MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER ON TROOPER
A 27 year old Hughesville man faces over 20 counts including attempted homicide following a struggle with a state trooper yesterday. After investigating a burglary in which Brandon Confer was allegedly involved at his mother’s house, Trooper Johnathon Buynak was dispatched to McDonalds on Route 405 around 11am, in which he found Confer and got into a struggle with the man. Confer got a hold of the trooper’s taser and used it on trooper Buynak then allegedly pulled a knife. He was taken into custody at a home across the street. He has been arraigned and jailed without bail and the trooper was treated at the hospital for injuries suffered in the incident.
COMPANY MAY HAVE TO SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS
Due to a decision by Lycoming County Commissioners to allow it;’s contracted Prison re-entry company to accept prisoners from state prison, a local company which also deals with re-entry services has said they may have to close. A letter from Firetree Ltd, says they would have ot close up their services on April 1st, if the county does not rescind it’s decision to allow the state prisoners to use the GEO group. Firetree Ltd., says the number of re-entry clients from state prison needs to be in the area of 20 to 25 to stay in business, but has averaged in the low teens since GEO’s contract with the county went into effect.
COLLEGE’S TO HELP WITH MARKETING
One thing to come out of a recent meeting with an ad-hoc committee looking into new employees to work and live in the city of Williamsport is a promise of help from the city’s two college’s. A story in this morning’s Williamsport Sun Gazette says that the Pennsylvania College of Technology and Lycoming College have offered their assistance as partners in a marketing effort to retain and attract new employees. The city is not only looking to attract more business and workers, but also would like to have it’s workers live within the city they work in.
BUDGET HEARINGS WRAP UP
The Pennsylvania State House Appropriations Committee wrapped up budget hearings this week, on the Governor’s proposed 2019-2020 spending plan and according to it’s chairman, many questions remain unanswered. Chairman Stan Saylor of York County says that the governor’s proposal contains a lack of details and says those details are important for legislators to truly evaluate the governor’s proposals. He said during the hearings that many questions that the committee had of various department heads went unanswered. The legislature needs to pass a budget by June 30th.
COMPANY PURCHASED
A local company which does a lot of bridge work for the state, has been purchased by a company out of Minersville Pennsylvania. It’s been announced that Quandel Inc. has purchased Susquehanna Supply Company. Officials with the company say their plan is to hire skilled workers to rehabilitate bridges and reconstruct highways. Company officials say they plan on relocating operations outside of the current Wiliamsport facility but will stay within Lycoming County. Officials say the purchase will allow for the completion of needed bridge projects which previously could not be done due to limited state funding.
EVERETT WANTS MORE ALLOCATION FOR LOCAL SCHOOL
A state representative from our area wants to see more funding come from the state for a local college. A story in this morning’s Williamsport Sun Gazette says that Representative Garth Everett who is on the Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors would like to see the state’s appropriation for the school which shows a job placement of 95% for it’s graduates, rise from the current $4,635 dollars per student it currently receives. Everett points to a much higher appropriation for schools such as Lock Haven and Mansfield Universities as well as the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster.
VEHICLE INTO STRUCTURE
Emergency Personnel were called out yesterday for reports of a Tractor Trailer into a building near the Lycoming Mall. The call came in shortly past 5pm, for reports of a tractor trailer which was into the Best Buy Building along Lycoming Mall Circle with unknown injuries. Crews were only on the scene for a few minutes. No one was injured and very little service was required following that incident.