VOTING TO GO ABOVE THE INDEX

Though saying this doesn’t mean it will happen, ,the South Williamsport School Board went ahead and voted to petition the state to allow them to go over the Act 1 index in case a tax hike is needed in the district for the 2019-2020 budget.  The Act 1 index allows the district to institute an increase of 3.2% which is .5 mills.  The district, looking at increased costs and a projected deficit of $479,000 is looking at more like a .53 mill increase.  District officials do say they have voted to go above the index 8 of the past 12 years, but have only had to go above it twice.

COLD, SLIPPERY, SCHOOL DELAYS

Watch for slippery spots this morning, especially if you live on a back street, back road or higher elevations.  The freezing cold temperatures are also causing issues with vehicles starting this morning and have also caused every area school district to decide on a two hour delay this morning with the exception of the Keystone Central District and Sugar Valley Charter School which are on two hour delays. You may want to warm up your vehicle and leave early for your destination.

NO CONTEST PLEA

Though not admitting his guilt, a Union County man did go to court to plead no contest to two counts of statutory sexual assault and will fae 4 to 20 years in prison.  29 year old William Waltman of Millmont was arrested back in December of 2017 for the summer of 2017 rapes of a 12 year old girl at least four times.  Due to the plea agreement, Waltman has had 18 other charges dropped.  He awaits a review by the sexual offenders assessment board before sentencing and remains jailed in lieu of $125,000 bail.

MAN ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT ON HIS GIRLFRIEND

An Old Lycoming Township man was arrested on Friday of last week for the assault on his girlfriend which occurred earlier in the week.  Old Lycoming Police say that 20 year old Meghan McCloskey came into the department last week with contusions on her face reporting the assault by Taylor Guinter at  their Oberlin Avenue residence which took place on Wednesday.  Guinter reportedly held her down, assaulted her, smashed her cellphone and then did not let her leave for a time.  He faces 2 counts and is jailed in lieu of $35,000 bail.

SUPERINTENDENT CONTRACT EXTENDED

The Muncy Area School District has decided that their current superintendent is the man to lead them into future which includes a planned $17 million dollar expansion at the high school.  The school board last night unanimously approved a 5 year contract extension for Dr. Craig Skaluba, following a satisfactory evaluation of his job there.  The extension brings with it a pay increase of 1 ½ percent. Skaluba will earn a salary of $133,800 dollars.

SAFE2SAY TIP LINE

Since it’s launch on January 14^th, a new tipline created by the state of Pennsylvania to pass on possible school threats was used more than 400 times in it’s first five days.  The Safe2say tipline was created by the legislature’s Act 44 with the attorney general provided $600,000 to launch it.  The attorney general’s office was not immediately prepared to detail how many of the tips revealed actual threats.  The number for the tipline is 1-844-723-3729..  the website..www.safe2saypa.org and there is also a smartphone app.

SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT REPORTS SCAM

Snyder County residents are getting calls from the Sheriff’s Department there telling them, they have warrants out on them, but that a payment will make them go away, except, it’s not the sheriff’s Department calling them.  Officials say residents are receiving spoofing phone calls from the departments 570-837-3311 number and that the department does not request payment over the phone to make warrants go away.  They tell anyone if they receive a call from that number to immediately hang up and call it back to make sure you are talking to the office.

MARINO TO RESIGN

12^th district Congressman Tom Marino of Cogan  Station has decided to resign.  In a statement released yesterday, Marino announced the resignation, saying he was going to work in the private sector, saying that he can use both his legal and business experience to create jobs around the country.  The congressman was just elected to his fourth term in Washington.  His last day will be next Wednesday.  A special election will have to take place within 60 days.

STORM WARNING IN EFFECT

A winter storm warning is officially in effect across our entire area with snow on the way.  A foot or more could fall depending on temperature.  Some places could also see freezing rain, causing ice to form.  Penn DOT is at ready and will have trucks out around the clock trying to keep the roadways clear.  PPL also says they have mobilized in case of power outages due to the heavy snow and ice.  We will have weather updates throughout the weekend, as well as cancellations, postponements and any other weather related information.

GROVES SENTENCED IN CLINTON COUNTY

It’s ten to 20 years in state prison for Loyd Groves who was found guilty of third degree murder in Clinton County Court last month for the 1991 killing of Kathy Heckel of Lock Haven.  Groves was sentenced by visiting judge Kenneth Brown of Lycoming County yesterday in Clinton County court.  The sentence is the maximum one for third degree murder under 1991 sentencing guidelines.  Groves has not accepted responsibility for the woman’s murder.

TWO ARRESTED FOR BURGLARIES

A Jersey Shore woman and a Wisconsin man have been arrested for the burglaries of two businesses this past week in Woodward Township in Lycoming County.  State police say that 43 year old Charles Buday of Milwaukee Wisconsin broke into the Lewis Veterinary Clinic on January 15^th and took a black filing cabinet.  30 year old Rachel Hamilton has also been charged with participating in the burglary.  Buday was also caught on video for breaking into a business along Antler’s Lane on the 14^th.

PLEA AGREEMENT IN DOUBLE HOMICIDE

A plea agreement earlier this week by one of three men involved in a double homicide in the city of Williamsport in October of 2016.  PennLive.com has reported that on Monday 32 year old Casey Wilson pleaded guilty to 2 counts of third degree murder bringing 25-50 year sentences.  He has also agreed to testify against his co-defendants, Joseph Coleman Jr. and Jordan Rawls. The three allegedly shot and killed 25 year old Shane Wright and his mother 50 year old Kristine Kibler during a robbery attempt at their Newberry home.

DRUG ARREST IN CITY

A Williamsport man was arrested and charged with several counts on Monday following a police search of his Memorial Avenue home.  Police say they found 18 bags of heroin and 7 grams of cocaine as well as an illegal firearm at 49 year old Arthur Smith’s home.  He is charged with possession with intent to deliver as well as a convicted felon not to possess a firearm and is jailed in lieu of $150,000 bail.

FUNDING FOR 6 COUNTY DISTRICTS

6 Lycoming County School Districts will receive funding to expand computer science classes and teacher training thanks to state grant money.  23^rd district State Senator Gene Yaw says Governor Wolf’s new PAsmart Initiative will provide $20 million dollars statewide to bring high-quality computer science and STEM education as well as professional development for teachers.  East Lycoming, Jersey Shore, Loyalsock Montoursville, Muncy and South Williamsport districts will receive $35,000.

KILGUS TO RUN FOR JUDGE

A Lycoming County Attorney will take a shot at becoming a Judge on the County Court of Common Pleas.  Mary Kilgus has announced that she will run for the seat being vacated by Judge Richard Gray.  Kilgus points to her experience as a Lycoming County prosecutor from 2006-2012 as a big part of her qualifications.  Since then Kilgus has had her own private practice.

WORK ON BRIDGE

There could be a slow down on the Route 15 river bridge between Williamsport and South Williamsport today.  Flood debris removal is planned between the hours of 9am and 3pm today which means that flag persons will be on the bridge directing traffic.  There could be delays and motorists should be alert and drive with caution through that workzone.

THREE SUSPECTS IN BEAVERTOWN BURGLARIES

Middleburg police say they have three suspects they plan on filing charges against for more than 40 burglaries in Beavertown in Snyder County the day after Christmas.  The three are 22, 18 and 16 year old males from Union County and are accused of breaking into vehicles and garages taking items including, money, guns and even bikes in the early morning hours.  It’s believed that the three also could be responsible for break-ins in both Union and Lycoming Counties as well.

FIRE STRIKES IN LIMESTONE TOWNSHIP

Fire struck in Limestone Township, Lycoming County on Monday night leaving a couple homeless.  That fire broke out in a house in the 1500 block of Route 654 owned by Walter and Joy Eck around 11pm quickly spreading through the structure.  Firefighters were able to knock down the fire within about 15 minutes but not before it caused extensive damage in excess of $100,000 dollars.  No one was injured, and it’s believed that fire started in a wood burning stove on the house.

KOZ DESIGNATIONS AWARDED

Hoping it will lead to continued economic growth and investment, the state of Pennsylvania recently announced 17 properties in our area to be designated as Keystone Opportunity Zones.  The KOZ program eliminates specific state and local taxes within designated underdeveloped and underutilized areas which can spur economic growth and investment.  10 of the properties are located in Milton, and seven more in Watsontown.  In addition, a property owned by Susquehanna Industrial Development Corporation in Selinsgrove has been given a ten year KOZ extension.

HOTEL EVACUATED

Fire struck yesterday at a Snyder County hotel, causing an evacuation there.  The fire apparently broke out in a laundry chute at the Holiday Inn Express just off the Susquehanna Trail in Hummels Wharf around 12:30 pm.  All guests and hotel staff were evacuated.  When firefighters arrived, they found that the sprinkler system has already put out the fire.  No one was injured, the extent of damage not known, and everyone was allowed back in the hotel within 45 minutes.

DRUG AND WEAPONS CHARGES FILED

A man is jailed charged with possession with intent to deliver cocaine, as well as for having an illegal weapon following an arrest in Lycoming County last week.  Following an incident in the city of Williamsport on January 9^th, members with the county’s narcotics enforcement unit searched the South Williamsport home of Jermar Hines and found drugs, as well as a handgun and a shotgun there.  Hines is a convicted felon not allowed to possess a weapon.  He was arraigned and jailed in Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail.

NO SALE

According to a story in the Williamsport Sun Gazette, it looks like the city of Williamsport will not be selling it’s pump stations to the Williamsport Water and Sanitary Authority.  The city and the authority were working on a deal for the sale of the pumps for a million dollars, but it now looks like the authority has decided not to buy the stations located on Arch and Basin Streets.  It’s believed that some $5 million dollars in upgrades are needed to bring those pump stations up to date.  The authority has not taken a vote yet on the sale.

WOLF SWORN IN FOR SECOND TERM

Governor Tom Wolf began his second term yesterday as he was sworn in in Harrisburg. During an inaugural address, Wolf called for Pennsylvania residents to work together to form a stronger, fairer and more prosperous future.  He pointed towards his first four years as a success saying the Commonwealth has come back from being a state at a crossroads to one on a comeback.  The governor easily won re-election in November.

SUNBURY HIRES NEW CITY ADMINISTRATOR

A former Air Force Colonel and Sunbury native has a new job in the city of Sunbury.  Jody Ocker was hired on Monday night by Sunbury City Council to the new position of city administrator there.  The new position will replace that of city clerk.  The city clerk there is retiring at the end of the month. In her new position, Ocker will oversee all daily operations of city departments except for the police department.

ANOTHER CITY RESIDENT ANNOUNCED CANDIDACY

Another city resident of Williamsport has announced that he will be seeking a seat on city council.  34 year old Vincent Pulizzi, a gas and oil inspector and owner of several investment properties in the city has announced he will seek nomination to run in the fall for one of four city council seats which will be up for grabs.  Pulizzi says he wants to work to hold the line on taxes, create family sustaining jobs, fight violent crime and drugs, rebuild the infrastructure and invest in the city’s parks.

WORK SLATED TO BEGIN SOON

A report in this morning’s Williamsport Sun Gazette says that work is expected to begin a two year project for the East Third Street Gateway Revitalization project in the city of Williamsport in March. The work will take place on sections of East Third, East Fourth, Basin and Franklin Streets with some daylight detours in place and will finish up both years in time for the Little League World Series. Contracts are expected to be awarded later this month. And it’s hoped that the work will lead to more development in that area.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON ARRESTED

An arrest warrant was issued last week for a man from York County who it was believed was following school buses around in the Renovo area of Clinton County and when confronted about it by one witness, pulled a gun on that person.  John Meyers was arrested in York County late last week and charged with possession of an illegal firearm as well as simple assault and harassment stemming from the Clinton County incident.   He is being held in York County.

LANE RESTRICTIONS IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY

There will be lane restrictions beginning tomorrow on a section of Route 54 in Northumberland County.  A contractor working for PPL is replacing lines across the roadway between Boyd Station Road and Warner Road in Rush Township.  Due to that work, traffic will be reduced to a single lane under daylight flagging.  Delays are expected and motorists are asked to be alert and watch for stopped or slow moving vehicles.

CITY BUSINESSMAN ANNOUNCED CANDIDACY

With four seats up for grabs in the fall for Williamsport City Council, candidates are starting to announce their intention to seek nomination for the November election.  Late last week, city businessman Adam Yoder announced that he plans on seeking Republican nomination for one of the council seats.  Yoder, who has an engineering background says he plans on going door to door to find out what residents of the city want from their government and says he will also use social media as part of the process.

BEAVERTOWN THEFT SPREE

Police in Middleburg reported over the weekend that they are investigating a large theft spree which occurred in a 3 ½ to 4 hour period in Beavertown the morning after Christmas.  Someone broke into both vehicles and garages in the Snyder county town, taking cash, credit cards, guns and even bicycles.  They also used fire extinguishers to spray the inside of vehicles.  Police say they continue their investigation and will update their progress during a news conference in Beavertown tomorrow.  Anyone with information regarding that theft spree is to contact police in Middleburg.

MALL UP FOR SHERIFF’S SALE?

Though things are expected to be cleared up today, last week’s Lycoming County Sherriff’s sale list caused quite a splash when it was revealed that the Lycoming Mall property was on the list due to unpaid sewer bills to the Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority.  Authority officials say putting a property on the list is standard procedure when the bills are not paid for a certain period of time.  They did not reveal how much the holding company for the mall owed.  Officials with the mall say they have a check in the mail and that the overdue bills should be paid for by today.

FOOD BANK TO HELP OUT FEDERAL WORKERS

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank has stepped up to help federal workers affected by the current government shutdown.  The Food Bank has announced that employees and their families missing paychecks due to the federal shutdown and are in need of food will be eligible for distribution which will take place tomorrow. The Local Food bank hub in Williamsport at 3301 Wahoo Drive will be open from 4 to 6:30.  The food bank serves a 27 county area and it’s estimated that almost 25,00 federal workers live within that area.

INMATE CHARGED WITH ASSAULT

An inmate at the Bradford County Correctional facility faces charges of aggravated assault and related counts stemming from an assault there last week.  State police in Towanda say that on January 6^th around 11am, 23 year old Jesse Blake assaulted 50 year old Todd Eccleston at the prison with an unspecified weapon.  No word on the extent of Eccleston’s injuries.  Blake remains jailed at the facility.

ROLLING ROADBLOCKS TODAY

Another set of rolling roadblocks is planned on Interstate 180 in Muncy Creek Township near the Northumberland County Line.  A PPl contractor continues work to replace utility lines and that work will take place between 9am and 3pm today.  The rolling roadblocks will be used to slow traffic in both directions while the old lines are removed and new lines installed. There will be two of them today and motorists are reminded to be alert and watch for slow moving vehicles.

An accused killer was taken into custody yesterday and returned here last night to face the charges.  US. Marshals were able to take 30 year old Monica Burns into custody in Philadelphia yesterday morning without incident.  She is accused of stabbing to death 28 year old Ryan Jones on New Year’s morning at an apartment in the city of Williamsport.  She was returned to the city last night and arraigned t hen jailed without bail.

Extra charges have been filed against a city woman.  Jahnasia Wiggs was arrested shortly after she robbed Cupps Vacuum Center of $200 dollars on Washington Boulevard on Tuesday afternoon and jailed. Williamsport police now say that theft related charges will also be filed against Wiggs for walking into the Turkey Hill Market, also on Washington Boulevard on Monday morning and grabbing a money bag.

A woman from Milton and her son are suspected as the two who are dead following an apparent murder-suicide in Lancaster County  The bodies of a mother and her son were found dead of apparent gunshot wounds in a motel along the Harrisburg Pike in Manheim Township yesterday.  The woman has been identified through the Daily Item Newspaper as Nicole Welton of Milton.  Autopsies have been scheduled for today.

A Milton area man has been charged with terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and simple assault following an incident which occurred last week at a residence in Montour County.  State police say that around 11:15pm on January 2^nd, two men showed up at the residence along Strick Road in Limestone Township to repossess an ATV vehicle.  That’s when 52 year old David Beachel walked out of the residence with a 20 gauge shotgun firing a shot in the air and then pointing the gun at the two.

Planning is already underway for school district budgets for the 2019-2020 school year, and the Loyalsock Area School District is planning ot hold the line on taxes.  The School Board yesterday voted to stay within the state’s Act 1 index, which means that even if they decided to increase taxes, that the increase would not be over 1.8%.  District officials say as it stands now they don’t plan on increasing taxes for the next school year.

The Danville High School school day was disrupted yesterday after officials received what they called a bomb and safety threat.  The threat forced the evacuation of the school yesterday morning and a search was done of the building, turning up nothing.  School resumed as normal around 11am.  District officials say they will take the threat seriously.  If found, the perpetrator will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Lock Haven’s Mayor has announced that he will not seek a second term.  William Baney III who was elected mayor in 2016 after serving two terms as city councilman has announced that he will not seek re-election this year with his term officially expiring on January 6^th, 2020.  A pair of councilmen have announced their intentions to run for the job.  They are Republican Richard Conklin and Democrat Joel Long.

The Wolf Administration has announced that the state will invest in efforts to restore the flood damaged Muncy Creek in Hughesville and Wolf Township in Lycoming County.  It was announced yesterday that the DEP has awarded a 2019 Growing Greener Grant of $227,284 dollars which will go towards stabilizing 500 feet of streambank which has been eroded by numerous flood events sending sediment downstream over the past seven years.