MORE COUNTIES TO GO GREEN
Lycoming County is entering another full week in the green phase of Governor Tom Wolf’s reopening plan for Pennsylvania, and as of last week, Williamsport City Council voted to follow the state’s guidelines for a phased reopening. As a result, Mayor Slaughter said he will deny permits for all mass gatherings during July. According to the Sun Gazette, this would negate the proposed meeting date of July 18th for the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement rally, who considered applying for another permit after their event in April was postponed.
WOMAN ALLEGEDLY UNDER INFLUENCE DRAGS DAUGHTER WITH CAR
A Williamsport woman allegedly hit and dragged her 14-year old daughter about 40 feet while driving a Buick sedan following her smoking a cigarette laced with the drug PCP. According to Penn Live, 40year old Vanessa Lynn Weaver was attempting to park her car along Washington Boulevard near Packer Street on May 7th after returning with her daughter from the store and struck her with the open door while in reverse. The teen required a life flight, after suffering serious injuries, to Geisigner Medical center Danville where she remained in a coma for at least a week with a skull fracture, brain hemorrhage and other injuries. Officers had to remove the unresponsive woman physically from the vehicle . Following her arraignment, Weaver was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bail.
PENN STATE ANNOUNCES FALL SCHEDULE
Penn State University has announced their plan for resuming instruction for the fall semester with some changes in the wake of COVID-19. According to State college.com, classes will begin on August 24th, with campus-based instruction ending on November 20th, with remote learning when classes resume after Thanksgiving break and online final exams online. There will be classes on Labor Day to minimize travel. The semester will end on December 18th as planned. The schedule is part of the university’s “Back to State” plan for returning students and employees to campus.
LOCAL BLM VIGIL SUNDAY
A candlelight vigil and a march attended by Williamsport residents was part of a remembrance and peaceful protest supporting “Black Lives Matter” in the city Sundayt. According to the Sun Gazette, the group marched from Third and Market Streets to First United Methodist Church where names of those black men and women who had been killed by officers or vigilantes were read during the event.
Governor Tom Wolf announced Friday that eight more counties will move to the green phase of reopening next this coming Friday, June 19th , including Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Luzerne, Monroe, Perry, Pike, and Schuylkill. As of today, there are 46 counties in green and 21 in yellow. Governor Wolf announced a new dashboard on the Department of Health website, to further enhance data on demographics of cases, demographics of deaths and the reopening status.
There is more information about the fatal shooting of a male and female state police investigated inside at home in Turbot Township last week. According to State Police at Milton, they were called to a home at 610 Phillips Road in Northumberland County last Wednesday around 1pm. Police reports say 59 year old Brenda Hurst shot a 14-year old boy inside the home and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The name of the boy has been withheld and there is no word on a motive in the incident.
The Williamsport Regional Municipal Airport’s authority met last week and has made plans to begin marketing of the new seven day a week flight service from Montoursville to Charlotte, NC that is slated to begin in August. According to the Sun Gazette, there are three firms who have sent proposals for the work. Airport Executive Director Richard Howell said that the Montour Street project is still behind schedule, but there is also a number of airport projects to consider with the over $100k received from the federal CARES Act funding.
Lock Haven University has created a new department that will serve as a resource and advocate for the diverse university community called the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. LHU President, Dr. Robert Pignatello, said in a statement that he has met with students about how the university can best embrace equity and fairness and reject hate and bias as an institution. The new office will report directly to the president and the director will be a member of the university’s executive staff. Kenneth Hall, director of the Center for Excellence and Inclusion at LHU, will serve as interim director of the new office.
SPORTS
NASCAR
Sunday, Denny Hamlin held off Chase Elliott for his record-tying third NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway’s the Dixie Vodka 400. He led 137 of 267 laps on the 1 1/2-mile track in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 Toyota, finishing 0.895 seconds ahead of Chase Elliott. Ryan Blaney was third,Tyler Reddick finished fourth.
GOLF
The first PGA Tour event back after a three-month pause amid of the coronavirus pandemic saw Daniel Berger win the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge in a playoff over Collin Morikawa. The latest in a long stretch of good play for Berger, the now three-time winner on the PGA Tour. Sunday’s 66 is his 28th straight round at par or better.
MiLB
The 2020 season for the New York Penn League has been delayed indefinitely due to COVID-19 according to a press release. This Thursday the season was to begin with the State College Spikes hosting the Williamsport Crosscutters. In a statement from the NY-Penn League they will continue to monitor the situation and work with our Major League Baseball affiliates, while adhering to local reopening guidelines if possible.
COLLEGE WRESTLING
Montoursville graduate and three-time state placewinner Garrett Hoffman who wrestled as a true freshman at Bucknell and suffered serious knee-injuries will spend his final year of eligibility at Indiana University to wrestle as a graduate student for Hoosier coach Angel Escobedo. Hoffman has already graduated from Bucknell, so he can go to Indiana without having to sit out a season and will be enrolled in a graduate program for business.
