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Woman from Birdsboro Accused of Distributing Fentanyl in Lethal Overdose

A woman from Birdsboro was apprehended in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose involving a man from Amity Township in November, as reported by authorities on Tuesday.

Ashley Ann Pupek, resident of the 300 block of School Street, faces charges including drug delivery resulting in death, possession, and distribution of a controlled substance, among other related infractions.

Pupek, aged 34, was detained on Tuesday at her home, with arraignment procedures pending.

Here is the chronology of events as disclosed by detectives:

On the 4th of November, Amity Township police responded to a call from 61-A Hemlock House at Amity Garden Apartments, regarding a suspected drug overdose involving a male victim. The identity of the man was not disclosed, but he was pronounced dead at the location.

Upon inspection of his personal effects and living quarters, investigators found indications of illicit drug consumption and associated paraphernalia.

The subsequent day saw the commencement of a joint investigation by detectives from Berks County and Amity police, through which Pupek was identified as the source of the fentanyl that contributed to the fatality.

In line with the investigation, Dr. Neil Hoffman, a forensic pathologist, conducted a post-mortem examination on the deceased. Toxicology test results attributed the cause of death to acute fentanyl toxicity.

District Judge Steven M. Chieffo issued an arrest warrant for Pupek on Tuesday.

Pennsylvania House Approves Bill to Broaden Range of Criminal Records Eligible for Sealing from Public View

On Monday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a measure, with bipartisan backing, designed to broaden the scope of criminal records that can be concealed from public scrutiny.

After securing a 189-14 vote in the House, the proposed legislation now proceeds to the Senate for review.

This measure seeks to enhance Pennsylvania's existing Clean Slate law by making non-violent drug-related felonies, which carry a maximum sentence of 2 1/2 years, eligible for automatic sealing.

Furthermore, the bill permits individuals with a criminal past to request the sealing of other non-violent felony records, given that they have remained conviction-free for a decade. Additionally, the proposed legislation looks to trim the waiting time for automatic sealing of misdemeanors from ten years down to seven.

The bill's sponsors highlighted that the current law has already sealed a massive 40 million cases, impacting around 1.2 million residents of Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania persists in its belief in second chances and in extending their reach, as demonstrated by the bipartisan approval of Clean Slate 3.0," said Rep. Jordan Harris, a Democrat hailing from Philadelphia, in a prearranged statement.

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Pennsylvania House Passes Legislation to Broaden Property Tax and Rent Aid for Elderly and Disabled

On Monday, a bill aimed at enhancing Pennsylvania's property tax and rent rebate program for the elderly and disabled individuals was decisively approved by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. This bill also aims to raise the income eligibility threshold to broaden the program's reach.

Securing a 194-9 vote, the bill now moves forward to the state Senate for consideration.

The proposed legislation aims to bolster the monetary benefits received by senior citizens and people with disabilities. It also intends to raise the income eligibility limit for both renters and homeowners to qualify for the program, which was last revised in 2007.

Aligning with one of the budgetary proposals of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, the bill aims to increase the maximum rebate for seniors from $650 to $1,000 and raise the income cap to $45,000 for renters and homeowners. The rebate program is accessible to Pennsylvanians who are 65 and older, widows and widowers who are 50 and older, and individuals with disabilities who are 18 and older.

The bill's sponsors estimate that an additional 173,000 individuals would become eligible under the expanded program. They also noted that without raising the income cap, eligibility for the program had fallen from about 600,000 people to roughly 400,000 this year.

In addition, the proposed legislation seeks to introduce a cost of living adjustment, linking the rebate program to inflation.

Berks Secures $16 Million for Improving Safety at Railroad Crossings between Boyertown and Pottstown

Berks County is set to receive over $16 million in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration, a provision of President Joe Biden's 2021 infrastructure law, aimed at enhancing the safety of 10 railroad crossings between Boyertown and Pottstown for vehicles, pedestrians, and trains.

The Berks County Redevelopment Authority has initiated this wider push to address hazardous railroad crossings. The authority will cover 20%, amounting to $4 million, of the $20 million Colebrookdale Railroad Crossing Elimination and Hazard Reduction Program. This program, officials claim, will mitigate risk and save lives on a railway line that has experienced a dramatic rise in traffic in the recent decade.

In its grant application, the authority noted that the program was meticulously planned over the past five years in response to a worrisome rise in perilous incidents and near misses on a resurrected rail corridor that is 150 years old and has been nearly deserted for many decades.

The federal funds announced on Monday will be employed to abolish one at-grade rail crossing, augment safety measures at six other at-grade crossings, and elevate three bridges to boost visibility at three existing grade-separated rail crossings in Berks.

The designated crossings include:

• Mill Street Bridge

• Farmington Avenue Bridge

• Grosstown Road Bridge

• Philadelphia Avenue

• Third Street

• Warwick Street

• Greshville Road

• Manatawny Drive

• Pottstown Pike

• King Street

According to the authority's grant application, these enhancements will resolve all significant safety issues on a rail corridor utilized for both freight and passenger transportation. It could potentially eliminate up to 44,680 trucks from highways each year, leading to increased climate resilience and transportation efficiency, while ensuring smoother and safer traffic flow within the corridor.

The receipt of the funding was jointly announced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman.

Casey acknowledged the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's contribution to making Berks County's rail crossings safer and more efficient, asserting that it is another instance of the infrastructure law positively impacting passenger and freight rail throughout Pennsylvania and the nation.

Expressing his honor to join Casey in making the funding announcement, Fetterman underscored that pedestrian safety is of utmost importance to him, and that this funding will help achieve safer conditions at these regional locations.

Business

Official Launch of watchOS 10 for Apple Watch Announced

Apple has officially launched watchOS 10, a major update to the Apple Watch software. This update brings a host of new features and improvements, including:

• Redesigned apps and a new way to display information across different watch faces.

• Any watch face can now display widgets in a smart stack, and widgets can also be grouped into complications.

• Two new watch faces: 'Pallete', a color-focused face, and 'Snoopy & Woodstuck' from Peanuts.

• Updated apps, including the World Clock, which now displays background colors based on the time of day, and the Workout app, which now includes a new trophy case and full-screen videos for each Activity ring.

• Improved workout functionality, with the ability to connect to cycling power accessories over Bluetooth, and new features for cycling and hiking.

• A mental health focus with a state of mind logging feature on iPhone and iPad in the Health app, along with standardized assessments to help discover the risk of anxiety and depression.

• A focus on vision health, with a special emphasis on myopia, and the ability to measure screen distance on iPhone and iPad with the TrueDepth camera to reduce digital eyestrain.

• The introduction of a new design language and simplified navigation.

• Developers have the opportunity to utilize the new design language to update their apps.

Pottstown PA Weather

Events

Upcoming Local Events

• Reading Area Fire Museum - June 8th 9AM -12PM EDT, Reading Area Fire Museum 501 South 5th Street, Reading PA

• Retreat with the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy - June 10th - 9:30-3:13 PM EDT National Centre for Padre Pio, 111 Barto Rd, Barto PA

• 2023 Taste of Kutztown Wine & Beer Festival - June 10th 11:30-5:30 PM EDT Kutztown Community Park, 439 E. Main Street, Kutztown PA

• Girls Mountain Biking Day Camp - June 10th 9 AM-2 PM EDT, Warwick County Park, 191 County Park Road, Pottstown PA

• First Time Home Buyers Event - June 15th - 6PM EDT J.J. Ratigan Brewing Company 227 East High Street, Pottstown PA

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Sports

FLYERS

Flyers Trade Ivan Provorov

Danny Briere has done commendable work here. He managed to secure three players and three draft picks in exchange for Ivan Provorov and a player from last season's Phantoms. This is a brilliant beginning to the rebuilding process, demonstrating creativity and assertiveness. Such a move would have been unlikely under Chuck Fletcher's leadership. Fletcher might not even realize that it's possible to conduct deals involving multiple teams.

The journey continues to progress. We're still awaiting further details on the speculated transfer involving Carter Hart. We're witnessing the dawn of a fresh orange era. This is the path forward.

PHILLIES

Phillies 1 - Tigers 0

Kyle Schwarber's opening home run, Taijuan Walker's impressive seven-inning shutout, and the combined pitching prowess of Seranthony Dominguez and Craig Kimbrel led the Philadelphia Phillies to a 1-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers. This marks their fourth consecutive win.

Walker, with a 5-3 season record, delivered an impressive performance, allowing only two hits. Dominguez maintained the momentum in the eighth inning, with Kimbrel wrapping up the three-hitter match by striking out three consecutive batters for his ninth save. The success of the match brought the Phillies, who won the National League championship last season, closer to a .500 winning percentage with a 29-32 record.

The Tigers' only extra-base hit was credited to Miguel Cabrera, who managed a double in the fifth inning. The Tigers, however, are yet to secure a win in their current six-game road trip, which concludes with another match against the Phillies on Wednesday.

The Tigers' pitching squad put up a solid defense, limiting the Phillies to three hits. But Schwarber's first-inning home run off Tyler Alexander's 2-2 fastball was the deciding factor in the brief 2 hour, 7-minute game.

Schwarber, who has 16 home runs to his credit this season, is known for his June performance, with 12 home runs in 27 games last year, and holds the record for the highest average of one home run every 9.78 at-bats in June since 1900.

In his most impressive start since signing a lucrative four-year, $72 million contract with the Phillies, Walker showed his mettle by striking out eight batters and giving up three walks. The 28-year-old right-hander demonstrated his ability to handle pressure by navigating a bases-loaded situation in the fifth inning, striking out Jake Marisnick and inducing Zach McKinstry to fly out.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson praised Walker's performance, stating, "He kept his poise and got the job done. He was outstanding."

On the Tigers' side, Alexander, who started the game due to injury issues within the rotation, pitched for three innings. The trio of Jose Cisnero, Tyler Holton, and Will Vest completed the three-hitter match. Tigers' manager A.J. Hinch acknowledged their performance but expressed disappointment over the loss.

In the upcoming match, Zack Wheeler, with a 4-4 record and a 4.33 ERA, will be aiming to bounce back from his previous subpar performance as the Phillies seek a three-game sweep. The Tigers will be counting on Reese Olson (0-1, 3.60 ERA) to turn their fortunes around.

The PGA Tour and European Tour have agreed to merge with Saudi Arabia's golf interests to form a unified global professional golf operation. As part of the deal, all ongoing lawsuits involving LIV Golf will be dropped. The futures of players who moved to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf and the structure of the LIV Golf League for 2024 are yet to be decided. The agreement merges the golf-related businesses and rights of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), including LIV Golf, with those of the PGA and European Tours. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, will join the PGA Tour's board and serve as chairman of the new commercial entity, with the PGA Tour retaining a majority stake. The decision was made over the past seven weeks.

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