Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Low potato supply causing shortage for Middleswarth chips
MIDDLEBURG – It was about a week ago when Ira Middleswarth & Son, Inc., of Middleburg, got a call from their potato provider in North Carolina saying potato supply is being rationed. Vice President of the company, Jeff Goff, says this means their supply is literally cut in half, and they are now getting only four tractor-trailer loads of potatoes a week, as opposed to the normal eight.
The reason for the shortage stems from dry weather and lack of rain in North Carolina, the state where Middleswarth currently gets their potatoes. Goff says yields of potatoes in the South are lower than expected, and some potato supply in the Midwest is completely depleted after heavy flooding.
As for shoppers, Goff says they may not notice the shelves completely empty, but after the holiday weekend and depending on next week’s supply, consumers may notice fewer bags of chips in stores until everything is stabilized. Goff says they hope other markets for potatoes will open up soon and he says they are looking at Maryland’s eastern shore and southern Virginia for supply. (Sara Bartlett)
Montour County DA says there’s not enough progress in Gricar case
LEWISBURG – It was June 3rd when Montour County District Attorney Bob Buehner sent a letter to Centre Count DA Michael Maderia and Union County DA Pete Johnson regarding further investigation into the disappearance of former Centre County DA Ray Gricar. Buehner says no action was taken after his letter was sent, and that’s pretty much how the investigation is going. He says there is so much lack of progress that it is shameful and reprehensible.
Buehner said it’s not only the DAs who have failed to further investigate the disappearance; it’s also Attorney General Tom Corbett, who Buehner said used political power to silence him because he had the audacity to try and figure out what happened to Gricar.
Buehner also gave three examples of situations in the case that have not been fully investigated. They include a complete investigation of hotels and motels in the area where Gricar may have stayed, an interview with a witness who allegedly saw Gricar the day he disappeared, and a forensic investigation of Gricar’s hard drive, which was found in the Susquehanna River days after he disappeared. Buehner, along with Former Clinton County DA Ted McKnight, relayed this information yesterday at a press conference in Lewisburg aimed to point out the lack of progress in the case. (Sara Bartlett)
Power outages reported in Northumberland County after storm
LOWER MAHANOY TWP— Power is back on in Northumberland County after more than 1,100 PPL customers were without power this morning. Heavy storms moved through the area last night and PPL’s Outage Center reported that 1,136 customers were without power in Lower Mahanoy Township. Again, it is now reported that all power in that area has been restored. PPL encourages residents to call 1-800-DIAL-PPL to report when outages occur. (Sara Lauver)
Revocation of gun ban called “Scalia’s legacy”
SUNBURY – A retired local teacher of history and government calls last week’s decision by the US Supreme Court overturning a ban on gun ownership the most important work of justice Antonin Scalia. Donald Ely of Sunbury says the majority decision the justice wrote was clear and thorough, and used history as a guide. Ely calls the decision “(Scalia’s) legacy,” but doubts the justice will retire soon, though he has been on the court since 1986.
The 5-4 decision struck down a District of Columbia law prohibiting gun ownership, and disappointed supporters of firearm possession exclusively by organized groups of citizens. Ely notes that other Constitutional Amendments clearly apply to individuals, rather than groups. He adds that the gun ban overturned by the D.C. v. Heller decision kept law-abiding citizens at risk of violent crime. (Matt Farrand)
Police say man on cell phone crashes
KELLY TWP— A Mifflinburg was taken to the hospital with injuries after a crash in Union County Sunday afternoon. State Police in Milton say 21-year-old, Ronald Ingram, was driving on JPM Road in Kelly Township just before 5 p.m., when he lost control of his vehicle and hit a stop sign and a utility pole. Police say Ingram was on his cell phone when he crashed. He suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Geisinger Medical Center. No condition report was available. (Sara Lauver)
Police say phone lines cut during car dealership burglary
SELINSGROVE— State Police are investigating a weekend burglary at an area car dealership in Snyder County. State Police in Selinsgrove say a person or persons broke into Paul Stine Chevrolet along Routes 11 and 15 and stole nearly $1,200 and 250 Pennsylvania State Inspection stickers. Police say the phone lines were cut and the break-in happened sometime between Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The investigation continues and State Police ask anyone with information to contact Trooper Monkelis at 570-374-8145. (Sara Lauver)
Area woman in court for late restitution payments
BLOOMSBURG— A Sunbury woman was in court in Columbia County this week for failing to pay restitution on time. The Press Enterprise reports that Laura Eichner, of Sunbury, appeared in court yesterday and owes at least $8,000 stemming from thefts in 2006. Those thefts occurred when she was treasurer of the nursing honor society at Bloomsburg University. It’s reported that Eichner claims she paid nearly $3,000 of that money directly to her victims outside of the court payment system, but that information has not yet been confirmed.
Norry crew leader fooled into receiving ‘PineKnotter of the Year’
NORTHUMBERLAND— The 2008 Pineknotter of the Year award was given to Northumberland’s Streets Supervisor, Tom Slodysko. The 2006 award recipient, Michael McWilliams, presented the award and told the crowd that Slodysko is very active in the community and has served as a borough councilman, President, and member of the Parks and Recreation Committee.
Slodysko also helps to organize events like soapbox races, History Day, Corn Festival and Lemonade Day. He moved to the borough in the 1980’s and lives with his wife, Mary and his 12-year-old son, Jordan. Heather Savidge and Coty Bingaman were given the Pineknotter Good Citizenship award. Pineknotter Days continues through Friday in King Street Park. (Sara Lauver)
Army, Marine units heading to Iraq in 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon says Army brigades from Texas, New York and Pennsylvania, and two Marine units from North Carolina have been ordered to deploy to Iraq early next year. Local soldiers are part of the ‘56th, but the military has not yet said how many from our area will be deployed—or for how long.
The Pennsylvania unit is the 56th Stryker Brigade, 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard. The units in Monday's announcement include about 33,000 troops. They would replace forces already in Iraq, and allow the U.S. to maintain 15 combat brigades in the country through 2009 if needed. Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil.
Chuck Erdman says Northumberland County Commissioners should cut taxes
SUNBURY – The Northumberland County Controller isn’t waiting until the next commissioners meeting to make some budget suggestions—he says taxes should be cut now. Controller Chuck Erdman issued a news release yesterday calling for the commissioners to low taxes by two mills.
Erdman says he filed the county’s annual financial report for 2007 with the State Department of Community and Economic Development. As for the General Fund, Erdman says the commissioners need to stay vigilant and continue cutting costs (achieving greater and greater efficiencies).
But Erdman says the Debt Service Fund, which comes from tax revenue intended to pay down debt, two mills of real estate taxes could cut that fund. No reaction yet from the commissioners board…they meet next week.
Safety a big concern for scooter riders
BLOOMSBURG – You can average 90 or more miles per gallon by riding a scooter. But safety is a concern, as they are harder to see than cars and quieter than large motorbikes. Jose Ramos represents Vreeland’s Harley Davidson says you’ll need a license and insurance if you want to ride on public thoroughfares. He notes though the state does not require motorcycle helmet use in most cases, Vreelands sells one with every
Ramos says first time riders need not worry about shifting gears, as most scooters have automatic transmissions, and the rest is literally “like riding a bike.” Ramos also encourages completing the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program, which will offer strategies for safer riding, and a break in insurance premiums. More information on line at www.pamsp.com (Matt Farrand)
Geisinger flight nurse and pilot talk about helicopter safety
DANVILLE – Two medical helicopters that crashed Sunday and killed six people in Arizona is prompting local officials at Geisinger Medical Center to talk about their flight safety procedures. John Mullen is a Life Flight Nurse at the hospital and says although accidents happen; Geisinger strives to have a culture of safety, which means they take out as many variables as they can to avoid dangerous situations.
It is unknown what caused the crash in Arizona, though reports say the medical center there does not have flight controllers. Mullen says Geisinger has a communication center that monitors all incoming flights and all flights have constant communication with a grounds crew.
Pilot certification at Geisinger includes a minimum of 2,500 hours of training. They also must participate in two classes per year that review basic aircraft principles and look at previous accidents to learn from them. Geisinger Medical Center has five bases, which have one helicopter each. They get between 2,500-3,000 Life Flight calls a year. (Sara Bartlett)
Three men waive right to preliminary hearing after vandalizing soccer fields
MILTON – Three men accused of vandalizing soccer fields near Warrior Run High School and in Turbotville have waived their right to a preliminary hearing. 21-year-olds Dereck Miller and Robert Troutman III of Milton, along with 18-year-old Adam Gavitt of Muncy face charges.
They allegedly driving vehicles through the soccer fields in March, leaving deep ruts and causing nearly $8,000 in damages. Miller and Gavitt are charged with two counts of institutional vandalism and criminal mischief, while Troutman faces one charge of each. The three will go to court in the upcoming month. (Sara Bartlett)
Congressional candidate says start drilling for oil
DALLAS – “Drill Now, Drill Here, Pay Less!” That’s Congressional candidate Chris Hackett’s motto. Hackett says alternative energy sources including wind and solar are important, but we need to drill in ANWAR as soon as possible to expand our oil resources.
Hackett agrees with Congressman Chris Carney (D-10th, Dimock) that speculators are driving up the oil costs, but feels drilling is the first step in lowering the price at the pump. Hackett says it will also lower the price faster than any other plan. Carney doesn’t agree. He told us last week that drilling in Alaska will not lower oil prices for at least five years. (Ali Stevens)
Prank caller caught in Mifflinburg
MIFFLINBURG – Mifflinburg Police have arrested a Bellefonte man accused of reporting numerous fake structure fires. 25-year-old Timothy Coble allegedly called 911 on three separate occasions in June claiming that homes and buildings were on fire in the Mifflinburg Borough.
Through an investigation, police tracked down the cell phone used to dial 911. Coble was arrested Saturday and charged with reporting false alarms and disorderly conduct. He was arraigned before District Justice Edward Mihalik and is in Union County Prison on $20,000 bail. (Sara Bartlett)
Representative Phillips comments on tentative budget agreement
HARRISBURG – Last year at this time, a budget stalemate led to the furlough of 25,000 state employees, but that’s not the case this year as a budget agreement was reached Monday morning. The budget gives $28.2 billion for the fiscal year and is a 3.8% increase over last year's spending. State Representative Merle Phillips (R-108th, Sunbury) says he’s glad both sides have made a tentative agreement.
He says there was no deficit this year, but they also did not have the money anticipated in February when Governor Ed Rendell gave his budget address. Phillips says there was an attempt to use the rainy day fund, but it was decided that it would not be tapped into for this budget.
Locally, Phillips says $800 million going toward water and sewer system upgrades will help. The Governor says the budget will also include a compromise on the energy policy and that will result in $350 million to fix about 400 of the state's most dangerous bridges. Legislative staffers will hammer out the fine print of the budget in the coming days. (AP/Sara Bartlett)
Latest Pennsylvania news, sports, business and entertainment:
The first comprehensive update to Pennsylvania's mine safety law in nearly half a century is heading to the governor for his signature. The state House on Tuesday voted unanimously for the bill that would let the state fine mine owners for safety infractions and set up a seven-member board to keep regulations updated. It addresses emergency shelters and accidental breaches of flooded mines, as occurred in the "nine for nine" accident six years ago at Quecreek Mine in Somerset County. The final product included input from unions, mine operators and the state Department of Environmental Protection. "It's about time, but we did it," said House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene. "We did it by compromise and we did it by virtue of aggressive negotiations last week." Gov. Ed Rendell's office says he'll sign the bill.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A spokesman for Pennsylvania's student-loan agency says recent employee buyouts are expected to save more than $20 million a year in personnel costs. Keith New said Tuesday that 264 nonunion workers have accepted voluntary severance packages from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. PHEAA announced the buyouts in April as a way to help ease financial problems the agency has blamed on strained credit markets. New says there are no immediate plans for layoffs. About 1,100 of PHEAA's 2,500 employees were eligible for the buyouts.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania seniors who are homeowners or renters are sharing more than $200 million in the form of property-tax and rent rebates. State Revenue Secretary Tom Wolfe says the rebate checks for 417,000 households were mailed or deposited in recipients' bank accounts Tuesday. The average check totaled $489. The deadline for applying for rebates has been extended until the end of this year, and officials say they expect this year's total households that receive one to reach 600,000. The rebates are for Pennsylvanians 65 and older, widows and widowers 50 and older and disabled adults. Recipients must have an income low enough to qualify.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Game Commission says bald eagles are now known to be nesting in 47 of the state's 67 counties. The Game Commission said Tuesday that Clearfield, Cumberland, Delaware, Juniata and Perry counties didn't have any known bald eagle nests last year, but do have them this year. In 1983, there were only three eagle nests remaining in Pennsylvania. This year, the total is expected to exceed 140 nests.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Tuesday in the midday Pennsylvania State Lottery drawing:
Daily Number 5-3-8
Big 4 4-2-8-6
Treasure Hunt 8-16-22-23-25
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)