Lansdale Chief Michael Trail Tapped To Lead Norristown PD After Shakeup
Michael Trail, the longtime Lansdale police chief, will be appointed Norristown’s new top cop following the abrupt resignation of Jacqueline Bailey-Davis, officials announced on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2025.
His official appointment is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 19, with a start date expected later this fall. Lt. James Angelucci will remain acting chief in the interim.
Sudden Departure Of Former Chief
Bailey-Davis was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 25, 2024, less than a year into her tenure. She quietly resigned on Dec. 3. Norristown officials never disclosed details of her departure, cit…
PA Woman Killed In Route 519 Crash: Njsp
A 23-year-old Lansdale woman was killed in a car crash on Route 519 on Sunday, July 27, authorities said.
At 1:07 p.m., troopers responded to Route 519 south in White Township after a Chevrolet traveled off the round, reentered the southbound lanes, crossed the double yellow lines and crashed into a Ford SUV, Charles Marchan, a spokesperson for the New Jersey State Police said.
The Chevrolet then went off the road and crashed into a utility pole, Marchan said.
Rosa Castro Zumba, a passenger in the Chevrolet was killed in the crash, Marchan said. The driver, a 29-year-old Lansdale man sust…
Coopersburg Dad Killed In Motorcycle Crash: Northampton County Coroner
A Coopersburg dad was killed in a motorcycle crash in Williams Township, the Northampton County Coroner’s Office announced on Tuesday, July 29.
James Richard Swinney, 47, of Coopersburg, was the operator and sole occupant of a motorcycle that crashed at the intersection of Raubsville and Hexenkopf Roads in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 27, 2025, Coroner Zachary R. Lysek said.
The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, and the manner of death was ruled accidental, according to the coroner. No additional details were released.
Swinney, known to friends and family as “Jim…
Lansdale Farm Sanctuary Owners Charged With Animal Torture, Neglect After Devastating Fire
A Montgomery County animal sanctuary that raised nearly $70,000 in donations after a deadly barn fire is now under criminal investigation — and its owners are facing charges of torturing the very animals they claimed to protect.
Erin Beth Wiggle, 46, and Michael Wiggle, 52, of Lansdale, were arrested Wednesday, July 23 by Montgomery County animal control officers. The couple, who run the House of Wiggle Goats in Worcester Township, are charged with 14 criminal counts tied to alleged abuse, neglect, and torture.
The charges include four counts of Felony Aggravated Cruelty to Animals – Tortur…
Teens Critically Hurt After Truck Slams Into Moving Freight Train, Sparks Fire In Lansdale: PD
A pickup truck carrying two teens slammed into a moving freight train in Montgomery County, bursting into flames and partially derailing a tank car, Lansdale police announced on Thursday, July 3.
The fiery crash happened on South Broad Street just before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, July 1, police said. A 2023 white Chevrolet Silverado collided with the train at the active crossing, where both the gate arms, lights, and alarms were fully functioning at the time of the crash.
The impact was so powerful it caused one of the tank cars to derail, according to authorities. The pickup caught fire, but by t…
Exclusive: ‘This Can’t Stand’ Husband Demands Justice After Wife Killed In Crosswalk
A Pennsylvania man is demanding criminal charges be filed after his wife, Diane Kopena, a beloved community volunteer and New Jersey native, was fatally struck in a Lansdale crosswalk. The driver who hit her has only been cited for traffic violations.
“You can’t take the life of a human being and it’s just OK. Just wipe the blood off your pickup and live on as if nothing ever happened,” said her husband, George Kopena, in an exclusive statement to Daily Voice.
Diane, 71, died on Thursday, May 1, 2025—days after being hit at Columbia Avenue and Richardson Avenue on April 24. On Friday, J…
NJ Native Killed In Crosswalk; Driver Cited, But Not Charged In Lansdale Crash: Police
A Pennsylvania woman was fatally struck while crossing the street in Lansdale, but the driver behind the wheel won’t face criminal charges, police announced on Friday, June 13, 2025.
Diane Kopena, 71, died days after being hit by a vehicle at Columbia Avenue and Richardson Avenue on April 24, according to the Lansdale Police Department. She succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, May 1.
The driver remained on scene, rendered aid, and called for help, the police explained. Following a joint investigation with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, investigators found no signs of re…
NJ Fugitive Joshua Ronan Arrested For Attempted Murder PA
A New Jersey fugitive accused of beating a man with a brick in Hatfield, Montgomery County, PA, earlier this month has been taken into custody, authorities announced Friday, Nov. 22.
Joshua Ronan, 30, of Lansdale, was arrested without incident at a female friend's apartment on East Main Street in Lansdale, according to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, Hatfield Police Chief William Tierney, and Lansdale Police Chief Michael Trail.
Ronan is charged with Criminal Attempt-Murder and other offenses in the Nov. 5, 2024, attack on Mark Miller, 41, of Lansdale, authorities said. …
Several Coyotes Spotted Roaming In Lansdale Park: Police
Several coyotes have been spotted around a Montgomery County park, according to police.
There have been some sightings of the wild canines around Lansdale's Wissahickon Park, the Lansdale Police Department said in a news release on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
The Eastern Coyote's numbers have been rising in Pennsylvania for years, police said. This is because "urban areas are a constant source of food, water, shelter, and space year-round."
Their migration into these urban areas can sometimes lead to attacks on pets, and on rare occasions, even humans, according to police.
Coyotes can become a prob…
Lansdale BBQ Pitmaster Mike Wister Of NJ Dies Suddenly From Illness
A Pennsylvania BBQ pitmaster and business owner with roots in New Jersey has died suddenly, according to his obituary posted by Huff & Lakjer Funeral Home.
Michael "Mike" C. Wister, 58, originally of Elizabeth, NJ, but most recently of Lansdale, PA, passed away suddenly after a short illness at home on Saturday, Sept. 28, as detailed in his obituary.
For 20 years, Mike ran small roadside BBQ stands, then he ran Wister’s Barbecue on Main Street for five years before moving to Broad Street in Lansdale where it's been for over two years, as explained in his obituary.
In his spare time, h…
Coroner IDs Lansdale Motorcyclist, 68, Killed In Crash
Officials have identified the 68-year-old Lansdale motorcyclist killed in a crash on Monday, Sept. 9.
David F. Yacko died in the crash at Geigel Hill and Cafferty roads in Lansdale on Monday, Sept. 9, Bucks County Coroner Patricia Campi tells Daily Voice.
A Philadelphia native, Yacko was passionate about cars, and worked as a skilled mechanic for more than 50 years, according to an obituary published by Huff and Lakjer Funeral Home.
"He was known by all for his ability to fix or make anything that you could need," it reads. "From birdwatching, to te…
Detour Ahead: Train Track Work To Slow Traffic In Lansdale
Lansdale drivers can expect detours over the weekend as work begins on the Main Street SEPTA track crossing, officials say.
SEPTA workers will be removing and replacing the existing crossing surface, worn ties, and rails through the intersection, according to borough police.
A new asphalt surface and approaches will be installed, milled, and paved to provide a smoother ride across the tracks, authorities said.
Work is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 17, and last through 6 p.m. Monday, May 20.
Main Street between North Broad Street an…
Six PA Lotto Winners To Split Prize
Six Pennsylvanians picked the five winning numbers in the Tuesday, Jan. 16 drawing for the "Treasure Hunt" game, according to Lottery officials.
The half-dozen winners would have earned $200,001, but will now split the prize into individual prizes of $33,333.50 each.
The winning tickets were sold at the following locations:
Narayan Hari Inc., 549 Doylestown Road, Lansdale, Montgomery County;
Hanover Convenience Inc., 1100 South Main St., Hanover Township, Luzerne County;
Rutter’s, 935 Plank Road, Duncansville, Blair County;
Penn Crossing Giant Eagle, 2000 Penny Lane…
Here's Who Got The Most Snow In Southeastern Pennsylvania
Greater Philadelphia woke up in a winter wonderland Tuesday, Jan. 16 as a wintry system worked its way up the eastern seaboard Monday night, Jan. 15, and into the early morning hours.
Though the snowfall has mostly tapered off, winter weather advisories remain in effect as of 3 p.m. Tuesday for Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties, said the National Weather Service.
Here's how snowfall totals stacked up across the region in the last 24 hours, according to NWS meteorologists.
Berks County had its highest snowfal…
