Conshohocken

A former Conshohocken police sergeant who admitted he pilfered change from parking meters to pay his bills was sentenced Friday to two years' probation. A CBSlocal.com report said Anthony J. Santoro, 47, a 22-year veteran of the Conshohocken police force, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to a misdemeanor charge of theft by unlawful taking. Santoro was immediately sentenced by Judge Steven T. O'Neill to probation, and also to make $1,500 in restitution to the borough. The incidents occurred in late 2009 when Santoro fell behind on his bills and was looking for a quick way to raise cash, the reports said.

The good news is, a 21/2-mile stretch of road between Conshohocken and Norristown is open again after being closed for almost two years for reconstruction of two railroad bridges. The bad news is, another two-year road repair project in the busy Conshohocken area is about to begin. The completed stretch of Conshohocken Road, which roughly parallels the Schuylkill between Fayette Street in Conshohocken and Ridge Pike in Plymouth Township, opened to traffic shortly after 2 p.m. Friday.

After being closed off for almost two years for reconstruction of two railroad bridges, Conshohocken Road in Montgomery County reopened to traffic Friday. The 2.5-mile stretch of road, which follows the Schuylkill between Fayette Street in Conshohocken and Ridge Pike in Plymouth Township, opened to traffic shortly after 2 p.m. "A sealant was placed on the structures and it must dry completely before we can open the bridges to traffic," PennDOT spokesman Eugene Blaum said Friday morning.

A doctor at a weight-loss center in Conshohocken sexually assaulted at least a half-dozen of his patients and while doing so, told several of them that orgasms burn 200 calories, according to court documents. Arie Oren, 64, of Narberth, has been charged with four counts of aggravated indecent assault and eight counts of indecent assault for his alleged conduct with six patients who range in age from 24 to 59. The victims, who said they were assaulted by Oren between 2008 and December 2010 in his office at Weight Control on 3rd Avenue, all told Conshohocken police strikingly similar stories, according to court documents.

For Kimberly Coleman, 42, of West Conshohocken, last year's road rebuilding project outside her door on Front Street meant precious time lost daily evading traffic cones. "That's a lot of misery to get in and out of here," she said. "When they did over Route 23, it was hard to get back in our driveway. " Next month, the mother of four can look forward to more such misery. A second batch of work crews will appear in May. They will redo the intersection at Balligomingo Road and Front Street (Route 23)

A Conshohocken man was arrested in Clayton, Mo., on Sunday after police say he went to the wrong hotel room, broke through a chain lock, and molested a 9-year-old girl inside. Daniel T. Hughes, 42, a sales manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, was intoxicated when he returned to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel around 4 a.m. Sunday, Clayton Police Chief Tom Byrne said. A clerk at the front desk issued him a key without checking the room number, police said. Hughes is charged with sodomy and three counts of child molestation.

A Conshohocken police sergeant has been suspended without pay after admitting he stole hundreds of dollars in coins collected from borough parking meters, prosecutors said. Antony Santoro, a 22-year veteran of the force, confessed to skimming quarters by the handful from parking collection funds on at least 14 occasions, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said. Before his arrest Tuesday, investigators found $386 in coins that Santoro allegedly took while on patrol with the borough's parking enforcement officers and hid in his personal vehicle during one day's patrol.

Why did it take Brad Craig and Bob Storti four years to turn Toad's Tavern in Conshohocken into 8 East ? They did all the work themselves, and they did it during nights and weekends between their day jobs, says Robin Binnall, the manager. Craig, an electrician, and Storti, a carpenter, are lifelong Conshohocken residents who simply wanted to create a blue-collar pub. They ended up having to gut and refurbish the building, which Storti's father owns. It's off Fayette Street at 8 E. First St. (484-351-8452)

Fran Crippen, a swimming star at Germantown Academy who returned to world-class competition last year to chase his dream of being an Olympian, died during an open-water race in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday. Crippen, 26, reportedly was struggling late in the 10-kilometer race, held in 100-degree weather, and told a team coach that he wasn't feeling well. When he failed to finish, other competitors dived back in to look for him, along with divers. His body was found about two hours later.

Two newcomers in Conshohocken are on opposite ends of town and approach. Isabella , a polished but casual Mediterranean, opens Thursday in a former shot-and-a-beer at 382 E. Elm St. (484-532-7470) under local developer Tom Richter. He has installed restaurant veteran Peter Dissin (Henry's and Crazy Horse Saloon, to name two from many years ago) and chef Michael Cappon (whose past includes Marathon and El Vez). Isabella is a knocked-out bi-level with vaulted ceilings and huge windows.