SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2008
Recent incidents in Snyder County lead to arrests
MIDDLEBURG – There have been numerous charges filed in recent incidents in Snyder County in the past few weeks.
A 59-year-old Michigan man is being held in the Snyder County Prison awaiting trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl. Carlton Edgar Landis is being held on $100,000 bail after he was accused of improperly touching the children on several occasions between February of 2002 and February of 2004 at his Middleburg home.
Meanwhile, 70-year-old, Robert Hovenstine of Selinsgrove, has charges piling up after he was recently charged with misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and two counts of disorderly conduct. Police say Hovenstine was stopped August 8th for driving a garden tractor down North Market Street in the Selinsgrove borough and he refused to cooperate with police at the scene. Last year, he went to court for threatening four Selinsgrove High School students. He is now being held on a probation violation. (Sara Lauver)
Sunbury River Festival features the new and unusual
SUNBURY – Its that time of year again. The Sunbury River Festival is in full swing and the question this year is not, “what can you get,” but “what can’t you get?" The Flying High Bungee Trampoline is one of the new highlights this year. The device catapults riders into the air to simulate the feeling of bungee jumping. Other specialty stands are featured at the festival; with one vendor selling nothing but different types of root beer and another with specially designed glass nail files. Other unique vendors at the River Festival include hard to find ethnic foods like Onysius Harpus’ Greek food stand. Harpus was born in Greece and started an authentic Greek food business after moving to the United States several years ago. He says the friendly people keep him coming back to the festival each year. You can find these things and much more at the River Festival, which runs through Saturday evening. (Lindsey Bingaman)
Vehicle reported stolen in Middleburg
MIDDLEBURG – Police in Middleburg are looking for a stolen vehicle that was taken sometime overnight. Police say sometime before midnight Friday, a Pontiac Grand Am was stolen from a residence along East Market Street in the borough. The 4-door, white sedan has a PA registration of GLP4698. Anyone with any information should contact Middleburg borough police. (Sara Lauver)
Berwick man accused of sexually assaulting a child
BLOOMSBURG – A Berwick man has been charged after police say they found numerous pictures of him sexually abusing a child on his cell phone. According to the Press Enterprise, 25-year-old Michael Coates told police that he was being sent threatening text messages. When he gave the phone to police, they found nearly 15 images and a video of Coates engaging in sexual acts with a child as young as 5-years-old. He faces charges of sexual assault, deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault and will have a hearing next week. (Sara Bartlett)
PVC-free playground equipment to be manufactured locally
LEWISBURG – Playworld Systems Inc., headquartered in Lewisburg, will become the first major playground manufacturer to abandon the use of polyvinyl chloride plastic, or PVC, in its products. Marketing Manager, Jan Price, says recent studies have shown that PVC is not safe for the environment and is a potential health risk. She says eliminating the “vinyl” from its products is significant because PVC has been used in playground equipment for decades. Price says Playworld Systems is ahead of the game since other major competitors in their industry have not made the change. She says they will be replacing PVC with a durable and environmentally friendly alternative, Polyethylene or “PE.” Price says this alternative is safer because it doesn’t contain any volatile organic compounds or dioxins, which is why PVC is dangerous. She says PVC releases those dioxins in the manufacturing and recycling processes, while PE does not.
Playworld Systems expects to be PVC-free by October 1st when its new line of playgrounds becomes available nationally. (Sara Lauver)
Historian troubled by Russians in Georgian Republic
MT CARMEL – A local historian says the Republic of Georgia easily is the world’s top trouble spot. Mary Hogan of Mount Carmel says the Russian invasion of the republic considered friendly with the US is a potentially disastrous development, as is Russia’s bitter rhetoric regarding US deployment of a missile shield in Poland. Hogan says an oil pipeline that stretches from the oil producing nations to Europe is a critical part of the conflict. She is troubled by the apparent failure of a number of cease-fire agreements to hold, and the risk of wider conflict. Mary Hogan is a history instructor at Luzerne County Community College in Hazleton. (Matt Farrand)
Arrest warrant filed for second suspect in motel stabbing
SELINSGROVE – All charges are bound to court for the North Carolina man charged with stabbing another man at the Shamokin Dam Econo Lodge last week. 31-year-old Gary Hunt had a preliminary hearing Thursday before District Justice Edward Mihalik. He is charged with aggravated and simple assault and reckless endangerment for allegedly stabbing 25-year-old Daniel Ramon, of Fort Worth, Texas, after an altercation at the motel. Hunt is in Snyder County Prison on $200,000 bail.
Police have also filed an arrest warrant for 24-year-old Garrick Scott, off Pembroke, North Carolina, who they say hit another man, 47-year-old Daniel Gomez, of Arlington, Texas, with a hammer during the same altercation. (Sara Bartlett)
Selinsgrove committee keeps kids curbed—no $20,000 bus rides likely
SELINSGROVE – A committee of the Selinsgrove school board is saying ‘no’ to the kids who need transportation to and from day care. A transportation committee meeting was held last night in the Selinsgrove Area School District. The topic of discussion: whether or not they would make a busing recommendation to the school board regarding free bussing for students to and from day care.
School board President and committee member, Eric Rowe, says district officials believe that taxpayers’ dollars could be better spent. Only a handful of concerned parents attended the meeting and Rowe says although the district empathizes with the parents, the decision only affects a very small number of students.
He estimated that it would cost at least $20,000 to provide bussing for day care students who live within two miles of the school. The committee decided not to recommend to the school board that the district use public money for that transportation, but public comment on the situation will be heard at Monday’s school board meeting. (Sara Lauver)
Troopers in search of “lost” marijuana plant owner
NEW COLUMBIA – Credit a PennDOT crew for turning in a marijuana plant. State Police in Milton say the crew was doing some work along Route 15 in New Columbia when they found the plant in a pot behind the New Columbia Elementary School. They turned it over to State Police. Troopers hope anyone who knew how it got there gives them a call, and the plant’s owner should pay them a visit at their Milton barracks and reclaim it. (Matt Farrand)
Biomass Fuel Stocks of Pennsylvania in business in Mifflinburg
MIFFLINBURG – Reprocessed scrap wood could be a heat source of the future. At least that’s the hope of a Mifflinburg based entrepreneur named John Punako. He says a ton of briquettes made from scrap can produce as much heat as over 110 gallon of home heating oil. Punako has been dong just that as Biomass Fuel Stocks of Pennsylvania since January
Punako says some feared that his business would deforest the area, but he mostly uses scrap from other industries to make briquettes. He says components such as biomass boilers still need to become more popular before wood briquettes are burned more widely. However, Punako believes high prices for petroleum products and electric heat will see that day arrive sooner rather than later. Biomass Fuel Stocks was featured as this month’s “Made in the Valley” business by the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. (Matt Farrand)
Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State gambling regulators have approved a rescue for a financially troubled Pittsburgh casino project, but problems plaguing three prospective casinos may be far more difficult to resolve. A political stalemate in Philadelphia has left two projects there in limbo. And a northeastern Pennsylvania casino owner is fighting four counts of perjury that could cost him his $50 million slot-machine license. Undeniably, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is feeling the heat over its choices of casino projects. State Sen. Jim Ferlo says the agency has grave deficiencies in the board's decision-making. And state Sen. Jane Orie says the board has failed to act proactively and demand accountability from the casino groups it has licensed. The board maintains it has made the best choices available to it in licensing a new casino industry. Board member Gary Sojka says some people want the board to make perfect predictions when it comes to risk, but that just isn't possible.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Harrisburg police officers had to help clear a path for a man returning home after serving more than 30 years in prison. He is 68-year-old George Feigley, who was convicted of sexually abusing children. About 15 protesters blocked his driveway as he returned. Feigley was convicted in 1975 of raping three girls who were students at a private school affiliated with a church Feigley founded and ran at his home. Prosecutors called the school a sex cult. Authorities say they cannot restrict Feigley's movements because he has served his maximum sentence. His wife, Sandra, said her husband has had several heart attacks and is in a wheelchair. Feigley has denied abusing the girls.
WERNERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - The operator of an eastern Pennsylvania halfway house for inmates and recovering addicts is being ordered to stop removing air conditioners from buildings it leased from the state. A judge has ruled that the state is entitled to terminate Williamsport-based Firetree Ltd.'s lease for five buildings at the Wernersville State Hospital site. The state says it wants to run its own program at the site 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The judge gave Firetree until Aug. 31 to move out. Firetree went to court arguing that the state owes the company $1.6 million for improvements to the buildings. Now Berks County President Judge Jeffrey Schmehl has ruled that the lease stated any improvements would become part of the real estate. His emergency ruling Wednesday says the air conditioners are improvements. Firetree Limited is based in Williamsport, is primarily owned by former U.S. Congressman Allen Ertel and is in the process of opening a drug rehabilitation facility in Beavertown.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Friday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:
FRIDAY NIGHT
Daily Number
8-3-8
Big 4
1-4-9-6
FRIDAY MIDDAY
Daily Number
6-7-4
Big 4
5-5-3-4
Treasure Hunt
2-8-18-21-26
The winning numbers drawn Friday in the "Pennsylvania Cash 5" game were:
08-15-22-31-35.
The winning numbers drawn Friday in the "Pennsylvania Match 6 Lotto" game were:
04-12-20-40-43-47.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Memorial for Bernie Mac scheduled in Chicago
CHICAGO (AP) - Thousands of people, including some faces from the big and small screens, are expected to attend a public memorial for actor and Chicago favorite son Bernie Mac. Mayor Richard Daley also says he plans to attend Saturday's memorial at the House of Hope church on the city's South Side. The 50-year-old Mac died in Chicago last Saturday from what his publicist says are complications from pneumonia. He had been at Northwestern Memorial Hospital since the middle of July. Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in Chicago. His successful career included having his own Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show" and starring roles in "Ocean's Eleven," "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers." Elvis fans line up for graveside vigil
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Elvis Presley fans lined up in an afternoon drizzle Friday for a late-night procession past his grave at Graceland. Presley died at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977, and the procession, called the "Candlelight Vigil," is the highlight of a weeklong series of fan-club meetings, dances and Elvis-impersonator contests. The hardiest fans began lining up at the front gates in the early afternoon. Others browsed Graceland's sprawling souvenir shopping center or gathered under a large tent across the street from the famous white-columned house to listen to Elvis wannabes perform his favorite songs. The procession - scheduled to begin about 9 p.m. – generally attracts several thousand participants and runs into the morning hours.
Jerry Wexler, famed record producer, dies at 91
NEW YORK (AP) - Legendary record producer Jerry Wexler, who helped shape R&B music with influential recordings of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and other greats, has died, says his co-author, David Ritz. He was 91. Ritz, co-author of Wexler's 1993 memoir, "Rhythm and the Blues," said he died at his Sarasota, Fla., home at about 3:45 a.m. Friday. He had been ill for a couple of years with congenital heart disease. Wexler earned his reputation as a music industry giant while a partner at Atlantic Records. Atlantic provided an outlet for the groundbreaking work of African-American performers in the 1950s and '60s. Later, it provided a home to rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.
Nicole Richie starts baby registry for moms in need
UNDATED (AP) - Nicole Richie is coming out with an online gift registry that will provide baby products to moms in need. People.com says the site will launch this fall through the charity she and boyfriend Joel Madden started last winter when she was pregnant with daughter Harlow, called the Richie-Madden Children's Foundation. Richie says the basic necessities that many people take for granted are a serious struggle for some families. She says this registry is one way to ease the financial burden and help new babies have a good start in life. The site is only working with companies that Richie and Madden would use, and she says all the products will be checked for safety. The registry will start off helping families in the Los Angeles and New York areas before expanding throughout the country and internationally.
Bill Murray to plane jump at Chicago Air Show
CHICAGO (AP) - Bill Murray is expected to make a dramatic entrance at the 50th annual Chicago Air and Water Show today. He'll be parachuting from a plane with the US Army Golden Knight Parachute Team. He's set to make a tandem jump and land on one of the city's lakefront beaches. City officials say Murray is participating to show his support for the Illinois United Service Organizations. Brady Bunch mom Florence Henderson is scheduled to sing the national anthem and actor Gary Sinise is expected to sing with his music group, the Lieutenant Dan Band.
Christian Bale relieved that assault charges have been dropped
LONDON (AP) - Christian Bale is said to be relieved that the issue of the alleged assault on his mother and sister has been settled. His spokeswoman says Bale "hopes to put the matter firmly behind him" and won't be making any further comments. British prosecutors have announced that they won't be pressing charges because there isn't enough evidence to convict him. Officials say they treat domestic incidents seriously, but they feel it's important that "the views of complainants are also taken into account when making decisions in such cases." Bale's mom and sister reportedly told police Bale assaulted them at their hotel last month.
"MIRRORS" - Kiefer Sutherland
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kiefer Sutherland says even before he made the movie "Mirrors," he's never been a big fan of mirrors. He only has one in his house and it's in the bathroom. He says that mirror is only to make sure he actually hits his teeth with his toothbrush and doesn't brush his chin. "Mirrors" opened today.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)