9/11 MEMORIAL COALITION 9/11 MEMORIAL RIDE
Saturday morning motorcycles began converging on the Clinton Township Fire Company at 10 am. They were set for a full day, beginning at 2 pm with a memorial service and then the 42 mile ride to honor those lost in the 9/11 attacks on America at 3 pm. It started as a protest ride, to memorialize 20 years since the attacks that shook America in the biggest ride since its inception a week after the attack. Thunder filled the valley, as thousands of motorcycles took to the street behind the 9/11 Memorial Coalition. According to President of the 9/11 Memorial Coalition, Tank Baird, “It is safe to assume we had more than 3,000,” Baird said. “I hesitate to say this, but 5,000 is a nice, round number. There were spaces filled at Clinton Township that never were.”
WILLIAMSPORT WOMAN SELLS CRACK WITH HER DAUGHTER’S HELP
A Williamsport woman pled guilty to felony possession with intent to deliver and felony delivery of a controlled substance. Alyia West, 38, was accused of selling crack to an undercover informant on several occasions between May and June of this year. According to the affidavit of probable cause, West even used her daughter to complete a crack deal on May 14. According to a media source, West was sentenced to two years of supervised probation for each offense. According to a media outlet, the sentences will run consecutively. West is eligible for a work program if she is unable to find full time employment.
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR BACKS MASKS
Amid COVID-19 resurgence from the delta variant, many are again asking how to ensure the air indoors stays safe, as worker fill offices and children return to the classrooms. For Bucknell University Professor Douglas Collins, chemistry, there’s no debate. In a new paper, Collins uses existing indoor air quality management research to make the case for masks, high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and ventilation as the most effective ways to mitigate the indoor spread of the virus. Collins and his co-author write the optimal way to maintain air quality is by limiting pollutant sources, which is why Collins urges mask-wearing indoors. According to SUN Gazette, Collins reported, “Most of the time, we bring contaminants or pollutant sources in, and some even originate from our own bodies. This is one reason we wear masks indoors — to reduce the emission of virus particles into the air if someone is shedding virus at the time.”
SBA 2021 NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2021 National Small Business Week celebrations will officially commence this week with a three-day virtual summit. SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman will kick off the national event on Monday, September 13, addressing nearly 30,000 registered participants during the educational, training, and networking event. President Joe Biden, in his proclamation declaring September 12-18 as National Small Business Week, stated, “The American entrepreneurial spirit is a defining quality of our Nation which time and again has lifted us to new heights and carried us through our greatest challenges. Small businesses are not only the engines of our economic progress — they are the heart and soul of our communities. An online media source reported, during National Small Business Week, we celebrate our Nation’s small businesses — the pillars of their neighborhoods.
U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
On Sept. 9, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabella Guzman announced major enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, a federal disaster relief loan designed to better serve and support our small business communities still reeling from the pandemic, especially hard-hit sectors such as restaurants, gyms, and hotels. The SBA is ready to receive new applications immediately from small businesses looking to take advantage of these new policy changes. “The SBA’s COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan program offers a lifeline to millions of small businesses who are still being impacted by the pandemic,” SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said. Eligible small businesses, nonprofits, and agricultural businesses in all U.S. states and territories can apply. Visit www.sba.gov/eidl to learn more about eligibility and application requirements. The last day that applications may be received is Dec. 31, 2021. According to SUN Gazette, all applicants should file their applications as soon as possible.
PA DEPT OF HEALTH COVID-19
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Sunday reported 12 new COVID-19 in Clinton County, Centre County saw an increase of 74, while Lycoming County increased by 55, Snyder County had 21 new cases, with Northumberland and Union counties each reporting a dozen new cases. Montour County had eight new cases of COVID-19 reported yesterday.
PA BOARD OF GAME COMMISSIONERS
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners Saturday met for its final meeting of 2021. One Pennsylvania raptor Saturday was placed on the state’s endangered-species list, while another previously classified as a threatened species was upgraded. The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners Saturday placed the northern goshawk on the state’s endangered-species list, and removed the peregrine falcon from the state’s threatened species list. A large secretive raptor of mature, mixed forests, the northern goshawk is found in Pennsylvania’s northern tier and at high elevations across the state. As part of the penalty for killing a threatened species, a $2,500 replacement cost applies. “The Game Commission’s strategic plan sets a goal of reintroducing bobwhite quail to Pennsylvania by 2023, and Saturday’s adoption of the Northern Bobwhite Quail Management Plan is a critical step in achieving that goal and restoring this species to the Commonwealth” said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans.
PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT INVOLVING TWO WOMEN IN SUNBURY
Two females have been taken to the hospital after being struck by a car in Sunbury last night. Northumberland County Communications says the incident took place sometime last night at Seventh and Reagan Streets. According to a media source, one person has been detained by Sunbury Police. As reported by a media outlet, officers tell The Daily Item multiple people were arguing upon their arrival. They have not said if the driver would be charged, and all identities have not been released. Seventh and Reagan Streets were closed for a time but have since reopened, and an investigation is ongoing.
PREGNANT WOMEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO GET THE VACCINE
OB/GYN’s have gone from just offering, to now encouraging pregnant women to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Marshall of Geisinger Obstetrics and Gynecology, who also concentrates in pediatrics and adolescent gynecology, says initial data suggested the vaccine would be safe for pregnant women, and now the governing bodies of OBGYN are fully encouraging it. According to a media source, Dr. Marshall says the biggest hurdle for expecting mothers deciding to get the shot continues to be misinformation. According to the online media outlet, she says misinformation about infertility or birth control effectiveness and causing harm to the placenta has been debunked. She goes on to say pregnant women are especially susceptible to getting the virus, which could cause breathing problems and other life threatening complications.
BIKE RODEO IN DANVILLE AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Highway Safety Network, Safe Kids PA, Susquehanna Valley Partner (safe Kids), Geisinger, the Montour County Sheriff’s Department and local police from Danville, Riverside and Mahoning Townships will hold a bicycle safety seat event Thursday, September 16 from 5p-7p at the Danville Middle School. The bike rodeo will allow participants to learn bicycle laws, safety tips, take a ride of a bicycle course set up for the event and even enter to win a new bike.
THE MONKEYS ARE BACK
Aly’s Monkey Movement provides stuffed monkeys to children and adults all over the world who may be experiencing a difficult time in their lives. Aly, a young girl, and her team have now given more than 5,000 monkeys to families across Pa., the U.S., and the world. The story as reported by SUN Gazette, has the providers at UPMC who deemed July “Monkey Month” in an effort to help raise funds to support Aly’s Monkey Movement, contributed $7,375 in sponsorship to the program.
PA ATTORNEY GENERAL LOOKS INTO YEARS OF MISAPPROPRIATION IN WILLIAMSPORT
An investigation into the City of Williamsport by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office alleges years of misappropriation of funds within the city and could hold dire consequences for some current and former employees of the city, according to an investigation by the pulse. The City of Williamsport’s financial standing is impossible to determine, according to Mayor Derek Slaughter, who is facing mounting pressure from City Council to allocate funds to various projects and employee positions. “Since I took over in January of 2020, there have been issues with the finances… The finances are not what they should be,” Mayor Slaughter said during Williamsport’s Thursday evening City Council meeting. “While we’re trying to go through the budget, it’s difficult when we don’t even know what money we are working with.”
SCOREBOARD COUNCIL PRESSURES ON MAYOR
Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter has received continued pressure from members of city council to find funds for the Bowman Field scoreboard project, which was approved roughly five years ago after receiving a $600,000 grant from the state. When Mayor Slaughter requested to use funds from the $25 million American Rescue Plan monies the city received for COVID-19 mitigation efforts, City Council denied the request because it believed it did not fit the scope of those funds. According to a media source, Councilwoman Liz Miele voiced frustration with Slaughter for not finding an alternative funding source before the Thursday meeting.
RESULTS OF DUI CHECKPOINT
State Police at the Montoursville and Mansfield barracks have released the results of their Labor Day weekend DUI checkpoints. State Police Montoursville reported thy made six DUI arrests, three drug arrests, along with multiple traffic summary arrests. Meanwhile, State Police in Mansfield reported they made two DUI arrests, issued 19 citations, and 31 warnings.
