Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Hackett wins 10th District GOP primary

HARVEY’S LAKE - A business owner heavily outspent by his Republican opponent won the GOP Congressional nomination for the 10^th District Tuesday. With 90% of precincts reporting, Chris Hackett had 52%, while Dan Meuser had 48% of the vote.  Hackett will face incumbent Democrat Chris Carney in the general election.  The 10^th District is largely Republican, but the GOP lost it to a Democrat two years ago.  Hackett and Meuser traded accusations regarding their conservative credentials. (Matt Farrand)

Yaw wins three-way primary for State Senate nomination

WILLIAMSPORT – Attorney Gene Yaw will face Democrat Trey Casmir for 23^rd District State Senate seat now held by retiring Roger Madigan.  Yaw defeated Doug McLinko of Bradford county and House Member Steve Cappelli for the nomination with 48% of the vote.  McLinko and Cappelli each received 26%.  Casmir ran without opposition. (Matt Farrand)

Woman killed in a Union County crash

Two early morning crashes in White Deer Township…one fatal

MILTON – Two early morning crashes were reported Tuesday morning on I-80 in White Deer Township, Union County, and one was fatal.  State Police tell us the first occurred shortly after midnight when 47-year-old Mahesh Amin, of New Jersey, was traveling east when he lost control of his vehicle and struck another car driven by 72-year-old Joseph Ronan of Altoona.  A 32-year-old male passenger in Amin’s car was killed in the accident; his name has not yet been released.  Police say there were several other injuries among passengers in both vehicles.

Northumberland County to save money under lease-to-own plan

SUNBURY – Northumberland County Commissioners are giving their okay to a plan that will change the terms of a costly lease.  Terms of the original agreement could have eventually cost the county more than two-and-a-half times the initial rent, or roughly $2.6 million dollar per year for the three Sunbury properties.  Commissioner chair Frank Sawicki calls it a good deal for both sides in that it will free up money for other county services.

The new lease will eliminate basing rent increases on the rate of inflation, fix the amount paid to the private lessor after 2014, and extend the length of the agreement through 2028.  The county will own the buildings at that time.  The plan was written by a committee directed by commissioner Vinny Clausi.  It included Coal Township commissioners Gene Welsh and Craig Fetterman and consultant Joe Pancerella.  Since 2003, the buildings that house agencies such as Children and Youth, Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and the Office on the Aging are leased from two private firms.  (Matt Farrand)

Burn ban issued by Northumberland County

Cutting a ribbon to celebrate the opening of a new store in Selinsgrove

SELINSGROVE – Foss Jewelers was a popular store in the Susquehanna Valley Mall for several years and now they hope to be just as popular at their new location.  A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at Foss Jewelers new store Tuesday afternoon.  The store is now located on Route 522 next to Amato’s Pizza and is a freestanding location. 

Local food and music tonight at Earth Day celebration in Lewisburg

LEWISBURG – Celebrate Earth Day today at the Bucknell Environmental Center.  Everyone is invited tonight from 5:30p.m.-7:30p.m. at the center located on 835 Fraternity Road in Lewisburg.  Local vegetables and meats will be provided, and there will also be a performance by local musician Van Wagner.  For more information e-mail jpscott@bucknell.edu. (Sara Bartlett)

As gas prices rise, will families be able to take summer vacation trips?

UNDATED – How many people in our area will be able to afford a summer vacation this year with the gas prices on the rise?  We asked that question to our listeners in our weeklong series on tourism and how gas prices are impacting all of us. 

Heath Hile of Northumberland County says gas prices have him limited and he will not be able to travel this summer.  He says most of his money would go into the gas tank so he plans to spend vacation at home this year.  Hile says 25 % of his monthly income goes into his gas tank, in comparison with 5 % just four years ago. 

Jane Konyar of Trevorton says they will have to cut back on summer trips.  She says they like to take long weekends with their camper, but they won’t be able to go to a lot of the state parks they like to go to because of the gas prices.  Konyar is also surprised with the rise in diesel fuel.  She says it’s the trucks that move this country.  Konyar says diesel is a bi-product of gasoline and is not refined as much and the fact that it’s so much more than gasoline goes to show that there is gouging going on.  She says , “ I would like to have a total boycott on the trucks.  They should just pull over, pull their keys out and not move this country until the price of diesel fuel comes down.”

And James Finkler of Hughesville plans on traveling this summer, because he says he has planned ahead by limiting gas consumption.  Finkler says by cutting back on speeding, he was able to save money spent on gas.  He also purchased a Toyota Yaris, which he says gets about 38 miles per gallon.  Finkler believes hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles are the way to go along with alternative energy sources.  (Ali Stevens)

Bucknell Habitat for Humanity host’s their annual duck derby

LEWISBURG -- It’s the annual Duck Derby in Lewisburg on Saturday. The event is held at the Bull Run Creek and ducks are sold this week at the Langone Center at Bucknell or on the day of the event.  Ducks are $5 each or $20 for a “six-quack”.

Vote 2008: Pennsylvania Spring Primary election…underway…

SUNBURY – The Pennsylvania Spring Primary election is now underway. Polling places opened at 7a.m. and close at 8p.m. There are thousands of new voters in our region—mostly new democratic registrations. If you have questions about the primary, you can check out www.wkok.com’s Election Central. And check back tonight for election results announced on WKOK and posted at www.wkok.com.

Locally, we’ll be following the 10th District U.S Congressional GOP race, pitting Chris Hackett of Shavertown against Dan Meuser of the Back Mountain area of Luzerne County. In the 23rd District State Senate GOP race, Doug McLinko, Steve Cappelli and Gene Yaw are the candidates.

Vote 2008: McCain’s “lock” on race could keep local GOP home

LEWISBURG – Will John McCain’s virtual clinching of the Republican presidential nomination keep some GOP members home on primary day? Union County Republican chair Yvonne Morgan says it may, despite well-publicized races for State Senate and Congress. The Arizona Senator has been the “presumptive nominee” for weeks, and Morgan says while she would be happy with 30% voter turnout, 19% is more likely.

Locally, Dan Meuser and Chris Hackett’s race for their party’s Congressional nomination, and the three-way race for State Senate have been characterized by charges of not being conservative enough for their respective districts. Morgan hopes all Republicans to unite and play on the same team in the fall. (Matt Farrand)

Vote 2008: Absentee votes mirror interest in primary

MIDDLEBURG – Absentee ballots can make a difference in a close political race. Snyder County election director Pat Nace says absentee balloting can also mirror the interest the voting public has in the contests on the ballot.

Nace says of the 200 absentee ballots requested, about 170 have been returned to date, which she calls pretty good. Nace notes historically a 30% voter turnout is average in a presidential primary. Voting machines are secured and in place at the 25 polling places county wide, and poll workers have all the supplies they need for when voting places open up at 7:00 a.m.

Nace says on election night, her office will be busy putting together results from the memory cards of the electronic voting machines, sending unofficial numbers to the PA Department of State, and posting them on line. The results won’t be official until provisional, absentee and military ballots are considered. (Matt Farrand)

Vote 2008: Lewisburg musician performs at Obama rally

LEWISBURG – Lewisburg singer/songwriter Earl Pickens and the Band Named Thunder got the chance to perform their hit song “Obama Everywhere in Pennsylvania” at an Obama rally at a train station in Lancaster over the weekend. Pickens says the Democratic presidential hopeful’s campaign asked him to perform to song before Obama hit the stage, and the crowd loved it.

He says he’s never been a publicly political person, but felt the Obama campaign was something he could support using his art. Unfortunately, Pickens says he did not get to meet Obama personally at the event. Pickens and his band performed nine songs including two versions of “Obama Everywhere in Pennsylvania.” Since being posted on the online video-sharing site You Tube, the song has had over 25,800 views. (Sara Bartlett)

Penn State students present plans to help revitalize Sunbury

SUNBURY— Penn State landscape architecture students presented a final comprehensive plan for parts of Sunbury last night. The plans focused on key areas in the city such as Cameron Park, the Historic District and Stroh Alley. One presenter, Ryan Bechtold, discussed his plans on making Stroh Alley a more welcoming area in the city.

He discussed replacing the steel overhead that is now covering the alley, and installing wooden trellises that could be covered in Christmas lights and vines. He also proposed overnight spotlights and daytime outdoor seating areas, along with an overhaul of the former CVS building.

Meanwhile, Mayor Woodring says the city is taking the proposals very seriously. He says that while funds are not immediately available for all the proposals, it’s important that plans exist. Woodring says once the funds are available, the ideas can then be implemented. (Sara Lauver)

Analysts again look at banking stocks with care

NEW YORK – All the banking stocks of local interest retreated, following both Citigroup and Bank of America lower as confidence ebbed that the sub-prime mortgage crisis would be overcome. Citigroup plans to issue $6 billion dollars in hybrid bonds to raise cash.

Sovreign Bancorp dropped more than 9.0% to 8.43, Susquehanna Bancshares fell 4.8% and FNB Corp lost 3.5% to 87.95. M&T Bank and MidPenn Bancorp also retreated. Other stocks of local interest were mixed as PPL Corp, Sara Lee and Merck each lost a fraction.

Weis Markets lost about half of a percent to close under 35 dollars per share. Conagra, Sunoco Logistics and Community Health system each gained a fraction. Homebuilder Fleetwood Enterprises gained more than 4.0% to close at 4.24. More Wall Street help is available at www.wkok.com. (Matt Farrand)

Ongoing water line project in Middleburg

MIDDLEBURG – An ongoing water line project in the Middleburg Borough may temporarily interrupt water service. Contractors are making connections to the main line, which may cause dirty water for some customers. The project is expected to be complete by June.

Part I: High gas prices fueling some vacation cutbacks…a five-part series

ELYSBURG – In part one of a weeklong series on the impact of rising prices on tourism this summer, we spoke with Knoebel’s about what they expect. We also spoke with our listeners about how they will handle summer travel plans. Joe Muscato of Knoebel’s Groves Amusement Resort says the higher prices might actually help them, because people will stay local and take more trips to Knoebel’s.

He says since they have free parking, admission and picnic facilities, more people will find Knoebel’s to be an affordable alternative to pricey attractions. Muscato says of the 55 rides they have, only about a dozen will be more expensive and the price increase is only about 10 cents. Muscato says they work very hard to keep prices down.

Part II: Gas prices fueling some vacation cutbacks…a five-part series

UNDATED – Sheryl Schlegel says because of high gas prices, she has not been able to take a vacation for a couple of years. Even though she drives an economy car, Sheryl says she has to drive to work and needs to avoid unnecessary trips throughout the week. She says she would carpool if she could. Schlegel adds that each president should have to take a month and live in the real world on a middle-class salary.

Dave Dye just retired and says he does plan to travel, but will not take two-day trips. When he travels, he will drive somewhere, stay as long as possible and then come home. This will maximize the stay and minimize the number of trips. For more comments, stay tuned to WKOK this week.

Several counties assist in battling forest fires in McClure

MCCLURE – Fire companies from all across the region were busy battling forest fires in McClure on Saturday afternoon. Crews from Snyder, Union, Mifflin, Juniata and Northumberland County were sent to the Shade Mountain around 2 on Saturday afternoon and many crews remained on the scene until early Sunday morning.

Additional crews were sent out for a second fire on Kline Hill Road near McClure. No serious injuries were reported. A plane from the Bureau of Forestry assisted with water drops over Shade Mountain. Officials say about 25 acres were burning late Saturday afternoon. (Ali Stevens)

Five-year-old boy critical after farm accident near Riverside

RIVERSIDE – A-five-year-old boy is in critical condition following an accident with a tractor on Saturday morning near Riverside. This is the second accident on the farm since April, when a toddler was crushed a truck.

State police say 34-year-old Dennis Lehman of rural Danville was driving a farm tractor on Boyd Station Road with a five-year-old and three-year-old riding along. The tractor went off the right side of the road and struck an embankment, knocking 5-year-old Trenis Lehman too the ground. Trenis was taken to Geisinger Medical Center with serious injuries.

The three-year-old did not fall and was not injured. State police are investigating the accident. The Daily Item reports Trenis Lehman is the brother of 19-month-old Jeffrey Lehman, who was killed on April 10th when he was run over by a truck at his family’s farm. (Ali Stevens)

Danville woman critical after Sunday morning crash

DANVILLE – A Danville woman is in critical condition following a crash Sunday morning in Montour County. State police say 20-year-old Ashley Vanhorn was a passenger in a vehicle that went off of McCracken Road in Valley Township and went down a 20-foot embankment.

The vehicle flipped two times before coming to rest. Vanhorn was taken to Geisinger with serious injuries and remains in intensive care. The driver, 22-year-old Zachery Bachman of Danville, was treated for minor injuries. The investigation continues. (Ali Stevens)

Police investigate hit and run crash on Main St in Watsontown

WATSONTOWN – Watsontown police are investigating a hit and run crash on Main Street Sunday night. Police say just after 10 p.m. a maroon truck hit a car and then fled the scene. Witnesses say the truck started making squealing noises after the crash and fluids were leaking from the truck. Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Watsontown police. Damage to the passenger side of the truck should be evident. (Ali Stevens)

Snyder County District Attorney Mike Sholley on L&L

UNDATED – Snyder County Commissioners are preparing to create a hiring board to determine who will replace former county EMA Director Dave Nichols and First Deputy William Michaels. Both were fired in February after a reported misuse of county money.

Snyder County District Attorney Mike Sholley says the EMA investigation continues, though it was delayed for a time following the county’s homicide investigation. He says they are still working with federal and state agencies, but he did not give specifics regarding the investigation.

At their upcoming Thursday salary board meeting, the county commissioners are expected to choose a group of local law enforcement and emergency personnel to serve on a board in charge of selecting replacements in the EMA center. Chad Auker is currently serving as the acting EMA director.

On Leaders & Lawmakers, Mike Sholley talked about other pending cases in Snyder County, as well as the importance of victims’ rights and his experience as the county’s first full-time DA. You can download L&L online at www.wkok.com. (Sara Bartlett)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton could bring out a record number of Pennsylvania voters for the state's Democratic primary.  If more than 2.3 million of the 4.2 million registered party members show up at the polls, it would set a modern record for the state's Democratic presidential primary. Voters were out early across the state, including at a church in Allentown, where a line snaked out the door.  The current record -- of just under 55 percent -- was set in 1980, when Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy narrowly defeated then-President Carter in Pennsylvania.  Democratic enrollment began to soar earlier this year when it became apparent that neither candidate would clinch the nomination before Pennsylvania's primary.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The six-week Pennsylvania primary contest between Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama is winding up today as voters register their choice at the polls.  That decision could save - or sink - Clinton's flagging candidacy.  The candidates questioned each other's character and readiness to be commander in chief in last-minute television ads and barnstormed the state in a final pitch for votes in the most populous and delegate-rich state remaining in the nominating contest.  Some 4 million Democrats are eligible to cast ballots, with 158 delegates at stake.  Clinton is relying on a decisive win to reinvigorate her candidacy, while Obama hopes for an upset or a strong enough finish to secure the delegates needed to maintain his overall lead.