Landmark cemetery entrance removed in name of progress

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Anyone driving by the Laureldale Cemetery in Muhlenberg Township may notice something different.


The cemetery's former entrance is being dismantled.


Cemetery officials said PennDOT is taking down the structure to make way for improvements to Route 61 at Tuckerton Road.


We're told the structure was built more than 70 years ago but was recently acquired by PennDOT.


The improvements to Route 61 are expected to be completed in May 2017.






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Teen charged in stabbing of ex-girlfriend in Reading

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Police have charged a teenager in the stabbing of his ex-girlfriend in Reading.


The attack was reported Monday night in the 900 block of Franklin Street.


Police said Carlos Flores, 18, threw a knife at the 16-year-old victim, striking her in the leg.


The victim reportedly suffered a deep puncture wound.


Flores was charged with aggravated assault and harassment.






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Wintry mix of precipitation puts road crews to work

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It may be March, but old man winter is rearing his ugly head again. A wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain made its way across Berks County on Tuesday afternoon.


Along with everyone heading home from work, PennDOT crews were also on the roads, salting state roads throughout the county.


"We will salt through the evening as long we see it is necessary. It is supposed to change to rain and warm up, so we will be out until that happens, until we know the roads are safe," said Rick Stone, Berks County equipment manager for PennDOT.


Clearing the roads has been an ongoing battle for crews in Berks County. The latest storm comes just two days after snow and freezing rain fell and two days before more snow is expected.


"Taxing. It has been a long winter. Cold and we are using more material because of the temperatures," said Stone.


Although the weather may be taxing on road crews, others are using taxes as a reason to get out in the elements and entertain.


"You know what, weather aside, I am here to help put a smile on everyone's faces, improve the world a little bit, so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow," said Eric Lotz, who works for Liberty Tax Service in Muhlenberg Township.


But PennDOT supervisors said if you can stay home, try to. If not, slow down, take your time and give plows distance to work and get the roads clear.






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Wolf unveils 'bold' budget proposal; Berks lawmakers leery

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Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled his budget proposal Tuesday morning, receiving mixed reviews from Berks County lawmakers.


Having run on the platform of being a different kind of governor, the newly-elected Democrat fulfilled that promise with a different kind of proposal; his involves historic tax changes and aims at pumping money back into schools.


"Over the past four years, Pennsylvania took a step in the wrong direction by trying to balance our state budget on the backs of our schools," Wolf told the Legislature.


With the nearly $30 billion spending plan, $1 billion would be placed back into public schools, partly funded by a proposed five percent severance tax on extracting natural gas, and that's just the beginning of the plan's tax overhaul.


Wolf wants to raise income tax to 3.7 percent and sales tax to 6.6 percent. The latter is a hike that hasn't been seen in nearly 50 years.


"We applaud his effort, but we just don't think the public is willing to pay the biggest increase in state history," said Pa. Sen. David Argall, a Republican who represents Berks and Schuylkill counties.


"I don't know how we're going to pay for that at this point. I really think we gotta digest it," said Pa. Rep. Barry Jozwiak, a Berks County Republican.


Tax cuts are also included. Wolf said he hopes to reduce corporate and school property taxes, something both parties have championed in the past. Property taxes, Wolf estimated, would be cut by nearly 50 percent for the average homeowner.


"I'm particularly glad to see [Wolf] is addressing the property tax issue. That's the number one issue in our area, and we've fought for that," said Jozwiak. "I'd like to see it totally eliminated. I don't know if we're going to get there, but that's the finish line for me."


Argall told 69 News that the property tax reductions are a "bait and switch" scheme.


"He's proposing a permanent increase in income and sales taxes and only a temporary decrease in property taxes," Argall said.


Wolf told the Legislature that his budget will eliminate the $2.3 billion deficit.


He acknowledged that not everyone will be on board.


"I recognize that we're going to have a robust conversation," he said.






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House fire in Northampton Borough ruled accidental

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A fire that left a home in Northampton Borough with extensive damage has been ruled "accidental" according to Northampton Fire Department officials.


Chief Robert Solderich said the blaze, which broke out around 6 p.m. on Feb. 28 in the 800 block of Main Street, was caused by a propane torch being used to install portions of a new roof on the home.


Flames could be seen coming from the roof of the home.


Everyone was evacuated from the building and no injuries were reported.






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Health Beat: Anthrax: Fighting cancer?

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Anthrax has been used around the world as a biological weapon for nearly a century, but what if this deadly toxin could be used to fight cancer and save lives?


Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are taking one of Earth's deadliest toxins and transforming it into a cancer killer.


"We're repurposing nature. It's going from the kiss of death to the kiss of life," said Bradley Pentelute, professor of chemistry, MIT.


Pentelute explains what happens when somebody is infected with Bacillus anthraxis, the bacteria that produces anthrax toxin.


"The cell doesn't know what to do so it eventually dies and that's why it's so toxic. Because once these molecules get in the cell, there's no return," Pentelute said.


Since the toxin can get into nearly any cell, researchers asked this question, "Can we take nature's machinery and can we re-engineer it so that it's no longer toxic?" said Pentelute.


That's exactly what is now underway in animal studies.


"It still left one critical function, which is this delivery function, and the delivery function allows us now to hijack that and deliver next generation cancer therapeutics inside cells," Pentelute said.


Delivering antibodies to target and kill cancer cells in animal models, paving the way for the development of new drugs for cancer.


Right now, the research is focused on treating leukemia and brain cancer, but the delivery system could be used for other diseases in the future.


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






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Snow piles lingering in handicapped parking spaces

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Getting around in the snow can be a pain for anyone, but it can be downright dangerous for the handicapped.


For Sheri Staller, a Slatington, Lehigh County, resident whose husband is disabled, parking spots that aren't cleared after snowstorms have caused her to launch complaints at several area businesses.


"My frustration is you've got the handicapped spots, and they tend to leave the snow in the handicapped spots. The regular spots are cleared. That's fine, but your primary ones should be the handicapped ones," she said.


Kevin Esterly, who manages ASRE, a snow removal and excavation business in Allentown, said clearing commercial spaces isn't always easy, especially with the weather we've seen this winter.


"When the snow doesn't melt, they just keep piling up, and what starts as a 10-foot space ends up being an eight-foot space," he said.


Esterly added there are ways to keep all spaces clear of snow, even the ones with concrete parking stops.


"What we do is we send our shovel crews out in advance before our plow trucks get there and they usually will shovel around all the obstacles and clear it into the middle of the lot so that when we come with our plow trucks, we can just push it into one area," he said.


Meanwhile, Staller said she has complained to store managers where she's seen handicapped spaces snowed in, but she said she wishes she didn't have to, especially when safety is a concern.


"I'm looking at my husband's mobility and my mobility. I do not need to go on the ice and they don't need the lawsuit of somebody falling because of that," she said.






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Stroudsburg nursing home raising money for TVs

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in Stroudsburg has started an to raise money to purchase flat screen TVs for its residents who cannot afford them.


The 174-bed nursing home has set a $5,000 goal to buy the TVs.


As of Monday, the fund-raising effort had been going on for 25 days and raised $2,035.


"We are hoping to purchase between 40 and 50 flat screen sets." said Jeff Rinker, spokesman for the nursing home.


Where they will be purchased has not yet been decided.


"We're hoping a local store will step up with a discount that would match or be better than a big box store's price." said Rinker. " If we can stay local, we will."


TVs are the largest form of entertainment in the nursing home, which does not provide them to residents. And some of those residents cannot afford them.


Rinker said most of the sets in the nursing home have been donated over many years or were left behind when residents died or were discharged.


Nearly all are the old CRT type. He said picture quality is very poor on many of them, even though Pleasant Valley Manor provides cable access in all rooms .


"The majority of our residents are from the local community, having lived, worked and raised families of their own in the surrounding areas," said a spokesman for Pleasant Valley Manor on the fund-raising site.


"Circumstances have brought them to the point where they can no longer care for themselves and they require the assistance of a 24 hour care facility.



"The cost of nursing facility services is great, exceeding $8,000 per month in 2015. For most of our residents, this means they need to seek aid from the Commonwealth in the form of Medical Assistance benefits.


"Medical Assistance recipients are only able to keep $45 per month toward the costs of personal items. The remainder of their income is paid to the facility to offset the Commonwealth's payment toward costs of care.


"For some this leaves a shortage of funds for luxury items such as TV sets."






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Lawmakers representing Berks react to Benjamin Netanyahu's address

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U.S. lawmakers who represent parts or all of Berks County issued the following responses to the address delivered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint gathering of Congress in Washington on Tuesday:


"A nuclear Iran poses a grave danger to Israel's very existence and America's own security," said U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, a Republican who represents Pennsylania's Seventh District. "Iran itself has called for the destruction of Israel and its proxies continue to recruit and train extremists. A nuclear Iran would set off an arms race across the Middle East. Simply put, Iran must not be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon, and any deal that does not stop a nuclear Iran from becoming a reality is worse than no deal at all.


"Prime Minister Netanyahu's address this morning was a call for caution on Iran. He carefully laid out Iran’s history of supporting terror and Islamic extremism and articulated why permitting Iran to develop nuclear weapons would be a disaster for the West. It's an important message for Congress – and the nation – to hear as we approach the deadline for a deal with Iran. I'm grateful to the prime minister for joining us this morning and sharing his views on an issue vital to the security of both our nations."


----


"With the intense focus on the rise of the Islamic State in recent months, I'm glad that Prime Minister Netanyahu reminded us of the potent threat a nuclear Iran presents to the Middle East," said U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts, a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th District. "The Iranian regime's willingness to use terrorism to accomplish its goals makes it impossible to tolerate their development of nuclear weapons. We cannot lose sight of just how much devastation could come from Iran becoming a nuclear power. I want to thank the Prime Minister for his words and his contribution to the debate over a proper nuclear deal."


----


"Today, Prime Minister Netanyahu made a powerful and persuasive case. I have long said the Obama administration has been much too weak on Iran, endangering our country and the security of the world," said U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican. I am very concerned that a bad deal with Iran is in the works. We should re-impose tough economic sanctions against Iran as soon as possible, and it will be critically important for Congress to vote on any nuclear deal. We need a deal that truly stops Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and failing to do so would be disastrous."






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DA: Immigration agent accused of stealing from prisoner

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Authorities have announced charges against a federal immigration agent accused of having stolen from a prisoner he was assigned to transport.


Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said Tuesday that authorities arrested Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Justin Ford last week.


Ford was caught in a sting during which he took $200 from an undercover Philadelphia police officer posing as a "deportee" being transported to the York County Prison on Feb. 24, Williams said.


After searching the undercover officer and finding $2,000, Ford took two $100 bills, Williams said.


Authorities allege that Ford later acknowledged the theft, as well as thefts from other prisoners.


"What Mr. Ford did was deplorable," Williams said. "It wasn't the first time he stole from deportees, and so he will be punished to the fullest extent of the law."


Ford, 31, was charged with theft, unlawful taking and related offenses. Bail was set at $25,000.


"I'd like to thank the hard working members of the Philadelphia Police Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's office of inspector general, the Middle and Eastern districts of the U.S. Attorney's office, and the dedicated men and women of the Philadelphia district attorney's office for working together to get this bad officer off the streets," Williams said.






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Protests against police inspire unique project for Penn State Berks students

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Protests against police officers in Ferguson, Missouri, and other parts of the country have inspired a unique project at Penn State Berks.


Students taking the "Writing in the Social Sciences" course are compiling a book featuring biographies of members of the Reading Police Department.


Students started interviewing officers Monday.


"Above all, I want the students to be able to humanize these officers and to capture their lives. What's their background? What's their story? And why it's meaningful for us to not look at police officers in narrow ways," said Justin De Senso, lecturer of English composition.


When the book is finished, it will be placed at the Berks History Center in Reading.






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Wolf seeks billions in higher taxes for schools, tax revamp

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Gov. Tom Wolf is asking Pennsylvania lawmakers to approve $4 billion in higher taxes and new taxes to help boost school aid and shift education funding away from local property taxes.


In an address to a joint session of the Legislature Tuesday morning, the new governor is proposing raising the sales tax for the first time in nearly 50 years, to 6.6 percent from the current 6 percent.


Overall, the Democrat wants to increase state spending from $29 billion to $33.7 billion - an increase of 16 percent.


The governor says the proposed tax hikes and a simultaneous cut in property taxes would reduce the tax burden on the average middle-class homeowner by 13 percent.


Wolf says his plan draws from both Democratic and Republican party ideas. Above all, he says, it recognizes that Pennsylvania will not improve until we rebuild the middle class.''


State Rep. Mike Schlossberg (D-Lehigh) issued the following statement in response to Gov. Wolf's budget address:


"The past four years have been an abysmal failure for our state. Pennsylvania’s credit is in shambles, job creation continues to be at or near the bottom in the United States, property taxes have increased 20 percent in the Allentown School District, and there are 400 fewer teachers educating our youth in community schools.


"Tom Wolf came to office understanding that the previous administration kicked the can down the road too many times, and he acknowledges the need for change. Last summer I said we would have a fiscal day of reckoning in 2015 because it is simply fiscally irresponsible to continue on the path we are on. I have always believed that fiscal responsibility is more than just not spending; it's being able to invest in the future.


"Governor Wolf's plan does just that and will allow Allentown to stop laying off teachers and even bring teachers back into the classroom. I also commend the governor for addressing real property tax reform, as the previous administration's refusal to properly fund education has placed an increased burden on homeowners and small-business owners.


"I look forward to closely reviewing this budget to see how it might benefit Allentown and South Whitehall taxpayers. However, I will say that it's madness to think that we can cut or sell our way out of the $2.3 billion budget deficit Tom Corbett created. It is insanity to continue to stick Allentown School District taxpayers with skyrocketing property tax increases, and it is inhumane to continue to fail to invest in the future of our students. This budget is a good first step to correcting these problems and I look forward to restoring Pennsylvania’s greatness."






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Massage parlor operated as house of prostitution, officials say

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Berks County law enforcement officials are sending a message to owners of massage parlors in Berks County: Operate as a front for prostitution and you will be shut down.


Jian YanYan got that message loud and clear when authorities busted the Blandon woman for allegedly operating a house of prostitution out of Jane's Spa Oriental Massage, 8468 Allentown Pike/Route 222 in Maidencreek Township.


Detectives with the Berks County district attorney's office began their investigation of the business in January.


YanYan then met with an undercover detective inside the massage parlor last Thursday and offered to perform sexual services on him in exchange for $50, officials said.


Then, detectives and agents with the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, armed with arrest and search warrants, converged on the massage parlor Monday afternoon.


Detectives took YanYan into custody and seized surveillance cameras, approximately $12,000 in U.S. cash, and numerous documents and various items associated with the act of prostitution, officials said.


YanYan, 38, was charged with criminal solicitation, prostitution and related offenses. She was committed to the Berks County Jail on $10,000 bail.


WFMZ's Ryan Hughes is working on this developing story. He'll have a full report on 69 News at 5:30.






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Firefighters battle 2-alarm fire near Hamburg

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Firefighters are battling a multi-alarm fire at a home in Berks County.


Crews were dispatched shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday to 101 Possum Rd. in Tilden Township, about equidistant from Hamburg and Shoemakersville.


Dispatchers initially reported a fire in the attached garage of the home.


The first crews on the scene reported finding heavy fire in the garage, with flames extending to the roof of the home. They immediately requested a second alarm, summoning additional manpower to the scene as firefighters try to save the home.


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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Man suffers leg injury in Allentown shooting

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A 21-year-old man was shot in the leg Monday night, and Allentown police are investigating the incident.


It happened just after 9 p.m. in the 800 block of North 7th Street.


The victim told police he saw three males and then heard gunshots.


The man was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township and treated for non-life threatening injuries.


Police officials tell 69News it appears to be an isolated incident.


Anyone with information is asked to call Allentown detectives at 610-437-7721.






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Teen killed in crash

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Officials say a teenager is dead after a head-on crash in Schuylkill County. It happened around 8 a-m yesterday.. on Route 309 near the border of West Penn Township and Tamaqua. Police say 17-year-old Autumn Young was traveling north.. when she lost control on the snow-covered road. She struck an s-u-v.. and was ejected from the car. The condition of the s-u-v driver is unknown.>>>






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Teva leaving Sellersville

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Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will be selling its Sellersville facility as part of a cost-reduction program.. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Financial terms of the sale to g & w Laboratories were not disclosed. The Wall Street Journal report says employment will be offered to all 200 Teva employees currently working there. The deal is expected to close in March or April.






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