WGRC Christian Radio

SELINSGROVE -- Authorities in Snyder County have located and jailed the subject of a morning manhunt. Selinsgrove State Police tell us 17-year old Edwin Alequin Junior, of Reading, tried to flee from police during a traffic stop just before 2:30 this morning in Selinsgrove. Troopers say Alequin rammed his Jeep Cherokee into the police car after he had crashed into an embankment. Following a vehicle and foot chase, police found the teen hiding in an apartment in the Pine Meadows area. Police say the vehicle was stolen. Alequin is being charged as an adult and is jailed in Snyder County in lieu of 50-thousand dollars bail.  Charges include aggravated assault.
Don Casteline (WGRC)

UNDATED -- A combination of road work and vehicle accidents caused significant traffic back-ups in Columbia County this afternoon. Dispatchers tell us traffic is backed up along Interstate-80 westbound near milemarker 232 at Bloomsburg. Other traffic issues are being reported along Route-487 in Bloomsburg and also along Route-11. A vehicle was reported into a tree along Old Berwick Road in Scott Township just after 3 o'clock, while a motorcycle accident was reported along Columbia Blvd. a short time later.
Don Casteline (WGRC)

DANVILLE - A fire that heavily damaged a home in Montour County late Wednesday night is now being labeled arson. The fire at the home of 44-year-old Julie Dent along Old Valley School Road was initially reported to be accidental in nature and thought to have started from faulty electrical wiring near a staircase in the home. But Fire Marshal Norman Fedder says today further testing has confirmed that the fire was intentionally set. The blaze reported around 11:30 Wednesday night caused an estimated $100,000 dollars in damages to the home and forced Dent to crawl out of a second story window to a porch roof escape the blaze. Anyone with information on who may have started the blaze is asked to call state police, Milton.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

BLOOMSBURG - A young father who shook his infant son to get him to stop crying was sentenced Thursday in Columbia County Court to state prison for one to three years. 22-year-old Christopher King, was taken into custody to immediately begin his term after President Judge Scott Naus rejected final pleas to allow him to serve time in the county jail. The Press Enterprise reports a Columbia County child caseworker, testified the infant is expected to make a complete recovery.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

POTTSVILLE - A Girardville woman admitted Thursday in Schuylkill County Court that she stole more than $163,000 from an elderly Shenandoah woman from 2006 through 2008. 39-year-old Michelle Connors, pleaded guilty to two counts each of theft and receiving stolen property from Mary O'Connell. Judge Jacqueline L. Russell, accepted Connors' plea, did not immediately sentence her, instead ordering a presentence investigation. Russell did not set a sentencing date, but said she definitely would need more information before approving the plea. Connors could face 14 years in state prison and $30,000 in fines. She remains free on bail pending sentencing.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

BELLEFONTE - Exactly one year ago today, Mirinda Boob was arrested by police who said she schemed to have her 29-year-old husband killed, seeking out a Bellefonte man to carry out her plan. Now attorneys for Boob and the trigger man Ronald Heichel want to move the cases out of Centre County citing the over abundance of media coverage causing the potential for a biased jury. District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller argued that all this is premature, because the judge has already agreed to question each potential juror at jury selection, now scheduled for October. Boob and Heichel are each charged with first-degree murder. Police said they linked the two to the crime through text messages and cell phone tower hits in the Penns Valley area. They are both scheduled to stand trial in October.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

WILLIAMSPORT - One restaurant employee in Old Lycoming Township, Lycoming County, have been charged with theft and forgery. Police say 43-year old Lily McDaniel of Williamsport was arrested after her employer; Munchies Cheese steaks reported theft and forger of a business check on Tuesday of this week. They allege that McDaniel the stolen check was cashed by McDaniel. They add that she admitted to stealing the $950 check and she is now jailed in lieu of $8,000 bail.
(WRAK)

NORTH BEND - In Clinton County a stunning move Thursday night, by the Chapman Township Board of Supervisors as they thumbed their noses at Clinton County Judge Michael Williamson who ordered them to allow a natural gas company to take water from the Susquehanna River. All three members of the Chapman Township Zoning Hearing Board resigned their positions minutes before a special hearing to allow a natural gas company to withdraw the water. The move left most of the approximately two dozen people at the municipal building speechless, and further drags out the seemingly-endless process by Andarko Company to get a special exception to construct and operate a facility near the Gold Star Mothers Bridge to withdraw up to 720,000 gallons of water daily. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission has already approved its request. The matter now goes back to Clinton County President Judge Michael Williamson, who previously ordered the board to approve the request, with conditions.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

SUNBURY - A special session of Northumberland County court will be held next week to honor the late Judge Samuel Ranck. President Judge Robert Sacavage appointed a memorial committee of the Northumberland County Bar Association to prepare a resolution that will be presented at the services to be held August 31st at 11:30 a.m. Ranck served more than 30 years on the bench. He died last month at the age of 82. The public is invited to attend the memorial service at the Northumberland County Courthouse in Sunbury.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

SUNBURY - Thursday marked the end of three towers at the former Knight-Celotex plant in Sunbury. Two smokestacks measuring 200 feet and 170 feet in height respectively and a boiler building measuring 100 feet tall were rigged with explosives and brought to the ground. The vacant buildings at the plant were sold at auction earlier this year and then bought by Moran Industries for development. The News Item reports, Moran Industries plans to clean up the site, redevelop it and sell it to a major distribution or manufacturing corporation. Moran Industries provides more than 2.2 million square feet of storage in Watsontown, Sunbury, White Deer, Williamsport and Lock Haven, and distribution services throughout the country.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

LEWISTOWN - In Mifflin County the Mifflin County School Board is looking to save tax payers money by refinancing. The District looks to save about a half-million dollars after passing a resolution Thursday to refinance a 2005 bond issue that was in excess of $10 million. The District is looking at saving $485,000 in interest rate reductions. The board voted 7-0 to approve the resolution.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

BLOOMSBURG - Local fruits, vegetables, meats and bread products will be available each Friday in September at the Farmers Market at Bloomsburg University. The market will be set up from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the campus' Laubach Drive, next to Ben Franklin Hall, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the student environmental organization Helping Our Planet Earth. Sponsored by BU's Green Campus Initiative and the SOLVE volunteer office, the farmers market will introduce students to sustainability issues and reinforce principles discussed in classes, such as Environmental Issues and Choices.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

DANVILLE - A race will be underway tomorrow in Danville on the Geisinger medical Center campus. The race involves hiking, biking and kayaking as well as treatment of mock patients with injuries ranging from bone fractures and soft tissue wounds, exposure and shock most often found in wilderness adventure racing. MedWAR, short for Medical Wilderness Adventure Race, is a unique event that combines wilderness medical challenges with the growing sport of adventure racing. Since its inception in 2000, MedWAR races have drawn participants from all over the United States and beyond. Fifteen, three-person teams will compete in the inaugural MedWAR Pennsylvania race this Saturday, in Danville, getting its start on the campus of Geisinger Medical Center. 
Jim Diehl (WGRC)
 
LEWISTOWN - A representative from SEDA-Council of Governments discussed its long-range transportation plan with the Mifflin County Planning Commission on Thursday. Jim Saylor spoke about SEDA-COG's commitment to cater to the transportation needs of the county over the next 25 years, while also bringing the submission process to their attention. The Sentinel reports, submissions of bridge repairs, and providing or preserving railway access to industrial sites may be included within the submissions. The deadline to submit projects is September 30th.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

HARRISBURG - A settlement agreement filed Thursday with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission would increase PPL Electric Utilities' overall annual revenues by about $77.5 million, or 1.6 percent, beginning January 1, 2011. The increase will allow the company to begin recovering the cost of nearly three years of distribution system improvements. In addition, it will improve the company's ability to attract capital funding for ongoing efforts to replace aging infrastructure and to maintain excellent reliability for customers. The increase proposed in the settlement agreement still must be approved by an administrative law judge and the commission. The settlement does not address how actual rates would change for different types of customers.  The judge is expected to make a recommendation on the case this fall with the commission making a final decision by the end of the year.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Game Commission is calling for nominations of citizens willing to participate in one of four Citizen Advisory Committees to help gather input related to the deer management goal in three Wildlife Management Units in 2011. Those WMUs identified for next year are 3C, 2D, 2F and 2G which consists of areas in Clinton, Lycoming, and Centre counties. All nominations will be compiled and presented to the Commonwealth's Office of Strategic Services, who will interview potential candidates, make the final selections of participants and schedule the meetings. The Citizen Advisory Committee nomination form can be downloaded from the Game Commission website pgc.state.pa.us by clicking on "White-Tailed Deer" on the homepage, and then choose "Citizens Advisory Committee."  All nominations must be received by September 15th.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)