Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Winter Storm I: Storm explodes over Valley

UNDATED – When all is said and done, AccuWeather says our area may get up to a foot of snow.  The snow is expected to stop around 9:00p.m.  Blowing and drifting will continue, so travel may be treacherous. 

The governor’s office and PennDOT have urged no unnecessary travel.  Motorists are cautioned to drive with added care through the evening and morning hours.

PennDOT says if you must travel, do so with added caution, particularly on secondary roadways and ramps. Watch for drifting snow and icy areas resulting from high winds. 

PennDOT plow trucks will continue to do their jobs for as long as it takes.  However, even after roads are cleared, high winds can continue to cause hazardous conditions with drifting and blowing snow.

See the latest forecast and read all of our cancellations, delays, school announcements and postponements at www.wkok.com

Winter Storm II: Some Interstates shutdown

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pennsylvania's governor has shut down three major interstates due to blizzard conditions. Gov. Ed Rendell ordered the closures of Interstate 83 and Interstate 78, and part of Interstate 81 - from the Maryland state line to I-80. The closures took effect at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Rendell says blizzard conditions have made the roadways impassable. He says he's expecting to close more roadways as conditions deteriorate. Pennsylvania Turnpike officials say they plan to keep that road open for now. But a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission says officials are constantly monitoring conditions on the toll road.

Winter Storm III: Sunbury declares state of emergency

SUNBURY – The City of Sunbury has declared a state of emergency, and all motorists are asked to stay off the streets.  Snowplows will run until 10:00p.m.  Starting at 6:00a.m. Thursday, snow removal will begin on Market, Arch and Chestnut Streets, as well as North 4^th Street starting at Chestnut Street.  Vehicles must be removed by 6:00a.m. in these areas.

Winter Storm IV: Norry cars must be moved

NORTHUMBERLAND – Residents are being asked to remove their cars from the Snow Emergency Route tomorrow (Thursday) and are also asked to follow the “no parking on Mondays” street sign tomorrow, and the “no parking on Tuesday” street signs Friday.  There is also no parking in alleys on Friday. www.northumberlandborough.com.

Port Trevorton man injured in early morning crash

SUNBURY – A Port Trevorton man was injured in a crash on Route 11 in Snyder County around 5:00a.m. Wednesday.  State police tell us 53-year-old James Herrold lost control of his vehicle north of Tedd’s Landing restaurant and spun into the southbound travel lane, hitting a tractor-trailer driven by a man from Ontario, Canada. 

Herrold sustained moderate injuries in the crash while the driver of the rig was not injured.  Herrold was transported to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment. Route 11 was closed for about two hours while crews cleaned up the wreckage.  The incident is still under investigation.  (Ali Stevens)

Woman due in court after being charged with choking a 3-year-old

MIDDLEBURG – A Paxtonville woman is due in court this week, charged with choking a 3-year-old child.  Police say 28-year-old Lisa Leisenring is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment for the incident that took place on October 19^th. 

Doctors examined the girl and stated that “severe choking” caused the bruising on her head and face.  The young girl reportedly told Child Advocacy Center workers that Leisenring choked her for not taking a nap.  Leisenring is locked up in the Snyder County Prison awaiting a court hearing.  (Ali Stevens)

Pike County resident plans to run for the GOP nod for the 10^th Congressional District

BUSHKILL – A Pike County resident plans to run for the GOP nod for the 10^th Congressional District.  Ted Yale of Bushkill was a telephone guest on WKOK’s On The Mark program Wednesday and talked about how he made his decision to run.

Yale says he is a big political junky and was trying to find out about GOP candidates running against Congressman Chris Carney (D-10^th, Dimock), and realized there weren’t any from his area. 

Yale says he has no political experience, but still feels qualified to do the job.  He says this is a job that is more about working with people, about good government and about connecting with voters, which he says is something he knows how to do and is ready to do. 

You can hear more from candidate Ted Yale on Wednesday’s On The Mark program online at www.wkok.com.  We will also continue to feature candidates for the 10^th congressional district on upcoming On The Mark programs.  (Ali Stevens)

More candidates running for the 10^th Congressional District

SUNBURY – A businessman from the Wilkes-Barre area has announced that he will run for the 10^th congressional district.  David Madeira of Lehman Township made the official announcement on Tuesday that he will seek the Republican nomination. 

Also, Ted Yale of Bushkill in Pike County has announced that he will also run for the Republican nomination.  He was a guest on WKOK’s On The Mark program on Wednesday and he will be featured in upcoming newscasts. 

Madeira and Yale will have to face off against Snyder County Commissioner Malcolm Derk, former U.S. Attorney Tom Marino and accounting professor Steven Solieri of Lake Ariel in the primary.  Whoever wins the GOP nomination will face off against incumbent Democrat Chris Carney (D-10^th, Dimmock) in the general election.  (Ali Stevens)

Door smashed in a pharmacy burglary in Mifflinburg

MIFFLINBURG – A Mifflinburg man is behind bars following a burglary early this morning at a pharmacy.  Mifflinburg police tell us 22-year-old Kenneth Reamer smashed the glass front door to the CVS Pharmacy in Chestnut Plaza overnight.  The drug Hydrocodone was removed from the pharmacy before Reamer fled on foot.  Police say they followed footprints in the snow to Reamer’s home on Creek Road. 

Police say they found wet clothing at his home and shoes matching the footprints at the crime scene.  Reamer was arraigned before District Judge Jeffrey Mensch and sent to the Union County Prison on $50,000 bail.  Police in Mifflinburg were assisted by police in East Buffalo Township, Lewisburg and Milton.  (Ali Stevens)

Danville police receive $10,000 from truck company

DANVILLE – Danville police have received more than $10,000 from the company that hauled a wide-load over the Danville-Riverside Bridge, which got stuck and was left on the road for two weeks. 

Police Chief Eric Gill says they billed the company for the costs associated with the incident.  The money will be used to renovate the police station and assist with other purchases for Danville Fire Police and to replace things damaged by the truck. 

The truck was hauling a huge section of a windmill from Toronto to West Virginia on October 26^th.  The truck got stuck turning onto the bridge and a crane was used to help move it, but the axle broke.  The truck was then left on Front Street in Danville for two weeks awaiting repairs.  (Ali Stevens)

State police investigate a hit and run pedestrian accident that injured a 10-year-old boy

LEWISBURG – State police are investigating a hit and run pedestrian accident that happened last evening in Kelly Township, Union County.  Troopers tell us a 10-year-old boy was crossing the road at the intersection of Broad Street and Old Route 15 at 7 p.m. when he was struck by a car.  The boy told police that the driver yelled at him after he was struck and then continued driving, fleeing the scene on Route 642 towards Milton. 

The vehicle is described as a small tan or gold sedan with a Pennsylvania license plate.  The driver was described as possibly a Hispanic man with a neatly trimmed beard, approximately 30 to 40 years old.  The boy was treated for minor injuries following the accident.  Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact State Police at Milton.  (Ali Stevens)

Snow…snow…snow…

UNDATED – The second winter storm in a few days is delivering the promised snowfall. About 4 to 8 inches of snow is expected with more falling in areas to our south and east. AccuWeather says a foot of snow will fall across the south tier counties and in Philadelphia.

All area roads are passable but many are snow covered and slippery so do use caution. PennDOT, local, municipal, township, city, borough and private plows are out on roads and we know of no roads closed. All area schools are closed and the full Winternet is posted at ww.wkok.com.

Local residents are taking the potential inconvenience of a second substantial snowfall in less than four days pretty much in stride. In fact, some at a Snyder County market were preoccupied with preparations for the weekend ahead. Don Bower of Selinsgrove said his son would be visiting from the Pittsburgh area. He wanted to make some of his favorite chili, but was getting some bread and milk just in case.

Rick Brown of Milton was likewise having company. Siggie David of Liverpool said he simply had to stock up on things, and wasn’t doing much of anything different because of the impending snowfall. Much like the storm that dusted the region Friday night, more snow is predicted to the south, with less accumulation expected the further north you go. (Matt Farrand)

Three people injured in a crash outside Sunbury last night

SUNBURY – Three people were injured in a crash outside of Sunbury last evening. State police say a 17-year-old lost control of her vehicle on a rural road near Shikellamy Avenue. The vehicle went off the road and struck a utility pole head-on.

The driver and her 16-year-old passenger sustained minor injuries but did not seek medical treatment. Another passenger, 20-year-old Nikkole Cellitti of Sunbury was taken to Sunbury Community Hospital for moderate injuries. The teen driver was cited for the accident last night around 8 p.m. (Ali Stevens)

Residents advised to be alert for phone scams

LEWISBURG – East Buffalo Township Police are reminding all in the area to beware of telephone calls offering something that seems too good to be true. Local residents area apparently getting numerous calls within a short period telling them that they will receive a check for $50,000 if they send money via Western Union to a woman in Magnum, Oklahoma.

One person’s caller ID identified the numbers as 876-366-1647 and 876-266-5531. The area codes are based in Jamaica. Police did not indicate whether anyone had been taken in by the scheme, but say the calls asked for $599. (Matt Farrand)

Shikellamy School District after school program may get boost

SUNBURY – A local after school program is looking to expand, and may have a chance to do so if they are approved for a recent grant. Leslie Hosterman is the After School Director in the Shikellamy School District and says the 21st century community learning centers grant would help the program for another three years.

Hosterman says at the current time they can take about 45 students in 6th to 8th grade at both Sunbury Middle School and C.W. Rice Middle School. They hope to be able to expand to take in more kids after school, but need more volunteers according to Hosterman.

The after school program includes a short social and snack time, homework, tutoring and reading support. It takes place from 3:00p.m.-6:00p.m. Hosterman says they hope to find out soon about the grant, and then begin working on expansion by the beginning of next month. (Sara Bartlett)

Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project updates

SUNBURY – A member of the board of directors for the Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project gave us an update on the plans. Steve Connolley says studies to determine if a community college is needed or wanted in the area have been completed and the results are in. He says people and businesses are overwhelmingly interested in supporting and attending a community college in the area.

He says they are currently applying for funding and they have an opportunity for federal funding through Congressman Chris Carney (D-10th, Dimock). Connolley says the community college will most likely be located in Sunbury. They have a couple of buildings that have been offered to them, both situated in downtown Sunbury.

Connolley adds that a community college will revitalize downtown Sunbury, with more restaurants and shops opening up to cater to students coming into the area. Connolley urges those in support of the project to contact the Northumberland County Commissioners by letter, email or phone to let them know how important the project is so they have local support for it. (Ali Stevens)

3D movies may soon takeover the film industry

MILLERSBURG – 3D movies are now popular everywhere and may soon takeover the film industry. The Cinema Center in Selinsgrove is now equipped with a 3D theater and the companies Bloomsburg location will soon have 3D capabilities also. Marvin Troutman is the owner of the Cinema Centers and says it was an expensive process but they decided it was best to convert.

He says they carefully watched the industry and feels they may have been a year late getting to it. However, Troutman says they had an expensive decision to make and decided which projector to purchase. There are only about 4 or 5 different projectors for 3D films made in the whole world and only one is made in the United States, which is the kind they chose.

They decided to convert six theaters, costing about $100,000 per theater. However Troutman feels good about their investment. Troutman says there are 17 good 3D films playing in 2010. The Bloomsburg 3D experience will begin on March 4th with “Alice In Wonderland”. Other upcoming 3D films at the Cinema Center include “How To Train Your Dragon”, “Clash Of The Titans” and another “Shrek” movie. (Ali Stevens)

2nd annual “A Brighter Smile, A Clearer Vision” contest underway

LEWISBURG – For the second year in a row, a local dentist has teamed up with the Eye Center of Central PA, to provide a smile and vision makeover to two lucky winners. Dr. Larry Winans of Lewisburg will perform the smile makeover for someone deserving in the community. He says they are looking for someone who makes a difference and someone they can make feel special and important.

The Eye Center of Central PA will also provide a vision makeover, with one lucky recipient getting free eye corrective surgery. To nominate someone for the makeover, you can fill out the form on the website, http://www.brightersmileclearervision.com.

Nominations are being accepted through next Friday, so you are encouraged to nominate someone soon. The nominees will be narrowed down to just a few and then people can vote on their favorite candidate, most deserving of the makeover. (Ali Stevens)

Fundraiser a great success for Evan

LEWISBURG – A recent wine tasting event was a big success for the Evangelical Care Fund. The event was held at Reba & Poncho’s Restaurant in Lewisburg and more than $5,000 was raised. The Evangelical Care Fund supports various programs throughout Evangelical Community Hospital, including charity care, community health education and hospice. The fundraiser featured donated food from Reba & Poncho’s, as well as wine sampling from a local winery, courtesy of Dr. Julie Barna and Mark Veraguth. (Ali Stevens)

Latest Pennsylvania news, business and entertainment

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Funeral services for the late Rep. John Murtha have now been finalized for next week in the western Pennsylvania district he represented for 3 ½ decades.  Murtha's family says a private viewing will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday and Monday at Duca's Funeral Home in Johnstown.  A private funeral service begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Westmont Presbyterian Church, and a private burial service will follow at Grandview Cemetery.  Family members say a public memorial is planned at the U.S. Capitol in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, they suggest contributions to the UPMC John P. Murtha Cancer Pavilion in Johnstown or the Joyce Murtha Breast Care Center in Windber, Pa.  Murtha, D-Pa., died Monday at a hospital at age 77 after complications from gallbladder surgery.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell has nominated two attorneys to spots on the bench in a northeastern Pennsylvania county where three former judges have been charged with corruption.  Rendell spokesman Gary Tuma confirmed on Tuesday the nominations of 63-year-old Joseph Van Jura and 67-year-old Lewis Wetzel for the Luzerne County bench.  Van Jura, a Democrat, is the nominee to replace Judge Michael Toole, who resigned last month and pleaded guilty to honest services fraud and tax evasion. Wetzel, a Republican, is the nominee to replace Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr., who lost a retention vote.  Both men must win approval from the state Senate.  Two other former judges await trial on racketeering charges for allegedly taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send juveniles to private detention facilities.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pennsylvania is getting a fresh winter blast expected to bring new records - and new problems to a state still grappling with the effects of the last storm. The National Weather Service expects 10 to 20 inches of new snow in the eastern part of the state, with Philadelphia only 9.2 inches away from a new seasonal record. In western Pennsylvania, Allegheny Power says more than 30,000 are still without electricity and Duquesne Light reports 2,500 without power from Saturday's storm. Philadelphia and other cities declared snow emergencies and many school districts have closed, including systems in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Philadelphia city offices are closed and the court system mostly shut down. The city's public transit system should be running in the morning, but the mayor says service reductions are expected by midday.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The late Rep. John Murtha will be buried next week in the heart of the Pennsylvania district he represented for 3 1/2 decades. Murtha's family said Tuesday that the viewing for Murtha will be Sunday and Monday at Duca's Funeral Home in Westmont, just west of Johnstown. He will be buried Tuesday in Grandview Cemetery, also in Westmont. The times of the viewing and burial will be announced later. Murtha, D-Pa., died Monday at a hospital at age 77 after complications from gallbladder surgery. Gov. Ed Rendell must now decide when to schedule a special election to replace Murtha, who in 1974 became the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress and went on to win election to 18 terms.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell's proposal to expand the state sales tax is getting a mixed reaction in the Capitol. The Democrat wants to eliminate dozens of sales tax exemptions to help offset billions in disappearing federal funding and spiking pension costs. However, Rendell's fellow Democrats did not voice immediate support for his sales tax plan. And leaders of the Senate Republican majority say the sales tax plan is dead on arrival, and instead intend to press for cost savings in government. Rendell proposed in his annual budget address Tuesday to raise spending by about $1 billion, or 4 percent, for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Democratic leaders said they support Rendell's proposed boost in funding for public schools and oppose any effort to cut social services.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The vice chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has resigned over a pair of drunk driving convictions while operating a state vehicle. In a letter to Gov. Ed Rendell dated Monday and obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, turnpike commission Vice Chairman Timothy Carson says he was convicted of driving under the influence in 2003 and 2006. He said both incidents occurred while he was driving a turnpike commission vehicle. Carson says he is now taking responsibility for the incidents and has been in treatment since the second conviction. The letter did not explain why he waited four years to resign. Carson says he paid for damage to the vehicles on both occasions out of his own pocket, but failed to notify the commission as required.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The state Senate's longest-serving member and Democratic minority leader is retiring from the Senate. Sen. Robert Mellow said Tuesday in a statement that he will not seek re-election to an 11th consecutive term. The Lackawanna County Democrat's term expires Nov. 30. The 67-year-old Mellow says he wants to spend more time with his daughters and grandchildren after nearly 40 years of putting up with the demands of public office. He was first elected to the state Senate in 1970 and served for about 16 months in the early 1990s as the Senate's president pro tempore. He has been the Democrats' floor leader for much of the past two decades. First witness finished at Pa. corruption trial

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The first prosecution witness is finished testifying in the public corruption trial of a former state representative and three former House Democratic aides. Mike Manzo finished his testimony Tuesday after spending six days on the stand in the criminal trial of former Beaver County state Rep. Mike Veon and the one-time legislative staffers. Manzo's last morning before the jury included a detailed examination of e-mails between him and another aide with whom he had an affair. Defense attorneys sought to call Manzo's credibility into question, saying his admission that the affair continued after his 2005 marriage to co-defendant Rachel Manzo was in conflict with prior testimony. Prosecutors are expected to call Veon's former chief of staff Jeff Foreman to the stand after a lunch break.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Updates on the latest in business

Dow: 10,038.38, down -20.26

S&P 500: 1,068.13, down –2.39

NASDAQ: 2,147.87, down –3.00

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - EU leaders will discuss tomorrow how to respond to the Greek debt crisis. Greece has come under intense EU pressure to slash spending after it revealed a massive and previously undeclared budget shortfall last year that continues to rattle financial markets and the euro, the currency shared by 16 EU members.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Releasing testimony today for a canceled hearing, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has begun to outline the central bank's exit strategy. At issue is how the Fed will reel in stimulus money once the recovery is more firmly in place.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A top Republican on a House panel investigating Toyota's recalls wants the company's president to testify before Congress later this month. California Congressman Darrell Issa says the executive should meet with lawmakers and testify before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 24.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn on Wednesday:

 Midday Big 4

     2-1-8-9

 Midday Number

     0-2-3

 Midday Quinto

     6-7-0-6-7

 Treasure Hunt

     13-14-16-26-29

Leno’s final not much better in ratings

NEW YORK (AP) -- Just about as many people said goodbye to primetime Jay Leno as had been watching "The Jay Leno Show" all along. Early figures show fewer than six million people tuned in to Leno's final night. Leno joked in his monologue that "it seems like just yesterday" that he was telling NBC "this was not going to work." After a three-week break for the Olympics, Leno will return to the "Tonight Show" on March first.

TLC's 'American Chopper' reaches end of the road

NEW YORK (AP) - "American Chopper" is riding off into the sunset.  The popular TLC series based on the feuding Teutul family and their custom-built motorcycle business is going off the air after six seasons. TLC said Wednesday that the final episode will air Thursday.  The end isn't a surprise. Paul Teutul and his son, Paul Jr., have frequently fought on the air. The son recently left the New York-based Orange County Choppers to start his own business, and the two are in a court dispute over money.  The network said that "the show has always been about building one-of-a-kind bikes and the drama of running a family business. The Teutuls will always be part of the Discovery family and we congratulate them on a tremendously successful series run."

Winter weather plays havoc with B'way box office

Changes proposed in way we refer to mental ailments

WASHINGTON (AP) - The American Psychiatric Association is asking for public feedback on proposed changes to its diagnostic manual. Until May, it wants to hear from laymen as well as professionals about such changes as "intellectual disability" instead of "mental retardation." Or referring to Asperger's syndrome as a mild form of autism. Debate over the proposed changes is expected to be lively. One woman with Asperger's Syndrome notes that school autism services are often geared to help lower-functioning children, while kids with Asperger's are usually high-functioning. Other proposed changes would identify compulsive gambling as a behavioral addiction, and create a new category of learning disabilities including reading and math. The proposed update to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders would be the first since 1994. ]

Jay Leno ends his NBC prime-time experiment

NEW YORK (AP) - The television season's biggest flop is over, ushered out without sentiment by Jay Leno. NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" ended quietly on Tuesday, doomed by bad ratings and bad vibes. Leno was told "you're fired" by Donald Trump. But Leno will return to the "Tonight" show after the Olympics. In his monologue, Leno said it seems like just yesterday he was telling NBC this was not going to work. Leno also joked the show was supposed be on for two years but he got five months for good behavior.

California wants Target to pull Valentine bears

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The California attorney general is asking Target Corp. to pull its Valentine's Day "Message Bears" from store shelves over concerns about lead in the toys. In a letter sent Monday, Attorney General Jerry Brown said testing of the holiday items revealed lead levels that violate federal law. A message left at Target's corporate headquarters in Minneapolis seeking comment was not immediately returned. The products were identified as a pink stuffed bear with "XOXO" across its chest and a brown stuffed bear with "I Love U" across its chest, with the word "love" represented by a heart. Brown's letter says an investigator for the Center for Environmental Health, a nonprofit watchdog group, bought the toys at stores in California.