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The Yoga Pants Crime Wave Continues
Wiss Now's weekly newsletter
James Kratch
October 30, 2024
Photo by James Short
Welcome back to Wiss Now’s weekly newsletter! A new employer is headed to the area. Nucleus RadioPharma plans to build a 48,000-square foot office in Lower Gwynedd near the Fox Chase Cancer Center, creating 50 new jobs for the region.
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In This Week's Email:
📆 Upcoming Nearby Events
Wednesday, Oct. 30 (Tonight!)
🕵️ Murder Mystery | Historical Society of Montgomery County | 6:30-7:30 p.m., more details here
Saturday, Nov. 2
🍓 Ambler Farmers’ Market | 29 West Butler Pike | 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
👜 Brave little Hearts Designer Bingo | The Empress Room in Blue Bell | 5:30-9:30 p.m., more details here
🕯️ Mozart by Candlelight Concert | Calvary Baptist Church in Lansdale | 7:30-9:30 p.m., more details here
Saturday, Nov. 2 and Sunday, Nov. 3
🦒 Harvest Fest | Elmwood Park Zoo | 12-3 p.m., more details here
Sunday, Nov. 3
💐 Harvest Home Floral Box | The Rhoads Garden in North Wales | 1-2 p.m., more details here
🚔 The Lululemon Files
We hope the Upper Dublin Police have signed up for the rewards program by now.
The Lululemon storefront in Dresher has become a shoplifting hotspot. The latest incident: Cops responded to a theft call on Oct. 10 and literally ran into the suspects in the parking lot. Three people -- two adults and a juvenile -- were eventually arrested while over $3,500 worth of merchandise was recovered. The trio tried to get away in a car before a woman -- who had an outstanding warrant -- and the juvenile fled on foot; the woman and her male adult accomplice both face felony theft charges.
This case may be the least remarkable of the recent run. Also on the athletic apparel brand's local docket:
A Philadelphia couple allegedly stole over $36,000 worth of merchandise during three separate incidents in July, August and September. They stuffed clothing into black garbage bags and used a different getaway vehicle each time. But the third time was the charm for cops and store employees. The suspects were arrested after car- and foot-chases and an attempted carjacking.
A New York man allegedly made off with close to $6,000 worth of gear in September before being caught after his getaway driver, also from New York, was pulled over by police on a traffic stop and gave permission for a search.
And if that one sounds familiar? The same duo allegedly stole $3,000 worth of merchandise from the store in June.
OK, so why the Lululemon in Dresher? It almost assuredly has nothing to do with its employees and management, for starters. The driving forces are likely the rise of social media-based stolen goods rings and the brand itself. Lululemon sells very popular and fairly expensive products. It also infamously fired workers at a Georgia store last year for trying to stop a shoplifter — a move critics say has only emboldened thieves. And a cursory Google News search provides some anecdotal backup, highlighting similar recent incidents in Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Washington D.C. and Washington state.
🏈 Playoffs Are Here
Upper Dublin and Plymouth-Whitemarsh will begin their respective high school football postseason journeys this weekend.
UDHS will host Unionville on Friday night at 7 p.m. in the PIAA District 1 Class 5A first round. And PWHS will host Souderton on Saturday night at 5 p.m. in the 6A first round.
🗞️ News Links
🥁 Head Back In Time
The 1777 Whitemarsh Encampment will re-enacted on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Historic Hope Lodge in Fort Washington. Tickets are $8-10, but kids under six are free. The event is rain or shine with no refunds.
Gen. George Washington and the Continental Army camped in the area from Nov. 2 to Dec. 11, 1777 during the Revolutionary War, culminating with the Battle of White Marsh from Dec. 5-8. The Friends of Hope Lodge will re-enact two battles between British and Continental forces during the event; there will also be historical demonstrations and educational activities.
📫 Mayhem Passes Through
A disgruntled former postal employee’s alleged terroristic threats forced a recent lockdown at the Lansdale Post Office after the same man led Pennsylvania State Police on a car chase that rolled through Lower Gwynedd. You can read all about it in the latest weekly newsletter from North Penn Now, Wiss Now’s sibling site.
Central Bucks Now, Wiss Now’s other sibling site, also has a weekly newsletter!
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🛒 That’s A 95% Discount!
The Giant supermarket in Blue Bell allows customers to use the “Scan It” app as they shop to make checkout easier. But an alleged con artist used it as a “Scan Virtually None Of It” tool.
Whitpain cops and Giant’s loss prevention office said an East Norriton man utilized the app to steal close to $1,400 worth of groceries across eight separate visits to the store between Aug. 8 and Sept. 9, purposely under-ringing his cart to dramatic effect. The LPO eventually caught on and confirmed the theft using surveillance footage and receipts. The man then returned to the store on Oct. 12, was identified and then arrested after cops were called. The incident report states, “the total amount paid for each incident is only $74.01.”
🏘️ In Other Nearby News
🏟️ On The Field
For more on local sports, subscribe to our Philly sports newsletter, On Pattison (sent 5x per week):
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🐶 Rescue of the Week
Meet Bader, a two-year-old Pomeranian/Pug mix. She recently returned to her foster home in Oreland through Home At Last Dog Rescue after her previous owner was unable to care for her. She is crate- and house-trained and would likely fit best in a calm home and environment. If you are interested in adopting Bader or would like more information, you can reach out to to Home At Last Dog Rescue at [email protected] or visit the group's website.
Photo by James Short
Thanks for reading! See you next week. Be sure to follow Wiss Now on Facebook.