DANVILLE — Local residents and visitors to Geisinger will have a free ride to and from downtown stores when a new shuttle begins service to Mill Street May 10.
The Downtown Danville Shoppers Shuttle is a collaborative effort between Danville borough, the Danville Business Alliance, Fishing Creek Transportation and Geisinger.
MONTOUR TWP. — The coroner has been called to the scene of a single vehicle accident here.
The crash took place at about 10:40 a.m.
Skid marks showed the extended cab Chevrolet pickup had been headed west on the 300 block of Legion Road when it went off the right side of the road and smashed into a utility pole hard enough to snap it, possibly rolling on the way. The truck landed back on its wheels on the roadway, muddy and crumpled, facing back the way it had come. A trail of debris marked its path.
CATAWISSA—Police say a fire that destroyed a borough home in February was set by the owner’s son in a bid to collect a $260,000 insurance payout.
Nathan Roeder, 35, of 43 Andrew Lane was arrested at his home Friday morning an arraigned on felony arson and other charges before District Judge Craig Long.
Roeder allegedly confessed last month to using a hand-held torch to ignite items in a second floor bedroom of his father Roger Roeder’s home on Feb. 15 after police confronted him with evidence that put him at the scene just before the noontime fire.
BRIAR CREEK TWP—At least three dogs and four cats died after a fire heavily damaged a home Thursday morning.
Relatives say Jessica Karns had left the house at 33 Valley Road for a doctor appointment shortly before they saw smoke coming from the home just before 8 a.m.
Two weeks ago the woman was attempting to clear debris off the roof and fell, injuring herself, said Karn’s aunt Patsy Kuchka.
Summerhill Fire Chief Thomas Derby said the fire appears to have started in the kitchen and spread to the other rooms on the first floor.
BLOOMSBURG— A social media post featuring a gun and a threat to local schools kept more than 60 students out of classes Friday in Benton and caused police to increase their presence in at least three area districts.
The post, featuring a photograph of a gun, was posted to Snapchat warning, “y’all don’t go to school tomorrow, Bloom school getting shot up tomorrow p—-”
The post soon after was reposted with the addition, “so is benton” and “so is Northwest.”
MIFFLINVILLE — An armed man was fatally shot by a police officer during a Tuesday night standoff at an apartment complex here, authorities confirmed.
Vance Wavell Brown, 35, brandished a pistol at officers as he opened the door of his apartment, after which a Columbia-Montour SWAT team member hit him with a single rifle shot, State Police said. Police did not identify the officer in a press release.
BERWICK — Fire heavily damaged a two-story family home here for a second time in one year as its owners were remodeling from extensive damages caused in the previous blaze, neighbors and fire officials said.
Steve Brown and his wife, Lori, had been staying with in-laws and were not home when the fire broke out at 317 E. Second St. about 5 a.m. Friday.
Berwick police arrived to find the back of the house engulfed in flames. All Berwick fire companies and fire police responded within minutes, Fire Chief Gene Boone said.
SHICKSHINNY — Four people died in a fire Wednesday morning here.
Michael Shoemaker Sr. said his wife, Georgette; mother-in-law, Jean Jones; son Michael Shoemaker Jr., 15; and nephew Harley Jones, 18, didn't escape the blaze at 50 Furnace St..
Four other family members jumped out windows to safety, Shoemaker said.
That included himself; his brother-in-law Clifford Jones; his stepson Gavin Kondercheck, 12; and his son, Riley Shoemaker, 13.
After the fire, Michael Shoemaker Sr. stood vigil outside the house.
Danville Police are asking for help identifying suspects after a burglary at the Samaritan mission between 1 and 5 a.m. today.
Carin Wharton, the organization’s executive director, said someone broke the window of the door in the mission's “hygiene area” to gain access to the building.
Cash, clothes and personal hygiene products were taken.
Wharton said it seemed that whoever broke in had a vehicle to transport the items from the building.
A truck pulling a trailer filled with crates of live monkeys crashed at State Route 54 and Interstate 80 on Friday afternoon, letting loose several of the simians, officials and witnesses said.
Officials continued to search for the monkeys Friday night.
Crates full of other monkeys plunged onto the roadway after the front of a trailer in which they were traveling was hit by a dump truck and torn from its bearings.