Delaware County

A man fatally shot his ex-girlfriend in Prospect Park Sunday and then drove to Philadelphia and killed himself, leaving the couple's daughter orphaned, according to neighbors and law enforcement. Anthony Serody, 38, of Folcroft, shot his former girlfriend three times after confronting her in her third-floor apartment on Fletcher Street, a quiet stretch of frame homes on the north side of Prospect Park. Police declined to confirm the woman's name pending notification of relatives.

Garland D. "Bill" Cherry Sr., 80, a Delaware County trial lawyer, died of Alzheimer's disease Wednesday, Nov. 17, at the West Chester home of his daughter Sharon Fieger. Mr. Cherry was involved in several high-profile criminal and civil cases. His clients included local politicians and a prizefighter. He was the attorney for Intercontinental Promotions, which represented Sonny Liston when he lost his world heavyweight championship in 1964 to Cassius Clay, who later became Muhammad Ali. Liston also lost the rematch in 1965.

The searchers were in a nearly pitch-dark, third-floor room in the abandoned Lazaretto quarantine station and hospital when the flashlight on the floor flickered on, then off. No one had touched it. The black-clad group sitting on the dusty floor clocked the time: 10:15 p.m. "We're here to learn about you. We're here to learn from you," said Mark Davis of the Pennsylvania Anomalous Society Team (PAST), a group that researches the history and paranormal activity of area buildings.

The ninth annual Carpenter Cup softball tournament will begin June 24. All games will be at FDR Park in South Philadelphia. Sixteen teams will participate: Philadelphia Public/Catholic Academies, Berks County/Lancaster Lebanon, Burlington County, Chester County, Delaware County, Delaware North, Delaware South, Inter-Ac, Jersey Shore, Lehigh Valley, Mercer County, Mid-Penn, Olympic/Colonial, Philadelphia Catholic, Suburban One League/Bicentennial, and...

In Delaware County, where Republicans have had a lock on the county council for 30 years, the Republican Party's stamp of approval seems to go far with voters. Yet this year, one Republican candidate is wearing her "un-endorsement" proudly. Barbara Murray, 53, of Upper Darby, hopes to defeat the endorsed candidates - a council incumbent and a 29-year veteran of the state House - in Tuesday's primary for two council seats. Democrats also have a race, with three candidates in the primary.

What makes the people of Middletown tick? Photographs of families and their homes. A year-end issue of Time magazine. An Acme supermarket sales receipt. Diaries. A National Football League schedule. Wedding invitations. Newspaper clippings. Calendars. Family trees. A Frisbee. These items are stacking up at the Middletown Free Library as families and businesses in the community prepare to cap off their 1986 tricentennial celebration by placing a burial vault - a township time capsule - six feet underground.

An unidentified man was shot in the chest Friday night in Chester Township, Delaware County police reported. The shooting occurred shortly before 10 p.m. in the 1000 block of Powell Road near a 7-Eleven store, police said. A person answering the telephone at the 7-Eleven said the shooting did not involve anybody from the convenience store. A police dispatcher did not have immediate information on the condition of the shooting victim. No arrest was reported. The assailant reportedly fled in the direction of Toby Farms School.

Joan L. Murray, a registered nurse who has served as Delaware County's top health officer for nearly 12 years, will resign her position effective at the end of this week, it was disclosed yesterday. A replacement has not been selected, said County Council Chairwoman Mary Ann Arty. Murray, 51, said she would be moving to Hilton Head, S.C., where she will live with her husband, William A. Murray. As director of Intercommunity Health, Murray oversees a staff of six, including a staff nurse who treats the on-the-job ailments of county employees.

A young boy was found drowned Sunday afternoon in the swimming pool at a Brookhaven apartment complex, the Delaware County Medical Examiner's Office said. An official said the death occurred about 3:25 p.m. at the Camelot Court complex on West Brookhaven Road. The boy was transported to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, where he was pronounded dead. The Medical Examiner's Office said he is believed to be approximately 7. Brookhaven Police were investigating. - Staff report

William M. Kane, 91, a Drexel Hill obstetrician and gynecologist who practiced in the area for more than 50 years, died at Riddle Memorial Hospital on Saturday, June 15, surrounded by family. Dr. Kane, who served in the Army in World War II, also lived in Ocean City, N.J., and most recently in Riddle Village in Media. A native of Wilkes-Barre, Dr. Kane practiced primarily in Philadelphia and Delaware County. "I think he delivered half of Delaware County," said his daughter, Eileen Carey of West Chester.

While the region has been soaked with about a half-foot of rain in the last week, remarkably it has escaped significant widespread flooding. That could change by Thursday night. A potent, moisture-laden storm threatens the region with an ominous menu of yet another soaking, powerful thunderstorms, and perhaps even tornadoes, the National Weather Service warns. "Widespread flash-flooding" of streams and "moderate river flooding" are possible, the weather service's Mount Holly office said.

A feared second wave of thunderstorms Thursday veered south of the Philadelphia region, drenching parts of South Jersey early in the evening before heading out to sea. There was enough rain to halt play briefly at the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club for the second time in a day. Overall, however, the forecasts turned out to be far more menacing than the actual weather. Through 8 p.m., only 0.46 of an inch of rain had been measured officially at Philadelphia International Airport, well below the one to two inches in the forecast.

Strong storms are hammering parts of South Jersey this evening, and a fresh round of rain has halted play at the U.S. Open in Merion. Overall, however, the forecasts turned out to be far-more menancing than the actual weather. Through 6 p.m., only 0.4 inches of rain had been measured officially at Philadelphia International Airport, well below the 1 to 2 inches in the forecast. Emergency officials and utilities had been bracing for a second wave of thunderstorms, after the first set roared across region, knocking out power to thousands and drenching everything in its path.

A man fatally shot his ex-girlfriend in Prospect Park Sunday and then drove to Philadelphia and killed himself, leaving the couple's daughter orphaned, according to neighbors and law enforcement. Anthony Serody, 38, of Folcroft, shot his former girlfriend three times after confronting her in her third-floor apartment on Fletcher Street, a quiet stretch of frame homes on the north side of Prospect Park. Police declined to confirm the woman's name pending notification of relatives.

Carpenter Cup Softball Schedule The ninth annual Carpenter Cup softball tournament will begin June 24. All games will be at FDR Park in South Philadelphia. Sixteen teams will participate: Philadelphia Public/Catholic Academies, Berks County/Lancaster Lebanon, Burlington County, Chester County, Delaware County, Delaware North, Delaware South, Inter-Ac, Jersey Shore, Lehigh Valley, Mercer County, Mid-Penn, Olympic/Colonial, Philadelphia Catholic, Suburban One League/Bicentennial, and Tri-Cape.

Members of 37 Catholic parishes in Delaware County and Philadelphia were to hear this weekend whether the Archdiocese of Philadelphia plans to merge them with neighboring parishes or leave them independent. No schools will be affected. Registered parishioners could begin receiving letters as early as Saturday, and the news will also be announced during services on Sunday, said Kenneth Gavin, a spokesman for the archdiocese. The archdiocese will release details of the changes to news media early Sunday afternoon.

NORRISTOWN - Montgomery County authorities say they've broken up a multimillion-dollar drug ring that trafficked in high-grade marijuana. Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman announced charges against eight suspects yesterday. She said nearly 3,700 pounds of potent pot was sent from California to Pennsylvania over the past 15 months. She estimated its street value at more than $14 million. Ferman says the suspects used a freight service to ship marijuana in giant orange tool chests from Sacramento, Calif., to a Philadelphia suburb in Delaware County.