Woman nabbed in drug bust calls herself 'face of meth'

DERRY TWP. -- A woman arrested late Monday night for allegedly running a clandestine drug lab told a reporter, "This is the face of meth." Allison Marie Swisher, 48, of 107 Mexico Road, had lots of ingredients for making the drug inside her home when police executed a search warrant overnight, officials said. Swisher said the arrest was actually a relief. "This is the first night of the rest of my life," she said at her arraignment before District Judge Marvin Shrawder in Danville early Tuesday morning.. "So this is a good night." The mother of two said the drug "makes you want to die."

What we're working on for July 23

Here's a look at the stories keeping our reporters busy Monday: * A local singer is set to compete on NBC's "America's Got Talent." Find out who it is and when you can catch the performance. * The owner of a restaurant destroyed by fire pleads guilty in a tax case. * A mom who was brought up on charges of letting her kids smoke synthetic pot and watch porn pleads guilty to corrupting the kids, but blames it all on an ex-boyfriend. * A woman's son beats her boyfriend after hearing the boyfriend strayed, police say.

Man stabs, kills guest in South Centre, police say

ALMEDIA - A man fatally stabbed his friend during a fight at a home on Old Berwick Road late Saturday night, State Police say. They say Brett Woodside, 26, of 3928 Old Berwick Road was having a get-together with Brandon Burns, 24, of Selinsgrove and two women when he and Burns got into a "physical altercation." Woodside grabbed a knife from his pocket and stabbed Burns once in the left side of his abdomen around 10:45 p.m., said Cpl. Shawn Williams.

What we're working on for July 19

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy Thursday: * What started as a Facebook spat ended in a stabbing, police say. See our online report, and look for more in the morning edition. * Police release information on a crash that sent a car rolling. Find out who was hurt. * A man draws blood when his girlfriend tries to leave, charges say. * Learn more about a store manager's alleged scheme to steal some $31G in lottery tickets.

Facebook post leads to stabbing, cops say

BERWICK -- A comment on Facebook sparked tensions that snowballed between two women, leading one to "snap" and stab the other woman with a kitchen knife last night, police say. Siesha Lane, 28, a mother of four who moved here just two weeks ago, is now in prison. Her victim and roommate, Jamillah Hutt, is in critical condition at Geisinger. The two had reportedly been at odds for days. Hutt made fun of Lane's clothing style. She called Lane names like "skank" and "hootchy," police were told.

Woman stabs housemate, leaves her critically injured

BERWICK -- A woman suffered a life-threatening cut in a stabbing Wednesday night at her home, police say. They say Siesha Lane, 28, stabbed Jamillah Hutt, 24, of 540 Green St., in the left rear torso with a large kitchen knife, police say, the culmination of a long-simmering argument. Hutt was rushed by helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. Lane had been staying at Hutt's house, police say. Reporter Susan Schwartz will have more on the stabbing in Thursday's Press Enterprise.

GUILTY: Local mechanic convicted of deceiving car buyer

BLOOMSBURG -- Mechanic Ron Whispell was convicted Wednesday on seven of nine crimes involving deceptive business practices. Prosecutors say he converted two wrecked cars into one, then intentionally represented the rebuilt sports coupe to be something it wasn't so he could get a higher resale value. "The jury got it wrong," said Whispell, the owner of Quality Collision Auto Repair. He left court surrounded by family and friends.

Ask a Reporter: Do police search suspects' homes for stolen loot?

Question: Is the Berwick Police Department asking for search warrants? (Or are warrants even necessary?) This is the first thing officers should do when they catch an unemployed meth head robbing someone. This is especially true if there are reasons to believe that the person has committed the same crime before, fits witness descriptions, crime committed during daylight in a busy location, crime committed while owners are home, etc. Some of their loot would likely be in their homes.

What we're working on for July 18

Here's a look at the stories keeping our reporters busy Wednesday: * A girl testifies in sign language about her alleged molestation -- and her mother blasts the camp where it happened. Look for more at www.pressenterpriseonline.com later this afternoon. * A $53,000 remodeling job goes wrong, and homeowners want to hammer the contractor. * A vagrant scares motorists with roadside rants, police say. * The jury is out in the case of a car dealer charged with illegally building a Volkswagen from two cars. We'll have the verdict.

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