PHILLY MAN FILES SUIT AGAINST WILLIAMSPORT POLICE

A Philadelphia man is suing the Williamsport Bureau of Police, claiming they used extreme use of force during a raid at a hotel room on East Third Street IN Williamsport in the spring of 2021.  According to the Sun Gazette, Antwan Hairston says he woke to Williamsport police banging on the door and alleges that when he opened the door, officers who didn’t have a warrant at first, injured him by hitting him on the head with a gun during the apprehension. Police say Hairston and another person who were staying in the room faced felony drug charges and Hairston was initially jailed but later released.  The man’s federal lawsuit, asks for compensatory damages of $475,000, punitive damages of $250,000 and costs, states his Constitutional rights were violated, and wants the police to publicly apologize and be held accountable.

JERSEY MAN TO BE EXTRADICTED

A New Jersey man and accused murderer was arrested in Northumberland County this past Friday.  Forty three year-old Aswad Spruiel, originally from Plainfield, New Jersey, had been in the sights of the US Marshals Service since last July and was arrested on South Coal Street in Shamokin.  Spruiel’s extensive history of crime prompted the Marshals to deploy a ‘Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force’, composed of 22 state, county and local officials including some in the Williamsport City police. Spruiel is currently being held in Northumberland County prison awaiting transport back to New Jersey.

BRIDGE WORK TO CLOSE ROAD IN WATSONTOWN

The Watsontown River Bridge will close today through Sunday, June 16 for a bridge preservation project. According to PennDOT, Brimmer Avenue will be closed between Route 15 in White Deer Township in Union County and Elm Street and Canal Street in Watsontown while they patch the bridge and also do epoxy overlay and milling of the bridge approaches. A detour using Main Street, Route 44, and Route 15, which will be in place for the 35 days.

COMPOST SITE CHANGES HOURS

Selinsgrove borough officials say non-resident dumping at the compost site is happening more frequently, and they’ve changed operating hours of the site to  combat the problem. According to the borough website, Selinsgrove.org, extra costs are incurred and must be covered by local residents when extra debris is left to be ground up.  Compost hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon the first and third Saturdays of the month, excluding holidays.

WOMAN ARRESTED AFTER THEFT ATTEMPT

A woman who stole her mother’s identification, allegedly tried to steal 10 thousand dollars from her bank account, but was stopped by the teller who reported the attempted theft to the mother who called police.  According to North Central PA dot com, bank officials say 42 year old Suann Nicole Dyar attempted to withdraw the funds through the drive-through, but when requested to come inside for the transaction, she was unable to verify any information on her mother’s account, who later confirmed Dyer did not have permission to withdraw funds.  Police found the mother’s ID at Dyer’s home.  She is being charged with theft by deception and identity theft.

OFFICER IN CLINTON COUNTY CAUGHT SMUGGLING CONTRABAND

A corrections officer at Clinton County Correctional facility was charged with conspiracy after it discovered he was the source of contraband making it’s way to the inmates.  According to North Central dot com, routine testing of inmates that turned up drug detection led to an investigation in which an inmate disclosed that officer 27 year old Adryan Lynn Selleck of Lock Haven was smuggling bundled items into the prison, including marijuana, methamphetamine , and bath salts.  Selleck told officers April 28^th, that he never inspected the contents he carried in and only thought cigarettes were inside. Along with felony contraband and controlled substance conspiracy, Selleck faces two felonies of conspiracy possession with intent to deliver.  He posted 75 thousand dollars monetary bail and has a preliminary hearing June 25^th.

BRIDGE WORK FOR A MONTH IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY

There will be a bridge flushing project going on this week in Northumberland County, mostly on I-80, I-180 and Route 147. According to PennDOT, the project is part of a moving operation that will cause some lanes to be restricted with flaggers between the hours of 8am and 2pm on days when crews are on the scene working.  Use 511PA dot com to check road conditions 24/7 across the Commonwealth.

FORTNITE CLUB AT JV BROWN LIBRARY

A club for teens who play the video game Fortnite has started at the James V. Brown Library in Williamsport and will meet monthly to use the library’s computers and meet with others to discuss the rated “T for Teen” game’s characters, strategies, and more.  The club will get together on the 1^st Friday of each month from 4:30 to 5:30 through December of 2024.  The club meets in the teen area on the 2^nd floor of the Welch Children’s Wing of the library on West 4^th Street.

SPORTS

PIAA D4 Baseball
Montoursville  9            Canton 0
Williamsport 16  Midd-West  2  /5
Montgomery  7    Millville 0
Warrior Run  14  Muncy  1
South Wmsprt 4  Benton 2
Cntrl Columbia  9  Hughesville 8/8
NP Mansfield  10  Williamson 0  /5
Neumann  11        Sugar Valley  2
Cntrl Mntain  12    Lewisburg  3
Softball 
Muncy  7              Mifflinburg  2
Williamsport  11   Lewisburg 1
Warrior Run  13  Montgomery  2
Danville 8             Hughesville 5

NBA Semifinals
Celtics  109          Cavaliers 102 BOS leads 3-1
Thunder  100       Mavericks  96  tied 2-2
NBA Semifinals Tonight
Pacers  vs Knicks 8pm TNT tied 2-2
Timberwolves vs Nuggets  tied 2-2

MLB
Guardians  7       Rangers  0
Blue Jays  3        Orioles  2
Phillies  5            Mets 4/10
Rays  5                Red Sox  3
Pirates  8             Brewers  6
D’Backs 6           Reds  5
Nationals  vs White Sox postponed/Rain

MLB Today
Phillies vs Mets  1:10pm
Nationals vs White Sox 4:40pm
Pirates vs Brewers  7:40pm
Yankees vs Twins  7:40pm TBS
NHL 2^nd Round
Hurricanes 4         Rangers  1 NY Leads 3-2
Stars 5                  Avalanche 1  DAL leads 3-1
NHL Tonight
Bruins vs Panthers  7pm ESPN FLA leads 3-1
Canucks vs Oilers  9:30pm ESPN  VAN leads 2-1

HEAD-ON COLLISION IN LOYALSOCK TOWNSHIP

A head-on collision between a city bus and a car on the Golden Strip in Loyalsock Township shut down a lane of traffic yesterday afternoon and caused several injuries.  According to the Sun Gazette, 4 passengers of a River Valley Transit bus and the driver of a Nissan Altima were treated for injuries with two vicitims involved transported to UPMC Williamsport.  Police say the driver of the Altima turned in front of the bus to enter a parking lot near Westminster Drive just before 4:30pm.  The accident caused authorities from Loyalsock Township and South Williamsport to divert traffic from the eastbound lanes while they cleaned up.  One westbound lane of East Third Street remained open.

MILLVILLE MAN CHARGED WITH BURGLARY, DRUG POSSESSION

A 43 year old Millville man had an arraignment last Thursday in Lycoming County Court answering to two counts of felony charges of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine from two incidents last year, as well as unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for illegally operating a golf cart on Gardner Road in Franklin Township back in November 2021.  According to North Central PA dot com, for the burglary charge, Richard Dale Hunley, along with two others, allegedly broke into the state police impound lot in Montoursville and removed items from a car that had been seized.  Hunley is free on 125 thousand dollars bail.

PERMANENT TRAFFIC LIGHT INSTALLED IN FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP

Motorists are advised that the reconstruction and bridge replacement project continues this week at Lycoming Mall Drive Fairfield Road in Fairfield Township. According to PennDOT, yesterday the temporary traffic signals were installed at the intersection of Fairfield Road and Lycoming Mall Drive. At this time, the temporary traffic signals at that intersection are in full activation mode. Check 511PA dot com to check road conditions 24/7 across PA.

MOVIE PROCEEDS BENEFIT MUNCY FIRE DEPARTMENT

Muncy Township Volunteer Fire Company will benefit from the proceeds today through Sunday when District Cinema at the former Lycoming Mall will show screenings of new and retro movies as a fundraiser.  According to Sun Gazette, in a recent news release, cinema operator Dipson Theaters who partnered with District Cinema LLC, says the soft opening of the theater this weekend, will include canned beer and mixed beverages for sale from Bald Birds Brewery Company that can be enjoyed during the show.  Theater executives say they are grateful for the dedication of the Muncy Volunteer firefighters and hope the donation this weekend will help continue their “noble work”.  Get details about the show times and listings online at thedistrict.dipsontheatres.com.

FATHER JAILED FOR NEGLECT OF MEDICAL ISSUES

A man from Mill Hall has been charged with felony endangerment of children after a Clinton County Children and Youth Services referral uncovered that three children in the home had serious medical needs that were neglected.  According to North Central PA dot com, 39 year old Robert Edward Winslow allegedly refused dental care for a teenage child who had been having serious pain since early 2023, as well as refusal to refill medication prescriptions for another child who suffered from mental health issues.  Winslow also refused to comply with caseworkers who visited the home dozens of times in 2023.  Winslow must answer to 5 felony counts of endangering the welfare of a child.  He remains incarcerated at Clinton County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail.

JUVENILES PLEAD GUILTY TO POACHING DEER

A group of juveniles in Cambria County pleaded guilty to poaching deer in the fall of 2023.  According to State Police, the Game Warden received reports of what they called a “poaching spree” before they found 10 deer were killed at night and left to rot.  On the fourth night of the thrill killings, Troopers and Cresson Township police located and apprehended the suspects while they were actively engaged in the illegal activity.  They each were arraigned with the Cambria County juvenile probation office, and with their plea deal, were convicted of felony unlawful killing or taking of big game, $5,000 in fines, probation, 50 hours of community service, and multiple years of hunting license revocation.  If you know of  wildlife crimes, contact the toll-free hotline of Operation Game Thief at 1-888-PGC-8001.

BUMP STOCK BILL FAILS IN HARRISBURG

Proposed bills in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to ban bump stocks and formulate an electronic gun sale registry narrowly failed Tuesday, after lawmakers said the bills violate the second amendment, and the one about bump stocks duplicates federal laws.  According to the Center Square, House Bill 335 and 2206, both failed with a Democrat from Johnstown issuing the tie-breaking no-vote.

LYCOMING COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT SATURDAY

Lycoming College’s 176th Commencement ceremony is tomorrow and will feature the commencement address by Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter.  According to North Central PA dot com, Mayor Slaughter will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from Lycoming College during the ceremony. Cathryn Brought, a graduating senior from Wellsboro, will also speak at the commencent ceremony which will be held outdoors Saturday at 2pm on the Fultz Quad unless it rains. A decision about moving commencement indoors will be made by 9am at Lycoming.edu in the case of inclement weather.

SPORTS

PIAA HS Softball
Hughesville 20             Wellsboro  4
NP Liberty  14             Troy 1
Montgomery  21          St John Neumann  2  /5

NBA East/West Semifinals
Cavaliers  118              Celtics  94 tied 1-1
Mavericks  119            Thunder  110 tied 1-1
NBA Semifinals Tonight
Knicks vs Pacers  7pm ESPN  NY leads 2-0
Nuggets  vs Timberwolves  9:30pm ESPN MIN leads 2-0

MLB
White Sox  3                Guardians  2
Diamondbacks  5         Reds 4
Astros  4                       Yankees  3
Brewers  7                    Cardinals 1
MLB Tonight
Cubs vs Pirates 6:40pm
Yankees vs Rays  6:50pm
Dbacks vs Orioles 7:05 AppleTv
Phillies vs Marlins  7:10pm
Nationals  vs Red Sox  7:10pm

NHL
Rangers  3           Hurricanes 2 NY leads 3-0
Stars  5                Avalanche 3  tied 1-1
NHL Tonight
Panthers  vs Bruins  7pm TNT tied 1-1
Oilers vs Canucks 10pm TNT VAN leads  1-0NASCAR Sunday
Goodyear 400  Darlington Raceway – Darlington SC
Pre-Race  2pm/ Green Flag 3pm
Twin Valley’s Talk Radio Network/ WILQ’s HD3

ACCIDENT SLOWED TRAFFIC ON I-180 EAST TUESDAY

There were big backups yesterday afternoon when a vehicle crash occurred on I-180 east in Loyalsock Township.  According to PennDOT, there was crawling  traffic in the area past the crash site at the Faxon exit, mile marker 26 at about 3:30pm which backed things up for about one and a half miles.  Drivers saw the lane restriction starting at the Market Street, Route 15 and Lewisburg interchange.  The traffic flow improved within the hour after clean up of the accident.

2013 SEX OFFENDER OUT ON SUPERVISED BAIL

A Williamsport man who is accused of two hundred felony sexual assault charges after a year-long relationship with a minor eleven years ago was in court Tuesday.  According to the Sun Gazette, 50 year old Joshua Carter Turner is facing the rape charges for actions that began at a business in Newberry where he worked when he was 35 years old which progressed between him and the 14 year old from 2012 to 2013.  Turner was initially denied bail for 30 felony charges each of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and more, after waiving his preliminary hearing this week he was given 150 thousand dollars supervised release.

CONTRACTOR ARRESTED FOR FRAUD

A contractor from Williamsport, who police say has a history of similar conduct, has been arrested for fraud after he took money for home repair last month and never did the work.  According to the Sun Gazette, the owner of PhaseUp Contracting, Jason Robert Yahn of Linden took 300 dollars from an elderly woman in April to repair a kitchen ceiling and never came back.  He was recently incarcerated for a felony charge of contractor fraud and also faces additional misdemeanor charges, including theft by deception, deceptive business practice and more.  He was jailed under five thousand dollars bail.

FREE BUS RIDES TODAY

There will be free rides on River Valley Transit buses today as a thank you to all passengers who use the bus system for transportation to work, school,  healthcare appointments, or recreation.  According to RVTA Executive Director Todd Wright says “Rider Appreciation Day” is a statewide initiative developed in coordination with the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Agency and the administrative staff are planning to make surprise appearances on undisclosed buses to hand out thank you gifts to riders.  River Valley Transit will not charge fares today in Williamsport and the surrounding areas including Muncy, Hughesville, Montoursville, Loyalsock, Montgomery and Jersey Shore.

VICTIM IN GAMBLE TOWNSHIP CRASH IDENTIFIED

The woman from Trout Run who was killed in a one car accident this week after the SUV she was driving went off the road in Gamble Township, has been identified.  According to the Sun Gazette, 40 year old Meralea Cook was traveling northbound on Sugar Camp Road and went off the roadway and down an embankment at about 3:15pm Monday.  There were no witnesses of the crash.  The Lycoming County coroner pronounced Cook dead at the scene after she suffered blunt force trauma injuries.  State police at Montoursville say Cook lived only a few miles from the crash site.

INMATE ARRESTED AFTER ESCAPING DURING WORK RELEASE

An inmate at Union County Prison has been charged with escape after he skipped his work release job in Lewsiburg and went to his girlfriend’s house instead for several hours.  According to North Central PA dot com, 50 year old Jamie Lee Heaney was on work release April 15^th when he went missing.  Police say a few hours later, Heaney reported back to the jail, was drug tested, and came up positive.  He admitted smoking pot with his girlfriend while he was with her.  The escape charge against Heaney is a felony.  He has a preliminary hearing in Union County Court on May 23^rd. 

BRIDGE WORK IN FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP

The reconstruction and bridge replacement project continues today at Lycoming Mall Drive and Fairfield Road in Fairfield Township.  According to PennDOT, the work yesterday, which included work on the bridge at Lycoming Mall Drive over Bennetts Run, continues today with the installation and activation of temporary traffic signals  which will be in  flashing mode at the intersection of Fairfield Road and Lycoming Mall Drive.  You may see lane shifts and single lane conditions with flagging during off-peak and overnight hours where work is being performed.

PENN COLLEGE EMPLOYEE CHOSEN AS WORLD SERIES UMPIRE

A man from Enola, PA who is an employee of Penn College of Technology as a senior program manager of commercial buildings for the college’s Clean Energy Center, has been chosen as one of 16 people chosen to be an umpire at the 77^th edition of the Little League Baseball World Series.  According to Penn College, Zachary Gump was chosen in February after many years of umpiring beginning when he was a teenager though  earning his NCAA credentials to ump at the collegiate level.  Gump also participated in a weeklong umpire clinic at the Little League International Complex in 2015. IN this eleit position, he is guaranteed at least one game behind the plate and at each of the three bases. After four games, assignments will be based on performance.

SPORTS

PIAA HS
Baseball
Montoursville  2  Central Columbia 1
Canton  5             Wellsboro  3
Milton  7              Mount Carmel  6
Softball  
Bucktail  4                     Montgomery  2
Warrior  Run  17           Lewisburg 0  /3

MLB
Tigers  11             Guardians 7
Diamondbacks  6           Reds  2
Phillies  10           Blue Jays  1
Nationals  3          Orioles  0
Angels  9              Pirates  0
Yankees 10          Astros 3
Braves  4              Red Sox  2
Mets  7                 Cardinals  5
MLB Today
LA Angels  vs Pittsburgh  12:35pm
Toronto Blue Jays  vs Phillies 1:05pm
Detroit vs Cleveland  1:10pm
Mets vs St Louis  1:15pm ESPN+
Baltimore vs Washington  6:45pm
Houston vs Yankees 7:05pm
Boston Red Sox vs Atlanta Braves  7:20pm

NBA East/West Semifinals
Celtics 120                     Cavaliers 95  BOS leads 1-0
Thunder 117        Mavericks  95 OKC leads 1-0
NBA Tonight
Pacers vs Knicks 8pm TNT NY Leads 1-0NHL Playoffs 2^nd Round
Rangers 4             Hurricanes  4 NYR lead 2-0
Avalanche  4        Stars  3 COL leads 1-0
NHL Tonight
Bruins vs Panthers  7:30pm ESPN Game 3
Oilers  vs  Canucks  10pm ESPN Game 2

ROUTE 220 SHUT DOWN SATURDAY AFTER FATAL WRECK

There was a fatal truck crash that shut down Route 220 in Muncy Township Saturday around noon, that involved an elderly man from Montoursville.  According to the Lycoming County Coroner’s Office,  87 year old William E. Messersmith  was traveling on Rt. 220 when his vehicle suddenly left the roadway and struck  a tree east of Oak Run Lane.  He was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, and sustained no lethal traumatic injuries and may have suffered a medical episode before the accident.  Messersmith was pronounced dead at the scene and Route 220 was closed for several hours.  State police, Muncy Township and Hughesville firefighters were on the scene and PennDOT reopened Route 220 after 2:30pm.

EASEMENTS APPROVED FOR RIVERWALK CONSTRUCTION

Williamsport City Council, at their meeting Thursday, approved easement rights to properties on West Third Street, Rose Street, parcels on Elm Street and Berger Alley with the county so that the planned extension of the Susquehanna River Walk construction can continue.  According to North Central PA dot com, the easement agreements were needed between the city and Lycoming County that had gotten initial approval late last year.  Zoning officials say the additional segment broadens access to the River Walk, a key recreational amenity of the greater Williamsport community, and will cost over 100 thousand dollars.  The costs will be covered by grants through Lycoming County and DCNR.

SPRING REGATTA PLANNED IN LOCK HAVEN

The Delaware Valley Outboard Racing Association has planned a Spring regatta next weekend in Lock Haven.  In the spirit of the annual Jaycees Labor Day regatta that will still be held on Aug. 31, the spring event the first of its kind in the city, starts Saturday May 11^th at 7am and will continue through Sunday at 5pm.  Find information about registration form for the event can be found here: form.jotform.com/241155697646164, of Google “Delaware Valley Outboard Racing Association”

PA’S PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR FROM BELLEFONTE

The principal of Bellefonte Area High School has been named Principal of the year for 2024 by the Pennsylvania Principals Association.  According to the Lock Haven Express, Michael Fedisson was chosen by a committee of his peers for his leadership and extraordinary contributions to his school, students and community.  As a graduate of Bellefonte Area High School himself, he started his career at Bellefonte Middle as a 7^th grade English Language Arts teacher in 2003.  Fedisson is now a candidate for the National Secondary Principal of the Year.

WOMAN ARRESTED TRYING TO VISIT INMATE

A Philadelphia woman who was trying to visit an inmate at SCI Coal Township, was arrested last month after a K-9 officer alerted staff to the presence of drugs.  According to state police at Stonington, 31 year old Bahtia Greene was signing in when staff called state police to conduct a search of her and her vehicle which turned up narcotics and paraphernalia.  She faces two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct obscene language and has a preliminary hearing June 11^th.

UPGRADES PLANNED FOR WATER METERS IN CITY

A grant has been given to the Lycoming Water and Sewer Authority that will upgrade customer meters with an advanced system and smart meters that will allow the authority to get meter information in real time.  According to the Sun Gazette, during the authority’s monthly meeting, the grant totaling 360 thousand dollars was approved from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s Consumptive Use Mitigation program and will be able to use the new technology to read meters monthly instead of quarterly, allowing them to detect leaks sooner within the Limestone water system, while also using new system pressure and flow monitoring devices.

PA LEGISLATORS ADDRESS CONCERNS OVER SENIOR CARE

Legislators in Harrisburg are considering their response to the concerns from those who care for seniors, that there is underfunding of nursing homes and long term care facilities as the elderly population in Pennsylvania continues to grow.  According to statistics on aging, by 2030, 1-in-5 Pennsylvanians will be 65 or older, and advocates for the elderly say Medicare reimbursement rates don’t match what it actually costs to provide care with the funding gap allegedly more than a billion dollars.  Those who are 85 and older is the fastest growing population in the Commonwealth.

LOW FLYING DRILL PROPOSAL CANCELLED

The proposal to use the PA Wilds Region by the Maryland Air National Guard so they could conduct training drills at a minimum of 170 days out of the year at low altitude has been rescinded.  According to the Lock Haven Express, the proposal has faced opposition from Senator John Fetterman, Senator  Bob Casey as well as the Clinton County Commissioners, who held a webinar last May to encourage public comment, for or against the Duke Military Operating Area.  The 13-county Pennsylvania Wilds region contains the greatest concentration of public lands in PA and accounts for $1.8 billion in tourism.

SPORTS

MLB
Guardians 4         Angels  1
Pirates  5              Rockies  3
Yankees  5                     Tigers  2
Nationals  11        Blue Jays  8
Rays  7                 Mets  6
Red Sox  9                     Twins  2
Dodgers  5                     Braves  1
Orioles  11                     Reds 1
MLB Today
Giants  vs Phillies  4:05pm
Detroit vs Cleveland 6:10pm FS1
LA Angels  vs Pirates  6:40pm

NBA Playoffs
Cavaliers  106      Magic  94  CLE wins series 4-3
NBA Tonight
Pacers vs Knicks 7:30pm  TNT East Semi-finals Game 1
Timberwolves vs Nuggets  10pm  TNT  West Semi-finals Game 2  MIN leads 1-0

NHL Playoffs
Stars  2       Golden Knights 1  West 1^st Round  Game 7 DAL wins series  4-3
Rangers  4  Hurricanes  3  East 2^nd Round Game 1  NYR leads 1-0
NHL Tonight
Bruins vs Panthers 8pm ESPN  East 2^nd Round Game 1 

NASCAR
Kyle Larson got the photo finish at Kansas Speedway Sunday finishing a thousandth of a second before Chris Buescher at the Advent Health 400.  Chase Elliot was 3^rd  Martin Truex Jr 4^th and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top 5

Horse Racing
* At the 150^th Kentucky Derby Satruday, Mystik Dan was first to the wire in front of 156,710 at Churchill Downs, the largest Derby crowd since 2018.
* Sierra Leone took 2^nd by a nose, with Forever Young was another nose back in third. It was the closest three-horse photo finish since 1947