COVID-19 LOCAL CASES
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Monday reported new COVID-19 cases. Clinton County reported 29 new cases on Monday. In Centre County 105 were recorded. Lycoming County added 58. There were 100 new infections in Northumberland County, 37 in Union County, 19 in Montour and 14 in Snyder on Monday. Tioga County had 13 new cases reported yesterday.
RAISES APPROVED
Pay hikes, upwards of $1.60 per hour, for multiple county employees who were not under the existing bargaining agreements were approved by the Clinton County Commissioners at a salary board meeting on Monday. According to therecordonline.com, other pay approvals included part time correctional officers, custodians and security guards to increase to $14.50 per hour, interns go from minimum wage to $12 per hour and the part time attorneys, to include the public defenders, are getting $1,500 raises.
SHOOTING IN SUNBURY MONDAY NIGHT
A shooting in the area of 300 Packer Street in Sunbury sent two people to the hospital last night. According to Sunbury Police Chief Brad Hare the victims are in critical condition. Multiple agencies are assisting the investigation. According to the Daily Item, anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call Northumberland County 911.
TRAFFIC DELAYS
Delays on the Veterans Memorial Bridge will last through Friday, January 14. According to PennDOT drivers can expect more, ongoing, lane restrictions on Front Street in Sunbury the Veterans Memorial Bridge. The Daily Item reports, right driving lane to be restricted in the northbound direction between the hours of 9:00am – 3:00pm, weather permitting.
NEW YEAR’S WEEKEND RESULTS FROM PA STATE POLICE
The Pennsylvania State Police investigated 471 motor vehicle crashes, which killed two people and injured 97 others, during the New Year’s holiday weekend from Dec. 31, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022. Alcohol was a factor in 8% of the crashes, including one fatal crash, and resulted in 278 DUI arrests. State Troopers also arrested 248 individuals on criminal charges and issued 10,233 traffic citations.
LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD WATER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and Public Utility Commission (PUC) today announced the launch of the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), which will help Pennsylvanians with low incomes maintain access to drinking and wastewater services. Applications for LIHWAP open tomorrow, January 4, 2022. Assistance is available for families who have past due water bills, had their service terminated, or received a notice indicating that their service will be terminated in the next 60 days. Households can receive LIHWAP grants for both drinking water service and wastewater service. Grants are issued directly to water service providers, and families must meet income requirements
LOCAL MAN APPOINTED TO PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF GAME COMMISSIONERS
Allen J. Di Marco, of Allenwood, Lycoming County was appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners. Di Marco was selected from District 5, which includes Bradford, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Sullivan, Tioga and Union counties.He was appointed on Dec. 15 and will serve a four-year term. Di Marco was originally from Elimsport and has been a hunter since 1959.
HISTORY IS MADE
A Lewisburg woman made history yesterday afternoon as she was sworn in as the newly elected Mayor of Lewisburg Borough. A small crowd of upwards of 50 family and supporters as Kendy Alvarez, at 40 years of age, was among the youngest to head the borough, but it is also thought that she is the first woman of color to be elected mayor. Last night, she lead the first council meeting, as the Lewisburg Borough Council reorganized for the new year.
RE-ORGANIZATION FOR WILLIAMSPORT CITY COUNCIL
In the special meeting for re-organization, Adam Yoder was nominated for Williamsport City Council President while Bonnie Katz was nominated for Vice President. Both were voted into their respective new positions with no opposition. The next meeting for Williamsport City Council is Thursday Jan 6 at Trade and Transit II.
METEOR OVER PITTSBURGH
It was an earthshaking boom over suburban Pittsburgh on New Year’s Day that exploded in the atmosphere with an energy blast equivalent to about 30 tons of TNT. The social media site for NASA’s Meteor Watch said it was a “reasonable assumption” that the meteor was traveling approximately 45,000 mph and ballparked the estimate of a size in a yard in diameter with a mass of a half a ton. According to NASA, if it had not been cloudy, it would have been a sight at nearly 100 times the brightness of the full moon.
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PUBLIC HEARING The House Majority Policy Committee, chaired by Rep. Martin Causer will host a public hearing to discuss the community impacts of the House redistricting map given preliminary approval by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission in mid-December, today at 4 p.m. The event can be viewed online at www.pahousegop.com. |
FAKE DOCUMENTATION GETS WOMAN JAIL TIME
A woman who attempted to pick up a child from school using fake documents is appearing in District Justice court in January. Katie F. Lapp allegedly traveled to a Buffalo Township school on November 30th. She allegedly stopped by the Shady Grove Christian School with documentation, claiming it was a court ordered custody order. However, the school was on holiday recess and authorities at the school would not provide a home address to Lapp. When the principal informed Lapp that there were no children at school due to holiday break, she then demanded to know the address of her daughter’s father. The principal advised he could not give that information out, and Lapp then produced the document. Police investigations proved the child’s father has full custody. State police in Milton filed multiple felony charges on Lapp in the office of District Justice Jeffrey Mensch. Lapp’s bail was set at $50,000. A formal arraignment is set for Jan 24 in front of Honorable Michael Sholley.
WOLF’S EIGHTH AND FINAL STATE PUDGET PROPOSAL
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, about to deliver his eighth and final state budget proposal to lawmakers, says Pennsylvania’s flush accounts make this a “magical year” in “budget surplus territory” that won’t require higher taxes or spending cuts. “Things are doing really well, we had a nice surplus at the end of last year,” Wolf said Monday, hours after his Revenue Department announced the state took in $464 million more than had been projected last month. Collections for the current July-to-June budget year are now $1.5 billion above expectations, or 7%, largely driven by better-than-expected sales, personal income and corporate tax payments. The governor’s annual budget address is scheduled for Feb. 8 and will be followed by weeks of hearings by the appropriations committees in the House and Senate. Normally, arm wrestling between the governor and Legislature over the budget gets done in June, with passage shortly before or after Pennsylvania’s next fiscal year begins July 1.
