Thursday, June 19, 2008

Curran guilty of first-degree murder

SUNBURY – A jury found former police officer Richard Curran, guilty of first-degree murder for the shooting death of his ex-wife, Tina Curran.  It took nearly three years for a trial to take place, and Tina’s mom, Bonnie Smith says she’s happy with their decision, and she’s glad it’s over.  Smith says the difficult part is explaining it all to Tina’s children.  Tina’s boyfriend at the time of the shooting, Jesse James, says he waited a long time for this day.  He says it was difficult to sit through the trial while all the evidence was being displayed.  James says, “It’s finally over and now we’ll have some peace.”

The jury in Northumberland County Court took less than two hours to reach its verdict.  Richard Curran is eligible for the death penalty, and District Attorney Tony Rosini says he will seek it.  The penalty phase is scheduled for Friday.  (Sara Lauver)

Sunbury man among 181 picked up by Federal Marshals

SCRANTON – Fugitives with local ties are in custody after what US Marshals call Operation
Falcon 2008.  Among them, 41-year-old Daniel Hunt of Sunbury.  He was initially convicted of indecent sexual assault and corruption of a minor in 2003, and wanted on a parole violation issued at the end of May. 

Federal Marshals say more than a dozen others from Northumberland County and 3 from Union Counties were picked up.  Most were wanted on parole or probation violations or drug charges.  The 7-day operation netted more than 180 fugitives in the 33 county Middle District, including a man found hiding in a hollowed-out box spring in a Scranton apartment. (Matt Farrand)

Tiger Woods’ ACL injury: Could it happen to you?

LEWISBURG – Famous athletes, Donovan McNabb and Tiger Woods have both torn their ACL, taking them out of their sports for a season. What is an ACL tear and can it happen to you?  Dr. John Furia of Sun Orthopedic Group in Lewisburg says the ACL is the major ligament in the knee that provides front and back stability to the knee.  The tear happens due to a twisting maneuver, usually when an athlete is fatigued.

Dr. Furia says torn ACL’s is one of the more common sports injuries, particularly in young athletic women.  The incidents of ACL tears in women is approximately 4 to 5 times higher than it is in males.  But he says once the surgery is done and the patient has recovered, they can get back to the sport they are passionate about.  He adds that the technology in 2008 offers a number of ways to do the surgery including minimally invasive procedures.  (Ali Stevens)

Danville area man charged with aggravated assault by motor vehicle

DANVILLE  -- A Danville area man has been charged with aggravated assault by motor vehicle for a DUI crash that seriously injured his girlfriend.  22-year-old Zachery Bachman is also charged with DUI and several other counts for the accident in April on McCracken Road.  Police say Bachman lost control of his truck, which veered off the road, went down a 20-foot embankment and flipped twice. 

The Press Enterprise reports 20-year-old Ashley Vanhorn of Danville was the passenger in the truck and suffered a punctured lung and broken ribs and had to have a kidney and her spleen removed.  She was reportedly thrown from the truck as it rolled and was pinned beneath part of it.  Bachman admitted to police that he had about three drinks.  His blood alcohol shortly after the crash was .111.  (Ali Stevens)

Networking for young professionals in the Valley

SUNBURY – Young professionals that are in engaged in their community will stay in the community.  That’s the mindset of the Susquehanna Valley Young Professionals, a group that provides networking to people between the ages of 21 and 40, who want to be more connected with their community.  Ryan Unger is the Co-Chair of the group and says it is a way to get young professionals involved and learn more about the Central Susquehanna Valley.

Brianne Croteau, who recently moved to the area and got a job at Bucknell University, attended the group’s welcome event recently in Sunbury.  She says she joined out of curiosity, to meet new people, and to see what professionals do in the area.

In addition to networking events, the group also takes part in educational initiatives, connecting with local high school and college students, attends seminars and works with non-profits throughout the region.  If you are interested in joining the Susquehanna Valley Young Professionals, send an e-mail to info@svyp.org. (Sara Bartlett) 

Celebrating the summer solstice at Shikellamy Overlook

SUNBURY – Saturday marks the first full day of summer and Friends of the Shikellamy State Park are inviting everyone to celebrate the Summer Solstice.  Co-Chair of the Friends group, Julie Marano says some of the activities going on at the Overlook include yoga, drum circles and storytelling.  In addition, local singers and songwriters will perform and there will also be poetry readings.  Food and drinks will be provided as well.  The Summer Solstice Celebration is Saturday from 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m.  For more information on this and other events go to www.friendsofshikellamystatepark.org. (Sara Bartlett)

State police warn about a paving scam

SELINSGROVE – State police are alerting the public about a possible paving scam in Snyder County.  A group of individuals asked a local businessman if they could put a small patch of asphalt on his parking lot for him to inspect.  Instead, the pavers put down a larger section of asphalt and tried to charge the businessman $7,000.  Troopers warn to be cautious of anyone going door-to-door attempting to secure paving jobs in driveways and parking lots.  (Ali Stevens)

Rape suspect gets new attorney

SUNBURY – A Sunbury man charged with assaulting four young girls will get a new attorney.  The Daily Item reports 50-year-old Gilberto Quinones said in court Wednesday that his current attorney, public defender Michael Suders, didn’t have time for him.  Quinones said he has had little time to speak with Suders about the case.  Quinones was arrested in February after allegedly raping a 6-year-old girl and sexually assaulting three others.  He remains in Northumberland County Prison on $200,000. (Sara Bartlett)     

Shamokin woman burned while fighting fire
 

David Moore, Crystal Scholl-Gordon remembered in Cameron Park ceremony

SUNBURY – Five months to the day that Crystal Scholl-Gordon and David Moore of Sunbury were shot to death in a North Fourth Street apartment, friends and family members gathered in Cameron Park to make sure memories of the double homicide victims stay fresh. A friend known as “Matthew” remembers David Moore as a man who never failed to lift the spirits of others.

Shirley Mowery is the grandmother to Crystal Scholl Gordon, and prays to a specific star in memory of “Chrissy,” who is never far from her thoughts. The ceremony was led by pastor Mark Gittens of the Higher Hope Church of Sunbury, who notes that many hope the upcoming trial of 39-year-old suspect Michael Harrell does not turn the focus away from the victims.

Harrell’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 18th in Northumberland County Court. He was picked up and held on a parole violation shortly after the January 18th shooting, but not formally charged until two weeks ago. (Matt Farrand)

Closing arguments were heard, jury to debate verdict

SUNBURY— In a last minute decision, Richard Curran did not take the stand in the third day of the trial where he is facing homicide charges. Both the prosecution and defense gave their closing arguments and the jury is expected to begin deliberations on a verdict. Curran’s attorney, Karl Rominger, told the jury that it’s not about “who did it or what happened, a horrible thing occurred and nothing will replace that loss.”

He went on to say that the jury must now decide if Curran had intent to kill Tina Curran on August 24th, 2005. He said “if you’re a trained professional police officer, you don’t go to a public place, let alone a hospital, to shoot somebody if it’s your specific intent to kill.” He then asked the jury to consider third-degree murder over first-degree.

But District Attorney, Tony Rosini, told the jury “when someone shoots 12 times a human being, that gives you evidence of his intent. He intended to kill her.” Tina Curran’s body had sustained seven gunshots wounds, two that were described as “rapidly fatal” by Dr. Samuel Land in testimony.

Rosini also told the jury “money is the motive here.” Richard and Tina Curran had a long history of child custody battles, including an argument the morning of August 24th, when the two had disagreed over custody payments. Court will resume Thursday in Sunbury and a jury will be charged with making a decision and will then begin deliberations. (Sara Lauver)

A woman was killed in a crash in Columbia County

BLOOMSBURG – A crash on Route 487 in Columbia County claimed the life of a woman from Hunlock Creek. The accident around 5:30p.m. happened at the intersection of Zaner’s Bridge Road. Killed was 20-year-old Elizabeth Hildebrand, troopers say she was stopped on the local road and pulled on to Route 487. she drove in front of a truck driven by John Watson of Benton…Watson was not injured. Watson and Hildebrand were wearing their seat belts, according to Bloomsburg state troopers.

Montour County Commissioners support four-day workweek

DANVILLE – Berks County has joined Centre County in looking to institute a four-day workweek for its county employees. The cost saving decision is now also being considered by Montour County according to Commissioner Trevor Finn. He says the plan, which is in the preliminary stages, would save on utilities and gas.

The plan would mainly affect clerical staff and Finn says the 911 center and the prison would, of course, continue to operate 24/7, and it may not apply to judges and sheriffs either. Finn says it has to be something where everyone agrees that it would be best for the county and its constituents. He says, “Our constituents are tightening their belts, and we as Commissioners have to do the same thing.”

They plan to consult all elected officials, as well as the public to get their opinions on the four-day workweek. They also plan to look at other counties that have implemented the plan to see if county money has been saved. (Sara Bartlett)

Preliminary accident report issued on a fatal mining accident

UNDATED – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has released a preliminary report on a coal mining death in Northumberland County on Monday. The report said the roof that fell on Robert Carey was 30-feet wide by 20-feet long and was about 4 inches to 4 feet in thickness. A spokesman says Carey was seated next to a coal rib at the mine on Route 61 near Mount Carmel.

The rib is used to support the roof of the mine. When the roof collapsed, Carey was pinned between the rib and roofing material. He died of multiple blunt force injuries, according to the Northumberland County Coroner. The DEP is also investigating the accident at Harmony Mine and a spokesman says there are no recent or outstanding penalties against the company. (Ali Stevens)

Local soldier talks to folks of all ages

SUNBURY – “It’s pretty cold here.” Private First Class Justin Rodriguez describes the weather here in Pennsylvania. He has good reason to think our 70-degree temperatures are cold though, after being in Afghanistan for the last three months. The average temperature there is about 120 degrees.

Rodriguez, who is a member of the 103rd Armory out of Sunbury, met with an interested group of all ages Wednesday at the Degenstein Community Library in Sunbury. Rodriguez serves his main duties as part of a reconstruction team in Afghanistan.

He is aiding in the rebuilding of the local area, including schools, recreation centers and fire and police departments. Rodriguez, who is a 2007 Shikellamy High School graduate, took questions from the audience and presented a slideshow of pictures from his tour of duty. He will return to Afghanistan for four months on July 2nd. (Sara Bartlett)

Man robbed at a Columbia County rest stop

BENTON – A man was robbed at an Interstate 80 rest stop in Columbia County. State police say two men and a woman at the rest stop in Mifflin Township approached the 20-year-old man from New Jersey on Monday night. One man reportedly choked the victim and took his vehicle and personal property. The victim was treated for a minor injury. The investigation into the robbery will continue. (Ali Stevens)

Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania health officials have confirmed a fifth case of salmonella linked to a national outbreak involving tainted tomatoes.  State Health Department spokeswoman Stacy Kriedeman said Thursday the latest case involves a victim from Montgomery County.  Kriedeman says that victim fell ill in early June.  The department had previously announced that four other people were sickened in late May in Bucks, Butler, Lancaster and Warren counties.  Officials believe two of those victims were exposed outside of Pennsylvania.  Kriedeman says the department can't release details about the victims or how sick they were, but she says the onset of salmonella typically occurs 24 to 72 hours after exposure and victims usually recover in five to seven days.  About 2,000 cases of salmonella are reported in Pennsylvania each year.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania extended a hiring increase into a second month, but the unemployment rate continues to rise.  The state Department of Labor and Industry says employers added 2,900 jobs in May.  But the state's count of seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs has been stuck at approximately 5.8 million for the past year.  And Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in May, up nearly an entire percentage point above the year-ago rate.  The rate is a gauge of how many people are looking for work, not how many people are unemployed.  The federal government has reported U.S. job losses for five straight months, and unemployment at 5.5 percent.  But some economists warn the Keystone State typically feels an economic downturn later, and takes longer to recover, because its economy is more reliant on manufacturing.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania State Police say a man was struck and killed by a box truck on a highway in suburban Harrisburg.  Police have identified the victim as 18-year-old Elijah Brabham Lawrence of Harrisburg.  State police spokesman Karl Schmidhamer says the accident occurred at around 5 a.m. Thursday on Interstate 283 in Swatara Township. Schmidhamer says police don't know what Lawrence was doing on the highway.  Schmidhamer says the truck driver called 911 after he struck something, then pulled over and noticed his vehicle was damaged.  The driver told police he didn't know what he hit because it was dark.  The highway was closed for almost 3 1/2 hours during the investigation, snarling rush-hour traffic. Schmidhamer says he doesn't expect any criminal charges to be filed.

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

Daily Number  8-2-0

Big 4  0-4-5-3

Treasure Hunt  1-15-22-23-27

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press, All rights Reserved)