BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 24, 2020

Drive Through Veteran Dinner

Geisinger will be hosting a drive through veteran appreciation dinner from 4 to 6pm on nov 12th. This year there are 8 locations participating in this event, up from 3 originally, serving any veteran that registers along with a guest of their choice. These locations include Bloomsburg, Danville, jersey shore and Shamokin along with Lewistown Scranton and wilkes-bare for those who may be further away from home.  Participants must register by Nov. 5th to be served by Geisinger staff, you can find the link on our website under the news section.

Bloomsburg

  • Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, 549 Fair St., Bloomsburg
  • To make a reservation for this location, call 866-462-5127 or visit go.geisinger.org/VetsDinner/GBH

 

Danville

  • Geisinger Justin Drive Office Building, 35 Justin Drive, Building 2, Danville
  • To make a reservation for this location, call 866-578-3427 or visit go.geisinger.org/VetsDinner/GMC

 

Jersey Shore

  • Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital, 1020 Thompson St., Jersey Shore
  • To make a reservation for this location, call 570-398-3182 or email [email protected]

 

Shamokin

  • Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital, 4200 Hospital Road, Coal Township
  • To make a reservation for this location, call 866-278-9806 or visit go.geisinger.org/VetsDinner/GSACH

City Council Approves Funding

City council approved the purchase of equipment for fall through a 200,000 dollar grant awarded from the states environmental protection department to purchase things like leaf blowers and brush chippers among other things. According to the sun gazette Adam winder, the general manager of the city public works department said all this will help employees work more efficiently.

New COVID-19 Smartphone App

Geisinger has developed a COVID Alert Smartphone app, and is encouraging PA residents to download and use it. The app, which is free to download on apple and android devices, is intended to alert people who have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID.  For users who receive an alert they can opt in to receive a call from a contact tracer  and can track their symptoms from the app. According to a press release from Geisinger the app obtains no personal information.

$20 Million Relief Package Approved

Pennsylvania is planning to offer $20 million in relief to the hospitality industry, along with a plan to waive state liquor license renewals in 2021 for over 16,000 restaurants bars, clubs cateres and hotels. The plan requires approval from the liquor control board. This comes after many industry officials warned that many are in danger of permanently closing. Wolf veto’d a bill from republicans loosening restrictions on bars and restaurants regarding their capacity, citing the safety of the public, but has passed this as safer alternatives to help restaurants out amongst the pandemic.

Friday Night Shooting

The 3rd shooting to happen this month occurred last night after a delivery man was shot in the shoulder around midnight. After the incident he drove back to his employer on 4th st before calling an ambulance. He was taken to UPMC in Williamsport for treatment of his wounds. As for the crime scene, police arrived shortly after the shooting but little is known about the status of the case as it is to new.

Sports

Highschool Football Game Scores;

Mifflinburg 28, Hughesville 0

Athens 35, Montgomery 7

Montoursville 71, Warrior Run 0

South Williamsport 48, Towanda 22

Jersey Shore 21, Central Mountain 9

Shikellamy 41, Milton 0

Selinsgrove 20, Shamokin 7

Southern Columbia 52, Central Columbia 3

Canton 39, Wellsboro 13

Loyalsock 21, Lewisburg 14

Muncy 42, Wyalusing 0

Bloomsburg 28, Midd-West 2

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 23, 2020

EAST THIRD STREET OPENS TODAY
East Third Street in Williamsport is expected reopen this morning.  According to PennDOT, the closure that was in place on East Third  because of the reconstruction project shared by the department, the city and Lycoming College, between State Street and Basin Street will be back to normal after 7:30am today.  The detour will be removed after the reopening is complete.

WOLF ASKS PLCB TO WAIVE FEES
Governor Tom Wolf will ask the Liquor control board to waive liquor license fees to provide financial relief to restaurants and bars, which have faced significant financial impacts during the pandemic. According to a press release by the administration, more than 16,000 Pennsylvania restaurants and bars, clubs, catering clubs and hotels would see $20 million in relief after waiving standard licensing fees through 2021 beginning January 1st.  Wolf says he expects the PLCB will take up his request at its next board meeting.

MAN ARRESTED AFTER DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE
A Williamsport man is in custody after he allegedly attempted to strangle his wife in their North Market Street home following a domestic disturbance.  According to the Sun Gazette, police say Jesse Bean had tried to strangle his wife earlier in the day and then started a fight with Emily Bean about money inside the home, which later escalated to him smashing the windows of a car with a baseball bat while she fled the scene October 14th  after 9pm.  Emily Bean was treated at UPMC Muncy for injuries, Jesse Bean was arraigned on aggravated assault charges and reckless endangerment.  He is incarcerated in lieu of 85 thousand dollars bail.

ANOTHER LAWSUIT ABOUT PA BALLOTS
There was a new lawsuit filed yesterday by four registered voters from Somerset County and a Republican congressional candidate that asks a federal judge in Pittsburgh to block the deadline extension allowing ballots that arrive by November 6th  to be counted.  Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court, was divided 4-4, in a ruling that rejected an earlier Republican filing – the new suit has made a different argument, saying that allowing unlawful ballots is unconstitutionally unfair to in-person voters.  The Democratic majority on the state’s high court want to extend election deadlines during the disaster emergency.

SUSPECT IN SUBURY ARMED ROBBERY IDENTIFIED
A  homeless man who was the suspect captured in the armed robbery that occurred in Sunbury this week has been incarcerated in lieu of 250 thousand dollars cash bail.  According to court records, 42 year old Jamie Giffin has been arraigned under two felony robbery counts as well as other misdemeanors after he allegedly attempted ‘suicide by cop’, by fleeing the scene after stealing 500 dollars and not complying with officers as well as pulling a toy gun on state troopers.  Giffin was injured when shot after Wednesday’s incident at the VP Racing Gas station.

THEFT IN LOYALSOCK TOWNSHIP BEING INVESTIGATED
Seven hundred dollars in cash was stolen from a home in Loyalsock Township earlier this month and police are seeking a suspect.  According to North Central PA dot com, an unknown person forced their way into a home through a back door on the 400 block of Pearson Avenue sometime in the evening of October 17th or the overnight hours of October 18th, and left the scene in an unknown direction.  State Police in Montoursville are asking the public to come forward with any information they may have about the suspect or the incident.

LYCOMING CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
There are 8 new cases of the coronavirus in Lycoming County with 11 hospitalized patients, In Northumberland County there are 28 new cases confirmed as well as two new deaths reported from there.  A jump in numbers occurred in Luzerne County as of yesterday with an increase of 107 cases.  After a correction from a faulty data file of daily cases across the state sent to the PA Department of Health, as of yesterday the number is still one of the highest seen in the commonwealth at 2,063 cases – the statewide total now at 188,360.  30 new deaths were reported in PA, for a total of 8,592 fatalities.

COMMS OFFER NO-TAX HIKE BUDGET
A no-tax-hike spending plan for next year was announced by the Lycoming County Commissioners yesterday.  According to the Sun Gazette, the commissioners said the budget is being put together a little early this year for residents to consider it, and even though it contains a 23 million dollar deficit, that reflects the expenses of priority projects that they are working on at this time.  However, some projects were pushed back to give some tax relief to property owners. The expenses showing up in the overall budget include $9 million in bonds and $5 million in gas impact fees, or Act 13 funds, for funding projects.

SPORTS
NFL Thursday night football
Eagles rallied late to beat the New York Giants 22- 21, Continuing the Eagles 8-game winning streak over the Giants

MLB
Game 3 of the World Series tonight between the LA Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays – First pitch at 8:08 PM

HS Football
Backyard broadcasting high school football game of the week Dallas at Williamsport with a Saturday afternoon kick off at 1pm and coverage starts at 12:30 on our sister station WWPA or WILQ’s HD3.

HS Girls Soccer
Montoursville beat Mount Caramel 1-nothing, South Williamsport over CMVT 11-nothing, Benton beat Muncy 5-nothing, Warrior Run over Selinsgrove 1-nothing and Hughesville defeated Milton 2-nothing

HS Field Hockey
Lewisburg beat Mifflinburg 1- nothing

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 22, 2020

ARMED ROBBERY IN SUNBURY
State police were on the scene last night at a convenience store in Sunbury investigating an armed robbery.  According to the Daily Item, police confirmed that a suspect was in custody after they were called to the Valero on South Front Street for the robbery just before 9pm.  Parking lots in the area were blocked off while police were conducting the investigation.  Sunbury police have not released any information about injuries sustained or the identity of the captured suspect, but an ambulance was reportedly called and a short time after left the scene last night.

LYCOMING COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE
There are 11 new cases of the coronavirus in Lycoming County, and 14 new cases reported in Northumberland County.  According to media outlets, the Allenwood Federal Penitentiary is down to 20 active inmate cases and 12 active staff cases.  Lewisburg still has four active inmate cases and one active staff case.  The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported statewide, 1,425 new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total  of 186,297.  There are 29 new deaths in the commonwealth for a total of 8, 562

CITY COUNCIL EXPECTED TO APPROVE GRANT TONIGHT
Williamsport City Council will meet virtually tonight and is looking to approve the use of a state Department of Environmental Protection grant for the recent electronic gate purchase for the city’s brush pile, a vacuum attachment for leaves and a wood chipper to be used for yard waste collection.  The 200 thousand dollar grant  requires a 10 percent match expected to be generated by the electronic entry access to the brush pile at 1500 W Third Street.  The meeting is online at 6:30 p.m. using Zoom technology through the city’s website, at city of Williamsport dot org

PENN STATE BASKETBALL COACH RESIGNS
Longtime Penn State Basketball coach Pat Chambers resigned yesterday after reports that Rasir Bolton — who transferred from Penn State to Iowa State in the summer of 2019 – said in an interview that he left the Nittany Lions because Chambers made a reference to a noose around Bolton’s  neck. The Penn State Athletic director Sandy Barbour said this was a new allegation following other reports of inappropriate conduct, but that no NCAA rule violations were involved.  Chambers had been the head coach at Penn State since 2011, and he led the Nittany Lions to a 26-win season in 2017-18.

EMS WORKER ASSAULTED
Milton State police say that an EMS worker was grabbed by the throat and shoved in the back of an ambulance on Tuesday along i-80 in Northumberland County, but no charges will be filed against the person who committed the assault.  Police report that the patient responsible won’t be charged because the action was caused by a medical condition and that the DA will not be following up on Criminal prosecution.

NEW $4 MILLION WASTEWATER PLANT FOR DANVILLE
The Wolf Administration has announced funding of a new wastewater treatment facility to be used by the Washingtonville Municipal Authority for new process tanks, sludge storage, and effluent disinfection.  According to the press release, the project could replace part of the outdated treatment plant facility. Out of the 4 million in funding, just over 1.2 million of it will be a loan and the rest a grant.  Governor Wolf said the system upgrade will ensure a secure infrastructure for community water.

DRUG TAKE BACK DAY IS SATURDAY
There will be 23 locations participating in a drug take back day in our area sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration this Saturday from 10am til  2pm.  According to Senator Gene Yaw of Loyalsock Township, the drug take back day is a way for residents to return unwanted, unneeded or expired prescription drugs for safe disposal.  It also can prevent accidental use and overdose.  Police agencies, pharmacies and other locations throughout Lycoming County including police departments at Penn College, Williamsport and South Williamsport  are participating.  There is a link to the list of participating locations on Senator Yaw’s website, here.

SOUTHSIDE HOMECOMING
South Williamsport Senior Homecoming representatives will be honored this Friday night during the scheduled Homecoming festivities.   South Williamsport hosts the Towanda Black Knights and the ceremonies will happen during halftime at Rodney K. Morgans Stadium. The Mounties of South Williamsport will hots the Towanda Black Knights. A parade of convertibles is expected before the game takeing place at around 6:30pm.

 

SPORTS
MLB
Game 2 of the World Series Tampa Bay Rays beat the LA Dodgers 6-4 Game 3 is Friday night at 8:08  – The series is tied up one and one

NFL tonight
Giants and the Eagles play tonight at Lincoln Financial Field kick off at 8:20

HS Girls Soccer
Central Columbia beat Montoursville 4-1

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 21, 2020

POLICE SEEK SUSPECT IN WILLIAMSPORT HOMICIDE
A man has been identified as a suspect in the death of Jimia Alston who was shot and killed in her Louisa Street home last week.  According to the Sun Gazette, an arrest warrant has been issued for 36 year old Antwan McClain who remains at large.  The mother of 5 children was found shot in the abdomen and lying inside her front door last Thursday night and witnesses say a man who may have been McClain was dressed in black and approached the home before the shooting.  She was transported to UPMC Williamsport where she died in surgery.  Police say McClain, the alleged gunman and a convicted felon, fled the scene and now faces several charges including criminal homicide and aggravated assault.  He is considered armed and dangerous.

FORMER MAYOR ALLEGEDLY ASKED POLICE CHIEF TO “FIX” PFA AGAINST HIM
Allegations have come forward after 2 police officers and a former police captain amended federal complaints that former Williamsport Mayor Gabriel J. Campana requested former city police chief David J. Young  help “fix” a protection from abuse order that was filed against him by his now, ex-wife.  Complaints were filed in U.S. Middle District Court by three other officers about incidents that occurred when Campana was seeking the Republican party nomination for Lycoming County commissioner, before Young was selected as the city police chief by Campana.  He said the allegations are fake news.

WILLIAMSPORT AREA SCHOOLS WILL STAY HYBRID
Williamsport Area Schools will remain in hybrid mode after a school board vote for five day a week instruction in person failed to get the approval needed.  According to the Sun Gazette, the school recently sent out surveys to district households and received almost 80 percent response of which over half indicated they would send their child back to in person instruction.  As of now, out of 3,870 students included, the number of students in the hybrid model were 1,845,  students in remote-model is 440 and a those who chose a combination of the two, 140.

BRUSH PILE GATE NOT COMPLETE DUE TO COVID DELAYS
A shipping backlog has stalled the delivery of parts that will be part of the new gate system at the City’s brush pile.  According to the Sun Gazette, the general manager of city streets and parks department, Adam Winder said due to COVID-19 issues there’s a delay and crews have not been able to assemble the gate that will provide more security allowing city residents to use a card key for entry.  The site at 1500 W. Third St will be accessible to residents at any time once the gate system is complete

FATAL PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT IN DANVILLE
An early morning accident in Danville in which a 28 year old woman was struck and killed while crossing Continental Blvd, the roadway was shut down for several hours while police investigated.   According to police, Gloria Hutchinson was struck as she attempted to cross the east bound lanes of Route 54 on foot from the area of a nearby gas station.  Police say the driver attempted to avoid the collision that happened around 7:15 a.m. in the area of Montour Street. Route 54 east and west were shut down for about two hours.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
There are 3 new coronavirus cases today in Lycoming County for a county wide total of 891 and in Northumberland County there are five new cases bringing the county wide total to 1,351.  There are four new deaths reported in Northumberland County as well.  Lycoming County has 7 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, none are on a ventilator. Montour County has 18 patients, 9 are on a ventilator.  As of yesterday at midnight, statewide, there were 1,557additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 184,872.  According to the PA Department of Health there were 33 new deaths in PA for a total now of 8,533.

REPUBLICANS FAIL TO OVERRIDE GOVERNOR’S VETO
The vote failed to override Governor Wolf’s veto of a bill yesterday that would have let restaurants reopen at full capacity in some circumstances, because the State House didn’t make the two-thirds majority.  The override failed on a vote of 133-69.  It would have allowed taverns and restaurants to operate at half of capacity, or more if they met state and federal social distancing standards or erected appropriate barriers.

NO STRAIGHT TICKET VOTING IN PENNSYLVANIA THIS YEAR
There are new considerations as election day approaches in Lycoming County. After legislation was passed a year ago that eliminated “straight-ticket” voting in the state to be in place for this year’s election,  voters won’t be able to fill in a single bubble to vote for a party’s entire slate, voters will have to fill out the ballot by individual lines.  In the 2019 general election, more than 726,000 voters in 59 Pennsylvania counties voted straight-party.  According to Lycoming County Voter Services Director Forrest Lehman, mail-in voting expected to reach an all-time high this election and voters are urged to take the time to read the voting instructions and as well as remember to sign their ballots.  Voting in-person at a polling place,  or mailing or hand delivering  ballots to the Voter registration office are the options voters have.  Details about ward lines and polling place locations are available at www.lyco.org/vote.

SPORTS

MLB
Dodgers beat the Rays 8-3 in Game 1 of the World Series.  Game 2 is tonight at 8:08pm
NFL
Giants and the Eagles play Thursday night football this week with an 8:20 kick off at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia
HS Girls Soccer
Mount Carmel beat Milton 6-2
HS Girls Volleyball
Wellsboro beat Towanda 3- nothing

HS Football
Harrisburg Cougars 41 Williamsport Millionaires 0

Next:  Dallas play the Millionaires

In the BYB Game of Week

Live coverage Saturday 1230 pm

Twin Valleys Talk Radio Network

HS Boys Soccer Tonight
Montoursville plays Jersey Shore at 4:30
Hughesville goes to Shamokin at 7 PM
HS Girls Soccer at 4pm today
Lewisburg is at Warrior Run, Line Mountain play South Williamsport and Benton is at Montgomery

 

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 20, 2020

Lycoming County has 15 new cases of COVID-19 with 8 hospitalized patients, for a county wide total of 888.  Northumberland County has reported two new deaths and 19 new positive tests – three of those in long-term care facilities. The countywide total of 1,346. Montour County has five new cases at 276 overall and seen seven deaths. Union County reports 10 new cases – at 646 overall and Tioga County reports 10 new cases for a total of 150.  According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health Statewide a two day total from Sunday and Monday reports a two day total of 2,372 cases and 34 fatalities from the same two-day period.

In an effort to reduce legacy costs in City Firefighter pensions and post-retirement benefits, a new contract was recently negotiated that will still ensure that those who work now for the city are also taken care of with a pay increase for four out of the next five years.  According to the Sun Gazette, the department has been without a contract for the last 10 months, Fire Chief Mike Killian said the contract was a team effort that was brought together with help from Mayor Derek Slaughter, city finance administrators, and union representatives.

A 60 year old man who burned a Trump flag while delivering newspapers early on August 27th was identified through a video on the Shamokin Crime watch Facebook page.  According to North Central PA dot com, Harrison Bennett, of South Rock Street is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on November 10th .  Police say he is facing a felony count of arson for allegedly using a cigarette lighter to burn a flag attached to a home on South Shamokin Street just after 3am while he was helping on the newspaper route.  Bennett was also charged with a count of summary criminal mischief and risking catastrophe.

As renovations at the courthouse get underway, the administrative offices of the Lycoming County Sheriff will be moved this week temporarily to 33 W. Third St..  According to the Sun Gazette, the relocation will close the offices for routine services like license to carry firearms processing Thursday and Friday of this week but deputy sheriff services will still be in operation.  and then they will reopen at the temporary location Monday at 8:30 am.  The work at the courthouse may take until the spring.

Two counties in our area are among the 21 counties being watched for spiking coronavirus numbers and rising positivity percentages. According to the PA Department of Health Montour and Union County are two of eleven counties that are now in the substantial level of community transmission with Montour County hitting five percent of those being tested are positive for the coronavirus.  Districts with substantial transmission are recommended to consider remote learning.  Northumberland and Snyder Counties are still at a  moderate level of transmission.

Police have charged the man who was driving the truck hauling 500 thousand bees to Rome Pennsylvania with multiple charges after he tipped over on i-81, closing the interstate for hours Friday as they attempted to clear the bees from the roadway.  According to PA homepage dot com, 44 year old Lamar Wenger of Bethlehem, PA, failed to negotiate a slight curve and with the load of bees not evenly distributed tipped the truck.  A beekeeper called to the scene by emergency responders said 90 percent of the bees were recovered.

Pennsylvania House Republicans will attempt to over-ride Governor Wolf this week after he vetoed a bill that would allow restaurants to operate at full capacity. Last Friday, the governor vetoed the House-led bill, saying it would jeopardize public health and safety and that it could  have taken authority away from the governor during the global health emergency. The Wolf administration now allows restaurants to run at 50 percent capacity if they have certified they meet certain state and federal standards.

The Muncy School Board approved several distance learning days in the coming months, approved the district’s health and safety plan and announced CARES Act funding from the Lycoming County Commissioners.  Accordiung to the Muncy School Superintendent, Dr. Craig Skaluba, based on the students in the district, almost 197 thousand dollars has been allotted to the school.  New capacity  guidelines for the outdoor stadium is at 25 percent or 500 people, and the first distance learning day will be October 26th for the students.

SPORTS

NFL Monday Night Football
Chiefs beat the Bills 26-17, Cardinals defeated the Cowboys 38-10

MLB
Game one of the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and LA Dodgers tonight from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas – first pitch at 8:09

NCAA Football
Penn State running back Journey Brown could potentially miss the season due to an undisclosed medical condition discovered in the offseason, the school said in a statement released on Monday night. Brown is one of the top returning running backs in the Big Ten this season. Penn State opens the season at Indiana this Saturday at 330.

HS Girls Soccer
South Williamsport over Sullivan 4-nothing, Williamsport beat Milton 2-1 in double OT, and Southern over Lewisburg 5-1,

HS Boys Soccer
Sullivan beat North Penn liberty 5-3,

HS Girls Volleyball
Galeton over Austin 3- nothing

HS Girls Tennis
Montoursville’s Lydia Barbour and Rei Saar defeated Central Columbia‘s Emma Kelchner and Isabell McHugh in the District 4 Doubles Final.

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 19, 2020

WILLIAMSPORT WOMAN SHOT IN HER HOME
The second shooting in ten days in the city has turned into the second homicide in Williamsport in the same two week period.  The woman who was shot inside her home last Thursday night died while in surgery shortly after arriving at UPMC WIlliamsport.  According to the Sun Gazette, the Lycoming County Coroner reported that 31 year old Jimia Alston passed just before 8pm while doctors were attempting to save her life after the shooting that occurred after 6:30 on Louisa Street.  Alston  had five children who were inside the home at the time of the shooting, but none were injured.  Police have not released any details about the crime and don’t believe the homicide that occurred on Campbell street last week is related to this incident.

TRUCK CARRYING BEES OVERTURNS
An Accident along I-81 Friday night in Luzerne County involving a truck carrying nearly a million honeybees crashed and shut down the interstate for at least 5 hours.  According to WNEP, the driver of the truck carrying the bees lost control of the truck around mile marker 149 on 81 around 5:30pm which spilled the bees which were rounded up by beekeepers who were called to the scene by Emergency crews from Valley Regional Fire and Rescue.  They attempted to save as many as they could and  continue to transport them to their destination.  One firefighter was stung on the lip, but no other injuries were reported

LYCOMING COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE
Lycoming County has 8 new positive cases of COVID-19 at their last check from Saturday for a total of 866 cases since the pandemic began.  As of October 9th the state reported that the weekly test positivity rate in Lycoming County was 4.1% and the weekly rate of new cases was 65.1 new cases per 100,000 people. The State Department of Health indicated Saturday that there were 1,857 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 180,943.

REGISTER TO VOTE TODAY
Today is the last day for Pennsylvanians  to register to vote in the general election. The deadline for an application is close of business today.   At votespa.com you can check yoiru registration,  apply for online voter registration or update voter information, such as change of name, address, or party affiliation.  If you are a registered voter and want to vote by mail, the deadline to apply is  October 27th at 5pm.

MAN ARRESTED AFTER HIGH SPEED CHASE
A man who allegedly claimed to be a corrections officer at the Lycoming County Prison, is facing felony charges after leading police on a high speed chase. Last week, Muncy police officer Raymond Kontz III was in Brady Township around 11 pm and witnessed Devin Baily speeding on a motorcycle going 75 in a 45n and eventually reached top speeds of 95 mph while attempting to elude police. Police cut Bailey off and detained him when they found him without the proper license.  He was jailed under 50,000 dollars unsecured bail.

SUSPECT IN OLD LYCOMING BURGLARY ARRESTED
Man with several active cases against him in Lycoming County has been arrested for felony burglary and theft by unlawful taking.  Police say Samuel Joseph Agor broke into Acme BBQ and stole food on Sept. 26 and also into The Tiny Bakery Shop, 443 Market St., on Sept. 28 where he was found unconscious with drugs and paraphernalia as well as with food and items from the Acme BBQ.  Agor, who was questioned in connection to a break-in in Old Lycoming on Sept. 23, is being held at the Lycoming County Prison on $100,000 monetary bail.

WOLF VETOED RESTAURANT BILL FRIDAY
Governor Wolf vetoed Bill 2513 last week which was legislation that could have allowed restaurant owners to open back up at 100% capacity. According to the  Wolf administration, the decision to veto was made on the grounds of keeping the public safe and promoting mitigation efforts. He also sited that the bill contained “constitutional infirmities” stating in his veto message that it attempts to take away his executive authority during the existing COVID-19 disaster emergency.

WEEKEND AIRPORT DRILL
A drill by the Federal Aviation Administration was conducted over the weekend at Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville.  According to the Sun Gazette, five fire companies from the area participated with paramedics and EMTs from Williamsport UPMC in the simulation that is required by federal authorities every 3 years.  Airport fire officials directed a pair of mock collisions in which 15 victims were injured.  Fake smoke was used during the drill inside the planes provided by Penn College of Technology.

SPORTS
MLB
The Dodgers came back and beat the Braves 4-3 yesterday in the National League championship series  – LA Advances to Game one of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays coming up this Tuesday.

NFL
Steelers beat the Browns 38-7, Giants over Washington 20-19, the Ravens beat the Eagles 30-28, Bears over the Panthers 23-16, the Buccaneers beat the Packers 38-10, 49ers over the Rams 24-16, Dolphins blanked the Jets 24-nothing, Lions over the Jaguars 34-16, and the Broncos beat the Patriots 18-12, Falcons over the Vikings 40-23, Colts beat the Bengals 31-27, and Titans over the Texans 42-36 in OT
Monday night football Chiefs and the bills, at 5 PM and the Cardinals play the Cowboys at 8:15

NASCAR
Joey Logano got his first win since COVID in Kansas yesterday holding off Kevin Harvick in the last laps, followed by Alex Bowman, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch finished fifth.  Logano now advances to the Championship 4 in Phoenix, November 8th

 

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 21, 2020

SUSPECT IN LOUISA STREET SHOOTING BEING SOUGHT
A man has been identified as a suspect in the death of Jimia Alston who was shot and killed in her Louisa Street home last week.  According to the Sun Gazette, an arrest warrant has been issued for 36 year old Antwan McClain who remains at large.  The mother of 5 children was found shot in the abdomen and lying inside her front door last Thursday night and witnesses say a man who may have been McClain was dressed in black and approached the home before the shooting.  She was transported to UPMC Williamsport where she died in surgery.  Police say McClain, the alleged gunman and a convicted felon, fled the scene and now faces several charges including criminal homicide and aggravated assault.  He is considered armed and dangerous.

FORMER MAYOR ALLEGED TO HAVE ASKED POLICE CHIEF TO “FIX” A PFA
Allegations have come forward after 2 police officers and a former police captain amended federal complaints that former Williamsport Mayor Gabriel J. Campana requested former city police chief David J. Young  help “fix” a protection from abuse order that was filed against him by his now, ex-wife.  Complaints were filed in U.S. Middle District Court by three other officers about incidents that occurred when Campana was seeking the Republican party nomination for Lycoming County commissioner, before Young was selected as the city police chief by Campana.  He said the allegations are fake news.

WASD TO STAY IN HYBRID MODEL
Williamsport Area Schools will remain in hybrid mode after a school board vote for five day a week instruction in person failed to get the approval needed.  According to the Sun Gazette, the school recently sent out surveys to district households and received almost 80 percent response of which over half indicated they would send their child back to in person instruction.  As of now, out of 3,870 students included, the number of students in the hybrid model were 1,845,  students in remote-model is 440 and a those who chose a combination of the two, 140.

NEW GATE ASSEMBLY AT BRUSH PILE DELAYED
A shipping backlog has stalled the delivery of parts that will be part of the new gate system at the City’s brush pile.  According to the Sun Gazette, the general manager of city streets and parks department, Adam Winder said due to COVID-19 issues there’s a delay and crews have not been able to assemble the gate that will provide more security allowing city residents to use a card key for entry.  The site at 1500 W. Third St will be accessible to residents at any time once the gate system is complete

FATAL PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT IN DANVILLE
An early morning accident in Danville in which a 28 year old woman was struck and killed while crossing Continental Blvd, the roadway was shut down for several hours while police investigated.   According to police, Gloria Hutchinson was struck as she attempted to cross the east bound lanes of Route 54 on foot from the area of a nearby gas station.  Police say the driver attempted to avoid the collision that happened around 7:15 a.m. in the area of Montour Street. Route 54 east and west were shut down for about two hours.

LYCOMING COUNTY CORONA VIRUS UPDATE
There are 3 new coronavirus cases today in Lycoming County for a county wide total of 891 and in Northumberland County there are five new cases bringing the county wide total to 1,351.  Tehre are four new deaths reported in Northumberland County as well.  Lycoming County has 7 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, none are on a ventilator. Montour County has 18 patients, 9 are on a ventilator.  As of yesterday at midnight, statewide, there were 1,557additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 184,872.  According to the PA Department of Health there were 33 new deaths in PA for a total now of 8,533.

GOP FAILS TO OVER RIDE VETO
The vote failed to override Governor Wolf’s veto of a bill yesterday that would have let restaurants reopen at full capacity in some circumstances, because the State House didn’t make the two-thirds majority.  The override failed on a vote of 133-69.  It would have allowed taverns and restaurants to operate at half of capacity, or more if they met state and federal social distancing standards or erected appropriate barriers.

NO STRAIT TICKET VOTING FOR PENNSYLVANIANS THIS ELECTION
There are new considerations as election day approaches in Lycoming County. After legislation was passed a year ago that eliminated “straight-ticket” voting in the state to be in place for this year’s election,  voters won’t be able to fill in a single bubble to vote for a party’s entire slate, voters will have to fill out the ballot by individual lines.  In the 2019 general election, more than 726,000 voters in 59 Pennsylvania counties voted straight-party.  According to Lycoming County Voter Services Director Forrest Lehman, mail-in voting expected to reach an all-time high this election and voters are urged to take the time to read the voting instructions and as well as remember to sign their ballots.  Voting in-person at a polling place,  or mailing or hand delivering  ballots to the Voter registration office are the options voters have.  Details about ward lines and polling place locations are available at www.lyco.org/vote.

SPORTS

MLB
Dodgers beat the Rays 8-3 in Game 1 of the World Series.  Game 2 is tonight at 8:08pm
NFL
Giants and the Eagles play Thursday night football this week with an 8:20 kick off at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia
HS Girls Soccer
Mount Carmel beat Milton 6-2
HS Girls Volleyball
Wellsboro beat Towanda 3- nothing

HS Football
Harrisburg Cougars 41 Williamsport Millionaires 0

Next:  Dallas play the Millionaires

In the BYB Game of Week

Live coverage Saturday 1230 pm

Twin Valleys Talk Radio Network

HS Boys Soccer Tonight
Montoursville plays Jersey Shore at 4:30
Hughesville goes to Shamokin at 7 PM
HS Girls Soccer at 4pm today
Lewisburg is at Warrior Run, Line Mountain play South Williamsport and Benton is at Montgomery

 

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 20, 2020

LYCOMING COUNTY COVID UPDATE
Lycoming County has 15 new cases of COVID-19 with 8 hospitalized patients, for a county wide total of 888.  Northumberland County has reported two new deaths and 19 new positive tests – three of those in long-term care facilities. The countywide total of 1,346. Montour County has five new cases at 276 overall and seen seven deaths. Union County reports 10 new cases – at 646 overall and Tioga County reports 10 new cases for a total of 150.  According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health Statewide a two day total from Sunday and Monday reports a two day total of 2,372 cases and 34 fatalities from the same two-day period.

NEW CONTRACT FOR CITY FIREFIGHTERS
In an effort to reduce legacy costs in Williamsport City Firefighter pensions and post-retirement benefits fairly, a new contract was recently negotiated that will still ensure that those who work now for the city are also taken care of with a pay increase for four out of the next five years.  According to the Sun Gazette, the department has been without a contract for the last 10 months, Fire Chief Mike Killian said the contract was a team effort that was brought together with help from Mayor Derek Slaughter, city finance administrators, and union representatives.

MAN FACES ARSON CHARGES AFTER BURNING CAMPAIGN FLAG
A 60 year old man who burned a Trump flag while delivering newspapers last summer was identified through a video on the Shamokin Crime watch Facebook page.  According to North Central PA dot com, Harrison Bennett, of South Rock Street is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on November 10th .  Police say he is facing a felony count of arson for allegedly using a cigarette lighter to burn a flag attached to a home on South Shamokin Street just after 3am on August 27th while he was helping on the newspaper route.  Bennett was also charged with a count of summary criminal mischief and risking catastrophe.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE TO MOVE TEMPORARILY
As renovations at the courthouse get underway, the administrative offices of the Lycoming County Sheriff will be moved this week temporarily to 33 W. Third St..  According to the Sun Gazette, the relocation will close the offices for routine services like license to carry firearms processing Thursday and Friday of this week but deputy sheriff services will still be in operation.  and then they will reopen at the temporary location Monday at 8:30 am.  The work at the courthouse may take until the spring.

PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES ON COVID WATCH
Two counties in our area are among the 21 counties being watched for spiking coronavirus numbers and rising positivity percentages. According to the PA Department of Health Montour and Union County are two of eleven counties that are now in the substantial level of community transmission with Montour County hitting five percent of those being tested are positive for the coronavirus.  Districts with substantial transmission are recommended to consider remote learning.  Northumberland and Snyder Counties are still at a  moderate level of transmission.

UPDATE ABOUT BEE ACCIDENT ON I-81
Police have charged the man who was driving the truck hauling 500 thousand bees to Rome Pennsylvania with multiple charges after he tipped over on i-81, closing the interstate for hours Friday as they attempted to clear the bees from the roadway.  According to PA homepage dot com, 44 year old Lamar Wenger of Bethlehem, PA, failed to negotiate a slight curve and with the load of bees not evenly distributed tipped the truck.  A beekeeper called to the scene by emergency responders said 90 percent of the bees were recovered.

REPUBLICANS WANT TO OVER-RIDE GOVERNOR’S VETO
Pennsylvania House Republicans will attempt to over-ride Governor Wolf this week after he vetoed a bill that would allow restaurants to operate at full capacity. Last Friday, the governor vetoed the House-led bill, saying it would jeopardize public health and safety and that it could  have taken authority away from the governor during the global health emergency. The Wolf administration now allows restaurants to run at 50 percent capacity if they have certified they meet certain state and federal standards.

MUNCY SCHOOL BOARD EXPECTING CARES ACT FUNDING
The Muncy School Board approved several distance learning days in the coming months, approved the district’s health and safety plan and announced CARES Act funding from the Lycoming County Commissioners.  Accordiung to the Muncy School Superintendent, Dr. Craig Skaluba, based on the students in the district, almost 197 thousand dollars has been allotted to the school.  New capacity  guidelines for the outdoor stadium is at 25 percent or 500 people, and the first distance learning day will be October 26th for the students.

SPORTS

NFL Monday Night Football
Chiefs beat the Bills 26-17, Cardinals defeated the Cowboys 38-10

MLB
Game one of the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and LA Dodgers tonight from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas – first pitch at 8:09

NCAA Football
Penn State running back Journey Brown could potentially miss the season due to an undisclosed medical condition discovered in the offseason, the school said in a statement released on Monday night. Brown is one of the top returning running backs in the Big Ten this season. Penn State opens the season at Indiana this Saturday at 330.

HS Girls Soccer
South Williamsport over Sullivan 4-nothing, Williamsport beat Milton 2-1 in double OT, and Southern over Lewisburg 5-1,

HS Boys Soccer
Sullivan beat North Penn liberty 5-3,

HS Girls Volleyball
Galeton over Austin 3- nothing

HS Girls Tennis
Montoursville’s Lydia Barbour and Rei Saar defeated Central Columbia‘s Emma Kelchner and Isabell McHugh in the District 4 Doubles Final.

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 19, 2020

WILLIAMSPORT WOMAN DIES FROM GUNSHOT
The second shooting in ten days in the city has turned into the second homicide in Williamsport in the same two week period.  The woman who was shot inside her home last Thursday night died while in surgery shortly after arriving at UPMC WIlliamsport.  According to the Sun Gazette, the Lycoming County Coroner reported that 31 year old Jimia Alston passed just before 8pm while doctors were attempting to save her life after the shooting that occurred after 6:30 on Louisa Street.  Alston  had five children who were inside the home at the time of the shooting, but none were injured.  Police have not released any details about the crime and don’t believe the homicide that occurred on Campbell street last week is related to this incident.

ACCIDENT INVOLVING TRUCK CARRYING BEES CLOSED INTERSTATE
An Accident along I-81 Friday night in Luzerne County involving a truck carrying nearly a million honeybees crashed and shut down the interstate for at least 5 hours.  According to WNEP, the driver of the truck carrying the bees lost control of the truck around mile marker 149 on 81 around 5:30pm which spilled the bees which were rounded up by beekeepers who were called to the scene by Emergency crews from Valley Regional Fire and Rescue.  They attempted to save as many as they could and  continue to transport them to their destination.  One firefighter was stung on the lip, but no other injuries were reported

LYCOMING COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE
Lycoming County has 8 new positive cases of COVID-19 at their last check from Saturday for a total of 866 cases since the pandemic began.  As of October 9th the state reported that the weekly test positivity rate in Lycoming County was 4.1% and the weekly rate of new cases was 65.1 new cases per 100,000 people. The State Department of Health indicated Saturday that there were 1,857 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 180,943.

LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE
Today is the last day for Pennsylvanians to register to vote in the general election at close of business today.   At votespa.com you can check your registration, apply for online voter registration or update voter information, such as change of name, address, or party affiliation.  If you are a registered voter and want to vote by mail, the deadline to apply is  October 27th at 5pm.

MAN ARRESTED AFTER HIGH SPEED CHASE
A man who allegedly claimed to be a corrections officer at the Lycoming County Prison, is facing felony charges after leading police on a high speed chase. Last week, Muncy police officer Raymond Kontz III was in Brady Township around 11 pm and witnessed Devin Baily speeding on a motorcycle going 75 in a 45n and eventually reached top speeds of 95 mph while attempting to elude police. Police cut Bailey off and detained him when they found him without the proper license.  He was jailed under 50,000 dollars unsecured bail.

MAN ARRESTED FOR FELONY THEFT
Man with several active cases against him in Lycoming County has been arrested for felony burglary and theft by unlawful taking.  Police say Samuel Joseph Agor broke into Acme BBQ and stole food on Sept. 26 and also into The Tiny Bakery Shop, 443 Market St., on Sept. 28 where he was found unconscious with drugs and paraphernalia as well as with food and items from the Acme BBQ.  Agor, who was questioned in connection to a break-in in Old Lycoming on Sept. 23, is being held at the Lycoming County Prison on $100,000 monetary bail.

WOLF VETOED RESTAURANT BILL
Governor Wolf vetoed Bill 2513 last week which was legislation that could have allowed restaurant owners to open back up at 100% capacity. According to the  Wolf administration, the decision to veto was made on the grounds of keeping the public safe and promoting mitigation efforts. He also sited that the bill contained “constitutional infirmities” stating in his veto message that it attempts to take away his executive authority during the existing COVID-19 disaster emergency.

EMERGENCY FIRE DRILL AT AIRPORT
A drill by the Federal Aviation Administration was conducted over the weekend at Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville.  According to the Sun Gazette, five fire companies from the area participated with paramedics and EMTs from Williamsport UPMC in the simulation that is required by federal authorities every 3 years.  Airport fire officials directed a pair of mock collisions in which 15 victims were injured.  Fake smoke was used during the drill inside the planes provided by Penn College of Technology.

 

SPORTS
MLB
The Dodgers came back and beat the Braves 4-3 yesterday in the National League championship series  – LA Advances to Game one of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays coming up this Tuesday.

NFL
Steelers beat the Browns 38-7, Giants over Washington 20-19, the Ravens beat the Eagles 30-28, Bears over the Panthers 23-16, the Buccaneers beat the Packers 38-10, 49ers over the Rams 24-16, Dolphins blanked the Jets 24-nothing, Lions over the Jaguars 34-16, and the Broncos beat the Patriots 18-12, Falcons over the Vikings 40-23, Colts beat the Bengals 31-27, and Titans over the Texans 42-36 in OT
Monday night football Chiefs and the bills, at 5 PM and the Cardinals play the Cowboys at 8:15

NASCAR
Joey Logano got his first win since COVID in Kansas yesterday holding off Kevin Harvick in the last laps, followed by Alex Bowman, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch finished fifth.  Logano now advances to the Championship 4 in Phoenix, November 8th

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