Emergency personnel work in South Williamsport near where three children and a woman went into the Susquehanna River about 11 a.m
Two of the children made it safely to shore on their own as did the woman
One child was still missing while the woman and two other children were being treated at UPMC Williamsport
Officials have released the name of the missing 10-year-old girl who is feared drowned Sunday in the Susquehanna River as Claue Schreffler-Algofera
Borough Fire Chief Jeff Trammell confirmed the girl’s identity late Monday morning
saying “The family has put it out on social media.”
“It is a recovery at this point,” Trammell said
adding that there has been no trace of the girl
a third-grade student in the South Williamsport Area School District
when she was swept away while playing in the river with two other children near a cement pad along the bike path in the borough
The children were with a woman in an area west of Front and Winthrop Streets
and that the girl was floating away from shore when she was apparently pulled by the current
whose identity has not been officially released
went in the water and tried to save the child
but was carried over the dam by the current
She managed to get to shore and was helped out of the water by emergency personnel and passersby
but there was no word on her condition on Monday afternoon
The two other children made it to shore and were taken by ambulances to the hospital for evaluation
The search for Claue’s body resumed Monday morning
Members of the North Central Pennsylvania Dive Recovery and K9 Search Team from Elk County were expected to arrive later today and assist in the search
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — A 10-year-old girl remains missing after being swept away Sunday morning while playing in the Susquehanna River near the Hepburn Street Dam in South Williamsport
The Williamsport Sun Gazette reports it is feared that the girl drowned
Media reports say crews from across the region spent more than six hours searching the river using sonar
They were forced to pause operations Sunday night due to poor visibility and rising water
The girl was with three others when the current pulled them into the water
and an adult woman who tried to rescue them went over the dam but was pulled from the river by firefighters
All three survivors were taken to UPMC Williamsport and are responsive
State police marine and cadaver K-9 units are expected to join the search Monday morning
The family reportedly lives just blocks from the river
The South Williamsport Area School District confirmed the missing child is a third-grade student and is offering emotional support to students and staff in the coming days
Written by WKOK Staff
People with disabilities can contact Kevin Herr at 570-286-5838 extension 230 for help accessing the WKOK Online Public File
The South Williamsport Area School District’s efforts to enhance securities across its three campuses received a major boost as the local Moose Club presented a check for $750 to cover added costs of the district’s newly introduced ZeroEyes initiative Saturday afternoon
Formed in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting by current and former military members
ZeroEyes is an AI-based gun detection software that scans more than 200 cameras across the district for unholstered gun-consistent shapes
the flagged images are relayed to a team of human experts who confirm the existence of a weapon and alert school officials
The initial system was paid for by a PCCD Grant
which carried an allotment of 10 individuals to receive alerts
The money donated by the Moose will be used to add the South Williamsport Police Department as an additional party to receive the alerts
“The district would like to thank the South Williamsport Moose Club for their generous donation in support of our efforts to implement the ZeroEyes weapons detection system by covering the expense for our local law enforcement agencies to have administrative access to our system,” district Superintendent Dr
Eric Briggs said in a statement emailed to the Sun-Gazette
“This contribution underscores the Moose Club’s unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our students and staff
Their partnership is invaluable as we take proactive steps to enhance security measures within our schools
providing an added layer of protection and fostering a more secure learning environment,” he continued
“We are truly appreciative of the South Williamsport Moose Club’s community spirit and their investment in the safety of our children,” the statement concluded
“I was so fascinated by that whole system that I asked him to send me more information so I can take that back to my own Lodge and see if we want to do something with our local schools there,” said Robert Funkey
child ID kits with the schools to make sure that the kids can be identified if there’s kidnapping or a missing child and things like that
so they are always doing things with the local schools
so when they were approached by the school
and asked if they would be interested in participating with this program
The region had its first taste of summer severe weather Tuesday night
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Lycoming County Treasurer Cindy Newcomer has announced that her office will host a representative from Pennsylvania ..
An extensive all-day search Sunday for a 10-year-old girl who is feared to have drowned in the Susquehanna River was called off in the early-evening hours
It is believed that the girl may have gone over the South Williamsport side of the dam at Front and Winthrop streets after being pulled away from the shore about 11 a.m.
according to borough Mayor Marlin Angelo and other emergency personnel
The girl’s whereabouts remained unknown Sunday night
when apparently she was suddenly pulled away by the current while floating in the water
borough Fire Chief Jeff Trammell said he was told
who was on shore at an elevated pad overlooking where they had been playing
The area is about 100 yards west of the dam
It was unknown Sunday night if the two other children
were making an attempt to rescue their playmate or if they too got pulled away from the shore as well
both made it back to the shore on their own
One of the minors was helped out of the water by borough police and passersby while the other juvenile got out of the water on his own
but she went over the dam,” Trammell said
where she was helped out of the water by emergency personnel
went into the river in an attempt to help the woman to shore before the force of the water carried her over the dam
She was taken by ambulance to UPMC Williamsport as were the two juveniles who swam to shore
There was no information on their medical conditions
but officials indicated that the two minors were simply being evaluated
Also with the woman was a baby in a stroller
who was safe and being cared for by others
were used to search the river both below and above the dam
Boats with special sonar equipment that can detect bodies under water were also used in the search
State police and a water conservation officer from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission also was part of the operations
The missing girl attends third grade in the South Williamsport Area School District
Superintendent Eric Briggs sent out this email out to the school community on Sunday afternoon:
“It is with extreme sadness that I share the news that one of our third-grade students has been determined missing since this afternoon
Recognizing that this news will evoke a wide range of emotions from the student’s classmates and even our own faculty
we have been working closely with our community to provide support to our students and staff
and county officials to provide emotional support services as needed throughout the day tomorrow and in the upcoming weeks for our students and staff
Our sincere sympathies and prayers go out to the family and friends of our student and everyone impacted by this event.”
Emergency personnel standing on the landing in South Williamsport near where three children and a woman went into the Susquehanna River about 11 a.m
sets up one of three drones used during Sunday's search for a missing 10-year-old girl at the South Williamsport side of the dam
Water Conservation Officer Hunter Shoemaker with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission arrives on the scene of Sunday morning's water rescue on the South Williamsport side of the dam
(WOLF) — A search was underway for a 10-year-old girl who went missing while swimming in the Susquehanna River late Sunday morning
According to the South Williamsport Fire Department
crews were dispatched to the area of the dam in Lycoming County for a water rescue
A passerby saw three children playing in the river and felt it was unsafe
Two children were able to be coached out of the water
one adult went over the dam and was rescued
while a third child was reported to be unaccounted for
Search efforts with aid from multiple counties responding continued until dark
however the child was still unable to be found
The South Williamsport Area School District identified the missing child as one of its third-grade students
Eric Briggs shared a message on Facebook stating that resources and counseling will be available for students and staff
Our sincere sympathies and prayers go out to the family and friends of our student and everyone impacted by this event.”
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT – 324 days removed from its PIAA Class AA semifinal loss to South Williamsport
the Bald Eagle Area softball team got its chance at vengeance on Wednesday afternoon
That wasn’t on the front of their minds as they prepared for another tough battle to build upon
but they understood the challenge that awaited them
With Bald Eagle’s move up to Class AAA preventing a potential postseason rematch
the game served as the closing tiebreaker of a hard-fought three-game saga between storied pitchers Sierra Albright and Alizabeth Schuler
The pair proceeded to put their best foot forward
scattering seven combined hits throughout the game
Just one of those hits ended up being the deciding factor
as Bald Eagle senior Sydney Thompson converted a fifth-inning double into the contest’s only run and Albright and her field did the rest to secure the 1-0 win
“It was very exciting,” said Thompson on the game-winning run
and it just set the tone for the rest of the season.”
Albright delivered her best performance in the extended series
Sydney Thompson of BEA scores during the fifth inning as catcher Lily Reidy of South Williamsport waits for play to resume in South Williamsport Wednesday afternoon
The three-hit shutout featured 14 strikeouts – the second highest number she’s produced this season – to just three walks
the Mounties never once made it to third base
she pitched a heck of the game,” said South Williamsport head coach Thomas O’Malley on Albright
“We struck out 14 times and that’s way too many
We’ve got to put the ball in play and unfortunately
We had some opportunities and couldn’t come through.”
In the rare occasions where South got the ball rolling
After surrendering a leadoff walk in the fifth to Kendall Cardone
she’d respond with a three-pitch strikeout
And when Abby Lorson put Cardone in scoring position on the ensuing at-bat
she’d do it again before forcing an immediate pop out to second baseman Maelee Yoder to strand the runners
The next set of batters would be South’s top of the order
arguably the game’s defining moment on the defensive end
catching Mikaiya Hills swinging to close a seven-pitch affair
she’d strikeout out the same batter she’d issued a walk to in the previous stanza
stifling the Mounties’ last promising attack
“She’s probably the most even-keeled pitcher we’ve ever had for four years,” said Bald Eagle head coach Donald Lucas on Albright
Even with Albright’s heroics from the mound
something had to give in order to take home the victory
And with the score knotted at 0-0 heading into the fifth
Bald Eagle’s best chance at offense stepped up to the plate
Sydney Thompson would take a chance on the next pitch
making great contact and belting the ball deep to right center
forcing South’s outfield to chase it to the wall
and I figured it was going to be a strike,” said Thompson on the at-bat
like I wouldn’t have made it home if my team didn’t hit
A well-placed grounder from Raelee Repasky would allow her to advance to third on a fielder’s choice
And while it wouldn’t count as a hit
Maelee Yoder’s infield grounder on the ensuing at-bat would take an awkward bounce
slipping through Kendall Cardone’s glove and allowing Thompson to get home on the error
Sydney Thompson of BEA connects on a double in the fifth inning against South Williamsport in South Williamsport Wednesday afternoon
that one sequence – coupled with the endless number of plays the team made defensively – was what brought it over the edge
The Mounties would go on to strand three to cap the inning before thwarting another promising scenario in the seventh with an exceptional double play from Gianna Goodman
adding to the importance of Bald Eagle’s fifth inning
“I knew that it was a very good opportunity for that run to score,” said Yoder on contributing on a pressurized at-bat
“I didn’t try to swing at any pitches that weren’t strike
And just kind of played it by ear.”
the loss still displayed its defensive grit along with the continued growth Schuler’s endured at the plate
After going through the team’s first two matchups with the Eagles without a hit
she notched her first to kick things off and finished the day with a team-leading two hits alongside her stellar performance from the mound
“I just knew I had to get on top of the ball because she’s a rise-ball pitcher,” said Schuler on that success
imagining hitting the top of the ball really helped me stay through and not get out.”
most notably keeping the Eagles from scoring an additional run in the fifth with a great fielder’s choice to home
Right fielder Sage Lorson caught multiple promising liners in the game’s early goings and Emma McLaughlin made some great plays late
playing a key role in the team’s sixth- inning retirement with two force outs
Lily Reidy of South Williamsport gets the force out at home plate on Maelee Yoder of BEA during the fifth inning in South Williamsport Wednesday afternoon
A loss is a loss but there weren’t a lot of negatives to take away from it apart from its stifled offense and blemished fifth
the focus is on getting back on the track in a road matchup against Holy Redeemer (8-4) on Friday
“This loss will make us better for the rest of the season because we know how we feel,” said Schuler
“We don’t want to feel this way again and just playing a good team really helps us.”
the win makes it four straight for the team after falling in back-to-back games in mid-April
it’ll try to make it five against another great team in Westmont Hilltop (11-1)
“I think we’re going uphill by a lot,” said Yoder on the team’s recent span
“We’re doing a lot better and we’re not in our heads as much.”
Abigail Lorson (22) of South Williamsport forces out Kailey Eckert of BEA at first base during the 3rd inning in South Williamsport Wednesday afternoon
Top Bald Eagle Area hitters: Sydney Thompson 1-3
run; Maelee Yoder 1-3; Taylor Habovick 1-3; Sierra Albright 1-2; BB
Top South Williamsport hitters: Alizabeth Schuler 2-3
Sierra Albright of BEA leads the line of her team mates as BEA and South slap hands after the game in South Williamsport Wednesday afternoon
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has been jailed on two sets of DUI-related charges that were filed after he was involved in separate crashes in a two-month period
18 when Moss slammed into a cement barrier on Interstate 180 at the Hepburn Street interchange
“Even though the vehicle could not continue forward
continued pressing the accelerator to the point that the tires were smoking,” a witness told an officer
who said he could smell what he thought was PCP (angel dust) coming from the driver’s mouth
Moss was taken by ambulance to UPMC Williamsport to be treated for any possible injuries
an officer saw “numerous clues of impairment” exhibited allegedly by the driver
When the officer returned to the crash scene
he discovered “a PCP-dipped cigarette in a plastic baggie that was inside the console
Blood tests revealed “multiple variations of marijuana and PCP in his system,” the court document stated
there already was a warrant for Moss’ arrest on another matter
who was told at the hospital that he was not free to go
fled the medical facility and was later taken into custody at his home in the borough
possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia
The second crash took place about 3:40 p.m
on April 14 in the 300 block of West Third Street
“crashed onto the sidewalk… and began attacking people with a baseball bat,” it was alleged in a criminal complaint
repeating himself and not making any sense,” it was stated in a second affidavit
who police said was “clearly under the influence of a controlled substance
demanded the officers retrieve (for him) a 14-foot boat with wheels that was in a nearby apartment
He was unable” to provide any more information to the officers about the boat’s whereabouts
Moss admitted he smoked marijuana earlier in the day
officers went through the Volvo and recovered a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia
Police did not say if Moss was driving the same car in both crashes
disorderly conduct and two summary offenses
Arraigned last week before District Judge Christian Frey
Moss remains jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail
A driver and student from the Towanda Area School District were killed when a district vehicle collided with a ..
South Williamsport is going to be host to a Wawa store just off Route 15 with traffic safety improvements planned for this normally heavily congested area
was a recipient of a $390,236 state grant to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Route 15 and Fairmont Avenue to support the development of a Wawa gas station located in the borough
The Williamsport Wawa on Maynard Street held a grand opening last month
“The borough is excited for the Wawa store development and is serving as the sponsoring entity for the state grant,” said Steven W
borough manager and borough public safety director
the traffic signals to be placed at Route 15 and Fairmont Avenue will unquestionably slow northbound traffic entering the borough and improve public safety,” Cappelli said
The Wawa is to be located just off Route 15
at the site of the former Kings Motel across from Little League’s museum and gift shop
serving the 83rd House district and Lycoming and Union counties
representing the senate’s 23rd district
spoke about the grant and other grants amounting to more than $1 million in grant funding through the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA)
which has been awarded to the Wawa safety project and two others
The fund provides grants to encourage economic development and ensure a safe and reliable system of transportation is available in the Commonwealth
and this money goes a long way to protecting the well-being of residents,” Flick said
“I’m grateful to have teamed up with Sen
Yaw to advocate for these critical projects and subsequently secure much-needed funding.”
“Maintaining and improving our roads
bridges and walkways is an essential component of ensuring the safety and mobility of the commuters and pedestrians who travel them each day,” Yaw said
Flick to support these significant investments in our local critical infrastructure.”
The other grant awards and project descriptions are as follows:
• Loyalsock Township Board of Supervisors: $416,000 for preliminary engineering for a pedestrian bridge over East Third Street and Millers Run in Loyalsock Township
This is the preliminary engineering for the future pedestrian bridge that will connect the neighborhoods of the township to the Susquehanna Riverwalk and the many businesses along the East Third Street corridor
• City of Williamsport: $200,000 for a transportation enhancement project located along West Third Street and Elmira streets
This was a state DCED Multimodal grant that was applied for last July for a streetscape project on West Third Street between Center Street and Hepburn Street and Elmira Street between Third and Fourth streets
The total funds requested were $2.7 million for engineering and construction
The grant of $200,000 will cover most of the permitting and design costs
the city can move forward with obtaining engineering professional services to produce the design of the project
The city may have to look at doing this project in phases and seek additional grant funding for the next couple of years
The city could do Phase I construction on Third from Hepburn to Elmira streets; Phase II on Third from Elmira to Center streets; and the last phase on Elmira from Third and Fourth streets
the city could design the entire project and then seek additional funding for construction in the three mentioned phases
and Farrington Place — businesses nearby — have expressed their appreciation for the administration of Mayor Derek Slaughter turning its attention to improving this area of the city
city director of the department of economic and community development also briefed Council about this grant application and how the section of the city was growing and the safety improvements for pedestrians and motorists
would be helpful to citizens and business owners
Although the flashy lights of big cities often spring to mind when thinking of those who have hit the big time
Lycoming County is no stranger to having its own fair share of talent making waves on a national stage
born in Williamsport and raised in nearby Loyalsock Township
have all brought the immense talent of the area to the masses
another name will be added to that list when South Williamsport’s very own Penny Samar auditions for a spot in the 23rd season of “American Idol.”
who graduated from South Williamsport Area High School in 2019
“I’ve been doing music pretty much my whole life
It’s just kind of taken different forms,” Samar said
“I remember doing dance in kindergarten
and I did theater throughout school as well,” she said
Samar turned her attention to the pop music realm and
after graduating from West Chester University as one of the first to earn a degree from their studio composition program
reached out to a casting producer for “American Idol.”
“He set me up with the online auditions
and I just happened to make it this far,” she explained
Making it to the show has been on Samar’s radar for quite some time
“This has definitely been a dream for as long as I can remember
I grew up watching this show with my grandma,” said Samar
“She’s actually the person who my stage name comes from.”
“I go by Penny as a way to honor her
because she was a big component in raising me,” Samar said
“I used to watch this show on her couch all the time
So it’s really cool to have a full circle moment like this,” Samar said
Samar didn’t initially start out in music when attending West Chester
“I actually started as a marketing major,” she said
“Then I transitioned into the music program in music education
and then into music therapy,” Samar explained
She then came across the studio composition program
which teaches students how to write music while producing it
Samar’s time on the show so far has been overwhelmingly positive
I really connect with everybody who’s been auditioning
and all the producers are wonderful,” Samar said
“Everybody is just such a professional
It’s really a dream come true to be able to work with everybody who is involved in the process,” she said
Samar said those involved in the show’s production put the contestants’ well-being front and center
the goal of the producers and the team is to really support every individual’s dream
because it’s such a personal thing for everybody there
and it is a little bit scary if you’re going to be broadcasted to the world
especially if you’re from a small town
and that was just never really your reality,” she explained
“I think they definitely try their best to keep everybody comfortable and sane through the crazy process,” Samar said
Samar stressed that for anyone pursuing a dream
knowing why they are in the game is paramount
is having a very clear vision of where you want to be at your end point with whatever project you’re doing,” she said
“If you can visualize the end and work backwards
because you kind of have a mountain that you’re trying to walk towards,” Samar said
referencing a Neil Gaiman quote that she said has always stuck with her
it is especially important to think outside the immediate area
“I would recognize that maybe your direct community isn’t your target audience
and there’s a broader world out there that would accept your art and your music that you haven’t even discovered yet because they haven’t discovered you,” Samar said
and then eventually somebody’s gonna walk by and say that they really like it,” she said
Samar is grateful for all the support from her family
“My family’s been super supportive and I’m very glad that I was from a smaller community before going on this show
because when I moved away for a bit for college
I started to realize how special it is to have such a small community
and everybody tries to support each other as best as they can,” she said
it’s nice to know that everybody there is supportive and I have a family to come back to
“We call ourselves the Pink Penny Club
That’s our little fan club that anyone is welcome to join after this audition,” Samar said
Anyone interested in keeping up with Penny’s journey can follow her across all major social media platforms
Penny Samar makes her “American Idol” debut at 8 p.m
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Staff and faculty from the South Williamsport Area School District got a hands-on look at the district’s recently installed safety technology during a training session Tuesday afternoon
and ran through a full system demo of the Raptor Learning Accountability App and the Raptor Alert app
which can be used in a large number of emergency situations
ranging from active shooters to severe weather
personnel and guests’ whereabouts and wellbeing
The app offers a number of features to help keep users abreast of evolving situations
including the ability to initiate critical situation alerts that can be sent out to specific individuals for what Roberts called “micro incidents,” as well as group messaging for larger safety issues
auto-refreshing emergency alerts and the ability to review documents such as emergency procedure practices and evacuation plans
Roberts ran an exercise in which an evacuation for the school may be ordered
it’s going to function pretty similar to an Amber Alert
so it’s going to override “do not disturb,” and silence mode
and it’s going to make sure that if you have these settings enabled
that you receive that critical alert,” he explained
adding that additional messages may be sent via text and email
the person sending it out will have the ability to dial 911 straight from the app and give updates as the situation progresses
the app will also be able to share the location of anyone utilizing it
which Roberts said is particularly important
“If you had to evacuate to a lesser known spot
maybe your evacuation route was blocked or closed up and you had to evacuate to a different location outside of the school
it might be helpful to drop your location to show where you’re at and show your colleagues
staff members and administrators where you’re located,” he said
Roberts then turned his attention to Accountability
which gives all those using the app the ability to mark staff
including their current location and if they have been injured
The feature can be particularly helpful for student teachers
teacher’s aids and for situations in which students may be out of the classroom
such as in the nurse’s or guidance counselor’s office
The system also catalogs guests at the facility
so that emergency responders are aware of their presence if their particular location is unknown
The status of all persons rostered can be updated at any time throughout the situation
whether they’re accounted for or missing
is to allow your district administrators and your building administrators to help assist with either trying to locate them or trying to assist them,” he stressed
personnel were given a live demonstration of the newly installed AI gun detection ZeroEyes
Comprising more than 200 cameras across the district’s three campuses
ZeroEyes detects shapes consistent with an unholstered firearm within several seconds and sends the images for follow-up review by trained current and former military members
the movements of the individual with the firearm are tracked
along with photos from the camera picking them up
and can be viewed by administrators from the software’s dashboard
“We don’t want to ever have this happen here
but this is also to hopefully help response time for the police and other first responders,” Dwight Woodley
director of Innovative Learning and Information Systems
a school employee walked the halls with an unloaded pellet pistol in his hand
which was immediately picked up by the system
sounding an alarm and alerting administrators
who was instrumental in helping to secure funding for the technology
“We were fortunate enough to get a grant to be able to have this technology installed for us and paid through by a PCCD grant,” Superintendent Dr
“We were also very fortunate for our local Moose,” he said
we’re only allowed to put 10 names to get these alerts
the Moose has graciously agreed to fund for our local police department to be able to be added to that list for the first two years,” Briggs said
“So not only will the 10 administrators identified to the district receive a first initial response
but our local police department will be able to have one as well,” he said
“We feel we’ve layered the school district to be in a very safe place,” Briggs said
“The staff from South Williamsport were trained in two very important safety measures and programs the district utilizes to add yet another layer of safety for all students and staff,” Briggs said in a statement emailed to the Sun-Gazette
“The new Raptor technology is a teacher accountability system that allows staff to track students attendance and location should an emergency occur
The software also allows for communication between administration should an emergency occur as reported by another staff
enhancing their communication abilities,” he continued
“The district also saw a demonstration of our new AI gun detection technology ZeroEyes
This technology is a gun detection technology with human “checkpoints” that detects guns on our school property 24/7/365,” the email said
administration and first responders are immediately notified should an event occur
and therefore limits the time of event for the intruder,” Briggs concluded
Lycoming Regional police stated that new evidence has come to light alleging that Shawn Franklin Sampsell stole an additional $19,420 from a 67-year-old Hepburn Township woman while doing various errands for the her between February 2024 and last month
according to court documents filed at the office of District Judge William Solomon
After hearing testimony during a preliminary hearing
theft by deception and financial exploitation of a care-dependent person
Investigators initially accused Sampsell of allegedly stealing $14,461 from the victim
Police added one additional felony charge of identity theft to the criminal complaint
Sampsell was also held on that charge as well and remains free on $50,000 bail
LAIRDSVILLE — When a carport roof blew off at the Darwin Diagnostic Center on Route 118 during Tuesday night’s ..
After battling her way to the Top 24 on American Idol
Christina “Penny” Samar’s time on the show came to close during Sunday’s Easter special
her experience during the competition was nothing but positive
and far from the end of the line for her budding career
“My experience on the show was really awesome,” Samar said
“You’re just a bunch of artists in a pressure cooker
and you’re told to compete with each other
but what I found was the most valuable thing was that everybody who was my competition turned into my friend at the end of the day,” she said
“So the biggest thing I learned from the whole experience is to take what you can from the experience
and try to bring it with you wherever you go
because you get to work with vocal coaches and industry professionals that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise,” Samar said
the unexpected friendships she made on the show were equally valuable
you’re just placed with people that you probably didn’t interact with
I met a lot of people that I didn’t even know were even in the competition until we were all put in the same space
I would gravitate towards people who are almost the exact same as me during Hollywood week
I got to be really close to people that I wouldn’t expect to get close with,” Samar said
One of those special friendships includes the bond that formed between Samar and her “Snow Angel sister,” Grayson Torrence
Both women performed “Snow Angel” by Reneé Rapp during the Idol Arena round
“I think it would have been easy to pit each other against each other
because of the stress of the competition and it’s reality TV
and we just had a very supportive dynamic,” she said
The two would then team up to perform Billie Eilish’s “WILDFLOWER” during the head-to-head round
During that round the pairs were forced to pick a song off a board and learn it
a task that Samar’s previous experience at West Chester University was instrumental in helping accomplish
I arranged the two sets that made it the furthest in the competition for the history of U.A.R.
“When we picked “WILDFLOWER,” I pulled the music and I put it on my laptop
and I cut it up on Logic and basically sang my part
and I sang Grayson’s part and recorded it
“a perfect performance,” which Samar said was validating for the pair
“I think Grayson and I both felt like underdogs
but I think we were never top picks throughout the whole show
so I think having that happen was really cool
because I think it solidified that we can do it,” she said
the off-screen camaraderie were among her favorite moments of the competition
These included bonding with Zaylie Windsor over their respective performances of Billie Eillish’s “happier than ever,” seeing the Minecraft movie with Thunderstorm Artis and meeting season 14 runner-up Clark Beckham
as well as hanging out at the hotel with her fellow competitors
by far the thing she will miss most is the outfits afforded to her
that was actually one of the things I was most sad about because the wardrobe lady was like
‘your next outfit was so good,'” Samar said
but unaired that Samar wishes could have been featured was her performance of “The Impossible Dream (The Quest),” which originated in the 1965 Broadway musical Man of La Mancha
Her performance would’ve been dedicated to her grandmother
she wanted to see me in that musical,” she explained
Samar and her grandmother attended one of its performances together
because that song was one of her favorites
and it would have been cool to have that full circle moment,” she said
Samar has since shared a clip of her American Idol performance of the song to her social media accounts
Samar has been busy plotting her next moves
“put yourself out there,” and announcing a project with Torrence
accompanied by a clip of the pair performing their first original piece
so we need to figure out a long distance way to make it happen,” Samar said
“But it’s one of those things where our duo is so good that it would be a shame if we didn’t at least try to make something,” she said
which she said is headed in a new direction
“What I’ve been drawn to making recently is more of a Frank Ocean
whereas before I was kind of in that girl pop realm
but I think more of that vibe is what I want to try and we’ll see how it goes,” she said
adding that she plans to self-produce her upcoming projects
Recently relocating to Los Angeles also opens up the possibility of future collaborations
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has been charged by borough police with felony submitting false information on a government form when he attempted to “transfer” a firearm at Sauers Trading Post
it was alleged in an affidavit at the office of District Judge Gary Whiteman
He is also charged with making unsworn falsification to authorities
He waived his preliminary hearing this week and remains free on $7,500 bail
friends and fans known as the Pink Penny Club gathered at the Brickyard Restaurant and Ale House on Pine Street Sunday night as South Williamsport native Christina “Penny” Samar held a watch party for her debut audition on the 23rd season of “American Idol.”
“I’m super excited to be here in my hometown with my close friends from the community,” Samar said prior to the airing of the episode
“There’s no better place to be,” she said
The watch party drew together Samar’s friends old and new
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Steven Kendikian
Kendikian previously sang with Samar at the West Chester University a cappella group Under A Rest
“She’s always been a boundless ball of creativity
I knew she was special from the moment I met her,” he said
“I couldn’t be more proud to be her fan
friend and supporter,” Kendikian said
“It’s very inspiring,” said Calista Mahoney
who has known Samar since the first grade and were co-workers at Starbucks
The two even performed together as part of the Uptown Music Collective
personal and very genuine level and we really support each other,” Mahoney said
“Seeing her come from Williamsport really inspires me to work towards my dreams,” Mahoney said
said she first bonded with Samar over a shared friend that passed away
I remember when she was going through the audition
I just kept manifesting it for her,” she said
“Seeing her come from a small town like Williamsport is incredible
I’m so beyond proud,” Simpson said
who met Samar through mutual friends while they both attended West Chester University called being at the watch party “an honor.”
“It’s incredible to be here and to support Penny
and to see her get this far,” he said
“I knew from the start that she was so talented and would go far,” Scheidt said
“I’m super excited to see one of our Linda juniors take the stage and get her sparkle on,” said family friend Cari Plankenhorn
The Lindas are a local crew of lovely ladies that love music and wear sparkles
Also present for Samar’s national debut were Robyn Rummings
band director for the South Williamsport Area Junior/Senior High School
Both Rummings and Kaledas remember Samar fondly from her time at the school
I’m star struck,” Rummings said
“I think it’s an amazing accomplishment
I’ve been watching her grow as she went through high school and followed her through college and all of the things that she’s been doing and accomplishing
And I’m just so proud of her,” she said
“I’m just really proud of her determination and her work ethic and her ability to be herself,” Kaledas said
“It’s been awesome to watch that progress
I feel like she has those opportunities because she worked so hard
and because she is just authentically who she is and also her voice is incredible,” she said
when Samar’s was the first audition to be aired
Samar performed a stripped down version of Chappell Roan’s hit “Pink Pony Club.”
Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie had mixed reactions to Samar’s emotive facial expressions
with Richie calling it “distracting” with Bryan adding
“I felt like there was a little too much sauce in the performance,” Underwood said
and sometimes I think it might be best to dial back a little bit
because it was a little distracting from how great your voice is,” she said
“You have a beautiful voice,” Underwood stressed
Bryan gave Samar her first “yes” vote
which was followed by a “no” vote from Richie
“Your voice is so good,” Underwood said
prompting an eruption of cheers from Samar’s supporters
“I was terrified during that audition,” Samar said
“It was my first time in front of Carrie
and all my friends were outside the door,” she said
because I wanted to go to Hollywood so bad
so I was just waiting for all the reactions
I got two “yeses,” and one “no” vote
which makes me work harder,” Samar said
Samar said keeping the results of her audition a secret was a monumental task
“It’s so hard to keep a secret from everybody
And not many people can say that they’ve got to audition for the judges
I’m just super grateful to even be able to do it
so I wanted to share it with the world as soon as possible,” she said
Asked for any additional thoughts on her big night
“I’ll see everybody in Hollywood,” Samar offered
The South Williamsport Area School board voted unanimously to close Rommelt Elementary School at their monthly meeting Monday night
Central Elementary School will be reconfigured to accommodate grades K-5
while the Junior/Senior High School will host grades 6-12
The lone “no” vote to the configuration came from board President Todd Engel
who continued his opposition to moving the sixth grade class into the Junior/Senior High School
A feasibility study will be conducted by McKinley Architecture to determine whether the building warrants renovation or partial or total demolition
with the possibility of a replacement building or an addition to the Junior/Senior High School
the district had to make the difficult decision to close the elementary school in an effort to ensure that we were able to continue to provide a quality education for our students
but be fiscally responsible to the taxpayers,” Superintendent Dr
“We’re confident in the plan we have in place and how we will move forward to begin the 2025-26 school year,” he said
“We’re excited about this new beginning and we look forward to the opportunities that this grade reconfiguration will provide to our students,” Briggs said
The South Williamsport Area School District heard a mid-year report from Superintendent Dr
and approved several items at their monthly meeting this week
Briggs highlighted the accomplishments of three members of the musical department
who participates in several clubs including Model U.N
has been a member of the band since fifth grade
and has participated in several PMEA competitions
who recently participated in the PMEA District 8 Choral Festival held at Bloomsburg University
congratulations and thanks for your great work,” Briggs told the students
“FBLA is a program focused on the development of leadership
the students in the FBLA develop the skills and mindset needed to succeed in the ever-evolving world of business,” Briggs said in a statement to the Sun-Gazette
these skills are life skills that the students of South Williamsport will be able to use to be future leaders in our local
national and global societies,” the statement continued
Calling it his “state of the union” of the district
Briggs highlighted several improvements across the district’s three schools
giving credit to their respective administrators and faculty
the students are on an upward trend towards a proficient or advanced level in English
and maintained their proficient level in mathematics
Regular attendance has also improved from the previous school year
Central Elementary is no longer part of the state’s targeted school improvement initiative
Several metrics showed improvement over the previous school year at Rommelt Elementary School
including proficiency and growth in English and proficiency in mathematics
Two areas that saw significant advancement were their career standards benchmark
and the numbers of students attending regularly
Once a student misses 18 days of instruction
“That drastic growth is the fact that we put a system in place through our school counselors and our administrative team to effectively store artifacts our kids create career portfolios,” Briggs explained
Students at the junior/senior high school maintained their level of proficiency in English
while meeting the target for expected growth in the subject
and reversed downward trends for expected growth in English and mathematics
Trends in mathematics at the high school level may be deceiving
due to students advanced in algebra taking the district’s algebra course
and focus on passing the algebra Keystone exam
keeping in mind that one pathway to graduation is by passing all three Keystone exams
the best math students are focused into an algebra curriculum
rather than a generalized mathematics course of study
with the career standards benchmark also increasing from 62% to 68%
The district’s overall graduation rate stands at 92.8%
more than five points above the current statewide average
The student population earning credits by attending the Williamsport Career and Tech program measured at 30.7%
in line with statewide performance standard
the board approved an agreement with Keystone/Red Rock Jobs Corps
to allow a second chance for students who are at risk of not graduating to earn a diploma while simultaneously learning a trade; an agreement with Williamsport Area School District to allow for the enrollment of approximately 60 students in the Career and Technical Education programs through the 2029-30 school year; and the 2025-26 school year calendar
musical and athletic staff with stipends ranging from $2,500 to $3,538
Five school director positions will be on the primary ballot on May 20
which covers the eastern side of Curtin Street to the eastern borough line; one four-year term for region 2
which covers the western side of Curtin Street to the borough line; and one four-year term for region 3
Susquehanna Township and Armstrong Township
Those members serving in those positions are Ben Brigandi
takes a photo with some South Williamsport Area High School students during a visit to her alma mater on Monday morning
It’s not every day that school students are treated to a celebrity visit
but that’s exactly what happened Monday morning when “American Idol” contestant Penny Samar held a Q&A session and performed for the students of the South Williamsport Area School District
Samar is a 2019 graduate of the district that participated in several school musical programs
select choir and singers and songwriters club
according to an introduction by Robyn Rummings
who was joined by band director Jessica Kaledas in welcoming Samar
Her involvement with the music program led her to qualify for PMEA music festivals
“She is the founder of the Pink Penny Club
Anyone can join the club if they wear pink more than just on Wednesdays
believe in the power of sparkles and glitter and exist unapologetically as yourself,” Rummings said
“We are so proud of her commitment to her art
and all the hard work it has taken to get to this point
we know this is just the beginning,” Rummings told Samar
“If you are interested in doing anything like this
you should get really involved with the music programs here,” Samar said
K do such a good job with their band department and choir department
and Jared with the drama department,” she said
encouraging the students to sign up for the school’s talent shows
“I’m so starstruck by all of you,” Samar told the crowd before performing a piano-driven rendition of “Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith
a song she said won her her eighth grade talent show
During a Q&A session with junior and senior high school students
Samar responded that that is one of her most asked questions
Samar told the crowd that she was a flutist during her time in the band and boasts a vocal range of D3 to D6
And I think singing harmony and alto is really good for your aural skills
But I would say I’m a soprano,” she said
Though she has now passed the audition phase
Samar said she was not always confident in her singing abilities
Primarily a dancer and theater kid up to that point
it wasn’t until eighth grade when a student referred to her as “angel voice” that Samar began to seriously consider her vocal talents
and then I just started to sing a little bit more
and then kind of found it there,” she said
Though she focuses on pop music for her own performances
Samar stated that her favorite genre to listen to is actually folk-pop
with her favorite song being “Snow Angel” by Renee Rapp
“I feel like it shows the full extent of my vocal ability
Samar said that the process is different for everyone
which was in Phoenixville and I ended up winning
and I became close with the person who ran the group
who’s been involved with ‘American Idol’ people and producers,” she explained
I’m gonna see if you’re good enough to be on the show
And then he sent me to the executive producers
and then it was history,” Samar said
noting that around only 400 people made it to the point of auditioning for judges Lionel Richie
Samar found a very receptive and supportive audience in the students
“I want to say that you’re amazing
you should not give up a single bit because you have such huge potential,” another offered
Samar performed several songs for the junior and senior high school crowd
including Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” and her signature song of the moment
“Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan
before venturing down to Central Elementary
where the students were treated to performances of Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends,” Cynthia Erivo’s “Defying Gravity,” and a dance-fueled rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.”
“It was a great experience having Penny back in the building,” Junior/Senior High School Principal Jesse Smith said in an email to the Sun-Gazette
“I feel it made real what students were able to see during her performance on American Idol
I also think that it provides a first-hand experience of not giving up on your dreams,” he continued
and making the most of her opportunities,” Smith said
“I appreciate the fact that she was willing to visit with us
but I think it leaves a lasting impact on our kiddos for what they can achieve when they graduate high school,” Central Elementary Principal Dyan Frame said
“I thought she interacted really well with the kids
and I was just so pleased to see they felt very confident and comfortable with her
It was a really special thing that they could see somebody from our own school district going to that length
“On behalf of the entire South Williamsport Area School District
I want to express our sincere gratitude to Penny Samar for taking the time to visit with our students and faculty,” Superintendent Dr
Eric Briggs said in a statement to the Sun-Gazette
“Penny’s journey and her dedication to her music are truly inspiring
and her willingness to share her experiences with our students has left a lasting impact,” Briggs continued
“Penny’s visit served as a powerful reminder to our students that with hard work and dedication
She is a shining example of the talent and potential that exists within our community
We are incredibly proud to call her one of our own,” the statement said
“We are grateful for her commitment to giving back to her roots and for inspiring the next generation of South Williamsport students
and we wish her continued success in her career and look forward to following her journey,” Briggs said
“It feels awesome to be back here at my elementary school
middle and high schools,” Samar told the Sun-Gazette
“I’ve seen a bunch of my old teachers who grew up with me
And seeing these little kids all wearing pink
“I don’t know many people who’ve had this experience and this many supporters from their hometown
It just feels great to be back,” Samar said
Samar jets off to Hollywood on Wednesday to continue her journey to become the next American idol
South Williamsport Area School District will become the first district in Lycoming County to employ ELS911
a wayfinding system that is integrated with location-finding tools used by local emergency response agencies
State College-based Public Safety Network recently announced
The system was created more than 15 years ago
is a Morris resident and former state and law enforcement and public safety educator
which stands for Emergency Labeling System 911
uses signage and survey-grade GPS/GIS mapping to help first responders respond as quickly and accurately as possible to any emergency events that may occur
The system identifies all interior hallways
as well as all exterior entrances using signage that is available on hard copy and digital maps
Digital GIS/GPS mapping of the school is performed via drones equipped with RTK technology
Those maps are then broken down into location grid segments and shared with all the local 911 centers
and police agencies that have operational jurisdiction over the area
in order to help responders find a caller’s position based on their cell phone’s location function
“The ELS911 system provides real-time visual references for both those involved and/or reporting a critical event and emergency responders,” he explained in the email
These references provide first responders with immediate up-to-date information as conditions change or as the threat may travel between inside and outside the affected facility
“This particular GIS/GPS digital map will be fully integrated with future NG 9-1-1 ASIS Certified or endorsed GIS Data Models that correspond with software used by first responders’ location-based
in vehicle equipment,” Porterfield explained
“ELS911 is a first-line safety tool every school can afford and should have,” Zachary Pugh
ELS911’s vice-president of development said in the press release
“There is simply nothing more important than time when it comes to reporting and responding to a critical event,” said Pugh
Thirteen states currently require similar systems
South Williamsport is avoiding the increased cost that will come when required,” he said
“It will also ensure the schools will not need to ‘cue-up’ as schools rush to get mapped,” he explained
is yet another opportunity to further their mission of providing a safe and secure learning environment for all their students
“The South Williamsport Area School District is always looking for ways to improve the safety and security of our schools
the district determined it was important for our district to create a system so that all emergency responders
will have a roadmap to identify the threat within the emergency and assure the threat is eliminated in the most effect way possible,” district Superintendent Dr
Eric Briggs said in an emailed statement to the Sun-Gazette
“This is another layer of security to support that safety and security mission in the district,” he said
He is survived by his loving wife of 10 years
Butch attended South Williamsport High School and graduated while station at Ft
He proudly served our country in the United States Army and earned the title of Army Ranger
Butch held many titles throughout his life
He was the former owner of Precision Construction Company and was also a Manager at Lowes
He was employed as a constable and also as a health codes and zoning officer
Williamsport Hospitality and co-owned Southside Ink - Tattoos and Piercings with his wife
He was the President of the Road Knights MC
His love for motorcycling was matched by his love for the outdoors; whether camping under the stars
feeling the sand between his toes at the beach
he was always ready for a spontaneous adventure
Butch loved his family and spending time with them
He coached his daughter’s softball teams and walked his son to school every day and helped him with his homework
and Bodi Miller; as well as four step-children
and Al and Alora Valceda; two grandchildren
Jackson Davenport and Caleb Weaver; three sisters
Sonya Kelley (the late Stephen) as well as several nieces
A funeral service to celebrate Butch’s life will be held 11 a.m.
Military honors will be accorded by the Korean War Veterans of Lycoming County
The family will receive friends from 10 a.m
Burial will be held privately at Wildwood Cemetery
Firefighters work at the scene of a fire in South Williamsport on Tuesday night
Fire ripped through the vacant former Merrick Brothers dealership at 1530 W
Flames were visible from the building when borough firefighters arrived on the scene
The building has been vacant for several years
It took about 20 minutes for firefighters to get the fire under control
crews from several other communities responded
The cause of the fire was under investigation
Volunteer fire police shut down a section of West Southern Avenue
detouring traffic away from the fire for at least an hour
The South Williamsport Area School Board tackled several issues at its first meeting of January Monday evening
Eric Briggs introduced a new initiative to highlight the positive
exciting things going on in the district by having a student group at each meeting to lead the Pledge of Allegiance
The first group to be featured was softball coach Tom O’Malley and the girls softball team
The team has a combined record of 61 wins and 12 losses and are three-time District 4 Class AA champions
six players on the current roster were named to the PAHSSBCA all-state team
and seven players on the current roster have been named to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette all-star team,” he continued
“All seven of this year’s seniors are currently committed to further their education in college
with five seniors committed to play collegiate athletics,” Briggs said
stressing that they have a combined GPA of 4.0
“It’s my pleasure getting to work with each of you,” Briggs told the team
“I want you to know that you are great role models for this school district
both here in the school and on the softball field.”
the board approved a pilot program with AI gun detection software maker Zero Eyes
Board President Todd Engel voted against the measure
calling the space “antiquated.”
“It doesn’t allow proper space even with this expansion,” he said
Members of the district’s baseball and softball teams will now be able to use Little League International’s batting cages at no cost after the board approved an agreement with Little League
Briggs was appointed School Safety & Security Coordinator and board member Cathy Bachman agreed to represent the district on the Board of School Directors at BLaST Intermediate Unit for one final year
the board approved Emma Boyer as a health support staff
Boyer’s primary assignment will be at Rommelt Elementary School; and a number of advisers
coaching and drama staff at various stipends ranging from $930 to $3,950; as well as various volunteer positions
The next board meeting will be held on Monday
has been locked up on charges of allegedly raping a woman while she was sleeping in his bedroom during the early-morning hours of March 20
according to an affidavit filed by borough police
The two had met just hours earlier at an exercise business
and then they went to Gallick’s apartment
where they “consumed vodka,” the court document stated
“Gallick invited the woman to stay overnight at the apartment due to her being intoxicated and having smoked marijuana,” police were told
adding that the woman realized her shorts “had been removed,” the affidavit stated
The woman told police that at no time did she give Gallick consent to have sex with her
The woman claimed that Gallick became violent and “threatened her with a handgun” when she refused to have sex with him again
Gallick is alleged to have then “grabbed the victim by her hair
dragged her out of the apartment and put his hands around her throat” before he threw her against his car
The woman ran to a nearby apartment to get help after Gallick was distracted by his dog running from the apartment
Arraigned Monday before District Judge Gary Whiteman on felony charges of rape of an unconscious victim
involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a person unconscious
sexual assault and strangulation as well as misdemeanor simple assault and harassment
was committed to county prison in lieu of $25,000 bail
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at 520 Hastings St
A Muncy area man was arrested this week on charges of allegedly setting his mother’s South Williamsport vacant house on fire several months after her death in 2020
possession of explosive incendiary material
submitting a fire insurance claim with false information and one misdemeanor charge of failure to prevent a catastrophe
It is alleged that Zielewicz set fire to 520 Hastings St
The property was part of the estate of Sandra L
according to Birth and other public documents
“The defendant intentionally started a fire at the property with the intent of collecting insurance for such loss,” the investigator alleged of Zielewicz in a criminal complaint
“He used a fuse or road flare to commit arson,” Birth alleged
Investigators determined that “through Zielewicz’s employment
membership and recent increased activity in the South Williamsport Fire Department
he would have access to fusees or road flares,” Birth said in an affidavit that was filed this week
An officer with the fire company said Tuesday night that Zielewicz was a life member of the former First Ward Fire Company in the borough
but had not been active since the three former borough fire companies merged or closed to become one department in 2016
He is not affiliated with us at all,” the officer said
Birth alleges that Zielewicz “knowingly defrauded Nationwide Mutual Insurance by presenting a statement with misleading information,” it was stated in the criminal complaint
The investigator said that by allegedly setting the blaze
Zielewicz put firefighters and other first responders “in danger of death or injury.” Following his arraignment Monday before District Judge Gary Whiteman
safely escaped their South Williamsport home when a kitchen fire erupted inside the house at 2133 Riverside Drive
The woman’s visiting boyfriend also got out
Unattended cooking was ruled the cause of the fire
but went upstairs to check on the children when the fire broke out
The kitchen was destroyed and there was considerable smoke damage throughout the home
The local chapter of the American Red Cross was assisting the family
What began 22 years ago with a few Christmas decorations in his parents yard for Justin Silverstrim
has now grown to over 400 displays at his current home on the corner of Oak
Street and Harvard Avenue in South Williamsport
“It was just always a family tradition
then it kinda grew out of control in the last 10 years
It’s really taken off,” said Justin with a smile
Most of the work is getting the stuff out of storage and then getting it placed in the yard
I probably have over 100 hours into it every year
I usually take some time off of work to do some of it,” said Justin
Decorating the fence that surrounds his front and side yard alone took a whole day
His brother took on the task of putting the lights on the roof
“I’m not great with heights,” said Justin
What Justin is great at is mapping out and visualizing where the hundreds of pieces will go in the yard
“I try and do it by scenes and then fill stuff in around it
I probably have over 500 extension cords out in the yard,” said Justin
Much of his time is spent arranging the items so people can see everything and there is a good flow to the yard
When you get everything plugged in it is kind of the most satisfying moment
everything is coming together the way I anticipated,” said Justin
Maintenance is necessary daily too because of wind and wet weather
It makes it hard to keep everything lit because it pops the circuit breakers in the outlets,” said Justin
His target date for having the display up and lit is Thanksgiving
although he does add things to his display up until Christmas Eve
Justin doesn’t fill his yard with inflatables because of the difficulty in keeping them up in the wind
cutouts and former municipal decorations he has collected since he was 5 years old
He scours Facebook Marketplace and auction sites to obtain new decorations
“I’ve driven as far as four hours away to get stuff,” said Justin
One of his favorite Christmas decorations are his blow mold choir members
This is his first Christmas fully decorated at his new home
the displays could be found at his parents home on East Fifth Avenue in South Williamsport
So many drivers were used to going by his parents’ house
directing everyone to his new home on Oak Street
is seeing the youngsters go by in the cars
“They are all in the backseat with the windows rolled down and yelling stuff out the windows
‘Look at this and look at that.’ I think they really notice things
because they see all the little details and the little characters in the yard,” said Justin
When Justin was young his family would take drives to look at the Christmas lights
“My aunt and my uncle had a big display and we would go up there on Christmas Eve
sort of run around her yard and look at everything that they put out
Berwick Boulevard is a very cool display that we would check out
and of course Candy Cane Lane,” said Justin
Justin hopes to create some of those fond memories for the people that drive by and see his display
“It’s just the family and being together
sort of those memories and recreating them for other people
It’s kind of like my way of giving back to the community,” said Justin
He recommends anyone wanting to see his displays
to drive up South Maynard Street and take a right on Harvard Avenue for the best view
At its first meeting of January and the new year
the South Williamsport Area School Board approved a pilot year partnership with AI firearm detection company Zero Eyes Monday night
The program was brought to the attention of superintendent Dr
Eric Briggs by school police officer Douglass Hoffman and Dwight Woodley
Director of Innovative Learning and Information Systems
and will see its initial fee of $82,000 paid for through a grant provided by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD)
Zero Eyes is a Pennsylvania-based company that was started out of Philadelphia in 2018
14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland
Kieran Carroll Chief Strategy Officer explained
“Parkland was absolutely the catalyst for the company
At the time most of us were working corporately
Our entire core team came out of the military Special Operations community
what can we do from a technology perspective
to help mitigate or stop the next Parkland South shooting,’ Carroll said
is trained to spot firearms within milliseconds of them being in the hands of a possible perpetrator
The images flagged are then immediately reviewed by the company’s highly trained team
the Parkland shooter stayed in a stairwell for about a minute
and he had a visible rifle almost the entire time
There were multiple existing security cameras in that stairwell
It turns out that was sort of a critical 45 seconds that had somebody been watching the cameras
they probably could have done something a little bit more proactive,” he said
The software is currently in use in approximately 500 school districts throughout the country
Zero Eyes has also partnered with the Department of Defense and various other law enforcement and other agencies
Carroll stressed that their product is strictly used for gun detection
“We don’t sell cameras or look at live feeds
Our software is designed to detect a visible firearm
It’s literally gun or no gun,” he said
adding that holstered weapons are not detected
“We are not trying to do anything to infringe on Second Amendment or civil rights,” he said
Additionally because all images flagged by the software are reviewed by a human
which can include children mimicking firearms with items such as cell phones
are not escalated to action by authorities
it can be integrated from the district level all the way to county 911 systems
allowing for easy mass notification of active events
Asked about the prospect of having to pay for the program out of district funds after the pilot grant expires by board president Todd Engel
Carroll said that while he can’t provide a guarantee
he believes there will be at least an additional $5 million provided by the state legislature to sustain the program
the program’s expected annual fee of between $25 and $50 thousand could be sustained through their mental health and safety funds
Citing two specific incidents of false positives triggering an escalation by Zero Eyes
board member Summer Bukeavich inquired how often those occur
“The average false deposit per day that we see is going to be less than point one,” Carroll said
but that’s why you have feet on the ground to verify before you move forward,” Hoffman said in support of the program
stressing that school officials would be responsible for locking down the school
“We’re going to train teachers and administrators that it can’t be used as a crutch
It doesn’t take away our responsibility to be aware of what’s going on around us,” he continued
“I can’t figure out a different way to attack this
If an individual shows up on our school property and shows a gun
I have immediate feedback from human eyes at the touch of a button
Hoffman’s notified and 911 called,” Briggs said
“These events happen in three to six minutes
How do I become any more efficient responding to that without having something like this in place during an active shooting event,” he continued
or just this particular company,” Bukeavich asked
“The other particular company I’m looking at here
So I just think it’s worth additional research before we make a decision and commit ourselves to the infrastructure of one particular company,” she offered
“I don’t feel prepared to make a decision yet,” Bukeavich said
Briggs stressed that the district landed on Zero Eyes because it is the only company through which the grant money is available
but vowed that research can be done over the pilot year that there is no cost to the district
“We’re only in this pilot for a year
I can certainly look at other products if that makes you feel any more comfortable
I’m willing to do that research for you,” he offered
with the rest voting for the program’s implementation
The Lycoming Career and Technology Center (Lyco CTC) is in the process of a capital campaign aimed at raising $2.3 ..
The Lycoming County Resource Management Services Transfer Station
Wall Street extended its gains to a ninth straight day
marking its longest winning streak since 2004 and ..
Cole Gerber displayed the same emotion when he struck a batter out as he did when a Montgomery hitter reached base
Gerber continued his impressive debut season
striking out six and helping South down previously undefeated Montgomery
Trace Wertz and Jaymes Carpenter both produced two hits
South scored eight fifth inning runs and Luke Stoetzel’s two-out
walk-off single helped it excel while playing its first game in a week
“Cole has that strong mentality out there
He’s very poised out there,” South coach Chase Waller said
“I feel very good with him on the mound
He’s a freshman and he has the demeanor of a junior or senior
Gerber earned his second win and both have come against Mid-Penn title contenders Montgomery and St
John Neumann who are a combined 8-1 when not facing him
The 6-foot-2 lefty surrendered just an earned run against a Montgomery team which had scored at least six runs in each of its four wins
He also left runners in scoring position in the third and fourth innings when it was a one-run game both times
complementing his fastball with a curve which often moved like a hula dancer
It was the continued evolution of a player whose future appears limitless but who also is giving the current Mounties a reliable top option
“The first time I came in I was a little bit nervous in that situation but I’d say I’m definitely settling in now,” Gerber said
“I knew they were a tough team and have some tough hitters
I knew I just had to get ahead early and pound the zone.”
Gerber did that well and even when he did fall behind
walking the first two batters in the fourth inning
Ethan Hugar’s sacrifice fly pulled Montgomery (4-1) within 3-2 that inning but Gerber retired the inning’s last three hitters and stranded the tying runner on third
Waller and Gerber’s teammates knew the freshman had the tools entering the season
they are learning he has some MacGyver in him and knows how to use them all
The mind is as sharp as the arm is strong and Gerber has limited opponents to six hits in 13 innings
Cole is a pitcher’s pitcher,” Waller said
I told the guys Cole worked his butt off and we have to do our part and get some runs across.”
2 walks) delivered a clutch two-out RBI single in the fourth inning
4-2 and the offense erupted in the fifth inning
landing a knockout blow in a game which looked like it was headed for a close decision
The Mounties manufactured four fifth inning hits
drew five walks and ended things early when Stoetzel followed Cade Lusk’s sacrifice fly with a hard-hit single into left field which brought home Levi Butler and let South get warm on a day the temperature hovered around 40 degrees
Even when South made its two outs that inning
they were productive at-bats with Lusk and Torin Haug each hitting sacrifice flies
“After a tough loss against Jersey Shore we were really eager to get back on the field
We wanted to try and get another win,” Gerber said
“We were kind of focused on getting insurance runs
We wanted to get some more runs and then go back out and play defense.”
“It was tight until that last inning and I was pumped every time we scored because I know how good Montgomery is,” Waller said
“I told them we had been knocking on the door the whole time and then some things started to fall through and we started to get some good breaks and they executed well.”
Montgomery is dealing with some costly injuries early this season but is off to another quality start
It has the opportunity to immediately bounce back
Parker Bennett went 2 for 3 and Briar Persing was 1 for 1 with a walk
Montgomery twice cut an early two-run deficit to one but could not get over the hump
the long game is what the Raiders are focused on
so it’s a matter of learning from Monday’s game and building
“You always have a little blip in the radar and things that don’t go right
It’s just a matter of whether you hang your head or you pick it up and go back out there ready to go,” Montgomery coach Tim Persing said
“We’ll get them up and get back at it (Tuesday) and see where we’re at and keep going forward.”
Mason Bryson provided Montgomery a bright spot
throwing well in relief for a second straight game
After earning a long save against Neumann last Friday
Bryson entered in the first inning and stranded five runners in the first two
He allowed just an unearned run until the fifth inning
struck out two and is doing a nice job developing into a steady contributor for a team missing two of its top pitchers from last year
“He’s got some confidence and Mason’s a gamer,” Persing said
“He wasn’t effected by anything that went on
That performance helped Montgomery stay within striking distance until the fifth inning when South put everything together
Camden Hannan delivered a pinch-hit single before Tadd Lusk scorched a two-run single
Haug hit his sacrifice fly and Wertz belted a two-run double
Lusk and Wertz also played major roles in South’s two-run first inning rally
Lusk drew a lead-off walk and stole second and third
Marc Molina was hit by a pitch and took second on indifference
Wertz then brought both players home with a perfect bunt that could not have been rolled into no-man’s land any better
Lusk was in the middle of three of the four rallies when South scored
The senior is setting the tone and reached base all in all four plate appearances
upping his on-base percentage to .647 while reaching an area-high 12 stolen bases
“That’s why I have him in that lead-off spot
We want to get him that extra at-bat and get him on,” Waller said
he’s doing his job in the field whether he’s in the outfield or at first base or on the mound
He’s a team guy and he’s always been a team guy
He’s a huge part of the team being a senior leader.”
Top Montgomery hitters: Parker Bennett 2-3; Briar Persing 1-1
2 runs; Camden Hannan 1-1; Luke Stoetzel 1-2
Gretchen King was named the PSAC Western Division Freshman of the Year and a total of five Lock Haven women’s ..
LOCK HAVEN — Usually a track and field relay team will find a spark late in the year
On Saturday at the Lock Haven High School Classic on a chilly day
Loyalsock freshman Zaryah Hawkins-Pegues threw ..
The South Williamsport School Board approved several staffing positions at its November meeting
Eric Briggs accepted the retirement of longtime maintenance employee Perry Haldeman
“We appreciate his years of service,” Briggs said of Haldeman
“He’s done a lot of work in the maintenance department in terms of taking care of the fields and whatnot
so he’ll be greatly missed,” the superintendent said
but he had a great sense of humor when you got to know him,” added board member John Hitesman
I will miss him and I’m sure all the faculty will as well,” Hitesman said
“I worked with him for years on Friday nights at the football games and he was always a joy to work with,” board member Cathy Bachman offered
Briggs also accepted the resignation of Carolyn Dangle from her position as school nurse at Rommelt Elementary School
the board approved Kristin Decker as Jr./Sr
19; Adam Hook as junior varsity basketball coach at a stipend of $2,340; Nate Booth
Kelsey Barrett and Brian McLaughlin as elementary girls basketball volunteers; and Ben Foote and Kayvan Shams as wrestling volunteers
Other actions taken by the board include approval of a high school chorus field trip to attend a Broadway performance of “The Lion King;” and the approval of the school’s health and safety plan
under rules governing the usage of COVID-era funds
is required to be renewed every six months
Briggs noted that this will likely be the last time the plan is up for approval
as the funds are expected to be exhausted in the coming weeks
The board will hold a re-organizational meeting at 6 p.m
An estimated 120 PPL customers in the South Williamsport neighborhood of the 2300-2400 of West Mountain Avenue and some nearby streets lost power late Saturday afternoon when wind gusts of 20 mph were enough to topple this aging tree on to powerlines
Borough and DuBoistown firefighters checked some houses on the street whose residents reported that their electric circuit boxes were getting hot
PPL crews were on the scene working to restore service
A fire that ripped through the vacant former Merrick Brothers dealership at 1530 W
in South Williamsport on Tuesday night was intentionally set
according to borough Fire Chief Jeff Trammell
investigated the cause of the fire and determined it was arson
Flames were visible from the building when borough firefighters arrived on the scene There were no reports of injuries
Trammell said firefighters discovered a burned up mattress inside the building
leaving investigators to believe that a homeless person possibly occupied the structure
Volunteer fire police shut down a section of West Southern Avenue
detouring traffic away from the fire for about an hour
One will not locate the impact Chance Quimby made Wednesday against visiting Sullivan County looking at the boxscore
That will tell the whole story and what an impressive one the South Williamsport point guard produced
Quimby dealt four of his game-high seven assists in the fourth quarter and repeatedly made excellent decisions and/or key hustle plays
Even when not officially producing assists
Quimby often indirectly set up scores and his strong all-around effort helped South defeat determined Sullivan
10 rebounds) produced a double-double and Jordan Baier (12 points) and Levi Butler (11) joined him in double figures
it was the sophomore point guard who scored two points who might have been the game’s most valuable player while helping South (11-4) clinch a District 4 Class AAA playoff berth
“I always try and see everyone,” Quimby said
“I would love to score but it doesn’t always happen
so I figure I might as well get everyone else involved.”
A year after learning on the go as a freshman
Quimby has settled in and provided South a strong floor leader
He proved it time after time against Sullivan
The Griffins (8-8) cut a 14-point third quarter deficit to eight on two occasions in the fourth
but Quimby answered each time with assists to Knapp for a layup and 3-pointer
48-37 and it led by double digits the rest of the way
“Chance doesn’t really look for the points; he’d rather set the guys up
That’s exactly why he’s in the position he’s in,” South coach Joe Simon said
“He’s the smartest guy on the team
He knows the positions; he knows where everybody needs to be
Sometimes his vision gets him into trouble with some of his passes
but he also sees a lot that nobody else would see.”
At times in the final quarter it felt like Quimby had X-ray vision
but Quimby resembled Superman with his ability to see through a swarming defense and repeatedly find the open man
Quimby was especially lethal with his pick and roll passes and dishes to Knapp and Chima Uwawuike helped South land the knockout blow against a worthy challenger
Sullivan was in Quimby’s face all night
He often turned the pressure against Sullivan and played a major role in South having such good scoring balance while winning for the seventh time in eight games
and I bet I had a lot of turnovers in those so it’s important for me to keep handling the ball well,” Quimby said
“Some of those pick and roll passes were on a dime
I’m glad he stepped up and had a good game,” Simon said
“That’s a kid who doesn’t care about points
He just cares about the scoreboard at the end of the game
it sometimes feels like there are more than one of him on the court
Sullivan features one of the district’s taller front lines
but Quimby never shied away from driving into the paint
fighting for rebounds and/or going after loose balls
and two offensive boards extended possessions
Those are little things which do not show up on the stat sheet
But those are the plays which help teams often win games
So after Quimby and his teammates struggled last Friday against Mid-Penn East-leading Northwest
And Quimby took the fight right to Sullivan
“Coach K is famous for saying next play and we tell these guys that no matter what you did
That’s something Chance does,” Simon said
“He fought for two rebounds against the trees and got them
He’s one of those kids that will dig his nose in there and just go for it
You don’t have to question him about that
I want to give him a lot of praise because he deserves it after the last couple days he had.”
Quimby helped South lead wire to wire in a fiercely fought game on a night when South dealt with foul trouble
Bair and Dylan Scheller (8 points) sat for long stretches in the first half
but the Mounties built a 33-24 halftime advantage
Jaymes Carpenter and Marc Molina were a big reason why
All stepped up in critical moments with Uwawuike pulling down seven rebounds
Moy drained a 3-pointer after Sullivan pulled within 19-16 before finding Knapp inside and then making a steal seconds later as South heated back up
Scheller put a massive exclamation point on the first half and sent South into halftime on a high which carried over into the third quarter
Butler made a last-second steal as Sullivan worked for the last shot before outletting to Scheller who released downcourt
noticed the time remaining and threw down a crowd-pleasing
giving South a nine-point halftime advantage
That boost lasted through the intermission and into the third quarter
Quimby drove in for the first basket before finding Knapp inside and South quickly built a 39-26 lead
“Heading into halftime with Dylan’s dunk
that really gave us momentum going into the second half,” Simon said
“We came out and got two buckets out of designed plays and that’s a six-point swing between the dunks and layups right there.”
Tucker Blasi played a strong game for the Griffins
grabbing six rebounds and making three steals
Justin Hemighaus added 10 points off the bench and Lucas King nine points as well as four steals
Sullivan had a chance to build a first quarter lead but went 1 for 8 at the line and missed four chippies inside as South took a 15-11 lead into the second
After Quimby started carving up the Griffin defense in the fourth quarter
Sullivan ran into a dire situation and South finished strong
“I told the guys the last couple days of practice that for the last 20 years
coach (Glenn) Vaughan has had his teams playing at 110 % the entire game
You know that’s a staple of theirs and they showed it tonight,” Simon said
we were able to match it and keep a little buffer throughout the game.”
3-pointers: Sullivan 1 (Blasi); South 5 (Knapp 3
Parker Bennett threw 5 1/3 innings to help Montgomery defeat Selinsgrove
Jordan Baier must soon deliver a class speech
and he figured out his topic Wednesday night
he also played maybe his best high school basketball game and helped his team win an incredibly thrilling game
Baier plans on building his speech around all the game’s ebbs and flows
his teammates and Muncy authored as long-time rivals produced another dramatic game in a series defined by them in front of a large
dealt seven assists and hit the game-clinching free throws
helping South edge two-time defending District 4 Class AA champion Muncy
Marc Molina hit the shot of his young life
banking in a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to force overtime
and Baier had a hand in all six overtime points as the Mounties (14-6
5-2 Mid-Penn) became the first Mid-Penn West Division team to beat Muncy in two years
“I think the speech is going to be about losing to them down there and then coming here and the pass to Marc and getting it to overtime and knocking down those free throws,” Baier said
Sounds like it will be a long speech because that’s a lot of exciting ground to cover
Baier helped South reach overtime when he spotted Molina on the left wing as the final seconds ticked away with Muncy leading
Molina hit a crucial fourth quarter 3-pointer Saturday at Montgomery but turns out
he was just getting warmed up because this was the kind of shot players dream about making as they hoist jumpers in the driveway as young children
Molina caught Baier’s pass in stride
launched it over a defender and banked it in before being swarmed by jubilant teammates who stormed the court and celebrated the game-saving moment
“I hugged him the whole way to the bench,” Baier said
so I knew I had to put it up,” Molina said
“I thought I was way off and then it banked in
There was nothing going on up there (in his head) at that point.”
South needed Molina’s heroics after Muncy stormed back in the final 3 ½ minutes after trailing 40-34
it looked like Dominic Guardini would be the hero after he broke a tie and drilled a pull-up 3-pointer which gave Muncy a 45-42 advantage with 13.2 seconds remaining
South called a timeout and set up the final sequence
Muncy cut off the first three shooting opportunities but Baier
found the open man at the right time and Molina refused to let South lose
The Mounties had lost consecutive close games against Muncy
including in last year’s district quarterfinals
but Molina’s shot gave them new life
“We definitely felt revamped after that,” Molina said
“Marc is definitely a kid who doesn’t give us any trouble at practice
and he just works,” South coach Joe Simon said
he plays his hardest and this is what you live for
Feeling like they were given a death row pardon
South scored the first four points in overtime with Baier finding Levi Butler and Radley Knapps for layups
51-49 with two foul shots before the Mounties skillfully ran 25 seconds off the clock
Baier was fouled with 16 seconds left and now had an opportunity to provide his upcoming speech a fantastic ending
Baier calmly sank both clutch free throws and made it a two-possession game
9 rebounds) secured a last-second rebound and South had its signature win this season
“When we got the timeout coach said this is our second chance,” Baier said
“That’s when I locked in and knocked down those free throws.”
It seemed fitting that Baier was at the line in that moment because he almost always was in the center of positive action for South all night
In addition to scoring 16 points and dealing seven assists
he also grabbed seven rebounds and made four steals
Baier was the glue which held South together
the Mounties could have cracked in a game where everything was earned the hard way
but the senior guard kept them pulling closer together
He seemed to either attack the hoop or make a good defensive stand
He was the calming force tonight,” Simon said
“That’s great senior leadership.”
6-1) from clinching a second straight outright Mid-Penn West championship
can secure that title if they win their league finale against rival Montgomery
If Montgomery won that game and South defeats St
Muncy was literally a split second from securing that championship Wednesday
That’s impressive since it trailed throughout the second half but kept punching back whenever it felt like South had it on the ropes
The Indians rallied from an eight-point third quarter deficit to beat South in December and looked like they might do something similar late in regulation
Eyer found Kohen Meyer and Jaxton Frantz on consecutive possessions
Meyer blocked a shot with 20 seconds remaining and Eyer then rebounded an ensuing miss
He passed up the right sideline toward Guardini who took two dribbles
pulled up and drained the 3-pointer which gave Muncy a 45-42 advantage
its first lead since early in the second half when it was up by one
That’s how close the Indians were to winning their 10th straight game
We did some good things; we did some bad things
and we have to learn some things,” Muncy coach Jason Gresh said
“It’s never a good thing to lose but we have to use it to refocus.”
Guardini scored a team-high 12 points and made four steals
Nate Rogers played an excellent all-around game
He and Ken Hampe give Muncy two strong post options and Meyer was a big reason Muncy nearly pulled off another exciting comeback win
“Kohen did a really nice job,” Gresh said
“The thing about Kohen and Kenny is if you get both doing well that’s great
but as long as one of them produces we’re OK
They support each other; they know situations and that’s huge.”
That this latest rivalry game came down to the literally the final second in regulation was not shocking considering that two playoff-bound teams exchanged haymakers all night with neither backing down
When Baier found Knapp inside to put South ahead
it was the first and only time either team led by more than five points
Muncy led 23-22 at halftime and there were 10 lead changes
while finishing with eight points and four blocks
Chance Quimby ran the offense well against Muncy’s stingy defense and every Mountie did his part to help ensure Baier had some exciting speech material
“We definitely had grit for this game
That was our word for the game before it started,” Baier said
“I was having fun the whole time.”
3-pointers: Muncy 1 (Guardini); South 2 (Molina 2)
None of the 20 students riding on a school bus were injured when it and a Ford van collided at Hastings Street and Central Avenue in South Williamsport about 8:20 a.m
the male driver of the van was taken by ambulance to UPMC Williamsport for treatment of non life-threatening upper body injuries
A witness told police the van reportedly went through a red light
All the students were medically cleared on the bus
It was a Susquehanna Trailways bus leased to the South Williamsport School District
The van sustained heavy front-end damage and had to be towed
South Williamsport Area High School’s Homecoming festivities took place Friday
A parade of convertibles took place prior to the game and highlighted the candidates for Homecoming royalty as they entered the stadium
Sophia Carithers was crowned queen during the halftime ceremony
Senior Homecoming representatives and their escorts were as follows:
the daughter of Chris and Michelle Carithers
the daughter of Michael and Katrina Harvey
MANDATA — Whether it was basketball or soccer
Ava Stiely was tired of losing to South Williamsport programs
Stiely and her Line Mountain teammates finally grabbed a win against a frustrating nemesis
“Very satisfying,” Stiely said with a grin
Getting eight points apiece from Stiely and Carma Shutt
as well as seven each from Koera Leitzel and Maliya Ebersole
the Eagles turned a good start into a 44-26 victory that pushed Ian Lundy’s squad through the opening round of the District 4 Class AAA playoffs against South Williamsport
Up next is a quarterfinal Friday night against top-seeded Loyalsock
Kailey Buriak chipped in six points for Line Mountain (12-11)
which moved forward despite turning the ball over 34 times and committing 17 fouls
who dropped a 38-29 decision to South during the regular season
bested the Mountaineers after falling just short of a postseason berth last season
“We came out ready to play,” Leitzel said
“They beat us last time; we were ready to get back at them.”
which picked up 10 points from Abby Akers before she fouled out midway through the final quarter
also ended Line Mountain’s memorable soccer season in 2023 in overtime
“I thought we came out with a lot of energy,” Stiely said
In front following Mady Grindstaff’s short jumper
Line Mountain led throughout a frustrating 32-minute exercise that had plenty of stops and starts
led 12-0 after the first quarter as five players popped into the scorebook during that pivotal eight-minute stretch
“The start was great,” Lundy said
South gained some traction as the second quarter played out
the Mounties could only climb within eight (14-6) following the first of Carly Quimby’s treys
Buriak responded moments later with her own 3-poiner
and the Eagles had a successful response to South’s effort to climb back in
Once Reagan Boyer knocked down a jumper from the foul line that used every inch of the rim before falling through the hoop at the halftime horn
the Eagles had regained their footing while stunting South’s momentum
Everyone’s energy went up when she did that,” said Stiely
“It got everyone’s energy right back up,” Stieley continued
“We came out ready to play and I think those big shots made us more excited,” Leitzel added
South pieced together a 10-0 salvo in the third quarter that pulled the Mounties with eight (28-20)
but a technical foul on skipper Aaron Green put Leitzel on the line
then stuck back a miss that again had the Eagles holding a double-digit lead
South never got closer as Line Mountain knocked down 10 of its 19 freebies in the final quarter
“We need to execute better,” Lundy said on facing Loyalsock next
… It’s a big challenge coming our way.”
Abby Akers 2 4-7 10; Kaitlyn Apker 1 0-0 2; Ella Moore 1 3-4 5; Carly Quimby 3 1-2 9; Maddie Reidy 0 0-0 0; Coco Kline 0 0-0 0; Abigail Holbrook 0 0-0 0; Brielle Borgess 0 0-0 0; Kloey Persun 0 0-0 0; Ana Oeler 0 0-0 0; Carly Loudenslager 0 0-0 0
Ava Stiely 1 5-8 8; Carma Shutt 2 3-6 8; Mady Grindstaff 1 1-2 3; Koera Leitzel 3 1-2 7; Kailey Buriak 1 3-4 6; Maliya Ebersole 3 1-2 7; Reagan Boyer 2 0-0 4; Evelyn Schaffner 0 1-2 1; Bella Shingara 0 0-0 0; Natalie Cortelyou 0 0-0 0; Khyler Laky 0 0-0 0; Abby Lenker 0 0-0 0; Alyssa Straub 0 0-0 0; Megan Schwalm 0 0-0 0
Once the horn sounded at Balls Mills on Tuesday night
the tears started falling for South Williamsport’s players on the pitch
everyone who was wearing a blue and white uniform was upset
This wasn’t the way South Williamsport hoped its season would end
After back-to-back state quarterfinal trips
and nearly reaching the state semifinals last year
South Williamsport was looking for another November run deep into the tournament
But the Mounties’ season came to an abrupt end in the first round of the Class A state tournament
South Williamsport fell to Lancaster Mennonite on a chilly Tuesday evening
as the Blazers advanced to the state quarterfinals on Saturday
“I couldn’t be prouder of them as a coach not only in terms of what they’ve accomplished on the field
but we went through the entire season without any drama
That’s because we had great leadership
we had great work ethics,” South Williamsport coach Marc Lovecchio said
Within the span of five minutes in the first half
the Blazers took control of the game and never let South Williamsport tie the game or rally
The Mounties held an early 1-0 lead just six minutes into the game when South’s Kloey Persun took a shot from 25 yards out and sent it high
just underneath the crossbar toward the right upper 90 for a 1-0 lead
the Blazers kept pressuring and eventually were able to get a shot to fall
so we know the importance of scoring early
we had talked about certain movements which worked because you pull them out and we had to push up higher,” Lancaster Mennonite coach Sean Boer said
“We knew we had to score early because second half
we’ve done this formula all year where we score early and we hold in the second half
we got to push because we have to get those first-half goals.”
That’s precisely what the Blazers did in the second half once they took a lead
Avery King was able to score from 10 yards out and tie up the game at 1-all
it was Leah Friesen who gave the Blazers the lead it wouldn’t relinquish
Friesen got a breakaway from 40 yards out and got the ball to just inside of the 18
That’s when she rifled a shot to her right toward the post for the 2-1 lead
Did they get any chances in the second half
I’m not sure if they did,” Lovecchio said
“It wasn’t like they were packing it in
you’re not going to play bad teams.”
South and Lancaster Mennonite each recorded eight shots on goal
South Williamsport came out aggressive and applied pressure trying to get an equalizer to fall
The Mounties recorded seven shots in the second half
but only three were on frame as numerous went just high or wide of the goal
but I thought we dominated the second half
they blocked a lot of shots,” Lovecchio said
“They marked us and they always had a second person containing
she just ran down and that was a nice goal
First goal she got opened down the side.”
South had a handful of chances in the second half to tie it
the Mounties had a free kick from outside of the 18
but it was sent into the box and no shot was able to be attempted
South Williamsport’s Ella Moore fired a shot from 25 yards out that Lancaster Mennonite goalie Dakoda Kraenbring was able to block
but it went out of bounds to result in a corner kick
Persun sent in a great corner kick to the 6 and Moore read it perfectly
“We were able to watch their district final game
so we had a pretty good idea of how they like to attack and we know No
we know how many goals she’s scored,” Boer said
“So she’s part of the strategy when she gets the ball
We know they like to play up back and through
the second half game plan was a simple one: limit South’s dangerous offense
Persun or others get in position to make a great play
“Don’t let them get behind you
our center-mid doubled up on their strikers and tried to counter (what they did),” Boer said
The Blazers’ back line played well in regards to limiting what South’s offense tried to do and not allowing anyone to get a good look at the goal
The only shots South Williamsport recorded in the final 40 minutes came from headers by Moore and Ana Oeler
League title ramifications: Tonight’s game is for the NTL-II championship
Muncy has captured three straight league crowns and would make it four straight if it wins tonight
it would earn a share of the crown and Montgomery would have a shot at making it a three-way tie if it was to beat South next week
A South win both weeks would give it the outright championship
Muncy notes: Muncy (6-1) split two games with South last season
winning an overtime thriller in the regular season before South exacted revenge and won the District 4 Class A championship
The last two regular season games in this series have been been decided by eight combined points with Muncy winning each in the final two minutes and/or in overtime
The Indians have won six consecutive games
Muncy is tied with Troy among District 4 teams in points per game and also leads the area in yards allowed
The Indians have imposed the mercy rule by halftime in five of their last six games
including a week ago when it built a 39-point halftime lead in a 59-20 win against North Penn-Mansfield
An experienced offensive line has paved the way for Austin Johnson and Landyn Wommer
both who have topped 10 rushing touchdowns and both who average more than 14 yards per carry
Muncy has not had to throw a lot but has a strong quarterback in Stiles Eyer who topped 1,000 yards ago and who threw or 293 yards and four touchdowns in last year’s games against South
Eyer and Carter Feigles have returned interceptions for touchdowns and Muncy also has five special teams touchdowns with Wommer taking back a punt and kick return for scores
Two-way lineman Nixon Lamper collected 3 1/2 sacks two weeks ago against Muncy and fellow lineman Nick Delany intercepted a pass last Friday
Muncy is trying to hold off Line Mountain for the district’s top seed
leading by percentage points entering tonight
Muncy player to watch–Nathan Rogers: Highlighting Muncy’s special teams prowess
Rogers has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns
The sophomore also provides a weapon in the passing game and secondary and caught the game-winning 2-point pass on the final play of last year’s overtime win
South notes: South (4-3) has won three consecutive games and played its best game a week ago
The Mounties have moved up to Class AA this year and are trying to build on the area’s longest active playoff streak (tied with Loyalsock) and make it 13 straight seasons in districts
The Mounties are sixth in a deep field and the top eight teams advance
A home game also remains a possibility if South continues winning
South is starting several freshmen and sophomores in addition to all but five new starters
The offensive line has started jelling and freshmen running backs Cade Lusk and Eli White both have topped 70 yards and scored in all three games during the winning streak
Quarterback Tadd Lusk is a dual threat and topped 100 yards rushing and passing against Sayre
Dylan Scheller leads South in career yards and catches during the 2000s and caught three passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns last week
Senior Paxton Gephart is one of the area’s premier linemen and has four tackles for loss
He also played some fullback against Sayre
running twice for 18 yards and a touchdown
Fellow defensive lineman Ben Ferris had a big game in the district final against Muncy when South helped stymie the run
Scheller earned all-state honors in the secondary and has eight interceptions over the past two seasons
Cornerback Caleb Johnson has two interceptions this season
South has allowed fewer than 20 points in all four wins this season
South player to watch–Kasim Davenport: This game will be one in the trenches with both teams featuring similar identities and mindsets
Davenport is one of South’s exciting freshmen and has two sacks
He also has three tackles for loss and is a player who could become a force in the coming years
Outlook: The district final was one of the few times in the last six years that this rivalry game was decided late
Both teams are eager to prove something and a championship opportunity should have everyone amped
the offense of Montgomery has dominated its opponent
Coming off a two game stretch that saw Montgomery outscore its opponents 100-8
But it was the special teams that got the ball rolling for them early Friday night
On the opening kick of the game the Red Raiders piled on to an onside kick giving the team’s offense a golden opportunity to strike early
the Raider run game pushed the ball effortlessly down the field and plunged in for the score behind a sturdy offensive line that stayed strong all game en route to a 42-14 win
“They block hard for us,” Montgomery coach Cory Tice said
“Everything we get (on the ground) is because of them.”
the Mounties’ first drive was quickly extinguished by a Raider defense that looked like they had been shot out of a cannon
Big hit after big hit set the tone for the night
letting the Mounties of South Williamsport know whose house they were in
the unstoppable running by Coy Bryson began
He rattled off a thundering 45-yard score that saw him shed a few Mounties
then outpace the rest on his way to the endzone
Bryson’s score propelled the Raiders to a 13-0 lead that would hold for the rest of the first quarter
The Mounties began to show some life with Tadd Lusk connecting with Dylan Scheller to move South Wilpo down the field
emerged as Lusk’s favorite target this season as the pair has topped 90 yards in five games so far
who got the Mounties on the board with a 10-yard carry to open the second quarter
Montgomery got back to work on the offensive side of things
highlighted by a pivotal 39-yard completion between quarterback Parker Persing and receiver Lincoln Miller to convert on third-and-long
Bryson’s legs carried the Raiders to the goal line
where Persing rolled out to the right and lunged in for another Montgomery touchdown
After a series of Raider penalties pushed the extra point try back beyond the twenty five yard line
the special teams once again got the opportunity to showcase their skills
Abe Childs snuck the deep kick over the crossbar as the Raiders jumped out to a 20-7 lead
“They do their job,” Tice said
“Good things happen when you play hard and do your job.”
The second quarter continued to provide excitement for the home crowd
Sophomore Cam Woltz went deep with a Mountie receiver and soared up for a jump ball and wrestled it down for a monumental interception
The highlights didn’t stop there though
On what can only be described as one of the wackiest plays this season
Coy Bryson ran the ball towards the sideline and had it knocked out from behind
It somehow bounced perfectly forward 15-yards and was scooped up on the run by Byrson who didn’t break stride
and took it 70 more yards down the field for his second touchdown of the half
Bryson would end the half with over 200 yards on the ground
The Raider special teams once again made a tremendous play as they blazed past the Mounties on their way to recover their own kick just eight yards away from the goal line
Quarterback Persing would take matters into his own hands
diving in for another score sending the Raiders to the locker room up 35-7
Persing’s legs displayed his athleticism again on a scoring drive that saw him run for 22 yards and the touchdown
That would be the last Raider score for the night
as the Mountie defense took advantage of a limited running attack seeing as Montgomery opted to rest their star back
Freshman running back Eli White of South Williamsport would provide the last score of the night
A drive that was set up by one of many Montgomery penalties only took a two-yard run for the up and comer to put the final tallies on the board
South Williamsport slid back down below .500 on the year
and string together their second loss in a row after a midseason surge
Montgomery continues to build an impressive resume of victories as playoffs draw nearer on the horizon improving to 6-3 on the year
Coming just one season removed from a 1-9 finish in 2023
the Red Raiders are proving that they are one of the most improved teams in District 4 Class A
BLOOMSBURG — With the gold medals draped around their necks
South Williamsport’s players huddled around the District 4 Class A championship plaque
One of the Mounties quickly shouted out to her teammates to hold up three fingers for the ensuing photos
Just in case anyone forgot how many consecutive titles the Mounties won
the three fingers gave a friendly reminder
South Williamsport won a thrilling game at Bloomsburg High School on Thursday night against Mid-Penn foe and nearby rival Muncy
to secure the program’s third consecutive District 4 championship
South Williamsport is the best Class A team in the district
No candy was handed out on Halloween at Bloomsburg’s stadium
but a few gold medals were given out instead
especially doing it with my favorite girls,” South Williamsport senior Abby Akers said
“It’s one of the best feelings in the world.”
I wouldn’t want to do it with any other people
honestly,” South Williamsport junior Ella Moore added
we worked so hard since the beginning of the summer to get here and I’m just so proud of everyone.”
This marks the first time in program history the Mounties have won three consecutive district titles in girls soccer
and the Mounties had to battle hard for it against Muncy
It looked as if both teams would go into the break tied at zero
Muncy nearly scored a go-ahead goal with 34 seconds remaining when the Indians’ Addi Eyer got the ball inside of the 18 and fired a shot that was just inches from being a goal
Street sent the ball upfield and the Mounties took it from there
Kloey Persun ripped an absolute laser of a shot that hit off the crossbar against Muncy in the final few seconds
The ball managed to stay in play and got to the feet of Olivia Loudenslager
That’s when Loudenslager saw freshman Coco Kline call for the ball
I knew it crossed and I was trying to get into the right spot
I saw that Olivia Loudenslager had it over at the wing and I called for it back,” Kline said
“Everybody was telling me to shoot it but I knew I needed to take a touch over to the middle
taking a quick touch toward the middle and rifling a shot to the far-right post from 12 yards out past the fingertips of Muncy goalie Addi Gresh and went into the back of the net as the horn sounded to end the half
In a game where shots were far and few between — both teams combined for just six — it was the difference maker and gave South Williamsport a huge momentum and confidence boost going into the second half
“I definitely think it gave us a lot more (confidence) because I think we were down
We know that’s not how we play,” Kline said of the first-half effort
“I think it really gave us a boost and at halftime
when we get together after our coach talks to us
we have our own little pow-wow and it really helps us to connect as a team
“It lets us feel like we still played like we were down too,” Akers added
Muncy kept pushing and pressuring late in the second half to attempt to put in an equalizer against a tough South Williamsport defense
With 14:10 to play until the end of the game
Muncy sent in a corner kick that bounced around and got to the feet of Mikaila Ganoe
but had it sail just wide to the left of the goal
it was Alexis McKeta who had a shot attempt from just outside the 18
Muncy had chances but the Mounties denied the Indians a goal for all 80 minutes
“We played about as hard as we possibly can
A shot there with one second left in the first half
that’s rough and then just kept battling
battling,” Muncy coach Jason Gresh said
“I think they did a really good job for the first 20 minutes of the second half
creating their opportunities and we were a little complacent there and then opened it back up
I thought we controlled the last 20 minutes
I thought we controlled most of the first half.”
Thursday’s district championship was Round 3 this year between Muncy and South
and the Mounties have earned a win in all three contests
Muncy battled South tough in a game that was 2-0 before the second contest was a bit one-sided in the Mounties’ favor
But Muncy battled hard every time and never quit
there’s no doubt about that,” Gresh said
“The first game was a pretty good battle
the second game wasn’t a good game at all
That’s an encouragement as we move forward here.”
In the final five minutes of the first half
Moore crossed a pass inside of the 18 to Kline
who got the ball from 10 yards out and had an excellent 1-v-1 look
but a Muncy defender got her foot on the ball
forcing a corner kick that didn’t result in a shot
South Williamsport found itself in Muncy’s third routinely and was able to score a dramatic goal as the horn went off
don’t really remember it that well,” Moore said with a laugh
“But we’re just always in the right spot
We always find that spot that we have to be in and they’re just always there and shout out to Coco
she’ll have that memory forever.”
Not only will Kline remember that goal and winning districts forever
but so will Mountie fans who were in attendance to witness the three-peat
Next games: First round of PIAA Class A tournament
But when the opportunity finally came a week later
And the Mounties turned a negative into a positive while displaying their potential
Alizabeth Schuler threw a three-inning perfect game
Abby Lorson and Lily Reidy all went 3 for 3 as South dismantled Upper Dauphin
Friday in the Williamsport Tournament quarterfinals at Millionaire Mountain
Williamsport and Montoursville also won and reached this morning’s semifinals
produced two clutch two-out RBI hits and stranded the winning runners in the seventh inning as the Millionaires edged Union-Endicott
Julie Friel threw a three-hitter and Montoursville scored six fourth inning runs to erase a one-run deficit and defeat Delaware Valley
Williamsport will play Montoursville in Saturday morning’s semifinals at 10 a.m.
The Mounties (6-2) put a surprising 4-3 loss against Warrior Run behind it
shined in all three facets and collected 17 hits with Schuler and Abby Lorson slugging three-run home runs
“It was definitely motivation in some way
A lot of people had a lot of questions about it when we got back to school
but it made us want it even more,” Abby Lorson said after going 3 for 3 with a home run
“We knew that we came out flat that day so today we were up on the fence in the first inning cheering and you saw what happened
South scored four first inning runs after putting together five straight one-out hits
Schuler’s two-run home run highlighted a seven-run second inning eruption and Lorson’s two-run shot a five-run third inning
Six players produced multiple hits and South
which plays Mifflinburg in this morning’s semifinals
hit a whopping 13 for 18 with runners in scoring position
“Sometimes you go through a little adversity
They came back strong,” South coach Tom O’Malley said
They all had good approaches sand they hit the ball hard
our fielding was working and our pitching was working,” Schuler said
“That shows who we are and who we want to be and how we want to make it far this year.”
South wasted no time making an impact against an Upper Dauphin team which entered 4-1
Sage Lorson a single and Abby Lorson an RBI single
The hits kept being delivered in bunches the next inning when Gianna Goodman’s lead-off single fueled a seven-run
Schuler tattooed a laser-like home run to center field
Sage Lorson hit an RBI single and Abby Lorson an RBI double
Maddie Pinkerton added a sacrifice fly and Emily Holtzapple rocked a double to deep right-center field
South generated seven more hits an inning later
Reidy and Sage Lorson laced singles to cap 3 for 3 performances
Abby Lorson closed her offensive day in excellent fashion
drilling a two-run home run down the left field line which made it
“I wasn’t sure at first but I heard my dad (first base coach Adam Lorson) when I got near first saying
‘Get out!’ Get out!’ Once he I heard him screaming
so it was nice having some insurance runs.”
“There was a little complacency last game but you could tell they came out today to try and prove something,” O’Malley said
Sometimes you have a plan and for whatever you reason don’t stick to it
but it seemed like body and mind were working together and it was fun to watch.”
So was Schuler who made quick work of Upper Dauphin hitters
The senior right-hander struck out five of the nine batters she faced and threw an efficient 39 pitches
She went to a three-ball count just once and fanned four of the final five batters she faced
Call it a perfect ending to a near perfect South collective performance
“I was not aware (of the perfect game)
‘You just threw a perfect game.’ I was like
“It (the third-inning runs) really helped pitching because then I knew I just had to go get the next three batters out
I didn’t have to worry about anything else.”
And that was whether she was pitching or batting
struck out six and left the winning runners on the corners as Williamsport improved to 3-0
The determined right-hander also hit a two-out RBI single and two-out RBI double
putting Williamsport ahead 3-1 and 4-2 each time
Union-Endicott staged a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh
It was a similar story in the fourth and fifth innings when she left the go-ahead runners in scoring position in one-run games
U-E fought off the final strike eight times
but Robinson kept fighting and produced a game-ending strikeout
“It gets my adrenaline pumping but I have a team that has my back and you just have to put that fear and anxiety aside and you have to do it for the team,” Robinson said
It’s a nerve-wracking situation but an amazing outcome.”
It was an outcome produced as much from Robinson’s talent as her composure
Robinson also has displayed a knack of pitching well in big moments the last two years
never placing her focus upon on anything but the next pitch
“She’s really shown me how tough she is
She never blinks and that’s the perfect recipe for anyone that is out in that circle,” Williamsport coach Scott Stugart said
“I haven’t seen her get upset about anything
It’s really good for the other girls to see that because that’s one of the hardest things to do is to try and get confidence in the girls and to move on after a mistake is made
She demonstrates that time after time.”
Robinson delivered two clutch hits in her final two at-bats
hitting a two-out go-ahead RBI single in the fourth inning which scored Emily McAnelly and put Williamsport ahead
3 runs) drew a leadoff walk and scored when Robinson scorched an RBI single
Vollman rocketed a lead-off double down the left field line
belting an RBI double into the right-center field gap
How huge that run was became apparent in the bottom of the seventh
“RBIs are what I try to do,” Robinson said
“I just look to put it somewhere to help my team.”
“She absolutely crushed those two balls,” Stugart said
“She was all-state last year and she’s off to a good start this year
She’s one of our leaders and one of the hardest workers on the team.”
After scoring 16 runs in each of its first two wins
Williamsport showed it also can win when its offense is not erupting
defense and timely hitting which won this one
The Millionaires played strong defense and scored four runs over the final five innings
“There’s no doubt in my mind that these girls are always capable of winning these close games,” Robinson said
“We’re always capable of coming through when we need to come through.”
And time after time she mastered those challenges Friday
striking out a season-high 11 and not allowing an earned run as Montoursville romped its way into the semifinals
The junior right-hander was locked in all evening
walking just one and throwing 74 of her 101 pitches for strikes
She also closed the game with five straight scoreless innings
“Julie gets excited to go out and pitch games
She came out ready to get a win tonight and she did awesome,” Montoursville coach Mikayla Arnold said
“She had good command of the strike zone
She came in strong and stayed strong.”
So did her defense which made two errors in the second inning before playing flawless from there
It was another step in the development of a team which has won four straight games while gathering momentum
And instead of letting those early miscues define it or the game
Montoursville fought back and kept making the next plays which came their way
The offense then came alive in the fourth inning and Montoursville was semifinal bound
“They don’t have to be perfect but they have to bounce back after they make errors and they bounced back after they made errors tonight,” Arnold said
“Early in the season we started to bury ourselves but now they have short memories and know they are capable of playing good defense
The Warriors (5-3) took control with their six run outburst and five different players produced hits
Avery Cozzi went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Jordan Chamberlain was 1 for 2 with three runs
will be halfway through its season by tournament’s end
The Warriors suffered some early heartbreak
but have come back strong and have turned this morning’s semifinal on Field 1 into a Backyard Brawl
Top Williamsport hitters: Emma Vollman 2-3
Top Montoursville hitters: Avery Cozzi 2-3
Following a powerful performance of Billie Eilish’s “WILDFLOWER,” South Williamsport native and American Idol contestant Penny Samar is moving on to the top 24
Monday’s episode featured a segment new to season 23 of the show called Head-to-Head
in which the contestants chose a partner to perform with
Adding to the pressure was the fact that each singer was being judged individually
who she referred to as her “Snow Angel sister” on social media
calling the song great for both of their voices
Samar and Kent both performed “Snow Angel,” originally by Renne Rapp
during the “Idol Arena” round of the competition
we actually chose the same song,” Samar said during the show
“We just had the same brain wavelength
And then all of a sudden we’re like ‘why are we are like the same person,'” she said
because I went to the next round,” Samar said when reached for comment by the Sun-Gazette
Although Samar’s performance did not air during the Idol Arena episode
fans and students were treated to a preview of the song when Samar visited the South Williamsport Area School District last month
The Idol Arena segments saw the competitors reduced from 144 to only 62
who then competed in Sunday’s Showstoppers round
before that number was cut further for Monday’s Head-to-Head segment
“This is the biggest cut of Hollywood Week
and only one of us could go through,” Torrence said during the Head-to-Head episode
“I’m definitely nervous because Penny’s such an amazing vocalist
and I’m trying to be more confident with myself
but it’s hard sometimes,” Torrence said through tears
“She’s got it,” Samar reassured her co-vocalist
the pair received a rare standing ovation from judges Lionel Richie
that was a perfect performance,” Ritchie told Samar and Torrence
“You were holding on to your artistry in a duet
but neither one of you were running over the other one
It was really wonderful,” Underwood told the girls
“You guys went and chose one another and
what a head-to-head that was,” Bryan said
adding that he was left questioning which was the better singer
and it left us with decisions we had to make,” he said
“But you guys complemented each other amazing
and both of you are going through to the next round,” Bryan announced
“We’re gonna get some pizza,” the pair agreed when asked how they were going to celebrate by host Ryan Secrest
because everybody there is already so good,’ because you have to be to get to that point,” Samar told the Sun-Gazette of her experience during the Idol Arena phase
it was like having a bunch of friends around you
I think everybody gave a standing ovation for every person
almost by the beginning of each person’s song
Samar said the scariest part of the competition has been not knowing exactly what the judges are looking for
“You just have to kind of give it your all
So it feels so lucky if you get to the next round,” she said
adding that she was pretty confident in her performance
“I was just super happy that I went through
calling some of the judges’ decisions “shocking.”
“You have no idea when you’re going
They just said ‘Penny Samar from Williamsport’ and it’s just like
no real time to warm up or get ready or prepare,” she explained
The realization that she’s continued to progress through the massive cuts made so far is one that Samar is still coming to grips with
“I just can’t believe I haven’t been told no yet
That’s the craziest thing to me,” she said
“There’s so many people who are competing in this whole thing
so it’s crazy to hear ‘yes’ from the judges,” Samar said
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South Williamsport’s boys basketball team faced off against North Penn-Mansfield in the PIAA AAA District Playoffs
In this video we include some highlights and a post game interview with head coach Joe Simon
Sun-Gazette video projects are sponsored by Woodlands Bank