SULLIVAN COUNTY SCHOOLS TO CLOSE FOR A WEEK
Due to a confirmed Covid-19 case within the Sullivan County School community, the School District campus will be closed until Monday, November 2. According to the Sullivan County School District website, classes were dismissed at noon Monday, and students are to continue schoolwork and follow the guidance within the packets given out in early October. In addition, the Northern Tier Career Center has had a positive COVID case reported and are working now to identify who was within close contact and which individuals will require a 14 day quarantine. Students and staff at the NTCC should continue screening for symptoms daily before coming to the CareerCenter
LANDLORD TENANT MEDIATION PROGRAM AVAILABLE
Thanks to funding through the federal CARES Act, a Landlord Tenant Mediation program has been launched to find solutions to issues that will arise as evictions become more numerous outside of a courtroom. According to a press release on The Lycoming Law Association Foundation’s website, interested landlords and tenants should apply for the mediation program as soon as possible since the program will expire at the end of November – even if a court case has been filed. There is no charge if you qualify. More info can be found here .
TURKEY SEASON TO START SATURDAY
Pennsylvania’s fall turkey season starts this Saturday, Oct. 31 in 19 of Pennsylvania’s 23 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), with the return of a three-day Thanksgiving season which will be held in 12 WMUs this year will run Wednesday, Thursday and Friday instead of Thursday through Saturday as in previous years. Fall turkey hunters no longer are required to wear fluorescent orange, but the Game Commission highly recommends it even when not required. A link to the full press release from the Game Commission with dates for individual WMU’s in our area here.
VOTING DEADLINE TODAY
The deadline to submit an application for mail-in and absentee ballots is 5 p.m. today. Until then, applications can be submitted online at votespa.com or at your county elections office with a driver’s license or your Social Security number. People who have already applied but not yet returned their ballot can do so in person until Election Day, Nov. 3 is one week away. Any ballots not postmarked Nov. 3 or earlier, or that reach elections officials more than three days after the election, will not be counted.
DOMESTIC DISPUTE ENDS IN CHARGES FILED
A 21 year old Bloomsburg man was charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault in the second degree after a police responded to a domestic dispute in which he spit on officers and later threw urine at a nurse while in custody. According to court documents a man identified as Thomas John J. Leahan Jr. was engaged in the dispute with a female at the 100 block of Honeysuckle court around 3am on October 2nd when Bloomsburg police arrived, and they determined Leahan was to be taken into custody after he threw a baseball bat at them. Police say he was taken for a mental health evaluation and later released on 50 thousand dollars monetary bail through a professional bail bondsman. Leahan is due in court again November 4th.
LOCAL COVID-19 UPDATE
There are 8 new cases of the coronavirus reported in Lycoming County with 950 positive cases to date. In Northumberland, there are 19 new cases, including one at a long-term care facility for a pandemic wide total of 1,503. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health as of midnight yesterday, there has been a a two-day total of 3,073 additional positive cases of COVID-19 reported , bringing the statewide total to 195,695. With daily increases comparable to the numbers last April. In the same two days there have been 19 deaths for a total of 8,673 fatalities.
PRSION FACILITY HAS COVID OUTBREAK
SCI-Coal Township has reported a COVID-19 outbreak, reporting 96 active cases at the facility including 2 staff members. According to media outlets, the Department of Corrections has ranked the facility at a level 2 out of a five level demobilization plan that requires sets of restrictive safety measures within the prison. At this time, there are 23 active inmate cases and 12 active staff cases at Allenwood and Lewisburg has four active inmate cases and one active staff case. SCI Coal Township is also implementing more video visits in place due to enhanced quarantining
HOSPITAL TO RESTRICT VISITORS AGAIN
Geisinger hospitals are temporarily restricting routine, in-person visitation to hospitalized patients starting Monday November 2 in an effort to make sure staff, patients and the community stay safe from COVID-19. According to a press release from Geisinger, clergy and Doulas are part of the care team and not visitors, and that adult or pediatric patients with appointments at Geisinger clinics may still have one person accompany them. Details on specific visitation requirements are available at Geisinger.org/coronavirus
SPORTS
NFL Monday Night Football
Rams beat the Bears 24-10
MLB
Rays play the Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series tonight at 8:08 in Arlington Texas, LA leads 3-2
NASCAR
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race in Texas is still on hold until this morning due to rainy conditions that barely let up yesterday. Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 was postponed after 52 laps with Clint Boyer in first position followed by Jimmie Johnson.
