In Case You Missed It – Montco's Top 5

The county's top five news stories for the month of April shouldn't be missed.

It's hard to keep track of all the sources of news out there. Thankfully, Patch is here to package it all up nicely for you. Even with a frequent eye on the sites, you are bound to miss a few good stories. With over 12 sites in the county, it's nearly impossible to read the best items. Of course, we have a way to make that easier for you, too. Check out these top five stories from Montgomery County Patch sites for the month of April. Did you miss a hot aritcle? Now's your chance to catch up on the latest buzz. Here are the must-see headlines: Did you have a favorite we missed? Share the link in the comments below, so other readers can enjoy a great story just like you.

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Melissa Treacy

5:41 pm on Thursday, April 25, 2013

Yes "top" stories only means the most-read for the month.   more ›

Gas Explosion Sends Two to Hospital

An explosion at a Hatboro home sends locals for emergency care.

Three people were left burned after a gas explosion at a Hatboro home in Upper Moreland Township. Two have been taken to local hospitals for care. According to the Department of Public Safety of Montgomery County, emergency crews were called out at 10:38 p.m. to a call in Upper Moreland Township to the 2700 block of Broadway Avenue.  A medivac helicopter was called in, and landed at Willow Grove Mall in order to transport one victim who had "life threatening injuries" according to scanner reports.  A second victim was being taken to a local hospital. The person's status was unknown to Montgomery County Dispatch, but discussions of taking the burn victim via helicopter or ambulance was still being decided at this hour. A third ambulance was…

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Fire Destroys Valley Forge Beef and Ale

Fire investigators remained at the scene Saturday night. Employees evacuating the building believed the fire began in the building's furnace.

A fire destroyed the Valley Forge Beef & Ale restaurant on Trooper Road in Audubon on Saturday. The 18 customers and five employees in the restaurant at the time the fire started early Saturday afternoon reported hearing an explosion in the basement that "made the first floor rock," according to a statement sent to the media by Lower Providence Township on Saturday night. For the full story, including updated bulletins, visit Lower Providence Patch.

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A Christmas Wish For A Dying Boy

Six-year old Nathan Norman has terminal cancer and is reaching out to policemen, firemen and all emergency service workers to fulfill his final Christmas wish.

The only thing on Dawn Norman's wish list this holiday season is that her 6-year old son Nathan lives to see another Christmas, and that his wish of receiving cards, letters and patches from as many policemen, firemen and EMT's is fulfilled. Why? Because policemen, firemen and EMT's happen to be Nathan's heroes. Three years ago, Nathan, who lives with his family in Rustburg, Virginia, was diagnosed with brain cancer. "I remember the doctor saying that there was an abnormality," Dawn Norman remembers. "The doctor kept telling me over and over that there was an abnormality and then it hit me. He was telling me that my son had cancer."   An operation removed 55% of the tumor; however, Nathan has since developed an inoperable tumor on his …

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Lindenwold Avenue Fire

Third story of residential building

10:27 p.m. UPDATE: Skip Urban, Deputy Chief for Wissahickon Fire Company, told Patch the call came from inside the house and that the residents were recommended to evacuate. The fire broke through the the third floor back window, but firefighters were able to contain the fire to the "room of origin." According to firefighters on scene, the third floor appeared to be a utility room with a washer and dryer, which was broken up into three separate rooms. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The Wissahickon Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. The third floor of the house sustained major heat and smoke damage. No injuries to residents or firefighters were reported. Wissahickon Fire Company, Fort Washington Fire …

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Fire Rips Through Condominium Complex

Fire is near Arcadia University

Richard O'Donnell Arrested for Setting Saturday Night Fire in West Ambler

Richard O'Donnell, of Penllyn, was arrested for arson, after setting the Saturday night fire in West Ambler.

On Saturday, May 19, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Centre Square Fire Company and Whitpain Township Police responded to a house fire on the 200 block of Railroad Ave. in the West Ambler section of the township. When an officer arrived at the scene, the first floor of the building was completely engulfed in flames and there was heavy smoke on the second floor. After a joint investigation by the Whitpain Township Police Department, Whitpain Township Fire Marshal’s Office, Montgomery County Detective Bureau and the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal’s Office, the cause of the fire was determined to be arson, according to a release from Whitpain Police Department. On Saturday at approximately 11:45 p.m., Officer Seth Homan received a phone …

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kateg327

1:48 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012

big jon, you have a lot of nerve! Aren’t you the one who just admitted to buying cocaine! You are a big loser!!!   more ›

Two Juveniles Confess to St. Alphonsus Playground Arson

The juveniles were observed on security cameras.

Two juveniles have confessed to setting a fire that eventually burned down a playground at St. Alphonsus Catholic School on March 11, the Ambler Gazette reports. According to the article, Upper Dublin Police identified the two individuals Wednesday, and both confessed their involvement when interviewed the same day. Police said the individuals were a boy and a girl, one of whom is an Upper Dublin resident, but withheld any further information, the article says. Patch previously reported that two of the school's security cameras had observed three teenage "witnesses" of the fire and that police were seeking their identities. At the scene on Sunday, Patch spoke to Caroline Dennin, an 8th grader at St. Alphonsus, who witnessed an incident …

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New Bill Would Up Fines on Motorists Who Ignore Flood Barriers

Representative Todd Stephens hopes to introduce "Turn Around, Don't Drown" legislation that would stiffen penalties for motorists who ignore road closures during flooding.

In the best possible scenarios, emergency responders who rescue a driver from floodwaters look back a few years later and chuckle at the centenarian who was out to buy bananas in the middle of a hurricane. In the worst cases, they look back and remember the friend and colleague they lost in the raging currents while attempting to rescue a victim who shouldn’t have been there in the first place. With soon-to-be-proposed legislation, representative Todd Stephens (R-151) hopes to curb the frequency of both those occurrences. Stephens' bill, called "Turn Around, Don't Drown," would impose a fine of $500 for driving around a barrier closing a road for hazardous conditions. It also calls for a 90-day license suspension if the driver's vehicle …

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County's Public Safety Radio System in Critical Condition

Parts from the manufacturer are no longer available for an aging system as potentially 'catastrophic' component failures loom.

The county's emergency radio system is now in a state of emergency. With many of the county's chiefs of police crowding its Norristown meeting chamber, the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Wednesday declaring that an "actual emergency exists" in the county's aging public safety telecommunications infrastructure. Commissioner Jim Matthews described the measure as a "Band-Aid" that gives the county "the ability to immediately respond to any shortcomings in the system." Those shortcomings are reportedly multiplying. Lower Gwynedd Chief of Police John Scholly called the increasing difficulty of obtaining replacement parts for the system a "major concern." "There are parts of the county radio system that are as old …

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