The Home News Your Local News
JANUARY 9-15, 2020
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Photos by Bill Rohrer/Newsworking
Fire roars through Bath duplex, 2 jump from building by HOME NEWS STAFF On Friday, Jan. 3 flames engulfed a home in the Bath Borough. Around 9 a.m. firefighters responded to the scene of 214
E. Northampton St., half of a three-story twin. The home was already fully engulfed upon arrival. Two out of the five residents were taken to the hospital
with injuries from jumping out of a window to escape the fire. A firefighter was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Students were safely evacu-
Moore Township holds Re-organization Meeting By JASON KAMERY The Moore Township Board of Supervisors had their re-organization meeting at 7 p.m. on Jan. 6 at the Moore Township Municipal building. Daniel Piorkowski will remain chairman and David Shaffer will continue to serve as vice chairman. Other appointments include Nicholas Steiner as township manager/secretary/treasurer and Jason Harhart as the zoning and
Police blotter Page 9
building officer. David Backenstoe will serve another one-year term as township solicitor and Kevin Horvath another year as township engineer. Replacing Henry Van Blargan as emergency management coordinator is David Ohl. The earned income tax collector and local services tax collector will be Keystone Collections. The police department noted there were 362 total incidents in December. Leaf collection is now over in Moore Township and the Historical Commission is looking for new members. All resolutions passed, these included Resolution 2020-02, non-uniformed pension plan rate; Resolution 2020-03, police pension plan contribution exoneration; Resolution 202004, chief administration officer police pension plan and Resolution 2020-05 the Conner/Gar-
ner deed of dedication. Township Manager Nicholas Steiner said he spoke to Portnoff Law Associates to handle delinquent real estate tax collection for the municipality. “He explained to me that the county is really limited in what they can and cannot do with real estate tax collection,” Steiner said. “So instead of the county collecting on behalf of the municipality, they would collect them on our behalf. State law gives them additional tools to receive that money quicker as well as to pass it onto us. The idea is to get the money to us quicker and frankly it sounds better for the residents because they may not even know they are delinquent because of how the process is.” The next Bard of Supervisors meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Feb. 4 at the Moore Township Municipal building.
ated from neighboring Sacred Heart School to the Bath Fire Social Club. The cause of the fire is currently still under investigation
by the fire marshal at time of print. If anyone is interested in offering support to the families affected, please contact the Borough office.
Mayor urges council To push forward with Rental inspection Ordinance following fire By KERI LINDENMUTH Following a January 3 fire that injured at least two people, Bath Mayor Fiorella Mirabito is urging the borough’s council to push forward with a rental inspection ordinance before another tragedy strikes the borough. Plans for an ordinance have been in and out of committee for about a year. “There were several issues [in the home] that if we would have had a rental inspection, they would have been caught,” she said during council’s January 6 meeting. At least ten local fire departments responded to the fire, which started around 8:30 a.m. at 214-216 East Northampton Street. Two residents were in-
jured when jumping from the building. Students at nearby Sacred Heart School had to be evacuated to the Bath Fire Social Hall. Councilman Frank Hesch echoed the mayor’s concerns. He said a rental inspection ordinance is long-past due. “What went unaddressed, I am very angry about. We need this now more than ever,” he Continued on page 4
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