Each weekday morning just after 6am, Jake gives you the chance to be the first winner in the Susquehanna Valley with “Wake and Win!” Jake will ask a multiple choice trivia question, be the first caller to answer correctly and you’ll win a “Morning Show Fun Pack” with Pepsi Product, Utz Brand Snacks and a $10 gift certificate to Tony’s Deli & Fresh Meats, 508 Washington Blvd. in Williamsport.
DR LEVINE: COVID SPIKE IS ON THE WAY, BUT THE STATE IS IN GOOD SHAPE
There is a resurgence of COVID-19 beginning in Pennsylvania for the fall season, but Dr. Rachel Levine said in a news conference yesterday that the state healthcare system is in good shape, and there are no plans to bring back business closures or stay-at-home orders at this time. With coronavirus case counts over 1000 for nine straight days Dr. Levine says there’s no way to know when a peak might be reached compared to how the virus peaked last spring. According to the Department, more testing on the way to the commonwealth, with 150 million antigen rapid tests on the way from the federal government.
FOUR COUNTIES TO GET HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS
High Speed internet service is coming to upwards of 1500 households and businesses in areas of in Lycoming, Clinton, Northumberland and Union Counties after a $2.5 million grant was recently awarded to SEDA-COG. According to the Sun Gazette, internet access will be expanded into underserved areas of the four counties including a seven mile area of Moreland Township in Lycoming County – part of the East Lycoming School District and in Northumberland County; comprising of the Route 147 area south of Sunbury to Fishers Ferry which is Upper and Lower Augusta and Rockefeller townships. The Appalachian Regional Commission POWER grant funds will supplement $4 million in SEDA-COG’s revolving loan funds with an internet service provider matching $1.5 million of private investments.
OLD LYCO TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS AGAINST RETAIL CENTER
There is pushback from the residents in Old Lycoming Township over the plan for a Dewey Avenue retail center that could take up the block from Linwood to Roosevelt Avenues. According to the Sun Gazette, Tuesday night’s township meeting had close to 20 residents attend who made points against the proposed construction that could increase traffic and lower property value in the mainly residential area. Hutchinson Development sought out residents’ opinions on the proposed 10,000 square foot center which could host smaller businesses, before it is brought to the supervisors. The next Old Lycoming Township meeting will be November 10th.
POLICE CORRALLED A LOOSE CHICKEN IN WILLIAMSPORT
Williamsport Police chased a loose chicken yesterday along the 700 block of Arch Street. According to North Central PA dot com, there’s no word on how the chicken arrived in the Arch street neighborhood but it took several police officers about 30 minutes to round up the tan hen who didn’t have much to say while it eluded her potential captors. Police took the chicken to the SPCA to be cared for and they are asking the public to contact them about its owner.
FORMER CORRECTIONS OFFICER CONVICTED OF RAPE AND KIDNAPPING
A former corrections SCI Coal Township officer accused of a series of rapes and kidnappings around Northumberland County was found guilty on all 43 counts he faced from the incidents occurring between November 2012 and April 2017. According to media outlets . 46-year-old John Kurtz was found guilty by jury for the kidnapping and rape of two women and attempted kidnapping of a third. State police said Kurtz broke into homes to kidnap the women before the assault the jury heard testimony from more than 30 witnesses over five days before delivering the guilty verdict in about an hour.
A three year grant from the US Department of Justice has been awarded a second time to Lycoming College to expand programs designed to combat sexual assault and stalking on campus. According to the school’s project coordinator, the Violence Against Women Campus Grant Program funds the Coordinated Community Response team to provide central communication about victim services and prevention education. First awarded in 2017, programs that bring awareness to sexual assault on campus have developed thanks to the $300 thousand dollars provided, including a three-module program that helps students recognize harmful behaviors.
There are 9 new cases of the coronavirus in Lycoming County as of midnight last night, 6 new cases were reported in Northumberland County and 13 reported in Bradford County. The department has listed 1,276 additional positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 175,922 in the commonwealth . 27 new deaths were reported yesterday for a total of 8,411 fatalities.
A junior at Loyalsock High School has been chosen as a national delegate representing Girl Scouts in the Heart of PA at this month’s virtual National Girl Scout Convention originally to be held in Orlando Florida. According to the Sun Gazette, Girl Scout Ambassador Katy Schon, of Troop 61371will be the national representative. Schon was also recognized this year as a top seller of over 4,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies.
SPORTS
MLB
The Dodgers routed the Braves 15 -3 making history in an 11-run first inning in the National League Championship Series Game 3 – Atlanta leads 2-1. In the American League Championship Game 4, Astros beat the Rays 4-3 with Tampa Bay leading 3-1
HS Girls Tennis
Central Columbia over Montoursville 3-1
South Williamsport defeated Bucktail 3-1 in the Quarterfinals of the District 4 tournament yesterday – The District 4 Semis and the Finals continue at 1 PM today,
HS Girls Soccer
South Williamsport over Muncy 5-2, Sullivan County defeated Montgomery 2-1
A 5 month old infant was bitten by a dog inside a Williamsport home Monday night and suffered serious injuries. The incident occurred when the parent of the baby girl was visiting the home on Grant Street, where the resident’s dog attacked her. The child was taken to Geisinger in Danville with injuries to her face and head but no word on her condition has been released. According to the Sun Gazette Police Chief Damon Hagan said there is a criminal investigation underway after they were notified by hospital officials about the attack, and the dog is in quarantine at the local SPCA.
Lycoming County reports 5 new cases of COVID-19 as of yesterday bringing the number of cases here to 838 – Northumberland County has reported 14 new cases as of yesterday, Montour has two for a countywide total of 247 and Union has two new cases at 613 overall. According to Penn Live, the number of positive coronavirus cases continues to rise in Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf’s office and the state Department of Health, released information that the percentage of positive tests in the commonwealth rose to 3.9% over the past week, up from 3.4% during the previous 7-day period. The governor’s office also singled out Northumberland with a 8.6 percent rate of positive testing among 14 other counties where the percentages were highest. Centre was second highest at 7.6%, Bradford and Lebanon counties were at 7.4% to top the list.
With a 2021 budget proposal on the way in November, South Williamsport Borough is looking toward no projected increase in property taxes or any anticipated sanitary sewer rate increase. According to the Sun Gazette, there were no budget figures presented at the meeting Monday, but without changes, the average household with an assessment on 100 thousand dollars, will pay just over 5 mills for general purpose and fire services. The council also this week approved trick or treating for the 31st on Southside from 6-8.
There is a controlled implosion planned for Friday morning that will bring down the last two standing smokestacks at the former Sunbury Generation Plant in Shamokin Dam. According to media outlets the implosion will take place at 9am, so Old Trail between Park Road and Eleventh Avenue will be closed to motorists and pedestrian traffic between 8:45 a.m. and at least 10 a.m. A public viewing area on site will not be possible due to COVID-19 protocols, an no boats will be allowed nearby on the river. It was a year ago last October when the first two stacks were brought down.
An early morning fire along the 2300 block of Wheatland Avenue had township and city firefighters respond just after 2am . Accoring to social media, an Old Lycoming Township couple was awakened by the sound of breaking glass about 2:15 this morning and escaped the burning home through their front door . Fire officials say the fire was under control about 3:30 am this morning. DuBoistown, Hepburn Township, Loyalsock Township, Nisbet, Montoursville and Jersey Shore responded to the two alarm fire.
A Williamsport man was charged with felony strangulation and other charges when he allegedly assaulted a woman at a Maple Street home in early October. According to North Central Pa dot com, 26 year old Jahlil G. Brown argued with the victim over money and lifted her by the throat, slamming her to the ground. He was found by police hiding in the home after the woman called for help. Brown was charged for the crime and committed to the Lycoming County Prison on Oct. 5 in lieu of $25,000 monetary bail.
The Lycoming County Commissioners said in their meeting Tuesday that as a result of not knowing how much financial assistance the county might receive from the state, the budget is tight. According to the Sun Gazette, the commissioners said Harrisburg itself is facing a 5.5 billion dollar budget deficit and project the deficit hole will be hard to close without cutting back on programs or staff and without federal assistance. The discussion included an intention to trim back where possible, noting the potential cutbacks make it difficult to hire even when hiring is needed.
There will be construction and lane closures in Duboistown this Thursday. Morotists heading through on Routh 654 are advised of construction and lane closures for pipe work and other minor improvements will occur According to PennDOT, flaggers will be controlling traffic at the bottom of Arlington Road and Euclid Avenue between 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM through next Tuesday weather permitting.
SPORTS
NFL
Titans defeated the Bills 42-16 in their make-up game from earlier in the week
Running back Le’Veon Bell was released from the New York Jets yesterday. Bell was a free agent in 2019 and signed with the Jets in a four year $52.5 million contract.
MLB
National League Championship Series Game 2 – Braves edged the Dodgers 8-7, Atlanta up 2 – American League Championship Game 3 the Rays beat the Astros 5-2 with Tampa Bay up 3.
HS Girls Soccer
Muncy beat CMVT 6-nothing,
HS Boys Soccer
Montoursville beat Hughesville 4-3
Sullivan county beat South Williamsport 6-5 in overtime .
HS Cross Country
Williamsport came in under Montoursville 15-50, Girls – Williamsport 24 Montoursville 32.
HS Football News
Mount Carmel’s football team, the winningest program in Pennsylvania history, will forfeit its final 3 games of the season due to an ongoing hazing investigation.
MORE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES FOR A WILLIAMSPORT MAN
A Williamsport man who was paroled on a possession of felony child pornography charge in 2017, has recently been jailed after being found last month with hundreds of pornographic files on his home computer. According to the Sun Gazette, a parole officer made a surprise visit August 7th to see if Wayne Keen of Park Avenue was in compliance with conditions and found he was not with 2 conditions – getting permission to be online and viewing sexually explicit material. Keen was immediately taken to Lycoming County Prison after the violation, arraigned Friday on over 1,371 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of illegal use of a computer and denied bail by District Judge Christian Frey.
FIRE CREWS SHUT DOWN SOUTHSIDE INTERSTATE
Efforts to extinguish a fire that broke out in a vacant home across from South Williamsport’s fire station rerouted Route 15 just after 4:30 yesterday afternoon. According to the Sun Gazette, the structure fire on the 500 block of Hastings Street had 6 communities respond. The call had equipment and hoses taking up the lanes on Route 15 until after 5pm. One firefighter was reported hospitalized at UPMC Williamsport for an issue that was not disclosed. Borough Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Hughes directed operations – the cause of the fire is under investigation.
JERSEY SHIRE MAYOR RESIGNS, JOINS COUNCIL
The mayor of Jersey Shore, Dennis Thompson, has resigned his position and has been appointed unanimously to fill a vacancy on the Council in the First Ward. According to the Sun Gazette, Thompson said Monday that he will have a voice and a vote while better serving the residents of the First Ward. The next step is for Borough Council to make the notifications to the county about the vacancy and advertise for letters of interest for a new mayoral appointment.
PRESIDENT TRUMP VISITS PENNSYLVANIA TODAY
President Donald Trump will be in Pennsylvania today. There will be a “Make America Great Again” Rally in Johnstown at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria Airport. Doors will open for the event at 4:00 p.m. and it will begin at 7:00 pm when the president is scheduled to make remarks to supporters. Tickets re available on the campaign’s website on a first-come-first-serve basis and must be reserved ahead of the event.Those in attendance will have their temperature checked upon entrance and masks will be required.
NO PENALTIES OR WATER SHUT-OFFS UNTIL DECEMBER
Penalties for not paying the water bill under the Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority will be waived through December, in addition, customers will not face shut-offs. According to the Sun Gazette, officials from the Water Authority said the policy of not penalizing customers who have not paid their bill has been renewed by the Authority on a monthly basis, but more customers have been able to pay their bill lately. They said they will work with customers to get them back on track. They say the actual bill for the use of water and sewer is not waived – just the penalties.
DRUG CHARGES FILED ON WILLIAMSPORT MAN
Drugs were seized from a Williamsport boarding house along Campbell Street last week by the Lycoming County Narcotics Enforcement Unit. According to North Central PA dot com, 32 year old Nicholas U. Etumnu had crack cocaine packaged for sale, digital scales and a large amount of cash found when officers served a search warrant October 5th. Etumnu was arrested in the summer for allegedly possessing drugs, but was released from jail then after posting bond in July. He is back in prison after being charged with felony possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine in lieu of 85 thousand dollar monetary bail.
LYCOMING COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE
There are 15 new cases of Coronavirus in Lycoming County as of yesterday at midnight with 833 positive cases to date. There are 13 new cases in Northumberland County for a total there of 1,276, and Union County reports 14 new cases at 611 overall. According to the PA Department of Health, statewide 2,254 additional positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported as of yesterday and there are a total of 24 fatalities in the state from the weekend. That’s a total of 8,368 deaths in Pennsylvania.|
GOVERNOR DENOUNCES RACIST TIRADE AGAINST 2ND LADY
Governor Wolf spoke out yesterday about the racist tirade launched toward Pennsylvania’s Second Lady Giselle Fetterman at a grocery store in Allegheny County Sunday. According to media outlets, Fetterman was recognized in the store by a woman who first accosted her verbally while in line and again in the parking lot where Mrs. Fetterman took a video of the yelling . Governor Wolf said in a statement that ethnic intimidation and racist speech spewed at the Second Lady of Pennsylvania is shameful and unacceptable. Fetterman normally is accompanied by officers when in public, but took a quick run to the store Sunday without security. The person who yelled at her has not been identified at this time.
SPORTS
NFL Monday Night Football
Saints beat the Chargers 30-27 in OT
NFL Tonight
Bills play the Titans in Nashville at 7pm
MLB
American League Championship Series Game 2
Rays beat the Astros 4-2 with Tampa Bay leading 2- nothing, in the National League Championship Series Game 1, Braves over the Dodgers 5-1 Game 2 tonight at 6:05pm, Rays and Astros at 8:40 PM
HS Football
Loyalsock 52, Warrior Run 18
Canton 33, Athens 9
The “Battle Of The Bridge” game at Loyalsock between the Lancers and Montoursville, has been moved to this Saturday night at 7pm
HS Girls Tennis
South Williamsport’s Olivia Dorner won her third consecutive district 4 girls singles championship title
Dorner now heads to the quarterfinals of the state tournament on November 4th at the Central PA Tennis Center and faces the District 2 Champion
HS Boys Soccer
North Penn liberty over Towanda 6-2,
Sullivan County beat Northeast Bradford 9-1,
HS Girls Soccer
Sullivan county over North East Bradford 8-2,
Girls Field Hockey
Lewisburg beat Central Columbia 4-nothing
FIVE DAY CLOSURE UNDERWAY FOR TWO MILTON AREA SCHOOL BUILDINGS
Milton Area School District, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, will implement a 100% virtual model of instruction beginning tomorrow for through this Thursday, October 15th when students at the middle and high school buildings are tentatively scheduled to return to in person classes. The middle and high school buildings will be closed but other district buildings will remain open. Students who attend Baugher Elementary School and White Deer Elementary School will go to school following their regular schedule and educational option.
NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR HIRED IN WILLIAMSPORT
There is a new city director has been hired to fill the Department of Economic and Community Development position left vacant after a retirement in the department. According to the Sun Gazette, after being selected by Mayor Derek Slaughter, August “Skip” Memmi was approved in a formality by City Council. Memmi and his family will soon move into the area as per ordinance requirement. Memmi who is a small business owner in Dauphin County, told city council that he wants to uplift the economic environment and help the city move in the right direction.
WILLIAMSPORT FIRE BRINGS TWO COMPANIES
There was a fire late Sunday night that brought out emergency crews to the 900 block of Park Avenue. A call came in just after 10pm last night, crews from Williamsport and Montoursville handled most of the fire and got it under control in less than fifteen minutes. Witnesses say there was smoke pouring from the front door of the home. Fire crews say the origin may have been in the kitchen but the official cause is under investigation.
A community effort made “Autumn at the Shore”, hosted by the Jersey Shore Town Meeting, a success on Saturday. According to the Sun Gazette, 5 & under Rylee Copenhaver , 6-10 year old Jade Alexander and 11-14 year old Caleb Kilpatrick placed first in the inaugural pumpkin roll down Thompson Street. Pumpkins were donated by Jersey Shire Elks Lodge and Riders #1057 and the Manufacturing class at the Senior high school made the grand prize trophy. Overall distance winner was Andrew Button
A proposal by Hutchinson Development LLC to construct a Dollar General 305 Washington Boulevard in Williamsport was recently approved by City Council. According to the Sun Gazette community members expressed concern about the construction, worried about the increased traffic and potential litter that could decrease quality of life. Hutchinson released a statement saying that they promised a clean and properly maintained store, with considerations for the neighborhood like a similar construction and feel of the Lycoming college buildings, early morning truck deliveries a single time per week and a smaller design than originally proposed.
A 36 year old Hughesville mother was apprehended by police when she allegedly ran into another vehicle on South 3rd street in early August while drunk. Police say there were 2 children in the car when Kristin Rae Walters, refused to listen the police asking her to exit the vehicle, resulting in them forcibly removing her. She was detained and taken to UPMC in Muncy for a blood alcohol test, which resulted in a .30. When at the hospital, Walters admitted to drinking alcohol and she was charged with DUI, resisting arrest, and child endangerment.
Joe Biden visited a union hall in Erie, Pennsylvania Saturday, and as he traveled from the airport, supporters gathered along the roadway for both Biden and President Trump. In his campaign address to the people in attendance, Biden pledged to fight for working-class Americans and rebuild the economy from the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic. According to Erie News Now, Erie County was one of three counties in Pennsylvania that backed President Barack Obama before swinging to Trump in 2016, breaking from its Democratic roots.
An alleged giant fossilized Clam has been pulled out of a Roaring Branch Creek tributary in Southern Tioga County. According to North Central PA dot com, a Williamsport man found the almost 500 pound mass that looks like a 3 foot long rock, and he had an archeologist from Lycoming College examine it. The man who discovered it, Michael Roan, said the experts think there’s a 50/50 chance it could be a clam. They’ll have officials from Penn State look at it next.
SPORTS
NFL
The Steelers defeated the Eagles 38 to 29, Cowboys beat the Giants 37-34, Dolphins over the 49ers 43-17, Ravens beat the Bengals 27-3
Rams over Washington 30-10, Texans beat the Jaguars 30-14, Browns over the Colts 30 to 23, Seahawks beat the Vikings 27-26,
Monday night football tonight
Chargers and the Saints play in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans at 815, Bills and the Titans play tomorrow at 7 PM in Nashville.
The game between Denver and New England is postponed with no word on a make-up date
The emotions of a last-second win against the New York Giants could not overcome the disappointment the Dallas Cowboys felt Sunday after losing quarterback Dak Prescott for the season. Prescott suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle that required surgery Sunday night. The injury occurred on a 9-yard run while being tackled by Giants defensive back Logan Ryan with 6 minutes, 33 seconds to play in the third quarter, and it quickly brought a hush to the AT&T Stadium crowd
NBA
Lakers beat the Heat 106 to 93 – LA wins Game 6 – their 17th Franchise Title.
NASCAR
Chase Elliot wins the Charlotte Roval 400 Road course – advancing into the Round of 8 for the 4th straight year, Joey Logano finished second, followed by Eric Jones 3rd and Kurt Busch fourth
MLB
Rays beat the Astros 2-1 in the American League Championship Game yesterday.
Houston plays Tampa Bay today at 4:07 PM, Atlanta is in Los Angeles for their National League Championship Game 1 at 8 PM
HS Football
Loyalsock will play at Warrior Run tonight at 7pm – a make-up game from Week One.
All football players will get 2 tickets for their parents to attend.
UPMC Lock haven, after being shut down for a time due to repairs being made for a fire that ignited, is resuming their health care operations. According to the sun gazette Tyler Wagner, the UPMC manager of communications said that the whole ordeal of repairing the damage done and the rigorous inspections from the department of health was a big challenge, but in an “organized way.” The hospital will have 200 employees back to work and ready to serve at 6pm on Monday, and the offices will be reaching out to patients and scheduling appointments.
Heather Villareal and Micheal Bingaman, a Clinton county couple, are suing Razor Co. of Cerritos California, for allegedly selling them a faulty product that ignited their house on fire. According to the sun gazette the said product was a hover board, which they had bought as a gift back in 2019. The fire had started in the sun room of their house where they claim the board was charging, causing over 400,000 dollars in damage. The couple is seeking reimbursement for the house, as well as the legal fee’s they will acquire as the case continues. As of now, the company has not responded in court.
At the centre county correctional facility, officers were alerted to a situation involving a young man being transferred to the facility. Austin Lee Miller of Bellefonte, an inmate of the facility, was being transferred when during processing, a baggie of white powdery substance was found on his person. The correctional officer who found the substance asked miller what it was, to which he replied “crystal meth.’ The baggies were handed over to police where they were positively identified as methamphetamine, and weighed to be 2 grams before being stored away into evidence. Miller is now facing additional charges on top of the ones he is jailed for, all charges have been waived to a lower court.
A 37 year old man named Brett Hawkins has received charges of stalking and harassment after alledgedly attempting to break into a home in Clinton township. According to northcentralPA.com Hawkins is said to have gone the Montgomery street home around 4am where he attempted to force entry through the front door. When troopers arrived to investigate, they ended up obtaining a warrant for his arrest and apprehended him later in the day as he was driving down route 15, where they found a controlled substance on him. Bail for Hawkins was set at 50,000 dollars.
A proposal by Hutchinson Development LLC to construct a dollar general 305 Washington St was recently approved by city council. According to the sun gazette many people in the community were wary about the construction, saying that the increased traffic and potential litter could decrease quality of life. Hutchinson released a statement saying that they promised a clean and properly maintained store, with considerations for the neighborhood like a similar construction and feel of the Lycoming college buildings, early morning truck deliveries a single time per week and a smaller design than originally proposed.
NFL
After a morning COVID-19 scare after a false positive test on one of the players, the New York Jets announced Friday night that they received negative test results for every player, coach and personnel staffer. This means their home game Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals will start as scheduled. The Jets’ announcement came about an hour after the Cardinals’ team flight departed Phoenix en route to New Jersey.
NBA
In China, the first NBA game was recently broadcasted on the state ran CCTV after a whole year. The ban of the NBA came after the general manager of the Huston rockets tweeted his support for the demonstrators in Hong Kong protesting human rights violations and censorship of the Chinese government back in 2019.
High School Football
Friday Night Lights!
Week 5 Final Scores
Southern Columbia 56, Hughesville 7
South Williamsport 28, Bucktail 8
Selinsgrove 28, Shikellamy 0
Muncy 21, Northwest Area 13
Montoursville 45, Lewisburg 7
Wellsboro 43, Towanda 0
Loyalsock 26, Bloomsburg 20
Danville 16, Central Columbia 10
Williamsport 48, Wyoming Valley West 13
Central Mountain 41, Shamokin 27
Mifflinburg 35, Midd-West 33
Milton at Jersey Shore, postponed
PUBLIC REMINDED ABOUT VIRUS PROTOCOLS
Local medical experts are sending the message to the public that with local numbers of the coronavirus increasing – and yesterday the state reporting the largest one-day increase of positive COVID-19 tests since April – that basic precautions should still be used, handwashing, limiting gatherings and wearing masks. According to the PA Department of Health, Lycoming County reported 24 new cases yesterday with 15 reported in long term care facilities. In a statement released by Western PA Regional Chief Medical Officer Consortium the focus should be on continuing to use best practices such as getting a flu shot this year, social distancing and staying home when you are ill because the virus is real so avoid the damage that can be done by underestimating it.
ONE INJURED IN MUNCY SHED FIRE
There was a fire in Muncy that injured one man and brought out emergency crews to New Street just before midnight on Wednesday. According to the Sun Gazette, firefighters from Muncy area and Pennsdale were dispatched to fight a 20 foot storage building that was engulfed in flames. Fire officials say that the fire may have been caused by sparks that ignited it from a nearby controlled burn earlier in the day and that a man had been injured after falling into fire. The unidentified individual was taken to the burn unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital. The fire was put out in a few minutes and kept from spreading to nearby homes
PENN COLLEGE TO HOLD VIRTUAL CAREER FAIR
Penn College will hold a Virtual Fall Career fair on October 20th and 21st . According to college officials last year’s in-person fair had 458 companies and a record 1,942 students participate, and this year they say the online career fair management tool is a suitable substitute for face-to-face interaction between employers and future employees. Both students and employers create online profiles and participate in video chats with multiple opportunities and interactions available through the online system. A link where employers can register for the Career Fair until October 16th is available at WILQ WBZD at https://pct-csm.symplicity.com/events.
LOYALSOCK FALL SPORTS GUIDANCE
Loyalsock Township Schools approved a plan for fall sports at the school board meeting last night as well as a recommendation for the number of spectators who can attend. After Governor Wolf this week announced new directives on public gatherings on a sliding scale, Loyalsock with a stadium that can hold 3,570, will be able to have 714 people at the stadium for home football games. The number includes members of both teams, the band and cheerleaders and essential personnel, first. Then two tickets per person will be given out so that participant’s family members can attend the games while wearing masks and maintaining a social distance.
LANDLORD CHARGED WITH BURNING TENANTS ITEMS
Charges have been filed against a landlord in White Deer for burning the possessions of a tenant with whom he had a dispute. According to the State Police in Milton, 72 year old Ronald Barraclough had a disagreement with a female tenant on Gray Hill Road in White Deer Township, after which he removed items from the property and burned them. Barraclough was charged with arson and cited for dangerous burning in Union County court.
SPECIAL NEEDS COMMISSION TO BE FORMED TO ASSIST WITH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Community Members with special needs will be able to take advantage of a newly formed commission after it was announced yesterday by Lycoming County Commissioners in their Tuesday meeting this week. Officially recognizing October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the commissioners hope the discussion and the variety of help that can be given to those who are differently abled will bring positive changes for people in Lycoming County. .
There is an update of the travel advisory list announced by the Pennsylvania Department of Health that shows states with high COVID-19 prevalence and the ones in which a traveler must quarantine for 14 days upon their return to the commonwealth. No neighboring states to Pennsylvania are on the list, the closest to us being Kentucky and Tennesee among the states with higher spikes and risks involving the coronavirus. The full statement by the Pennsylvania Department of health is available here.
The owner of the Crosscutters has been retained by Major League Baseball to help transition the league into a smaller group of affiliates. According to Major league baseball Peter B. Freund and Trinity Sports Consultants has been retained to work on the project that will shrink the number of affiliated teams from 160 to 120, however the league announce it will retain baseball in the minor league cities losing affiliations with an Appalachian League starting next year as a college summer circuit for rising freshmen and sophomores.
SPORTS
NFL
Thursday night football
Bears beat the Buccaneers 20-19
The NFL announced schedule changes for Week 5:
Denver at New England will be this Monday at 5 pm on ESPN….And Buffalo is at Tennessee on Tuesday night at 7 on CBS.
These decisions were made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts.
MLB
National League Division Series Game 3
Braves blanked the Marlins seven nothing winning the series 3-nothing, Dodgers stomped the Padres 12-3, winning their series 3 nothing. The American League Division Series Game 4 – Astros beat the A’s 11-6, winning the series 3-1, and Yankees beat the Rays 5-1, tying up their series in Game 4 – 2 and 2
HS Football
The Backyard Broadcasting High School football game of the week tonight Bucktail at South Williamsport – Coverage begins at 6:30, Kick off at 7pm on our sister station WWPA or WILQ’s HD3
HS Girls Soccer
Lewisburg beat Williamsport 2-nothing, Mount Carmel beat Loyalsock 6-3, Montoursville and Shikellamy tied 2-2 in double OT, Mifflinburg over Jersey Shore 2-1, and Sullivan County beat Millville 4-nothing,
HS Boys Soccer
South Williamsport beat Montgomery 11-2
American Airlines began suspension in service from Williamsport Regional Airport yesterday. This summer the airline began 2-a-day service to Charlotte North Carolina and then changed course stating low demand and the expiration of CARES Act funding. The service was only to be paused temporarily until November 7th but since funding for the airlines is in jeopardy due to the mixed climate about passing an economic stimulus for the airlines, Richard Howell, Executive Director at the Airport remains hopeful a decision will go in the region’s favor.
A positive recommendation was given from the City Council this week for the Williamsport Water Authority to start a water main replacement project along Grampian Boulvard. According to the Sun Gazette, the authority’s executive director said older and weakened pipes will be replaced with more efficient and powerful lines. The work will be located around Grmapian, Upland Avenue, Franklin Street, Selkirk Road and Lundy Drive. The recommendation is scheduled to be finalized at tonight’s meeting.
After the new guidelines in the state announced yesterday changed the number of people previously allowed to attend High School sports, Williamsport Area Schools reported the changes spectators can expect. According to the Sun Gazette, Williamsport’s stadium has a capacity of 6500 so at 20 percent, about 1300 people can attend while still maintaining social distancing and wearing masks. district superintendent Dr. Timothy S. Bowers, said the details are being worked out with the Athletic department for future events.
The Jersey Shore Education Foundation has secured a grant in the amount of 15 thousand dollars from the Bayer Fund’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program. According to the Sun Gazette, District Superintendent Dr. Brian Ulmer said the grant will enhance STEM education in the district as well as the CTE Engineering program, and provides computers that will help students develop those engineering skills.
Another search warrant of the Campbell Street scene of a shooting that ultimately resulted in the death an 18 year old Williamsport man was issued this week. According to North Central PA dot com, police records say a search of the property turned up a gun in an oven compartment, several cell phones and ballistics evidence from two gunshots. One shot struck Semaj Mozee early Monday morning through the door of the apartment and he was transported to UPMC Williamsport where he later died. Police continue the investigation and request the public call Williamsport Police with any information.
There are 18 new cases of the coronavirus in Lycoming County bringing the total here to 771 positive cases to date, 4 patients are hospitalized. In Pennsylvania, according to the Department of Health, there are 1,039 additional positive cases of the virus reported, and the total is now 166,552. 28 people in the state have died as of yesterday for a statewide total of 8,244.
Lock Haven has made an announcement concerning the spring semester which will mostly continue the current instruction model. According to a press release by the school the spring 2021 semester will start a week later, January 25, and there will be no spring break. 85% of spring courses will continue to be remote learning as well having limited on-campus residency. Asymptomatic testing will take place on-campus prior to the start of the semester. More details at lockhaven dot edu.
The Williamsport Crosscutters will sponsor Boomer’s Drive Thru Trick or treating event on Halloween night from 6 til 8 in the parking lot of BB&T Ballpark. Children 14 and under who come to the Ballpark will be able enjoy an event with the cutter’s mascot, Boomer as well as other friends and exhibitors. According to a Gabe Sincropi, Cutters VP of Marketing and public relations, the participants can enter at the 4th street entrance only and will stay in their cars following CDC guideline., Cars will exit on Beeber street.
SPORTS
MLB
Natioal League Division Series Game 2 – Braves beat the Marlins 2-nothing, Atlanta is up 2, Dodgers edged the Padres 6-5, LA leads their series 2-nothing, American League Division Series Game 3 – A’s beat the Astros 9-7, Houston leads 2-1, and the Rays beat the Yankees 8-4 in their Game 3, Tampa Bay leads 2-1.
NFL Tonight
Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field with an 8:20 kickoff
NBA Finals Game 5 Miami Heat play the LA Lakers Friday at 9pm LA leads 3-1
HS Boys Soccer
North Penn-Liberty over Northeast Bradford 7-4,
HS Girls Soccer
Muncy beat Montgomery 5-1,
HS Tennis
Williamsport over Jersey Shore 3-2
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT WILL GO BACK TO CLASSROOM
Southside students will return to the classroom full time after the school board made the decision to return to classes next week with a 5-4 vote. South Williamsport superintendent Dr. Mark Stamm recommended the move after noting the challenges students and staff face using the hybrid model and being in school just 2 days a week. Dr. Stamm said a recent survey of 1000 people favored in person school full-time by 77%. The return of elementary students on October 13th and secondary students on October 14th to the school is not a set plan for the remainder of the year and school officials said that the infections rates of COVID-19 could increase which might change the model of instruction again.
AUDIT SAYS WOLF’S SHUTDOWN WAIVER PROCEDURE IS TO BLAME
An audit of Governor Wolf’s business shutdown waiver program that let PA businesses operate during the pandemic this year has revealed that the waivers were granted inconsistently and with little transparency. According to the office of Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, after the Wolf administration ordered buinsesses to close, the decision to grant or deny a waiver often depended on which staffer was making the decision and that some decisions were changed after the fact and the audit is seeking and explanation for those circumstances. DePasquale said that improvements to the program will have to be made if it is needed again.
There’s another battle brewing over accepting signatures during Pennsylvania’s upcoming election with the commonwealth’s top election official filing a suit just after midnight asking the state’s highest court to support her recently stated guidance over the election laws. Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, who is a Democrat recently told state election officials that a mail-in ballot counts event if a signature doesn’t necessarily match the one on the registration. In federal court, President Trump’s campaign asked a judge to declare that Boockvar’s plan unconstitutional and block counties from following guidance.
PennDOT announced yesterday that all driver license and photo centers will be closed Saturday, October 10, through Monday, October 12, in observance of Columbus Day. There are still a variety of driver and vehicle products and services available online including forms, publications and driver training manual at www.dmv.pa.gov. There are no additional fees for using online services.
Governor Wolf continues to lift coronavirus-related restrictions yesterday, by introducing a sliding scale to determine the limits on crowd restrictions for both indoor and outdoor events in Pennsylvania. Wolf said the shift is a gradual adjustment as we learn to do things safely. The temporary changes say that an indoor venue that holds up to 2,000 people, will be 20% of the maximum capacity, for capacities up to 10,000 — that percentage is lowered to 15%, and for sites that can hold over 10 thousand, the limit is 10%, with no event having more than 3,750 people attend. The percentage of capacity for venues of the same size for outdoor events -the breakdown is 25% for sites with 2,000 person limit, 20% for the facilities that hold up to 10 thousand and for over 10 thousand – 15% with a cap at 7,500. The administration said the changes may not be permanent and events will be monitored for future virus outbreaks which could ramp the restrictions up again.
As South Williamsport Area School Board decides to go back to the classroom five days a week, the Williamsport Area School Board is mulling over a similar change. According to the Sun Gazette, at their meeting last night, the WASD school board said they will conduct a survey to get feedback from district families about formulating the plan between now and their next meeting on October 20th . They will take a look at the data and make a decision which could bring students back to the classroom full-time.
Lycoming County reports 7 new cases of the coronavirus as of October 5th for a total of 751 cases to date, and 5 Lycoming County residents hospitalized, but non on a ventilator. In Pennsylvania there are 672 additional cases reported for a statewide total now of 164,207. According to the PA Department of Health, there were 11 new fatalities in the state, bringing the total fatalities to 8,227 – out of that total in PA, 5,485 were residents from nursing or personal care facilities.
There was a 2.9 magnitude earthquake recorded in Westmoreland County yesterday morning just after midnight. According to PennLive, the U.S. Geological Survey said the measurements of the quake were taken in Bolivar, about an hour east of Pittsburgh. NO damage was reported. The last earthquake in Pennsylvania was last April when a 2.1 magnitude tremor was reported in Wyomissing, Berks County.
SPORTS
NBA
NBA Finals Game 4 – Lakers defeated Heat 102 to 96. LA leading the series now 3-1, Game 5 between Miami and LA is Friday night at 9 PM.
MLB
In the National League Division Series Game 1 – Braves beat the Marlins 9-5 and the Dodgers beat the Padres 5-1, American League Division Series Game 2, Astros over the A’s 5-2 in Game 2 with Houston leading, and the Rays beat the Yankees 7-5, their series tied up one and one.
HS Boys Soccer
Sullivan County defeated Montgomery 7-1
HS Girls Soccer
Mifflinburg over Williamsport 3-nothing
HS Girls Tennis
Montgomery over Muncy 5-0h, Bucktail beat Saint John Neumann in two matches, 5-0h and 5-0h.