Rare Earthquake Shakes New Jersey, Felt Across East Coast

Issue #225

06 Apr

In this Pottstown Local Scoop Issue…

 📆  Monster List of Events This Week in the Pottstown Area!

🪇 Rare Earthquake Shakes New Jersey, Felt Across East Coast

 🐔 Pottstown FARM Market Set To Kick Off Season with Fresh Fare and Family Fun

 🌑  Pottstown to Witness Nearly Total Eclipse: Here's When and Where

⚖️ Rep. Ciresi Champions Bill to Shield Consumers from Gift Card Fraud

 🎵 Spotify Announces Second Subscription Price Hike Within a Year

 🏐 Pottstown Rumble Volleyball Tournament Announces Registration Dates and New Policy on Transgender Athlete Participation

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Rare Earthquake Shakes New Jersey,
Felt Across East Coast

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Lebanon, New Jersey, causing widespread alarm across the East Coast. The event was followed by a 4.0-magnitude aftershock near Gladstone, New Jersey. Despite the panic and the influx of emergency calls and social media reports, there were no significant damages reported. The quake's effects were attributed to the region's geological features, allowing the seismic waves to be felt over large distances. Officials, including Pennsylvania's Governor and the President, responded promptly to assess and address the situation.

Pottstown FARM Market Set To Kick Off Season with Fresh Fare and Family Fun

The Pottstown FARM market is set to open on May 25th, offering a rich mix of locally-produced goods and engaging family activities. The market will introduce new vendors and products, including a wide range of meats and herbal products. Highlights of the season include live music, educational events, and themed months. The market also continues its support for the community with programs like the SNAP Incentives and the Two-Bite Club for kids.

Pottstown to Witness Nearly Total Eclipse: Here's When and Where

Taken in Kentucky during the 2017 August Total Eclipse.

The Pottstown area is buzzing with anticipation for the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8. While not directly in the path of totality, residents will be treated to a near-total experience, with the moon obscuring approximately 89.8 percent of the sun at the event's peak. This celestial event is part of a broader eclipse that will traverse from Texas to Maine, making its mark across the United States and allowing each of the 48 continental states a glimpse of this rare phenomenon.

For those eager to witness the eclipse in Montgomery County, the timeline is as follows: The partial eclipse will initiate at 2:08 p.m., with the near-total phase starting at 2:49 p.m. The eclipse will reach its maximum at 3:23 p.m., continue through totality's end at 3:56 p.m., and conclude its partial phase at 4:34 p.m. Local enthusiasts and visitors can look forward to several community events organized to celebrate and observe the eclipse.

Valley Forge National Park is set to host a viewing event at Wayne's Woods picnic area from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on April 8, offering a range of activities including games, crafts, and educational materials for children, alongside the essential eclipse glasses. Similarly, West Chester University will hold its own gathering at the South Campus "S" parking lot from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., promising free viewing glasses for early attendees and telescopes to enhance the viewing experience.

The weather forecast for the Pottstown area on the day of the eclipse is promising, with expectations of mostly sunny skies and a high near 61 degrees, setting the stage for optimal viewing conditions. The eclipse's path of totality, beginning in Mexico and sweeping across a significant portion of the United States before moving into Canada, emphasizes the expansive impact of this astronomical event. Such an occurrence offers a unique opportunity for the community to engage with the wonders of the cosmos, enriching the collective experience with a blend of educational and recreational activities.

Rep. Ciresi Champions Bill to Shield Consumers from Gift Card Fraud

State Representative Joe Ciresi has taken a significant step forward in consumer protection by introducing new legislation aimed at curbing the rising tide of gift card scams. The proposed bill, H.B. 2186, is a response to the alarming increase in fraudsters exploiting gift cards as a means to con Pennsylvanians out of their money.

Gift cards, favored by scammers for their ease of purchase, difficulty in tracking, and the rapidity with which funds can be transferred, have become a common tool in fraudulent schemes. These scams often involve perpetrators posing as officials from government agencies or legitimate businesses, or even impersonating family members of victims, pressuring their targets into making payments with gift cards.

Ciresi's legislation seeks to confront this issue head-on by mandating that retailers selling gift cards display conspicuous signs warning consumers about the potential for gift card scams. These warnings would be placed both where gift cards are displayed and at points of sale, ensuring maximum visibility. Furthermore, the bill requires retailers to provide their employees with training on recognizing and responding to potential victims of gift card-related fraud. To aid in the bill's implementation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection would be tasked with creating model signage and training materials for retailers.

This legislative move comes in the wake of a reported 50% increase in gift card fraud reports to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker in 2023, and a staggering $217 million in losses reported by the Federal Trade Commission the same year. Rep. Ciresi, driven by stories from constituents who have suffered significant financial losses due to these scams, emphasizes the importance of his bill as a protective measure for Pennsylvania consumers. By raising awareness and equipping both consumers and retailers with the knowledge to recognize and prevent gift card fraud, Ciresi aims to significantly reduce the impact of these scams in Pennsylvania.

Spotify Announces Second

Subscription Price Hike Within a Year

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Spotify has announced a price increase for its subscription plans, marking the second such adjustment within a year. The decision comes as part of the company's efforts to manage the costs associated with adding audiobooks to its service. To accommodate the new content, Spotify introduced 15 hours of audiobook streaming to its music subscription service at no extra charge but now plans to raise its prices to cover these additional expenses.

This adjustment will introduce a plan option without audiobooks. Initially, the price changes will affect five markets including the UK, Australia, and Pakistan, with the United States to follow later in the year. Despite these increases, Spotify has observed continued subscriber growth, even after a long history of stable pricing since 2011 until the first increase in 2023. Both Spotify and Apple Music have been charging $10.99 for their individual monthly plans since the last summer, though Apple Music does not include audiobooks in its offerings.

Pottstown Rumble Volleyball Tournament Announces Registration Dates

and New Policy on Transgender

Athlete Participation

The Pottstown Rumble Volleyball Tournament has announced key dates and a new policy for this year’s event registration and transgender athlete participation. Registration kicks off on May 1st at 7pm EST, exclusively for Friday’s matches. Continues on May 2nd and 3rd for Saturday and Sunday games respectively, also at 7pm EST. Participants are advised to hold off on securing their AVP memberships until further notice, hinting at a potential special offer related to the Rumble event.

In a significant policy update, the tournament organizers have introduced a new rule regarding transgender athletes. Specifically, transgender women who transitioned after male puberty are now ineligible to compete in the women’s category across all disciplines and divisions of the event.

This announcement, posted on the tournament’s official Facebook page, has sparked a considerable reaction from the online community, inviting a broad spectrum of feedback and discussion on the matter.

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or to participate.