Monday, May 19, 2008
Fire destroys a farmhouse in Upper Augusta Township
SUNBURY – Family and neighbors helped 77-year-old Claude Knoebel remove boxes of valuables and clothes from his farmhouse that was destroyed by fire Monday afternoon. The home sits far down off Riverview Road at 462 Bennick Road in Upper Augusta Township, and is surrounded by the nearly 150 acres Knoebel has owned for over 40 years.
Upper Augusta Township Deputy Fire Chief Bill Brown says when he arrived to the scene the 3rd floor was fully involved in flames and the roof had collapsed. He says it may have been electrical in nature. Knoebel told firefighters he had been having problems with his furnace, but no exact cause has been determined and the investigation will continue. Brown says because the farmhouse was located far down the rural road, getting water to the scene was an issue. He says water had to be shuttled from two miles away and from the beginning they were “behind the eight ball” with water flow.
Knoebel is the only one who lives at the home and no injuries were reported. Fire crews from Sunbury, Stonington and Southside assisted Upper Augusta at the scene. (Sara Bartlett)
Spanish group high bidder for Turnpike lease
HARRISBURG (AP) – A Spanish industrial group is the highest bidder for the right to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Abertis Infraestructuras offered $12.8 billion for the 75-year lease, which Gov. Ed Rendell announced at a news conference Monday. The bid is the highest of three submitted and the Governor says he will submit it to the Legislature for approval. If a turnpike deal can generate enough money, Rendell says the state will abandon plans to toll Interstate 80.
Carl DeFebo, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, says additional information federal regulators want as they consider whether to approve I-80 tolls will be probably not be ready in the coming days. He says the timetable is more like "weeks or months." Meantime, the Barcelona-based company aims to increase traffic volumes along the statewide turnpike system.
A boil water advisory is posted for parts of Selinsgrove
SELINSGROVE – The borough of Selinsgrove hasn’t had a boil water advisory due to inadequate water testing in at least 20 years. That’s according to Borough Manager John Bickhart, who says the current advisory put into effect Monday is a precautionary measure after a weekly routine sample of water came back with traces of a fecal coliform bacteria. He says by itself, the bacteria is not harmful.
Bickhart says they have evaluated disinfectants in the water, which were at correct levels, so this may be an isolated incident that affected only the sample, possibly when it was being bottled and handled.
The boil water advisory is posted for customers on Industrial Park Road, Susquehanna University and west, Magnolia Avenue and west including Pine Meadows, the Selinsgrove Intermediate and Middle Schools, as well as Linda and Melody Lane. DEP recommends that water used for drinking, cooking or brushing teeth be heated to a rapid boil for one minute. The borough advises customers to plan for the advisory to be in affect for three days. (Sara Bartlett)
Commencement at Bucknell held indoors due to the rain
LEWISBURG – More than 9,000 people attended Bucknell University’s 158th commencement this weekend, despite rain and lightning delaying the ceremony and sending the event indoors at the Fieldhouse. Poet Laureate Charles Simic, a Pulitzer Prize winner, spoke to the class of 2008, urging them to realize the devastation of war. Simic was born in Yugoslavia and his childhood was complicated by the events of World War II.
Simic was presented with the Award of Merit by Bucknell President Brian Mitchell at the ceremony. He was the Pulitzer Prize winner in 1990 for his book of poems entitled “The World Doesn't End.”
Bucknell awarded more than 786 undergraduate degrees from the college of Arts and Sciences and 141 undergraduate degrees from the College of Engineering. Nearly 40 graduate degrees were also awarded on Sunday morning. (Ali Stevens)
Kulpmont man in prison following an assault at a fast food restaurant
COAL TOWNSHIP – A Kulpmont man is behind bars after police say he assaulted a man in the drive-thru at a Coal Township fast food restaurant. Police say early Sunday morning, 28-year-old Robert Snyder Jr. allegedly assaulted another man in the drive-thru at a restaurant along Route 61. It is not known what the assault was over. The victim was taken to Geisinger Medical Center for head injuries and was treated and released. Snyder was arraigned by District Justice Carl Rice of Sunbury on aggravated assault charges. He was sent to the Northumberland County Prison in lieu of $25,000 cash bail. (Ali Stevens)
Sobriety checkpoints planned for several local streets
POTTSVILLE – DUI
checkpoints are planned for this week in several municipalities. The
North Central Highway Safety Network says the sobriety checkpoints
will be held from Tuesday of this week through Tuesday of next
week. The checkpoints will be set up along Routes 61, 901, 125, 225
and 54. The sobriety checkpoints are funded through PennDOT and the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. To report a drunk
driver, you can call 911 from your cell phone. (Ali Stevens)Boil water advisory is posted for parts of Selinsgrove
SELINSGROVE – A boil water advisory is posted for parts of Selinsgrove. Water customers on Industrial Park Road, Susquehanna University and west, Magnolia Avenue and west (including Pine Meadows), the Selinsgrove Intermediate and Middle Schools, Linda and Melody Lane.
DEP recommends that water used for drinking, cooking or brushing teeth be heated to a rapid boil for one minute. The borough says routine water samples collected Thursday had an unacceptably high level of coliform bacteria, in indicator of possible bacteria contamination.
The borough made an extensive evaluation of the chlorine residuals and found no areas without proper disinfection. Chlorine levels were increased and more testing resumes today. All Schools in Selinsgrove Area School District are open and drinking water will be provided for students and staff in affected buildings.
CBS—WKOK Cyber Bullying Part 1: What is it…who’s at risk?
UNDATED – With the advance of Internet sharing and chatting sites, children and teens face a higher risk of something known as “cyber-bullying.” The term was brought up recently after a report of a Las Vegas teen killing herself after an online boyfriend broke up with her. It turned out, the “boyfriend” was a 49-year-old woman, who is now being indicted in the case.
This one instance brings up the issue of online safety, and this week WKOK and CBS radio will go more in depth with the subject. CBS’s Larry Magid talks with David Finkelhor, the Director of Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. On the next segment, we’ll learn who the predators are behind the keyboard and what characteristics they have.
Autopsy done on Danville man found dead on porch
DANVILLE – The autopsy of a 22-year-old Danville man was set for Sunday and no additional details are out yet. 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.
The home at the intersection of Grove Court and East Mahoning Street was the scene of a drug bust last year, when heroin charges were filed against Jennifer Hunt, a woman who lived there. Neighbors said the drug activities seemed to subside after the arrest. More information is expected to be released after the autopsy.
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)
Minor injuries for two teens after crash
KELLY TWP – Two teens sustained minor injuries after a crash in Kelly Township, Union County Friday evening. Around 6:00p.m., a 16-year-old female from New Columbia was driving along Fort Titzell Road at the intersection of Crossroads Drive. The teen pulled out into the path of 19-year-old David Wise of Lewisburg. Both drivers sustained minor injuries. (Sara Bartlett)
Involuntary manslaughter charged filed against Mount Carmel man
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 23rd. Along with the new charges of involuntary manslaughter, he also faces felony counts of aggravated assault and kidnapping.
Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A spokesman for Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education says the incoming chancellor's salary is probably slightly below the national average. John Cavanaugh is to get $327,500 a year. He says he's eligible for annual raises and performance bonuses, but doesn't expect to get them in the current economy. The president of the union for faculty members at the 14 state-owned universities says high executive salaries appear to be the norm in higher education nationally. Pat Heilman says she doesn't like what she calls "the corporate model" but she can't dispute that Cavanaugh's salary is typical for that sort of job. Departing Chancellor Judy Hample is leaving to be president of University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Online retail giant Amazon.com Inc. is opening a distribution center in Hazleton that is expected to create more than 1,100 jobs within three years. Gov. Ed Rendell says the state has offered Amazon as much as $1.75 million in taxpayer-financed incentives. Spokesman Luke Webber of the Department of Community and Economic Development says the company plans to have a 600,000-square-foot facility at a Hazleton industrial park by the end of the year. Besides the full-time jobs, the project is expected to create more than 800 seasonal jobs. Amazon is investing about $20 million in the project. The state has offered the company a $1.25 million opportunity grant and $500,000 for job training.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The League of Women Voters is alleging that the state Supreme Court upheld Pennsylvania's slot-machine gambling law in exchange for approval of a judicial pay raise. The allegations are contained in a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Harrisburg. The defendant is former Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph Cappy. The suit cites an allegation by an unnamed senator, although the lawsuit does not say how the senator knows about the alleged deal. The suit also says Cappy told legislators during a meeting that "he needed the pay raise to secure the votes of Republican justices" on cases important to them. Cappy did not immediately respond to a message left at his Pittsburgh law office.
HERSHEY (AP) – Hersheypark is opening a new roller coaster next weekend - one that it says is the steepest in the nation. The coaster called Fahrenheit will take riders up 121 feet in a 90-degree ascent. Then it will plummet down a 97-degree drop. The previous steepest drop was 95 degrees. The 85-second ride is scheduled to open to the public on Saturday. Fahrenheit also includes an inverted loop and inverted corkscrew roll, and has a maximum speed of 58 miles per hour.HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Monday in the midday Pennsylvania State Lottery drawing:
Daily Number 6-3-2
Big 4 7-4-3-6
Treasure Hunt 1-4-7-16-18
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)