Ex-Liberty Student Among 4 Dead in Emmaus Fire

A fire that roared through an Emmaus apartment house Sunday left four people dead and investigators searching for the cause of the blaze.

Investigators continue probing the cause of a ferocious fire that killed four people as it consumed an Emmaus duplex at 36-38 S. Fifth St. on Sunday. The Lehigh County Coroner will use dental records and maybe even DNA to positively identify the victims because their bodies were so badly burned. Related stories: Meanwhile, staff at McDonald's in Emmaus say the girlfriend of one of their co-workers is among the dead. "She was his world," the McDonald's manager said. Citing family members as sources, WFMZ is identifying the other victims as a mentally disabled mom—Melissa Twining—and her son, Montana, a 16-year-old East Penn School District student. The fourth victim, WFMZ says, is Melissa Twining's boyfriend, who did not live in the …

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Crime News

Heroin Found on Liberty HS Senior, Police Say

Assistant principal found heroin on student who showed up for school late, smelling of marijuana, police say.

A Liberty High School senior was arrested and charged with possession of heroin after he showed up for school late and smelling of marijuana on Wednesday, police said. Tabias Rice, 19, of 410 W. Lehigh St., was stopped and searched by Liberty’s 12th grade principal after he got to class late, Bethlehem police said. In addition to possession of heroin, Rice was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the police crime summary report. On March 5, Bethlehem police conducted a “lockdown drill” at the school during which emergency lockdown procedures were tested and K9 units were brought in to search student lockers for drugs. No drugs were found.

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Lockdown Search at Liberty HS: No Drugs Found

The lockdown drill had 'a much greater purpose' than finding illegal narcotics, Bethlehem police say. Safety procedures of school and staff were tested.

  UPDATED: 5:25 p.m. The Bethlehem Police Department conducted what was described as a “lockdown drill” at Liberty High School on Tuesday morning, as eight K9 units conducted a narcotics sweep of the building. After about an hour, Bethlehem police tweeted that the lockdown was lifted and that no drugs were found. “The purpose of these procedures is to keep our children safe and drug free,” Liberty Principal Harrison Bailey III wrote in a message to parents, which was reproduced on the school district Website and the Bethlehem Police blog. “These trained officers searched the school for drugs and paraphernalia, under the direct supervision of BASD administrators,” Bailey wrote. During the search, movements of students and staff were …

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Freedom Seeks First Basketball Title in 37 Years

Freedom Patriots boys play for District 11, Class AAAA championship Saturday night. Bethlehem Catholic boys and girls and Notre Dame boys and girls also vying for titles.

  Parkland High School spoiled a chance for the first-ever all-Bethlehem PIAA District 11 boys championship game with a thrilling overtime victory over Liberty High School on Wednesday night. So instead of the cross-town rival Hurricanes, the Freedom High School Patriots will meet the Parkland Trojans for the title Saturday night. Freedom will be trying to win its first boys Class AAAA title in 37 years, according to The Express Times. It’s been 33 years since the Patriots even played in the championship game. And the Patriots are not the only team trying to bring a District 11 basketball championship back to Bethlehem. Bethlehem Catholic High School boys and girls will both play for Class AAA championships, while Notre Dame Green Pond …

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School District Sued in Death of Liberty Sophomore

Mother of Juanya Spady alleges that school officials failed to act quickly enough to save the life of her 16-year-old son in December 2010.

  Liberty High School sophomore Juanya Spady would not have died two years ago after collapsing in class if teachers and other school personnel had acted more quickly to save his life, a federal civil rights lawsuit filed this week alleges. The English teacher conducting the class where Juanya collapsed on Dec. 2, 2010 failed to act for 10 minutes, which left students to tend to the 16-year-old and to run out into the hall to summon a monitor to seek medical assistance, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit brought by Juanya’s mother, Mica Spady of Bethlehem, against the Bethlehem Area School District seeks a jury trial and $150,000 in damages. The allegations in the lawsuit paint a picture of confusion at Liberty High School for nearly 20 …

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Crime News

Liberty Senior Charged with Felony Sex Crime

18-year-old Liberty High School senior is accused of carrying on a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old who also attends Liberty.

  An 18-year-old Liberty High School senior has been charged with a felony sex crime for allegedly carrying on a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy who also goes to Liberty, according to court papers. Christopher Perez, 18, of 631 E. North St., allegedly exchanged nude pictures with the 13-year-old in September and the two teens made arrangements to meet for a tryst in October, according to the arrest warrant. According to the affidavit, Perez admitted to the relationship and sending the nude pictures. “He’s 13 years old. I felt it was going too far, but I never had feelings for another person like this,” Perez allegedly told Bethlehem police. Perez consented to a police search of the contents of his cell phone. Numerous nude …

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Liberty Graduation Will Honor Vets, Celebrate Seuss' Wisdom

628 students will receive their diplomas from Liberty High School this evening at Stabler Arena.

Liberty High School has announced that valedictorian Jud Smull, accompanied by the school's bagpipe band will lead 627 Class of 2012 members for their graduation ceremony, to be held this evening at Stabler Arena on the Lehigh University campus. The program will celebrate veterans who left to serve in the Navy in World War II, including William Keck, Jr. John Zieserl, Jr. and Ramon Cuellar. They will be joined by Class of 1939 graduate and trumpet soloist, Dan Deysher. Class speaker Rebecca Rasmuson and faculty speaker Victor Broskey will speak on the wisdom of Dr. Seuss, the graduation theme. Kevin Thieme, Class of 2012 president, along with class secretary Junro Guo, vice president Staci Zsilavecz, and class treasurer Cleo Massas will …

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BeCaHi Defeats Liberty for Softball Championship

Golden Eagles defeat Hurricanes 8-6 to win Lehigh Valley Conference title.

New Liberty Principal Hired Away from Parkland

Harrison Bailey III, acting principal of Parkland High School unanimously appointed to become new principal of Liiberty High School.

  The acting principal of Parkland High School was hired Monday night by the Bethlehem Area School Board to become the new principal of Liberty High School, according to published reports. Harrison Bailey III, will take the reins of Liberty from JoAnn Durante, who is retiring at the end of this academic year after 32 years in the district. Bailey had been filling in for Principal Howard Lessel, who was on medical leave from Parkland since January. Lessel officially resigned from Parkland last week. "We are fortunate to recruit a person known across the Lehigh Valley as a leader who puts students first, as a leader known for personal integrity, and as a leader who reached out to the community for the good of students," Bethlehem Area School…

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Last Chance: See Liberty High's 'Les Miserables'

Thursday, Friday and Saturday will offer your only chance to see Liberty's spring musical.

  Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights will be the only opportunities you will have to see Liberty High School’s annual spring musical, which this year is Les Miserables, the acclaimed musical based on Victor Hugo’s novel. The performances will be at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium each night. Contact Tish Alderiso, 610-837-4755, or tish83@verizon.net, for ticket details. Post your own events and announcements on Bethlehem Patch. Do you know about an important upcoming deadline? Share it in the comment section below and we’ll consider featuring it on Bethlehem Patch. 

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