Fire breaks out in home near Bloom middle school

BLOOMSBURG — An early morning fire Monday chased a woman from her house and brought firefighters from across the area to West 11th Street here.

Toni Kester, 51, was asleep in a basement bedroom at 290 W. 11th St. when she woke up and "I couldn't breathe," she said.

Her eyes were burning, so she grabbed a bathrobe and ran across the street to neighbor Joel Vought's home. Vought ran back to her house and grabbed her cat, Pia, and her phone, but couldn't get to the upstairs floor on the split level because smoke was already too bad, Vought said.

Chain-reaction crash sends one to hospital in Elysburg

ELYSBURG — A chain-reaction crash sent one person to a hospital and damaged three vehicles Friday morning along Route 487 in the area of the Masonic Lodge.

Westbound traffic was slowing around 9:45 a.m. as a delivery truck was attempting to turn into a driveway, police say.

Jerome Tanner Jr., 23, of Ranshaw, was unable to stop his 2002 Saturn Vue before it rammed into the rear of a 2007 Pontiac G6 driven by Roman Giov Marshall III, 21, of Catawissa, according to Ralpho Township Police.

Holy Family saved

BERWICK — Holy Family School has been saved.

The Diocese of Harrisburg and Bishop Ronald W. Gainer announced Thursday night that they had reversed their decision to close the school.

The move came after nearly two months of discussions between the diocese and the newly-formed Committee to Save Holy Family School.

Governor touts how gas severance tax would help Bloom

BLOOMSBURG — If Gov. Tom Wolf manages to pass a severance tax through the state legislature, it could mean millions of dollars to help make Columbia County more floodproof, he said at a stop at the Bloomsburg fairgrounds on Thursday.

The Democrat Wolf appeared with Republican Rep. David Millard and Republican Columbia County Commissioner Chris Young.

“Floodwaters don’t discriminate against the area of what party they hit,” Millard said.

Man led cops on 100-mph chase

LOCUST TWP. — A Bloomsburg University student led police on a high-speed chase Tuesday night that topped speeds of 100 mph along Numidia Drive here, arrest papers say.

Alec Gascot, 20, of York began accelerating after passing by a patrol car that attempted to stop him for a lighting violation about 8:40 p.m., according to police.

As the police reached a speed of about 100 mph heading north on the highway, Gascot continued to pull away in his 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer sedan.

Police to hit-and-run driver: We have your car parts

NUMIDIA — A hit-and-run pickup driver plowed over five mailboxes and a speed limit sign, leaving over a dozen vehicle parts scattered near the intersection of Center School and Middle roads in Cleveland Township late Saturday or early Sunday. 

“We are confident that you must have been either driving while impaired — alcohol or drug caused — sleep deprived or was distracted while using a mapping application to find your way home,” Locust Township Police wrote in a tongue-in-cheek press release addressed to the unknown driver.

Sheptock resigns in Berwick

BERWICK — Frank Sheptock, Berwick’s head football coach and athletic director, is resigning to take a new job with King’s College, the superintendent says.

Superintendent Wayne Brookhart said Sheptock pulled the team together Monday morning to tell them he was leaving for the new full-time job.

The district has not yet received a formal letter of resignation from the coach, but expects to have it and accept it by the March 18 school board meeting, he said.

It’s not clear yet when Sheptock’s last day working in the district would be, Brookhart said.

Snow delays school schedule

Here's a list of school delays due to this morning's snow:

• Benton - two-hour delay

• Berwick - two-hour delay 

• Bloomsburg - two-hour delay

• Central Columbia - two-hour delay

• Columbia County Christian - two-hour delay

• Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech - two-hour delay

• Danville - two-hour delay

• Millville - two-hour delay

• Mount Carmel - two-hour delay

• Southern Columbia - two-hour delay

Woman rescued after jump from bridge

MONTOUR TWP. — A woman was rescued from a frigid Susquehanna River after she jumped from the Catawissa river bridge here Tuesday evening.
Police say the woman is in critical condition. They did not release her name as of press time.
Bloomsburg Fire Chief Scott McBride said once he and fire department members John Mahon, Todd Thomas and Tom Snyder reached the woman by boat shortly before 5 p.m., the only part of her body that was visible was her face.
“She was lifeless and unresponsive,” McBride said. “There were no respirations.”

Aristes woman ID'd as victim in Conygham Township wreck

DANVILLE – A woman whose car rolled over on the road from Aristes to Mount Carmel on Monday was listed in critical condition at Geisinger Medical Center Tuesday, a spokesperson said.

Regina M. Eckert, 62, of Aristes, was traveling east along Midvalley Highway near Legion Road when she lost control of her Buick Century along a slight right curve about 5 p.m., according to State Police.

The car struck an embankment and hit several trees before rolling onto its roof, police said. It had to be towed due to extensive damages, according to police.

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