Woman Dies In Dunmore Home Explosion

DUNMORE, PA — An 86-year-old Dunmore woman died instantly Thursday morning when her home exploded and collapsed following a water main break and natural gas leak on Smith Street, state police fire marshals said.

Madlyn M. Mecca, 413 Smith St., was leaving her home shortly before 4 a.m. because police and firefighters evacuated the area, due to a heavy odor of natural gas. A neighbor, whom state police did not identify, was moments away from picking up Mrs. Mecca. Mrs. Mecca waited on her front porch for her neighbor, but natural gas had seeped into her home and some ignition source had turned on, sparking a fire and an explosion, state police said. Mrs. Mecca was killed immediately.

“She was out,” said her cousin and neighbor, Carmel Verrastro Biko. “Originally, she was out … we don’t know if she went back in the house or if she was just out there waiting for him to come.”

The fire was ruled accidental, state police said. It’s not clear what ignited the explosion, but any number of appliances could have been the culprit. A furnace, a water heater, pilot lights or any electrical appliance turning on could have done it.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/woman-dies-in-dunmore-home-explosion-1.1798053

UGI Investing $4.4M In Lancaster County This Year To Replace And Extend Gas Lines

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

UGI Utilities will spend $4.4 million this year strengthening and extending its gas-line network in Lancaster County, the firm said Thursday.

That sum consists of $1.3 million to replace old gas mains, generally at least 50 years old, and $3.1 million to lengthen lines to serve new customers.

 

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/business/local_business/ugi-investing-m-in-lancaster-county-this-year-to-replace/article_7c448380-c63f-11e3-aa32-001a4bcf6878.html

Electricity Capacity Is Maxed Out Near Reading Regional Airport

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

Berks County‘s next industrial park sits in an area ripe for development. It’s 155 acres close to Route 222 and surrounded by many potential workers.

Now that Berks Park 78 has opened, this industrial site near Reading Regional Airport is the next big economic development project community leaders hope will attract jobs, tax revenue and business investment.

First, though, this underdeveloped area in Bern Township needs more electricity and gas to become shovel-ready.

“You need to have an adequate amount of electric and gas for the prospects that might be coming to your industrial park,” said Thomas C. McKeon, executive director of the Berks County Industrial Development Authority. “It’s essential to have the infrastructure, to have an adequate amount of it in the ground and readily available so that there’s no questions for anybody when they come.”

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article/20140121/BUSINESSWEEKLY/301219999/1052#.Ut6oxvQo6c8

UGI Cutting Residential Gas Rates 3.8 Percent

Maybe now you can afford to turn the thermostat up a hair.

UGI Utilities said Thursday that it will cut its residential rates another 3.8 percent, effective Saturday.

The reduction reflects UGI’s lower costs to buy natural gas on the wholesale market.

With the latest cut, the average residential heating customer’s bill will slide to $86.17 per month from $89.55.

UGI has roughly 70,000 customers in Lancaster County, about 90 percent of which are residential.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/787401_UGI-cutting-residential-gas-rates-3-8-percent.html#ixzz2DeW7I55J