Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Bison men’s basketball coach named

LEWISBURG – A two-time National Coach of the Year who led Williams College to the 2003 NCAA Division III national championship is the new men’s basketball coach at Bucknell University.  Dave Paulsen succeeds Pat Flannery as the head coach of the Bison.  Paulsen had a record of 170-53 at Williams and was named NABC Coach of the Year in both 2003 and 2004.  Pat Flannery stepped aside as head coach earlier this year, but remains with the university in development.  Director of Athletics and Recreation John Hardt made the announcement Tuesday. (Matt Farrand)

CNN: Kennedy brain tumor malignant

BOSTON  - Doctors say Senator Edward Kennedy has a brain tumor, a condition that was discovered after he had seizure over the weekend.  Kennedy was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on Saturday after becoming ill following a walk with his dogs at his oceanfront home on Cape Cod.  Kennedy's office had said yesterday that the senator was not expected back at work this week. CNN reports it is a malignant glioba in a left parietal lobe of the brain.  Pennsylvania Republican Senator Arlen Specter calls Kennedy "a real fighter." A tearful Robert Byrd of West Virginia repeated "Ted, Ted, Ted" as he addressed the Senate chamber. President Bush says he's praying for Kennedy's full recovery.

The Northumberland County Commissioners went ‘old school’ today

SUNBURY – It was back the ‘good old days’ at the Northumberland County Commissioners meeting today as the commissioners and the controller sparred over several contract issues, spending concerns and other disputes. Commissioner Vinny Clausi and Controller Chuck Erdman were the primary combatants. Asked by a reporter, Erdman said, ‘The circus certainly pulled into town.”

Erdman and commissioner Vinny Clausi argued about contracts, pay disputes and software payments. Clausi said the truth about misspending will continue coming out. Tomorrow he says he’ll unveil hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential savings at the Mountain View Manor. He says he’ll reveal everything from costly contracts for simple services, to a $3,600 mattress.

Superintendent pleased with Danville High’s Newsweek ranking

DANVILLE – Danville Area High School once again made the list of Newsweek’s top high schools in the country.  The magazine ranked Danville 1,264 out of 1,300 schools.  The list ranks the schools that have done the best job in persuading average students to take advanced placement courses and tests, and that’s exactly what Danville Superintendent Susan Bickford says the school is striving to do.  She says AP classes aren’t just for “privileged” students and they do their best to encourage all students to take them.

The rankings calculate the number of AP and International Baccalaureate tests that were taken by all students in 2007.  Bickford says in the future they hope to offer even more college level classes. This is the school’s second year in a row making Newsweek’s list of America’s Top Public High Schools. (Sara Bartlett)  

Moving Bucknell bookstore downtown

LEWISBURG – Putting a Bucknell bookstore in downtown Lewisburg is the first project in the Lewisburg Core Community Initiative.  Bucknell’s Vice President of External Relations Charlie Pollock says Barnes and Noble may be the store moving into the 400 block of Market Street.  He says there would be a private developer putting the money into the building, Bucknell would maintain the land and Barnes and Noble would lease from the developer.

Some have expressed worries with a commercial bookstore being located downtown, but Executive Director of the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership, Linda Sterling, says Barnes and Noble will help the area thrive, making for more competition and better products.  She says she doesn’t think it’s realistic for Lewisburg to stay as is and still be able to thrive. 

Other projects to follow including the building of a 75-bed inn, moving Bucknell faculty offices downtown and a regional arts center that would include the Samek Art Gallery and the Campus Theater.  The plan also includes the demolition of homes on the Bull Run Creek side of 6^th Street in order to create a continuous greenway from Hufnagle Park to the Bucknell campus.  The initiative included the complete rebuilding of 7^th Street, which Pollock says is 99% finished. (Sara Bartlett) 

Group files appeal to zoning decision in Point Twp.

POINT TOWNSHIP – A local citizens group has filed an appeal to a zoning decision in Point Township that would allow for the construction of an ethanol facility.  The Daily Item reports Organizations United for the Environment, filed the appeal in Northumberland County Court on May 9^th.  The appeal comes about a month after the Point Township zoning hearing board approved an application for a zoning permit from LYCO 1.  The Bloomsburg-based developer plans to construct three storage tanks just north of Strong Industries along Route 11, which would store nine million gallons of ethanol.  The appeal is based on the potential for an accident involving a tanker truck carrying ethanol to the storage tanks.  Part of the deal is for LYCO 1 to pay $300,000 to the Point Township Fire Department for the purchase of equipment to fight an ethanol fire.  (Ali Stevens)

Police search for stolen van

SHAMOKIN DAM – Shamokin Dam Police are searching for someone who stole a van from the Rt. 11 K-Mart parking lot.  The white full size Chevy van was parked in the lot around 8:00 Tuesday morning, and was reported stolen a few hours later.  The van had the words Sherwin Williams written on it, as well as red and blue stripes on the side.  Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Shamokin Dam Police at 743-2671. (Sara Bartlett) 

Autopsy results to take weeks for Danville man

DANVILLE – Autopsy results on a Danville man found dead on a porch last Friday won’t be available for a few weeks.  22-year-old Jay Doebler was found dead by a neighbor on the porch of an apartment at Grove Court and East Mahoning Street in Danville.  A Montour County Coroner says Doebler’s death is listed as “unexplained,” pending the autopsy.

According to the Press Enterprise, Doebler had been in Montour County Prison until last Thursday for failing to pay fines, restitutions and court costs from prior convictions.  Since 2004 Doebler has faced string of charges including theft and drug possession.  The home where Doebler’s body was found had recently been the site where two heroin dealers were arrested. (Sara Bartlett)

Manager selected for the Elm Street in Lewisburg

LEWISBURG – The Bull Run Gateway Neighborhood has a new manager.  The neighborhood consists of South 5^th, 6^th and 7^th Streets from George to Market Streets in Lewisburg.  The new manager is Daniel Greene, who’s titled the Elm Street Manager, which is a state program designed to invigorate small portions of communities, such as the Bull Run area.  Greene plans to work with community partners such as the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and the Lewisburg Neighborhoods Corporation to bring positive changes to the community.

Boil water advisory lifted in Selinsgrove

SELINSGROVE – The boil water advisory has been lifted in Selinsgrove.  Four water samples submitted to a laboratory for retesting came back with no traces of coliform bacteria.  Borough Manager John Bickhart says the results of the retesting serve to confirm the Borough’s confidence that the Public Water System maintained an adequate level of disinfection and that the positive tests were probably the result of mishandling of the sample in the collection or testing.  

Tax hike Sealed…increase necessary to fund teachers, administrators and staff

SELINSGROVE— The Selinsgrove School board approved a 2008-2009 Proposed Final budget at their meeting last night, which includes a 2.8 mill tax increase. Business Manager, Jeffery Hummel, says the proposed budget shows an increase of 4.3% over this year’s budget.

He says two main areas of increase are found in personnel costs of nearly $956,000 and costs for new debt services, averaging about $400,000. The proposed 2.8 mill tax increase would mean an increase of about $73 for the average homeowner.

Hummel says that homeowners, who were approved for the homestead exclusion from the county, will see a reduction of about $61 from their tax bill. The proposed budget must now be advertised and on display for the next 20 days and the board is expected to pass it at their meeting on June 23rd. (Sara Lauver)

Super loves super district: agrees to five-year deal

SELINSGROVE— With the school year coming to an end, the Selinsgrove School Board took action at their meeting last night to secure the future. The board approved another five-year term for Dr. Frederick Johnson, as the District’s Superintendent.

Johnson says the Selinsgrove School District is the best community he has ever worked and lived in and he could not be more ecstatic about continuing his work there. He says the community and school board has always been “kid-centered and student-centered” and he couldn’t be happier to be a part of it all. The move extends Johnson’s current term through December of 2013.

Meanwhile, the board took action involving other members of the District’s staff. A new five-year term was approved for Jeffrey Hummel as the School District’s Business Manager. John Bohle was approved as the new Middle School Principal.

He had previously served as assistant principal before becoming the acting principal in February, after the resignation of Kurt Pyle. Bohle’s new title takes effect July 1st. And, Michael Bowman was appointed the position of assistant coach for the Seals’ varsity football team. (Sara Lauver)

CSI-style investigation names Milton HS “homicide” suspect

MILTON – It was only a staged homicide, but it prompted a full-scale investigation last week at Milton High School. The CSI-style operation required analysis of blood, handwriting and pills found at the scene, mostly using equipment loaned through a state funded program called Science in Motion.

Dr. Courtney Thomas is the director of the program at Susquehanna University, one of eleven schools statewide and says most local schools couldn’t afford to buy the high tech equipment required for a crime scene investigation.

House Member Merle Phillips (R-85th, Sunbury) was also on hand and notes that the SCI program is routinely cut from the first drafts of the state budget, and this year is no exception. However, he is confident that it will be restored when Governor Ed Rendell is presented with a revised state-spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

Jadan Notarangelo, a Milton High School graduate who attends Shippensburg University now and wants to make a career of collecting and analyzing evidence. Jadan helped the group to determine that the simulated victim died of blunt trauma or a sharp hit to the head, rather than from pills or tainted water bottles found at the crime scene. They recovered sufficient evidence to accuse teacher, a Mr. Hosterman, of the crime. (Matt Farrand)

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.

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Drug-maker Merck must allow the Food and Drug Administration to review future prescription-drug television ad campaigns under terms of a $58 million multistate settlement concerning the once-popular painkiller, Vioxx. The settlement addresses allegations that Merck's advertising deceptively downplayed the health risks of Vioxx.  PA Attorney General Tom Corbett says the settlement ends investigations by 29 states and the District of Columbia into Merck's advertising practices involving Vioxx. It calls for Merck to submit all new TV commercials for its drugs to the FDA and follow through with any recommendations it makes.  Vioxx was taken off the market in 2004 after research showed it doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes.  New Jersey-based Merck is not admitting any wrongdoing.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a Boeing employee has been charged with vandalizing a military helicopter at a factory in suburban Philadelphia.  Prosecutors say 32-year-old assembly line worker Matthew Kevin Montgomery was charged with cutting the wires on an H-47 Chinook helicopter. U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan says investigators are still trying to determine who damaged a second helicopter at the plant.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State officials say a feral kitten found in Gettysburg has tested positive for rabies. The state urges anyone who came in contact with feral cats in the area around North Washington Street in Gettysburg to call county or state health officials.  The Pennsylvania Department of Health says merely touching or handling a potentially rabid animal doesn't constitute exposure to rabies. But anyone who was bitten or scratched should seek medical attention immediately.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania state constable is being sent to federal prison to serve a 13 month-sentence.  He is 42-year-old York City Constable Kelly Deardorff, who pleaded guilty to failing to file federal income taxes from 2001 through 2005. Deardorff was given until July 7 to report to prison and start serving the sentence that was imposed Tuesday.  Deardorff also has to pay $124,000 in restitution.  At a sentencing hearing, Deardorff apologized to the court, his friends and his family.  York County District Attorney Stan Rebert says he hasn't decided whether he'll file a court petition seeking Deardorff's removal from office.

BIRDSBORO, Pa. (AP) - A Berks County woman is charged with throwing her 4-year-old son onto railroad tracks and then jumping into the Schuylkill River.  The crew of a Norfolk Southern freight train spotted the pair about 4 p.m. Monday in Exeter Township in Berks County. The woman was rescued by firefighters using a boat.  Exeter Township Police Officer Kurt Unterkoefler says 27-year-old Christy Petitjean was charged Tuesday with endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment of a child, public intoxication and delaying railroad operations.  Police say she remains in Reading Hospital with injuries she sustained during the incident. Her son, who had been wearing only socks, was treated and released to family members. His name is being withheld by police.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Tuesday in the midday Pennsylvania State Lottery drawing:

Daily Number 2-3-8

Big 4 4-3-0-0

Treasure Hunt  11-19-20-22-30

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