processor fitted with a blade, add thin mint cookies to the processor and grind cookies into fine crumbs. Grind in batches and place in a separate bowl.
Blend in 4 oz of soft butter into the thin mint crumbs. Mix with your hands until the mixture resembles small peas. Reserve 1 cup of the crumbs for topping.
Press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan sprayed with a baking release spray.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Blend together until light and fluffy. Blend in the egg. Fold in the quartered thin mint cookie pieces into the cream cheese mixture.
Pour cream cheese mixture over the crust in the 9x13 pan. Spread out batter evenly.
Top with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350°f, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
Girl Scout Peanut Butter Truffles
Ingredients:
2 – 8 oz boxes – Girl Scout Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
2 – 3 oz blocks of cream cheese
4 Tbsps. soft butter
Granulated peanuts for garnishing
2 – 12 oz bags of chocolate chips, melted for dipping.
Directions:
Using a food processor fitted with a blade, add peanut butter cookies to the processor and grind cookies into fine crumbs. Grind all the peanut butter cookies in batches and place in a separate bowl.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, add cream cheese and butter. Blend together until light and fluffy. Add the ground cookie crumbs to the cream cheese and butter mixture.
Mix together on low speed until all the ingredients come together. Remove dough from mixer. Scoop truffle mixture into balls using a portion scooper.
Roll the portioned truffles between hands to make them round and smooth. Place on cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In another separate bowl, place chocolate chips and microwave on 30 second intervals. Stir between each interval until the chocolate is melted.
Remove truffles from refrigerator and dip each truffle individually into the melted chocolate using tongs, skewers or forks.
Place each dipped truffle on top loose granulated peanuts until the chocolate has set. Serve.
Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
Salted Caramel Delite Cheesecake
Crust:
8 Caramel Delites cookies
1 sleeve, about 20 Shortbread cookies
1 cup chocolate covered pretzels
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
Caramel:
Put cookies and pretzels in food processor to make crumbs. Add sugar and mix. Add melted butter and mix well. Press into sprayed 10" springform pan.
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup brown sugar
Mix in saucepan over medium to low heat. Whisk until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add sea salt.
Set aside to cool.
Cheesecake:
5- 8oz. cream cheese
1-3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
5 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup flour
Mix cream cheese in mixer bowl. Add remaining ingredients, 1 at a time, mixing well on low speed and scraping bowl. Scoop out about 1 cup batter and mix with caramel. Put remaining batter into crust.
Drop caramel mixture on top of cheesecake and swirl through with a knife. Bake in water bath at 310* for 2 hours. Turn oven off, but leave cheesecake in for about 4 hours until completely cooled. Top with Caramel Delite cookie.
Melanie Wilson think the>>> melanie falcon: This we're cooking with the Girls Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania who've partnered with Artsquest for the inaugural "Girl Scout Cookie Crunch". Participating restaurants will be dishes using girl scout cookies. Eve is in the kitchen right now with Nicole Frederick from g-s-e-p and helping her cook is Lehigh University's executive pastry chef Joe Feiertag Good morning in Sports >>> melanie falcon: It's time to head back over to the kitchen this morning, where we're with the Girls Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania who've partnered with Artsquest for the inaugural "Girl Scout Cookie Crunch".>> eve tannery: Matt is in the kitchen right now with Nicole Frederick and Lehigh University's executive pastry chef Joe Feiertag Good morning guys! >> Lisa Del.icio.us and smells delicious good morning how are you i i write so we continue with our peanut butter theme. i write which means analysis but let's be honest peanut butter and chocolate. i can't figure anything so do small balls rolling it into the ground to the right which Makes it now at the cream cheese butter to create or delete and eight right now And it is okay look at that thing too little tool you have is a My goodness arts let's let's talk about the event February 8 that still stacks Right with any cookie they want to use right on. and while they all are all that's also What are you and i know is why how do you think that you okay why is lemon chicken i mean, you know, i can see that you So this is a little bit of you to be in a rehabilitation with this Reaganite Roland of the ball in dividend of the air for melting the chocolate. Oh that the thing so tickets do we just find that you can get them at the door okay Okay oh spots. yeah and busing would make a return again as easy as possible as it is a expect nothing less now i must ask you guys what's your favorite Girl Scout cookie is a tough day after Lemonades and finance and those are popular ones once. i like the caramel delights personally but i don't turn on any box you as yet as the ammunition be a pretty big crowd for this event) in February 8 it still stacks and so as we move on through the next segment would Reagan be doing for that marginal marks coming up earmarks quest i had already right and walk through how we have we did how we came up with the final product right guys keep working looks great. More
Reading firefighters are working to save a home from going up in flames.
Crews were dispatched shortly after noon Friday to 325 W. Windsor St. in the northwest section of the city.
Initial calls from the scene reported a fire in a front bedroom and that everyone inside was able to get out safely.
A 69 News crew is on the scene. Refresh this page for updates as information becomes available.
A popular ride service has been given the green light to start in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Thursday approved the compliance plan filed by Uber subsidiary Rasier-PA LLC.
This gives the company a two-year license for "experimental service" to operate throughout Pennsylvania, with the exception of Philadelphia.
Uber can start its applications-based service immediately.
According to a release, the PUC "continues to maintain that a legislative solution for Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber is the best answer for Pennsylvania."
Uber riders connect to drivers through cell phone apps, and arrange pickup and dropoff direclty through the driver.
The company was founded in 2009 and has service in more than 200 cities today throughout the world.
It's not clear which cities in Pennsylvania will establish service right away.
Right-hander Chad Billingsley and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $1.5 million, one-year contract.
Billingsley can earn an additional $3 million based on innings under Thursday's deal plus $2 million based on starts and $1.5 million based on time on the active roster.
Billingsley, 30, of South Heidelberg Township, Berks County, had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on April 24 and spent all of last season on the Los Angeles Dodgers' disabled list. He also had an operation on his right flexor tendon on June 24.
Billingsley averaged more than 12 wins and nearly 180 innings per season from 2007-12. He is 81-61 with a 3.65 ERA in 190 starts and 29 relief appearances for the Dodgers, who selected him in the first round of the 2003 amateur draft with the 24th pick.
A 2009 National League All-Star, he has pitched in six postseason games for the Dodgers, three against the Phillies.
Billingsley would earn $250,000 each for one, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days on the active major league roster, and $250,000 apiece for 13 starts and each additional two through 27. He would get $750,000 each for 120, 140, 160 and 180 innings.
"As has been the case throughout this off-season, we have attempted to create as much starting pitching depth as possible at both the major and minor league levels," said Ruben Amaro, the Phillies' senior vice president and general manager. "Given Chad's track record, we feel he is an excellent candidate to bounce back as a productive starting pitcher."
Billingsley's deal also includes award bonuses, among them $50,000 for comeback player of the year.
He will wear #38.
Billingsley and his wife, Tiffany, have spent part of baseball's off-seasons volunteering their time at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County and helping to raise money for the animal shelter.
