Good Morning. Here are some of the top stories from around the region.
WEATHER
The weekend warm up starts in earnest today. Expect the high to hit about 50 degrees. Might be mid-60s Friday.
CLICK HERE to check your local forecast.
NEWS
Opioid-related deaths continue to rise as Gov. Wolf declares statewide disaster
Pennsylvania’s governor declared the state’s opioid addiction epidemic a public health emergency Wednesday and ordered a command center set up to treat the crisis like it would a natural disaster. Gov. Tom Wolf signed an order for the 90-day disaster declaration, widening access to the state’s prescription drug monitoring program and making it easier for medical professionals to get people into drug treatment more quickly.
Man arrested in shoving match that turned into murder in South Coatesville
With the help of witnesses, investigators arrested a “Cut Throat Family” member for a murder outside of a night club. The Chester County District Attorney’s Office and South Coatesville Police Department announced on Wednesday the arrest of defendant Dominic “Buddha” Poulson as the alleged murderer of Victor Wilson, who was killed outside the Malibu Club in South Coatesville Borough on Sept. 30, 2017.
Army pilot lands Black Hawk in Limerick to visit family
There’s nothing like the feeling of returning home. No one knows that quite like Chad Carvalho, 34, originally from Pottstown. Carvalho is currently on active duty in the Army, working as a maintenance test pilot for Black Hawk helicopters, which is why when he flew into Limerick on Wednesday, he was met by a crowd of family members and friends eager to see him for the first time in quite a while.
Perkiomen woman accused of killing mother to wage mental infirmity defense
A Perkiomen Township woman has notified a judge she intends to wage a mental infirmity defense when she stands trial later this month in the stabbing death of her mother. Elena House-Hay, 22, of the 400 block of Abbey Lane, through her lawyer, notified Montgomery County Judge William R. Carpenter about the defense strategy. Under state law, defendants must notify a judge and prosecutors that a mental infirmity defense will be waged at trial.
Region’s electrical grid meets the cold weather challenge
As snow fell, temperatures bottomed out and winds roared across much of the eastern United States over the past week, the demand for electricity increased. Several winter peak demands for electricity were set across the region, landing among the top 10 winter demands for the PJM Interconnection, which manages the high-voltage power grid for 65 million consumers in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
SPORTS
Eagles’ Ajayi aims to keep rollin’ all playoffs long
Counting a semi-healthy scratch from the regular season finale, Eagles running back Jay Ajayi has had something akin to four bye weeks this season. The last time he was so fresh, he rushed for 122 yards to lead the Miami Dolphins to a victory in their season opener.
Villanova’s defense makes a not-so coincidental return against Xavier
Cancel the BOLO and call off the all-points bulletin. Villanova’s defense no longer is MIA. After giving up an average of 92 points in their first three conference games, the top-ranked Wildcats returned order to their defensive universe with another romp over Xavier, this one an 89-65 Big East whipping at essentially a half-full Wells Fargo Center. It was the first time in nearly a month that the Wildcats held a team under 70 points in a game and less than 30 in a half. The last time was against Temple, Dec. 13.
Flyers’ Giroux heading to NHL All-Star Game
Flyers captain Claude Giroux has been named to participate in the NHL All-Star Game for the fifth time in his 11-year career. The game will be played in Tampa on Jan. 28. It will be Giroux’s third appearance over a four-year span, his last appearance coming in 2016. “It’s a pretty good feeling,” Giroux said Wednesday. “I think a lot of guys on the team are deserving of going, too. But at the same time it’s pretty exciting. … The NHL always does a good job of making it a good event for the fans and for the players. It’s always a good time.”
ENTERTAINMENT
MOVIE REVIEW: ‘The Commuter’ a fun puzzle-based action flick with Liam Neeson that turns too predictable
A big, explosive train derailment lights up the screen late in “The Commuter,” but this latest action vehicle for the almost-ageless Liam Neeson runs off the rails a bit earlier. However, for more than half the movie — the latest collaboration between Neeson and director Jaume Collet-Serra (“Unknown,” “Non-Stop” and “Run All Night”) — we are given a fun little puzzler to solve along with Neeson’s character.
INXS 2.0: If you miss the old days of INXS, try Sellersville Theater Jan. 19
Singer Michael Hutchence died in 1997 and INXS stopped touring in 2012. This sets up the perfect opportunity for a tribute band called Kick — The INXS Experience.
