Day: October 5, 2012

By Pattie Price

Heather Briggs, 43, of Philadelphia, was held in abstentia for a Nov. 1 arraignment in Common Pleas Court on the charges of identity theft and forgery by by Magisterial District Judge Dave Lang. The charges stem from an incident 2:40p.m., June 19, at Broomall Rehab and Nursing Home, 50 N. Malin Road.

According to the affidavit, Marple Detective Mike Sharkey said Ms. Briggs applied for a nurses aide position in March and provided a false certificate from the Department of Health that she successfully completed the training program and competency evaluation program and she was hired. Sometime in June, the Nursing Home checked the registration she provided and found it was registered to another woman.

Marple Police checked with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and confirmed the registration number was assigned to another person and a different Social Security number than Ms. Briggs. It was determined that Ms. Briggs was never enrolled in the PA Nurse Aide Registry.

By Pattie Price

In a change of venue hearing Newtown Township’s former Fire Marshal Joe Certo, 45, of Newtown, was held for a Nov. 1 arraignment in Common Pleas Court on the charges of simple assault and harassment by Magisterial District Judge Dave Lang. The charges stem from a domestic altercation 5:30 p.m., Dec. 1, at his Golf Club Lane residence.

According to the affidavit, Newtown Officer Joe Vandegrift said Certo’s wife reported that he assaulted her 4a.m., Nov. 30, while she was asleep in her bedroom. She had bruises on her arm. Mrs. Certo said she was asleep in her bed when she heard a loud noise and was pulled violently across her bed by her estranged husband. When she yelled for him to stop, he did but got into her bed and pretended to be asleep.

Police assisted the victim in obtaining a protection from abuse order.

The Labor Department reports that the unemployment rate has dipped to 7.8 percent for September which would be the first time it has been beneath 8 percent since Obama took office in 2009.

President Obama signed the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act into law in 2009. Since then, however, his administration has reportedly not set up half of the installation voting assistance office as required by the law.