Community Reacts to Death of Police Officer

Since Officer Wertz's death there has been an outpouring of support from the communities he once protected. Now some whom he watched over as a police officer, are doing whatever they can to help take care of the family he left behind. WFMZ's Melissa Batulis joins us live from Police Headquarters with more on this show of support. Melissa??

Inside here, Officer Scott Wertz's fellow police officers are mourning his death.

But they're not alone...those who knew him and even those who didn't are feeling the loss and some are reaching out to help ease the pain.

FRITZ:

23:24-23:30

"He always had that smile, that Cheshire cat smile."

TRACK:

That smile is what those who knew Scott Wertz say they'll remember most.

FRITZ:

20:07-20:10

"As soon as you met him, you knew you liked him just because of his personality."

TRACK:

Fritz Wenrich was on Sinking Spring Borough Council when Officer Wertz joined their police force -- before he became a Reading police officer.

He also spent many hours with Wertz on the softball field...one of the police officer's other passions.

FRITZ:

23:07-23:10

"He'll just be sorely missed."

NATS:

10:38-10:41

"Ice cold lemonade here for Officer Wertz!"

TRACK:

Officer Wertz's legacy even touched some of the city's youngest citizens.

TYLER:

14:29-14:36

"My uncle was a cop and he knew him.

He was his friend."

TRACK:

When nine-year-old Tyler Minicozzi heard about the shooting, he turned his efforts to raise some extra summer money into a fund for Officer Wertz's wife and two children.

TYLER:

16:52-16:57

"Their family and their dad is very brave."

BUTT WITH 15:45-15:53-COVER SEAM

"Their dad did something very brave and just losing them would make almost everybody cry."

Tyler's lemonade stand is on the corner Linden and Buttonwood Streets.

He'll be there for the next week.

Live at police headquarters, Melissa Batulis, 69 News, Berks Edition.

A fund has been set up to help Officer Wertz's two young children.

Donations can be sent to the Wertz Scholarship Fund, in care of the BARTA Berks Federal Credit Union, 1049 Exeter Street, Reading, P - A, 19604.

A viewing will be held at the Kuhn Funeral Home on Penn Avenue Tuesday evening from 5:00 until 9:00. A second viewing and funeral services will be held Wednesday at the Sovereign Center on Penn Street in Downtown Reading. That viewing will take place from 9AM until Noon and will be followed by the services and a funeral procession to the Charles Evans Cemetery, where Officer Wertz will be laid to rest.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.