BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS NOVEMBER 5TH, 2020

Pennsylvania is still undecided for it’s choice for President, Where incumbent Donald Trump leads over Former VP Joe Biden in the commonwealth by. a slim margin with more legal ballots to count this week.  Governor Tom Wolf condemned the Trump campaign for filing a lawsuit to stop the counting of ballots in Pennsylvania. In a statement, the Governor said that every vote will count and he will make sure that everyone has their voice heard. He said that in Philadelphia, officials are administering the election with the highest degree of transparency, including a livestream of the ballot-counting process available throughout the count, and all parties have canvass observers.

A woman was flown to Geisinger Medical Center Wednesday morning after being seriously injured at work in Jersey Shore.  According to the Sun Gazette, Tiadaghton Valley Regional police were called to C&E Container in Porter Township after a woman there had gotten her right arm entangled in a roller machine.  Police did not release her name, but paramedics went to the scene around 7:30 am Wednesday where the woman was freed from the machine and then transported to Antes Fort by ambulance to Long Lane, where the medical helicopter had landed.  No word on the woman’s condition today.

Pennsylvania has had its’ largest increase in COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began as of yesterday at midnight.  There are 8 new cases of the coronavirus in Lycoming County today at 2,875.  Lycoming County has 8 of those cases with 11 hospitalized patients and one on a ventilator, There are 17 new cases in Northumberland County 11 in Snyder County, Union with 7 cases, Montour has one new case according to the PA Department of Health, but there are still 17 patients hospitalized from there with 6 on ventilators .  32 people have died from the virus in the state as of yesterday.

Cogan House awaits the count of the township votes which, when official, will allow alcohol liquor licenses there.  According to the Sun Gazette, almost 86% or about 552 voters participated Tuesday and 341 voted yes for the sale of alcohol, This could bring alcohol sales to Fry’s Turkey Ranch, with the added possibility of a future package store.  Cogan House Township has been “dry” since its inception in the 1800’s.

There was a three car accident near Linden this morning one car reportedly overturned.  According to scanner reports, the accident happened on 220 Northbound near Huffman Street and had traffic backed up toward 287. Police say there was one injury.  There was another accident reported in the backups on 220 NB before Rt 287 which had traffic backed up to Route 44. Two wreckers were dispatched to the area to clear the wreck.

There was a fire call last night at about 10:30pm in East Buffalo Township in Union County in which a fire in a garage there began and spread to the home on Field of Dreams Lane near Lewisburg.  According to media reports, the fire chief of Cameron Engine Company said crews arrived and quickly put out the fire, but that a propane tank nearby slowed their efforts.  No injuries were reported and three cats were saved from the blaze.  Firefighters from Winfield, New BERlin, and Shamokin Dam responded and were assisted by Buffalo Valley Regional Police.

As Pennsylvania Voter Services workers continue to count provisional, military and overseas ballots that are still coming in, a scenario they say is normal behavior following Election Day, a suit alleging illegal ballot manipulation in the commonwealth has been filed.  According to the Sun Gazette, the plaintiffs, including newly elected state Representative Joe Hamm, allege that there is a violation of the Pennsylvania Election Code, saying there hasn’t been sufficient time to allow flawed ballots in smaller counties to be corrected and returned.

The Clinton County Coroner has identified the human remains that were found last July along the Susquehanna River in Pine Creek Township.  According to a news release, an investigation concluded that the remains were positively identified through DNA testing to be those of 31 year old Alex F. Mardis, who was reported missing in October 2019 after being last seen fishing  in Wayne Township.  State police at Lamar investigated the case.

In observance of Veteran’s Day, PennDOT announced that all driver license and photo centers will be closed Wednesday, November 11.  A complete listing of PennDOT driver and photo license center closings in 2020 is available online.You can still get product and services online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov.

 

SPORTS
Thursday Night Football
Green Bay at San Francisco – kick off at 8:20pm

HS Sports
HS Boys Soccer
Williamsport defeated Wilkes-Barre in the District 2-4 Class AAAA Playoffs, 1-nothing.
District 4 Class AA Boys Soccer Semi-finals
Lewisburg defeated Warrior Run 6-1.

HS Sports Today
HS Girls Soccer
District 4 Class AA Semifinals;
Lewisburg at Bloomsburg @ 2:30pm, Montoursville at Central Columbia @3pm.

District 2-4 Class AAAA
Williamsport at Delaware Valley 5pm

HS Boys Soccer
District 4 Class AA Semi-finals
Midd-West at Wellsboro @5pm

HS Girls Volleyball
District 4 Class AA Championship
NorthPenn Liberty vs Wellsboro @ Williamson 6:30pm

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS NOVEMBER 4, 2020

PENNSYLVANIA: BATTLEGROUND STATE
Our state is the battleground for the presidential election with President Donald Trump and Former Vice president Joe Biden locked in a race here that is right now  (at 6am) separated by just  under a million votes with over 2 million left to count from mostly mail-in ballots legally cast before the election.  In Pennsylvania, mail-in ballots and ballots received on election day are able to be counted until November 6th

The Pennsylvania GOP is looking at positive numbers for a sweep of the local legislature, even as the state remains in a tight race between incumbent President Trump and Former Vice President Joe Biden.  Early morning numbers show Fred Keller with over 71 percent of the ballots cast over Democrat Lee Griffin even with mail-in ballots still to be counted before November 6th.  With Garth Everett not seeking reelection in the 83rd House race, Joe Hamm is in positive territory against Amanda Waldman.  In the 84th State House, Jeff Wheeland has the majority over Airneezer Page at this time and Gene Yaw is also looking at higher numbers over Jackie Baker for a reelection to his seat in the 23rd State Senate.

Republicans at this time show a majority for Attorney General, Auditor General and State Treasurer.  Republican Heather Heidelbaugh has a slight lead over Attorney General incumbent Josh Shapiro, Timothy DeFoor holds a lead over democrat Nina Ahmad for Auditor General and candidate Stacy Garrity holds a lead over Joe Torsella

Unofficially, Lycoming County is all red with local legislators Sen. Gene Yaw and Rep. Jeff Wheeland possibly retaining their seats . Nearly 80% (58,354) of the registered voters in the county turned out to vote, either in person, or through mail-in ballots. In the 2016 presidential election, just over 52,000 turned out to vote.  Incumbent Rep. Fred Keller, held a solid lead over Lee Griffin, with over 71% of the votes.

MAN CHARGED FOR SPITTING BLOOD AT POLICE
A Williamsport man was charged with felony assault after throwing glass and spitting fluids at a Williamsport Bureau of Police officer.  According to North Central PA dot com, Raymond Young was involved in a domestic dispute at a home on the 400 block of Germania Street  on October 10th, and when officers arrived, he was taken into custody spitting blood at the officers feet.  Following an altercation, police attempted to mask Young who then threatened the officers.  Young was charged with a charge of felony assault and  two misdemeanor counts of simple assault he’s in Lycoming County prison in lieu of 95 thousand dollars bail.

ROLLING ROADBLOCK THURSDAY
There will be a rolling roadblock on east and westbound I-80 tomorrow in White Deer Township right around 9am.  According to PennDOT, it will be just west of the Route 15 interchange.  A contractor will be pulling utility cables across the interstate so for westbound traffic, the roadblock will begin at mile marker 210 (Route 15 interchange) and continue to mile marker 207, eastbound it will begin at mile marker 204 and continue to mile marker 208. The rolling roadblock is expected to last approximately 15 minutes

VOTER SERVICES NOTE SLOWDOWNS FROM ELECTION DAY
In their effort to serve the public, Lycoming County Voter services workers’ efforts culminated in a busy election night in Williamsport.  According to the Sun Gazette, Voter Services Director Forrest Lehman said there were slower moving lines at the polls yesterday due to some constituents bringing their unfilled out ballots to precincts with the intention to hand them in and then vote in-person, causing extra work for poll workers.  Lehman cited issues with the Postal Service not delivering some ballots that voter services had to then re-issue that also slowed the process.  Mail in ballots will continue to be counted until November 6th in Pennsylvania.

LOCAL COVID-19 UPDATE
The largest increase in new coronavirus cases in our area today is Northumberland County, reporting 11 new cases as of yesterday at midnight Lycoming County has 8 new cases reported and there are 11 hospitalized COVID patients at this time with one on a ventilator.  Montour County has an increase of one case but there are still 17 patients hospitalized and  6 on ventilators.  There are 5 new cases in Snyder County, Clinton is reporting 5.  The state Department of Health reported 2,875 new positive cases of COVID-19 yesterday in the commonwealth and there were 32 fatalities.

SECOND COVID-19 CASE IN DANVILLE
There was a second positive COVID-19 test at Danville Middle School  in a week. In an alert to parents.  According to Superintendent Dr. Ricki Boyle the student was last in school Monday morning and contact tracing has informed parents of students who need to quarantine The school will still remain open.

MISLEADING STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT ONE VOTING MACHINE HICCUP
There was just one voting machine that jammed yesterday morning in Scranton, but misleading social media posts claimed that multiple machines were disabled for hours.  According to the Sun Gazettem  Lacakawanna County poll workers said the machine was restored within minutes.  In addition, a person claiming on Facebook to have thrown out hundreds of ballots in Erie County that were for President Trump was found to have not ever been employed there and not even a registered voter.  Facebook and Twitter were said to have scrambled to take down the misleading posts that were posted and shared thousands of times.   Pennsylvania’s race is closely watched because of the surge of mail-in ballots this year

 

SPORTS

HS Girls Soccer
District 2-4 class AAAA playoffs
Williamsport beat Scranton 6-nothing advancing to the semis tomorrow.
District 4 Class A semi finals
Southern Columbia beat South Williamsport 2-nothing

HS Girls Field Hockey
District 4 Class A Semifinals
Bloomsburg defeated Muncy 6-nothing

Today Sports
HS Boys Soccer
District 2-4 Class AAAA playoffs
Wilkes-Barre comes to Williamsport at 5 PM,
District 4 Class AA semi finals
Warrior Run plays at Lewisburg @230
HS Tennis
P I-AA Class AA singles and doubles Quarterfinals Tournament begins at one today at the Central PA Tennis Center

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS NOVEMBER 3, 2020

TWO CAR CRASH SENDS FOUR TO THE HOSPITAL
A Pickup truck overturned following a crash with a Nissan Rogue Monday around 8am on Lycoming Mall Drive.  According to the Sun Gazette, Montoursville volunteer firefighters worked to free the unidentified driver from the truck and then took him to UPMC Williamsport.  A woman driving the Rogue and two children were also treated for injuries from the wreck that occurred at Lycoming Mall Drive and Fairfield Road in Fairfield Township.  The injuries were not life threatening according to police.

WILLIAMSPORT MAN FACES CHARGES IN FATAL EVERDOSE
A 30 year old WilliamsPort woman died after allegedly taking a fake Percocet that a city man sold to her last July, and he is now facing felony drug charges.  According to North Central PA dot com, a witness told police she was present when the victim made arrangements to buy the drug from 31 year old Kijifa Anderson, and when the woman was found dead at a home at the 200 block of Eldred Street that witness was compelled to reach out to police.  Anderson has been confined to the Lycoming County Prison since Oct. 30 in lieu of $95,000 monetary bail

HISTORIC ELECTION DAY REMINDERS
As people in Lycoming County come to the polls on this historic Election Day, voters should be aware of their polling places as they head to the polls and can get the exact information about where they need to go online at lyco.org.  Voters have been notified if their polling places have been changed after a court order took the number of wards in Williamsport from 17 to 13.  Polls open at 7am and remain open until 8pm.  As long as a mail-in ballot is mailed on November 3rd and is received at the Election office by November 6th, a ballot is valid, after courts extended the deadline.

SCHOOL STAYS OPEN AFTER ONE POSITIVE COVID CASE REPORTED
Warrior Run School District middle school buildings will remain open even after a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus there.  The school told media outlets that they were in consultation with the Department of Health and found no requirements to quarantine any close contacts with the infected person.  This is the first positive COVID-19 case has been reported in the Warrior Run Area School District. Warrior Run custodial staff cleaned and sanitized the affected areas.

HIGH SPEED CHASE ENDS IN ACCIDENT IN NEW COLUMBIA
A high speed chase along Route 15 October 16th has resulted in felony traffic charges for a New York man who fled from police and crashed into parked cars and utility poles in New Columbia, Union County.  According to police they attempted to stop 20 year old Kai Heyward of Brooklyn NY who was speeding on I-80 near mile marker 210.  Heyward fled onto Main Street in New Columbia, wrecked his black Kia Sorento and then fled on foot.  He was taken into custody a short time later by Milton State Police. He posted 25 thousand dollars monetary bail after being arraigned in Mifflinburg.

POLICE READY IN CASE OF UNREST
Williamsport police have said they are prepared in the case of Election Day chaos or post-election violence happens, saying that they have not gotten any intelligence that there are planned demonstrations or word of disruptive gatherings.  According to the Sun Gazette, Police Chief Damon Hagan said they are better prepared after considering the potential problems that could have arisen following the Neo-Nazi rally last July.  Hagan also said at the polling places in the area, police are not permitted to be within 100 feet of the building except in case of an emergency, however, a constable may be at the polling location.

LOCAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
There are 19 new cases of the coronavirus in Lycoming County with 10 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 1 on a ventilator.  In Northumberland County there are 30 new cases, Montour has three new cases at 312 overall, however, Montour has 16 hospitalized patients with 5 on ventilators.  Clinton has 7 new cases, Union County has 20 new cases and Snyder has nine new cases.  According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed two-day total of 3,969 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 211,996. Daily increases are now the highest they have ever been since the start of the pandemic.

BUCKNELL HEADING BACK TO IN PERSON CLASSES
Bucknell University will resume some in-person instruction this week, even as the university had 10 new cases reported recently.  According to the University President, John Bravman, classes with less than 25 students can meet in-person this week at the instructor’s  discretion.  The Library and the campus gym are reopening  and Athletics and student clubs will resume Wednesday.

SPORTS

NFL Monday Night Football
Buccaneers beat the Giants 25-23 after a NY failed a two point conversion in the final minute.

HS Sports Today
Girls Soccer
District 4 Class A Playoffs
Southern Columbia at South Williamsport today at 2:30
District 2-4 Class AAAA playoffs
Scranton at Williamsport today at 5 PM
Field Hockey
District 4 Class A Playoffs
Muncy vs Bloomsburg at Selinsgrove at 5pm, Central Columbia vs Lewisburg in Selinsgrove at 7pm

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 30, 2020

NO STRIKE IN DANVILLE
|A tentative agreement has been reached between the Danville Area Education Association and the Danville Area School District after a mediation session between the two parties and a state mediator last night.  According to media outlets, the deal is scheduled to be ratified by both sides at the November 18 board meeting, but details aren’t available until the rest of the union is being notified.  If no agreement had been reached, a strike would have begun on Monday.

HIGH SCHOOL CLOSED, FOOTBALL STILL A GO
Two students in the Midd-West School district tested positive for coronavirus which will keep the high school in distance learning mode for Friday, however there will still be Friday night football.  According to the Midd-West superintendent, Rick Musselman, they will still host the football game against Shikellamy tonight.  The Middle School, Middleburg Elementary, and West Snyder Elementary school buildings remain open.

HAVE A VIRTUAL THANKSGIVING
Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Health are urging residents in the commonwealth to reconsider large gatherings with family and friends on Thanksgiving to help avoid the spread of the coronavirus.  According to Dr. Rachel Levine, small gatherings are a driver of the recent spike in COVID-19 both in the state and nationally, and that new daily virus cases have risen more than 50% over the past two weeks to an average of more than 2,000 per day.  Dr Levine says that even though the number of people hospitalized in Pennsylvania with COVID-19 has more than doubled this month, though hospitalizations still remain far below the spring peak and  hospital systems are not challenged at the moment.

NO DICKENS OF A CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR
For the first time since its’ inception Wellsboro’s Dickens of a Christmas that was to be held December 5th, has been cancelled for 2020.  According to a press release from the Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce, after a hard look at the circumstances, the Wellsboro Borough Council decided in a 4-2 vote, to rescind permissions  from all Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce-related Dickens of a Christmas events.  Borough officials said they worked with the Tioga County COVID-19 Task Force and Chamber to attempt to come up with a plan, but in the end there were too many “what-ifs”.  According to the wellsboropa.com website, vendors and participants will be contacted and fees refunded.

MAIL IN BALLOTS CAN BE COUNTED WITHOUT POSTMARK
Mail-in ballots received up to three days after Election Day will still be counted, after an injunction that would have prevented it has been denied by a Johnstown PA federal judge.  According to the Johnstown Tribune Democrat, U.S. District Judge Kim R. Gibson ruled Wednesday in the case of Bognet v. Boockvar, that mail-in ballots received after Election Day with no legible postmark should be presumed to have been cast legally unless there’s evidence they were not, and granting the injunction would cause confusion among the voters.  The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Sept. 17 that mail-in ballots can be counted if they are postmarked before the time polls close on Nov. 3

FALSE REPORT OF A FIRE
A Williamsport woman is scheduled to appear before a district judge in December after she was recently charged with falsely reporting a fire and other charges.  According to police reports, 35 year old Devin Hoffman and her neighbors around the 300 block of Bridge Street were involved in a dispute October 12th over guests at the residence, after which police say Hoffman created a disturbance when she called 911 to report a fire – ultimately found by fire police to be a charcoal grill in a safe location.  Hoffman was charged with false reports to law enforcement authorities, and summary disorderly conduct.

LOCAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
There are 11 new cases of the coronavirus as of yesterday at midnight in Lycoming County, In Northumberland County there were 22 new cases reported, Montour and Union County both added 3 cases to their totals.  According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, in the State, there are 2, 202 new cases reported for a statewide total pandemic wide, at 202, 876.  There are 44 new deaths reported in the commonwealth for a total of 8,762 fatalities from COVID-19.

WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM TO START
SEDA-COG is offering a crisis program to residents in Columbia, Juniata, Mifflin, Montour, Perry, Snyder, and Union Counties who qualify for fuel assistance, called the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The crisis program will repair a malfunctioning heating unit at no cost.  It runs from Nov. 2 to early April. According to administrators of the weatherization program, residents can contact their local county assistance office to see if they qualify, then a completed  referral to SEDA-COG will allow a subcontractor to be assigned.  A list of crisis income eligibility guidelines and phone numbers for the county offices and SEDA-COG’s program are listed below.  Crisis Income Eligibility Guidelines  – Family size: 1 – $19,140; 2 – $25,860​; 3 – $32,580; 4 – $39,300; 5 – $46,020; 6 – $52,740; 7 – $59,460; 8 – $66,180​.
County Assistance Offices  Columbia: 570-387-4232 Juniata: 717-436-2158 Mifflin: 717-242-6095 Montour: 1-866-410-2093 Perry: 717-582-5038  Snyder: 570-372-1721 Union: 570-524-2201.  SEDA-COG’s Weatherization program can be reached at 570-522-7219.


SPORTS

NFL Thursday Night Football
Atlanta Falcons defeated the Carolina Panthers 25-17


HS Boys Soccer
District 4 Class AA Playoffs
Undefeated Wellsboro beat Loyalsock 3-1
Seminfinals – Midd-West at Wellsboro, District 4 Class AA semifinals, Wednesday
Lewisburg won against Bloomsburg 11-1Midd-West beat Milton 8-nothing

HS Field Hockey
District 4 Class A Quarterfinals
Lewisburg over Southern Columbia 2-nothing

HS Football Backyard Broadcasting HS Game of the Week
District 4 Class AAA Semifinals
Loyalsock at Montoursville Saturday at 1pm coverage starts at 12:30 on WWPA

Big Ten
Penn State vs Ohio State Saturday at 7:30pm on ABC

 

 

 

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 29, 2020

MONTOURSVILLE TO RESUME CLASS FRIDAY
With the reversal of the decision to cancel extracurricular activities at Montoursville Area Schools after two students tested positive for COVID-19, the school board also voted early Wednesday after a marathon meeting Tuesday night to revise the health and safety plan for the school.  According to the Sun Gazette, the Montoursville school board said they will now reopen the school Friday after extensive cleaning and sports and other activities can resume.  The revised infection number that would require closings will now be 2 percent and be a building by building case.  As a result of the decision, the football game between undefeated Montoursville and Loyalsock will be held Saturday at 1pm. The game had earlier been earlier canceled.

LOCAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
There are 8 new cases of the coronavirus in Lycoming County with 968 as the countywide total.  Northumberland reports 10 new cases for a countywide total of 1,527, Union County has three new cases at 702 overall.,  According top the Pennsylvania Department of Health,  we’ve crossed the 200 thousand mark for cases in the state with 2,228 additional positive cases for 200,674 total.  In Pennsylvania there were 22 new deaths reported from COVID-19 with 8,718 total fatalities. 

PLCB FULFILLS REQUEST OF GOVERNOR
Following a request by Governor Wolf last week, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has waived $27.7 million in licensing fees for next year for businesses most affected by the coronavirus in a vote of 2-1.  The board forgave certain license fees for 2021 but a timely filing and renewal of applications will still be required to keep licenses currents and keep from being hit with late-filing fees.  PLCB officials said it’s the right thing to do to support  and ease the financial burdens of restaurants, bars, and gathering places in the state.

VIRTUAL FUNDRAISER FOR LOCAL THEATER
Ahead of Halloween, the Millbrook playhouse will feature a virtual fundraiser and Rocky Horror Reunion tonight at 7pm.  According to the Millbrook Playhouse Facebook page, the event is intended to raise funds for licensing fees and other expenses as the theater copes with the pandemic.  The members of the cast from the Rocky Horror Picture Show cast from 2019 will be gathered to participate with viewers in sing-a-longs and the chance to win trivia games.  Find Millbrook playhouse on Facebook or go to millbrook playhouse dot org to participate and donate. 

MIDD-WEST INSTRUCTION SHUT-DOWN
In person instruction at Midd-West High School is suspended for Thursday after a teacher has tested positive for the virus.  There are also six students who  have reportedly had symptoms.  According to media outlets, theres’s no word on whether the school will be closed as well, on Friday.  Midd-west Principal Thor Edmiston said  as more test results come back, the district will determine if there need to be more closings.

STRIKE LOOMS IN DANVILLE
With a possible strike starting Monday in the Danville area school district, mediation talks between the School District and the Danville Area Education Association will resume on Thursday night.  According to officials from the DEA the issues at odds are healthcare deductibles, and contract length.  If a strike starts Monday, it could last up to 15 days. However, the board did unanimously approve to continue athletics and extracurricular activities in the event of a strike. Both sides meet Thursday at 6 p.m.

NO INFO RELEASED OVER CASE ABOUT OFFICER SUSPENDED WITH PAY
No information will be released about the circumstances surrounding a former Williamsport police corporal who was suspended with pay last summer and has since resigned from the department. According to the Sun Gazette, Cpl. Eric Derr, who joined the department in 2013, was subject of a police internal investigation and city officials have not released information surrounding the case.  Police Chief Damon Hagan also declined to comment.  The police pension board authorized a pension for Derr at almost 27 thousand dollars. 


FREE FLU SHOTS THIS WEEKEND
Geisinger is hosting a community drive-thru flu shot clinic this weekend for anyone 18 years and older.  Drive-thru flu shots will be available this Saturday, Oct. 31 from  9am to 2pm on, and Sunday, Nov. 1, at The Lycoming Mall, 300 Lycoming Mall Circle, Pennsdale. The flu shots are available at no cost. Also available will be flu shots specially designed for those 65 and older, but supplies are limited.  There’s no need to preregister to get a flu shot, just remember to wear a mask and loose-fitting clothing that allows easy access to the upper arm.

 

SPORTS
NASCAR
Kyle Busch scored his first Cup win of the season Wednesday at Texas Motor Speedway at the race that was rained out for three days. With the checkered flag, Busch extends his streak of consecutive seasons with at least one win to 16 years. Martin Truex Jr. finished second. Christopher Bell had a career-best third finish, followed by Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman.  Five playoff drivers finished in the top 10: Truex, Bowman, Brad Keselowski (sixth), Kurt Busch (seventh), Denny Hamlin (ninth) and Joey Logano (10th).

Kyle Larson will be back in NASCAR next season driving the flagship No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.  Larson signed a multiyear Hendrick contract Wednesday that ended his seven-month banishment from NASCAR for using a racial slur while playing an online racing game last spring. After the incident in April, he was fired by Chip Ganassi Racing and lost all his sponsors

NFL
Thursday Night Football
Atlanta Falcons head up the road to Charlotte tonight to play the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium with a kick off at 8:20
MLB
Major League Baseball says Justin Turner violated coronavirus protocols when he celebrated on the field with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates, and he refused instructions from security to leave the field, risking the safety of others. The Dodgers won their first World Series championship since 1988 on Tuesday at Globe Life Field, where Turner was pulled from the game after MLB was notified that he had tested positive for COVID-19 following the 7th inning. 


HS Girls Soccer
District 4 Class A South Williamsport defeated Meadowbrook 1-nothing
Today’s District 4 Playoffs
Boys Soccer Class AA  4pm games; South Williamsport @ Warrior Run, Milton at Midd-West, and Bloomsburg @ Lewisburg,  7pm game; Loyalsock @Wellsboro.
Field Hockey Class A
5pm matchup between Southern Columbia vs. Lewisburg @ Selinsgrove.  7pm game Muncy vs. Mifflinburg @Central Columbia.

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 28, 2020

WILLIAMSPORT AREA SCHOOLS TO OFFER 5-DAY IN PERSON INSTRUCTION
The Williamsport Area School Board has reversed a decision about hybrid learning in a 7-2 vote yesterday.  According to the Sun Gazette, Dr. Timothy Bowers made a case during the special meeting yesterday to discuss the issue at which some parents protested the decision by the board to remain in hybrid mode as of last week.  In  person instruction will resume for elementary students November 2nd and middle and high school students resume 5 day a week classed November 9th.  Students still have the full remote option if wanted.  There are reports that some students are struggling with remote learning and coping with significant absenteeism

DANVILLE SCHOOLS SEND LETTER WITH AN INTENT TO STRIKE
The Danville Area Education Association sent  a notice of a strike to the Danville Area school board, which means the teachers could strike as soon as next Monday, November 2.  According to School Superintendent, Dr. Rickie Boyle, both sides met Monday with a state mediator, but there was no resolution to the outstanding issues including wages, length of contract and health care.  Dr. BoYle said in a letter that parents will receive at least a 48-hour notice of the start of a strike and that strike days will need to be made up through holidays and/or days in June. Once the strike happens the district will be forced to place all schools into an emergency closure. Tonight’s  school board meeting will be held tonight in the Danville High School auditorium – as well as virtually at 7 p.m.  Instructions about joining the ZOOM conference here.

MONTOURSVILLE WILL HAVE FOOTBALL THIS WEEKEND
In an early morning decision, the Montoursville school board voted 7-0 Wednesday at 1:23 a.m. to allow school district sports to resume play beginning Thursday.  The word first came yesterday afternoon that it was moving to remote learning in the high school after a positive case of COVID-19 and was canceling its extra-curricular activities, meaning the undefeated football team and the girls soccer team would have to forfeit their District 4 playoff games. According to the Sun Gazette, it was decided that sports will resume the football team will host Loyalsock at 1 p.m. Saturday in the District 4 Class AAA quarterfinals. The girls soccer team will play at Troy on Friday afternoon in the District 4 Class AA quarterfinals.

PUBLIC RECOMMENDED TO DELIVER MAIL-IN BALLOTS IN PERSON
Yesterday may have been the deadline to apply for Mail-in Ballots, but Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar made a statement encouraging those who still have their mail-in ballot intending to deliver or mail it by November 3rd, to hand deliver the ballot you have in person to your local county election office.  The governor says the US Postal Service can’t guarantee a ballot would be delivered on time. The official deadline to drop off completed mail ballots is 8 p.m. on the November 3 Election Day, but voters today were urged to turn in their ballots as soon as possible.

STABBING SUSPECT TO BE ARRAINGED
The suspect who stabbed a man outside of a Renovo bar has been charged with aggravated assault after the victim was hospitalized for his injuries.  According to State Police at Lamar, Shawn Mills of North Bend in Clinton County stabbed 28 year old Bradley Shearer while they were fighting in the parking lot of the Green Lantern bar.  Mills stabbed Shearer 17 times in the leg and arm, after which Mills fled, but later returned and fired shots at Shearer who remains hospitalized at UPMC Williamsport and faces arraignment after being released from the hospital.

LOCAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Lycoming County reports 10 new cases of the coronavirus with a county wide total now of 960.  In Northumberland County ere were 14 new Northumberland County cases at 1,517 since the start of the pandemic According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed 2,751 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 198,446. Today’s increase is the largest daily increase to date. There are 23 new deaths reported in Pennsylvania for a total of 8,696 fatalities.

NEW LOCATION FOR DANVILLE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
Representatives from the Danville Area School Board report that their board meeting tonight at 7pm will be held in the Danville High School auditorium.  According to the School District website, the meeting will be streamed live on YouTube and also through a ZOOM conferencing platform.  After shutting down last week due to coronavirus concerns , Danville area schools, specifically the primary and middle school will remain open after there have been several positive COVID tests in the system. There has also been a notice to strike, possibly by November 2nd, by the Danville Area Education Association which was presented to the school board president, Dr. Rickie Boyle, yesterday.  A mediation process will take place to hopefully resolve the dispute over wages, length of agreement and health care.  If a strike is held, parents will receive at least a 48-hour notice of the start.

WRESTLING GUIDELINES MUST BE FOLLOWED TO HAVE A SEASON
New guidelines for the Jersey Shore Area High School open mat wrestling program had school board members discussing the process last night which some believe may be hard to follow for the teams.  According to the Sun Gazette,  some questioned who set up the guidelines that school officials say have to be followed in order to have a wrestling program during the upcoming winter season.  Some measures include touchless temperature checks and one designated partner per practice, as well as hygiene factors to clean exposed skin and regular cleaning of the mats.

 

SPORTS
MLB
For the first time since 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champions. The Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1  in Game 6 of the Fall Classic at Globe Life Field on last night  to clinch the series. It is the seventh title in franchise history.

NASCAR
NASCAR will make a fourth attempt to complete its playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway today at 3pm after persistent mist and cold temperatures continued the long delay. The Cup Series race began Sunday and drivers completed 52 of the scheduled 334 laps before mist and drizzle halted the action.

HS Sports

Montoursville football team will host Loyalsock at 1 p.m. Saturday in the District 4 Class AAA quarterfinals. The girls soccer team will play at Troy on Friday afternoon in the District 4 Class AA quarterfinals.

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 27, 2020

SULLIVAN COUNTY SCHOOLS TO CLOSE FOR A WEEK
Due to a confirmed Covid-19 case within the Sullivan County School community, the School District campus will be closed until Monday, November 2. According to the Sullivan County School District website, classes were dismissed at noon Monday, and students are to continue schoolwork and follow the guidance within the packets given out in early October.  In addition, the Northern Tier Career Center has had a positive COVID case reported and are working now to identify who was within close contact and which individuals will require a 14 day quarantine.  Students and staff at the NTCC should continue screening for symptoms daily before coming to the CareerCenter

LANDLORD TENANT MEDIATION PROGRAM AVAILABLE
Thanks to funding through the federal CARES Act, a Landlord Tenant Mediation program has been launched to find solutions to issues that will arise as evictions become more numerous outside of a courtroom.  According to a press release on  The Lycoming Law Association Foundation’s website, interested landlords and tenants should apply for the mediation program as soon as possible since the program will expire at the end of November – even if a court case has been filed.  There is no charge if you qualify.  More info can be found here .

TURKEY SEASON TO START SATURDAY
Pennsylvania’s fall turkey season starts this Saturday, Oct. 31 in 19 of Pennsylvania’s 23 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), with the return of a three-day Thanksgiving season which will be held in 12 WMUs this year will run Wednesday, Thursday and Friday instead of Thursday through Saturday as in previous years.  Fall turkey hunters no longer are required to wear fluorescent orange, but the Game Commission highly recommends it even when not required.  A link to the full press release from the Game Commission with dates for individual WMU’s in our area here.

VOTING DEADLINE TODAY
The deadline to submit an application for mail-in and absentee ballots is 5 p.m. today. Until then, applications can be submitted online at votespa.com or at your county elections office with a driver’s license or your Social Security number. People who have already applied but not yet returned their ballot can do so in person until Election Day, Nov. 3 is one week away.  Any ballots not postmarked Nov. 3 or earlier, or that reach elections officials more than three days after the election, will not be counted.

DOMESTIC DISPUTE ENDS IN CHARGES FILED
A 21 year old Bloomsburg man was charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault in the second degree after a police responded to a domestic dispute in which he spit on officers and later threw urine at a nurse while in custody. According to court documents a man identified as Thomas John J. Leahan Jr. was engaged in the dispute with a female at the 100 block of Honeysuckle court around 3am on October 2nd when Bloomsburg police arrived, and they determined Leahan was to be taken into custody after he threw a baseball bat at them.  Police say he was taken for a mental health evaluation and later released on 50 thousand dollars monetary bail through a professional bail bondsman.  Leahan is due in court again November 4th.

LOCAL COVID-19 UPDATE
There are 8 new cases of the coronavirus reported in Lycoming County with 950 positive cases to date.  In Northumberland,  there are 19 new cases, including one at a long-term care facility for a pandemic wide total  of 1,503.  According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health as of midnight yesterday, there has been a a two-day total of 3,073 additional positive cases of COVID-19 reported , bringing the statewide total to 195,695. With daily increases comparable to the numbers last April. In the same two days there have been 19 deaths for a total of 8,673 fatalities.

PRSION FACILITY HAS COVID OUTBREAK
SCI-Coal Township has reported a COVID-19 outbreak, reporting 96 active cases at the facility including 2 staff members.  According to media outlets, the Department of Corrections has ranked the facility at a level 2 out of a five level demobilization plan that requires sets of restrictive safety measures within the prison.  At this time,  there are 23 active inmate cases and 12 active staff cases at Allenwood and Lewisburg has four active inmate cases and one active staff case.  SCI Coal Township is also implementing more video visits in place due to enhanced quarantining

HOSPITAL TO RESTRICT VISITORS AGAIN
Geisinger hospitals are temporarily restricting routine, in-person visitation to hospitalized patients starting Monday November 2 in an effort to make sure staff, patients and the community stay safe from COVID-19. According to a press release from Geisinger, clergy and Doulas are part of the care team and not visitors, and that adult or pediatric patients with appointments at Geisinger clinics may still have one person accompany them.  Details on specific visitation requirements are available at Geisinger.org/coronavirus

 

SPORTS
NFL Monday Night Football
Rams beat the Bears 24-10

MLB
Rays play the Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series tonight at 8:08 in Arlington Texas, LA leads 3-2

NASCAR
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race in Texas is still on hold until this morning due to rainy conditions that barely let up yesterday.  Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 was postponed after 52 laps with Clint Boyer in first position followed by Jimmie Johnson.

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 26, 2020

PA COURT RULES ON ACCEPTING VOTER SIGNATURES ON BALLOTS
There was a ruling on Friday in Pennsylvania Court prohibiting counties from rejecting ballots based on signature comparison, supporting the state’s top election official’s legal argument with the President Donald Trump Campaign and Republican legislators.  According to PennLive, Kathy Boockvar said any rejection of a ballot without allowing a voter to verify their signature poses a grave risk that ballots can be rejected in a very subjective way.  Ballots in the commonwealth are also immune from third-party challenges based on signature analysis.  Mr. Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are locked in a battle to win Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes.

FATAL ACCIDENT INVOLVING MAN FROM MONTGOMERY
A 70 year old man from Montgomery was pronounced dead at the scene of a crash Saturday.  According to the Sun Gazette, David Hester was driving north on Route 15 south of Old Mill Road in Gregg Township and suddenly veered into the southbound lane striking a truck head-on.  The incident happened around 8pm Saturday night and involved a tractor trailer driven by 57 year old Howard Legg of Harrisburg, who wasn’t injured in the crash.

INFANT TREATED AFTER INGESTING  MARIJUANA
A Bloomsburg man has been charged with child endangerment after he allegedly let an infant ingest marijuana.  21 year old Dylan R. Coble, a legal recipient of medical marijuana, used it to put into chocolate and according to northcentralPA.com,  told police said that he had left some out and the infant he was watching ate around 10 milligrams of THC extract.  Coble took the infant to the emergency room after finding the baby very groggy.  The infant tested positive for the drug.  Coble was released on a $10,000 dollar unsecured bail.

COVID-19 SMARTPHONE APP AVAILABLE
Geisinger Health System 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.

DRIVER IN SHOOTING TREATED FOR INJURIES
The delivery driver who was injured in the 3rd shooting this month in Williamsport was treated and released after the incident Friday night.  According to the Sun Gazette, police are investigating the shooting that occurred between First and High Street, after which the driver left the scene and went back to his employer on 4th Street before calling an ambulance for help.  If you have information about this incident please call Williamsport Bureau of Police.

LYCOMING COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE
There are 14 new cases of coronavirus reported in Lycoming County as of Sunday at midnight for a total of 942 positive cases.  Lycoming County has 13 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. There are 64 new cases in Northumberland County bringing their total to 1,484.  Statewide, 2,043 new cases have been confirmed, with the statewide total over 192,000, of which 78% have recovered.  12 new deaths have occurred bringing the total in Pennsylvania to 8,666.

SOIL BORING WORK TO START TODAY
Penn DOT days there will be median work along Interstate 180 in Lycoming County starting today and continuing for the next two weeks.  Crews will be in the median along Interstate 180 between the Route 87 overpass in Fairfield Township and the Lycoming / Northumberland County line doing soil borings at multiple locations.    This work is part of a high-tension cable barrier project that will take place at this location next year

MEMORIAL TO BE ADDED TO WILLIAMSPORT PARK
There will be a Central Pennsylvania Gold Star Memorial added to Veteran’s Memorial Park by the end of September 2021.  According to the Sun Gazette, John Markley, secretary of the Veterans Memorial Park Commission said the memorial will be erected in Lycoming County Veterans Memorial Park, at Wahoo Drive and West Fourth Street.  The estimated to cost is  $75,000 and will be paid for through donations and a brick marker fundraiser.

SPORTS
MLB
World Series Game 5  – LA Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2, LA leads 3-2
Game 6 is set for Tuesday night with first pitch at 8:08 in Arlington, TX

NFL
Steelers beat the Titans 27-24, Bills beat the Jets 18-10, Washington beat the Cowboys 25-3, Browns beat the Bengals 37-34,  Buccaneers over the Raiders 45-20 and the Chiefs beat the Broncos 43-16,  Chargers over the Jaguars 39-29, 49ers beat the Patriots 33-6, Cardinals over the Seahawks 37-34, and Lions beat the Falcons 23-22 Saints over the Panthers 27-24, Packers beat the Texans 35-20

NASCAR
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race in Texas was postponed last night after 52 laps with misty conditions that continued for four hours before the event was called off. Restart is planned for this morning, but there’s was a 90% chance of rain reported overnight – Clint Boyer is in first position followed by Jimmie Johnson.

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS OCTOBER 25, 2020

In Person City Council Meetings

Many people in government and private sectors are beginning to move past the initial panic of the covid crisis. Many are starting to ponder how to go about balancing safety with the publics right to address local government, and assemble. According to the sun gazette, the Williamsport school district has already done so after governor wolf gave the order to increase indoor capacity, taking the school board meetings to the auditorium where there is ample room to accommodate social distancing guidelines. City council may follow suit in the coming weeks. According to Randall Allison, Council president, many agree that in person meetings will benefit the public, especially when presenting the budget deliberations. A decision is likely to be made before thanksgiving on that matter.

Handgun Found On Felon

Hafiz El, a 30 year old a convicted felon, was taken into custody by deputies near the park on Memorial Avenue. According to court records they found a loaded handgun in his waistband. When questioned about it, he told them that the gun belonged to his girlfriend with whom he was meeting to give back to her. A different picture was painted when the serial numbers were ran and the gun came back under a different name.  He was sent to prison in lieu of a 125,000 dollar bail for carrying a firearm without a license and possessing a weapon as a felon.

Infant Ingests Marijuana Edible

Dylan R. Coble, a 21 year old man from Bloomsburg has been charged with child endangerment after he allegedly accidentally let an infant ingest marijuana. Coble, a legal recipient of medical marijuana, had purchased THC extract oil from a dispensary, where he later put them into chocolates. According to northcentralPA.com, during an interview with officers he said that he had left the chocolates out on the table while working from home, when at some point the infanthe was watching ate them, consuming around 10 milligrams of THC extract. He took the infant to the emergency room after realizing it was unusually groggy and not fully awake after a nap, where the infant tested positive for THC. He was released on a $10,000 dollar unsecured bail.

Route 287 Crash

Thursday evening a motorcyclist was injured traveling south on route 287, after swerving out of the way of deer in the road. Zachary Rogers, 44 of trout run, went into the northbound lane of traffic when trying to avoid the deer, where he hit a stone embankment on the side of the road falling off and injuring himself. He was taken by ambulance to the Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre for his injuries. His current status is unknown.

Sports

MLB

Tampa Bay Rays rookie Randy Arozarena became the first player to hit nine home runs in a single postseason after taking Los Angeles Dodgers starter Julio Urias deep to right field in the fourth inning of Game 4 of the World Series on Saturday night.

Astros pitcher Josh James underwent hip surgery and will need six to eight months to recover. Houston general manager James Click said Saturday that James had a labral tear of his left hip repaired Friday.

MMA

Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement ufc 254 in Abu Dhabi after a choking out his opponent just a minute and a half into the second round.

NFL

Antonio Brown and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reached an agreement on a one-year deal, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday. Brown is likely to make his Bucs debut in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 8.

 

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

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