The final three months of 2025 were good ones on the fundraising front for incumbent Lehigh Valley Congressman Ryan Mackenzie. His campaign says it raised more than $651,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025, leaving him with $1.8 million in the bank ahead of this year's re-election bid. On the crowded Democrat side of the race, Ryan Croswell was the biggest fundraiser in the last quarter of last year, raising more than $443,000, about $100,000 more than Bob Brooks. Carol Obando-Derstine pulled in $100,000 in donations in the same time period, while Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley raised more than $52,000 and former Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure raised below $22,000.
A Democratic campaign manager who worked on Mark Pinsley’s failed bid for state auditor general in 2024 has been charged in Chester County for allegedly filing fraudulent nomination petitions in that race. Prosecutors say 40-year-old Mariel Kornblith-Martin faces numerous charges after petitions for Pinsley's campaign allegedly included forged signatures of a Chester County judge, city council members and a township supervisor. The Chester County DA says Kornblith-Martin paid three college students to sign each page of signatures, swearing to their authenticity. Pinsley, who is now running for Congress, says he has not been involved with Kornblith-Martin since his auditor general campaign and does not know the facts of this situation.
The former owner of a popular Northampton County chocolate store has died. 87-year-old Shirley Bussenger passed away Monday. Her son, Steve, now owns Choclates on Broadway in Bangor, a store previously owned by Shirley and her late husband Woody, who bought the store in 1978.
It's starting to look like a new restaurant could be replacing the old TGI Fridays at the Shops at Cedar Point on the west end of Allentown that closed in October 2024. The city says it has received a request for the transfer of a liquor license to the address of the closed restaurant. A public hearing on the liquor license transfer has been scheduled for March 4.
Accu-Weather's Joe Lundberg says we might be getting a little nuisance snow tomorrow. "I think a coating to an inch or so. I don't it'll be anything more than that," Lundberg says. The snow is expected to fall from late Friday afternoon into Friday night. Whatever snow 'does' fall, it won't melt. Joe says this weekend may be the harshest of the winter, with Accu-Weather RealFeel temperatures dropping to 20 below zero Saturday afternoon.
PennDOT crews are hitting the roads early this year in parts of the Commonwealth to tackle a growing number of potholes. "With all the snow and ice we have had lately, I think it's a lot worse all around. I think they're trying their best, but I'm sure it's probably hard to keep up with," one driver says.
A Penn State hockey star and the top prospect in the upcoming NHL draft is facing a serious accusation. Police say Gavin McKenna was charged with first-degree felony aggravated assault stemming from an incident on January 31st. The 18-year-old allegedly punched someone outside of the Pugh Street Parking Garage in State College. Police say McKenna punched his victim twice, knocking out a tooth and fracturing both sides of his jaw, causing the victim's jaw to be wired shut. The reported incident happened hours after the Nittany Lions' game against Michigan State.
The 76ers are clearing out their busy backcourt. The team traded Jared McCain to the Thunder on Wednesday in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick originally belonging to the Rockets and the three second-rounders. The guard was taken 16th-overall in the 2024 draft and is averaging just under seven points per game this season. McCain sunk more than 15 points per game last year before suffering a season-ending injury.