ACCIDENT CLOSES LYCOMING CREEK ROAD
Fire and rescue personnel responded to the 1700 block of Lycoming Creek Road yesterday afternoon around 4:40 pm. According to fire crews, they arrived to find two vehicles with fluids leaking. As the incident progressed, southbound lane of Lycoming Creek Road were closed at Roosevelt. Details will be provided as they become available.
RULING IN FAVOR OF HAWBAKER
A statewide appeals court ruled in favor of a State College construction contractor in a ruling released January 19th. It was a 22-page decision that explained Glenn O. Hawbaker cannot be prevented from bidding and doing work in the commonwealth. PennDot was attempted to restrict Hawbaker from bidding and working on state highway projects for upwards of three years, due to a recent case where Hawbaker plead no contest to theft charges. According to the SUN Gazette, the no contest plea means the company agreed to be punished as if it were guilty, but did not expressly admit its guilt, therefore no contest plea agreements cannot be used in civil or administrative proceedings.
A BOOST FROM THE CLINTON COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Dozens of local charitable and service organization received a sizeable boost from the Clinton County Community Foundation. Wednesday, the group awarded $427,209 at the Foundation’s annual meeting at the Ross Library. These awards, according to therecordonline.com, were in addition to previously provided award amounts of $223,061.
COVID CASES IN OUR AREA
The Pennsylvania Department of Health added new cases on Thursday. Clinton County reported 50 new cases. In Centre County 219 new cases were added. Lycoming County added 197 and Tioga added 90. There were 147 new cases in Northumberland County, 93 in Union, 60 in Snyder and 29 in Montour.
SAFETY GRANTS FOR NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY SCHOOLS
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has awarded several schools safety grants. The funds, which totaled $11,000 – $60,000 included the Milton Area SD, MT Carmel Area SD, Northumberland Christian school, Shamokin Area SD and Joseph School. Milton Area SD – $20,000 for programming, Mount Carmel Area SD – $25,000 for equipment, Mount Carmel Area SD – $60,000 for their school resource officer, Northumberland Christian School – $17,000 for equipment, Northumberland Christian School – $12,000 for programming, Shamokin Area SD – $20,000 for programming, Joseph School – $25,000 for equipment.
GUILTY BY CLINTON COUNTY JURY
A Mill Hall man was arrested and charged when he was found with an active bench warrant on May 4, 2021. Jonathan Wesley Gadd, was convicted of four separate charges by a Clinton County jury on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 after a 1-day trial. The jury found the defendant guilty of multiple charges including Resisting Arrest, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Escape. The charges stemmed from a May 4, 2021 report of a suspicious individual, found on the rocks along the dike levee on West Water Street in the City of Lock Haven. When law enforcement officers responded to the scene, they encountered Gadd, who had an active bench warrant for his arrest following his failure to appear in court in October 2020. As officers detained Gadd he was able began to flee, forcing officers to deploy a Taser to stop him. Gadd’s attorney, Andrea Pullizzi, suggested that Gadd was not trying to escape, but was merely attempting to turn around to smoke a cigarette prior to going to jail. Gadd is scheduled for sentencing on March 21, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 13 years in prison.
MOTHER CHARGED AND INCARCERATED FOLLOWIN DEATH OF HER 3-MONTH-OLD CHILD
A three-month-old child was in cardiac arrest Tuesday afternoon and his mother has now been charged with involuntary manslaughter. State police reported the infant to be in arrest and subsequently transported to UPMC with CPR attempts unsuccessful. The infant was pronounced deceased and Lycoming County Coroner conducted the autopsy. There has been no information released from the medical examination to this point. According to SUN Gazette, state police reported they were at the South Main Street, Montgomery residence earlier in the day to check on the welfare of the child. Tallia Charlebois (shar la bwa) is incarcerated and charged with involuntary manslaughter amongst other charges.
NEW EQUIPMENT FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS
Body cameras will be in area police departments soon. Milton and Northumberland Borough Police Departments expect to be equipped in the next few weeks. Watsontown Police Chief Rod Whitherite noted his department will be outfitted and functioning with their body cameras in about a week. Other police departments, including Buffalo Valley Regional, Sunbury and Mahoning Township are already or also preparing to utilize the technology. According to the Daily Item, Chief Whitherite says the equipment improves accountability and lowers the reports of police misconduct. It is another tool that can capture evidence and is fully supported by the public.
ENERGY BILL IN THE LEGISLATURE
Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Legislature signaled again Wednesday that it wants to stop municipalities in the nation’s No. 2 natural gas state from adopting building codes that prohibit gas hookups, as some states, cities and counties consider all-electric building codes as a way to fight climate change. The bills prohibit municipalities from writing new building codes that restrict utility service based on the energy source. The move protects the state’s hometown natural gas industry, and as well as utilities and companies that refines and delivers fossil fuels to residential and commercial buildings. Neither bill has reached Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk.
