A bill heading to the Governor’s desk related to the authority to hold school sports this year, will likely be vetoed according to the governor’s office.  Both Chambers of the legislature approved the bill yesterday by two-thirds majority that would give a school district sole authority to determine how to conduct sports during this school year, but Wolf says it’s unnecessary since schools already have local control, and irresponsible since it could allow schools to host large crowds and spread the virus.  Majority Republicans introduced the bill that the governor promises to shut down.  Some area sports leagues and school districts have put fall sports on hold, some high schools who have been preparing to play are already facing temporary postponements of games due to cases of the virus.

A Trout Run man has filed a lawsuit against a local hospital system after he allegedly sustained burns during surgery.  According to the Sun Gazette, Alden J. Evans Sr says in the suit that he was undergoing a surgical procedure at a UPMC facility which left him burned after an incident last October 1involving an oxygen leak that ignited and caused life threatening1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd degree burns on his face neck and chest.  Evans was taken to Lehigh Valley Health Network Regional Burn Center in Allentown.  Officials did not officially issue a statement or comments on the suit filed against UPMC Susquehanna and Anesthesia Associates of Williamsport, Inc.

Penn DOT says there will be work tonight on Interstate 80 eastbound for sweeping the recently placed epoxy overlay material.  Watch for crews and machinery purging loose material and debris from the bridge at mile marker 215 over Route 254 and the bridge at mile marker 213 over Muddy Run Road, weather permitting.  There will be lane restrictions and alternating closures in the eastbound lanes in Turbot Township, Northumberland County from 8pm until 6am tomorrow.

Here’s a round-up of decisions about Halloween celebrations and community trick or treating.  According to the Sun Gazette, Loyalsock Township supervisors approved trick or treating for October 31 from 6 til 8pm. In Montgomery, there will be a Halloween parade on Saturday the 31^st at 6pm from Main Street to the American Legion post with trick or treating afterwards at 6:30pm.  Avis Borough Council has unanimously approved trick or treating for 6-8 on Halloween night, but Southside and Montoursville Boroughs have yet to make the decision since safety committees have yet to meet within the next week to hear the recommendations.

There are 5 new cases of the Coronavirus reported in Lycoming County as of yesterday at midnight, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health with 568 positive cases to date.  Lycoming County has seven hospitalized COVID-19 patients, none are on a ventilator Centre County  is reporting an increase of 180 cases and  Statewide there are 931 additional positive cases.  There are 7,805 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 14 new deaths reported.

A Milton pastor and his wife allegedly misused church funds and are now facing charges related to the series of incidents.  According to media outlets court documents say 65-year-old Gary Smith and his wife, Cindy who were at the helm of Calvary Tabernacle Church on Packer Island, when they instructed the church treasurer to pay personal bills totaling up to 8 thousand dollars.  It was also reported that they collected more pay than was originally in their contract.  The couple was recently arraigned and released on 10 thousand dollars bail.

South Williamsport has made a statement concerning their varsity football program on their social media platform cancelling some upcoming games.  In the announcement, Head Coach Chris Eiswerth has recommended cancelling the upcoming football games on Friday Sept, 11th and on Friday Sept. 18th due to multiple player absences. The district will support the difficult decision out of an abundance of caution. They have said a make-up game is under consideration for a future date.

The railroad crossing replacement work that has been in place since August 31^st on Mifflin Nescopeck Highway in Mifflin Township, Columbia County will be extended through today at least.  According to PennDOT, the work on the Norfolk Southern railroad crossing replacement continues and a detour is in place using Route 11.  Broad Street in Nescopeck Borough, Luzerne County is also affected, while the Railroad system replaces the railroad crossing just west of the Route 339 and the Smith Hollow Rd intersection.

SPORTS
HS TENNIS
The Loyalsock girls tennis team picked up a huge three-set win from its top doubles team to post a 3-2 win over Danville on Wednesday.
Central Mountain outplayed Jersey Shore 5-0
NBA
The Raptors beat the Celtics 125/122 in a double overtime thriller, forcing a game 7 in the East Semi finals with the series tied 3-3.  The Clippers beat the Nuggets 96 to 85 in the West Semi finals game.  Clippers lead 3-1.  Lakers and Rockets play tonight in their West Semi finals game 4 at 7 PM  – LA leading 2-1

MLB
Brewers pound the Tigers 19-nothing, Royals blanked the Indians 3-nothing, Yankees over the Blue Jays 7-2, White Sox beat the Pirates 8-1, Braves set a record for runs, hammering the Marlins 29-9 , Met over the Orioles 7-6, Rangers beat the Angels 7-3, Padres over the Rockies 5-3, Reds blanked the Cubs 3-nothing, A’s over the Astros 3-2, Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 6-4 and Giants over the Mariners 10-1.

NHL
Lightning beat Islanders 2-1 in the East finals Game 2, Tampa Bay leading 2-nothing, Golden Knights and Stars play tonight at 8 PM in the West Finals Game 3 with the series tied up One and One.

NFL
The Houston Texans meet up with the Kansas City Chiefs tonight – with an 8:20 kick off at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

A patient at UPMC in Williamsport was causing a disturbance with hospital security. Williamsport Police were then called and encountered the patient. 67 year old Dennis Chambers had broken his window and was hanging out of it when Police arrived. When Police and hospital security got into his room he started swinging a broken piece of glass at them. Chambers was then taken into custody and released on $75,000 bail.

Bradley Andrews, 43, of Pennsdale was charged for allegedly punching a woman inside of his vehicle and then abandoning her 2 children in Loyalsock Township. Andrews now faces felony charges of endangering the welfare of children, driving under the influence and other charges. According to PA. State Police Andrews was driving along East third street before 9pm when the assault occurred.  Andrews then stopped and left the woman and her children along side the road, and drove off. Police later found Andrews on Route 864 in Mill Creek Township. Andrews was arraigned by Judge Aaron Biichle and bail was set at $5,000. His preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 14^th before District Justice Gary Whitman.

Shikellamy State Park has a new manger Andrew Leidich 25. He takes over at the Shikellamy State Park Complex after Nicholas Sherlock left in July. Leidich says he really loves the area and can’t wait to get to know more people.  He will be responsible for the 82 acre Milton State Park and the 20 acre Susquahnna State park in Lycoming county.

The coronavirus cases in Lycoming County continues to rise for a total in the county of 560 According to the PA Department of Health.  Lycoming County has eight hospitalized COVID-19 patients, one is on a ventilator. There are an additional 1,160 positive cases of the virus, bringing the statewide total to 139,863. 30 new deaths were reported with a total 7,780 fatalities from COVID-19. The percentage of recovered cases today is 82 percent

Wayne Murray 58 of Hughesville has been charged by the Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police Department with illegal transfer of a firearm as well as falsification to authorities for allegedly putting down false information on a form when he attempted to purchase the firearm. He is free on $15,000 bail.

A city woman has been charged of assaulting her neighbor in Williamsport. Kyle Frank assaulted Venice Carter by punching her and pushing her over a coffee table. The incident occurred on Sept 1^st. Both women live in the same building but different apartments. Frank had fled the scene before police arrived but has been captured. She was brought before Judge Jon Kemp and committed to Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.

On Sunday in Mifflinburg the Dandelion run was held in which 175 runners circled a trail route at Camp Mount Luther. The 5K/10K event began in 2002. The event raised $3,000 for the 400-acre Christian based outdoor ministry and education grounds in Union County. The funds are used towards student scholarships and facility maintance.

On Sunday Bradley Andrews 43 of Pennsdale was charged for allegedly punching a woman inside of his vechile and then abandoning her 2 children in Loyalsock Township. According to PA State Police Andrews was driving along 3^rd street when the assault occurred. Police found Andrews on Route 864 in Mill Creek Township. Andrews was arraigned and bail was set at $5,000. His preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 14th

Sports

NBA Playoffs

East Semifinal’s game 5 it was the Celtics over the Raptors 111-89. Boston leads the series 3-2

West Semifinal’s game 3 it was the Clippers over the Nuggets 113-107. The Clippers now lead that series 2-1.

MLB

Marlins 5-4 over the Braves, the Phillies beat the Mets 9-8, The Yankees losing to the Blue Jays 12-7, The Twins over the Tigers 6-2, The Cubs beat the Cardinals 5-1, Mariners 8-4 over the Rangers, Nationals 6-1 over the Rays, Indians 5-2 over the Royals, The Giants beat the Diamonbacks 4-2, The A’s all over the Astros 6-0, and the Padres 1-0 over the Rockies

NHL

East Finals Game 1 The Tampa Bay Lighting beat the New York Islanders 3-1. Tampa Bay leads that series 1-0

NASCAR

Kevin Harvick won Sunday night’s 1^st round playoff from Darlington now this Saturday the 2^nd round playoff will happen from Richmond Motor Speedway.

NFL

The 1^st game of the season kicks off this Thursday night with the defending Super Bowl champs The Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Houston Texans.

Williamsport Man Given Mitigated Sentence

Judge Marc F. Lovechio recently handed down a 1 to 3 year sentence to a Williamsport resident. Jamal Brown, 41, faced the court Friday for his involvement in a robbery homicide that occurred in in 2016. According to the sun gazette the case was likely unsolvable before Brown’s confession, and everyone including the prosecution believed that Brown was a changed man. Judge Lovechio told brown that he had made substantial strides, going as far to say he had been a role model and therefore deserved a mitigated sentence.

Possible New Casino License Auctioned Off

The Pennsylvania gaming control board recently auctioned off a mini casino license for 10 million dollars to Ira Lubert, a Philadelphia area private equity investor. Lubert does not have to name an exact location of where he plans to build until 6 months from now when the paperwork is due, but has announced a 15 mile radius in Centre County by the Unionville borough. Legally, if all goes well and the casino is constructed it can have up to 750 slot machines and 40 table games.

Felony Evasion Charges Filed

A Lancaster county resident is facing charges stemming from an incident during a traffic stop on high street. Koryna Costella was being detained and questioned about a felony offense she had on her record. According to the sun gazette it was the transfer of an illegal firearm. She then reportedly tried to flee, quickly accelerating forward before one of the 2 police officers on the scene stepped in front of the vehicle with his gun drawn, ordering her to get out. She was arrested shortly after, and is currently waiting to be arraigned in lieu of a 75,000 dollar bail.

Fentanyl Distributor Sentenced to 20 years

David Piaquadio, a 63 year old man from Galeton has been sentenced to 20 years in a federal prison after distributing narcotics that resulted in the death of one of his customers. Piaquadio was charged by Judge Christopher C. Conner after the victim who overdosed on fentanyl sold to him was found unconscious with a syringe hanging out of his right arm. According to the sun gazette, after his arrest Piaquadio confessed to authorities that he and his girlfriend sold around 120 oxycodone tablets and 10 fentanyl patches.

UPMC Death Threats

A nurse at UPMC Muncy overheard one of the patients admitted to the facility on the phone, saying that he was going to come back and shoot everyone. According to the sun gazette a second nurse also heard the threat, and was concerned because of the comments he had made earlier about owning 200 guns. An investigation was opened for Galzenlichter, the 68 year old potter county resident, and conducted by state trooper Logan webb. He eventually learned that similar threats were also made at UPMC Williamsport, where galzenlichter threatened to kill a physician. He is currently in the Lycoming county prison with a 90,000 dollar bail set.

Sports

MLB

Fridays games scores are in! Twins over tigers 2 to 0, Blue Jays over Red Sox 8 to 7, Yankees over Orioles 6 to 5, Reds over Pirates 4 to 2, Braves over Nationals 7 to 1 and Cubs over Cardinals 4 to 1.

NFL

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory was conditionally reinstated by the NFL on Friday, and he thanked the league on social media for giving him a second chance after suspension due to multiple violations of the league’s substance-abuse policy going back to 2015.

NBA

Denver Nuggets coach Micheal Malone recently aired some frustrations with the NBA in regards to quarantine. Malone stated that the policy of not allowing coaches to bring their families into the NBA bubble is criminal in nature.

Two teenage suspects have been charged with assaulting a 76 year old man at a Williamsport basketball court where he was a security guard on August 25^th.  According to WNEP, the 15 and 17 year olds will be in in juvenile court for the incident against Richard Parker at Flanigan playground at Little League Boulevard and Walnut Street.   The organization that oversees the court will meet today to decide if the basketball courts will be reopened again this summer.

Lycoming County has 5 new cases of Covid 19 reported as of yesterday at midnight and 531 positive cases to date according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Lycoming County has eight hospitalized patients, one is on a ventilator.  There are 816 additional positive cases of the virus, bringing the statewide total to 135,611. There are 21 new deaths reported which has added up to 7,712 total fatalities from COVID-19.

There are reports of complaints from Williamsport residents that an individual is going door-to-door saying they are an employee of Lycoming County Voter Services and asking for personal information.  According to a news release, the Office of Voter Services says they do not have anyone on their staff who conducts registration activities door to door,  and if someone claiming to be from voter services comes to your door requesting information, do not share it with them,  and call 570-327-2267 to report any suspicious encounters.

A decision has been made statewide regarding sports and the number of spectators.  Legislation was passed yesterday to put the decision of  how many fans on local school boards, and the same day  Governor Wolf updated his previous guidelines – not allowing spectators at all for all sports permitted to operate during the COVID-19 disaster – to 25 or fewer people for indoor activity, 250 or fewer people for outdoor activity with the facility as a whole not exceeding 50 percent of total occupancy.  Spectators must follow the Universal Face Covering Order and social distancing guidance.

The Northumberland County Jail has reported there are 33 total positive tests for the coronavirus in the facility.  According to the Daily Item, the county court administrator there said six inmates and two staff members tested positive earlier this week, but no additional staff members that have tested positive.  The prison is still processing inmates into the jail, but  inmates court hearings are being conducted via video conferences. In an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus, 30 inmates have been released, bringing the inmate population to below 200, and the jail has a capacity of 284 inmates.

Criminal charges have been dropped against an 18 year old Williamsport man who was accused of felony child pornography and misdemeanor corruption of minors on July 7.  According to North Central PA dot com, police say 18-year-old Cole L. Johnson did not record or upload a sexually explicit video involving Cole, another adult and two minors aged 16 and 17.  According to State police it was one of the minors who managed the video which got over 19,000 views before it was deleted.  Johnson’s case is now closed.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board auctioned off a gaming license Wednesday for $10 million to a Philadelphia-area private equity investor and there are reports they might build it near the Penn State University campus in State College.  Formal paperwork naming an exact location of the required within six months by the winning bidder, Ira Lubert, but the Nittany mall is listed as one possible area .  In 2017 a PA state law expanded gambling, and authorized auctions of 10 mini-casino licenses that allow the holder to operate up to 750 slot machines and up to 40 table games, not within 40 miles of another casino.

Traffic fatalities, injuries, and crashes have decreased overall at various selected roundabouts around the state, according to PennDOT.  At intersections that were previously stop or signal controlled, the roundabouts in the study were selected based on having at least three years of crash data available before and after their construction. Police-submitted crash reports spanning the years 2000 through 2019 shows that fatalities at these locations were reduced by 100 percent and the total number of crashes decreased by 24 percent. In addition to the 22 roundabouts meeting the selection criteria, 34 other roundabouts have been built on state routes and over 40 more are in design.

SPORTS
NBA
Heat beat the Bucks 116 to 114 in the East semifinals Game 2 – Miami leading 2- nothing. Rockets won the series beating Thunder 104 to 102 in final Game 7 of the West 1^st Round.

MLB
Rockies beat the Giants 9 to 6, Mets over the Orioles 9-4, Reds beat the Cardinals 4-3, Blue Jays beat the Marlins 2-1, Rays over the Yankees 5-2, Phillies over the Nationals 3-nothing, Cubs beat the Pirates 8-2, Braves over the Red Sox 7-5, Brewers beat the Tigers 8-5, Indians over the Royals 5-nothing, Astros edged the Rangers 2-1, Twins bumped the White Sox 8-1, Padres over the Angels 11-4, Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 3-2, A’s and the Mariners are postponed

In the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs West Second round Game 6 last night Avalanche beat Stars 4-1, the series tied up 3

Two people died as a result of a three car accident after a car traveled the wrong way and caused a crash on Route 15 near West Milton early Sunday.  According to Penn Live, 32 year old Matthew  Jodon  of Sunbury in a 2005 Chevy Cobalt was traveling north in the southbound lane of the interstate in Kelly Township after 2am Sunday , and struck a Subaru legacy head-on in which  Joseph Rodriguez – who graduated earlier this year from Midd-West – was a passenger, then continued to travel  north, striking the passenger side of another vehicle who’s owner has not been identified.  Route 15 between the West Milton and New Columbia interchanges was closed until nearly 11 a.m.  Coroner Dominick Adamo said the two young men died from blunt force trauma.

The Lawrenceville police department charged a local woman after calls about her dog being locked in a shed on a hot summer day. According to North Central PA.com 27 year old Victoria Foutz’s neighbors called the police department multiple times on July 2^nd reporting that the dog had been in the shed since 6am and later on, Tioga County Housing Authority in Elkland came to free the dog while police officers were on the scene.  Police say Foutz was charged with animal cruelty and disorderly conduct as a result of her alleged actions. She is scheduled for an arraignment at the Tioga county courthouse today.

The moratorium on utility shut off will remain in place in Pennsylvania until September 17th according to the Public Utility Commission who is seeking options for customers for financial relief when the moratorium does lift.  Lawmakers sent letters to the commission asking to keep the moratorium in place for a few more weeks, warning that people are still being hit hard economically by the fallout from the virus. According to the Sun Gazette, the commission states that growing unpaid dollar amounts can lead to an increase in terminations, it said. Customers who are falling behind in paying their bills should be notified about utility and government assistance programs, it said, and it warned that a lack of payment may hurt the ability of utilities to provide safe and reliable service.

The Lycoming County Republican Committee will welcome son of the president, Eric Trump to Cogan Station for a fundraiser next month for the local party.  According to the Sun Gazette, the younger Trump, who is the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, will greet some residents and local party candidates September 19^th at Former Congressman, Tom Marino’s home in an outdoor setting.  Registration information is on the Facebook page of the Lycoming County Republican Committee

Williamsport Police are investigating reports of a 76-year-old man who was assaulted while he was locking up the basketball courts in Flanigan Park in Williamsport last Tuesday.  According to North Central PA dot com,  Tony Parker, the son of Richard Parker who is contracted with Firetree Place to lock the courts up each night at 8pm,  shared a video from social media that was circulated showing his father being attacked by a group of about 10 people ranging in age from 17 to 20.  Officials from Firetree said they were disappointed with the incident but did not release any details about who the suspects are or whether charges will be filed.  Firetree Place and the Alize Johnson Foundation, Inc. met Wednesday to discuss appropriate action about the basketball courts at Flanigan Park which will now be closed until information is brought forward with who was involved.  Please contact the Alize Johnson foundation with information 570-666-3211

There are 10 new cases of the coronavirus being reported in Lycoming County bringing the total here to 518 cases to date.  As of yesterday at midnight  there are 670 additional positive cases of COVID-19 in PA for a statewide total of 133,504. Two new deaths were reported in Pennsylvania , that’s 7,673 total deaths attributed to COVID-19. The department of health reports the statewide recovery rate today as 82 percent

Williamsport City Council and Loyalsock Township officials are working on a memorandum of understanding to the state Department of Environmental Protection in which they propose best practices to remove 10 percent of the sediment heading into the waterways leading to the Chesapeake Bay.  The five-year Chesapeake Bay Pollution Reduction Plan, could cost up to 5 million dollars.  According to the Sun Gazette, there are an estimated 25 primary and 16 secondary projects that will help to reduce sediment.

Little League International Board of Directors have made the decision to bring the 28th Little League International Congress to Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 2022.  According to the Sun Gazette, after the coronavirus caused the postponement of a milestone celebration, the International Congress will convene June 10-13, 2022, in the Williamsport community with the final session kicking off  National Little League Week, for  the Little League International Tournament Season, and the celebration of the 75th Little League Baseball World Series.

SPORTS
HS Football
Bloomsburg High School had one of its football players test positive for COVID-19 late last week, according to the Press Enterprise.  The entire football team is now quarantined for two weeks, meaning the Panthers will have to finish heat acclimatization upon its return. Superintendent Dr. Donald Wheeler said this weeks scrimmage against Mahanoy Area and the Week 1 game on Friday the 11th against Hughesville will likely be canceled.
In the NBA
Semifinals Game 1 – Celtics beat the Raptors 112-94.   Boston leads.  In the West 1^st Round Game 6 – Clippers over Mavericks 111-97 with LA winning  4-2, Nuggets beat jazz 119 to 107 in the 1^st round Game 6 – the series tied up 3-3

MLB from Sunday
Yankees beat the Mets 8- 7 in Game 1, and again in Game 2, 5-2 in a doubleheader yesterday, Reds routed the Cubs 10-1, Tigers edged the Twins 3-2, Rays bumped  the Marlins 12-7, Red Sox over the Nationals 9-5, White socks beat the Royals 5-2, Pirates beat the Brewers 5-1, Cardinals over the Indians 7-2, Dodgers over the Rangers 7-2, Blue Jays edged  the Orioles 6-5, Padres thumped the Rockies 13-2, Giants beat the Diamondbacks 4-1, Mariners over the Angels 2-1, Braves over the Phillies 12-10, A’s and Astros were postponed due to illness.

NASCAR
William Byron made it to the playoffs by earning his first career Cup series victory at Daytona on Saturday night.  Jimmy Johnson unable to get the points for the playoffs in his final full-time season, after being caught up in the pack of a late wreck, and restarting back too far to recover in overtime.  Chase Elliott finished second, followed by Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace.

NHL playoffs
Stars beat Avalanche 5-4 in the West 2^nd round Game 4, Dallas leading the series 3-1, Golden Knights over the Canucks 5-3 in the West 2^nd round Game 4 with Vegas leading 3-1.  Islanders beat the Flyers 3-2 in the East 2md Round Game 4 New York leading 3-1