NEWS

RIDGWAY – A local cybersecurity expert discussed how businesses can protect themselves from cyber-attacks on Wednesday through the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission’s Partnership for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) program.

Nate Rogers of Omnis Technologies, located in Lewis Run, presented facts and figures on the occurrence of such attacks which are designed to trick companies and employees into giving them access to their files, locking them, and then requesting money as a ransom to get their information back.

Ransomware is the practice of using malicious software to gain access to a company’s information. Rogers said these types of attacks occur every 14 seconds and the average ransom is $4.5 million. The average downtime companies experience is 22 days. He also said that there are no guarantees companies will get their data back upon paying the ransom.

​Montoursville, PA – Motorists in north central Pennsylvania are advised the following roads in the area (listed by county) are closed or have a lane restriction due to flooding, downed trees or utilities. Updates will be sent periodically.​

Lycoming

• Route 2012 (Second Avenue) between East Second Avenue and Sylvan Dell Park Road in South Williamsport Borough and Armstrong Township, for flooding.

Union

• (OPEN) Route 1008 (River Road) between Tabernacle Road and New Columbia Road in White Deer Township, for flooding.
• Route 1005 (Hospital Drive) between Route 15 and St. Anthony Street in Kelly Township, for flooding.

Brown, Struzzi, Smith Pen Letter to PIAA to Level the Playing Field in High School Sports Broadcasting

HARRISBURG – Following years of inaction by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) to fix a broken broadcasting policy, Reps. Marla Brown (R-Lawrence), Jim Struzzi (R-Indiana) and Brian Smith (R-Jefferson/Indiana) have sent a formal letter to PIAA demanding change.

The PIAA recently entered into an agreement with the National Federation of State High School (NFHS) Association, the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. NFHS can provide a streaming service, and often, schools will choose to exercise that capability in high-profile situations. What this does is eliminate the ability for local media outlets covering the away teams to do what they do best and requires anyone who wishes to stream the game to pay a subscription fee to access it.

Brown, Struzzi and Smith issued this statement after sending the letter, signed by 45 lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, to the PIAA:

Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania 

1h  · 

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit New Jersey and was felt in parts of Pennsylvania.

My team and PA Emergency Management Agency are actively monitoring the situation and in contact with counties on any damage. We will keep Pennsylvanians updated.

​Montoursville, PA – Motorists are advised that a two-year roadway project continues along Interstate 180 eastbound and westbound in Montoursville Borough, and Loyalsock, Fairfield, and Muncy townships in Lycoming County.

On Monday, April 8, 2024, the contractor will be installing an overhead sign on the Cemetery Road overpass in Fairfield Township. Motorists can expect the westbound right lane to be closed during the installation of the structure mounted sign on the bridge that carries Cemetery Road over Interstate 180.

Work will be performed between the hours of 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM, weather permitting. Motorists should be alert, slow down, expect delays in travel and drive with caution.

Students throughout the region traveled to Hershey and other different vocational sites near Hershey to compete in a variety of competitions.

The SkillsUSA Pennsylvania State Competitive Events were held on April 3-5, 2024, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Skills USA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student excel by providing educational programs, events, and competitions that support career and technical education in the nation’s classrooms.

The following students competed at the state level for Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center by qualifying first at the district level: 

Garry Strait from Otto-Eldred High School in Information Technology Service.

 Lane Crawford and Levi Howard from Port Allegany High School in Cyber Security.

 Nicole Hockey (Cameron County), Maximos McGarvey (Port Allegany), Clara Jane Kuscienz (Otto-Eldred), Owen Erhard (Port Allegany), Richard Wojcik (Otto-Eldred),  and Brody Mclnroy (Galeton H.S.) in Quiz Bowl. 

Anastasia Penick from Port Allegany High School in Restaurant Sevice

Blake Cool from Cameron County High School in Job Interview.

We are very proud of all our students who took extra time to prepare and compete!! The national competition this year will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 24-28, 2024. To find out more about the National SkillsUSA competitions, go to https://www.nlsc.skillsusa.org.

WAYNESBURG, Pa., April 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Iron Senergy (“Iron”), the owner and operator of the Cumberland Mine located in Greene County, Pennsylvania, recognizes Senator Robert P. Casey’s concern for the Pennsylvania coal industry and its workforce. Through his recent press releases, Senator Casey has made it clear that the continued operation of coal-producing assets, like the Cumberland Mine, is in the “best interest of our nation.” Iron could not agree more and believes it is important for politicians like Senator Casey to bring attention to coal’s critical role in our national security, the reliability of our electrical grid, and lifting large portions of the world’s population out of energy poverty.

​Montoursville, PA – Motorists in north central Pennsylvania are advised the following roads in the area (listed by county) are closed or have a lane restriction due to flooding, downed trees or utilities. Updates will be sent periodically.

Lycoming

• Route 2012 (Second Avenue) between East Second Avenue and Sylvan Dell Park Road in South Williamsport Borough and Armstrong Township, for flooding.

Northumberland

• (OPEN) Route 405 in Turbot Township between Route 1007 (Susquehanna Trail) and the Milton Borough line, for flooding.
• (OPEN) Route 1030 (Shakespeare Road) between Hobbes Road and Route 45 in East Chillisquaque Township, for flooding.

Snyder

• (OPEN) Route 2009 (Middle Creek Road) between Route 2017 (South Market Street) and Bake Oven Hill Road in Penn and Union townships for flooding.

Union

• Route 1008 (River Road) between Tabernacle Road and New Columbia Road in White Deer Township, for flooding.
• Route 1005 (Hospital Drive) between Route 15 and St. Anthony Street in Kelly Township, for flooding.

PennDOT cautions motorists to never drive through flooded roadways, as it takes just two feet of fast-moving water to float a car. Anyone who drives around barriers intended to close a road can face increased penalties if emergency responders are called to rescue motorists who disregard traffic control signs.

Don’t Give Up

by

Pastor B.J. Knefley

Life takes many twists and turns. Careers, relationships, and events have a habit of changing the direction of our life. Our plans can be foiled by the actions of others or our own. As hard as we might try, our life can easily get misdirected and off course. We can find ourselves in a place that we wonder how we ever got there. Some just call it life and as much as we plan and prepare, it happens.

The writer of Hebrews states, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Having goals and direction is very important. But we can be so easily sidetracked by things in the moment. Not only do we get sidetracked, but we often just give up. At the beginning of a new year many plan to do things differently. Perhaps they set goals and objectives only to find a few months into the New Year that they’ve already missed the mark. But rather than get back up and start again, they give up.

I was watching a college track meet and during the heat of the race one of the runners fell. One would think that this fall would have eliminated her from placing in the top three positions, but she didn’t. In fact, not only did she place in the top three, but she also won the race. In an interview later, the runner stated that she had her eye on the finish line and when she fell, she stayed upon that goal. Many would have been so discouraged by the fall that they would have given up, but she did not. She didn’t allow a setback to make her give up.

The key in life is not possessing the goal, but rather not giving up in our pursuit of it. If you’ve been sidelined because of an event, Don’t Give Up, get back up and start out again. Think about it.  

Clearfield, PA – Following heavy rains that fell across the state yesterday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) in District 2 announced it has reopened most of the roads it closed due to flooding. The closures that remain in effect are as follows: 

Centre County:

• Route 2012 (Penns Creek Road) in Penn Township between the intersections of Greenbriar Gap/Paradise Road and 1^st Alley.

Clinton County:

• Route 4001 (Kettle Creek Road) between the intersections of One Forty Fourth Street and Kettle Creek Road in Leidy and Noyes townships.
• Route 4002 (Keating Road) in East Keating Township between the intersections of Route 120 and Vincent Drive.

Mifflin County:

• Route 103 in Wayne Township between the intersection of Bridge Street and Sugar Ridge Road.

(MCKEAN COUNTY, Pennsylvania: April 4, 2024): District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that a Bradford man appeared for a sentencing hearing after previously been convicted of sexual offenses against two minor female family members several times between 2010 and 2015.   Roger Traster, Sr. was sentenced by the Judge to a period of incarceration of 9 years – 18 years plus 3 years of consecutive probation. 

Traster was also ordered to register as a sex offender for his lifetime due to the Court previously determining he meets the criteria to be considered a sexually violent predator. He was convicted of fondling the breasts of a minor child who was between the ages of 9 and 10 at least two times and to fondling the breasts and penetrating the vagina with his finger of another child who was between the ages of 9 and 12 at least two times. 

Traster was ordered to provide his DNA, undergo sex offender treatment and other terms.  Traster had been convicted after a jury trial in 2018 but, prior to the original sentencing date, various motions were filed by the defense related to Traster’s medical condition that required the Court to hold hearings at various intervals and prevented the Court imposing a sentence sooner.  DA Vettenburg-Shaffer:  “One of the children disclosed the sexual abuse during a talk in her classroom about “good touch/bad touch.”  The other child wrote a note to a teacher’s aid about what the defendant had done to her and asked the aid for help.  These children knew that these adults in their school could help them and, in both cases, the teachers reported the crimes as mandated reporters.  This resulted in CYS and City of Bradford Police initiating investigations.  Anyone who works with children is deemed a “mandatory reporter” under Pennsylvania law where they are required to report suspected child abuse.  But all adults are in a position to report suspected abuse to authorities and could stop a child from being abused.  If you suspect child abuse, please call Childine at 1-(800) 932-0313 and 911.”

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://mckean.crimewatchpa.com/da/136029/post/bradford-man-sentenced-state-prison-sex-crimes-against-children

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that a job fair will be held for those seeking employment with the department in Tioga County.

The job fair will be held Thursday, April 18, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the following location:

• Tioga County Maintenance Office, 6 Berwart Street, Wellsboro PA  16901.   For more information, please call 570-724-4142.

Current vacancies include:

• Diesel and Construction Equipment Mechanic Trainee/Diesel and Construction Equipment Mechanic
• Transportation Equipment Operator A
• Summer Highway Maintenance Workers
• DOT Summer Students

Commission Policy Statement Follows Extensive Review of Stakeholder Input and Public Comment from Utilities, Advocates, State Agencies, Consumer Groups and Other Parties

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today approved a final policy statement establishing guidelines for the use of electricity storage by electric distribution companies (EDC).

The PUC voted 5-0 today to adopt the final policy statement – creating a path for future use of various “non-wires solutions” that enhance the reliability and resilience of the electric distribution grid in Pennsylvania and help provide better service to customers.