Local News

Thursday May 23

Man Charged In Sexual Assault

A 20-year-old Wyalusing man is charged with the sexual assault of an 8 year old female back in 2008. 

State police in Bradford County say they have arrested 20-year-old Kayden Sherman on charges of Rape, and other counts regarding an incident which took place between March and August of 2008 when Sherman was 15 and the girl just 8 years old at a home in Wyalusing Township. 

Sherman was arraigned and jailed in Bradford County Correctional facility in lieu of $25,000 dollars bail.

Knoxville Man Charged

Britt Wade Brewster, 45, of Knoxville, has been charged by Lawrenceville police with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and making terroristic threats following a May 5 report of a domestic dispute at 19 Buffards Riverside Estates.

Brewster allegedly aimed a loaded 12-gauge shotgun at the victim and threatened to kill her and then himself.

When police arrived on scene, Brewster refused to exit his residence. Police allegedly heard him discharging his shotgun, with shells hitting the floor.

Brewster, denied bail, is being held in county jail.

Two Hurt In Crash

According to police, a Wellsboro man and a 16-year-old girl were seriously injured in a head-on crash Monday on state route 549 in Rutland Township.

State police in Mansfield said the girl, who they would not identify, was driving north and turning onto Bailey Creek Road when she failed to yield right of way to vehicle driven south by Jonathan R. Hand.

Wednesday May 22

Liberty Man Arrested For Burglary

A Liberty man was arrested last week for the burglary from a Power Equipment Company in Mansfield. 

31 year old Adam Corrigan faces five felony counts and one misdemeanor count for removing two Kubota Tractors and one mower deck, valued at more than $41,000 dollars from AJ’s Outdoor Power Equipment Store on South Main Street in Mansfield in April. 

He was arraigned and jailed in lieu of $50,000 dollars bail.

Tuesday May 21

Unemployment Down In Pennsylvania

Unemployment in the state of Pennsylvania continues its slow drop.  The unemployment rate went form 7.9% in March to 7.6% in the month of April.  That compares to a 7.5% rate across the United States. 

The Number of Pennsylvanians working of looking for work declined by about 3,600 over the month of April.  Total employment increased by 13,000 with total unemployment decreasing by 17,000. 

PennDOT Driver License, Photo Centers Closed for Memorial Day

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday, May 25, through Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day. 
 
Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services online through PennDOTs Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.state.pa.us . 
 
Driver and vehicle online services are available 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week and include drivers license and photo ID renewals; vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license restoration fee or vehicle financial responsibility restoration fee; and exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.
 
A complete listing of PennDOT driver and photo license center closings in 2013 is available on the website under News, Stats and Facts.
 
PennDOT reminds motorists they can log on to www.511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions before heading out.

Monday May 20

Gillett Man Charged

Christopher Allen Rolls, 36, of Gillett, faces a preliminary hearing at 3:30 p.m. June 19 on charges of simple assault and harassment for an assault that took place around 1 a.m. April 2 at his residence in Wells Township, according to court papers.

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Michael Moser reported that Rolls caused bodily injury to Stacy Renee Mitchell by throwing her to the ground, climbing on top of her, placing his hands around her neck, choking her, striking her in the face several times, pushing her into a wall, and throwing a cup at her, striking her in the back.

Friday May 17

Penndot, Pennsylvania State Police To Conduct Joint Effort With New York State To Enforce Seat Belt Laws

PennDOT and state police from Pennsylvania and New York will host a news conference at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 20, on U.S. Route 15, at the Pennsylvania/New York border, in Tioga County, to launch the national Click It or Ticket campaigns Border to Border operation, a joint effort by both states to crack down on unbelted driving.
 
PennDOT and the National Highway Safety Administration have teamed up with law enforcement agencies from neighboring states to provide increased seat-belt enforcement on highways that cross the border, sending a zero-tolerance message to the public: police are writing tickets for unbuckled driving, no matter what state. The enforcement effort will run through June 2. Pennsylvanias complete enforcement effort continues through June 9.

Senator Scarnati Announces $750,000 In
Local Natural Gas Vehicle Conversion Grants
 

Two local businesses in the 25^th Senatorial District will receive grants totaling $750,000 to be used for conversion of vehicles to run on natural gas and CNG fueling stations, according to Senator Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson).
 
The grants were awarded through the Natural Gas Energy Development Program, created as part of Act 13 of 2012.   Scarnati, a chief architect of Act 13, explained that the program is designed to help reduce Pennsylvanias dependence on imported oil and improve air quality, by reducing vehicle emissions of carbon monoxide.  The Natural Gas Energy Development Program is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
 
Through the development of the Marcellus Shale industry, Pennsylvania has a tremendous opportunity to become a leader in energy advancement initiatives, Scarnati said.  Embracing new and innovative technology is an integral part of making our state energy independent and continuing to reduce our reliance on foreign oil.
 
According to Scarnati, a $500,000 grant is being awarded to Crossett, Inc., located in Warren, and will aid in the conversion of all 75 of their tractor trailers to natural gas, as well as the construction of publicly accessible CNG fueling stations located in Warren and Bradford.  Since 1928, Crossett, Inc. has been a leader in the region and transport industry.
 
A $250,000 grant is also being awarded to Hoopes Turf Farm, Inc., located in Ulysses, to be used for the installation of a new, onsite 16,000 gallon public access fueling mechanism and the deployment of 10 natural gas fueled heavy duty trucks. 
 
These grants provide a significant investment in two local businesses, both of which are important employers within our region, Scarnati stated.  Converting heavy duty vehicles to operate on natural gas and allowing for the building of natural gas fueling stations will help us to use environmentally friendly energy made here in the United States, while keeping jobs in our community.
 
The Natural Gas Energy Development Program grants are funded through revenue generated by the annual impact fee assessed on Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction.  Over the next three years, this program will make $20 million in grant funds available on a competitive basis, to purchase or convert eligible vehicles to natural gas.
 
Applications for this first round of grants were due on February 1, 2013.  More information on the Natural Gas Energy Development Program can be found on the DEP website: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/act_13/20789/natural_gas_vehicle_program/1157504 . 

Thursday May 16

Cherry Flats Road Drainage Improvements Scheduled Week of May 20

Weather permitting, a PennDOT maintenance crew in Tioga County is scheduled to replace two cross pipes to improve drainage along Route 2018 (Cherry Flats Road) starting May 20.
 
Work will take place just off the intersection with Route 6 and 500 feet from intersection.
 
Work will occur from approximately 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily that week during which time traffic will be detoured onto Gas Company Road and Route 6.

Baker Bill To Address The Growing Crime Of Child Identity Theft Approved By State House

In an effort to combat the growing crime of stealing the identity of a child, state Rep. Matt Baker (R-Bradford/Tioga) has authored legislation to include children within a protected class of victims for which the offense of identity theft receives an enhanced grading. 

“As someone who was the victim of identity theft more than 10 years ago, I fully understand the devastating effect such a crime can have on a person’s short- and long-term financial standing,” said Baker. “The crime is especially heinous when perpetrated using the identity of a child, who often doesn’t know his or her identity has been stolen until many years after the fact, when he or she first applies for college assistance or a credit card. This can lead to lifelong financial headaches and delayed enrollment in college until the situation can be resolved.” 

According to House Bill 714, children under the age of 18 would be added to a protected class of victims under the law, along with a person who is 60 or older or a person who is care-dependent. Under the identity theft statute, when an offense is committed against someone of a protected class, then the grading of the offense is enhanced one degree. 
  
The Federal Trade Commission has identified theft committed against children as a growing problem. In testimony before Congress in 2011, the commission noted that identity thieves deliberately capture the Social Security number of a child in order to obtain employment; apply for government benefits, car loans and mortgages; and open new accounts. In fact, the commission pointed to one study that found an estimated 142,000 instances of identity theft are perpetrated against children in the United States each year. The commission also said recent studies estimate identity theft happens every four seconds in America and impacts more than 9 million people each year at a cost of $13 billion. 

Baker noted that numerous other states have, or are in the process, of enacting legislation to address child identity theft. House Bill 714 is supported by the Office of Attorney General, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. 

House Bill 714 was approved unanimously by the House and now moves to the state Senate for consideration. 

Wednesday May 15

42 Arrested In Drug Bust

42 suspects are under arrest Tuesday following a drug bust in Bradford County.

According to the state police along with bath salts the 42 suspects are accused of selling heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and prescription drugs.

Police say this investigation has been going on for the last year and a half.

Police say they hope this bust serves as a warning for others selling drugs in the northern tier.

The drug bust included assistance from a variety of agencies throughout the northern tier.

Tuesday May 14

Sexual Assaults Alleged

State police in Bradford County are investigating a reported string of sexual assaults, which happened over a six-year period in Laceyville. 

Four females, ranging in age from 15 to 19 years old report that they were sexually assaulted by a person known to them from 2002 through to 2008. 

Police have not named the suspect and say they continue their investigation and are asking anyone with information to give them a call. 

Police Investigate Theft

State Police at Mansfield are investigating the theft of over $3,000 worth of property from a Shell Well Pad located on Glenn Road in Chatham Township, Tioga County.

The theft occurred sometime between mid April and May 1st. During the theft a filing cabinet was damaged.