Scary case of deja vu for Northampton County fire company

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It was a scary case of deja vu for a volunteer fire company in Northampton County Tuesday morning. A garbage truck narrowly missed crashing into the Leithsville Volunteer Fire Company.


"You first freak out," Hellertown resident Nathaniel Griffin said. "The whole house is shaking like a train is going by."


It was an accident that got Griffin's attention. Griffin lives next door to the Leithsville Volunteer Fire Company in Lower Saucon Township and said he ran off of his porch with a fire extinguisher to help put out the flames.


Griffin made his move after a garbage truck snapped a telephone pole in half and crushed a parked vehicle just feet from his home. Thankfully no one was severely injured.


"I mean your heart gets pumping and you just go, do what you have to do," Griffin said.


Two years ago a similar accident caused a much different scene. Back in 2012, a dump truck crashed into the fire company sparking a massive fire. One person was killed, another seriously injured, and the building and three fire trucks were destroyed.


Police say the driver in this latest crash knew about the 2012 accident and did everything he could to avoid hitting the fire house after his brakes failed.


"The area where this happened, it is a 40 mile per hour speed zone," Corporal Timothy Connell of the Lower Saucon Township Police said. "Vehicles tend to pick up speed coming down a hill."


Griffin moved in next to the volunteer fire station in September, and says he just feels lucky Tuesday's accident wasn't as destructive.


"I give props to the driver he did a really good job, you know, making it a little incident," Griffin said. "It could have been a lot worse."






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Four-Star General discusses future of Tobyhanna Army Depot

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A four-Star General made a stop at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Monroe County on Tuesday.


He was there to thank employees for their hard work, but he also touched on the future of the depot.


It's an exciting time at the Tobyhanna Army Depot, in Tobyhanna, Monroe county.


"It's great for the employees really to see the senior leadership to come back down, to talk to them," said Col. Gerhard Schroter, commander of Tobyhanna Army Depot. "Also recognize some innovation and some fantastic work by employees."


Four-Star general Dennis Via toured the depot and then talked about the important work being done in Monroe County.


"We call Tobyhanna one of our crown jewels in the organic industrial base," said Via, commanding general with U.S. Army Material command. "The Army's organic industrial base."


The question that looms for employees, is the crown jewel losing its luster in the eyes of Uncle Sam?


Many were furloughed during the government sequester in 2013 and a budget for the Armed services still hasn't been finalized .


"Sequestration needs to be repealed," said Via. "We need to have a budget so we can plan in places like Tobyhanna, which do incredible work to support our men and women who are deployed in harms way."


Employees say they are reassured that everything is being done to save jobs at the depot.


They have to keep up the hard work to prove all jobs are worth keeping.


"We're not sitting around saying woe is me with budget cuts and things like that," said Frank Zardecki, deputy commander of Tobyhanna Army Depot. "We're very aggressive and marketing new work load and we have a lot of potential work load in the future."


"I don't think we'll see a government shutdown" added Via. "I don't think we'll see the furloughs again, but it still remains it's there, we don't have a budget."






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Montgomery County teacher admits to sex with 17-year-old student

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A former Montgomery County high school math teacher who allegedly began flirting with a 17-year-old student when she chaperoned the 2013 senior prom is admitting in a guilty plea that she had sex with him.


Erica Ginnetti, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Montgomery County court to institutional sexual assault and disseminating sexually explicit materials to a minor.


The 34-four-year-old remains free on bail and faces a possible maximum of seven to 14 years in prison when she is sentenced.


She was fired by Lower Moreland Township School District after her January arrest.


Prosecutors say Ginnetti had sent sexually explicit text messages and videos to the student before they had sex in her vehicle in July 2013.


Authorities say the investigation began after they received a tip that students had been overheard talking about the relationship.






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Hundreds of feet of copper wire stolen from PPL

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Police in Lehigh County are investigating after several hundred feet of copper wire was stolen from a PPL substation.


Police said the theft happened sometime between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2 at the PPL substation property on Long Lane in Breinigsville.


About 400 feet of bare copper wire and another 400 feet of copper-coated steel wire were stolen .


The estimated value of the stolen wire is $2,300.


Anyone with information is asked to call Upper Macungie Township police.






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'Giving Tuesday' all about giving back

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While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all about consumption, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is all about giving back.


Today is known as Giving Tuesday.


Every other Tuesday, you can find Gene Smith at the Keystone Miller Blood Center in Bethlehem.


"I'm donating platelets," he said from a recliner.


It's a routine he's stuck to for the past 11 years.


"Because it's community service and a lot of cancer patients need them," Smith added.


Gene is the perfect example for the theme of Giving Tuesday.


"I think it's a terrific way to highlight what is needed this time of year," Deb Otto of Miller Keystone said.


For Vicki Bastidas and the Friends of Johnston Estate, its' $80,000 by January to save this set to be preserved 47 acre Bethlehem Township environmental education center.


"It was slated to be 420 apartments and a strip mall. If it goes up for sale again it may be gone," Bastidas said.


Kathy Uhler of the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center also needs donations to save her land, in her case $150,000 in the next 5 months.


"Someone needs to do this and only 35 of us (Wildlife Refuge Center) in the entire state," she said.


Giving Tuesday was started by a New York City Y back in 2012 to channel the holiday spirit into charity.


Which Hillary Spear of Allentown's Rescue Mission says goes beyond simply writing a check.


"We have graduation services for the guys, who go through the program and love to have people come and be there for graduation," Spear said.


She also admits donated hats, gloves and scarves would be nice too.






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Berks Catholic boys have high expectations again

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Another high school basketball season is upon us, and as always expectations are high for the Berks Catholic boys. They return plenty of talent despite some subtractions due to graduation. Sam Marcinek has more on the Saints and their expectations.






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Police: Car involved in deadly crash was stolen

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The woman who died when a car slammed into a building in Pottstown on Thanksgiving morning was in a stolen vehicle, police said.


Police in Limerick Township said Joni Lafean-Nelson was driving a car that was stolen outside a bar in Limerick moments before the crash.


The car smashed into a water treatment building on Industrial Highway.






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Students have fun learning about science

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Some students in Reading are learning about science in new ways.


The Science Explorers program visited Riverside Elementary School on Tuesday.


The program teaches kids about the phases of matter. The students also learned about electricity.


The program started with an assembly in the morning. The students then went to their classrooms to conduct experiments.






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How to be prepared on the road this winter

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Tuesday's wintry weather was just a taste of what's to come this winter. PennDOT said it's prepared, but are you?


PennDot said there are seven things you need to keep in your car this winter, and several ways to track what Mother Nature is up to during a winter storm.


"Well, before winter happens, we get our stock supply ready, make sure our folks are trained. We want to reinforce some of these safety issues," said Sean Brown, a PennDOT spokesman.


PennDOT said everyone should prepare a winter weather kit for their car now.


On the list:


Snow shovel

Cell phone charger

Water

First aid kit

Warm clothes

Blanket

Non-perishable food


If you have pets, include some food for them, as well.


Before the storm comes, fill up your tank, and before you head out in the weather, grab prescription medication and check out PennDOT's website. 511PA.com will show you real time traffic conditions.


During a storm, PennDOT staffers are constantly monitoring changes on 39 cameras across the area and sending out alerts.


If you are on the go, you can get the same information with the free 511PA app, which will give you audible alerts so you can focus on the road.


"We are going to be having crews out there salting. They are actually on shifts, but roadways can't be 100 percent safe all the time, so we do need the folks to be our partner in driving safe," said Brown.


PennDOT said the best way to stay safe in a storm is to stay home.






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BOXEO: Ronald Cruz se retira del boxeo

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Ronald Cruz, el conocido boxeador de Bethlehem, Pensilvania habló con las cámaras de su Edición en Español.


Cruz dijo, "Mi anuncio es que lamentablemente mi carrera de boxeo tiene que terminar."


Cruz se retira con un récord de 20 victorias y 5 derrotas.


Cruz dijo, "El boxeo era como un sueño y ese sueño pues, tiene que terminar. Pero no es lo último de mi."


Esta semana, su Edición en Español tendrá un reportaje más extenso sobre la carrera de Ronald Cruz y la razón por su retira del boxeo.


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DA to review police shooting of Richard Scheuermann

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Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli plans to review the investigation into the death of Richard Scheuermann, the 39-year-old Wilson man who was shot by police following an early morning chase on Oct. 24.


At the time of the shooting, Morganelli warned the investigation could take many weeks.


He has scheduled a joint meeting with Pennsylvania State Police investigators and the Northampton County Coroner for Monday to review the investigation.


After that meeting, Morganelli will determine if there is a need for any additional investigation or whether "the matter is ripe for a determination."


That chase started in Palmer Township, where police attempted to stop Scheurermann's truck after they saw him driving on the wrong side of a road.


It ended at 13th and Spring Garden streets in Easton, where the deceased man allegedly rammed into a Palmer Township police vehicle twice before police from Palmer and Easton shot him.


In addition to bullet wounds, Scheuremann had a self-inflicted stab wound in his neck. A knife was found inside his truck.






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Health Beat: MelaFind: Spotting melanoma without a biopsy

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The beach, the pool, the bed. There are plenty of places to get a tan. Deb Fischer used to know them all.


"I tanned like it was my job. I would lay out on my roof. I would lay on tin foil, baby oil. I would go to the tan beds," said Deb Fischer.


But all that sun exposure put Fischer's health at risk At age 21, she was diagnosed with melanoma. Since then, she's had dozens of biopsies to check if other moles were cancerous.


"I have scars all over my body," said Fischer. "I probably have at least 40 scars."


Now, there's an easier, pain-free way to check suspicious moles. It's called MelaFind.


"It really helps us decide which lesions need to be biopsied," explained Dr. Philip Bailin, dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic.


The scanner transmits 10 different wavelengths of light into the skin and takes an image of the patient's mole. That image is compared to others in a database of more than 10,000 lesions.


"It's about 98 percent sensitive, and that's far more sensitive than the average dermatologist," Bailin said.


The test takes less than a minute.


"The patients are very thankful for this. It saves them biopsies," Bailin explained.


Fischer now wears sunscreen every day, and as a dermatology nurse, she educates others about the risks of skin cancer.


"I am a huge proponent of prevention," Fischer said.


She's hoping her efforts and this device will save her skin from any more cutting.


If MelaFind shows that a patient has a high probability for melanoma, he or she will still need a biopsy to confirm that the lesion is cancerous.


The database is constantly being updated and new images are added from patients all over the country.


DOWNLOAD and VIEW research summary and an in-depth interview with the doctor






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Fundraising effort underway to install more security cameras in downtown Reading

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Efforts to increase video surveillance in Reading are underway.


With "All Eyes on Reading," a joint initiative between local law enforcement and the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry, officials are aiming to raise $80,000 for roughly eight high-tech, wireless cameras.


"We have been successful with these cameras in solving homicides, solving armed robberies, interrupting crimes in progress, sending cops and making an arrest," Chief Bill Heim, Reading Police Department, said Tuesday. "They're eyes and ears of the police."


Currently, 46 video surveillance cameras are scattered across the city. The new cameras, however, will be solely installed downtown.


"We want our region, we want Berks County, to be seen as a vibrant, economic hub," said Ellen Horan, the chamber's president, "and the state of our downtown is absolutely critical to that. Our crime statistics have been improving, but people perceive the downtown not to be safe, and I think when they see the business community working with the police chief, they see the cameras, they'll feel more safe and they'll come downtown more often. That's our hope."


As for where, exactly, the new cameras will be placed downtown remains unknown. Officials said it takes research.


"We're gonna strategize a little bit and determine the number of cameras that we're gonna get from the funding and then, like we usually do, we check with the police officers, we check with our crime mapping, we check high-traffic areas," Heim said.


Already, $20,000 has been raised toward the goal, donated in part by the chamber, the Greater Reading Economic Partnership and the Wyomissing Foundation.


Horan said she expects to solicit the remaining goal amount within the next couple of months, from both businesses and citizens.


Sai Vuyyuru, owner of Berks Discount Pharmacy on Penn Square, told 69 News he would be interested in donating.


"I think it's a good idea," said Vuyyuru. "I think it makes everyone safe."


Once the money is raised, Heim said it could take several months for the cameras to be installed.


Anyone interested in donating toward the cameras can do so on the "All Eyes on Reading" GoFundMe site.






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Easton shooting victim speaks out; juvenile suspects charged as adults

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Easton police have charged two teenagers as adults after they say they shot a car and person with a BB gun.


It happened Sunday around 6 p.m. at West Grant and Folk streets. Police said the 15- and 16-year-olds shot at a moving car with a family of four inside.


Ruth Santiago of Roseto said she and her husband, along with their children, were driving to see relatives when it happened.


"As we turned the corner we heard a pop and a shatter from the back window," she told 69 News. "When we turned our heads, my son was leaning against the window, and we saw the whole glass shatter and he yelled because he didn't know what was going on and he had glass all over him."


The shot caused the rear window of the car to explode and caused some scratches to the eight year-old boy. Santiago said her one year-old daughter was not injured.


Police said Gilberto Santiago chased the teens, and they fired several shots from a CO2 pistol at his face.


"Hit him around his face, neck area," said Santiago, who added her husband is doing fine.


Police charged 15-year-old Kenneth Beam and 16 year-old Kasaan Brevard as adults.


Each teen was charged with aggravated assault, propulsion of missiles into an occupied vehicle, criminal mischief, prohibited offensive weapon, possessing instruments of crime and recklessly endangering another person.


Police said both teens admitted to firing the BB gun. Police found a CO2 pistol loaded with BB type projectiles and CO2 in Brevard's bedroom.


"For kids to be playing around with a BB gun thinking it's a toy, it's not a toy, they could have really done damage," said Santiago. "My son could have gotten really hurt, my daughter could have gotten really hurt, and then what?"


Both teens were committed to the Northampton County Prison on $15,000 bail.






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Police ask public's help to find shrimp thief

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Police in Northampton County are looking for a sticky-fingered shrimp thief and they're asking the public's help to find him.


On November 24, surveillance cameras at the Wegman's at 5000 Wegman's Drive in Hanover Township caught the image of a man who took three bags of frozen shrimp and fled on foot without paying.


Anyone with information on the man's identity is asked to call Colonial Regional Police at 610-861-4820 and ask for Detective Gary Hammer.


Callers can remain anonymous.






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