CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO ALIGN CITY RE-OPENING DATE WITH GOVERNOR
Williamsport City Council has voted to align the city’s guidance about limiting the numbers of individuals at public gatherings with the office of Governor Wolf, extending Mayor Derek Slaughter’s proclamation until June 11th. According to the Sun Gazette, city council acknowledged that if and when the county goes to the green phase, there are still restrictions and recovery plans to be followed. Some research done investigating other counties recovery plans is proposed to be on the agenda for the economic revitalization committee agenda for next week.
TIOGA COUNTY FOUNDRY TO CLOSE
The Waupaca Foundry in Lawrenceville, PA, will be closing in early August 2020, according to a press release by the Wisconsin company’s CEO, who said they notified employees about the changes Wednesday. The job losses from the closure include 150 hourly and 50 salaried positions at the plant that manufactured automotive suspension components and is a result of capacity that exceeds demand in the supply chain. \
HIGH SPEED CHASE ENDS IN ARREST
A woman who fled from police in a high speed chase that began from the southbound Route 15 ramp in Williamsport along Interstate 180 to Loyalsock Township at alleged speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour, was arrested Wednesday and is in prison on $100k bail. According to the Sun Gazette, 26 year old Shaniece Alexandria Wilson of Lycoming Creek Road was identified with a suspended photo ID, had no valid driver’s license with fraudulent emissions and inspection stickers. In addition, police say Wilson was in possession of illegal drug paraphernalia and had an open container of alcohol. She has been charged for a number of violations and will appear in District court Monday.
STATE PARK BEACHES TO OPEN NEXT WEEK
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced that all 58 state park beaches will be open to swimming effective June 6th and state park pools will remain closed through at least June 12, with most in designated yellow and green counties reopening June 13. Capacity at beaches and pools will be limited to 50 percent of the normal facility capacity, and there will be restriced visitor parking, and the wearing of face masks when not in the water. Facilities such as cabins, cottages, lodges, and yurts will be opening statewide on June 12th.
PA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH UPDATE
Lycoming County has added one new case of the Coronavirus bringing the county total to 162 according to the PA Department of Health and 18 deaths according to the Lycoming County Coroner, Northumberland County has 182 confirmed cases and 3 deaths reported. Statewide there are 625 new cases of the virus for a total of 70, 042. There were 108 new deaths, bringing that statewide total to 5,373.
MAN RECOVERING FROM SKATEBOARDING ACCIDENT
Police say a 23 year old man from South Williamsport was hit by a car while skateboarding on West Mountain Avenue on Monday evening. Police say the unidentified man is recovering from head injuries after allegedly running a stop sign on the skateboard and being hit by a 20 year old Muncy Valley man. After the accident the victim was taken by ambulance to UMPC for treatment.
PA EDUCATION BUDGET WILL STAY THE SAME AS LAST YEAR
The General Assembly passed a five-month $25.8 billion budget to allow for a more detailed financial picture to emerge following the peak of the COVID-19 crisis. According to a press release from the offices of Sen. Gene Yaw and Reps. Garth Everett and Jeff Wheeland of Lycoming County, the measure is a stabilizing one, which will fund education for kindergarten to 12th grade at the same level as last year, and it also fully funds colleges and universities. The education section of the budget is extended beyond the five months to a full year, and contains no broad-based tax increases.
SUNBURY RIVER FESTIVAL CANCELLED
Sunbury Revitalization Inc. has cancelled this year’s Sunbury River Festival due to the pandemic and according to Governor Tom Wolf’s latest guidance on dining and professional sports in the green phase. SRI told media outlets that they will hold a smaller event for Sunbury citizens promoting Sunbury businesses instead. Also in Sunbury, The Hill Neighborhood Council has cancelled its Hill Night Out, but a hill work party will take place July 17th and 18th to help residents with outdoor beautification projects.
SPORTS
LITTLE LEAGUE
This Saturday, May 30th, starting at 3pm there will be a 9 hour marathon highlighting the best games from the Little League World Series in Williamsport on ESPN2 and the ESPN App. One of the games featured is the 2015 Championship game between Lewisberry, PA and Tokyo, Japan at Lamade Stadium.
NASCAR
Chase Elliott won his first Cup Victory of the season Thursday night in the rain-delayed event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The event, postponed from Wednesday night, was the fourth Cup race in a 12 day span for NASCAR since the series resumed racing May 17. Denny Hamlin finished second, with three crew members sitting at home under suspension for an infraction Sunday night.
NFL
The Madden video game franchise will continue for at least the next six years. NFL owners and the NFL Players Association on Thursday approved an extension of their deal with Electronic Arts, continuing a relationship as the league’s exclusive publisher of football simulation games that has existed for 30 years. The current contract was set to expire after the 2021 season
RUNNING
The traditional Boston Marathon has been cancelled for the first time in its 124-year history. The race that draws 30,000 people, was already postponed from April 20th til September 14th. There will be a virtual event in which runners can erify they ran the 26.2 miles to receive their finishers medal.
A new app has been developed that will allow fans who are watching from home to be a part of the stadium action. By pressing buttons in the app, fans can trigger cheers and boos or other realistic noises on the field that will get louder in the stadium the more people participate.
