FLORIDA WOMAN ARRESTED FOR MURDER OF ELDERLY MAN
A Florida woman has been arrested after police say she murdered an elderly man from Danville. According to WNEP, Kathleen Reed of Pembroke Pines, Florida was arraigned yesterday for the crime. Court record say Reed fought with family in Florida, leaving home and heading north. When she got to Pennsylvania last Tuesday, she stopped at 83 year old Walter Ditzler’s home Tuesday along Bloom Road in Montour County to ask for money and use the restroom. Once Ditzler asked her to leave the home, police say she slashed the homeowner’s throat with a knife from his kitchen and stole his car. State troopers investigated Reed after finding her with Ditzler’s car at a state college gas station following an erratic driver complaint. When police checked on the man they found him dead in his home. Reed is in Columbia County Prison without bail with a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 31 in Montour County.
NEW RVT GENERAL MANAGER NAMED
Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter has named Adam Winder as the full-time general manager of Williamsport Bureau of Transportation and River Valley Transit. According to the Sun Gazette, the mayor promoted Winder this week after he had served as interim general manager for the company since January. He also serves as the general manager of the city-public works department.
LYCOMING COUNTY LEADERSHIP EVENT CANCELLED
The Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce has announced that the Leadership Lycoming Operating committee and Events committee are cancelling the Final 3 fundraising event originally scheduled for July 31st. The decision made due to the pandemic and restrictions on indoor gatherings across the state. . Anyone with tickets for the 2020 event will be contacted in the near future. The highly anticipated event will be reschedueled for 2021.
ANOTHER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CANCELLED
Keystone Central School District Superintendent Jackie Martin announced yesterday that 2020 graduation ceremonies have been canceled that were scheduled for August 7th at Bucktail High School and August 8th at Central Mountain High School. Officlas there say they share in the families disappointment.
RECYCLING FACILITY TO REOPEN
Lycoming County Resource Management Services has reopened one additional recycling site at Hepburn Township, located at Bair Park on West Creek Road. According to the lyco.org website, the recycling site no longer has steps to use the plastics/metals container . To better accommodate the inbound recyclables and help with its transportation, more materials will be combined fiber and papers, plastics and metal and third brown clean and green glass. If you or anyone in your household has COVID19, please throw away your recyclables.
PA COUNTY SUES GOVERNOR WOLF
Lebanon County in Pennsylvania is suing Gov. Tom Wolf for nearly $13 million saying he overstepped authority and withheld money after local commissioners defied his state shutdown. Last May, the commissioners in Lebanon County s voted to lift state-mandated restrictions without the governor’s permission, after being warned that it could jeopardize a county’s share of federal discretionary dollars for relief efforts. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, a spokesperson for the Wolf administration said Lebanon County’s decision to violate the law deemed the county ineligible for CARES funding.
ATTENTION OVER WILLIAMSPORT POLICE OVERTIME
Williamsport’s interim finance committee is taking a look at police overtime costs as they see over-budget projections looming for the year. According to the Sun Gazette, city officials say that a quarterly report shows that overtime has already increased by 40 thousand dollars over 2019 numbers, and that projected upcoming quarter expenses with vacation time in the fall and winter, could produce more overtime that could overstep the budget. According to Police Chief Damon Hagan overtime is less expensive than hiring new officers but would prefer to hire. Mayor Slaughter said the budget and overtime expenses in all departments city-wide are regularly monitored.
GOVERNOR SUPPORTS LEVINE IN VIRAL PHOTO BACKLASH
Governor Tom Wolf made a statement supporting Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine, saying that Dr. Levine is transgendered and a highly skilled, valued, and capable member of his administration. Wolf made the statement in response to the recent viral social media post from a local fire company dunk tank fundraising event that they say inadvertently mocked Levine. Wolf encouraged Pennsylvanians to speak out against any hateful comments or acts toward Dr. Levine and any member of the transgendered community.
TRAFFIC DELAYS ON INTERSTATE 80 IN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
Motorists saw backed up traffic yesterday afternoon along Interstate 80 eastbound near the I-180 interchange to Williamsport yesterday as work continues in Turbot Township, Northumberland County due to a highway bridge project. According to PennDOT the left lane and shoulder on Interstate 80 eastbound is closed at mile marker 215 over Route 254 and the bridge at mile marker 213 over Muddy Run Road. The work is continuing 24 hours with peak traffic hours from 4 PM to 6 PM. There may be residual delays this week into the evening hours.
SPORTS
MLB
Star outfielder Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed on a 12-year, $365 million extension that keeps the former American League MVP from reaching free agency this winter. Combined with the one-year, $27 million contract he’s currently playing out, Betts’ total comes to 13 years and $392 million. The deal tops the previous extension record of $360 million signed by Mike Trout and includes a record $65 million signing bonus.
Major League Baseball and their Players Association are discussing expanding the 2020 playoffs from 10 teams to 16, according to multiple reports. The news comes as the league is set to start its abbreviated 60-game regular season tomorrow.
Pennsylvania has rejected the Toronto Blue Jays team to play at PNC Park during the new mandates of the coronavirus outbreak. Canada has denied the team the ability to play there because it would require travel between the two countries, they may consider just traveling for each match-up and playing at the opponent’s stadiums as the home team.
NBA
In the first NBA game played in more than four months, the Clippers beat the Magic 99-90 but the game was more about the restart of the season than the score. Players told ESPN that having no fans forced them to bring their own energy. It was the first of four scrimmages in the 2019-20 season on the NBA campus at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
NFL
NFL officials probably won’t be on the field until Week 1 of the regular season, which is one of several new coronavirus protocols under discussion between the league and the NFL Referees Association. During training camp officiating crews usually visit to explain new rules to players and coaches and also work on their own crew communication during practices. Due to the risk of spreading the virus, those trips have been canceled. The league is hoping to have virtual presentations instead.
The NFL confirmed Wednesday that if fans are allowed at NFL games this season, they will have to wear masks. The NFL has not announced an official league-wide policy on allowing fans at games, leaving it up to teams to make the decision based on local mandates. The Jets and Giants announced on Monday that there would be no fans at their home games at MetLife Stadium “until further notice.” New Jersey Gov. has limited outdoor gatherings in the state to 500.
NASCAR
Super Start Batteries 400 Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts at Kansas Motor Speedway 267 laps / 400 miles. (3)Aric Amirola,(2) Joey Logano and (1)Kevin Harvick round out the top three qualifiers to start tonight’s race.
