LOYALSOCK SCHOOL CLOSED AFTER WEEKEND SHOOTINGS

Loyalsock Township School District has closed today out of an abundance of caution after a series of incidents over the weekend involving the fatal shooting of a 15 year old Williamsport Area School District student Saturday night and another shooting without injuries reported in Loyalsock Township Sunday night.  According to the Sun Gazette, it is not known whether the two shootings are related at this time.  In the second shooting that happened around 1500 Randall Circle in Loyalsock Township at about 10:30pm last night, no injuries were reported, and no one is in custody at this time.

WILLIAMSPORT TEEN DEAD FROM SATURDAY SHOOTING

The Williamsport School District has taken to social media to express their sadness and sympathy to the family and friends of the 15 year old Williamsport High School student who was killed Saturday evening in a parking lot along East Third Street in Loyalsock Township.  According to North Central PA dot com, according to State police at Montoursville who responded to the scene shortly after the shooting Saturday around 6:30pm, the suspects are still at large and they are actively investigating the incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact PSP Montoursville at 570 368-5700.

HUGHESVILLE SETS DEADLINE FOR SIDEWALK REPAIR

Hughesville Borough Council last week set a deadline for property owners to comply with a recently implemented sidewalk improvement plan ordinance.  According to the Sun Gazette, as part of the first phase of the four-year plan homeowners are tasked with replacing or repairing their sidewalks and have until June 30^th to complete it.  Those who do not make the deadline with the improvement may face fins between 100 and one thousand dollars.  Hughesville Borough’s next meeting is March 11^th.

FORMER PITTSBURGH PIRATE, ED OTT, DEAD AT 72

A local sports icon has passed away, Muncy native and World Series champion Ed Ott died Sunday in Danville at the age of 72.   According to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review  Ott grew up in Lycoming County, wrestled and played American Legion baseball before the Pirates drafted him in the 23rd round in 1970.  He was a key member of the Pittsburgh Pirates that won the World Series in 1979 and appeared at the annual Williamsport Crosscutters Hot Stove Banquet this past January. Ott is survived by his wife, Sue and daughter, Michelle.

DETAILS FROM SATURDAY’S LOYALSOCK TOWNSHIP SHOOTING

State police in Lycoming County are investigating a fatal shooting in Loyalsock Township near Williamsport around 6pm Saturday in the area of East 3rd Street in the parking lot of TGI Fridays restaurant and the Kentucky Fried Chicken.  According to WNEP, Lycoming County Coroner Chuck Kiessling Jr confirmed a 15 year old from Williamsport Area High School died later at the hospital as a result of injuries sustained. An autopsy has been scheduled.  Reports from State Police say this is an active shooting investigation and further information will be provided as it becomes available.

SHOTS ALSO FIRED IN LOYALSOCK TOWNSHIP SUNDAY

A second incident of shots fired brought State Police to Loyalsock Township last night as well.  According to the Sun Gazette, just over 24 hours after the teenager was killed along East Third Street, police were called to the 1500 block of Randall Circle, but no one was injured, and no suspects were taken into custody.  Police did not say if the incidents are related, but spent several hours collecting ballistics evidence at the scene with Loyalsock Township Fire Co Volunteers who assisted with lighting of the crime scene.  Loyalsock Twp. School District is closed today.

MUNCY MAN FACING MORE SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES

Another victim stepped forward on Friday, adding to the stack of charges mounting for a Muncy man.  According to the Sun Gazette, as Timothy Darren Stoud Sr. faces over one thousand criminal charges for allegedly molesting five victims, he now faces even more sexual assault charges. State police say, the additional victim reported Stroud sexually assaulted him over a five-year period which began December 2013, and 20 more counts of sexual offenses have been added to Stroud’s case. District Judge Denise Deiter originally held Stroud with no bail, but a common pleas judge amended the bail to 50 thousand dollars.  Stroud has not been able to post that amount. His preliminary hearing is scheduled April 9^th.

PENNDOT WILL WORK ON SOIL REMEDIATION TODAY

A soil remediation project is set to take place starting today  in White Deer Township after a recent vehicle crash along I-80.  According to PennDOT, a contractor will be working on Interstate 80 eastbound at mile marker 209.5, west of the Route 15 interchange.  The Union County work will be performed between the hours of 8:30am and 5pm, weather permitting and motorists should expect minor delays.  Go to 511PA dot com for road conditions 24/7.

ONLINE ASSESMENT FOR LOW INCOME NEEDS

An online assessment survey is available for people in low-income households and communities throughout Northumberland, Columbia, and Montour counties, and Central Susquehanna Opportunities is seeking their feedback.  According to the Daily Item, the results from the assessment will guide planning, decision-making, programs and services provided for people who live in households with income below 200% of the federal poverty level.  Go to csocares.org/cna by the end of April to participate.

SPORTS

PIAA HS Basketball Saturday (3/2)
Girls Class 3A Championship
 Hughesville 38 Loyalsock 34
    Consolation  Bloomsburg  30  Troy  24
Boys  Class 3A Championship
Loyalsock 67  Troy  57 
   Consolation  So. Columbia 64  Warrior  Run 51

PIAA HS Basketball Next Saturday
Boys 3A First Round
Troy at Trinity  (3pm at Trinity)
Mid Valley at Loyalsock (4pm) 
Southern Columbia at Forest Hills (3pm)

Boys 2A First Round

Claysburg Kimmel at Muncy (5pm)

Northwest at Mahanoy Area (3pm)

St John Neumann at Lanc. Menn (1pm) 


HS Girls Friday
Girls 2A First Round
Lancaster Mennonite at Muncy (7pm)
Wyalusing at Holy Cross ( 7pm)
Marian Catholic at Northeast Bradford (7pm)

Girls 3A First Round

Bloomsburg at Holy Redeemer (7pm)

Loyalsock vs Columbia (7pm at Penn Manor HS)

Hughesville vs Dunmore  (6pm at Danville)

NASCAR
Kyle Larson won his second consecutive race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday, giving Rick Hendrick his second victory in the first three NASCAR Cup Series races of the season.

Tyler Reddick was 2^nd, Ryan Blaney 3^rd, Ross Chastain  4^th and Ty Gibbs rounded out the Top 5.

NBA
76ers 120             Mavericks 116
Celtics  140          Warriors  88
Clippers  89                   Timberwolves 88
Magic  113                     Pistons  91
Raptors  111        Hornets 106
Knicks  107          Cavaliers  98
Spurs 117            Pacers  105
Thunder  118       Suns  110
NHL
Coyotes  5                      Capitals  2
Kings  5                Devils  1
Jets 5                    Sabres 2
Wild  4                 Sharks  3
Canucks  2                     Ducks  1
Oilers  6               Penguins  1
NHL Tonight
Boston vs Toronto  7pm
Florida vs NY Rangers  7pmSt Louis vs Phila 76ers 7pm
Vegas  vs Columbus 7pm

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