ARREST FOLLOWING HEAD-ON CRASH
On October 5th, Blair Creek Township Police responded to a head-on collision in Berwick. Joseph Rish, of Berwick, was arrested after fleeing the scene of the crash. Upon further investigation officers found Rish had three active DUIs. Rish is being held at the Columbia County Prison after a judge denied him bail. Rish faces charges of first-degree misdemeanor accidents involving death or personal injury, third-degree misdemeanor driving with a suspended license, and third-degree misdemeanor accident involving an attended vehicle, and three summary traffic offenses. (NCP)
PLANNED JAIL BREAK FAILED
A man arrested for the murder of three people earlier this year is now being arrested on charges for plotting an escape from Northumberland County Jail. Matthew Reed allegedly wrote a letter to his dad saying he wanted him to help him escape the jail during a court appearance. Reed is now being charged with felony escape and aggravated assault for his threats to law enforcement. Reed will appear before Shamokin District Judge John Gembic on the new charges. (WKOK)
SEXUAL CHARGES ON JERSEY SHORE MAN
A Jersey Shore man has been found guilty of 48 charges related to the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old. Obadiah Moser of Jersey Shore was convicted of raping a child from the time the victim was 12 to the time he was 15. The victim opened up about his abuse in a courtroom in front of Judge Nancy Butts. The Judge found Moser guilty of three counts of child rape, 10 counts of unlawful contact with a minor, and several other felonies. Moser was released on bail and is scheduled to be in court on February 17th. (NCP)
RESIGNATION OF BLOOMSBURG AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT
Change is on the horizon for the Bloomsburg Area School District following the recent resignation of Superintendent Dr. Donald Wheeler. The Superintendent’s resignation was preceded by the departure of 10 teachers from the district in July. In addition to unhappy staff and teachers, the district is also facing scrutiny for their graduate rates and inaccurate date reporting. An investigation by the district revealed that four students, who were reported as not graduating, had in fact graduated. The district moved for Jason Moser, who is currently the Secondary Complex Executive Principal, to serve as Interim Superintendent until a replacement is found. (NCP).
FELONIES TO PARENTS FOR ENDANGERMENT
Parents in Woodward Township are facing a felony charge each after authorities said they neglected to provide medical care for a juvenile child. Michael Kephart and Elizabeth Kephart each face a second-degree felony charge of endangering the welfare of children after an investigation found a child with a life threatening mouth infection. The couple posted a $1,500 unsecured bail and was released from custody on Oct. 19. Both are due in court on Oct. 26 for a preliminary hearing. (NCP)
FOOTBALL AND CHEER PROGRAMS RECEIVE GRANT
Firetree Place, a nonprofit community center, recently received a $4,000 grant from the Little League for Youth Sports at the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania. The funds have been used to establish quality programming within their Williamsport Youth Football and Cheer programs. The grant helps to provide speed and agility drills for the athletes at a discounted price. If you have any questions about the Williamsport Youth Football and Cheer program, please contact Firetree Place. (NCP)
SCHOOL OPEN TO PRE-PANDEMIC ADMISSIONS
Red Rock Job Corps, a vocational school in Sullivan County, has reopened back to in person classes. During the pandemic, Job Corps operated under restricted enrollment due to the residential aspects of the program. With new safety measures, the decision to reopen Job Corps enrollment lifts the remaining restrictions on enrollment and restores the program to pre-pandemic admission standards. Enrollment in this center is limited to Pennsylvania residents only. (NCP)
LOCAL COVID-19 NUMBERS FOR LOCAL AREA
The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed 4,496 new cases of COVID-19. There were 82 new cases in Lycoming County, 63 in Northumberland County, 32 in Union, 21 in Snyder and 10 in Montour. (KOK/DOH)
