Shooting Witness Catches Suspect In Reading Homicide

A 1947 topographic map of the Reading, Pennsylvania area. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A man was shot and killed and his son wounded early Sunday in the 800 block of Elm Street, Reading police said.

When police arrived they learned an acquaintance of the victims was holding the man suspected to be the gunman nearby.

The acquaintance, 28, had witnessed the shooting and chased the suspect, yelling for him to stop, police said.

Police were first dispatched about 2:20 a.m. to Elm Street, where they found the 49-year-old victim dead on the sidewalk.  They also found that his 29-year-old son had been shot in the upper torso and driven to a local hospital in a private vehicle.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=491404

Pottstown Police Find 932 Bags Of Heroin In Apartment Of Parolee

Editor’s note:  Earth to borough council. You better get a grip on the pervasive drug problem in town!

POTTSTOWN —Police arrested a man on parole after they found a gun and more than 900 bags of heroin in his apartment.

Dashawn Smith, 22, of Pottstown was charged with one count of felony intent to manufacture or deliver and one count of felony possession of a firearm after Pennsylvania State Parole agents searched his Elm Street apartment on June 19.

During the search of Smith’s apartment, officers found a large yellow plastic bag under the kitchen sink that contained “numerous bundles” of red wax bags, and white rice, police said.

Read more:   http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130627/NEWS01/130629368/police-find-932-bags-of-heroin-in-apartment-of-parolee

Party Atmosphere Aids Painters Working To Brighten Reading Blocks

Replacing their button-down collars for T-shirts, employees of several local firms and organizations grabbed scrapers and paintbrushes and helped 20 families in the 6th Ward spruce up the facades of their homes Saturday.

It was part of Operation Facelift, run by Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Berks Inc. since 1989.

This year it focused on the 200 and 300 blocks of North Second Street and the 100 block of Elm Street.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=482280

West Reading Garden Sprouts A Community

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

Under the sweltering sun at West Reading’s community garden, Lore DeHart offered up her arugula by the bundle.

As it turns out, she’s found, she’s not so big a fan of it after all.

Another thing she’s learned? Her radishes could use some work.

With two plots to tend to, it’s been a trial-and-error process for the retired Exeter School District teacher who, despite growing up on 6 acres of land, counts herself a novice among her fellow gardeners at the South Second Avenue and Chestnut Street garden.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=397904