Williamsport’s Fourth of July fireworks, relocated away from the traditional Market Street bridge location this year due to permit issues, have been relocated again in an eleventh hour decision to the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in Hughesville, keeping wildlife concerns a main priority.  Decisions between the City of Williamsport and Backyard Broadcasting to forgo the second location that could have cancelled the fireworks altogether, have led to the Hughesville borough  and the fairgrounds  association  voting to allow the use of their property for the  on Saturday, the 4^th of July.  There will no vendors or gatherings, but there will be socially distanced parking beside the fairgrounds  on a first come first served basis thanks to the Lycoming county fire police association. Gates will open at 7. Portable facilities will be available since the Fairgrounds themselves will not be open.

A landlord who rents property on Route 14 in McIntyre Township has been issued a summons after a tenant alleges he recently arrived at the rental unannounced, unlocked the door, entered and threatened him with the man’s own ax at about 10:30 in the morning.  According to the Sun Gazette, State police say 78 year old Alan Cohick of Cogan Station who later was found to have the ax in the bed of his truck, has been asked to face charges of terroristic threats, simple assault, theft and harassment before District Judge Jerry Lepley.

The Williamsport Area School Board approved a no-tax increase general fund budget for the upcoming fiscal year, keeping the tax rate at 16.89 mills. They also approved a resocialization recommendation plan for sports and marching band practices this summer. Included in the plan is the school year waiver for students participating in these activities. The sports plan is based on a four-level system which determine the extent of the screenings, facilities cleaning and limitations on gatherings. District superintendent, Dr. Timothy S. Bowers,  said they are in the process of working on a health and safety plan for reopening which will have to be approved by the board and then sent to the state’s department of education.

The Lycoming County DUI Task Force has announced that there will be DUI Checkpoints and DUI Roving Patrols in our area throughout the 4^th of July holiday.  According to t a press release by Chief Joe Hope, they will also work in conjunction with the PA Fish and Boat Commission to conduct Boating Under the Infulence checks on the local waterways.  Everyone is encouraged to drive and boat safely, as the .08 percent law will be enforced.

Backyard Broadcasting will change the location of the Annual 4^th of July Fireworks for a second time after concerns about the nearby wildlife were still important to the City of Williamsport’s Mayor Derek Slaughter .  The Hughesville Borough and the fairgrounds association voted yesterday to allow the use of Lycoming County Fairgrounds in Hughesville for the location to shoot off the 4^th of July Fireworks. There will still be no vendors or crowds, but there now will be socially distanced parking thanks to the Lycoming County Fire Police Association who will assist with cars spaced in the areas behind and beside the fairgrounds on a first come, first served basis, with gates opening at 7.  There will be portable facilities available since the Fairgrounds themselves will be closed. No alcohol will be permitted on fairground property.

Unable to find financial support and after determining that the COVID-19 crisis may be over at ManorCare Jersey Shore, the Lycoming County Commissioners rejected a request to move patients from a nursing care facility where personnel and patients were infected by the coronavirus.  Commissioners had been approached by the Center for Independent Living North Central Pennsylvania to allocate $250k in funding to offset care for patients once moved to a hotel. But according to the Sun gazette the commissioners researched the issue but found no funding that could support the plan.
The Jersey Shore Area School Board has approved two grants by to help the district deal with issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  According to the  Sun Gazette, Monday night’s meeting of the board which was live and in person as well as online, approved just over $682,000, part of which will be used for  the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and supporting remote and hybrid instruction, and the second will be used to meet the requirements for purchases within the COVID-19 Health and Safety plan.

Lycoming County Resource Management Services has reopened one additional site at Upper Fairfield Township, located at the municipal building. Collection procedures have changed to sort the inbound recyclables better, gathering all paper and broken down cardboard –plastic 1&2 steel tin aluminum, and glass.  If you or anyone in your household has COVID-19, LCRMS requests that you please throw away your recyclables.