SECOND TRIAL STARTING FOR WOMAN CHARGED IN FATAL CRASH
A Coal Township woman heads to court a second time following a deadly crash in Ralpho Township that killed a thirteen-year-old Selinsgrove boy. Emilee Bland will be retried after a jury deadlocked in June on felony charges tied to the October 2023 crash at Route 487 and Industrial Park Road. Prosecutors say Bland crossed into oncoming traffic, while her attorney argues it was a tragic accident and not criminal negligence. Jury selection begins Monday.
FATHER IN JAIL FOR STRANGLING TEENAGE SON
A Northumberland father is facing felony charges after allegedly attempting to strangle his teenage son. Police say 41-year-old Timothy Steven Wood is accused of choking the boy during an argument in August, leaving red marks on his neck and preventing him from attending school the next day. Investigators say the child later reported repeated threats and intimidation. Wood is charged with felony strangulation and related offenses and is jailed on 50-thousand dollars bail. A preliminary hearing is set for December 9th.
WASD SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SWORN IN
Five Williamsport Area School Board members were officially sworn in during a recent meeting by Court of Common Pleas Judge Eric Linhardt. Those sworn in were Lauren Montgomery, Nazirah Purnell, Jamie Sanders and Daniella Weaver, with Rick Douglass having been sworn in earlier. Lori Baer was re-elected board president and Sanders was named vice president. The board also approved its 2026 meeting schedule, with meetings held monthly at six p.m. at the District Service Center on West Fourth Street – the next being January 13th.
NEW HEAD COACH FOR PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
The Penn State Board of Trustees will meet this morning to officially approve the hiring of new head football coach Matt Campbell. The university announced an eight-year deal with Campbell last week to end the almost two-month search to replace longtime coach James Franklin. Campbell comes to Happy Valley after a ten-year tenure at Iowa State where he led the Cyclones to two Big 12 championship game appearances. He leaves the winningest coach in Iowa State history.
PARENTS CHARGED IN CHILD NEGLECT AND ENDANGERMENT CASE
Two parents in Union County are in custody after their children were reportedly found covered in filth. Authorities say officers performed a welfare check at Christan Waldo and Josephine Carr’s home earlier this month and found three toddlers living in deplorable conditions. Police said two of the children were covered and playing in feces. Waldo and Carr are charged with felony child endangerment.
PPL TO HOLD HEARINGS ON 2026 ELECTRIC RATE INCREASE
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission will hold six hearings in December on PPL Electric’s proposed rate increase, which would raise the average residential bill about seven percent. Four in-person hearings are scheduled next week in Scranton, Catasauqua, Harrisburg and Lancaster, with two telephone hearings set for December 15th at one and six p.m. Officials note that anyone across the PPL service area can take part through the telephone hearings. The commission must rule on the request by July of 2026.
NATIONAL ATHLETE COMING TO SPEAK TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Journey Bank is bringing nationally known speaker and former professional basketball player Chris Herren back to North Central Pennsylvania to address nearly nine-thousand high school students this winter. Herren will speak at 16 schools in Columbia, Montour, Lycoming and Clinton counties during December and January, sharing his message on addiction, recovery, mental health and healthy decision-making. Journey Bank is fully sponsoring the closed student presentations as part of its commitment to education and wellness across the region.
WILLIAMSPORT LIBRARY RECOGNIZED FOR CREATIVE READING PROGRAM
The James V. Brown Library has earned statewide recognition for its creative literacy outreach, winning a first-place Carolyne L. Smith Best Practices in Early Learning Award. The honor goes to the Library Pilots Book Program with River Valley Transit, which puts free books on buses for families and children to read or take home. The program was created to promote early learning through community partnerships.
SPORTS
NFL Sunday
Bills 39 Bengals 24
Titans 31 Browns 29
Commanders 34 Jets 10
Saints 24 Buccaneers 20
Steelers 27 Ravens 22
Texans 20 Chiefs 10
NFL Monday Night Football
Eagles vs Chargers 8:15pm ABC/ESPN
NBA
Knicks 106 Magic 100
Celtics 121 Raptor 113
Nuggets 115 Hornets 106
Grizzlies 119 Trail Blazers 96
Warriors 123 Bulls 91
Lakers 112 76ers 108
Thunder 131 Jazz 101
NBA Tonight
Kings vs Pacers 7pm
Suns vs Timberwolves 7:30pm Peacock
Spurs vs Pelicans 8pm
NHL
Avalanche 3 Flyers 2
Panthers 4 Islanders 1
Sharks 4 Hurricanes 1
Stars 3 Penguins 2
Golden Knights 3 Rangers 2
Capitals 2 Blue Jackets 0
Ducks 7 Blackhawks 1
NHL Tonight
Lightning vs Maple Leafs 7:30pm NHL Net
Kings vs Mammoth 9pm ESPN+
Sabres vs Flames 9pm ESPN+
Red Wings vs Canucks 10pm ESPN+
Wild vs Kraken 10pm ESPN+
NCAA News
* Penn State Football will make its second appearance in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl when the Nittany Lions take on ACC foe Clemson on Saturday, December 27 at noon in Yankee Stadium on ABC.
* This will be the second matchup between the Nittany Lions and the Tigers, who last met in the 1988 Citrus Bowl.
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