Obituary: Cory Monteith / Actor On ‘Glee’ Battled Substance Abuse

English: The title card for the musical comedy series Glee (Fox). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cory Monteith, who played an upbeat and outgoing young student and singing coach on the hit Fox musical comedy television series “Glee,” but who battled substance abuse problems in his personal life, was found dead Saturday in a hotel room in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was 31.

The police said Mr. Monteith was found dead in his 21st-floor room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Vancouver at about noon after he missed his scheduled checkout time. They said there was no indication of foul play and that people Mr. Monteith had been with earlier were being interviewed, but that they believe he was alone when he died.

The coroner will try to establish the cause of death, a police statement said.

Mr. Monteith, a 6-foot-3 performer with a youthful countenance and a soft-spoken demeanor who described himself on his personal Twitter page as a “tall, awkward, Canadian, actor, drummer, person,” gained worldwide attention when “Glee” made its debut on the Fox network in 2009.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/celebrities/glee-star-cory-monteith-found-dead-in-hotel-room-695432/#ixzz2Z8W9xgaY

Force Of Tropical Storm Lee Still Felt As 69 Houses Face Demolition In Dauphin County

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Dauphin County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Almost two years after Tropical Storm Lee, the cleanup continues as houses damaged by flooding along the swollen Swatara Creek and later bought by the federal government are being demolished.

During the past few weeks, local municipalities have hired contractors to remove the houses, purchased through the Federal Emergency Management Agency‘s Hazard Mitigation Program.  Buyouts from FEMA were determined by the cost of rebuilding the house and future flood insurance claims.

At least 69 houses have been targeted for demolition, almost all of them on land near or adjacent to Swatara Creek.  The total cost is $8 million with the municipalities carrying 3 percent, or $250,000, of the cost.

But the long-term effects of the demolition will be bourn by the localities, as the properties slip from tax rolls and elected leaders are left wondering what to do with flood-prone vacant lots.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/07/tropical_storm_lee_fema_buyout.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Lancaster Teen Temar Boggs Hailed As A Hero In 5-Year-Old’s Abduction

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Temar Boggs had a feeling he’d find the 5-year-old girl who was abducted Thursday in Lancaster Township.

He was right.

Boggs, a McCaskey freshman who lives in Gable Park Woods, had been hanging out with a friend at nearby Lancaster Arms apartments and helping move a couch when a man came by asking if they’d seen a missing girl.

They hadn’t, Boggs said, so they went to watch TV.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/872026_Lancaster-teen-Temar-Boggs-hailed-as-a-hero-in-5-year-old-s-abduction.html#ixzz2Z8QWS7e5

Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Deficient Bridges Won’t Be Quick Fix

Counties constituting Northeastern Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nearly one of every four bridges in Northeastern Pennsylvania is structurally deficient, a Times-Shamrock Newspapers analysis found.

And, because of decades of neglect, repairing those bridges “will take years to catch up,” a local transportation expert said – even if state lawmakers approve a transportation bill this fall.

“Once a bridge gets to be 50 to 60 years old, you can’t go in and just patch it,” Thomas Lawson, co-chairman of the Focus 81 Committee, said.

Interactive: Search for the most deficient bridges in NEPA

Instead, numerous bridges around the region, which has more deteriorating bridges than the state average, will require superstructure overhauls “at minimum,” he said.

Read more:  http://citizensvoice.com/news/region-s-deficient-bridges-won-t-be-quick-fix-1.1520394

Scranton Apartment Building Partially Owned By State Rep At Center Of Controversy

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lackawanna County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An apartment building owned in part by state Rep. Marty Flynn has been the center of controversy, neighbor complaints, multiple police calls and finger-pointing among city agencies.

An agreement to allow an inspection at the request of neighbors of 1401 Prospect Ave., Scranton, fell through when Mr. Flynn and his partner reversed positions and said they would not consent to the inspection, accusing the director of the city Department of Licensing Inspections and Permits, Mark Seitzinger, of playing politics and wanting to run against Mr. Flynn for the 113th Legislative District seat.

Mr. Seitzinger originally considered seeking a court order to inspect the property after continuous complaints from neighbors Ann and Mark Wadika, but backed down.  After consulting with an attorney, he said the department has no right to inspect the six-unit building.  He denied wanting to run against Mr. Flynn for office or of having any other political motivation.

Mr. Flynn and his partner, Greg Hunt of Moscow, registered the building under the city’s 2012 rental ordinance after being questioned by a Times-Tribune reporter.  The ordinance entitles the city inspector to conduct a limited “safety” inspection of the building.

Read more:  http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/apartment-building-partially-owned-by-state-rep-at-center-of-controversy-1.1520374

SEPTA Mulls Rail Service To King Of Prussia, Valley Forge

SEPTA logo with text (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  This only makes sense. There are a tremendous number of jobs in King of Prussia/Valley Forge.  Rail service would encourage people to use mass transit who otherwise drive and don’t currently view the Norristown R6 or the High Speed Line as an option.  It could also be a precursor to extending service further west toward Pottstown.

WILL THOUSANDS OF workers finally be able to ride high-speed rail to King of Prussia and Valley Forge instead of a bus that relies on the Jekyll/Hyde, highway to heaven/hell, Russian-roulette insanity of I-76 traffic?

SEPTA will reveal plans for long-awaited rail service to King of Prussia Mall and Valley Forge at a four-hour public meeting tomorrow.

Several alternative extensions of the Norristown High Speed Line to King of Prussia and Valley Forge will be presented.  Public comment is invited.

This “scoping meeting” at the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge – open house at 4 p.m.; presentation at 6 p.m. – is an early stage of the federal process for new-start rail service.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20130715_SEPTA_mulls_rail_service_to_King_of_Prussia__Valley_Forge.html#ZJcEo1i9KeQpPV41.99

Excessive Heat Warning/Heat Advisory

The National Weather Service has issued a warning/advisory for Metropolitan Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley and Berks County:

THIS EXCESSIVE HEAT IS EXPECTED TO WORSEN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH THE HEAT WAVE PROBABLY LINGERING INTO SATURDAY. THE HIGHEST HEAT INDICES… OF AROUND 105 DEGREES… SHOULD OCCUR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE URBAN CENTERS INCLUDING PHILADELPHIA WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT…SHOULD BE CLOSE TO 80 DEGREES. RELIEF IN THE FORM OF SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE SUNDAY.

A-Rod To Bring Talents, Baggage To Reading

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The circus is coming to town.

In the center ring will be Alex Rodriguez, one of the most prominent, and controversial, players in baseball history.

He is scheduled to play in Reading tonight as part of a rehab assignment with the New York Yankees following offseason hip surgery.

His appearance will be quite unusual – and for Reading baseball quite historic.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=493127