WGRC Christian Radio

LOCK HAVEN - A prison sentence is handed down today to a Clinton County man for his role in the boating death of a Centre County girl last year. 52-year old John E. Englert II of Mill Hall was sentenced today in Clinton County Court to five to eleven and a half years in state prison for the boating death of a Hublersburg girl last summer. Englert was sentenced to the term after impassioned pleas by the District Attorney and Valerie Heidt's mother. Heidt, a Bellefonte Middle School student, was in a boat that was hit by another boat driven by Englert, who was drunk, on the Susquehanna River in Lock Haven on July 10th last year. The Express reports, Englert's attorney pleaded for leniency, saying Englert lives with remorse every day of his life for causing the tragic death of the 12-year old girl.
John Callahan (WGRC)

SAINT CLAIR - A woman escapes serious injury in a scary looking Schuylkill County crash this afternoon. It happened about 12:45 this afternoon along the Saint Clair/Port Carbon Highway near Pottsville. Witnesses said the car swerved, then crossed the center line before flipping on its side in front of a house. The homeowner credits a mailbox for keeping the car from damaging the home.
The driver, who has not been identified, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
(WNEP)   

BLOOMSBURG - A Columbia County man who allegedly threatened to "skin" his girlfriend was ordered by a district judge yesterday to seek an immediate mental health evaluation after having his bail reduced. 20-year old Sean Ashelman, waived a hearing and will now face charges in the threats case in county court. Alleged victim Jackie Jeremiah recently withdrew a protection-from-abuse order against him, and Ashelman was told he may reside with her if she allows it. But he must not threaten her or get into trouble again while his case is pending or he will be locked up. The Press-Enterprise reports, Ashelman was initially jailed for allegedly breaking into the woman's residence in the 400 block of East Eighth Street in Bloomsburg.
John Callahan (WGRC)

WILLIAMSPORT - A Lycoming County man could get up to 4 years in state prison for soliciting sex from a detective posing online as a 13-year old girl. 54-year old Bruce Daugherty of Cogan Station pleaded guilty Tuesday to various felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor for online chats and web cam use with the supposed young girl. Daugherty will be sentenced in October.
John Callahan (WGRC)

BEAVER SPRINGS - A lock box containing money and important personal documents is stolen from a Snyder County home. Troopers say someone took the lock box from the home of James Kreamer along Route 522 in Beaver Springs between 9 the morning of July 27th and 7 the morning of July 29th. The lock box contained $1000 in cash,a certificate of deposit, Kreamer's birth certificate and other important papers. Anyone with information is asked to call Selinsgrove State Police.
John Callahan (WGRC)

HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission today voted to investigate Citizens' Electric Company's request to increase its rates by 21.5 percent. The Commission voted 5 to none to investigate the request.  Under the company's proposal, the average total bill for a residential customer who uses 1,200 kWh per month would increase by $8.98 per month. The request is suspended for up to seven months. Citizen's provides electric service to about 6,800 customers in Lewisburg, Union County.
(WGRC)

HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission today reauthorized the telephone charge residents in Montour County pay for their local 911 system. Montour County, an 8th-Class County, did not request a change in the current contribution rate of $1.50 per telephone line per month. The county is served by Verizon, Windstream, and various Competitive Local Exchange Carriers.
(WGRC)

WILLIAMSPORT - A Williamsport area soldier soon to return home was killed in a roadside bomb in Afghanistan Tuesday. Family and friends gathered at the Old Lycoming Township home of 21-year-old Lance Corporal Abram Howard. Howard was one of Williamsport's Hometown Heroes and his picture was on a banner near the Third Street parking garage. Yesterday below his banner a memorial was set up with several candles.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

PALO ALTO - Fire destroyed a two-story home Wednesday evening and left three people homeless in Schuylkill County. The fire started just after five p.m. in the home of Norberto and Hiraira Berrios at 418 West Savory Street in Palo Alto. Borough fire Chief Bill Buckingham tells the Republican Herald the cause of the blaze was "undetermined" and an investigation is continuing. A state police fire marshal will be on scene to investigate. The heat from the blaze melted siding on a nearby home. No one was injured in the blaze.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

PORT MATILDA - Two devices found in a construction zone along Old Route 220 in Centre County did not contain explosives, contrary to earlier reports. U.S. Route 220, Fowler Hollow and Reese Hollow road were closed shortly after noon yesterday after a construction worker found two devices that resembled pipe bombs in a ditch along the road in a construction zone. However, police said the pipes were hollow, and contained no explosive. A bomb squad was dispatched to the site about 5.5 miles south of Port Matilda.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

BERWICK - A stabbing outside a bar in Berwick Columbia County early Wednesday left the victim with a slice down his arm that required surgery to mend. Police tell the Press Enterprise 31-year-old James Hopper was flown to Geisinger Medical Center where he was treated and released. 24-year-old Joseph Frantz of Berwick says he stabbed Hopper in self-defense
after trying to stop him from beating up a woman. Frantz was charged with aggravated assault and related counts. He's jailed on $100-thousand dollars bail in the Columbia County Prison.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

MIFFLINBURG - A Mifflinburg area man is being charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and related counts after nearly running down two police officers. That happened just before ten p.m. July 11th at a home along Boop Road near White Springs. Police say 23-year-old Milford Hoover was upset following a break-up with his girlfriend and was caught squealing his tires and speeding through Mifflinburg. Police followed Hoover to his parents home on Boop Road where they blocked his car in, and that's when Hoover slammed the car in reverse and nearly hit the two officers who had their guns drawn. Hoover eventually got out of his car and surrendered.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)
    
WILLIAMSPORT - A work release inmate in Lycoming County who walked away from his work site and went on the lam for 8 days will now serve a lengthy state prison term. 34-year old Timothy Jacobs of Duboistown had five months left on a sixth month sentence when he left his work release job and went to his girlfriend's home where he fled from police in her car which he later crashed.  He then fled from police on foot remaining on the run for eight days before being apprehended. Jacobs was sentenced yesterday to 32 months to six years for various charges related to the incident including escape.
John Callahan (WGRC)

WILLIAMSPORT - A Muncy man is sentenced in Lycoming County Court for three incidents. 26-year old Jason Ritter was sentenced to up to three years in state prison yesterday on various drug charges and D-U-I for three separate incidents that all happened last November.
John Callahan (WGRC)

WILLIAMSPORT - A Lycoming County teen is sentenced to state prison time yesterday on burglary charges. 19-year old Colin Smith Junior of Williamsport is one of two men who assaulted two teens and stole items from them in February. Police followed footprints in the snow to a residence where the found Smith, the accomplice and the stolen items. Smith also admitted to an assault at the county prison. He was sentenced to two and half to five years in state prison.
John Callahan (WGRC)

FOREST HILL - A Watsontown man is being charged with sexually assaulting a minor at a Union County Campground and threatening to break her arms if she told anyone. Police have charged 36-year-old Michael Hall with the assault on the girl who was less than 13-years-old. The incident happened at the Hidden Valley Campground near Forest Hill back in September 2008. The girl and her mother have since moved to Maryland.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)
    
BLOOMSBURG - A man charged with injuring a 2- year-old boy by throwing him up against a wall and also choking the child's mother was released from jail Wednesday under strict orders to stay away from his alleged victims. 25-year-old Adam Moore was also served with a protection from-abuse order barring him from any contact with Jessica McCollum and McCollum's toddler, Edward. Edward McCollum was sent to Geisinger where he spent two days with injuries to his head and around one eye before being released. The Press Enterprise reports, Moore allegedly hurt the boy and his mother during a fit of rage at a trailer park in Montour Township.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

SUNBURY - A 14-year-old Shamokin male was placed in foster care and sentenced to perform community service after a judge heard his case on assault charges relating to an incident in which he allegedly struck a neighbor girl in the arm with a sword. The boy was formally charged with a felony offense of aggravated assault and a misdemeanor of recklessly endangering another person before Northumberland County Judge William Wiest July 13th. The teen must also complete a victim's community awareness program, pay fines and costs totaling $300 and attend a clinic sponsored by juvenile probation. He also must send apology letters to the victim and the arresting officer. The charges relate to a June 14 incident when the teen came out of his home in Shamokin and swung a sword at an 11-year-old girl, who was hit in the arm. Police were called and the boy didn't drop the weapon until an officer drew his gun on the boy.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

WILLIAMSPORT - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that High Steel Structures in Williamsport have settled alleged violations of toxic chemical reporting requirement at three plants, including the one in Williamsport. The company was eligible for 100 percent mitigation of the penalties, which could have been well over $227,000. The company has so far paid civil penalties in the amount of $165,000 for release of toxic chemicals over a several year period.
(WRAK)

ASHLAND - For the second time in about six weeks, Schuylkill County Commissioners have hired an outside contractor for mysterious reasons. At their Wednesday morning meeting - held at Ashland's Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine pavilion - the commissioners voted unanimously to hire Pottsville attorney Thomas Pellish for "services relating to personnel matters."  Last month, the commissioners hired private investigator and former state Trooper Mike Carney to investigate "personnel matters."  As of Wednesday, Carney is still on the job. It is unclear whether the two matters are directly related, and officials are not obligated by state law to disclose details about internal personnel matters. Whatever the case Commissioner Chairwoman Mantura Gallagher said after Wednesday morning's meeting, the reason for the hirings will become public eventually.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

DANVILLE - Geisinger Health System is among a select group of six hospitals in the United States participating in a national pilot study that will promote evaluation and treatment standards for patients with a type of lung cancer known as non-small cell lung cancer. Launched July 1 by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, the ProvenCare Lung Cancer Collaborative is based on the success of Geisinger Health System's ProvenCare model that relies on evidence-based standards of medical treatment. This groundbreaking study marks the first time that Geisinger's ProvenCare model is being applied to a population of patients undergoing treatment for the disease. The study plans to gather a population of 1,000 patients and run for a minimum of 12 months.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)