February 14, 2012

JERSEY SHORE – Around 500 students of the Jersey Shore Elementary School in Lycoming County were evacuated from the school this afternoon after smoke filled one wing of the building. The school was cleared around two this afternoon and crews arrived to find smoky conditions in a portion of the complex. Captain Bob Cowfer of the Independence Hose Company in Jersey Shore says maintenance workers were working on a heating unit in the building when the unit overheated filling one wing of the building with smoke. The kids were evacuated and crews ventilated the smoke from the building and students allowed back to their classrooms. There were no injuries.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

CRESSONA – Police are continuing to investigate the theft of $420,000 worth of aircraft parts from the Hexcel Corporation in Saint Clair, Schuylkill County. Police have charged 27-year-old Kevin Hook of Cressona with theft and related counts of those aircraft parts from the business back in January. Hook was an employee of Hexcel when he allegedly stole the parts. Police say they have not yet found the parts after looking where Hook said he had placed them. Hook is jailed on $50,000 bail in the Schuylkill County Prison.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

WINFIELD – A 20-year-old Selinsgrove man and 33-year-old Winfield woman are being charged after the woman’s daughter was sexually assaulted by the man in 2010. Police say Valerie Swartzlander bought alcohol for herself and Ronald Swartzlander the Third when Mr. Swartzlander sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl at the woman’s home along Trutt Road in Union Township. Ronald Swartzlander is charged with felony aggravated indecent assault and related counts while Valerie Swartzlander is charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

MILLMONT – A Millmont area man is being charged with felony sexual assault, terroristic threats and reckless endangerment following an incident February 5th in Hartley Township, Union County. Police say 36-year-old William Woolsey became upset after his wife asked him for a divorce. That’s when court papers say Woolsey “flipped out,” sexually assaulted his wife, and then threatened her with a loaded gun before the woman was able to leave their home along White Mountain Lane and call for help.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

MIFFLINBURG – A Mifflinburg man who remains in the Union County jail on burglary and theft has additional charges filed against him. Court papers say 21-year-old Adam Culp has been charged for the incident back in December when Culp and his juvenile girlfriend sold several stolen gold and silver rings and necklaces to Island Park Jewlers in Northumberland for over $500 cash which they used to buy drugs.  Mifflinburg Police report the girlfriend had stolen the jewelry from her aunt’s home along Tower Road in Limestone Township. Culp is charged with additional counts of receiving stolen property and corruption of a minor.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

STATE COLLEGE - Former Penn State athletic director Tim Curley wants charges of perjury against him thrown out following the death of Coach Joe Paterno. His attorney filed a petition yesterday arguing that without the availability of Joe Paterno to testify, there isn’t enough evidence to establish corroboration. Meanwhile, Penn State University has spent over three million dollars on lawyers, consultants and public relations firms in response to child sex abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky. The university posted a breakdown of the costs as it unveiled a new website, part of an effort to provide more information to the public.
(WGRC)

HARRISBURG - As tax season fast approaches, there's a way Pennsylvanians can help out the state's members of the armed forces as well as their families when filling out their tax returns. Taxpayers can check a box on their PA 40 personal income tax return to donate all or part of their refund to the Military Family Relief Assistance Program. The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, says grants of up to $3,500 help families who find themselves in tough financial situations due to military service. Since the program began in 2006, it has collected nearly $1 million from donations on the state's tax return forms.
(WGRC)

WILLIAMSPORT – A man is dead after a Lycoming County shooting last night.  Williamsport Police say a 42-year old man was shot in the 1000 block of Franklin Street in the city.  Police have identified 31-year old William Kemp of Williamsport as the suspected shooter.  The unidentified victim was pronounced dead at a hospital.  A gun registered to Kemp was found at the scene and had recently been fired.   Witnesses told police, Kemp and the victim argued and Kemp retrieved the gun from his vehicle and then shot the victim.  Kemp will be arraigned this morning on criminal homicide charges.
John Callahan (WGRC)

MUNCY - A family of six safely escaped their burning Lycoming County home last night.  Flames were spotted coming from the back of the bi-level house at 313 Van Horn Boulevard in Muncy Township just after 7 last night.  Muncy Area Fire Chief Scott Delany tells the Sun-Gazette, Randy Miller, his girlfriend and four children were being assisted by the local chapter of the American Red Cross after flames caused at least $50,000 damage to the house they rented.  It took about 20 minutes to bring to the fire under control. A fire marshal is investigating.
(WGRC)

SELINSGROVE – A former student arrested for marijuana possession in Snyder County.  Selinsgrove Police arrested 19-year old Noe Adrian Jose, a former Susquehanna University student, after a controlled drug buy yesterday on the campus of Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove.  Jose was in possession of a quarter pound of marijuana when police stopped a vehicle he was riding in.  Jose is locked up on $50,000 bail.  Police say they continue to investigate this incident and additional charges are pending.
John Callahan (WGRC)

POTTSVILLE – A Schuylkill County man is headed to prison for his part in a burglary.  22-year old Joshua Ptaszkowski of Shenandoah, who testified more than two years ago that he could not remember breaking into a Shenandoah apartment in April 2008, now is headed to a state prison cell for up to two years for his part in that burglary after a Schuylkill County judge on Monday revoked his probation.  Shenandoah police tell the News Item, Ptaszkowski and Ruben Pena broke into Matejick's apartment and threatened her and Nathan Joppy, and that Pena had pointed a gun at Matejick. Pena was also convicted for his part in the burglary.
(WGRC)

BLOOMSBURG – A Columbia County man is locked up after threatening his wife.  State Police took 42-year old Andre Zajac, 42, of Winding Road, Orangville,  into custody after Kellyanne Zajac called for help.  He refused to discuss the incident at the Bloomsburg barracks, but was charged and jailed after he failed to post $25,000 bail. The Press-Enterprise reports, Zajac’s wife told police the couple had been arguing when her husband threatened her with a screwdriver and then said he would grab one of his hunting guns before one of their children grabbed the screwdriver out of his hand and the family fled the residence.
(WGRC)

SUNBURY - Inmates in one wing of the Northumberland County Prison refused to eat yesterday in protest over the quality of food.  Commissioner Steve Bridy went to the North Second Street jail to get answers after he was informed of the situation by an outside source. Warden Roy Johnson tells the Daily Item, the protest was instigated by a rabble-rousing state inmate who is staying at the prison and that if prisoners do not resume eating meals, the prison will confiscate commissary-purchased snacks to compel them to abandon the protest. The strike occurred when inmates in one wing decided the food wasn't adequate, so about half the prisoners didn't eat breakfast or lunch. It was not known whether they ate dinner. There are 230 inmates in the prison's two wings. He said three or four food strikes have occurred in the past two years at the prison.
(WGRC)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A federal judge in Anchorage has deferred sentencing for a Schuylkill County father and son who pleaded guilty to telephone harassment of Sarah Palin's Alaska lawyers. U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess yesterday ordered a full psychological evaluation to be conducted on Shawn Christy of McAdoo at a federal corrections hospital.  Published reports say, Burgess deferred sentencing for Shawn Christy's father, Craig Christy, also of McAdoo, until the man's lawyer can contact the mental health expert who conducted an earlier evaluation of that defendant.  In December, Burgess rejected binding plea deals that would have allowed the men to avoid jail time. Burgess denied a motion by the Christys in January to reassign the case to another judge. The only options for the pair were to plead guilty or go to trial.
(WGRC)

LEWISTOWN – In Mifflin County, Lewistown borough council is now one step closer to resolving the problems surrounding a blighted and hazardous building at 100 North Walnut Street.  Solicitor Jeffrey Snook advised the council Monday evening that it was given court approval to assume conservatorship of the burnt-out apartment complex.  Snook tells the Sentinel, the council now has a 120-day period to develop an action plan on how to address the problem the building presents to the community. The three-story building was gutted by fire on March 20th, 2010, after a resident lost control of the flames from his charcoal grill while cooking on an outside balcony.
(WGRC)

BLOOMSBURG - Money provided for improvement protection projects in Columbia County.  State Representative David Millard says the state has provided $829,550 for Fishing Creek improvement protection projects in the west end of Bloomsburg, as well as areas of Mount Pleasant, Hemlock and Scott townships.  Work at the first site, located along the creek between Bloomsburg and Hemlock Township, will remove about 600 feet of a concrete overflow dam off West Main Street. The second site will include construction of 540 feet of bank protection at the location of the old dam and railroad bridge that were removed in Mount Pleasant Township.  Work at the third site will shore up another area of creek bank off Back Branch Road. Workers will add 370 feet of bank along the east side of Fishing Creek, beginning about 100 feet downstream of the Back Branch Road bridge over Fishing Creek.
(WGRC)

WILLIAMSPORT—Folks in Sullivan County will have a chance to discuss an Air Quality plan approval application from Central New York Oil and Gas. The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a meeting and hearing tomorrow at the Muncy Valley Area Volunteer Fire Company beginning at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will allow the public to voice its concerns about the project. The Air Quality Plan is for the construction of a compressor station in Sullivan County which includes two natural gas-fired engines to provide power to natural gas compressors. Staff from DEP’s Air Quality program will be present to explain the application review process, provide more information, and hold a question and answer session. For more information, visit www.dep.state.pa.us.
John Fellon (WGRC)

LEWISBURG - Democrat Robert Casey Junior's record in the U.S. Senate came under fire during a Republican candidates' debate sponsored by the Susquehanna Valley Conservatives last night before about 150 people at the Best Western Country Cupboard Inn.  It was the first time this campaign season that Sam Rohrer, Marc Scaringi, Tom Smith and Steve Welch appeared at the same function to give their qualifications to run against Casey in November.  All of the candidates said Casey had voted with President Obama 98 percent of the time, and that this showed a lack of independence and leadership ability. The Daily Item reports, all four candidates agreed that they would repeal Obamacare if elected. The candidates said they were all against abortion, 100 percent. Only Welch had an exception, "when the life of the mother is threatened."
(WGRC)

DANVILLE - The Union County Farm Bureau will be celebrating “Food Check-out Day” today, as a means of recognizing that growing and raising wholesome food is a farmer's top goal. Food checkout Day will be observed through a charitable donation of food or money to the Ronald McDonald House, located in Danville. Food has been collected at three locations in Union County over the past months and the donated items will be presented to the Ronald McDonald House, during Central Pennsylvania’s “Food Check-out Day” program today. The state-wide event sponsored by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau will benefit all five Ronald McDonald Houses in the Commonwealth. “Food Check-out Day” started in 1998 and to date has raised more than $700,000 for Ronald McDonald Houses in Pennsylvania.
(WGRC)

CATAWISSA  - The Southern Columbia Area High School library was packed last night, when nearly 180 students, alumni, teachers, parents, booster representatives and concerned citizens piled into the room to rally against rumors that the music department is on the chopping block. Superintendent Charlie Reh addressed the crowd's concerns early in the meeting, stressing that no decision had been made - in fact, there was nothing concerning the music department on the agenda. The News-Item reports, the school district's deficit is caused by no increase in state subsidy and an increase of $250,000 in pension funds, $200,000 in health care costs, $275,000 in salary increases and $125,000 in building project debt, with the additional fuel, maintenance and normal operating costs increasing by at least $100,000.
(WGRC)

LEWISTOWN – The Mifflin County School District is one of 500 school districts in Pennsylvania struggling to balance educational programs with continued cuts to funding. The school district approved a 2012-2013 preliminary $63 million budget on January 19th. While at this point there are no program cuts, Chief Financial Officer Sean Daubert tells the Sentinel, ultimately that possibility will hinge on how the state decides to fund public education. He said from the information they received last week, the funding looks bleak.  Last Tuesday, Governor Tom Corbett proposed level funding for basic education in 2012-2013; but Mifflin County Superintendent James Estep said the governor's budget eliminates $400,000 in accountability block grants for the district.  Currently, the Mifflin County budget includes a 2.41 mill, or about an 8 percent, property tax increase.
(WGRC)

HARRISBURG – Yesterday afternoon Governor Tom Corbett announced he had signed into law new environmental regulations and an optional fee on gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.  The provision of the law allowing counties with drilling to impose a fee goes into effect immediately. Other provisions — notably increased bond amounts, set-backs from water sources and presumed liability for pollution — will take effect in 60 days.  The Patriot-News reports, if all eligible counties adopt the fee, estimates for revenue are approximately $180 million this year, climbing to $264 million in 2014.   Certain state agencies, such as the Department of Environmental Protection, will take fixed dollar amounts off the top of the revenues collected from the fee. What’s left will be split, with 60 percent directly distributed to impacted counties and 40 percent to state programs.
(WGRC)