WILLIAMSPORT 4TH OF JULY HOUSE FIRE

A home caught fire yesterday afternoon in Williamsport on the 600 block of rose street. According to the sun gazette at least 5 people that were family and friends of the homeowner were inside when the fire started. It broke out around 3:40 pm setting off 2 fire alarms in the process and leaving 3 adults and 3 children homeless. Cobirai Matthews, the home owner, was not home at the time. The local red cross is providing emergency assistance to the displaced victims.

DUI AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA CHARGES PENDING

2 Northumberland county residents from Coal Township are facing drug charges after being pulled over for traffic violations by state police on route 61 in Coal Township. According to media outlets 21 year old Kaitlyn Anderson and 26 year old Stephan Thomas were arrested on Monday, with the driver being charged with a DUI and the passenger for drug paraphernalia. Charges are currently pending.

BODY FOUND IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY

Stonington State Police found a body yesterday morning in Northumberland county  and are investigating the matter. According to media outlets the body was found in a wooded area near Bates Road in East Cameron Township. Stonington Troopers say a known individual contacted them around 8:45 a.m. Saturday. Troopers say the investigation is ongoing and is being assisted by the Northumberland County Coroner and deputy coroner on scene.

DECLARATION OF DISASTER EMERGENCY EXTENDED

The Lycoming County commissioners have agreed to extend the county’s Declaration of Disaster Emergency. This helps the county remain eligible for government funding for issues related to the coronavirus. According to the Sun Gazette, after the declaration the commissioners discussed about the COVID-19 guidelines, involving the consideration of wearing masks, after announcing the week before that mask’s were optional in county facilities, a decision later reversed by Dr Rachel Lavine. All decisions made are in an effort to get Lycoming county back to normal as quick as possible while providing enough support for residents and businesses in need.

SPORTS

NFL

Earlier this week, the NFL decided to shorten its preseason from four weeks to two to account for the coronavirus pandemic and the ways in which it’s affecting the league’s ability to start the season.

MLB

Ex Philadelphia pitcher Tyson Brummett, 35, of Salt Lake City, died in a plane crash. Brummett was drafted by the Phillies BACK IN 2007 out of UCLA. A right-hander, Brummett’s appearance in the majors came in 2012, when he faced four batters, striking out two of them.

NBA

The NBA has announced a schedule for scrimmages happening at the Walt Disney World Resort. As the season gears back up you can expect 33 scrimmages set for between July 22^nd and July 28^th.

Facemasks are once again required in county buildings.  According to the Lycoming County Board of Commissioners all members of the public that enter county government facilities will be required to wear masks in keeping with the Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine, who signed the order this week.  The Pennsylvania Department of Health yesterday, confirmed 832 additional positive cases of the virus, with a statewide total to 88,074. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.  In Lycoming County there are 193 positive cases to date, Clinton 80 cases, Sullivan six cases and Tioga 25 cases.

Water and sewer customers in Lycoming County who are having a hard time getting caught up with the water bill, have been given a break.  According to the Sun Gazette, the Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority decided that failure to pay monthly charges will not result in shut-off of service.  Penalties will be waived again for the third month in a row.  The Authority, who met for the first time in person this week since March, will revisit the policy in August .

The controversy over using the Red Raider Mascot which has recently been brought under fire in the Bellefonte Area School district, caused the school board meeting last Tuesday to be packed with the public, to make comments about the issue.  According to the Sun Gazette, board president, Jon Guizar recognized public comments for over 45 minutes during the meeting. Mostly those against the mascot were not current residents within the school district, some of whom cautioned the district not to get into a costly legal battle.  Most current residents were proud of the history of the Red Raider mascot which first appeared in a Bellefonte publication in 1936.  The mascot issue was not on the board’s agenda, but was driven by recent online petitions of Facebook groups.

The world’s largest flying American flag will be hoisted and draped between two Allison Cranes tomorrow from 9am til 9pm at the former Susquehanna Supply Company site, just west of Baird Communication off Maynard street in Williamsport, all due to the hard work Allison Crane and Rigging, the Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and the Pennslyvania National Guard of Lycoming county. The set the night to music fireworks celebration sponsored by backyard Broadcasting will take place at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in Hughesville and the public coming to park at near facility is asked to use 180 to Route 405 N due to construction at the 405 intersection.

Even with the order from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, requiring social distancing and masks be worn at all times when community members are using public transportation, River Valley Transit has announced that with the short notice thay are unable to require their staff enforce the state mandate.  According to the Sun Gazette, Interim General Manager Adam Winder said a passenger waiting in the heat will not be denied entry on the bus even if they do not have a face covering.  He said they are working to develop a plan moving forward.  Scrubbing down and disinfecting of the busses is part of the employee’s daily routine since the outbreak occurred.

The Montgomery borough Council voted last Monday to terminate Officer Eric Winters in a 5-0 vote, with Laurel Green and Susan Andrews abstaining from the vote. According to the Sun Gazette, after an internal investigation and a review of the results, the council made the decision to terminate officer Winters.  He had been promoted to corporal in October 2019 and helped lead a police regionalization which ultimately stalled.  The investigation results are a personnel matter and will not  be made public.

An Athens Area High School freshman has won a scholarship for her entry in the “No Excuses Billboard Design Contest”.  According to PennDOT,  Karlee Bartlow’s billboard design, “Stay Alert, Don’t Get Hurt” featuring a distracted driver, provided a $500 scholarship for her efforts and an additional $500 for her school. The Highway Safety Network (HSN), Athens Area High School and State Farm Insurance sponsored the contest and her work will be displayed on a billboard in Bradford County during National Teen Driver Safety Week in October. According to PennDOT data, in 2018, there were 6,453 crashes involving 16- or 17-year-old drivers resulting in 26 fatalities

Jersey Shore’s Town Meeting, a week long celebration during the 4th of July for the community and the surrounding communities will now go on July 20^th through July 25^th.  According to event organizers they waited until the county was in the green phase and to have approval from the borough council.  There will be some changes this year – no “Baby Sweetheart” contest or Tiadaghton Queen contest, however, last year’s Tiadaghton Queen runner-up, Courtney Lehman, Jersey Shore student, will be crowned. The Thursday night parade and the Saturday fireworks show will go on as planned. The route for the parade will go down Locust Street, across Broad Street, then up Thompson Street to finish at the Celebration Field.  Lee Springman, Jersey Shore student, will be this year’s Town Crier.

SPORTS
NFL
FedEx, which has naming rights to the stadium in which the Washington Redskins play, made a request yesterday that the team change its nickname. FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo each received letters signed by 87 investment firms and shareholders worth a combined $620 billion asking the companies to sever ties with the team unless it changes its controversial name. FedEx paid $205 million to the Redskins for naming rights to the stadium in 1998 in a deal that runs through 2025.

What’s traditionally known as the Black national anthem called “Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing,” is expected to be performed live or played before every Week 1 NFL game, as well as the league considering other measures to recognize victims of police brutality in the upcoming season.  The song would be performed before “The Star-Spangled Banner,” The NFL’s season opener is scheduled for Sept. 10, with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans.

NBA
As a precaution, the LA Clippers shut down the team’s practice facility on Thursday after getting a positive coronavirus test within the traveling party headed to Orlando, Florida, for the league restart.  The Clippers could reopen the facility for workouts prior to the team’s planned Wednesday departure for Florida.  The Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets temporarily shut down their facilities last week for the same reason. Teams are allowed to send a 35-person group to the NBA’s campus at Walt Disney World Resort as part of the 22-team restart.

GOLF
The PGA of America is renaming its Horton Smith Award after a review of history revealed Smith defended the Caucasian-only membership clause when he served as PGA president in the early 1950s. The PGA of America board voted to rename it the PGA Professional Development Award honoring PGA members for outstanding contributions to professional education.  The Caucasian-only clause was part of the PGA bylaws from 1934 until it was rescinded in 1961. Smith was president of the PGA of America from 1952 to 1954.

A serious accident shut down part of the Golden Strip last evening just before 5:30 closing the roadway and sending all four people involved to UPMC Williamsport.  State police say 2 motorcycles, one with two passengers, traveling east on East Third Street and a Chevy Equinox exiting from TGI Friday’s parking area collided in a hard hitting crash.  Two motorcycle passengers were wearing helmets in the wreck that occurred near Tinsman Avenue.  According to the Sun Gazette,  four ambulances and several paramedics were dispatched and traffic was detoured off of East Third from Westminster drive to Clayton Avenue.  The road was closed for over 2 hours while police reconstructed the scene.

The Lycoming County commissioners have agreed to extend the county’s Declaration of Disaster Emergency helps the county remain eligible for government funding for issues related to the coronavirus.  According to the Sun Gazette, the commissioners continued the meeting which was described as arguing about COVID-19 guidelines, and the consideration of wearing masks, after announcing last week that mask wearing is optional in county facilities.  The Comms considered the lower coronavirus numbers in our rural area and considered if wearing masks was the answer of not for moving back to normal in Lycoming County.  At this time the PA Department of Health has said there are 182 confirmed cases of the virus in Lycoming County and 24 deaths reported.

A $91 thousand management agreement was approved yesterday by Williamsport City Council between the Endless Mountains Transportation Authority and the city that will be in place until June of 2021.  After the desire to further discuss the agreement from last week’s meeting, council this week, voted 6-0 to adopt the plan that will clarify duties of the 5-member management team and differentiate the number of hours spent working and what type of work is performed.  According to the Sun Gazette, Mayor Slaughter said an agreement like this has not come before City Council in several years. The mayor said the search for a new general manager for River Valley Transit will begin this week.

There will be another free milk giveaway in Montour County today. The Montour County Farm Bureau will giveaway about 1,600 gallons of whole milk, for free, at the Montour-Delong Fairgrounds today from 1-5pm.. She said the giveaway is Coronavirus Food Assistance Program grant funded, it is being put on by the American Dairy Association, and the milk is coming from the Harrisburg Dairies Inc to help families in need. There will also be free milkshakes (like the ones at the Farm Show) for the first 500 people at the event.  The Montour-Delong Fairgrounds is near Washingtonville, along Route 254, at 5848 Broadway Road.

Gov. Tom Wolf will sign the first bills passed by Pennsylvania’s Legislature this week in response to widespread protests over police brutality.  The two bills passed the Senate unanimously.  One of the bills prevents bad officers from continuing to find employment in police departments. The other bill requires officers to receive cultural sensitivity training, instruction on de-escalation and harm-reduction techniques and a mental health evaluation after an incident in which the officer used lethal force.

If you’re collecting unemployment at this time, you may be eligible to extend those benefits for an additional 13 weeks, according to the PA Department of Labor and Industry which announced the state’s Unemployment Compensation Extended Benefits program yesterday.  Extended Benefits (EB) are additional UC benefits payable to qualified workers whenever the state’s unemployment rate reaches a certain level determined by law. The last time the EB program was triggered in Pennsylvania was 2009.  The current extended benefits period began May 3, but benefits are not payable until an individual has exhausted PEUC benefits. Important information about the EB program follows and will be sent by mail to all individuals who potentially qualify for the additional benefits.

Small businesses in Pennsylvania can begin to apply for  up to 50 thousand dollars in grants for relief from COVID-19 as of yesterday.  The COVID-19 Relief Pennsylvania Statewide Small Business Assistance program is in place to assist small businesses that have been economically impacted during the pandemic. This is not a first-come, first-served program. There will be multiple rounds of application windows. Application window for the first round of funding will remain open for 10 business days. Applications will continue to be accepted after 10 business days but will be considered for future rounds of funding with additional rounds will be announced soon. You can applay at pabusinessgrants.com or find more information about the program on WILQ

Fireworks in Tioga County will take place on Sunday July 5^th, launching from Mansfield University’s T2 parking lot after the original plan to hold the event in Mansfield’s Smythe Park was cancelled due to COVID-19.  The Independence day fireworks in Mansfield are sponsored by the Mansfield Chamber of Commerce and the Mansfield VFW and the public is encouraged to not gather in the streets of the borough and to continue to practice social distancing while watching.  The University parking lot is the highest point on campus and the display should be visible from most areas of the borough and some areas of Richmond Twp.

SPORTS
NBA
With coronavirus cases on the rise and some teams closing facilities due to positive tests, NBA commissioner Adam Silver says he still remains confident about the NBA’s plan to safely resume play, but admits that a spread of COVID-19 into the NBA community could bring the league to a halt again.  Silver said they look at the data on a daily basis and that the league continues to work with a panel of scientists, doctors and experts to determine how to proceed if there is significant spread of the virus.

NHL
NHL players who are due signing bonuses on July 1 are expected to be paid the more than $300 million due to be paid today. The Toronto Maple Leafs lead the league with roughly $60 million owed. The agreement to pay players and not defer was made yesterday between the NHL and the Players Association. The two sides are in ongoing negotiations about the league’s plan to restart with a 24-team tournament in two hub cities this summer. The sides have yet to finalize the health and safety protocols for games or announce the hub cities they will use.

MLB
Even though Major League Baseball has created the guidelines to resume play in 2020, there are still risks of illness in the league since HIPPA regulations will keep them from being able to identify those players who have tested positive for the coronavirus.  Major League Baseball also said yesterday that a team will not specifically announce a COVID-19 injured list placement for a player who is removed from the club after testing positive. The federal law restricting release of medical information without a patient’s consent or knowledge means that only players can reveal their positive test status.

MiLB
According to Major League Baseball, Minor league baseball is cancelled  for the season due to the coronavirus outbreak.  Since the league relies heavily on gate revenue, a season without fans would not be possible.  Players will use the year of development and may end the baseball career of some journeymen.

An alarming spike in COVID-19 cases in Allegheny County is causing the county health department there to halt on-site consumption of alcohol in bars and restaurants starting at 5pm Tuesday.  Bars and restaurants can remain open but won’t be allowed to serve alcohol other than takeout options.  According to officials at Pittsburgh’s county health department, the majority of new cases in Allegheny County are in people within the age bracket of 19-49 with an average age of 27 – many of whom spend more time in a social bar scene.

A fatal accident involving 3 vehicles occurred Friday on Route 45 in Danville.  According to the Standard-Journal,  62 year old Donald L. Stephens of Danville, was traveling west on Route 45 near Hobbes Road in West Chillisquaque Township after noon Friday. When Police say, 25 year old Robert S. Delbo of  Lewisburg, was in the eastbound lane and swerved around the vehicle in front of him hitting Stephens’s 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis head on. Stephens was pronounced dead at the scene by the Northumberland County Coroner.  Delbo was taken by ambulance to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville with unknown injuries. Those in the 3^rd car were not injured.  Route 45 was closed in both directions for several hours.

A petition begun by an anonymous person on the website Change.org is calling for the firing of two Williamsport Police officers citing alleged misconduct, has gained over 1200 signatures or 4.5 percent of the city’s population in two weeks.  According to North Central PA dot com, court documents show that Officers Joshua Bell and Clinton Gardner’s actions while on-duty have been legally questioned at least four times.  Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter said the petition has not been submitted and that it’s necessary for the accuser to bring forth evidence of the acts before he can investigate the issue.  There is no legal obligation for the city to respond to the petition.

It has been announced that the 75th Annual Mummers’ Parade in South Williamsport will be held on October 17th at 2pm. According to a social media post, organizers of the parade are asking for participation from volunteers and are planning a small carnival afterward at the Southside Park with circus acts, some concessions, and a few children’s rides with fireworks afterwards for the community. In the event of heavy rain, the rain date will be October 18, at the same time.  Those who want to enter the parade can fill out an entry form.

Twelve more counties moved from the yellow to green phase of COVID-19 reopening: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and Susquehanna.  However, health department officials in Allegheny county are experiencing a spike in COVID 19 cases and have reinstated some mitigation efforts by halting all on-site consumption of alcohol in bars and restaurants starting at 5pm Tuesday.  They remain in the green phase under caution.  Lebanon county who saw higher case numbers after attempting an early opening and the final remaining yellow county, will go green on July 3.

A group of people gathered in Montoursville to march and protest systemic racism in our society.  According to the Sun Gazette, the social justice group began  at the Rite-Aid in Montoursville and headed down Broad Street to the corner of Loyalsock Avenue.  In addition, Williamsport Area School  Board has responded to the community focus on repairing racial inequalities,   by passing a resolution last week to support the development of an anti-racist school climate.  Superintendent, Dr. Timothy Bowers said the board is working on professional development in relation to this issue and is included as a topeic for goals in the 2020-21 school year.

The City Zoning Hearing Board has recently approved a no kill cat shelter operated by the Lycoming County Animal Protection society to open at 610 Washington Blvd.  According to the Sun Gazette, city zoning officer, Gary Knarr said that the three to nothing vote in favor of the shelter was recently made by Marylou Baldys, Janett McDermott and Michele Frey. The project must still be approved by city council before beginning operations but further zoning approval is no longer necessary.

The Pennsylvania Department of health has issued the green phase guidelines for Pre-k to 12 sports as well as collegiate and professional sports in the state for players coaches and spectators.  In all sports, in addition to following CDC guidelines, athletes will be screened, there will be sanitizing of shared equipment and no sharing of water coolers or fountains.  Coaches and other adults will wear face coverings.  In pro sports in PA, gatherings and practices are limited to 250 people and no spectators will be allowed.  In collegiate sports spectators will be allowed while practicing social distancing.  The full health and safety guide for sports is available HERE.

SPORTS
NASCAR
Kevin Harvick won the first of two NASCAR Cup races in front of no fans this weekend at Pocono and then started 20th on Sunday when Denny Hamlin’s crew pulled off a masterful final pit stop putting Harvick in second at Sunday’s Pocono 350.  Rain and lightning forced several delays early but there were no accidents or delays –  Erik Jones, Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola completed the top 5.

NFL
The NFL fined the New England Patriots $1.1 million and took away a third-round pick in the 2021 draft among punishments for their television crew’s filming the field and sideline during a Dec. 8 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.  In addition, the Patriots’ television production crews will not be allowed to shoot any games during the 2020 season.

Former NFL MVP and previous Carolina Panther Cam Newton has  reached an agreement with the New England Patriots to join the team after quarterback Tom Brady left to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  According to patriots sources, Newton was a low-risk, high reward player factoring in recovering from his recent foot surgery and a modest contract.

MLB
The reigning World Series Champs, theWashington Nationals are set to host the New York Yankees on Opening Day at Nationals Park in washington DC.  The 60 game season should start July 23^rd or 34^th and go through September 27th

NBA
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul, president of the National Basketball Players Association, said the players’ union and the league are collaborating to allow players to wear jerseys with personalized social justice, social cause or charity messages on their backs instead of last names during the upcoming restart of the NBA season.  The personalized statements on jerseys are part of a long list of social justice messages the players plan to make through the remainder of the season, which restarts July 30 in Orlando, Florida.

FATAL ACCIDENT IN ANTES FORT
Police have released more details about a crash that happened Thursday on Route 44 in Antes Fort.  According to the Sun Gazette, medical officials from Geisinger Medical Center in Danville said 78 year old William Moore of Limestone Township died Friday afternoon – a day after the accident but there were no details on Moore’s exact cause of death.  Police say Moore was driving northbound on Rt. 44 then struck the rear end of a stopped pickup truck and went off the roadway hitting vinyl siding on property nearby. Three people in the second vehicle were unhurt.

PETITION STARTED TO REMOVE TWO WILLIAMSPORT POLICE OFFICERS FOR MISCONDUCT
A petition begun by an anonymous person on the website Change.org is calling for the firing of two Williamsport Police officers citing alleged misconduct, has gained over 1200 signatures or 4.5 percent of the city’s population in two weeks.  According to North Central PA dot com, court documents show that Officers Joshua Bell and Clinton Gardner’s actions while on-duty have been legally questioned at least four times.  Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter said the petition has not been submitted and that it’s necessary for the accuser to bring forth evidence of the acts before he can investigate the issue.  There is no legal obligation for the city to respond to the petition.

FELONY ARSON CHARGES FILED ON SOUTHSIDE MAN
A South Williamsport man has been arrested for felony arson after starting a fire in his apartment at 443 South Market Street  in an alleged suicide attempt.  According to the Sun Gazette, 31 year old Dakota Fisher was found outside his home with minor self-inflicted injuries on May 27^th by police who investigated the scene and found Fisher’s apartment to not be in a consistent condition with an accidental fire.  Neighbors’ actions after discovering smoke coming from Fisher’s apartment helped put the fire out before the firefighters arrived, who then assisted in clearing the smoke from the structure.  Fisher is in Lycoming County Prison on $75k bail.

MORE VISITORS ALLOWED AT GEISINGER
Visitation policies at Geisinger have been updated, allowing two visitors to come in with patients in some cases, including allowing a doula and a support person to accompany a delivering mother as part of her care team, as long as they pass the screenings the hospital will administer.  Both parents of minor patients will be able to accompany their child, and one visitor will now be allowed in the facility for patients post-surgery.  According to a press release by the hospital

MONTOUR COUNTY CONSTRUCTION THIS WEEK
There will be more construction on I-80 east and westbound in Liberty Township, Montour County starting Sunday through the week.  According to PennDOT, work will start tomorrow and continue through Thursday, between the evening hours of 7pm and 10am each day.  Watch for crews east and westbound on I-80 between mile markers 217 and 223 with short term lane restrictions during the patching sealing and grinding that will take place along the roadway.

75TH ANNUAL SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT MUMMERS PARADE IS A GO
It has been announced that the 75th Annual Mummers’ Parade in South Williamsport will be held on October 17th at 2pm. According to a social media post, organizers of the parade are asking for participation from volunteers and are planning a small carnival afterward at the Southside Park with circus acts, some concessions, and a few children’s rides with fireworks afterwards for the community. In the event of heavy rain, the rain date will be October 18, at the same time.  Those who want to enter the parade can fill out an entry form at sw mummers parade dot com

KNOEBELS TO OPEN THIS WEEK
Knoebels Amusement Resort has announced they will attempt to preserve as much summer as possible and reopen to guests on Wednesday, July 1^st.  Owner Brian Knoebel said the hours for the first few weeks will be from noon til 8pm with individual pay-per-ride tickets for just over 30 rides and the majority of shops and food stands open.  There will be new rigorous cleaning routines, hand sanitizer stations, sneeze guards in shops, and parking lot management if necessary.   Additional rides could open and additional hiring could take place as the weeks progress.  Details at Knoebles dot com

SPORTS
NBA
The NBA season will resume with Jazz-Pelicans, Lakers-Clippers to tip off NBA restart on July 30 in a doubleheader in Orlando, Florida.  The NBA released its schedule for games in Orlando on Friday. Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans will tip off against the Utah Jazz and Rudy Gobert, whose positive test for the coronavirus helped lead to the suspension of the season on March 11.

NASCAR
New Hampshire Motor Speedway will allow fans in the grandstands and suites for the Aug. 2 NASCAR Cup Series race. New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s modified protocols will include social distancing in the grandstands and concession lines, limited guests in suites and infield admission for race team and operational personnel only.  The race originally was scheduled for July 19

MLB
The Baseball Hall of Fame museum has reopened after being closed since March 15^th  because of the coronavirus pandemic.  The Hall welcomed visitors on Friday in Cooperstown with face masks required for all staff and guests. Visitors can reserve a specific date and time to enter, with some bigger gathering spots remaining closed, but the plaque gallery is open.  Earlier this year, the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies were also cancelled. But Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker will be enshrined next year, on July 25, 2021.