Sunday, June 27, 2010
Great loss cited with passing of Marlin Persing
SUNBURY -- Marlin Persing is being remembered for his many contributions to public life in Northumberland County. Persing passed away Friday at the age of 76.
Persing was a 20-year veteran of the Sunbury Police Department, and retired as a lieutenant. He also served as the acting chief for a time. Persing continued his long time work providing overnight security for Weis Markets in retirement, along with leading security efforts at Mountain View Manor for more than a dozen years.
Persing was a Veteran of the US Army and Army Reserve, and had a an unsuccessful bid for Northumberland County sheriff in the 1990's, running as a Democrat. He also owned the first working police dog in the county.
Among his other community credits, Persing was on the board of Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and facilitated "Project 10-4," which taught policing to kids. He was also a long time player and coach of area baseball and football.
Marlin Persing is survived by his wife Peg, children, Deb, Marlin Jr. Gary and Jeff.
Friends remember Marlin Persing
SUNBURY -- Those who knew Marlin Persing are looking back at his life with fond memories. Sunbury Treasurer Beth Kremer says she knew Marlin since the 1980's when each had children on the same football team. Kremer says Marlin was proud of his community and proud that he was a police officer. She says he was also a friend who would go out of his way to help others. Kremer says Marlin will be missed.
He is also being remember as an avid sports advocate. Dick Hort, former coach of the Shikellamy High School football team, says Marlin's three sons played football at Shikellamy and Marlin, along with his wife Peg, were very active in the booster club. Hort says they helped the football program over a long period of time. In addition to football, Marlin was involved in softball, running a men's league in Sunbury in the 1960's and 1970's. (Sara Bartlett)
Parade highlights recognition of Union County veterans
LEWISBURG -- Saturday's parade through downtown Lewisburg, a concert in the grove, and recognition of military veterans were all part of the 16th Annual Union County Veterans 4th of July Celebration. Dean Shively served in the military from 1953 to 1977, and said the sacrifices made by veterans make recognition highly appreciated.
This year's feature event during nearly a week of Independence Day related festivities also coincided with the opening of the Barnes & Noble bookstore at Fourth and Market Streets. Merle Engelhart was on hand for the first day of business and says the new store will be good for downtown in that it will attract students and others to the area.
Englehart notes that the downtown only contained one other bookstore, thus the benefits should outweigh any potential problems accompanied by the opening of the big retailer. Lewisburg is said to be the smallest market that Barnes & Noble's has partnered with a university to open a full service retail store.
The new store will also serve as the official student bookstore for Bucknell University. (Sara Bartlett)
Boiardi mansion left unsold after auction
MILTON -- The auction to find a buyer for Hector Boiardi's Milton area mansion ended without an apparent sale. More than 200 were on hand Saturday for the public auction of the 1941 home of the Chef Boyardee founder.
The bidding reportedly started at $800,000, but fell to less than half of that shortly after the auction started. Negotiations with potential buyers are expected to continue. (Matt Farrand)
Roundtable is an encore of our 2010 Boroughs to the Bay and Beyond launch
SUNBURY – Newsradio 1070 WKOK’s award winning news series Boroughs to the Bay and Beyond continues this summer with a new series of interviews and some new issues. New is a project that has turned out to be a big success—it is the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance’s acid rain remediation project in Union County. This weekend on Roundtable, we air an encore interview on this topic.
The project was finished last year and it is working—it is lowering the acidic P-H. Dave Pearson is the current president of the alliance and he says he hopes other people get involved in their activities. He says volunteers can do like he is doing; working streamside, measuring P-H, water flow, turbidity etc.
He says anyone can be taught to help with their monitoring project. Pearson, along with five other guests on are on our Roundtable this weekend talking about the local issues facing the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance, as well as global environmental problems. You can hear our encore Roundtable Sunday on Eagle 107 (107.3FM) at 6a.m., 100.9 (100.9FM), The Valley, at 6a.m., Newsradio 1070 WKOK (1070AM) at 9a.m., Talkradio 1380 WMLP (1380AM), 11a.m., 94KX WQKX (94.1FM) at 11p.m., and anytime, at www.wkok.com
Milton teen hospitalized Lyco wreck
PICTURE ROCKS – A Milton teen remains hospitalized at Geisinger Medical Center following a crash in Lycoming County Thursday. Police say 18-year-old Danelle Brewer of Milton was heading south on Route 220 when the car crossed into oncoming traffic and struck an SUV, driven by 55-year-old Valerie Gordner of Muncy Valley head-on.
Gordner and two passengers, 49-year-old Melvin Brown of Williamsport and 37-year-old Tammy Gordner of Muncy Valley, were taken to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment. Brown is in serious condition and Tammy Gordner is in critical condition. Danelle Brewer remains in fair condition following that crash. (Ali Stevens)
All market property values to be looked at carefully
HARRISBURG – STEB sees its' mistakes and promises to fix errors in school tax rates. The board that oversees tax rates levied by school districts that cross county lines now plans to review all property values in districts statewide. The move follows projections of nearly 20% higher property taxes issued in error to White Deer Township residents of the Milton Area School District.
Certification Director Renee Reynolds of the State Tax Equalization Board says she’s baffled as to why no one contacted STEB when forms were sent out last year with the error that now seems obvious. She says they could have used the time that elapsed since mid-2009 to fix the computer error that started it. Regardless, she admits it was their mistake.
The property data in question is from 2008, and was part of a three year average of sales figures they use in calculating rates. For now, Reynolds and other STEB staff members are being kept busy, going through data from every district in the state. All districts, including Danville, will now be checked.
STEB officials apologized to taxpayers and Milton Area School District board members Tuesday night, before the board adopted a 2010-2011 budget with only a 2.2% increase for White Deer Township residents. They also admitted significant errors in the Warrior Run School District. (Matt Farrand)
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)
Latest Pennsylvania news, business, lottery numbers and entertainment:
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's state legislative leaders are reporting progress in high-level budget talks as negotiators try to meet Wednesday's deadline. Democratic Sen. Jay Costa said Saturday that the differences narrowed during their nearly two-hour meeting. Gov. Ed Rendell was in Harrisburg on Saturday and was to be briefed on the developments. Previously, the Democratic governor had pressed Republicans for a $28.2 billion budget that would raise spending about 1 percent and include a large increase for public schools. To support it, Rendell wants new taxes on natural gas extraction and sales of some tobacco products. Senate Republicans had countered with a $27.8 billion proposal that eliminates the school increase and any tax increases. Pennsylvania is weathering a $1 billion-plus deficit and Rendell says layoffs will be necessary.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - State liquor authorities have unveiled kiosks in two central Pennsylvania grocery stores that will allow shoppers to buy wine there for the first time - as long as their breath proves they do not have too much alcohol in their system. The kiosks opened Wednesday in the Giant Food Store in Harrisburg and the Wegmans Food Market in Mechanicsburg. They are to be the first of 100 in stores across the commonwealth if the pilot program is successful. Officials said the kiosks will stock a variety of wines at optimal temperatures and will provide detailed information. Technology developed by lone bidder Simple Brands LLC of Conshohocken, Pa., aims to prevent sales to underage or intoxicated persons. Under the system, the driver's license of a buyer is inserted, age information on the bar code is processed and the photo is matched with a video image of the buyer on the kiosk. Buyers will also have to blow into a breathalyzer, and if a breath alcohol level of .02 percent or higher is detected, the purchase will not be allowed. If the pilot tests proves successful, other kiosks will begin popping up in the western part of the state toward the end of August.
WASHINGTON (AP) - In a campaign season of anti-establishment ferment, some of the Republican Party's best-known insiders are building an ambitious fundraising machine for the fall elections and beyond. They started with a bang in April, cashing a $1 million check from a Texas oil magnate. After a quiet May, friends and foes are watching to see if the new organization's core group, American Crossroads, can reach its goal of raising $52 million by November. American Crossroads is a 527 organization exempt from limits on campaign fundraising and spending that apply to party-affiliated groups. It can tap rich conservatives, such as Trevor Rees-Jones president of Dallas-based Chief Oil and Gas, who chipped in the first $1 million. Steven Law, a former U.S. Chamber of Commerce lawyer and now president of American Crossroads, says the group also try to oust Democratic senators and help Republicans win open Senate seats in such states as Pennsylvania. He said American Crossroads will get involved in about a dozen House races. Some Republican insiders want that number expanded
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Update on the latest in business:
Obama invites Chinese president for state visit
TORONTO (AP) - Another White House state dinner is in the works. Chinese President Hu Jintao has accepted President Barack Obama's invitation to visit the U.S. on a formal state visit. Obama officials said Saturday after the two leaders met in Toronto that the countries will work out a mutually acceptable date for the visit. Obama extended the invitation during his meeting with Hu. The two were in Canada to participate in an international economic summit among the world's largest and emerging economies. It will be the third state dinner of Obama's presidency, following ones for India and Mexico.
Obama will resume talks on South Korea trade
TORONTO (AP) - A senior administration official says President Barack Obama has decided to resume talks aimed at resolving issues blocking the completion of a free trade agreement with South Korea. The official says Obama plans to announce the new effort after a meeting Saturday with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. The official says the goal would be to clear up remaining differences with Seoul by the time Obama visits South Korea in November. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Obama had not yet spoken.
Geithner: Keeping recovery on track is top focus
TORONTO (AP) - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says world leaders must work together to make sure the global recovery stays on track. Geithner made his remarks as President Barack Obama and his
counterparts from the Group of 20 nations open meetings Saturday. Although the world economy has recovered from the worst financial and economic crisis since the 1930s, many challenges remain,
Geithner says. He says "the scars of this crisis" have not gone away and says united action around the world is important to strengthen the recovery. Some nations say they want to put deficit reduction before more spending to stimulate economies.
Pennsylvania Lottery Numbers
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - These Pennsylvania lotteries were drawn Saturday:
Big 4
9-9-8-6
Cash 5
07-20-30-31-32
Daily Number
1-0-6
Evening Quinto
4-7-2-5-4
Midday Big 4
7-0-4-5
Midday Number
8-4-6
Midday Quinto
5-8-5-5-8
Powerball
13-30-32-38-57, Powerball: 25, Power Play: 4
Treasure Hunt
01-06-08-09-23
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Ghana eliminates US for 2nd straight World Cup
RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AP) - The United States was eliminated from the World Cup by Ghana for the second straight time as Asamoah Gyan scored 3 minutes into overtime, leading the Black Stars to a 2-1 second-round victory Saturday night Kevin Prince Boateng put Ghana ahead when he stripped the ball from Ricardo Clark in the 5th minute and beat goalkeeper Tim Howard from 16 yards. Once again, the U.S. came back, and Landon Donovan tied the score with a penalty kick in the 62nd minute after Jonathan Mensah pulled down Clint Dempsey streaking in. But no matter how much the Americans pressured after Gyan scored, they couldn't tie it again.
Jackson's '84 Victory Tour glove sells for $190K
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Bidders from around the world bought up Michael Jackson memorabilia worth nearly $1 million at an auction in Las Vegas on the anniversary of his death. The biggest payout was $190,000 for the Swarovski-crystal-studded glove the late pop star wore on his 1984 Victory Tour. Darren Julien of Julien Auctions says it was unlike anything he's ever seen in 15 years of business. He says some items, like the glove, brought 10 times more than the estimated value. The glove had been expected to sell for between $20,000 and $30,000. Julien says it shows Michael Jackson is "the most sought after and most collectible celebrity of all time."
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)