On April 14, the Montrose school board met for their work session and board meeting in Montrose. The work session was opened, and then members went into a clear session.

After the meeting resumed, various administrators gave their reports. Ms. Riker noted that April was Autism Awareness Month. She had been contacted by parents, who spoke with her about having a sort of autism group. One thing they planned to schedule was a sort of safety night for parents of autistic children. Volunteers would be present who had agreed to come and stay with the children while the parents listened to a guest speaker.

Mr. McComb related that they had finished up with kindergarten registration. The school had 41 children who had registered so far. He related that they planned to take a different approach than in the past- previously they had held kindergarten registration before the previous year ended. This year they had decided to hold off and have the event prior to the start of the new year. Lathrop Street had been doing this for years. Mr. McComb also related a desire to make it more of an informal evening.

In non-registration news, it was announced that a visiting author was to come in May, and spend time with students in grades Kindergarten through six at both Lathrop Street and Choconut Valley. Choconut Valley had also finished their reading, math, and writing PSSA’s. They had tried to focus on letting the students know it was an important event, without making it a stressful event.

Mr. Addams said that Lathrop Street was at 51 kindergarten students, with their kindergarten registration planned for the following week. The Special Olympics was scheduled for the following Wednesday, an event he said he always tried to attend for at least an hour or two. He spoke positively of this, encouraging others to attend if possible. He called it a great day for the participating children.

Mr. Owens commended Konstantinos Konstas on the roll out of the new website, which had gone live. He said that they had received great feedback. They had a couple more development meetings, planned, he related. Mr. Owens also congratulated Konstas on his performance in FBLA, where he had also gone on to nationals.

The superintendent asked how long Konstas had been working on the site. Mr. Owens related that it had been previously programmed by David Koloski. Konstas began working with him and, after Koloski’s graduation, taken over. It was all custom code, Mr. Owens explained, and had taken over four years in development.

Mr. Boccella also commended Konstas for his placement in FBLA; it was to be his second time at nationals in as many years. He also noted a student who had scored “off the charts” for SATs, Jeffrey Zuber, and the number of students who were not far behind.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention had done a great job with a workshop for the students, Mr. Boccella continued. That same organization had offered to come back and do a presentation before graduation for an assembly with just the seniors. A board member asked if they still did PSATS at the school, and if they had any national merit scholars or recipients of commendation. Mr. Boccella responded that they did hold the tests, but did not have anyone receiving those honors at that time.

Mr. Powers was the next to report, relating that more than 40 students were referred for positive behavioral referrals in grades 7-12. They were “caught doing something good”. Also, a discipline committee meeting had been held. He and Mr. Boccella were really interested in feedback from their first few months in their respective positions. They were planning to meet again in the future, to discuss dress code.

Mr. Tripp provided a brief report on facilities. He spoke of a bid for converting Lathrop Street to natural gas, which they expected to come in right around $60,000. Ms. Lusk stated that the water heater and the Lathrop Street conversion would deplete the 22 fund. A board member asked what the payback would be for the conversion. While he hadn’t done the numbers for Lathrop Street, Mr. Tripp responded, he thought it would be short. (The secondary school’s payback was to be about 1.2 years.) He tried to get a return on investment of less than two years for projects he looked at.

Ashley Kilmer was present at the meeting to discuss the proposed multiuse athletic complex and conference facility. She as asked to discuss the idea with the board. She said that she and others had come up with the idea of possibly having a facility like this in the area, and had spoken earlier before a group of superintendents. They were looking to the schools to see if there were people in their districts who might be interested in using such a facility. The superintendents had agreed to go back to their boards, then, and see if the district would be interested in contributing $500 a piece toward a feasibility study. So far Mountain View, Elk Lake, and Susquehanna had committed to do so. If the project went forward, a non-profit would be formed to run it. Until they attained this status, the Community Foundation had agreed to accept donations and process them. The group was also asking municipalities who had received Act 13 funds to donate toward the study. As of that time they had received over $5,000. Ms. Kilmer emphasized that they didn’t want others to think that they were a group of people doing what they wanted to do. They wanted input, and they wanted the community to have a say in it. She asked if those present had questions or concerns. Mr. Caterson asked how they would resolve the location issues. She responded that the feasibility would give them options. A game changer, however, would be if someone donated land for it. The fact that everyone wanted it close to them, she said, demonstrated the need for such a facility, and the desire for it. A board member asked to clarify that a donation toward the feasibility study didn’t commit them to anything else. It was responded that it didn’t. A parent asked if they were going to the public yet for private donations. Ms. Kilmer responded they had not as of that time, as that was the next phase. They wanted to say they had the support of the school districts and municipalities first. They had one corporate sponsor thus far. The parent asked what the benefit to the district would be, what they would have for their money if the feasibility study came back negative. Ms. Kilmer responded the district would have then used $500 to investigate an idea that might benefit the lives of students. Mr. Caterson stated that if they discussed it at the next budget meeting, it wouldn’t be acted on until May. The meeting progressed past that point without action being taken.

Ms. Boyce, the new superintendent, gave an update on the educator in-service plan. They had revised the plan so that it would have no time impact on the students at all. They would use 2 hours of the contractually allowed 3 hours of additional staff time a month. This would not include support staff, or maintenance and custodial staff, unless a support staff member needed it for professional development, or it was of particular use. She reviewed a list of topics that might be discussed. A board member asked how this would work for coaches who were also educators. It was responded that they would be expected to be there, as they would potentially only be missing two hours a month of coaching time, and they had assistants.

A visitor thanked the board for supporting summer camp once again.

The works session closed, and the board meeting opened.

The board approved a motion to adopt a Resolution urging the General Assembly to establish a new funding formula for basic education. Mr. Caterson said the last few years had been very difficult, and it might be a few years before it leveled off. He said the school had withstood it well. He didn’t read the resolution aloud, but basically it said that it encouraged the legislators to get off their “backsides” and support education.

A motion was made to allow the Susquehanna County Court of Common Pleas to utilize the small gymnasium at the secondary school in case of an emergency. This was not new, it was explained.

A motion was made and approved to advertise for bids to convert the boilers at the Lathrop Street Elementary School from fuel oil to natural gas.

A motion was made to enter into a Dual Enrollment Agreement with Keystone. Already the district had one with Lackawanna College. Mr. Boccella said he hoped to expand this to include other schools as well.

The motion was made and approved to start a Friends of Rachel (FOR) club. Mr. Caterson asked for this to be explained. Mr. Boccella said a few years ago they had Rachel’s Challenge come, which group had encouraged students in the school who were interested to start a Friends of Rachel club. It was basically a group with a message against bullying.

Resignations were accepted with regret from Ryan Soden as Assistant Boys’ Soccer Coach and Lonnie Griffiths as Junior High Head Soccer coach. Mr. Caterson said that they appreciated their service. Jeremy Dibble, Eric Nichols, Ben Chmil, Jan Cechak, and David Beaudette were all appointed as assistant football coaches. The question was raised as to whether or not they needed that many coaches. Mr. Caterson responded that they were all positions which had been in place previously and were budgeted for. One board member said the team wasn’t very successful, with not many players. It was suggested that they talk about it at the salary meeting, prior to hiring those coaches, and asked if the motion was premature. Another board member asked how many kids were in the program. It was responded that there were about fifty at the junior high and high program. She then asked how many coaches there were on the track team, and how many students there were. It was estimated there were seven coaches for the track team and maybe 100 students. She was trying to figure out the coaches to kids ratio. Mr. Caterson said they had hired a new coach, who wanted to get started. He said if they wanted to have a budget discussion about it they could do so, but he felt they needed to approve those positions that evening to allow the new coach to get started. All board members voted for it in the end.

Resignations were accepted with regret from Angeline Brown and Joan Roberts, part time food service workers. Kacey Horrigan was hired as a part-time food service worker.

Resignations for the purpose of retirement were accepted with regret from Evelyn Kurosky and Joseph Moore. Mr. Caterson thanked them for their 30 plus years of service to the district. The resignation of John Adams as an instruction-in-the-home instructor was accepted as well, with Mr. Caterson again expressing appreciation of his service.

A motion was made and seconded to appoint Michael Boccella as full-time Junior-Senior High School Principal and Mr. Eric Powers as full-time Junior-Senior High School Assistant Principal.

The motion was made to revise the 2013-2014 school calendar to make June 19 the last day of school for students, June 18 and 19th an Act 80 student only early dismissal, and to schedule graduation for June 21st.

Hallstead Borough’s Council meeting was called to order at about seven o’clock, Thursday, the 17th of April by the Council’s President David Callender. With the exception of BryanGlasgow and Ryan Stone, all Council members were in attendance to discuss the monthly Agenda. There were only three members of the public present.

Within the members of the public, were two representatives from Kingfisher Exploration Services, Inc., wishing to discuss seismic surveys as well as the possibility of using vibration trucks on the roads. A main concern of President David Callender and other Council members was the seismic testing in the ballpark. The Council was concerned about the locations of the boxes, as the ballpark is very busy during the warmer months. Mitchell from Kingfisher Exploration assured the Council that the boxes would be out of the way and probably near the tree line. They also stated that flags would be put in place before the actual boxes, so if the specific locations were a cause for concern they would be moved. They also stated the boxes would only be in place for a month at the most.

Kingfisher Exploration Services, Inc. also wanted to discuss using vibration trucks on Borough Roads. The Council said that not all roads would allow for the use of the trucks, due to size or condition of the road. They decided that a list would be created of identifiable roads that would allow for use of the vibration trucks.

There was not much old business to attend to. Mayor Esposito only had one question, inquiring about whether the “play at your own risk” signs had been put in place at the parks. Jim Canfield then stated that they were in fact put up.

Council member Nickolas Burgess then suggested the Borough begin a Facebook page to give the community updates and share events. President David Callender and also Martin Brown agreed that it would be a good idea, if Mr. Burgess would run the page. Mr. Burgess stated that he, along with Jim Canfield would run the Facebook page.

There was also discussion held on the park on Chase Ave. Jim Canfield stated that the tennis nets would be put in place in May. It was also brought to the attention of the Council that the merry-go round was in poor shape. Although it was noted that it was probably not in the budget for this year, the Council agreed to look into prices for a new merry-go-round.

As far as roads go, the Council agreed to advertise for bids on various road projects and catch basin work that needs to be done within the Borough. This included work on Chase Ave, Old Route 11, Bennett St., Pine St. and minor work on various other streets within the Borough. Discussion was held on specifics of what needed to be done on each road and how they should go about these repairs in the most efficient way.

In a final thought at the meeting, the pine trees along the river bank were discussed. These trees are in poor condition and should be replaced. However, it was unclear to the Council who was in fact the property owner and/or the person in charge of the trees, as they were placed there in memorial of Veterans. The Council once again emphasized that they would plant new trees in their spots and not just get rid of them. They then suggested that Mr. Canfield track down those property owners to ask permission.

With that, the meeting was adjourned a little before eight o’clock. The next meeting is scheduled to take place on May 15th 2014 at 7 o’clock.

At the April 16 meeting of the New Milford Township supervisors, topics covered included the standard permit notifications and the announcement of an annual contest.

Southwestern had applied for permits to drill three wells on existing pad Innes South. They also were applying for an ESCGP-2 permit regarding a Communications Tower RU#17 for the Barkem Squirrel well pad on Three Lakes Road.

Susquehanna Gathering had submitted applications for permits for a General Operating permit Air Quality (BAQ)-GPA and a General Permit 5(GP-5) for a compressor station (CDP2).

Notification was given regarding applications for a small non coal mining permit and a general NPDES Permit from Wildcat 2 Blue Frog Hole Quarry.

The township was at that time holding its 4th annual local government contests at Blue Ridge. That year, grades K-2 were doing a coloring contest and 3rd through 5th was doing an essay contest. The theme was what their school needed. What they were writing about was what their town needed to improve for the kids, if they were a township supervisor. Winners were to be announced May 1st at the Blue Ridge cafeteria.

The township supervisors, secretaries, and Emergency Management Coordinator had recently returned from the 92nd annual PSATS conference. All had attended a session on amending the rules for fracking and oversight of the industry. They were always trying to keep on top of the issues. Mr. Shibley discussed the conference slightly, saying it was pretty interesting, and they all had a good time.

The statewide emergency management conference had been held, and the emergency management coordinator had attended.

An amendment was executed regarding a memorandum of understanding with Bluestone Gathering on Sutton Road. They had finished the blacktopping and ditches, and they were amending the MOU. Everything was up to specifications. If there was a problem down the road, Mr. Conroy said that he was sure the company would come back to fix it. Bluestone had refurbished the road; it had been a gravel road previously. A visitor said he thought they now had the best road in the county, aside from 81. He said it had held up well.

A dam had broken the week previously, Mr. Bondurant related. There had been a beaver dam in a swamp, which had broken and discharged a lot of water. It might have washed out the end of Highland Road, however the Old Cottrell Pond, now empty, had absorbed most of the water. The rest had gone through a state culvert, which could accommodate it, and hit a township culvert, which could not. The crew had gone out and closed the road, and the next day when the water receded they cleaned out the culvert. Mr. Bondurant said that it was a good thing that the road had been improved by the gas company, or it might have been washed out. He said it was a bit of an emergency drill for the township, but it was handled well.

Starrucca Borough Council was called to order on Monday, March 3, 2014 at 7:10 PM by Pres. Jack Downton.

Council members present were: VP Robert Weldy, Paul Everett, Louis Gurske, Barbara Glover, Jason Heeman, and Arthur Kopp. Mayor Mary Ann DeBalko was present.

The Minutes of the previous meeting held on February 3, 2014 were presented.

Paul Everett made a motion to accept the Minutes as presented. The motion was seconded by Louis Gurske and passed unanimously.

Treasurer’s Report as of February 28, 2014 – Paul Everett made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented. The motion was seconded by Barbara Glover and passed unanimously.

Bills to be paid (March) – Barbara Glover made a motion to pay the March bills as presented. The motion was seconded by Robert Weldy and passed unanimously.

PERSONS TO BE HEARD

Auditors’ Report - Dan Kramer distributed the Auditors’ data to Council members.

Leech Creek Road - Keith Payne read a letter regarding Leech Creek Road.

Darl Haynes submitted an RTK. Mr. Haynes also requested 2 building permits which will be provided by the Secretary. Mr. Haynes handed out copies of the Haynes/Bugaj Court Order to each Council member.

CORRESPONDENCE

DCED Annual Report – Floodplain Management Activities –to be submitted.

EMC Insurance Companies (DGK Insurance) – Renewal Notice – FILED.

PSAB Proposed Constitution Amendments – FILED.

Wayne Conservation District – Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Program Training (Mayor DeBalko will follow up.)

Executive Session – Pres. Downton called for Executive Session at 7:35 PM for discussion of legal issues (Haynes, map and Kellogg Road). The regular meeting resumed at 8:30 PM.

OLD BUSINESS

Shadigee Creek Wall Project – Paul Everett made a motion to advertise the March 10, 2014 special meeting for the stated purpose of opening bids on the EWP Shadigee Creek wall project and other business as may come before Council. The motion was seconded by Robert Weldy and passed unanimously.

Legal issues – Paul Everett made a motion to have Pres. Downton, VP Weldy, and Mayor Mary Ann DeBalko included in the group to handle legal issues with Solicitor Waldron. The motion was seconded by Louis Gurske and passed unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS

Spring/Summer Road Work - Paul Everett made a motion to advertise for bids will be opened at the next regular Council meeting (April 7, 2014). The motion was seconded by Louis Gurske and passed unanimously.

Annual Lawn Maintenance – Paul Everett made a motion to advertise for bids to be opened at the next regular Council meeting (April 7, 2014). The motion was seconded by Louis Gurske and passed unanimously.

Community Hall – Louis Gurske reported that double doors on Community Hall are not latching completely and have apparently blown open during heavy winds. Pres. Downton asked the Hall Committee to look into the matter.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – None

MEETING ADJOURNED

Pres. Downton made a motion to adjourn at 8:40 p.m. The motion was seconded by Paul Everett and passed unanimously.

Starrucca Borough Council was called to order on Monday, March 10, 2014 at 7:05 PM by President Jack Downton.

Council members present were: Paul Everett, Louis Gurske, Barbara Glover, and Jason Heeman. Mayor Mary Ann DeBalko was present.

SHADIGEE CREEK WALL – EWP PROJECT – The purpose of this meeting was to open bids submitted for the Shadigee Creek Wall – EWP Project.

The following bids (in order they were opened) were received:

James W. Barber Trucking & Excavation, LLC $101,158.30.

BP Diversified Construction $105,850.00

T. Brennan Heavy Equipment  $148,000.00

Rutledge Excavating Inc.  $69,400.00

Neal Lynn Inc.  $75,566.18        

Rosencrans Excavating Inc. $53,970.00

Ciccone Construction $84,680.00

Paul Everett made a motion to check with NRCS and DEP to get their concurrence on Rosencrans being a responsible bid at the bid amount. If it is a responsible bid, we award the bid to Rosencrans. If not, we ask them about Rutledge Excavating. If they approve, we award the bid to Rutledge. The motion was seconded by Jason Heeman and passed. President Downton abstained.

MEETING ADJOURNED - Paul Everett made a motion to adjourn at 7:23 PM. The motion was seconded by Barbara Glover and passed unanimously.

The Pennsylvania State Police have announced the arrest of Zachary Larue, 21 years of age, Kingsley, Pa., for a fatal car crash that occurred on September 2, 2013 at approximately 7:00 pm. The crash occurred on State Route 92, south of the intersection of State Route 106 in Lenox Township, Susquehanna County. A six month old girl died as a result of the injuries she sustained in the crash.

Mr. Larue was charged with Homicide by Vehicle, Aggravated Assault by Vehicle (3 counts), Involuntary Manslaughter, Recklessly Endangering Another Person (4 counts), Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic, Driving Vehicle at Safe Speed, Careless Driving and Reckless Driving. Mr. Larue was arraigned before Magistrate Hollister in Montrose.

The Susquehanna County DOMESTIC RELATIONS Section has outstanding BENCH WARRANT’S for the following individuals as of 9:45 a.m. on April 17, 2014: Duane M. Aldrich, Benjamin D. Fassett, David J. Fischer, James Gerard, Justin T. Giberson, Francis M. Hagemeyer, Jr, Todd J. Layton, Charlie J. Legere, Casey M. Lehman, Derrick Lezinsky, Robert J. McCrone, Lawrence M. McGuire, Ronald N. Mitchell, Mary Perschau, Matthew J. Peters, Jeffrey A. Ransom, Scott A. Russell, Bruce A. Schurr, Todd J. Slater, Nathan C. Strohl, Frederick Swingle, III, Justin S. Thompson, Steven G. Warner, Richard C. Whitney. Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 170 with any information on the location of these individuals.

Burglary: The Lenox Township cottage belonging to two Palmcoast, Fl residents was burglarized when forcible entry was obtained by means of a bedroom window.  The perpetrator(s) rummaged through the cottage and its contents.  The investigation was continued pending inventory of the cottage contents, as of the time of report.  Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police. 

Theft: Two Stihl chainsaws valued at $515.00, belonging to an elderly Susquehanna man, were stolen from the porch of Jackson Township building.  Anyone with information is asked to contact PSP Gibson. 

Criminal Mischief: On February 25th at approximately 2:00 am Douglas Andrews of Meshoppen allegedly smashed a window in the vehicle of James Rozell of Montrose, after Rozell allegedly almost hit Andrews with his vehicle.  This incident occurred at Shana and Frank's Pub in Bridgewater Township.  Rozell later returned and allegedly threw a metallic object through the office window of the pub (the same metal object further damaged a laptop that was positioned on the office desk).  Both Andrews and Rozell were to be called to answer the charges before Magistrate Jeffrey Hollister at a later date, as of the time of report. 

Criminal Mischief: Atique Sheihk of Apalachin, Ny, reported a criminal mischief incident to his “Smart Choice” tobacco shop on April 1st at 3:22 am.  The perpetrator approached the building and damaged the telephone wire box on the outside of the building and then fled the scene upon triggering the alarm.  Anyone with any information is asked to please contact the police. 

Criminal Mischief: A South Gibson woman reported criminal mischief to her 2007 Jeep Commander on March 30th at 1:43 am.  The perpetrator drove by and smashed a rear passenger window with a rock and fled the scene.  Anyone with any information is asked to contact PSP Gibson please. 

Commercial Vehicle: On April 7th at 7:30 am James McCusker was traveling east on Sr 374. Prior to the intersection with Quigley road in Herrick Township, the school bus left the left side of the roadway and impacted a ditch.  The bus then continued in a northeast direction through a yard and then a field.  It came to a rest facing an easterly direction off the roadway.  A seat belt was in use;  the driver was not injured. 

Theft:  Between March 18th and 19th a Herrick Township man reported that over a period of a few days he had cash taken from him.  The investigation was ongoing as of the time of report. 

Burglary:  Between the 28th and 30th of March, the residence of Thomas Lewis of Montrose was forcibly entered by means of defeating a locked door on the structure.  Once inside the residence, the perpetrator(s) proceeded to rummage through drawers and closets within the residence.  Said act was done without his authorization.  The investigation was ongoing as of the time of report. 

Hit and Run:  On April 1st at 10:20 pm Joshua Skivington of Factoryville was traveling northbound on Sr 3023 in Lathrop Township when his vehicle was driven from the roadway, impacting a fence and traveling down an embankment, overturning.  The operator fled the scene prior to police response.  The vehicle was towed from the scene by Kozlowski Towing. 

Indecent Assault:  An incident occurred on April 4th in which Kenneth Bitler of Meshoppen is accused of inviting a 9 year old female victim to come into the old church that he owns and reportedly kissing her on the lips and rubbing her stomach under her shirt.  The victim became upset and tried to back away and he grabbed her arm, holding her there.  The victim slapped his hand away and told him to let her go and he complied.  The victim ran out of the church and told her mother.  The perpetrator left the scene shortly after.  Charges of Indecent Assault and Corruption of a Minor were filed on the perpetrator at DJ Jodi Cordner's Office in New Milford.  Bail was set at $20,000 unsecured and a preliminary hearing was scheduled.  The church involved was used only for storage at the time and did not have an active congregation. 

Burglary: One or more unknown burglar(s) entered the New Milford residence of an elderly Vestal man by shattering a front door window pane.  Once inside, the perpetrator(s) stole a 32 inch tv, before fleeing through a rear door.  Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police. 

Criminal Mischief: On April 4th between 6 am and 9:30 pm a criminal mischief incident occurred in which one or more person(s) arrived at a scene in Clifford township, broke a plastic broom, and knocked over an aluminum post.  Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police. 

Burglary: Between March 25th and April 6th one or more person(s) entered a New Milford Township residence by means of a shattered rear window.  Approximately 125 feet of copper piping was stolen from various areas inside the residence.  Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police. 

Hit and Run: On April 4th at 12:07 pm an unnamed driver operating a gray pickup pulling a camper was driving north on Sr 81 in Lenox township at the same time as Danny Termin of Bellwood, Pa.  The truck drifted from the passing lane and sideswiped Termin's truck, breaking off a mirror and breaking the glass in two others.  The truck failed to stop, and was last seen continuing northbound. 

Theft: An incident occurred as one or more perpetrator(s) removed and took possession of a stone tumbler from B&S quarry  in New Milford Township.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the police please. 

Commonwealth Vehicle Crash: On April 3rd at 11:41 am Brian Belles of Wilkes-Barre was at the intersection of SR 3001 and SR 3023 in Dimock Township.  Sr 3023 traverses primarily east and west with a stop sign and flashing red light to direct traffic to stop before crossing Sr 3001, which traverses primarily north and south.  Belles was headed in an easterly direction and pulled from a stopped position to cross Sr 3001.  When it was approximately half way through the intersection, a vehicle driven by Christina Belcher of Montrose struck the left center of the cab over box truck.  The truck continued east and stopped after getting through the intersection. All occupants were assessed at the scene by Montrose Minutemen and the Elk Lake Fire Company. 

Commonwealth Vehicle Crash: On April 1st at 10:32 am Sanel Alesevic of Conklin was traveling northbound on I81 in New Milford township when his vehicle exited the east side of the roadway, rolled onto its passenger side, and slid to a rest on the shoulder and the right lane.  A seat belt was in use;  the driver was not injured.  The vehicle was towed from the scene. 

Burglary: A revolver, US currency, and a yellow gold ring were stolen from a Kingsley senior citizen, at a scene in Brooklyn Township.  Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police. 

Burglary: Between March 28th and 30th, the residence of a Montrose senior citizen in Dimock Township was forcibly entered, and items were removed from within without his authorization. The investigation was ongoing as of the time of report. 

Crash:  On March 30th at 4:12 pm Shawn Gosline-Jones of Montrose was traveling westbound on Sr 706 in Bridgewater township at a time when the road was slippery from packed snow and ice, with a snow and sleet weather condition occurring.  The Ford F150 exited the roadway to the south of the travel lanes, impacting an embankment.  The driver was transported to Endless Mountains Health Systems Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.  The vehicle was towed form the scene by Vogel's Towing.  All involved were utilizing seat belts;  three passengers sustained no injury. 

Theft: Between March 1st and 21st one or more unknown perpetrator(s) stole a 100 gallon Suburban Propane Gas tank located at the side of a residence in Harford Township.  Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to please contact the police. 

Criminal Mischief: On March 29th between 1 and 9:30 am a Clifford Township man discovered damage to the windshield of his vehicle.  Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police. 

Hit and Run: On March 18th at 1:30 am an unnamed 17 year old juvenile girl was attempting to turn around in a private drive off of Foote Road in New Milford Township.  As the girl backed out of the drive, her Nissan Sentra backed over an embankment and struck a tree.  It then spun around and continued down the bank striking a second tree.  The operator and passenger then left the scene.  The driver went to the hospital the next day and received only minor injury. 

Crash: On March 26th at 5:18 am Cynthia Hall of New Milford was traveling north along Sr 81 in Harford Township when she came upon icy conditions and lost control of her vehicle.  The vehicle traveled across both northbound lanes and then into the median, traveling the down slope of the median, losing a tire in the process.  A seat belt was in use;  the driver was not injured. 

If you have information regarding any of these incidents, please contact PSP Gibson at (570) 465-3154.

Animal Complaint: On 03/07/14 at 5:50 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police responded to a residence located on State Route 167. Upon arrival the home owner stated that 2 dogs attacked and killed his chickens. The home owner was able to identify the dogs and the owner of the dogs. This was the second time that these same dogs have attacked his chickens. Charges have been filed for this case. Officer Levi Tiffany was the responding officer.

Assist other Agency: On 03/12/14 at 7:40 a.m. Silver Lake Township Police notified the Gibson State Police of a motor vehicle accident that occurred on State Route 167 near Holbrook Road. The driver of the vehicle was not injured and severe damage was done to his vehicle. Gibson State Police responded to the scene and took the accident report. Chief Timothy Burgh was the reporting officer.

Theft: On 03/14/14 at 9:00 a.m. Silver Lake Township Police took a report of a stolen lap top computer. The computer was stolen from a building located at the Silver Lake Rod and Gun Club on the Laurel Lake Road. The lap top was used to teach hunter safety courses held at the club. The Pa. Game Commission reported the lap top was taken sometime between September 2013 and March 2014. Chief Timothy Burgh took the report. This case is still under investigation.

Alarm/Security: On 03/14/14 at 12:45 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police responded to an alarm located on West Wilkes Barre Turnpike Road. Upon arrival at the scene it was found to be a false alarm. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Miscellaneous Investigation: On 03/17/14 at 11:20 a.m. Silver Lake Township Police Department responded to a report of a large propane leak located on Quaker Lane. Upon arrival it was found that the gas line coming out of the tank had been accidently broken. The shut off valve to the tank was not working. The fire company was notified and some neighbors had to be evacuated near the scene. The gas company was able to respond to the scene and was able to make repairs to the line. Fire Companies from Silver Lake, Town of Binghamton, and Snake Creek responded for this incident.

Motor Vehicle Accident/Car vs Deer: On 03/19/14 at 7:50 a.m. while on patrol, Silver Lake Township Police were notified of a car vs deer accident. The incident occurred at the intersection of Tripp Lake Road and the Quaker Lake Road. The driver reported that the deer did damage to her vehicle and that the deer was still alive in the roadway. The deer was dispatched and removed from the roadway. The vehicle was able to be driven away from the scene. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Forgery: On 03/25/14 at 3:30 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police took a report of forgery. The caller stated that his ex wife forged his signature on a document for the make a wish foundation located in Michigan. Interviews were conducted and it was found that no criminal activity occurred. Chief Timothy Burgh took the report.

Alarm/Security: On 03/28/14 at 2:35 p.m. Silver Lake Township Police responded to an alarm going off on Barney Road. Upon arrival it was found that snow had pushed on the doorway causing the alarm to activate. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.

Hazard/Road Conditions: On 03/31/14 at 10:00 a.m. while out on patrol Silver Lake Township Police found that the Silver Creek Road and parts of State Route 167 were partially plowed with only one lane open. It was again found at 1:15 p.m. that these same roads still had not been taken care of. Penn Dot was notified and responded a plow truck immediately. It was later discovered that Penn Dot had some equipment trouble with some of their trucks due to storm conditions. Chief Timothy Burgh called in the incident.

Silver Lake Township Police responded to some medical calls in the township to assist the Silver Lake Township Ambulance for the month of March.

Any information or questions for Silver Lake Township Police, please call 570-278-6818 or email us at silverlaketwppd@epix.net, all information will be held strictly confidential. You can look at the Silver Lake Township Website at www.silverlaketwp.org, to see all Silver Lake Townships' news, profiles, and resources, including the police reports.