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 12^th.  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 24^th and 25^th.  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

WOMAN CHARGED WITH PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS

A woman from Shamokin Dam was arrested February 9^th 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 25^th 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 10^th 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 13^th 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