A gusty storm blew through the area early Monday morning, downing trees and power lines, demolishing at least one barn, ripping apart a borough shed and destroying a hangar. Shortly after the storm passed through the Benton area, the clubhouse at the Mill Race Golf Course started ablaze. Here's a collection of the photographs Chief Photographer Keith Haupt has taken so far.
We'll have lots more in Tuesday's Press Enterprise.
We'll update as we have more information.
See a storm-damage gallery here.
A strong storm front that passed through the area wrecked havoc — particularly in northern Columbia County — overnight.
Benton and Millville schools are closed today, while Bloomsburg, Danville, Southern and Northwest Area Schools are on two-hour delays.
CATAWISSA — A father of three who is engaged to be married surrendered Friday morning to face charges he sexually assaulted a 7-year-old girl.
Jonathan William Marra, who is 29, unemployed, and lives with his mother at 134 Church St. here, allegedly violated the child orally in January, police say.
The girl told a friend on her school bus about what Marra had allegedly done to her; the friend reported it to school officials.
SALEM TWP. — A Berwick Area School District junior high girls basketball coach and retired elementary school teacher was arrested Thursday and charged with dozens of counts of possessing child pornography.
David Shields, 65, of 180 Stone Church Road here, wept during his arraignment before District Judge Matthew Christopher in Shickshinny.
BLOOMSBURG — A state employee at the public assistance office here used a stolen benefits card to make more than $100 in purchases from local stores, arrest papers say.
Amanda Jo Cashner, 29, of 30 Cashner Road, Danville, allegedly used the card that was supposed to be mailed to a client of the Columbia County Assistance Office to make purchases at a Dollar General store on Bloomsburg as well as Weis Markets in Danville in May 2018.
SCOTT TWP. — An 81-year-old man his car pulled into the path of another vehicle, sending both drivers to the hospital Tuesday morning, police say.
Charles Joline Jr., 182 Daisy Drive, Berwick, was headed west on Sawmill Road around 9 a.m. when he tried to turn his Buick Century left onto Shaffer Road, according to Scott Township Police Chief Ray Klingler.
He saw the Dodge Dakota 4x4, driven by Nicole Smith, 370 Summerhill Road, Berwick, coming towards him from the opposite direction on Sawmill Road, but “underestimated her speed,” Klingler noted.
BERWICK — The woman who rammed a car through the wall of Bob’s Subs on Sunday was actually aiming for her one-time fiance, court papers say.
Sharon A. Blalock, 40, of 911 W. Front St., was successful, hitting Michael Sink, who was riding on a motorized bicycle, before she smashed into the wall, according to Detective Reagan Rafferty.
She was arraigned late Sunday night on charges of attempted criminal homicide and aggravated assault.
Police said witnesses told them they saw Sink and Blalock arguing in the 100 block of West Second Street before the crash.
BUCKHORN — Firefighters are battling two blazes near one another — one at a Hemlock Township house, another at a Mount Pleasant Township business.
The first broke out around 6 p.m. at 31 Hunt Club Drive in Hemlock Township. It was called in as a brush fire, but quickly spread to a nearby house.
In the second, called in about a half hour later, a fire broke out at Steve Shannon Tire and Auto Center at 1149 Millville Road — the store, not the warehouse.
We have reporters at both fires and will post more information as available.
BLOOMSBURG — A York man not only fled from police here last week after they tried to question him, but he also stiffed the cab driver who drove him and a friend from York to Bloomsburg in her taxi, new arrest papers say.
Edwin Coston, 24, came to town last Wednesday with a friend, 21-year-old Dominique Davis of Dover, in a White Rose Taxi operated by Trema Spangler, according to police.
Spangler told police that upon arriving in town, one of the men told her to go to the 200 block of Iron Street so he could get money from his “grandmother,” charges state.
BERWICK — When police saw a man walking the streets alone with a backpack after 2 a.m. Friday, they thought he looked suspicious, arrest papers say.
Before the end of their conversation with Olen Berry III, they had discovered $320 in crystal methamphetamine, $130 in cash and a digital scale, charges state.
At 2:05 p.m. Berwick Police spotted Berry walking in the 100 block of West Ninth Street. They asked if he was carrying anything they should be concerned about, police say.
Berry hesitated a moment and then said he had “a notepad,” according to arrest papers.