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What Pre-Foreclosure Means

Lisa Loper of the Scott Loper Team explains a frequently misunderstood term in the real estate market.

We frequently have buyers asking us about pre-foreclosure homes that they found on the internet.  There are many sites that will give consumers this type of information.  Most of these homes are not listed for sale, but some buyers want to know if they can still see the property with the possibility of buying it. Pre-foreclosure simply means that a homeowner has fallen behind on their mortgage payments.  And while a foreclosure may eventually happen, at the current time, the home is still rightfully owned by the mortgagor (i.e. homeowner).  It does NOT mean that the home is available for sale.  In fact, that home may never be available for sale. In most cases, a homeowner does NOT want to sell OR lose their home to a foreclosure.  The …

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Woman Allegedly Steals Guns, Drugs Found in Purse

Kristen Stephen, 29, of Hickory Court in Towamencin, allegedly stole her boyfriend's handguns to pay off debts. While investigating the theft, police also allegedly found cocaine and paraphernalia in her purse

A Towamencin woman — who is headed to county trial on prostitution and numerous heroin possession charges in Lansdale — is also headed to county trial on felony theft and felony receiving stolen property charges, as well as cocaine possession charges. Kristen Stephen, 29, of the 200 block of Hickory Court, allegedly broke into her boyfriend's home and stole his gun in order to pay off drug debts. Stephen allegedly stole a gun at a previous date for the same reason, police said. While investigating the theft at the home on Oct. 6, Stephen allegedly gave permission to Towamenicn Police to search her purse, where needles and other paraphernalia used for heroin were found in her possession, according to the affidavit. At a preliminary hearing …

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Freedom Valley, Philadelphia YMCAs May Merge

A town hall meeting on the merger is scheduled for Monday evening.

A merger is in the works between the Philadelphia Area YMCA and the Freedom Valley YMCA; however, not everyone is pleased about the prospect or the process.  Both YMCA boards have voted to approve the merger and members recently received letters explaining the deal and how members can vote. The Y is holding a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 12, at the Spring Valley YMCA on Linfield-Trappe Road in Limerick. This town hall comes in advance of the vote, which is scheduled to happen at Chadwick's Restaurant in Audubon on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. Philadelphia Area YMCA CEO John Flynn told Patch in a phone interview that the merger came about as the two organizations began working more closely together. "We realized that we could …

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License Extensions On Hold for Limerick Nuclear Plant

Concerns about spent fuel storage lead to the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board suspending the plant's license renewal process.

The license renewal proceeding for the nuclear power plant in Limerick was suspended this week over concerns about the growing amount of spent nuclear fuel accumulating at the site. The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission decided on Aug. 8 to suspend the license renewal process for the Exelon-owned plant, formally known as the Limerick Generating Station, as well as for a number of other nuclear plants across the country. Exelon was in the process of requesting a 20-year license extension that would extend the current license for Unit 1 to Oct. 26, 2044 and Unit 2 to June 22, 2049. Following multiple similar motions filed by the Natural Resource Defense Council and other environmental groups, the Atomic …

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Limerick Nuke Plant Unit 2 Offline

The unplanned shutdown was required to replace a steam valve.

According to a press release from Exelon Limerick Generating Station, the plant's Unit 2 needed an unplanned shutdown, or "scram," around noon for the replacement of a steam valve.  "There are 14 steam valves on each unit that protect the main steam line," said communications manager Dana Melia.  Melia said that plant operators are constantly monitoring all the parts of the system, and noticed a rise in the steam temperature. "That indicated a potential failure [in the steam valve]," Melia said. These types of repairs can only be done with the unit offline. The valve will be replaced and the system checked before the unit is restarted.  The repairs to Unit 2 come less than 48 hours after the company announced that the plant's Unit 1 had …

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Where Can I Watch Fireworks?

Here's a local guide to the communities and organizations lighting up the night sky on July 4th

If you live in Lansdale, you'll have to wait until August 25 at Founders Day to see fireworks.  You'll have to check out Skippack or Abington. The closest spots to see fireworks this Fourth of July are lined out below, aggregated from scouring info on communities and places on the web:

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Four Suspects Wanted in Meth Wiretap Case

Police and county detectives are searching for four individuals charged in connection with a multiple county methamphetamine trafficking ring

Of the 32 suspects arrested and charged in connection with a major multiple county methamphetamine trafficking bust in May, four remain uncaptured by county authorities. The four suspects charged and yet to be arrested are: Perales has no criminal docket filed in the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. The other three suspects have cases listed as "inactive" in the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. Beck is charged with 30 offenses, including 17 felonies: four counts of Corrupt Organizations; six counts of Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver; and six counts of Dealing in Unlawful Activities. Beck was previously arrested and charged with drug violations in 2003. According to court records, Beck …

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