Crash near Lewisburg kills one, critically injures another

LEWISBURG – An early morning car accident near Lewisburg killed a Penns Creek man and critically injured a Mifflinburg man.  The driver, 21-year-old Ryan Brubaker, was pronounced dead on the scene after his truck went off the road around 2:30a.m. Monday.  Passenger, Jeremy Reiff, sustained injuries and remains at Geisinger Medical Center in critical condition.

The accident took place on Route 15 at Adams Avenue in East Buffalo Township, south of Lewisburg High School and the investigation continues.  Lewisburg Fire Department and EMS, Lewisburg Police and East Buffalo Township Police responded to the scene. (staff)

Bulldozer accident injuries a Milton man

MOORESBURG – A Milton man was injured after a bulldozer accident Monday morning.  Around 9:15a.m., 64-year-old John Mickey, an employee of PPL subcontracting firm, was attempting to drive the bulldozer off a flat bed semi-trailer when it slid off the side and landed in a ditch.  Mickey was thrown to the ground and taken by ambulance to Geisinger Medical Center.  He is listed in fair condition.  The accident happened in Liberty Township, Montour County on Baldtop Road.  Liberty Township Fire Department and Fire Police assisted at the scene. (Sara Bartlett)

Alvin Hoover sentenced for Irvin’s County Tinware arson

MIDDLEBURG – The Mount Pleasant Mills man accused of burning down his parents’ store last summer has been sentenced to up to 23 months in jail.  36-year-old Alvin Hoover plead guilty to burning down Irvin’s Country Tinware in August 2007, but his sentencing had been delayed in order to evaluate his mental status.  In addition to his sentence issued Monday, Hoover was ordered to have mandatory mental health treatment and a drug and alcohol evaluation.  He also is prohibited from having contact with siblings and other family.  In addition, Judge Harold Woelfel called for Hoover to pay $1.7 million in restitution. (Sara Bartlett)  

Motorcycle crash leaves man in fair condition

EAST CAMERON TWP – A Phoenixville man is in fair condition after a Sunday afternoon motorcycle accident.  38-year-old Fred Moffatt was driving on Route 125 in East Cameron Township, Northumberland County around 2:30p.m. when he lost control of the motorcycle.  Moffatt traveled off the roadway, hitting a tree and was thrown from the vehicle.  He was taken by Life Flight to Geisinger Medical Center, where he remains in fair condition.  State Police at Stonington say Moffatt will face charges for driving at an unsafe speed. (Sara Bartlett)    

Summertime at the Gazebo continues in Selinsgrove

SELINSGROVE – The popular Snyder County trio, Gift/Troutman/Gift will perform Tuesday as part of Selinsgrove’s Summertime at the Gazebo.  Co-organizer Kay Spigelmyer says they expect a big turnout during the performance, which is in its 19^th year.  She says at their highest amount, they may have up to 200 people, depending on the weather.  It’s also hot dog night, with free food provided by the Selinsgrove Rotary Club.  At each show, a local company provides refreshments, which Spigelmyer says is good for businesses in the community. 

The show begins at 7:30p.m. and is free and open to the public.  Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or a blanket.  The concerts, which run through August, take place at the gazebo located on Snyder & Water Streets in Selinsgrove. (Sara Bartlett)

Supreme Court Justice to speak at Susquehanna University

SELINSGROVE – A U.S. Supreme Court Justice will visit Susquehanna University in September as part of a rededication ceremony for the Arlin M. Adams Center for Law and Society.  Justice Samuel Alito Jr. will speak during the ceremony on September 15^th.  His speech, entitled The Contributions of Arlin and Neysa Adams, will also be in conjunction with the opening of the Neysa Adams Pro Se Assistance and Mediation Clinic.  He will remark on the importance of access to justice in supporting the rule of law.  The event takes place at 7:30p.m. in the Weber Chapel Auditorium.

Alito took his seat on the Supreme Court in January 2006.  He replaced retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. (Sara Bartlett)  

Sunbury man busted for bad checks

SUNBURY – A Sunbury man is facing theft charges after allegedly writing bad checks to pay his rent.  25-year-old Dragan Jakovljevic reportedly wrote a bad check for more than $1,000 for his rent.  Sunbury Police say he also filed his gas and electric bill in a different person’s name and obtained $600 worth of service from them.  Jakovljevic was charged on misdemeanor counts of theft by deception, bad checks and theft of services.  Charges have been filed against him by District Justice Robert Bolton. (Sara Bartlett)  

Northumberland woman in critical following a motorcycle crash Friday night
 

Burglar, caught red handed—and a police officer hurt in Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND – A burglar was caught red handed in Northumberland Sunday morning—and a police officer was injured during the arrest. The burglar who broke-into the Front Street Station restaurant around 4:30 Sunday morning, fled when officers arrived. Northumberland officer Corey Zerbe tackled him a short time later. Zerbe was injured in the incident, according to police.

Arrested was 22-year-old Robert Boardman Jr. of 379 Front Street, Northumberland. He was arraigned and jailed on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, escape, possessing instruments of crime, resisting arrest, criminal mischief and criminal attempt/theft. He’s jailed with bail set at $80,000. Northumberland police had help from Selinsgrove State Troopers.

Fire in Columbia County heavily damages a ranch home

ORANGE TOWNSHIP – Volunteers from half a dozen fire companies battled flames early Sunday morning in a house fire in Orange Township Columbia County. Fire Chief Terry Strausser says units responded to the blaze at the home of Milton and Judy Hess at 224 Stony Brook Road around 4a.m.

Chief Strausser says the fire started in an attached garage of the ranch home and quickly spread into the attic area, causing extensive damage. He also says that most of the contents of the house received smoke and water damage. One firefighter had to be treated at the scene for smoke exhaustion, and was then taken to Geisinger Medical Center, treated, and released.

In addition to Orange Township volunteers, firefighters from Lightstreet, Buckhorn, Millville, Benton and Espy assisted at the scene. Chief Strausser says there’s no estimate of damage at this point, or what started the blaze. Some units remained on the scene until 9:30 Sunday morning at the fire in orange Township, Columbia County. (Terry Diener)

Beer and wine 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 Saturday—then yesterday, hundreds of people converged on the Antique’s on the Isle event.

Saturday, 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 both events benefit the Selinsgrove Projects Inc. to help with revitalization of the downtown. (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.

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 today

MIFFLINBURG – Channel 16’s Joe Snedeker will visit Mifflinburg today. Today’s ride into Union, Montour and Northumberland County will be part of the first full day of his 11th annual ride 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 4:30p.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. Occupants of the home, Richard Everly and his roommate Steven Will, were not home at the time of the fire.

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. (Sara Lauver)

Donated goods being sent to troops from the area today

LEWISBURG – Some 1,500 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 about 20 volunteers today, beginning at 4p.m. 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)

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 conjunction 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.

Recap…three of the top stories from the weekend

UNDATED – Here are three of the top stories over the weekend:

Fire destroyed a barn Friday in the Whitehall area of Montour County. Firefighters had to battle not only flames but the hot and humid weather on the Hostetler farm. A workshop was destroyed and a barn was damaged in the blaze, which also melted siding on a nearby house.

Police in Watsontown, Northumberland County are looking for some thieves who stole items from vehicles on Pennsylvania Avenue, Main and Elm Streets early Friday. Witnesses provided police with descriptions of two men spotted inside a parked car on Pennsylvania Avenue. Officers say they recovered some stolen items and owners can identify them at the Watsontown Police department.

The defense department budget was reported out of the U-S Senate Appropriation Committee last week. If approved by the full Senate, House and the President, the spending plan has $18.5 million dollars set aside for a new Army Reserve Center in Lewisburg. An identical amount is also set aside for a Reserve Center in Williamsport. (Terry Diener)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:  

DUNMORE, Pa (AP) -- Lackawanna County authorities say the death of a man in a swimming pool is suspicious. Police say the body of 26-year-old Brian Ives was found Monday morning in a pool at his home in Dunmore.  Police say his body showed no signs of injuries. The death is called suspicious pending autopsy results and more investigation.

HARRISBURG, Pa (AP) -- Pennsylvania State Police say one person has died and seven others were injured in a 10-vehicle highway accident southwest of Harrisburg.  Trooper Karl Schmidhamer says the pileup occurred just after 7 a.m. Monday on Interstate 83 in New Cumberland, just north of a Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange.  Schmidhamer says a northbound tractor-trailer struck several slow-moving vehicles as it was coming up a hill, and some of them hit other cars and trucks. He says no charges have been filed.  The driver of one car was killed. State police haven't identified the victim.  Police say seven other people with mild to moderate injuries were taken to hospitals.  The highway's northbound lanes were closed for more than five hours.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa -- The Federal Communications Commission will have to think twice before penalizing a television station for flashing its audience.  In a victory for CBS, a federal appeals court has thrown out a $550,000 indecency fine for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" in the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.  A panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC "acted arbitrarily and capriciously" in issuing the fine for the fleeting image of nudity. The panel noted it lasted just over half a second.  But the long-term significance of Monday's ruling remains unclear. The Supreme Court has decided to take up a broadcast indecency case this fall - the first since 1978.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Monday in the midday Pennsylvania State Lottery drawing:

 Daily Number

     2-1-4

 Big 4

     2-1-2-8

 Treasure Hunt

     14-21-25-29-30

     (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)