WIRES DOWN, CLOSING ROADS
Motorists are advised that part of Route 2039 (Warrensville Road) is closed between Route 2014 (East Third Street / Broad Street) and Four Mile Drive in Loyalsock Township, Lycoming County, due to downed utilities. A detour using local roads is in place. The road is expected to be closed for several hours. Motorists should be alert, slow down, expect delays in travel, and drive with caution. Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.
VIRTUAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING FOR MONTGOMERY AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Montgomery Area School Board held a virtual meeting and parents joined to express their views on the order from the state Department of Health requiring students, staff and visitors to be masked in district buildings. Visitors, who included concerned residents and family members, cited the inconsistencies in the mask/no-mask issue, claiming that although the state created the order, there is no way of enforcing it, along with concerns which included students suffering from trouble breathing and concentrating. According to SUN Gazette, a concerned mother asked for a special meeting and the board did not respond. The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 19.
WILLIAMSPORT CITY HIT BY VANDALS
The city has been hit by vandals who have caused about $800 in damage to the street pedestrian crossing buttons and spray painted derogatory words about city police at the Brandon Park bandshell. The matter was addressed at the public works committee meeting this week. The most recent affected pedestrian crossing buttons, which are affixed to poles at intersections, were unscrewed and taken, according to SUN Gazette.
RECORDED PHONE CONVERSATION AS EVIDENCE IN COURT PROCEEDING
In a recorded phone call to a relative submitted as evidence, Ikeem Fogan said police caught him on camera while shirtless the night he was accused of shooting a convenience store clerk and killing a customer in 2019. As reported by SUN Gazette, this ties together two threads of testimony in the case that alleges Fogan wounded JoBeth Wetzel and killed Rhonda McPeak in the Newberry Uni-Mart on Aug. 4, 2019, and fled the scene, ditching articles of clothing on the way, according to Martin Wade, the first assistant district attorney prosecuting the case its a subtle confession.
UPDATED COVID-19 LOCAL REPORTS
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday reported new COVID-19 cases statewide. In Clinton County 23 new cases were reported, Centre County saw an increase of 62, Lycoming County increased by 70, 51 in Northumberland County, 19 in Snyder, 17 in Union and 9 new cases reported in Montour County.
SEXUAL ASSAULT AND THEFT IN MILTON
It was a sexual assault and theft case out of Milton. Martin Esperanza, 27, of Milton, now faces a third-degree felony charge of robbery for an incident that occurred Sept. 12 on Eschbach Road, Turbot Township. According to State Police at Milton, a woman was her vehicle with Esperanza when he allegedly assaulted her, took the woman’s cell phone and left her along the roadway. He was committed to Northumberland County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29 at Judge Diehl’s office.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT GRADUATE WINS AWARD
After earning her second MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week award, junior Bella Green, a South Williamsport graduate, has earned her first United Soccer Coaches Division III Offensive Player of the Week award. Green leads the MAC Freedom in goals (8), assists (6) and points (22). As reported by Sun Gazette, just seven games into the season, the junior is tied for 15th in the program’s single season history in goals, tied for ninth in assists and tied for 14th in points.
ELECTRONIC SIGNS TO HELP PREVENT COVID-19 IN WILLIAMSPORT
Williamsport City Council’s regular meeting is tonight and they are expected to look into a company who specializes in electronic signs, which could help provide guidance on preventing COVID-19 and produce some revenue through advertisement. According to Skip Memmi, Williamsport City director of community and economic development, Community Development Block Grant money of $60,000 would bring five signs into low to moderate income neighborhoods. Company representatives will be on hand to further explain the sign benefits, as reported by a media outlet.
WILLIAMSPORT CITY COUNCIL VIRTUAL MEETING IS TONIGHT
Williamsport City Council’s regular meeting is tonight and they are expected to review an ordinance to transfer money in the general fund budget to pay for various projects. Specifically, the transfer for the $64,000 change order for the video scoreboard foundation costs at Muncy Bank Park at Historic Bowman Field, will be inspected. According to SUN Gazette, other transfer requests will be for the accessibility inspection of city-owned buildings other than City Hall, and the treasurer’s office is looking for an additional $10,000 in legal services relating to more work in audits, and their consultants are doing related to collecting additional business privilege and mercantile taxes.
SENIOR EXPO IN MONTOURSVILLE TODAY
To better serve seniors in our region, a group of state, local, and county representatives from various organizations will be on hand to offer information and services. More than 75 vendors will be participating in the event. State Representative Joe Hamm and State Senator Gene Yaw will host a Senior Expo this Thursday, today 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Faith United Methodist Church, located at 700 Fairview Drive in Montoursville. Complimentary document shredding will be provided by North Central Sight Services. There is a limit of two boxes per person. Organizers ask that shredding services only be used by individuals, not businesses. In addition, the Lycoming County Sheriff will provide an unused prescription medication return drop box for visitors to safely dispose of any unwanted medications.
