WGRC Christian Radio

HEPBURNVILLE - A 38-year-old Lycoming County man fell down a 100 foot embankment this morning after running from a crash around 1:30 a.m. The crash happened on Route 15 northbound near the Hepburnville exit, in Lycoming County. Police say Kevin Adams of Lycoming Creek Road was driving a van, side swiped a tractor trailer and hit guide rails along Route 15. Adams fled the scene and jumped over the guide rails and dropped some 100 feet down a steep "drop off." He was taken to Williamsport Hospital and then transferred to Geisinger Medical Center where he is listed in serious condition. Police say the crash was witnessed by paramedics. They also report that Adams has had numerous DUI arrests in the past and was driving on a suspended license. Charges are pending. 
(WRAK)

JEFFERSON - A trailer-style home was destroyed by fire this  morning in Schuylkill County. Fire crews headed to Yerger Lane in South Manheim Township around 11:30 this morning. An unidentified woman escaped the trailer. Summit Station Assistant Fire Chief Chris Krause said it was fully involved when they arrived at the scene.  Krause tells the Republican Herald it was hard to get water to the home which is in a very rural area. The cause and point of origin of the fire was not immediately known.
John Callahan (WGRC)

SHENANDOAH - A 25-year-old Shenandoah woman is in the Schuylkill County jail on a number of warrants. Police caught Jennifer Chatcavage around ten Sunday night and took her in on theft and receiving stolen property charges. During her appearance before a District Judge it was learned that she was wanted on 16 felony drug counts, and one misdemeanor count of retail theft. She was jailed in Schuylkill County on $75-thousand dollars bail.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

ZION GROVE - A 26-year-old Weston man is in the Schuylkill County jail on assault charges. Police say around seven Sunday night John Lupcho and a woman were involved in an argument where Lupcho hit the woman causing her a bloody nose. Lupcho is jailed in the Schuylkill COunty prison on $15-thousand dollar bail.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

POTTSVILLE - A woman who reported a car stolen is now in trouble for lying to police about the vehicle.
Police say 48-year-old Carol Lempfert of Minersville told them a car she had rented was stolen while parked at the Fairlane Village Mall in Pottsville sometime Saturday afternoon. On Sunday Philadelphia Police found the supposed stolen vehicle with heavy front end damage. Police say Lempfert knew the vehicle was in Philadelphia and that it had been involved in a crash as she let someone else use it. She lied to police in oder to protect herself from being in trouble  with the rental company.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

MAHANOY CITY - An eighth grade student in Schuylkill County is in trouble with the law. Police said she sold prescription drugs to other students her age. Police in Mahanoy City are looking into how a 13-year old got her hands on prescription pills and then allegedly sold them to other students, one as young as 12 years old. Now, investigators said the eighth grader could be facing drug charges. Police said the eighth grade student at Mahanoy Area Middle School sold prescription sleeping pills to other students for $2 a pill.
(WNEP)

STATE COLLEGE - A former State College man who was found in Brooklyn by U.S. Marshals last month was returned to Centre County on Friday to face charges he sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl. The Centre Daily Times reports, Ferguson Township police picked 22-year old Michael Martinez, up from New York jail where he was being held on fugitive charges and brought him to District Judge Leslie Dutchcot's office around 3 Friday afternoon where he was arraigned and sent to county jail on $350,000 cash bail.
John Callahan (WGRC)

MONTOURSVILLE - Over 250 students from 19 schools from Bradford, Lycoming, and Tioga counties, along with 32 advisors, will attend the regional Students Against Destructive Decisions Conference in Williamsport. The conference, named "19 Years of Standing Out," will feature a DUI victim impact panel, numerous workshops and a session on the dangers of texting while driving. The conference will be held March ninth from 8:30 a.m. till two p.m. It's sponsored by the Community Traffic Safety Project with support from PennDOT, Penn College, the Lycoming County District Attorney's Office, members of law enforcement, and local and state presenters.
(WGRC)

NEWPORT - Police in Perry County are investigating a fatal crash. It happened just after nine Sunday night in the 1900 block of Newport Road in Miller Township. Police say a man left the roadway and hit a parked vehicle. The man was taken to Harrisburg Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police are trying to determine if the man died from the crash or if he had a pre-existing medical condition that caused him to crash. Police have not yet released the man's identity.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

LEWISTOWN - An accident involving a skid loader claimed the life of a Lewistown area man Saturday evening. Around 5 p.m. on Saturday, 46-year-old Richard Royer Jr., of Back Maitland Road, was operating a skid loader in the area of 1826 Back Maitland Road when the machine went over a 50-foot embankment and into Jacks Creek. Royer was pronounced dead at the scene by Mifflin County Coroner Daniel Lynch.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

RUSH TOWNSHIP - A Snydertown man remains in serious condition at Geisinger Medical Center after being flown there from the scene of a head-on crash in Northumberland County, Saturday. The crash happened around eight a.m. on Snydertown Road in Rush Township. Police say 43-year-old Linda Scanzillo, of Sunbury, crossed the center of the roadway with her van and hit a pick-up truck driven by 52-year-old John Smink, of Snydertown. Smink was flown to Geisinger after being trapped in his truck for about an hour. His passenger, 48-year-old Thomas Smink, suffered minor injuries. Scanzillo had what police called moderate injuries.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

KREAMER - In Snyder County fire was discovered in a piece of machinery that grinds up waste wood at the Wood Mode cabinet company in Kreamer. Automatic smoke alarms went off around 3:30 this morning for that fire. The plant was empty of employees at the time of the blaze. There's no word on exactly what started the fire or on damages.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

LEWISBURG - About 50 firefighters battled a fire in Buffalo Township, Union County, Sunday.  Ervin Martin, his wife and five children, all of 83 Whitetail Lane, Lewisburg, were out when the fire began. A State Police Fire Marshal will be on the scene today to investigate a cause. The homeowner expects an electrical problem caused the fire. The two-story wood frame home was heavily damaged. More than 1,000 feet of hose was used to pump water from the Twin Bridge Creek to the house, as the White Deer Volunteer Fire Company was assisted by Lewisburg, Milton, Mifflinburg and Turbot Township fire companies. The Union County Red Cross is assisting the family.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

JERSEY SHORE - In Lycoming County a Watson Township ranch home was damaged Saturday night by fire. The blaze was reported around 8:30 p.m. in the chimney of the 399 Herold Road home and spread to a wall. Firefighters were forced to dismantle the flue and burrow into siding to extinguish the flames. The fire caused an estimated $15,000 damage to the home of Alan Herold. No injuries were reported. Crews were back in service just after ten p.m.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

WASHINGTONVILLE - A combination shed, workshop and pig pen burned down in less than an hour Saturday night in Montour County. The blaze at the property of Ralph Znook, along Continental Boulevard, was reported just before ten p.m. The building was fully engulfed in fire when the first units arrived. Three pigs died in the fire. A tractor in the shed was also destroyed. An investigation into a cause will continue.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

COUDERSPORT - A Harrison Township, Potter County man is dead after a standoff with state police yesterday. It all began when 30-year old Joshua Wheeler of School Street fired several shots at state police who arrived on the scene, including a special response team from the Harrisburg area. The incident began around 9:30  a.m. and ended around 3:30 when state police fired the fatal shots. Troopers did not say what precipitated Wheeler to barricade himself in his home and fire on police.
(WRAK)

TAMAQUA - A Doylestown man ran a red light and led police on a five-mile, high-speed chase with speeds in excess of 100 mph Sunday afternoon, in Schuylkill County. Tamaqua police say 50-year-old Timothy Ewer, faces his seventh DUI charge. He was taken into custody and Police say his blood-alcohol content was at over twice the legal limit. Ewer is jailed on $25-thousand dollars bail on a long list of charges. Police say the incident began around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, when Tamaqua police spotted Ewer in a pickup truck, run a red light on Route 309.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - A group of burglars were broken up when a newspaper delivery driver stopped by the front of a business in Schuylkill County. The break-in happened just before four a.m. Sunday at the Super Gas station along Route 61 in West Brunswick Township. Police say the bandits cut wires disarming an alarm system then forced their way into the gas station and also tried to break into an ATM machine when the newspaper delivery person startled them and they took off. Police say the bandits left with an undetermined amount of cash.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

STATE COLLEGE - One of three men who was charged Wednesday with participating in armed burglaries in the State College area is facing charges for drawing a stolen gun on police as they tried to arrest him. Police say 28-year-old Alexei Semionov, of Brooklyn, was arrested as he was about to burglarize a College Heights home. As police approached him, he pulled a stolen weapon from his waistband and pointed it at police. No shots were fired and no one was hurt, but in addition to the burglary charges, police have now charged Semionov with resisting arrest and carrying a firearm without a license. That same morning, police also arrested 21-year-old Maksim Illarionov, and 23-year-old Dmitriy Litvinov, and charged them with similar crimes. The trio is in jail, each on $800,000 cash bail, awaiting their preliminary hearing. Police say more charges could be filed as their investigation continues.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

WILLIAMSPORT - Within hours after a late-night shooting on Stevens Street on February 27th, in Williamsport, police seized two stolen guns along with some illegal drugs from an apartment, which was rented by a convicted felon. 24-year-old Paul Coleman, was taken into custody about 5:30 p.m. Friday when city police pulled over a car in the 600 block of Fifth Avenue. Coleman, convicted in 2005 of robbery, was a passenger in the vehicle. The guns - along with an undisclosed amount of heroin, cocaine and marijuana - were found in Coleman's apartment. Investigators are not saying if the guns are at all connected to a shooting in which a man was shot in the leg at Memorial Avenue and Stevens Street on February 27th. The Sun Gazette reports, Coleman, has not been charged with the shooting, and police have not said if he is a suspect in the case. He's jailed on $250,000 bail facing drug and weapons charges. The shooting on Stevens Street was the second in the city on the same day. Three men were shot at the rear of 1226 West Fourth Street. The identities and ages of the victims, all of whom are recovering, have not been disclosed. No arrest has been made in either case.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

MIDDLEBURG - Four days after his cousin was sentenced to up to 60 years for fatally shooting a Selinsgrove teen, Abdul Walker sat in the same Snyder County courtroom Friday and claimed he's mentally unfit to be sentenced for the same crime. Judge Harold Woelfel Jr., postponed sentencing to allow for a psychiatric examination to determine Walker's competency. The 26-year-old Walker, of Williamsport, was scheduled to be sentenced for up to 10-years in prison in exchange for his no-contest plea to third-degree homicide and burglary in the May 11th shooting death of 19-year-old Steven Rodriguez. Rodriguez was shot in the chest and leg inside his Monroe Township apartment because Walker was upset about stolen marijuana. Walker's cousin, 27-year-old David Cannie Jr., of Philadelphia, admitted firing a handgun twice at Rodriguez while confronting him about the theft. A third accomplice, 27-year-old Ibrahim Wells, of Mill Hall, cooperated with police and is facing sentencing for felony criminal conspiracy to commit manslaughter and burglary. The Daily Item reports, Walker, had been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety while being held in Snyder County Prison, has refused to take medications since December and hasn't been receiving counseling.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

POTTSVILLE - In Schuylkill County, a Cass Township man remains behind bars after a judge refused to lower his bail on Friday on charges he waived a gun at several people and led police on a chase into a stripping pit. 47-year-old Troy Langtry, of Jonestown, is both a possible danger to the community and a flight risk, Judge John Domalakes said in denying his request to reduce his bail to $10,000 percentage, which would have required him to post only $1,000 to be released. Police say Langtry faces a host of charges including aggravated assault and possession of a prohibited firearm, and fleeing police. Police say on January 26th Langtry waved a gun at a woman on Brickey Road in Branch Township, and then also waved a gun at four men at the Llewellyn Fire Company before fleeing the scene. Police chased him until they lost him, but a helicopter spotted him in a wooded area where he was finally caught.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

MILTON - Jill Haugen may soon cease to be "the wanted fugitive," and become "the returned fugitive."  Governor Ed Rendell signed the warrant on March 4th allowing Haugen to be returned to Washington State, where she faces charges of custodial interference and the Northumberland County District Attorney's office wasted no time in scheduling a March 10th hearing. Haugen, of Milton, had been living in the Valley for 11 years before Milton police found she was wanted as a fugitive in Washington for fleeing with her two sons in 1998.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

STATE COLLEGE - Penn State student Garrick Stafford will spend three years on probation for his role in the 2008 riot that erupted after a big football win. Stafford admitted to being disorderly and failing to leave the scene during the October event that followed Penn State's win over Ohio State. Stafford pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor plea in exchange for no jail time. He was one of 11 people charged with felony riot. Another eight faced misdemeanor charges connected with the incident. Stafford surrendered to police after he was seen in a newspaper picture with a damaged street light.  
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

SALONA - The Long Run Bridge replacement job on Route 477 in Clinton County will begin Wednesday, March 10th. PennDOT will close Route 477 in the village of Salona today and a detour will be in place. The detour will direct drivers to use Route 220 and Auction Road. Project work includes replacing the existing steel bridge with a new, single span concrete bridge. The $1.1 million dollar new bridge is expected to be open this fall.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

UNIVERSITY PARK - Pollock Road between Bigler and Mifflin roads on the Penn State campus will be closed from 6 a.m. today until 5 p.m. Wednesday to allow for work on the Millennium Science Building. Mifflin Road will be open to allow access to parking areas. The road closure will change CATA bus routes, including locating a temporary bus stop at Bigler and Pollock roads.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

    UNIVERSITY PARK - The winningest coach in college football now has an award named in his honor. The contributions of Penn State's Joe Paterno will be annually recognized by the Maxwell Football Club, which today announced the creation of the Joseph V. Paterno Award. The announcement was made by the Maxwell Club hours before of its 73rd Annual Awards Banquet in Atlantic City, N.J. The Maxwell Club presents 13 high school, college and professional football awards each year at its black-tie dinner. The specific criteria for the Joseph V. Paterno Award is in the development stage. The recipient will be a college football coach, with the selection criteria including the impact the coach has had on his University, student-athletes in the program, community and state. The recipient will be chosen by a selection committee to be determined by the Maxwell Club.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)