Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Crash claims life in upper Northumberland County

MILTON – A crash near Milton late Tuesday morning is responsible for the death of a Northumberland County man.  State Police say 88-year-old Charles R. Meachum of West Chillisquaque Township drove off Housels Run Road and into a utility pole.  He was taken to Evangelical Community Hospital where he later succumbed to injuries received in the 10:40 am crash.  Troopers note Meachum was wearing a seatbelt.  (Matt Farrand)

Rider rescued after ATV goes over embankment in Mount Carmel

MOUNT CARMEL (AP) – A man was rescued early Tuesday morning after his ATV plunged over a mountainside near Mount Carmel.  Northumberland County 911 says crews were dispatched around 2:30a.m. to rescue the 32-year-old.  The man, who has not been identified, reportedly suffered head and arm injures.  He was taken by ambulance to a Shamokin parking lot where Life Flight then took him to Geisinger Medical Center.  No word yet on his condition.

Woman pleads guilty to locking adopted children in their rooms

SUNBURY – A Watsontown woman has pleaded guilty to locking two adopted children in their rooms.  66-year-old Nancy Reynolds was in Northumberland County Court in Sunbury on Monday and plead guilty to endangering the welfare of children.  Police say she, her husband and their 28-year-old son, were accused of locking the 12 and 14-year-old inside bedrooms at a home on Route 54 from 6 p.m. until 8:30 a.m.  The two children eventually ran away after the incidents from March to June of 2007.

The children are now in foster care.  The husband, Wayne Reynolds and son, Wayne Reynolds II, have not yet been to court.  Nancy Reynolds was placed on probation for two years and received a $300 fine.  (Ali Stevens)

Pharmacy contract in Northumberland County did have termination policy

SUNBURY – Northumberland County Commissioner Chairman Frank Sawicki says there are no “no-out” contracts with businesses in the county.  Specifically regarding the contract that the county signed with three Coal Township area pharmacies in June, Sawicki says there is a cancellation policy, and he read that when he signed it. 

In the contract, termination is acceptable for five reasons, one including a cancellation within 60 days of signing.  After that, and barring no other reason listed, a contract is effective for five years.

Commissioner Vinny Clausi had previously said that the contract did have a “no-out,” although Chief Clerk Rose Marquardt said the only contract that is binding and signed is the one with the termination policy.  The contract has been heavily debated recently after Northumberland based pharmaceutical company, Synergy Systems, accused the Commissioners of not giving their business a chance to work with the county through a bid process.  Sawicki said the county is not required to put out a bid, but he says they did so anyway and decided to remain with the same pharmacies they had been working with for years. (Sara Bartlett)

More employee parking soon at Geisinger Medical Center

DANVILE – Geisinger Medical Center says they will open a new employee parking lot on Monday with more than 500 parking spaces.  The 575-space is located along Red Lane, east of the Foss Home and has been under construction since spring.  They also have plans for more than 300 more parking spaces in a lot off Red Lane and Powdermill Road near the Lifeflight helicopter hangar.  The work is expected to wrap up in that lot in November.

That will bring more than 900 total new employee parking spaces in addition to the 3,400 already available.  (Ali Stevens)

Stroh Alley renovations to move ahead

SUNBURY – Plans will move ahead for the renovation of Stroh Alley in Sunbury.  City Council found the cost to be too expensive to put out a bid to contractors for the work, so at Monday’s meeting they decided to make it a “force account” project.  SEDA-COG’s Chief of Community Development, Bill Siegel, says this means local city workers will be hired to do the job, and will be paid from the Community Development Block Grant funds.

The project will consist of two phases.  The first is removing the steel canopy that hangs over Stroh Alley.  Siegel says the city will solicit bids and sell the salvaged steel.  The revenues will then be put back into the CDBG fund.  Siegel says this will refund a portion of the demolition.  The second phase of the project includes upgrading Stroh Alley with brick walkways, planters, better lighting and improving the overall appearance of the area.  Siegel says they hope to move forward on the project as soon as possible. (Sara Bartlett) 

Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign continues

UNDATED – There are many people in the Valley who are trying to raise awareness about the Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign.  Steve Forman owns Beaver Run Farms, a family farm outside of Turbotville that humanely raises pork, and free-range chickens.  Forman says with the slumping economy it’s time that people rethink how and where we get food.  He says it just doesn’t make sense to get food that has to travel hundreds of miles.  Local farmer’s markets and roadside stands are good sources for locally grown food. 

Also, Community-Supported Agriculture, or CSAs as they are known, are one way to eat and buy local.  Many farms offer programs where people can pick up foods directly from their local farmer.  Members of CSA are usually provided with food for up to 25 weeks out of the year during the growing season. They can pay for the food, or work on the farm for the food.

And, it’s not just farmers who are supporting the campaign.  Emma Renninger is the Co-owner of Emma’s Food for Life restaurant in Selinsgrove and says she tries to put as many local ingredients as she can in her meals.  You can find a list of farms, farmers markets, CSAs and restaurants that use locally grown food in our area online at www.buylocalpa.com. (Sara Bartlett) 

Expert hopes for 150 bushel per acre local corn yield

SELINSGROVE – Investors who put up $15 each to “adopt” an acre of local corn, could earn a small profit at harvest time.  Charlie Benner coordinates the Adopt-an-Acre program for the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce and says conditions improved as the growing season progressed.  There were concerns about the amount of rain earlier in the year, but they have apparently eased.  An anonymous local farmer maintains the acre.

Benner says a secret to making money on the farm is by keeping expenses low whenever possible.  “Farmer Brown” saved money by planting high quality seed, practicing sound conservation measures, applied no-till plowing with a minimum amount of spraying.  Whether or not investors made any money will be announced in November.  Benner hopes the acre will produce 150 bushels at a good price, though corn prices in major commodity markets are off their highs of late June.  (Matt Farrand)

Selinsgrove High School graduate is heading to Beijing

SELINSGROVE – A Selinsgrove High School graduate is going to compete in the Olympics in Beijing starting on August 8^th.   Keli Smith will be on the USA Olympic Field Hockey team and her mom, Sharon Smith of Selinsgrove, is getting ready to take a trip to Beijing with her husband and daughter, Kara.  They are excited to see Kelli play and to travel to another country. 

Keli is currently in California practicing and getting ready for the games.  It’s a special year for the USA field hockey team because they haven’t qualified for the Olympics since the Atlanta games.  The games will be televised at 6:30 a.m. on MSNBC.   Keli Smith is a 1997 graduate of Selinsgrove High School and is 29.  She graduated from University of Maryland, where she also competed in Field Hockey.  (Ali Stevens)

Millheim bank struck by armed robbers

MILLHEIM – Police are searching for two males suspected of robbing the Mifflinburg Bank and Trust in Millheim early Tuesday morning.  Around 8:30a.m., the two males entered the bank and allegedly threatened three tellers with pepper spray and told them to lie on the floor.  The two men then reportedly tied the tellers’ hands together and took and undisclosed amount of money before fleeing.  They drove west on Route 45 in what police believe was a silver Ford truck. 

Parents chastise Selinsgrove board for “Kicking kids to the curb”

SELINSGROVE – Parents say the Selinsgrove school board, “Kicked their kids to the curb.” Parents last night voiced their opposition to a new bussing policy in the Selinsgrove School District. The new policy affects families who live in Selinsgrove—and have school aged children in daycare. The district once provided bus transportation to and from daycare, but that free service was eliminated this year.

That decision is having a big impact on parents and daycare providers. The daycare providers are also trying to help parents figure out a way to get kids to school. Selinsgrove school district transportation director Pete Carroll answered questions yesterday.

The Superintendent Dr. Frederick Johnson and school board president Eric Rowe promised to consider all of the complaints and make a final decision on the matter within two weeks. It is not known exactly how many families will be impacted by the new rule, but several came out to the meeting to let officials know they have no way to get their child to school with the new policy. (Ali Stevens)

Sunbury city council supports CSVT

SUNBURY – In light of PennDOT’s decision to put the Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project into hibernation, the CSVT Task Force has decided to rally area municipalities against the move. Chair of the Task Force, Joe McGranaghan, spoke to Sunbury city council at a meeting last night and asked them to join the Task Force in their mission to get Federal and State authorities to reverse the decision.

McGranaghan asked that letters be written to officials in support of the project being taken out of the hibernation stage. Sunbury Mayor, Jesse Woodring, says letters will be sent by council and he hopes members of the community will do the same. He says they know the value of the by-pass and what it means for the entire Valley.

Woodring says, despite being on the other side of the river, Sunbury has a lot of industry and businesses that would be affected by the Thruway. He says it’s important to let people know that “we are in the game here and we need to do something. They need to do something.” Meanwhile, McGranaghan says action needs to be taken quickly because there is a possibility that funds from the CSVT could be reallocated to other projects.

He says they haven’t been able to get any answers from PennDOT where the money will go now that the project has been stopped, but their goal is to make sure the funds are kept for the Transportation Project. McGranaghan says Sunbury was his first stop, but he also plans to seek support from Selinsgrove, Northumberland, and Shamokin Dam, along with Monroe, Point and Penn Townships. (Sara Lauver)

Selinsgrove HS graduate to compete at 2008 Olympics in field hockey

SELINSGROVE – A Selinsgrove High School graduate is going to compete in the Olympics in Beijing starting on August 8^th.   Keli Smith will be on the USA Olympic Field Hockey team and her mom, Sharon Smith of Selinsgrove, is getting ready to take a trip to Beijing with her husband and daughter, Kara.  They are excited to see Kelli play and to travel to another country. 

Keli is currently in California practicing and getting ready for the games.  It’s a special year for the USA field hockey team because they haven’t qualified for the Olympics since the Atlanta games.  The games will be televised at 6:30 a.m. on MSNBC.   Keli Smith is a 1997 graduate of Selinsgrove High School and is 29.  She graduated from University of Maryland, where she also competed in Field Hockey.  (Ali Stevens)

Local banking stocks slide during July

NEW YORK – Be ready for a shock if you hold stocks of local interest and haven’t checked them lately. Like the market overall, many are enduring a slump. Banking and financial stocks are especially feeling the heat, as the national housing slump and slowing economy take their toll. Fulton Financial, FNB, Susquehanna Bancshares, Sovereign Bancorp and M&T Bank are among those that hit 52-week lows in the last month.

M&T Bank hit a low in mid-July of $53 per share and is now at about $66 per share, but was over $115 per share a year ago. Elsewhere, motor home builder Fleetwood Enterprises hit a 52-week-low of less than $2 per share in early July.

Food producer Sara Lee also hit a 52-week low of a little more than $12 per share at about the same time, and Conagra is coming off its comparable low at the end of June. Food retailer Weis Markets remains around $38 per share, about midway between both its high and low of the last year. Utility PPL Corp is among the rare issues largely retaining its value, but is still closer to its low than its high for the last year. (Matt Farrand)

Harrell to be arraigned before Sacavage in September

SUNBURY – A court appearance is planned for September for homicide defendant Michael Harrell of Sunbury. The Northumberland County Court administrator says the 39-year-old will be formally arraigned September 3rd in the courtroom of president judge Robert Sacavage. Harrell is charged with the shooting deaths of Crystal Scholl-Gordon and David Moore of Sunbury.

Court documents say parts of a .30 caliber rifle believed to be used in the shootings were found July 18th at an apartment where Harrell once lived. Harrell remains in custody following last week’s preliminary hearing. The January 18th shootings were in a North 4th Street apartment. (Matt Farrand)

Benton Area High School crash victims named

BENTON – Excessive speed is reportedly a factor in a crash that killed two Benton Area High School students. Columbia County’s coroner says 18-year-old Jeremiah Cedeno and 17-year-old Brian O’Handley died at around 9:00p.m. Sunday when their vehicle struck a tree near Waller Road near Benton. Witnesses say whoever was driving was speeding on the rural road before the vehicle skidded out of control. (Ali Stevens)

Danville man receives time served for his role in a heroin ring

WILLIAMSPORT – A Danville man has been sentenced to time served for his role in a heroin ring, where drugs were distributed in Northumberland, Snyder, Montour and Columbia Counties. 25-year-old Travis Boyd was sentenced Friday in U.S. Middle District Court. Boyd pleaded guilty in June of last year to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to deliver more than 100 grams of heroin.

Boyd is one of more than 20 people indicted in the ring. Police say for a period of six years, starting in 2001, heroin was brought to the Central Susquehanna Valley from Newark, New Jersey. Boyd is accused of selling heroin in the Danville area. (Ali Stevens)

Sobriety checkpoints set up this week on local roads

SUNBURY – The Coal Township Police Department, along with the North Central Highway Safety Network will be conducting roving DUI patrols this week. The patrols and sobriety checkpoints will be located along Route 61, 225, 125, 54, 487 and 901. Travelers are asked to report drunk drivers by calling 911, and to report underage drinking call 1-888-863-3721. (Sara Bartlett)

$1,000 worth of items taken from vehicle in Snydertown

SNYDERTOWN – Police are searching for an unknown person who broke into a vehicle over the weekend in the Snydertown Borough. It happened overnight between Saturday and Sunday, when someone used a blunt object to break through the passenger side window of a car parked along Furman Road.

The person then removed a large speaker box, which contained other electrical equipment totaling about $1,000. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call State Police at Stonington. (Sara Bartlett)

Post Office Art documentary now on free DVD

LEWISBURG – Local post office art is the focus of a documentary film now available as a free DVD. “New Deal Legacy: A Passage through Pennsylvania’s Valleys of the Susquehanna” premiered in March at the Campus Theater.

Copies are now available at the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau in Lewisburg. Executive Director Andrew Miller hopes the 60-minute film encourages citizens to get out and see the depression-era treasures.

The federal government commissioned artists to research local themes for their work. The transportation history of Milton and Dr. Joseph Priestley of Northumberland are honored in their respective post offices. The DVD is also available through the mail for a $5 handling fee. The Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau has more information at 524-7234. (Matt Farrand)

Fresh Air Fund welcomes kids to the Central Susquehanna Valley

SHAMOKIN DAM – Children living in New York City are welcomed to the Central Susquehanna Valley this summer as part of the Fresh Air Fund. The program offers families the chance to host a child for up to two weeks during the summer, and children to enjoy what, for some of them, may be their first vacation. 8-year-old Elanee arrived in Shamokin Dam Monday to stay with the Baney family in Paxtonville.

Elanee is looking forward to doing some of the same things here she does at home, including playing at the park and shopping. Rebecca Baney has hosted many children before through the Fresh Air Fund. She says it’s a rewarding and fun way to spend part of the summer. And, with five kids of her own, Baney says Elanee will have plenty to do.

Most children who are a part of the program are between the ages of six and twelve. Host families are able to choose the gender and age of their visitor. This is Elanee’s first time traveling as part of the program, and Baney says if she likes it they hope to invite her back for years to come. (Sara Bartlett)

Lemonade Day in Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND – Nothing goes better on a hot summer day than a glass of ice-cold lemonade. The Northumberland Point Township Revitalization Committee is holding their 4th annual Lemonade Day Saturday on Front Street. Organizer of the event Noelle Long says you’ll never know what kinds of stands you’ll see.

Awards will be handed to out to the best-decorated stand and the best tasting lemonade. There will also be music, games and raffles. The event will be held Saturday from 11:00a.m. to 4:00p.m in the 200 block of Front Street in Northumberland. There is still space for kids to sign up to set up a stand at Lemonade Day. Cost is $2.00 per participant. To register call Noelle Long at 473-7563. (Sara Bartlett)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - A former Tobyhanna Army Depot civilian employee has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for taking $83,000 in illegal payments from a British defense contractor.  Sixty-one-year-old Richard Feola pleaded guilty in April to accepting illegal gratuities and money laundering.  Feola worked at the northeastern Pennsylvania army depot when he prepared bid documents seeking the purchase of computer equipment from a company based in Bristol, England. Between 2000 and 2005, the Army awarded eight contracts to the company. Prosecutors say the British company's owner then wired Feola more than $83,000.  On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge James Munley in Scranton sentenced Feola to 38 months in prison. He also ordered Feola to forfeit $62,650

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - A central Pennsylvania man is charged with murdering a 19-month-old boy who was in his care.  Court papers say 20-year-old Fabian Peterkin allegedly beat to death Marquise Hanible at a home in Williamsport he shared with the child's mother and two-and-a-half-year-old brother.  Police and paramedics were called to the home on April 12 and found the child in cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at Williamsport Hospital. An autopsy showed that the toddler died from blunt force trauma to his body, including broken ribs, laceration to his heart and lungs, and bruises all over his body. The coroner ruled the death a homicide.  Peterkin was found in Philadelphia and returned to Williamsport on Monday. He is being held in the Lycoming County Prison without bail.

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A piece of steel that was once part of the World Trade Center will soon stand in rural Pennsylvania just miles from where Flight 93 came crashing down on Sept. 11.  New York and Shanksville firefighters poured the concrete base on Monday where a 14-foot-high, 3,000-pound steel monument will soon stand.  The monument will be shaped like a cross and sit on a pentagon-shaped base near the Shanksville fire station. The area is a few miles from the actual crash site and is not a part of the official Flight 93 National Memorial.  On Sept. 11, 2001 Flight 93 crashed into a field in Somerset County, apparently while passengers were rushing the cockpit to retake control of the hijacked jet. Forty passengers and crew were killed. The four hijackers also died.

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

Daily Number  6-2-8

Big 4  1-3-7-7

Treasure Hunt  9-14-21-22-24

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