Luzerne County Officials Take Another Look At Gnat Problem

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Luzerne County administration is rethinking plans to cancel participation in a state bug spraying program, sources say.

County management eliminated $75,000 from the 2013 budget for blackfly spraying because the state did not supply documentation showing the program has proven results.  The administration had planned to conduct spraying in-house if problems surfaced.

However, some County Council members and citizens expressed concern about pulling out of the program.

Prior commissioners considered a similar spraying cancellation on the advice of an outside financial recovery consultant in 2010, but they reversed their decision after the state warned the Susquehanna River generates “tremendous numbers of adult gnats that will adversely impact outdoor recreation activities throughout the county.”

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/423374/Officials-take-another-look-at-gnat-problem

Amish Farmer Charged With Killing Young Eagle

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An Upper Leacock farmer fed up with birds of prey killing his free-range chickens has been charged with shooting an immature bald eagle.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission charged Paul A. Zook, 28, of the 100 block of Geist Road with two misdemeanors of the state Game and Wildlife Code.

One count is for killing an endangered or threatened species and one count is for unlawful taking and possession of protected birds.

Zook, an Amish farmer, could face up to two years in jail and fines up to $5,000 if found guilty and depending on the feelings of the judge.  In addition, a judge could require Zook to pay up to $5,000 to “replace” the eagle.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/806328_Amish-farmer-charged-with-killing-young-Eagle.html#ixzz2Ika5B9Sh

One Dead, Thousands Without Power; Roads Remain Closed In NEPA

Locator map of the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Statistical Area in the northeastern part of the of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

8-year-old Susquehanna County boy died Monday when wind from superstorm Sandy knocked a tree limb onto him north of Montrose, authorities said.

And while widespread power outages have left nearly 150,000 in the dark, Northeast Pennsylvania, for the most part, escaped the devastation Sandy left in many other areas.

“We can report back that everything is in really good shape,” Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien said at a 6 a.m. briefing.

In Lackawanna County, eleven 911 dispatchers and two supervisors handled 1,313 calls from 3 p.m. Monday through 6 this morning, with downed power lines being the main source of problems.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/one-dead-thousands-without-power-roads-remain-closed-1.1395736

City Of Lock Haven Asks For Cooperation During Superstorm

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LOCK HAVEN – Hurricane Sandy has this region buzzing about the potential loss of power, high winds and even high water.

City officials are aware of the situation and ask everyone to cooperate to get through the next few days as the remnants of the superstorm blow through the region.

The city does not have enough temporary stop signs to cover every intersection with traffic signals, so if the electricity goes out and the signals go dark, drivers will have to use care, City Manager Richard W. Marcinkevage said.

“Use common sense and the rules of the road,” he advised.

Read more: http://www.lockhaven.com/page/content.detail/id/541754/City-asks-for-cooperation-during-superstorm.html?nav=5009

School Closings, Bradford County Gets Ready For Sandy’s Approach

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Bradford County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With the expected onslaught of Hurricane Sandy looming, shoppers on Sunday in Bradford County stocked up on groceries and the county commissioners signed a Declaration of Emergency.

“We’re taking the position that we don’t want to underestimate any part of this storm, and we’re trying to be very proactive at getting in front of this incident so everything is in place before we need it,” said John Ambrusch, the county’s emergency manager.

“Our public information officer is pushing out the information to all media outlets, and has made contact with all EMS officers and staff.”

In a prepared statement, the county warned the public that winds will gradually pick up during the day today and “are expected to become very damaging, at their peak intensities from Monday night into Tuesday morning.”

Read more: http://thedailyreview.com/news/school-closings-county-gets-ready-for-sandy-s-approach-1.1395302

Flooded West Pittston Business Reopens Temporarily.

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Editor’s note:  Another reminder that for many NEPA residents and small business owners, life has not returned to normal after the September 2011 flooding!

WEST PITTSTON, Pa. – In September Kimberly Burnham’s business, Miss Kim’s Coffee 2 Go, lay on its side, lapped by Susquehanna River floodwaters.

An entanglement with a power line attached to a nearby business is the only thing that kept it from being swept down river.

This week Burnham reopened her business, located at 200 Wyoming Avenue, and customers – both old and new – were eager to get their fill of caffeine and pastries.

But her stay will be temporary.  She has been notified the rented lot her business is located on will be leased to another tenant and she’ll be forced to find a new location.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Coffee_2_Go_open_but_must_go_02-25-2012.html#ixzz1nPp9nB6e

Shut By September Flooding, Redner’s Won’t Reopen In Edwardsville

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People have forgotten about the devastation caused by September’s flooding in various parts of Pennsylvania.  Here is a good example of the where things are five months later!

Redner’s Warehouse Market will not reopen in the Mark Plaza, Edwardsville, Pa., a spokesman said Tuesday.

The store was under water in September when the Susquehanna River crested at 42.66 feet and has been closed since the flooding.

“Due to it being in a known flood zone, it was cost prohibitive for us to reopen the store,” said Redner’s spokesman Eric White. “The lease has been terminated for that location and we will not be rebuilding or relocating our store in the Mark Plaza.”

The store had been in the Mark Plaza for more than 10 years. Mr. White said Redner’s has not chosen a new location, but customers who have suggestions can send them through its website at http://www.Rednersmarkets.com

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/business/shut-by-flooding-redner-s-won-t-reopen-in-mark-plaza-1.1268723#ixzz1m6KBmoF9

Athens, PA Flood Recovery Slow But Steady

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2011 has been a year of disasters.  As we recover from the freak snow storm on Saturday, many still without power, let us look back on the flooding which devastated parts of Pennsylvania and follow-up on the recovery efforts being made.

Athens, Pa. – On Maple Street in Athens Borough on Saturday, residents were making progress: some were spackling, some were insulating, some were putting up drywall, and one was ready for a break.

The street was inside a zone so devastated by the flood of nearly two months ago that, in the days just after the flood, people had to pass a Pennsylvania Army National Guard checkpoint to enter.

Read more: http://www.stargazette.com/article/20111030/NEWS01/110300350/Flood-recovery-slow-steady?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Bloomsburg Fair CANCELLED!!!!!

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The Bloomsburg Fair Grounds were completely inundated by flood waters from Tropical Storm Lee.  As of today, September 12th, the fair’s board of directors have cancelled this year’s fair.

A statement was released via Twitter saying after careful consideration the board of directors has decided not to have the fair this year.

If you click on the fair’s website, it says FAIR CANCELLED, Please check back tomorrow for further information.

Here is a link to their website: http://bloomsburgfair.com/

Grim Report On Pennsylvania Damages From Tropical Storm Lee

The latest estimate on the number of homes damaged or destroyed in Pennsylvania, by Tropical Storm Lee, is 4,500.  This number is likely to rise as 4,500 is a preliminary estimate.

19 counties were declared disaster areas by President Obama and are eligible for federal disaster relief aid.

First Estimates In – Dauphin County Damage Total From Lee

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The first official guesstimate of how much damage Tropical Storm Lee caused Dauphin County is in – and it is a large figure.  Not as large as the incinerator debt, but daunting nonetheless.

The magic number is $52.7 million worth of damage to commercial and residential properties in the county.  That is just one county out of MANY.  This storm will be very costly!

Harrisburg officials say they will need 60 days to come up with a number on how much they spent and the amount the city will be seeking in reimbursement from FEMA.

In other news, the National Guard will be pumping out basements in Shipoke since the city says it does not have the expertise or the manpower to do so.

Four Bridges Remain Closed In Wilkes-Barre Area

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Four major bridges remain closed after last week’s heavy flooding in the Wyoming Valley.  The Market Street Bridge, Eighth Street Bridge, Water Street Bridge and the Stone Bridge are all closed to traffic.  This has created congestion problems on the North Cross Valley Expressway.  If you are traveling in the Wilkes-Barre area, you may want to allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.

Harrisburg Area Starting Massive Cleanup And Return Of Services

The Harrisburg area is starting to clean up and services are coming back online after the Great Flood of 2011.  The Susquehanna River is back under flood stage along with the Swatara Creek. 

Capital Area Transit services will resume on Monday.

Linda Thompson, Harrisburg‘s Mayor, is ending the curfew and state of emergency tonight at 9 p.m.  The mayor said she was pleased with Harriburg’s overall condition.

Amtrak service between Harrisburg and Lancaster is still out of commission today.  Still no word on train travel between the two cities for Monday.

There are still about 500 PPL customers in Shipoke, Midtown and Uptown without power.

City Island Parking is closed on Monday.

Metal Flood Gates Saved Kingston

KINGSTON – Mayor James Haggerty said portable metal flood gates installed at the Market Street Bridge saved the municipality from the swollen Susquehanna River.  Kingston officials spray painted a white high-water mark on the side of the wall near the Market Street Bridge.

Kingston Mayor James Haggerty and Kingston Emergency Management Coordinator Tom McTague look over the dirt and rock that Kingston dumped near the flood gates to help stop leaks at their base.  But not before a few tense hours late Thursday night into Friday morning.   

“The river at its worse was 8 or 9 feet up on those gates for us,” Haggerty said. “The pressure from the river was gushing out under, almost shooting straight out under the gates.”
Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Mayor__Portable_flood_gates_saved_Kingston_09-11-2011.html#ixzz1XfCdEA00

Kings College Reopens Today, September 11th

Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, PA will reopen today at noon!  The college evacuated their students and closed in the wake of the recent historic flooding in Wilkes-Barre.  Sunday sports and events are cancelled except for Mass in the chapel at 8 p.m.  Classes will resume Monday.

The City of Wilkes-Barre also lifted their mandatory evacuation order on Saturday for those areas unaffected by flooding.

Gallery: View from above of flood destruction

Gallery: View from above of flood destruction.

Aerial pictures from the Wyoming Valley showing the massive scale of devastation from the flooding.

Susquehanna Crests Higher In Wilkes-Barre Than Orginally Reported Due To Gauge Malfunction

The Susquehanna River crested nearly four feet higher in Wilkes-Barre than originally announced.  A gauge malfunctioned that measures the river level.  The river actually crested at a level higher than Hurricane Agnes in 1972 (40.91 feet) and set a record of 42.66 feet Friday morning.

This high level of water is straining the levee system to its maximum.  Water is leaking into downtown Wilkes-Barre through the flood gates on the Market Street Bridge.

The levee at Forty Fort is also compromised and in danger of collapse.  Governor Corbett has strongly urged Wyoming Valley residents to head evacuation warnings.

Evidently it is not uncommon for gauges to malfunction during high water events.

Central PA Flooding Claims Five Lives

Flood waters have claims five lives in the midstate and two people are missing.  Dauphin, York, Lancaster and Lebanon counties all reported deaths related to flooding.

Front Street in Harrisburg has flooded.  The Shipoke section of Harrisburg was evacuated along with the Governor’s Mansion.  Several blocks in Midtown had power shut off to force residents to evacuate.  An 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew has been issued by the mayor’s office.

The Susquehanna River at Harrisburg is predicted to crest at 26.5 feet at around 8 p.m. this evening.

Susquehanna River Reaches 38.82 Feet In Wilkes-Barre

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The Susquehanna River had topped out at 38.82 feet in Wilkes-Barre just before 1 a.m. this morning.  By 3:30 a.m. the National Weather Service declared the river had crested just under 39 feet.  An earlier prediction was for a crest of 41 feet.

Unprotected areas like West Pittston, Jenkins Township, West Nanticoke and Shickshinny experienced major flooding.

In Duryea there was a partial levee breach that sent 200 people from their homes to an emergency shelter at Sacred Heart Church Thursday evening.

Wilkes-Barre Mayor, Tom Leighton has just issued a mandatory evacuation order for the Brookside Section of the city due to rising water on the streets.

Embattled Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson Threatening River Gawkers With Arrest

Harrisburg Mayor, Linda Thompson is threatening to arrest and fine gawkers who wander down to Front Street to take pictures and check out the Susquehanna River.  10,000 city residents from Front to Third Street are being evacuated and the mayor wants people to stay away from the river.

There are plenty of pictures online that you can check out here: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/09/curiosity_causes_people_to_hea.html