LYCOMING COUNTY FOREST FIRE
A forest fire burned about 15 acres in Northern Lycoming County yesterday. Firefighters from several companies as well as from the Bureau of Forestry were called out around 2pm to the fire along Route 414 in Brown Township and found the fire burning up some acreage there. It took about five hours to bring that fire under control and extinguish it by about 90%. No buildings were impacted. No one was injured and a cause was not reported.
AN EXTRA DAY FOR THE DEER SEASON
The Pennsylvania rifle deer season will begin earlier this year. Yesterday, the PA game commission voted to begin the deer season on the Saturday following Thanksgiving instead of the following Monday which it has been that way for years. One of the motivating factors, according to game officials is that hunters who have to work or have to attend school or college will be able to go out on the first day. The decision will allow hunters to use three Saturday’s in order to go deer hunting. There is no Sunday hunting. The decision is getting a mixed reaction from hunters.
ROUTE 44 PROJECT HAS BEGUN
An embankment repair project has started back up on Route 44 about a mile south of Waterville in Cummings Township, Lycoming County. A contractor is performing drainage work and paving during the daylight hours and flagpersons will be controlling the flow of traffic there. Penn DOT reports that the $1.5 million dollar project should be completed by late May and motorists should be alert and dive with caution through the work zone.
SNYDER COUNTY MAN HELD FOR RAPE
A Mt. Pleasant Mills man is jailed in lieu of $100,00 bail, after being charged with the rape of a 17 year old girl in Snyder County. 49 year old Duane Inch faces charges of rape, aggravated indecent assault and several other counts stemming from the incidents which took place at an undisclosed place between January and March of this year. The girl reported Inch on March 29th. He is in Snyder County jail and faces a preliminary hearing.
WOMAN FOUND BEATEN IN SELINSGROVE
A New Jersey woman was found severely beaten in Selinsgrove on Monday morning and police there are investigating. The woman reportedly arrived in Selinsgrove around 1:30 on Sunday afternoon and after getting a flat tire, walked across the Susquehanna University campus. She was found around 7:15 on Monday morning with severe injuries to her face and torso and was taken to Geisinger Medical Center. It’s believed she may have suffered the injuries in the area of Industrial Park Road and police are asking anyone with information to give them a call.
PRELIMINARY HEARING HELD
An area police officer, accused of sexual assault had his preliminary hearing in Lycoming County yesterday in front of District Judge Christian Frey. The victim in the case testified yesterday in the hearing for 69 year old Larry Wilcox, who it’s alleged took the woman home from a bar in Montgomery while on duty as a Montgomery cop last July and then allegedly sexually assaulted her. Frey who was stepping in for district judge Jon Kemp who recused himself dropped one charge of aggravated indecent assault and has reserved his decision on three other criminal counts.
FUEL SPILL CLEAN UP POSTPONED
That fuel spill clean up which was to get underway and last through tomorrow on Route 15 Northbound at River road in East Buffalo Township has been postponed. The work will now take place next week on Tuesday and Wednesday between the hours of 7am and 7pkm. Traffic will be reduced to a single lane during work hours and there will be full intermittent traffic stoppages.
NO BAIL FOR SUSPECTED DRUG DEALER
During a preliminary hearing on Monday for a suspected city drug, dealer, District Judge Gary Whiteman decided to hold the man on all charges, and also to hold the man without bail, even after his defense attorney asked that the $100,000 bail be lowered. 26 year old Savoy Jennings is accused of selling heroin to an undercover officer or confidential informant on two separate occasions this year. After reading notes written by another district judge who was on duty during Jennings arraignment, Whiteman made his decision to hold the man with no bail.
PLAYGROUND PLANS REVIEWED
Officials in the city of Williamsport are trying to move forward with the construction of an accessible playground at Memorial Park in the City of Williamsport. The City Council finance and public works committees reviewed plans for the estimated $360,000 dollar playground and was asked to consider submission of a $250,000 state grant to help pay for it. Recreation officials believe the grant along with possible Community Development Block Grant funding and a private donation could pay for the playground. The committees stopped short of recommending the project to the full council.
“CI” HONORED
A local educator and coach was honored for his achievements on the floor of the State Senate in Harrisburg yesterday. Ron “CI” Insinger who has taught and coached at Loyalsock High School since 1974 was honored yesterday. Insinger became the first coach in Pennsylvania history to amass 1,000 career high school victories in a win over Hughesville earlier this year. Insinger is a member of the Lycomign County Sports Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Basketball Hall of Fame.
