Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Governor announces $15 million in state investments

LEWISBURG – Governor Ed Rendell announced $15 million in new state investments in Snyder and Union Counties today in Lewisburg.  He spoke at Bucknell University, where he says $13 million in state funds will go toward projects at Bucknell and Susquehanna Universities.  $9 million will go toward the Lewisburg Core Community Initiative, which includes relocating the campus bookstore, and $4 million will go to the building of the new science center at Susquehanna.  He also announced three bridge replacement projects, two in Snyder County and one in Union.  County commissioners and local officials were on hand to hear the announcement today.  The Governor is underway on a 5-day bus tour through Pennsylvania. (Sara Lauver)     
     One suspect in custody, and police search for another in motel stabbing

SHAMOKIN DAM – One man is in custody and police are searching for another suspect after a stabbing Tuesday night at a Shamokin Dam motel.  31-year-old Gary Hunt, of Lumberton, North Carolina, was arraigned this (Wednesday) morning before District Justice Edward Mihalik.  Police were called to the Econo Lodge along Routes 11/15, where they found around 30 people outside of their rooms and two people with stab wounds. After questioning five people, police say Hunt stabbed 25-year-old Daniel Ramon, of Fort Worth, Texas, in the stomach.  47-year-old Daniel Gomez, of Arlington, Texas, was stabbed in the forehead, and police say they are continuing interviews to search for the suspect in that incident.  Both Ramon and Gomez were taken to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment.

The altercation began when several people allegedly attempted to steal a necklace from another man staying at the motel.  Hunt has been charged on counts of simple and aggravated assault, as well as reckless endangerment.  He is in Snyder County Prison on $200,000 bail.  Numerous police departments, emergency services and State Police assisted Shamokin Dam Police at the scene. (staff)

Lewisburg man arrested again after second disturbance in Watsontown

WATSONTOWN – A Lewisburg man is in custody after allegedly following a woman through Watsontown and harassing her.  Police say 23-year-old Michael K. Hunter of Lewisburg is being charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, and harassment.  Hunter was arrested shortly after 2:00 a.m. Wednesday.  He reportedly had to be subdued after refusing to comply with police orders. 

Watsontown Police say he faces previous charges for allegedly creating a disturbance on 5th St in the borough last week. (Matt Farrand)

Zones where I-80 tolls may be located are revealed

HARRISBURG -- The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission says it's narrowed the locations for nine proposed I-80 toll collection sites.  Locally, one tolling zone is proposed from eastern Clinton County to near the Northumberland/Montour County line.  Another runs east from there to western Luzerne County.  The commission released the list at a Harrisburg news conference today (Wednesday).  Officials say the final sites will be selected to maximize revenue and minimize the number of cars seeking alternate routes. 

They're also touting a plan to limit how many local drivers will have to pay tolls. The proposal would let passenger vehicles with E-ZPass transponders go through the first toll plaza for free.  A decision about exactly where to put the nine tolling plazas is expected sometime this fall. On the Net: http://www.paturnpike.com/I80/tolling/tolling.aspx (Matt Farrand)

Special party just for kids at the Susquehanna Valley Mall this weekend

SELINSGROVE – If there are a large number of princesses and pirates walking around the Susquehanna Valley Mall on Saturday, don’t be alarmed.  Starting at noon in the Boscov’s Court, children of all ages are invited to attend a princess and pirate party.  Kids are encouraged to dress up in their best costumes and come enjoy makeup and hair styling, nail design, games, and crafts too.

There will be a tea party for the kids with plenty of goodies and jousting for the pirates.  A small donation will be collected and all of the proceeds will go to the 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon.  The Radiothon is an effort to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger Medical Center.  The Radiothon will be live at the Susquehanna Valley Mall throughout the weekend.  (Ali Stevens)

Group of residents knitting and crocheting for others

SELINSGROVE – A group of women from St. Pius X (the tenth) in Selinsgrove are busy knitting and crocheting to brighten other people’s day.  About 15 women have formed a group that knits and crochets items for people going through health challenges and other obstacles.  Kathy Dalius of Kreamer is a cancer survivor and says the idea came to her when one of her neighbors knitted her something while she was recovering.

She says the group is now knitting and crocheting a number of items for those on the prayer list within their parish. They also share items in the community at local hospitals.  The group is looking for more members and encourage anyone to get involved, including women, men and children.  Also those with or without experience are welcome to learn.  To find out more, you can contact St. Pius in Selinsgrove. 

Boroughs to the Bay: How land reclamation benefits urban and suburban areas

SUNBURY – In this segment of Boroughs to the Bay and Beyond we’ll look at how reclamation of land affected by acid mine drainage can alleviate numerous problems and get land back to the way it looked prior to mining.  Robert Hughes is the Executive Director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandon Mine Reclamation, known as EPCMAR, and says they have been working with community organizations in the area to fix old stripping pits and re-vegetate sites.  Hughes says doing this could be a huge benefit for urban areas, by helping economic development and creating sewer or water lines.

 Selinsgrove woman killed in a crash

SELINSGROVE – A 19-year-old Selinsgrove woman is dead following a crash on Fisher Road in Monroe Township yesterday afternoon.  State police say Melissa Solt was traveling south when for an unknown reason, she crossed over the road and struck a ditch.  The vehicle became airborne and struck a tree.  Solt was killed in the crash about one mile north of App Road.  No other vehicles were involved.  DH and L and Hummels Wharf Fire Company assisted State Police at the scene just before 4 p.m. (Ali Stevens)

Families flock to local parks on National Night Out

LEWISBURG – It was a night for learning about safety, self-defense and crime prevention, but National Night Out also gave the public the chance to look over some impressive hardware.  State Police landed a helicopter at Lewisburg’s Community Park, as did the National Guard.  Firefighting equipment from the William Cameron Fire Department was also on hand, as were police cruisers representing Lewisburg Police and Union County Sheriff’s.  Some was even called into service during the event.

One of the highlights of the night in Lewisburg was the raffle-giveaway of bicycles for children, donated by local merchants.  National Night Out is an annual outreach of law enforcement and other agencies, and a chance for folks to get to know their neighbors better.  (Matt Farrand) 

The Governor to make an announcement in Lewisburg

LEWISBURG – Governor, Ed Rendell, will be making an appearance in Lewisburg Wednesday afternoon as part of a five-day, 16-stop bus tour throughout the state.  A recent press release says Rendell will make a stop at Bucknell University to announce funding for the Lewisburg Core Community Initiative and other regional projects, which could also include ongoing projects at Susquehanna University.  He is expected to make the announcement around 4 p.m.  Reports say Rendell will be announcing public and private investments in communities, businesses and bridges that will create thousands of jobs and stimulate the economy.  After his stop in Lewisburg, he will continue his tour throughout Friday and make stops in Hazleton, Allentown and York.  (Sara Lauver)

Consumers and farmers feeling the squeeze of high food prices

UNDATED – The world of agriculture is a cycle.  So says Gary Swan, the Director of Government Affairs and the Communication Division at the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.  Swan, who tackled the question of why the price of food is rising on a recent Leaders & Lawmakers program, says the price of food and the price of energy are two things on most people’s mind these days, and they both go hand in hand.  He says it starts at the farms with the cost of fertilizer and gasoline going into farm equipment and trucks.  Then moves to the processing plants, the marketing, and the grocery stores.

Swan says the rising prices are a squeeze on farmers too.  Although farm commodities have been slightly higher over the last couple years, productions costs for farmers have skyrocketed as well. 

He says no matter how productive American agriculture is, we still have 30 million people that can’t afford their annual grocery bill.  This translates back to agriculture, putting pressure on farmers when the value of food is based upon delivering it as inexpensively as possible and still making sure farmers get their profit. 

Swan says typically food prices go up 2.5% each year, and this year they are going up around 5%.  For farmers, corn and grain have almost doubled, while fertilizer is at nearly three times the normal rate.  Swan says prices will go down eventually, only to head back up again, as the cycle suggests.  Also on Leaders & Lawmakers was Freeburg dairy farmer Denise Wetzel.  You can hear the entire program by downloading it online at wkok.com (Sara Bartlett)

Bucknell’s Small Business Development Center Celebrates 30^th Anniversary

LEWISBURG – The Small Business Development Center at Bucknell University recently celebrated 30 years of connecting small business owners with success. A member of the Pennsylvania SBDC network, Bucknell hosts the state’s Engineering Development Services. Assistant Director Steve Stumbris explained that the services of students and engineering professionals help businesses through every step of development, from brainstorming and problem solving to prototypes to technology research.

Local entrepreneurs from the Copper Kettle Brewery, Geisinger Ventures, and ASET Solar are just a few SBDC successes.  They provided testimony at the event, proving that great ideas are just waiting to come to life throughout the Susquehanna Valley.  Jon Vernam, Program Director, encourages anyone thinking of starting a business to check out both SBDC Business and Engineering services by calling 570.577.1249 or visiting their website at www.bucknell.edu/SBDC. (Nicole Garman)

3^rd Annual Northumberland Corn Festival this Saturday

NORTHUMBERLAND – The Corn Festival is coming up Saturday in Northumberland.  The 3^rd annual event raises money for Northumberland’s History Day says Corn Festival committee member Michelle Fink.

The day offers activities for all ages and plenty of food including roasted and steamed corn supplied by Geise’s Farm.  There will also be musical entertainment in the gazebo all day.  And, what’s new this year?  Fink says there will be a dunk tank.  The Northumberland Corn Festival is Saturday in King Street Park from 11:00a.m.-7:00p.m. (Sara Bartlett)

Explosive safely removed from Lewisburg home

LEWISBURG – An explosive was found in a Lewisburg home Monday afternoon.  The Daily Item reports Elizabeth Dauberman was cleaning her home on St. John Street around 3:00p.m. When she found a military explosive device in a closet.  Lewisburg Police responded to the scene, blocked off a section of the road and evacuated surrounding homes.  A state police bomb unit in Hershey was also contacted.

State Police removed the device, described as an explosive simulator used in military exercises.  Dauberman says she does not know where the explosive came from, although her late husband and other family members did serve in the National Guard. (Sara Bartlett)

State prison for man linked to the death of a Catawissa man

SUNBURY – A Shamokin man accused of selling two pain killer patches to a man who died from a drug overdose has been sentenced to state prison.  46-year-old Daniel Ruskuski was sentenced to three to seven years for his role in the death of 22-year-old Hank Millard in 2005.  Police say Ruskuski sold Millard to patches of Fentanyl from his home.  Millard placed one patch on his upper chest and reportedly chewed half of the other patch.  He was found dead in his bed in Catawissa the next morning.  A jury found Ruskuski guilty of four felony drug charges. (Ali Stevens)

Selinsgrove police investigate a burglary at a home in Monroe Township

SELINSGROVE – State police and Selinsgrove Police are investigating a burglary at a home on Lost Creek Drive in Monroe Township early this morning.  Troopers say someone entered the 1^st floor of a home while a 50-year-old woman was upstairs in her bedroom.  The incident happened just before 2 a.m.  Police were contacted and the suspect left prior to their arrival.  Nothing was found to be stolen.  The investigation will continue.  (Ali Stevens)

One person injured in a crash on Routes 11 and 15 in Shamokin Dam

SHAMOKIN DAM – One person was taken to the hospital following a crash on Routes 11 and 15 yesterday afternoon in Shamokin Dam.  State police say 67-year-old Elizabeth Viens of Selinsgrove struck an emergency vehicle with its lights activated at the intersection with Baldwin Boulevard.  Viens was taken to Sunbury Community Hospital for unknown injuries.  The driver of the other vehicle was not injured.  The investigation will continue.  (Ali Stevens)

The annual 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon at the Susquehanna Valley Mall

SELINSGROVE – The 8^th annual 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon is set for this weekend.  The event raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger Medical Center’s Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville.  There will be a number of success stories of children featured during the weekend. Be sure to tune in to the 94KX Cares for Kids Radiothon starting Thursday morning with the request-a-thon all-day, where you can hear any song on 94KX by making a pledge.  Then 94KX will be live all weekend at the Susquehanna Valley Mall.  Last year, more than $37,000 was raised for the Children’s Hospital.  You can stop by the mall to make your donation or call 1-800-799 Kids Friday, Saturday or Sunday.  (Ali Stevens)

PPL calls proposed power line “blackout protection”

ALLENTOWN – The route for a proposed PPL power line project will include areas near Berwick, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton and the northeastern corner of the state.  PPL Corp says the 500-kilovolt line largely parallels existing lines and is needed to handle increasing demand for electric power.  It would connect in New Jersey with a line to be built by Public Service Electric and Gas.  Routes that included portions of Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties were rejected. 

Cost of the link would be shared among more than 51 million consumers.  The utility says they will now submit their preferred route to the Public Utility Commission for approval.  The process will take about a year and include additional public comment.  (Matt Farrand)

Not-for-profits encouraged to apply for tourism grants

LEWISBURG – Non-profit cultural, historical or recreational organizations are encouraged to apply for grant funding from 2009 County Tourism Funds. The money is collected as a hotel tax in Union, Snyder and Northumberland Counties, and allocated by the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau.  If approved, grants are to be used to underwrite promotional and publicity initiatives for increasing tourism and overnight stays within the area.  Applicants should visit www.VisitCentralPA.org/Grants to download materials.  The deadline is at the close of business on October 31^st.  (Matt Farrand)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Tyco Electronics Ltd. is eliminating about 100 North American jobs, about half of them cut from two central Pennsylvania facilities.  Tyco Electronics announced the measures Wednesday, citing depressed demand from the automotive and consumer appliance industries.  In addition to job cuts at two suburban Harrisburg facilities, Tyco spokesman Mike Ratcliff said workers at facilities in North Carolina, Michigan, Mexico and Canada will be affected.  The company also plans to shift some manufacturing work from a Harrisburg facility to operations in nearby Waynesboro and Mount Sidney, Va.  The Bermuda-based company, which has its headquarters in Berwyn, Pa., employs 92,000 worldwide and makes electrical components and telecommunications equipment. It split last year from diversified manufacturer Tyco International Inc.

SOMERSET, Pa. (AP) - John McCain's campaign spokesman says the Republican presidential candidate will donate $5,000 that the campaign received from indicted U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens' political action committee to the Flight 93 National Memorial.  he spokesman says the Arizona senator's campaign received a contribution in April from Stevens' Northern Light PAC.  Stevens was indicted last month on felony charges of concealing more than a quarter-million dollars in gifts and services from an oil company that helped renovate his home in Alaska.  A $58 million memorial is planned in the southwestern Pennsylvania field where the hijacked United Airlines airplane crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, killing all 40 passengers and crew.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A county judge weighing whether a special prosecutor should investigate alleged leaks in a grand jury probe has filed an opinion in the case - but his finding is sealed.  Attorneys for Louis DeNaples, the casino owner who is the target of the grand jury investigation, say they probably will file a motion seeking to unseal the opinion that Dauphin County Judge Todd Hoover filed with the state Supreme Court on Monday.  DeNaples is a wealthy Scranton-area businessman charged with four counts of perjury stemming from the grand jury investigation.  He is accused of lying to investigators for the state Gaming Control Board about his relationships with four men - two reputed mobsters and two others who were at the center of a political corruption scandal in Philadelphia.  DeNaples was seeking to win a $50 million slot-machine gambling license for his Mount Airy Resort Casino which opened last fall in northeastern Pennsylvania.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A group against Allegheny County's 10-percent drink tax has submitted more than 46,000 signatures to get a referendum to cut the tax on the November ballot.  Friends Against Counterproductive Taxation want to let voters choose whether to cut the tax to 0.5 percent.  County Council has already passed a measure that will let  voters choose between keeping the 10-percent drink tax or having their property taxes go up.  Both groups are threatening to challenge each other's referendum in court.  But before that happens, county elections officials must verify FACT's signatures. If slightly more than 23,000 are genuine, that group's referendum can appear on the ballot.  The drink tax is used to fund the county's $30 million transit subsidy.

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

 Daily Number

     9-0-5

 Big 4

     4-4-6-4

 Treasure Hunt

     7-12-21-26-30

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