COMMITTEE GIVES APPROVAL TO DONATION
Another step closer to a restoration project at the Brandon Park Bandshell. A positive recommendation was given yesterday by the Williamsport City Council Finance Committee for a $150,000 dollar donation from the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania for the estimated $300,000 dollars project. Council meets on Thursday night. Also yesterday, city finance director William E. Nichols suggested that bids for a new scoreboard at BB&T Ballpark be rejected and a rebidding take place. The bids range from $525,000 to $675,000 dollars.
NEWBERRY PROJECT DRAWING NEAR
A meeting held in Newberry last night centered on the upcomign improvement project for West Fourth Street there stretching from Hillside Avenue to the Route 15 on and off ramps. Some 40 residents attended hearing from PennDOT, water and sanitary authority and city streets department officials about the impacts. The major discussion centered around trees which will need to be cut down as the project progresses, and the possibility that they may not be replaced. Most of the residents saying they were against the tree removal.
CANTON OFFICER JAILED
A Canton police officer is locked up on Bradford County prison following his arrest on charges of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a juvenile there from June of 2017 to June of 2018. State police report that 27 year old Joshua Gleco used his cellphone for images of child pornography, illegally recorded phone calls, and images of him and the juvenile in inappropriate interaction. He faces counts of sexual abuse of children, corruption of minors and felony wiretap violations.
MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT
An area young man was charged last week after threatening a young woman in Hepburn Township. Old Lycoming County Police say that 18 year old Richard Bergman Jr. allegedly put a handgun to the head of the woman, and struck her with a laptop during a disturbance on January 23rd. He was arrested and charged with terroristic threats, simple assault and related counts and was released after posting $25,000 bail.
PAROLE APPROVED
Parole has been approved for another defendant convicted in the rock throwing incident which critically injured an Ohio Woman along Interstate 80 in Union County back in 2014. 22 year old Dylan Lahr will be released on parole on March 11th. He along with his brother and two others were convicted for seriously injuring Sharon Budd as she was travelling with her family by throwing a large rock over an overpass onto the highway which smashed the windshield. Union County’s District Attorney opposes the parole. Lahr’s brother was denied parole. It was granted for the other two.
KATZ RUNS FOR RE-ELECTION
A Williamsport City Councilperson would like to continue in that position. Republican Councilperson Bonnie Katz has announced that she will seek the nomination in the May primary for re-election. Katz, who owns a downtown business with her husband says that she hopes she has earned a reputation for independence and hard work, and says she wants to continue to work to hold the line on property taxes, creat family sustaining jobs, keep families safe from violent crime and drugs and rebuild city parks and streets.
WOLF CALLING FOR STRONG BACKGROUND CHECKS
In the wake of a synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh of 11 people and other shootings in the state, Governor Tom Wolf reiterated his call yesterday for expanded background checks on firearms as well as to end an exception for shotguns, sporting rifles and semi-automatic rifles that are sold at gun shows. Wolf is calling on lawmakers to advance legislation to do so this year.
GAME COMMISSION GIVES TENTATIVE APPROVAL
Saying it better fits the schedules of young hunters who work or go to school, the Pennsylvania Game Commission tentatively approved a change in the day that the state’s rifle deer hunting season begins. A vote was taken yesterday to change opening day from the Monday after Thanksgiving to the Saturday after Thanksgiving instead. It’s hoped that the proposal would help get a younger generation of hunters interested. The Monday opening day has been in effect for decades in Pennsylvania. A final vote would need to be taken in April
