Walker prevails in court on Covid-related county records request – Bucks Round-Up – August 1, 2025
Walker prevails in court on Covid-related county records request
Jamie Walker, a New Britain Township resident seeking documents regarding Bucks County’s strict August 2021 health guidance, prevailed in the Court of Common Pleas yesterday. Judge Stephen Corr affirmed a May 2022 decision by the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records to grant Walker’s request for a month’s worth of Democratic County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia’s government email correspondence. Walker asked for the records to clarify which county officials authored the Covid-related guidance which contradicted County Health Director Dr. David Damsker’s less draconian recommendations. Rather than willingly provide documents to Walker and Megan Brock, who made related inquiries, the county fought the activists in court with the help of then solicitor and now district attorney candidate Joe Khan. Yesterday marked the second recent court victory for the requesters, Brock having won a similar ruling in Commonwealth Court two weeks ago.
“I’m happy that the courts upheld the [state] Right to Know Law, because we all want a transparent Pennsylvania,” Walker told The Independence. “It’s unfortunate that the Democrats have been using my tax money — Bucks County tax money — to make Pennsylvania less transparent…. It’s the government fighting their constituents with their own money.”
The county has 90 days to give Walker the emails.
Bensalem man charged after thousands of child porn files found
A 74-year-old Bensalem Township man is behind bars after authorities say they found a staggering cache of child pornography in his home. Police acted on a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which led detectives to Dennis Realley’s residence on Woodview Drive. A search warrant turned up approximately 10,000 illicit files across computers and mobile devices, many depicting children under 10. Realley faces multiple counts related to the sexual abuse of children. He remains in custody at the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10% of $500,000 bail.
Falls Township advances long-delayed crosswalk safety project
Students in the Pennsbury School District will soon see improved safety at key crossings, following action by the Falls Township Board of Supervisors. The board unanimously approved a $59,990 pedestrian safety upgrade at New Falls Road in the Thornridge and Vermillion neighborhoods. The project includes installation of crosswalks with pedestrian-activated flashing lights. Supervisor Jeff Boraski welcomed the move but criticized state lawmakers and PennDOT for delays. “We introduced this project two years ago in June or May of 2023 and it’s finally nice to see this come through, thanks to the board and staff but no thanks to our state reps, no thanks to the state of Pennsylvania, that’s a state highway. They wanted nothing to do with helping us. The delay of this project is on the State of Pennsylvania for a project that they were not funding and offered no help.” Logistics with Falls Township, the contractor and PennDOT still need to be finalized. No completion date has been announced.
Doctor urges medication diligence, offers safety tips
Dr. Stephen Vanni, host of Capital Health Watch on WBCB, is advising patients to stay disciplined with their prescriptions, especially for serious conditions like diabetes or post-operative care. Speaking on-air, Vanni warned against double-dosing medications if you’re unsure whether you already took them. “Depending on what you’re taking, it could be dangerous,” he said, pointing to the risk of low blood sugar. He recommends using a pill organizer and calling your doctor if in doubt. Vanni stressed that certain meds, such as heart and infection-preventing drugs, should never be skipped or altered without professional guidance.
Joe LeCompte hosts LeCompte in the Morning on WBCB 1490. Bradley Vasoli is the senior editor of The Independence.
