NorthcentralPA.com

Harrisburg, Pa. — A new telehealth option is available for Pennsylvanians dealing with mental health struggles. Eileen Hunt, a licensed counselor, started Maple Hill Counseling in May of this year. According to Maple Hill’s website, Hunt specializes in the treatment of adolescents and adults dealing with “anxiety, depression, stress management, adjustment, and relationship issues.” Maple...

Members of Planet Fitness in Williamsport were alerted to an immediate closure under "unforeseen emergency circumstances" on Wednesday afternoon, but the gym is open to operations again after a couple hours of closure. The assistant manager of Planet Fitness in Williamsport said that the emergency was unforeseen, but everything is fine now. No corporate affiliate of Planet Fitness was available for comment.

J&M Foods is initiating a voluntary recall of one lot of the brand's Lavender Shortbread Cookies after a consumer realized the box was packed with a number of Chocolate Chip Cookies. As a result, the packaging does not list the presence of a possible allergen (soy or eggs). Some people who have an extreme allergy or severe sensitivity to soy or eggs could run the risk of a serious allergic reaction if they consume this product. ...

Shamokin, Pa. — An alleged drug dealer in Shamokin was arrested after he was caught fleeing from a home on Second Street. A probation officer visiting the residence noticed a woman sitting on the sofa, reportedly attempting to inject heroin into her arm, according to the affidavit. The probation officer then contacted police.

Williamsport, Pa. — In a follow-up to the requests made by Audit the Vote, Lycoming County Elections Director Forrest Lehman says that he still sees no evidence to require a recount of the 2020 election. Lehman gave his perspective of the data provided by Audit the Vote during the...

Danville, Pa. — Geisinger is hitting the road to make better health easier for people who have diabetes with its Mobile Care Gap bus. The bus is intended to reach those who have a care gap in their preventive health. It offers critical services and screenings to help patients with diabetes manage their health. The bus stops every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at different locations in the Geisinger footprint. Routes...

Stocks turned higher on Wall Street in choppy afternoon trading Wednesday following the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's most recent policy meeting. The minutes of the two-day meeting last month show that Fed officials concluded higher interest rates could be needed to restrain what they saw as a worrying trend: consumers starting to anticipate higher inflation. The policymakers also acknowledged that more rate hikes could weaken the economy. ...

Washington, D.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden spoke Wednesday with the wife of detained WNBA player Brittney Griner, who is on trial in Russia, to reassure her that he is working to win Griner's freedom as soon as possible, the White House said. Biden's conversation with Cherelle Griner followed Brittney Griner's personal appeal to the president in a handwritten letter from the basketball player the White House received on Monday. In the letter, Griner said she feared she would spend forever in detention in Russia...

Point Township, Pa. — It will be a moment that many northcentral Pennsylvania residents have long waited for—the opening of the Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project's Northern Section. Starting Thursday, the northbound lanes will be open. The southbound lanes are expected to open late Friday, according to PennDOT. The Northern Section of the CSVT Project is a $670 million project that spans 13 miles and connects Route 147 south of...

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP) — The man charged with killing seven people at an Independence Day parade confessed to police that he unleashed a hail of bullets from a rooftop in suburban Chicago and then fled to the Madison, Wisconsin, area, where he contemplated shooting up an event there, authorities said Wednesday. Robert Crimo III turned back to Illinois, where he was later arrested after deciding he was not prepared to pull off a shooting in Wisconsin, Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher...

Danville, Pa. — A free hands-on stream exploration and guided nature tour for kids is coming to the Montour Preserve this month. The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association will hold a new Waterway Exploration Training (WET) educational experience from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, July 21 at the Montour Preserve near Washingtonville. The program, designed for young people ages 8-12 and their families, will include a three-station rotation focused on...

State College, Pa. — In a partnership that forges a new connection between baseball and the non-fungible token (NFT) space, the Williamsport Crosscutters and State College Spikes will each rebrand for the inaugural NFT Classic, this Saturday, July 9 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in State College. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m. The Spikes will become the State College DiamondDawgs, adopting the identity of the DiamondDawgs NFT’s created by former Spikes player and current St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguer Evan Mendoza, while...

Remington, Va. (AP) — For years, there's been a cardinal rule for flying civilian drones: Keep them within your line of sight. Not just because it's a good idea — it's also the law. But some drones have recently gotten permission to soar out of their pilots' sight. They can now inspect high-voltage power lines across the forested Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia. They're tracking endangered sea turtles off Florida's coast and monitoring seaports in the Netherlands and railroads from New Jersey to the rural...

It’s hot. It’s so hot that even the white collar workers are rednecks today. Soon, people will be complaining that it's too cold. After mowing my yard and pulling weeds, I agree. When you’ve been working outside, there’s nothing like a cool glass of switzel. I grew up drinking switzel. My Grandma would make a cold pitcher for my dad and me when we were hauling wood or doing chores. Just what is switzel? Switzel — also known as switchel, swizzle, ginger-water or haymaker's punch...

Lane restrictions will be in place Thursday, July 7, on the Lewisburg River Bridge in West Chillisquaque Township on Route 45 at the intersection with Route 405. A PennDOT maintenance crew will be replacing bulbs on the bridge between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Motorists can expect single lane conditions with flagging where work is being performed. Work is expected to be completed in just one day, weather permitting.

Shamokin Dam, Pa. — A former hotel employee in Snyder County was jailed Tuesday after he was taken into custody for allegedly stealing credit cards from the body of a deceased male and charging almost $500 of cigarettes and snacks. Charges were filed in January 2019 against Jose Miguel...

Coal Township, Pa. — Two men in Northumberland County were caught attempting to steal auto parts from storage trailers in a wooded area in Coal Township. Coal Township Police say Kevin E. Eltringham, 39, of Coal Township, and Joshua Hartman, 35, of Shamokin, were charged with felonies of theft and receiving stolen property after the accuser learned they were at the storage trailers on June 25. The accuser told police...

The James V. Brown Library's Author Gala returns for its 19th year with a guest speaker and online auction. Best-selling author Elin Hilderbrand will speak on the main stage of the Community Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on October 13. Hilderbrand is the proud mother of three, a dedicated Peloton...

Reprinted from Riverkeeper Reflections of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association. After a June 10 blog post by the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association with underwater video by Michael Kinney showing a complete debris blockage of a fish passageway alongside the Williamsport Dam on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, DCNR's Tiadaghton office has since cleaned the passageway twice and has shared a more aggressive maintenance plan moving forward.

Reports of crimes against children have nearly doubled in Lycoming County over the past 10 years, according to data from the county Children and Youth Services. But the reason for this increase is complex. “Most of the effect is that people have a higher level of awareness now,” said Psychologist...