Northampton Press

For Ricardo Menendez, a paramedic at Cetronia Ambulance Corps, the memories of when he had been deployed to Hurricanes Gustav and Sandy as a member of the Cetronia Strike Team came rushing back when the recent string of hurricanes devastated so many lives in the United States and Puerto Rico.

During Hurricanes Gustav and Sandy, Menendez, of Whitehall, was on the front lines of the devastation and even shared quarters with families affected by the disaster.

Pennsylvania Department of Health and Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council have honored Northampton Regional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with a 2017 EMS Agency of the Year Award during the state EMS conference.

The award honors a Pennsylvania EMS agency for its contribution to the development and growth of quality prehospital care within the community while complying with the rules and regulations of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

As part of ongoing security enhancements, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has updated the design and enhanced the security features of its driver’s licenses and identification card products.

PennDOT entered a new contract with MorphoTrust USA in August of 2015 for the design and issuance of licenses and identification cards. This update is unrelated to the REAL ID Act.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful invites schools in Pennsylvania to participate in their Litter Free School Zone Program, a comprehensive program that encourages young people to play an active role in protecting and improving our environment through recycling, litter awareness and community stewardship.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission warns motorists to change travel plans or brace for a long detour Oct. 13-16 during a planned weekend closure of the Northeastern Extension (Interstate 476) in Lehigh and Carbon counties as workers replace a 60-year-old bridge.

The detour will occur from 9 p.m. Oct. 13 to 4 a.m. Oct. 16. The detour exits are the Lehigh Valley Interchange (No. 56) for northbound traffic and the Pocono Interchange (No. 95) for southbound traffic. The authorized detour route directs motorists to Route 22, Route 33 and Interstate 80.

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) will administer free seasonal flu vaccinations for the 20th straight year for adults and children 6 months and older during two community sessions in November. Shots will be all drive-thru 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 4 at Dorney Park and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 5 at Coca-Cola Park.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announced Tuesday that a nurse who formerly was employed at Lehigh County Jail has been charged with alleged inappropriate sexual contact with a prisoner.

Danika Alexander, 27, of 1205 Overlook Road, Whitehall Township, was charged with one count of institutional sexual assault, a felony of the third degree, Martin said.

As a free service to the community, state Rep. Zach Mako, R-183rd, will co-host a shredding event to give residents of the 183rd Legislative District a chance to safeguard themselves against identity theft by having their personal documents securely destroyed.

The event, co-hosted with the Borough of Northampton, will be held 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 7 at Northampton Banquet & Event Center, 1601 Laubach Ave.

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is urging college students to be wary of student aid scams that could cost them money while exposing them to identity theft.

“Millions of college students, many of whom are likely to be away from home for the first time, are being targeted by a variety of innocent-sounding scams,” said state Rep. Mike Peifer, PHEAA board chairman. “College students are a prime target since they tend to be less financially experienced and are facing common challenges that can be exploited by scammers.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has added 21 municipalities in Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks and Montgomery counties to the areas quarantined due to the presence of the invasive insect Spotted Lanternfly. The quarantine was already in effect for parts of those five counties as well as Chester County.

The quarantine now covers the following Lehigh Valley municipalities: