Week in review: December 4-10, 2022

LehighValleyNews.com | By Mariella Miller

Published December 10, 2022 at 11:00 AM EST

The procession.jpg — First responders turned out to show respect for two fallen firefighters.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Welcome back to our Week in Review. We have chosen seven stories, in no particular order, to take you back on the week. Enjoy, and thank you so much for reading.

Fatal fire in West Penn Township, Schuylkill County 3.jpg — A fire in West Penn Township, Schuylkill County, claimed the lives of two firefighters on Dec. 7, 2022

1. Two beloved and dedicated firefighters were killed in the line of duty Wednesday.

A fire that claimed the lives of two volunteer firefighters from Lehigh County is being investigated as suspicious, the township police chief said Thursday afternoon.

First responders turned out to show respect for two fallen firefighters.

2. Communities across the valley turned out to honor the fallen firefighters as they processed from Schuylkill to Lehigh counties.

On Thursday afternoon, state troopers along with other first responders escorted hearses carrying Gruber's and Paris's bodies from the Schuylkill County Coroner’s office in New Philadelphia to the Lehigh County Coroner's office in Allentown.
Along the route — routes 209 and 309 from Schuylkill County, through rural Lehigh County into State Route 100 and Tilghman Street — fire companies lined the route with apparatuses and emergency vehicles.

Kott budget hearing — Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott tells City Council about the Community Connections Partnership at a budget hearing last week.

3. Bethlehem officials are looking for ways to sustain the Community Connections Partnership.

The program pairs police and social workers to connect citizens in need with services like mental health or housing support.

Emmaus-2 — The triangle fountain in Emmaus.

4. Emmaus' borough website has had links on the site hacked to redirect it to inappropriate websites since September.

After months of dealing with hacking issues and unseemly links appearing on its website, Emmaus now is building a new municipal website — and hopes to make it even better than before.

The Javelin Thrower that is part of the BODY WORLDS exhibit

5. BODY WORLDS RX is coming to Allentown's Da Vinci Science Center.

One of the most popular touring exhibitions in the world, BODY WORLDS RX, which displays the intricate biology and physiology of the human body, is coming to Allentown's Da Vinci Science Center. It will run from Dec. 26 through April 21.

6. Thirty individuals and 21 businesses throughout Lehigh, Lebanon and Philadelphia counties have been charged in a scheme to retitle stolen vehicles.

State Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the charges Friday. In a statement, his office said that title-washing fraud “was designed to bypass rigid requirements for reconstructed titles in states such as New Jersey and New York.”

Brian Nester LVHN — Lehigh Valley Health Network CEO and President Brian Nester at the ground breaking event for the new hospital

7. Lehigh Valley Health Network broke ground on its first "neighborhood hospital" and a new health office in Lower Macungie Township.

In an effort to expand its reach, Lehigh Valley Health Network broke ground on a facility that is scheduled to open by the end of 2023.