Gergely Chief Of Staff Testified Before ‘Operation Pork Chop’ Grand Jury In Mon Valley Gambling Case

Map of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The chief of staff for Pennsylvania state Rep. Marc Gergely, D-White Oak, testified in June before an investigating grand jury looking into the suspected Mon Valley gambling operation of Ronald “Porky” Melocchi.

Thomas Maglicco appeared June 17, his attorney, Douglas Sughrue, said this morning.

Mr. Sughrue declined to provide details of his client’s testimony.

“I’m not gonna get into those specifics,” Mr. Sughrue said.  “It was brief.”

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/gergely-chief-of-staff-testified-before-operation-pork-chop-grand-jury-in-mon-valley-gambling-case-702605/#ixzz2eQJ414Ac

Harrisburg Has Paid More Than $630K In Debt Service On $3.795M Capitol View Loan

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

HARRISBURG. PA – More than $630,000 in city grant funds have been diverted to repay a federal loan for the failed Capitol View project whose bankrupt developer awaits sentencing for fraud.

City officials say they’re hoping David Dodd’s sentence includes some restitution for Harrisburg, which guaranteed a $3.795 million federal loan for the project in 2006 that Dodd never repaid.

Between that, unpaid property taxes and another unpaid loan from the former Mayor’s Office of Economic Development program, Dodd’s project has become a $5 million liability for the city.

That amount doesn’t include city legal bills from engaging in his bankruptcy and fraud proceedings, or to defend the city against lawsuits from contractors never paid for their work on the $28 million project.

Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/09/harrisburg_paid_all_630k_of_de.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Camden Waterfront Eyed For World Trade Center

The development firm that hoped to build a World Trade Center in Philadelphia is now looking at erecting it on the former prison site on Camden‘s waterfront.

In a statement, Waterfront Renaissance Associates (WRA) said Monday it in talks with state and local officials to determine the feasibility for developing the site.

WRA is the developer of the residential towers directly across the river, just north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia.  That site was once considered for the Greater Philadelphia World Trade Center, which was established in 2002.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130910_Camden_waterfront_eyed_for_World_Trade_Center.html#v7Dy7dOP6PTAzPWf.99

Coventry Mall Kohl’s Security Officer Arrested For Assaulting Photographer

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

NORTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP, PA — Police have charged a woman working as a loss prevention officer for Kohl’s at the Coventry Mall with assault of a local photographer.

Sarah Roller, 36, from Collegeville, reported she saw a man in his vehicle taking video of “police and her activity” while she was helping search for a suspect in a retail theft from Boscov’s, police said.

Roller is accused of approaching the photographer, Tom Kelly III, and attempted to take his camera “by force.”  Kelly is a former Mercury staff photographer and frequently does work as a free-lancer for The Mercury and its related websites.

“During the struggle over the camera, the victim was struck in the face,” the report said.  “He sustained an injury to his eye and is also being treated for neck and shoulder pain.”

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130909/NEWS01/130909490/coventry-mall-kohl-s-security-officer-arrested-for-assaulting-photographer#full_story

American Heritage Chocolate Program, Sept. 21 At Pottsgrove Manor‏

Pottstown, PA – On Saturday, September 21, 2013 from 11:00am to 3:00pm, historic Pottsgrove Manor will host a demonstration of traditional chocolate-making by American Heritage Chocolate, a division of Mars Chocolate North America.

Chocolate has been woven through the fabric of American culture for centuries. With its origin in the rain forests of Central and South America at least 3,500 years ago, chocolate’s rich history is intertwined in the stories of Americans’ ancestors. Colonial Americans like the Potts family enjoyed chocolate, though not in the familiar candy-bar form consumed today.

During the program, a team of Mars Chocolate History Ambassadors will share the history of chocolate through one‐on‐one historical bean‐to‐beverage demonstrations using authentic tools including cocoa pods, cocoa beans and nibs, a hot stone metate, winnowing baskets, chocolate drink pots, and molinos. Visitors can stop in anytime between 11:00am and 3:00pm to see, touch, taste, and smell the historic chocolate‐making experience. American Heritage Chocolate’s products will be available for purchase in the museum shop.

A donation of $2.00 per person is suggested for this program. Guided tours of the manor house will be offered on the hour during the program.

Pottsgrove Manor can also be toured during regular museum hours Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm, and Sunday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Tours are given on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3:00pm. The site is closed Mondays and major holidays. Groups of ten or more should preregister by calling (610) 326-4014.

Pottstown Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Pottsgrove Manor is operated by MontgomeryCounty under the direction of the Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. For more information, please call (610) 326-4014, or visit the website at www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

About American Heritage Chocolate:

In 2003, Mars Incorporated undertook an extensive global research initiative to uncover the true history of chocolate. A group from Mars led a multi-disciplinary team of more than 115 experts from around the globe who accessed over 200 archives, libraries, museums, and private collections to reveal chocolate’s origin and history in the Americas. “CHOCOLATE: History, Culture, and Heritage,” has contributions from 45 authors, including researchers, culinary chefs, food scientists, and historians from leading historic institutions, and was published in 2009 by Wiley.

Out of this research project, the American Heritage Chocolate brand was developed in 2006 by Mars Chocolate North America to help educate consumers about the history of our nation through the engaging story of one of our most beloved foods…chocolate! Fashioned off an ingredient list from 1750, American Heritage Chocolate is an authentic historic chocolate made from ingredients available in the 18th century. The recipe represents a true taste of chocolate the way our ancestors would have enjoyed it. The product line celebrates chocolate’s important role in the lives of Americans during the 18th century. Made with all-natural ingredients and no preservatives, American Heritage Chocolate comes in four unique formats: chocolate sticks, chocolate bites, chocolate baking/grating blocks, and finely grated chocolate drink mix. American Heritage Chocolate is sold exclusively at over 130 fine gift shops at historic sites, museums, and historic inns across the USA and Canada.

For more information on American Heritage Chocolate, please visit: www.AmericanHeritageChocolate.com.

Woman Killed In Apparent Hit-And-Run In Lower Pottsgrove

Location of Lower Pottsgrove Township in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

LOWER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP, PA — A bus reportedly struck an elderly woman on Mervine Street in an apparent hit-and-run in Lower Pottsgrove early Monday morning.

The woman was apparently struck around 7 a.m. by what police are describing as a bus.

It is unknown if the striking vehicle was a school bus or one from a transportation company, but police are still looking for the vehicle.

Both Pottstown and Pottsgrove School Districts said the bus was not affiliated with them.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130909/NEWS01/130909478/(updated)-breaking-woman-killed-in-apparent-hit-and-run-in-lower-pottsgrove-#full_story