A Northampton County man wanted for allegedly shooting at a vehicle and attacking his brother with a hammer is in custody. Wilson Borough police say 20-year-old Frandy Almanzar turned himself in Tuesday for the alleged incident last October. Authorities said Alamanzar assaulted his brother with a hammer then fired gunshots at a moving vehicle near 20th and Ferry Streets hours later. He faces over a dozen charges, including reckless endangerment.
It'll soon cost more to park in downtown Easton after Easton City Council approved increasing parking meter fees in several areas Wednesday night. The cost to park at Centre Square meters went up from $2 to $3 per hour. The Northampton Street lot will increase by one dollar to $3 per hour, while the first floor of the North Fourth Street parking lot will go up from $2 to $2.50 per hour. All other lots will increase from $1.50 per hour to $2.75 per hour. Parking fees at garages will also change. The South Third Street and North Fourth Street garages will cost $2.50 per hour at all times. The increased charges take effect 30 days after its adoption Wednesday night.
Fulfilling a campaign promise, new Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler (cy-slur) has ended a formal partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He says the agreement gave his office too much power. "It allows them to stop anybody, detain anybody, who they believe is in the country without current authorization," Ceisler says. The decision does not prevent ICE from operating in Bucks County, but it removes the sheriff's office from direct participation. Ceisler emphasized that ending the partnership does not mean his office will obstruct federal enforcement and in no way makes the county a sanctuary county to illegal immigrants.
14 years ago, the Carbon County Fair Association bought a 41-acre property about a half-mile away from the current spot where the annual Carbon County Fair is held every year. Beginning in 2027, the fair's Tara Latshaw says that property will finally be home to the fair. "It will give us a lot more room in terms of parking. We're going to have two parking lots, which will be so nice especially for the traffic coming in and out. We will have a new arena. It will be bigger, so hopefully we will be able to hold more events in there," Latshaw says. The fair will still be held along Little Gap Road in Palmerton. Latshaw says fundraising continues, with the goal of having permanent buildings and permanent restrooms and properly maintain that property.
Little League International is announcing changes for the upcoming season. The organization says baseball and softball players at all levels can now use pine tar on their bats. Pine tar is used widely in the pros by batters looking to improve their grip. Little League will also allow batters to use thumb protectors again after a one-year ban.
New Jersey lawmakers have just gotten a 67-percent pay raise. Senate and Assembly members are now earning $82,000 a year, up from $49,000, their first pay raise in 24 years. The law, passed in 2024, also raises the Governor's salary to $210,000 annually. That's up from $175,000 and represents a 20-percent pay bump. The increases were negotiated in 2024 by outgoing Governor Phil Murphy with the Governor's salary hike taking effect next Tuesday when Mikie Sherrill takes office.
Drivers around the Garden State...heads up. Extra local police officers will be out patrolling roads this Friday from three to seven p.m. The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police announced the crackdown. They say officers will kick off the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr holiday weekend by looking for speeders, distracted and impaired drivers, along with any other traffic infraction. It is part of a "Goal Zero Initiative" to ideally lower the number of traffic fatalities to zero. Stats released this week by the State Attorney General's office shows fatal traffic crashes were down 16-percent last year, compared to the year before.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy's veto of a groundhog bill is jeopardizing some of the state's Groundhog Day celebrations. Ever since the death of Milltown Mel in 2021, that Middlesex County town has faced legal obstacles trying to replace Mel because of state rules banning importation of wild animals due to rabies concern. Milltown was hoping a bill passed this month would help, allowing for limited out-of-state groundhog imports. But Governor Murphy has vetoed it, so Milltown's Groundhog Day festivities could shut down unless it finds a New Jersey-born groundhog by February 2nd.
The Red Sox are adding to their rotation. According to ESPN, the Sox have agreed to a five-year, $130 million deal with left-hander Ranger Suarez. The 30-year-old went 12-and-8 with a 3.20 ERA while pitching for the Phillies in 2025. Philadelphia will receive a compensatory pick after the fourth round due to tendering Suarez a qualifying offer before the November deadline.
The Giants have their next leader. According to ESPN, the G-Men are working to finalize an agreement to make John Harbaugh their next head coach. Contract numbers are still being negotiated. Harbaugh spent 18 years as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. He went 180-and-113 with another 13 playoff victories including Super Bowl 47.