Most Memorable 2014: James Tully

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Hilary Lane chose to revisit the story of James Tully, the man who says he has been misidentified as suspected cop killer Eric Frein more than a dozen times.


The Barrett Township man said he was constantly stopped by authorities during his 5 mile/2 hour walk to and from work through the heart of the Frein manhunt in Barrett Township.


In the middle of November, he was given the keys to a brand new car, after the community came together to make sure he traveled to and from work safely.


Through a campaign on a website called "Go Fund Me, 1,000 people collectively donated over $24,000 to help pay for Tully's car.


" I was just trying to do what I can do," said Tully. "I was working to pay my child support and I didn't expect any of this."


"He is a hard worker," said Dawn diBiase, who started the fundraising website. "He didn't ask for any money."


Tully purchased a 2007 Subaru Outback for a little under $10,000 at Halterman's Toyota.


The rest of the money will be put into an account to pay for gas and maintenance.


"He got the all-wheel drive, he was really looking for with the winters we have," said Matt Raymond of Halterman's Toyota.


"I am just so thankful to the community, said Tully. "This wouldn't be possible without them."






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Ross Twp. couple pleads guilty in 70-year-old's death

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John and Tina Tedesco pleaded guilty to third degree murder Friday in Monroe County Court for the 2011 death of his 70-year-old aunt.


No sentencing date has been set yet.


Police report the couple was supposed to be taking care of Barbara Rabins, the sick woman, but robbed her of thousands of dollars and allowed her to die of dehydration.


The victim had lived with the Ross Township couple of 12 years.






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Highlights From First-Ever College Football Playoff: Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl Results

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Fans were not disappointed when they tuned in for two games that decided who will play for the national championship.


From: ABC News

Views: 54


5 ratings

Time: 02:25 More in News & Politics






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Farm animals gunned down in Lehigh County; police investigate

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After three of his pigs were shot and killed, Todd Hedrick of Hedrick Family Farms and Produce in Lehigh County is trying to figure out how to cope with the damages.


"I was furious, I was hurt, and we were both up all night with tears in our eyes," Hedrick said.


Hedrick's three pigs were shot on Saturday night. Two were killed 150 feet off of his property. The third was so severely injured by a bullet wound, he had to be put down.


"Seeing the one crawl through the woods wounded, I'm a hunter I'm a trapper, I'm a fisherman, I'm a farmer but no, I was furious," Hedrick said.


The pigs wandered off of Hedrick's property after pushing their food tote on top of an electric fence.


"Once that is grounded out there is no current," Hedrick said. "They can walk right through it."


Police are still investigating who is responsible.


In the meantime, Todd is trying to cope with the loss. Each pig was set to bring in about $200 just days before Christmas. With only two survivors, Todd says the damages are more than $600 dollars.


"That was going to be our Christmas money," Hedrick said.


For many of Todd's customers, deposits for each pig have already been collected.


"I myself had a deposit down for a full pig," Hedrick Family Farm and Produce customer, Amy Dailey said. "What am I going to do for Christmas now?"


Hedrick says he will try to get enough money together to purchase a new heard before the holiday season.


As for the two remaining pigs, because they have been through so much already, Hedrick says he will let them live out their days on the farm.






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Weekend storm to start as snow, ice for some before change to rain

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High temperatures Friday afternoon reached into the low 40s under a mix of sun and clouds.


Now, as we move through the overnight, look for the clouds to increase as low temperatures fall into the low- and mid-20s.


The increase in clouds is the result of an approaching storm, which will push snow, sleet and rain into the area from southwest to northeast by midday.


The changeover to rain will occur rather quickly for most of the area during the afternoon, with a coating to an inch of snow at the onset possible from central Bucks and Montgomery counties on northward.


The Poconos could pick up and inch or two of snow and ice before a changeover to rain because that part of the area will start out colder and may not see all rain until Saturday evening.


The rain will be heavy at times late Saturday into early Sunday morning, with up to an inch or so of rain in many locations.


After the rain ends Sunday morning, skies will remain mostly cloudy, but high temperatures will reach the upper 50s.






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Former metal guitarist turns talents from rock to ribs

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From rock to ribs, a former Christian metal star is gearing up to open a barbecue franchise in Wyomissing.


"It's gonna be exciting!" said Frank Caloiaro, whose Dickey's Barbecue Pit, by the State Hill Road and Berkshire Boulevard intersection, will open to the public Thursday.


"This is a Texas, southern-style barbecue. We don't use grills here. Everything is slow cooked," he said.


Before his plans to shred meat, Caloiaro was shredding guitar strings as a member of "Messiah Prophet" back in the '80s, touring throughout the United States and Europe.


"I had the long hair and the spandex," he said. "When people tease me about the spandex, I look back on that and say 'How many people got to experience what I got to experience?'"


Now, those days are behind him, although he still performs in his Lancaster-based church's worship band.


Although his sights are now set on running the barbecue joint, Caloiaro hopes to bring his Christian values to the restaurant.


"That's what God put in me, and I just wanna help change other people's lives and be a part of the community."


As a new local restaurant owner, Caloiaro said he plans to help local organizations raise money and offer his food services to the hungry.


He further noted that all first responders will receive discounts when dining at the eatery.


"This is my mission field, this community," he said.






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Critiquing Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett's time in office

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He's led the state for four years, but in just 18 days, Gov. Tom Corbett's term will be finished, so is Pennsylvania a better place, worse, or about the same?


Dealing with a looming budget deficit, raising taxes and being the first governor to lose a re-election bid since two terms were allowed will be part of the governor's legacy, but one political science professor said he feels education cuts were an issue Corbett couldn't bounce back from.


It's no secret that Corbett took over in Harrisburg during a time when the commonwealth was in the read.


"When Gov. Rendell left office, he did leave behind a significant fiscal problem for Gov. Corbett to deal with," said Chris Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.


So Corbett had to find a way to balance the budget early, and it was education that ended up on the chopping block.


"Those decisions that concentrated significant reductions of education budgets in the state really did never resonate with Pennsylvanians," added Borick. "What happened is, it really set a tone of negativity among many Pennsylvanians for the Corbett administration."


Borick said Corbett did do positive things in the state. He said Corbett literally paved the way to smoother roads by helping to get a $2.3 billion transportation bill passed.


"It is raising some gas tax in the state," said Borick. "It's raised some fees, but many analysts in transportation policy would say the infrastructure absolutely needed that influx of revenue."


Borick said Corbett will get mixed reviews when it comes to fracking and job creation in the state, but the real Corbett legacy won't be known until years later.


"Was Gov. Corbett's failure to win re-election a sign of a new difficult period for governors to govern in Pennsylvania," added Borick. "Maybe we'll see similarities in the Wolf administration."


Borick said Gov.-elect Wolf will be dealing with the same budget problems as Corbett did four years ago, but it will be how the budget is handled that may set the two men apart.






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Changes made to benefit pedestrians at busy intersection in downtown Reading

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The rules of the road have changed at one of the busiest intersections in downtown Reading.


It is all to protect the hundreds of pedestrians who cross the road every day, including visitors like the Lintz family.


In an effort to avoid the intersection at North Second and Washington streets, Shawn Lintz has started parking in the garage directly behind the movie theater.


"It is a busy intersection and I just do not like it. If I can avoid it, I do it," said Lintz.


As business has boomed over the years, so has the number of pedestrians trying to cross the road.


The high levels of pedestrian traffic are now causing some concern for city police and public works officials, so about a year ago, they started working with PennDOT to push back the no turn on red for drivers from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.


The director of public works told 69 News this is the first step in a new "complete street program" aimed at enhancing the streets to make them safer for pedestrians, bicycle riders and drivers.


The new signs have just been posted, and some already appreciate the change.


"Around rush hour particularly it gets a little hairy," said Darryl Brown, a pedestrian.


While others think it is misguided.


"You are causing more congestion by doing that, not allowing people to turn on red," said Dustin Carrell, a pedestrian.


"I would love it to be a little more people friendly because it is really a delay for people. One time we waited for almost five minutes to cross," said Catara Carrell, a pedestrian.


"I think if you use common sense you can pretty much get across the street," said Brown.


But city leaders said pedestrian safety trumps any congestion concerns drivers might have.


"Anything that can help slow people down and keep pedestrians safe is a good thing," said Officer Brenda Marks, Reading Police Department's traffic division.


The traffic light at Second and Penn streets has also been changed to no turn on red until 10 p.m. Monday-Friday for consistency sake.






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What rights do tenants have when dealing with landlords?

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A Lehigh County woman is fighting for her water to be turned back on. She said her landlord is to blame for the whole mess.


The borough of Slatington shut the family's water off on Tuesday. The bill is nearly $800. The dispute is with their landlord.


"Nothing. It's been like that for days," Linda Mayer said.


Boiling hot water is how Mayer washes her dishes, while pouring spring water into the toilet tank is how she uses the bathroom.


"I have to take three gallons to fill the tank up," she said.


Dozens of empty water bottles have piled up on her property since Tuesday because charges of service have not been paid, which was stated on a pink piece of paper by the borough.


"It's not our responsibility. It's the landlord's responsibility to pay the water bill," she said.


Mayer said she stopped paying rent, which included her water fee, when she found out the property was in foreclosure and the owner, Patrick Jules, had a bank bill of more than $135,000. Mayer showed 69 News the legal documents that state so.


"The township turned it off, and the tenants are not paying their rent. I'm not sure what to tell you at this point," Jules said.


Attorney Bob Magee deals with tenant/landlord disputes.


"They don't know what their rights are," Magee said.


In cases where the landlord is delinquent, Magee said the tenant has the right to deal directly with the utility.


"Only have to pay the utility bill for the past 30 days, and if they do, it will be reinstated. They are allowed to deduct that from the rent that would otherwise be paid for to the landlord," Magee explained.


Mayer will move out soon but said she will pony up the money for water if the landlord doesn't.


"It's too much and they don't care they have water. They can take showers. They don't care about us," Mayer tearfully said.


Magee said, with any dispute, it's always best to know your rights.


The property is set to be sold at sheriffs sale at the end of February.






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Health Beat: Apostherapy: Shoes for pain

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They're not your average sneakers. For 57-year-old Candelaria, the shoes are the secret to pain relief.


"They put the shoes on and it was like magic," Candelaria said. "I could not believe it."


Candelaria's pain started after she fell during her pregnancy. First, it was knee pain, then hip and lower back pain.


"It got to the point where the pain became excruciating and unbearable," Candelaria explained.


She tried everything to avoid a knee replacement, but nothing helped, until apostherapy.


Apostherapy was developed in Israel in the 1990s. It doesn't require specific exercises. Instead, personally calibrated mechanical pods are placed on the bottom of shoes to realign the patient's knees, hips and back.


"What we do is we can calibrate according to what we know that the body is trying to resist certain forces or shift certain things away from pain," said Nina Cha, of AposTherapy NY.


The goal is to retrain the brain and muscles to walk in a way that takes pressure off painful areas.


"It creates what the founders call perturbation, a little bit of instability so that your whole body learns and relearns how to walk and how to position itself," explained Dr. David Levy, global chief executive officer, AposTherapy NY.


The program lasts a year, with patients wearing the shoes for about an hour a day. So far, no studies have been done in the U.S. to prove its effectiveness, but patients like Candelaria said they've seen the results.


"I have regained who I am," Candelaria said.


Apostherapy isn't cheap. It costs about $5,250 for one year and isn't covered by insurance in the U.S. Right now, it's available in the New York City area, but the company does plan to expand around the country.


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Pedestrian struck by vehicle in Reading, rushed to hospital

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A man was seriously injured when he was run over by a truck in northwest Reading.


The accident happened shortly before 3 p.m. Friday on West Oley Street near Schuylkill Avenue.


The driver of the tractor trailer said he was about to turn onto Schuylkill Avenue when he felt something beneath his truck, according to police on the scene.


That's when the victim was found in the street. Initial reports were that he was barely conscious and bleeding from his injuries when emergency crews arrived.


He was rushed to the trauma center at Reading Hospital. Police had no information about the extent of his injuries.






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'Huge concert' at Santander Arena in Reading to be announced at 8:30 Monday morning

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The Santander Arena in Reading is gearing up for what the venue's officials are calling a "huge concert announcement."


The announcement will be made at 8:30 a.m. Monday outside the arena's lobby at 700 Penn St. in center city.


David Farrar, the arena's general manager, will unveil an 30-foot by 11-foot banner with information about the upcoming concert.


"This concert announcement is a great way to welcome in 2015, and we look forward to the continued success of bringing world class entertainment to the region to help make greater Reading a wonderful place to live, work and play," Farrar said.


The arena has hosted more than 2,200 shows since opening its doors in September 2001. Performers have include Cher, Elton John, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Sting and Tim McGraw.


Until Monday morning's announcement, officials said they plan to keep mum about the upcoming concert and who is set to appear.


Be sure to check in with WFMZ.com as details are announced.


In the meantime, the arena is set to host the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for two performances on Saturday.






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Tanker task force called for multi-alarm fire in Bern

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Firefighters are battling a two-alarm fire in Berks County.


Crews were first dispatched at 12:38 p.m. Friday to a home in the 600 block of Scenic Drive in Bern Township for the report of a fire in an attached garage.


Fire officials have since struck a second alarm, calling for the assistance of a tanker task force and the setup of a remote fill site to provide water.


A plume of smoke can be seen from as far away as Route 183 and Route 222 interchange.


There have been no reports of injuries.


A 69 News crew is heading to the scene. Refresh this page for updates as information becomes available.






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