Sunday, August 1, 2010
Coal Township Police investigating fatal motorcycle crash
ELYSBURG -- Another motorcycle rider is dead after a crash. Coal Township Police expect to release the name of the rider Monday, but the News Item say witnesses described the rider as a male in his early twenties, possibly from Luzerne County. The rider lost control of his motorcycle heading west on Route 54 toward Elysburg at about 7:35 p.m. Saturday.
His vehicle collided with, and snapped of the mirror off an oncoming car driven by 32-year-old Dustin Tolbert of Greencastle. Neither Tolbert nor his passengers were injured. The rider reportedly died at the scene, and is the latest among several fatal crashes involving motorcycle riders in the Valley. Newsradio 1070 WKOK has posted at www.wkok.com, a series of stories about motorcycle safety. (Matt Farrand)
Accusations exchanged between undeclared DA hopefuls
SUNBURY – Northumberland County's outgoing solicitor is to move to Montour County and run for District Attorney. Long before the election, allegations are already flying between attorney Tim Bowers and incumbent Montour County District Attorney Bob Buehner.
Bowers is resigning as Northumberland County solicitor effective September 3rd, and Buehner believes his move to Montour County is being done strictly for political gain. Bowers reacted to Buehner’s charge of "carpet bagging" Saturday on the WKOK newsline and says he is surprised by the allegations.
Bowers maintains he has had a long time association with the Danville area, and accused Buehner of name calling, a practice he associates with politics in Northumberland County. Bowers was appointed Northumberland County solicitor in April of this year and replaced Vincent Rovito. Meantime, Buehner is considering running for another term as District Attorney. (Matt Farrand)
Man cited for burn ban violation
SELINSGROVE -- Bans on outdoor burning remain in effect in Union, Snyder and Northumberland Counties, as a Selinsgrove man found out on Saturday. State troopers say 49-year-old Robert Keefer of Clifford Road is being cited for violating the ban after burning a large pile of trash in his back yard. Burn bans were imposed during the hot and dry month of July.
Local counties joined Schuylkill and Adams Counties as the only five counties in the state with burn bans in effect. No drought advisories or restrictions are in effect, but a four week dry spell prompted local leaders to take action. Since then, rainfall amounts have returned to normal and the state forestry department says the fire risk is ‘low.’ (Matt Farrand)
Troopers: Not yet, details on Route 405 wreck
MONTANDON – “Mums” the word from state police as they continue to withhold details of a bad crash Friday afternoon. They do say details of their investigation are expected soon. The two drivers who crashed Friday were taken to Geisinger Medical Center. The accident happened around 1:45p.m. on Route 405 south of Montandon.
One vehicle crossed over the center line and hit another vehicle head-on. One driver was taken to the hospital by Life Flight, the other by ambulance. Fire and rescue crews from Lewisburg, Milton and Evangelical Community Hospital responded to the crash scene. (Sara Bartlett)
Game Commission makes plan for whitetail deer population
UNDATED -- The Pennsylvania Game Commission has finalized its plan for managing the state's whitetail deer population for the next 10 years. All 148 pages of the plan are now posted online at the agency's website. Goals include managing deer for a healthy and sustainable deer herd, managing deer-human conflicts, and managing deer to provide recreational opportunities.
Many of the goals were identified by public stakeholders and supported by citizens who attended public open houses earlier this year. You can access the plan online at www.pgc.state.pa.us. Click on White-Tailed Deer, Deer Management Plans and then select 2009-2018 White-Tailed Deer Management Plan. (Sara Bartlett)
Three oceanographers are on Roundtable this weekend
SUNBURY – Roundtable interviews three oceanographers this weekend. We talk about the Gulf of Mexico with three people who know about the scale of the Gulf oil spill and the catastrophic and subtle impacts. The guests are professors Cynthia Venn and Thomas Klinger, both of Bloomsburg University, along with Julie Ambler of Millersville University.
They discuss the scale of the disaster—as one of the largest spills in world history—and they talk about the unintended consequences of the efforts to reduce the impact of the spill. We also look at the long term remediation efforts which will be necessary. All are working professors who have active research projects involving the Gulf and we discuss the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay.
Also, asking informed question, WKOK intern Katie Kirchner, a senior at Selinsgrove Area High School. You can hear Roundtable (Sunday) on Eagle 107 (107.3FM) at 6a.m., 100.9 (100.9FM), The Valley, at 6a.m., Newsradio 1070 WKOK (1070AM) at 9a.m., Talkradio 1380 WMLP (1380AM), 11a.m., 94KX WQKX (94.1FM) at 11p.m. and anytime, at www.wkok.com.
Incoming Susquehanna University students learn about homelessness
SELINSGROVE -- Some incoming Susquehanna University students got out of classroom experience recently with a group called SPLASH, or Students Promoting Leadership and Awareness in Serving the Homeless. Twenty incoming students first spent time at Haven Ministries in Sunbury.
Janelle Gist was one of the participants and says locally they worked with the people in Haven with some cleaning and canning projects. The students then traveled to Washington D.C. to visit a homeless shelter for women and handed out toiletries and food to the homeless.
Another participant, Rebecca Grenell says the experience broke some typical stereotypes. She says she went into the project thinking that some homeless people may be lazy, or didn't want to help themselves. She says she found this was untrue and many people who are homeless can't help it and have their own life stories trying to get back on their feet.
Grenell says just a smile or a nice gesture can make a homeless person's day. Both Grenell and Gist say they will take their experiences and continue to try and help the homeless, as well as help other try and break their stereotypes as well. (Sara Bartlett)
PennDOT construction work on Routes 11 & 15
SHAMOKIN DAM -- Monday roadwork on Routes 11 & 15 may slow motorists for a time. PennDOT says soil crews will be taking more investigational pavement cores between Hummels Wharf and Shamokin Dam from the intersection with Park Road to just north of the Veterans' Memorial Bridge.
The work will check the condition of the underlying concrete pavement. Work will be done Monday from 7:00a.m.-3:00p.m. starting in the northbound lane. Work will only be in the passing lane both north and southbound. Motorists are asked to stay alert for work crews, and there may be delays in the area. (Sara Bartlett)
Solicitor says Mahoning Township sewer project is by the books
DANVILLE -- The Mahoning Township solicitor is responding to claims by eight property owners that they overcharged for a recent sewer project. Attorney Rick Shoch says when a new sewer line was installed along Red Lane, there were three other simultaneous projects happening in the township.
He said the engineering firm involved combined the costs of all three projects the first time a bill was issued. Residents never saw that bill, and the authority asked that the projects' costs be broken down. Shoch says the firm did then send a breakdown.
Last week, Red Lane resident Bob Bomboy told us Red Lane residents were being overcharged. He said they were being made to pay for the other projects. Shoch says the residents were told in advance that the costs would be high and they have worked out an agreement with Bomboy and others. The township did offer a long term payment plan for residents who couldn’t foot the cost of the sewer connections.
In addition, he adds that the Mahoning Township Municipal Authority has footed the bill for nearly $10,000 in additional work that was never passed along to Red Lane residents. (Sara Bartlett)
River enthusiasts encouraged to join paddle
UNDATED -- A 12-mile paddle down the Susquehanna River is coming up soon in the Valley. Canoe and kayak enthusiasts are invited to paddle from Milton State Park to Shikellamy State Park. Mark Cox is the coordinator of the second annual paddle between the parks. He says experienced boaters and first timers are both welcome.
Last year, there were 60 kayakers and canoeists that took part, and Cox says they came from all over Pennsylvania. Friends of Milton State Park and Friends of Shikellamy State Park sponsor the paddle. When finished, participants can enjoy lunch at Shikellamy State Park.
The paddle will begin at 8:00a.m. Saturday, August 7th. It is $25 for individuals over 18, and $15 for those under 18. To register for paddle between the parks you can e-mail shikstatepark@verizon.net, or call 286-4974. (Sara Bartlett)
Penn State has the annual ‘quarterback question’
HUMMELS WHARF – The Penn State Nittany Lions are now practicing for the fall season and as is occasionally the much talked about question: Who will be the starting quarterback for the Lions? Steve Jones, the ‘voice of the Nittany Lions,’ the broadcast announcer on the Penn State Radio Network, told WKOK, the race is down to four hopefuls.
They are Robert Bolden, Kevin Newsome, Paul Jones and Matt McGloin. Jones said the quarterback decision is completely up in the air and he said a wise coach wouldn’t even hint at a starter until the first game is a week away. Jones appeared at the annual Penn State Kick-off meet and greet for the sponsors who support all of the Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation sports broadcasts.
Jones said Penn State has a chance to have a great year, but will have a tough time on the road at Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio State. Newsradio 1070 WKOK has its first Penn State game of the season five weeks from now, on Saturday, September 4th with Youngstown State visiting Happy Valley.
National Night Out around the Valley
UNDATED -- Local law enforcement is gearing up for Tuesday's National Night Out. Many communities in the Valley are holding evening events. The night is aimed to heighten awareness of crime and drug abuse, generate support of local anti-crime programs and strengthen the police-community partnership.
- In Lewisburg, from 5:00p.m. -8:00p.m. in Lewisburg Area Recreation Park on St. Mary Street there will be free swimming and food, pony rides, petting zoo, sports for kids, skate demonstrations, and a range of police, fire and emergency service personnel will be in attendance.
- Milton's National Night Out will take place in Brown Avenue Park from 6:00p.m.-9:00p.m. There will be free food, as well as free swimming. The search and rescue dogs will be there, along with police personnel. Something new this year is the DUI course, where participants can simulate driving drunk to show how dangerous and deadly it can be. There will also be raffles and giveaways.
- In Montour County, Danville Police will host the night at Sunnybrook Park starting at 5:00p.m. Swimming will be free all day, and at night there will be games and prizes. Also, at the Exchange Pool swimming will also be free and there will be a number of activities also starting at 5:00p.m.
- In Sunbury, National Night Out events will take place in Cameron Park from 5:00p.m.-9:00p.m. Free food and drink will be available and National Guard members, firefighters and police will all be on hand.
Latest Pennsylvania news, business update, lottery numbers and entertainment:
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Authorities in central Pennsylvania say two state prison guards are facing charges in the shooting death of a man at a gun range last week. Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed says a 64-year-old man is being charged with homicide, robbery, aggravated assault and conspiracy in the death of 42-year-old Todd Getgen of Enola. He told reporters Friday night that a 34-year-old man will be charged with theft and conspiracy to receive stolen property. Freed says both suspects are guards at State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill. Getgen's body was found Wednesday at the Pennsylvania Game Commission rifle range in North Middleton Township. Freed says the rifle the victim had at the range was found in a storage facility along with the weapon believed to have been used in the killing and a third gun stolen from the range in May.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell says a network of surveillance cameras could be used to identify uninsured drivers and help raise money for the state treasury. Rendell is asking state senators to consider a range of ideas to address the $470 million-a-year revenue gap due to federal rejection of tolls on Interstate 80. Under the system, cameras installed along state highways would take pictures of vehicle license plates and cross-reference them with the motorist's insurance policy information. Those found to lack valid insurance would receive a notice to pay a fine, which a contractor would collect for a percentage of the revenue. The governor says the system would generate $115 million annually. But some are expressing fears about the expanded use of surveillance technology, and an insurance group says it would require real-time coverage data that doesn't exist.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Lawyers for two Hungarian citizens killed in a duck boat accident on a river in Philadelphia are calling for the city and Coast Guard to bar the vessels from returning to the water - which the company says it hopes to do this season. Mechanical inspections and on-the-water testing are being one on the 15 amphibious Ride The Ducks vehicles licensed for Delaware River operations. A 250-foot barge being pushed by a tug hit the stalled duck boat July 7, plunging 35 passengers and two crew members into the river. Attorneys for the families of the two people killed cite a federal analysis of a 1999 accident in Arkansas in saying that the vessels are unsafe due to their design and canvas canopies. Ride The Ducks says its canopies are designed to allow easy egress in the case of an accident.
Update on the latest in business:
Twitter down for hours of 'planned maintenance
NEW YORK (AP) - The microblogging site Twitter Inc. was out of commission for a couple of hours early Sunday for some of the roughly 100 million users around the world. Instead of the usual screen that allows people to send a tweet, the home page indicated the site was down for "planned maintenance" but was expected to be back in a few hours. It was accompanied by a cartoon. According to a status website run by the San Francisco-based company, Twitter's hosting provider, NTT America, was to start the maintenance at 2 a.m. EDT Sunday and it was to last about five hours. Some tweets appeared to start moving again after about 90 minutes but some users were still unable to send messages hours later.
US inaction on climate troubles global talks
AMSTERDAM (AP) - The failure of a climate bill in the U.S. Senate is likely to weigh heavily on international negotiations in Europe this week on a new agreement to control global warming. The decision to strike the bill from the Senate's immediate agenda has deepened the distrust among poor countries about the intentions of United States and other industrial countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions that power their wealthy economies but risk causing the Earth to dangerously overheat. Delegations from most of the 194 nations involved in the ongoing talks open five days of negotiations in Bonn, Germany, on Monday, one of the last meetings before another decisive conference convenes at the end of the year in Cancun, Mexico. One more session is scheduled for October in China.
Pennsylvania Lottery Numbers:
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn Saturday:
Big 4
2-1-6-0
Cash 5
02-07-15-27-33
Daily Number
4-2-8
Evening Quinto
8-9-0-6-0
Midday Big 4
1-2-4-3
Midday Number
5-0-3
Midday Quinto
1-9-8-3-3
Powerball
01-16-17-41-57, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 3
Treasure Hunt
01-02-10-15-22
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Conservative blogger says Obama not 'post-racial'
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A conservative blogger at the center of a controversy over the forced resignation of a federal employee says the election of President Obama has not improved the political discourse on race. Andrew Breitbart appeared Saturday at a Philadelphia "Uni-Tea: United Tea Party For All Communities" gathering near Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. He said he believed Obama "promised, tacitly" to be a post-racial candidate, but instead there had been what he called "proxy warfare" by others making charges of racism. Agriculture department employee Shirley Sherrod was forced to resign after Breitbart's website BigGovernment.com posted a 2 1/2-minute video clip of a speech she made to a rural south Georgia NAACP banquet. The full speech showed that she was talking about racial unity and redemption. Sherrod has said she plans to sue Breitbart. He declined comment on the matter.
Vomiting fan at Philly ballpark gets 30 to 90 days
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 30 to 90 days for vomiting on another spectator and his 11-year-old daughter in the stands during a Philadelphia Phillies game last spring. Twenty-one-year-old Matthew Clemmens, of Cherry Hill, N.J., pleaded guilty in May to one count each of simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment for his conduct during an April 14 Phillies-Nationals game at Citizens Bank Park. Common Pleas Court Judge Kevin Dougherty also sentenced him Friday to two years of probation and 50 hours of community service to be done at Citizens Bank Park. Defense attorney Richard Hark presented character witnesses and Clemmens apologized to the family and stadium workers, saying "Nobody ever ruined games for me and my dad." But Dougherty pointed to the word "heartless" tattooed on the defendant's arm and said he believed the apology was "feigned."
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