Friday, June 25, 2010

Police confirm Sunbury man robbed two stores

SUNBURY -- Police have confirmed that the Sunbury man who admitted to the attempted robbery at a convenience store last week--did rob another store thirty minutes later.  39-year-old David Holtzapple was arrested last Saturday for demanding cash at knifepoint from a clerk at the Turkey Hill in Sunbury. 

At that time, Holtzapple denied that he then went to the A-Plus Sunoco in Sunbury and, at knifepoint, demanded and received cash from a clerk there.  Now police say they have concluded their investigation and have charged Holtzapple with both crimes.  He's accused of theft, terroristic threats and disorderly conduct and remains in Northumberland County Prison, $65,000 bail. (Sara Bartlett)

Union County in the process of upgrading 911 system

LEWISBURG -- Union County has launched a more than $4 million communications system upgrade. In order to comply with some new Federal Communication Commission regulations, Union County is working to refit all seven of their emergency communication towers.  Union County Commissioner Chairman Preston Boop said they decided to go digital, rather than upgrade the current analog system. 

Boop believes the most cost effective way to update the outdated equipment is to 'go digital.'  The county is in the process of issuing bonds for $4.5 million to refit the towers.  There are seven towers in Union County, and they also provide 911 service in the upper part of Northumberland County.  Boop says now is this time to be in the bond market and update the technology at the same time. 

Corrections officers injured during a fight at the Allenwood Federal Penitentiary

ALLENWOOD – Several corrections officers were injured trying to break up a fight at the Allenwood Federal Penitentiary.  Five inmates were involved in the fight in a housing unit at the prison on Monday morning.  Four corrections officers intervened and all sustained minor injuries, with one officer taken to a local hospital for treatment. 

That officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries, but is still recuperating.  Two inmates were also treated for injuries at the prison.  The inmates involved in the incident have been segregated from the general prison population.  The investigation continues.  (Ali Stevens)

A big neighborhood event takes place tomorrow in Sunbury

SUNBURY – One of the big neighborhood events in Sunbury is set for tomorrow. The free pig roast in the hill section is set for Saturday at 4pm. Sponsored by the Catawissa Avenue United Methodist Church—and attended by people from throughout the region—the neighborhood party is an annual event.

In addition to the pig roast, there will be a balloon artist, a magician and a free family movie. Also, live music from Adonai’s Fire is scheduled for 6pm. The public is invited to the free pork barbeque and fun event tomorrow at Catawissa Avenue and Line Streets in Sunbury.

LASD board members offer facilities plan comments

LEWISBURG -- Teachers, administrators and students who say Lewisburg Area High School is too small are correct. That's the view of an architectural firm that made its first presentation to the board of the Lewisburg Area School District on Thursday night.

Chairman Douglas Rohrbaugh of Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates outlined deficiencies in the current high school. He says there is not enough room for classrooms, computers, food service or phys Ed. Similar concerns were also expressed about the Middle School, and Linntown Elementary School if a grade is added.

With plans still subject to change, no definite price tag was talked about. However, previous estimates ranged from $36 to $47 million dollars, depending on whether the high school in Lewisburg Borough is renovated, or a new one is built in Kelly Township.

Board members Kathy Swope, Fred Scheller, and Stephen Bolinsky expressed no distinct preference, as long as the plan adopted conforms to the academic goals established by the district. Board members Mary Brouse and Tera Unziker-Fessaro leaned toward building a new high school on the Kelly Township property.

However, Michael Payne cited the cultural importance of having a high school within borough limits, and favored renovation of the current building. Meantime, the architects say if the board acts promptly, they may be able to finalize contracts for work at a time when materials, labor and taxes are at a historically low point. (Matt Farrand)

LAHS renovation proponents say current building can be transformed

LEWISBURG -- Lewisburg's Barnes & Noble bookstore is being cited as an example of smart reuse of an older building. Proponents of renovating the current Lewisburg Area High School hope the store that is scheduled to open this weekend will convince those who support building a new high school in Kelly Township to change their minds.

Business owner Scott Stieler of Lewisburg says the new bookstore serves as a reminder of the value of the current high school. He is also concerned that building a new school on land owed by the district in Kelly Township would not fit in with Union County's Comprehensive Plan.

Board member Michael Payne agreed, and says the current high school building can be turned into a flexible, state-of-the-art facility that will support the academic goals of the district. He says one of the borough's hidden strengths is that the community cannot afford to discard old public buildings, and is better off for renovating them. (Matt Farrand)

Taxes increase for Lewisburg area property owners

LEWISBURG -- Property owners in the Lewisburg Area School District will see a tax increase in the upcoming fiscal year. The school board approved a 2010-2011 budget Thursday night, which includes a property tax rate increase 0.74 mills to 15.05 mills.

Superintendent Dr. Mark DiRocco says a teaching position could be cut at Kelly Elementary School if the state budget does not include a $63,000 education subsidy for the district. DiRocco says the position was added in anticipation of higher enrollment. (Matt Farrand)

LASD accepts Playworld Systems offer

LEWISBURG -- $100,000 in playground improvements are hard to turn down. Thursday night, the Lewisburg Area School District accepted a donation by Playworld Systems of $80,000 in new playground equipment, and $20,000 for installation at the Linntown Elementary School.

Board members say it's been ten and a half years since Playworld's last installation at Linntown, and the only catch is that the company will photograph the new equipment for use in a catalogue. They note that the equipment is easily movable, if the playground at Linntown is removed or reconfigured when the district's facilities plan is finally approved and put in place. (Matt Farrand)

Interns do summer projects on the Susquehanna River

LEWISBURG -- Not everyone out on the Susquehanna River this summer is shooting the breeze. Over 30 interns from six different universities are hard at work getting their feet wet in environmental projects across the Valley. The interns were introduced at a recent Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies meeting.

Skip Wieder, convener of the coalition, says students will be monitoring the quality of the water and examining the amount of mercury in game fish. Another group will work on the cultural heritage of the region, doing background work on the economic impact the Marcellus Shale may have, just as the coal industry had on the region.

Wieder says part of the coalition's region is to utilize interns at local colleges and universities to provide them a learning experience, as well as assist the region in research. He says their projects' often result in publishable science. The results of the projects will be displayed at the annual Susquehanna River Symposium at Bucknell University in October. (Stephanie Klock)

Chief says drug bust was Valley-wide issue

HARRISBURG – The latest in a series of drug busts in the Central Susquehanna Valley took place Thursday. Sunbury Police Chief Stephen Mazzeo says this is a Valley-wide issue that needs to be addressed. He says the drug ring spanned in three counties, with offenders from different towns. Eleven people were picked up part of the cocaine bust and Mazzeo says some of the people were the higher-level individuals in the drug ring.

Undercover officers purchased cocaine from 30-year-old Nicholas Rivera of Sunbury and then were able to find 50-year-old Andrea Golder of Milton, who sold the cocaine to Rivera. Golder’s source was also located and identified as 49-year-old Jorge Ortiz-Casanova of Watsontown. Mazzeo credits the Northumberland-Montour County Drug Taskforce as well as the office of the state Attorney General and numerous local and state police forces for the sweep. Others charged include:

47-year-old Josue Diaz- Malave of Sunbury

47-year-old Mary Beth Alvarez of Sunbury

33-year-old Marci Showers of Northumberland

30-year-old Christina Frederick of Lewisburg

46-year-old William Alvarez of Northumberland

52-year-old Nilsa Sullivan of Sunbury

45-year-old Derek Brown of Selinsgrove

20-year-old Michael Pena of Selinsgrove

Fight against drugs in NorCo

SUNBURY – Northumberland County Commissioner Chairman Frank Sawicki and Sheriff Chad Reiner say they are working to combat the growing problem of illegal drug sales and possession. Sheriff Chad Reiner talks about one major tool they have to fight the drug problem, which is Clark the K-9, who is able to detect a variety of drugs.

Reiner gave us some statistics that Clark has achieved. He said Clark found slightly over $100,000 worth of illegal drugs and cash in 2009 and so far in 2010, Clark has found $73,000 in illegal narcotics and cash. Sawicki says they also are working to stop the drugs from circulating in Northumberland County.

They are hiring a county detective, which allows them to better police the internal workings of the county. Sawicki says the detective will also oversee any drug problems at the county prison, with prisoners bringing in contraband. You can hear more from Sawicki and Reiner on WKOK’s Leaders & Lawmakers program online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)

AG investigates NorCo sewer, water and gas misusage

SUNBURY – The state attorney general’s office is investigating the alleged misuse of sewer, water and gas from two county-leased buildings in Sunbury. Commissioner Vinny Clausi was a guest on WKOK’s On The Mark program and remained tight-lipped about the probe. He admitted the investigation is ongoing, but would not elaborate further.

Clausi originally stated that a Sunbury resident approached him more than a year ago claiming that Stan Seiple, the owner of the two Human Service buildings in Sunbury, which have been leased to the county since 2003, had been taking services from the buildings and using them for his other properties.

Those services include sewer, gas and water. Seiple denied the allegations. The resident who made the accusation is a former employee of Seiple. The county business manager pulled invoices for water and sewer dating back to 2005 and claimed there were many instances of spiked usage during the summer. (Ali Stevens)

Support for Danville teen hurt in crash

DANVILLE -- The Valley rallied for a Danville high school student who remains in critical condition after a crash last week. Hundreds came to Danville High School Wednesday night to support Alex Vitunac and his family. He was a passenger in a vehicle that was hit by an SUV on Route 54 last Wednesday night. Vitunac is a basketball and football player at the high school and will be a senior this upcoming year.

He was one of the many Danville football players who attended a Walk-a-Thon recently to support Seth Lauver and Alex Mullen, two Selinsgrove high school students critically hurt in a crash last month. Another student in the vehicle, Ross Litz, remains in fair condition at Geisinger Medical Center. Two other students were treated and released, as well the driver of the SUV. (Sara Bartlett)

Danville man remains in critical condition

DANVILLE—The Danville man injured in the Tuesday morning crash on Route 11 is still in critical condition. Henry Baez’s van was broadsided by an SUV, forcing the van to hit some guide-rails and cross into oncoming traffic.

Baez was rescued from the vehicle and taken to Geisinger Medical Center where he remains. The Lewisburg man, still unidentified, was taken to Geisinger, treated and released. The crash occurred around 7 AM Tuesday between School House Road and Maria Joseph Manor.

Latest Pennsylvania news, business, lottery and entertainment

HIGHSPIRE, Pa. (AP) - Officials in a central Pennsylvania town say illegal fireworks are responsible for an explosion and fire inside an apartment building.  Highspire Mayor John Hoerner says a second device had to be removed by a bomb squad following the fire Thursday night. Hoerner says the explosion broke windows and blasted pellets through the building's roof.  About 20 people were forced from the building while the second device was removed.  The unidentified man suffered burns to his legs. His name was not released.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The editorial boards of Philadelphia's two largest newspapers say state Supreme   Court Chief Justice Ronald Castille isn't fit for his job.  The Philadelphia Daily News wrote Friday that the appearance of impropriety in a $12 million deal that Castille oversaw to find land for a new Philadelphia Family Court has eroded the public trust.  The unsigned column says, "For the head of the state's highest court, that should be a firing offense."  The Inquirer's editorial called Sunday for Castille to resign as chief justice, although not necessarily from the bench.  Castille declined comment through a spokesman.  In May, The Philadelphia Inquirer began questioning payments received by an attorney who represented the courts while partnered with the project developer.  Castille canceled the contract May 26.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A hockey arena that will be home to the Philadelphia Flyers' minor league affiliate in Allentown won't be open until at least 2013.  Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski says the arena on the Lehigh River has struggled to get financing lined up in a struggle economy. That means the arena won't meet its target opening date of October 2012.  Pawlowski says the delay in construction of the $80 million, 10,000 seat arena means a new bridge should be completed in time for the first game. That will greatly improve access to the arena.  The Phantoms previously played home games in the Spectrum in Philadelphia, but  were forced to move after plans were made to demolish the arena. The franchise is temporarily playing home games in Glens Falls, N.Y.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Homeless residents of a tent camp in Harrisburg have more time to clear out. Approximately half the 30 or so people living on a 10-acre tract of land have left as of Friday. That was the original deadline given by police.  But the property management company that oversees the land for its owners says the deadline has been pushed back to July 7.  The camp has been located in a wooded area along South Front Street for about 15 years.  A spokesman for Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson says the eviction notices weren't the idea of city officials or police, but officers must act on complaints.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says he's dumbfounded by the ouster of Gen. Stanley McChrystal as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Ridge tells The Patriot-News of Harrisburg that he is "dumfounded" and "astounded" that President Barack Obama decided to dismiss McChrystal in the wake of an interview in which the general made several disparaging remarks about administration officials. Ridge, a former Pennsylvania governor, says military officers and soldiers have always criticized and vented, particularly under duress of combat. Obama fired McChrystal on Wednesday, saying his scornful remarks about administration officials in interviews for a Rolling Stone magazine article represent conduct that "undermines the civilian control of the military." Obama named Gen. David Petraeus, the Central Command chief who was McChrystal's direct boss, to replace him.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Negotiations between Gov. Ed Rendell and Senate Republican leaders on a new budget appear to be at a standstill with the new fiscal year a week away. Rendell met Thursday with legislative leaders and said his proposed $28.2 billion budget brings spending about as low as he believes is manageable. To support it, Rendell wants new taxes on natural gas extraction and sales of some tobacco products. The proposal would raise spending by 1 percent and fund a 6 percent increase for public school instruction. Senate Republican Leader Dominic Pileggi says Rendell must chop $400 million from his budget, including the school increase, to make it acceptable. Pennsylvania is weathering a $1 billion-plus deficit, and uncertainties in federal support could force more services cuts and layoffs than are already planned.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State officials say Pennsylvania's first comprehensive report on infections acquired in hospitals reveals a statewide rate of 2.4 for every day 1,000 patients spent in a hospital. Department of Health officials said Thursday its report established a base line for how a hospital's performance in reducing infections will be judged in the future. The state provides incentive payments to health care facilities that reduce infections by 10 percent over the previous year. Some of the 250 hospitals in the 2009 report also reported infections in 2008. Based on those figures, health officials say health care associated infections dropped by more than 12 percent. The reporting by hospitals is required by a 2007 law. Pennsylvania's hospitals and nursing homes must promptly report patient infections and take measures to reduce them.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State police in Pennsylvania say they idled about 130 trucks hauling wastewater from Marcellus shale drilling operations during an enforcement blitz last week. Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Pawlowski on Wednesday said 131 of the 250 trucks put out of service for violations were hauling wastewater from natural gas drilling sites. Police say the enforcement effort, dubbed Operation FracNET after the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, also resulted in 669 citations and 818 written warnings.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pennsylvania's top environmental official says the director of an award-winning documentary about drilling in the Marcellus Shale region is a "propagandist" whose film is "fundamentally dishonest." Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger says the movie by Josh Fox is a "deliberately false presentation for dramatic effect." Fox's film, "Gasland," portrays the gas industry as exploiting loopholes to inject toxins in the ground, among other dangerous activities. In the movie, Fox challenges Hanger to drink a bottle of what he says is water polluted by drilling. Hanger declines. Fox says Hanger is being dishonest himself by portraying Marcellus Shale drilling as anything but a disaster. Accolades for "Gasland" include a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Update on the latest in business

Dow: 10,143.81, down -8.99

S&P 500: 1,076.76, up 3.07

NASDAQ: 2,223.48, up 6.06

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks have improved after a mixed showing in today's session, as investors wind down the week's trading. The key averages have suffered declines coming into today's session.

WASHINGTON (AP) - House and Senate negotiators reached agreement early this morning on legislation   that redefines federal oversight of Wall Street. President Barack Obama says he's gratified by Congress' work, saying the deal includes 90 percent of what he had proposed.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) - Kellogg says it is voluntarily recalling about 28 million boxes of Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks cereals. It says a "waxy" smell and flavor coming from the package liners could make people sick. At the same time, it says the potential for serious health problems is low.  

NEW YORK (AP) - BP shares have dropped another percent today. That means BP's stock has lost more than $100 billion in market value since a rig it operated exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government says it won a court order to halt an alleged $34 million Ponzi scheme. Authorities say it targeted federal employees and law enforcement agents nationwide with promises of safe investments in a nonexistent bond fund.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn Friday:

 Mega Millions

     Estimated jackpot: $12 million

 Midday Big 4

     6-8-3-5

Midday Number

     2-4-9

Midday Quinto

     3-1-7-0-3

Powerball

     Estimated jackpot: $20 million

 Treasure Hunt

     01-11-15-16-30

Remember MJ

UNDATED (AP) -Hundreds of fans are gathering today at Michael Jackson's graveside one year after his death and it appears the Jackson family has just arrived. The fans are filing past barricades to get close to the mausoleum at Forest Lawn in Glendale, Calif. His mother, Katherine Jackson, is expected in the family's hometown of Gary, Ind., for a tribute at the family home.  In Japan, hundreds of fans met at Tokyo Tower to honor Jackson with a candlelight vigil, a gospel concert and more. Some got to see some Jackson tour costumes and a 1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom he used to drive around Los Angeles. Dr. Conrad Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death for administering the powerful anesthetic propofol to Jackson to help the pop star sleep. The 50-year-old Jackson was preparing for a series of comeback concerts at the time of his death. An attorney for father Joe Jackson told CBS' "The Early Show" he's filing a wrongful death suit on behalf of Joe Jackson.

Clinton Vuvuzela

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton is sounding off on the vuvuzela. Those are the big plastic horns being tooted at the World Cup matches in South Africa. Clinton says he's a fan of the horns, now that he's heard them in person. He says the swarm-of-bees sound from the horns drove him nuts when he watched the U.S. soccer team on TV. But he says when he was in the stands, it was wonderful. Clinton can't understand how all the random horn-blowing seems to develop into a rhythm. He says he'll be picking up a vuvuzela to take back as a souvenir.

Recycled wedding

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - It's a can-do attitude for one Washington state couple. Peter Geyer and Andrea Parrish are paying for their wedding by collecting cans. The Spokane couple got nearly four-grand from recycling aluminum cans. They estimated they would need 400,000 and they got some help. Alcoa donated 159,000, while United Recycling Services kicked in another 73,000 cans. Even though the couple now has the money needed for their July 31 wedding, they're not done recycling. They're collecting cans to pay for their honeymoon, and say they'll also donate some of the can cash to charity.

"TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE" PREMIERE

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Robert Pattinson has figured out how to separate the "Twilight" world from real life. At last night's premiere for "Eclipse," he said "it is a different world" from his own life. He adds "it is a completely separate section. You can label it all under the same thing." And, Pattinson says "anything to do with 'Twilight"' for him "has been absolutely crazy." He says he has "no understanding of it. It has been fun though." "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" will be in theaters on Wednesday.

I

Picasso painting sells for $52 million

LONDON (AP) - Pablo Picasso's "Portrait of Angel Fernandez de Soto," has sold for near $52 million at a London auction. The sale price at the Christie's auction Wednesday night was at the lower end of estimates. And in a further sign of a cautious art market, one of Claude Monet's famous "Water Lilies" paintings failed to sell. The Picasso was sold by Andrew Lloyd-Webber to benefit his charitable foundation.

ONLINE SOCCER FANS DOMINATE

NEW YORK (AP) - Thanks to the Internet and mobile devices, the big U.S. victory in the World Cup the other day was shared by a lot of people - even though they were working at the time. The game was held on a weekday morning - but a record number of people tracked the match online and on mobile devices. ESPN, which streamed the game and provided running updates notes there was a lot of interest in the match. And that success could have implications for how future Olympics are shown in the U.S. ESPN said 1.1 million people watched at least some of the USA's 1-0 win as it was streamed on an ESPN website Wednesday. The network says it was the biggest online audience for a sporting event, beating the Duke-Butler NCAA championship basketball game on a Monday night from earlier this year.

Fans in NY, LA, elsewhere remember Michael Jackson

NEW YORK (AP) - Michael Jackson fans in New York City and elsewhere are remembering him on the anniversary of his death. The King of Pop died a year ago Friday at age 50. Harlem's Apollo Theater is where a young Jackson and his brothers won amateur night. On Friday it hosts a commemoration of his life. The Rev. Al Sharpton is a longtime Jackson family associate and plans a moment of silence around the time Jackson died. City officials in Gary, Ind., say there will be a tribute at the family's home there. Barricades already are set up at Jackson's Los Angeles-area cemetery for the huge throng of fans and some of his relatives expected to arrive Friday. Wreaths of flowers and dozens of bouquets, drawings and photos of Jackson have been placed outside his mausoleum.

Condoms-Grade School

BOSTON (AP) - The chairman of a Cape Cod school committee says members will "revisit" a new policy allowing even elementary school students to receive free condoms without the knowledge of their parents. Peter Grosso tells The Boston Globe he thinks it's a "great" policy, but that the Provincetown committee would reconsider after many parents - and the governor assailed it. Gov. Deval Patrick called Superintendent Beth Singer in the Cape Cod district and urged her to reconsider. He said he objected to the ages of the kids involved and the lack of parental notification. Grosso and Singer did not return calls for comment from The Associated Press. Singer told ABCNews the policy was never meant to give condoms to the youngest students.