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Mom, Daughter With Irish Heritage Killed In Foggy St. Patrick's Day Weekend Poconos Crash
A mother and daughter with strong Irish roots were killed in a crash during St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Monroe County, Pocono Mountain Regional Police announced on Monday, March 17.
The fatal wreck happened at 2:37 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, at 3734 Route 115 in Blakeslee, Tunkhannock Township, police said.
Samuel Frantz, 57, was making a left turn into a driveway from Route 115 South when he was struck by Stephen Zazulak, 25, who was traveling northbound, according to investigators.
Due to the heavy fog, visibility was low at the time of the crash, authorities noted.
Frantz and his pas…
Mother Of The Notorious B.I.G., Voletta Wallace, Dies At 78 In Pennsylvania
Voletta Wallace, the devoted mother of rap legend The Notorious B.I.G., died at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Feb. 21, according to Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac. She was 78.
Wallace had been receiving hospice care and passed away from natural causes, Yanac told Daily Voice.
Her family confirmed her passing in an emotional Instagram post, calling her their “matriarch” and the woman who dedicated her life to preserving the legacy of her son, born Christopher Wallace.
🕊️ "It is with immense sadness that we share this news with you, and ask that you give our f…
Philly Man Steals $10K In Jackets From Hershey Outlet, Caught In Stolen Car In Lebanon: Police
A Philadelphia man accused of a multi-state smash-and-grab spree spanning Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey has been arrested after allegedly burglarizing multiple outlet stores, stealing tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise, and driving a stolen car, authorities announced on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Timothy Eugene Root, 58, was charged with felony burglary, felony theft, felony retail theft, misdemeanor criminal mischief, misdemeanor possession of an instrument of crime, and receiving stolen property, police said.
Derry Township officers responded to the Polo Ralph Lauren…
PA Parents Sold NJ Heroin From Filthy Home With Kids Inside: DA
Two parents in Stroud Township are accused of selling heroin and fentanyl from their home while their young children lived in dangerous, squalid conditions, authorities announced on Friday, Feb. 7.
Jessica Walters, 35, and Robert Nochella, 35, were arrested after Monroe County detectives and Children and Youth Services discovered drug paraphernalia, scales, and packaging materials scattered throughout their home on Thursday, Feb. 6, officials said. Walters was reportedly withdrawing from fentanyl during the investigation, according to the criminal complaints.
The home, where Walters and Noc…
Here's A County-By-County Breakdown Of Who PA Chose In Presidential Race
For the second straight presidential election, Pennsylvania voters helped a candidate narrowly win the state, with Republican candidate Donald Trump edging out Vice President Kamala Harris in the most recent race.
Trump received 50.51% of the vote (3,457,446 votes) statewide, coming in just ahead of Harris who had 48.53% (3,322,052 votes), according to unofficial results from the Department of State posted on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
In 2020, the numbers were similar but with Joe Biden on the winner's side, according to previous reporting by Daily Voice. Four years ago, Biden had 50.01% of …
Election 2024: Ryan Mackenzie Wins PA's 7th US Congressional District
Election Day 2024 is in the books, and Pennsylvanians have chosen their next representatives in Congress, with the race in the 7th Congressional District decided after the incumbent conceded.
In the commonwealth’s 7th congressional district race, Ryan Mackenzie defeated Susan Wild for the House seat representing Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, and portions of Monroe County.
Mackenzie was leading his democratic party opponent by a margin of 50.7% to 49.3%, with 99% of the vote as of 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 6, according to the PA Department of State.
Wild conceded at 8:52 a.m. …
Missing Endangered Alert Issued For PA Woman
A missing Cheltenham woman may be in danger, according to an alert from the Cheltenham Township Police Department on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Madelyn Edwards, 81, was last seen in the area of Old Farm Road, Cheltenham Township at 12 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30, police said. She's described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, 110 pounds, with black hair, and brown eyes.
Edwards was last seen driving a gray 2017 Hyundai Accent with Pennsylvania license plate MLJ-4374, according to police.
MEPA ALERT: The Cheltenham Township Police Department, Montgomery County Pennsylvania, is searching for Madelyn…
'Violent Predator' Gets Life For Killing Bucks County Co-Worker, Dumping Body In MD
A man described by authorities as a "violent predator" was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Monday, Sept. 9 for kidnapping, robbing, and killing a Pennsylvania co-worker, authorities announced.
Michael Allen Stark, 50, of Royersford, PA was found guilty by a Bucks County jury of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping, theft by unlawful taking, flight to avoid apprehension, and abuse of a corpse, according to District Attorney Jennifer Schorn and court records.
Stark's victim was 50-year-old Matthew James Branning of Sellersville, who went missing after l…
Motorcyclist, 26, Killed In Hit-Run Crash Was From Mount Pocono
A 26-year-old motorcyclist from Mount Pocono was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Monroe County, authorities said.
The fatal crash occurred at about 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16 on State Route 611 at Cayuga Drive in Coolbaugh Township. Bystanders reported a vehicle struck a motorcycle and fled the scene, according to Pocono Mountain Regional Police.
Anthony Giovanni Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene, police said..
Steven Rannie, 52, of Tobyhanna, was later charged with homicide by vehicle, drug possession and other charges, police said.
Anthony graduated from Pocono Mountain East Hi…
Inmate From Steelton Dies In Dauphin County Prison
A convicted felon, serving a maximum of 23 months in the Dauphin County Prison, was found unresponsive on Friday morning, authorities announced that afternoon.
Justin Cofield, 33 of Steelton, began his sentence on Aug. 31, 2023, and was pronounced dead within the prison at 10:08 a.m. on Feb. 23, Dauphin County officials detailed in the release.
DCP officials were called to a medical emergency on I Block at 9:33 a.m. Cofield was found unresponsive in his bunk, lying on his stomach, a correctional officer explained as EMS arrived. EMS made life-saving attempts, but ultim…
Human Remains ID'd As Pennsylvania Man Missing Since 2012: Coroner
A Monroe County man who went missing more than a decade ago died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to officials.
The remains of Stephen C. Lepore were unearthed at 95 Peet Road in Dreher Township, Wayne County, said the Coroner's Office.
The skeletal remains were discovered by an unknown party on Tuesday morning, Oct. 17, and identified as Lepore using dental records on Thursday, Oct. 19, Coroner Edward R. Howell said.
Lepore, of Tobyhanna, was last seen on the morning of August 17, 2012, driving his 2007 Chevrolet Express, state police investigators have said.
Stephen C…
Dozens Nabbed In PA Child Porn Sting, 'Operation Safe Screen': State Police
Twenty-six Pennsylvanians face criminal charges after state police wrapped up a months-long investigation on child sex abuse imagery.
"Operation: Safe Screen," said troopers in a release on Tuesday, July 18, involved chatting with suspect predators online, locating possessors of child pornography, and tracking down registered offenders who have fallen out of compliance.
The operation ran from April through June and led to the arrests of 22 adults and four juveniles in twelve counties, state police said.
Those charged:
Daniel Gonzales, 43, of Lackawanna County, is …
Tributes Pour In For Beloved PA Motorcyclist Killed In Crash At 30
James "Jimmy" Apgar III, a Monroe County man, has died following a motorcycle accident in Palmerton on Saturday, June 24, his loved ones said in his obituary. He was 30.
Apgar, of Kunkletown, crashed after losing control of his motorcycle, Fox56 reported, citing the Carbon County Coroner's Office.
Born in Allentown to James A., Jr. and Georgeanne R. (Nelson), Apgar was a 2011 graduate of Palmerton High School and later concluded his studies at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville, family members wrote.
Friends and loved ones took to social media this week to memorialize the…
Missing Mom Found Dead Off Route 80 In PA
The human remains discovered in a wooded area off of Interstate 80 in Monroe County last week have been identified as belonging to a missing Stroudsburg woman, authorities have confirmed.
Dana Kristine Smithers, who was last seen nearly a year ago, was found near the Park Avenue/I-80 East on-ramp on Friday, April 28, Stroud Area Regional Police wrote in a release.
Smithers, who was 46, was identified via dental records, authorities said. An autopsy was conducted on Monday, May 1, but an official cause and manner of death are pending further testing, SARPD officers wrote.
In a Facebook g…
Mom, Teen Daughter, Soccer Player Among Victims Killed In Route 33 Crash
A 40-year-old Pennsylvania mom, her 14-year-old daughter and a 25-year-old former soccer player were identified as the victims killed in a Route 33 Wednesday, March 1, loved ones say.
Samantha Crich and her daughter, Elizabeth, were coming home from a doctor's visit when they were struck by an out-of-control tractor trailer around 11 a.m., according to a GoFundMe campaign and Pennsylvania State Police.
Bryan Franco, of Hellertown, was in another vehicle, and was also killed, the Monroe County Coroner said. Franco was pronounced dead Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono in East Stroudsburg.
Elizab…
