Amber Alert Ends: Abducted Toddler Found Safe

Police say armed men abducted 2-year-old Tymire Dior Smith from Montgomery County after assaulting his father.

Last updated 10:55 a.m. Wednesday The toddler that Pennsylvania State Police issued an Amber Alert about early Wednesday morning has been found safe, reports NBC10. Two-year-old Tymire Dior Smith had been abducted from an Upper Dublin Township home in Montgomery County by three armed men who stole a new, dark-colored Chrysler 300 with a partial Pennsylvania license plate of HYJ68. NBC10 reported that friends of the family said the kidnappers called the family a short time later, demanding ransom money. Metro Philadelphia reported that Tymire was found by a Philadelphia police officer on a sidewalk at the intersection of North 66th Street and Malvern Avenue about six hours after the abduction was reported. He was taken to the Children's …

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Fireplace Smoke Calls Crews to Old Welsh and Edge Hill

No one was injured in the smoky situation.

  The incident yesterday at a home near the corner of Edge Hill and Old Welsh roads appears to be the result of a teenager attempting to start a fire in the home's fireplace with the flue closed.  Abington Fire Marshal Ken Clark said today that the teenager was likely not paying attention when he attempted to start the fire; his mother then arrived home, distracted him, and the house began to fill with smoke. The mother did not know that her son had left a "pre-manufactured" log in the fireplace. No one was injured and the family was able to remain at the house after crews had vented the smoke. According to Clark, the teenager said he attempted to build the fire because he was cold.    

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Fire Crews at Edge Hill and Old Welsh

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  Update: The fire was declared "under control" just after 7 p.m. Officials are monitoring a fire near the corner of Edge Hill and Old Welsh roads, according to Montgomery County Public Safety Radio.  The report said the fire started in the fireplace with the flue closed. The house was full of smoke and one report mentioned a child inside the building.  Several fire and police units are on the scene; one fire company hooked up to a fire hydrant.  -- Check back later for an update.

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Hot, Oily Pollution in Ardsley

Crews respond to the Ardsley Wildlife Sanctuary in the 900 block of Maple Avenue last night.

  If you enter the Ardsley Wildlife Sanctuary near the corner of Maple and Jefferson avenues, and hang a quick right, you’ll start to smell a faint odor — and it’s not that of nature.  Yesterday, someone seemingly spilled a combination of gasoline and 2-stroke engine oil down a retaining wall into a basin — it was then lit on fire. Abington Fire Marshal Ken Clark said this morning that emergency crews responded to the 900 block of Maple Avenue yesterday at about 7:30 p.m. The fire was "pretty much extinguished" when crews arrived, save for some weeds and bushes, but Clark said crews had to put down booms and pads to absorb the gasoline-oil mixture in the water. A large, white boom sits in the retaining basin now; most of the water appears …

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Seven Reported Dead in Mass Shooting in Wisconsin

Unconfirmed reports say there may be as many as 20 victims.

One-Car Accident Grazes Abington House

The car grazed an Abington house in a one-car accident in North Hills.

Upper Dublin Police told Patch that a car accident that occurred on South Limekiln Pike and Chelsea Avenue in Abington, in the North Hills area, where the car grazed a house. Only one car was involved in the accident. Police said there was no damage to the house and the driver had no injuries.

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Brother Says Dula Chased Victim

Andre Dula is charged with first degree and third degree murder in the killing of William Benjamin “Ben” Butler on July 17.

Andre Dula, the suspect in the North Hills shooting of William Benjamin "Ben" Butler, attended a preliminary hearing today at which the victim's brother told the court that Dula had chased after the victim with a gun. Dula is charged with first degree murder, third degree murder and related charges. Assistant District Attorney, John Walko, called two witnesses during the hearing, both of whom were at the scene on July 17: Kevin Butler, the brother of victim William Benjamin “Ben” Butler, and Chappell Washington-Freer, a friend of William Butler. Kevin Butler was a backseat passenger in the vehicle that William Butler was in on July 17. He testified that they were out looking for Dula and when they spotted him walking near the North Hills …

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Two People Arrested Near UD Community Pool for Smoking Marijuana

Upper Dublin Township police arrested a Philadelphia and a Glenside resident on July 18.

According to Upper Dublin Township Police, on Wednesday, July 18 at approximately 11:16 p.m., a police officer in the area of North Hills Manor allegedly observed an occupied white Ford Taurus in the parking lot of the Upper Dublin Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave. As officers drove towards the vehicle, allegedly, the driver, later identified as Asante Campbell, of Philadelphia, threw something out the passenger side window. According to the Upper Dublin Police report for the incident, the officer found a partially smoked blunt on the ground near the vehicle. The front seat passenger, identified as Marjani Boulden, of Glenside, allegedly admitted to police to smoking the marijuana cigarette that the police found on the ground.

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UPDATED: Fire in Huntingdon Valley, June 29

A reported garage fire occurred in the early morning hours on Friday.

[Updated noon] A structure fire was reported early this morning in Huntingdon Valley. According to Willow Grove Volunteer Fire Chief Lee Perlmutter, the call went out at 7:51 a.m. for a outside garage on the property of 1601 Huntingdon Road. According to Perlmutter, a passing motorist alerted the owner of smoke on his property. Fire crews from Willow Grove Fire Company Squad 10, Engine 10 arrived on scene with responders from Bryn Athyn Engine 11 and Abington Ladder 100. According to Perlmutter, the fire crews were able to control the garage within 20 minutes on arrival. Perlmutter added that a hazmatt team was also called, due to the presence of gasoline containers in the garage. The fire is being considered accidental in nature, pending …

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Former Cop Busted on Meth Distribution Charges

Jack Pennington retired from the Norristown Police Department as a Detective Sergeant in 1995. He was arrested Tuesday at the Plymouth Meeting Mall.

An Upper Merion man and former 28-year veteran of the Norristown Police Department was arrested Tuesday afternoon on charges related to the distribution of methamphetamine and illegal bookmaking, the Montgomery County District Attorney's office announced Thursday. Jack Pennington, who retired from the police department in 1995, was taken into custody at the Plymouth Meeting Mall after an alleged exchange that included three ounces of crystal methamphetamine and almost $7,000 in cash, according to the criminal complaint filed by county detective James Vinter.  When he was arrested, Pennington was allegedly found to be in possession of his "retired" Norristown Police badge and $9,470 in cash. "He kept using his badge" as he conducted …

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