ICY CONDITIONS SHUT DOWN 220 THURSDAY

Picture Rocks fire crews responded to the icy conditions yesterday morning on Route 220 from Beaver Lake Road in Wolf Township to Route 42 in Muncy Valley and shut down the roadway for about two hours.  According to the Sun Gazette, about 30 cars spun out on the icy roadway north of Glen Mawr early Thursday morning with two separate accidents where one car went into a ditch and another went over an embankment on the winding road. Three other vehicles were damaged needing to be towed from the scene.  PennDOT salted the roadway improving conditions enough to reopen 220 just after 8am.

MUNCY TOWNSHIP SECRETARY SUDDENLY RESIGNS

The Muncy Township secretary has suddenly resigned this week after an exchange at the regular Muncy Township Supervisors meeting that brought several issues of bookkeeping, spending and whether it was even necessary to raise taxes to light.  According to the Sun Gazette, Gwen Pidcoe was hit with several accusations, which drove her to announce her resignation and leave the meeting.  A resident who is a retired CPA spoke to the board and said he didn’t want Pidcoe, who oversees the township finances to quit, but later advised the township to hire a part-time treasurer to take care of poor bookkeeping and inaccurate numbers that he noticed being recorded.

WILLIAMSPORT MAN FLED ACCIDENT FOLLOWING HIGH SPEED CHASE

A 35 year old Williamsport man has now been charged for felony fleeing after he took Pennsylvania State troopers through Williamsport on a high speed pursuit last April that began near Kramer Court and Center and ended in a crash at Hawthorne Avenue.  According to the Sun Gazette, Tyren Teageus-Landis crashed a 2011 Ford Escape into a utility pole and fled on foot.  Police searched the car and found the registration on the car expired and recovered 4.3 grams of cocaine from the vehicle as well.  He was recently held for court on the fleeing charge along with reckless endangerment and summary offenses for driving with a suspended license and is in jail in lieu of 50 thousand dollars bail.

OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

County-funded Skills of Central PA’s Summer Employment Program is seeking students with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are looking to transition into the work-force.  According to the Lock Haven Express, the program that runs in July and August is for students 14-21 who are transitioning out of high school and have a case open with the Lycoming Clinton Joinder Office.  Skills is one of the largest human service providers in central Pennsylvania, offering services in 17 counties and employing approximately 1,000 people in professional, clinical and direct support roles.  Get details skillsofcentralpa.org.

FORMER EVENT STAFF CHARGED WITH ASSAULT ON JUVENILE

Police have charged a former Jersey Shore Area School District event staff employee with assault and strangulation after he was seen tackling a juvenile and putting him in a choke hold at a basketball game on January 31^st.  According to  North Cetnral PA dot com, 61 year old Frederick Packard had called 911 when the juvenile was asked to leave the gym for swearing and refused, later running for the door and being pursued and held on the ground by Packard.  Lycoming Regional Police came to the school and escorted the teen off the property.  Packard is no longer employed by the school and has a preliminary hearing February 23^rd.

WOMAN WHO ABANDONED DOG CHARGED WITH FELONY

The woman who abandoned a German Shepherd in a locked crate in the parking lot of a Loyalsock Township business last Friday night in frigid temperatures has been charged with felony animal cruelty.  According to Pennsylvania State police, following an investigation, it was determined that the owner of the dog, that appeared malnourished and uncared-for was 24 year old Miranda Waldman of Williamsport.  Police at Montoursville carried out interviews with Waldman at the police barracks where they said she admitted to being the owner of the dog and leaving it behind.

TWO MEN IN ACCIDENT FOLLOWING TRAFFIC STOP

Two people suffered minor injuries and the driver of the vehicle charged after an accident where they fled from police earlier this week.  According to the Lock Haven Express, 19 year old Robert Devaul of North Bend crashed  a Ford F-250 Supercab truck  following his flight from a traffic stop at Haagen Lane and Meadow Lane in Beech Creek Township.  After the wreck, emergency crews treated the two suspects at the scene for minor injuries, and State police at Lamar took Devaul, who said he ran because of his suspended license, into custody.

CLINTON COUNTY RACING SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

A tentative schedule has been released by the Clinton County Fair association for the 2023 racing season which marks the 1/3 mile oval’s 35^th anniversary year.  According to North Central PA dot com, there will be two 410 Sprint Car events this July and August headlining the track’s special anniversary event with the season beginning April 16^th.  New events for 2023 include the Appalachian Mountains Super Late Model Series and The Hyper Racing 600 Speedweek in June and July.  Tickets are on sale until today for the annual Awards banquet February 25^th  at the Sugar Valley Volunteer Fire Company facility in Loganton.

SPORTS

High School Wrestling 

PIAA Team Championships in Hershey 

Double A – Round 1

Berks Catholic 38

Canton 15

Fort Leboeuf 33

Warrior Run 24 

Triple A – Round 1

Waynesburg Central 32

Shikellamy 27

Central Mountain 36

Cumberland Valley 29

Central Mountain takes on Hempfield Area in the quarterfinals this afternoon (FRI) at 2. 

Boys Basketball
Williamsport 72             Danville 51
Northwest 62                 Hughesville 43
St John Neumann 83     Jersey shore 47
Milton 57                       Warrior Run 56
N. Penn Mansfield 60    Athens 59
Nativity BVM 95                    Southern Columbia 86
Girls Basketball
Jersey Shore 45             Selinsgrove 22
Central Columbia 46     Loyalsock 42
Shamokin 55                 Warrior Run 37
Meadowbrook Christian 41 Millville 28

NBA
Magic 115            Nuggets 104
Hawks 116                    Suns 107
Nets 116               Bulls 105
Bucks 115            Lakers 106
NCAA Men’s Basketball
Purdue 87             Iowa 73  
Arizona 85           California 62  
UCLA 62             Oregon State 47
Loyola Marymount 78 Saint Mary’s 74
Gonzaga 99                    San Francisco 81

NHL  
Flyers 2                Oilers 1
Red Wings 2         Flames 1
Panthers 4            Sharks 1
Devils 3                Kracken 1
Lightning 5                    Avalanche 0  
Canucks 6            Islanders 5
Golden Knights 5           Wild 1

NFL
Super Bowl 57
Chiefs and Eagles in Glendale AZ Sunday at 6:30 on FOX
NFL News
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the clear winner of the Associated Press’ Most Valuable Player award last night at the NFL Honors program with 48 of 50 first-place votes – the other two went to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

It’s the second MVP award of Mahomes’ six-year career, making him the 10th player ever to win the award twice. 

SCHOOL BUS ACCIDENT YIELDS NO INJURIES

East and west bound I-180 dealt with lane closures after a Muncy School District bus and a Chevy Malibu were involved in an accident yesterday afternoon around 2:40pm.  There were less than a dozen students on the bus, and each one was evaluated at the scene by emergency personnel and each released to their parents who picked them up at the accident scene, no serious injuries were reported.  The driver of the Chevy was taken to UPMC Williamsport with moderate injuries.  Westbound traffic went down to one lane and eastbound traffic was rerouted as they cleaned up mud and debris from where the bus landed in the median following the crash.  All lanes of I-180 were re-opened by 4pm.

MORE CHARGES FOR COUPLE WHO STOLE DECORATIONS

The couple who were charged with stealing blow mold Christmas decorations are facing more charges after they were originally implicated in decoration thefts at other properties in the city last November.  According to the Sun Gazette, 34 year old Christopher Fraunfelter and 40 year old Lane Sarcinella of South Williamsport were charged with another misdemeanor after police say they had decorations from another home on Grant Street that were also recovered during the investigation.  Fraunfelter and Sarcinella were arraigned and released on bail.

FATHER OF MURDER SUSPECT TO FACE TRIAL

The father of a murder suspect in Sunbury who was arrested for shooting and killing 30-year-old Kareem Jakes in a Sunbury convenience store, will face trial in May for hindering the investigation.  According to the Daily Item Ajani Munsh Uche Uhuru  tried to conceal a vehicle his son had used after he fled the shooting at the Penn Jersey Mart last spring.  Northumberland County President Judge Paige Rosini set a trial for the elder Uhuru May 19^th.  The younger Uhuru who is jailed without bail, was in court last week and is awaiting a decision about whether there is enough evidence to proceed with the homicide charges.

NO ICE FOR THE TOBOGGAN SLIDE AGAIN THIS YEAR

The Eagles Mere toboggan slide has officially been canceled due to warm temperatures and lack of ice. An announcement on the event media page, eaglesmeretobogganslide.com, was posted Sunday.  According to Penn Live, the last time the race was run was in 2014, with COVID shutting the race down in 2021 and 2022 – but even with the pandemic, officials say the ice wasn’t thick enough to operate the slide.  The event is traditionally a fundraiser for the local fire companies in the region.

CRASH ON 220 IN FRONT OF HENRY’S BBQ

There was an accident in the northbound lanes of Route 220 yesterday in front of Henry’s BBQ just before 6pm.  According to the Sun Gazette, it was a two car accident and three people were injured in the wreck, each of which was taken by ambulance to UPMC Williamsport, their cars suffered minor damage.  According to Woodward Township Fire officials both lanes of 220 north were shut down for about 30 minutes, with one lane reopening around 6:30pm.

POTTER COUNTY MAN CHARGED WITH STRANGLING A CHILD

A man from Port Allegheny who police say strangled a child and intimidated witnesses about it last August, has been arrested.  According to North Central PA dot com, while driving along Route 6 near Creek Side Lane witnesses say Darren Connelly allegedly grabbed a child by the throat and pushed his face into the car  seat, smothering him.  During an interview with police, Connelly’s wife she told officers that she was intimidated by her husband to not speak the truth about witnessing the strangulation.  Connelly was charged with first-degree aggravated assault, strangulation, endangering the welfare of children, witness intimidation and other charges.  He is in the Potter County prison on 25 thousand dollars bail.

LANE RESTRTICTIONS IN MILTON TODAY

PennDOT will have a lane restriction in place in Milton today. According to a press release, a PennDOT crew will be inspecting the bridges that span the west branch of the Susquehanna River on Route 642. Motorists can expect alternating lane closures with flagging where work is being performed. Work will be done between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., weather permitting.

MANDELA’S GRANDSON TO SPEAK IN BLOOMSBURG

Nelson Mandela’s grandson will be the guest speaker at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg’s 30th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorative program next month.  Ndaba Mandela is the co-founder and chairman of the Africa Rising Foundation aiming to publicize a positive image of Africato to the world at large.  With his tour, Mandela hopes to show the world that his grandfather’s voice and message of freedom still ring true.  The program is sponsored by Bloomsburg’s Multicultural Center and will be at 6 p.m. in Carver Hall’s Gross Auditorium on Monday, February 6th.

SPORTS

PIAA District 4
Boys Basketball
Montgomery 63                                Williamson 35
Lewisburg 73                                    Southern Columbia 68 (OT)
Northumberland Christian 61           Benton 31
Selinsgrove 65                                  Berwick 56

Girls Basketball
Sayre 27                                  North Penn-Mansfield 25
St. John Neumann 56              Midd-West 24
Mifflinburg 37                         Milton 25
Bloomsburg 67                        Northeast Bradford 51
Bucktail 42                              Juniata Christian 29
Jersey Shore 58                       Towanda 43
Williamsport 44                      Montoursville 22
Mifflin County 69                             Selinsgrove 29

NBA
Magic 119           76ers 109
Nets 121              Lakers 104
Kings 118           Timberwolves 111  
Warriors 128      Thunder 120
Wizards 127       Spurs 106
Mavericks 111   Pistons 105
Suns 114             Raptors 106
Trailblazers 129 Hawks 125
NHL
Jets 4          Blues 2
NCAA Men’s Basketball
Virginia 67         Syracuse 62
Texas 76             Baylor 71
Texas Tech 80    Iowa State 77

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT THREATNED MILTON SCHOOL

The Milton Area school will be in session today with an increased police presence after administrators and police identified the student responsible for social media threats to the school yesterday, forcing a closure.  According to a statement by Superintendent Dr. John Bickhart, through the Safe2Say Something tipline and a police investigation, they found the Milton Area middle school student who created a fake social media account of another student to carry out the threats.  At this time there is no threat to the school students or staff, with the student in police custody to face juvenile charges.  Milton Area students will have access to full counseling services that will be available at the school.

WILLIAMSPORT MAN IN CUSTODY OVER POINTING A GUN AT TWO PEOPLE

The man who denied pointing a gun at two people in a car at the Sheetz on North Route 220 on the evening of January 5th, has been jailed after police saw surveillance footage of the incident.  According to North Central PA dot com, 24 year old Ashton Streck and his brother were in Streck’s car the night the accusers told police they were threatened at the store. Streck went to State police barracks the evening of the incident denying being in possession of the gun, but police had authority to search for and seize a Glock 9 mm handgun from him.  He was charged with two counts each of first-degree misdemeanor terroristic threats, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person.  Streck’s preliminary hearing is February 8^th.

TEEN DRIVER HITS SELINSGROVE BUILDING

A teen driver with a permit who was driving with her mother as a passenger, crashed into a business in Selinsgrove Tuesday night after losing control of the car.  According to the Daily Item, police say the unidentified girl was insured and not cited for the accident that shattered the glass front of the Edward Jones Financial building on North Market Street.  Damage estimates are at about 75 thousand dollars.

PA WILDS PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE

PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship and Leave no Trace is developing a PA Wilds Leave No Trace Initiative for members of the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania network, which currently includes more than 475 businesses, nonprofits and communities.  The partnership focuses on encouraging stewardship principles safely with fewer environmental impacts.  PA Wilds Leave No Trace Partners gain access to free branding tools and educational resources. Join the Wilds Cooperative of PA for free and learn more at www.WildsCoPA.org/join

ROAD RAGE INCIDENT HAS LINDEN MAN FACING CHARGES

A Linden man was released on 25 thousand dollars bail after a road rage incident in which he allegedly struck another man with his car while leaving a parking lot along Maynard street Wednesday morning.  According to the Sun Gazette, police say 47 year old Christian Mundell was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault after claiming his victim, Chad Cashwell was following him in another car. The incident escalated  to a parking lot where Cashwell was out of his car taking pictures before he was hit by Mundell as he left the area. No word on Cashwell’s injuries today.

POLICE CHASE, APPREHEND SHOPLIFTER IN ANOTHER STORE

A Selinsgrove man was chased by police on foot through several stores Tuesday after being caught shoplifting.  According to North Central PA dot com, 29 year old Corey White was caught allegedly taking items from Ulta Beauty store  and when State police arrived, he fled, running toward the Giant grocery store in the Monroe Marketplace shopping center.  Police apprehended White in the store, recovering the stolen items and charging him with retail theft and flight to avoid apprehension.

ABANDONED WILLIAMSPORT HOUSE TO BE RAZED

An abandoned house owned by Penn College that city officials say is structurally unsound, will be razed.  According to the Sun Gazette, City Council gave permission for the property at 917-919 Second Street to be torn down in anticipation for the area to be utilized near a new gateway entrance into the western area of the city of Williamsport, also known as an area with advanced traffic signals that allow vehicles – including ambulances – to move quickly through lighted intersections from I-180 to UPMC Williamsport.  Crews are preparing for development nearby with a demolition scheduled for the foundry along Maynard Street as well.

CASINO COMING TO CENTRE COUNTY

The former Macy’s department store in College Township, Centre County will be the home of a new casino soon.  According to North Central PA dot com, The PA Gaming Board awarded a Category 4 slot machine license to SC Gaming OpCo, LLC, in a process started by Ira Lubert.  A Category 4 Slot Machine License permits the entity to operate between 300 and 750 slot machines which are reportedly to be operated by Bally’s Corporation.  Also planned are 30 table games, retail facility sports wagering, an entertainment stage, and quick-serve food and beverage outlets. There’s no official target date for opening.

SPORTS

PIAA District 4
Boys Basketball
North Penn-Mansfield 60       Towanda 34
Mount Carmel 61                    Tamaqua 55
Wellsboro 56                           Athens 36
Williamsport 80                       Tyrone 61
Canton 53                               Northeast Bradford 49
Troy 69                                    Wyalusing 51
Bucktail 45                              Millville 36
North Penn-Liberty 57            Cowanesque Valley 41

Girls Basketball
Loyalsock 60               Warrior Run 32
Shamokin 47               Mifflinburg 28
Montoursville 50         Midd-West 17
Minersville 69             Lourdes Regional 48
Bishop McDevitt 54   Williamsport 27

NBA
Knicks 120         Celtics 117
Pistons 130         Nets 122
Hornets 111        Bulls 96
Cavaliers 113     Rockets 95
Mavericks 99      Suns 95
Clippers 138       Spurs 100


NHL
Capitals 3            Penguins 2
Wild 3                 Flyers 2
Red Wings 4       Canadiens 3
Lightning 3         Bruins 2
Predators 6          Devils 4
Sabres 3              Jets 2
Coyotes 5            Blues 0
Blackhawks 5     Flames 1
Ducks 5               Avalanche 3

NCAA Men’s Basketball
Purdue 75                     Michigan 70
Arizona 63                    Washington State 58
USC 77                         UCLA 64
Florida Atlantic 85      Middle Tennessee 67

NFL
NFC & AFC Championships Sunday, January 29
49ers vs Eagles 3pm on FOX
Bengals vs Chiefs 6:30pm on CBS

PENNDOT SETS TIER ONE RESTRICTIONS AHEAD OF SNOW

PennDOT has issued vehicle restrictions as we head into the winter storm today which is forecast to bring several inches of snow with a winter weather advisory until about 7pm tonight. There will be Tier 1 restrictions early this morning for I-80 from I-79 to I-180, parts of the Turnpike and all of I-99.  At noon the restrictions spread to I-80 from i-180 to New Jersey, I-81 from the turnpike to the NY border, and the Northeast extension.  Tier one means no Tractors without trailers or lightly loaded trailers, RVs and passenger cars towing trailers.  Watch 511PA dot com for all PennDOT road closures and accident updates.

COUPLE CRASHED SUV INTO BUSINESS WHILE ARGUING

A local woman and her boyfriend crashed their vehicle into a business yesterday after police say they were fighting while driving in Williamsport.  According to the Sun Gazette, 45 year old Heather James of Williamsport was driving the SUV when her passenger 57 year old Nicholas Cardenis allegedly jerked the wheel causing James to lose control of the car, crashing into the outside brick wall of 2310 Apparel along the 3000 block of Lycoming Creek Road. Both James and Cardenis were transported by ambulance to UPMC Williamsport.  Old Lycoming Township Police said the crash knocked the rear of the building off  it’s’ foundation, which will require repairs and an inspection before the store can operate again.

LOYALSOCK MAN FACING CHILD PORN CHARGES

A Loyalsock Township man has been arraigned and is now scheduled to appear in Lycoming County Court January 30^th for a preliminary hearing after he was accused of exchanging drugs for nude photographs and videos of a minor.  According to the Sun Gazette, the juvenile came forward to police about 59 year old Randy Scott Baker, who she accused of exploiting her over a year to get 38 photos and a video and giving her marijuana, marijuana vape pens, and money.  Police say Baker has now been charged with up to 100 counts each of second-degree felonies of a depiction of a child and and third-degree felony child pornography.  He was released on 75 thousand dollars unsecured bail.

UNCOLLECTED REAL ESTATE TAXES TO GO TO COLLECTION

Over 938 thousand dollars of unpaid 2022 real estate taxes have been turned in to the Lycoming County Tax Claim Bureau.  According to the Sun Gazette, the city treasurer, Kevin Mackey has attempted to collect the taxes but asked for city council to approve the list of uncollected taxes to be handed over for collection. 

POLICE INVESTIGATING MONDAY’S RURAL AVENUE SHOOTING

Williamsport Police are not releasing any information about a shooting that occurred earlier this week along the 500 block of Rural avenue.  According to the  Sun Gazette, officers say they went to the scene of the shooting Monday night just before 9:30, where a home was struck but there were no reports of any injuries.  Williamsport police are investigating the incident and are asking that if anyone has any information nabout details related to the shooting, to call 327-7548.

MAN ACCUSED OF POINTING GUN AT TWO PEOPLE

A Williamsport man has been accused of pointing a handgun at two people in a vehicle January 5^th in Woodward Township.  According to the Sun Gazette, 24 year old Ashton Robert Streck allegedly gestured and then pointed a gun toward the victim and Streck’s brother while driving by in his car.  Streck denied pointing the gun which he has a permit to carry.  He has been charged with two counts of recklessly endangering another person and simple assault and will receive a summons.

GIFT BAN LOOSENED IN THE COMMONEWEALTH UNDER SHAPIRO

New PA Governor Josh Shapiro has rolled back a gift ban slightly to allow for a free lunch for top officials in the Commonwealth.  According to PennLive, Democratic Governor, Tom Wolf had in place, a ban on gifts and meals that began when he came into office following the administration that endured some ethics scandals involving gifts from people allegedly attempting to influence state action.  Shapiro’s changes include the ability to have a free water bottle or a meal when attending an event in an official capacity, as well as accept nominal gifts like pens, calendars and appropriate gifts for big life events like marriage, illness or retirement.

SPORTS

P I-AA District 4
Boys Basketball
Muncy 80                    Benton 46
St John Neumann 88   CMVT 38
Lewisburg 51              Mifflinburg 46
Selinsgrove 50             Jersey Shore 38
So. Columbia 59         Hughesville 56
Sullivan County 66     Montgomery 45  
Sayre 73                      Wyalusing 69
Central Mountain 85   Milton 64
Athens 59                    Canton 22
Shamokin 76               Shikellamy 49
Girls Basketball
St. John Neumann 98 CMVT 4

NBA
Pacers 116          Bulls 110
Heat 98                Celtics 95
Knicks 105         Cavaliers 103
Nuggets 99          Pelicans 98
Wizards 127       Mavericks 126
Suns 128             Hornets 97
Clippers 133       Lakers 115

NHL
Kings 4                Flyers 3
Penguins 7          Panther 6
Red Wings 3       Sharks 2
Bruins 4              Canadians 2
Lightning 4         Wild 2
Devils 3               Golden Knights 2
Predators 2          Jets 1
Sabers 5              Blues 3
Ducks 5               Coyotes 2
Avalanche 3        Capitals 2
Canucks 5           Blackhawks 2


NCAA Men’s Basketball
Iowa State 80      Kansas State 76
Texas 89             Oklahoma State 75
TCU 79               Oklahoma 52
Miami 86            Florida State 63  
Clemson 72        Georgia Tech 51

WOMAN SENTENCED FOR STARVING TWO YOUNG SISTERS

Twenty seven year old Echo Butler, who plead guilty to two counts of criminal conspiracy to commit murder was sentenced  to two consecutive life terms in state prison without the possibility of parole.  According to the Sun Gazette, the courtroom was full of family and friends of the victims, 6 year old Nicole Elisabeth and 4 year old Jasmin Jean Snyder, who died of starvation under the care of Butler and their mother, Marie Snyder.  During an investigation police discovered the girls bodies in a shallow grave behind a mobile home belonging to a family member in Hepburn Township in November 2021.

NEW POOL FILTER FOR CITY FACILITY

Williamsport City Council has approved the use of American Rescue Plan funds to purchase a pool filter in order to get the facility ready for a summer opening.  According to the Sun Gazette, the cost of the system is just about 270 thousand dollars, and should be installed in about a month.  Other American Rescue Plan funds were awarded to GPI Engineering to design a levee pump station, with a remaining 1.7 million dollars left in the ARP funds for future construction management.

COMMISSIONERS WANT TO ID DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS

The Lycoming County Commissioners are looking for the public’s help in finding dangerous intersections within the county.  According to the Sun Gazette, the Lycoming County transportation department is revising and updating the transportation plan for the county, and are looking for information about the most dangerous intersections with red lights in Lycoming County.  Commissioner Tony Mussare is urging the public to report the areas they’re most concerned about, by calling the transportation department at 570-320-2138.  The Commissioners next meeting is January 26^th at 10am at 330 Pine Street.

DIGITAL DRIVER’S LICENSE COULD BE COMING TO PA

Pennsylvania Lawmakers are working to accelerate the digital driver’s license plan for the state. The new legislation would not eliminate the need for a physical copy of the license, but would provide an additional way for people to present identification.  According to Patch dot com, the bill calls for PennDOT  to develop an app for downloading and renewing licenses for a reasonable fee. The concept is already in use in 10 states, including Ohio, Connecticut, Kentucky, and others.

WALMART CASHIER CHARGED WITH THEFT

A man working as a cashier at the Montoursville Walmart has been charged with felony retail theft for scanning items for customers without ringing them up last November and December.  According to North Central PA dot com, 18 year old Jaheem Brown passed items without actually scanning them seven times before loss-prevention officers who saw video of the incidents called Montoursville police January 7th.  Brown was arrested and posted 75hundred dollars bail  and will have a preliminary hearing January 30^th.

PLAYERS ACCUSED OF HAZING, WAIVE PRELIMINARY HEARING

The four Mount Carmel area football players accused of a hazing incident in 2020 have waived their preliminary hearings to Northumberland County Court last week.  According to the News Item, the cases for Tyler Owens, Michael Balichik, Reed Witkoski and Damon Dowkus will head directly to court. The alleged incidents happened at watch parties the team held in 2020. When reports of the incident were brought to the attention of school officials, they cancelled the remainder of the 2020 football season. Magisterial District Judge William Cole, was originally to hear the case but recused himself.

DAN MEUSER SUPPORTS LEVEE IMPROVEMENTS

A federal lawmaker U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, representing the new 9th Congressional District recently met to lend his support on several important local projects in and around the City of Williamsport. As reported by Sun Gazette, Meuser voiced his support on levee recertification including talk of possible federal money to be earmarked toward the continuing improvements needed on the levee, which must be improved otherwise those protected by it must pay untenable flood insurance.

HOSPITAL TO CONVERT TO OUTPATIENT EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

UPMC Lock Haven is about to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to convert services at UPMC Lock Haven to an outpatient emergency department -the first of its kind in the commonwealth.  The facility will be staffed 24/7 by a comprehensive team of physicians and nurses with UPMC specialists continuing to offer outpatient services in Lock Haven. UPMC in North Central Pa. intends to retain and incorporate 100% of the Lock Haven employees by placing them in comparable positions at UPMC facilities in the region.

SPORTS

NFL Saturday
Eagles 38            Giants 7
Chiefs 27            Jaguars 20
NFL Sunday
49ers 19              Cowboys 12
Bengals 27          Bills 10
Sunday, January 29
NFC Championship
49ers in the Eagles 3pm on FOX
AFC Championship
Bengals vs the Chiefs 6:30pm on CBS

NBA
Clippers 112       Mavericks 98
Heat 100             Pelicans 96
Raptors 125        Knicks 116
Thunder 101       Nuggets 99
Suns 112             Grizzlies 110
Nets 120              Warriors 116
Lakers  121         Trailblazers 112

NHL
Devils 2               Penguins 1
Jets 5                   Flyers 3
Bruins 4              Sharks 0
Kings 2                Blackhawks 1
Coyotes 4            Golden Knights 1

NCAA Men’s Basketball
Temple 56                    Houston 55
Purdue 58                     Maryland 55
UConn 86                     Butler 56