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Ephrata, PA

Police & Fire
ROAD RAGE: Denver Man Threatens Driver, Smashes Windshield, Ephrata Police Say ROAD RAGE: Denver Man Threatens Driver, Smashes Windshield, Ephrata Police Say
Road Rage: Denver Man Threatens Driver, Smashes Windshield, Ephrata Police Say A Denver man allegedly climbed onto a vehicle, smashed its windshield, and threatened the driver in a fit of road rage in Ephrata, police announced on Thursday, Nov. 14.  Sean M. Shoff, 32, was charged following an intense road rage incident in Ephrata, police detailed in the release. The charges stem from an incident at the intersection of North Reading and Schoeneck roads at 1:33 p.m. on Aug. 27. Shoff, a passenger in a dump truck, reacted aggressively after the truck was struck in the intersection, according to the police. Witnesses told police that Shoff exited the dump truck, clim…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
PA Mom DUI At Highest Rate Drives On Wrong Side Of Road: Police PA Mom DUI At Highest Rate Drives On Wrong Side Of Road: Police
PA Mom DUI At Highest Rate Drives On Wrong Side Of Road: Police An Ephrata woman has been charged with driving under the influence after police stopped her for driving on the wrong side of the road, according to Lititz Borough police according to a release on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Megan Martin, 35, was pulled over by an officer for driving on the wrong side of the road in the 300 block of East Main Street in Lititz, around 2:23 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10, police detailed in the release. Martin reportedly displayed signs of impairment and was asked to perform field sobriety tests before she was taken to the Lititz Borough Police Department, where a breath test…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Lancaster Son Who 'Chose Drugs' Killing Mom For Her Purse Sentenced Up To 80 Years Lancaster Son Who 'Chose Drugs' Killing Mom For Her Purse Sentenced Up To 80 Years
Lancaster Son Who 'Chose Drugs' Killing Mom For Her Purse Sentenced Up To 80 Years An Adamstown man who confessed to killing his mother in a dispute over her purse and fleeing in her car has been sentenced to 35 to 80 years in state prison, Lancaster County officials announced on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Zachary Thomas Gift, 28, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, robbery, two counts of strangulation, and theft by unlawful taking in connection with the March 19, 2023, death of his mother, Lois Gift, 62. Investigators say Gift strangled and smothered Lois in their home on Grant Road in Adamstown around 11 p.m. that night after an argument escalated. According to police, he stol…

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by Jillian Pikora
Politics
Actors Robert De Niro, Sam Waterston Rally For Harris In Harrisburg Actors Robert De Niro, Sam Waterston Rally For Harris In Harrisburg
Actors Robert De Niro, Sam Waterston Rally For Harris In Harrisburg Governor Josh Shapiro, joined by Robert De Niro and Sam Waterston, led a "New Way Forward" rally in Harrisburg on Monday, Nov. 4, urging Pennsylvanians to vote Democrat on Election Day, Nov. 5. The event underscored Vice President Kamala Harris’ proposals to lower costs and protect rights versus Donald Trump’s “Project 2025” agenda, which speakers claimed would add $4,000 in annual costs for Pennsylvania families and enforce a nationwide abortion ban. De Niro, who had surprised Eagles fans by appearing at a tailgate in Philadelphia to campaign for Harris just days earlier, lent his support t…

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by Jillian Pikora
Politics
2.5K Suspected Fraudulent Voter Registrations Discovered In Lancaster County: Officials 2.5K Suspected Fraudulent Voter Registrations Discovered In Lancaster County: Officials
2.5K Suspected Fraudulent Voter Registrations Discovered In Lancaster County: Officials Three Pennsylvania counties are investigating possible voter registration fraud, as mail-in ballots are rapidly coming in.  Approximately 2,500 voter registrations dropped off at the Lancaster County Board of Elections could be fraudulent, the county commissions and County District Attorney Heather Adams announced at a joint press conference on Friday, Oct. 25. These applications were collected by paid canvassers during the summer at shopping centers, parking lots of grocery stores, other businesses, sidewalks, and parks in Lancaster County.  The registration applicatio…

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by Jillian Pikora
Traffic
Police ID VA Pick-Up Truck Driver, Pennsylvania Crane Operator Killed In Fiery I-83 Crash Police ID VA Pick-Up Truck Driver, Pennsylvania Crane Operator Killed In Fiery I-83 Crash
Police ID VA Pick-Up Truck Driver, Pennsylvania Crane Operator Killed In Fiery I-83 Crash New details have been released by Maryland State Police investigators after two people were killed in a crash involving a pick-up and mobile crane that shut down I-83 on Wednesday in Baltimore County. Ruther Glen, Virginia resident Kevin Johnson, 53, was driving the truck that lost control and struck the Peterbilt crane being operated by 61-year-old James Hutson, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, officials say. Shortly after 2 p.m. on Oct. 23, Maryland State Police troopers were called to the northbound lanes of the interstate in Sparks Glencoe when the pick-up hauling a trailer was headi…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
William Macy Spotted Visiting In Lancaster, Locals Want Him Left Alone William Macy Spotted Visiting In Lancaster, Locals Want Him Left Alone
William Macy Spotted Visiting In Lancaster, Locals Want Him Left Alone Popular actor, William H. Macy, of Maryland was spotted shopping with family in Pennsylvania, and the locals took to social media to ask on his behalf to express that he should be left alone.  The 74-year-old star is known for is known for his Oscar-nominated role as Jerry Lundegaard in the 1996 cult-classic Fargo, as well as playing Frank Gallagher in Shameless for 10 years, and the role Dr. David Morgenstern on ER where he was a cast member and guest star for five years, as Daily Voice mentioned over the years when he has previously been spotted in Pennsylvania.  To many Pennsyl…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Virginia Boy Charged For Shooting Threats At Ephrata Community Pool Virginia Boy Charged For Shooting Threats At Ephrata Community Pool
Virginia Boy Charged For Shooting Threats At Ephrata Community Pool A 14-year-old boy from Virginia has been charged in connection with a mass shooting threat made towards a community pool in Pennsylvania, police announced on Friday, Oct. 18.  The boy who lives in Colonial Beach, VA, "made specific and repeated threats" on social media on Friday, June 28 to commit a shooting at the Ephrata Community Pool on Saturday, June 29, the Ephrata Police Department detailed in the release.  Community members contacted the police and "based on the serious nature of the threats and an inability to determine the veracity of the threats in a timely manner, out …

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by Jillian Pikora
News
'Let It Burn Satan' Ephrata Woman Yelled During Arson House Fire: Affidavit 'Let It Burn Satan' Ephrata Woman Yelled During Arson House Fire: Affidavit
'Let It Burn Satan' Ephrata Woman Yelled During Arson House Fire: Affidavit Bizarre details about an arson were shared by police in court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Friday, Oct. 18.  Leslie G. Truitt, the 100 block of East Chestnut of Ephrata, is accused of "placing belongings of a former resident in her bathtub and setting them on fire," the police stated in the release and Daily Voice reported.  The 70-year-old woman has been charged with arson and cruelty to animals. Her teenage neighbor and his stepdad rescued her and one of her dogs when the fire alarms went off at 5:05 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9, as Daily Voice reported at the time. …

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by Jillian Pikora
News
ARSON: Retired Care Manager At LanCo Dept. Of Aging Set Bathtub On Fire ARSON: Retired Care Manager At LanCo Dept. Of Aging Set Bathtub On Fire
Arson: Retired Care Manager At LanCo Dept. Of Aging Set Bathtub On Fire While still in the hospital recovering from burns, a 70-year-old woman has been charged with arson and cruelty to animals, the Ephrata Police announced on Friday, Oct. 18.  Leslie G. Truitt, the 100 block of East Chestnut of Ephrata, is accused of "placing belongings of a former resident in her bathtub and setting them on fire," the police stated in the release.  Her teenage neighbor and his stepdad rescued her and her dogs when the fire alarms went off at 5:05 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9, as Daily Voice reported at the time.  The boy suffered second-degree burns and was also ta…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Estate Executor Steals $27K+ From Elder, Ephrata Police Say Estate Executor Steals $27K+ From Elder, Ephrata Police Say
Estate Executor Steals $27K+ From Elder, Ephrata Police Say An estate executor has been charged with multiple felonies in connection with a nearly $28,000 theft, the Ephrata Police Department announced on Wednesday, Oct. 16. Dervin L. Bender, 58, of Ephrata, is accused of stealing $27,760 from an estate for which he was an executor over two years, the police alleged. He has been charged with felonies for Theft by Unlawful Taking and Financial Exploitation of an Adult or Care-Dependent Person, according to the police. Bender's preliminary arraignment was held before Magisterial District Judge Landis on Tuesday, Oct. 15, according to the police. …

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Ephrata Teen Hospitalized After Rescuing Neighbor From House Fire: Reports Ephrata Teen Hospitalized After Rescuing Neighbor From House Fire: Reports
Ephrata Teen Hospitalized After Rescuing Neighbor From House Fire: Reports A teenage hero and the woman he rescued from an Ephrata house fire are in the hospital, according to reports citing fire officials. The call to the fire in the 100 block of East Chestnut Street came into Lancaster County Wide Communications at 5:05 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, according to dispatch logs. The blaze soon closed the street near Grape Alley, as Fox43 reported. A neighbor came to rescue a resident and a dog from the home the outlet explained citing Jim Kiefer, the PIO for Ephrata Fire Co., who noted that two people were injured and taken to the hospital. The pair …

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Amish Ephrata Dad Sentenced For Raping Daughters: Lancaster DA Amish Ephrata Dad Sentenced For Raping Daughters: Lancaster DA
Amish Ephrata Dad Sentenced For Raping Daughters: Lancaster DA An Amish dad has been sentenced after pleading guilty to raping his daughters repeatedly for his daughters over 18 years, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced and as detailed in court documents obtained by Daily Voice.  Amos Ebersol, 60, of the 500 block of South Fairmont Road, Ephrata, pleaded guilty to numerous felonies and misdemeanors for raping and sexually assaulting his daughters, which was accepted by Judge David Ashworth on Friday, Oct. 4, according to the DA. He was sentenced to spend 12 to 24 years in state prison.  Ebersol was charged with the fol…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Convict Sexually Assaults 2 Woman In Elizabethtown Parking Lot, Police Say Convict Sexually Assaults 2 Woman In Elizabethtown Parking Lot, Police Say
Richard J. Copenhaver III Charged In 2 Parking Lot Assaults A convict was found with blood coming from his face in an Elizabethtown parking lot following two sexual assaults, borough police announced on Tuesday, Sept. 10.  Richard J. Copenhaver III, 29, of Mountville, was found in the 200 block of South Market Street in Elizabethtown Borough by Corporal Goshen and Officer John Stewart at 9:10 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, as detailed in a release.  Copenhaver had a "laceration to her nose and was covered in blood," as stated in the release, where police also noted he was "under the influence." Although he was uncooperative and resisted he…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Water Balloons Thrown From Bridge Damage Cars On Rt 222: Ephrata Police Water Balloons Thrown From Bridge Damage Cars On Rt 222: Ephrata Police
Water Balloons Thrown From Bridge Damage Cars On Rt 222: Ephrata Police Cars were damaged after items thought to be water balloons were thrown from an overpass, Ephrata police announced on Friday, Aug. 2.  Two vehicles were heading north on Route 222 when they were struck by the falling items at the East Mohler Church Road overpass, around midnight on Aug, 1. "One vehicle sustained a large dent to the hood, and the other sustained a cracked windshield," the police stated in the release.  Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact Officer Martin with the Ephrata Police Department.

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Duplex Porch Fire Caused By Cigarette Ash: Ephrata Police (PHOTOS) Duplex Porch Fire Caused By Cigarette Ash: Ephrata Police (PHOTOS)
Duplex Porch Fire Caused By Cigarette Ash: Ephrata Police (Photos) The porch of a duplex caught on fire on Thursday, July 25, Ephrata police explained in a release the following morning.  The fire broke out at the duplex in the first block of North Church Street at 7:37 p.m., police detailed in the release.  "Police and fire officials determined that the fire was not suspicious and that the origin of the fire was a cigarette ash can on the back porch," as stated in the release.  While crews were at the scene, a BMW driver "carelessly parked in front of a fire hydrant," leading the police to issue a citation, they wrote in the release. …

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by Jillian Pikora
Obituaries
Airborne 21-Year-Old Killed In 4 Vehicle Crash: PA State Police Airborne 21-Year-Old Killed In 4 Vehicle Crash: PA State Police
Airborne 21-Year-Old Killed In 4 Vehicle Crash: PA State Police A 21-year-old man was killed in a four-vehicle crash on Route 30 on June 17, the Pennsylvania State Police announced in a release the following Monday. Shortly after the crash, Preston Mowery, of Ephrata, was found seatbelted but unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu along the side of Route 30/Lincoln Highway around 7 a.m. on Monday, according to the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Three other vehicles were involved: a tractor-trailer, a Tesla, and another sedan—  all only drivers in the vehicles, according to the PSP re…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
$2K+ Fraud At Ephrata Performing Arts Center By Employee From Elizabethtown: Police $2K+ Fraud At Ephrata Performing Arts Center By Employee From Elizabethtown: Police
$2K+ Fraud At Ephrata Performing Arts Center By Employee From Elizabethtown: Police A 38-year-old Elizabethtown woman is accused of stealing thousands from the Ephrata Performing Arts Center, the Ephrata police announced on Thursday, May 30.  Megan L. Riggs was arrested on the felony charge of Access Device Fraud and a misdemeanor for Theft by Deception on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, the police detailed.   The charges come as the result of an investigation beginning in August of 2023. Riggs had been employed by Ephrata Performing Arts Center through August 2022, the police explained. During her tenure with the EPAC she allegedly made "unauthorized purchases us…

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by Jillian Pikora