Both PPL and First Energy have made great progress in restoring power to everybody affected by Monday night's storms. First Energy reports more than 4200 of its customers are still without service. Nearly 2000 of them live in Berks County. 200 First Energy customers in Northampton County remain in the dark today as well. PPL says it has trimmed its outages down to below 1800, with Bucks County hardest hit with more than 800 outages still reported there. Lehigh and Northampton counties have a combined 640 outages remaining.
Two Lehigh Valley restaurants are closed after wind from a severe storm Monday night blew the roof off the building they share. The New Santiago’s Restaurant on Route 309, in Coopersburg says it's temporarily closed because of the storm damage. The building also is home to La Cocina de la Abuela, which announced its temporary closure as well. The wind lifted the roof off the building and left it hanging over the side of the building.
Gas prices continue to head higher both in Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. According to the latest AAA East Central Gas Price Report, the average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania was $3.70 as of Monday, 12 cents more than a week earlier and 39 cents more expensive than in 2025. In the Lehigh Valley, that price is $3.68 a gallon, up 13 cents from the previous week and 62 cents more than on the same date one year ago.
The 2026 Lehigh Valley Auto Show kicks off tonight on Lehigh University's Goodman Campus. Doors open at the Auto Show at 5 p.m. and tonight is First Responders night, which means free admission for military, EMTs, firefighters, police, and healthcare workers. After today, the auto show runs from 10am to 8pm through Saturday and then 10am-5pm on Sunday.
Lehigh Valley International Airport and the Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority are hosting a Fill the Bus donation drive Thursday to support local federal employees at LVIA affected by the partial federal government shutdown. Collection will happen from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at departures level/upper roadway just past the Uber/Lyft pickup area at LVIA’s main terminal. Items being collected include nonperishable foods; beverages; paper products; toiletries; baby products; and gift cards. Recipients will be Transportation Security Administration, Federal Aviation Administration and Customs and Border Protection workers who are not being paide during the shutdown.
The Senate on Tuesday voted to open debate on the SAVE America Act in a narrow 51-48 vote. Pennsylvania Republican Dave McCormick was among the 'yes' votes and tells Fox News the vote should not have even been close. "We need to have people demonstrate that they're American citizens to be able to vote and they need to have voter ID. It's the most basic common-sense and Americans agree with that," McCormick says. 51 of 53 Republicans voted to open debate. Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, voted against it and North Carolina's Thom Tillis didn't vote. Every Democrat voted against the measure.
Pennsylvania ranks as one of the top states for online scams, according to a new report from the Consumer Federation of America. Pennsylvanians lose $2.9 billion annually to online scams, or about $220 per person. Nationwide, the report estimated Americans will lose about $119 billion to online scams and fraud. The majority of online scams originate on social media platforms owned by Meta. The Better Business Bureau cites Facebook as a source of 57% of social media scams, with Instagram comprising 22% and WhatsApp at 8%.
A New Jersey military base was placed on high alert Tuesday due to potential "terrorist action." Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst activated a terror-related security level after suspicious packages were delivered. All non-essential personnel were ordered to leave the base. In a late afternoon update, officials said security officers determined the packages posed no threat, but increased security measures were put in place to be safe. On the base's official social media site, they're telling all personnel to stay vigilant and to report any suspicious activity immediately.
Plans were approved Tuesday for the Sheraton Hotel next to the Atlantic City Convention Center to house seniors in half of its rooms, although casino execs say it will drive away larger conventions. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority oversees economic development in AC, and on Tuesday approved a plan to renovate the 27-year old hotel, and convert half of the 502 rooms into 130 units of senior housing. The remaining 250 would be spruced up for hotel bookings. The Press of Atlantic City is reporting, however, casino execs argue larger conventions require at least 500 rooms next to their main event space, so may not come. The project still needs a state economic development grant to get started.
Lehigh University is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 when the Mountain Hawks pulled off a stunning upset of Duke. Lehigh head coach Brett Reed says he can't wait to take on Prairie View A&M tonight in Dayton, Ohio. "I've been in this environment. Fortunately for me, we've had experiences where we've orchestrated some magical upsets. But a lot of times, you're a major underdog. This is going to be a dog fight," Reed says. Lehigh is a three-and-a-half point favorite. Tipoff is tonight just after 6:30.
The Eagles are bringing in some wide receiver depth. ESPN reports the team signed Hollywood Brown on Tuesday to a one-year deal worth up to six-and-a-half million dollars. The 28-year-old caught almost 50 balls for nearly 600 yards and five touchdowns with the Chiefs last season. Brown replaces Jahan Dotson, who left for the Falcons in free agency. He would also provide insurance behind AJ Brown if Philly decides to trade the three-time Pro Bowler.