February 2, 2012

LEWISTOWN - Police in Mifflin County are investigating the disappearance of a Lewistown man.  45-year old Robert Samuel Rickabaugh Junior was living at the Shelter on Depot Street in Lewistown.  He left there on January 4th.  The shelter has not seen or heard from Rickabaugh since.  Rickabaugh’s brother has not heard from him since the January 19th.  Rickabaugh stands six feet one inch tall and has brown eyes. Lewistown Police ask anyone who knows the whereabouts of Rickabaugh to contact them.
(WGRC)

HARRISBURG — An entrepreneur from southwestern Pennsylvania is dropping out of the race for U.S. Senate now that the Republican Party has endorsed another candidate. Tim Burns made the announcement in a statement today. Burns had been the favorite among GOP state committee voters during nonbinding caucus balloting in January, but he lost the party's endorsement last weekend after Gov. Tom Corbett decided to back Steve Welch of Chester County. The Associated Press reports, Welch is now running in an at-least four-way contest for the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat Bob Casey's re-election bid. In his statement, Burns says he looks forward to working with Corbett in the future to advance the party and country. Burns' campaign has previously said he wasn't interested Corbett's suggestion that he run for U.S. House.
(WGRC)

MIFFLINBURG – Police have now released the names of the men involved in a gunpoint robbery of the Forest Hill General Store in Union County. Police say 31-year-old Jeffery Stahl, of Mifflinburg, along with 44-year-old Michael Gulli of West Milton, are charged with the armed robbery around 7:30 Saturday’s night at the store along Route 192 in Union County’s West Buffalo Township. Police say two employees stepped outside the store to take a break when Gulli forced the women back inside the store at gunpoint demanding money from the cash register. When the employees couldn’t open it they handed over a bank bag with around $400 in cash. Police say both Stahl and Gulli then drove to Williamsport to buy drugs. Both are jailed in the Union County Jail on $100,000 bail.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

HARTLETON - Milton state police have charged a man with third degree murder on Wednesday after a crash on January 7th that claimed the life of 21-year-old Allison Vonneida. Christopher Wirth, of Hartleton, was charged third degree murder, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence. Police say Wirth was drunk or drugged when his car went off the roadway around two a.m. and slammed into several trees. Both he and Vonneida were thrown from the car. Wirth and a third person in the car were flown to Geisinger Medical Center. Wirth could face life in prison if convicted.
(WGRC)

BELLEFONTE - A State College couple will now face trial on charges stemming from an alleged drug deal that went bad and then led to a fatal stabbing earlier this month in Lemont. Police have charged 20-year-old Tyler Marlatt, with murdering 20-year-old Tyler Struble, on January 16th over a $25 drug deal. Marlatt’s girlfriend, 19-year-old Fatima Ghoul, 19, was charged in the failed drug transaction that led to the stabbing. During their preliminary hearing Wednesday, District Judge Carmine Prestia bound over charges against Marlatt and Ghoul sent her charges directly on to court.
(WGRC)

MIFFLINTOWN - The defense attorneys representing a woman charged with homicide went on the offensive Wednesday, turning the magnifying glass on the alleged victim. Fifty-six-year-old Brenda Smith is on trial for allegedly shooting her son-in-law Michael Hockenberry in the side of the head on September 15th, 2010 at his home on Cedar Street in Mifflintown. The defense painted Hockenberry with an explosive temper that turned physical at times. The defense also tried to prove that State Police intentionally changed the format of Smith's alleged written statement to solicit the responses the police wanted to hear. Defense attorneys say Smith acted out of fear and not malice and told the jury she acted in self-defense when she fired the pistol she had brought from Arizona. Court documents say Smith reported she had been assaulted by Michael Hockenberry, but did not tell the police about the shooting. Police initially thought the shooting was a suicide but the defense says Smith was cohered into writing a statement admitting to shooting Hockenberry. The prosecution showed the court that there had never been a report of abuse by Hockenberry at the Cedar Street home. Testimony is expected to resume today with the defense calling the last of its witnesses. It remains unclear whether Smith will testify. Deliberations are expected to start today.
(WGRC)

DANVILLE — A school-bus driver allegedly took more than $4,000 from a Boy Scout troop while serving as its treasurer. The Press Enterprise reports, 44-year-old Tracey Myers, of rural Danville, told police she borrowed money from Troop 37's account for personal expenses and lost track of how much she had taken. Police say Myers became the troop's treasurer in 2008. The inaccuracies in the account were discovered and police notified January 27th.  Myers is charged with felony theft and receiving stolen property.  She remains free on bail.
(WGRC)

TURBOTVILLE – In Northumberland County state police are investigating a burglary in Lewis Township. The burglary happened sometime last Tuesday or Wednesday January 24th or 25th at a home on West Second Street in Turbotville. Police say two pictures and $1,000 in cash was taken.
(WGRC)

MOORESBURG – A crash yesterday afternoon in Montour County sends a Lewisburg man to the hospital. The crash happened around three p.m. on Route 642 near Mooresburg in Liberty Township. Police say 56-year-old Gregory Hamlin suffered moderate injuries when he lost control of his car on a curve, hit a sign in the parking lot of a business and then hit an embankment. Hamlin was taken to Geisinger Medical Center. Police say charges are pending against Hamlin after blood tests results are received.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

WILLIAMSPORT – A Williamsport woman was taken to Williamsport hospital following a crash Monday in Lycoming County. The crash happened just after one p.m. on Four Mile Drive in Loyalsock Township. Police say 38-year-old Pamela Caldwell suffered moderate injuries and an eight-year-old boy suffered minor injuries when a vehicle driven by 55-year-old Dennis Crossgrove of Beaver Springs collided with Caldwell’s vehicle. Two other passengers were not hurt in the crash.
Jim Diehl (WGRC)

GORDON - Two out-of-state truck drivers escaped injury when the rig they were in crashed Wednesday at the bottom of the Gordon Mountain. Butler Township police said the crash occurred just before two a.m. as the rig was descending Highridge Street, commonly known as the Gordon Mountain. The truck traveled across Biddle Street, sheared a utility pole and then crossed East Plane Street before coming to a stop in a yard. State Police are investigating the reason for the crash. The trailer's contents of frozen food was not damaged. There have been numerous other crashes in the area as Wednesday's crash was the first involving a tractor-trailer since August 3, 2010, when a truck carrying a load of watermelons crashed.
(WGRC)

MILROY - Firefighters from the Milroy Fire Company rushed out to battle a blaze at a trailer home Wednesday afternoon. The fire was reported just before two p.m. at 125 Broad Street in Milroy. The blaze displaced one person who has made temporary arrangements to stay with family. Milroy Fire Company Chief Jason Wolfgang, tells the Sentinel the fire is labeled accidental and is electrical in nature and started in a bedroom.  There were no injuries.
(WGRC)

MONTOURSVILLE - A Lycoming County sewer official says a broken sewer main sent nearly 2 millions of gallons of raw sewage into a major tributary of the Susquehanna River late last month. Christine Weigle, executive director of the Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority, tells the Sun Gazette the leak happened between January 20th and the 26th in a main that carries sewage from Loyalsock Township to a treatment plant east of Montoursville. Weigle says a contractor removing piers from the Railroad Bridge destroyed in fall flooding broke a 10-inch main encased in concrete in Loyalsock Creek. The state Department of Environmental Protection is investigating.
(WGRC)

CATAWISSA  — A suspect escaped from a locked police car Wednesday morning then climbed and hid in the boughs of a nearby pine tree where she was discovered minutes later. The Press Enterprise reports, 20-year-old Kortney Lunger was cuffed and left in the cruiser when an officer went back into her grandmother's home to assist his partner with a man inside. That’s when she freed herself and tried to hide. Lunger was being picked up on forgery and check left charges when she escaped, and now faces felony escape charges. She is locked up on $50,000 in the Columbia County Jail.
(WGRC)

LOCK HAVEN - A Mill Hall area man convicted of third-degree criminal homicide in the 1985 death of a Lockport woman was back in court this week on charges he allegedly violated his parole by possessing a .22-caliber rifle. The Express reports, 50-year-old Michael Stahl was bound over for court on the felony count. Stahl was 26-years-old when he was convicted in 1987 of criminal homicide, burglary and related counts in connection with the robbery-homicide at the home of 82-year-old Irene Ohlsson, of Lockport, on Christmas Eve, 1984. Stahl received a lengthy state prison term and was paroled in July of 2007. Stahl is jailed in the Clinton County Prison.
(WGRC)

BLOOMSBURG — A Bloomsburg University student faces child-pornography charges after a custodian turned in a computer flash drive found on the floor at Monty's dining hall. State Police have charged 19-year-old Alexander LaRosa, a sophomore from Hatboro. Police say they found 42 pictures and 14 videos of suspected kiddie porn were found on the flash drive. Police also analyzed LaRosa’s laptop and found 19 images of child porn. The Press Enterprise reports, LaRosa is free on bail awaiting a preliminary hearing.  
(WGRC)

BELLEFONTE - A woman accused of helping her husband escape from the Rockview state prison last year has accepted a plea deal that will keep her out of jail. Thirty-two-year-old Takesha Barndt, of Easton, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of conspiracy to commit escape for a sentence of two years’ probation.  A condition of the deal is that she stays off state prison property. Barndt was arrested in September in Northampton County and charged with helping her husband, Franklin Barndt, escape from the forestry camp at Rockview State Prison. Franklin Barndt pleaded guilty to escape in January and will serve an additional one to two years on his state prison sentence, which otherwise would have ended in December 2012.
(WGRC)

BELLEFONTE - A man wanted on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and rape was apprehended Wednesday in Patton Township, Centre County. Acting on a tip, police from Ferguson and Patton townships found 22-year-old Fahron Rosemond, at a friend’s house in the Woodycrest neighborhood at around 5 p.m. Wednesday. Rosemond was taken into custody without incident. Rosemond was wanted in Ferguson Township on aggravated assault and simple assault charges stemming from a domestic dispute on Tuesday. Bellefonte police also have a warrant charging him with rape.
(WGRC)

STATE COLLEGE - The dozens of signs, bouquets of flowers and other items left by fans at the Joe Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium in honor of the late Hall of Fame coach have been removed and stored inside the stadium to dry out. Penn State officials say the items were removed early Wednesday morning with the prior knowledge of Paterno's family. Penn State says the family will have a chance to review items to decide what to keep or donate. The bronzed statue had turned into a makeshift memorial following Paterno’s death January 22nd due to lung cancer.
(WGRC)

SUNBURY - Two operations commanders, who were suspended earlier this week to reduce management positions at Northumberland County Prison, will not be losing their jobs in all probability. But the same cannot be said for a lieutenant and two sergeants. At Wednesday's long, confusing and entertaining meeting of the Northumberland County Prison Board, members voted 7-0 to lay off the operations commanders, a lieutenant and two sergeants, a move that would potentially save the county $237,000. But the motion regarding the layoffs also grants permission to prison warden Roy Johnson to call back one of the operations commanders, while asking the other commander to accept a voluntary demotion to lieutenant. After the meeting, Johnson said he plans to do just that, which means if the commanders are retained, only a lieutenant and two sergeants would be laid off, a move that could save the county approximately $135,000 in salaries and benefits. The move was made by the prison board to reduce management positions at the prison and save the county money. The warden tells the News Item he plans to discuss the layoffs and callbacks with the two commanders today to determine which commander will be retained and which one will be demoted to lieutenant.
(WGRC)

SUNBURY - Teamsters Local 764 filed a grievance complaint Wednesday challenging the termination of veteran Northumberland County Assistant District Attorney John Muncer. Union President Jimmy Little tells the Daily Item the grievance cites "maintenance of standards," in the assistant prosecutors' 3-year contract that expires at the end of 2013. Muncer, who has worked for District Attorney Anthony Rosini for nearly 17 years, was fired from his position this week following the salary board's decision last week to eliminate one of the five assistant prosecutor positions to narrow a budget gap. The Daily Item reports,  Rosini opposed the move, arguing that any loss of staff would hamper the criminal system and jeopardize public safety.
(WGRC)