Failed Norristown Condos Still A Burden To Buyers

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

Terry Derby had to surf on seven different couches. Ellen Frank was turned down for credit cards and had trouble leasing a car. Ryan Schofield figures he might never again be able to buy a house.

Home ownership was not supposed to be like this. Instead of buying a haven, five Norristown condominium owners say they wound up with a horror.

The residents are left fighting for their credit ratings and some sort of compensation.

It’s a years-long saga – one yet to end – that spurred changes in the way the seat of Montgomery County monitors construction projects. But that offers little help to the people caught in a financial and legal tangle not of their own making.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140728_Failed_Norristown_condos_still_a_burden_to_buyers.html#sRoLYajfK86r2qPy.99

Demolition Of Downtown Wilkes-Barre Buildings Begins

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

WILKES-BARRE — The landscape of the city’s downtown started to change this morning with the demolition of several historic buildings on South Main Street.

Shortly after 10 a.m. crews from Stell Enterprises Inc., of Plains Township, began tearing down the first of four buildings with the hope of saving two other buildings that are home to businesses.

Stell will be paid $194, 861 for the work to raze a cluster of properties , including three owned by the city, at 61, 71, 73 and 75 S. Main St.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news/976972/Demolition-of-downtown-buildings-begins

Two Arrested In Kingston Drug Raid

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

KINGSTON, PA — Police and agents with the Luzerne County Drug Task Force arrested two people Friday when they allegedly attempted to flee a Market Street residence with a large amount of heroin and crack cocaine.

Authorities knocked on the door at 476 Market St. just before noon as Kevin A. Klass, 25, and Shannon Morton, 35, attempted to escape out the front door. Klass and Morton were stopped on the front porch, where they encountered a police sergeant and a canine, police said.

Klass allegedly had 171 heroin packets stamped “Superman,” eight bags of crack cocaine and $750 cash.  Morton allegedly had a heroin packet hidden in her mouth, police said.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/849053/

Joshua Carlos Ovalles, Already A Suspect In January Shooting, Charged In Death Of Vaughn Kemp

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

WILKES-BARRE — A 19-year-old man police identified Wednesday as the suspect in the deadly shooting Sunday morning was free on bail when he attempted to kill another man earlier this year.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Joshua Carlos Ovalles, of Kent Lane, Wilkes-Barre, charging him in the slaying of Vaughn Kemp, 24, outside 174 S. Grant St. Ovalles was still at large Wednesday night.

Witnesses told police Ovalles and Kemp were arguing in front of the house when Ovalles fired several rounds, according to the criminal complaint.

An autopsy revealed Kemp died from multiple gunshot wounds.  He became the sixth homicide victim within the city limits this year.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/666625/Suspect-named-in-Grant-St.-homicide

Children Found Unsupervised In Hazleton Home

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

Editor’s note:  At least in some municipalities in Pennsylvania (unlike Pottstown) buildings are condemned for unsanitary living conditions.  In Pottstown, they look the other way….716 Adams Street, for example.  Maybe the Hazleton Codes Department does field trips???

Hazleton police checking on the welfare of children Tuesday afternoon found five unsupervised children living in an apartment with cockroaches and no smoke alarms, city and law enforcement officials said.

Police said they were dispatched to 197 S. Wyoming St. about 1:30 p.m. to assist Hazleton Area School District with the welfare check.  Inside the apartment, police found five children younger than 10 alone.  Police said Tuesday it was unclear why and how long the children were home alone. Those issues would be investigated by Luzerne County Children and Youth Services.

Their father, Freddy Colon, later arrived at the home, police wrote.

City code and health officials were called to investigate the conditions, ultimately condemning the apartment.

Read more:  http://standardspeaker.com/news/children-found-unsupervised-in-hazleton-home-1.1485832