Crime & Safety
Norristown in the Headlines
A woman pleads guilty to embezzling from a Norristown non-profit and the county goes over the numbers for Hurricane Irene in this installment of coverage of Norristown from around the Web.
reports that Gina Peterson, the former secretary of Norristown’s Elmwood Lodge pleaded guilty to stealing more than $8,000 of the organization’s funds last year by forging signatures and writing checks to herself.
An investigative audit showed that Peterson, 43, cashed a total of 52 checks to herself last year. On Monday she was sentenced to five months probation and restitution charges.
Hurricane Rescue Assessment
Montgomery County Public Safety Director Tom Sullivan said that 911 dispatchers answered 5,659 calls during Hurricane Irene — more than twice the number of calls on an average weekend night — and sent emergency personnel to about 4,000 incidents according to The Herald. Emergency calls were picked up in approximately six seconds, and the dispatch center received 75 calls from people needing rescue.
Find out what's happening in Norristownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) aided the county in flood rescues including that of three Upper Moreland firefighters attempting to rescue a capsized boat of stranded motorists. On Friday, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials will be touring the local area on Friday to assess the storm damage and determine the county's eligibility for federal funds if needed.
Philly Fringe Festival Goes Local
Montgomery News reports Norristown’s Iron Age Theatre will be participating in this year’s Philly Fringe Festival with their production of “Christie in Love,” a short and edgy play written by Howard
Find out what's happening in Norristownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Brenton more than 40 years ago. The play’s subject, the necrophiliac serial killer John Christie, is a shocking one, but it is also rife with dark humor and existential questions about society. On the Sept. 9 and 10 performances, the play can be seen at , 208 DeKalb Street, Norristown. The plays main run will find a fitting setting at the Eastern State Penitentiary (Sept. 3, 4, 12, 16, and 17).
Visit www.ironagetheatre.org or call 610-279-1013 for more details.
Volunteers in the News
The Herald told of the blood drive held on Wednesday by the Greater Norristown Police Athletic League (GNPAL) in honor of Shane Franzone, a former Norristown High School student.
Franzone, after receiving a bone marrow transplant, has suffered with graft-versus-host-disease, a complication that can occur that causes new cells to attach the host body. Shane's family has organized multiple blood drives with the American Red Cross after witnessing the many blood transfusions he's depended on.
Monument Dedication
The Herald reports that the Lafayette stone memorial will be transferred from Norristown's Historical Society of Montgomery County to St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Lafayette Hill on Aug. 15. The transfer was sponsored by Rudolph Roy Cusumano, retired history teacher, and his wife Diane who are members of the American Friends of Lafayette.
This Revolutionary War monument will now be located in the precise area of the church cemetery where General Lafayette devised a fake counterattack on the British. On Sept. 6 at 2 p.m., a celebration will be held to install and dedicate the monument.
Want to read more news about Norristown from other media sources? Check out Wednesday’s .
