Many local families have been affected by opiate and heroin abuses and overdoses of loved ones and friends. Because of this, a new Families Anonymous group has been formed in our area. Weekly meetings will begin taking place starting Friday, September 2, 7pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 276 Church St., Montrose, in the church’s Celtic Room (basement level).

Families Anonymous is a worldwide, 12-step recovery program offering support to people whose lives have been affected by a relative’s or friend’s use of mind-altering substances, like drugs or alcohol, or related behavioral problems.

For more information, please contact Rita or Al at 570-278-0205 or email: FA-Montrose@peoplepc.com.

 Find out more information about the Families Anonymous program by going to the FA web site at www.familiesanonymous.org.

All calls and contacts are confidential.

First names only are used at meetings to preserve individual anonymity. No dues or fees are required for membership. Advance notice is not necessary to attend a meeting. Visitors are welcome.

Does a parent live at home alone, and are you finding they need just a little bit of help? Are you trying to manage staying at home and remaining as independent as possible? Did you know you could choose someone to help you stay at home?

So many questions to be answered, but the B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging Inc. service coordination is there to help. For almost 20 years, the B/S/S/T AAA, Inc. has been providing service coordination for those receiving Aging Waiver Services.

A service coordinator will help develop a plan to meet your loved one’s needs, connect to services, check in with regular visits, and inform and advocate for you!

Aging Waiver is funded by Pennsylvania Medical Assistance and provides services in the home for those aged 60 years and older who qualify physically and financially. To learn more about this program, please call 1-800-982-4346.

EDITORS NOTE: These reports are taken directly from the Gibson State Police Barracks Blotter. Anyone having an issue with how they are worded is advised to visit the Barracks and inspect same before complaining about contents.

DUI:  On August 19th at 12:28 am a vehicle driven by George Welch of Endicott, NY was stopped for a traffic violation on Sr 11 in Great Bend Township.  Through the investigation it was learned that the operator was under the influence of alcohol.  The accused was placed under arrest and transported back to PSP Gibson for processing.  Charges for DUI were to be filed through District Court 34-3-02 as of the time of report. 

DUI:  A crash occurred on August 19th at 1:30 am when Victoria Moore of Kirkwood, NY was traveling north on Sr 11 in Great Bend Township.  Her vehicle exited the roadway by impacting the curb on the right hand side of the roadway.  After leaving the roadway, the vehicle then entered into the Burger King Parking Lot from the roadway and impacted a parking curb, before impacting another curb in the parking lot.  It then came to rest on top of the curb, which was part of a landscaped island.  The driver was not on the scene, and was located just north of Burger King on Sr 11.  During the investigation it was discovered that the driver was under the influence of alcohol.  She was taken into custody and transported to Barnes and Kasson for a legal blood draw.  Marv's Towing removed the vehicle from the scene. 

Crash:  On August 19th at 8:20 pm Dyllon Rybka of Harvey's Lake was traveling south on Sr 0029 in Bridgewater Township when his vehicle failed to negotiate a left curve int eh roadway. It travels off of the roadway and struck a mailbox and a parked vehicle, causing the parked vehicle to impact with another parked vehicle.  It then traveled across a grassy field and down an embankment.  A seat belt was in use;  the driver sustained suspected minor injury. 

Theft from Motor Vehicle:  On August 13th, between 11 am and 4 pm windows were smashed in multiple vehicles while they were located in the parking lot of Salt Springs state park.  Women's purses were stolen out of the vehicles. 

Attempted Burglary:  On August 16th one or more unknown perpetrator(s) attempted to gain entry into the residence of a known 34 year old male from Clifford Township by cutting through a screen door and attempting to open windows.  No entry was made.  Anyone with information is asked to contact PSP Gibson at 570-465-3154. 

Harassment:  On August 14th at 3:30 am a 29 year old Montrose man allegedly pushed a 24 year old Great Bend woman off her bed following an argument.  He also allegedly punched the victim's vehicle, causing damage.  Criminal Mischief and Harassment charges were filed in District Court 34-3-02.  Anyone with information is asked to contact PSP Gibson at 570-465-3154. 

Crash:  On August 11th at 11:23 pm Noah Dolph of Scranton was traveling eastbound on Sr 374 in Clifford Township when, while negotiating a left curve in the area of Red Abbot Road, the vehicle exited off the south side of the roadway and struck an utility pole on the south side of the road with its front end.  It then rotated clockwise and came to a rest just east of the pole facing south.  The vehicle then caught on fire.  When the vehicle struck the pole the wires attached to the pole fell to the roadway.  The unit sustained disabling damage and was towed form the scene, and the operator got out of the vehicle prior to catching fire and sustained a minor injury from the airbags.  A seat belt was in use. 

Burglary:  Between August 11th and 12th, the P&C Thrift Store was entered when the aluminum frame of a small sliding window located behind the donation box was pried.  Miscellaneous change was then taken from an open register drawer, along with several used baseball caps that were for resale.  The perpetrator(s) then left the store by a back door. 

Burglary:  Between the 19th of July and the 12th of August the seasonal residence of a Morrisville, PA man was burglarized.  Forcible entry was gained into the victim's mobile trailer home and two wooden sheds.  A trail camera affixed to a tree and a cloth bowling bag were stolen from within the residence.  Nothing was missing form the sheds.  Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police. 

Theft by Unlawful Taking:  On August 1st between 8 am and 10 pm a theft occurred in Ararat Township in which the pain medication of a man was stolen from inside his mailbox, in front of his residence.  Anyone with information on this incident is asked to please contact the state police at Gibson. 

Theft by Unlawful Taking:  On August 4th between 4 and 7 pm a theft occurred in Springville Township in which a Springville woman's drivers' license and bank card were stolen from her purse at some point.  Anyone with information on this incident is asked to please contact the State Police at Gibson. 

Criminal Mischief:  On August 7th at 4 pm a Friendsville woman was allegedly seen throwing roofing nails onto the property (an ATV path) of a Friendsville man.  The victim sustained damaged tires on his ATV.  Charges were filed at District Court 34-3-01. 

Theft by Deception:  On August 4th at 10:30 am a New Milford woman was contacted via phone by a caller claiming to be her grandson.  The caller claimed he needed $1,000 in the form of iTunes cards to avoid going to jail.  The victim purchased the cards and forwarded the numbers to the caller.  It was learned that the victim was scammed by an unknown person. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police at 570-465-3154. 

Crash:  On August 6th at 9:24 pm Carmelitta Oakley of Nicholson was traveling south on Sr 92 when she became distracted, causing the vehicle to drift into the oncoming lane.  She attempted to swerve back into her lane, causing the vehicle to spin.  It travels off the right side of the road, where it impacted an embankment.  Upon impact, the vehicle began to rollover, before eventually coming to a rest upright in the middle of the roadway.  No injuries were reported;  a seat belt was in use.  Police were assisted at the scene by Harford Fire Department and Harford EMS. 

Burglary:  An unknown person pried open the hasp lock on an Ararat shed, between the 4th and 6th of August.  The perpetrator then did it a second time the next night after the victim replaced the lock. 

Attempted Burglary:  Between July 23rd and August 6th, it is alleged that unknown perpetrator(s) attempted to forcefully enter the Thompson Township shed of a man by prying open the door.  The perpetrator(s) were unable to gain entry and fled the scene in an unknown direction. 

Crash:  On August 4th at 9:05 pm Maria Bruno of New Milford was traveling east on Sr 492 in New Milford Township when two deer entered the roadway from the right side into the path of travel of the vehicle she was driving.  The front of the vehicle impacted the deer.  After impact, it was brought to a controlled rest in the east travel lane.  Vogel's Garage removed the vehicle from the scene.  Police were assisted by Columbia Fire Department.  Neither the driver nor four passengers were injured;  seat belts and child safety seats were in use. 

Harassment:  On August 5th at approximately 1:30 am a Susquehanna man arrived at PSP Gibson to report harassment.  He reported that a 31 year old Montrose man shoved him during an argument in Bridgewater Township.  The accused was cited for assault Harassment through District Court 34-3-01. 

Crash:  On August 4th at 11:30 pm Michael Paulus of Feasterville, PA was traveling south in the right lane on I-81 South when a deer entered the roadway from the right side causing him to swerve into the left lane.  The driver then lost control of his vehicle and attempted to regain control by steering to the right.  The driver could not regain control and exited the roadway on the right side into the shrubbery.  No injuries were reported on scene.  Kozlowski's Towing removed the vehicle from the scene.  The driver was not injured;  a seat belt was in use. 

Theft by Unlawful Taking:  Between August 3rd and 4th a cell phone belonging to a woman from England was stolen from a storage bin at Camp Tioga in Ararat Township.  The phone was a Samsung Galaxy S6+ valued at $750.00.  Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police. 

Disorderly Conduct:  On August 3rd at 4:35 pm David Atherholt is accused of pulling the electrical lines out of the junction box of a New Milford Township man.  The accused was cited.

DUI:  On July 23rd at 3:08 am a trooper observed a vehicle traveling West on Sr 706 in Bridgewater Township.  As he passed the vehicle, he observed it crossing the center line and traveling into the eastbound travel lane of Sr 706, in his side view mirror.  The trooper turned around and followed the aforementioned vehicle, which was later identified as a Silver 2014 Ford F150 bearing PA Registration ZFL4951. 

Harassment:  An incident occurred on August 2nd as harassment by a male from Scranton against a female victim from New Milford.  The investigation was continuing as of the time of report. 

Robbery:  On July 30th at 11:48 am an 81 year old woman from Edison, NJ was sitting in her vehicle on the passenger side in a parking stall at the rest area at mile marker 208 off I-81 in Lenox Township.  The victim was waiting for her husband with the windows down.  A black male, approximately 5'10”, skinny, with a trimmed beard, a red/white shirt, shorts, and a black backpack, possibly in his early twenties, approached the vehicle and leaned inside, attempting to grab the keys.  The suspect then told the victim to get out of the car or he was going to shoot her.  He then got inside the vehicle, where he grabbed the keys from the ignition and the victim's purse.  He then got out of the vehicle and went behind a parked tractor trailer, a short distance away.  The victim also exited the vehicle and ran after the suspect.  The suspect dropped the victim's purse and ran back to the vehicle, started the engine and fled, south on I-81.  The vehicle is described as being a 2015 Toyota Rav4, beige in color.  The victim did not sustain any injuries during the incident.  The suspect did threaten to shoot the victim, but never displayed a gun.  Anyone with information is asked to please contact the police at 570-465-3154. 

Receiving Stolen Property:  On July 24th a trooper was dispatched to a report of a motor vehicle accident on Sr 92 in Lenox Township.  The vehicle was traveling south on that road, traveled off the road, and struck first a fence and then a utility pole.  The driver fled the scene. When the trooper arrived on the scene the vehicle was unattended.  The vehicle was entered into NCIC as stolen (NIC V528481888).  The investigating agency was the Freeland Boro Police Department.  Anyone with any information is asked to please contact the police at 570-465-3154.

Anyone having information regarding any of these incidents is asked to please contact the police at (570) 465-3154.

Josie

Meet Josie, a unique domestic short hair kitty with an outgoing personality and is just an all around sweetheart. Only 3 and 1/2 years old, this beautiful plus size girl is spayed, healthy,fiv/felv negative, litter trained, and feline compatible. Josie's brother was recently adopted and we are hoping she will hit the jackpot and find a family of her own too.  She  would be so grateful to enjoy the company of her humans and know the love of a home!  Won't you give her a chance?

We are presently having a rummage sale at the shelter.  All items are by donation and go directly to helping us fund the replacement of our broken kennels.  Stop by any day between 11:30- 4:00 to see what interesting items we have!

Fun Fact:  A cat's whiskers help her do several things including finding her way around or measure openings that may be too small for her to fit through. Take home Josie or one of True Friends' felines and give them a chance to try out their whiskers!

A daughter, Elliana Rae Miller was born Tuesday, August 23, 2016 5:39pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Binghamton, NY. Elliana Rae was 6lbs 14oz and 19.5 inches long at birth.

Proud parents are Anthony Miller and Megan Ford. Proud big “fur” brother is Kyro Miller.

Maternal grandparents are Dustin and Wendy Sheridan, of New Milford, PA and Jeff and Kate Ford, of Friendsville, PA.

Paternal grandparents are Sharon Miller, of Hallstead, PA and the late Charles Miller of Carbondale, PA.

Fall is just around the corner, but falls shouldn’t be just around the corner for older adults. That’s why B/S/S/T AAA, Inc. is joining forces with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the Falls Free Coalition to celebrate Falls Prevention Awareness Day on September 23, 2015 – the first day of Fall.

While falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injury for people 65 years of age and older, they are not an inevitable part of aging. This year’s Fall Prevention Awareness Day theme, Take a Stand to Prevent Falls, seeks to raise awareness about how to prevent fall-related injuries among older adults.

Studies show that a combination of behavior changes can significantly reduce falls among older adults. Experts recommend: Participating in a physical activity regimen with balance, strength training, and flexibility components. Consulting with a health professional about getting a fall risk assessment. Having medications reviewed periodically. Getting eyes and ears checked annually. Making sure the home environment is safe and supportive.

The recent United States of Aging Survey polled older adults to find out about how they are preparing for their later years. It found that more than half of seniors questioned said they would be interested in the expansion of community-based health promotion programs, including falls prevention classes.

At senior centers and other community-based organizations across the United States, programs like A Matter of Balance, Tai Chi, and Stepping On help older adults gain strength, improve balance, and build confidence to help them live healthier lives and preserve their independence.

The B/S/S/T AAA, Inc. Health and Wellness Program offers 10 Keys Program, Healthy Steps for Older Adults, and Healthy Steps in Motion.

The B/S/S/T AAA, Inc. Health and Wellness Program will be offering a fall risk assessment on September 7th at the Bentley Creek Wesleyan Church at 10:00 a.m. All those aged 60 years and older are welcome to join and participate in this free event. For questions, please call 1-800-982-4346.

For more information, on Fall Prevention, please visit www.ncoa.org/FPAD.

The B/S/S/T AAA, Inc. is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging; the United Way of Bradford County; the United Way of Susquehanna County; the Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Tioga County Commissioners.