NEW TREASURER IN WILLIAMSPORT

The City of Williamsport has a new treasurer.  Local business owner and former city councilman, Thomas P. O Connor was appointed to the post to take over for the retiring Shirley Lord by a 6-1 city council vote.  O Connor beat out Lenora Georges who had been nominated by the County Republican Party to the post.  O Connor will serve the final 16 months of a four year term which Lord vacated last month.  In other business last night, council approved the transfer of a liquor license which will be used by Ozzie and Mae’s Hacienda, a Mexican style restaurant on West Fourth Street in the city.

TEEN INJURED IN SWIMMING ACCIDENT

A fifteen year old teen was flown to Geisinger Medical Center yesterday after a swimming accident in Pine Creek in Porter Township. The boy was swinging on a rope around 6:20 last evening at the Black bridge when he apparently slammed into some rocks and landed unconscious in the water.  He was pulled out by others and picked up by firefighters in a vote and then flown onto Geisinger, where his condition has not been released.

SUSPICIOUS DEATH IN BRADFORD COUNTY

State police in Bradford County say they are investigating a suspicious death.  Police say 49 year old Patricia Hoagland of Towanda was found dead at the Lamoka Swimming Area in Franklin Township yesterday afternoon.  She was pronounced dead by the Bradford County Coroner’s office shortly before 2pm.  Police say the death is suspicious though they are not releasing any other details as of right now.  Anyone with information into Hoagland’s death or into her activities leading up to her discovery is asked to contact state police in Bradford County at 265-2186. 

SHOTS FIRED IN SUNBURY 

A Sunbury police officer was taken to the hospital with non life threatening injuries after shots were fired there.  Police were reportedly trying to get a mentally disturbed man to come out of a high-rise apartment house in Sunbury, when the man pulled a gun and fired a shot striking the officer.  No other information is currently available into the incident.  The man was taken into custody and the investigation continues. 

CAUSE UNDETERMINED

Fire investigators say they will not be able to determine the cause of a fire which caused about three quarters of a million dollars in damage to a townhouse complex in Loyalsock Township on Tuesday morning.  Investigators say the fire started outside the townhouse at 1600 Oakmont Drive belonging to Helen Shaffer and quickly spread to the other three units there.  They say that Shaffer’s unit was so badly burned that the cause will remain undetermined.  In addition to Shaffer, Donald Cortese and Dawn Hay were also left homeless by the blaze. 

ACCUSED MURDERER RETURNED ON UNION COUNTY

An accused murderer has given up his fight against extradition and was returned to Union County yesterday to face the charges against him.  Joel Snider of St. Louis Missouri is accused of coming to New Berlin in early July and killing area Yoga Master Sudharman at his studio.  Snider was picked up in Baltimore County Maryland in July after authorities had issued an arrest warrant against the man.  Snider was trying to fight extradition, but decided for an unknown reason to give that fight up.  State troopers from Milton went to the Baltimore County jail yesterday and picked him up.  He is in Union County prison without bail and faces the murder charges. 

HOLIDAY WEEKEND UPON US, DRIVE CAREFULLY

Another holiday weekend is upon us which means busy roadways.  Depending on where you are traveling, you may encounter various construction projects and lane restrictions in our area.  You are reminded to drive carefully though those construction zones.  In addition, State and local police will be out with extra patrols to look for aggressive drivers and those who are not properly buckling up or not buckling up their children.  There will be DUI checkpoints set up in our area this weekend as well as roving patrols.  You are reminded not to drink and drive. 

SMOKE IN TOWNSHIP HOME

Firefighters in Loyalsock Township were called out yesterday morning to a home along Marlin Parkway, but luckily, where there was smoke, there was no fire.  Firefighters responded to 1633 Marlin Parkway and found that a plastic coffee container melted on top of a toaster, spreading smoke through the home.  They were able to ventilate the smoke out of the house.  There was no fire damage and no one was injured. 

GRANT TO SPRUCE UP LEWISBURG

Money is coming for a spruce up in Lewisburg thanks to Bucknell University and the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital program.  Union County Commissioners have approved 10 and a half million dollars in grant money which will be used by the university to buy and redevelop properties in downtown Lewisburg.  Officials say the county, nor the borough is on the hook for any of the money, as Bucknell will have to match the grant with its own money, or money donated to the school.  About $3.5 million dollars is going towards and almost $10 million dollar project for a new Barnes and Noble at the Bucknell University book store.  Other projects are in the works.