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AM=Altoona Mirror, CDT=Centre Daily Times, SJ=Milton Standard-Journal, DI=Daily Item, CS=Carlisle Sentinel, NI=News Item, LS=Lewistown Sentinel, PCT=Perry County Times, PN=Patriot News

Former MCRP Chief to help with new Borough Police Dept. (3-9-2010)
(LS) In a 5-2 vote last night, Lewistown Borough Council voted to hire William Herkert to head the formation of the forthcoming Lewistown Borough Police Dept. Herkert, the former MCRP Chief who was fired 2 years ago, was the “best applicant” for the position, according to one council member. The Regional Police turmoil ultimately led to Lewistown voting to withdraw from the inter-municipal agreement to form its own department starting next year. Herkert will work part time for the Borough until the new police department is formed, at which time he will become police chief at a $58,000/yr. salary.

Mt. Union Borough Council mum on recent firings (3-9-2010)
(LS) Last Wednesday, the Mt. Union Borough Council voted to remove the Borough’s police chief, Nick Richtscheit, as well as to remove its Borough Manager, Eric Powell. So far, there's not been any reason given as to whay that decision was made. Richtscheit submitted a resignation to the council last month, citing personal reasons, but was ultimately fired last Wednesday. Now Richtscheit, with his lawyer, are pursuing their options legally by asking for a civil service commission hearing. The Mt. Union Mayor said the Borough will move forward, unsure of who will replace the fired chief, & hire 2 more officers to expand the department.

Pedestrian mall proposal nixed by State College Borough Council (3-9-2010)
(CDT) Last night, State College Borough Council said that South Allen Street will be kept open to traffic. By 4-2 vote, the council rejected the borough Transportation Committee’s request to study making a pedestrian mall between College & Beaver avenues. Last month, the commission added the possible study to its 2010 work plan, recommending that the council approve the plan. But when the request came up last night, Councilwoman Theresa Lafer promptly made a motion to deny it. She gave no explanation, but in the subsequent discussion, some Council members expressed reservations about a mall. Claiming that 90% of pedestrian malls nationwide have failed, one councilman said it would be a “huge transformation of downtown” that might attract “derelicts” at night & become a dangerous area.

Skid loader operator killed in a weekend accident (3-8-2010)
(LS) Mifflin Co. Coroner Daniel Lynch has released the name of 46-y/o Richard Royer of Back Maitland Rd. who was killed Saturday night while operating a skid loader. According to the report, the accident occurred around 5pm as Royer, who was the owner of Brannon & Royer Septic Pumping Service, was operating the skid loader near 1826 Back Maitland Rd. As he was operating the skid loader, the machine went off an embankment & fell 50 ft. into Jack’s Creek where Royer was then pronounced dead at the scene from blunt force trauma.

Local United Way puts out final plea before deadline (3-8-2010)
With only a week to go before the funding campaign closes, the United Way of Mifflin/Juniata is still short of making its projected goal. As the worst recession in a generation mires on, the agency raised its goal in order to meet increasing demands on services in our local area. The United Way now is appealing to the community for help staving off a major shortfall for its 2010 campaign. Right now, the United Way is at 75% of the $596,500 goal or $447,375. Marie Mulvihill, Executive Director said, “We are a long way from where we need to be, and time is running out”. Dick Calkins, Mifflin Co. Campaign co-ambassador sited 2 local events, the Elsesser Fire & the Lewistown Hotel, where significant numbers of people were displaced due to circumstances beyond their control, but whose needs were met almost immediately by local agencies providing services because of United Way dollars. Donations can be made to 13 East Third Street, Lewistown, by phone at 248-9636. or online at www.mjunitedway.org.

Lewisburg family of 7 loses their home over the weekend (3-8-2010)
(DI) About 50 firefighters battled a Buffalo Twp. blaze yesterday as it stampeded through a Lewisburg home, displacing 7 people. Ervin Martin, his wife & 5 children, were out when the fire began. White Deer Twp. Fire Chief Jim Messinger said, “It’s too early to tell what exactly happened, but fire marshals will be here & we should get some more information.” Martin said that he doesn’t have insurance on the home, but his family will have a place to stay. Messinger said that more than 1,000 ft. of hose was used to pump water from a nearby creek to the house, & White Deer was assisted by the Lewisburg, Milton, Mifflinburg & Turbot Township fire companies.

Charges re-filed against former Perry Co. judge (3-5-2010)
(PCT) Charges were refiled last week against a former Perry Co. president judge accused of assaulting his wife. The refiling may delay judicial reinstatement for 61-y/o Senior Judge C. Joseph Rehkamp, of Plymouth, PA, who told police he did push his wife, Valerie, during a Jan. 16 altercation, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The charges filed Feb. 23 came exactly a week after Luzerne Co. Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker dismissed the charges due to Valerie Rehkamp’s refusing to testify. The case will go on with or without Mrs. Rehkamp’s testimony, said Luzerne Co. DA Jacqueline Musto Carroll, as the Commonwealth has other evidence, including pictures of Mrs. Rehkamp’s neck & statements from Judge Rehkamp & others.

Bed bugs are biting in some Centre Co. beds (3-5-2010)
(CDT) Bedbugs are making a comeback, nationally & locally. David Manos, assistant director of housing for East Halls dormitories said that Penn State Housing has been tracking the change & since 2006, there have been 22 reported cases of bedbugs on the University Park campus, including 9 this academic year. Manos knows of no incidences of bedbugs on campus before 2006. Bedbugs were nearly wiped out in the US after WWII due to the widespread use of pesticides such as DDT. But now that experts use less toxic chemicals, the bugs are multiplying, according to an entomology professor at Penn State. To check for bedbugs, examine the entire bed, including the folds of the sheet & the seams of the mattress. Look for dark blood spots about the size of a pencil point. If you suspect you’ve already been bitten, check your skin for itchy red bumps.

Forecasters say spring is pushing in for the weekend (3-5-2010)
(DI) After a harsh winter, the weather in the Juniata Valley & across the snow-weary state will take a turn for the better this weekend. More springlike conditions will move from the southern Plains into the mid-Atlantic & Southeast by Sunday. Sunday will be the warmest day with temperatures here reaching near 50 degrees under mostly sunny skies. Tomorrow isn't too shabby either, with highs in the mid-40s. These temperatures will be 5-10 degrees above what we are use to seeing for early to mid-March. Another result of the warmer temperatures will be the shrinking snowpack which could disappear in most areas. This could, however, bring the threat of flooding, especially in areas that have seen record February snowfall.

Mifflin Co. Meltdown teams dropped 1,000 pounds (3-4-2010)
In a press release yesterday, Marge Delozier-Noss declared that the “meltdown is working” by reporting that the 505 participants have collectively lost over 1,000 lbs. since the Mifflin Co. Meltdown kicked off a few weeks ago. The figures do not reflect unreported losses from 3 of the total 68 teams participating in the health campaign. The starting weight for all of the teams was over 98,000 lbs. Weekly meetings are held at the Lewistown Area High School at 6:30pm until April 6th with a featured speaker on a health-related topic as well as some giveaways. The March 9th guest will be Sue Burns on “Nutrition–10 in 10 for 2010". Anyone can still join the meltdown anytime during the 6 week program & may attend the Tuesday meetings free of charge. For information, simply go to www.visitingmifflincounty.com or call 248-6713.

Community Watch Meeting planned next Thursday (3-4-2010)
Downtown Lewistown, Inc., in conjunction with Mifflin Co. Communities That Care & Mifflin Co. Regional Police will hold a Community Watch Meeting in the 5 Points/East End Neighborhood, March 11 at 6:30pm, at Burgard Apartments, 120 Chestnut Street. Interested residents, property owners, tenants, & business owners are urged to attend this meeting which will feature a presentation on Apartment Safety by Chuck Dicken, the Community Watch Coordinator for Mifflin Co. Communities That Care. Eric Ettinger, Crime Prevention Specialist with the MCRPD will also be in attendance. This meeting is made possible also with the contribution of meeting space by the Mifflin Co. Housing Authority & a coordinated outreach effort of the Neighborhood Safe, Clean & Green Committee whose goal is to maintain safety & security in the neighborhood.

Sen. Corman calls for continued funding for state universities (3-4-2010)
The chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee says that the Commonwealth should continue to provide funding to our state-related universities. Yesterday in Harrisburg, PSU President Graham Spanier told the committee member that Penn State has avoided financial disaster as it makes its way through the economic & and stagnant state funding, but the outlook for the upcoming fiscal year is daunting. He added that the university "could be looking at the greatest financial crisis in the last century".

Juniata Co. man dies in a Snyder Co. crash (3-3-2010)
(DI) The 28-y/o man from Juniata Co. was killed early yesterday when his car crossed the center line of Rt. 35 in Snyder Co. & collided with a pickup truck. Joshua Gerber, of McAlisterville, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 4am crash, about a mile south of Freeburg in Washington Twp. Selinsgrove State police said Gerber was driving south on Rt. 35 when his Ford Taurus crossed into the northbound lane & collided with the pickup truck, operated by 30-y/o Brian Wileman, of Port Royal. Wileman was taken to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. A nursing supervisor at Geisinger listed him in serious condition last night. Rt. 35 was closed while Selinsgrove state troopers investigated before reopening about 8am.

Early morning blaze consumes a Derry Twp. trailer (3-3-2010)
(LS) The fire that broke out in the trailer that was located along Folk Dr., near Klondike Rd., in Granville Twp. early yesterday brought out emergency responders from 6 different companies. The blaze devastated the trailer & is now being investigated once fire officials could not determine the cause at the time of the fire. The trailer was abandonded & was being demolished by a private contractor. Mike Smith of the Junction Fire Co. said witnesses had said the building & roof were being sawed off by crew members when the fire broke out but no one was injured. The trailer was deemed a total loss.

Controversy stirs over a Centre Co. Commissioner’s email (3-3-2010)
(CDT) As the Centre Co. commissioners look at options for filling the soon-to-be-open administrator position, the Chairman Jon Eich, sent an e-mail to staff criticizing ideas he said others had proposed. “Regardless of what the final decision is, the proponents of these proposals have created further damage to the working relationships in the Commissioners Office—because someone will come out a winner & someone will not. Again, I have to wonder if that was really the point,” Eich said in the Monday e-mail. The Commissioners have not made a decision about filling the job. However, Commissioner Steve Dershem said that “Once again the ability ...to discuss an important matter openly & constructively is usurped by a broadcast e-mail campaign. Not only do I find this behavior disappointing but the suggestion that new ideas & open discussion cannot occur without nefarious intent is very disturbing.”

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