Con man claims power company giving out $1.5M

BERWICK -- A con artist called John Navickas on Tuesday, telling him the power company was giving him $1.5 million just for having paid his bills on time. The Berwick man didn't fall for it. "I got salty with him and hung up," said Navickas, who wants to warn other people of the scam. "I'm 72, but I'm far from being stupid." But the would-be swindler was undeterred, calling back twice Wednesday. The caller claimed the power company -- which he didn't name -- had drawn 55 names of senior citizens who had paid their bills on time for a year.

Double mastectomy for mom, daughter

MILLVILLE -- After watching four women in their family die from breast cancer, Gail Bradley and daughter Lori Reese were faced with an agonizing choice: wait and watch, knowing they had an 85 percent chance of getting cancer, or have surgery to remove both breasts. They chose surgery, and now their risk has dropped to zero The decision to have a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery was tough. Reese said her husband, "a breast man," was against it, and he stopped talking to her for a month.

What we're working on: Jan. 18, 2014

Here's a look at the stories that kept our reporters busy: * A mother and daughter both had double mastectomy after four relatives died from breast cancer. The daughter's husband -- a "breast man" -- refused to talk to her for a month. * A swindler called a local man, claiming the power company was giving him $1.5 million just for having paid his bills on time. Look for these stories and more in tomorrow's edition of the Press Enterprise.

Graffiti accumulates in town

BLOOMSBURG -- Signs of the big city have crept into the small alleys north of Main Street. Graffiti covers the rear of one building, the side of the Caldwell Consistory and a corner of the Moose Exchange. The heaviest areas of graffiti are concentrated on the back walkway between La Fontana Restaurant and the Caldwell Consitory and then - two blocks east - on a garage and apartment along Ridge Avenue behind the former Iron Horse Motorcycle building.(Have a look at some of the graffiti:)

‘Larger-than-life’ local sports figure dies

Central Columbia schools lowered flags today to half-staff in remembrance of former teacher, coach and athletic director Don Engle, who died Thursday morning, said Central Superintendent Harry Mathias. Engle coached the Blue Jay baseball team to a state title in 1991 and compiled an astounding 555 -114 won-loss record during a 29-year run as baseball coach. "It's a tough day," said Mathias, at one time an assistant coach of Engle's.

House fire erupts in Danville

DANVILLE -- Old knob-and-tube wiring is to blame for a Danville fire that destroyed a woman's home and killed her two cats, fire officials say. Christine Fishburn was out running errands Thursday and returned to her 109 Spruce St., home around 12:30 p.m. to find the rear of her home's first floor on fire. She called 911, and firefighters rushed to the house, just off Route 54, behind Weis Markets. The house was engulfed, and firefighters concentrated some of their effort into trying to keep the blaze from spreading to a neighboring home, which was just inches apart.

Police: Shooting claim at Berwick Offray 'unfounded'

BERWICK -- A man called 9-1-1 from a stolen phone early Thursday to report that someone was shooting at a Berwick Offray plant, police say. The whole report was fake, but more than two dozen police officers swept through five Berwick Offray buildings in the area over four hours to make sure of that, said Berwick Police Chief Ken Strish. (Listen to two snippets of the call here.)
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Police swarm car, arrest Christmas Eve robbery suspect

By SUSAN SCHWARTZ and PETER KENDRON Press Enterprise Writers BERWICK -- Police swarmed a car Wednesday after an officer spotted a suspect in a Christmas Eve robbery sitting in the passenger seat. Detective Brandon Shultz said he was driving down Second Street when he saw a man getting out of a brown car that was pulled over to the curb. That caught his attention, he said. When he looked inside the car, he saw Jason Adamo, 36, sitting inside, along with an older man who was driving, he said.

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