Some Parts Of Harrisburg Area Hit With 10 Inches Of Rain Thursday Through Friday, Forecasters Say

Locator map of the Harrisburg metro area in the south central part of the of . Red denotes the Harrisburg-Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, and yellow denotes the Lebanon Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon CSA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After two days of record breaking rainfall, the sun is once again visible in the Harrisburg area this morning.

Some parts of the Cumberland, York and Dauphin counties received more than ten inches of rain during the last 48 hours, according to estimates by the National Weather Service in State College.

The Harrisburg area officially received a total of 9.74 inches of rain on Thursday and Friday, according to measurements taken at the Harrisburg International Airport.

Friday’s rainfall in Harrisburg was measured at 5.72 inches. That crushed the previous high for Oct. 11, which was 1.47 inches, set in 1905.

Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/10/some_parts_of_harrisburg_area.html#incart_river_default

Price Tag For Fixing I-83 Congestion Is Out Of Reach

Locator map of the Harrisburg metro area in the south central part of the of . Red denotes the Harrisburg-Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, and yellow denotes the Lebanon Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon CSA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you’re jumping onto Interstate 83 North using the New Cumberland ramp, just south of the 83 split, there’s a secret to surviving the experience.

For the uninitiated, the ramp starts at a stoplight and heads up a small hill, blindly leading drivers onto a congested, two-lane highway.  The merge zone can be measured in hands, not feet.

The key is to hammer the accelerator heading up the ramp, and whisper a silent prayer that a gold Buick isn’t stopped at the top.

If you time it right, you’ll hit highway speeds about the same time as you hit the road, which, if everything goes according to plan, allows you to slip into traffic between two tractor-trailers.

Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/08/i-83_york_split_eisenhower_int.html#incart_flyout_news

Police Find Man Dead Of Gunshot Wound In Hampden Township

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

An unidentified adult male was found dead in the backyard of a home in the 5400 block of Barbara Drive in Hampden Township.

The man was killed by a single gunshot, Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed said.

“It initially appears to be an accident or suicide,” Freed said. “It’s too soon to be sure.”

The call came in at 6:14 p.m. Sunday and police found the victim lying in the backyard of the house, Freed said.

Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/07/police_find_man_dead_of_gunsho.html#incart_m-rpt-2

$3.8 Million Heroin Ring Busted After Operating In Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin Counties; 12 People Arrested

Locator map of the Harrisburg metro area in the south central part of the of . Red denotes the Harrisburg-Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, and yellow denotes the Lebanon Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon CSA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

HARRISBURG – Twelve people, including nine from the midstate, were charged this morning in the distribution of more than $3.8 million worth of heroin in Cumberland, Dauphin and Franklin counties, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General‘s office.

Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane said the investigation focused on the alleged heroin trafficking activities of Sabriel “Pony” Rivera, 29, of Chambersburg.

According to the grand jury report, Rivera was a major source of heroin sold in the Harrisburg area; he allegedly purchased in Philadelphia and distributed through dealers in Dauphin, Cumberland and Franklin counties.

The investigation took place from December 2011 through January 2013, according to court records.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/07/state_agents_bust_38_million_h.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Harrisburg Mall Assessment Plummets From Nearly $66.5M To Less Than $8M In Three Years

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

A dramatic drop in the Harrisburg Mall‘s tax assessment means Dauphin County, a municipality and school district are collecting an estimated $838,164 a year less in revenue than they did in 2010.

The new value of the mall is $7.987 million — less than one-eighth of the nearly $66.5 million assessed in 2010 and less than half of its 2012 assessment of $17.65 million.

For Swatara Township, that lost revenue, in part, contributed to the township’s need to raise taxes in past years.

Central Dauphin School District remained aware of the property’s decreasing value and took that into consideration concerning its budget.  For Dauphin County, the most recent drop means the loss of less than one-half of a percent of the county’s annual budget.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/06/harrisburg_mall_assessment_dro.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Carlisle Residents Face Home-Rule Question: Primary Focus

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

In Carlisle, Tuesday’s ballot won’t be just about filling the borough’s elective offices.

Residents are also being asked whether they want to embark on a study of home rule, the municipal equivalent of a constitutional convention.

Council voted in January to place a question on the May primary ballot asking whether a study commission should be formed to explore whether it makes sense for Carlisle to adopt its own charter for local government, and replace some of the current limitations imposed by the state’s borough code.

The issue got some legs after last year’s arrest of former borough tax collector George Hicks on drug charges, and a resulting examinations that found Hicks had done a shoddy job of record-keeping.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/carlisle_borough_residents_fac.html

Gas Prices Likely To Continue To Increase Then Calm Down After Memorial Day

Locator map of the Harrisburg metro area in the south central part of the of . Red denotes the Harrisburg-Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, and yellow denotes the Lebanon Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon CSA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The lowest price for gas in the area continues to be $3.29 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.

That price is available at Kwik Fill, Sheetz and Giant in the Mechanicsburg area; Hess stations in the Carlisle area; Costco in Lower Paxton Township; B.J.’s in Camp Hill and Sunoco and Kwik Way in the Carlisle area.

The Harrisburg area average price today is $3.40 a gallon, 1 cent higher than yesterday, 7 cents lower than a month ago and 23 cents lower than a year ago.

The state average price is $3.46 and the national average is $3.59.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/gas_prices_likely_to_continue.html#incart_river_default

Area Truckers Not Troubled By I-81/Route 322 Shutdown After Tanker Fire

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

Just like Harrisburg area commuters, the local trucking industry is being inconvenienced by the shutdown of I-81 and Route 322, but it hasn’t been hamstrung by the subsequent delays.

Trucking executives say they’ve been able to comfortably plot new routes for their fleets of 18-wheelers around the area affected by Thursday’s explosive truck accident, and haven’t experienced anything more than a couple hours delay.

“It somewhat limits our ability to conduct business as usual,” said Jim Germak, president of Jagtrux in Marietta. “The gridlock in Harrisburg is something we have to deal with just like everybody else.  But it’s not a total panic.”

Germak, who oversees a fleet of 40 trucks that transport materials for a range of customers such as Armstrong ceiling tile in Lancaster, said his drivers suffer from the shutdown most during the day, and particularly during the morning and evening rush hours when traffic jams can extend truck trips up to two hours.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/area_truckers_not_troubled_by.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Harrisburg Newspaper To Publish 3 Days A Week

Editor’s note:  According to Wikipedia, in 2011 The Patriot-News averaged over 492,000 readers per week between their print edition and Pennlive.com.  The newspaper was ranked in the top 100 in daily/Sunday circulation (United States) in 2005.

HARRISBURG, PA — The daily newspaper in Pennsylvania’s capital city is switching to a three-days-a-week publication schedule in January, in what it calls an adaptation to the changing world.

John Kirkpatrick, publisher of The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, announced the changes Tuesday in an email to friends of the newspaper.

The email didn’t say which days the paper will be published. It says the change will be accompanied by an expansion of the paper’s around-the-clock news coverage online.

“We are not making this move lightly,” said Kirkpatrick. “We understand how important the daily paper is to a large number of people in our region. However, this is a major step to make sure we are leading, not trailing, in the world of innovation and solutions.”

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-patriot-news-20120828,0,7285933.story

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.

Pennsylvania Turnpike Closed Between Harrisburg East And Reading Interchanges

Image via Wikipedia

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has closed a 39-mile section of the toll road due to a bridge in Dauphin County being threatened by rising flood waters from the Swatara Creek.

To find out the suggested detour routes, click here: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/09/pennsylvania_turnpike_closes_a.html

Harrisburg Area Hotels Reach Capacity – Irene Drives People West

Harrisburg area hotels are filled this weekend.  Many guests are checking in from NY, NJ and DE.  They are fleeing Hurricane Irene.

Area hotels are diverting business to Carlisle as they have reached capacity.  One local hotel manager contacted 20 other Harrisburg area hotels looking for anyone with a vacancy, but they were all full.

If you are looking to head inland to escape Irene, you will have to look somewhere else!  Harrisburg is booked!

Harrisburg Area Home Sales Down 30% From Last Year

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Not a good sign that the recession is going to be over any time soon!  Sales of homes in the Harrisburg area and mid-state Pennsylvania were down a whopping 30% for the third quarter of 2010, compaired to the third quarter of 2009.

It is now taking an average of 103 days to sell a home.  Some people have reduced their homes to less than they paid for them and they are STILL not selling!

Fears about the economy and job security are keeping people from making major purchases.  This is TOTALLY a buyers market!