Breaking News

Police, court and fires

Penn State denies DEI was reason well-known instructor was not promoted

WILLIAMSPORT — An extension educator known for her contributions to the wine industry in Pennsylvania and beyond was denied promotion for a myriad of reasons unrelated to any diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) or speech issues, Penn State says. The university Friday responded to the suit in U.S. Middle District Court by Molly Kelly who claims she was twice denied promotion because she failed to demonstrate sufficient ideological commitment to the university’s “DEI orthodoxy.” She made the allegation in a complaint she filed in February against the Penn State Extension ...

Courthouse Roundup

MARRIAGES — Devany L. Jones to Jon R. Oberle III on May 8. — Lewis Lester Wheeler III to Stacy Lynn Wright on May 11. — Dallas A. Donahay to Crystal Lynn Zbegner on May 11. — Dylan Joseph Evers to Ciboney Starr Krape on May 12. — John Wayne Butler, Jr. to Carolyn Ann Packer on May 12. DIVORCES No divorces were recorded. DEEDS RECORDED — Michael C. Romanesky and Laura Lister to Steven H. Shannon for $380,000, property in Lock Haven. — Justin Williams Real Estate Group, LLC and Justin Williams to WJ Rentals, LLC for $165,000, property in Mill Hall. — ...

LH woman arrested after telling NY man to commit sex acts with infant

A Lock Haven woman was arrested for allegedly telling a New York man to perform sex acts involving an infant and receiving child sex abuse material. Beth Sairs, otherwise known as Beth Young, 41, was arrested by the United States Attorney Jay Clayton, of the Southern District of New York, along with Corey Matthews, 38, of Kent, N.Y. for separate charges related to sexual exploitation of an infant and the receipt and distribution of child pornography. According to a release from Clayton’s office issued this week, Matthews was arrested on May 14 and Saiers was indicted on April ...

Centre County man who posted threats to kill President-elect Trump placed on probation

WILLIAMSPORT — A Centre County man who posted three threats against President-elect Donald Trump just days before his 2025 inauguration has been placed on a one-year probation and fined $500. Jacob Buckley, 23, of Port Matilda, had pleaded guilty in September in U.S. Middle District Court to a charge of threats against the president-elect. This is what he admitted posting on TikTok within hours on Jan. 16, 2025: “I hate MAGA republicans bro on god I’ll kill all of them.” “I’m going to kill Trump.” “Bro we going into a literal oligarchy in 4 days and im going to kill ...

Mother of ex-NHL player sentenced to prison in bankruptcy false-records case

WILLIAMSPORT — A Centre County woman will soon be locked up in federal prison like her husband for falsifying records in a bankruptcy case. U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann on Wednesday gave Christina Johnson, 70, until June 12 to self-surrender and begin serving a 15-month sentence. Her husband, John J. Johnson, II, 73, is serving an 18-month sentence imposed in March on the same charge. They will be in separate prisons. Each also received a year of supervision after release, during which they must perform 30 hours of community service. They are the parents of ...