Monday, March 8, 2010

Sewer Authority President puzzled by theft

NORTHUMBERLAND – The Northumberland Borough Sewer Authority is working fast to get back on track following the theft of nearly $300,000 over a five-year period allegedly by former clerk and borough council member 48-year-old Cynthia Lark.  Authority President Jack Fasold says he still can’t believe how it all unraveled.  He says he has known Lark for over a dozen years, and considered her as close as a daughter.  Fasold says he doesn’t know how she pulled the wool over the Authority’s eyes.

Fasold says the last time he spoke to Lark was before she was arrested, telling her not to come to work while the investigation was ongoing.  He says he had the same question as many others: how did auditors not catch Lark’s forgery?

Fasold calls Lark ‘very clever’ in covering her tracks.  She would get the money by not paying tax bills, giving herself more money and forging signatures on the checks.  Fasold says she would also perform audits herself and that even after the theft was uncovered, auditors and those investigating were shocked at how accurate Lark was.

The Authority does have insurance that will cover Lark’s misuse of funds.  Lark is free on $20,000 bail and has a preliminary hearing Wednesday.  Fasold says they already have sixty applications submitted and are ready to hire a new person for the job.  The Sewer Authority’s next meeting is March 22^nd at 4:30p.m., and will be at the Kiwanis building in Northumberland. (Sara Bartlett)

Fire destroyed a home in Lewisburg

LEWISBURG – A home was destroyed by fire in Lewisburg on Sunday.  The home owned by Ervin and Ruth Martin is located at 83 Whitetail Lane in Lewisburg.  The family of seven was not home when the fire started around 3 p.m. on Sunday.  About 50 firefighters were called to the scene from White Deer Township, Lewisburg, Mifflinburg, Milton and Turbot Township and they remained there for several hours.

Heavy smoke was pouring from the home when crews arrived and an attached garage was already destroyed. A state police fire marshal will investigate the cause.  The Union County Red Cross is assisting the Martin family.   (Ali Stevens)

Congressional candidates to have panel discussion

LEWISBURG – Republican candidates running for the 10^th Congressional District will take part in a panel discussion this evening at Bucknell University.  The Susquehanna Valley Conservatives are hosting the event, which will take place at 7:00p.m. in the Langone Center on campus. 

Candidates who have confirmed their attendance are Malcolm Derk of Snyder County, David Maderia of Luzerne County, Tom Marino of Lycoming County and Steven Solieri of Wayne County.  Ted Yale of Pike County has not confirmed his attendance.  The five ar looking to run against incumbent Democrat Congressman Chris Carney (PA-10^th, Dimock).

Bucknell hosts Nobel Peace Prize winner

LEWISBURG – A Nobel Peace Prize winner will speak Tuesday on the Bucknell University campus.  Jody Williams is the founding coordinator and campaign ambassador of the international campaign to ban landmines.  Williams is a former teacher who created a sweeping international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines.  She was the 10^th woman in history and third American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Price. 

Currently she focuses on stopping genocide in Darfur and fighting for women’s rights around the world.  All are invited to this free event, at 7:30p.m. in Trout Auditorium on the Bucknell University campus.

Wood-Mode’s fire today slowed production for a short time

KREAMER – A fire in an office area—at the Wood-Mode plant in Kreamer today—slowed production for about 90-minutes. A company spokesman Tom Morganson tells us the fire was centered in an office in their boiler department and it damaged that desk and the office area. He said the sprinkler system and a fast response by the Kreamer fire company extinguished the fire quickly.

He said the 3:30a.m. fire saw a response from the Kreamer, Selinsgrove, Middleburg, Hummels Wharf, Shamokin Dam and Northumberland fire companies. He said that is a ‘full industrial alarm,’ which involves the main fire fighting responders, plus additional crews including a Rapid Intervention Team from Shamokin Dam and an additional ladder truck from Northumberland. 

Volunteers were on the scene until just after 5a.m. Morganson said when workers began their day at 7:00a.m., some production was delayed about 90-minutes and then the day returned to normal, after the small fire at Wood-Mode in Kreamer this morning.

Police search for man who exposed himself

PORT TREVORTON – State police are investigating after a report of indecent exposure in Port Trevorton.  Troopers tell us a woman was walking along Winding Road in Chapman Township Sunday afternoon, when a man in a vehicle stopped to ask for directions.  When the woman told him how to get to McNess Road, the man got out of the vehicle and exposed himself to her.  He then fled the scene in his car. 

Troopers say the man is a heavy-set white male in his 20’s or 30’s wearing sunglasses.  He was driving a small dirty car, maroon in color.  Anyone with information is asked to contact State Police at Selinsgrove.  (Ali Stevens)

Detours in the Elysburg area

ELYSBURG – Detours are planned for Snydertown Road and Bottle Drive in Ralpho Township, Northumberland County starting next week.  PennDOT tells us work will be done from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting March 18^th along Snydertown Road between Route 487 and Shamrock Road.  After that section of road is completed, another section between Shamrock Road and Penn Avenue will be completed with the same detour in place until about June 1^st. 

Fire kills livestock, levels buildings

WASHINGTONVILLE – Livestock died in a late-night fire at a farm near Washingtonville, and officials say a woodstove or electrical problem could be the cause. A shed, pen and workshop on the Ralph Zook property burned to the ground in Derry Township, Montour County at about 9:50 p.m. Saturday.

Three hogs reportedly perished in the blaze, and some farm equipment was destroyed. Washingtonville, Millville, Warrior Run, Riverside and Valley Township fire personnel responded to the property on Continental Boulevard in and had the fire under control in about an hour. (Matt Farrand)

Snydertown men, Sunbury woman injured in head on crash

RIVERSIDE – A Snydertown man is a in serious condition at Geisinger Medical Center after a two vehicle crash Saturday morning. State troopers say 52-year-old John Smink was airlifted to Geisinger after the 8:00 a.m. crash on SR 4004 in Rush Township, Northumberland County. His northbound vehicle was hit head on by a van driven by 43 year old Linda Scanzillo of Sunbury, who apparently drove into the oncoming lane.

Scanzillo sustained what were described as moderate injuries. 48-year-old Thomas Smink of Snydertown was riding in the John Smink vehicle, and was treated and released for injuries sustained in the crash near Murphy Road. (Matt Farrand)

Dance-a-thon raises money for Heiter Center summer camps

LEWISBURG – A Saturday dance-a-thon raised money for summer camp programs at Lewisburg’s Donald Heiter Community Center. Participants could dance for a five-dollar per hour donation, or stay the entire 13-hours for a donation of $25.00.

Each hour had a theme, featuring either music from a specific decade, or for a specific age group. Youth Programmer Jane Kessler says about a dozen participants danced during the daytime hours, with more expected for the Michael Jackson tribute dance at night. (Matt Farrand)

More than 1,300 attend amusement resort job fair

ELYSBURG – Seasonal job applicants again lined up Saturday at an Elysburg area fire hall in search of employment at Knoebels Amusement Resort. More than 1,300 applied for the more than 600 jobs the resort offers annually. The pay rate ranges from $6.10 to more than $7.25 per hour. Resort officials note that there is turnover through the summer season, and they often hire people as late as August. (Matt Farrand)

Cable boxes do not monitor viewing habits

SUNBURY – Service Electric Cablevision customers can view whatever they choose in confidence that their privacy is not being violated. The company is not monitoring your viewing habits according to local Division Manager Dwight Walter.

He says the boxes customers receive only collect data for billing purposes. He also talked about franchise fees, new tuners and digital technology while appearing on Thursday’s edition of (WKOK’s) On The Mark program. You can download Walter’s entire comments online from www.wkok.com (Matt Farrand)

S-U DiRT team to restore homes in Atlanta

SELINSGROVE – Rather than basking in the sun on a beach, more than half a dozen Susquehanna University students plan to spend their spring break helping rebuild flood-damaged neighborhoods in the Atlanta area. They are members of SU’s Disaster Relief Team, and include junior Chelsey Bennett.

The creative writing major says they will be working with other community groups on a variety of tasks. Bennett says damage from the disaster was comparable to that from Hurricane Katrina, but received only a fraction of the news coverage.

Students and chaperones will be working with students from other colleges, and will assemble at an Atlanta area church. Assignments could include everything from working in animal shelters to rebuilding homes. The group known as DiRT will head south Saturday morning, and expects to return on Friday. Eight people died in Atlanta area flooding last September. (Matt Farrand)

Influenza cautions still advised in spite of H1N1 fizzle

LEWISBURG – Emergency rooms and school nurses saw a spike in flu cases during the fall and early winter of 2009. Many of them were of the H1N1 strain. But did the so-called swine flu fizzle? Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention think so, and credit publicity and widespread distribution of the vaccine.

Evangelical Community Hospital’s Infection Control Practitioner Paula Roseth agrees, and says the number of cases has leveled off to nearly nothing in the last couple of months. Roseth is somewhat optimistic that the worst is over, but warns that flu season traditionally lasts until May, and anti-flu precautions should be taken in the meantime. (Matt Farrand)

Latest Pennsylvania news, lottery, business and entertainment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Mayors of small and medium-sized Pennsylvania cities say the Legislature must allow them to raise new tax revenue to prevent more of them from falling into financial crisis.  More than two dozen mayors appeared Monday in the Capitol to push lawmakers to take action on bills that would help the cities get new revenue from sales taxes and reimbursements for tax-exempt properties.  Reading Mayor Tom McMahon says lawmakers need to acknowledge the crisis before crucial services in entire regions are in jeopardy.  Reading was recently declared distressed under a state law.  The mayors say they aren't looking for a bailout, but need the tools to help themselves. The cities get a large portion of their income from property taxes.  

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - The police chief in a Georgia college town says authorities hope to interview Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the next several days about a sexual assault accusation against him.  Milledgeville Police Chief Woodrow Blue offered little other new information at a press conference Monday. Police are investigating a 20-year-old college student's claim that Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her early Friday. He has not been charged.  Blue says police have been talking with Roethlisberger's attorney, Ed Garland, and they expect Garland to arrange for them to speak with the quarterback.  Deputy chief Richard Malone says the accuser has also  hired an attorney, but he would not say who that is.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A former janitor has admitted stealing a World Series ring left in a restroom at the Phillies' ballpark.  Fifty-three-year-old Anthony Mobley pleaded guilty Monday in the theft of the $10,000, diamond-encrusted World Series ring. Authorities say a Phillies marketing executive left the ring in a stadium washroom then discovered it was missing when he went back for it about a half-hour later.  Investigators say surveillance footage led police to Mobley, who took officers to where he'd stashed the ring in a supply closet.  Assistant District Attorney Anthony Nardozzi says the ring had been wedged between the ceiling and a wall.  Mobley's attorney says his client is a good man who made a poor decision.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 2.

BUSHKILL, Pa. (AP) - A hotel and its 155-acre property in the Poconos will go on the auction block next month after a bank took control of the cash-strapped resort.  Pocmont Resort in Bushkill will go up for auction on April 16. It closed in November for seasonal repairs and hasn't opened since.  Former Pocmont general manager Greg Artzt says the owners turned the property over the First National Community Bank in January in lieu of foreclosure.  Scranton-based Crowley Real Estate Auction says the minimum bid will be $3.5 million for the property, its 160-room hotel and other buildings.  Fire destroyed the hotel in 1996. It was rebuilt two years later.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A former student has been found dead in a Carnegie Mellon University fraternity house. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office says 20-year-old Matthew Tembo was pronounced dead at 1:10 p.m. Sunday. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday. The university says foul play is not suspected. Pittsburgh police say Tembo had been celebrating a friend's birthday Saturday night. Detective Christine Williams says the friends "likely drank too much." He was found by one of the friend's roommates at the Pi Kappa Alpha house. Tembo was a student at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, about 30 miles southeast of Carnegie Mellon. He attended Carnegie Mellon, a top-ranked university recognized for its arts and technology programs, in 2007 and 2008.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - If you owe back state taxes, now isn't the time to get right with the Revenue Department. Pennsylvania plans to launch a tax amnesty program on April 26, so letting your tax debt gather dust for those few additional weeks could save you serious money. During the 54-day amnesty period, all penalties and half the interest will be waived for businesses and individuals that pay off delinquent taxes accrued through June 2009. For the cash-hungry state treasury, the benefit is a projected spike in tax collections that is expected to generate an additional $190 million to help offset spending in the fiscal year that began July 1. Pennsylvania's latest amnesty program was born during the political stalemate that held up passage of the state budget for four months. Its biggest impetus was last year's hugely successful amnesty program next door in New Jersey, which raked in a record $725 million in six weeks.

GROVE CITY, Pa. (AP) - Fire officials in western Pennsylvania say a malfunctioning fan may have been responsible for the blaze that destroyed a historic metal forge that made ashtrays for the ill-fated German airship the Hindenburg and did custom work for Walt Disney. Fire chief Jeff Badger of the Grove City Volunteer Fire Department says the blaze started at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the workshop at the Wendell August Forge, where awards and trophies are made. He says lacquer was being sprayed on the items and a vent fan may have gone out, allowing heat to build up and spark the blaze. Badger said about 100 firefighters battled the flames. All employees and customers were able to escape unharmed. Wendell August president Will Knecht says the firm plans to rebuild "as soon as possible."

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

Updates on the latest in business

Dow: 10,552.52, down –13.68

S&P 500: 1,138.50, down -.20

NASDAQ: 2,332.21, up 5.86

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks have seen a firm, but uninspired, session so far. This week has a fairly light schedule for economic reports and earnings news has come to a near standstill as well.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.(AP) - American International Group plans to sell its American Life Insurance Co. division for $15.5 billion to MetLife. The deal will give the insurer more cash to repay the billions of bailout dollars it still owes the government.

NEW YORK (AP) - Early indications are that last night's Academy Awards telecast drew an audience that was bigger than last year's. Nielsen's overnight measurement of the nation's 56 biggest markets gave ABC's Sunday telecast a 26.5 rating and 40 audience share.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The federal government says Norfolk Southern Railway Co. has agreed to pay a $4 million penalty for a 2005 chlorine and diesel fuel spill. The accident killed nine people and polluted a creek in western South Carolina. 

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

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

 Midday Big 4

     1-5-7-1

 Midday Number

     6-7-0

 Midday Quinto

     0-3-0-7-3

 Treasure Hunt

     04-05-11-22-24

Oscar ratings up

NEW YORK (AP) - The Oscars pulled in the viewers this year. Early ratings indicate a 14 percent increase in viewers over last year's Oscars, when "Slumdog Millionaire" won best picture. An estimate of the size of last night's audience is expected later today.

Placido Domingo has surgery for colon cancer

NEW YORK (AP) - Placido Domingo has undergone surgery to remove a cancerous polyp from his colon and is expected to make a full recovery.  Spokeswoman Nancy Seltzer said Monday that the 69-year-old tenor had surgery last week at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and was released Sunday.  Seltzer says the malignancy was localized. She says Domingo is expected to resume his singing schedule at Milan's Teatro alla Scala on April 16 with a performance of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra."  In addition to singing and conducting, Domingo will continue as general director of the Los Angeles Opera and the Washington National Opera.

W. Pa. mine firm buys museum with Quecreek history

Laptop spycase workers suspended—with pay

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Two information-technology workers at a suburban Philadelphia school district are now on paid leave. But an official with the Lower Merion School District says the workers being sent home isn't a reflection of any wrongdoing on their part. The IT workers are said to have secretly activated webcams on students' school-issued laptops - and are now the subject of an FBI wiretap investigation. The school district says the Web cams were activated only to retrieve missing laptops - and wasn't done for any malicious purpose. The district remotely activated 42 webcams in the last 14 months, successfully locating 18 of the computers. After complaints from students and parents as well as a lawsuit and federal and state probes, school officials have halted the practice.

Oscar goes to…

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Here are some totals from last night's Academy Awards: six Oscars for "The Hurt Locker," including best picture, director and original screenplay. Three for "Avatar," all of them technical. Two Oscars for "Precious," best adapted screenplay and Mo'Nique for supporting actress. And, two for "Crazy Heart," for best original song and Jeff Bridges as best actor.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - It's "The Hurt Locker" over "Avatar" for best picture. In her thank-you speech earlier when winning best director, Kathryn Bigelow says the Oscar should be dedicated "to the women and men in the military who risk their lives on a daily basis in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world. And may they come home safe." When winning for best picture, she added, that it also should go to men and women all over the world who "wear a uniform, but even not just the military: Hazmat, emergency, firemen." She says "they're there for us and we're there for them."

Labor officials: Women still struggle

BRUSSELS (AP) - A global trade union says women with children still face major career and pay obstacles. In a report released today, the International Trade Union Confederation says women with children earn almost a third less than men and still face too many career obstacles. Diana Holland, chair of the ITUC's Women's Committee, calls the report "a call to action at all levels." The publication of the report coincides with the United Nations Day for Women's Rights. The study says women with kids more often work part-time than men or women without children. The report also says employers often break laws by paying women less than men and by not giving them enough maternity leave. Women with kids can also be denied promotions or be illegally asked to take pregnancy tests before being hired.