* AFTERNOON UPDATE – DID MACHO HAVE TO DIE?

*    Sunday’s fatal police-involved shooting in southeast Lancaster doesn’t have to be a setback for police-community relations, but an opportunity for the city to continue to work on those relationships, a city spokesman said Wednesday.
The opening sentence to LNP’s late afternoon article by Lindsey Blest that is now the lead story on their website, “Lancaster mayor’s office addresses community tension after police-involved shooting,” (click here).
     Who is the city spokesman, Lindsey? You quote Chief of Staff Matt Johnson repeatedly throughout the article. Was it him or someone else and why don’t you tell us who said it? This is unacceptable journalism! Identify the “spokesman” that you open your blatantly slanted story with!

“EXPERIENCED
AN OCCUPATION!”

     A commenter sent a link to a very strong piece by Kevin Ressler in The Mennonite (the beginning is immediately below and click here for his entire post). Please take the time to read it and it’s not too early to say, “Kevin Ressler for Mayor!”
     Below that is a notice from the City of Lancaster for a meeting for input on the police use of  force (click here for the Facebook event page). It is on Wednesday, October 3rd from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in city hall. Also included is an excellent comment from a city resident.

[Editor’s note: There is an LNP editorial about MAW and LanCity Connect today (click here) and of course there is Sunday’s article as well. I’m coming to it!]

***

***************

POLICE BRUTALITY?

     The girlfriend of Ricardo Avenia (“Macho”) who was shot and killed by police on Sunday took to social media last evening to tell her side.

AFTERNOON UPDATE * WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE?

TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!

     “Second, we must talk about the issue of domestic violence in our homes and our neighborhoods. It was the pleas of two children yelling from a window, worrying that their mother would be killed, that brought police to the home on Pershing Avenue.
Over half of the woman killed in our country every year, are killed by intimate partner violence. This is totally unacceptable,” Sorace [Mayor Danene Sorace] said.
From today’s LNP story, “Woman held at gunpoint by man shot, killed by Lancaster police filed PFA against him in 2015,” (click here).
     Mayor Sorace has the nerve to say this when she didn’t do or say one thing about former Police Chief Keith Sadler for years? 
    The original and full post of the below screenshot from this site is here. And if anyone on the LNP editorial board; Suzanne Cassidy, Tom Murse or Barbara Hough Roda is even thinking about writing an editorial about domestic violence, I will do my absolute best to expose you as the lying, disgusting hypocrites you really are!
     Also from the above post linked to on this site there is this:
     Rick Gray lied to the public to get into office. He flat-out lied. And he has been lying ever since. He and LNP made a deal: Keep the money flowing into LNP’s pockets and they would use their enormous power as the monopoly source of news in Lancaster County to protect him and never criticize a thing about him or his administration.
His office failed to properly vet Police Chief Keith Sadler and LNP has lied to the public for years, hiding the fact that his ex-wife wrote a book stating he beat her for years.

*******      

*    A quick note: This is the first sentence of a comment into this site:
     Why would the county coroner’s office run a toxicology test on someone who committed suicide.
     I am responding under the thread, “& RESIGN, DIAMANTONI!” (click here).

A MINORITY-MAJORITY CITY!

     A frame from one of the videos of the police shooting death of Ricardo Avenia (“Macho”) on Sunday night.

     How did the Lancaster City Police Force come to look like this? Who is responsible?
Please check back later today.

*** – ** – TWO MEN REPORTEDLY SHOT LAST NIGHT IN CITY

—   I have seen at least two GoFundMe pages set up for Ricardo Avenia, who was killed by police last night, and his family. Give with care and try to contact the page administrator to make sure it is valid and approved by the family.

***    Kevin M. Ressler, who ran for mayor, on his Facebook page.

**  The latest release from the DA’s office. Stedman stated, “We do not anticipate releasing additional info today.”

*    There is a GoFundMe page for the victim in last night’s police involved shooting – click here.

ONE MAN DEAD
OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING

“GIVEN COVER BY LNP”

“COSTING US MILLIONS!“

     The fact that LNP  put “unauthorized” in quotes in their online headline tells you all you need to know about this article (click here). The attachments were not authorized!
     The one comment under the article on Lancaster Online has been there since early this morning and is simply excellent. There will be much more tomorrow.

* SAINT OR CRIMINAL?

NO KNOWN CURE!

Tony gets newsy!

*  Tony Dastra has caught the news bug! Oh, Tony! There is no known cure and it does not go away.
     Yes, he is turning his “See-Thru City – Lancaster, PA” Facebook page into a news site and doing far more than just live-streaming important city meetings. Lancaster needs every news source it can get so this is wonderful news.
     And he did live-stream Thursday’s meeting about the new design for Lancaster Square. You can watch it here and when they break up into discussion “tables,” Tony live-streams his table which includes former Mayor Art Morris (put the website about the Marriott back up, Art!).
     It’s all very interesting and you can listen to Mayor Sorace state that the Rocky Springs Carousel will not be placed in Lancaster Square because of its association with racism and discrimination.
     Welcome to the news world, Tony!

*******

TWO-FACED?

     Of all the screenshots of Justin Perry (MR 17 5 40) LNP could have taken from his Facebook videos, they chose the one on the right to accompany their story of his home being searched on Thursday (click here).
     How bizarre! I don’t know what he has around his shoulders or why, but I much prefer the one on the left that I ran which is from the actual live-stream of his home being searched!

Justin Gearty

     And I most certainly am not taking sides in this bizarre saga and I have reservations about what Perry does – but I do want to know what DA Stedman is up to. They filed heinous charges against Perry in August and withdrew them eight days later. Now they search his house. Stedman needs to produce and put up or stop harassing this man!
     I’ve heard good things about Perry’s attorney, Justin Gearty, and it will be very interesting to see how all of this plays out (click here for Gearty’s website).   

AFTERNOON UPDATE ** – * & RESIGN, DIAMANTONI!

NOT ACCEPTABLE!

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION?

     Strenck, 47, of South Carolina, died in his cell, according to Diamantoni. His death was ruled a suicide after an external examination at the coroner’s office, Diamantoni said.
From the LNP article, “Coroner rules inmate death at Lancaster County Prison a suicide,” (click here).
**   “An external examination?” Did Coroner Diamantoni do toxicology testing? Will there be a follow-up by LNP?
     This alleged suicide disappeared from the news after this one article and according to LNP the Lancaster Police, Commissioner Josh Parsons and Prison Warden Cheryl Steberger declined to comment. Why? It’s their job!
     Strenck was charged with a slew of horrific sexual crimes against children and all of those charges had been held over for Common Pleas Court at his preliminary hearing the day before. But the public should know how he was able to allegedly commit suicide and whether drugs were involved. 
     Did Diamantoni do toxicology tests? This is basic journalism, LNP!

*******

LIFE & DEATH DECISIONS!

Diamantoni

     The Lancaster County coroner, a practicing physician, accepted thousands of dollars from pharmaceutical companies but failed to disclose the payments on financial interest filings as required by state law, an LNP investigation found.
The opening sentence to LNP’s, “County Coroner fails to disclose thousands in pharmaceutical company payments,” (click here).   
*    LNP wrote front page editorials calling for William Murry to resign because they alleged that he and the Manheim Township School Board broke the Sunshine Law. The board, including Murry, are unpaid and volunteer their time.
     Coroner Diamantoni is a highly paid and extremely important public official and he broke the law and will hopefully be charged. Why isn’t LNP demanding that he resign?

*******

HALF-ASSED JOURNALISM! – 2

     This is from Sunday’s LNP editorial titled online, “Meeting over magisterial district court proposal shows the need for civility in our public discourse,” (click here).

     Oh, there is so much to say about this horsesh*t – and I will – but on the most childish level it reminds me of when then Manheim Township School Board President William Murry used the word “half-assed” and mature LNP reporters and Suzanne Cassidy, the opinion editor, lost it (see below).
     And speaking of Murry and LNP’s front page editorials demanding he resign, why isn’t LNP demanding that Coroner Stephen Diamantoni resign?
     The below is from February of 2016 (click here for the original) and please check back later today.

*AMBER MARTIN INVESTIGATES!

      Screenshots from the live-feed of Justin Perry’s home being searched this morning. What were the police looking for? What did they find?

HOUSE SEARCHED

Justin Perry; the police at Perry’s house this morning.

*** BREAKING NEWS *** – Several police departments and the District Attorney’s office searched Justin Perry’s house this morning (MR 17 5 40) and you can watch the livestream on his Facebook page. He is the man who catches child predators on Facebook and was responsible for the arrest of Thomas Wise who is charged with multiple felonies for allegedly trying to meet a 15-year-old girl (actually Perry) in Binn’s Park. The police had a warrant. Perry was not arrested this morning but the police took several items.

*****

“ANYONE CAN SAY
THEY HAVE A BREAKFAST”

     …He and his wife have paid the 1.1 percent excise tax, which Zimmerman’s chief of staff Priscilla Eberly said amounted to $31.95. And she said they don’t have to pay the second one because they provided breakfast for their rentals.     …
     …But county Treasurer Amber Martin said she hasn’t yet made any final determinations.
     She said her office received the Zimmermans’ application in late August and is still in the process of verifying the information — such as how many times it was rented and whether it did actually include breakfast in the rental rate.
     “Anyone can say they have a breakfast,” Martin said, emphasizing that checking records is standard procedure for all Airbnb and similar applications.
From today’s LNP article, “State Rep. David Zimmerman pays some back taxes on Airbnb rental, waiting for final county call,” (click here).
    It’s wonderful to see that the Zimmermans paid their $31.95 in LNP’s big investigative story! And now we have treasurer Amber Martin investigating breakfasts! Oh, this is so rich in irony and stupidity it’s unbelievable!
     Hey, LNP reporter Sam Janesch, have you found her bond in the name of Amber Green? That’s the name she was elected under and there should be a bond in that name! Maybe you could investigate that?
     And maybe LNP should investigate the over $5 million dollars the city spent on MAW Communications that has brought the city absolutely nothing instead of worrying about breakfast and $31.95!
—  Click here for, “Lancaster County treasurer without insurance for millions in tax dollars.”
—  Click here for, “Dozens of local officials fail to disclose their financial interests,” which includes Amber Martin!
Please check back later today.    

* THE MAYOR’S VOICE WAS LOST!

AFTERNOON UPDATE –  Tony Dastra has put up the mayor’s report with audio from last night’s city council meeting and Mayor Sorace does not mention MAW or LanCity Connect.at all (click here).
     There will be much more tomorrow including more of “DANENE & TOM TALK!”

*****

WHERE’S THE OVER
$5 MILLION DOLLARS
THE CITY GAVE MAW, LNP?

From former mayor Art Morris’ website which he has since taken down. Actually, the city gave LNP over $9 million for the tower because LNP came back and asked for even more of your money!

*    In remarks immediately before the vote, Councilwoman Danene Sorace called the deal a “fair gamble” for the city.
From the October 12, 2016 LNP article, “Lancaster City Council approves $30M Marriott hotel expansion,” (click here).
     Less than three months after Sorace took the lead with council to give LNP millions of dollars for their Marriott expansion, she announced her run for mayor and was guaranteed that LNP would support her and give her nothing but good press from there on! And LNP has made good on that deal. The notion that LNP is your “community newspaper” and your “watchdog” is  obviously totally incorrect and sadly absurd and has been for years. 

*******

DID SHE UPDATE MAW?

Posted this morning by Tony Dastra on his “See-Thru City – Lancaster, PA” Facebook page.

     At the end of last night’s city council meeting, as Mayor Sorace was giving her report, the sound was lost. Apparently it will be posted on the city’s website later today. It is unknown if she gave a much needed update on MAW and LanCity Connect.
Please check back later today.

AFTERNOON UPDATE – WHERE’S THE $5 MILLION, CHARLOTTE? – 2

THE POWER OF THE PRESS!

— DANENE & TOM TALK —

—  Tom, Mayor Danene Sorace here! How are things?
—  Crazy as ever here, Danene! We have surveys up so our readers can pick their favorite kind of apple and their favorite ice cream place. The news just never stops!
—  I’m surprised you have any readers left after you put up the paywall, Tom, your newspaper is so awful! That’s good for me though and no offense meant, of course.
—  That’s why we have surveys, Danene. We think and hope people will pay us $9.99 a month so they can tell us their favorite apple and ice cream place. Of course, that’s if MAW hasn’t shut down their internet service. How can I help you today?
—  It’s about MAW, Tom. I just wanted to thank you for totally ignoring this disaster! The public will never know that we threw over $5 million dollars of their money down the drain. I really, really appreciate it, Tom!
—  That’s the power of the press, Danene! We promised we’d take care of you – just like we did with the Dick and his cronies for 12 long years. You have no idea how hard we had to work to make that man look good!
To Be Continued…

******

LIAR OR INCOMPETENT?

Katzenmoyer

     I posted the below on Friday (click here for the original)!  Guess what? It turned out to be fiction! Charlotte Katzenmoyer had to issue a correction (see yesterday afternoon’s “BREAKING NEWS” immediately below).
     Did Charlotte lie or did she check her desk or did PP&L give her a call? This level of incompetence and arrogance in city hall has cost the taxpayers over $5 million dollars and they have absolutely nothing to show for it.
Please check back later today.

*** BREAKING NEWS *** – * WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

     Charlotte Katzenmoyer just posted the below on the “Northeast Neighbors United” Facebook page. MAW is breaking a court order!Unbelievable.

CONTACT DA STEDMAN!

      bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; 717-295-2041     

INVESTIGATE THIS FRAUD!

      Will LNP ever investigate and report the truth???
     Is this a prosecutable fraud offense for the DA’s office to investigate???
     Where did the money go?????
     Questions, questions, questions….will LNP provide any answers???
Part of a comment in under the post immediately below.
     People are now suddenly losing their LanCity Connect internet coverage and still no coverage by LNP! Unbelievable.
     The below is from January 26th of this year and it has just gotten worse (click here for the original)! When is this fraud going to be investigated?
Please check back later today.

*****

9-9-18 UPDATE – HOW LANCASTER SPENT OVER $5 MILLION AND GOT…

“IT’S NOT RISKY!“

UPDATE 9-9-18

*

      The loan terms will allow the city to take over the fiber network outright should MAW default, Hopkins [Patrick Hopkins, Director of Administrative Services] said. It could then hire another firm to manage it.

     Lancaster also would have liens on MAW’s other assets and LanCity Connect revenues and potentially could recover other MAW revenues in the event the company folded while still owing the city money.

From the LNP article, “Official: It’s not risky for city to put up money for LanCity Connect broadband, and here’s why,” (click here).

Hopkins

    

Let’s examine this in detail:

—  There is no “fiber network” to “take over” and the little that was installed is being taken down under court order.

—   How much revenue is LanCity Connect bringing in that the city can put a lien against? The last we heard they had about 100 business and personal customers (and some of those are being disconnected by PP&L). If they purchased the highest tier – “$124.64 a month after fees,” rounding to $125 that’s $12,500 a month and $150,000 a year. Of course they still have to pay a customer service person and an accounting person and apparently still pay Favyan Asia who states he is the “lead network engineer” at MAW Communications. That’s not going to recover the $1.5 million dollar loan!

—  What are MAW’s other assets the city can take? We know they own a building in Reading assessed at $89,000. We don’t know what other assets they have but I will put in a Right to Know request for the list because certainly the city would not have loaned them $1.5 million without a list of assets!

—  What other revenue does MAW have coming in that the city can take to pay back the $1.5 million dollar loan? We don’t know (it has been suggested that Lancaster is their only “customer”) but I will put in a Right to Know request for their revenue sources and amounts since certainly the city would not have loaned them $1.5 million dollars without having reviewed many years of their financial statements and knowing their actual revenue stream down to the penny!

******

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! – 2

     The below is an excellent, well-researched review of MAW Communications and LanCity Connect’s history by city resident Billy Weisser. He posted this on the “Northeast Neighbors United” Facebook page. Everyone should read it! Everyone.
      LNP’s complete silence on this over $5 million waste of taxpayer’s dollars is appalling, shameful and inexcusable.

AFTERNOON UPDATE – * WHERE’S THE $5 MILLION, CHARLOTTE?

AN UNMITIGATED DISASTER!

     Do not mess with a visiting Franklin & Marshall assistant professor. Alexander King suddenly lost his LanCity Connect internet connection last week and has to scramble to find a new provider.
      He posted the below on the “Northeast Neighbors United” Facebook page after Public Works Director for the city, Charlotte Katzenmoyer, posted several nonsensical and accusatory comments one of which begins today’s post.
     His reference to “Weisser” is to Billy Weisser who also has extensive comments under the post. He has researched MAW and PP&L and has addressed city council twice with his concerns (the transcripts of his comments are on this site). He is extremely knowledgeable and well spoken and probably knows more about LanCity Connect than Katzenmoyer does!
     Where is the over $5 million dollars the citizens of the city paid MAW for their promised high speed, low cost internet service?
To be continued…

WHAT ABOUT THE MARRIOTT?

     John Meeder, developer of the Hotel Lancaster downtown, said his team is aware of the city’s solicitation and is preparing to respond.
     “Hopefully, we can help,” he said.
From the LNP article pictured left (click here).

*    What about the LNP owned Marriott Hotel? Why aren’t they mentioned and offering help? The public paid to build their hotel and now they’re paying for part of the expansion, but LNP can’t help the city out? Isn’t $106 a night enough for LNP?
      Run this corrupt, greedy and phony news organization out of town!

FACT OR FICTION?

     Charlotte Katzenmoyer, Director of Public Works, posting on the “Northeast Neighbors United” Facebook page about the sudden cut-off of LanCity Connect customers from their internet connection.

      So, Katzenmoyer knows this for a “fact.” How? MAW has been lying to the city and the public for years! What does the court and PP&L have to say about this?
      Where’s the over $5 million dollars the city has spent on MAW to provide high speed, low cost internet coverage, Charlotte? Where’s the money? Have they defaulted on their $1.5 million dollar loan?
Call for an immediate investigation! Please check back later today.

“TURNED UPSIDE DOWN” – 9-6-18 AFTERNOON UPDATE

UNEXPECTED LEGAL MATTERS

9-6-18 UPDATE – AFTERNOON UPDATE – HOW LANCASTER SPENT OVER $5 MILLION AND GOT…

UPDATE 9-6-18 – I am going to leave this up as the top story this morning because this is so important. LNP is blatantly ignoring the gross mismanagement and loss of over $5 million dollars of the taxpayer’s money.

GET OUT!

From December 12, 2017 on this site (click here for the original and more on MAW).

     The very few people who actually had internet service through LanCity Connect are now suddenly losing their internet connection. Without warning, they have been left with no internet service and can’t get any answers from LanCity Connect.
     Besides the city giving and loaning MAW Communications $4.7 million dollars, they have also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees to “defend” MAW. And MAW has defaulted on their $1.5 million dollar loan and the city is left absolutely empty handed after they promised the public this exact scenario could not happen.
     Why isn’t District Attorney Craig Stedman investigating this huge theft of the taxpayer’s money? Why isn’t LNP covering this outrage and demanding answers? The taxpayers were promised high speed, low cost internet and they have gotten absolutely nothing for their over $5 million dollars!
     Tomorrow there will be a list of people to contact and demand an investigation and prosecution of those responsible.
     As for LNP, who received money from MAW and won’t hold Mayor Sorace or any city officials accountable for this because they gave LNP $9 million for their for-profit, off the tax-rolls Marriott extension – they need to resign – today! They are an absolute disgrace to journalism and everything it is supposed to stand for and if any of LNP’s collusion in this is criminal – they should be prosecuted and go to jail as well.      

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

      A tweet from Brad Bumstead, the “Bureau Chief” of LNP’s publication The Caucus, which is described as “casting light on Pa. government waste and fraud through relentless, independent investigative reporting.”

      Guess what, Brad? This happened in Lancaster and LNP has been silent about this illegal, fraudulent and unbelievable theft and waste of over $5 million dollars of taxpayer’s money!

Please check back later today.

WE PAY THE DA TO PROTECT US!

DNA REDUX!

ANSWER, STEDMAN!

Roxanne Myers, left, and Juanita Chevalier

     I mailed the below letter to the Pennsylvania Attorney General this morning with copies as indicated to the FBI and DA Craig Stedman. I will follow up with phone calls shortly and also mail the letter to various media outlets.
     The fact that I have to go to this length to get an answer to a simple but extremely important question that should have been answered years ago is astonishing and so very disturbing. The fact that LNP has not asked the question let alone demanded an answer just reinforces how laughable they are at holding public officials accountable. It is truly scary.
     I do not understand how the DA, the police and LNP can withhold this vital information from the grieving families and the public who have an absolute right to know. It is not acceptable. Stedman should resign!

9-4-18 UPDATE – ** – * BREAKING NEWS – OVER $5 MILLION TO MAW & NO INTERNET!

UPDATE 9-4-18 – I remember being in the Philadelphia Tribune office and city editor Jim Davis calling my friend Ruth Cooper in Lancaster to verify a story I’d written about the Lancaster Lynching. There was so much fear. I remember Ruth shouting over the phone, “The police are killing black people up here!”
     There was a time when the Lancaster City Police were killing blacks, Hispanics and gays in Lancaster. And it wasn’t that long ago and it’s a story that needs to be told.

     The below is the actual article that ran in the September 2001 special edition of LIP!

**   From March 2012 on this site (click here for the original):

*******

THE POLICE DIDN’T
LIFT A FINGER TO SOLVE IT!

*    In the print edition of the LIP special edition of September 2001, “LANCASTER LYNCHING – Twenty Years Later,” I have an article titled, “WHO MURDERED RICHARD MARTINEZ?” 
     There is a picture of John Dingle and Richard Martinez and it reads:
     Who murdered Richard Martinez in the Lancaster County Central Park on December 14, 1980? It remains unsolved.
     Rumors have swirled around this and the subsequent death of his friend, John Dingle, known as Ephie, for years in the minority community. The following is a portion of a letter from the parents of the two, Jennetta B. Dingle and Florence Wagner Martinez, that was printed by the New Era shortly after Ephie’s death.

     “It is a shameful action on the part of the Lancaster City Police to excuse themselves from finding the murderer of Martinez by implying that Ephie had anything to do with his death. It is inexcusable for the police to have commented on Ephie’s death at all in connection with the death of Martinez.”

Click here for today’s LNP story, “Sister: In 1980, Richard ‘Ricky’ Martinez was killed because he was gay.”      

*******

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

NO INTERNET!

     People are now losing their internet coverage. The below was posted on the “Northeast Neighbors United” Facebook page. This is simply unbelievable! Can you imagine not having internet service? He will “not be billed!” How about the owner of MAW goes to jail?

ENJOY!

LIP News will return on Tuesday, September 4th.

* THE VITAL WORK OF POLICING

     The Lancaster City Police certainly excel at stringing up crime tape! Have a safe and happy Friday!

*    What is going on?

THE PUBLIC HAS
A RIGHT TO KNOW!

From Wednesday’s LNP editorial (click here).

     Is LNP going to demand answers? Are they going to demand to know this officer’s name, the length of her suspension and what type of training she is receiving? Will they do their job and demand answers?

AFTERNOON UDPATE – & CHAPMAN HAS PAID A HUGE PRICE!

UNACCEPTABLE!

     I just want to state again how really awful and misleading this reporting by Tom Knapp is. He should have absolutely stated that Graham was not in the courtroom and not involved in the case and that he made an entirely separate phone call to Graham after the hearing for his opinion.
     This is not acceptable journalism by any standard!

THE PUBLIC PAID
A HUGE PRICE TO
PROSECUTE CHAPMAN!

AFTERNOON UPDATE – ONLY RODA STILL WORKS FOR LNP

     There is the below exchange of comments under the cat story on Lancaster Online. Amazing! I will finish up the cat story tomorrow!

***  Greg Graham returned my call and was extremely gracious. He was not in the Lancaster County Courthouse yesterday and said he and the LNP reporter (Knapp) spoke for about 60 seconds yesterday afternoon. Knapp asked him if shooting a feral cat was legal and Graham said he told him it was not legal – that it comes under Title 18 and is cruelty to animals.
     He said the Game Commission has actually received a number of calls about the case and many people think he prosecuted or was involved in it because of the LNP article. In fact, he told me he was not involved in the case in any way.

DECEPTIVE REPORTING!

**   A very important note about the cat story. This is in LNP reporter Tom Knapp’s coverage of yesterday’s plea agreement (click here):

     This is deceptive reporting and inexcusable. Was Greg Graham in court and did he testify to that or did Knapp call him separately for his opinion? That should have been made crystal clear in his article.
     I have a call in to Graham to see if he was present for the proceeding. The man who took the message stated it was highly unlikely that he was actually in court. I am awaiting absolute verification of this and will let you know.

****

*    As much as LNP uses Eric Horst, you would think they would make a mention of his sudden appendectomy! Get well, Eric, and then do something about this dreadful heat, please!

*****

DEPOSITIONS COMING!

From left to right – Kara Newhouse, Barbara Hough Roda and Susan Baldrige

     The latest in William Murry’s lawsuit against LNP:

* AFTERNOON UPDATE *** BREAKING NEWS *** – ** – * LYONS HIRES BEYER

*    LNP actually sent a reporter (click here)!

       There is no word yet on what happened today with Jeffrey Chapman’s guilty plea in the Court of Common Pleas before Judge Margaret Miller this afternoon (see below in this post). I called the judge’s chambers at 3:31 pm this afternoon and Donna, who answered, transferred me to court administration. The women who answered there said the clerks with the information were probably still in court and to check back tomorrow. I will do so.

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

LYONS MAKES BAIL!

     According to his docket (see below), Jeffrey B. Lyons just posted his $1 million cash bail! Two bail bondsmen posted $500,000 each. Did I say Attorney Robert Beyer is good? Wow!

DID THE CAT
HAVE AN “OWNER?”

Jeffrey B. Chapman (left) a random cat and Attorney Christopher Michael Tallarico.

**   While on legal matters – although of an entirely different kind – Jeffrey B. Chapman Jr. is scheduled to plead guilty this afternoon before Judge Margaret Miller. He is charged with one count of “Aggravated Cruelty to Animals – Causing
SBI or Death” for allegedly shooting and killing a cat on his property on January 21st of this year (click here for the LNP story).
     A cat, you say? Yes, a cat. I have followed this story because it drew a lot of very interesting comments, feral cats are a big problem in my neighborhood and the amount of time and money the commonwealth has spent prosecuting this case is astonishing.
     So many questions! I put a call in to his attorney, Christopher Michael Tallarico of the Marinaro Law Firm, several weeks ago but he did not return my call – sigh! I hope to have more this afternoon following his plea.

*****

*    In DA Craig Stedman’s press conference (actually a question and answer session) yesterday, he said Lyons is trying to find a bail bondsman to post his $1 million dollar bail. Hmmm… that’s a lot of money and a lot of risk! You can watch Stedman take questions on CBS-21 here.

*******

WHERE’S THE MONEY?

     According to Jeffrey B. Lyons’ court docket, he has hired attorney Robert David Beyer of Goldberg & Beyer to represent him. Goldberg & Beyer is viewed as one of the best criminal defense law firms in Lancaster County.

Please check back later today.

AFTERNOON UPDATE – THE LANCASTER LYNCHING STORY

PANAMA?

     Why was Seth Obetz in Panama? When the Sheriffs Office tried to serve him on August 13th for the Lis Pendens suit against properties he owns, his wife told them he was in Panama (see below and click here for the Sheriff’s Return of Service and here for my prior article on the Lis Pendens suit).

****  Mugshots of Jeffrey B. Lyons and Karen L. Connelly.

***   Karen L. Connelly, who was arrested and charged with Jeffrey B. Lyons, had her bail set at $50,000 cash and that was posted by a bail bondsman and she is free (see her docket below for the bondsman and the charges).

$1 MILLION CASH BAIL

**  For Jeffrey B. Lyons. See his docket with the bail and charges below.

FINALLY!

*     Click here to read the below DA’s press release.

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OH, I REMEMBER HIM!

     Luther Henry died last week. From the Lancaster City Police Facebook page:

Please check back later today.

* RESIGN MARTIN & DIAMANTONI!

GOOD GOVERNMENT!

*     Before I forget, I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Tony Dastra of the “See-thru City – Lancaster, PA” Facebook page (click here). As noted yesterday, he did a live-stream and said today is his birthday. He believes in transparency and open government! There will be more next week on his plans.

DEADBEATS!

(Click here)

      Unbelievable! Why wasn’t this caught years ago? And why don’t Lancaster County Treasurer Amber Martin and County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni (both pictured above) just resign? Resign today!

*** – ** – * THE FINAL STRAW?

l***  As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, apparently there will be a live-stream at 3:00 pm today to explain all this. I just hope I understand it. And I will not be buying a $15 mug!

*******

**  On a more serious note, Justin Perry (MR 17 5 40) allegedly “caught” a child predator in Leola last night and you can go to his Facebook page to watch the video. But what happens from here? Did they call the police? What happens beside this alleged predator’s face being up on a Facebook page that several thousand may see?

*******

FREE CONTENT?

*    This is just clever. LNP on their Facebook page asked for back-to-school photos from their readers. They got these two great responses:

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WATCHDOG THE STRAWS?

     Some random “as seen on the internet” things will be coming today.
     First – this has to be one of the most incredibly stupid things I have seen in years! It shows a complete lack of any comprehension of what the straw issue is about. And what about the LIPS that have been on your fork and spoon? Oh, my heavens! Astonishing! A public health issue, LOL! (And Harper will threaten to sue me in 3…2…1!)

AFTERNOON UPDATE – NAME THE OFFICERS & MORE!

WHY ARE THEY
STILL ON THE FORCE?

A quote from this afternoon’s LNP story shown right (click here).

     Agreed. Both officers should be fired and Detective Nathan Nickel should be charged with assault and witness intimidation. Why hasn’t this happened?

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COMMUNITY OF POWER?

***   I have read the below several times and I still don’t understand it (click here for the Facebook page). Sigh!
        Tony Dastra is doing a great service by live-streaming city and other meetings. But, I thought the city was going to start doing this “in-house” and I even wondered if they had hired Dastra to do it for them. It would seem that is not the case.
        I don’t understand what he means by a “subscription model” but if he intends to charge then the city better get on it!

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ARRAIGNMENT WAIVED

**     On a totally different note, Raymond Rowe was scheduled to have his Formal Arraignment this morning in the Court of Common Pleas for the 1992 murder of Christy Mirack. His attorney, Patricia Spotts, waived the arraignment which is fairly standard and attorney Samuel Encarnacion has been added to his defense team (see the screenshot of part of his docket below).

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*     Click here for the city website and the Use of Force policies.

******

THE PUBLIC HAS
A RIGHT TO KNOW!

From last night’s Town Hall and the LNP article, “Moving forward: Town hall meeting focuses on use of force, mutual respect between Lancaster citizens, police,” (click here).

     This is unacceptable! This is not transparency. The officers are not named (although the first one is obviously Detective Nathan Nickel) and the length of their unpaid suspensions is not specified.
     This is not “moving forward” and this is not acceptable! Name the officers and tell the public how long they were “suspended!”
Please check back later today.