Humid with limited sunshine. Scattered showers and thunderstorms, most widespread later in the afternoon. Watching for heavy downpours and possible localized flooding. May be dry for much of the morning/ midday..
An evening shower or thunderstorm; otherwise, mostly cloudy and muggy. There might be some clearing late.
Updated: July 18, 2022 @ 5:52 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Millions of dollars worth of gems and jewelry were stolen in an armored truck robbery last week in Southern California, authorities said Sunday.
The Brink’s truck was robbed in the early morning on July 11 near Los Angeles, said Dana Callahan, a spokeswoman for the security company.
The merchandise had been loaded onto the truck late on July 10 following an exhibit hosted by the International Gem and Jewelry Show in San Mateo, south of San Francisco, said Brandy Swanson, the group’s director. It was going to an event at the Pasadena Convention Center just northeast of Los Angeles, she said.
Swanson said between 25 and 30 bags were taken, containing an unknown number of individual pieces. She said 18 victims were reporting more than $100 million in losses. Callahan said it was less than $10 million.
“According to the information the customers provided to us before they shipped their items, the total value of the missing items is less than $10 million,” Brink’s said in a statement. “We are working with law enforcement, and we will fully reimburse our customers for the value of their assets that were stolen, in accordance with the terms of our contract.”
Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Los Angeles, said the robbery was in the desert city of Lancaster in northern LA County. Eimiller said the bureau agency was working with local authorities, but she could not immediately provide more information.
A dispatcher with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which patrols Lancaster, didn’t have information about the investigation on Sunday.
Swanson said vendors who travel between jewelry shows typically underinsure their merchandise because they can’t afford to insure it fully.
“That’s where the discrepancy comes in. These are mom-and-pop operators,” Swanson said. “They’re devastated. Some of these people have lost their entire livelihoods.”
The International Gem and Jewelry show hosts about 45 shows nationwide per year, she said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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· Lowhill Township supervisors approved a 312,120-square-foot commercial warehouse and distribution center on a 43.4-acre tract on the west side of Route 100, south of the Kernsville Road intersection.
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· St. Luke’s University Health Network opened a new pediatric inpatient unit next to the eight-bed pediatric intensive care unit at St. Luke’s University Hospital – Bethlehem.
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· Lehigh Valley native Don Wenner is moving his real estate investment and finance firm DLP Capital from Bethlehem to Allentown at 835 W. Hamilton St.
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· The Allentown-based utility company PPL Corp. bought a major Rhode Island utility.
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· Zekraft cafe has opened its second location in the Easton Silk Mill in Easton. The first Zekraft restaurant was opened in Bethlehem. The restaurants’ menus change frequently, with a focus on local ingredients.
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· The Conservatory music school in Bucks County will close after 34 years, and school officials say the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause. The nonprofit, located at 4059 Skyron Drive, Doylestown, will close June 30.
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· Take It Outdoors Recreation Hub has moved to a spot along the Schuylkill River Trail at Riverfront Park in Pottstown, Montgomery County
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· Amanda Vachris has opened a new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St. in Schuylkill Haven.
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· Bethlehem’s Back Door Bakeshop will reopen as a wholesale operation at 7 E. Church St. in the city’s historic district. The business was open for nine years as a retail outlet at Broad and Center streets, before announcing in March that it would close the storefront April 3 and “go back to its origins as a wholesale business.”
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· The Brothers That Just Do Gutters are opening a new location in Allentown at 1302 N. 18th St.
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· Easton Commons, a shopping center anchored by Giant Foods at 2920 Easton Ave., Bethlehem Township, has a new name: The Shops at Bethlehem.
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· The House and Barn in Emmaus has opened its Shed outdoor dining and cigar bar area. The House and Barn is at 1449 Chestnut St. in Emmaus.
· Realtor Amanda Vachris and the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at Vachris’s new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St., Schuylkill Haven, at 4 p.m. on May 24.
· Il Gaetano Ristorante will hold a grand opening on Friday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. The 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg.
· First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union will hold a grand opening at its new headquarters in Trexlertown, 6126 Hamilton Blvd., on May 18.
· Vinyl Press Signs & Graphics has relocated within Emmaus. The new site is 15 S. Second St., not far from the former Sixth Street location.
· Pedro’s Cafe in Emmaus to close
· SV Sports (formerly Schuylkill Valley Sports) to close Quakertown location
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· Elpedio’s Ristorante at Seipsville opened at 2912 Old Nazareth Road in Easton. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday.
· Uai Brazil opened at 315 Lehigh Ave, Palmerton, offering both a seated or buffet option.
· Colombian Mex Restaurant opened at 107 E Union Blvd in Bethlehem, offering traditional Colombian cuisine.
· Precision Ink opened at 161 W Berwick St. in Easton.
· King Wing opened a location in Bethlehem at 129 E. Third St., serving wings and sandwiches.
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