Saturday, January 19, 2013
A Williams Township man died as a result of self-inflicted hammer blows to his head, officials have determined
Michael Muretta struggled for years with mental illness. His struggle reached a horrific end last August when the 47-year-old Williams Township man struck himself in the head with a hammer, causing fatal injuries. That was the conclusion reached by investigators looking into Muretta's death, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said Thursday. At a news conference at his office, Morganelli told reporters that Muretta's history --combined with physical evidence at his home and no evidence of anyone who wished him harm -- will lead the coroner to rule his death a suicide. It's not clear whether Murettta intended to kill himself. The hammer blows may have been a response to the symptoms of the schizophrenia Muretta suffered …
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Officers from six Northampton County police departments participated in 'Active Shooter' training on July 26 to prepare for the unthinkable, like the horrific act of violence inside Sandy Hook Elementary School.
An "active shooter" drill in Northampton County helped police, school officials and emergency crews practice their response to a rampage like Friday's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Nazareth Area Intermediate School was the scene of multiple -- staged -- tragedies July 26 during specialized training co-hosted by the Upper Nazareth Township Police Department and National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA). About 20 police officers from six Northampton County departments participated in the “Active Shooter” training that Don Alwes, an instructor with NTOA, described as “kind of like a scrimmage.” The 10-hour day included a historical overview of active shooter situations and field training exercises, during…
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Workers from Michigan, and Dauphin/Bedford counties request provisional ballots in Northampton County.
Although power was back on in much of Northampton County Tuesday, Hurricane Sandy still managed to affect Election Day. Poll workers found themselves dealing with out-of-state and out-of-county utility workers -- in the area helping restore electricity -- who wanted to get provisional ballots so they could cast their votes. "We had guys from Michigan going from polling place to polling place, trying to get someone to let them vote," said Dee Rumsey, the county's registrar. But the county isn't able to give ballots to people who aren't registered here, Rumsey said. Election workers encountered a similar problem with voters from parts of New Jersey that still have no electricity who crossed the river with the -- mistaken -- impression that …
Two to four inches of snow are possible Wednesday into Thursday along with gusty winds, according to the National Weather Service.
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Tuesday, November 6, 2012
According to the calendar, there are six more weeks of autumn, but somebody apparently forgot to tell Mother Nature. November has barely begun and the Lehigh Valley is already under a winter weather advisory. On Wednesday morning National Weather Service predicted snow will start after 1 p.m. with a daytime snow accumulation of two to four inches possible. It will be breezy with a north wind 14 to 22 mph with gusts as high as 37 mph. Parkland schools dismissed early Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service, snow and sleet will start before 10 p.m. Wednesday followed by rain and sleet with a low temperature around 32. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches is possible. With the snow and wind predicted there may be …
The Lehigh Valley is a great predictor of how Pennsylvania will vote in presidential elections.
Muhlenberg College professor and pollster Christopher Borick won’t predict who is going to win Tuesday's presidential election. And he won’t say who will take Pennsylvania. But he will say this: “I’m very confident that who ever wins the Valley will win Pennsylvania.” The Lehigh Valley, with its cities, suburbs and rural areas, has become a bellwether for Pennsylvania politics. In 2008, both Northampton and Lehigh counties went for Barack Obama, just like the state. The Lehigh Valley went for Democrats John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000, as did Pennsylvania as whole. “Pennsylvania hasn’t been a very good predictor of elections,” said Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. But “the Lehigh Valley as a …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Northampton County expects to purchase the development rights of 30 farms with 2012 funds.
Northampton County is on track to preserve more farms than ever before, thanks to a concerted effort by the county, state and several municipalities. Oh, and the housing slump played its part. The county expects to use $6.18 million of 2012 money to purchase the development rights of 30 farms, which will preserve 868 acres, according to Maria Bentzoni, the county’s Farmland Preservation administrator. With $2 million from the county and another $1.89 million from four townships, Northampton County received the most state matching funds of any county in the state for 2012, she said. “The fact that the market is down, that was another way we made our dollars go further,” Bentzoni said. “Obviously we want to strike when the market is down …
Monday, October 22, 2012
The Northampton County District Attorney's Office files theft charges against former county Solicitor Anthony J. Martino.
Former Northampton County Solicitor Anthony J. Martino faces charges after a grand jury concluded that he committed thefts and theft-related offenses while working as an attorney in Bangor. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli held a press conference Monday morning to announce the grand jury results regarding Martino, who faces charges of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, forgery and misapplication of entrusted property. According to a criminal complaint obtained by Patch.com, Martino -- working for a law firm in Bangor -- was named executor of the estate of John L. Farace, who died March 3, 2008. Farace's …
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Northampton County Democrats have a 31,017 edge over Republicans but hundreds of voter registrations are still being tallied and verified. Registration exceeds the 2008 presidential election.
With last minute surges in voter registration, Northampton County Democrats outnumbered Republicans by 31,017, as of Friday morning. But the Northampton County Election Office still had hundreds more registrations to check addresses for and to put into the computer system, said Dee Rumsey, county director of elections. As of Friday morning (Oct. 12), Northampton County had 101,338 registered Democrats, 70,321 Republicans and 37,426 independents and members of other parties, according to Rumsey. That’s a total number of 209,085 voters, though it was being updated by the minute. That tops registration for the 2008 Presidential Election, when Northampton County, had 208,521 registered voters. In that election, county residents cast 130,417 …
Monday, September 10, 2012
A new Miracle League Field, the second in the Lehigh Valley, was dedicated Sunday in Palmer Township.
"Play Ball!" After an hour-long dedication ceremony, players took to the new Miracle League field Sunday afternoon in Palmer Township. "There are no strikeouts here, only winners," Northampton County Executive John Stoffa said of the second Miracle League field to open in the Lehigh Valley. (Another field is located in Orefield, Lehigh County.) "May this miracle continue for many years to come." The ceremony fetured dignitaries and speakers such as Stoffa, National Miracle League Executive Director Diane Alford, Chuck Brady of the Cal Ripkin Sr. Foundation, Easton Rotary Club President Mike Woodley and Richard Agretto, president of the Miracle League of Northampton County. Others in attendance included state Rep. Joe Emrick, Palmer …
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Despite coming in below the national average for percent of income given, Northampton County households recorded $97.5 million in contributions in 2008, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
People who live in Northampton County donated $97.5 million to charity in 2008, making it the 270th most charitable county in the country, according to a new report from The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Not too shabby, considering there are 3,115 counties in the United States. This data is part of a comprehensive report, “How America Gives,” recently released by the Chronicle. The publication broke down communities by zip code and looked at the contributions of households that made more than $50,000 a year. Discretionary income is counted as what taxpayers had left after they paid taxes and paid for food, housing and other essentials. Northampton County’s median discretionary income was $54,871, according to the Chronicle’s interactive …
Armed Citizen
8:45 pm on Sunday, January 20, 2013
According to the article, it's the guy who stabbed his neighbor back in '86 but was deemed insane. Very bizarre all around. more ›