CRASH CAUSED BY MEDICAL EMERGENCY

A truck crash that blocked the northbound lane of  Route 287 in Pine Township last Thursday morning was allegedly caused by a medical emergency.  According to the Sun Gazette, 64 year old  Richard L. Masorti of Flemington was traveling southbound on Route 287 around 11am when he failed to negotiate a curve and swerved between the north and southbound lanes before the truck turned on its passenger side, sliding south along the northbound guiderail.  Police say Masorti was not wearing a seatbelt and sustained minor injuries from the crash, but that a medical issue may have been the catalyst in the accident.  He was taken to Geisinger Jersey Shore for treatment and the truck had to be towed from the scene.  Morris Volunteer Fire Department responded to the wreck.   

SUSPECT IN 2021 SUNBURY MURDER WANTS CHANGE OF VENUE

The homeless man from Sunbury who is on trial for allegedly killing three people in 2021 from a dispute over a car deal, and who recently filed an unsuccessful motion that he hadn’t tried in a timely manner in Northumberland County court, wants a change of venue in a move to have the death penalty  against him dropped.  According to the Daily Item, a defense team for 26 year old Matthew Reed, who remains incarcerated,  asked for the hearing to be moved to benefit Reed’s emotional health and well-being.  A hearing will be scheduled on the venue change, with Reed’s trial tentatively scheduled for this fall.

PENNDOT PREPPING FOR BRIDGE PROJECT

This Thursday, a portion of the two-year roadway project will continue along Interstate 180 east and westbound in Montoursville Borough, and Loyalsock, Fairfield, and Muncy townships. According to PennDOT, a contractor will be performing repairs on a bridge joint on I-180 eastbound over the Muncy Creek in Muncy Township. Watch for the right  lane to be restricted between 7am and 2pm weather permitting.

SALVATION ARMY THRIFT STORE IN LOCK HAVEN CLOSING

After years of operating losses the Salvation Army in Lock haven has made the decision to close the thrift store on East Main Street as of May 18^th.  According to the Lock Haven Express, the Salvation Army Lock Haven Corps says the location would need thousands of dollars in repair to continue to operate safely, and that they are seeking partnerships with other community organizations to continue to provide essential services to those who have come to rely on the Salvation Army there.  Find the Lock Haven Corps online for information or questions easternus.salvationarmy.org  /eastern-pennsylvania/lock-haven/.

MAN WHO THREATENED TENANT GIVEN JAIL TIME

The husband of the woman who was charged and sentenced  last fall for terroristic threats, simple assault, and firearms charges for threatening a tenant while trying to evict them in Dunnstable township, was given 20-84 months in jail last week.  According to North Central PA dot com , police say 54 year old William Laubscher and his wife Candy, who was sentenced to 144 months in prison on the same charges, had begun eviction proceedings against the tenant but allegedly chose to enter the residence and threaten the 19 year old woman who lived  there. The Laubschers fled from Pennsylvania while released on bail and later were found in North Carolina last July before being brought back to Lycoming County to face trial.

MAN ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGED STRANGULATION

A Montgomery man was charged with strangulation, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, DUI and other charges after police say he assaulted a woman while drunk at a home along State Route 15 and left the property.  According to North Central PA dot com, 33 year old Andrew Robert Buck, was arrested at the Sheetz in Montgomery about 11pm March 9^th after the victim called the police about the physical altercation that happened earlier in the day.  Buck admits to the DUI charges but denies that he assaulted the woman by strangulation,  He is being held at the Lycoming County Prison on $50,000 monetary bail.

BRIDGE WORK ON ROUTE 220 THIS WEEK

The bridge replacement and rehabilitation project will continue this week along Route 220 in Woodward Township during off peak hours . This project replaced the northbound structure carrying Route 220 over the Fourth Street off ramp and rehabilitated northbound structures over Antlers Lane and the Lycoming Valley Railroad during the 2023 construction season, and next week, there will be sign work along both the Route 220 northbound and southbound lanes in preparation for upcoming construction. The southbound structures are scheduled to be completed by this fall.

DIGITAL SAFETY PROGRAM AT LEWISBURG HIGH SCHOOL

An agent from the Federal bureau of investigation will be the guest presenting a special program at Lewisburg Area High School on April 16 to learn more about digital safety for middle schoolers According to the Daily Item, parents and guardians who participate will learn valuable tips about online safety for youth, using social media and apps; recognizing dangerous situations and types of communication trends.  The event hosted by Transitions of PA will be at 6 p.m. April 16 at the high school auditorium on Newman Road in Lewisburg.

SPORTS

PIAA HS Sports
Softball
Loyalsock Township  23      Lewisburg  1

NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness
Thursday, March 28 Sweet 16/ East & West
(6) Clemson  vs (2) Arizona 7pm CBS
(5) San  Diego State  vs (1) UConn  7:30pm TBS/TruTv
(4) Alabama  vs (1) UNC 9:30pm CBS
(3) Illinois vs (2) Iowa State 10pm TBS TruTv

NBA
Cavaliers 115     Hornets  92
Hawks  120         Celtics  118
Knicks  124        Pistons  99
Nets  96               Raptors  88
Wizards  107      Bulls 105
Spurs 104           Suns  102
Kings  108          76ers  96
NBA Tonight
LA Lakers  vs Milwaukee Bucks  7:30pm TNT
Dallas vs Sacramento  10pm TNTNHL
Golden Knights 2        Blues  1
Kings  3                        Canucks  2
NHL Tonight
Flyers vs NY Rangers  7pm
Hurricanes vs Penguins  7pm
Red Wings vs Capitals  7pm
Devils vs Maple Leafs 7:30pm ESPN+/Hulu

MAN WHO VIOLATED PFA IN RENOVO THREATENS AGAIN

A Renovo man who was arrested in February and ordered to stay away from an Allison Township residence due to a previous PFA, was arrested again for threatening to kill a woman with her own gun March 6^th.  According to North Central PA dot com, 31 year old Adam Shaffer went to the vicitm’s home along the 900 block of Renovo Road just after he had been released from prison from his previous charge. Shaffer had her gun when the victim arrived, and fired it inside her home several times during an argument.  The woman eventually escaped and was able to call 911.  Police arrived and took Shaffer into custody.

JUDGE SAYS HOMICIDE SUSPECT IS DETAINED LEGALLY

A Mount Carmel man was recently denied a Rule 600 motion after being accused of attempted homicide in 2022.  According to the Daily Item, lawyers for 38 year old Bruce Thompson argued that he was not brought to trial by the state Attorney General’s Office within 180 days, but the judge determined that the state was in the required timeline over the past two years because of filings by the defense.  Thompson was arrested after he allegedly shot at a victim in May of 2022 along South Poplar Street in Sunbury and then fled causing a crash at Second and Plum streets.  Police charged Thompson with felony attempted homicide, and other assault charges. He remains in Northumberland County Jail.

FIRE IN DUSHORE DISPLACES EIGHT

Eight tenants were displaced Tuesday after a fire broke out in a multi unit Victorian along Route 487 in Dushore.  According to the Sun Gazette, a safety officer for the Mildred Volunteer Fire Company was nearby and noticed smoke coming from the structure around the same time the call was dispatched just after noon, and he assisted in getting the residents out of the home.  Firefighters discovered flames in a second floor apartment bathroom and extinguished the fire within 15 minutes.   There was water damage to the home at 201 Bernice Road, but officials say most tenants should be back in their apartment within a few weeks.  The Red Cross is assisting the families who were displaced.

ROAD WORK IN COLUMBIA COUNTY SCHEDULED TODAY

There is a lane restriction this week on I-80 eastbound in Scott Township, Columbia County, for a soil remediation project due to a previous crash.  A contractor will be working today eastbound at mile marker 237, just east of the Buckhorn interchange.  Watch for the left lane and shoulder to be restricted between the hours of 8am and 5pm weather permitting.

SOUTHSIDE WOMAN ARRESTED AFTER AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR

A woman from South Williamsport was arrested by police after she originally called them to complain about her neighbors causing a disturbance, but after a confrontation with the officers she was arrested and taken into custody. According to the Sun Gazette, Megan Butler called police last Wednesday evening saying she feared for her life from her neighbor’s harassment, but when police questioned the neighbors, they showed a video of Butler yelling toward them from out of an open upstairs window.  When police asked her to stop yelling, Butler raised he voice at officers and began acting aggressively, even striking an officer with a metal exterior door before she resisted arrest and had to be carried to the police cruiser.  She was jailed at Lycoming County Prison in lieu of 50 thousand dollars bail.

INMATE FLUSHED BEDSHEETS

A Northumberland County Prison inmate is facing a felony count of institutional vandalism and misdemeanor criminal mischief after he flushed bedsheets down the toilet to force officers to move him from his cell.  According to North Central PA dot com, 19 year old James Heller told officers he would find a way to make them move his location, and allegedly caused the sewer backup before he admitted to the incident.  A plumber found the sheets in the sewer system which cost almost 5 hundred dollar to reapir.  Heller awaits an arraignment in Northumberland County Court.

TARGET TO LIMIT SELF-CHECKOUT

Over 2000 Target locations nationwide are changing the way they offer check-out lanes in their stores.  According to North Cetnral PA dot com, since their Express Self-Checkout came about during the COVID-19 pandemic, store executives said they expanded the service.  They are now making a change back to more traditional check-out experiences according to corporate.target.com.  One change includes limiting express self check-out to 10 items or less as well as expanding traditional lanes staffed by employees.

CONTRACT APPROVED TO FIND NEW POLICE CHIEF

A $6,000 contract to assist in finding a new police chief was approved by the Buffalo Valley Regional Police Commission last week. According to the Daily Item, the contract with the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association was approved to find a successor to current police chief Paul Yost. Yost plans to retire this coming January after holding the position since 2012. The association has a 30-day period to accept applications for a hiring process that can take as long as four months to complete.

SPORTS

PIAA HS Sports
Softball
Mifflinburg 13               Selinsgrove  3
Baseball
So. Columbia 10            Lewisburg  1
Boys Lacrosse 
Lewisburg 21                 Mifflinburg  0
Selinsgrove 22               Lake-Lehman  3

NBA

Magic  112          Hornets  92
Rockets  137       Wizards  114
Pelicans 104       Nets  91
Mavericks 113  Spurs  107
Nuggets  115      Timberwolves  112

NBA Tonight
Milwaukee vs  Boston  7:30pm ESPN
Phila 76ers vs Phoenix Suns 10pm
Memphis vs Golden Stater  10pm ESPN

NHL
Bruins  6             Senators 2
Red Wings 4       Blue Jackets 3
Devils  5              Penguins  2
Jets  4                  Rangers  2
Flyers  4              Maple Leafs 3
Hurricanes  4      Islanders  1
Oilers  3              Canadiens 2 OT

NHL Tonight
Toronto  Maple Leafs vs Washington  Capitals 7:30pm TNT
Minnesota Wild vs LA Kings  10pm TNT

NHL News
Former NHL winger Chris Simon has died at 52. In a statement, his family revealed their belief that Simon suffered from CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy)  which contributed to his death by suicide Tuesday.  Simon spent the bulk of his career with the Washington Capitals and scored a career-high 29 goals and 49 points during the 1999-2000 season. He would also play for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, Islanders and Minnesota Wild over his career.