Former Amity Cop Convicted Of Shoplifting

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

NORRISTOWN, PA — A former Berks County police officer finds himself on the other side of the law now that he is a convicted shoplifter.

Former Amity Township Police Officer Glenn James Oesterling, 36, has been sentenced in Montgomery County Court to two years’ probation after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of retail theft in connection with a June 2013 incident that occurred at the Upland Square Giant store in West Pottsgrove. Judge William R. Carpenter, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Oesterling to complete 36 hours of community service.

Specifically, Oesterling admitted that he stole items valued at $296.35 from the store on June 18. Authorities said Oesterling passed the store checkout area without paying for merchandise he placed into blue, reusable shopping bags in the shopping cart he was pushing.

Oesterling did not offer an explanation for his conduct.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140505/former-amity-cop-convicted-of-shoplifting

Former Amity Cop Drops Attempt To Have Shoplifting Charges Dismissed

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

NORRISTOWN, PA — A former Berks County police officer accused of shoplifting more than $300 in groceries from a West Pottsgrove store has withdrawn his request for a judicial review and dismissal of the charges.

“At this stage, it is being withdrawn without prejudice,” Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O’Neill said Tuesday, referring to the previous request for dismissal made by former Amity Township Police Officer Glenn James Oesterling, who faces charges of retail theft and receiving stolen property in connection with alleged shoplifting incidents at the Upland Square Giant store in June 2013.

In a habeas corpus petition filed late last year, defense lawyer Adam Sager, on behalf of Oesterling, asked a judge to dismiss the charges and to re-examine the previous decision by a district court judge, who found prosecutors presented sufficient evidence, or “a prima facie case,” at a preliminary hearing to move the case to trial. Judge O’Neill was slated to hold a hearing on that request on Tuesday but Oesterling, a 12-year veteran corporal of the police force who was fired by Amity Township supervisors last year, left the courthouse without a resolution to his case.

“After a discussion with my client, while we think that we have very good defenses, we do concede that the court would probably find that there was a prima facie case established by the commonwealth if we went through with the habeas corpus petition. Therefore, we voluntarily, and without prejudice, withdrew the habeas petition,” Sager explained.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140408/former-amity-cop-drops-attempt-to-have-shoplifting-charges-dismissed

Crowd At Daniel Boone School Board Meeting Gets Wish As Birdsboro School Closing Put Off

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

AMITY TOWNSHIP, PA — Daniel Boone Area School Board members responded to the voices of a community, canceling the hearing to close the Birdsboro Elementary Center and unanimously tabling a vote to realign students.

It also tabled the vote to replace two failing boilers at Birdsboro Elementary School.

Concerned residents, many of whom brought their children to the meeting — some with signs to “save our school” — filled the auditorium of the Daniel Boone Area Middle School and described to the board the love they have for their community’s school.

The crowd’s applause was deafening at times as residents said Birdsboro Elementary School has been a pivotal part of their upbringing, and one they want for their children and their small town’s future.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140325/crowd-at-daniel-boone-school-board-meeting-gets-wish-as-birdsboro-school-closing-tabled

Fire Guts Friendship Farm Market In Amity

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

AMITY TOWNSHIP, PA — More than a dozen fire companies responded to a fire that destroyed much of Friendship Farm Market on Route 662 Sunday night.

Firefighters responded quickly after those living near the restaurant heard a loud “boom,” saw a wall of flames and called 911 around 7:45 p.m.

“We heard a big boom. It sounded like a car backfiring,” said Jared Martz, who lives diagonally across the street from the restaurant. “It sounded like glass breaking.”

Going to the windows with his family, Martz said he saw an entire wall of the restaurant on the 700 block of Route 662 engulfed by flames which went about “20 feet in the air.”

They then called 911.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140126/fire-guts-friendship-farm-market-in-amity

Daniel Boone Schools Eye Potential $3.6M Budget Shortfall

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

BIRDSBORO, PA — Kindergarten, sports and other large expenditure items will likely be recommended once again for cuts in the Daniel Boone Area School District, the school board president warns.

Board President Andrew Basile, who also serves as chairman of the board’s finance committee, said reduction or elimination of those programs would be one option for the board to reduce an anticipated $3.6 million budget deficit for the 2014-15 school year.

The district avoided steep cuts in programs and activities this year by dipping into its budget reserves.

Dennis Younkin, the district’s interim business manager, provided the finance committee with an updated Act 1 Timeline for 2014-15, a five-year budget analysis, and a 2014-15 proposed budget.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/social-affairs/20130926/daniel-boone-schools-eye-potential-36m-budget-shortfall

Amity Fires Police Officer Charged In Shoplifting Case

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

AMITY TOWNSHIP, PA — The police officer charged with shoplifting hundreds of dollars in groceries has been fired by the township.

Following a Local Agency Police Tenure Act Hearing on Sept. 10, the Amity Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Sept. 18 to terminate Cpl. Glenn A. Oesterling, effective immediately.

Township Solicitor Brian F. Boland said Oesterling would be notified by certified mail.

Supervisor Richard L. Gokey was absent from the meeting.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20130921/amity-fires-police-officer-charged-in-shoplifting-case

Reinholds Man Killed When SUV Collides With Tractor-Trailer

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

A Reinholds man was killed Friday when his SUV collided with a tractor-trailer on Route 422 just east of Monacacy Hill Road, Amity Township.

Officials said Royce A. Ochs, 65, was driving east shortly before 5:20 a.m. and was rounding a left curve when the rig driver pulled onto the highway from a business on the left side of the road.  Ochs’ SUV hit the rear of the trailer.

Ochs was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy Coroner Matthew Mears at 6:37 a.m. Ochs died of severe head injuries, and the death has been declared accidental, said Chief Deputy Coroner Jonn Hollenbach.

The rig was operated by Kevin Coulson, 42, of Wyomissing. He was not injured.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=502855

Amity Officials Defend Handling Of Cop’s Suspension

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

The Amity Township Police Department became the main topic of conversation Wednesday.

Township officials defended the way they handled the recent suspension of one corporal and, in an unrelated move, approved a temporary replacement for another corporal who is on active duty in the military.

Supervisors Terry L. Jones and Paul R. Weller said that the board did nothing wrong during an executive session July 3 where it approved Police Chief Kent A. Shuebrook’s decision to suspend Cpl. Glenn J. Oesterling.

The suspension, following Oesterling’s arrest for shoplifting, was not mentioned during the public portion of the meeting, which supervisors Chairwoman Kim J. McGrath did not attend.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=493759

Amity Cop Charged With Stealing From Supermarket

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

Editor’s note:  I hope this isn’t what it appears to be 😦

AMITY TOWNSHIP, PA — A township police officer has been suspended without pay after he was charged with retail theft for allegedly stealing more than $300 worth of food and merchandise from a Giant food store on two separate occasions.

Glenn Oesterling, 35, a veteran corporal with the Amity Police Department, reportedly walked out of the Upland Square Giant on both June 12 and June 18 without paying for the merchandise he allegedly put into blue reusable shopping bags in the shopping cart he was pushing.

According to a criminal complaint filed by West Pottsgrove Police, a loss prevention officer with Giant observed a man leave the store on June 12 without paying for six items worth $38.04 in the reusable bags.

The loss prevention officer used store surveillance footage to confirm what the items were and that the man “bypass(ed) all points of sale,” the complaint states.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130708/NEWS01/130709443/amity-cop-charged-with-stealing-from-supermarket#full_story

Route 422 East Reopens After Bomb Scare At Wawa Amity (video)

Westbound U.S. Route 422 (Benjamin Franklin Highway) approaching the intersection with Pennsylvania Route 662 in Douglassville, Pennsylvania. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DOUGLASSVILLE, PA – The Wawa on Benjamin Franklin Highway was closed for over an hour on Friday night while police investigated a possible bomb threat.

It turns out, the threat was a false alarm because the bomb was actually an electrical conduit covered in PVC pipe from an old lamp in the back parking lot.

Police responded to the Wawa around 5:30 p.m. and when they arrived, the connivence store had already been cleared of customers and the employees were sitting on the far edge of the grass lawn near the westbound highway traffic.

The continuos rush hour westbound traffic was a strange juxtaposition to empty eastbound lanes of the highway.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130511/NEWS01/130519886/route-422-east-reopens-after-bomb-scare-at-wawa-amity-(video)#full_story

Multiple Bridge Construction Projects Impact Businesses, School Bus Routes

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

BIRDSBORO — Over the past year, residents of Birdsboro have been forced to use detours and circuitous routes to get around the borough due to two bridges under construction.

But that’s about to get easier.  Well, for some people.

For their neighbors in Union and Amity townships, it might get harder.

Construction on the Hay Creek Bridge and a new bridge over the Schuylkill River on Route 345 both started in August 2012.

Because of the construction, tractor trailers traveling on Route 724 had to start their detour for Route 345 as far east as Route 100 in North Coventry.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130429/NEWS01/130429354/multiple-bridge-construction-projects-impact-businesses-school-bus-routes#full_story

In Amity Township, Show Of Force For Cop

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

Editor’s note:  Three cheers for the residents of Amity Township!

Officer John Coe was looking to settle down.

After serving in Iraq with the Marine Corps and getting a Purple Heart, Coe started working as a junior officer for the Amity Township police department in 2009.

Coe, now 31, and his wife, Georgiana, had two children, a 14-month-old son and a 2-month-old daughter, and sold their house in July to look for a larger home for their family.

A few days later their world turned upside down.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=405515

Driver Hurt When Rig Rolls Down Embankment Along Route 422

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A truck driver was critically injured and the westbound lanes of Route 422 in Amity Township were closed Wednesday morning after a tractor-trailer rolled down an embankment along the highway, police said.

Leonard Barnard, 45, of Philadelphia was westbound in a rig hauling produce about 5:15 a.m. when he lost control near River Bridge Road, just west of the merge ramp from the Pottstown Bypass, police said.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=366826

Hillside Double Murder Suspect Found Dead In Lititz Motel

This just in! 

The man suspected of committing the double murder of the Levan sisters at the Hillside Motel was found dead in a motel room in Lititz.  It was an apparent suicide.  The suspect was Christopher Dieter, a 38 year old male.  Evidence collected in Room 6 led police to Dieter.  We will most likely never know the reason he murdered the Levan sisters.  Authorities believe he just snapped.

Hillside Motel Double Murder Victims Identified

The two women who were murdered have been identified as Carolyn Levan, 60, of the Hillside Motel, and Charlene Levan, 57, of 266 Elm St., Pottstown. At this time there are no suspects.

The investigation is ongoing and police are requesting that anyone with information come forward.

Information may be reported by calling 911, Adams’ office at 610-478-6000, Amity Township Police at 610-689-6002, or by calling Crime Alert Berks County at 1-877-373-9913.

Some further information:

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=216541

Double Murder In Amity Township

This is really weird, especially because of the silence being maintained on what happened and that Amity isn’t exactly a hotbed of crime so murder is very rare and a double murder….

I hope this is wrapped up quickly and whoever is responsible is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=215964