Friday, April 11, 2008
Bill campaigns for Hill Sunday at Bucknell
LEWISBURG – 42nd US President Bill Clinton will visit Bucknell University Sunday at 11:15 a.m. He’ll be speaking on behalf of his wife and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The talk is planned for Sojka Pavilion. Doors will open at 10:15 a.m. Entrance and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The appearance is sponsored by Bucknell's College Democrats, and will also be simulcast in Trout Auditorium. Several surrogates representing the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and her Democratic opponent Barack Obama have visited Bucknell over the past several weeks. Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton visited Bucknell on April 3.
Bucknell President Brian C. Mitchell notes that all of the presidential candidates from all parties are invited to speak. The University does not endorse any candidate or party, but encourages engagement in the democratic process and critical thinking and analysis of the candidates and the issues. Bill Clinton served as president from 1993 to 2001. (Matt Farrand)
Vehicle crash in Milton injures driver, damages building
MILTON – Milton Police say they’re looking for the driver of a tan or burgundy van who reportedly fled the scene of an accident Friday afternoon in the borough. Sargeant Rob Graham says the van failed to stop at a stop sign and hit a vehicle broadside at about 1:40p.m at Garfield Avenue and Lower Market Street. The vehicle driven by 35-year-old Melanie Trate then careened into a nearby building. Meantime, police say they have no plate number for the suspected burgundy van.
It may be a Chrysler product, and it will likely have a substantial amount of front-end damage, as well as blue paint from the vehicle that as hit. Milton police request a call at 742-8757 if you have information. (Matt Farrand)
Interim CEO Named at Sunbury Community Hospital
SUNBURY – The former CEO of Easton Hospital is now the interim CEO of Sunbury Community Hospital. Cornelio R. Catena will soon meet with the medical staff, board members and employees. He replaces Cliff Park, who is accepting a position at a group of health care facilities closer to his family in the western US. Officials say a search for a permanent successor is underway, though Park and Catena will work together during a transition period.
Catena is a 30-year veteran of hospital administration, the last 20-years as a CEO. Sunbury Community Hospital is a for-profit affiliate of Community Heath Systems, based in Franklin, Tennessee. (Matt Farrand)
Early morning departures announced for papal visit
HARRISBURG – Pope Benedict XVI visits Nationals Park Thursday. It will be an early start if you are one of 500 ticket holders for a bus trip to the papal visit coordinated by the Diocese of Harrisburg. The Diocese says the bus for DC is scheduled to leave the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Church in Elysburg at 2:30a.m. Departures from other locations in the state are likewise planned for early in the morning as busses are scheduled to leave Camp Hill and Lancaster at 3:00am, and Harrisburg, York and Hanover at 3:30a.m. (Matt Farrand)
State Senator participates in Economics PA stock game
SUNBURY – State Senator John Gordner visited his competition Friday…a team of Shikellamy students who he is competing against in Economics PA’s Stock Market Game. It gives students and legislators a chance to use fake money to try their hand at buying and selling stocks. The team checks their stocks in the school’s library daily, and will buy and sell accordingly.
Students taking part in the game include Cody Daddario, Brandon Giesen, T.J. Hertzog, Brian Wallace and Alex Zartman. Shikellamy Librarian Ann Sabol is in charge of the team and says the boys are doing quite well considering the slumping economy.
Gordner says he was impressed that the students used their knowledge of companies to make smart investing choices. The team says they may enter the next Stock Market game, since they didn’t quite excel as much as they wanted to this time around. The game runs 10-weeks and will conclude next month. State Representatives Russ Fairchild and Merle Phillips also take part in the competition. (Sara Bartlett)
A toddler killed in a farming accident
DANVILLE – A toddler was killed Thursday in an accident on his family’s farm. The 19-month old boy, identified as Jeffrey Lehman, was run over by a truck on the farm, located on Hill Road in Danville. The Northumberland County Coroner says the manner of death was accidental and that the boy died from blunt force trauma to the head. He was pronounced dead at 12:45 yesterday afternoon. (Ali Stevens)
Commissioner voices opposition to rehiring of Lee Knepp
MIDDLEBURG – Snyder County has hired a chief clerk, in addition to an assistant clerk and the minority commissioner is opposed to the decision. Lee Knepp, who worked as chief clerk in the county for 30 years before resigning in 2006, was rehired on Tuesday. However, minority commissioner Bud Bickhart says it’s a bad decision and a waste of taxpayer’s money. Bickhart says he doesn’t know how Knepp will find enough work to fill 8 hours a day for 40 hours a week because there is not that much work to do between two people.
Knepp will be paid about $55,000 a year, while the assistant, Veda Heintzelman, will be paid $41,000. Bickhart also believes there is a hidden motive behind the hiring. Bickhart says Knepp was a big supporter of Malcolm Derk and Joe Kantz when they were running for office and he believes it’s a political payback. (Ali Stevens)
Cell phone drive to help victims of domestic violence
DANVILLE – There’s an ongoing drive this month that benefits the Women’s Center of Columbia and Montour Counties. The center is collecting old cell phones and cell phone accessories to help women in an emergency domestic situation contact 9-1-1. The center can also use the older phones and parts for recycling. They provide the phones to a cooperating company and get funding in return. Drop off your old cell phones at a number of drop boxes in the Montour and Columbia County and you can contact the center by calling 784-6632. (WPGM)
Route 15 detour near Allenwood this weekend
ALLENWOOD – There will be detour in place this weekend for motorists on Route 15 in Union County. PennDOT says Route 15 southbound traffic, south of Allenwood in Union County will be detoured late Saturday night and Sunday morning for road repairs just north of Interstate 80. Southbound traffic will be directed to take the White Deer exit, turn left on White Deer Pike, right onto Old Route 15 and then right onto New Columbia Road and back onto Route 15. Repairs in the northbound direction will take place late next week. (Ali Stevens)
Ethanol storage permit approved by Point Township board
POINT TOWNSHIP – The Point Township zoning hearing board has approved a zoning permit to allow developer LYCO 1 of Bloomsburg to convert a property in Point Township into an ethanol storage facility. This comes after months of discussion and debate on the issue after LYCO 1 first presented their proposal for the land along Route 11. The Daily Item tells us the zoning hearing board’s decision on Thursday was unanimously in favor of the developer. Some residents in the area are concerned that the storage tanks containing millions of gallons of ethanol, would present a health and environmental hazard to the township. However the zoning board says the safety measures in place by LYCO 1 are sufficient. (Ali Stevens)
Over 100 jobs to be created at former Merck plant
DANVILLE – Over 100 jobs could be created after an expansion at the former Merck plant in Riverside. State Senator John Gordner says he and State Representative Merle Phillips are working with new owner, Cherokee Pharmaceuticals, and the Department of Community and Economic Development to get funds for the project. Gordner says the jobs that will be created are just the kind that Montour County needs, with great benefits and salaries up to $60,000.
Gordner says if things go as planned, the expansion and creation of jobs will take between two and three years. Since the sale of the plant nearly four months ago, Cherokee officials have been in full support of expanding the business and bringing more and better jobs to the area. (Sara Bartlett)
SnyCo shooter: I only tried to scare father-in-law
MIDDLEBURG – After confessing to killing his father law, a man accused of murder said he was only trying to scare the victim. All charges are bound over to court for the Richfield man accused in the shooting death of 46-year-old Jeffrey Stock.
26-year-old Travis Graham had a preliminary hearing Thursday in front of District Judge Willis Savidge in Middleburg. Graham is charged with an open count of homicide after admitting to shooting Stock on March 26th at his Richfield home.
Mifflin County Coroner Daniel Lynch testified at the prelim, regarding his examination of Stock the evening of his death. State Trooper Rob Reeves also testified, saying that Graham admitted to him that he fired the gun that killed Stock. A hearing date for Graham will be established by the court in the upcoming weeks. (Sara Bartlett)
Hospitals say change in data gathering increased infection numbers
LEWISBURG – A state study recently released shows that more than 30,000 patients who were hospitalized in Pennsylvania in 2006 contracted infections from their hospital stay. The number is up from 19,000 patients in 2005, but Infection Control Technician at Evangelical Community Hospital, Tamara Persing, says the 60% rise is due to a difference in data collection between the years.
She says starting in 2006, hospitals were required to report all hospital acquired infections, not just ones that were high risk, to the Center For Disease Control. Assistant CNO at Sunbury Community Hospital, Elizabeth Bendas, says they have seen a rise in infections due to collecting data with the new method.
Both hospitals say they continue to provide education programs to nurses and patients to help prevent infections. The hospital inquired infection data was published in a report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, which is an independent state agency that focuses on addressing health costs as well as quality and access of health care. (Sara Bartlett)
GOP candidates trade accusations prior to primary
SCRANTON – Republican Dan Meuser says fellow GOP’er Chris Hackett is running a smear campaign in the race for the 10th congressional district nomination. Hackett, however says he’s just upset that the voters know he supported Hillary Clinton and Governor Ed Rendell.
Meuser denies giving money to Hillary Clinton, however Hackett says he’s lying. He also says it’s a bad choice to support people like Rendell, who supports tolling Interstate 80. Hackett is also accused of giving 80 percent of his money to the Democrats in recent Meuser ad.
Hackett admits to supporting a candidate for Luzerne County Commissioner that was a Democrat, but says Meuser’s figure is off base. Chris Hackett will be a guest on our On the Mark program next week. Meuser was on the program last week. His comments are online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)
Hundreds preparing for Days of Caring
SELINSGROVE – The annual tradition of volunteers from area businesses giving their time to help United Way Agencies continues. Days of Caring is set for April 18th and 19th in the Central Susquehanna Valley. Randy Shroyer of Playworld Systems in Lewisburg helps organize the event each year and says its an opportunity for people who want to get involved to do so, without a long-term commitment or committee.
This year, there are 300 volunteers participating in businesses from Snyder, Northumberland, Union and Montour Counties. They will do projects including outdoor lawn care, indoor cleaning, painting and organizing. The volunteers will receive breakfast and lunch and a long sleeved t-shirt for their efforts. If you would like to volunteer, you can contact the United Way at 988-0993. (Ali Stevens)
Stocks up slightly as discount retailers optimistic
NEW YORK – Are you looking for bigger bargains when you shop these days? If that’s so, analysts say you’re not alone, as discount retailer Wal-Mart increased its first quarter earnings forecast from 70 to 74 cents per share.
Stock in Wal-Mart and competitor Costco advanced Thursday, on the strongest session for stocks in the last three. Stocks of local interest were largely higher as M&T Bank, Susquehanna Bancshares and FNB gained 1.0% or more. MidPenn Bancorp was up a fraction to 25.40, but Sovreign was down nearly 4.0% to 8.72. Sara Lee, Weis Markets, and Community Health Systems enter the new day fractionally higher.
However, Conagra and Fleetwood Enterprises are down slightly, and utility PPL Corp is off nearly 2.5% to 47.29. Monroe Marketplace developer Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust enters the last day of the trading week up a fraction at more than $25 dollars per share. (Matt Farrand)
Adopt-an-Acre program revived for fun and “profit”
DANVILLE – Have you ever wanted to put some money in a futures market, perhaps investing in corn, wheat or soybeans? A retired local farmer and the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce is offering a low-cost, low-risk simulation of what determines the price of many farm products.
Charlie Benner of Selinsgrove says the Chamber’s Adopt-an-Acre program offers $15 shares in a portion of a local farmer’s planting. Whether or not you make any money won’t be known until the season is complete. Benner says updates on how the crop is growing will be provided at chamber meetings.
He stresses that their local farmer will use sound agricultural practices such as no-till planting. Benner notes that there are many hidden expenses in agriculture, most of which have gone up since they first offered Adopt-an-Acre in 1996. For example, he says energy cost for mechanized farm equipment have more than doubled during that time. More information at 374-8826. (Matt Farrand)
Prison time for a man charges with sexually assaulting a teenager
SUNBURY – A Sunbury man already serving time in state prison for a sexual assault has received additional jail time for an assault in Northumberland County. 40-year-old Richard Daddario was sentenced to 25 years in 2006 for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl from Snyder County in 2004.
Now Daddario was sentenced to 2 ½ to 5 years in prison for assaulting a 12-year-old girl in July of 2004 in Upper Augusta Township. Daddario pleaded no contest to aggravated indecent assault, statutory sexual assault and indecent assault in Northumberland County court. This comes after a jury found Daddario guilty of sexually assaulting the 15-year-old in Monroe Township, Snyder County. (Ali Stevens)
Kane’s Tavern, Sunbury denied liquor license renewal
SUNBURY – The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has denied the renewal of a liquor license for Kane’s Tavern of Sunbury. Kane’s was closed in July of 2006 for liquor law violations and in September of 2007, the tavern obtained temporary approval to re-open the bar, pending a hearing on the renewal of a liquor license.
District Attorney Tony Rosini says he filed objections to the renewal of the license, based on police reports and numerous complaints regarding the operation of the bar.
A hearing was held in January of this year and several police officers testified against the renewal of the liquor license. A petition to close the bar was filed due to documented drug activity at the bar, where drugs were allegedly being sold. Rosini thanked the Attorney General for helping in the process of getting the bar closed. (Ali Stevens)
Route 11 paving next week in Northumberland Borough
NORTHUMBERLAND – Paving work will be done on Route 11 in Northumberland next week. The work will take place on Water and Front Streets and traffic will be restricted through the work zone during daylight hours. Flaggers will be on the scene to help direct traffic and delays are expected. The project is expected to take about two days. (Ali Stevens)
Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says it wants to make its licensing process more transparent. The agency says a regulation given preliminary approval would allow disclosure of as much information as is legally possible during public licensing hearings. The board has been accused of acting with too much secrecy in awarding 11 slot-machine gambling licenses in 2006. Under the new regulation, gaming control board members would be permitted to ask applicants questions at public hearings about matters otherwise considered confidential. The applicant would then have the option to either answer the question in public, or request that the matter be aired at a confidential hearing.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A new private study says Pennsylvania should change its plan to add tolls to Interstate 80 and should pursue a private lease for the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Reason Foundation policy brief says the toll income should be used to rebuild the interstate. It also says truck-only lanes should be added to let longer and heavier tractor-trailers use the roadway. The turnpike, however, says the new study is using incorrect expense numbers. A House Democratic study last month criticized the idea of leasing the turnpike. But the foundation says that study was flawed because it didn't factor in a private company's ability to operate the roadway more efficiently. The foundation calls the turnpike one of the country's least efficient toll roads.
LANCASTER (AP) - Mitt Romney has already said he'd accept if presumptive GOP nominee John McCain invited him to be his running mate. But campaigning for McCain in Lancaster yesterday (Thursday), the former Massachusetts governor sidestepped the question of whether he would be a good vice presidential candidate. Romney said McCain has a lot of great people to choose from. Speaking to a Republican group last night, Romney got some of his strongest applause when he defended President Bush. He says Bush has kept the nation safe -- and McCain would do the same.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State welfare officials say 46 children died in Pennsylvania last year as a result of abuse or neglect, a 48 percent increase over the previous year. The number of reported child abuse deaths was the highest since 1999, when 50 deaths were reported, according to Department of Public Welfare reports. The state received 31 reports of child abuse deaths in 2006. The department's 2007 figures were released Wednesday. Although the number of suspected child abuse cases rose from 23,181 in 2006 to 24,021, the percentage of substantiated reports declined from 18 percent to 17 percent. The department says nearly 60 percent of the substantiated reports involved sexual abuse.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Friday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:
FRIDAY MIDDAY
Daily Number 7-0-7
Big 4 4-3-9-6
Treasure Hunt 05-09-10-12-27
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