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Montgomery County news
What is happening in Montgomery county.
KOP mall expands!!
The King of Prussia Mall, Pennsylvania’s largest shopping center, continues to expand with new stores and upcoming openings, reports Daniel Urie for Penn Live.
Recent additions include American Eagle, offering trendy apparel; Offline by Aerie, specializing in activewear; Garage, with its expanded casual clothing line for young women; Kizik, a footwear retailer; Oak + Fort, featuring luxury fashion; Sayki, known for sophisticated menswear; and Tecovas, selling western boots and accessories.
Upcoming tenants include Camp, a toy and gift store; Swatch, opening a remodeled watch shop; Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, serving island-inspired food and tropical cocktails; Amorino Gelato, known for its Italian gelato; Clusters Handcrafted Popcorn; and KPot, offering Korean cuisine.The King of Prussia Mall boasts over 450 stores, including major retailers like Nordstrom, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Primark, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Dining options feature two food courts and a range of casual and sit-down restaurants, including The Cheesecake Factory.
Massive fire destroys 7400-square-foot mansion in Montgomery County
A 7400-square-foot mansion burned down to the ground in Montgomery County after a fire broke out.
More than 75 firefighters responded to the home in the 21700 block of Peachtree Road near Barnesville Road in Dickerson.
The property was completely destroyed by the blaze but thankfully all of the occupants – a couple and their three kids, their au pair and the family dog – made it out safely. Their smoke alarms were working and they quickly self-evacuated, the Fire Department says.
Fire investigators believe that the fire started outside the home. The initial call at 2:30 a.m. from the homeowner, who at that point said the back of the house was on fire.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found the two-story home heavily engulfed in flames and the situation progressed to where the windows were blowing out. Eventually, the flames, which could be seen shooting from every part of the structure, consumed the entire house. The fire spread to vehicles and the driveway.
While the home had sprinklers there was no fire hydrant nearby, so Montgomery County Fire and Rescue had to activate its water supply task force, sending a fleet of six tanker trucks to nearby lakes and cisterns to keep bringing water to the scene.
Typically, fire crews can put out a house fire in an urban area with 3000 gallons. This has used more than 60,000 gallons. In all, it took a team of about 80 firefighters to knock down the flames.
Bits of burned-up roof paper and insulation are scattered for acres but Montgomery County Fire and Rescue says as catastrophic as this scene is, it was almost much worse.
"We did have some members. It would have been a lot worse had we not had this rain probably would have been dealing with some fires here and there but the rain helped with that," Montgomery County Fire spokesperson Pete Piringer said.
The family had to make arrangements to board their two horses and two donkeys at another farm. It’s not clear exactly what caused the fire.news
3 adults, 3 kids escape large house fire in Montgomery County
A large house fire destroyed a home in rural Montgomery County early Monday morning. A family of six, including three children, were able to get out of the home safely. Firefighters are still working to learn what caused the large home to go up in flames.
Firefighters were called to the area of Peachtree Road near Barnesville Road in Dickerson, Maryland, around 2:30 a.m. for a report of a large fire. When crews went to the scene, they saw flames shooting from the home, and potentially spreading to nearby vehicles.
Around 75 firefighters responded to the fire call. Fire department spokesperson Pete Piringer called it a "pretty significant fire" in a non-hydrant area, so thousands of gallons of water had to be shuttled in to help crews bring the flames under control. Piringer said roughly 70,000 gallons of water were trucked in to help fight the flames.
Piringer said the family was able to get out of the home safely, and no injuries were reported.
The home partially collapsed during firefighting efforts. Piringer called the home a total loss, but it's not clear exactly how much damage was caused. read more
Pug wins the dog show
By Kerry Breen
For the first time, a pug has won the Best in Show title at the National Dog Show.
Vito the pug beat over 1,900 other dogs at the show, which is hosted by the American Kennel Club. This year, the show was held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania. Vito first won the Toy Group, which consisted of 24 breeds, according to NBC, which televises the show. He then competed against six other group winners to take home the Best in Show title.
Vito is the first pug to win the honor. He weighs 18 pounds and is from North Carolina. Michael Scott, Vito's handler, also took home a grand prize of $20,000. read more
PA news
You live here you should know what is happening
Skimming devices found in roller farms
"On Saturday, November 9, Marple Police were notified of an illegal electronic skimmer found on a cash register at Royal Farms, 2130 West Chester Pike," Marple Township police said in a Nov. 12, 2024, post. "Through investigation, it appears the skimmer may have been placed on the register at least a week before its discovery."
Police urged anyone who made a purchase at the Marple RoFo between Nov. 1 to Nov. 9 to check their bank and credit card statements for anything suspicious.
Police urged anyone with information to contact Det. Joe McGettigan at (484) 427-8173 or by email at mcgettigan@marplepolice.com.
Septa is jacking up prices by 20%
SEPTA is planning to raise fare prices nearly 30%, eliminate dozens of routes and significantly slash service frequency in the new year to address its budget deficit, as authority leaders seek to “manage the decline” of the transit system.
Top officials at SEPTA for more than a year have been warning of an incoming “fiscal cliff” that, absent a funding solution, could lead to a “death spiral” of fare hikes, service cuts and dropping ridership.
On Tuesday, SEPTA Chief Operating Officer Scott Sauer, who will become interim general manager later this month, replacing the departing Leslie Richards, announced the first step – a significant fare hike.
Transit officials are also finalizing a 20% cut to existing service, with details expected to be released early next year. Sauer said the reduction will affect all modes of travel and every part of the region with SEPTA service.
An estimated 22% ridership loss is expected to result from the cuts and fare hikes, according to the authority.
“We’ve been pushed to a position where we are managing the decline of SEPTA,” Sauer said at a news conference Tuesday. “While other states are investing in new services and infrastructure, we’ll be mothballing our vehicles and shuttering our stations. Rail lines will become so infrequent that they will be useless to most of our customers.”
SEPTA Chief Operating Officer Scott Sauer speaks about a plan to raise fares during a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the authority’s headquarters.
If the price changes are approved, riders would pay $2.90 for bus, trolley and subway trips beginning Jan. 1, up from the current rate of $2 for Key Card users and $2.50 for those paying with cash.
Weekly and monthly TransPasses would move to $31 and $116, respectively, up from $25.50 and $96. Regional Rail tickets would jump from $3.75 to $5 for Zone 1; $4.75 to $6.50 for Zone 2; $5.75 to $7.75 for Zone 3; and $6.50 to $8.75 for Zone 4. A full list of planned changes is available at septa.org.
The price increases are on top of a more modest fare hike proposal unveiled in September that eliminates discounts for Key Card users and raises Regional Rail rates. SEPTA’s board is expected to consider those adjustments, which would go into effect Dec. 1, at the body’s Nov. 21 meeting.
The authority is also postponing Bus Revolution, its yearslong project to reconfigure the region’s network of bus routes, as a result of the financial crisis.
SEPTA’s budget deficit is projected to exceed $150 million for the current fiscal year, which ends in June, and transit officials have said it could rise to $240 million next year without additional sources of funding.
Sauer said the fare proposal would generate an additional $45 million a year. SEPTA has not taken salary reductions or layoffs off the table to help close the gap, he told reporters.
A strike that would halt bus, subway and trolley service in Philadelphia also remains possible, with negotiators from SEPTA and Transport Workers Local 234 working on a new City Transit Division deal.
USA News
You live here what the heck is happening
Cyber trucks are on the rise
Have you seen more cyber trucks around… well I have. Cyber trucks are a type of Tesla created by Elon Musk. As of October 2024, over 28,000 Cybertrucks have been sold, making it the third-best-selling EV in the US in 2024. In the third quarter, Tesla sold 16,692 Cybertrucks, giving it almost 50% of the market share for electric pickup trucks.
Crispy cream is giving free dozen doughnuts
Krispy Kreme: offers 1 free donut for every "A" on your report card up to 6 A's, up through the sixth grade. This only applies to Krispy Kreme stores - not Krispy Kreme displays you will find in convenience and grocery stores. Contact your local doughnut shop to verify participation.
Father, 5 children hurt in propane tank explosion while getting toys
A Minnesota father and his five children are in critical condition after a cigarette lighter ignited a leaking propane tank that exploded inside a storage container, fire officials said.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety State Fire Marshal (SFM) determined that the 100-pound propane cylinder, which was believed to be empty, contained enough leftover gas to fill the storage container to "dangerous levels," according to a news release issued by the state agency.
The father and his children entered the storage container in St. Paul on Nov. 4 to grab some toys, the SFM said. The children, who entered first due to the father being unaware of the impending danger, did not recognize the distinct odor of mercaptan, according to the state agency.
Mercaptan is the additive that gives propane its "gas" smell. Unbeknownst to the children and father, the spark from a cigarette lighter would set off the explosion, the SFM said.
Although the father and children remain in critical condition at a Minneapolis hospital, they are stable, according to the release.
“This family faces a long road to recovery, but they are bravely sharing their story so that nobody else experiences such a devastating accident,” State Fire Marshal Dan Krier said in the release. “We hope this family’s tragedy serves as a reminder to take precautions when storing and handling propane.”
World news
Dozens killed in car rampage through Chinese stadium
At least 35 people have been killed in a car attack in southern China, believed to be the deadliest known act of public violence in the country in decades. Police say a man crashed his car into a stadium in Zhuhai on Monday where he ran down groups of people exercising on the sports track. Local media report the "serious and vicious attack" also injured 45 people - among them elderly and children. Police say the 62-year-old driver, identified as a Mr Fan, appeared to have acted out of unhappiness over a divorce settlement. Police said in a statement he was arrested as he tried to flee the Sports Center and is in a coma due to self-inflicted wounds.
How Las Vegas is going green
Las Vegas is notorious for bright lights, excess and hedonism. But America's playground – or to use its better-known nickname, Sin City – is going green. From water conservation and waste management to solar power, the city has invested millions in pushing sustainability initiatives.
"The effort began in earnest in 2005," says Marco Velotta, who serves as the city's sustainability officer, "and accelerated with the Recovery Act in 2009". The federal act set targets for renewable energy, water conservation, recycling and green buildings.
"With the Recovery Act and City Council direction, the city was able to make an initial investment of $75m (£58m) in sustainability projects," Velotta says.
Despite a dramatic population increase, water consumption has dropped "significantly", he says. By 2030, 50% of all Nevada's electricity is expected to be generated from renewable resources.
The Las Vegas strip in particular has doubled down on efforts to switch to renewable energy. Most resorts developed sustainability initiatives thanks to a 10-year-long 50% property tax abatement programme previously offered by the city (the scheme has now closed). The resorts are also required to comply with the state's standard of deriving energy from 40% renewable sources. "Most have exceeded 40%," says Velotta. "Las Vegas has come a long way in a short amount of time.
"Initially tourists were also surprised by the city's sustainability efforts. However, since Las Vegas has emerged as a leader in this area, sustainability has become a part of the city's overall story." Even though the progress made by Las Vegas's notoriously excess-laden strip may seem impressive (Las Vegas's commercial sector accounts for one third of Nevada's total energy usage), the strip started from a "relatively low baseline", points out Steffen Lehmann, professor of architecture and urbanism at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada. He adds, though, "notably, the strip is making strides, with a concerted effort to enhance the energy efficiency of resort hotels through solar power integration and increased natural daylight".