RAPE CASE AGAINST MUNCY MAN HELD FOR TRIAL

Accusers took the stand in the preliminary hearing of the rape trial of Timothy Darren Stroud Sr. yesterday in Lycoming County Court, presenting testimony that resulted in over a thousand counts against him held for trial.  According to court records the 54 year old Muncy man heard victims describing to the court the encounters with the man, which has him facing 1,019 sexual crimes.  Stroud was arrested February 22^nd after investigators were alerted to his behavior last December and opened an investigation into the sexual assault case.

PENNDOT REOPENS SOME ROADS AFTER HEAVY SNOW

PennDOT has reopened several roadways that had downed trees and utilities after  heavy snow hit the region early Tuesday morning.  Jack Hollo Road between Bennardi Development Road and Mosquito Valley Road is cleared of trees in Armstrong Township, and Route 554 between Route 15 in South Williamsport and Elimsport Road has reopened today.  In Northumberland County, Musser Lane is reopened between Dugan Road and the Lycoming County Line in Delaware Township. Penn DOT announced this morning that Beauty’s Run Road, Pine Run Road, Spook Hollow Road in Piatt Township, Little Pine Creek Road in Pine Township are now reopened.  However, Route 864 between Railroad street and Laurel Run Road in Picture Rocks Borough is still closed for downed utilities.

GOVERNOR SHAPIRO DELIVERS PA BUDGET

Governor Josh Shapiro delivered his first budget yesterday to a joint session of the House and Senate in Harrisburg, boosting spending for public schools but proposing no increases in income or sales tax.  According to the Sun Gazette, Shapiro’s administration wants to increase spending by 6 percent and also invest in building the economy by pulling in about 2 billion dollars from reserves.  The budget will require approval from the Legislature.  Shapiro also asked lawmakers to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour next year from the federal minimum of $7.25.

LOCAL SOCCER LEAGUE HOLDING TRYOUTS

Men and women who want to play in the United Premiere Soccer league with the Williamsport Lions for their second season are invited to tryout this Saturday.  According to the Lions website, women’s tryouts are at 9am at Liberty Arena in downtown Williamsport and men’s team tryouts will start after at 10:30 til noon.  The Williamsport Lions men’s team won the 2022 UPSL D1 South Championship and finished their first season undefeated. A $25 dollar fee is required with registration online; citylionssc.com.

SECOND SUSPECT ARRESTED IN 2020 WILLIAMSPORT MURDER

Another man from Williamsport has been arrested for his connection in the murder of 18 year old Semaj Mozee that occurred in October of 2020 in Williamsport as a result of alleged gang activity.  According to the Sun Gazette, 22 year old Rocellus Carter was taken into custody Monday at his Randall Circle home for being seen running from the murder scene with the alleged gunman who shot Mozee who later died at the hospital.  Seneca Martin Mitchell Jr. was taken into custody last Wednesday and automatically jailed on his charges.  Carter was also charged with second degree murder, conspiracy and related offenses.  He was also automatically jailed at Lycoming County Prison.

LYCOMING COUNTY WOMAN IN FEDERAL COURT FOR DRUG CASE

A Muncy woman is one of 57 defendants charged in a federal narcotics case that could put each of them behind bars for at least ten years.  According to the Sun Gazette, after multiple investigations by agents from the FBI and Homeland Security into gang violence in Pennsylvania, Ashley Weston was included allegedly selling to undercover agents and participating in drug trafficking activity recorded through court ordered wire-taps.  The investigation broadened to reveal a scheme that stretched across the US and into Mexico that involved over 2 million fentanyl pills and more than 400 pounds of methamphetamine.  Weston is the only defendant listed in the suit from Lycoming County.

FUNERAL SERVICE FOR MIDDLEBURG BOY FRIDAY

Funeral services are scheduled for one of the two teen brothers from Middleburg who died in a car accident on Route 104 in Perry Township Monday morning.  According to media outlets, 17 year old  Josiah M. Wenger and his 14 year old brother Gabriel Wenger were killed in the accident after losing control on the hill near Kelsey Lane.  According to the Daily Item, Josiah will be laid to rest this Friday morning  after visitation services tomorrow from 2-4pm and from 6-8pm  at Morningstar Church of God in Christ, in Mifflinburg.  No word on funeral arrangements for Gabriel.

PEAK TIMES FOR SNOW GEESE HAPPENED EARLY

The Pennsylvania Game Commission reports that expected peak numbers of snow geese have occurred a month early according to the officials who estimate their numbers at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.  According to Penn Live, the peak happened around the end of January with 79 thousand snow geese and almost 2 thousand tundra swans.  The peak number of Canadian Geese stopping at the Lebanon and Lancaster County facilities peaked in February 17^th at about 2 thousand 250 birds.

SPORTS

PIAA State Basketball Championships 1^st Round Friday 3/10
Boys Class 1A
North Penn Liberty vs Linville Hill Christian @ Manheim Township HS 7pm
LaAcademia @ Sullivan County 7pm
Boys Class 4A
Eastern York @Danville 7pm
Shamokin Area @ Valley View 7pm
Littlestown @ Lewisburg 7:30pm
Girls Class 2A
Lancaster Mennonite @ South Williamsport 7pm
Northern Lehigh @ Line Mountain 7pm
Girls Class 3A
Bloomsburg @ Dunmore 7pm
Holy Redeemer @ Mount Carmel 7pm

NBA
76ers 117             Timberwolves 94
Bucks 134           Magic 123
Wizards 119         Pistons 117
Hornets 112         Knicks 105
Nets 118               Rockets 96
Thunder 137        Warriors 128
Mavericks 120     Jazz 116  
Lakers 112           Grizzlies 103

NHL
Penguins 5           Blue Jackets 4
Lightning 5           Flyers 2
Panthers 2            Golden Knights 1
Hurricanes 4         Canadiens 3
Maple Leafs 4      Devils 3
Islanders 3           Sabers 2
Flames 1               Wild 0
Coyote 6              Blues 2
Avalanche 6         Sharks 0
Kraken 5              Ducks 2

NCAA Men’s Basketball
Gonzaga 77                  St Mary’s 51
Gonzaga secures the West Coast Conference.

NCAA Men’s Today
The 2^nd Round in the New York Life ACC tournament
 Pitt vs Georgia Tech in Greensboro, NC at 2:30pm on ESPN

FATAL CRASH IN LOYALSOCK TOWNSHIP

Police have not yet released the name of the person involved in the fatal crash that happened early Sunday in Loyalsock Township.  According to the Pennsylvania State police at Montoursville, troopers had initiated a traffic stop at about 12:54am along I-180 in Williamsport and the driver then fled the away from police and was involved in an accident.  The driver was pronounced dead at the scene according to the Lycoming County Coroner.  An investigation is ongoing.

MAN FLOWN TO ALLENTOWN WITH BURN INJURIES

A Lycoming Township man is being treated for injuries he suffered after his mobile home caught fire Saturday at 1970 Beech Street.  According to the Sun Gazette, Lycoming Regional Police say 38year old Dustin Hargenrader escaped his burning home by breaking a front door window and crawling out of the home that was filled with black smoke according to witnesses who called 911 about 2:45 pm.  Volunteer fire companies from Hepburn Township, Old Lycoming Township, Trout Run and DuBoistown responded to the fire that took about 30  minutes to get under control.  Hagenrader was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown.

INDIANA FUGITIVE CAPTURED IN JERSEY SHORE

A 46 year old man wanted in Indiana was taken into custody during an unrelated traffic stop in Jersey Shore on Saturday.  According to Lycoming Regional Police, they initiated a stop for a traffic violation along the 800 block of Allegheny Street and while interviewing the driver, could not get a positive identity of his passenger who said he had no ID. Police then requested a search of the vehicle, which turned up a bag of suspected methamphetamine and an Indiana driver’s license for Stephen Dale McMullen, of Plainfield, Indiana, the passenger, who was discovered to be a fugitive from justice.  He was charged with giving false identification to police and drug offenses, and was committed to Lycoming County Prison on 100 thousand dollars bail.

BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY LOOKING FOR NEW BASKETBALL COACH

Bucknell director of athletics and recreation Jermaine Truax announced last week that Nathan Davis will be leaving the program to pursue other opportunities following eight seasons as head coach of the men’s basketball program. Davis compiled a 129-115 record during his eight seasons as head coach and guided the Bison to NCAA tournament appearances in 2017 and 2018. He also served a five-year stint as an assistant coach at Bucknell from 2003-08. Bucknell will immediately launch a national search to identify the next head coach of the men’s basketball program.

MAN THREATENS LIQUOR STORE EMPLOYEE, STABS BYSTANDER

A Middleburg man faces criminal attempted murder of the first degree and other felonies after he threated a state store employee and attacked a bystander Saturday morning.  According to Mifflinburg Police report that around 10:30 am, Barry Eugene Kline entered the Mifflinburg Fine Wine and Good Spirits Store in the Chestnut Street Plaza and took a bottle of rum, while displaying a knife to the store attendant.  Police say Kline and stabbed a victim in the back before fleeing and was later taken into custody without incident. The unnamed victim was transported and remains in stable condition at the Geisinger Medical Center. Kline is incarcerated at the Union County Jail with his bail set at $250,000.

EXPLOSIVE ITEM FOUND AT STATE COLLEGE AIRPORT

A suspicious item was found in the University Park Airport last Saturday evening causing an evacuation on the same day thousands of college students were leaving State College for Spring Break. According to the  Center Daily Times, the item, found in a piece of checked luggage on Friday evening around 6:30 pm shut down operations and grounded flights. Hours later, Penn State Police issued a statement just ahead of 11 pm and advised the hazardous device team was able to “render safe” the bag and its contents. Normal flight operations resumed Sunday  at 4 am.

NEW LYCOMING COUNTY DEPUTY CORONER

Lycoming County Commissioners have approved the addition of Kathryn Kiessling as the Lycoming County Chief Deputy Coroner. As reported by the SUN Gazette, the position of Chief Deputy Coroner was open due to the unexpected passing of Jerrold Ross in January. Kiessling leaves her position as administrative assistant in the coroner’s office and will assume her new role on March 5.  The Lycoming County Commissioners will meet again on March 9^th at 10 am.

RUFFED GROUSE STUDY

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking the public’s help in conducting a genetics study for the Pennsylvania state bird – the Ruffed Grouse – in cooperation with Pennsylvania State University. The Game Commission is encouraging Pennsylvanians to report the location of any “tame” grouse they see this spring by sending an email to the Game Commission with the date of the sighting, location of the encounter and a description of the grouse’s behavior – they should also include their name and phone number. For more details see the Pa Game Commission website.

SPORTS

P I-AA District 4 Basketball – Saturday
Boys – Class 3A Championship
Troy 50 North Penn Mansfield
Girls – Class 3A Championship
Mount Carmel 37  Loyalsock 32

NCAA Men’s Basketball
Senior Day at the Jordan Center yesterday, Penn State came back from 15 points down with only 12 minutes to go … Cam Wynter hit the game winning shot with under a second to go, for a dramatic 65-64 win over number 21 Maryland.  The Nittany Lions head to Chicago next for the Big Ten tournament on Thursday. 

Penn State 65     Maryland 64
Houston 67         Memphis 65
Purdue 76           Illinois 71
Indiana 75                    Michigan 73 OT

NFL
Mill Hall native Robbie Gould says he won’t return to kick for the San Francisco 49ers and plans to test free agency.  Gould is 10th all-time in points scored during his 18 year career, including 6 with the 49ers. 

NBA
Suns 130              Mavericks 126
Pacers 125           Bulls 122  
Lakers 113           Warriors 105
Nets 102               Hornets 86
Trailblazers 122   Magic 119
Rockets 142         Spurs 110
Thunder 129        Jazz 119
Knicks 131                     Celtics 129 2OT
Bucks 117           Wizards 111
Clippers 135        Grizzlies 129

NHL
Flyers 3                          Red Wings 1
Hurricanes 6                  Lightning 0
Golden Knights 4                     Canadians 3
Devils 5                         Coyotes 4
Kraken 3                        Avalanche 2

NASCAR
William Byron captured the checkered flag in overtime yesterday in Las Vegas at the Pennzoil 400, edging out Kyle Larson who was 2^nd followed by Alex Bowman in a 1-2-3 for Hendrick Motorsports. Bubba Wallace was 4^th and Christopher Bell 5^th.

WILLIAMSPORT MAN ARRESTED FOR 2020 HOMICIDE IN CITY

A Williamsport man was taken into custody yesterday for the homicide of a one-time friend in October of 2020.  According to the Sun Gazette, police say following an investigation, 21 year old Seneca Martin Mitchell Jr. was the primary suspect in the shooting of 18 year old Semaj Mozee at a Campbell Street apartment in what police say was motivated by rival gang activity.  Mitchell was arraigned on criminal homicide, aggravated assault and other charges.  He was incarcerated in Lycoming County Prison on no bail.

FIBER OPTIC NETWORK COMING SOON TO WILLIAMSPORT

Within two months, the Greater Williamsport area will see the beginning stages of a fiber-optic network being constructed as part of a multi-year expansion to extend high speed internet to rural areas.  According to the Sun Gazette Mayor Derek Slaughter expressed enthusiasm about the choices of high –speed internet that FastBridge Fiber will bring to businesses and residents in Williamsport.  According to Eric Warren, the CEO of FiberBridge, unlike cable networks, the proposed fiber-optic network expected in Williamsport is considered “future proof”.

PENNDOT SEEKS INPUT FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

PennDOT is anticipating a busy 2023 with several new transportation projects as well as the continuance of projects from 2022.  According to a press release,  the department anticipates investing more than $275 million this year in PennDOT Engineering projects.  Work will include the southern section of the CSVT project, which is roughly 6-miles of new four-lane, limited-access highway connecting Route 11/15 north of Selinsgrove to Route 15 and the CSVT Northern Section south of Winfield.  Other projects in Lycoming County include resurfacing a 13 mile area of I-180 in Muncy Township, Route 220 bridge improvement in Williamsport and bridge replacement over Bennett’s Run.

BIG FENTANYL BUST IN PENNSYLVANIA

A drug bust in Pittsburgh last week by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Narcotics Enforcement Team seized an estimated 48 thousand doses of fentanyl and took a massive amount of the dangerous drug off the streets.  According to North Central PA dot com, the street value of 962 bricks of the drug was estimated at over 288 thousand dollars.  Police say the traffickers who were using the bus system in the Commonwealth to move the contraband, were caught through a joint collaboration between police in Pittsburgh, New York City and Philadelphia.  Two men were taken into custody.

SAFETY ZONE AVAILABLE IN DUBOISTOWN

For over a year now, Duboistown has provided a Safe Exchange Zone for the public to use while exchanging kids between custodial parents, for internet shopping transactions with strangers or for any reason they might need a safe place to meet-up.  According to  North Central PA dot com,  the public can utilize the parking spot behind the  Duboistown Borough office at any time since the borough council last year voted unanimously to provide the safety area that has 24 hour police surveillance.  Duboistown is the only municipality in our area to provide a safety zone, but they encourage every community to consider one.

TRANSPORTATION SURVEY FOR THE PUBLIC

Penn DOT and the State Transportation Commission  is asking for your feedback to help update Pennsylvania’s 12 year program.  The public comment period for the update is going on now and  continues through Sunday, April 30. Those residents who want to participate can go to penndot.pa.gov to will help identify needs and prioritize transportation projects across the state.  PennDOT will also host an online public forum on Wednesday, April 12, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM so Pennsylvanians can ask transportation-related questions to PennDOT leadership and members of the STC during the public forum. The Transportation Performance Report (TPR) is a is updated every two years.

WILLIAMSPORT SALVATION ARMY NEEDS FOOD DONATIONS

The Salvation Army in Williamsport is struggling to meet the food supply needs of the almost 200 families who rely on them for relief each month.  According to WNEP,   The Salvation Army gets food from the local food bank and donations, but with high demand across the region the shelves empty faster than they can fill them.  The Williamsport offices are accepting food donations of cereal, soups, pasta, including hamburger helper as well as dairy and meat donations.  The public can go to the Salvation Army on Market Street in Williamsport or drop off donations at the YMCA in Williamsport.

SPORTS

P I-AA District 4 Boys Basketball Playoffs
Class A Finals
Sullivan County 52      Northumberland Christian 41
Class AA Finals
Muncy 65                      St. John Neumann 54
Class AA Consolation  
Northwest 64                 South Williamsport 40
Girls Basketball
Class A Consolation
Lourdes Regional 48      N.P. Liberty 35
Class 3A semifinals
Mount Carmel 60                    Southern Columbia 56
Loyalsock 40                 Bloomsburg 36

GIRLS
Class A Finals Tonight 6pm
St. John Neumann vs Meadowbrook Christian @ Milton HS
Class AA Finals Tonight 7:30pm
South Williamsport vs Line Mountain @ Milton HS
Class AA Consolation Tonight 7pm
Northeast Bradford vs Northwest @ SullivanCo.
BOYS
Class A Consolation Tonight 7pm
Galeton vs N.P. Liberty  @ Wellsboro HS
Class 3A Final Saturday 7pm
Mansfield vs Troy @ Mansfield University
Class AAA Consolation Friday at 6pm
Loyalsock vs Warrior Run @ Montoursville HS

NBA
76ers 119             Heat 96
Suns 105              Hornets 91
Bulls 117              Pistons 115
Celtics 117           Cavaliers 113
Knicks 142           Nets 118
Grizzlies 113        Rockets 99
Bucks 139           Magic 117
Lakers 123           Thunder 117
Pelicans 121         Blazers 110
NHL
Rangers 3                    Flyers 2
Oilers 5                        Maple Leafs 2
Stars 4                         Coyotes 2
Devils 7                       Avalanche 5
Capitals 3                    Ducks 2
Golden Knights 3 Hurricanes 2
NCAA Men’s Basketball last night
Alabama 90                    Auburn 85
TCU 75                Texas 73
Gonzaga 104        Chicago State 65
Kansas State 85   Oklahoma 69  
UConn 88            Depaul 59
Xavier 94             Providence 89
Ohio State 73       Maryland 62
Vanderbilt 68       Kentucky 66
Notre Dame 88  Pittsburgh 81

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY STILL IN PLACE

Another day of wintry weather with the Winter Weather Advisory in place til 11 am this morning with several schools on two and three hour delays this morning. The weather forecaster’s call tomorrow the first day of meteorological Spring – March 1^st – and temperatures are on the rise according to Accuweather.  Even so, as we deal with the precipitation, PennDOT Crews will be treating roads in the region until roads are clear. 

ONE RESCUED FROM HOUSE FIRE MONDAY

One person was rescued from a fire Monday morning in Shamokin.  According to media outlets, Northumberland County communications said volunteers were called to a fire that broke out around 4am yesterday at a home on East Commerce Street where flames were coming through the roof at the time of first responders’ arrival. The victim in the fire was successfully pulled from the home and treated for minor injuries at the scene and will be helped by the American Red Cross.  The Sunbury ladder truck assisted along with crews from Shamokin, Coal Township, Kulpmont, Elysburg and Overlook.

TROUT RUN MAN ARRESTED FOR THEFT

A Trout Run man has been charged with felony burglary, theft and receiving stolen property after he allegedly stole over 22 thousand dollars-worth of cash and other items from his brother’s home in Cogan House Township and attempted to use the money for a down payment on a used truck at a dealership in Mansfield last August.  According to the Sun Gazette, PA State Police say Cody Short was recently arraigned for the cash theft as well for the alleged theft of power tools and four guns as well as a 2007 Jeep Wrangler which was later found abandoned.  Short was released on 50 thousand dollars bail.

LEGISLATION TO KEEP DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

As we face spring forward soon, a Pennsylvania State Senator representing Berks and Lancaster County has re-introduced legislation to make Daylight Saving Time Permanent.  According to WHTM, Senator Scott Martin says the State Senate Government Committee previously passed a resolution and that the US Senate previously approved the Sunshine Protection Act or 2021, but it did not pass in the house.  At this time, 29 state have legislation on the books to end the annual Fall Back, Spring forward routine.  We spring ahead one hour in Pennsylvania March 12^th .

JERSEY SHORE FAMILY IN TROUBLE AFTER DISPUTE

A Jersey Shore woman is now facing charges after she got involved in an altercation that one of two of her brothers had between himself and a neighbor in January.  According to the Sun Gazette, police say 46 year old Amanda Cooper drove onto the property at the 100 block of Whyne Road as her brother, 44 year old Adam Worden, III, was joined by another brother, 41 year old Kris Worden, who were both involved in an argument that escalated to an alleged assault on the State Troopers who initially arrived on the scene.  Cooper allegedly ignored trooper’s orders to stop her vehicle during the incident, putting police in danger of being hit by her vehicle.  Both Worden brothers were arrested Janaury 7^th and face further court action.  Cooper was now also arraigned on assault charges, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.

ARIZONA MAN ARRESTED IN WILLIAMSPORT FOR PUBLIC DRUNKENESS

A 30 year old man from Tucson Arizona was arrested for public drunkenness in Williamsport February 11^th .  According to the Sun Gazette, police say Dylan Helm was heavily intoxicated and threw a skateboard at a parked vehicle at the 300 block of Laurel Street.  When authorities arrived around 11:30pm they said Helm refused to be handcuffed and required assistance to stand up. Helm is now is free on 5 thousand dollars bail after waiving his preliminary hearing. 

RENOVATIONS FOR CITY HOUSING

Eight units managed by the Lycoming Housing Authority in Williamsport will be upgraded after bids for the materials for countertops and cabinets were approved this month.  According to the Sun Gazette, Your Building Center had the successful bid of just over 39 thousand dollars.  The renovations are necessary after the housing units were not ADA compliant.  Units at the William Hepburn High Rise, the Peter Herdic High Rise and Robert Montgomery Homes will see the kitchen and bathroom renovations that will accommodate wheelchairs. The lowest bid for the building project without the materials was 647,571 dollars.

UNION COUNTY SEEKING LIVING WWII VETERANS

The volunteers who worked to gather names for the Union County World War II Honor Roll in the Mifflinburg Community Park are working now to locate any living veterans among the 2,260 who are listed on the permanent monument.  According to the Standard-Journal, Volunteer Doug Walter and his father-in-law, Al Hess along with World War II veteran Drew Machamer created the idea for the now 20 year old memorial that rests between the Little League fields and community swimming pool at the park. To provide the name of a World War II veteran from Union County who is still living, contact Walter at 570-713-8919 or e-mail at [email protected].

SPORTS

P I-AA District 4 Basketball Playoffs Tonight
Boys Class 3A
Warrior Run vs Troy @ Montoursville HS 6:30pm
Loyalsock vs Mansfield @Montoursville HS 8pm
Class 4A
Lewisburg vs Shamokin @Danville HS 6:30pm
Athens vs Danville @Montoursville HS at 5 PM

Girls Class 4A
Lewisburg vs Jersey shore @ Danville HS 5pm
Shamokin vs Central Columbia @ Danville HS 8pm


NBA
Heat 101             76ers 99
Hornets 117        Pistons 106  
Knicks 109         Celtics 94
Mgic 101            Pelicans 93

NHL
Senator 6             Redwings 2
Canucks 5           Stars 4
Bruins 3              Oilers 2
Avalanche 3        Golden Knights 0
Ducks 4               Blackhawks 2

NCAA Men’s Basketball
Baylor 74            Oklahoma State 68

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

A winter weather advisory for the region will be in place this morning starting at about 10am until 3pm today.   Penn DOT Crews will be treating roads in the in north central PA during the storm and advise those who have to travel to be cautious where road surfaces, bridge decks and overpasses are icy and to use 511pa dot com to check road conditions. According to the National Weather service, Lycoming and surrounding counties could see up to an inch of snow and ice accumulations. 

SUSPECT IN CLEARFIELD COUNTY ROBBERY APPREHENDED

The Centre County man who police have sought since a robbery at the Fuel On convenience store in Chester Hill in Clearfield County has been captured.  According to State Police at Lamar, residents in the Green Township area were advised to shelter in place last Thursday after 32 year old Craig Steven Hauke-Miller of Lamont had fled on foot from a traffic accident and police released a be on the lookout for alert Friday.  Hauke-Miller was taken into custody after police located him at a home in Huston Township Clearfield County after 9pm Sunday.

LYCO DA SEEKS INPUT FROM AMISH PASSENGERS IN VAN CRASH

The District Attorney in Lycoming County is interested in speaking with the Amish people involved in the tractor trailer crash that occurred last November on I-180 in Montoursville .  According to PennLive, the Amish people from Mifflin County were passengers in a van driven by Richard Spoonire of Hagerstown, Maryland, when he attempted to use the crossover on the interstate and allegedly pulled in front of a rig driven by a man from Lancaster County, causing an accident that caused fatal injuries to Spoonire’s wife and injured the other passengers.  Because the Amish don’t use personal phones, DA Ryan Gardner is reaching out by letter and considering sending a detective to get input on whether to press charges.

BELOVED WASD MUSIC TEACHER PASSES

A former music educator, Albert J Nacinovich of Lewisburg, who spent his entire career teaching all levels of music at Williamsport Area High School passed away peacefully Saturday surrounded by family.  He was 83.  According to the Sun Gazette, Mr. Nacinovich earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education at Mansfield State College in 1960, and completed a Masters in Music Education at Ithaca College in 1965; retiring in 1996.  Nacinovich was the conductor of the Repasz band from 1982 until 2019.  An 11am mass to honor Mr Nacinovich will be held February 23^rd at St Boniface Catholic Church.

COUPLE ESCAPES DUBOISTOWN FIRE

A couple from Duboistown narrowly escaped a fire that destroyed their Cochran Avenue home early Tuesday morning.  According to the Sun Gazette, a neighbor who noticed the flames engulfing the back of the house around 2am, helped  44 year old David Fackler and 37 year old Carissa Oblock climb from their bedroom window. Firefighters from DuBoistown were assisted by multiple local fire companies to battle the blaze that took about an hour to control.  The couple who is being helped by the American Red Cross,  were treated at UPMC Williamsport for smoke inhalation.  The fire marshal said the blaze began in the area of an enclosed back porch, and there was about 200 thousand dollars damage.

HOMICIDE CHARGES DISMISSED IN INFANT DEATH

A Williamsport woman may only serve four years in state prison for felony assault and child endangerment after a judge dismissed homicide charges following the death of her 5 month old daughter in January of 2021.  According to North Central PA dot com, court records indicate 24 year old Corrie Shanikah Cowlay-Saunders may have been suffering from post-partum depression when she was first accused in the death of her child.  After an investigation, there was no physical evidence incriminating Cowlay-Saunders and the Lycoming County coroner determined the death to be of unknown causes.

GUN DISCOVERED ON STUDENT VISITING SHAMOKIN SCHOOL

Coal Township Police were called to Shamokin Area Middle and High School yesterday morning after a student was found to have a firearm in their backpack.  According to a statement by Shamokin Superintendent Chris Venna, school staff discovered the weapon and took appropriate protocols to notify administration, parents and police.  The student, who is an out-of-district student from the Mount Carmel Area schools attending a program at Shamokin, was removed from the school campus.  There were no injuries and the students and staff continued the regular school day after the incident.

STAR PARTY TO BE HELD AT RIDER PARK

There will be a star party hosted by the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania March 25^th at Rider Park in Lycoming County.  According to the Sun Gazette, the FCFP will bring in physics students from Lycoming College to interpret the night sky on the night of a new moon when they say it should be dark enough to see lots of stars.  This family friendly event is free but require pre-registration by emailing FCFP at FCFP partnership dot org.  Directions to the park are at riderpark.org.

SPORTS

PIAA District 4 Basketball Playoffs
Class 2A Girls
South Williamsport 69            Wyalusing 38
Northeast Bradford 55           Canton 31
Line Mountain 41                   Muncy 33
Class A Boys
Northumberland Christian 66 Meadowbrook Christian 17
Galeton 44                              Cowanesque Valley 42
Sullivan County 68                 Bucktail 36
North Penn Liberty 51            Lourdes Regional 50
NHL
Oilers 4               Flyers 2
Hurricanes 4       Blues 1
Canadians 5        Devils 2
Lightning 6         Ducks 1
Red Wings 3       Capitals 1
Maple leaf 6        Sabers 3
Wild 2                 Kings 1     
Predators 5          Canucks 4          
Blackhawks 3     Golden Knights 2

NCAA Men’s Basketball  
Texas 72                       Iowa State 54
Kansas State 75            Baylor 65
Marquette 73                Creighton 71
Texas A&M 68            Tennessee 63
Miami 76                      Virginia Tech 70
Villanova 64                Xavier 63
Michigan State 80       Indiana 65
San Diego State 77      Colorado State 58

No NBA until Thursday when the 76ers host the Grizzlies at 7:30 on TNT followed by the Warriors and Lakers at 10 PM