Expanding DNA Collection Will Cost Pa. Taxpayers

DNA collection, usually done with a cotton swab, could be added to Pennsylvania’s booking process for individuals charged with felonies and certain misdemeanors.

By Melissa Daniels | PA Independent   HARRISBURG — Collecting DNA from people who are arrested may seem like a panacea for crime. Police can build and tap into an expanding database to find out if a person has committed a previous offense, which he has eluded, and increase conviction rates. But Pennsylvania State Police say such a proposal would increase the state’s DNA lab’s caseload nearly five times over. And then there are the groups who say pre-conviction DNA collection could violate people’s Fourth Amendment rights. The state House this fall could take up a Senate Bill 775 that would require DNA samples from individuals upon arrest for certain crimes. The bill is tentatively scheduled for a hearing on Sept. 25, according to House …

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Dorney Park Worker Killed Crossing I-78

The 22-year-old woman was struck at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Woman Struck and Killed at I-78 Interchange Identified by Coroner

The 22-year-old woman was struck at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The 22-year-old woman who was struck and killed Tuesday at the I-78 Interchange and Hamilton Boulevard in Lower Macungie Township has been identified by the Lehigh County Coroner, according to a report in the Morning Call. Zhen Li, a Chinese national and summer Dorney Park employee, was in the U.S. on a work visa, it said.  The woman, who was struck at 5:36 a.m. by a Jeep Cherokee driven by Zachary James Edwards, 19, of Allentown, was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital -- Cedar Crest and pronounced dead after 9 a.m., it said. Edwards, who was driving before sunrise was unable to stop before hitting the woman as he drove up the ramp. Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to call Pennsylvania State Police at 610-395-1438.

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Update: Photos Show Possible Suspect in Lower Macungie Bank Heist

Man hands KNBT teller a note asking for 'all the money,' police say.

This story was updated at 2:55 p.m. Tuesday A Wescosville-area bank was robbed Monday afternoon by a man who handed a teller a note demanding "all the money," according to police. A black man entered the KNBT bank at 5700 Hamilton Blvd. in Lower Macungie at 2:45 p.m. and gave a teller the note, according to state police at Fogelsville. Police did not say whether the robber had or implied that he had a weapon. No description was provided Monday. The teller complied with the demand, police said. As is generally the case with a bank robbery, police did not disclose -- if an inventory had been taken in time -- how much money was obtained in the robbery. The man left the immediate area on foot, but fled the area in an undetermined direction, …

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Man Found Nude, Drunk and Cursing, Police Say

A Lower Macungie man was charged with disorderly conduct after police say they found him naked, intoxicated and yelling obscenties in his back yard.

Robert Joseph Wolff, 52, of 1979 Goldenrod Drive in Lower Macungie was charged with disorderly conduct after police discovered him naked, intoxicated and hollering obscenities in his back yard, according to state police at Fogelsville.  On Aug. 1, troopers were dispatched to Wolff's home on a report of an intoxicated man. When they arrived they found Wolff in the buff, extremely drunk and calling out profanities, according to police.  Troopers said he resisted medical help and was restrained by troopers and EMS personnel and taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest for treatment.  Wolff was cited for disorderly conduct.  The next day, troopers were called again to Wolff's home on Goldenrod Drive on a report of harassment. State police …

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Orefield Teen Dies in Lower Macungie Crash

William Bickford, 19, of Orefield was killed in a rollover crash in Lower Macungie on Friday night

An Orefield teen was killed late Friday when he was partially ejected from his car, the car rolled over and he was pinned beneath, according to police. William David Bickford, 19, was driving southbound on Route 309 at 10:59 p.m. when he lost control of his car on a left-hand curve, according to state police at Fogelsville. His 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt went onto the shoulder and struck a concrete barrier of the Interstate 78 overpass. The car continued for about 100 feet before rolling and partially ejecting Bickford. Police said he was not wearing a seat belt. The Lehigh County coroner's office was called, police said. Area roadways were wet because of daylong rain, but police did not say whether that contributed to the accident. Emergency …

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Bag of Feces Left in Mailbox

That and derogatory remark written on driveway lead to disorderly conduct complaint, police say.

Two recent occurrences may not make for a trend, but an incident in Lower Macungie Township was the second in recent times involving feces being used as the weapon of choice. Susan Harvey of 1453 Walnut Lane reported June 28 to state police at Fogelsville that someone had put feces in a plastic bag in her mailbox. She said the material was left between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. She also reported that a derogatory message was written in chalk on her driveway. The incident was classified as disorderly conduct. The other recent incident in the township involving feces occurred June 6 along Village Round E.  A bag of dog feces was placed on a vehicle.

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Two Hurt in Fiery Lower Mac Crash

Police say the driver was driving 50 mph on a dirt road and lost control. Alburtis Fire Department provides the scorching video.

Reckless driving on a Lower Macungie dirt road recently led to a fiery crash when a vehicle hit a tree and rolled over, according to police. The Chevrolet pickup truck, being driven by Anthony D. Yerance, 20, with an unspecified Allentown address, was traveling about 50 mph at 1:16 p.m. July 2 on Ruth Lane near Alburtis, according to state police at Fogelsville. The road is unpaved and Yerance's vehicle skidded 87 feet while attempting to round a curve before striking a tree with its front end. The truck traveled another 57 feet, hitting an embankment, and an additional 24 feet before striking a second tree head on. The truck rolled over and was engulfed in flames, police said. Yerance and a 17-year-old passenger from the Macungie area …

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Police to Inform Parents of Cited Young Drivers

Local initiative has troopers contacting families when motorists 16 and 17 receive citations.

A program recently initiated by Pennsylvania State Police seeks the help of parents to better ensure that young motorists drive responsibly. Dubbed "Operation Safe Teen," the program informs parents or guardians when 16- or 17-year-old drivers receive citations or written warnings or are involved in a vehicle accident, according to a state police news release this week. During June, state police from Troop M -- encompassing Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties -- recorded 25 such incidents, police said. Parents were notified either by telephone or in-person visits. "The state police at Troop M hope that by publicizing this information, teen-aged drivers will be more aware of the consequences of their driving behavior, knowing that their …

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tamarya

10:26 pm on Friday, July 6, 2012

I agree because I will admit I wouldn't have told my mom and dad if I got a violation and at 16 I was working so I could have paid the fine myself.   more ›