UNITYVILLE MAN SENTENCED FOR CRUEL ANIMAL CRIME
A Unityville man has been sentenced in Lycoming County Court after he pled guilty to all counts related to stealing and brutally killing two dairy cows who were the pets of two young girls in the local 4-H program in January of 2020. According to the Sun Gazette, the courtroom was full, supporting the victims – the Kitzmiller family, as President Judge Nancy Butts gave 60 year old Gary Colastosti of Woods Road up to 12 months of the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program which requires paying restitution, a letter of apology to the family, a donation to the Dairy County Dairy Committee and 50 hours of community service, and no contact with the victims. The guilty plea allowed Colatosti to escape a possible 31 year sentence and 90 thousand dollar fine.
FAMILY OF DECEASED INMATE FILES SUIT FOR NEGLIGENCE
A federal lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a Williamsport man who died in the custody of the Lycoming County Prison. According to WNEP, the family of 33 year old inmate, Chaz Donya Turner, seeks damages for claims of negligence and civil rights violations after he died January 15th 2022 following complications from COVID and diabetes. He went to the hospital January 2nd, for abdominal issues where he allegedly assaulted two nurses and was arrested. County officials have not responded to the lawsuit.
SUNBURY TO NAME ALLEYWAYS
Aiding emergency responders is the goal of Sunbury officials who want to officially name multiple so-far unnamed alleys in the city of Sunbury. According to the Daily Item, the city will ask for the public’s help in naming at least 8 or more currently unnamed alleys. The naming of the local alleys will cut down on confusion in the city for 911 operators and first responders in future emergency situations.
PUBLIC INVITED TO FARM SHOW RECEPTION
The public is invited to the 108th PA Farm Show’s PA Preferred® Reception, at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg this Friday, January 5th. According to Agriculture Secretary, Russel Redding, the ticketed reception is 40 dollars for the general public, 20 dollars for PA Preferred members, but free for military-veteran farmers who are members of Home Grown by Heroes. The event features a short program featuring the people and products of Pennsylvania Agriculture. Get details at farmshow.pa.gov.
ONE KILLED, ONE INJURED IN RIDE-SHARE VEHICLE ACCIDENT
A passenger in a motor vehicle crash in Montour County was killed on I-80 Monday night and the ride-share driver was injured. According to State Police 23 year old passenger Yainyles Gomez and the ride-share driver of the 2011 Toyota Highlander, 44 year old Anthony Machi of Hughesville, were heading to Wilkes-Barre when Machi reportedly lost control of the vehicle at about 3:38 am in Liberty Township at about mile marker 217 and overturned before striking a tree. Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash by the Montour County Coroner and an autopsy will take place tomorrow. Machi was transported to Geisinger Medical Center with minor injuries. Both were not wearing their seatbelts.
ALLEGED DEALER CHARGED FOR SELLING FATAL HEROIN DOSE
An Old Lycoming Township man has been charged with a felony for delivering drugs that caused the death of a Williamsport woman in May of 2019. According to the Sun Gazette, 44 year old Alex DeJesus allegedly sold heroin to 36 year old Teresa Holtzman, who was later found unresponsive at home from an apparent overdose and died a few days later at UPMC Williamsport from what toxicology reports say was a fatal mixture of benzos and fentanyl. DeJesus was recently taken into custody but was released from Lycoming County Prison on 95 thousand dollars bail.
ELUSIVE PIEBALD DEER TAKEN IN YORK COUNTY
A 13 year old Schuylkill County girl took the buck of her lifetime in York County on December 9th, the last day of Pennsylvania’s rifle season. According to GoErie dot com, Alex Eckenrod of Hegins was hunting with her grandfather when they spotted a locally elusive 9 point piebald deer with a 17 inch spread that locals had nicknamed “The Ghost”. Eckenrod used a 12-gauge shotgun and harvested the deer with a rifled slug. PA Game Commission wildlife biologists say piebald condition is an inherited genetic trait that shows speckles or whitewashed flanks. If the deer has white speckled fur, brown eyes and black hooves the deer is considered piebald and not albino.
JERSEY SHORE SENDS THREE TO PIAA ALL-STATE TEAM
Three Jersey Shore football players have been named and are All State bound. According to the Daily Item, this is the 5th straight year Jersey Shore Football has sent players with all-state honors, including linebackers Bo Sechrist and Elijah Jordan and lineman Dyson Delaney. Jersey Shore head coach Tom Gravish has also been tapped to lead Team Pennsylvania in next year’s Big 33 Football Classic – slated to kick off at Cumberland Valley High School’s Chapman Field in Mechanicsburg on May 26th.
SPORTS
PIAA HS Basketball
Girls
Shamokin 46 Midd-West 8
Central Columbia 53 Mifflinburg 28
Hughesville 65 Warrior Run 39
Shikellamy 36 Central Mntn 34
Selinsgrove 43 Danville 35
Jersey Shore 56 Lewisburg 42
Boys
Muncy 66 S.Williamsport 20
St. John Neumann 67 Bucktail 58
NP-Liberty 65 Meadowbrook Christian 54
Northwest Area 56 Benton 29
Sullivan County 55 Millville 31
Halifax 69 Line Mountain 55
Greenwood 58 East Juniata 38
NBA
76ers 110 Bulls 97
Grizzlies 106 Spurs 98
Pelicans 112 Nets 85
Thunder 127 Celtics 123
Warriors 121 Magic 115
NBA Tonight
Washington vs Cleveland 7pm
Chicago Bulls vs NY Knicks 8:30pm ABC
Miami Heat vs LA Lakers 10pm ESPN
NHL
Hurricanes 6 Rangers 1
Bruins 4 Blue Jackets 1
Capitals 4 Penguins 3
Avalanche 5 Islanders 4
Oilers 5 Flyers 2
NHL Tonight
NJ vs Washington 7pm TNT
Toronto vs Anaheim Ducks 9pm
NCAA Football
National Championship Monday, January 8
Washington Huskies vs Michigan Wolverines 7:30pm ESPN Houston, TX
NFL Saturday
Pittsburgh vs Baltimore 4:30pm ESPN
