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Tuesday, dec 17
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Reading, PA
News
Next Of Kin Sought For Wyomissing Man Found Dead: Coroner's Office
The next of kin for an 81-year-old man is being sought by the Berk's County Coroner's office , according to a release on Wednesday, Nov. 27. The 81-year-old Terrence P. Grady was found dead at his home located at 1743 Reading Boulevard, Wyomissing, PA 19610 on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, according to the coroner. Officials say he may have also lived at 1300 Lancaster Avenue, Reading, PA 19607. Anyone with information about Grady's family is urged to contact the Berks County Coroner's Office at 610-478-3280.
Police & Fire
CEO Charged With DUI After Stop On Route 222: Police
The CEO of Optimum Controls Corporation has been charged with driving under the influence after a traffic stop in Lancaster County, police announced on Saturday, Nov. 23. Michael Galiyano, 76, of Sinking Spring, was pulled over near mile marker 47 on Route 222 North in Denver at approximately 9:38 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, according to East Cocalico Township Police. Officers reported that Galiyano appeared impaired, and a breath test revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .187%, more than double the legal limit of .08%. Galiyano leads Optimum Controls Corporation, a Reading-based company t…
Lifestyle
Grammy 2025: Taylor Swift, Post Malone Among Nominees With Pennsylvania Connections
Several artists with ties to Pennsylvania are among the nominees for the 2025 Grammy Awards, announced today, showcasing the state's powerful influence on the music industry. From hometown pop icons like Taylor Swift to collaborations that span genres, Pennsylvania's imprint is undeniable in this year's top categories. The 2025 Grammy nominations, announced Friday, Nov. 8, feature several artists with connections to Pennsylvania. Notably: Taylor Swift, 34: Born in Reading and raised in Wyomissing, Swift has secured multiple nominations, including Album of the Year for "The Tortured Poets D…
Neighbors
All Eyes on Governor Shapiro for Essential ID/A Funding
As the dust settles from the 2024 election, Pennsylvania’s leaders must now prepare for the 2025 Legislative Session and the forthcoming Fiscal Year 24/25 budget debate, as families, caregivers, and individuals in the Intellectual Disabilities and Autism (ID/A) community look to Governor Josh Shapiro to champion crucial funding needs. Last year’s budget delivered a historic funding boost for ID/A services, reflecting Governor Shapiro’s deep commitment to this essential community. However, the final enacted budget fell $93 million short of the Governor’s proposed funding—a shortfall that cont…
News
Next Of Kin Sought For PA Man: Coroner
The next of kin for a man recently found dead is being searched for by the Berks County Coroners Office according to a release on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Theodore Burkhart, 71, of the 1200 block of Perkiomen Avenue in Reading was found dead in his residence, the coroner said. Any friends or family call the Berks County Coroner’s Office at 610-478-3280 with any information.
Politics
First Lady Jill Biden Coming To Harrisburg For Harris Campaign
First Lady Jill Biden will be making several campaign stops in Pennsylvania to support Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday, Nov. 3. The First Lady will be stopping in Bethlehem, King of Prussia, and Harrisburg to "encourage Pennsylvanians to make a plan to vote at iwillvote.com/PA," a news release states. Her first campaign stop will be in Bethlehem at 11 a.m. followed by the King of Prussia event at 1 p.m., according to the news release. The Harrisburg stop is scheduled for 3 p.m. The exact locations where each event will be held was not released at press time. At around th…
Politics
Harris, Trump To Hold Dueling Campaign Events In PA On Eve Of Election Day
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are holding dueling campaign events across Pennsylvania on Monday, Nov. 4. The two presidential candidates will be making stops all over the Keystone State on the eve of Election Day, including Allentown, Reading, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. The former president is also expected in Lititz on Sunday morning. The Harris-Walz Campaign The Harris Campaign is scheduled for a stop in Allentown sometime in the early afternoon, according to a news release. Exact details on the location were not released as of press time. Harris …
News
PA Mom Who Googled 'Methods Of Killing' Same Day She Hanged Her Kids Gets 2 Life Sentences
A Reading mom who Googled "methods of killing" before hanging her two children in her basement has been sentenced to life in prison, the Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams announced on Thursday, Oct. 17. Lisa Snyder, 41, was found guilty of the following on Tuesday, Sept. 24; 2 counts of First-Degree Murder, 2 counts of Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Tampering with Evidence, the Berks County DA explained in the release. The charges stem from an investigation into the Sept. 2019 death of her 8-year-old son, 4-year-old daughter, and the family…
News
Sword-Wielding Drug Dealer Convicted PA Murder: DA
A convicted drug dealer is back behind bars again, this time for murdering a man with a sword, the Berks County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday, Oct. 10. William Smoot, 50, Exeter Township, was convicted of First-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder for stabbing DelCollo multiple times with a sword on Thursday, Oct. 10, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. Smoot has been held in the Berks County Prison while awaiting sentencing, the district attorney's office said. A sentencing date was not available at the time of publication. Smoot's accompl…
News
Fleetwood Teen Dies Days After High-Speed Crash With Tractor-Trailer
A 17-year-old boy from Fleetwood died on Friday, Sept. 20, three days after the car he was a back-seat passenger in struck a tractor-trailer, his family said. "Armani Campos was in a serious car accident when the vehicle he was riding in collided with a tractor-trailer, pinning the car under the trailer and leaving all occupants in critical condition," Levi Yoder, a close family friend, wrote in a GoFundMe campaign. The driver and a second passenger remain in critical condition, but are expected to survive the crash, Yoder told Daily Voice on Tuesday, Sept. 24 when nearly $4,500 had been ra…
Lifestyle
Cat 'Mobile' Adorable Adoptions Rolling To Penn State Berks
You've heard of the batmobile but have you heard of the cat mobile? Cats and kittens will be available for adoption at the Guts & Glory Digestive and Wellness Expo on Saturday, Sept. 28, the Animal Rescue League of Berks County announced earlier in the week. The mobile cat adoption event will take place on the Perkins Plaza Event Lawn at Penn State Berks, 1801 Broadcasting Road, Reading from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can adopt a fur friend or hairline feline but the ARL advises that adoption fees will vary by pet. Potential adopters must go through the rescue league's regular process, whic…
News
Body Cam Footage Of PA Dad Shot Dead By Police Appears To Contradict DA
Graphic body camera footage showing police shooting a Reading father of six dead has been released, and it appears to contradict the DA and police statements. The family of 50-year-old Damon Scott Stern Sr., also known as DJ Nomad, along with their attorney held a press conference on Thursday, Sept. 19. During the conference they shared videos from the body cameras worn by the two officers called to Stern's home in the 400 block of Windsor Street, Reading at 3:37 a.m. on Monday, March 25. The Air Force Veteran was having suicidal thoughts and was holding a knife, according t…
News
Man Accused Of Raping 2 Girls At PA Home: DA
A 32-year-old man from Berks County has been arrested in connection with the rape of two girls at a home in Reading, one when she was 11 years old, authorities said on Friday, Sept. 6. Janson G. Paz-Ochoa of Shillington was charged with rape, rape of a child, and multiple other offenses, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. He was arrested on Aug. 27 and is due to reappear in court on Sept. 13, court records show. Berks County District Attorney’s detectives received a childline referral on April 12 from the state Department of Human Services which reported that a&n…
News
PA Dad ID'd After Fatal Motorcycle Crash On I-81: State Police
The motorcyclist killed in a crash on Interstate 81 was identified by the Pennsylvania State Police and his family on Monday, Sept. 2. Glen "Jose" Leon Veliz, 38, of Reading, died at the scene of the crash near mile mark 82 on Interstate 81 South in East Hanover Township, Lebanon County at 5:16 p.m., on Saturday, Aug. 31, PSP Jonestown Trooper Jordan Seiler detailed in the release. Traffic was detoured at exit 85 in South Hanover Township, reopening around 9:19 p.m., according to a statement by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesperson Fritzi Schreffler and as Daily Voice previ…
Lifestyle
The Top 5 Best Places To Retire Are All In Pennsylvania: Study
A new study ranking the best cities to retire has Pennsylvania taking six of the best 10 locales, including all five of the top 5. Harrisburg is the best place in the country to spend your twilight years, according to US News & World Report. Reading, Lancaster, Scranton, and Allentown ranked second through fifth in the study respectively. Pittsburgh finished 10th, with Philadelphia coming in at 13th. Researchers used a formula that examined the cost of living, happiness, quality of health care, taxes, and desirability of 150 cities across the country to create the list. They…
News
Teen Struck Dead By Train Crash Into Car: Berks County Coroner
Services are on Saturday, Aug. 10 for a 19-year-old man killed when the car he was riding in was struck by a train in Berks County. Meanwhile, family members are raising money for funeral expenses for Jazavier Phelps-Hines, of Reading. Phelps-Hines died on Saturday, Aug. 3 at about 3:40 p.m. when his car was struck by a train in Tilden Township, according to the Berks County Coroner's Office. "We are heartbroken to share that Jazavier Phelps has passed away unexpectedly in a tragic accident," a relative wrote on this GoFundMe page. "He was a beloved son, grandson, nephew and friend. T…
Police & Fire
Uncle, Grandparents Locked 6-Year-Old With Dirty Diaper In Room For Days Before Death: Berks DA
Authorities in Berks County have charged the grandparents and uncle of a 6-year-old girl who died of dehydration earlier in May, they announced Monday, Aug. 5. The victim was in the care of her grandmother, Jazmine A. Rodriguez, her grandfather, Manuel Rodriguez, Sr., and her uncle, Manuel Rodriguez, Jr., in Reading when she died of dehydration and prolonged exposure to high ambient temperature due to child neglect on May 28, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said. All three were charged with Criminal Homicide, Unlawful Restraint/Serious Bodily Injury, Fa…
Police & Fire
Felon From NJ Charged With Child Rape In Lebanon, PA: Affidavit
A New Jersey man with a felony criminal record in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey has been arrested on child rape charges police announced on Thursday, Aug. 1. Jose Enrique "Enrico" Rivas, 47 of Newark, NJ, was arrested in New Jersey on a warrant issued by Lebanon City Police on Wednesday, July 31, as detailed in the police release. Rivas will be extradited to Lebanon, PA, the police explained. A 13-year-old girl's guardian made the ChildLine call after the girl told them "I woke to his fingers in me and then he put his pp in me" and "I was just raped and he is still upstairs,…
News
Teen Who Escaped Detention Center Caught In Stolen Car In Levittown: PSP
The 16-year-old who climbed a fence at Berks County detention center over the weekend has been arrested, state police said Thursday, July 11. Dustin Lomas was taken into custody in Falls Township on Wednesday evening, July 10, troopers said. He was allegedly "an occupant" in a stolen car. Police said they took him to the Bucks County Youth Center. Lomas and 18-year-old Tyler Luntz escaped from Abraxas Academy in Morgantown on Saturday, July 6, troopers said previously. Luntz was arrested on Monday night, July 8 at a carnival in Tullytown where police said he was trying to blend in with …
News
PA Jehovah's Witness Member Sentenced For Sexually Assaulting Girl While She Slept: AG
A 56-year-old Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to prison for sexual assault of a girl that began more than 20 years ago, officials said. Luis Manuel Ayala-Velasquez, 56, of Reading, was arrested last year after a grand jury investigation where sexual assault charges were recommended against more than a dozen members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith, Attorney General Michelle Henry said. Ayala-Velasquez will serve 14 to 46 years in prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to five felony counts, including rape of an unconscious person, Henry said. He was sentenced Wednesday…
Police & Fire
Pursuit Of Teen In Stolen Car Ends With Fiery Crash: Reading Police
A juvenile who led police on a chase in a stolen car has been charged, Reading Police announced on Monday, June 24. Officers spotted the vehicle near North 3rd and Washington streets around 1:30 a.m. When they tried to pull it over, the 15-year-old driver fled into Muhlenberg Township where he lost control and crashed, according to officials. The car caught fire before police removed the driver from the vehicle, RPD said. The teen is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding, and multiple traffic-related offenses. He is being charged as a juveni…
Police & Fire
Reading Man ID'd Following Fatal Lebanon Crash Involving 11 People: Police
A 30-year-old Reading man has been identified following a crash that sent 11 people to the hospital, police announced on Friday, May 31. Marilus Mousardy died at the scene of a crash between two minivans at the intersection of State Drive and Schaeffer Road at 4:56 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, according to the South Lebanon Township Police. Their preliminary investigation revealed the following: "A mini-van containing at least nine people was struck while it was in the travel lane of an oncoming mini-van occupied by 3 persons." They noted that: "All other occupants in both vehicl…
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