Non-union county employees to get raises

SUNBURY – Northumberland County is giving its okay to salary increases ranging from 10% to 15% for a number of supervisory employees in the Adult Probation, Juvenile Probation and Domestic Relations Departments.  County Comptroller Chuck Erdman is on the Salary Board and says he approves, with reservations.  Erdman says the move could have the effect of prompting other county employees to seek similar increases.  However, Erdman says it’s a step toward offering non-union county employees salaries that are comparable to what employees are paid in surrounding counties. 

Position covered include two supervisors and an office manager for the Adult Probation Department, three supervisors and the chief of Juvenile Probation, and the director, assistant director and supervisor of Domestic Relations.  The salaries were approved by the salary board, which now meets regularly prior to Northumberland County Commissioners meetings.  (Matt Farrand)

Dan Meuser says he has never donated to Clinton campaign

SUNBURY – 10^th District Congressional Candidate Dan Meuser says he has never given money to Hillary Clinton, despite an ad running by his opponent Chris Hackett.  He says he has never made any donation, nor has he had his company make a donation to Hillary Clinton.  In the ad, Hackett’s campaign says Meuser has made other financial donations to Democrats including Governor Ed Rendell.  Meuser explained why on Tuesday’s “On the Mark” program, saying it was a business decision at the time.  Meuser says Hackett has given 20 percent of his dollars to Democrats, while he has only given them 10 percent.

Dan Meuser and Chris Hackett are the republican candidates for Congress’s 10^th District.  The winner in the primary will face off against Democratic Incumbent Chris Carney in the general election.  Hackett is scheduled to appear on ‘On The Mark’ next week.  (Ali Stevens)

DEP fines Middleburg plant

MIDDLEBURG – The Department of Environmental Protection has fined a Snyder County masonry plant.  Beavertown Block Company, located in Middleburg, has been fined $11,500 for allegedly failing to maintain stormwater and erosion at their plant.  DEP spokesman Dan Spadoni says an investigation of the plant last summer revealed that runoff and drainage from raw materials were discharging excessive amounts of silt, sand and gravel into three tributaries of Middle Creek.  A DEP biologist found that the runoff was harming aquatic organisms living in the waters as well.  Spadoni also says the company used a rejected concrete block without testing it to meet DEP’s clean fill policy.

The company has 120 days to hire an engineer to address the violations, and submit a plan of corrective action.  DEP will reevaluate the site after the violations are corrected.  Beavertown Block is a 75-year-old family run company.  They have two additional plants in Pleasant Gap and McKee, Perry County. (Sara Bartlett) 

Race Street rail crossing closed this week

SUNBURY – Norfolk Southern maintenance crews are in the middle of a project that will see most of Sunbury’s highly traveled railroad crossings repaired.  Traffic is being routed around the grade crossing on Race Street this week.  The project follows a similar repair at Packer Street last week, and the expected repair of the Arch Street crossing starting Monday the 14^th.  Drivers will find a smoother ride across the new rubberized crossings when the work is complete.  (Matt Farrand)

Man accused of forging and cashing checks

SUNBURY – A Sunbury man is accused of forging and cashing checks at a local bank.  Sunbury police say Brian Walker is charged with forgery, theft and receiving stolen property.  The 24-year-old from Sunbury was arraigned and sent to the Northumberland County Prison on $40,000 cash bail.  He reportedly took a man’s checkbook from his vehicle a month ago and then forged the man’s name on the checks and cashed them at Swineford National Bank in Sunbury.  Police say Walker cashed more than $2,100 in checks before the incident was discovered.  (Ali Stevens)

A change in a vehicular homicide case will send the case to trial

SHAMOKIN – A Shamokin teen that was expected to plead guilty to vehicle homicide has filed for a continuance and the case will now go to court for a jury trial.  19-year-old Michael Rutkowski was granted a continuance on Monday afternoon after his attorney requested one.  The trial is now expected to take place in July.  Rutkowski is charged with an accident on November 4^th of 2006, that left his 18-year-old friend, Tristen Schrader of Burnside, dead.  Rutkowski is charged with DUI, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, underage drinking and other counts.  The News Item reports Tristen Schrader’s parents were in the courtroom awaiting the plea and were surprised to learn of the continuance, saying they just wanted a guilty plea and for it all to be over.  Rutkowski is free on bail.  He faces 10 year in prison if found guilty. 

Police say Rutkowski’s blood alcohol content was more than double the legal limit at the time of the crash.  He was reportedly traveling more than 60 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone in Coal Township when he round a curve and struck a utility pole.  Schrader was pronounced dead at the scene.  Rutkowski was also seriously injured in the crash.  (Ali Stevens)

Berwick woman charged after stealing from State Senator’s law office

BERWICK – A preliminary hearing is coming up for a woman who stole nearly $25,000 from the Berwick law office of State Senator John Gordner.  According to the Press Enterprise, 36-year-old Michele Heddings, of Berwick, worked at the office for about four years, when she revealed she had an illness.  She was then allowed to work from home, where she reportedly used that time to forge company checks to herself, and pocket nearly $5,000.  Heddings was also in charge of keeping the books, which she allegedly doctored to cover up her actions.  Heddings admitted to the thefts and confessed to forging signatures on the checks.  She will face a preliminary hearing Friday. 

Items stolen from vehicles in Upper Augusta Township

SUNBURY – Several items were stolen from vehicles in Upper Augusta Township sometime Sunday night or Monday morning.  State police say the vehicles were parked along Hillside Drive, Woodlawn Drive and First Avenue.  Personal property including CD’s, cameras, I-Pod’s and other items were taken.  Residents are reminded to keep their vehicles locked at all times and to secure their valuables.  (Ali Stevens)  

Police chief says a suspect has been captured in the Domino’s Pizza robbery

SELINSGROVE – Chief Thomas Garlock of Selinsgrove announced at last night’s borough council meeting that a suspect has been captured in the armed robbery of the Selinsgrove Domino’s Pizza. U.S. Marshals picked the man up in Harrisburg and Selinsgrove police will be filing charges.

The chief would not confirm anything, but U.S. Marshals Service arrested a man identified as 40-year-old Matthew Fletcher in Harrisburg yesterday. Fletcher is reported a suspect in ten bank robberies and five commercial robberies.

The FBI is now investigating the robberies. Fletcher has also served time for previous robberies in the 1990’s. No other details are available. We will update you more on this story when police issue a statement, expected today. (Ali Stevens, Sara Lauver)

Commissioner Kantz: Firetree vague on their proposal

BEAVER SPRINGS – Snyder County Commissioner Chairman Joe Kantz says its tough to say exactly what Snyder County residents are fighting. He says there is some confusion over whether the Firetree Ltd. facility is a halfway house or a inpatient facility.

He says he has been told it’s an inpatient facility, but its not clear yet if the patients will be state prisoners. Kantz would like to find that out and know where they are coming from. Firetree is holding a job fair on Wednesday at the site and are expected to hire about 30 new workers.

Signs are lining both sides of Route 522 from Middleburg to Beaver Springs, telling Firetree to stay out. Kantz says he’s okay with the petitions, which are circulating, since it’s a chance for residents to have their voices heard. Kantz says however, now that the sale is final, it will be a tough fight, since there is no zoning ordinance in Beaver Springs.

All clear on Route 11 after teen vs. gas regulator MVA Monday

DANVILLE – A convenience store was evacuated and closed for about 2 hours Monday afternoon after a motorist crashed a vehicle into a nearby natural gas regulating station. UGI Penn Natural Gas superintendent Alan Holmes says the vehicle in the accident at Woodbine Lane and Route 11 east of Danville struck the fence and the fittings of the regulating station.

Holmes says there was no interruption of service for gas customers. Traffic had to be rerouted around the area of the Sheetz store until nearly 6:00p.m. Observers say there was a distinct odor of gas in the area. Mahoning Township Police say the driver was a juvenile male, and cannot release his name, but note that he was not injured. (Matt Farrand)

Committee looking at revised concept for park at Selinsgrove Commons

SELINSGROVE— Selinsgrove Projects Inc., or SPI, have been working with an architect about the future of the Selinsgrove Commons area in downtown Selinsgrove. Borough manager, John Bickhart, says they are working with the same architect that Susquehanna University uses for various projects.

Bickhart says a relationship with the University, the borough and SPI has allowed the architect to assist the committee in coming up with some concepts for the area. He says they are currently looking at revised concepts.

Those ideas include a park that would connect the borough building and the borough library to the downtown portion of Selinsgrove. The Selinsgrove Commons area was the site of the former CVS building at the intersection of Market and Pine Streets in the town. (Sara Lauver)

Resolutions approved for Selinsgrove School and University

SELINSGROVE – Any development in the area that is connected to the Eastern Snyder County regional sewage treatment plant will have to buy nitrogen and phosphorous credits. The Selinsgrove borough council took this new policy into consideration as they approved two resolutions for the sewage facilities being planned at the Selinsgrove Elementary School and Susquehanna University.

Borough manager, John Bickhart, says the first resolution was for the addition onto the Elementary School to move students from Jackson Penn to the Selinsgrove School. He says the second resolution was for Susquehanna University’s proposal to build a new science building on the campus.

Bickhart says the new policy, from the Chesapeake Bay Commission, will compensate for the inability to reduce the phosphorous and nitrogen on the effluent streams from sewage treatment plants or from other non-point source pollution such as agricultural run-off. He says a procedure has been adopted, where the burden will be passed along to the developer of a new project and not to the taxpayers. (Sara Lauver)

Good grades for area fire response crews

SELINSGROVE— Selinsgrove borough council got a good report card for their fire, water and 911 communications departments last night. ISO, a company that evaluates communities for their fire insurance rates, recently did a full evaluation on the three departments.

Field representative, Tony Zampella, says Selinsgrove moved from a class 5 to a class 4, and that is very difficult to do. He says it takes personnel, resources, capital and major improvements into a communities’ infrastructure.

Zampella adds that the departments in Selinsgrove have made major improvements in all areas since their last evaluation in 1991. Those findings were presented at the borough council meeting last night and Zampella says that Selinsgrove residents should take pride in those results. (Sara Lauver)

Stocks mixed ahead of earnings reports

NEW YORK – The market is cautious in advance of quarterly earnings reports expected to be released by many corporations starting today. Stocks of local interests likewise showed only slight gains or losses. Utility PPL Corp gained a little more than 1.0% to close at 48.10, Chesapeake Energy enjoyed about the same percentage gain to close at 47.03, and Conagra was up a fraction.

Otherwise most stocks of local interest drifted lower, as Community Health System was down a fraction at 36.31, Weis Markets was down more than 2.0% at 34.39, and the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust fell about one-and-a-quarter percent.

Mixed results for local banks, as FNB Corp and Mid-Penn Bancorp lost a fraction, but Susquehanna Bancshares enters the new day up slightly at 21.48, and Sovreign Bancorp gained 3.0% to close at 9.53. Analysts note that spiking commodity markets including petroleum, grains and precious metals are offering better returns for traders, and are putting a damper on stocks. (Matt Farrand)

Mt. Pleasant Mills Church sustains $300 worth of damage

MT. PLEASANT MILLS – State Police at Selinsgrove are searching for someone who trespassed on the grounds of the Oriental Church in Snyder County. The incident happened sometime between March 30th and April 6th.

Police say someone damaged the wooden door leading into the church on Nipple Road in Mt. Pleasant Mills. Damage is estimated at $300 and anyone with information is asked to call State Police at Selinsgrove. (Sara Bartlett)

Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village to add living space

LEWISBURG –Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village in Lewisburg is planning a major expansion. Construction on the senior living center along Fairground Road is slated to begin this fall and bring 19 senior living homes to its grounds. Three new model homes will be built to show off the selections, which include upgrades such as larger kitchens, walk-in closets and covered patios. In addition to living space, the facility will continue to offer personal care service, as well as nursing and rehabilitative care. (Sara Bartlett)

Aggressive drivers take note: Crackdown ahead

DANVILLE – PennDOT, along with local and state police departments have joined together to begin a driving enforcement program. PennDOT Safety Press Officer Mike Hess says local law enforcement are preparing for the first wave of crackdowns of aggressive drivers in work zones.

At a press conference Monday twelve police departments, including Danville and Mahoning Township in Montour County, Northumberland and Sunbury in Northumberland County, Selinsgrove and Shamokin Dam in Snyder County and East Buffalo Township and Lewisburg in Union County joined PennDOT’s 2008 Smooth Operator aggressive driving enforcement program. Hess said not only does aggressive driving, like tailgating and speeding, put someone in a potentially life threatening situation, it will also lead to tickets and fines.

Pennsylvania implemented the Smooth Operator program in 2007 and since has issued over 115,000 aggressive driving citations. The 2008 kickoff runs in conjunction with PennDOT’s observance of National Work Zone Awareness week. (Sara Bartlett)

Fugitive from Jefferson County captured in Watsontown

WATSONTOWN – A Trevorton area man, wanted in Jefferson County, was taken into custody in Watsontown Sunday morning. Watsontown police tell us 34-year-old Larry Rose was stopped for a traffic violation around 1:30 a.m. and police discovered Rose was a wanted as a fugitive. Rose was taken to the Northumberland County Prison to await extradition back to Jefferson County. (Ali Stevens)

Events planned for Sexual Assault Awareness Month

DANVILLE – April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and keeping quiet is considered the worst way to fight the problem. Robin Hampton of the Columbia Montour Women’s Center says breaking down myths surrounding sexual assault is one of the best things concerned men and women can do. Hampton notes the Center is looking to educate restaurant employees on the use of date rape drugs, and the assaults that often follow.

Hampton says there will be a “Take Back the Night” event at Bloomsburg University on Tuesday the 15th. It’ll be at 8:00p.m. in multi-purpose rooms A & B. There will also be a vigil at 12-noon on Thursday the 24th on the steps of the Montour County Courthouse. Hampton notes that attendees are invited to wear a teal ribbon, as it is the official color of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Turbotville man injured in motorcycle crash

TURBOTVILLE – A Turbotville man was injured after a motorcycle crash Saturday night. 37-year-old Ronald Daniel was driving on Route 44 around 7:00p.m, when he lost control of his motorcycle while going around a curve. He ran into a road sign and slid on his side before coming to rest. Daniel was taken to Geisinger Medical Center with moderate injuries, although the hospital has no record of his condition. Warrior Run Ambulance, Fire Company and Fire Police assisted at the scene. (Sara Bartlett)

More than $1,400 worth of items stolen; police search for thief

LEWISBURG – Milton State Police continue to investigate a theft from Wal-Mart near Lewisburg. They say an unknown male went into the business around 7:10p.m. Thursday and began to fill a box containing a trashcan with numerous items such as a stereo, calculators, picture frames and razors. The man then put the box in the hardware department and left the store. He then reportedly changed his clothes and came back a short time later, where he purchased the trashcan box with the hidden items. The stolen items totaled nearly $1,400. Police say the male was white, 5’10”, with brown hair and a goatee. He was driving a Dodge truck. Anyone with information is asked to call Milton State Police. (Sara Bartlett)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - An unidentified man's body has been pulled from the Lackawanna River in Scranton.  Police say a couple walking along a trail in west Scranton saw the body in the river Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters pulled the body from the river.  An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.       

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - Three men who got national attention when a judge ordered them to learn English as a condition of probation are now being deported.  Rafael Guzman-Mateo, Ricardo Dominguez and Luis Reyes were among a group that committed an armed assault and robbery in Hazleton last year.  Last month, a Luzerne County judge ruled that the three could remain free on probation as long as they passed a test in English a year later, among other conditions.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Mike Gilhooly says the men were in the United States lawfully. Gilhooly says they are being deported to the Dominican Republic because of their criminal convictions.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A dispute over whether Pennsylvania adequately pays for nursing home care has landed before a state Senate panel.  Leaders of nursing home industry groups say Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed 2008-09 state budget shortchanges nursing homes because it calls for no increase in Medicaid reimbursements to those facilities.  But Mike Hall of the state Department of Public Welfare tells the Senate Aging and Youth Services Committee that the administration isn't trying to drive nursing homes out of business.  Hall says the administration is trying to strike a better balance between providing nursing home care to the elderly and disabled and providing home-based care to patients who don't need or want to stay in nursing homes.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Legislation to give Pennsylvania's 1961 mine safety law its first major update has hit a snag in the House.  The bill passed the Senate unanimously in February after several years of negotiations between legislators, state officials and representatives from the union and mining companies.  But the mining companies oppose an amendment championed by the mineworkers union that was added to the bill Tuesday in a 17-12 House committee vote.  The committee then voted to send the bill to the full House.  Accidents at Sago Mine in West Virginia in 2006 and Quecreek Mine in Somerset in 2002 have spurred efforts to update the law. The law governs safety in approximately 200 bituminous mines.

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - The Scranton School Board has unanimously approved the sale of a 3-acre lot to a new medical school starting up in northeastern Pennsylvania.  The nearly $1 million land purchase is a milestone for the proposed Commonwealth Medical College. College officials plan to locate a $75 million headquarters on the site near Scranton's Northeast Intermediate School. Construction is expected to begin as early as fall and be completed as early as 2011.  The medical school is intended to relieve a doctor shortage and boost the economy in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Officials say they are more than halfway to a $120 million fundraising goal.  The school hopes to gain accreditation and begin classes this fall in temporary quarters at Lackawanna College. The first class includes 60 candidates for medical degrees and 30 seeking master's degrees in biomedical sciences.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Tuesday in the midday Pennsylvania State Lottery drawing:    

 Daily Number

     2-4-7

 Big 4

     8-2-3-3

 Treasure Hunt

     4-11-20-26-30

     (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)