As the end of the year beckons, the editors of LevittownNow.com present their picks for the most important stories on 2013. As the site launch in mid-March, our list only includes news events that happened after that date.
1. Racquet Club Apartments Fire
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The evening of Friday, July 26, 2013 was warm and sticky. The editors and reporters of LevittownNow.com were enjoying the beginnings of what was expected to be a quiet weekend. Minutes after 9 p.m., the alarms sounded and phones began to buzz. The message from every source: the Racquet Club Apartments are on fire. LevittownNow.com reporter Amanda Kuehnle and Editor/Publisher Jeff Bohen were first to arrive at the scene along with the first responding firefighters. Editor/Publisher Tom Sofield and reporter Dave Sommers arrived a short time later. In the hours following, stories of the fire victims, a missing pet and ways to help the hundreds of newly-homeless were published. In the following weeks, the community gathered to help the victims by collecting donations and helping the victims find shelter. A group of young boys emerged as the heroes when Kuehnle broke the story of their heroic actions that likely saved lives the night of the fire. Months of talking to complex residents, searching for court documents and working public safety sources, LevittownNow.com broke the news of an arrest in connection with the fire. More than 20 pieces of content on the four-alarm Racquet Club Apartments fire are what we consider among our finest reporting.
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Here is a selection of our coverage:
- PHOTOS & VIDEO: 4-Alarm Fire at Racquet Club Apartments
- WATCH: Helmet Cam Footage & Scanner Traffic from Racquet Club Fire
- Levittown Heroes Receive Standing Ovation
- Young Racquet Club Residents Honored for Extreme Heroism
- Baseball Card Collection Found in Fire Rubble
- Despite Loss, Fire Victims Feel ‘Blessed”
- Donations Pour in for Fire Victims
- Overhead Images Show Extent of Fire Damage
- 4-Alarm Fire Investigation Ongoing; 4 Hurt
- Young Boy Springs Into Action, Saves Residents in Racquet Club Blaze
- Perspectives From the Fire at Racquet Club Apartments
- How to Help the Fire Victims
- Cause of Massive Fire Revealed, Man Charged
- Suspected Charged in Racquet Club Fire Headed to Trial
2. Neshaminy Teachers and District Settle Contract Dispute
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
In late May after a five-year-long contract impasse , it was announced the Neshaminy School District and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers had reached a “tentative agreement.” Weeks later, the Neshaminy School Board’s unanimous vote to approve a new contract for teachers drew applause from the audience. The contract impasse was one of the most brutal in the nation. Both sides make their points with students suffering the consequences and a community ripped apart. While the contract dispute has been settled, in the next year early talks for the next contract cycle are expected to creep back into the district. Only time will tell what will happen this time.
Here is a selection of our coverage:
- ‘Tentative’ Contract Agreement Reached in Neshaminy
- Neshaminy Board Approves New Contract
- School Board’s Webb, NFT’s Schmidt React to ‘Tentative’ Agreement
- NFT President: ‘We Agreed to All the Financial Concessions’
- Board President Dispels ‘Unsubstantiated Rumors’ of Neshaminy Deal
- 201 Side Agreements Release by Neshaminy Board
3. Controversy in Bristol Borough
Credit: Jeff Bohen/LevittownNow.com
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The controversy in Bristol Borough stemmed from a case involving former officer Sam Anderson forcing Joanne Cipressi to perform a sex act on her. Patrolman Ritchie Webb, according to court papers, reported Anderson’s disgraceful behavior to officials, was harassed by borough officials on a number of levels, sued. Both Cipressi and Webb settled their cases during the summer. What followed though, claims by a number of officials that there was nothing wrong in or with the police department was challenged by the public and the reporting. Its interesting to note that the instigator of the events, Anderson, was recently elevated to the level of lieutenant at a local fire volunteer fire department. The impetus for the three part series was borough council’s continuing belief that Bucks County District Attorney Charles Heckler cleared the police department, which, according to Heckler, simply wasn’t a statement based on fact.
Here is a selection of our coverage:
- Webb Lawyer Shares Information with Law Enforcement
- Attorney Calls Borough’s Treatment of Bristol Officer ‘Appalling’
- Attorney Breaks Silence on Case That Cost Borough $$$
- EXCLUSIVE: District Attorney Letter Doesn’t Support Claims About Police Department
- Bristol Authorizes Consultant, Sabatini Calls for Forum About ‘Unanswered Questions’ & Suits
- Settlement Reached with Bristol Cop, Total Cost Of Cases: Over $825K
4. Bristol Township Staffing
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
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The announcement by Bristol Township officials that two officers laid off were going to be recalled just prior to the May primaries came with a sigh of relief from the public. Much to the surprise of the public, and officer Sean Lyons the recall didn’t materialize as many had hoped and officials offered. Around the same time, LevittownNow.com broke the story of a love triangle in the department.
Here is a selection of our coverage:
- EXCLUSIVE: Bristol Twp. Cops Alleged Love Triangle Comes to Light, Complicates Staffing
- Township to Bring 2 Laid Off Cops Back in July
5. Controversy over Tasering of 14-Year-Old Boy
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
An alleged theft from the Levittown Walmart and what came of the theft kicked of a public debate of huge proportions. Allegations by 14-year-old Joey Williams’ mother, Marissa Sargent, of police brutality initiated threats on social media, an investigation by the the District Attorney’s office and free -flowing debate about what the real issue was. LevittownNow.com broke the story of the initial allegations made by Sargent- which Tullytown officers were recently cleared of.
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Here is a selection of our coverage:
- DA Clears Tullytown Cops in Tasered Teen Incident
- DA to Announce Information on Tullytown Tasering Investigation
- Support Rally for Tullytown Police Draws Large Crowd
- Rally Draws Few in Tullytown; Organizers Speak About Investigation into Tasering
- Protest Organizer: ‘Injustice Doesn’t Take a Break for Anything, Weather Included
- 1 Rally Canceled, DA Warns About Threats as Ugly Weather Approaches
- EXCLUSIVE: Tasered Teen Wasn’t Locked in Police Car, DA Says; Rally Organizers Meet with Officials
- Tasered Teen, Mother Meet with Civil Rights Attorney
- Controversy Brewing Over Arrest, Tasering of 14-Year-Old-Boy
6. Double Murder
Credit: Family/Submitted
A fire at the Avalon Apartment complex in Bristol Township’s Levittown section led to the grisly discovery of a double murder that shook the area. As of now, the investigation is ongoing and police have spoken with a “person of interest.”
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Here is a selection of our coverage:
- Vigil Held for Murdered Pregnant Mother, Daughter
- Father Starts Memorial Fund & Foundation for Murdered Daughter in Time of Grief
- Mother, Daughter Killed in Bristol Twp.
- Search Warrant: ‘Person of Interest’ in Double Murder, Arson Case at Scene Minutes Before Fire
- PHOTOS: Double Murder Investigation in Bristol Twp.
- Vigil Held for Murdered Pregnant Mother, Daughter
- Investigation Into Murder of Pregnant Mother, Young Daughter Continuing
- ‘Person of Interest’ in Killings Arrested for Drugs, Cops Say
7. Recovery Homes
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
One of the first issues brought to the online doorstep of LevittowNow.com was the recovery house issue and debate. At a hearing held in Middletown, State Rep. Frank Farry’s bill, and potential amendments to the measure are still being discussed. Residents in Bristol and Middletown have alleged the houses and the persons living in them are responsible for criminal activity. Officials point to unsafe conditions of the houses and a need for regulating them.
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Here is a selection of our coverage:
- Hearing on Recovery Houses Points to Safety Issues & Differences
- House Committee Approves Farry’s Recovery House Bill
8. New Schools in Bristol Township
Credit: Bristol Township School District
Click here to read some of our coverage
9. SEPTA Works to Stop Deaths
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
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After five tragic deaths on the rail tracks in the Levittown area, SEPTA set out to inform residents about the dangers. The campaign started with a press event held in Lower Southampton. From there, SEPTA employees and police began a large initiative to warn people about the dangers of walking on or near train tracks. Their efforts seem to have paid off. Since the campaign kick-off, no deaths have been reported on the tracks in the Levittown area.
Here is a selection of our coverage:
10. Standoff in Red Cedar and Crash on New Falls Road
August 27 was a busy day for police in Bristol Township. A distraught man armed with a gun engaged in a standoff in the Red Cedar section of Levittown. The hours-long standoff ended peacefully after the SWAT team arrived. Minutes after the standoff ended, several people were ejected from a Jeep when it rolled over just up the road. Many of the exhausted officers who had just left the nearby standoff scene rushed to the vehicle accident. The busy afternoon showed the dedication of Levittown’s first responders.
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Here is a selection of our coverage:
- Barricaded Man Surrenders in Red Cedar
- Levittown Standoff Ends Peacefully
- 2 Ejected, 5 Teens Hurt in New Falls Road Crash
11. Dead Baby Found in Tullytown Bedroom
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Police swarmed around a well-kept yellow house Lakeside Drive in Tullytown on a July afternoon. Inside, they were investigating a gruesome find. A baby boy was decomposing in a bag inside a bedroom. After more than a week, police charged Lorie Bendorovich with stuffing the stillborn baby’s tiny body in a black plastic bag. Authorities say Bendorovich tied the bag and left it in a trashcan in her bedroom before going to work. She is currently awaiting trial for the incident.
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Here is a selection of our coverage:
- Tullytown Mother Charged for Dead Baby in Bag
- Dead Baby Sat in Tullytown Bedroom for Days
- Police Have ‘Person of Interest’ in Baby Death Investigation
- Death of Newborn Being Investigated in Tullytown Borough
12. Bristol Township School District Budget
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The Bristol Township School District budget process seemed to be progressing normally until the week before it was to be voted on. At that time, district officials announced there were shortfalls and layoff might be needed. In the end, the layoffs were minimal but spending was slashed, a portion of the school system’s dwindling savings account was used and taxes on residents were raised.
Here is a selection of our coverage:
- Tax Hike, Jobs Cuts Part of Approved BTSD Budget
- BTSD Employee Reacts to Possible Job Loss
- BTSD Budget: Some Cuts Off Table; Proposed Tax Increase, Layoffs Remain
13. Lower Bucks County Black Bear
Credit: TheRacerx2384/Youtube Screegrab
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One of the strangest stories of the year was the black bear that found its way to the Levittown area. From Hulmeville to Croydon the bear was spotted and captured on film. Rummaged-through trashcans were found in some neighborhoods and the Neshaminy Creek basin was likely its highway. Wildlife officials urged residents to leave the bear alone. As quickly as it came, it left. A bear captured across the river in New Jersey is believed to be the same bear that bothered folks in Bucks County.
Here is a selection of our coverage:
- Bear Captured in NJ May Be Lower Bucks Black Bear
- Black Bear Remains Loose; Creek Could be Travel Route
- Black Bear Spotted in Bensalem, Bristol Twp. Over Weekend
- Bear Spotted Overnight in Middletown
- Black Bear on the Move in Lower Bucks
- Black Bear Spotted in Area
14. Middletown EIT
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Vocal residents in Middletown started a fight in late 2013 against a proposed earned income tax (EIT) that passed two weeks ago. While the Board of Supervisors have agreed to lower the 1 percent EIT to .5 percent, residents continue to voice there displeasure. Many are upset at how the EIT was only recently talked about and how two candidates who ran for election never mentioned the possibility. The EIT fight is expected to continue into the new year.
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Here is a selection of our coverage:
15. Levittown Boy and Trashmen Form Bond
Four-year-old Red Cedar resident Mycal Bickings formed a special and heartwarming bond with the trashmen that stopped outside of his house on Monday and Thurdays. On their last day, his parents recorded him with his “buddies” and uploaded his tail to YouTube. LevittownNow.com spoke with Mycal’s family and posted a story on December 30. In less than 16 hours, the story went viral and is currently the second most read story of the entire year.
16. Levittown Trace Hostages
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
One of, if not the first, major breaking news stories that helped establish trust with the public was the kidnap ransom plot that started at the Levittown Trace Complex. The subsequent capture of the first two suspects, a story that LevittownNow.com broke as a result of source that saw authorities pursuing Daesean Smith and Dennis Redding illustrated to the community we were more than able to handle big news stories in real time.
Here is a selection of our coverage:
- Levittown Trace Hostage Suspects Headed to Trial
- Cops Arrest Third Suspect in Levittown Trace Kidnapping Plot
- 2 Suspects Captured in Kidnap for Ransom Plot
