NEWS - Submit News Tip

SOURCE KEY:
AM=Altoona Mirror, CDT=Centre Daily Times, SJ=Milton Standard-Journal, DI=Daily Item, CS=Carlisle Sentinel, NI=News Item, LS=Lewistown Sentinel, PCT=Perry County Times, PN=Patriot News

Police charge local man with arson after vehicle fire incident (7-30-2010)
(LS) Lewistown State Police have arrested 20-y/o Zachary Scheider with arson after the State Fire Marshall determined that a vehicle along Hower Gap Rd. in Fermanaugh Twp., Juniata Co., was intentionally set. Scheider's fingerprints were discovered during the investigation & police filed charges against him as he presently serves time for other unrelated charges at the Mifflin County Correctional Facility. The fire was initally ruled as suspcious when investigators found a red spray can near the vehicle that the owner said was used to mark timber & added that several tools were also missing from the vehicle.

Communities That Care celebrates a decade of caring next week (7-30-2010)
Next Thursday, a milestone will be observed by the Mifflin Co. Communities That Care as the agency celebrates its 10th Anniversary. Nancy Records, the MCCTC Director, said the observance will be held in the newly constructed ComPASS bulding on Dorcas St. in Lewistown. The celebration takes place following the annual National Night Out observance in the Derry Twp. Community Park on Monday in which the Communities That Care actively participates in each year, encouraging residents to take pride in their community & to build strong relationships with neighbors to help deter crime.

PSU employees will shell out more money for their healthcare (7-30-2010)
(CDT) Penn State will ask employees to pick up more of their health care bill as part of the university’s efforts to deal with climbing costs. According to the university, employees & their covered family members will have to start paying deductibles & co-insurance. Details will be outlined next month. Without the changes, the university projects its costs for health care benefits would rise from about $180 million to $206 million in 2011. The university already expanded its coverage of employees’ children by implementing requirements of the federal health care law earlier than required & changed new employees’ retirement health benefits plan.

Congressional candidate sees disconnect with voters & Reps. (7-29-2010)
(LS) Last night in the Mifflin Co. Library, the Democratic candidate for the US House of Representatives, Michael Pipe of State College, met with a few interested voters about the upcoming Nov. elections. Pipe is challenging incumbent Glenn Thompson, who won the Republican seat following the retirement of longtime Congressman John Peterson. Pipe arranged a town hall meeting in Lewistown to inform voters why he's running for Congress. He said he knew what it was like living "paycheck to paycheck" and feels the Washington politicians are disconnected from the voters that elected them. Pipe went over his diverse platform adgenda that included healthcare reform, campaign finance reform, & the eliminating of the Electoral College saying the President should be elected by popular vote.

Bridge work to close Ferguson Valley Rd. next month (7-29-2010)
Bridgework will close Ferguson Valley Road August 2-27 in Wayne Twp. in order to replace the beams & deck of a bridge a half mile north of Newton Hamilton. A detour will be in place as PennDOT Mifflin Co. Maintenance forces perform the bridgework. All work is weather dependent. During the closure, southbound drivers will need to use US 22 at McVeytown to Rt. 3014 to Rt. 103 to Newton Hamilton. Northbound drivers would follow the detour in the reverse order. Drivers are reminded to obey posted speed limits & always buckle up. PennDOT reminds motorists they can log on to 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions before heading out.

YouTube spoof about PA brings in the hits for area trio (7-29-2010)
(DI) The 3 amateur videographers who struck YouTube gold with their spoof about Snyder Co. last April are getting even more attention now that they have expanded their satire across the state. "We're From Snyder County" brought in 60,000 hits, but "Pennsylvania Guys," a parody of Katy Perry's "California Gurls," has been viewed a quarter of a million times since the 5-minute video was posted July 21. Creators Jason McGuigan of Shamokin, Justin Derr, of Sunbury, & John Duttinger, a Sunbury native living in TX, sport Amish suspenders in front of a Weis supermarket, dress like Ben Franklin guzzling a lager in front of Pottsville's Yuengling brewery & don green wigs & beads on St. Patrick's Day in Scranton. The Patriot News reported that even Jay Paterno, assistant PSU football coach & son of head coach Joe Paterno, tweeted about the parody on Twitter.

Mifflinburg man stabs himself, then puts blame on woman (7-28-2010)
(DI) A 19-y/o Mifflinburg man told police a woman stabbed him in the stomach Sunday night, but later admitted that he had actually stabbed himself. Mifflinburg Borough Police say Craig Alan Pursley said he lied in order to get the woman, Helen Garvey, in trouble. He was charged with making false reports to agencies of public safety, as well as with simple assault & harassment in an incident that occurred just before he allegedly stabbed himself with a neighbor's knife. Garvey called police at 9pm Sunday, complaining of a domestic dispute & assault, shortly after Pursley fled her apartment. As soon as an officer arrived, he was dispatched to Pursley's apartment for a stabbing where they found him laying on the kitchen floor with blood covering his stomach.

McAlisterville receives Bicentennial proclamation from J.-Co. (7-28-2010)
(LS) Last night the Juniata Co. Commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing both McAlisterville’s & Fayetter Township’s 200th Anniversary celebration that is slated to run from Aug. 3-7. The Commissioners were unanimous in their approval of the proclamation that was issued during their meeting with Chairman Jeffrey Zimmerman adding that the celebration & observance would also include the surrounding areas to include all of Juniata Co. He said regarding Fayette Twp. "That home is still a special place in everybody's heart,"

Police search for man who was seeking sex from teen boy (7-28-2010)
(CDT) Rockview State Police in Centre Co. are investigating an incident of corruption of minors concerning a man who picked up a 16-y/o boy, asking for directions & luring him into his car where he asked for oral sex. Police said the boy was eventually able to get away from the man—described as in his 30s with brown hair & a full beard—& there was no physical contact between them. The teen told police he was walking to work along Rt. 45 near Penns Valley Area High School around 11am Monday when the man pulled up asking for directions to Brush Mountain Rd. The youth got in the car & was driven past Penns Cave to a 2-story home where the man made a service call for a satellite TV company. The boy was asked to assist in connecting the TV service. On the drive back, however, the man talked about sex & eventually asked the boy for oral sex. The teen got out of the car, then was encouraged to get back in, & was dropped off at his workplace on Rt. 45.

Police arrest Lewistown man for stealing jewelery & alcohol (7-27-2010)
Mifflin Co. Regional Police have charged Drew Fultz with Burglary, Theft, Receiving Stolen Property, & False ID to Law Enforcement after an investigation revealed he stole several bottles of alcohol & a large amount of jewelry from a Logan St. residence. Police received the complaint last Monday after which the victim told police last Friday of discovering several stolen rings had been sold to a local jewelry store. Police ID’d Fultz as the one who sold the jewelry & took him into custody where he was charged & arraigned. He is now incarcerated on $25,000 bail.

BLCE officers cite 2 Lewistown taverns on liquor violations (7-27-2010)
Officers from the Altoona Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement issued several citations on violations in a recent enforcement crack-down that included T’s Tavern & the Hammermill Bar & Grill in Mifflin Co. Eric Woodward of T’s Tavern was cited as being ineligible to hold or have an interest in a restaurant liquor license issued by the Board by reason of appointment or election to a public office involving the duty to enforce the penal laws of the Commonwealth. The business was also cited for allowing loud music to be heard outside the establishment. Officers cited the Hammermill with failing to maintain complete & truthful records covering the operation of the business for a 2 yr. period preceding June 8th.

Water St. paving project bids awarded to Winfield contractor (7-27-2010)
(LS) Last night in a special meeting of the Lewistown Borough Council, Eastern Industries was awarded the $24,830 bid for paving & resurfacing Water St. which will take place before new railroad construction takes place later in the year. After disucssing the bid from a previous meetings, council members formally awarded the bid to the company who then submitted the required paperwork of contractor agreements, insurance, & labor material bonds. Eastern will do the paving work for a cost of $65/ton with about 382 tons that will be needed to complete the job. The costs were not finalized, according to the Borough manager David Frey, but are estimated on what was expected to be used. Work could begin as early as late next month.

Shirleysburg woman dies in fatal crash on US 522 (7-26-2010)
State Police say that Dorothy Davis of Shirleysburg was northbound on US 522 Friday when it crossed into the southbound lane while rounding a curve. Davis’ car sideswiped a vehicle driven by Lee Tustin of Shade Gap, who was southbound. Davis then struck, nearly head-on, a vehicle driven by Chris Hetrick of Hesston, who was behind Tustin’s vehicle. Davis’ vehicle came to rest in the southbound lane while Tustin’s vehicle landed in a ditch. Hetrick’s vehicle overturned & came to rest in a ditch on its roof. The Huntingdon Co. Coroner pronounced Davis dead at the scene.

Lewistown man arrested after police track him to State College (7-26-2010)
Mifflin Co. Regional Police charged 28-y/o Steven Allen with criminal mischief, criminal trespassing-felony, stalking, & terroristic threats after he turned himself in on Friday. This after a series of incidents that included being tracked down by bloodhound. It all began last Tuesday when officers responded to a 911 call about a black male with dreadlocks breaking into the S. Juniata St. apartment of James Landis. Police say Allen allegedly confronted Landis after the 2 crossed paths as Landis was entering his apartment. Landis said Allen "got into his face" as he entered his apartment with Allen then shattering the window in the door as he tried to enter the apartment after Landis shut the door. Allen then ran off toward Mill St. After following trails of blood, police found out Allen eventually went to Mt. Nittany Medical Center in State College for treatment of injuries he received when breaking through the glass window. He was arraigned & incarcerated on $50,000 bail.

Oriental Covered bridge to close for repairs over 2 weeks (7-26-2010)
Repair work will close the Oriental Covered Bridge on Route 2023 in Susquehanna Twp., Juniata Co., starting today. The bridge will be closed for about 2 weeks & a detour will be in place. The detour will direct drivers to Orient Road, Rt. 3002 in Snyder Co., Rts. 104, 3016 & 3001. PennDOT Juniata Co. Maintenance will perform the repairs, with work starting at 7am. All work is weather dependent. PennDOT expects the bridge to be closed about 2 weeks. Drivers are reminded to obey posted speed limits, follow detour signs, & always buckle up. PennDOT reminds motorists they can log on to 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions before heading out.

Click here for archived news (older than 7 days)