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Gunman pleads guilty in shooting death of man outside Whitehall Township store, gets up to 60 years in prison

October 13, 2025 at 5:26 pm

Gunman pleads guilty in shooting death of man outside Whitehall Township store, gets up to 60 years in prison

An Allentown man faces up to 60 years in prison after admitting to fatally shooting a man outside a Whitehall Township store, becoming the third person to plead guilty in the killing.

Police tape Saturday evening, Dec. 7, 2024, surrounds the parking lot of a store at 1155 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township where a man was fatally shot. (Rich Rolen/Special to The Morning Call)

Emily’s Ice Cream, founded in 1987, is for sale Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, at 100 S. Main St. in Nazareth, where a new owner would take on a three-year-lease. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

A nearly 40-year-old, beloved Lehigh Valley ice cream shop just went up for sale

Associate head coach and former Penn State wide receiver Terry Smith, the longest-tenured staff member, was named interim coach for the rest of the season. (Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics)

Penn State interim coach Terry Smith is stunned by James Franklin’s firing

James Harada, an 18-year-old Lehigh Carbon Community College student who graduated from Emmaus High School in the spring, and Charles Harada, a 16-year-old junior at Emmaus High, holding a cellphone with their app Cassie installed Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, outside their family home. The brothers created an artificial intelligence companion with persistent memory that would allow schools and other clients with compliance needs to store complete records of AI use without relying on cloud servers. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

A Lehigh Valley family may have come up with an AI breakthrough that could further revolutionize how the technology is used

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti reacts to a call during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Iowa, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

Who will be the next Penn State coach? 6 possible candidates to replace James Franklin

Latest Headlines

Bethlehem store closed since fire sets a reopening date and will offer free merchandise

8 hours ago
Penn State athletics director says decision to fire James Franklin was very difficult

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Nor’easter update: When will rain in Lehigh Valley end?

6 hours ago
Lehigh Valley food safety report: Contaminated potatoes, rodents, flies, roaches and a reminder: Keep cigarette butts, medicine, power tools away from food

7 hours ago
Vote for Athlete of the Week: Here are this week’s nominees

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Election 2025: Candidates for Lehigh County executive weigh in on taxes, ICE, budget stalemates

3 days ago
Trump urges leaders to put ‘old feuds’ aside as he calls for a new era of harmony in the Middle East

32 minutes ago
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‘We unfortunately lost everything:’ GoFundMe started for family that lost home in Emmaus fire
‘We unfortunately lost everything:’ GoFundMe started for family that lost home in Emmaus fire
Penn State fires James Franklin as head football coach [updated]
Penn State fires James Franklin as head football coach [updated]
A Lehigh Valley family may have come up with an AI breakthrough that could further revolutionize how the technology is used
A Lehigh Valley family may have come up with an AI breakthrough that could further revolutionize how the technology is used
Who will be the next Penn State coach? 6 possible candidates to replace James Franklin
Who will be the next Penn State coach? 6 possible candidates to replace James Franklin
Rainfall totals trending down for Lehigh Valley as nor’easter set to slam coastal areas: Latest updates
Rainfall totals trending down for Lehigh Valley as nor’easter set to slam coastal areas: Latest updates
Lehigh Valley food safety report: Contaminated potatoes, rodents, flies, roaches and a reminder: Keep cigarette butts, medicine, power tools away from food
Lehigh Valley food safety report: Contaminated potatoes, rodents, flies, roaches and a reminder: Keep cigarette butts, medicine, power tools away from food
Boil water advisory for Lehigh Valley borough extended through at least Tuesday
Boil water advisory for Lehigh Valley borough extended through at least Tuesday
Pa. fall foliage update: When Lehigh Valley, Poconos will see peak color
Pa. fall foliage update: When Lehigh Valley, Poconos will see peak color
Louis Mackerley was 7 when he went missing in Allentown 41 years ago. Police haven’t given up hope of finding him.
Louis Mackerley was 7 when he went missing in Allentown 41 years ago. Police haven’t given up hope of finding him.
A nearly 40-year-old, beloved Lehigh Valley ice cream shop just went up for sale
A nearly 40-year-old, beloved Lehigh Valley ice cream shop just went up for sale

Local News

Jason Edwards, educator and award-winning author of the “Chronicles of the Monster Detective Agency” series, plays a detective and leads a monster hunt interactive adventure with children Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, at Easton Public Library as part of the seventh annual Easton Book Festival. This year the festival, which began Monday, includes a mix of local and out-of-town voices with an emphasis on children’s programs and story times at the library and culminating Oct. 18-19 with panel discussions, poetry, performances, workshops and more in downtown Easton. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Monster hunt interactive adventure at Easton Public Library| PHOTOS

Sports

Penn State cornerback Audavion Collins celebrates after recovering a muffed punt during the Nittany Lions’ 22-21 loss to Northwestern Saturday night. (AP Photo/Caleb Craig)

Penn State report card vs. Northwestern

Grading the Nittany Lions on their 22-21 loss to the Wildcats

Things to Do

Actors scare visitors during media night at Dorney Park’s Halloween Haunt on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in South Whitehall Township. The event features haunted mazes, scare zones and live entertainment, along with signature thrill rides in the dark. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)

Lehigh Valley ghost guide: Celebrate Halloween at these haunted houses, hayrides and mazes

Whether you're looking for blood-curdling frights or family-friendly fun, check out our list of Halloween events in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, ranked by scare factor.

Israelis and Palestinians rejoice as hostages are released and prisoners freed | PHOTOS

Hamas freed the 20 hostages and Israel released some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of a cease-fire.
James Franklin through the years | PHOTOS
Lehigh Valley senior center residents cruise back in time with classic car show | PHOTOS
Nazareth football celebrates Jahan Dotson with jersey retirement | PHOTOS
Replica sculpture of Eros and Psyche is unveiled in Allentown | PHOTOS
Bethlehem Township Police Department holds Annual “National Night Out” event | PHOTOS
Lehigh County executive debate | PHOTOS

Opinion

Town Square Cartoons

Browse political cartoons for the week of Oct. 13

View Town Square/Opinion Cartoons for the week of Oct. 13, 2025.

Crime and Public Safety

Fire breaks out at a duplex on the 200 block of Ridge Road in Emmaus early Saturday morning, Oct. 11, 2025, causing major damage. (Tiffany Maslanka/Contributed photo)

Early morning Emmaus fire leaves homes uninhabitable

A duplex on the 200 block of Ridge Street in Emmaus suffered major fire damage...

Best Reviews

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The best Raspberry Pi kit for tech lovers and makers

The best Raspberry Pi kit ships with nearly everything so you can immediately build your...

Business

Jamie Dimon, CEO and chairman of JPMorgan Chase, pauses to talk to reporters after lunch with Republican senators to discuss the economy, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

JPMorgan to invest up to $10 billion in US companies with crucial ties to national security

The investment is part of the bank’s Security and Resiliency Initiative.

Pennsylvania News

A poll worker holds voting stickers for community members Nov. 7, 2023, at Central Elementary School in Allentown. (Matt Smith/For Spotlight PA)

Municipal Elections 101: Township supervisors, borough and city council members are on Pa.’s November ballot

This guide explains the powers and responsibilities of these positions, their tangible and potentially long-lasting...

National News

This image made from video provided by SpaceX shows Starship’s 11th flight test launching from Starbase, Texas, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (SpaceX via AP)

SpaceX launches the 11th test flight of its mega Starship rocket

Starship thundered into the evening sky from the southern tip of Texas.

Allentown

Police surround a basketball court June 1, 2024, at Fountain Park in Allentown after a 25-year-old man was fatally shot. (Rich Rolen/Special to The Morning Call)

A week after one man convicted, a 4th person is charged in deadly Allentown park shooting

A week after one man was convicted and another pleaded guilty in a 2024 fatal...

Bethlehem Area

Truck parking signs are seen Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, during a news conference to announce 30 truck parking spaces will be created at the William Penn Highway park and ride. The state has unveiled a program to address a critical shortage of places for truck drivers to rest at the end of their shifts. (Monica Cabrera/The Morning Call)

PennDOT unveils truck parking lot in Lehigh Valley to cut down on illegal parking

The state has unveiled a program to address a critical shortage of places for truck...