COUPLE FOUND GUILTY OF ENDANGERING WELFARE OF A CHILD

A Lycoming County jury yesterday found a Montgomery couple guilty of endangering the welfare of a child stemming from alleged sexual abuse which happened in their home between December of 2005 and lasting into 2008.  Gary Segraves had been accused of the rape and sexual assault of the minor but the jury could not come up with a verdict on those charges.  He was found guilty of the other count as well as his wife Melissa whom the jury decided allowed the abuse to happen.  Sentencing for the two has been set at a later date.

SCHOOL DISTRICT ON LOCKDOWN YESTERDAY AFTERNOON

An anxious afternoon in the South Williamsport area school district after a man wanted in connection with a shooting incident in Maryland called a district employee, saying he was coming to the area.  32 year old Joshua Prince had fired a shot at his ex-girlfriend in Bethesda Maryland yesterday morning.  The shot did not strike her and he later called the South Side district employee to say he was coming to Pennsylvania, prompting school officials to put the three schools in the district on lockdown.  Prince later turned himself into state police in Montoursville and was charged with being a fugitive from justice and jailed without bail.  Schools in South Williamsport were dismissed at their normal time yesterday. 

DETOUR IN EFFECT

 Motorists in Lycoming County who access Route 220 south via the onramp from Route 15 South will have to endure a detour for some time.  Contractors closed down the ramp yesterday and traffic is being detoured to the Maynard Street interchange and back onto Route 180 West to 220 south.  Meanwhile in Montour County, a four mile resurfacing project has begun on Route 11 stretching from the Northumberland County line through Danville to Clinic Road.  The work is taking place at night right now and then will shift to daytime work. That project is expected to be completed on October 1^st. 

NINE KILLED ON STATE HIGHWAYS OVER HOLIDAY 

Nine persons were killed, another 271 injured on Pennsylvania Highways during the just completed four day Labor Day driving period.  Pennsylvania State police say they investigated 753 crashes all together.  Among the nine killed 8 were not wearing seatbelts and 3 were a result of alcohol related crashes.  The number of deaths equaled last year’s toll.  State police say they issued more than 8100 speeding citations, arrested 374 drivers for DUI and cited another 679 for failing to wear seatbelts as well as66 citations for nor properly securing their children. 

FIRE DESTROYS FIVE BUILDINGS 

A state police fire marshal says that damage is too extensive to figure out what caused a fire that destroyed five buildings in Lewisburg early yesterday morning.  The fire started in a small barn owned by Brian Gockley at the rear of 715 Market Street and quickly spread to other garages and sheds in the alleyway.  A number of vehicles were destroyed in that fire as well which was not brought under control for a few hours.  Fire damage is estimated at more than $200,000 dollars.  No one was injured. 

COUPLE LEFT HOMELESS FOLLOWING PLUNKETTS CREEK TOWNSHIP BLAZE

Firefighters were called back this morning around 12:30 to a flare up at a home along Lower Barbours Road in Plunketts Creek Township. Fire originally broke out at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bud Shaffer around 2:45 yesterday afternoon causing extensive damage there.  No one was injured and a damage estimate has not been released.  A state police fire marshal will look into the cause.  Firefighters were on the scene for almost four hours putting out the flare up this morning. 

TEST POSTPHONED TO NEXT WEEK 

Officials with the Williamsport Bureau of fire report that the testing of the city’s Emergency Out door warning system, commonly known as the sirens has been postponed for a week.  The city was to set off the six sirens located across the city tomorrow morning beginning at 10am but will now wait until Thursday September 16^th instead at the same times.  City officials remind residents that if they do hear the sirens go off without it being announced ahead of time, that they are to tune into the radio, television or a weather monitor for emergency information.

SOUTH SIDE MAN TO RUN AS A WRITE IN

A South Williamsport man hopes to give voters in the 83^rd legislative district in Lycoming County a third choice to send to the state house of representatives.  Carl Hiller, who ran as a Republican for the post in 2006 has announced that he will run this year as a write in candidate.  The current candidates are Democratic incumbent Rick Mirabito and Republican nominee David Huffman.  Hiller says he will run as a fiscal conservative who believes in less government, lower taxes, state sovereignty and personal freedom.

SUNBURY MAN CHARGED FOLLOWING LAST WEEK'S INCIDENT

A Sunbury man who scuffled with police last week after getting into an argument with his girlfriend and then grabbing a gun and threatening to kill himself has been charged in the case.  One officer suffered a minor injury in a scuffle with 72 year old Donald Sarvis.  Sarvis was first taken for a mental health evaluation and yesterday was arraigned on two counts of felony aggravated assault, three counts of recklessly endangering another person and a count of resisting arrest.  He was jailed in Northumberland County prison in lieu of $150,000 dollars bail.