Gilbertsville

A 17-year-old Gilbertsville youth has been charged with illegally using six credit-card accounts in an Internet shopping spree, spending thousands of dollars in the past 2 1/2 months, Towamencin Township police said yesterday. The suspect, whose name police are not releasing because he is a juvenile, used the accounts of unsuspecting credit-card holders to buy a laptop computer, two digital video cameras, jewelry and clothing, with a value of $6,000 to $8,000, Towamencin Sgt. Joseph A. Filice said.

You are running down your shopping list, and it's the usual stuff: turkey giblets, a new hearing aid, sweet corn, camouflage hunting wear, allspice, thick steaks, NASCAR collectibles, shoo-fly pie, and a framed poster of Johnny Depp in a bathtub. What you need, you realize, is Zern's Market, the sprawling, weekend-only retailer of most earthly desires in Gilbertsville, Montgomery County. But hasn't Zern's disappeared, another victim of suburbia's onward rush? Many people believe that - so many that customers have been staying away lately, said Joanne Gresh, general manager of the 82-year-old market.

After an evacuation of a couple of hours, residents of Ruby Circle in Gilbertsville returned home late Thursday afternoon to the news that a manhunt for their neighbor John A. Yannarell, who faced charges in three violent road-rage incidents, had ended with his apparent suicide. "There doesn't appear to be any foul play," Kevin R. Steele, Montgomery County first assistant district attorney, said in response to repeated questions about reports that Yannarell had shot himself. An autopsy was scheduled for Friday.

Robert Hauswald, 3, of Gilbertsville, waves his flag after becoming a U.S. citizen at special naturalization ceremony for adopted children yesterday at the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Center City. Robert was born in Korea.

A nice day for some spring cleaning. Mary Kaas, owner of the building, sweeps the walk in front of Shorty's Sunflower Cafe in Gilbertsville. After some rain last night, today will be partly sunny and pleasant, with temperatures expected to reach 70 degrees.

The National Women's Soccer League announced the allocation of U.S. National Team players on Friday for the 2013 season. Boston Breakers: Sydney Leroux, Heather Mitts, Heather O'Reilly. Chicago Red Stars: Shannon Boxx, Amy LePeilbet, Keelin Winters. Also: Canada's Erin McLeod (Penn St.) FC Kansas City: Nicole Barnhart (Gilbertsville), Lauren Cheney, Becky Sauerbrunn. Portland Thorns FC: Rachel Buehler, Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan. Seattle Reign FC: Megan Rapinoe, Amy Rodriguez, Hope Solo.

Six days after his 22d birthday, Aaron Marinari was on his way to becoming a criminal. Over the course of four days in April, the former high school honor student from Gilbertsville, armed with his father's revolver, set out to rob two local gas stations. The first robbery went smoothly. But in the second, Marinari nervously poked the gun at a gas station attendant. The pistol went off, police said, blasting the employee in the neck. Marinari fled, leaving behind a bloodied young man. The next day, he was arrested and sent to prison.

Two days after her estranged husband chased her into the back room of the Wal-Mart store where she worked and shot her in the head, Marsha Midgette, 45, remained in critical condition yesterday at Hahnemann University Hospital. Hahnemann representatives declined to discuss her chances for survival. Her husband, Brian "Buddy" William Midgette, shot himself in the head and died at the scene. Douglass Township police said Buddy Midgette, 47, had been arrested Thursday for shoving his wife off a bar stool on their patio in Gilbertsville.

Two cops may not sound like a lot, but in New Hanover Township it was one- third of the six-officer police force. On March 9, New Hanover supervisors voted to lay off two officers, saying the township did not have enough money to keep them. Last week, the officers fired back, suing the supervisors in Montgomery County Court. The two - Gregory S. Smith and David Guida, both of Gilbertsville - say they were cut unfairly and illegally. Financial bungling by township officials is the only reason that New Hanover has budget problems, the lawsuit says.

The National Women's Soccer League announced the allocation of U.S. National Team players on Friday for the 2013 season. Boston Breakers: Sydney Leroux, Heather Mitts, Heather O'Reilly. Chicago Red Stars: Shannon Boxx, Amy LePeilbet, Keelin Winters. Also: Canada's Erin McLeod (Penn St.) FC Kansas City: Nicole Barnhart (Gilbertsville), Lauren Cheney, Becky Sauerbrunn. Portland Thorns FC: Rachel Buehler, Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan. Seattle Reign FC: Megan Rapinoe, Amy Rodriguez, Hope Solo.

After an evacuation of a couple of hours, residents of Ruby Circle in Gilbertsville returned home late Thursday afternoon to the news that a manhunt for their neighbor John A. Yannarell, who faced charges in three violent road-rage incidents, had ended with his apparent suicide. "There doesn't appear to be any foul play," Kevin R. Steele, Montgomery County first assistant district attorney, said in response to repeated questions about reports that Yannarell had shot himself. An autopsy was scheduled for Friday.

A Gilbertsville family have offered $5,000 to anyone with information leading to the arrest of a man who tried to burn a cross on their mailbox, according to Douglass Township police. Police said the hate crime - now under state and federal investigation - occurred Oct. 30 around 8:30 p.m. The family offered the reward. Eudes Defoe said he knew that going public about the incident could cause his family more problems but that the risks were worth it. "It was a difficult decision," Defoe said, "but hopefully no one else will have to go through this.

You are running down your shopping list, and it's the usual stuff: turkey giblets, a new hearing aid, sweet corn, camouflage hunting wear, allspice, thick steaks, NASCAR collectibles, shoo-fly pie, and a framed poster of Johnny Depp in a bathtub. What you need, you realize, is Zern's Market, the sprawling, weekend-only retailer of most earthly desires in Gilbertsville, Montgomery County. But hasn't Zern's disappeared, another victim of suburbia's onward rush? Many people believe that - so many that customers have been staying away lately, said Joanne Gresh, general manager of the 82-year-old market.

Pottstown officials are making plans to get the borough's municipal airport to take flight once again. Borough council voted last week to proceed with a contract to make TNT Inc. of Gilbertsville the airport's new operator. "The airport could be quite an asset to us as we try to get more industry into our community," Mayor Anne M. Jones said yesterday. "I have always thought this could be an asset so that it would be easier for people to do business. " For nearly two years, the airport has been without a fixed-base operator - one to provide services to aircraft owners.

The Border collie raced through the obstacle course at lightning speed, flying over jumps, charging through tunnels, and scrambling across the seesaw with ease. Revel, a champion agility dog, took to the course like the superstar she is. The 5-year-old Border collie with perky black ears, white paws, and a lithe frame has been featured on Animal Planet and ESPN. Ever since Revel was a puppy, her owner, Barbara DeMascio of Gilbertsville, has been training her with positive reinforcement . . . and winning.

A race car driver from Gilbertsville, Pa., was killed late Saturday night in a crash at the Delmar (Del.) International Speedway, police said yesterday. During the last race of the night, Charles S. Sennott, 46, was involved in an eight-car pileup, Delaware State Police said. When debris was removed, Sennott was found unresponsive in his car. Medical response teams at the track were unable to revive him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The State Police Fatal Reconstruction Team is investigating the crash to determine how the death occurred.

The Board of Commissioners last night appointed Gregory Prowant township manager, a post that had been vacant for nine months. Currently township manager for Lower Pottsgrove Township, Prowant will begin the new job Oct. 2. "The position is with a larger community than I serve now," said Prowant, who has worked for Lower Pottsgrove for more than a decade. "It has a lot of characteristics that I will enjoy. " The estimated population in Lower Pottsgrove Township is 11,000.

A 47-year-old Gilbertsville man shot his estranged wife in the head after he chased her into the employee training room of a 24-hour Wal-Mart store here late Sunday, then shot and killed himself, police said yesterday. Marsha Midgette, 45, was listed in critical condition at Hahnemann University Hospital. Her husband, Brian Midgette, of Philadelphia Avenue, had purchased ammunition for the .22-caliber handgun he used at the store less than an hour before the 9:30 p.m. attack, said Police Chief Christopher Carlile.

A 17-year-old Gilbertsville youth has been charged with illegally using six credit-card accounts in an Internet shopping spree, spending thousands of dollars in the past 2 1/2 months, Towamencin Township police said yesterday. The suspect, whose name police are not releasing because he is a juvenile, used the accounts of unsuspecting credit-card holders to buy a laptop computer, two digital video cameras, jewelry and clothing, with a value of $6,000 to $8,000, Towamencin Sgt. Joseph A. Filice said.