BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS FEBRUARY 28, 2024

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 23rd for which they are accepting gift basket or gift card donations through March 16th.  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 24th 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 10th 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 8th.  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

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS FEBRUARY 27, 2024

AUTOPSY SCHEDULED AFTER FATAL STABBING

An autopsy is scheduled this week for a Montandon-area man who was pronounced dead at 5:35am Saturday at Geisinger Medical Center.  Police, and the Montour County coroner are investigating the death and treating it as homicide.  State police at Milton say 22-year-old Preston Robert Bennett stabbed 28 year old Kyle Christensen Friday night in West Chillisquaque Township, and Bennet was taken into custody Saturday.  The Northumberland County District Attorney is also involved in the investigation.  If you have information about the case, email [email protected].

MAN ARRESTED FOR OUTSTANDING WARRANTS AT TRAFFIC STOP

A Lewisburg man was taken into custody after police discovered he had several outstanding warrants during a traffic stop in Watsontown.  According to North Central PA dot com, 51 year old Cornelius McMullen Sr. was pulled over along the 100 block of Canal Street just before 4pm last Tuesday where police had a Union County Sheriff’s Office bench warrant validated for McMullen.  He was taken to  Union County Prison for charges of drug possession and theft. 

EVANGELICAL TO BE REPLACED BY WELLSPAN HEALTH SYSTEM

At a press conference yesterday, executives from Evangelical Community Hospital announced a partnership with another existing health system, WellSpan Health who have eight other facilities in South Central PA and northern Maryland.  According to Kendra Aucker, Evangelical Community Hospital President and CEO,  the rising costs, along with shrinking reimbursements from Medicaid and Medicare along with other concerns outlines a model that isn’t sustainable.  Aucker said WellSpan is expected to invest more than $100 million in Evangelical over the next three years and the partnership won’t bring about many changes in operations.  Evangelical sustained an operating loss of $2.5 million in 2022 and a $19 million loss last year.

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN GRAD AND NFL KICKER TAKES COACHING JOB

A Central Mountain High School graduate who was a Lock Haven native and former NFL kicker has been named the new head football coach at Rolling Meadows High School, just northwest of Chicago.  According to Clinton County Sports dot com, Robbie Gould spent six seasons with the 49ers along with runs with the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, and was known for his clutch kicks and game-winning field goals, but will be challenged as he transitions to coaching. Rolling Meadows had a 2-7 season last year.

DRUG TASK FORCE TAKES MOUNT CARMEL MAN INTO CUSTODY

The Pennsylvania State Police Special Emergency Response Team along with the Northumberland-Montour County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant Saturday in Mount Carmel and took one man into custody.  According to the News Item, 38 year old Corey Cannon of North Chestnut Street was arrested after officers entered his home and discovered several pounds of drugs and stolen firearms, among other items.  Cannon was arraigned Saturday night and committed to Northumberland County Jail in lieu of $150,000 cash bail.

SUSPECT STILL AT LARGE AFTER ESCAPING STAND-OFF

A man wanted in Texas is now also wanted in Sunbury after a short stand-off with police who misidentified the suspect inside a North Fourth Street residence.  According to the Daily Item, Police were called to the Sunbury home just after 5pm Sunday for a disturbance and took a woman into custody as they searched for suspect, Barry Beaver.  Police stood in wait outside the home for about 90 minutes and then discovered another man was inside who they thought was Beaver – but he had escaped the residence.   Police seized heroin and methamphetamine once they entered the home, and the investigation continues. 

HANOVER BALD EAGLE PAIR LAY ONE EGG SO FAR

The nesting pair of Bald Eagles in Hanover have laid the first egg of the nesting season of 2024.  According to North Cetnral PA dot com, Duke and Duchess who are the eagle couple featured on a live stream cam provided by the PA Game Commission at HD OnTap dot com, may lay a second or third egg in the coming weeks as Eagles generally lay eggs in February, but are a bit late this season.  The former residents of the Hanover next, Freedom and Liberty successfully raised several nest-fulls of eaglets.  Eagle parents generally destroy nonviable eggs.

SEEDLING SALE IN UNION COUNTY

There are seedlings for sale by the Union County Conservation District who are taking orders until April 12th.  According to the Daily Item, White Spruce, Ponderosa Pine, Eastern White Pine, Red Bud, Tulip Poplar, Chestnut Oak, Red Oak and Winterberry seedlings are available to be purchased in bundles of 10 and picked up April 24th and 25th.  A soil test kit is available for $10 each along with stake and tubes for $5 each. Information is available at unioncountypa.org under the Conservation District department’s page.

SPORTS

PIAA D4 BASKETBALL Tonight
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

Danville vs Lewisburg, 730pm  Both games @ Shikellamy HS

Girls
TRIPLE A SEMIFINALS 

Loyalsock vs Bloomsburg at Milton, 6pm

Hughesville vs Troy at Williamsport, 6pm 


NBA
Raptors  130        Pacers  122
Knicks  113          Pistons 111
Nets  111              Grizzlies  86
Heat  121             Kings  110
NBA Tonight
Dallas vs Cleveland  7pm
Brooklyn vs Orlando  7pm
Golden State Washington  7pm
76ers  vs Boston Celtics  7:30pm TNT
New Orleans vs NY Knicks  7:30pm
Houston vs Oklahoma City  10pm TNT

NCAA Men’s Basketball
North Carolina 75         Miami  71
Baylor  62                      TCU  54
 
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tonight
Cincinnati vs (1) Houston)  7pm ESPN2
(16)Kentucky  vs Mississippi State  7pm ESPN
BYU vs (7)Kansas ESPN+

NHL
Capitals 6                  Senators  3
Islanders  3               Stars  2
Oilers  4                     Kings  2
Kraken  4                  Bruins  3
NHL Tonight
Buffalo vs Florida  7pm HULU/ESPN+
Pittsburgh vs Vancouver  10pm
New Jersey vs  San Jose  10:30pm

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS FEBRUARY 26, 2024

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 20th.  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 27th 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 4th, 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 

BACKYARD BROADCASTING LOCAL NEWS FEBRUARY 23, 2024

WOMAN CHARGED WITH PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS

A woman from Shamokin Dam was arrested February 9th after police were called to assist her from a restaurant where she had been kicked out for being drunk and belligerent.  According to North Central PA dot com, 37 year old Trisha R. Phillips yelled at police and threatened to blow up and burn them with a Roman Candle after they escorted her to her hotel room, where she was then taken into custody.  Phillips was taken to Evangelical Community Hospital for evaluation, and was then charged with disorderly conduct, defiant criminal trespass, summaries of public drunkenness and more. She has a preliminary hearing on March 25th in Selinsgrove.

BEST BUY THIEF IDENTIFIED

The man who recently stole items from the Best Buy store in Selinsgrove, has been identified by police.  According to Centre County law enforcement, 42-year-old Raymond Walker of Newark, New Jersey is the man police say is on camera breaking into a display at the electronics store and taking video cameras from the store.  An unidentified female is with Walker during the videos, but police have not identified her.  Walker was nabbed February 10th when police pulled him over for a traffic violation in a stolen vehicle, and a best buy bag was in his front seat.

NEW BATTERY RECYCLING PROGRAM

Officials from Lycoming County Resource Management Services, in response to several fires they dealt with last summer from lithium batteries discarded in the landfill, has announced the implementation of a new battery recycling program.  Starting next Friday, residents are encouraged to bring their used and discarded batteries directly to the landfill for safe recycling and proper handling.  Batteries they will accept include alkaline, lithium, nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries battery-containing items, and damaged batteries. They will not accept car batteries, vapes, or large items with batteries.Go to lcrms.com/batteries for more information.

PEACEFUL UNITY STAND-IN IN SUNBURY SATURDAY

As a counter move to the group of “White Lives Matter” protestors who gathered on Saturday Feb. 17 in Sunbury, a Unity rally is planned for this Saturday at the intersection of Front and Market Streets.  According to North Central PA dot com, on the Facebook page of Stay Sunbury Informed and Beyond there is information about the peaceful stand-in that comes as a response to the masked individuals who gathered last weekend waving Nazi themed American flags carrying signs calling for one race and an end to immigration. Particpants in the Unity rally tomorrow are encouraged to bring signs about unity as a community and as a nation.  The Sunbury event begins at 10am.

BARN FIRE UNDER INVESTIGATION IN CATAWISSA

There was a barn fire in Catawissa Wednesday. According to Media outlets, the structure housed a meat market 500 block of Pfaler Street. Firefighters arrived at the structure around 2:30pm and found it fully engulfed in flames.  The fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the Columbia County blaze.  No people or animals were injured, but the barn has been declared a total loss. 

TWO-CAR CRASH IN FLEMINGTON BOROUGH

A two vehicle crash slowed the traffic and brought crews of first responders Tuesday morning about 8am to the intersection of Center Alley and Irwin Street in Flemington Borough.  According to the Lock Haven Express, a juvenile was one of the drivers of the crashed vehicles who had suspected injuries after airbags deployed during the accident.  Lock Haven City police said Keystone Central school buses were able to navigate through the area to pick up students on the route.  The scene was cleaned up just before 7am.  Flemington Goodwill Hose EMS and Citizen Hose Fire Company responded.

ANNUAL SPRING DROP-OFF PLANNED MIFFLINBURG

Mifflinburg residents will be able to bring their waste materials, yard waste, and more to the borough’s maintenance facility noon to 8 p.m. April 24 thru 26 and from 8 a.m. to noon April 27  at the recycling center, 6 Industrial Park Road, Mifflinburg for the Annual Spring Drop-Off.  Items brought during this time will be transferred to the Lycoming County Landfill, so recyclables, tires, paint, shellac, varnish, batteries, and some electronics cannot be accepted.  There will be a fee assessed for any items that contain refrigerant, proof of residency is required.

VIRTUAL BASS FISHING PROGRAM IN MARCH

There will be another virtual fishing program in March for residents of Pennsylvania, this time about bass fishing.  According to Fish and boat dot com, PFBC staff and trained Fishing Skills Instructors will hold the FREE, virtual program, designed to introduce you to the basics of bass fishing, including bass species in Pennsylvania, the gear required to fish for bass and next level bass fishing.  The virtual event is Wednesday March 13th from 6:30pm to 8pm.

SPORTS

PIAA District 4 Basketball playoffs
Boys  Class 3A
Troy 64                Mount Carmel 45
Loyalsock 67        Hughesville 44
Warrior Run 50    North Penn-Mansfield 47
So.Columbia 64   Wellsboro 54
Class 6A Sub-Regional
Scranton 54                   Williamsport 45
Girls
Class 6A Sub-Regional
Williamsport 50   Wyoming Valley West 49

NBA
Magic  116                     Cavaliers 109
Pacers 129            Pistons  115
Knicks  110                   76ers  96
Raptors  121        Nets  93
Celtics  129          Bulls  112
Nuggets  130        Wizards 110
Warriors  128       Lakers  110

NHL
Senators  4           Stars  1
Capitals  5            Lightning  3
Rangers  5  Devils  1
Penguins  4  Canadiens  1
Blues  4      Islanders  0
Flames  3    Bruins  2NCAA Men’s Basketball
(3)Purdue  96            Rutgers  68
(21)Washington State  77  (4)Arizona  74

NCAA Women’s Basketball
(2)Ohio State 82       Penn State 69
Duke 58                     (17)Syracuse  45
(19)Notre Dame  74  Clemson  47
North Carolina  80  (6)NC State  70

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