Sunday, June 1, 2008
Historians, food and even ghost stories: part of Mifflinburg Buggy Days
MIFFLINBURG— The annual Buggy Days festival is just around the corner and it will include living historians, demonstrations, buggy rides, crafts and much more. Executive Director of the Buggy Museum, Bronwen Sanders, says the festival showcases some of the history of Mifflinburg. She says they will be covering every period of history from Colonial to Edwardian and Civil War activities will take place on the VFW fairgrounds. She says there will be two fictitious battles with re-enactors and the day will be filled with learning and fun. Sanders says it’s a fun-filled weekend for the entire family. She says you can learn a little history, have some fun, meet some old friends, make some new friends and take a buggy ride. Buggy Days is taking place June 6th through the 8th and activities will be going on throughout the downtown. For more information about the festival or the Buggy Museum, go to www.buggymuseum.org. (Sara Lauver)
Listening Tour Town Hall meeting held with Congressman Chris Carney
SHAMOKIN— Congressman Chris Carney was in Shamokin and answered questions from residents as part of his Listening Tour Town Hall meetings. One topic of discussion was the Iraq War and one resident asked Carney why he continues to vote to keep it going. Carney says he has been very consistent on his point of view to bring the troops home in a responsible way. He says he believes we should start bringing home the troops the way the Pentagon and the Department of Defense say as the Iraqis become trained. He says that means, if there are 50,000 Iraqis trained, then he thinks 50,000 Americans should come home.
Another topic of discussion was the rising cost of oil and the possibility of using resources from within the United States. Carney says the government could begin looking into opening up other areas, but there would be a problem in the fact that there would still be an almost 10-year lag between the time they would be opened up and the time Americans would see any relief at the pump. He says there are other things that can be done to create some immediate relief, such as, looking into alternative energy sources. Carney says progress is being made on the use of alternative energy sources, but it’s in a transitional period. He says he could imagine that within the next ten years, the U.S. will get a lot of its energy from wind, solar, and nuclear sources.
Carney also says that regulating speculation on the cost of oil could lead to some fairly immediate relief at the pump. He says the rising costs are mainly based on speculation instead of actual supply and demand. (Sara Lauver)
The Relay of Life, was on Roundtable this weekend
SUNBURY – The area Relays for Life were the topic of this weekend’s Roundtable. We found out about the many activities, the ‘cancer education’ available at the Relays, the food, music and fun, and of course, the fundraising for the American Cancer Society.
Tougher to describe, is the ‘Luminaria service,’ says Casey Fenton, of the American Cancer Society. He tells us about his first ‘Luminaria experience, when he was overcome with emotion, at seeing all of the lit candles. He imagined a time, when lit candles to remember cancer victims won’t be necessary.
Casey and five other folks associated with the Relays for Life were on Roundtable Program this weekend. They discussed the survivor’s walk, the ways people can get involved and the opportunities. More info is available at www.cancer.org and you can hear Roundtable on www.wkok.com.
Uni-Mart files for bankruptcy; could mean closures in our area
SUNBURY— Uni-Mart announced Friday that it has filed for bankruptcy and the move could mean closures for area stores. The Daily Item reports that at least one area Uni-Mart store is expected to close in the coming weeks. Reports say an employee at the Sunbury location at Fourth and Race Streets said the store will be closing June 6th. That location is just one of seven area Uni-Mart stores, with others located in Lewisburg, Milton, Montgomery and Northumberland. The store located in Danville is expected to remain open. No word on any other locations at this time. A spokesperson for the State College based corporation says it intends to find a buyer. Rising fuel prices and other costs are being blamed for the convenience store and gas station chain’s filing for bankruptcy. There are 283 stores operating throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York and it’s said that nearly 45 of them will be closing. (Sara Lauver)
Police respond to fight between area man and woman in Northumberland County
MAHANOY TWP— Police were called to the scene of a dispute in a Northumberland County parking lot involving an area man and woman. State Police in Stonington say that 48-year-old Jeffrey Seedor and 31-year-old Catherine Seedor, both from Dornsife, got into a verbal argument that became physical. Police say the incident occurred around 2 a.m. Friday in a business parking lot along Route 225 in Little Mahanoy Township. Both were cited for harassment. (Sara Lauver)
Snyder County crash leads to minor injuries
ADAMS TWP— Minor injuries are reported after a man became ill while driving, and crashed his vehicle in Snyder County. State Police in Selinsgrove say 44-year-old Tony Kline, of Beavertown, became sick while he was driving along a local road in Adams Township Saturday night. Police say his vehicle went off the roadway and crashed into some trees. Kline and his passenger, 19-year-old Crystal Kline, also of Beavertown, were taken to Evangelical Community Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. (Sara Lauver)
Robert Healy named Director of Athletics Communications
SELINSGROVE— Susquehanna University’s Office of Communications has appointed Robert Healy as their new Director of Athletics Communications. Healy comes to SU from Hamilton College in New York, where he has served as the assistant sports information director for the past year. He has also served as a media relation’s liaison for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a journalist for the Pittsburgh Sports Report. Healy will assume his new position on July 1st. (Sara Lauver)
Belfanti opens new Mount Carmel office
MOUNT CARMEL – State Representative Bob Belfanti has opened a new office in Mount Carmel, nearly two months after an arson fire heavily damaged his old one. The new office is located at 18 East 5th Street in Mount Carmel and is now fully operational. Constituents are welcome to call the new office at 339-5252 or stop by Monday through Friday from 9:00a.m.-4:00p.m. or Saturday from 9:00a.m.-noon. (Sara Bartlett)
E-mail scams becoming more popular
UNDATED – Pay close attention if you get e-mail from your bank. Scams are becoming more and more common, and while the e-mail may look official, Corporate Communications Manager at Susquehanna Bank, Steve Trapnell, says there are clues that it may be a fraud. If the e-mail is unsolicited or if it requires a deadline for you to send information, with consequences if you don’t; if it probably fake. Trapnell also says banks will never ask for personal information such as passwords, account numbers or social security numbers through e-mail. He says banks are working with cyber security services to get fraudulent websites taken down.
Scam artists are all over, and Trapnell says they may just send out mass e-mails to see how many people they can reach. Overall, Trapnell says be aware of who and where your e-mails are coming from and never give out any information before double checking with your bank. (Sara Bartlett)
Here is the latest Pennsylvania news from The Associated Press:
MIFFLINTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The Juniata County superintendent says the school district and the union representing its teachers have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, canceling a threatened six-day walkout. Superintendent Kenneth Albaugh says the two sides met from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday. He says the 220 members of the Juniata County Educators Association are to vote on the pact Wednesday and the Juniata County School District board will consider it Friday. Albaugh says classes will be held as scheduled Monday and students will graduate on schedule, something of great concern to parents. Teachers union president Wayne Chrismer did not immediately return a call seeking comment. The two sides had been divided by issues such as salary and health care benefits.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A spokeswoman for Lehigh Valley Hospital says the pilot of a MedEvac helicopter that crashed has been released from the hospital. Only one of the three people on board the helicopter that crashed Friday night in Pottsville is still in the hospital for observation. Hospital spokeswoman Amy Satkofsky says the hospital should resume airlifting patients Sunday in Berks, Carbon and Monroe counties. The hospital voluntarily stopped airlifting patients until all members of the MedEvac team have been interviewed. The cause of the crash is unclear. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
MONACA, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak is hoping the looming merger of two struggling Beaver County school districts will spawn similar deals between other districts struggling to stay afloat. The Center Area and Monaca school districts are both losing students in recent decades. Monaca has just 709 children, down from about 1,500 in 1971 and Center's enrollment has dropped from about 3,200 to less than 1,900 over the same time. The districts hope to save $1.5 million a year by merging elementary schools by 2009 and middle and high schools by 2010. Pennsylvania has 501 school districts, but about 270 have fewer than 2,000 students. Educators say smaller districts cab have a harder time using their resources efficiently and sometimes cannot offer special programs if there are too few students to justify the cost.
STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Pittsburgh man is jailed in Monroe County after police say he sent explicit child-porn photos to an officer posing online as a 14-year-old girl. Police say 54-year-old George Carvlin sent photos of young children in sex acts with adults and with animals. Police say he told the person he thought was a girl that he wanted her to have sex with her pet dog. The officer made arrangements to meet Carvlin in Canadensis on Thursday, and that's where he was taken into custody. Carvlin remains jailed; there's no word on whether he has a lawyer.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Every other fall, the month that follows legislative elections traditionally has been a period in which Pennsylvania state lawmakers get a lot of work done. Voters have spoken and won't be heard from again for a couple of years. Retiring or defeated incumbents, with little on the line, can be easier to persuade. The deadline pressure helps, too. This year, however, it appears things will be different. The Senate's Republican leadership announced a few days ago that there will be no "lame duck" period in November. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati says eliminating the lame duck session should help restore public trust. He says he also hopes it will get people working more quickly in September and October.
Here are the winning numbers selected Saturday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:
SATURDAY NIGHT
Daily Number
2-8-6
Big 4
3-0-2-8
The winning numbers drawn Saturday night in Powerball are:
3-9-14-17-25
Powerball: 8
Power Play:
4
SATURDAY MIDDAY
Daily Number
7-5-3
Big 4
0-5-9-2
Treasure Hunt
5-6-8-10-21
The winning numbers drawn Saturday in the "Pennsylvania Cash 5" game
were:
01-11-36-38-41
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:
POTTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A Schuylkill County official says a MedEvac helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in Pottsville, and the pilot and two crew members were taken to a hospital. A supervisor at the Schuylkill County Office of Public Safety said a Lehigh Valley Hospital MedEvac helicopter had taken off from its helipad just before 9 p.m., responding to an accident in Wayne Township. He says the helicopter began to have trouble and was forced to land on the 1400 block of Laurel Boulevard. The supervisor says the helicopter was sitting upright after landing. He says the pilot and two crew members did not sustain serious injuries. A MedEvac spokesman had no immediate information about the incident. The MedEvac program is an air medical transport operation of Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown. The MedEvac's Web site says flights began in May of 1981.
MIFFLINTOWN, Pa. (AP) - More talks are scheduled today (Saturday) to try to prevent a six-day walkout by teachers in the Juniata County School District. Superintendent Kenneth Albaugh says a strike by members of the Juniata County Educators Association is scheduled to begin Monday and last through June 9. But he says the action will be called off if a tentative agreement is reached today (Saturday). Teachers union president Wayne Chrismer did not immediately return a call seeking comment. In the event of a strike, all school and extracurricular events will be canceled and the last day of school will be pushed back from June 5 to June 13. Graduation would be pushed back to June 12 for Juniata High School and June 13 for East Juniata High School. The union represents about 220 employees. The two sides have been divided by issues including salary and health care benefits.
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - Two Penn State football players have been sentenced to probation and community service in an on-campus fight last year. Linebacker Navorro Bowman and defensive tackle Phil Taylor appeared in court yesterday (Friday) to plead guilty to a disorderly conduct charge. Prosecutors dropped more serious assault charges. Each defendant was sentenced to a year of probation and 100
hours of community service. Two other players police say were involved in the Oct. 7 fight have already resolved their cases. All four had been charged with beating up a Philadelphia man who was attending a party at Penn State.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania environmental officials have ordered a partial shutdown of natural gas drilling operations by two companies in the state's northcentral region. Robert Yowell of the Department of Environmental Protection says the two companies haven't taken the necessary precautions to protect nearby streams from pollution as they drill for gas in Lycoming County. The streams are located near impoundment areas operated by Range Resources-Appalachia and Chief Oil and Gas. Officials say the impoundments draw tens of thousands of gallons of water per day from the waterways. The companies are conducting exploratory drilling in a gas reservoir known as the Marcellus Shale.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Friday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:
FRIDAY NIGHT
Daily Number
7-5-2
Big 4
7-5-6-6
FRIDAY MIDDAY
Daily Number
9-2-3
Big 4
9-1-4-7
Treasure Hunt
4-14-17-23-28
The winning numbers drawn Friday in the "Pennsylvania Cash 5" game
were:
01-13-24-39-42
The winning
numbers drawn Friday in the "Pennsylvania Match 6 Lotto" game were:
03-11-14-21-24-38
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)