Thursday, February 26, 2015

An ethics investigation in East Earl?

With authority granted under the state Ethics Act, the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission is responsible for investigating ethics allegations lodged against elected officials and certain public employees.

FCC approves new net neutrality rules

The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to implement new net neutrality rules designed to make sure Internet service providers treat all legal content equally.

Where have all the papers gone?

As reported previously on this site, most of the LNP vending dispensers in Columbia were either empty or contained out-of-date newspapers. As of today, all of the dispensers, except one, had disappeared. At one location, the LNP dispenser had been replaced by one containing another publication.

 This dispenser, featuring a free Hispanic newspaper, recently replaced the LNP dispenser at Third and Union.

As of today, this is the last LNP dispenser standing.

Legislation would fine Pa. drivers who don't clear snow, ice from vehicles

Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh County, hasreintroduced a bill that would require drivers to make "all reasonable efforts" to remove all ice or snow from their vehicles. Drivers would face fines of between $25 and $75 for not clearing off snow from their vehicles, including the roof, hood and trunk.
Currently, drivers can only be fined when dislodged snow or ice falls from their vehicles and causes death or serious bodily injury. Boscola also upped the maximum fines for when those incidents occur from $1,000 to $1,500 in the new bill.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

What I Saw February 25, 2015

 Political sign



Emergency crews at Sixth and Locust . . . 








 On the way to the Midway Collision Shop

Losing his head

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Is PennDOT legally liable for pothole damage?


If you’re injured or your car is damaged because you hit a pothole on a state road, can you sue PennDOT?

The short answer is: Don’t bother. Unless you have a truly exceptional case, you won’t win.

State sovereign immunity law bars reimbursement for property damage due to potholes, according to the agency.

“Because of this, no reimbursement has ever been made for a claim of this type,” PennDOT says on its website.

The law doesn’t explicitly bar personal injury claims resulting from potholes. However, it sets the bar for a successful claim very high.

You would have to show that the state had “actual written notice” of a dangerous road condition and time to correct it, and that it was reasonably foreseeable that the condition could lead to your accident and injury.

“The injured party bears the burden of proof on all points,” the Allentown Morning Call noted in 2014.

$90,000 truck stolen in Columbia

COLUMBIA, Pa. (WHTM) – Police are investigating the theft of a $90,000 rollback truck from a Lancaster County business.
West Hempfield Township police said the truck was stolen off a rear lot of Chapman Ford, at 3951 Columbia Avenue, sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning.
The 2015 Ford F-550 Super Duty was owned by Nussbaum's Wreckers and Rollbacks and was at Chapman Ford for inspection.
The truck was for sale by Nussbaum's, so it had no lettering on the sides and no registration plate.
The vehicle was locked and no keys were inside, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call West Hempfield police at 717-285-5191.