Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania eatery sues customer who left $3,000 tip on $13 meal– his gesture wasn’t as kind as it seemed
A Pennsylvania restaurant reportedly filed a civil lawsuit against a customer after he left a $3,000 tip for a waitress. Kind as the gesture seemed, it was not as simple as the waitress first thought.
Back in June 2022, the staff at Alfredo’s Cafe in Scranton were shocked to find that Eric Smith, a customer, left this huge tip after coming to the cafe and ordering a stromboli which only cost $13.25. Mariana Lambert, the waitress who served him, became emotional and overwhelmed upon seeing his gesture.
“It really meant a lot to me because everyone’s going through stuff. It really touched my heart. I still can’t believe it. I’m still in shock,” Lambert later said.
However, finding the move obviously unusual and to make sure Smith had not accidentally left the money, Matt Martini of Alfredo’s Cafe went to verify the figure and collect additional ID from the customer. Interestingly, Smith had written ‘Tips for Jesus’ on the check.
Martini asked Smith about the note, and it is then that the customer revealed that he had left the tip after being inspired by a social media trend called ‘Tips for Jesus.’ He decided to do it after seeing how hospitable Lambert was.
Things took a turn for the worse
Martini tried to make sure the tip was above board, but things only got worse. A few weeks later, the cafe received a letter saying Smith was disputing the charge for the tip.
Zachary Jacobson, a worker at the cafe, recalled, according to Unilad, “We thought somebody was actually trying to do a good thing. And then now we are, what, three months later? Not even, and there’s nothing. There’s nothing to show for it at this point.”
Alfredo’s had already given the $3,000 to Lambert. Therefore, the eatery had to repay Smith out of their own pockets. They tried to communicate with Smith on Facebook, but eventually launched a civil lawsuit against him.
“Unfortunately, we had to file charges through the magistrate’s office because now we’re just out of this money at this point. And he told us to sue him. So that’s what we’re going to end up doing, I guess,” Jacobson said.
Community members launched a GoFundMe to help Alfredo’s raise funds, but the fundraiser was shut down after the business refused to accept cash.
Pennsylvania
Pa. House committee advances bill to require radon testing and mitigation in schools
Pennsylvania
Suspect arrested for shooting near basketball court in Elkins Park, Pa.
ABINGTON TWP., Pa. (WPVI) — Police have arrested a suspect who they say fired shots at a vehicle near a crowded basketball court in Montgomery County.
Jamell Whitmore, 18, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, was arrested on Thursday.
The shooting happened on March 22 near a basketball court on the 300 block of Cadwalader Avenue in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.
Shooting near Elkins Park basketball courts sends stray bullet into home
Police said multiple callers reported hearing gunfire around 8:15 p.m. and witnessed a large group of people run from the area behind the McKinley Firehouse.
As a vehicle drove by, one of the men in the group, identified by police as Whitmore, ran off to the parking lot to retrieve a gun and began firing multiple shots towards the vehicle.
Police say it’s unclear if the vehicle was hit, but one of the bullets struck a nearby home.
No one in the home was injured.
Police said no innocent bystanders or those involved in the shooting were injured.
The motive for the shooting remains unknown.
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Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania-born indie rockers Tigers Jaw return with new album release
The chorus for the song “Primary Colors” was something Walsh wrote years ago, with the song’s outro originally being used as a verse.
“And something just wasn’t quite clicking, and everything that I tried felt kind of forced,” Walsh said. “We were all just like, ‘Yeah, there’s something here, but it’s not quite doing what I think it has the potential to do.’”
The band then started toying with the dynamics between the verses and the chorus.
“It just unlocked something for me in the idea where I was like, ‘Wow, this kind of quiet, loud, quiet, loud format really works well with this song,’” Walsh said. “So yeah, it just transformed it instantly into an idea that felt a lot stronger.”
The album was recorded with Grammy-winning producer Will Yip, a relationship still budding from their 2014 album, “Charmer.” Collins said the new album’s sound is “as true as we could be to playing the record live.”
“I wasn’t as tied to the tones that have classically been Tigers Jaw because I think at this point, I’ve just come to this realization that no matter what, if we’re making it, it is Tigers Jaw,” Collins said.
The new album has a “palpable energy” that shares the same spirit as their earlier records, Walsh said. And while “tastes evolve,” the band followed “what feels good.”
“This is the best representation of the band at the time, and it’s almost like a snapshot of us as artists, as people, as a creative entity over this time in our career,” he said.
“Lost On You” is out now through Hopeless Records and is available on vinyl, CD and various streaming platforms.
On April 16, Tigers Jaw will perform at Union Transfer at 8 p.m. They will be supported by Hot Flash Heat Wave and Creeks, the solo project of Balance and Composure vocalist and guitarist Jon Simmons, who is from Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
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