FLOOD WARNINGS CONTINUE

Flood warnings are still out for most of our area, as creeks and streams stabilized some yesterday, but then started to rise again overnight.  Flooding was reported in sections of Muncy, as well as in the Hughesville area overnight, and there was flooding in the Ralston Area along Lycoming Creek as well.  The forecast for the crest on the river has been revised with a crest of 17.5 feet now expected at Williamsport on Thursday which is still below flood stage.  There still could be some low lying flooding along the river for the next couple of days. More showers are expected throughout the day today.

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LYCOMING COUNTY ROAD CLOSURES

More road closures in Lycoming County this morning, as Route 14 has been closed down at the Route 14/15 split in the Trout Run area due to a flooding in that area.  The road will be shut down into Bradford County this morning, until water recedes there.  In addition, John Brady Road between Industrial Park Road in Muncy Creek Township and Water Street in Muncy is also shut down this morning due to high water.  Little Pine Creek Road in Cummings and Pine Townships also remains closed this morning.

FLOODING ACROSS AREA

Reports of flooding and washed out roads have been reported across our region including in Bradford County where sections of Route 14 in Alba, Troy and Canton Townships are shut down due to flooding.  There are some roads shut down in both Snyder and Northumberland Counties, with Route 11 shut down between Northumberland and Danville due to a rock slide.  Detours are in place there.  A bridge washed out along Brush Valley Road near Sunbury, and flooding along Penns Creek in Snyder County has shut down some roads there as well. Route 220 is also shut down between Route 405 in Hughesville and Route 42 in Davidson Township in Sullivan County.

COMMISSIONERS CONSIDER CHANGES

Lycoming County Commissioners were talking about homes on the floodplain during their meeting yesterday.  Commissioners are considering amending the county zoning ordinance tomorrow to allow property owners to put new mobile or manufactured homes on a floodplain as long as they meet certain requirements. As the zoning stands now, only mobile homes grandfathered into a flood plain have been allowed to remain there or can even be repaired or replaced, but no new mobile or manufactured homes can be placed or built there.

CITY MAN CHARGED

A Williamsport man has been charged by city police with stealing over a thousand dollars from three different area residents, promising to do work on their vehicles which was never done.  47 year old Troy Fern promised to do work for one resident, taking $200 dollars and staring work on a vehicle but never finishing. He also took $100 from another resident to put tires on a vehicle which never happened and took $700 dollars for a third, as well as purchasing $140 worth of materials of which he used for his own use.  He has been charged with theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

A CHANGE TO FLOOD WARNING CALLS

Following a glut of flood warning calls to Lycoming County residents phones, The County’s Emergency Management Agency is looking into changing current protocols with the warning system.  The Swift911 system receives calls from the National Weather System which sent numerous updates on Monday night and Tuesday.  Officials say the agency will look at finding a middle ground which will help keep people in danger of flooding informed but do so without sending numerous notfications in the early morning hours.

PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION APPROVED

A defense motion for an accused Northumberland County killer to receive a psychiatric evaluation has been approved in court there.  Jose Colon is accused of shooting 23 year old Sandra Ortiz on a Shamokin Street back in February of this year and then engaged police in a standoff at his apartment.  Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Ortiz, and his defense has been approved for $10,000 do use a Philadelphia Area Psychiatric expert who also examined a woman who was involved in the stabbing of a man in Sunbury in 2013.  That cost reached $50,000 dollars.