Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Mountain View Manor: the focus of cost-efficient changes by Commissioner

COAL TWP— Changes are being made to help save money and generate revenue at the Mountain View Manor in Northumberland County.  Commissioner Vinny Clausi, unveiled multiple areas of concern, which he says were not cost-efficient for the nursing home or the county.  Clausi says one of those concerns is the Manor’s physical therapy department; and the county was paying over $550,000 and only getting about $320,000 in returned revenue.  He says they recently signed a new contract that would allow the Manor to generate nearly $150,000 in revenue, where they were losing that money before. 

Clausi says other cost-efficient changes can be made by simply buying mattresses and oxygen tanks instead of renting them, cutting back on the number of bed linens purchased annually and reorganizing the nursing staff, which is hired by an outside agency and was paid nearly $350,000 in overtime last year.  Clausi says it’s his obligation to better Northumberland County and he says the county will save hundreds of thousands of dollars once all these changes are in place.

Meanwhile, Nursing home Administrator, Bob Druckenmiller, says such changes would create monies for further renovations and better care for their nearly 184 residents.  Mountain View Manor is also expected to unveil its renovated Wing A, next month.    (Sara Lauver)

Winfield man will go to trial for alleged rape

MIDDLEBURG – Charges against a Winfield man charged with a sexual assault of a woman behind a department store in Hummels Wharf will go to court.  A preliminary hearing was held this week for 18-year-old Jordan Younkin, who is charged with raping an 18-year-old woman on May 9^th near his father’s home behind Wal-Mart on the old trail.  Snyder County District Attorney Mike Sholley says the victim knew her attacker for two years and invited him to go out with her.  District Justice Edward Mihalik ruled there was enough evidence to send all charges against Younkin to court.  He is charged with rape, sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault.  Younkin is free on $25,000 cash bail.  (Ali Stevens)

Saint Pius X has a new home; special ceremony set for Saturday evening

SELINSGROVE – Bishop Kevin Rhodes of the Harrisburg Diocese will officiate the dedication Mass of the new Saint Pius X Church in Selinsgrove on Saturday evening.  The new church is located off Fairview Drive on one of the highest points in Selinsgrove, close to their former home on University Avenue.  Mike Schlinker and his family have been attending church at Saint Pius for 25 years and says the building project has been in the works for a number of years, dating back to the late 1990’s. 

On Saturday at 5 p.m. Bishop Kevin Rhodes will speak to parishioners at the new church location.  Saint Pius X was established in 1954 and has grown into a parish with over 650 member families.  The construction of the new church was just over 5.5 million dollars and the current church building and land has been sold to Susquehanna University for 1.1 million.  The new building will seat 700 and feature a library, class rooms, social hall, kitchen and day chapel.  (Ali Stevens)

Recognizing workers during EMS Week

SUNBURY – Emergency Medical Service workers in Sunbury were honored Wednesday as part of EMS Week.  The day was to recognize the dedication and hard work of the personnel.  EMT with Americus Ambulance, Charles Haertter, says it takes a unique person to do this kind of work.

Haertter says Americus, which used to operate strictly with volunteer personnel, now has 20 paid employees and just 10 who volunteer.  He says it’s difficult to recruit volunteers, especially in today’s economy.  Haertter says EMS personnel also are essential in providing rehab services for firefighters assessing vital signs and providing water while they are on the job. (Sara Bartlett)

Earth Science students plant “40 acres of shade” in Lewisburg

LEWISBURG – Lewisburg High School’s 9^th grade Earth Science students took time out of class Wednesday morning to prepare around 160 trees for planting.  The white pine seedlings were delivered to the class by the Union County Conservation District.  The students wrapped the trees in wet newspaper to keep them wet during the school day and will then take them home to plant.

Their teacher, Van Wagner, says the students’ initiative is called “40 Acres of Shade.”  He says each tree when mature will shade about 1/4^th of an acre.  He said shade keeps streams and creeks cool, which is important for fish and other aquatic organisms.

All of the trees were grown in Lewisburg and donated to the students to plant wherever they wish.  One tree was planted on the High School campus in a patch of land on the corner of Rt. 15 and St. Louis Street.  Service Forester at DCNR, John Portzline, talked with the students this morning, saying the white pine is a native of Pennsylvania, the most common in the state and can grow nearly 100 feet high. (Sara Bartlett)

U.S. Congressman Chris Carney will be visiting Shamokin

SHAMOKIN – U.S. Congressman Chris Carney (D-10^th, Dimock) will be holding a town meeting in Shamokin next Friday. The meeting is Friday, May 30^th, at 3p.m. at the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center in Shamokin

Carney says he will discussing veterans, illegal immigration and will talk about other issues suggested by the public. Carney’s staff will be present too and will accept information for follow-up and referral on various federal issues.

State police hit the streets for Memorial Day Weekend

MILTON – State police will hit the streets this weekend for Memorial Day Weekend sobriety checkpoints.  Troopers from barracks in Stonington, Selinsgrove and Milton will set up DUI checkpoints in Northumberland, Snyder, Union and Montour Counties from Friday through Monday.  They will also do roving patrols in the counties as part of a statewide initiative known as STEADD, which stands for selective traffic enforcement against drunk driving.  Troopers will also focus on speeding and seat belt usage.  (Ali Stevens)

Camper owned by Union County’s Department of Emergency Services is stolen

A quarter of a million dollar loss for Northumberland County

SUNBURY – Northumberland County is out about $350,000 thanks to several contract mistakes, software failures and missed opportunities. County Commissioner Vinny Clausi outlined the oversights and poor decisions yesterday during the county commissioners meeting.

A software contract gone bad, and over spending at the Mountain View Manor were part of the problem. He said 100 mattresses that costs $10 per day are part of a pattern of overcharging. Clausi is leading the media and the public on a tour of the misspending at Mt. View Manor today at 11a.m.

Clausi argued with county controller Chuck Erdman at every turn, and declined to heed the advice of fellow commissioner Kurt Masser and the county solicitor Hugh Jones when it came to exposing county misdeeds on the software contract.

Mifflinburg residents attend meeting for future of borough building

MIFFLINBURG— Nearly 200 residents voiced their opinions on the future of the historical borough building at a public meeting in Mifflinburg last night. Information was provided to borough council and residents, in hopes of making the decision to tear down or restore the building easier.

RAL Architecture and Design presented multiple plans, which included full renovations of the existing building, partial demolition and a combination of both. All of the plans came with similar financial demands of 1.7-1.9-million dollars.

Borough council President, Beverly Hackenberg, says the building is now a safety issue and a decision needs to be made soon. Council could make a decision at their special council meeting next Tuesday. (Sara Lauver)

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 tests confirm the borough’s confidence that the water system maintained an adequate disinfection and that the positive tests were probably the result of mishandling of the sample in the collection or testing.

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’

SUNBURY – It was back the ‘good old days’ at the Northumberland County Commissioners meeting 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 overpriced mattresses.

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.

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 6th Street in order to create a continuous greenway from Hufnagle Park to the Bucknell campus. The initiative included the complete rebuilding of 7th Street, which Pollock says is 99% finished. (Sara Bartlett)

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 Sherman 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 position in the Bull Run Gateway Neighborhood

LEWISBURG – The Bull Run Gateway Neighborhood has a new manager. The neighborhood consists of South 5th, 6th and 7th 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. Elm Street neighborhoods are all adjacent to downtown business districts supported by state Main Street programs.

Elm Street programs are designated by the state for financial support and management assistance to help bring about improvements in the quality of life, including the physical conditions, in targeted residential areas. (Ali Stevens)

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)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A man accused of stealing an endangered Canadian lynx from a Columbia County dealer denies any theft was involved.  Breeder Ronald Derr says he refused to sell the pregnant 3-year-old lynx to William Bobbett of Wilkes-Barre. In addition to its breeding value, he says state game laws regulate ownership of such cats. Derr says the 29-year-old Bobbett returned with two friends on April 13 and forced him to load up the cat at gunpoint.  Bobbett says Derr sold him the lynx and "everything else is propaganda." He says paid Derr's asking price of $1,500 plus $1,000 to bend the ownership rules.  Bobbett is on trial in Bloomsburg on robbery and other charges.  His attorney says he's guilty only of owning the endangered lynx without a permit. Closing arguments are set for Wednesday before the jury gets the case.

GREENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Promised Land State Park in Pike County is closing two campgrounds for renovations this summer.  Park manager Leo Davidovich says the renovations to Pickerel Point Campground and Deerfield Campground are long overdue. The campgrounds are 95 years old.  Old fire rings will be replaced and each campsite will get a new picnic table and a lantern holder. The ground will be leveled out so it'll be easier to pitch tents. The work is to keep the campgrounds closed this summer and possibly next summer.  About 300 other campsites will be available in Promised Land State Park this summer.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's State Board of Education is moving a step closer to expanding its membership to include students.  A board committee voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend that two students be added to the 22-member board as nonvoting members.  One student would serve on the board's basic-education council and the other would serve on its higher-education council. Each council would also have student member-elect who would become a full board member after one year.  Committee chairman Francis Michelini says the board will benefit from having student perspectives on state education policies and regulations.  The full board is expected to consider the proposal at its meeting Thursday.  The National Association of State Boards of Education says 16 other states, the District of Columbia and Guam currently have students serving on their state education boards.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A career federal prosecutor who's been running the U.S. Attorney's Office in Harrisburg since Tom Marino quit last fall has replaced his "acting" title with "interim."  Marty Carlson's status was upgraded May 10, one day after a federal judge administered him the oath of office again.  The main difference between an interim U.S. attorney and a regular one is that Carlson's superiors in the Department of Justice have to approve his hiring decisions.  The interim appointment was made through an order signed by Attorney General Michael Mukasey and didn't require U.S. Senate confirmation.  The interim status is good until September.  The 51-year-old Carlson is an Erie native and has been with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Harrisburg since 1989.

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

Daily Number 0-3-6

Big 4 8-1-7-6

Treasure Hunt 4-5-17-27-29

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