Brooklyn – This community was deeply grieved to hear of the death of one of its best beloved citizens, Dr. A. J. Ainey, who was stricken with paralysis on the evening of January 29th. Few men make a greater impression in a community for uplift and good citizenship than did Dr. Ainey, who was born in Dimock in 1838, educated at the Dimock Academy, the Harford University and Montrose Academy and was a Civil War veteran. After his discharge he read medicine with his brother, Dr. D. C. Ainey, of New Milford, continuing his studies at the University of Michigan and the medical department of Yale College, receiving his M. D. in 1867. His burial service was conducted by the Lt. Rogers Post, G. A. R., of which he had long been commander.
Bridgewater Twp. – This is an old-fashioned winter. ALSO A young man named James Williams tried to commit suicide by shooting himself. He said he thought he had heart trouble, and he pointed the revolver where he thought his heart should be, but the bullet hit a rib and glanced off, making only a slight wound. He worked for Vinal Welsh, near Tiffany, and boarded at Mr. Allen’s. Dr. Birchard attended him. Asked if there was a woman in the case he replied: “No, I never saw a woman worth shooting myself for.” His parents live in New York.
Auburn Twp. – Warren Rifenbury, of Nebraska, formerly of this place, died at the home of his sister, Mrs. Belle Helicker, in Nebraska, where he went to live after the death of his parents. He was a life-long cripple. His remains were brought to Jersey Hill to be interred beside his father and mother. He is survived by several brothers and one sister. He was about 50 years of age.
Laceyville, Wyoming Co. – The large bridge, over the Susquehanna River, gave way to the terrific pounding of the ice against one of its piers and two spans dropped into the river. The damage to one of the piers was noticed by B. D. Phinney, living near the end of the structure, and he immediately placed a guard at his end of the bridge. Crossing to the opposite side with the intention of guarding that end, he had barely reached the end of the bridge when the structure sagged and the iron work went into the flood. The bridge was started in September, 1898, and completed in October of the following year. It cost $30,000.
Silver Lake – A former Silver Lake boy, Major Frank L. Donovan, has had a view of the German line “somewhere in France” from an aeroplane. Early in the winter he was ordered to an aviation school, which he is attending with about 80 other officers. His home is now at Lawrence, Mass., where his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John F. Donovan, formerly of Silver Lake, and Major Donovan’s wife and six children reside. He was born in Silver Lake 40 years ago. He saw service in the Spanish American War and on the Mexican border. An uncle of Major Donovan, Gen.W. H. Donovan, formerly commanded the 9th Massachusetts. David C. Donovan, of Silver Lake, is his uncle and Leo J. Donovan, is a first cousin. Another cousin, Pvt. Serenus D. Donovan, Silver Lake, is a private in Co. F. 101st Infantry.
Hallstead – The house of Grant Melody, of Smoky Hollow, was destroyed by fire on Sunday afternoon. On account of defective stove pipe, the upstairs part was ablaze before the fire was discovered and but few things were saved, with no insurance on house or contents.
Jackson – The class of 1918 held a heart social in the I. O. O. F. Hall, Feb. 14th. Each lady’s (paper) heart was sold at auction, and as there were more gentlemen than there were hearts and those that did not purchase hearts ate a “hearty” supper alone, which was composed of sandwiches, cake, pickles, olives and coffee.
Rushville – During the thaw and rain of last week the ice broke up and came down to the big bridge, near Hibbard and Potts, where it lodged and threw the creek over the ‘flats and roads, which makes it impassable at the present. It also washed away the bridge at Erastus Light’s.
Springville – Dayton Tuttle and wife are now in New York, where he has a good job with an automobile firm. They have not rented their home here and are waiting to see if Mrs. Tuttle does not like city life, she will return to Springville. ALSO L. H. Bushnell celebrated his 90th birthday, Feb. 24th. He is wonderfully well preserved, retaining all his faculties, practically unimpaired, and doing considerable light work out of doors in pleasant weather.
Harford – People have had a serious time getting about on account of the ice. It has been rather dangerous traveling. Amazi Lewis had the misfortune to break his leg while on his way home from New Milford, when his sleigh went over the bank near the Very school house.
Hopbottom - The flats are flooded and Arthur Johnson and W. F. Barron’s cellars are nearly full. Mr. Barron and family had to move out of their house. Earl Tiffany had to go down with his horses and wagon to get them out. ALSO The Foster mill is again running after having been frozen up for about six weeks.
Williams’s Pond – The Heart Lake Red Cross met with Mrs. George Lewis, on Wednesday last. The time was devoted to the making of surgical dressings. ALSO Everett Hohn and wife are moving here this week from Brooklyn, having rented the James Webb farm for the ensuing year.
Montrose – A flag used by the Union League of New Milford, in proclaiming Union victories during the war, was presented to the Susquehanna County Historical Society. The flag had been in the care of Judge A. B. Smith, whose father Capt. A. B. Smith belonged to the Union League of New Milford borough and township, organized in 1862. Judge Smith made the presentation. [The flag was featured in a Civil War exhibit at the Broome County Historical Society, Binghamton, N.Y., several years ago, as well as an exhibit of historic flags at this Society.]
Forest City – The high school girls basket ball team went to Carbondale too play the girls team of the high school of that place. As was expected our girls were victorious in a close, well-played game. The score was 4 to 2.
News Briefs: Towanda is wrought up over the whipping of some of its pupils by the principal. In this effete day we had come to believe that the good old-fashioned method of keeping the boy at his studies had been abandoned. The parents are very angry—but it’s just possible the exercise of physical suasion was needed. ALSO Veterans of the Civil war are dying at the rate of 100 daily according to the commander-in-chief of the G. A. R. When it is considered the War ended nearly 53 years ago it naturally follows that the veterans are reaching an age when dissolution must take place. Their tottering footsteps are watched with honor and respect.
On June 14, 2013, Trooper Frantz was on routine patrol on interstate 79 in Erie County when he observed a motor vehicle pulled over on the berm/shoulder of the highway. The vehicle was running but the hazard lights were not activated. Trooper Frantz activated his emergency lights, pulled up to the side of the motor vehicle, and put down his passenger window to ask the motorist if she was having any difficulties. Trooper Frantz observed Victoria Livingstone in the driver seat and she appeared to be entering an address into her navigation system.
When the driver looked toward him, Trooper Frantz observed that her eyes were glassy and she seemed dazed. He then motioned for her to roll down her window, which she did, and he asked her if she was okay. Livingstone responded that she was fine and that she was traveling to New York for a boat race. Trooper Frantz then pulled his patrol car in front of Livingstone’s motor vehicle, exited the patrol car and approached on foot to talk to Livingstone. After interviewing Livingstone further, Trooper Frantz determined that Livingstone was intoxicated and he placed her under arrest for DUI. A subsequent blood test revealed a BAC level of .205%.
Livingstone sought to suppress the results of the drug test contending that Trooper Frantz had no reasonable suspicion to support his decision to “stop” her motor vehicle. The trial court refused to suppress the blood test results and found that Trooper Frantz had an obligation to stop and make sure that Livingstone was safe when he observed her motor vehicle sitting on the side of the interstate highway. Livingstone was convicted and sentenced to 90 days of electronic monitoring followed by 21 months of probation. On appeal, the Superior Court determined that the trial court had properly denied the suppression motion and affirmed Livingstone’s conviction. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.
A divided Supreme Court determined that Livingstone had been detained by Trooper Frantz when he drove up to her parked motor vehicle. Although her motor vehicle had already been stopped, the Supreme Court determined that when Trooper Frantz turned on his emergency lights, a reasonable motorist would not have felt that she was free to leave, i.e., an investigatory detention occurred. Thus, Trooper Frantz needed some constitutional basis for his decision to detain Livingstone in order to overcome the suppression motion. Trooper Frantz had no reasonable suspicion to believe that criminal activity was occurring – he conceded that he had only approached the vehicle to make sure that the driver was safe.
The Supreme Court recognized that a public servant exception to the Fourth Amendment which allows police officers to approach citizens in need of assistance. In order to utilize this exception, the Supreme Court found that a police officer “must be able to point to specific, objective and articulable facts that would reasonably suggest to an experience officer that a citizen is in need of assistance.”
As to the facts of this case, the majority of the Supreme Court concluded that Trooper Frantz could not articulate sufficient facts from which a reasonable officer could conclude that Livingstone needed assistance. The majority of the Supreme Court concluded as follows: “Trooper Frantz conceded that he had not received a report of a motorist in need of assistance, and did not observe anything that outwardly suggested a problem with [Livingstone’s] vehicle. Moreover, although it was dark, the weather was not inclement. Finally, [Livingstone], who was inside her vehicle, did not have her hazard lights on.” Based upon this conclusion, the Supreme Court vacated Livingstone’s conviction and remanded the case back to the trial court.
Kratom – Because we need another drug to OD on
Jim Brown came into the pharmacy and said to the pharmacist, “What the heck is this stuff? I found it in my son’s room.” Jim tossed a packet onto the counter. The pharmacist saw the word “kratom” on the package label and knew right away what it was. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently declared it dangerous and has classified it as an opioid, similar to oxycodone and hydrocodone. Kratom affects the same opioid brain receptors as morphine. Phone calls to American poison control centers regarding the use of kratom increased tenfold from 2010 to 2015. In February 2018, the FDA has received reports of at least 44 kratom-associated deaths, up from 36 in November 2017. The agency is also aware of reports that kratom is being laced with other opioids, making it even more toxic.
Kratom is an herbal substance made of the crushed leaves of a tropical tree, Mitragyna speciosa, which grows in Southeast Asia. The leaves have been chewed or infused in teas for thousands of years to ease muscle pain. Sold in pill or powder form and mixed into beverages, the drug produces a stimulant effect in small amounts. In larger amounts, it acts as a sedative. At very extreme doses, kratom has caused delusions or hallucinations. Long-term users of this drug have experienced anorexia, weight loss, sleep disturbance, constipation, frequent urination, dry mouth and darkened skin. Withdrawal from kratom can produce irritability, aggression, hostility, muscle aches, and limb spasms.
The FDA is warning consumers not to use kratom because, chemically, it is an opioid. The agency is concerned that kratom appears to have properties that expose users to the risks of addiction, abuse, and dependence. There are no FDA-approved uses for kratom, and the agency has received worrying reports about the safety of kratom. FDA is actively evaluating all available scientific information on this issue and continues to warn consumers not to use any products labeled as containing kratom or its psychoactive compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. FDA encourages more research to better understand kratom’s safety profile, including the use of kratom combined with other drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, kratom goes by other names such as herbal speedball, biak-biak, ketum, kahuam, thang, and thom.
There are those who consider kratom-containing supplements to be beneficial as not only a pain reliever but also as a way to soften the withdrawal symptoms of opioid addiction. Yet, no controlled studies have been performed to determine whether these claims are true and what dose would be beneficial rather than lethal. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently declared that it will hold off on a previously announced ban of kratom, as there is a need for additional input regarding this decision from the public and the FDA. In August 2016, the DEA suggested that it planned to add the psychoactive compounds found in kratom to the list of Schedule I drugs banned under the Controlled Substances Act, drugs such as heroin and LSD. This led to significant outrage and clamor from individuals who believe that kratom can help people struggling with different medical issues.
Nevertheless, Jim Brown was troubled by the possible use of this drug by his 15-year old son. “My son and I are going to have a discussion,” he told the pharmacist as he slipped the packet back into his pocket. The pharmacist agreed because the drug has not been proven to be either safe or effective.
Ron Gasbarro, PharmD is a registered pharmacist, medical writer, and principal at Rx-Press.com. Read more at www.rx-press.com
