BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 27, 2021

GOVERNOR WOLF LOOKING TO FEDS FOR MORE VACCINE SOONER THAN LATER
Governor Tom Wolf made a statement yesterday concerning his frustration over the low vaccine supply in Pennsylvania after relying on the federal government to provide the two doses for over 4 million people who are now in the recently eligible 1A Phase in the state.  According to his statement at a press conference yesterday Wolf said  the state has only received 1.5 million doses from the federal government, which covers about 750,000 people in a double dose cycle.  Acting Secretary of Health, Alison Beam said yesterday that there is no centralized pre-registration system in the state because they want to keep a vaccination schedule local.  PEMA officials said vaccine Community centers are also on the way.

ZONING APPEAL IN SUNBURY TODAY
There is a zoning hearing today between a Sunbury Church and the city of Sunbury over whether the former Bimbo bakery  can be used for the church’s new headquarters.  Over 30 thousand dollars in combined  tax revenue is at stake between the city, Northumberland County and the Shikellamy School district.  According to media outlets, Sunbury Zoning Officer Mike Rhoades said H2 Church applied to use the approximately five-acre property for a school, daycare, and counseling center on December 22,  which was denied by the city zoning office for not meeting usage rulesfor the industrial area. The church wants to use the property for a school, daycare, and counseling center.  The hearing is at 4pm in Sunbury City Hall.

INMATE DIES OF COVID AT SCI MUNCY
There has been an inmate death announced at SCI Muncy due to COVID-19.  According to the state Department of Corrections a 62 year old woman who had underlying medical conditions was serving a 10-40 year sentence for burglary since 2013.  She had been hospitalized last Wednesday and passed away Monday.   According to the Sun Gazette, SCI Muncy is currently reporting 15 active inmate cases and 14 active staff cases.  The  inmates there who have coronavirus, are being isolated.

CANTON WRESTLING PROGRAM PAUSED DUE TO COVID
Canton wrestling recently had two confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 within its program  and superintendent Dr. Eric Briggs made the decision yesterday to shut down the program for 10 days.   The Warriors can return to practice Friday the 5th of February with three days of practice before a competition accorind to PIAA protocols. They will is then wrestle dual meets with Selinsgrove on February 8th and Montoursville on February 9th  before the North Sectional tournament on February 13th.  Canton wrestled a dual-meet Tuesday against Hughesville  but the wrestlers who were affected did not compete.

STRUCTURE FIRE IN MILTON
An early morning fire in Milton brought out volunteers from over 9 companies this week according to Central Susquehanna Regional 9-1-1.  According to media outlets the call came through around 1:15 am Tuesday with reports of a storage barn engulfed in flames at the intersection of Front and Mahoning Streets.  The structure was destroyed and there were no injuries reported according to fire officials

COVID UPDATE
Lycoming County confirms  47 new cases of the coronavirus today, Northumberland  has 48, Clinton has 11 new cases according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.   Statewide, there are 3,976 additional positive cases of COVID-19 statewide, and 219 new deaths have been confirmed.  Lycoming County vaccine providers have reported to the Department of Health that they have successfully administered 1,354 vaccines as of Tuesday to people waiting the two weeks between doses so, at least 6,000 people completely vaccinated by the first weekend in February.

PENNSYLVANIA INMATES ARRESTED FOR FRAUD
Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the arrest of two inmates and an outside accomplice for their roles in conspiring to provide false information on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) applications.According to NorthCentralPA dot com, John Jones, an inmate at SCI Rockview in Centre County, and Robert Palmer, an inmate at SCI Huntingdon in Huntingdon County, allegedly illegally applied for PUA benefits for themselves and on behalf of inmates from across the Commonwealth.  Payments were issued in the form of US Bank debit cards issued by the Department of Labor & Industry totaling $226,082. All three defendants were charged in Dauphin County.

UPMC OFFICIALS SAY CONTINUE TO TAKE CORONAVIRUS PRECAUTIONS
Hospital officials from UPMC are reporting that they are seeing a decrease in hospitalizations and testing rates  for COVID-19 in their Susquehanna region.  According to chief medical officer, Dr. David Lopatofsky, the inpatient numbers have declined over the last couple of weeks and there are les total patients in the ICU.  He says that we are still not to let our guard down and that the staff at UPMC is also working to get the correct allotment of vaccine as it becomes available.  According to the Sun Gazette, 75 percent of the UPMC Staff in the Susquehanna Region have received their first dose of the vaccine and many are on to their second dose.

SPORTS
NBA
Hawks beat the clippers 108 to 99, Rockets beat Wizards 107 to 88, Jazz beat the Knicks 108 to 94
NBA Tonight
Nets play the Hawks, and Lakers come to Philly to play the 76ers both games with a tip-off at 7:30.   Celtics play the Spurs in San Antonio at 8:30
NHL
Bruins beat the Penguins 3-2, Sabres beat the Rangers 3-2, Flyers over the Devils 5-3, Capitals beat the Islanders 3-2, Panthers beat the Blue Jackets 4-3, Predators beat the Blackhawks 3-2, Jets over the Oilers 6-4, Kings beat  Wild 2-1, Stars over Red Wings 2-1, Maple Leafs beat Flames 4-3, Avalanche beat Sharks 7-3 Ducks blanked the Coyotes 1-nothing, Blues over Golden Knights 5-4
Super Bowl LV (55)
Sunday, February 7 at 6:30 PM on CBS at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay Florida, Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

HS Boys Basketball last night between Muncy & Northwest, and Troy and Sayre postponed

COLLEGE SPORTS
Lycoming College Men’s and women’s basketball will start up Thursday, Feb. 11, opting in for a five-week regular season with a championship week to conclude play.

Lycoming wrestling will be back on Feb. 13, with a 1 p.m. dual meet with Wilkes and a pair of duals on Feb. 14 and Feb. 20 at the Colonels.

The Mansfield University softball team will open their season in conference competition in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, to take on the Rams of Shepherd University on Friday March, 5.

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 22, 2021

HARRISBURG WOMAN CHARGED WITH STEALING LAPTOP RELEASED TO CUSTODY OF HER MOTHER
The Pennsylvania woman who was charged with stealing a laptop from the US Capitol during the January 6th riots in Washington DC was released from prison into the custody of her mother late yesterday until her court appearance in federal court Monday. According to media outlets, 22 year old Riley June Williams turned herself in earlier this week for the theft, obstruction and trespassing charges.  A Virginia-based FBI agent said Williams was recorded on closed-circuit cameras in the Capitol going into and coming out of Nancy Pelosi’s office.  Williams will be under electronic monitoring, she has no prior criminal record.

SCHOOL DISTRICT AUDIT TURNS OUT POSITIVE
The results of the audit of the Williamsport Area School District determined that the district is in good shape financially despite the pandemic circumstances.  According to the Sun Gazette representatives of Baker Tilly conducted the final audit for the district said even with the unprecedented situation caused by the health crisis, expenditures from the date of closure until the end of the school year that just were not incurred because schools were shutdown, so the the 2019-20 fiscal year was actually a good one for most school districts.

MIDDLEBURG TO GET NEW WATER SYSTEM
The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority or PENNVEST will fund a new infrastructure upgrade for Middleburg’s water system.  The Middleburg Municipal Authority received $555,000 in grant money, and over $4 million in low interest loans to replace old cast iron and asbestos cement, iron piping, and replace the old reservoir with a 290,000 gallon concrete storage tank.  According to the authority, there will be meter and control upgrades and water pressure may improve after the installation of a steel standpipe tank.   PENNVEST offers grants and loans assisting municipalities with important water projects.

VACCINATIONS IN HIGH DEMAND
Geisinger Medical Center and other local entities are working hard to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine with an allocation of doses that has yet to match the demand from local residents seeking to be vaccinated.  According to the hospital system media relations, people in the Phase 1A groups including people over 65, and those with high-risk medical conditions can schedule an appointment at any of the health system’s community-based vaccine centers online.  It’s required to receive both vaccine doses at the same location and both appointments are scheduled at the same time.  Anyone who is 18 or older can call 570-284-3657 to set up a MyGeisinger account.

WILLIAMSPORT PROPERTIES GET ATTENTION
There was a virtual public hearing this week in Williamsport that resulted in listing Williamsport city property as blighted and will allow the owners more time to complete a rehabilitation of the properties at 510 Rural Ave. and 928 High St. in the city. The four member board chaired by Patrick Marty decided the owner of the blighted property on High St. gets 9 months to make improvements, but the owner of the 510 Rural Ave., property was not at the meeting, so according to the Sun Gazette, Joseph Gerardi, city codes administrator said the house can be seized and either razed or sold to a developer to rehabilitate.  The High St. property will be revisited by codes inspection in nine months and the report turned over to the committee.

COVID UPDATE
The Pennsylvania Department of Health said  there were 5,664 additional positive cases of COVID-19 as of yesterday , and state is reporting 260 new deaths today, which takes PA across a milestone number of fatalities, 20,128 since the pandemic began. Lycoming County has 63 new cases reported, Northumberland has 40, Union County has 30, and Montour has 19.  The COVID Tracking Project reports that Pennsylvania’s seven-day average of deaths reported hit its highest point in the pandemic earlier this month, but  the numbers of patients in hospitals and intensive care units have continued to drop throughout January,

YOUTH SERVICE AGREEMENT APPROVED IN LYCO
The Lycoming County Commissioners voted this week to approve several youth agreements in the county.   According to the Sun Gazette,  Lycoming County Children & Youth Services Director Mark Egly said costs have increased by 2 percent from 2020, and range from $78.79 per day to $315.21 per day.  The contract approved with Adelphoi Village, Inc. to cover foster care and residential care services.  Contracts with Justice Works YouthCare, Inc. and Dwell Lycoming County were also approved.

BUCKNELL EDUCATORS INVOLVED IN SPACE DISCOVERIES
Local college educators and researchers are part of an international team making strides in Astrophysics.  According to the Daily Item,  Bucknell physics and astronomy professor Katelyn Allers and postdoctoral researcher Blake Pantoja have  elped  discover a new, low-mass binary planetary system located 450 light years from Earth.  They recently released a study in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.   The system is named Oph 98.

SPORTS

NBA
Lakers beat the Bucks 113 to 106, Jazz beat the Pelicans 129 to 118, Knicks beat the Warriors 119 to 104,
Tonight NBA
Nets play the Cavaliers in Cleveland and the 76ers and the Celtics tip off in Philly at 7:30, the Knicks and the Kings are in Sacramento at 10 PM Eastern.

NHL
Bruins beat the Flyers 5-4, Islanders beat the Devils 4-1, Lightning over the Blue Jackets 3-2, Jets beat the Senators 4-1, Canadians beat the Canucks 7-3, Kings over Avalanche 4-2, Panthers and Hurricanes were postponed.

NFL
The Conference Championships are  Sunday at 3:05pm between the Buccaneers and the Packers, the Bills play the Chiefs at 6:40pm

HS Boys Basketball
Williamsport beat Altoona 67-43, Northumberland Christian over Bucktail 65-33
HS Girls Basketball
Selinsgrove beat Jersey Shore 57-22, Towanda beat Cowanesque Valley 55-19 , Wyalusing beat North Penn Liberty 55-43, Troy beat Canton 37-16, Athens beat Williamson 62-23
HS Wrestling
Montgomery defeated South Williamsport 61-6

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 21, 2021

LOCAL LEADERS REACTION TO INAUGURATION DAY
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf attended the Inauguration Ceremony of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington DC yesterday and released a statement after the event saying it was more a solemn occasion that normal but that he was honored to be there and that it’s time for bold vision as our nation faces unprecedented challenges.  Local and state leaders told the Sun Gazette they are looking forward to the nation navigating a steady course to a bright future through compromise. US Representative Fred Keller said in a statement that he wishes the nation success under Biden.

CITY COUNCIL WEIGHS OPTIONS ON MOVING FROM CITY HALL
In discussion about weighing the options  between staying in City Hall and moving to a new location, Williamsport City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee met this week and are narrowing down the choices.  According to the Sun Gazette there is no official funding plan at this time, but there are a host of grant opportunities for the committee to investigate, and according to one economic development consulting firm involved, there is a potential for Keystone Community funds for the move to Trade and Transit Centre I, and a state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant opportunity for remaining at City Hall.  Committee members and Mayor Derek Slaughter agree that a broad overarching funding plan would be needed before a final decision can be made.

PPP LOAN PROGRAM STARTING AGAIN THIS WEEK
The Paycheck Protection Program through the US Small Business Association  re-opened this week for all First and Second Draw loan applications.  First Draw PPP loans are for those borrowers who had not received a loan before August 8, 2020, Second Draw PPP loans are for eligible small businesses with 300 employees or less and that previously received a First Draw PPP loan. The program remains open for until March 31, 2021, as set forth in the Economic Aid Act, or until Congressionally-appropriated funding is exhausted.  Details at  sba.gov.­

COVID VACCINE AVAILABLE AT AREA WEIS MARKETS
Some Weis Markets stores in Lycoming and Northumberland Counties will be locations where you can receive COVID-19 vaccines beginning tomorrow. The Weis Markets corporate office issued a statement Wednesday that 55 of their in-store pharmacies will have vaccines. Locally, Montoursville, Muncy, Lewisburg, Mifflinburg, and more area stores are taking appointments. Go to WeisMarkets.com to schedule an appointment. Weis says they’ll priorities people age 65 and old.  A full list of  Weis locations offering the vaccine is here.

MAN CHARGES FOR TAKING FUNDS FROM EMPLOYER
A Lewisburg man who was a hotel manager in Union County has been charged with stealing funds from the business over a four year time frame.  According to North Central Pa dot com, 44 year old Andrew C. Gemberling was arraigned this week after an internal investigation showed that he allegedly stole more than 85 thousand dollars from the Country Cupboard Inn Best Western in Kelly Township since March of 2018.   Police say the assistant manager  made fraudulent refunds and placed them into his personal bank account.  Gemberling’s preliminary hearing is for February 2nd.

MAN LEADS POLICE ON CHASE
A Winfield man led police on a high speed chase Tuesday in Buffalo Township and was charged with fleeing the scene and reckless endangerment.  According to State police at Milton, they attempted to  pull over 28 year old Jadrick Haines in a 1996 Mustang on Dreisbach Church Road un Union County when he took off from police.  Haines led police for a few miles but police say he lost control of the car and crashed at at Ridge and Tower roads.  Several other traffic summaries were also  filed in District Court.

COVID UPDATE
Lycoming County has 69 new cases of the coronavirus today, Union County has 59, Northumberland County has 55, Montour has 33, Snyder has 23, and Clinton16, Tioga 10 new cases.  The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 5,984 additional positive cases of COVID yesterday, but they reconciled some numbers and updated fatalities to 401 in the last 10 days statewide.  Lycoming County has 45 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, 5 in the ICU, 1 on a ventilator

DCNR GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR NON-PROFITS
Senator Gene Yaw of Loyalsock Township has announced that non-profits and other eligible organizations interested in applying for conservation, recreation, or trail, grants through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources may do so now. Yaw said that eligible applicants in his five-county region can apply for funding as a way to improve and preserve our local recreational areas. The Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2)  Applications will be accepted through April 14th, 2021.The DCNR Recreation and Conservation grant program is funded with a variety of state and federal funding sources including Pennsylvania’s natural gas “Impact Fee.”

SPORTS
NBA
Cavaliers beat the Nets 147 to 135, Mavericks beat the Pacers 124 to 112, 76ers beat the Celtics 117 to 109, Hawks beat the Pistons 123 to 115, Heat beat Raptors 111 to 102, Magic beat Timberwolves 97-96, Suns over the Rockets 109 to 103, Warriors beat the Spurs 121 to 99, Clippers beat the kings 115 to 96, Wizards and Hornets as well as the Grizzlies and Trailblazers postponed
NHL
Oilers beat Maple Leafs 3 to 1, Oilers, Sharks over Blues 2 to 1, Wild beat the Ducks 3 to 2, Canucks beat the Canadiens 6-5, Golden knights beat Coyotes 5-2
NFL
The Conference Championships are  Sunday at 3:05pm between the Buccaneers and the Packers, the Bills play the Chiefs at 6:40pm
College Basketball
#22 Illinois beat Penn State 79-65
HS Wrestling
Central Mountain defeated Selinsgrove 35-25
HS Boys Basketball
Wellsboro over Williamson 71 to 19, Central Columbia beat Mount Carmel 78-63, Montoursville over Shikellamy 50 to 30, Loyalsock defeated Milton 58-23, Danville beat Mifflinburg 51-49, Lewisburg beat Selinsgrove 57-43, Cowanesque Valley beat Sayre 63-51, Athens beat Mansfield HS 79-61, Dubois beat Central Mountain 58-44, and Wyalusing beat Canton 50-34, and Troy beat Towanda 59-32

HS Girls Basketball
Sullivan County beat Montgomery 48-16, Loyalsock beat Williamsport 66-44, Saint John Neumann beat Columbia Montour 36-42

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 20, 2021

SNYDER COUNTY DA SEEKING DEATH PENALTY
A Paxinos man charged with killing his estranged ex-wife  and her friend outside Buffalo Wild Wings Mifflinburg may face the death penalty after the Snyder County’s District Attorney filed a notice of intent yesterday.  55-year-old Christopher Fernanders faces two counts of first degree murder, illegal possession of a firearm, stalking and a PFA violation.  According to media outlets, 46 year old Heather Campbell of Trevorton, and 52-year-old Matthew Bowersox of Mifflinburg were shot last July and a bystander shot a fleeing Fernanders who was hospitalized before he was arraigned for the crime.  Fernanders remains incarcerated in Snyder County Prison without bail.

DR LEVINE TAPPED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
The person who has emerged as the public face of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine has been tapped by the Biden Administration to be the country’s assistant secretary of health.  Dr. Levine, will be one of  the few transgender people serving in elected or appointed positions nationwide. She  is a pediatrician and former Pennsylvania physician general and was appointed to her current post by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in 2017.

ROCK SLIDE CAUSED LAIRDSVILLE DETOUR
There was a detour on Route 220 and Route 42 needed after a rockslide closed roadways near Lairdsville yesterday.  According to PennDOT both the eastbound and westbound lanes of Route 118 were closed following the large amount of rock that completely blocked the roadway.  Route 118 is closed between Route 405 in Hughesville Borough and Route 42 in Jordan Township.  The road was cleared and reopened later in the afternoon

DREAM WEEK ACTIVITIES IN WILLIAMSPORT
It’s Dream Week  this week and in Williamsport, local colleges, STEPAmericorp the Beloved Community continue to be encouraged to focus on service to others to honor the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s life.  The Sun Gazette noted that Mayor Derek Slaughter mad the point that we can work on Dr. King’s work not for a week but every day.  Thursday Penn College of Technology will host a virtual talk by April Reign, who has sought racial equality in the entertainment industry by creating the hashtag OscarsSOWhite. Information to sign on to Thursday’s ZOOM event at 7pm, is on the STEP AmeriCorps website.

POCONO SHOOTING SPREE SUSPECTS IN CUSTODY
Five people have been taken into custody after a Pocono shooting spree left four people wounded Monday night.  Four young adults and one juvenile male were virtually arraigned Tuesday at the Monroe County Jail after they were rounded up by police who say the shooting incidents were all a case of mistaken identity.  According to WNEP, The five suspects driving around A Pocono Country Place neighborhood misidentified someone in another vehicle as a person they had a problem with and opened fire.  A car chase ensued into the town of Tobyhanna and more shots were fired.  Police say a mother and son inside a house at the original neighborhood were discovered to be hit and wounded by the suspect’s gunfire, a man from the Bronx driving nearby was shot in the head along Route 196 and another person from Henryville, who was uninvolved hit by gunfire prior to crashing his car.  Three victims are stable and one is in critical condition today.

MAN ATTEMPTS BREAK IN AT POLICE STATION
A man from Jersey Shore is in custody today following an attempt to break into the Tiadaghton Valley Police station .  According to the Sun Gazette, 40 year old Aaron Hall became aggressive last Saturday afternoon by banging on the front door of the police station and then smashed a window.  Hall told police he was proving a point about alleged police corruption, but did not comply with any police commands and was subsequently tased, he was charged with aggravated assault, institutional vandalism resisting arrest and other charges.  He is in the Lycoming County Prison unable to post 65 thousand dollars bail. The police say Hall was shown in surveillance cameras to be loitering around the station prior to the incident.

COVID UPDATE
Lycoming County reports  60 new cases of the coronavirus as of yesterday,  Northumberland has 56, Clinton County has 16 new cases. The state Department of Health confirmed 5,341 new statewide cases and 77 new fatalities.  Lycoming reports 47 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, and no people on ventilators at this time.  Statewide hospitalizations remain over 4,500 – of those patients, over 900 are in the ICU and over 500 are on ventilators

VACCINE DISTRIBUTION PHASE UPDATED
The phase 1A vaccine distribution guidelines have been updated as of today to include those who are age 65 and older, as well as those age 16 to 64 with serious health conditions, According to the state Department of Health.  Conditions like cancer, chronic kidney disease, smoking, type 2 diabetes, heart conditions, obesity, sickle cell and pregnancy are considered to be high-risk conditions and now fall under the eligibility guidelines for the vaccine.  Department of Health officials say the state Emergency Management Agency is working on setting up mass vaccine clinics.  There are approximately 3.5 million Pennsylvanians in phase 1A for vaccination eligibility and a full list of conditions and persons who are eligible is available online Here.  https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/Vaccine.aspx#data

SPORTS

NFL
The Conference Championships are  Sunday at 3:05pm between the Buccaneers and the Packers, the Bills play the Chiefs at 6:40pm
NBA
Nuggets beat Thunder 119 to 101, Jazz beat the Pelicans 118 to 102
NBA Tonight
Nets play the Cavaliers in Ohio and the Celtics come to Philly to play the 76ers; both games @7, Wizards and Hornets are postponed

NHL
Devils beat Rangers 4 to 3, Flyers beat the Sabres 3-nothing, Panthers beat the Blackhawks 5-4, Penguins over the Capitals 5-4, Jets beat the Senators 4-3, Red Wings over the Blue jackets 3-2, Avalanche beat Kings 3-2, Stars and Lightning, and Hurricanes and Predators were postponed.
HS Basketball Boys
Sullivan County beat Montgomery 55-33, Loyalsock Township beat Williamsport 52-41, South Williamsport beat Millville 66-41, Muncy beat Benton 65-26
HS Girls Basketball
Athens beat North Penn Mansfield 52-25, – Canton over Williamson 49-34
HS Wrestling
Canton defeated Towanda 60-15, Athens beat Wyalusing  40-25

HS Swimming
Williamsport Boys defeated  Lewisburg 111-51 and so did the Williamsport Girls 115-63

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 19, 2020

MOTHER ACCUSED OF STABBING INFANT INCARCERATED
The investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding the case of 22 year old Corrie Cowlay-Saunders, of Adams St., who was charged with criminal homicide and attempted homicide for stabbing her 5 month-old infant and  the baby’s father.  According to the Sun Gazette, the Lycoming County Coroner has completed the autopsy of the child , Cailani Faltz, who police allege was stabbed in the neck by her mother – no further details have been released.  Faltz’s father, Cordell Faltz, was also injured in the neck and jaw.  Cowlay-Saunders is in the Lycoming County Prison and has been denied bail, her preliminary hearing in District Court  is Thursday.

GRANTS COMING TO LOCAL SCHOOLS AFFECTED BY VIRUS
Many local schools including The Williamsport Area School District,  South Williamsport Area, Loyalsock Township, East Lycoming, Montgomery, Muncy and others are set to receive almost $9 million as part of the $2.2 billion in federal stimulus funds being dedicated statewide for financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Pennsylvania’s Department of Education will distribute the funds directly to the school districts who apply using the Title I, Part-A formula, the amount based on the percentage of students in a district who qualify for reduced or subsidized lunches. The funds can be used for a wide range of activities and must be used by September of 2023.

CANDY DESK SUPPLY GOES TO NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS
Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania recently took a back stock of candy used to supply the US Government’s  famous candy desk and created care packages for the National Guard who have been called to protect areas of the Capitol Complex in Washington DC.  According to CBS Pittsburgh, as a tradition since 1968, the candy desk has been maintained by Senator Toomey since 2015 and many Pennsylvania candy making companies have provided the United States Senate with the treats even before Toomey when Rick Santorum maintained the Hershey chocolate supply through 2007.

VOTE FOR BUTTER UP CONTEST
The virtual Farm show is in the history books, but Pennsylvania residents still have a responsibility to vote for the winner of the “Butter Up” Contest – a competition of mini butter sculptures made by the public in lieu of the traditional sculpture usually shown at the in-person Farm Show in Harrisburg.  The farm show posted all of the entries to its Facebook page where you can react.  One winner will be selected from each age bracket based on Facebook likes.  Voting for the “Butter Up” contest is open through 1 p.m. on Friday.

HARRISBURG WOMAN IN CUSTODY FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING LAPTOP AT CAPITOL
An alleged Capitol rioter from Harrisburg accused by a former partner of stealing a laptop or hard drive from Nancy Pelosi’s office has surrendered to authorities, two sources confirmed to CBS News. The FBI reports that Riley June Williams of Harrisburg is being investigated for the theft of the device while she was trespassing on Capitol grounds with the intent to sell it to a friend in Russia. There are reports of a laptop being taken from the US Capitol, but it was only one used in a conference room for presentations.

COVID UPDATE
In its daily update Monday which includes Sunday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed 10,068 new cases of the coronavirus over the last two days, and 80 new fatalities were reported.  90 new cases have been confirmed in Montour County ,Northumberland County has 78 new cases, Union has 26 and Snyder has 36.  Lycoming County  has  29 new cases reported today with 44 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, and 3 on ventilators.  Statewide hospitalizations continue decreasing, down to over 4,500 now being reported– of those patients, over 900 are in the ICU and over 500 are on ventilators.

AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY ELIGIBLE FOR CARES ACT FUNDS
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has a new grant program that will provide financial assistance to marine fisheries participants negatively affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The program is made possible by the federal CARES Act and $3.3 million can go to Pennsylvania residents who are seafood processors, wholesale dealers/distributers, and other aquaculture operations including commercial fishing. Completed application packages must be received by 4 p.m., February 26th.  A direct link to grant application materials is online HERE:

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO CLEAN UP WREATHS
Volunteers are being sought to pick up over 40 thousand live balsam wreaths that were placed on the Hallowed Grounds of Indiantown Gap National Cemetery during Wreaths Across America Day on December 19th.  Through the Wreaths Across America Program and Mission, the effort will return the cemetery to its pristine state on Saturday, January 30th 2021, when volunteers following CDC guidelines will gather on the plaza on the PA Veterans Memorial near Annville, PA at before 8am and coordinate the clean up effort.  There’s no age limit for those who wish to help. Information about the event is at wreathsacrossamaerica.org

SPORTS
NBA
Knicks beat Magic 91 to 84, Hawks beat Timberwolves 108 to 97, Spurs beat the Trailblazers 125 to 104, Grizzlies beat the Suns 108 to 104, Nets beat the Bucks 125 to 123, Raptors beat the Mavericks 116 to 93, Heat beat the Pistons 113 to 107, Bulls beat Rockets 125 to 120, Warriors beat the Lakers 115 to 113, Cavaliers and Wizards were postponed

NHL
Blue Jackets beat Red Wings 3-2, Islanders blanked the Bruins 1-nothing, Maple Leafs beat Jets 3-1, Sabres defeated the Flyers 6-1, Blues beat Sharks 5-4, Hurricanes beat the Predators 4-2, Flames over the Canucks 5-2, Canadians beat the Oilers 3-1, Ducks blanked Wild 1-nothing, Golden knights beat Coyotes 4-2.

NFL
The Conference Championships are  Sunday at 3:05pm between the Buccaneers and the Packers, the Bills play the Chiefs at 6:40pm

HS Boys Basketball
Montoursville beat Saint Joseph 58 to 42, Wyalusing beat North Penn Mansfield 64-59, Central Columbia defeated Lewisburg 61-36, Athens beat Sayre 54-41

Girls  Basketball
Cowanesque Valley beat Williamson in OT 47-42, Lewisburg beat Muncy 37-15, Williamsport beat Jersey Shore 52-18.

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 18, 2021

NEW RESTAURANT BEING BROUGHT TO GOLDEN STRIP NEXT YEAR
The land where the former Ruby Tuesday’s was located in Loyalsock TownShip is expected to be the new location for a soon to be built Texas Roadhouse Restaurant.  At this time, according to the Sun Gazette, the township supervisors have yet to review and approve the land development plan, which will start the process of working with the landlord to get the proper permits to demolish the existing building on East Third St.  A Texas Roadhouse Restaurant spokesman said the opening date will be sometime in 2022.

VIDEO SCOREBOARD COMING FOR BOWMAN FIELD
Bids were officially opened this week as City officials seek to install a future video scoreboard at Bowman Field.  According to the Sun Gazette, city engineer, Jon Sander opened the bids in a virtual meeting that was originally delayed due to technical issues, but included offers from TSI, Lundy Construction, Daktronics and Samsung which will now be reviewed by the Larson Design Group.  The $1.2 million state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project grant will pay for the video scoreboard project and was obtained through application to the Office of Budget of Gov. Tom Wolf by the former city administration.

COVID PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGN
The First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania (FCFP), a collaboration of UPMC, The Evangelical Community Hospital and Geisinger Medical Center has joined together to launch a public health campaign aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 with the theme, “FCFP brought us together. To keep you apart.”  They say individual behaviors – not healthcare organizations – will determine how long this pandemic continues to impact our region. The campaign will appear on billboards and video ads through social media and YouTube.

MLK, JR DAY TODAY
It’s Martin Luther King Jr Day today and members of who he called the Beloved Community will be working together this week during “Dream Week” in Williamsport.  Local Churches and groups organized an effort last year to bring awareness to racial injustice as well as reminding all that they are are equally loved and valued.  The theme for Dream Week in Williamsport in 2021 is “Better Together” and events for the week at Penn College can be found at https://pctoday.pct.edu/  planned in co-operation with STEP AmeriCorps, Penn College, Lycoming College and the Beloved Community Council

LOCAL COVID UPDATE
Lycoming County has 63 new cases of the coronavirus reported by the PA Department of Health.  Northumberland County has 47 new cases, Union has 34 new cases, Montour has 23 new cases, and Snyder has 18 new cases.. Statewide, 7,166 new cases have been confirmed and 231 new deaths were reported   Statewide hospitalizations have decreased a third straight day, down to over 4,700 now being reported– of those patients, just under 600 are on ventilators.

STATE TROOPERS TO COLLECT PROFILE DATA
If you’re stopped by a Pennsylvania State Troopers this year they will be collecting data to include your age, gender, race and ethnicity in a new program meant to identify potential patterns of racial bias in policing.  Troopers will also record how long the traffic stop lasted, if your car was searched, as well as the results of that search.  Once the year of data is collected it will be send to the University of Cincinnati to be analyzed.  A similar data reporting program quietly ended after 2011 and state lawmakers have been working to reinstate it.

SCAMMERS CALLING ABOUT AMAZON OR FED EX
The Montoursville Police Department is advising the public that there are fraudulent calls coming from someone saying they are from Amazon or Fed Ex reported in our area.  The criminals are claiming that there is a problem with the victim’s account in the Amazon case and the Fed Ex scam claims they need a signature for a package but police say they are investigating when victims will and won’t be home.  Police say not to return the call, engage in a conversation, or give any personal information to strangers who call you.

GEISINGER HAS VACCINATED 20 THOUSAND PEOPLE SO FAR
Sources at the Geisinger Medical Center report a health care milestone of 20,000 vaccinations has been reached. Of the 20,000 doses of vaccines provided so far, more than 16,000 were first doses, 14,000 of which were for employees.  They said about 60% of the health system’s employees are vaccinated. Geisinger says they complied with the mandate that at least 10% of its first doses go to non-Geisinger healthcare personnel in the state’s Phase 1A groups.  Second dose vaccinations for employees began January 6 and nearly 4,000 employees are now fully vaccinated.

SPORTS
NFL
This weekend’s NFL Divisional Playoffs in the NFC – Packers beat the Rams 30 to 18 and Buccaneers beat the Saints last night 30 to 20, Bills beat the Ravens 17 -3 in the AFC and the Chiefs beat the Browns 20 to 17
The Conference Championship is next Sunday at 3:05 between the Buccaneers and the Packers, the Bills play the Chiefs at 6:40 PM
NBA
Knicks beat the Celtics 105 to 75, the Bulls beat the Mavericks 117 to 101, Jazz beat the Nuggets 109 to 105, Pelicans beat the Kings 128 to 123, Clippers beat the Pacers 129 to 96, Cavaliers and Wizards, and 76ers and Thunder were postponed.
College basketball Sunday
Men’s
Purdue beat Penn State 80 to 75,
Women’s
Bucknell beat Lehigh 80 to 66, and #22 Northwestern defeated Penn State 67-50

HS Boys BBall Saturday: St John Neumann over Millville 76-42, Williamsport 57 beat McCaskey 44, Loyalsock over Tyrone 78-71, Muncy over CMVT 73-38, Montoursville over Benton 56-34, South over Northwest  52-29, Mount Carmel over Hughesville 65-54, Mifflinburg over Montoursville 68-63, Danville defeats Lewisburg 61-25, NPL over CV 70-38 Warrior Run defeated Midd-West 69-50

HS Girls BBall Saturday Athens over Wellsboro 28-22, Towanda over NPL 59-26 Troy defeated Williamson 27-22, Canton over NPM 44-26

Today HS Basketball
HS boys basketball
Wellsboro at Canton at 6 PM in North Penn Mansfield at Wyalusing@6, Central Mountain at Milton, Lewisburg at Central Columbia, Montoursville at St Joseph’s, and Loyalsock at Williamsport @ 7:30
HS Girls Muncy at Lewisburg, Williamson at Cowanesque Valley, Jersey Shore at Williamsport @ 7:30
HS Wrestling Bloomsburg comes to Southside @7

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 15, 2020

NATIONAL GUARD AT THE CAPITOL AND IN THE COMMONWEALTH
About 1000 members of the PA National Guard have been sent to Washington DC to assist with security measures in the Nation’s Capital ahead of President elect Joe Bidens’ inauguration, but according to Governor Tom Wolf, about 450 more members of the Pennsylvania National Guard have been put on active duty for security in the state. Governor Tom Wolf said yesterday he will not allow what happened at our nation’s capital to happen in Pennsylvania.

MUNICIPAL ELECTION PETITIONS CAN BEGIN IN FEBRUARY
Lycoming County Voter services has announced that potential political candidates interested in running for office in the 2021 Municipal Primary can begin circulating nomination petitions for the race that will take place on May 18th. The deadline for filing the petitions at the county voter registration office is Tuesday March 9, 2021.  Instructions specific to running for the positions as well as for poll worker offices will be available February 9 at lyco.org.

BIDS OPENED FOR LOYALSOCK TOWNSHIP PROJECTS
Loyalsock Township supervisors reviewed bids and awarded contracts Tuesday for removing architectural barriers and will begin the process to meet more requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act . According to the Sun Gazette, the bids were reviewed by Anthony Visco Architects and SEDA-COG and will be funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.  A curb cut and a handicapped ramp project was approved and construction bids are expected to out by April with the work to be performed in Summer of 2021.

USAC DIRT TRACK CHAMP TO TEST NEW BLOOMSBURG RACEWAY TRACK TODAY
Dirt Track Racing returns to the Bloomsburg Fair in 2021, and with it comes a brand new one million dollar dirt track designed by 5 time Sprint National Champion of dirt track racing and vice president of USAC Levi Jones, who will test the track this morning at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds raceway before they complete the grandstand constuction.  Brian Wawroski, Superintendent of the Grandstand and Bloomsburg Fair board member, says Jones will test the new track this morning.  Rapid Tire Service USAC East Coast Series is the first event on the new track… <<OPENING DAY – BRIAN W>>Fans can expect the Bloomsburg Fair to return September 24th through October 2nd 2021.

WOMAN CHARGED WITH ENDANGERING CHILD AFTER DUI ACCIDENT
A Union County woman on probation in Northumberland County was charged with endangering her child after crashing her vehicle while under the influence of drugs.  According to north Central PA dot com, 25 year old Tommie Schoolie of Lewisburg and a juvenile were found injured outside the vehicle following an accident on September 13th  on Stein Lane in East Buffalo Township.  Buffalo Valley Regional Police say Schooley denied the use of drugs, but officials at Geisinger Medical Center confirmed drug use in a toxicology screening.  The juvenile boy sustained a skull fracture in the incident.  Schoioley’s preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 4 in Lewisburg.

WATER AUTHORITY BOARD RE-ELECTED
All five of the board members of the Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority were re-elected this week with Paul Wentzler and Victor Marquardt serving as president  and vice-president respectively.  According to the Sun Gazette, in addition to re-electing officers, the Authority approved an 80 thousand dollar “Growing Greener” grant that will help the area adhere to state mandated pollution requirements as part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program as part or Eck’s Run Stormwater Basin Retrofit Project.

VIRTUAL DREAM WEEK STARTS MONDAY
In the spirit of diversity and engagement, a Virtual Dream week will kick off in Williamsport Monday with the theme of “Better Together”.  In a joint effort by Pennsylvania College of Technology, Lycoming College, STEP Americorp and the Beloved Community Council, the week is for citizens to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. whose birthday is January 18th and a federal holiday.  The annual peace walk will not be held in person but a small group will kick off the week while being livestreamed by members of the BBC.  Penn College holds it’s fundraising event THON next Tuesday and Wednesday along with an American Red Cross blood drive.  Links to events will be on the STEP Americorp Facebook page.

PIAA MUST ADHERE TO RIGHT TO KNOW LAW
Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records has determined that the PIAA the governing body for scholastic sports in Pennsylvania is subject to the Right to Know law and must turn over a large amount of documents, including financial records from District 4 to a man from Bucks County who filed the request last November. According to the Daily Item, Simon Campbell filed the request in response to the paper seeking the information  about District 4, to which the PIAA responded by asking the court to remove them from being included in the Right to Know law.  According to a recent final determination from the OOR, the PIAA through school districts uses public funds for fees and memberships and both the association and Campbell have 30 days to respond.

SPORTS

NBA
76ers beat Heat 125 to 108, Raptors beat the Hornets 111 to 108, the Rockets beat the Spurs 109 to 105, Nuggets beat Warriors 114 to 104, and Pacers beat the Trailblazers 111 to 87

NBA tonight
New York Knicks go to Cleveland @7:30

NFL Division playoffs
Saturday
NFC – Rams vs Packers @4:35 @Lambeau
AFC Ravens vs the Bills @ 8:15
Sunday
AFC – the Browns vs the Chiefs in Kansas City @ 3:05
NFC – Buccaneers vs the Saints @6:40 in New Orleans

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 14, 2021

NO INJURIES IN BARN FIRE
There were no injuries reported after a family’s barn caught fire yesterday morning in Cascade Township. According to the Sun Gazette, the owner of the Rose Valley Road home said she awoke to the dog barking early Wednesday and then saw the glow of the fire on the property.   The woman, who is 6 months pregnant, drove to a neighbor’s house to call 911 since there was no phone service there.  The two humans, and a dog plus the six goats who were penned behind the insured storage structure that burned, were unharmed.  Firefighters from six departments responded and the Trout Run Fire Chief said the fire was extinguished before 5:30 am Wednesday.

SHIKELLAMY GOES REMOTE AFTER 4TH POSITIVE TEST
A fourth positive COVID test in 14 days at Shikellamy High School will shut down the school building for the rest of this week.  According to the Daily Item, Superintendent Jason Bendle said the closure effects the High School – not the other schools in the district.  Students will return to class next Tuesday since Monday is an Act 80 day and students have no academic responsibilities.  Lunches for In-Person, Virtual, and Remote Students will be available outside the cafeteria lobby today and tomorrow from 1:00 – 1:30

WILLIAMSPORT READY FOR POTENTIAL UNREST IN THE CITY
With possible protests and demonstrations taking place in the days to come surrounding the inauguration of President elect Joe Biden, local authorities in Williamsport have made statements that they are prepared for any event or demonstrations that could occur.  According to the Sun Gazette,  Williamsport Bureau of Police Chief Damon R. Hagan said his department can effectively handle any incidents within the city and that there has not been any intelligence on local threats  in the city, but that those who might wish protest or demonstrate peacefully will be given space to do so.

THURSDAY FARM SHOW ACTIVITIES
The virtual farm show continues today for kids with an 11am STEM Demonstration – Color Explosion in Pennsylvania milk as well as a noontime online cooking program all sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.  A Farm Show Agricultural Law Symposium takes place in the afternoon as well.  You can watch any of the 2021 Virtual Farm show , called “Cultivating tomorrow” on the PA Farm show facebook page or at farmshow.pa.gov

WOMAN RESCUED FROM WEST BRANCH OF SUSQUEHANNA
A woman was rescued from Susquehanna River’s West Branch river after a car accident about 7:50 am yesterday.  The unidentified woman’s was involved in the crash on the Lewisburg side of the Route 45 bridge that spans the river, but according to the Daily Item she then jumped off the bridge. Cpl. Travis Burrows of the Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department was enroute to the accident and saw the woman in the water and with the help of another witness, used a 100 foot rope for stability in the strong current while they went for the victim.  Two other first responders arrived at the scene and utilized a nearby canoe in the successful attempt of getting the woman out of the water.  The officers were evaluated and realeased from  Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg.. The unidentified woman was taken to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville with minor injuries.

COVID CLAIMS MIDDLEBURG POLICE CHEIF
The police chief of Middleburg has passed away after being ill for the last few weeks with COVID-19.  According to media outlets the acting Mayor of Middleburg Heidi Potter said Police Chief Tony Jordan had been hospitalized for over a week after becoming ill with the coronavirus earlier this month.  Mark Bailey has been serving as Acting Police Chief while Jordan was ill and was formally appointed during Tuesday night’s council meeting.

COVID UPDATE
There are 88 new cases of the coronavirus in Lycoming County, Northumberland has 80, Union County has 108 Snyder has 53 new cases Clinton has 30.  According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health as of midnight yesterday there were 7,619 additional positive cases reported and 349 new fatalities. Lycoming has 65 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, 8 in the ICU, 4 on ventilators

VACCINE ROLL-OUT ADJUSTMENTS
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has tweaked the roll-out schedule of vaccinations for COVID-19.  In addition to the health care workers and those in long term care facilities in the 1A distribution phase, they have updated the criteria for the category to include those who are 65 and older, as well as those who have pre-existing conditions.  According to the Secretary of the Pennyslvnai Department of Health,  the state should transition into phase 1B soon which include more age groups and more service workers in additional industries.  Details on the phasing process is available online here.

SPORTS
HS Boys Basketball
Montgomery beat CMVT 61 to 56, Muncy beat Millville 55 to 36, St John Neumann beat Northwest 64-48, Canton beat Cowanesque Valley 57-26
HS Girls Basketball
Saint Joseph’s beat  Montoursville 56-52, Mifflinburg over Jersey Shore 44-36
HS Wrestling
Lewisburg defeated central Columbia 41-28
Tonight HS Sports
HS Boys Basketball
Central Columbia at Hughesville, Muncy at Montoursville, Northumberland Christian at South Williamsport and Warrior Run at Line Mountain, all @ 7:30
HS Girls Basketball
Athens at Wellsboro, North East Bradford at Canton, Williamson at Towanda, North Mansfield at Townada at 7:30 PM
HS Wrestling tonight
Milton at Loyalsock, Hughesville at Southern Columbia, Benton at Montgomery Duboise at Williamsport, Bellefonte at Jersey Shore, Towanda at Warrior run, Montoursville at Midwest, CMVT at Muncy all at 7 PM
NBA
Mavericks beat the Hornets 104 to 93, the Bucks beat the Pistons 110 to 101, the Nets beat the Knicks 116 to 109, Grizzlies beat the Timberwolves 118 to 107, Lakers over Thunder 128 to 99, Clippers beat the Pelicans 111 to 106, Trailblazers beat the Kings 132 to 126,  Jazz and Wizards, Magic and Celtics, and Hawks and Suns were postponed due to Covid
NFL Division playoffs
Saturday
NFC – Rams vs Packers @4:35 @Lambeau
AFC Ravens vs the Bills @ 8:15
Sunday
AFC – the Browns vs the Chiefs in Kansas City @ 3:05
NFC – Buccaneers vs the Saints @6:40 in New Orleans

Klete Keller, a two-time U.S. Olympic swimming gold medalist, was charged Wednesday for allegedly participating in last week’s riots at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Court records say, Keller was charged with obstructing law enforcement, knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and more,  all  federal crimes.

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 13, 2021

MUNCY BOROUGH FACES POTENTIAL WRONGFUL TERMINATION LAWSUIT
A lawsuit is pending and concerns have been raised in Muncy Borough about whether the public is being properly notified about council’s public business.  According to the Sun Gazette, a dispute began over a snow removal disagreement  via text December 16th between borough manager Dennis Holt and Council President Ed Feigles.  The result was, at first, Holt being told to move on from his position by Feigles. Following an attempt by Holt to set the problem straight by working with the council, he was then terminated by a letter from the borough’s law firm.  In addition to Holt unable to do business in the borough after December 18th, executive sessions being held without public notice is raising concern among community members. The council had voted 5-2 to terminate Holt, and he told the paper that he is in the process of his own lawsuit in the case.

CITY MAN FLEES FROM POLICE, ARRESTED
A Williamsport man is in prison today after he fled from police and led them on a high speed chase in the city Monday.  According to the Sun Gazette, 31 year old Lindsay Williams of Federal Avenue was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute  Monday night around 9:40 pm and after police were called to Memorial Avenue, Williams was said to have driven away in a 2003  gold Buick Sedan at a high rate of speed, committing moving violations as police looked on.  Police then chased him through Newberry, to Mosser street where the suspect fled on foot.  He was apprehended on Lincoln street and was found to have a suspended license.  His preliminary hearing is January 19th.

NEW SOUTHSIDE MAYOR
There’s a new Southside Mayor.  Marlin Angelo, who is a 26-year police veteran,  was approved by borough council Monday night to fill the vacancy left by the death of David Lechniak.  According to the Sun Gazette, Angelo is a retired officer, lives near Baird Street, and also owns a car lot and some rental properties. He will preside over the borough police department, and his vote to breaks a tie among council members.

FCFP WILL HOLD RAISE THE REGION IN 2021
Raise the Region is on the books for 2021.  The First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania has announced their annual fundraising event that helps six local counties support their local nonprofit organizations.  In partnership with Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, FCFP is preparing the 30-hour fundraising event for March 10th.    On that day, from 6:00 PM through midnight the next day, the public can select to support participating nonprofits. Follow the details at www.RaiseTheRegion.org

PA SENATOR TO BE SEATED TODAY
Jim Brewster will be sworn in as a state senator today, ending a dispute over counting ballots in Allegheny County. The U-S District Court for Western Pennsylvania ruled on Tuesday that disputed votes in the state’s 45th senatorial district should be counted. The G-O-P wanted to toss out 23-hundred mail-in ballots that lacked a written date on the outer envelope, but had been received on time. After Brewster is sworn in, Republicans will still hold a majority of seats in the Pennsylvania Senate.

COVID UPDATE
Lycoming County reports 117 new cases of the coronavirus as of yesterday at midnight, 90 cases were reported in Northumberland County, 36 are in Union County, Tioga County has 14 and Snyder has 10 new cases.  After seeing 166 new cases Monday, Montour County’s case count has already begun being reconciled. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported  7,275 additional positive cases of COVID-19,  and 227 new deaths  Lycoming has 64 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, 7 in the ICU, 6 on ventilators and 9 available ICU beds.

WIFE CHARGED WITH NEGLECT
A Coal Township woman who police say failed to provide care for her 83 year old husband charged to her care, is being charged with neglect and involuntary manslaughter.  According to Coal Township police, 57-year-old Debora Avellino admitted her husband to the Geisinger Shamokin Emergency room with what was determined to be an abscess formed from not being moved , which needed immediate surgery.  Vincent Avellino died from surgery complications November 2. The Office of Northumberland County Area Agency on Aging said they suspect severe neglect in the case.  Mrs Avellino was arraigned yesterday in District Court.

FEDERAL OFFICIALS SEEKING INFORMATION ON CAPITOL RIOTS
The FBI is reaching out and seeking the public’s help in identifying individuals who made unlawful entry into the United States Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6th.  According to Reuters, some of the potential charges include seditious conspiracy and felony murder.  Legal experts also say individuals could be charged with sedition. Anyone who witnessed any unlawful violent actions at the Capitol or near the area, is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI to verbally report tips.Information, photos, or videos can also be uploaded to fbi.gov/USCapitol.

SPORTS
NBA
76ers beat Heat 137 to 134, Nets beat the Nuggets 122 to 116, Jazz beat Cavaliers 117 to 87, Lakers beat the Rockets 117 to 100, Spurs beat Thunder 112 to 102, Pacers beat Warriors 104 to 95, Celtics and Bulls were postponed due to COVID
NBA tonight
Nets  vs Knicks  at 7:30, Orlando and Boston, and Utah and Washington also postponed.
HS Basketball
Loyalsock beat Bloomsburg 83-55, Hughesville beat Midd-West 78-72, Lewisburg beat Millville 54-30, Canton beat Sayre 68-58 and Shamokin beat Montoursville 50-48
Girls Bball
Montgomery beat CMVT 52-33, Canton beat Cow Valley 34-24, Jersey Shore beat Troy 45-19
HS Swimming Boys
Central Columbia defeated Williamsport 92-75, the girls of Williamsport defeated Central Columbia 122 to 56,
HS Sports tonight
HS Boys basketball @ 7:30
Williamsport goes to Hollidaysburg, Saint John Neumann is at Northwest, Millville heads to Muncy, Montgomery goes to CMVT
HS Girls Basketball @ 7:30
Hughesville at Loyalsock, Mifflinburg at Jersey shore, Saint Joseph’s at Montoursville, Warrior Run at Milton, and Lewisburg goes to Williamsport
HS Wrestling @7pm
Central Columbia at Lewisburg and Canton at Williamson
NFL Division playoffs
Saturday
NFC – Rams vs Packers @4:35 @Lambeau
AFC Ravens vs the Bills @ 8:15
Sunday
AFC – the Browns vs the Chiefs in Kansas City @ 3:05
NFC – Buccaneers vs the Saints @6:40 in New Orleans

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 12, 2021

PA LAWMAKERS ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF IMPEACHMENT DEBATE
Two Pennsylvania lawmakers are split on the decision to pursue impeachment proceedings against President Trump in a vote today on the resolution.  According to the Sun Gazette, Representative Fred Keller a Republican from Kreamer is in strong opposition to the Democrats plan saying impeachment will sow a greater division in the nation.  Senator Bob Casey of Scranton has called for the impeachment of the president and also accountability for those members of Congress who continued to drive toward the effort to overthrow the election. Casey said President Trump betrayed his oath to the Constitution and incited a mob to violence.

HOMELESS MAN FOUND IN LOYALSOCK TOWNSHIP IDENTIFIED
Police suspect the homeless man who was found deceased near a bike path in Loyalsock Township last Saturday passed away from hypothermia and cardiac issues.  According to the Sun Gazette, the Lycoming County Coroner said 67 year old Phillip Steele of Danville had been admitted to UPMC Williamsport before for heart problems.  Pennsylvania State police said he died on January 8th or 9th, but do not suspect foul play in Steele’s death.

PENNDOT PLANS RESURFACING THIS SUMMER
Road resurfacing  and accessibility upgrades are planned for the summer of 2021 in Downtown Williamsport on West Third Street between Walnut and Campbell Streets. In a Williamsport Area Transportation Study technical committee meeting Monday, a PennDOT District 3 spokesperson said the work will only be a resurfacing, not a reconstruction, which will improve the potholes but will still need a future reconstruction to permanently improve the roadway.  There will be about 70 curb cuts and ramps installed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

FARM SHOW PROGRAMS ENCOURAGE STEM LEARNING
The 2021 Virtual Farm show continues today and there are lots of virtual things for the kids to see and do.  Young learners can participate in a virtual scavenger hunt which can  enrich their agriculture and STEM knowledge and allow them to win prizes. There are also live cameras 6am til 8pm of ducklings and bee hives available for viewing at farmshow.pa.gov.  Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding launched “Cultivating Tomorrow,” this week; a series of live panel discussions featuring experts addressing  the issues challenging Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry. Twice a day, at 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM, through this Friday, January 15, watch a diverse array of panelists online daily on the PA Farm Show Facebook page.

SECOND GROUP OF VACCINE RECIPIENTS TO BE CALLED UP
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is beginning to plan a vaccination distribution for people 75 years and older and “essential workers”.  According to Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, the health department has been first focused on vaccinating health care workers and those in long term care facilities across the state.  This second group is being called the 1B group and includes first responders; prison guards; school staff; and food, manufacturing, postal, public transportation and grocery store workers. More than 285,000 shots have been given and the federal government has allocated more than 827,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to Pennsylvania
MAN SHOT HIMSELF ACCIDENTALLY IN THE LEG
A Hughesville man accidentally shot himself with the his friends gun in a moving car, on December 30th according to state police at Montoursville.  32 year old Kyle W. Zimmerman of Hughesville was a passenger in the vehicle and accidentally shot himself in the calf with the driver’s  Springfield XDS 9 mm handgun .  Scott D. Danielson, 54, of Grove City entered the parking lot of Sam’s Club, 611 Lycoming Mall Circle, Muncy Township, on July 25 when Zimmerman discharged the pistol, resulting in a need for medical treatment.  Danielson and Zimmerman each were charged with one second-degree misdemeanor count of recklessly endangering another person

COVID UPDATE
There are 51 new cases of coronavirus in Lycoming County as of midnight Monday, but in two days totals for Northumberland reports 86 new cases.  According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, in that same two day span there 12,844 additional positive cases and 186 new fatalities.  As a result of technical maintenance to the state’s data server on Sunday, some of the numbers may be reconciled later this week.  Lycoming has 64 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, 7 in the ICU, 6 on ventilators and 6 available ICU beds.

OVERNIGHT FIRE IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
The Muncy Volunteer Fire Company and the Muncy Township Fire Company assisted the Warrior Run Area Fire Department on the 600 block of Murray Road in Lewis Township, Northumberland County early this morning.  According to the Sun Gazette, crews were called to a chimney fire around 1am.  Fire personnel said the roof caught fire and the flames also damaged some parts of the first floor of the house and there is smoke damage reported but no injuries.  Three adults and one child were displaced and are now are living with family members.  The Fire Marshall is investigating the blaze.  Crews left the scene around 4:30am

SPORTS

HS Girls Basketball
Loyalsock  downed Montoursville 64-39, South Williamsport over St John Neumann Regional Academy 52 to 25, Hughesville beat Montgomery 44 to 18, and it was Lewisburg over Shikellamy 45-38
HS Boys Basketball
Saint John Neumann defeated South Williamsport 80 to 70, Muncy beat Montgomery 75 to 34, and Meadowbrook Christian over Columbia Montour VO- tech 51-40NCAA Championship game
Alabama beat Ohio State 52 to 24 to win their third college football national championship in six seasons
NBA
Hornets beat the Knicks 109 to 88, Grizzlies beat the Cavaliers 101 to 91, Bucks beat Magic 121 to 99, Wizards beat the Suns 128 to 107, Hawks beat the 76ers 112 to 94, Trailblazers beat the Raptors 112 -111, Kings beat the Pacers 127 to 122, Pelicans and Mavericks are postponed because of COVID issues
NBA tonight
Miami comes to Philadelphia at 7pm, and Denver is in Brooklyn for 730 tip-off
NFL Division playoffs
Saturday
NFC – Rams vs Packers @4:35 @Lambeau
AFC Ravens vs the Bills @ 8:15
Sunday
AFC – the Browns vs the Chiefs in Kansas City @ 3:05
NFC – Buccaneers vs the Saints @6:40 in New Orleans

Upcoming

Facebook

Powered By SoCast