Sunday, July 20, 2008
Break-in at area business
NORTHUMBERLAND – There’s word of a break-in at an area business in Northumberland. It’s reported that police responded to a break-in at the Front Street Station restaurant early this morning. Northumberland Borough police are not releasing any details at this time.
Firefighters respond to Columbia County Blaze
ORANGE TOWNSHIP – Firefighters in one part of Columbia County were called out overnight to a structure fire. Columbia County Communications reports that volunteers responded to a fire along Stony Brook Road in Orange Township. They were still on the scene early this morning. We’ll bring you more information as it becomes available. (Terry Diener)
Beer Festival draws large crowd; proceeds benefit revitalization projects
SELINSGROVE – Tickets were sold out and an estimated 800 people enjoyed the first annual, “Hops, Vines and Wines Festival” in downtown Selinsgrove yesterday. A portion of West Pine Street was blocked off for the event and visitors had the chance to taste a variety of micro and craft beers, from nearly 18 different breweries, and a selection of wines from three area wineries. Music and food also kept the crowd happy. Festival chairwoman and borough council President, Carol Handlan, says there was a heavy demand for tickets and they hope to expand next year. She says the festival started with a zero-dollar budget and everything came to fruition through donations. All proceeds from the festival will benefit the Selinsgrove Projects Inc. to help with revitalization of the downtown. It’s a busy weekend for Selinsgrove as the yearly “Antiques on the Isle” event is being held Sunday. (Sara Lauver)
Thruway decision heightens need for additional funds
SELINSGROVE – PennDOT says they considered three options before making a decision on the future of the Central Susquehanna Thruway project. Those options included stopping the project all together, putting the project into a “hibernation” status, or redirecting all SEDA-COG allocated funds to the Thruway. PennDOT made the announcement last week that the project would be put into hibernation, or a holding status. Ryan Unger, with SEDA-COG, says he believes one option that wasn’t presented, was to get together with all entities involved, at an earlier date, to try to avoid the decision that was made. However, Unger says that of all the options PennDOT presented, hibernation was the best decision, because the project can still be reactivated at a later date. He adds that the decision only heightens the need and creates a greater sense of urgency to find additional funding. PennDOT says rising inflation and the transportation-funding crisis contributed to the decision. (Sara Lauver)
Joe Snedecker’s charity ride visits Mifflinburg
MIFFLINBURG – Channel 16’s Joe Snedeker will visit Mifflinburg on his bicycle. Monday’s ride into Union County will conclude the first day of his 11th annual tour to benefit St. Joseph’s Center. Mifflinburg Main Street Manager Becky Hagenbaugh says the village has big plans in advance of Joe’s arrival, including buggy rides, face painting, and a dunk tank. There will also be a “Boris Yeltsin Dance Contest” based on the WNEP weather forecaster’s weekly feature.
His arrival will be some time after 4:30 p.m. in Community Park, as “Go Joe XI” begins Monday morning in Lock Haven, then goes to Muncy before Joe rides southwest toward Mifflinburg. Channel 16’s chief meteorologist Tom Clark plans to arrive by helicopter. The 500-mile tour will conclude Saturday. (Matt Farrand)
Crews called out twice for McClure fire
McCLURE – A State Police fire marshal will investigate the cause of a fire that destroyed a home in Snyder County Friday. Flames destroyed the home at 3186 Snyder Avenue in McClure after the call came in around 6:30 a.m. McClure Fire Chief, Keith Martin, says numerous area fire crews, including two tankers from Mifflin County, responded to the scene and were there for nearly two hours. He says crews were called out later that evening, around 5 p.m., for a rekindle of the blaze. Martin says a neighbor reported a rekindle of the fire and crews had to rip out some of the walls to put out those hotspots. Chief Martin says he believes the fire started in the kitchen area of the home, but it is still under investigation. He says the blaze did not appear to be suspicious in nature. Occupants of the home, Richard Everly and his roommate Steven Will, were not home at the time of the fire. (Sara Lauver)
Local Reserve Center Funding in Federal Budget moves forward
WASHINGTON D.C. – Federal funding for several Pennsylvania defense projects including an Army Reserve Center in Lewisburg, has been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee in Washington. U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey say $18.5 million has been earmarked for an Armed Forces Reserve Center in Lewisburg. An identical amount has also been set aside for a Reserve Center in Williamsport. The full Senate still needs to pass the defense budget, which includes $175.7 million for military construction throughout Pennsylvania. The U.S. House of Representatives and President Bush must also approve the bill, before funding is final. (Terry Diener)
Donated goods being sent to troops from the Area
LEWISBURG – Some fifteen hundred pounds of donated goods are ready to be packaged and shipped from Lewisburg, to our troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Lewisburg Borough Council, and staff, in their efforts to promote America Supporting Americans, is in need of some twenty volunteers Monday July 21st, beginning at 4 PM, at the American Red Cross Facility in the Brookpark Farms complex. John Baker, the vice president for Lewisburg Borough Council says an assembly line will be formed to package the estimated 15 hundred pounds of products ranging from toiletries, to health products, and goodies. . Baker says the volunteers may come and go as they please. Some food and other refreshments will be provided to the workers. He says the troops could still use school supplies to hand out to children in those countries. Baker says the local effort has been coordinated with the 103rd Army Battalion in Lewisburg. (Terry Diener)
One car stolen and a handgun stolen…Police investigating thefts
MILTON – State Police in Milton are investigating two recent thefts in the area. Police say they are looking for a man who stole a vehicle from a residence in Turbotville Thursday evening. Reports say it happened around 7:30 p.m. and police are looking for a man who is about 5’8’’ with a thin build. Police say the car stolen was a 2007 red, Chevrolet Cobalt. Anyone with information is asked to contact State Police.
Meanwhile, State Police say a handgun was stolen from a vehicle in White Deer Township over the weekend of July 12th and the 13th. Police say it happened sometime overnight. Reports say a 9mm handgun, along with a flashlight and a hunting license was taken. The contents are estimated to be worth nearly $350. Anyone with information should contact police. (Sara Lauver)
Roadwork on Route 42 in Catawissa begins Sunday night
CATAWISSA – Traffic will be reduced to one lane on Route 42 through Catawissa, as part of a project that begins at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday night, July 20th. Eastern Industries Incorporated, a PENNDOT contractor will begin roadway milling and base repairs from the Susquehanna River Bridge in Catawissa, south to “Tom’s Restaurant”.
Work will be performed from 9;00 p.m. thru 6:00 a.m. Sunday nights through Friday mornings, with milling, base repairs and the first layer of blacktop to be completed by August 1st. After that work is completed, the contractor will begin daytime roadwork through town to perform various curb ramp upgrades.
At the same time the curb ramps are being constructed, base repairs and paving will be performed on Route 42 from its intersection with Route 11 at Rupert to the River Bridge, and approximately three miles on Route 487 from “Tom’s Restaurant”, south to Orchard Drive/Ashton Hollow Road. The overall project is schedule for completion by early October. (Terry Diener)
PennDOT says expect delays on Parts of I80
UNDATED – PennDOT is telling motorists they can expect eastbound and westbound delays in a work zone at the Interstate 80 Bridges at the Montour/Northumberland County line. Concrete barriers were put in place on July 9th, with a lane width restriction of fifteen feet.
Back-ups are anticipated for one mile under normal working conditions. PennDOT says motorists should be alert for work activity in that area over the next three months. (Terry Diener)
Bike ride benefits Women’s Center
BLOOMSBURG – A bike ride to benefit the Columbia Montour Women’s Center is being held next weekend. The “Ride for Shelter” is done in conjuction with the Tri-County Abate and the Center’s Robyn Hampton, says the event grows every year. She says that registration is $15 per rider or $25 per couple. The event begins and ends at the Millville American Legion and includes an after-party pig-roast. For more information you can go to their website at www.thewomenscenterinc.org. Money raised will benefit programs that are offered through the Center.
Here is the latest Pennsylvania news from The Associated Press:
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Medical examiners hope to use dental records to confirm the identity of a woman whose body was found partially eviscerated. The body thought to be that of Kia Johnson was in the western Pennsylvania apartment of another woman who falsely claimed a newborn baby was her own.
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) - Workers at the Latrobe Specialty Steel Co. are expected to vote Sunday on a proposed five-year contract. Some 360 workers went on strike May 1 and have been locked out of their jobs since May 9. The plant has been operating with temporary workers.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - A 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel will hear arguments Aug. 4 in Pittsburgh on whether celebrity pathologist Cyril Wecht should be retried on theft and fraud charges. Wecht's first trial ended with a hung jury in April.
MANCHESTER, Md. (AP) - Authorities in Maryland say the body of a Pennsylvania fisherman was pulled from a Manchester pond in which he had been swimming. The Caroll County sheriff's office says 38-year-old James Thomas Merrow III of Hanover was fishing but decided to go for a swim.
WEST SAND LAKE, N.Y. (AP) - A malady dubbed "white nose" that is killing bats in the northeastern United States is expected to spread to Pennsylvania this winter. Researchers are trying to understand why so many bats in the region seem to starve as they sleep for the winter.
Here are the winning numbers selected Saturday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:
SATURDAY NIGHT
Daily Number
6-6-9
Big 4
4-5-6-9
The winning numbers drawn Saturday night in Powerball are:
6-28-46-53-55
Powerball: 2
Power Play: 3
SATURDAY MIDDAY
Daily Number
8-7-6
Big 4
5-0-6-4
Treasure Hunt
5-15-19-25-30
The winning numbers drawn Saturday in the "Pennsylvania Cash
5" game were:
08-17-27-33-35
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)