Whitemarsh Park Shooting Motive Emerges

Welcome back to Wiss Now’s weekly newsletter! A Lower Gwynedd farm participated in a program donating Christmas trees to members of the military, shipping evergreens to an Army base in Missouri.

In This Week's Email:

• 📆 Upcoming Nearby Events

• 🚨 The Latest On The Whitemarsh Park Shooting

• 🚙 Ambler Wants To Make Butler Avenue Stretch Safe …

• ✍️ A New Weekly Column On Wiss Now

• 🗞️ News Links

• 🚔 Blue Bell Man Has Quite The History

• 🏘️ In Other Nearby News

• 🐶 Rescue of the Week

• 🏟️ Play Ball

• ☄️What Is Happening Here?

📆 Upcoming Nearby Events

Wednesday, Dec. 18 (tonight!)

• 🍷 Holiday Sip & Shop | Knights of Columbus in Glenside | 6-9 p.m., more details here

Saturday, Dec. 21

• 🫐 Lansdale Farmers Market | Penn Street | 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., more details here

• 🎄 Merry Christmas Kids Fair | Ritmos Unidos Dance Studio in Willow Grove | 12-3 p.m., more details here

• 🕵️‍♂️ Murder Mystery Dinner | William Penn Inn in Gwynedd | 6 p.m., more details here

Sunday, Dec. 22

• 🎅 Brunch with Santa | Na Brasa in Horsham | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., more details here

You can find a calendar of events for the towns in the Wiss Now region by following these links: Ambler | Lower Gwynedd | Upper Dublin | Whitemarsh | Whitpain | Regional calendar

🚨 The Latest On The Whitemarsh Park Shooting

Police have determined the motive in last month's shooting incident at Miles Park in Whitemarsh.

ICYMI: A 19-year-old Chester County man allegedly shot an 18-year-old Hatboro man in the pelvis. The victim survived despite suffering life-threatening injuries. The accused shooter, Devin Andrew Burns, remains in jail on felony aggravated assault charges with $150,000 bail.

Cops said a large group of young adults and teenagers gathered at the park for a fight between several women regarding a social media-related conflict. The victim's girlfriend is Burns' former romantic partner, according to police, and Burns’ current girlfriend confirmed he was at the scene.

Burns allegedly shot the other man at some point during the fight. He then led law enforcement on a car chase and allegedly intentionally rammed an occupied police vehicle when cops tried to arrest him at his Glenmoore residence the next day.

🚙 Ambler Wants To Make Butler Avenue Stretch Safer

A lot can go wrong in two-tenths of a mile.

Butler Avenue between Bethlehem Pike and Race Street in Ambler experienced 11 reportable crashes during a four-year study period, plus 11 non-reportable ones. The borough is now soliciting public input and working through short- and long-term options to improve the busy two-way street with parking on both sides. Here is a complete look at what is on the table.

✍️ A New Weekly Column On Wiss Now

Managing Editor Melissa S. Finley — who previously authored the Montco Mommy column — has launched a new feature. Two Free Pennies will run weekly on Wiss Now and its Access Media sibling sites. Here is the first installment.

🗞️ News Links

• Two injured in severe crash in Whitpain

• Lower Gwynedd reinforces e-bike, scooter safety regulations

• How Gwynedd Mercy will use a $1 million grant

• Upper Dublin Human Rights Commission plans speaking event

• Tax hikes on the table in Whitpain

🚔 Blue Bell Man Has Quite The History

Talk about a long rap sheet.

State Police said a Blue Bell man with 38 pages of outstanding traffic warrants was arrested for DUI earlier this month in Limerick. Cops responded to a disabled vehicle call and found Peter Lacey, 66, blocking eastbound traffic on Route 422 with his truck. They then determined he was impaired and driving with a revoked license.

🏘️ In Other Nearby News

• Upper Gwynedd family displaced by fire

• Arrest made in Lower Merion home invasion homicide

• Underground gas leak shuts down Five Points in Montgomery

• Montco Historical Society has new leader

• Pastor makes history at Silverdale church

To keep up with news outside the Wiss Now area, make sure to subscribe to the weekly newsletters for our siblings sites — North Penn Now and Central Bucks Now.

🐶 Rescue of the Week

Meet Chloe, a three-year-old American Pitbull Terrier searching for a home through Home At Last Dog Rescue. She is crate- and house-trained, walks well on a leash and loves to run around the yard and play. Chloe is very social and cat-friendly; she does well with older kids. A good home for her would be a family with a yard, but a yard is not required.

If you are interested in adopting Chloe or would like more information, you can reach out to Home At Last Dog Rescue at [email protected] or visit the group's website.

🏟️ Play Ball

• Ranger Suarez has hired Scott Boras

• A new hot take about Jalen Hurts

• Inside Scott Laughton’s big night

• The Sixers continue to own the Hornets

• Is Alec Bohm being overvalued?

For more on local sports, subscribe to our Philly sports newsletter, On Pattison (sent 5x per week):

☄️What Is Happening Here?

Mysterious drone sightings in the Northeast, including in this region, have been a hot topic of discussion and speculation. And Wiss Now’s James Short managed to capture his own footage of a strange object in the sky via his dash cam while recently on assignment. What do you think?

Last week’s poll question: Have you (or will you) attend a local tree lighting event this year?

• No (80%)

• Yes (20%)

Thanks for reading! See you next week. Be sure to follow Wiss Now on Facebook.