Home → Columnists ( January 21, 2026 )
Burns Lyon Murder Trial: District Attorney Little made a motion in court, before Judge A. B. Smith, that the cases against Michael Bosak, Michael Turano and Clarence Eagen be dropped and the prisoners, who are now in jail charged with complicity in the murder of Burns Lyon, Uniondale cattle buyer, be released from custody. The DA gives lack of strong evidence as his reason.
Springville – The Springville National Bank had a narrow escape from being destroyed, when fire broke out from the flues leading from the furnace and damaged the structure to the extent of upwards of $1,500. The fire was discovered at about 9:15pm, Tuesday, and as there were a large number of men attending the services in the Methodist church nearby, prompt aid was rendered by throwing water and snow on the blaze and with the aid of hand fire extinguishers, there being no organized fire protection. The flames were prevented from burning through the roof, but the interior was badly damaged by fire and smoke.
Montrose – Mrs. Regis Dolan fell, Tuesday evening, while walking on Public Avenue, breaking a bone in her wrist. A local surgeon reduced the fracture. Mrs. Dolan refused an anesthetic so as not to prevent her attendance at a dinner engagement. ALSO Owing to mild cases of scarlet fever having developed in the high school, two pupils being ill, the assembly room and eighth grade room were fumigated, the pupils in those rooms being excused for the day.
Jackson – The home of Geo. E. Pease, Jr. was completely destroyed by fire and very little of the furnishings were saved. Mr. & Mrs. Pease quickly aroused their two small children and made frantic attempts to save whatever they could, but the fire gained such rapid headway that their efforts were almost futile. Neighbors for miles around responded to the call of distress, but on account of the condition of the roads, arrived too late to do much good. The house was built many years ago and was a well-known landmark. It had been in Mr. Pease's family for several generations, first owned by Mr. Pease's grandfather, Powers. ALSO Geo. V. Larrabee, of North Jackson, is nearing the 80 mark and is hale and hearty. He says he owes his good health to mainly one thing, walking. During the many years he worked for the different county newspapers he walked hundreds of miles, canvassing for subscriptions and job work. He never bothered with horse or automobile. In this day when everybody rides, we are getting away from the old-fashioned art of walking, one of the finest exercises for anyone.
Brooklyn – Chas. F. Richards is having his house wired for electricity. The lights are also being placed in the High School building.
Gibson – The little home of Harry Hand was discovered to be on fire a few days ago, but by prompt help of the school children it was extinguished before much damage was done.
Susquehanna – The Erie shops here closed on January 15, remaining idle until February 1. They are closed indefinitely at Hornell. ALSO Susquehanna Night Business School opened January 14, in the High School building, under the direction of Miss Wharton, principal of the day business school. A full business course will be given, including shorthand, typewriting and bookkeeping. The fee is $1.00 per week and about 30 are now enrolled.
Hop Bottom – On Saturday evening the junior class, chaperoned by Mr. and Mrs. Wood, enjoyed an old fashioned sleigh ride to Nicholson where they attended the movies.
Lawton – Last Saturday as the seniors of Rush high school were on their way to Laceyville to give their play, a Ford car in which five of the class were riding, broke a rear axle and became unmanageable. It lunged to the opposite side of the road where it landed against a concrete "header." All the occupants escaped uninjured. The Ford was badly damaged. They were picked up by the other car and went on to Laceyville, where they gave their play.
Middletown – On Saturday the members of the Wolf Road Telephone Co. met at Flynn for the regular annual meeting. It was unanimously decided that an assessment of $4.00 be levied against each member, the same to be applied to a thorough overhauling of the line, which is greatly in need of repairs. Officers elected were, John Maloney, president; Lee M. Conboy, secretary; Francis Murphy, treasurer; Thomas Guiton and Martin Curley, collectors.
Brooklyn – Earl P. Tiffany went to Scranton and played some "Old Time Dance Music" for radio station WQAN, on the celebration of their third birthday.
East Rush – The heavy snow of Friday night is making the farmers of this section rejoice, as they can draw their logs to mill, and hay to the station, much more easily than on wagons.
Uniondale – Walter Lyon is busy delivering stove wood in town. Coal is getting to be a mighty scarce article and the people in this community are turning to wood.
Little Meadows – A comedy drama, "The Neighbors" was well given by the dramatic club of St. Thomas' Church. The members of the cast were: Mrs. John Bergin, Mrs. James Hickey, Miss Kathleen Coleman, James Purtell, Mrs. F. Fitzmartin, Miss Gertrude Murphy and Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Lynch.
News Brief: Owners of gas stations in the county are being checked up by William Minkler, of the auditor general's office, because of their failure to make payment to the state for the two cents gasoline tax. Last year many of the dealers were compelled to pay a penalty.
TO NANCY GATES. TAKE NOTICE that John Gates, your husband, has filed his petition and libel against you, for a divorce from the bonds of matrimony, and that an alias subpoena has issued, and was returned non est inventus, to Dec. Term last past. You are therefore, hereby notified, that you be and appear before the Court of Common Pleas, in and for the county of Susquehanna, to be held at Montrose, on the fifth Monday of January next, then and there to show cause (if any you have) why the said petition and libel of the said John Gates, should not be granted and his bonds of matrimony with you be dissolved. SAM'L GREGORY, Sh'ff. Sheriff's office, Montrose, Dec. 26th, 1825.
NOTICE, IS HEREBY GIVEN, to the inhabitants of the township of Bridgewater, that a meeting of the Schoolmen will be held at the house of John Buckingam, on Monday the 23d of January, at 10:00am, for the purpose of making out and correcting a list of poor children for the current year, at which time and place persons interested will please attend. BELA JONES, BENJ. LATHROP, SAMUEL WARNER. SCHOOLMEN.
WANTED. THE subscriber wants to hire by the year, two able bodied, active YOUNG MEN, who can come well recommended. For further particulars apply to himself, at his farm. C. F. A. VOLZ. January 13.
On March 4, 2022, Kevin Vancliff was operating a motor vehicle on Interstate 76 westbound in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. A Pennsylvania State Trooper was patrolling, observed Vancliff's vehicle, ran the plates, and discovered that the plates were counterfeit. The trooper initiated a traffic stop, and Vancliff proceeded to provide a false identification. The trooper instructed Vancliff to get out of the car, but Vancliff opted to drive away from the traffic stop at a high rate of speed.
To avoid traffic and evade the trooper, Vancliff drove on the right shoulder of the highway. Vancliff eventually left the interstate, whereupon he ran a red light and collided with another motor vehicle. After the accident, Vancliff jumped out of the car and fled on foot. Another trooper apprehended the fleeing Vancliff a short distance from his car by tasing him. In Vancliff's motor vehicle, the investigating trooper found an inured passenger. As the trooper was assisting the injured passenger, she told the trooper that Vancliff had a handgun that had slid out from under the passenger seat at the time of the accident. The trooper then saw the handgun on the floor of the vehicle and seized it. Thereafter, the handgun was tested which confirmed Vancliff's DNA on it.
Vancliff was charged with a variety of offenses, including a firearm offense related to the unlawful possession of a firearm as Vancliff had prior convictions that made it unlawful for him to have any firearm. Vancliff was convicted and sentenced to a period of incarceration of 6 to 12 years in a state correctional facility. Vancliff then filed an appeal contending that the trial court erred by failing to suppress the handgun which had been taken from his motor vehicle without a search warrant.
The Superior Court explained that the protections of the Fourth Amendment applied to any area where a citizen has a reasonable expectation of privacy. A person generally has an expectation of privacy in their motor vehicle such that a search warrant is required to conduct any search of it. The Fourth Amendment, however, has no applicability to circumstances where a citizen has voluntarily abandoned property. For instance, if you throw your duffle bag into the garbage, you cannot claim that you have an expectation of privacy in the duffle bag once it has been discarded (or abandoned).
Whether a citizen has abandoned property and extinguished any Fourth Amendment protections is determined by the citizen's intent, which "may be inferred from words spoken, acts done or other objective facts." Once abandonment has occurred, a citizen "relinquishes his reasonable expectation of privacy in it." Vancliff contended that he did not voluntarily abandon his vehicle when he jumped out of it after the accident and set off running. Vancliff argued he was running from the police – not abandoning his car.
The Superior Court rejected Vancliff's argument by concluding: "Vancliff sped off the highway, in heavy traffic, after being ordered to get out of the car. Vancliff then crashed into a van, got out, and fled on foot. Vancliff therefore abandoned his vehicle and relinquished his reasonable expectation of privacy. Accordingly, Vancliff abandoned his right to challenge the search of the car and anything found inside of it." Vancliff's conviction and sentence were affirmed.
If Vancliff wished to maintain his expectation of privacy in his car, he needed to stay put and let the trooper arrest him. Of course, if an arrest had occurred, the vehicle would have to be towed from the scene. As part of their normal course of operation, the State Police usually inventory impounded motor vehicles to protect the owner's valuables and to protect the State Police from allegations that valuables were missing when a car is returned to the owner. An inventory search is likewise permitted under the Fourth Amendment. In other words, even if Vancliff had not fled and abandoned the car – the trooper would have found the gun – and the end result would have been the same.
Good day Dear Hearts, I love you. In an age that celebrates power, be it physical, political, financial, or social, it is striking how often the downfall of individuals and institutions comes not from a lack of strength but from a failure to manage weakness. The ancient story of Samson, found in Judges chapters 14 and 16, reads today like a modern headline: a gifted leader with extraordinary potential sabotaged by impulses he refused to control. His life is a reminder that unchecked weakness can undo even the strongest among us, and that the real measure of character is not how powerful we appear, but how well we steward the vulnerabilities within us. Samson's story begins with promise. Set apart from birth, blessed with supernatural strength and called to deliver Israel from the Philistines, he was a man with every advantage. Yet Judges 14 shows the first cracks in his foundation. Samson sees a Philistine woman and demands her as his wife, not because of shared values or covenant faithfulness, but because, in his own words, "she pleases me." His parents warn him, but Samson's desires speak louder than wisdom. The pattern continues with impulsive decisions, uncontrolled anger, and a refusal to listen to counsel. His strength becomes a tool for revenge rather than deliverance.
By the time we reach Judges 16, Samson's weakness has matured into a destructive force. His relationship with Delilah is not merely a romantic misstep, it is the culmination of a life lived without boundaries. He toys with danger, assumes he will always escape the consequences and ultimately reveals the secret of his strength. When he awakens to find his hair cut and his enemies upon him, the text delivers one of the most sobering lines in Scripture; "He did not know that the Lord had left him." Samson's tragedy is not that he was weak, but that he refused to acknowledge his weakness until it was too late. If Samson lived today, his story might unfold on social media feeds or in breaking news alerts. A leader with talent and charisma falls into scandal. A public figure with influence is undone by private compromise. A community hero loses everything because of a moment, or a pattern of unrestrained desire. The details change, but the underlying truth remains the same: strength without self-control is a liability.
So, what does Samson's story mean for us today? And how do we address our own times of weakness? First, Samson reminds us that weakness is universal. No one is exempt, not pastors, not parents, not public servants, not teenagers, not retirees. Weakness is not a sign of failure, it is part of being human. The danger comes when we pretend we don't have any. Samson's downfall began long before Delilah. It began when he assumed his calling made him invincible. In our own lives, denial is often the first step toward disaster. Acknowledging our vulnerabilities, whether emotional, relational, spiritual, or behavioral is not a confession of defeat but an act of wisdom. Second, Samson teaches us that weakness grows when it is fed. His desires were not inherently evil, but they were unrestrained. He followed impulse over principle, emotion over discernment. In today's world, we face similar temptations: the lure of instant gratification, the pressure to satisfy every craving, the cultural message that "if it feels good, do it." But weakness, like a fire, expands when given fuel. The habits we tolerate today become the chains that bind us tomorrow. Third, Samson's story shows that strength is not the same as character. We often admire people for their talents, accomplishments, or charisma. But character is built in the quiet places; through discipline, humility, accountability and obedience. Samson had strength, but he lacked the inner structure to sustain it. In our own lives, developing character means setting boundaries, seeking wise counsel and cultivating practices that anchor us when temptation comes. Finally, Samson's story offers hope. His final act, pushing down the pillars of the Philistine temple was not merely a moment of physical strength but of spiritual clarity. Blind, humbled and broken, Samson prayed for the first time in the narrative. His strength returned not because of his hair, but because he turned his heart back to God. Weakness, when surrendered, can become the doorway to renewal.
So how do we deal with our own times of weakness today? We start by naming them. Honest self-examination is the first step toward transformation. We ask: Where am I vulnerable? What patterns keep tripping me up? Where am I relying on my own strength instead of seeking help? Next, we invite accountability. Samson lived in isolation, answering to no one. We were never meant to fight our battles alone. Trusted friends, mentors, counselors and faith communities can help us see what we cannot see ourselves. We also build boundaries. Weakness thrives in unstructured environments. Boundaries, relational, emotional, financial, digital, or spiritual are not restrictions but protections. They keep us aligned with our values when our impulses try to pull us off course. And above all, we seek God's strength in our weakness. Samson's life warns us that uncontrolled weakness can destroy even the strongest among us. But it also assures us that no failure is final when we turn our hearts toward the One who meets us in our weakness and makes us strong.
God Bless.