WZAR News

POTTSTOWN - Exelon Nuclear will soon begin the testing of new sirens that have been installed over the past few months.  The tests are part of a larger project to replace all 165 emergency sirens in the 10 miles around Limerick Generating Station with sirens that include battery back up.  The first phase of the project began in Sept. 2009.

The testing is scheduled to begin the week of Aug. 9 with sirens located in Chester County.  Testing will continue in September with sirens in Montgomery County and conclude in October with the sirens in Berks County. The individual siren tests may be performed daily from the respective county start date until the end of Nov. 2010.  The typical duration of the testing will be between 15 - 30 seconds and could occur several times in a row.  Occasionally, siren activation may last the full three minutes.  The siren acoustics will be similar to those of current emergency sirens.

Residents may contact the counties at the following numbers if they have concerns during testing:
Berks County   (610) 374-4800
Chester County   (610) 344-5000
Montgomery County  (610) 631-6530

The new and old sirens will be operable concurrently for a 4-month period to ensure they operate properly.  Completion of the project and removal of the existing sirens is scheduled for 2011.

This $3.8 million investment around Limerick is part of Exelon Nuclear’s commitment to replace and upgrade the emergency sirens at all of the sites in the mid-Atlantic including Three Mile Island, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, and Oyster Creek Generating Station.  This project will involve a total investment of more than $9 million and the replacement of 400 sirens.

“The sirens are an important part of our commitment to the safety of the public,” said Bill Maguire, Limerick site vice president.  “This significant investment is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that Limerick Generating Station remains a leader in the industry and the community.”

The warning sirens are one of several methods used by county emergency management authorities to provide notification of emergencies. Individual counties may activate the sirens to warn the surrounding community of events such as fires, floods, tornados, hazardous material releases, or nuclear energy plant events. The sirens are not a signal to evacuate, but to tune to the local Emergency Alert Station.

Limerick Generating Station is located approximately 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The plant produces approximately 2,200 net megawatts of carbon-free electricity per hour, enough to power approximately two million homes.

Trisha Urban of Hamburg, Pennsylvania suffered a terrible tragedy with the untimely death of her husband. Now, Trisha and her one-year-old daughter have an opportunity to turn the page on their past and write a new chapter built on a foundation of joy, innocence, and whimsy. By drawing upon classic fairy tales and rhymes, the EM: HE design team plan to rebuild a 300-year-old log cabin and farm and transform it into the dream home that Trisha and her late husband, Andy, once hoped for.

Trisha and baby Cora live on what has been dubbed “Urban Hideaway Farms.” A 300 year-old crumbling cabin that Andy and Trisha were trying to fix up so their new daughter could live safely. On February 4, 2009 fate had other plans. Trisha went into labor and Andy went outside to feed the animals and lock the gates never to return back to the home. She found Andy, who was born with a congenital heart defect, lying dead in the snow at their front gate. Less than 9 hours later, Cora was born without a loving Father to welcome her into the world.

Tragedy had struck, but it did not stop there. Because of Andy’s heart condition he could not get proper health insurance and because of this Andy and Trisha were in debt to the tune of 6 digits. To make matters worse, only Andy’s name was listed on the deed, mortgage, and cars. She would have to buy them all back and with no will, Trisha had become a widow, new mother, and in massive debt with no relief in sight.

Friends and family of Trisha started raising money to help her pay off the debt and buy back what was already hers, Jeff Woytovich founded “Helping Care for Cora,” and with the help of many key people and a generous community, Trisha was finally able to buy back her home and car from Andy’s estate. Money was raised having a benefit dinner, golf tournament, cut-a-thon, and local churches and organizations helped with collections, clothing, and food. Woytovich stated, “It was a strong community, loving family and a core group of volunteers, strangers and friends that made it all possible.”  After a year and a half, everything is almost done, except one thing. A well deserved Extreme Makeover of the home that was to be the future of this young family.

The Home Builders Association of Berks County has taken on the lead role of coordinating the build. The name given to the former #804 build is “Berks Extreme Build.” You can visit the website, www.BerksExtremeBuild.com to donate to the family and the building fund, see the sponsors, donating companies in the community, as well as watching the progress of the build via photographs and video.

Trisha’s sister, Kylene Knepp and their mother, Sandra Baney, live nearby and help Trisha with babysitting. But with a mortgage she can barely afford and a home that is desperately in need of repair, Trisha must find a way to fix it up or let go of her and Andy’s dream home forever. All that is about to change in just one week!

Trisha and her family will go on vacation to Walt Disney World, while “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team leader Ty Pennington, designers Leigh Anne Tuohy, Paul DiMeo, and Tracy Hutson, the Home Builders Association of Berks County, and the entire community build a home for this deserving this family.

The location address is: 1363 Hex Highway, Hamburg, PA 19526.

The schedule of the build is as follows:

Saturday, July 31^st:

Watch perhaps the most dramatic day in the actual construction as the house takes shape with framing and window Installation

Sunday, August 1^st:

Begin installation of plumbing, electric and heating and air conditioning. By the end of the day the house will be dry walled!

Monday, August 2^nd: Watch the exterior of the house come to life with the masons at work.

Tuesday, August 3^rd: The interior of the house begins to take on the design as flooring, countertops and appliances all move in. Outside the landscapers begin to get to work.

Wednesday, August 4^th: The interior of the house takes great strides today. We even hope to clean the windows!

Thursday, August 5^th: All the final last minute touches are done to prepare for the family’s arrival. PLEASE JOIN US TO “MOVE THAT BUS” at 2 PM.

SPECTATORS: Parking will be available in the Cabela’s lot.

The physical address is 100 Cabela Drive, Hamburg, PA, 19526.

Please follow the signs upon entering the parking lot. The shuttle service will run from 8 am to 8 pm.

Bears vs. State College 2010 PA State Tournament Game 4
July 27th, 2010 - Bears win 2-1

Shot and edited by Robert Reider.

Bears vs. Exeter Round 4 Highlights

Bears win 15-3.

Shot and edited by Robert Reider.

Bears vs. Twin Valley Highlights

July 11th, 2010 - Bears lose 10-8 in the 13th inning.

An accident occurred around 2p.m. in the 1300 block of West Philadelphia Avenue (Rt. 73), near Pond Road in Earl Township, near Dan’s Deli. 81-year-old Robert Reider of Muhlenberg Township was driving a minivan when he crossed into the westbound lane and hit a dump truck head on. The truck went down an embankment, and caught fire.  The driver of the dump truck was not seriously injured, however the coroner was called and pronounced Reider dead at the scene. The crash was ruled as accidental, though it is unknown why the minivan crossed into the other lane. Route 73 was shut down between Little Getting Lane and Pond Road for six hours.

This is within the same stretch of road that two drivers were killed in a multi-vehicle accident about nine months ago.

Raw video of the scene is in the player to your right.