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Thursday, nov 14
News
Estate Of PA “Grammy” Sues For Wrongful Death Following Fatal I-81 Crash
The estate of a woman known lovingly as “Grammy” to her family, is suing for her wrongful death after a tragic crash on Interstate 81, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Eileen Beck, 80, who was born and raised in West Orange, New Jersey, and her companion John Sheltman, 79 — both with ties to Selinsgrove but most recently lived in Towada — were in a Subaru Outback, and Lieu Nguyen, 49, of Harrisburg, who was the driver of a Toyota Mini Van — were all pronounced deceased at the scene of "Multiple Traumatic Injuries", Coroner Charles Hall told…
News
Elizabethtown Man's Death Ruled Homicide After Fatal Shooting By Police: Lancaster Coroner
A man arrested for allegedly driving under the influence returned with a handgun to the police station and ended up being shot dead by an officer, authorities detailed in an updated release on Tuesday night, Nov. 12. Andrew Ward, 39, of Elizabethtown has been identified as the man police fatally shot outside the Northwest Regional Police Station on Elizabethtown Road at at 1:43 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, according to the DA's updated release and as Daily Voice previously reported. His cause of death was "gunshot wounds to the body" and the manner was ruled "homicide" by t…
News
New Local Income Tax Coming To 4 Communities In PA County: Officials
Four Delaware County communities are imposing a new local earned income tax in 2025, according to tax officials. Upper Darby and Upper Providence townships and Ridley Park and Aldan boroughs will join other communities in the county that already collect the tax, Keystone Collections said in a Thursday, Nov. 13 news release. This is a 1 percent tax assessed to residents regardless of where they work and to nonresidents who work in the community, according to Keystone Collections, the officials responsible for collecting the tax. The tax becomes effective on Wednesday, Jan. 1, when the four …
News
Racist Road Rage Rant Prompts Apology By PA Restaurant Owner, Penn State Board Member
A Pennsylvania restaurant owner and (now former) member of Penn State York’s advisory board issued an apology for a racist rant in a road rage incident captured in a viral video. “I am the individual who was recorded using racist language in a recently released video," Jonathan Spanos, the owner of the Paddock on Market, began his speech at Springettsbury Municipal Complex on Wednesday, Nov. 13. “The video captured a heated family confrontation in which I intentionally used the most ugly language known to me to lash out in anger,” Spanos said. The video was poste…
News
6-Year-Old Girl Repeatedly Raped By PA Man Wanted By Police: Affidavit
A Coatesville man is wanted on charges for repeatedly raping a six-year-old Chester County girl, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Mark Eric Allen, 57, was charged with Rape of Child and related offenses after the girl, now a teen, reported him to police on Monday, Nov. 4, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The girl told police that Allen exposed himself, sexually assaulted her, and attempted to have sex with her multiple times when she was between the ages of 6 and 8 years old, the affidavit states. She was living in Philadelphia wh…
News
PA 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…
News
Repeat Sex Offender Convicted Of Raping Another Child In Pennsylvania: DA
A repeat sex offender has been convicted of raping yet another child, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Dennis "Denny" Eugene Meyer Jr., 47, of Harrisburg, was found guilty of felon Rape of a Child, felon Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse with a Child, felon Aggravated Indecent Assault of a Child, felon Unlawful Contact with a Minor, felon Sexual Assault, and misdemeanor Indecent Assault following a jury trial on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, according to the DA. The charges were brought after a 12-year-old girl told a friend’s mother that "…
News
Child Porn Sharing Leads To Arrest Of Bucks SEPTA Police Officer: Affidavit
A SEPTA transit police officer was arrested by the FBI for sharing child pornography, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Brian Zenszer, 43, of Warminster, was accused of sharing 19 videos of child pornography and two pictures via his Kik social media account on Wednesday, Nov. 6, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The FBI began investigating Zenszer after receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children regarding graphic videos found on Kik of "prepubescent minor girls" engaged in various sex acts, as stated…
News
Fireball Lights Up Sky, Captivating Hundreds Across Pennsylvania
A bright fireball streaked across the East Coast on Monday, Nov. 11, catching the attention of hundreds of people from Connecticut to Virginia (did you see it? Send footage to clevine@dailyvoice.com). The American Meteor Society reported that 236 people witnessed the fireball around 7:48 p.m., with sightings spanning 13 states, the District of Columbia, and Ontario, Canada (click here for the sightings map). Witnesses described the fireball as a striking light blue or green that illuminated the sky for four to seven seconds, moving diagonally from the upper right to the lower left. The eve…
News
Top Hospitals In Pennsylvania For 2025 Named
Pennsylvania’s top hospitals for 2025 have been named, showcasing the best facilities in the state according to a new ranking. Released by Statista, the list honors hospitals based on patient care, reputation, and quality indicators. The methodology for this ranking involved an analysis of patient feedback, hospital recommendations from medical professionals, and performance metrics such as patient safety and treatment quality, according to Statista. Topping the list is the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Presbyterian Shadyside, praised for its comprehensive services and adva…
News
Car Flips Over Inside Covered Bridge In PA: Fire Officials (
Photos
)
A car crash inside a covered bridge in Lancaster County late Friday night, Nov. 8, officials announced the following day. Upper Leacock Fire Company reported that the crash happened shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9. Fire crews were dispatched after receiving reports of a vehicle accident involving a car flipped onto its side within a bridge in Upper Leacock Township. When emergency units arrived, all occupants of the car were already outside the vehicle. Firefighters provided lighting and assisted with clearing debris once the car was removed from the bridge, authoriti…
News
Man Struggling With Depression For Years Jumps To Death In PA: Family Says (
Update
)
An adult man died after falling from a building in the 200 block of Strawberry Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, police confirmed. The incident occurred around 12 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, authorities told Daily Voice. The man's family has been contacted and is cooperating with the police as they complete their investigation. “At this time, through the investigation, it does appear to be a suicide, as nothing could be found to indicate otherwise,” officials told Daily Voice. The reason he jumped was unavailable at the time of publishing, but in the days since his family told us he strugg…
News
PA Man Shots, Kills Friend During Fight Over Video Game, DA Says
A 21-year-old man from Phoenixville has been charged with homicide following the fatal shooting of his friend in Schuylkill Township allegedly during a fight over a video game, authorities announced Friday, Nov. 8. Holden Hoffsis was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder, Third Degree Murder, and related offenses for allegedly shooting 21-year-old Daniel Gray in the chest during an argument early in the morning, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office and Schuylkill Township Police Department. Police were dispatched to a residence on Westhorpe Lane at approximatel…
News
FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says
An Iranian operative and two associates living in America have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot targeting United States citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump. Federal authorities have charged Farhad Shakeri, an alleged operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with two New York City associates in a plot to assassinate a US citizen critical of the Iranian government. The case highlights the continued threat posed by Iran’s attempts to silence dissidents and even target top US. officials. According to the Department of Justice criminal complai…
News
Next Of Kin Sought For Man In His 70s Found Dead In PA: Coroner
The next of kin for man who recently died is being searched for by the York County Coroner's Office according to a release on Friday, Nov. 8. Kurt Duerod, a man in his 70s, who was most recently residing in the Yoe area, passed away a few weeks ago, according to the coroner. Despite efforts, no family members or next of kin have been found. The coroner’s office is urging anyone with information regarding his relatives or next of kin to contact them immediately. Those who may have helpful information are asked to call the York County Coroner’s Office at 717-840-7617 as soon as possible.
News
Investigation Into PA Woman Fatally Stabbed 20X Goes Inactive: DA
The investigation into the brutal stabbing death of Ellen Greenberg is being placed into inactive status on Friday, Nov. 8, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office. Greenberg was found on the kitchen floor of her Philadelphia apartment with 20 stab wounds — 10 to the back of her neck alone — on Jan. 26, 2011, according to previous reporting by Daily Voice. She was 27 years old at the time of her death. While the city's medical examiner initially ruled the teacher and Harrisburg native's death a homicide, he later changed to it suicide, as we reported. In, 2022, attor…
News
PA Woman Found Dead In Wooded Area Died By Suicide: Coroner
A Lehigh County woman was found dead in a wooded area of Lehigh County, the coroner announced on Friday, Nov. 8. Lynn Parsons, 65, of Upper Macungie Township, was found in a wooded area of the township in the 1700 block of Mulberry Road, at 4:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, according to the coroner's office. An autopsy was completed yesterday at the Lehigh County Coroner's Office and Forensic Center. The manner of death has been ruled "Suicide," according to an updated release on Saturday, Nov. 9. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National S…
News
Repeat Flasher Exposed Himself To Yet Another Child: Lehigh County DA
A 63-year-old man has been sentenced after exposing himself to a young girl on a public street — again, the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday, Nov. 8. Blaine Alan Arner, of Tamaqua, was ordered to serve seven-and-a-half to 15 years in prison after a hearing held Thursday, Nov. 7, according to District Attorney's Office. Arner must also serve 15 years of probation and register for life as a sexually violent predator, the district attorney's office said. The incident happened when Arner exposed himself to a 9-year-old girl who was walking her dogs with three other …
News
These Over-The-Counter Decongestants Don't Work, FDA Says
A common ingredient found in most oral over-the-counter cold medicines should be removed from the market because it doesn’t work, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says. This follows an extensive review that found the drug ineffective for treating nasal congestion. Oral phenylephrine, widely marketed in cold and allergy medications, has been in use for decades as a go-to nasal decongestant. However, an FDA review, backed by last year’s unanimous recommendation from the Nonprescription Drug Advisory Committee, found that phenylephrine in oral form does not deliver effective conge…
News
'
Supicious
Death
': Woman Found Dead In PA Park, Police Say
A woman was found dead in a park in Philadelphia, police announced on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. Philadelphia Police were called to the 900 block of Tustin Avenue in the 7th District at 3:37 p.m. Officers found the unidentified woman at the scene. She was pronounced dead by the Philadelphia Fire Department's Medic Unit at 8:33 p.m. The scene is being held, and the woman's body will be taken to the Medical Examiner's Office to determine the cause of death. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Philadelphia Police.
News
NTSB Releases Early Findings From Probe Into Crash That Killed Levittown Train Conductor
A branch of a tree that had fallen on tracks broke through a New Jersey Transit train's windshield, killing the operator in Burlington County, officials said. The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary investigation into the Thursday, Oct. 15 crash. Jessica Haley, 41, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, was the conductor who died south of the Roebling station in Mansfield Township. According to the NTSB, the light rail vehicle struck the tree at milepost 24.53 near Florence at around 6:02 a.m. There were 41 passengers on the two-car train heading from Tren…
News
PA Motorcyclist Killed In Crash With Deer, Family Grieves Their Loss
The family of a Montgomery County motorcyclist is grieving his death after he died from injuries sustained in a crash involving a deer. Mikael Nihart, 25, of Pottstown, was riding a motorcycle west on Route 724 near Red Corner Road in Union Township, Berks County, when a deer ran out in front of him on Saturday, Nov. 2, according to a Pennsylvania State Police report. Nihart was thrown from the motorcycle and struck a guiderail, the police report states. He was taken to Reading Hospital where he died from his injuries with his mother, Amy Hartman, by his side on Monday, Nov. 4. "With …
News
Toddler Struck In Lancaster County (
Developing
)
A toddler was hit by a vehicle on Thursday morning, Nov. 7, according to Lancaster County Wide Communications. First responders were called to the Springville and Peters roads intersection in Salisbury Township around 11:25 a.m. A 16-month-old child was struck but thankfully the injuries were minor, according to emergency dispatchers. Check back here for possible updates.
News
Fake Deputies' PA Home Invasion Lands 2 Prison Time: DA
Two men who pretended to be sheriff's deputies during a Bucks County home invasion were each sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on Wednesday, Nov. 6, authorities said. Zbigniew Still, 22, of Philadelphia, and Jarrett Fort, 19, of Glenside, were sentenced after pleading guilty to a home invasion in the 100 block of Reliance Place, Hilltown Township, on May 25, 2023, according to a news release from the Bucks County District Attorney's Office. Still, Fort, and a still-unidentified third person arrived at the home in a rented vehicle, masked, and dressed as sheriff's deputies, the news rele…
News
4 Kittens Starved, Neglected By PA Cat Rescue Owner: Affidavit
The owner of a cat rescue in Montgomery County was charged after four kittens in her care were found dying from starvation and neglect, according to an affidavit. Maura Shuttleworth, 40, of Perkiomenville, was accused of starving the four kittens and failing to provide veterinary care, resulting in one kitten losing an eye due to infection, the affidavit states. Shuttleworth was charged on Monday, Oct. 28, court documents state. She owns the Feline Frenzy located at 107 South Main Street in North Wales, according to the affidavit. The North Wales Police Department received …
News
Ambulances Slashed in Brazen Vandalism Spree in Chadds Ford Township
Three ambulances belonging to were discovered vandalized in a shocking act of mischief on Saturday, Oct. 19, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The ambulances belonging to TBM Ambulance Services were discovered damaged along Dickinson Drive in Chadds Ford Township on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, around 10:25 a.m., according to PA State Police Troopers called to the scene made contact with representatives from the ambulance company, who indicated that an unknown individual had vandalized three vehicles in their fleet. Troopers noted that one of the ambulances had a slash m…
News
Fake Government Contract Fraud Scheme Nets PA Man Prison Time:
Usdoj
A Philadelphia man is getting prison time after participating in a $622,000 fraud scheme involving fake government contracts, according to authorities. Darren Barr, 39, was sentenced to almost five years in prison after pleading guilty to an organized scheme that defrauded Lucas County Auditor in Ohio on Wednesday, Nov. 6, the US Department of Justice states in a news release. Barr collaborated with unnamed co-conspirators in a plan that had them pretending to be legitimate vendors Lucas County was authorized to do business with, according to the news release. This scheme began in March 201…
News
Next Of Kin Sought For Berks County 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.
News
Explosion Rocks PA Home, Injuries Reported (
Breaking
)
An explosion and fire tore through a Pennsylvania home along South 9th Street just after 12 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, disptachers explained. Firefighters and emergency responders were called to the scene of a reported house explosion followed by a fire along the 300 block of South 9th Street in Connellsville just after noon, Fayette County 911 confirmed. Emergency crews arrived to find the home engulfed in flames, with residents evacuated from nearby houses as a safety precaution. While the extent of injuries remains unconfirmed, initial reports suggest that at least one person may…
News
Family Of Trucker Struck Dead On I-78 Sues Driver Of Hit-And-Run Vehicle: Lawsuit
The family of a Florida truck driver who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Berks County filed a lawsuit against the driver, according to the court document, which was filed Friday, Nov. 1. Jymel Dejuan Smith's family filed a lawsuit against Akhmadkhon Vokhidk Ubaykhonov, a Philadelphia man who was driving the tractor-trailer that struck and killed Smith, the lawsuit obtained by Daily Voice states. Smith had pulled his tractor-trailer over on Interstate 78 West near mile marker 41.5 in Greenwich Township at 4:54 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13, according to previous reporting by Daily Voice.…
News
Whooping Cough Cases Are Spiking, CDC Warns
Cases of whooping cough are five times higher than at this time a year ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning. Officially known as pertussis, those infected have persistent, chronic fits of coughing followed by a “whoop” sound. "Reports of pertussis cases were lower than usual over the past few years, during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.," the CDC said in a new advisory. "However, the United States is beginning to return to pre-pandemic patterns where more than 10,000 cases are typically reported each year. It's likely mitigation measures used during the…
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