Sunday, May 18, 2008

Autopsy done on Danville man found dead on porch

DANVILLE – The autopsy of a 22-year-old Danville man was set for Sunday.  The body of Jay Doebler was found on the porch of a home in Danville Friday morning.  The cause of death is not known.  The body was found around 9:00a.m. by a neighbor and a Montour County Coroner on the scene listed the cause of Doebler’s death as undetermined.

Police search for gasoline thief

MONTANDON – Milton State Police are searching for someone who stole $720.00 worth of gasoline in Montandon.  Police say the incident occurred sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning at Modern Way Enterprises in Montandon.  This is the site of former recycling center, which closed at the beginning of this month.  The unknown suspect removed around 200 gallons of gasoline from a bulk gasoline tank.  Anyone with information is asked to contact State Police at Milton. (Sara Bartlett)  

DUI charges to be filed after April accident

SHAMOKIN TWP – A Tamaqua woman will be cited for DUI after a two-vehicle, no injury crash in April.  53-year-old Debra Althouse was driving on Route 61 and stopped suddenly in the middle of the road.  She was hit from behind by 47-year-old James Snyder of Northumberland.  No injuries were reported, but after further investigation, police say Althouse was driving under the influence of alcohol and will be cited.  Charges were filed against her with District Justice John Gembic. (Sara Bartlett)

Minor injuries for two teens after crash
 

Man who allegedly kidnaps mother, faces new charges after her death 

MOUNT CARMEL— A Mount Carmel man is facing involuntary manslaughter charges after allegedly kidnapping his mother from a nursing home.  Reports say 58-year-old, Robert Netchel, faces the new charges after the death of his mother, 83-year-old, Ruth Ann Netchel.  Ruth Ann’s death occurred when Netchel allegedly took her unwillingly from the Schuylkill Center Nursing home last month.  Netchel was arraigned Friday and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 23^rd.  Along with the new charges of involuntary manslaughter, he also faces felony counts of aggravated assault and kidnapping. 

Recreation coordinator hired by LARA 

LEWISBURG – The Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority will kick off the summer season with a recreation coordinator.  LARA reports Caley Mincemoyer of Limestoneville began in the new position last week.  Executive Director Angela Zimmerman says Mincemoyer will in charge of opening the community pool. 

Additionally, she will be in charge of applying for grants, and developing programs for the Recreation Authority.  She is a graduate of Warrior Run High School and Lock Haven University.  The Community Pool will open May 24^th at noon, and admission is free on the first day of the season.  (Matt Farrand) 

Recipients brave rain for food bank distribution 

LEWISBURG – Recipients lined up well ahead of time to receive food from a local food bank Friday.  Administrator Dave Heberlig of the Eastern Union County Supplemental Food Program also says about 50 additional clients were signed up to receive donations, topping the previous peak of 674 set in 2004.  Heberlig says while local support for the food program remains strong, federal and state help is in decline.   

Volunteers will be needed at distributions planned for June 6^th, June 20^th, the 3^rd and 18^th of July and both August 1^st and 15^th.  Heberlig notes first time recipients will need to register, and can do so on the day of the distribution, at the First Baptist Church in Lewisburg   More than a dozen recipient families were on hand in the rain Friday before the scheduled start time of 1:30 p.m.  (Matt Farrand) 

Thefts reported at Beavertown home damaged by fire 

BEAVERTOWN – Police are searching for someone who took nearly $3,500 worth of items from a home that had recently been damaged by a fire.  The home along Route 235 and Back Mountain Road in Beavertown sustained heavy damages during the fire on February 11^th, and the homeowners then used a generator to heat the house.   

A day later the outside generator was reported stolen.  This month, an unknown suspect returned to the home and removed various tools, vehicles parts, chains and aluminum cans from the garage.  Anyone with information on these thefts is asked to call Selinsgrove State Police. (Sara Bartlett)   

Home invasion reported in Ralpho Township 

ELYSBURG – Police are investigating a home invasion that happened Thursday in Ralpho Township.  At 1:30p.m. a female rang the doorbell of a home along Turkey Hill Road.  She then allegedly began to talk to the homeowner about landscaping, while a second female entered the residence through an unlocked backdoor.  

 The owner confronted the second female, who then fled the home.  The first female also fled the scene.  The owner described the suspects as two black females who drove away in a blue car.  Nothing was reported taken from the home.  Anyone with information about the incident should contact Ralpho Township Police at 672-9892. (Sara Bartlett)    

Shoppers come out to Susquehanna Valley Growers’ Market 

LEWISBURG – The Susquehanna Valley Growers’ Market in Lewisburg opened Friday and despite the wet weather people still came out to shop.  Sellers set up stands with locally grown and organic products including meat, eggs, vegetables and cheeses.  Lewisburg resident Judy Ellis braved the rain to pick up some meats and veggies.  She says she and her husband Richard like to support the market and are big proponents of cage-free animals.  

Michael Bitler, of Muncy, makes his own salsa and salts from homegrown ingredients.  This is his second year at the Grower’s Market, but says the rising food prices this year have made things tough.  He says this is the first year he has had to raise his prices because the cost of tomatoes has gone up. 

The market, located in Hufnagle Park, also offers baked goods, crafts and flowers.  It will be set up every Friday from noon-5:00p.m. until October 31^st.  For more information you can log onto http://growersmarket.blogspot.com. (Sara Bartlett)   

Creating a learning experience for kids over the summer 

SELINSGROVE – Elementary school students who struggle academically are getting some help over the summer at the Summer Seals Day Camp program.  The goal is to further the learning of “at risk” students who have trouble in reading and math, as well as self-esteem or social development issues.   

Dottie Anderson is the Board Secretary of the day camp and says what the students learn during the summer helps them into the next school year and beyond. Amy Melillo is one of the instructors and says they have integrated units to make the learning fun.   

This year they will incorporate lessons about amusement parks, the Olympics and tropical rainforests.  Twelve to fifteen students are in each class; with two teachers in the room to make sure each child gets individual attention.  The camp is scheduled like a school day, with learning, physical activities, lunch and recess.  It’s held at the Selinsgrove Intermediate School. (Sara Bartlett) 

Felony charges dropped against Wilburton man 

MOUNT CARMEL – Two felony counts have been dropped against a Wilburton man accused with having indecent contact with a 12-year-old girl.  The News Item reports without evidence, the felony charges of indecent assault against 43-year-old Michael Stokes are dismissed.   

Stokes is still being charged with two counts of criminal attempt and one count of corruption of minors, because District Justice Michael Mychak says there was an attempt by Stokes to have inappropriate contact with the girl.   

Reports say the girl was sleeping May 2^nd when Stokes allegedly entered her bedroom numerous times in the middle of the night.  A witness in the house testified that when questioned about why he was in the girl’s room, Stokes tried to run out of the home.  Stokes waived his right to a preliminary hearing and will have a pre-trial conference in August. (Sara Bartlett)    

Free eye screening for those diagnosed with diabetes 

DANVILLE – A free eye screening will be held at Geisinger Medical Center on Saturday for those diagnosed with diabetes.  Dr. Herb Ingraham is the chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Geisinger and says some folks don’t have insurance, so they don’t get their eyes checked on a regular basis.  He says early diagnosis of eye conditions can prevent blindness for diabetes patients. 

The screening will be held in the main building at Geisinger from 8 to noon on Saturday.  Treatments include medications and laser repair, which can prevent the retina from detaching, which takes place over the course of several years in diabetes patients.  (Ali Stevens)  

Peak oil and public health…the timely Roundtable this weekend 

SUNBURY – Roundtable this weekend goes on the road to find out about Peak Oil and Public Health…. Peak oil is that point in our economy when oil is far less available and far more expensive. The impact on public health involves transportation, medicines, food, agriculture and every aspect of our lives.  

Guests include, Samantha Pearson of the Local Action Network, Dr. Brian Schwartz of Johns Hopkins & Geisinger’s Environmental Health Institute and Mike Molesevich of Molesevich Environmental.  We discuss the many ways we can conserve energy and why global issues are already arising because of peak oil, food shortages and global climate change.  

You can hear Roundtable (Sunday) on Eagle 107 (107.3FM) at 6a.m., 100.9, The Valley at 6a.m., Newsradio 1070 WKOK at 9a.m., Talkradio 1380 WMLP at 11a.m. and 94KX WQKX at 11p.m.  You can hear the program anytime, at www.wkok.com. 

Here is the latest Pennsylvania News from the Associated Press: 

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Columbia County teen is boycotting her prom because school officials say she can't bring a dropout as her date.  Seventeen-year-old Ashley Klugh says she and 18-year-old boyfriend Kody Cragle have been planning for months to go to Saturday's formal. Klugh is even on the prom committee at Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School.  But the couple says they just found out last week about the no-dropout rule.  Cragle left school in ninth grade. He has been working on a maintenance crew and taking classes toward his GED.  School director Cosmas Curry says the rule has been in place for the past two years.  Klugh's mother, Tina Thompson, says it encourages stereotyping and discrimination.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Gov. Ed Rendell has proposed booting basic education aid by $291 million. It would be the largest one-year increase in payments to school districts in more than two decades.  The money would be distributed under a formula intended to fill the void between what districts currently spend and what they need to spend to improve students' academic performance.  The largest increases are targeted for school districts with relatively high property tax rates that generate fewer local tax dollars for education. The smallest - 1.5 percent - would go to about 100 districts whose spending is at or near what's deemed to be adequate.  Sen. Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County says the formula punishes rural districts for not raising taxes.  Rendell says he's open to revising the formula.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - An 18-year-old woman who police say defaced a Wilkes-Barre synagogue with anti-Semitic graffiti has waived her right to a preliminary hearing. Nora Rynkiewicz of Factoryville would not comment to reporters as she left court Friday. Police say she and a female juvenile spray-painted references to Nazi Germany on the building of Congregation Ohav Zedek in March.  The vandalism was cleaned up April 3 during a public celebration of unity. About 300 people attended the event.

Here are the winning numbers selected Saturday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:

 SATURDAY NIGHT

 Daily Number

     1-1-7

 Big 4

     2-4-0-0

Cash 5

     6-14-34-35-42

 SATURDAY MIDDAY

 Daily Number

     8-8-2

 Big 4

     0-2-8-7

 Treasure Hunt

     5-14-19-27-28

 (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)