Monday, August 16, 2010

Four injured in Route 61 crash

ELYSBURG -- Four people were injured in a crash early this morning on Route 61 in Ralpho Township, Northumberland County.  Police say the accident took place just before 1:30 a.m. when Joe Vesnefski of Shamokin was traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control of his vehicle, striking two trees near the intersection with Badman's Hill Road. 

Several people were trapped inside the vehicle and the front of the vehicle was on fire.  Emergency crews were able to douse the fire and keep it from spreading into the vehicle.  The victims were freed from the car after more than 20 minutes. 

Two passengers, Steven and Matthew Valanoski of Coal Township, were taken to Geisinger Medical Center and are listed in serious condition.  Vesnefski is listed in fair condition at Geisinger.  Another passenger, identified as Julieann Gusik of Catawissa, was taken to Geisinger, but her condition is not available.  (Ali Stevens)

Teen in serious condition after a fall from a roof

BLOOMSBURG -- A 14-year-old boy is listed in serious condition at Geisinger Medical Center after falling from a roof.  Police say Corey Lindsay fell two stories off the roof of a downtown building in Bloomsburg and landed in an enclosed entryway between two buildings.  Firefighters used a ladder truck and bucket to rescue Lindsay on Sunday night around 10 p.m. It is not yet clear why the boy was on the roof and how he fell.  (Ali Stevens)

Van was stolen from a home in Sunbury

SUNBURY – Police are investigating after a van was stolen from a home in Sunbury.  The van was parked at a home in the 200 block of Race Street last night.  The van is a white work van with “Hoagland’s Home Improvements” printed on the side.  The owner of the van, Britt Hoagland, is offering a $600 reward for return of the van or information leading to the van's location.

Hoagland says all of his home improvement tools and contracts are inside the van. Anyone with information on the missing van should contact the number printed on the side of the van, which is 988-1709 or contact Sunbury Police.  (Ali Stevens)

Learning more about Diabetes during “Stop Diabetes Month”

SUNBURY – This month, the stations of Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation have teamed up with Sunbury Community Hospital to help stop Diabetes through a series of news stories, local events and fundraisers.  In part one of our series on Diabetes, we spoke with a local doctor about the prevalence of Diabetes in the Central Susquehanna Valley. 

Dr. Bradley Starks is a family physician with Community Care of Northumberland and says Diabetes is very common in this area.  He says the disease is largely inherited and obesity increases the risk.  In Type 1 Diabetes your immune system attacks the pancreas, destroying its function to produce insulin.  With Type 2 Diabetes, the cells in the body become resistant to insulin and the cells cannot use it for metabolic activities. Treatment includes a special diet and an increase in exercise.  Those with more severe cases also receive insulin injections. 

Diabetes can cause problems with your eyes, kidneys and circulation and can put you more at risk for heart attack or stroke.  Tune in this week as we continue our series on Diabetes for Stop Diabetes Month.  Next we will talk with a dietician who works with patients on controlling their disease through a special diet plan.  For more information on Stop Diabetes Month, go to our website at www.wkok.com.  (Ali Stevens)

Middleburg man sent to prison after an assault

MIDDLEBURG – A Middleburg man is behind bars, charged with assaulting a woman in the borough last night.  State police say 30-year-old Donald Stover Jr. is charged with simple assault, terroristic threats and harassment.  Bail was denied for Stover at his arraignment before District Judge John Robinson.  He was sent to the Snyder County Prison.  (Ali Stevens)

Glasses raised in unison for record, and good cause

MIDDLEBURG –The results are in as 6,720 wine lovers gathered at 60 wineries across the state to try to set the Guinness record for wine toasting. Wine drinkers statewide tried to break a ‘simultaneous toasting’ record on Saturday, but were a bit short.

The state organized the effort, which was an attempt to break a Guinness Book of World Records mark of more than 17,000 set in Great Britain in 2009. The effort was however considered the single busiest day in Pennsylvania wine history.

Locally, there were 166 people toasting at the Shade Mountain Winery near Middleburg, one of 60 licensed wineries participating. At Hunters Valley Winery in Liverpool, there were 151 toasters. Funds raised were contributed to the Children's Miracle Network. . (Matt Farrand)

State police investigate a burglary in Port Trevorton

PORT TREVORTON – State police are investigating a burglary at a home in Port Trevorton sometime late last night. The incident took place at a home in the 2600 block of Main Street in Port Trevorton sometime between 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.

State police say a laptop computer was removed from the home. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact state police. (Ali Stevens)

Two people injured in a crash on Routes 11 and 15 Sunday morning

SELINSGROVE – Two people were injured in a crash Sunday morning on Routes 11 and 15 in Penn Township, Snyder County. State police tell us 26-year-old Michael Goldberg of Rochester, New York lost control of his SUV while traveling south.

The vehicle skidded into the back of a tractor-trailer and then traveled down an embankment and struck a tree. Goldberg sustained minor injuries in the crash along with a passenger in his vehicle, 30-year-old Danielle Lewis. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not identified. Goldberg was cited for driving too fast for conditions. (Ali Stevens)

Horse is on the loose in the Milton area

MILTON -- A resident of the Milton area says one of her horses is on the loose. The exact location of where the horse was last seen is not known, but the horse named 'Ringo' turned up missing last evening. The animal apparently escaped. Ringo is a male, white horse, with some brown collaring. Anyone with information on the horses whereabouts is asked to call 742-4662.

18th home built by local group dedicated Saturday

NEW COLUMBIA -- The 18th home built by the Union-Snyder chapter of Habitat for Humanity is finished and ready to accept a local family. The home for the Friend family of New Columbia was dedicated Saturday.

Chapter President Tom Rambo says the Friend family met a number of requirements to be eligible for a Habitat for Humanity home. Among them, the need for a house of their own and the ability to pay for it.

The Friend family also had to put in more than 250 hours of "sweat equity," or work, on the project. Rambo says that could included actual construction work, or helping the Habitat for Humanity chapter on other projects.

The home at 562 New Columbia Road was dedicated Saturday at 10:00 a.m., and the family will move in next week. Participants in YouthBuild also participated in construction. YouthBuild is a program that helps trainees develop marketable job skills. (Matt Farrand)

Amateur auctioneer okay for county sale

SUNBURY -- Northumberland County Commissioner Vinny Clausi recently helped the county auction off abandoned property and surplus vehicles. Now, he's had to defend his decision to serve as an amateur auctioneer.

The Daily Item cites an anonymous local businessman who claimed the unlicensed Clausi served illegally, and did not accept all bids made at the auction this spring. However, witnesses refuted the claim, and noted that Clausi probably saved the county thousands of dollars.

Licensed auctioneers typically earn 10% of the proceeds at an auction. Though the county used a licensed auctioneer at an auction of used vehicles a year ago, they are apparently not required to hire a professional. (Matt Farrand)

Troopers look for clues after attempted burglary

MIDDLEBURG -- State troopers at Selinsgrove say they're looking for help from the public after a would-be burglar tried to get into Middleburg business. The attempted break in at the rear of the site in the 200 block of North Main Street is believed to have happened sometime between Friday at about 4:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

About $50 worth of damage was done to a doorjamb. No entry was made. Anyone with information is asked to call State Police at Selinsgrove at 374-8145. (Matt Farrand)

Potty guest takes television, video games

MIFFLINBURG -- State troopers say someone made off with a flat screen TV and a video game while a door was left open during a weekend party at a house near Mifflinburg. The door at the home along Dietrich Road in West Buffalo Township was left open so people could make their way to a bathroom during the gathering.

Hosts say the theft could have happened some time between 10:00 p.m. last Saturday night and 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning, and may have been done by a party guest. Troopers say the 20" TV and the game are worth about $550. (Matt Farrand)

Local mobility company fights against portion of federal healthcare bill

UNDATED -- A local company isn't pleased with a clause in the new federal healthcare bill. President and Owner of Susquehanna Valley Mobility Services, Aaron Lauver, says a portion of the bill would eliminate the first month purchase option for power wheelchairs.

This means, instead of going through Medicare to match a client with a power wheelchair for them to purchase, the chair would be a rental. Also, if a client were to get moved to a nursing home, or have a short stay in the hospital, the chair would be taken away.

Lauver says the change would be bad for his Milton company, and others too. Companies would have to purchase power wheelchairs for clients and then wait 13 months to be reimbursed. This may make it difficult for mobility companies to secure the upfront costs. Lauver says they are trying to keep this from being implemented.

The elimination of the first month purchase option for power wheelchairs would go into effect January 2011. Lauver says there is a strong possibility, and it is hoped, that this clause will be delayed. (Sara Bartlett)

Business and education—the chamber’s perspective on Roundtable

SUNBURY – The Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce was back on Roundtable over the weekend. This month they discussed the critical connection between business and education. Chad Cohrs is the new superintendent of the Selinsgrove Area School District and he tells us schools today have to prepare students for more than just a job.

Cohrs says they have to prepare students to have basic literacy skills, communication and interpersonal skills and prepare them for jobs that don’t event exist yet. He said the schools definitely need the input of the chamber of commerce. The new superintendent of the Shikellamy School District, Robin Musto, is on the interview as well.

Roundtable focuses on the chamber’s and business’s effort to affect education and curricula. We also discuss the efforts of the business world to affect education. The chamber has a business and education committee. You can hear Roundtable anytime, at www.wkok.com

Special Olympics bocce practice at a local park

SELINSGROVE – Special Olympics athletes will be able to practice the fall sport of “bocce” at a local park near Selinsgrove. East Snyder Park near Susquehanna University has a new feature for athletes with the Northumberland Snyder Special Olympics. Arden Miller is public relations coordinator for the group and says the park now features two regulation bocce courts.

They can practice for bocce at the park and are currently looking for a bocce coach for the Special Olympic team. Miller says the person volunteering would put in a couple of hours a week for about eight weeks and the person would be trained for the job.

Miller says this is a special time to be a part of the Northumberland Snyder Special Olympics since they are celebrating 40 years in Pennsylvania and 30 years locally. She says they are easy to contact if you would like to volunteer or get involved.

Their website is www.ns-sopa.org and Northumberland Snyder Special Olympics is also on Facebook. You can also support the cause by attending a fundraising breakfast Saturday August 21st from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Applebees in Selinsgrove. Tickets are $5.00 for the all you can eat breakfast. (Ali Stevens)

The death of Ted Silker is in the news

DANVILLE – A very busy local community volunteer has died. Ted Silker of Winfield passed away last week after suffering a stroke. He had an eventful life lately with the Kiwanis Clubs of Shamokin, the Ambassador Committee of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Susquehanna Valley Toastmaster’s clubs.

Ted was a marketing and advertising consultant and was the 2007 winner of the Karen L. Hackman Star of Excellence Award. The Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce gives that out each year. Word is Ted apparently had a stroke this week while attending a Kiwanis club meeting. He died at Geisinger Medical Center Friday. Ted Silker was 56-years-old.

Man captured in LyCo

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT -- A man who was on the run in the South Williamsport area drew a large emergency response including a number of police from The Valley Friday. The man was caught just before 6:00p.m. Police say his name won’t be disclosed as a mental health issue was a factor in the incident.

Earlier, police told us, the man, who may have been armed, fled the scene of a domestic dispute just before 3:00p.m. The incident happened in the area of Sulfur Springs Road (Rt. 554). The man reportedly fled into the woods.

State and local police, a Special Emergency Response Team and a police helicopter were all on the lookout for the man. Locally, crews from Union and Snyder County responded. Police say there were no injuries involved and there was never any threat to the public. (Sara Bartlett)

Volunteers can help with United Way’s fall campaign

UNDATED -- Local United Ways are looking for volunteers for their upcoming fall campaign. Keri Albright, President and CEO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way says the volunteers would be 'loaned executives.'

They would visit and make calls to workplaces that participate in United Way fundraising. A lot of the money the United Way raises is from workplace campaigns, and there are too many workplaces for the staff to cover, thus the need for volunteers.

Albright says volunteers will talk with employees at workplaces who have fundraising efforts with the United Way. The commitment is 4-6 hours a month for 3-4 months. Typically 'loaned executives' come from workplaces, but this year, Albright says they are reaching out to those who are unemployed or retired, but want to still stay connected to the community.

The United Way will provide all of the information needed for those who wish to volunteer. Anyone interested can call the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way at 988-0993 or the Union County United Way at 523-8929. (Sara Bartlett)

Latest Pennsylvania news, business, lottery and entertainment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A second candidate for statewide office in Pennsylvania says he's dropping out. Mel Packer, the Green Party's nominee for Sen. Arlen Specter's seat, said Monday he cannot overcome a challenge by Democratic nominee Joe Sestak.  The 65-year-old Packer said he has only about 1,000 votes to spare above the 19,000 he needs to qualify for the ballot.  Packer, a physician's assistant at a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room, said he has neither the money or time to spend on what he regards a futile fight. He said he's signing papers to stop the challenge and withdraw his candidacy.  Earlier Monday, John Krupa - a Lock Haven tavern owner and third-party candidate for governor - withdrew from that race.

PITTSBURGH(AP) - A Pittsburgh city councilman says he wants to ban Marcellus Shale drilling in the city. Councilman Doug Shields said Monday that he will introduce legislation to ban such drilling in Pittsburgh. Shields said that Pittsburgh's Community Protection from Natural Gas Extraction Ordinance will be introduced Tuesday.  Shields says the purpose of the legislation is to protect the community from polluted rivers and other hazards that many have attributed to Marcellus Shale drilling in other parts of the state. Shields says he wants to retain the city's "right to local self-government."

ROCKWOOD, Pa. (AP) - Amtrak is studying whether to put the "rails" back in a section of rails-to-trails land that has become part of the Great Allegheny Passage, a cycling trail stretching from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.  Somerset County's "Rails to Trails" association built a bike path on abandoned railroad tracks on Rockwood four years ago.  And now, Somerset County officials say Amtrak is studying putting train stops in towns near the 150-mile bicycle trail.  The county has applied for funding for the study to determine if cyclists would be interested in trains equipped with bicycle racks along the passage, as a way of boosting cycling on the path and ridership on Amtrak trains.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - An upstate New York man says his family has prayed for a Pittsburgh boy named Zach after finding a note attached to a balloon that says the boy needs a new heart.  Chris Kormanyos is building a home in Messina, N.Y. near the Canadian border.  He says a green balloon drifted down onto his driveway with a note attached Saturday saying, "We love Zach, we want your prayers to bring him a new heart. Please send a prayer to Zach in Pittsburgh. Pass it on."  Oddly enough, Kormanyos says one of the workers on his property has a son named Zach. That boy is the one who found the balloon, more than 500 miles from Pittsburgh.  Kormanyos says he and his family prayed for Zach at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.  The identity of the boy being prayed for remains unknown.

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - A central Pennsylvania man killed while on a medical mission in Afghanistan was remembered Sunday for his humor, his zest for life and his commitment to making the world a better place. Almost 900 people packed Bright Side Baptist Church for a memorial service for 40-year-old Glen Lapp of Lancaster. He was killed along with nine other relief workers after leaving remote Nuristan province on Aug. 5. The Taliban has taken responsibility. His sister-in-law, Mary Ellen Francescani, told the gathering that Lapp "led an abundant life." His cousin, Joe Lapp, said "He did not spend his life working in vain. He gave assistance to people the rest of the world had forgotten."

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - State conservation officials in Pennsylvania have been scrambling to try to determine where the state lacks ownership of mineral rights below state parks, meaning policies that bar drilling for natural gas on parklands do not apply. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary John Quigley says Pennsylvania does not own the mineral rights to about 80 percent of the land underlying the state parks. As land was acquired over decades, officials often opted not to pick up expensive mineral rights or had to buy land from which the mineral claims had long been severed. Quigley says there are only a dozen or fewer parks where drillers or seismic testing firms have expressed interest in drilling, but he expects that list to grow. The Marcellus Shale underlies more than half of the state’s 117 state parks.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The cost and relatively few duties accorded the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor's office has some proposing changes, and one state lawmaker is even drafting a bill to abolish the office. Taxpayers spend an average of $1.13 million a year on the office, even though the lieutenant governor is only charged with presiding over the Senate, reviewing applications for pardons and sitting on a couple of panels. Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, says Pennsylvania should follow the lead of seven other states and allow succession to another official. His proposal would amend the constitution to have succession to the Senate president pro tempore. Others say that rather than eliminating the position, it should be given greater constitutional duties, as is the case in many other states. Still others find fault with the current system of electing the governor and lieutenant governor separately.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Updates on the latest in business:

Dow: 10,271.74, down -31.41

S&P 500: 1,076.21, down -3.04

NASDAQ: 2,174.12, up .64

Stocks higher...New drilling rules...Seatbelts on buses?

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks have turned higher on Wall Street, after four days of heavy selling. The market initially pulled back after a regional manufacturing report fell short of forecasts and Japan became the latest country to show signs of slowing growth. The National Association of Home Builders also reported that its monthly index of builders' sentiment fell to the lowest level since March of last year.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Interior Department says it will no longer allow new deepwater drilling projects to go forward without environmental reviews. The announcement comes after the White House Council on Environmental Quality reported that BP got environmental exemptions based on decades-old data. Shallow water drilling will also be subjected to stricter environmental scrutiny under the new policy.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. (AP) - President Barack Obama says a rising homegrown clean energy industry can help reverse years of manufacturing job losses overseas. The president paid a visit to a company near Milwaukee that makes advanced batteries and power systems that use renewable sources of energy. The company, ZBB Energy Corp., is expanding with the help of a $1.3 million federal stimulus loan.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal health regulators are pushing to withdraw a blood pressure drug that has been on the market for 14 years in spite of the manufacturer's failure to submit evidence that it actually helps patients. The Food and Drug Administration approved Shire Laboratories' drug ProAmatine in 1996 based on promising early results. The company has never submitted a mandatory follow-up study to prove long-term benefits.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal transportation officials are proposing that motorcoach operators be required to install seatbelts in their buses for the first time. Under a regulation proposed today by the U.S. Department of Transportation, operators would have three years to install lap-shoulder belts. Seatbelts can reduce deaths in motorcoach rollover accidents by an estimated 77 percent.

Pennsylvania Lottery Number

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn Monday:

 Mega Millions

     Estimated jackpot: $64 million

 Midday Big 4

     3-2-5-3

Midday Number

     2-2-9

Midday Quinto

     7-1-5-1-0

Powerball

     Estimated jackpot: $64 million

 Treasure Hunt

     06-14-23-26-29

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn Sunday:

Big 4

1-2-6-5

Cash 5

11-23-36-41-43

Daily Number

0-0-6

Evening Quinto

2-1-5-6-4

Midday Big 4

2-7-6-7

Midday Number

7-7-8

Midday Quinto

8-5-0-5-3

Treasure Hunt

12-13-19-23-30

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

James Cameron to celebrate his birthday underwater

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) - James Cameron is going from outer space to under water.  The writer and director of "Avatar" says he'll celebrate his 56th birthday Monday deep beneath Russia's Lake Baikal. Cameron will be in a submersible about 5,200 feet (1,600 meters) from the surface of the world's oldest and deepest freshwater lake - "unless it's bad weather, in which case I'll be getting drunk with the Russian crew in the port."  A longtime ocean enthusiast, Cameron has other underwater projects in the works. He says he is building a submarine in Australia that will take him 36,000 feet underwater. He is also developing an upgraded 3-D underwater camera and has plans for an underwater feature film that he said he might make before taking on an "Avatar" sequel.

Gervais may open branch of 'The Office' in China 

BEIJING (AP) - "The Office" is up for a transfer to China.  Co-creator Ricky Gervais blogged recently that he will develop a Chinese version of the award-winning television comedy. In addition to the original British "mockumentary," there are versions in the U.S., France, Germany, Chile, Israel and the Canadian province of Quebec.  The show that mines office politics and corporate ineptitude for its laughs might face new challenges in China, where government censors tightly control media content.  Gervais joked on his blog that the show might not air if Beijing sees his latest project, "An Idiot Abroad," where he sends a culturally clueless friend on a trip around the world.  Gervais did not give any clues about the timing of the Chinese show.

Tiny toads

CHIMACUM, Wash. (AP) - If you think touching a toad will give you warts -- stay away from the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. Millions of dime-size toads are hopping toward the woods. The tiny creatures are leaving their lake and wetland nurseries to migrate to forests. It's what the toads do after becoming ex-pollywogs. Ranger Mike Zimmerman tells the Peninsula Daily it's the biggest toad migration he's seen in his 14 years at the park.

Obama qualifies apparent support for Ground Zero mosque

WHITE HOUSE (AP) - President Barack Obama has qualified what sounded like support for a proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York. At a White House dinner for Muslims on Friday, Obama was cheered when he endorsed what he called their "right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan." But on Saturday, the president told reporters he was merely stating Muslims' religious rights, and not commenting on "the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there." Obama's comments were defended by Democrats and mostly criticized by Republicans. Reactions among relatives of people who died on 9/11 were mixed.

Japan PM shuns shrine, apologizes at WWII ceremony

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's new prime minister has broken with tradition and refused to visit the shrine that glorifies kamikaze pilots and war criminals from World War II. And the entire Japanese cabinet also stayed away on the 65th anniversary of the end of the war - the day Japan surrendered. Instead, Prime Minister Naoto Kan attended a memorial service for the war dead in Tokyo. He told a crowd of about 6,000, "We caused great damage and suffering to many nations during the war, especially to the people of Asia." Members of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, which had ruled Japan almost continuously since the end of the war, did visit the Shinto shrine today. The shrine has set off controversy by honoring 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including Class A war criminals such as Hideki Tojo, Japan's wartime prime minister who was executed in 1948.

DOG EATS PETITION

BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) - Doggone it! The dog ate the petitions! Terry Thomas had planned to run for the Beaufort County, South Carolina, School Board. But Spencer, his 8-month-old Labrador and bull mastiff mix, took a bite out of Thomas' political hopes. Thomas says he went to check his mailbox and when he returned, Spencer had chewed up his petitions. Thomas says he had almost 200 signatures. Now, he won't be able to run in November. Thomas is a retiree and a substitute teacher. He tells a local paper (Beaufort Gazette), when his students use the old "the dog ate my homework" excuse, he just might believe them.

Teen Sex-Academics

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Worried that your teenager's sex life is affecting his school performance? A provocative new study has found that teens in committed relationships do no better or worse in school than those who don't have sex. The same isn't true for teens who "hook up." Researchers found that those who have casual flings get lower grades and have more school-related problems compared with those who abstain. The findings were presented Sunday at a meeting of the American Sociological Association in Atlanta. A recent survey found that nearly half of high school students reported having sexual intercourse last year.