PERSON OF INTEREST IN CITY SHOOTING NOW CHARGED WITH FORGERY

More information has come to light about the man who was taken into custody as a person of interest after the fatal shooting of two contracted security personnel at Lycoming Engines near Terrace place in Williamsport January 12^th. According to the Sun Gazette, Troy Bailey, Sr. is now facing felony charges of forgery, identity theft and theft by deception plus one misdemeanor charge of false statements after it was discovered that he has been using his son’s social security number and other information to gain employment and receive payment at local businesses, including at Lycoming Engines.  His son, Troy Bailey Jr., is serving a life sentence for murder at this time. One of the victims of the shooting, Alisha Seese, had filed a PFA against Bailey Sr. before the shooting.  Bailey’s charges surrounding the shooting have been sealed by a judge from the media and the public.  No one has been charged in the January 12^th shooting.

TWO MEN CHARGED WITH SHOPLIFTING

Two Pennsdale residents have been charged with felony shoplifting after police say they conspired to steal from Wegmans at 201 William St in Williamsport.  According to the Sun Gazette, 48 year old Matthew J. Fry and 38 year old Chanel Nate Elliot, took over 12 hundred dollars in merchandise from the store on February 23rd.  They were arrested that Friday and arraigned Sunday before they were each released on 20 thousand dollars bail.

GROUP WHO OPPOSES PLASTICS PLANT HOLDS PUBLIC MEETING

A public meeting was held last night by The Save our Susquehanna group who is fighting the proposed Encina plastics recycling plant planned for along Route 11 in Point Township.  According to the Daily item, the event hosted almost 100 people who came to ask questions about the impacts of the proposed plant on the Susquehanna, health effects, property values and other risks and issues.  There were no representatives from Encina at the event, and some said the meeting was political and not fair. Get information about the effort at Save Our Susquehanna.org.

WIND ADVISORY EXPIRES FOR NORTH CENTRAL PA

The wind advisory that has been in place overnight is set to expire at 7am this morning.  According to PPL they have been prepared for outages in anticipation of high winds compromising trees which can bring down utility lines.  At this time in the region, the PPL outage map is showing less than 100 customers dealing with power outages at this time, so the expected damage has not come to fruition overnight for areas of Lycoming and Northumberland Counties.  Officials from the electric company say they have hundreds of workers ready to respond in the event that there is a widespread outage from any wind damage that could happen through this evening before the storm moves out.

WOMAN CHARGED FOR UNDER-RINGING GROCERIES

A Williamsport woman was arrested after she continually stole groceries at an East Third Street grocery store over three months.  According to North Central PA dot com, 51 year old  Nataliya Goralnik was allegedly seen over 17 times on video surveillance under-ringing items at a self-checkout line and after one instance, was photographed leaving in her car by a grocery store employee.  Goralnik was identified by through vehicle sale records and denied involvement in the theft.  She is being charged with a first-degree misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property and two counts of retail theft.

MAN ARRESTED FOR CHILD ENDANGERMENT

A man who lived in Old Lycoming Township is facing child endangerment charges after he allegedly left his 4 year old son alone at home July 23^rd .  According to the Sun Gazette, 29 year old Sean Edward Patillo drove away from his home and was stopped by police for an expired registration.  Through the conversation, Patillo told officers that his son was home alone, before they found that the man had a warrant for his arrest out of Philadelphia.  When officers searched Patillo’s home, they found the boy alone, and drugs and drug paraphernalia out within reach of the child.  The 4 year old was put in protective custody before his mother came to pick him up.  Patillo was recently arraigned and jailed in lieu if 25 thousand dollars bail.

HIKING BOOK TO FEATURE PA WILDS REGION

A hiking book that is expected to highlight key trails and vistas in the PA Wilds region is under development as the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship and the Keystone Trails Association have teamed up for the project.  According to the PA Wilds Center there are more than 2 million acres spanning more than 1,600 miles of trails in the region, and the publication they will provide will include trails across all 13 counties, meant to complement other hiking books that are focused on specific parts of the region or certain experiences.  The book is expected to be available for purchase in 2025 through 2026.

DANVILLE CEMETERY TO COLLECT WREATHS

National Wreaths Across America Day happened  Saturday, December 16 at over 4,225 participating locations across the country, including Arlington National Cemetery.  But locally we are now looking to collect the wreaths after the holiday period.  One place that will be collecting wreaths this Saturday is at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Danville. Go to wreaths across America dot org to find more volunteer opportunities for collecting wreaths this weekend.

SPORTS

PIAA District 4 Basketball
Boys
Class 1 A Championship
Bucktail 57  Galeton  49
            Consolation:  Northumberland Christian  75  NP Liberty  48
Class 2A Championship
Muncy  49  St John Neumann  48
            Consolation : Northwest Area 62  Line Mountain  49
Girls
Class 4A 
            Consolation:  Lewisburg  49  Shamokin  42
HS Basketball Tonight
Girls Class A Championship  Both@ Montoursville HS
Meadowbrook Christian vs St John Neumann 7:30pm
            Consolation:  Lourdes Regional vs Bucktail  6pm

NCAA Men’s Basketball
(4)Tennessee  92                     (11) Auburn  84
(5) Marquette  91                    Providence  69
(6) Arizona 85                         Arizona State  67
(10) Duke  84                          Louisville  59
(12) Creighton   85                  Seton Hall  64
(14) Alabama  103                  Ole Miss 88

NBA
Pacers 123                     Pelicans  114
Mavericks  136    Raptors  125
Timberwolves  110  Grizzlies   101
Bulls  132             Cavaliers 123
Nuggets  117        Kings  96
Lakers  116          Clippers  112
NBA Tonight
Golden State vs NY Knicks  7:30pm TNT

NHL
Rangers  4  Blue Jackets 1
Oilers  3      Blues 2
NHL Tonight
Islanders vs Red Wings 7pm
Hurricanes vs Blue Jackets  7pm ESPN /Hulu
Penguins vs Kraken  10pm

JERSEY SHORE FOSTER MOTHER CHARGED WITH ABUSE

A Jersey Shore woman who was a temporary foster parent for a 5 year-old child who was disabled, was arraigned this week on felony counts of physical abuse of the child.  According to the Sun Gazette, 24 year old Jeanette Nicole Hunsberger faces multiple felony and misdemeanor counts of abuse after an investigation showed the non-verbal child had injuries consistent with physical abuse allegedly suffered in the Anthony Township home. According to police, the child’s parent’s raised concerns that their child was being abused by Hunsberger.  She was released on 50 thousand dollars bail.

COAL TOWNSHIP MAN ARRESTED AFTER VIOLATING PFA

A Coal Township man was arrested after he recently violated a PFA filed against him. According to the Sun Gazette, police say 22 year old Dylan Lubrant first cased the home of his victim then blocked her from driving away in her car, before he forcibly removed her from the vehicle.  Lubrant then pried a cell phone from the woman’s hand and drove away in a reckless manner almost striking her.  Police took the man into custody and he was arraigned and sent to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of 15 thousand dollars bail.

NEW DOWNTOWN MANAGER FOR SHAMOKIN

The City of Shamokin and Shamokin Area Economic Development Authority have appointed Justin Bainbridge as the new Downtown Manager, thanks to grant funding from the Department of Community and Economic Development, including the Act 47 Implementation Grant and the Appalachian Regional Commission grant.  The Downtown Manager position is integral to driving Shamokin’s revitalization efforts for the next three years. The partnership also ensures ongoing support and coordination from the SEDA-COG, reinforcing the commitment to sustained revitalization efforts.

FUNDRAISER PLANNED FOR THE IRION FAMILY

The loss of a Montoursville man from a UTV accident last weekend has brought the community together to support John Irion’s family with an upcoming fundraiser. According to social media post by Antlers on the Water, a benefit will be held March 23^rd for which they are accepting gift basket or gift card donations through March 16^th.  Local musicians have also donated their time for the event.  There is a Go Fund Me account for the “Irion Family” started by a member of the Montoursville community to help offset other costs at this difficult time of loss.

MAN JAILED FOR DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN UNION COUNTY

Police arrested a 22 year old Winfield man after he allegedly fought with police officers February 24^th at a Union County business.  According to the Standard Journal, Coal Inch of New Berlin Highway faces with felony aggravated assault charges as well as a misdemeanor of evading arrest, harassment and disorderly conduct for the incident that happened last Saturday around 12:30am at a local business in East Buffalo Township.

HIGH VALUE ITEMS STOLEN FROM COIN COLLECTOR

A local man who deals and collects coins and currency was robbed of a collection of items that were inside his vehicle while parked along Blair Street February 10^th in Loyalsock Township.  According to the Sun Gazette, the unnamed victim of the theft, lost over 280 thousand dollars-worth of coins and silver bars and about 4 thousand dollars in cash when the suspect or suspects gained access to the man’s 2017 Ford van.  Call state police if you have any information about the theft 570-368-5700.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS SEEKS A LIFEGUARD FOR THEIR SWIM TEAM

Special Olympics of Lycoming County is seeking to hire a certified lifeguard for the advanced group of their program that practices Monday evenings from the end of February until the end of May.  According to North Central PA dot com, practices and competitions are usually held at the River Valley Regional YMCA Williamsport Branch on Walnut Street in Williamsport.  If you would like to apply as a certified lifeguard for Special Olympics PA Lycoming County, email [email protected] or reach them through Facebook.

GIRL SCOUT COOKIE MEGA DROP SATURDAY IN LEWISBURG

Girl Scout cookies are to be distributed starting this weekend after a mega drop is scheduled at the Lewisburg National Guard at 4700 Westbranch Highway.  According to the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, the Lewisburg drop is one of four sites across PA that also will have cookie drop-off points, and will be going from 8:30am until noon on Saturday, with Girl Scout Cookie Booths expected to open on Friday, March 8^th.  Customers can find a nearby cookie booth by entering a zip code into the Girl Scout cookie finder, and can also donate cookies to Soldier’s Angels that go directly to active duty servicemen and women.

SPORTS
PIAA D4 HS Basketball Playoffs
Boys
Class 3A Semi-finals
Loyalsock 64        Warrior Run 55
Troy 70                Southern Columbia 68

Class 4A Semi-finals
Shamokin 69        Central Columbia 46
Danville 58           Lewisburg 31

Girls
Class 3A Semi-finals
Loyalsock 57        Bloomsburg 21
Hughesville 55     Troy 40

NCAA Men’s Basketball
(1)Houston  67     Cincinnati  59
BYU  76               (7)Kansas  68
(16) Kentucky  91  Mississippi  State 89

NCAA Men’s Basketball tonight
(11) Auburn  vs (4) Tennessee  7pm ESPN2
Louisville vs (10) Duke 7pm ACCN
Seton Hall vs (12)Creighton 9pm FS1
(14) Alabama vs Ole Miss  9pm ESPN2

NBA
Cavaliers 121       Mavericks  119
Magic  108                     Nets   81
Warriors  123       Wizards  112
Celtics 117                     76ers  99
Pelicans  115        Knicks  92
Pistons 105                    Bulls 95
Bucks  123                     Hornets  85
NBA Tonight
Pelicans  vs Pacers  7:30pm ESPN
Lakers vs Clippers  10pm ESPN
NHL
Red Wings 8         Capitals  3
Flyers  6               Lightning  2
Predators 4           Senators  1
Penguins  4           Canucks  3
Devils  7               Sharks  2

NHL Tonight
Columbus vs New York Rangers  7pm
St Louis vs Edmonton  8:30pm TNT

FATAL UTV CRASH SATURDAY IN MILL CREEK TOWNSHIP

A UTV crash on Burns Road in Mill Creek Township took the life of a Montoursville man Saturday.  According to the Sun Gazette, State police say 44 year old John Irion  was traveling west on Burns Road about 10:30pm and ran into a south shoulder ditch, and as he continued to attempt to correct the Polaris UTV, hit a second ditch on the north side of the road when the vehicle overturned on him.  The Lycoming County Coroner pronounced Irion dead at the scene.  Volunteers from Picture Rocks and Pennsdale responded to the crash and had cleared the accident by 1am.

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR DISTURBANCE AT YMCA

A woman caused a disturbance at the Williamsport YMCA and was arrested on February 20^th.  According to the Sun Gazette, police were called to the city branch of the Y when 39 year old Lindsay Allen allegedly was screaming and making loud noises in the gymnasium and locker room of the facility until they took her into custody, determining that she may have been under the influence of a controlled substance.  Upon a search, prescription drugs were found and Allen did not have a prescription for them.  She was charged with disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and possession.  She was jailed at Lycoming County Prison in lieu of 5 thousand dollars bail.

LYCO CONTROLLER FILES REQUEST FOR COURT COSTS

The Lycoming County Controller is seeking court costs from the extensive court battle that she recently won against the Lycoming County Commissioners. According to the SUN Gazette, Lycoming County Controller Krista Rogers filed an amended petition asking for over $120,000 in funds to cover her court and other costs, which have accumulated since 2021 when her legal battle over  the responsibility of fiscal functions within Lycoming County government began. The commissioners say they will review Roger’s petition to ensure its accuracy and reasonableness.

WARRIOR RUN SCHOOLS TO PARTNER WITH GEISINGER

Warrior Run School District and Geisinger have partnered to bring health and wellness lessons to its elementary students. According to the Daily Item, dozens of messages coverthe walls of hallways and other common areas encourage students to make decisions that benefit their physical and emotional health. The program was designed by the Geisinger ZING program in partnership with district officials and personalizes the messages to the students in the district.

SUNBURY HOME SEALED OFF, PERSON IN CUSTODY

Police in Sunbury have sealed off a residence and have taken one person into custody after a police incident Sunday night.  According to North Central PA dot com, the Sunbury Police Department posted on social media that a residence at 205 North Second Street is the location of the previous activity and that there is no danger to the public at this time.  They ask that the area remain clear and that updates on the situation are to follow as details become available.

ACCIDENT CLOSED ROUTE 87

State police are investigating a vehicle accident that occurred early Sunday morning and closed a portion of Route 87 in Fairfield Township.  According to PennDOT, the road remained closed until after 9am Sunday morning after the hit and run vehicle crash on Route 87 and Lyons Barr Road brought about detours for local traffic in the area.  If you have information about the crash that would assist State Police in the investigation, call 570-368-5700.

COLD CASE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

State Police at Rockview have another cold case from Centre County in 1991 that they continue to investigate and are looking for help from the public.  According to North Central PA dot com, 28 year old Brenda Condon went missing after midnight on February 27^th in 1991, when she worked as a bartender at Carl’s Bad Tavern north of Bellefonte, near Interstate 80. Condon leaving without telling anyone was uncharacteristic of the woman who left behind 2 children who lived with their father at the time of her disappearance.  If you have any information about incident call the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers Toll Free at 1-800-4PA-TIPS.

TROUT STOCKING IN THE COMMONWEALTH

Trout stocking has begun in hundreds of lakes and streams around the commonwealth.  According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, all stocked trout waters statewide will be closed to fishing until the opening day of trout season which begins on April 6th at 8:00 am, with the exception of Mentored Youth Trout Day on March 30.  Go to fishandboat.com for information about trout stocking schedules, regulations, and acquiring a fishing license.

SPORTS

NASCAR Sunday
*  Daniel Suárez barely edged out Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in a photo finish yesterday at Atlanta.
Austin Cindric was 4^th, Bubba Wallace rounded out the top 5.
*  It was the third-closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history, Atlanta’s closest finish, the closest finish at any 1.5-mile track, and the third-closest Cup finish since electronic scoring was established in 1993.

NBA Sunday
Bucks 119           76ers  98
Suns  123            Lakers 113
Pacers  133                     Mavericks  111
Cavaliers  114      Wizards  105
Bulls 114              Pelicans 106
Nuggets  119        Warriors  103
Jazz  128              Spurs  109

NCAA Men’s Basketball
Purdue  84                     Michigan 76
Marquette 88        Xavier  64
St Johns  80         Creighton  66
NCAA Men’s Basketball tonight
Miami  vs North Carolina  7pm ESPN
Baylor  vs TCU  9pm ESPN

NCAA Women’s Basketball
Notre Dame 79     Boston College 60
Ohio State 79       Maryland 66
Syracuse  63         Pittsburgh  53

PIAA D4 BASKETBALL – Tuesday 2/27

BOYS
TRIPLE A SEMIFINALS 

Loyalsock vs Warrior Run at Milton 730pm

Troy vs Southern Columbia at Williamsport, 730pm

QUAD A SEMIFINALS

Shamokin vs Central Columbia, 6pm @ Shikellamy

Danville vs Lewisburg, 730pm  @ Shikellamy

GIRLS TRIPLE A SEMIFINALS 

Loyalsock vs Bloomsburg at Milton, 6pm Hughesville vs Troy at Williamsport, 6pm