Blairstown MOMS Club, Northampton Community College and Lehigh Carbon Community College all have spots open for vendors and/or crafters.

The MOMS Club of Blairstown and the North Warren Lions Club invites car owners, crafters of handmade goods, artists and vendors to the 3rd annual Car and Craft Show at Sycamore Park in Blairstown. Vehicle registration: $15-$20 (day of the event) Vendor/crafter space: $25

(File photo) 

Contact: jamiedoatley@yahoo.com Phone: 908-752-0260

***

Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation's fifth annual scholarship Fall Festival is scheduled for Nov. 11 and Nov. 12. Vendors can purchase either a 10' x 10' space for $40, or table space only for $30.

Contact: jwilchak@lccc.edu or 610-799-1929.  

***

Northampton Community College is seeking crafters for its Fall Craft Fair 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 12. All crafts must be hand-made. Cost for a 3 x 6 table is $50 and a 10 x 10 space (no table included) is $100. Electricity is an additional $25.

Contact: Nancy Hutt at nhutt@northampton.edu or 610-861-5088.

Do you have community news to share? To see it posted here and possibly in The Express-Times, The Warren Reporter or the US, send me an email.

Kimberly Gerlach is accused of stealing checks from her fiance's mother and forging her fiance's name to deposit them.

A woman who faked a bladder cancer diagnosis to try and get house arrest is now facing trial for allegedly stealing from her fiance's parents.

Kimberly Gerlach (Image via Facebook)

Following a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, a district judge sent all the charges against Kimberly Gerlach to Lehigh County Court, where she now faces possible trial.

Witnesses testified on Tuesday that Gerlach lived with then-fiance Scott Howerter along with his parents, Vernon and Maelene, in a house in the 400 block of North Third Street in Emmaus.

Scott Howerter testified he first became aware there was a problem when his bank sent a letter about a check deposited into his joint account with Gerlach. The $3,000 check was rejected for insufficient funds.

The check was drawn from Maelene Howerter's Chase credit card and was made out to Scott Howerter, witnesses testified.

Scott Howerter then learned of a similar check for $1,000 that was also deposited into the joint checking account, but that check went through.

Howerter said he had never seen either check, and that the signatures on the backs were not his. The checks are the kind that credit cards companies send to account holders in the mail; Gerlach retrieved the family's mail everyday, and also did most of the banking, Howerter testified.

"We trusted her," he said, later adding, "I was totally blindsided."

Maelene Howerter testified she had not seen the checks made out in her name, and it was not her signatures on them.

Surveillance video from the bank's drive-thru shows the person depositing one of the checks, and it is Gerlach, who was alone in the car, Emmaus police Sgt. Troy Schantz testified.

The $3,000 check was never deposited, but the $1,000 check was and Howerter was asked about how much was left in the joint account when he closed it. Howerter said there was less than $1,000 in the account and "I never saw where that thousand dollars went."

Later, the family learned a credit card was taken out in Vernon Howerter's name, and there a balance of more than $800. At the time, Vernon Howerter was in a medical rehabilitation facility and could not even fill out a card application, according to the family.

Witnesses testified the family found the credit card with Gerlach's items in the house, and that the card was in the father's name but Gerlach's name was signed on the back.

Emmaus police said they are still determining the total amount Gerlach is accused of stealing in the current case.

The Howerter family declined to comment following Tuesday's hearing. Members of Gerlach's family, who were also in the courtroom audience, declined to answer questions.

Claimed diagnoses

In 2011, Gerlach claimed in court she had bladder cancer, and provided doctor's notes confirming the diagnoses, but prosecutors learned they were forged notes.

Gerlach was sentenced to one to two years in state prison for perjury and forgery, in addition to the time for her theft cases.

Records show Gerlach was paroled in July 2014 in her perjury case, and she is currently being detained on a parole violation, as well as the $10,000 bail in the theft case.

A year after she was released, Gerlach's detailed online her reported diagnoses of breast, ovarian and cervical cancers. Gerlach's Facebook page is no longer active,  and a GoFundMe page she created called Kim'sBEATcancerFund asking for financial help was recently removed.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Two neighbors heard the girl screaming and called Colonial Regional police, according to court records.

A father covered in blood after beating his daughter told investigators the girl "gets nosebleeds easily," Colonial Regional police said.

Michael Frank Tonetti, 53, of the 800 block of Mud Lane in Allen Township, argued with his daughter at 3:07 p.m. Monday at an apartment in the 4200 block of Harriet Lane in Hanover Township, police said.

Court records indicate the argument was about her cellphone usage. The victim's age was not specified in court documents.

When the girl threw an object at Tonetti, he became irate and began beating her, police said. Two neighbors in the Pointe North Apartments complex heard the girl screaming, "Get off my neck" and called police, authorities said.

Officers said Tonetti had blood on his shirt, hands and a towel he was holding, telling them his daughter, "gets nosebleeds easily." The girl had visible injuries to her lips, nose, face, mouth, arm and neck, police reported.

The daughter told police she threw a pen at her father; Tonetti told police it was a flashlight. Tonetti allegedly admitted to striking his daughter in the face, but said it was in an attempt to "detain and control her."

Tonetti is charged with simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. He was arraigned before District Judge Nancy Matos-Gonzalez, who set bail at $20,000. In lieu of bail, Tonetti was sent to Northampton County Prison.

The judge ordered Tonetti enroll in Pretrial Services, stay away from the victim and submit to random drug and alcohol screens. The judge allowed 10 percent of $10,000 bail if Pretrial Services approved it.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

We'll know in a little more than 10 weeks who was right, but for now, here are the picks.

The votes have been cast and the Lehigh Valley fan base has picked its 2016 EPC football champions.

In a poll of who would win the division titles, fans voted Parkland to repeat in the EPC South and Central Catholic to take the EPC North. The Trojans garnered 24.6 percent of the vote in the EPC South poll with Easton (23.7) and Freedom (15.1) following behind. The Vikings took in 59.6 percent of the vote in the EPC North poll while Stroudsburg was next with 16.2 percent.

MORE: Everything to know about 12 local EPC teams

In a little more than 10 weeks, we’ll know for sure who was right. In the meantime, here is our predicted order of finish for each division:

EPC South
1. Freedom
2. Parkland
3. Easton
4. Whitehall
5. Liberty
6. Bethlehem Catholic
7. Nazareth
8. Emmaus
9. Northampton

EPC North
1. Central Catholic
2. Stroudsburg
3. East Stroudsburg North
4. Pleasant Valley
5. Dieruff
6. East Stroudsburg South
7. Pocono Mountain West
8. Pocono Mountain East
9. Allen

Greg Joyce may be reached at gjoyce@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @GJoyce9. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

Physics professor Alvin Kanofsky, 77, has not yet decided if he will appeal to a higher court.

A Lehigh University professor was fined about $30,000 and sentenced to five days in jail for allowing his once-prominent South Bethlehem property to fall into such disrepair it's in danger of collapsing.

Alvin Kanofsky has owned the former Goodman Furniture building at 30 E. Third St. for 30 years. The city has a thick code violation file on Kanofsky and has been aggressively trying to get the blighted property cleaned up.

In April, District Judge Nancy Matos Gonzalez found Kanofsky guilty of 17 code violations, related to the deterioration of the building's roof and his lack of a valid certificate of occupancy. She fined him $30,700 and sentenced him to 20 days in Northampton County Prison, Bethlehem assistant city solicitor Matthew Deschsler said.

Kanofsky appealed her decision and on Wednesday morning a hearing was held in Northampton County Court before Senior Judge Leonard Zito.

After a lengthy hearing -- Kanofsky represented himself -- Zito upheld the guilty convictions, reimposed the fines and ordered the 77-year-old to report to county jail Monday to serve a five-day sentence.

Kanofsky can appeal the decision to Pennsylvania Superior Court.

"I'll have to consider things," the physics professor said following the hearing.

20 places Bethlehem wants cleaned up now

In October 2015, Kanofksy reached an agreement with the city that he would repair the roof and crumbling stucco facade within six months. Kanofsky still has not performed the repairs, testified Craig Hynes, the city's chief building inspector.

In February of this year, Hynes repeatedly cited Kanofsky for the violations on consecutive days. The citations began two years after he was notified of the original violations, he said.

"Eventually, if nothing is done this building will collapse," Hynes said.

Kanofsky repeatedly said that the masonry and roof work cannot be performed during the winter.

Deschsler noted that Kanofsky was advised of the need for those repairs a long time ago.

"There are giant holes in the roof," Deschler said.

He's now had the spring, summer and fall of 2015 and this spring and summer to take action, but he has not, Deschler said.

"I feel I am not responsible for the collapse of the roof," Kanofsky said.

"I was conscientiously pursuing repairs to the building," he later added.

Zito pointed out the issue wasn't Kanofsky's lack of effort to get quotes to repair the building.

"You are being cited for the lack of accomplishment," Zito said.

Kanofksy once operated a flea market out of the building. It is now used for storage -- a use that the city requires a valid certificate of occupancy for -- and the building has no electric or water service.

"The property is used to store massive amounts of stuff," Deschler said.

So much water is pouring through the roof, Hynes testified, that when he entered the property in 2007 there were 30 trash cans set up to collect water and two small pumps to pump water into a drain following storms.

Bethlehem police Lt. Benjamin Hackett testified at a hearing for separate violations that when he entered the building in March 2015 the same set-up remained, Deschler said.

The city has closed the adjacent sidewalk and a parking lot because a portion of the stucco facade has buckled, he said.

"It's defying gravity at this point," Hynes said.

Kanofsky tried to argue that when the city's blighted property review committee in 2008 took his property off the blight list, that amounted to a valid certificate of occupancy. He said he was unable to find the letter for his earlier hearing.

"The Lord above made this available to me," Kanofsky sad.

Hynes disagreed, saying he is the only person who can issue such a certificate.

Deschler questioned how it matters what the property looked like in 2008. What matters is its current state, he said.

"It's gonna kill someone someday," Deschler said.

In May, Judge Michael Koury upheld Kanofsky's code violation citations that were issued after Hackett entered the building in March 2015.

There was some confusion over how much Kanofsky should be fined for the most recent citations for which he was found guilty.

Zito rattled off fines and court costs for all 17 convictions and Deschler then noted the ordinance caps fines at $1,000. Zito said he was just imposing the same fines laid out in the district court transcript, which he believes include court costs Kanofsky is also responsible for.

Deschler said he believed the fines should total $30,700, which Zito ordered would be reconciled by the court following the hearing.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Northampton County sheriff's deputies passing by as the crash occurred help Easton police detain the suspected driver.

Authorities detained the driver of a minivan after he allegedly struck a bicyclist Wednesday evening in Easton's West Ward then continued driving.

The bicyclist, 22-year-old city resident Alquan Mack, was bleeding from his left leg and complained of lower back pain following the crash shortly before 8 p.m. on Wood Avenue at Spring Garden Street. He was taken by Easton Emergency Squad for treatment.

A Northampton County Sheriff's Department car was headed northwest on Wood Avenue when the crash occurred, spun around and gave pursuit, Mack told lehighvalleylive.com.

"They both passed each other at the same time," Mack said.

Two sheriff's deputies with Easton police officer Ryan Boorstein detained the driver on North Locust at Church streets as a group of about a dozen neighbors came out to see what was happening. The driver faces at the minimum citations in the incident, Boorstein said. His identity was not immediately released.

MORE: Parents seek cooler Easton schools

Mack said he was riding southeast on Wood Avenue, a through street that cuts diagonally through the West Ward's grid of streets, when he came upon a family loading into a Nissan sedan along the curb to his right. He noticed the van behind him and got on his brakes so the driver could pass.

"As I'm slowing down he hit me into the car and just flees," Mack said, noting he flipped his bike and adding: "He slowed. I popped up ... . Then he just kept going."

The family with the Nissan were uninjured, police said. They declined to speak to a reporter.

Officer Kevin Van Horn tried straightening the front wheel of Mack's Mongoose mountain bike before acquaintances who had rushed to the scene pushed it away on its rear wheel.

The 54-year-old Whitehall Township man has been in a Philadelphia hospital.

A 54-year-old Whitehall Township man whose hand was severed when he allegedly burst into a Northampton Borough apartment and attacked a man will be arraigned Thursday on several charges, borough police said.

William Andrews Jr., a suspect in the July 3, 2016, home invasion at 1337 Canal St. in Northampton and seen here in a 2008 booking photo, lost his left hand in the incident. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

In what the victim's father called a life-and-death struggle, resident Troy Imbody, 28, used a machete to cut off the hand of intruder William F. Andrews Jr. on July 3 in an apartment at 1337 Canal St., police said.

Andrews, of the 5300 block of Fifth Street, was transferred to a Philadelphia hospital where police plan to pick him up Thursday. An attempt was made to reattach Andrews' hand, police said in July.

Andrews will be arraigned before District Judge John Capobianco in Nazareth on charges of aggravated assault, burglary, trespassing, recklessly endangering another person and simple assault, according to police and court records. Capobianco is filling in for District Judge Robert Hawke.

Imbody was beaten and shot with pellets during the home invasion, his father said at the time.

A motive has not been disclosed.

"I don't have a Rolls Royce outside or a safe in the basement," Robert Imbody said. "It started out as intimidation. My son kicked it up a notch and they didn't know what to do."

Intruder with severed hand faces slew of charges

Two other people allegedly involved in the incident have not been identified or charged.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

William F. Andrews, whose hand was cut off with a machete, is accused of burglarizing a Northampton Borough apartment. Watch video

An intruder whose hand was severed when he burglarized a Northampton Borough apartment was formally charged Thursday on a slew of crimes.

William F. Andrews, 54, of the 4000 block of Mountain View Road in Danielsville, is charged with burglary, criminal trespass, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and simple assault.

Dressed in shorts, a gray tank top and red sneakers, Andrews appeared before District Judge John Capobianco in Nazareth. He was driven there by police following his discharge from a Philadelphia hospital Thursday.

Andrews was shackled and wearing one handcuff, with his left hand and arm bandaged in a foam cast. Authorities had recovered the hand and rushed it for reattachment in the wake of the reported home invasion.

After Capobianco read the charges and the complaint against Andrews, Andrews asked the judge if he could explain what occurred the evening of the burglary on July 2.

"Don't I get to tell you what happened that night?" Andrews asked.

"No," Capobianco replied, noting that testimony would come during the preliminary hearing. "You need to get an attorney and act as quickly as possible to get representation."

Docs will try to reattach hand, cops say

Capobianco told Andrews he was aware of his rap sheet, but Andrews said he hadn't had a criminal charge since 2008 -- something a representative from Northampton County Pretrial Services confirmed.

However, Andrews' criminal record dates to 1980 with a felony burglary charge. Charges that followed included a criminal conspiracy charge in 1983; possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and robbery charges in 1988; DUI, simple assault and criminal trespass in 1995; and other assaults and DUI charges into the late 1990s and 2000s.

The judge set bail at $150,000. In lieu of bail, Andrews was taken to Northampton County Prison. The judge ordered Andrews to stay away from the victim, Troy Imbody.

"I don't even know him," Andrews replied.

The burglary began at 11:20 p.m. July 2 when Imbody, 28, left basement doors unlocked and went to sleep at a home in the 1300 block of Canal Street in Northampton, borough police said.

Wearing masks, Andrews and another man burst through the doors and began to intimidate Troy, according to Robert Imbody, Troy's father. Troy Imbody fought back and cut off Andrews' left hand with a machete, police said.

Robert Imbody previously described the attack as a "life or death struggle." The father said a BB gun was pointed at him by one of the suspects when he ran outside and spotted the attackers.

Troy Imbody suffered a large cut to the forehead, the back of his head and BB shot wounds, police said. He was taken for treatment to St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill.

Andrews was dropped off at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg in Bethlehem by two men in a tan Hyundai. Andrews later was airlifted to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for surgery to reattach his hand, after investigators had recovered the hand at the scene.

Police said nothing was stolen in the break-in. Court records do not indicate a motive behind the invasion.

Following the home invasion, signs were hung on the front door of Troy Imbody's apartment. "Come with two, leave with one" and "Beware of Troy," said the signs, which included a set of traced hands.

Northampton Borough Police Det. Glenn Deist said two other co-conspirators are wanted in the crime. Police have arrest warrants for Ronald Mumbauer Jr., 43, and Christopher DeLange, 27, both of Allentown.

Mumbauer is charged with conspiracy to commit burglary, conspiracy to commit criminal trespass, conspiracy aggravated assault, conspiracy reckless endangerment and conspiracy simple assault. DeLange is charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit criminal trespass.

Andrews is tentatively scheduled for a preliminary hearing Sept. 7 before District Judge Robert Hawke.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Chaz Saul takes over the Konkrete Kids.

The 34-year-old admitted to possessing some of the stolen items but claimed she didn't take them, police said.

A Northampton County woman was jailed Thursday in the theft of $571 worth of tools and liquor from a garage near her home, court records say.

Holly Brotzman (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com) 

Holly Brotzman, 34, of the 1000 block of Third Street in North Catasauqua, allegedly was seen by a witness with her arms full of the items.

They were taken about 5 p.m. July 9 from the garage to the rear of a property in the 1000 block of Fourth Street in the borough, according to North Catasauqua police.

Taken were a Milwaukee hammer drill valued at $171, Black and Decker jigsaw valued at $80, Milwaukee wheel grander valued at $120, Porta Cable impact screwdriver gun valued at $80, Makita belt sander valued at $80, a $20 bottle of blackberry brandy and a $20 bottle of Pucker blueberry liqueur.

Borough police identified the victim as David Abel.

The investigating officer, Thomas Slapinsky, says in court records he received two statements from witnesses about Brotzman being seen on the property and exiting the building at the time of the crime.

Police also saw her on video at an area pawn shop and found a receipt tied to some of the missing items in her vehicle, according to police.

Brotzman admitted to having possessed some of the items but claims someone she does not know gave them to her because she was having financial trouble, police said.

MORE: Burglary suspect who had hand cut off appears in court

She was arraigned Thursday morning before District Judge Nancy Matos Gonzalez on felony counts of burglary and criminal trespass, in addition to misdemeanor theft and receiving stolen property.

Brotzman was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail with a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled Sept. 9 before District Judge Robert Hawke.

Brotzman also faces a theft charge in Lehigh County, for an incident May 13 in Whitehall Township, court records say. A preliminary hearing in that case is scheduled Sept. 27 before District Judge Robert Halal.

She was convicted in recent weeks of traffic citations, including counts of driving under suspension in Northampton and Lehigh counties, records say.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The take this year was just less than $120,000.

Shyheem Smith and Ryan Christian, without their knowledge, are fighting drug crime in Northampton County.

Smith is a longtime Easton drug dealer who most recently served a 9- to 23-month sentence after warrants were served in July 2015 in Wilson Borough, Palmer Township and Williams Township. Authorities recovered $30,000 in cocaine and about $19,000 in cash.

Ryan Christian, of Bethlehem, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver drugs after police found 44 pounds of marijuana in his house. (Courtesy photo | For The Express-Times) 

Bethlehem police picked up Christian in December and found $44,000 in marijuana and more than $18,000 in cash in his home. He remains in Northampton County Prison serving a 9-month to nearly two-year stint.

They are two of the names on the the district attorney's office's drug forfeiture list for the fiscal year that ended June 30. Overall, the office netted $119,632 in cash from drug arrests in the county, eight vehicles and $16,019 from the sale of 15 vehicles, according to Assistant District Attorney and Drug Forfeiture Coordinator Kristine Blake.

The county got a total of $20,439 in cash from Smith and $19,636 from Christian, figures show.

Some of the confiscated cars are used by police as unmarked or undercover vehicles, and others are sold at auction, the district attorney's office said.

But what about the cash?

"Forfeited money is used to purchase equipment for police, as well as fund undercover purchases of controlled substances during investigations throughout the county as well as for specialized police training and general drug law enforcement," District Attorney John Morganelli said in a news release.

"...As has been done since the beginning of the forfeiture program, I will continue to return monies we have seized to our local police departments, Block Watch groups, civic groups and other organizations the assist us in prosecuting drug crime and in educating our youth on the dangers of drugs.

"In addition, seized dollars are also utilized to help pay the salary of a prosecutor in this office."

Easton police contributed more than $43,000 in seized cash in the past year, records show, second only to Bethlehem's $51,249.

Easton police Lt. Matthew Gerould, when asked what his department gets in return, said the county's Drug Task Force helps pay for city vice investigations in and out of Easton.

More than $2 million has been seized since the program began, including $79,831 in 2013, $120,544 in 2014 and $107,802 in 2015, the district attorney's office said.

"I am pleased with the results of our efforts to take from drug dealers the fruit of their illegal activities and convert these assets, cash and property into additional resources and tools in order to fight crime," Morganelli said.

"... The message we want to send to those who deal in illegal drugs is a simple and clear one: Be assured that you are doing it at your own risk. When we catch you we will seize your money, your house, your vehicle and any other ill-gotten gains from your drug dealings. Drug use and drug dealing in Northampton County will be very unprofitable."

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Colonial Regional, Moore Township and Northampton Borough police took part in the operation.

A 48-year-old Northampton Borough woman faces drug charges after a month-long investigation by the Northampton County Drug Task Force.

Karen Else, of Northampton, faces drug charges after police say they found marijuana and methamphetamine in her home. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com) 

The task force over the past month bought one-half gram of methamphetamine three times at $50 each from Karen Louise Else, of the 1400 block of Cedar Street, according to Colonial Regional police.

The task force on Thursday served a search warrant at 1428 Cedar St. and recovered 255 grams of marijuana, 105 grams of methamphetamine, scales and packaging material, police said.

The drugs had a total street value of $10,500, police said.

Else was trying to flush a sandwich bag containing a crystal-like substance down a toilet as officers entered her home at 2:33 p.m., police said. The toilet was removed and the bag was recovered from the drain, police said. The substance field tested as meth, police said.

Else was arraigned Thursday night before District Judge Nancy Matos Gonzalez on charges of possession with intent to deliver and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana and tampering with evidence.

Bail was set at $25,000 and Else was sent to Northampton County Prison, where she remained Friday afternoon, records show.

A preliminary hearing is tentatively set 10:30 a.m. Sept. 9 in District Judge Robert Hawke's Lehigh Township court.

Police from Colonial Regional, Moore Township and Northampton participated in the operation.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Kyle Aicher pleaded guilty to burglarizing the golf course where he served as groundskeeper.

Kyle Aicher's bizarre behavior on a golf course earlier this summer is difficult to explain, even for him.

The 24-year-old longtime maintenance worker at Woodstone County Club was high on methamphetamine when he stole a truck on the club grounds in Lehigh Township and drove to the clubhouse on June 9.

During that night he took 75 "weird items" from club facilities, according to defense attorney Tyree Blair. The items include light bulbs, screws, a flag, a grass seed bag, a power drill, a blanket and two pieces for a drainage pipe.

Rather than use the truck to haul home his loot, he walked it to his Lehigh Township home. Then he took the truck back at 5 a.m. June 10.

"I was in a state of insanity," he told Northampton County President Judge Stephen Baratta.

Baratta sentenced him to time served to two years in prison. He ordered Aicher to attend drug rehab. Aicher said he is lined up to enter rehab through his insurance but needs to settle a drunken-driving charge in Lehigh County first.

Lehigh Valley hotels where crime checked in

Blair said all the items were returned. Aicher pleaded guilty to burglary. He has spent 63 days in Northampton County Prison.

Blair said Aicher completed a prison program and earned credit at Northampton Community College while incarcerated.

"He hasn't wasted his time," Blair said.

Baratta said he'll send Aicher to state prison if he starts using drugs again.

"If I were you I'd do my best to comply with my sobriety," he said.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.

The 27-year-old is wanted on charges including simple assault.

James Alastair (Courtesy photo) 

James Octavius Alastair, 27, is wanted on charges including simple assault, presenting a false ID to law enforcement, eluding and failure to appear in court, the Northampton County Sheriff's Department said.

Alastair, known to frequent the Bethlehem and Easton areas, is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall and 150 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.

The sheriff's department asks anyone with information about Alastair to call Sgt. Michael Orchulli at 610-829-6520.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The locations of the other four cases this year are: Chester, Indiana, Philadelphia and York counties.

Pennsylvania health officials on Monday afternoon reported that a human has tested positive for the West Nile virus in Northampton County. 

It marks only the fifth confirmed case so far this season of someone contracting the virus in the state. The locations of the other four cases are: Chester, Indiana, Philadelphia and York counties.

The state's West Nile Virus Control Program does not specify the location within each county where the case occurred. It also does not provide any identifying information on the individuals who contracted the virus or their medical conditions, a Pennsylvania Department of Health spokeswoman said, citing patient privacy laws.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile virus is most commonly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. The risk of being infected can be reduced by using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing to prevent mosquito bites.

There are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent infection by the virus.

5 things to know about West Nile virus

Most people infected with the virus will have no symptoms. About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms. And less than 1 percent of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurological illness.

The virus appeared for the first time in Pennsylvania in 2000. The West Nile Virus Control Program tracks the spread of the virus through methods that include trapping and testing mosquitoes throughout the state.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than two dozen trapped mosquitoes from the Lehigh Valley have tested positive for the virus. 

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The Joseph Steckel House in Bath was near demolition when Carol Bear and Darrin Heckman took it over.

Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell would be proud.

Instead of paving the corner of South Chestnut and East Northampton streets in Bath, and putting up a parking lot (as was the plan), Carol Bear and Darrin Heckman restored the 1813 Joseph Steckel House to its original beauty.

The home, which sits across the street from the 1804 Daniel Steckel House (Joseph's father), was owned by nearby Christ UCC Church.

The church had purchased the property 30 years before with the intention of demolishing it to make way for a parking lot. But the demolition never happened and the church seemed content to rent the property, which eventually fell into disrepair and was deemed uninhabitable.

Cool Spaces: N.J. home restored with love, hard work

When church leaders decided to sell the property, Bear and Heckman were among five potential buyers. They bought it in October 2009 and began a long and loving process of restoring it to its natural beauty.

The historic structure is now home to Dawn Eagle and her mom, Jeanne Eagle, who have separate apartments there and who have spent the better part of their lives in the antiques business.

It shows the minute you set foot inside. Antique tables sit on original, restored plank flooring, and framed photos are hung on the original walls.

Fireplaces are graciously decorated (most have been fitted with gas inserts) and the kitchen, although totally modern, has an 1800s feel to it with a wall of antique kitchen utensils that serve as decoration.

In Dawn's bedroom in the first-floor apartment, a walk-in hearth is beautifully restored and used as decorative element but it remains the only fully functional wood fireplace in the building.

Upstairs, Jeanne's years in the antiques business (she was the owner of Eagle's Nest Antiques in Easton) shine through as lamps, tables and chairs are abundant. Frames and prints from years past dress the walls and antique chandeliers hang from the ceiling.

Taking on a restoration project on an early 1800s home is no small task. Carol and Darrin did a lot of the work themselves but did bring in experts to repoint the stone, do the plumbing and build a state-of-the-art brick paver infiltration parking lot, which is shared by the church and the property. Electrical contractors ran all the wiring under the lot so that wires would not obstruct the view of the corner property.

Most of the walls and floors are original and the elements in the home that are not were made to look like the 1800s Federal-style home that was originally built. Of course, having antique dealers as your tenants means that the decor fits right in, as well.

Recently Bear and Heckman received the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Award for Grassroots Advocacy, presented by Preservation Pennsylvania, a statewide group dedicated to protection of historical and architecturally significant properties.

In addition to the two Steckel houses, the couple own four other buildings in the area that have all undergone renovation.

Do you know of any cool spaces that you'd like to share? Let us know by leaving a comment below or email me at kjfrantz@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow lehighvalleylive.com on Twitter at @lehighvalley. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The 26-year-old faces trial on threat and harassment charges in Montgomery County, Pa.

Aaron Creekmore, the 26-year-old who escaped in June from the Northampton County Department of Corrections' work-release program in Easton, is in jail in Montgomery County and awaiting trial.

Aaron Creekmore (Courtesy of Norristown Police Department)

While his escape charge is still on the books in Northampton County and he has yet to be arraigned, he faces formal arraignment Sept. 28 in Montgomery County Court on charges of making terroristic threats and harassment, records show.

Those charges come from an alleged June 17 Facebook post in which the mother of his two children said he wrote, "Surprise, you hateful ****bag. I'm free. ... I'm going to kill you for what you did to me. Good luck knowing I'm free. Watch your back ..."

Creekmore wasn't actually free until June 20 when he failed to return to work release, the department of corrections said.

Creekmore was arrested July 11 and sent to Montgomery County's jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, court papers say. Details of his arrest weren't immediately available.

Escapee allegedly threatens to kill kids' mom

Both charges were held for court during an Aug. 4 preliminary hearing, court papers say.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The incident was slowing traffic in both directions near the Lehigh-Northampton county border.

Interstate 78 East traffic backs up about 6:10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, as seen from Route 145 in Lehigh County. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com) 

Authorities were responding to a crash reportedly involving multiple vehicles Tuesday evening on Interstate 78 near the Lehigh-Northampton county border.

It was reported about 5:50 p.m. on I-78 East in Lower Saucon Township about 2 1/2 miles east of Exit 60 (Route 309 South-Quakertown) according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Eastbound traffic was backing up to the area of the Route 145 interchange, PennDOT traffic cameras showed.

MORE: Teen dead after crash had tried passing vehicles, cops say

Westbound traffic was also slowing in the area of Exit 67 (Route 412-Hellertown/Bethlehem).

Accident on I-78 eastbound at Mile Post: 64.0. There is a traffic disruption.

-- 511PA Allentown (@511PAAllentown) August 30, 2016

PennDOT reported the crash cleared as of about 7:30 p.m.

CLEARED: Incident cleared on I-78 eastbound at Mile Post: 64.0.

-- 511PA Allentown (@511PAAllentown) August 30, 2016

The crash followed an unrelated incident earlier Tuesday that closed all lanes of I-78 East between Exit 45 (Route 863-New Smithville) and Exit 49A (Route 100 South-Trexlertown), according to PennDOT. That crash was reportedly cleared about 5:10 p.m.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The group announced its slate of picks for the Nov. 8 general election in state and federal races.

Lehigh Valley Young Republicans this week announced their first-ever slate of endorsements, offering up their 2016 picks for state and federal races.

Absent is an endorsement of GOP nominee Donald Trump's candidacy for president.

It's not a political statement, says Matt Szuchyt, chairman of the group. Rather, he says, the membership has been unable to "vet the nominee" as was done with other candidates who received their backing.

"At this point we're still looking to be contacted by the Trump campaign," Szuchyt said Tuesday night.

The other candidates are locally known and have been able to come and talk with Lehigh Valley Young Republicans members, according to Szuchyt.

Asked whether the group will pursue a vetting of Trump ahead of the Nov. 8 general election, Szuchyt said: "Obviously I think it's a little bit of a stretch to ask Trump to get in touch with us, though we would welcome that."

MORE: Howard Dean rallies Democrats in Bethlehem

Szuchyt's group organized in 2014, to work on engaging and empowering young adult voters. The group has about 50 members and is focused on Lehigh Valley Republican voters who are ages 18 to 40, said Szuchyt, who is 26 and lives in Allentown.

The group has a website, lvyoungrepublicans.com, and a Facebook page.

They're not alone in doing without an endorsement of Trump. U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, a Republican whose 15th Congressional District covers Lehigh and parts of Northampton counties, told lehighvalleylive.com in May and again in July he cannot back Trump.

Dent, who faces a challenge from Democrat Richard Daugherty, received the Lehigh Valley Young Republicans' endorsement, as did Matt Connolly in his bid to unseat Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright in the 17th Congressional District that covers the balance of Northampton County.

Atop the list of the group's picks is incumbent U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who is running against Democratic candidate Katie McGinty.

The other candidates endorsed by the group are for:

Pennsylvania Attorney General: Sen. John Rafferty, R-Montgomery, who is running against Democratic Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro to succeed Attorney General Bruce Beemer.

Pennsylvania Treasurer: Otto Voit, running against Democrat Joe Torsella.

Pennsylvania Auditor General: John Brown, the Northampton County executive running against Democratic incumbent Eugene DePasquale.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives: Republican candidate Ben Long, who is challenging incumbent state Rep. Michael Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, in the 132nd District; Dave Molony, who is challenging incumbent state Rep. Daniel McNeill, D-Lehigh, in the 133rd District; Zach Mako, who is running against Democrat Phillips Armstrong Sr. in the 183rd District covering parts of Lehigh and Northampton counties and incumbent state Rep. Gary Day, R-Berks/Lehigh, who faces Democratic challenger Stephen George in the 187th District.

The group also backs the following candidates for the state House; no Democrat ran in their districts' primary election to challenge them: incumbent state Rep. Justin Simmons, R-Lehigh/Montgomery/Northampton, in the 131st District; state Rep. Ryan MacKenzie, R-Berks/Lehigh, in the 134th District; state Rep. Joe Emrick, R-Northampton, in the 137th District; and state Rep. Marcia Hahn, R-Northampton, in the 138th District.

"On behalf of our membership, it truly is an honor to announce these endorsements for the 2016 General Election" Szuchyt said in a statement Monday. "These candidates have been thoroughly and personally vetted by our executive board, and we are confident that they are the embodiment of true conservative values and will work tirelessly to improve our commonwealth and nation."

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The Konkrete Kids have some promising freshmen.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY SNAPSHOT

Northampton

Conference: Eastern Pennsylvania Conference

Classification: 3A

2015 record: 5-12

Key contributors: Sr. Isaac N’Jenga; So. Evan Gillette; Fr. Isaiah Tyler; Fr. Nick Bodnar; Fr. Vince Gallagher

Outlook: This might be more of an individual season for the Konkrete Kids than a team one, given the strength of the EPC. But the freshmen are promising, and Northampton could improve on the 2015 season.

From coach Daniel Benner: “Isaac finished 28th at districts last year. He had a strong off-season and looks good early on; he has been working to make a push to be a state qualifier. All three freshmen boys have looked very strong in the early stages of the season. Our team goal is to finish in the top half of the teams at the district meet.”

Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradwsports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.