The Morning Call Podcast

Voice actress Lara Jill Miller recorded this COVID-19 safety PSA for the Allentown Health Bureau.

Voice actress Lara Jill Miller recorded this COVID-19 safety PSA for the Allentown Health Bureau.

Downtown Allentown looks a world different than it did less than a decade ago. When former City Hall reporter Emily Opilo started at The Morning Call 7 years ago, the PPL arena was a giant hole in the ground. Has the more than $1 billion of investment and decade of redevelopment made a difference in people's perceptions of Allentown and their desire to spend time downtown? The Morning Call conducted a scientific poll on the matter with Muhlenberg College, and The Morning Call Academy students unscientifically polled people on their lunch hour on Hamilton Street to find out. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

The opioid crisis seemed to take center stage in 2018. Officials held press conference after press conference, declared disaster declaration after declaration, handed out Narcan; the media produced special packages and profiles on the epidemic. What has happened since then? Turns out, quite a bit has changed, and quite a few new problems may be on the horizon. We brought together four experts to discuss. This is our breakdown of that conversation. READ: https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-opioid-roundtable-follow-up-one-year-later-20191201-cphsofs5ajajtn5r7ej35jmwkm-story.html

More than 300 actors, 22 makeup artists, seven haunted weekends. We went behind the scenes and into the "Crypt" where Dorney Park's Halloween Haunt gets made - scab blood, silicone prosthetics and all. The Haunt's final weekend runs Nov. 1-2. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Almost a year ago, the Allentown diocese, along with five other catholic dioceses in the state, announced they would set up compensation funds for the victims of sexual abuse by priests in the wake of the scathing Pennsylvania grand jury report. Officials said they'd pay for it by tapping available resources and selling diocese assets. Much of those assets include hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate, mostly untouched. Host Kayla Dwyer speaks with investigative reporter Emily Opilo about how she cataloged the diocese's holdings, why this matters outside of the victim's compensation fund, and what diocese leaders take issue with. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

The scene was catastrophic. The circumstances were tragic. But most of all, they were puzzling. Why would a 26-year-old man decide to detonate a car bomb to kill himself, a male passenger and his 2-year-old child? One year after the car explosion that rocked center city Allentown on a Saturday night in September, a team of Morning Call reporters spoke to the families of the victims -- Jacob and J.J. Schmoyer, and David Hallman -- and to federal agents. We know much more about the events leading up to Schmoyer's final act. Guests include Morning Call reporters Laurie Mason Schroeder and Manny Gamiz. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Morning Call Podcast host Kayla Dwyer has been invited back to the Great Allentown Fair Grape Stomp being held Sunday, Sept. 1, at 3:15 p.m. on Centennial Stage in Ag Hall. For this occasion, we're replaying an old favorite. You might think you know all there is to know about grape stomping -- it's something our ancestors did to make wine, and it lives on as a cultural spectacle at harvest festivals. But that's not the full story. This episode answers some key questions: Is it sanitary? Why grape stomp with feet at all, when wine presses have been around for thousands of years? Are there any wineries that still do it and then sell that wine? Special guests include Michela Centinari, an assistant professor of viticulture, and Molly Kelly, an enology educator, both at the Penn State Extension. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

When mass shootings occur, most eyes turn to Capitol Hill, where the same dead-end discussions about gun policy churn, at times with a slightly different spin. Meanwhile, in Bethlehem, close to a million people flocked, as they have for 36 years now, to Musikfest, a sprawling free music festival. After a weekend of deadly mass shootings, we explore two questions: How does Bethlehem keep Musikfest safe, and what has kept politicians from landing on successful legislation in response to these events? Guests include Morning Call reporters Laura Olson and Pamela Lehman. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Jeani Garcia can tell you where and when all 49 names on her t-shirt died due to violence in Allentown. As violence has gripped the streets in this particularly bloody summer, we turned to the mothers to see how they're helping each other, remembering their children and putting pressure on community leaders to act. Plus, Morning Call reporter Michelle Merlin tells us the circuitous route she took to try to figure out where a mother who suspects her child is involved in a gang can seek help. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Michael Davis' murder had nothing to do with who Michael was, but where he worked: a Verizon store in Forks Township. We covered the case and the trial that sent his killers to prison for life. In this episode, we learn who Michael Davis was. Special thanks to Russ and Noreen for sharing his story. Morning Call reporter Riley Yates and Assistant District Attorney Patty Mulqueen recount the details of the investigation. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Jonathan Wallace was up atop the blast furnaces of the former Bethlehem Steel plant for more than 21 hours, risking his own life and that of the first responders who ascended the hazardous hunks of metal to try to get him down. But authorities say he has a history of serious mental health issues, and suspect that they had a lot to do with the nearly day-long ordeal. If that's the case, what's the appropriate punishment? On The Morning Call Podcast this week, we explain what crisis negotiators did to get him down. Then, we look at what prosecutors are considering for his fate: mental health court. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Reporter Riley Yates contributed to production.

Four years ago this week, FBI agents swarmed Allentown City Hall for documents related to a then-unknown investigation into the city's mayor, Ed Pawlowski. Today, Pawlowski is serving a 15-year prison sentence for federal corruption crimes. The lead investigator on the case, Scott Curtis, used to investigate mafia bosses in New York City. He rounded out his career with the Allentown corruption case. This week on the podcast, guest host Emily Opilo's interview with Curtis on the snags the case hit, the sheer manpower involved with making thousands of secret recordings, and how dangerously close the case was to being outed. Emily Opilo is The Morning Call's former Allentown City Hall reporter. Now she is on the investigations team.

Donating a kidney is a life-preserving procedure. Donating a uterus is a whole different story. On this week's episode, health reporter Binghui Huang explains why one local woman decided she wanted to go through this procedure to give another woman the ability to become pregnant. Plus, is there a potential for this to become as mainstream as in-vitro fertilization? The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

One of the Lehigh Valley's last known D-Day veterans arrived at Omaha Beach 75 years ago to find it covered with rows of bodies. Despite the carnage, he remembers most distinctly the human moments that occurred before and after, even with the Germans he fought against. For most of his adult life, Kenneth Happel didn't talk about these stories. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Is it just another fad, or America's next favorite drinking game? For a game involving very sharp objects, axe throwing has a remarkable safety record. Even when paired with alcohol. Lately you've been seeing them pop up around the country. Where did it all begin? The answers on this week's podcast. Guests: Kelly and Stuart Josberger -- Stumpy's Hatchet House James Belisle -- Betty Borden's House of Whacks Bob Shupp, Ryan Savage, Chuck Makatura -- Skeggy's Axe House

"I root for games to end quickly enough so I can make deadline, and I root for a good story. I don't care who wins." Banquets and halls of fame inductions are usually reserved for athletes and coaches. In April, about 250 members of the Lehigh Valley sports community packed a DeSales University hall to honor two journalists that have covered them for decades: Morning Call sports columnist Keith Groller, and Paul Reinhard, former sports editor who still freelances for The Morning Call. Though Keith has covered the Eagles and the Sixers and the Indy 500, his heart remains with high school varsity sports. On the podcast this week, he tells us why. (He's not retiring.) The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Picture the Manhattan treatment -- doormen, lobbies of marble, elevator operators -- and take out the bustling surrounding metro. Martin Tower, the former headquarters of Bethlehem Steel, was a scene plucked from an urban downtown and plopped into the flat suburbia of West Bethlehem. Or it was a giant symbol of corporate culture's "inward thinking" and the "deindustrialization of America." Now it's a hollow shell, soon to be reduced to rubble. From start to finish, we remember the history of Martin Tower, including memories from a former chairman and a former employee. Special guests: Curtis “Hank” Barnette, former chairman and CEO of Bethlehem Steel Marian Hough, former administrative assistant Alicia Karner, director, Community and Economic Development in Bethlehem Nicole Mertz, Bethlehem City Hall reporter, The Morning Call

A policy that would allow teachers to volunteer to carry guns at Tamaqua Area School District was approved quietly by the school board, then garnered a loud community reaction. There were two lawsuits, and the school board suspended the policy pending the outcome of lower court decisions. Just as quietly, the policy is back on, by the interpretation of the school board president in the public comment section of a school-board meeting. Reporter Sarah Wojcik explains. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman has been stopping in every county to field public feedback on the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. His "listening tour" is expected to wrap up in May. But while recreational marijuana remains criminal in the state, what happens when local municipalities try to decriminalize it? We explored this question when the Lehigh Valley's three cities had such proposals on the table last year. This episode originally ran May 7, 2018. Guests: Emily Opilo, former Allentown City Hall reporter for The Morning Call; Joshua Vaughn, cops and courts reporter at The Sentinel, a newspaper in Cumberland County that partially covers Harrisburg; and Jeff Riedy, executive director of the Lehigh Valley chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Robocalls today are a fact of life. Americans now receive an average of about 5 billion of them a month, according to YouMail, a robocall blocking service. From just 2017 to 2018 alone, we saw a nearly 60 percent jump overall. How did robocallers go from an occasional nuisance to an all-consuming scam? This week, a history of robocalling and a look at solutions being explored. Guests: Aaron Foss, founder, Nomorobo; David Holley, national correspondent, XConomy; Paul Muschick, columnist, The Morning Call

Angry over a dog dispute, a woman shot her 20-year-old neighbor in the torso. The 20-year-old grew up to marry and have a family, and the neighbor went to prison. Then she died at 33 years old, and the coroner ruled her manner of death a homicide. In this week's podcast, Morning Call reporter Pam Lehman explains how she discovered this uncanny story beneath piles and piles of paperwork at the coroner's office. Plus, what happens now to the shooter?

Picture an elevated track of one long tube connecting Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, a sleek capsule occasionally zooming through at speeds up to 700 miles an hour. It's no longer just Elon Musk picturing it. It's other private companies, it's governments around the world, and it's the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. On The Morning Call Podcast this week, The Morning Call's Road Warrior columnist explains what the commission is exploring, and how far along other government entities already are. Audio courtesy of Virgin Hyperloop One. Special guest: Barry Altman, head of the commission's Hyperloop Planning Study.

Holly Branagan was 17 years old, ready to graduate from Freedom High School in a couple months. The case is 40 years old. The evidence virtually unsalvageable. Her family entirely gone. But the mystery of it is nagging. What, after all this time, could we possibly learn about Holly Branagan's murder that we didn't know before? Former and current Bethlehem police, as well as Morning Call reporters Laurie and Pam, help tell the story of the Lehigh Valley's most infamous cold case. Read the story on our website at mcall.com/ The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Imagine being asked by a stranger to donate your kidney. Imagine that ask amplified to an audience of thousands or more. This week on The Morning Call Podcast, a look at what social media can do for people in need of live-saving organ donations. Special guests include Gerard Migliore, Scott Bedics and Morning Call reporter Binghui Huang.

When it comes to fastnachts, you either clamor over or have never heard of them. In Pennsylvania, the likelihood of having the former reaction is significantly higher. That's because the Pennsylvania Dutch long ago coined Fastnacht Day -- very similar in concept to Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Turns out, no matter where you are geographically, we all look forward to an excuse to indulge on this particular day. On this week's podcast, a history, and an obscenely large fastnacht-baking operation. Special guests include Thomas Gerhart, president of the Pennsylvania German Society, and Linda Gorr, president of the Ladies Auxiliary at Goodwill Fire Company in Trexlertown. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

A major bus company suddenly stops operating buses, with no warning whatsoever. Except for the years and years of financial trouble. This week on The Morning Call Podcast, the downfall of Bieber Transportation Group, the charter bus company with a 72-year-old history in the Lehigh Valley. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Former Morning Call reporters and editors remember the night a chemical explosion at a fledgling company called Concept Sciences rattled the Lehigh Valley 20 years ago. An inside look into the newsroom at the time, and the following years of investigations. Special guests include Morning Call editor Christine Schiavo, former assistant city editor David Venditta, and former reporter Mike Frassinelli. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

One year ago, on Valentine's Day, a former student walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and killed 17 people. It set off a wave of anger and activism among young people not even old enough to vote. And for young voters who turned out in droves to the 2018 mid-term elections, it was a reference point. Last year we spoke with two local students who participated in this surge of action. The group they started at school is still active. Here is a replay of that episode, which originally aired in March 2018, along with a short recap of what action schools have taken since then, courtesy of reporter Michelle Merlin. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Where you live has a big bearing on how your life turns out, in big and small ways. It determines where you go to school, who you meet, how you talk. And it's a large factor in your access to healthcare. Morning Call health reporter Binghui Huang spent the better half of a year in a Carbon County town, the heart of Pennsylvania's shadow of a coal region, and published a series answering the question of why people in this region are some of the sickest in the state. This week on The Morning call Podcast, an inside look at her special report. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Read the series at https://www.mcall.com/news/watchdog/sick-and-struggling/

Michael Wargo's battle was long and extremely well hidden. He spent 10 months in Afghanistan, then eight years battling PTSD, then four and a half hours explaining his life-altering decision in a video his parents received when it was too late to change anything. A recent audit of the Veterans Administration shows they had millions of dollars budgeted for veteran suicide awareness that went unspent last year. This week on The Morning call Podcast, columnist Paul Muschick explains what happened, and the Wargos explain the stakes.

"You just grew to love those patients. You had to or you wouldn't have been able to work there." Interest in preserving the former Allentown State Hospital has resurged in light of impending demolition plans. But even if the buildings themselves don't get preserved, memories of them can. Two former employees share their experiences in this week's episode of The Morning Call Podcast. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Tristan Noon, George Beck, Lee Rosevere and Martin Gratton.

This week, the Tamaqua Area School District board may vote to suspend a controversial gun policy as not one, but two court battles wage on. What does that mean for the long run for Policy 705? In this episode, reporter Sarah Wojcik gives the backstory on how the policy to arm teachers in Tamaqua came about. Plus, teachers and parents weigh in on whether guns belong in the hands of school staff. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Paul Lawler and George Beck.

We always get to the end of the year and think, what a crazy year. Odds are the year before was just as wild and the year to come is also full of surprises. You can find all of our year-in-review analyses, plus looks ahead at 2019, at themorningcall.com. This New Year's Eve episode brings you some of the most impactful sounds of 2018, plus a recap of a major trial coming up shortly in 2019.

How and why does one decide to put on the red suit and become Santa Claus? This week on the Morning Call podcast, two jolly men describe their origin stories, some comical mishaps and some magic, too. Because 'tis the season. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Tristan Noon, Hermann Langschwert, Michael Roselieb and George Beck.

Since we published our four-part crime series, Funny Girl, on the mysterious death of Jamie Lee Metzger, Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek has made a ruling in her case. So we bring you a bonus episode: The ruling. Read and listen to the rest of the series at themorningcall.com/funnygirl. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning Call.

It's no exaggeration to say it's difficult to picture The Morning Call without columnist Bill White. He parodied politicians and held them to task; he showcased the most brilliant holiday light displays and ate his way through Musikfest; he sought out a slew of strange characters but called out the bad actors and the rabblerousers. Bill retired last week. So we sat down for a final interview, to talk about where some of his famous traditions originated, how he accidentally drank Windex, and who made his personal Hall of Fame, in this extended Morning Call podcast. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Huw Jones and Sam Brown.

Did the Moravians -- radical Protestants who game to Bethlehem from Germany in 1741 -- share Thanksgiving with local Native Americans? Perhaps not in the way we'd think of it today. No pilgrim hats, no turkeys. In a special Thanksgiving episode, host Kayla Dwyer examines the relationship between Moravian missionaries and Native Americans throughout the colonial era through the lens of their own diaries and letters. Guests include Paul Peucker, director and archivist at the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem; Katherine Faull, professor of German studies and comparative humanities at Bucknell University; and Madeline Morris, a tour guide for Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites. This episode was originally published Nov. 24, 2017. The Morning Call Podcast is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler and Christian Lloyd.

Three and a half years to find her. Then another 11 months and counting to determine what happened to her. How can her case go on so long? The Morning Call presents part four of Funny Girl: The Mysterious Death of Jamie Lee Metzger. A podcast serial in four parts. Go to themorningcall.com/funnygirl to read part four of the series. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning Call.

He was a guy who always had a joke. Or he was a manipulator. The truth would get buried with him. The Morning Call presents part three of Funny Girl: The Mysterious Death of Jamie Lee Metzger. A podcast serial in four parts. Go to themorningcall.com/funnygirl to read part three of the series. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning Call.

She wanted to be thin. She wanted to meet The One. She didn't want anyone to get hurt. The Morning Call presents part two of Funny Girl: The Mysterious Death of Jamie Lee Metzger. A podcast serial in four parts. Go to themorningcall.com/funnygirl to read part two of the series. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning call.

Her body was discovered almost a year ago sealed in a bin in someone's basement. She had disappeared more than three years before that. The Morning Call presents Funny Girl: The Mysterious Death of Jamie Lee Metzger. A podcast serial in four parts. Go to themorningcall.com/funnygirl for an introduction and Part 1. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning call.

A man went downstairs to clean out his father's basement in Williams Township, Pennsylvania -- about 20 miles east of Allentown. His gruesome discovery is what a woman's family has been waiting for for three and a half years. The Morning Call presents part one of Funny Girl: The Mysterious Death of Jamie Lee Metzger. A podcast serial in four parts. Go to themorningcall.com/funnygirl for an introduction and to read part one of the series. Podcast produced and edited by Kayla Dwyer of The Morning Call. Stories reported and written by Pam Lehman and Laurie Mason Schroeder of The Morning call.

Her son's killer knocked on the wrong door. Now she must relive the memory a third time in court. A Northampton County judge has ordered Paul Serrano III to be resentenced Friday, Nov. 16 for a 2006 shooting in which he gunned down a 15-year-old boy -- a mistaken target in a gang order. A series of mistakes in the judicial system has led to this being Serrano's third go-around in court. In this episode, reporter Riley Yates explains what happened, and Nancy Muzila-Vegas - Kevin's mother - opens up about its toll. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.

Enjoy one of our favorite episodes from last year as we spend time preparing the release of a new, bigger project. This episode was originally published Dec. 15, 2017. Discussions with two Morning Call court reporters, as well as the director of the Petzold Laboratory -- a digital crime lab serving Lehigh County, located at Desales University -- about what it's like to be the ones who sort through digital evidence of crimes like child pornography and murder. Warning: Parts of this podcast include descriptions of graphic content. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music is by Paul Lawler, Martin Gratton and Lee Rosevere.

Whatever the reasons are, many people resort to buying narcotics on the street to treat their pain or feed an addiction. But officials are now warning the public in the Lehigh Valley that those drugs could be laced with deadly doses of fentanyl and heroin. This week on Valley View: Why this is happening, and what can be done to stop it. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Martin Gratton and Dale Sumner.

It's no secret that Pennsylvania is chock-full of competitive races. But the state has also gone through a contentious redistricting battle that may have significant impacts in the voting booth. In this week's podcast, we examine Pennsylvania's key races: why they've been the center of national attention, and how much those national interests are having an impact. Plus: Has an increase in voter registration this year actually resulted in better voter turnout? That, and more shocking numbers. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Audio from the 7th district congressional forum, hosted by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation on October 18, is provided by PCN-TV. Music in this episode is by Timothy Whitelaw, Matthew O'Connor, Lee Rosevere and George Beck.

Someone reported there were 25 dogs being neglected in a home. When authorities got to the small farm in Upper Saucon Township, they found 65 beagles. Here's where they came from and where they are headed. Guests include Jones; Mary Shafer, executive director of the humane society; and Morning Call reporter Michelle Merlin. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Huw Jones, Sam Brown, Lee Rosevere, George Beck and Paul Lawler.

(WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT) Some questions have been answered about the car explosion that ignited fear in a usually quiet Allentown street on Saturday, Sept. 29. Jacob Schmoyer, 26, confessed in letters to family and Allentown police that it was an act of murder-suicide, taking with him his 2-year-old son Jonathan and a 66-year-old man, David Hallman. But why? The letters provide some clues, but the whole picture has yet to be completed. Our Morning Call reporters take us through the harrowing scene and provide insight into what the families are saying about the unspeakable tragedy. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Paul Lawler, Lee Rosevere, George Beck, Thomas Brown, Dale Sumner and Martin Gratton.

Last week, we spoke to those who came here to the Lehigh Valley after Hurricane Maria. This week, we look at what they left behind in Puerto Rico. Two journalists join us to discuss what they have documented on the island in the year since Maria made landfall Sept. 20, 2017. The remnants of the natural disaster are much more than physical: The storm laid bare issues tied to Puerto Rico's territorial status that existed long before disaster struck. Special guests include Milton Carrero Galarza, whose work chronicling Puerto Rico's recovery is featured in The Los Angeles Times and The Morning Call; and Erika Rodriguez, a freelance photographer based in San Juan whose work has appeared in The New York Times, CNN and elsewhere. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer. Music in this episode is by Martyn Swain, Lee Rosevere, George Beck and Gavin Skinner.

A year after Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, evacuees are making the best of a new life here that they did not choose. Organizations are out of money but still taking on cases as they come. And they are still coming. This is part 1 of a two-part series: Those who came here. Stay tuned next week for part 2: What they left behind in Puerto Rico, and what is being swept up by business interests and political stalemate. Valley View is a production of The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Lehigh Center for Clinical Research. Kayla Dwyer is the host and producer.