Legal
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In a Cruel Twist of Irony, Bristol Firefighter Is Killed on a Road on Which He Saved Others
Firefighter Danny Santiago didn’t have a driver’s license. But that didn’t stop the Bristol 53-year-old from serving Goodwill Hose Fire Company No. 3. He rushed to fire calls on his bike, a transport that unfortunately became his undoing, reported Kelly Rule for FOX 29 Philadelphia. Just after midnight on June 29, Santiago was fatally struck on his bike by a hit-and-run driver on Bristol Pike. Ironically, the site of his death…
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Bensalem Police Lick Law Enforcement Negativism, One Cone at a Time
Bensalem Police Director Fred Harran’s ah-ha moment came while seeking a unique way to strengthen the relationship between his officers and the community. A simple web search led him to a creative and memorable result, reports Marc Narducci for The Philadelphia Inquirer. An online hunt for innovative police community-building ideas led Harran to his breakthrough: ice cream as the catalyst for connecting with residents. He took a retired Bensalem Township…
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Exton Resident Who Defended Trump Now Repping Man Facing 36 Years in Prison for Capitol Riot
Exton resident Michael van der Veen, an attorney who defended President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial, is now representing Jason Dolan. For his role in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, the 44-year-old Floridian faces terrorism charges that carry a maximum punishment of 36 years in prison, writes Jane Musgrave for The Palm…
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New Diversity Officer at Newtown’s Law School Admissions Council: Role Models Matter
The Law School Admission Council in Newtown has named Angela Winfield as chief diversity officer. Her new role centers around promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout the legal profession, from 1Ls (first-year law students) on up. As a youngster, Winfield targeted law as a profession. But there were obstacles. She was declared legally blind at age 10 and totally…
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Widower’s Last-Ditch Effort — Using Life’s Savings — Hopes to Solve His Wife’s Cold-Case Murder
April 19, 1991, was typical for Croydon wife and mother Joy Hibbs: She ran errands, returned home, and prepared for her evening work shift as a medical assistant. She never made it, reports Vinny Vella for The Philadelphia Inquirer. According to police reports, someone strangled and stabbed Joy to death that afternoon. The perpetrator then covered his or her tracks with…
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Bucks County Community Locks up Number Three Spot on List of Safest U.S. Towns
Safewise, an analyzer of national crime and safety trends, has ranked the 100 safest towns in the U.S. Buckingham Township ranked third, behind two communities in Massachusetts. Data for the findings were culled from 2019 FBI crime report statistics, the most recent available. Analysts sifted only crime data, not other possible safety factors such as COVID-19 cases. The slice-and-dice of information centered on reported…
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In-Traffic Bicycle Stunts: Bensalem Kids Call It ‘Chicken’; Local Police Calls It Dangerous
Spring bike season is here. That means plenty of healthful exercise on county bike paths and suburban streets. But it also means an uptick in a dangerous form of stunt-bike riding among teenagers. Bensalem police are cracking down on the risky riding, reports Shawnette Wilson for FOX29 News. Natalie McNish drives Springdale Drive and Wexford Roads routinely. She’s often swarmed by packs of teenage bicyclists…
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Local Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breeder Hosts Announcement on Efforts to Halt Pa. Puppy Mills
The shortfall caused by low-fee annual dog licenses ($8.50 in Bucks County) may inadvertently be hampering Pennsylvania’s ongoing effort to halt puppy mills. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Fred Strathmeyer held a press conference at Willow Spring Kennels in Doylestown to highlight the issue. This Bucks County location was chosen specifically to illustrate the operation of a humane, well-run dog breeding business. Dog license fees fund the Bureau of Dog…
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Which Doylestown Illegality Now Carries the Bigger Fine: Planting Bamboo or Possessing Marijuana?
Illegal possession of marijuana in Doylestown Borough now costs lawbreakers $25, thanks to a legal revision reducing the penalty. In comparison, the fine for growing illegal bamboo is a whopping $600. The pros and cons of this new policy toward pot currently reverberate throughout the community, reports Shawnette Wilson for FOX29 News. Two lines of…
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Bristol Township Park Ranger Remembered at Statewide Law Enforcement Memorial Service
This May, Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and National Police Week overlap. That convergence provided a fitting timeframe to remember Pennsylvania’s fallen officers. In memorializing lost men and women in blue, an Indiana, Pa., service recalled a Bucks County Park Ranger in a stirring service covered by Patrick Cloonan for the Indiana Gazette. In June of last year, Park Ranger Thomas E. Booz, 64, passed away from complications related…
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Nether Providence Couple Wants Peace From Disruptive School Stadium
To many, the George King Athletic Stadium at Strath Haven Middle School is a welcome addition to Nether Providence. But to a couple living directly behind it, the constant noise, lights and trash are a dangerous daily intrusion, writes Chris O’Connell for fox29.com. The stadium activity has kept Marcia Levitsky and husband George up at…
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The Right Job in Lower Southampton Enables Rescue Dog “Arrow” to Hit His Sweet Spot
A Belgian Malinois’ journey from New Jersey to Bucks County is a lesson in patience and potential, reported George Woolston in the Burlington County Times. The Burlington County Animal Shelter accepted Arrow as a surrender — twice. His first owner found him incompatible with his other pets. The second feared he was over-protective. So, for eight months, Arrow waited. Angela Connor of the Rescue 22 Foundation eventually got…
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Which Bucks County Township’s Streets Are Safest at Night?
It’s time for that late walk with the dog before bed. You’re about to step out the door in the dark with only the protection of a five-pound Chihuahua on a leash. Where in Bucks County can you wander local sidewalks with the least chance of becoming a crime statistic? The answer, as reported by Kara Seymour in the Newtown Patch, is Buckingham Township. …
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Tall Tales — Even Those Set in Bucks County — Often Live Forever
Stories can take on the sheen of truth just from multiple retellings. But after measured analysis, their baloney factor eventually shows itself. Retired Federal Judge David Bernthal debunks a Bucks County-centric yarn in the News-Gazette (Champagne, Illinois). Bernthal recalls receipt of an email containing the tale of Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pa. In October 1998, Dickson burglarized a home. It was vacant at the time; the family that…
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A Career Built on Advocacy for Troubled Families Yields Official Recognition for Former Bucks County Judge
From her beginnings as a Bucks County public defender, Judge Cynthia M. Rufe has championed struggling youth and families. Her advocacy deepened as her career advanced, all the way to her 2002 appointment to the U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania. For those years of compassionate service, she’s being honored, reports Mary E. Hall for the Bucks County Courier Times. Pearl S. Buck International has named her…
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Doylestown Township Police Look to Cool Down Hot-Headed Drivers
Teeth-gritting, horn-leaning, brake-stomping drivers in Doylestown should chill, according to a report from Shawnette Wilson for FOX29 News. The township’s penalty for behind-the-wheel aggression is something even more aggravating: hefty fines. As part of its renewed effort, officers target typical dangerous on-road behaviors. “Speeding vehicles, vehicles weaving through traffic, red light and stop sign violations,” listed Police Lieutenant Charles Zeigler. One statute that Doylestown patrols are reminding drivers about is…
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One Bucks County Township Places Fifth on List of Safest Communities in PA
Buckingham Township has been cited as one of the top 10 places to live in Pennsylvania for 2021, reports Safewise’s Rebecca Edwards. Safewise is an independent research, safety and reviewing organization. FBI crime data are foundational to its rankings, published annually since 2014. Bucks County was cited as follows: Community Safety Ranking Buckingham 5 Northampton 12 New Britain 17 Central Bucks Regional 24…
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New Airline Safety Legislation Bears the Name of a Bucks County 911 Hero
It’s been nearly 20 years since United Flight 175’s pilot, Victor Saracini of Lower Makefield Township, was overtaken by terrorists in his seat behind the jetliner’s controls. But this local hero lives on in a strengthened piece of safety legislation that bears his name, reports Bucks Local News. The Saracini Enhanced Aviation Safety Act (S.119), introduced by U.S.…
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