SCHOOLS, NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESS WILL STAY CLOSED
48 people have died in Pennsylvania from COVID-19. Governor Tom Wolf continues making policy to slow the rise of that number due to the coronavirus in the commonwealth, yesterday announcing stay at home orders for Carbon, Schuylkill, Dauphin and Cumberland counties, following President Trump’s national recommendation to continue social distancing through April 30th. The Governor also announced that non-life sustaining businesses and schools will be closed indefinitely to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. A total of 693 new confirmed coronavirus cases were reported yesterday which brings the statewide total of COVID 19 cases to 4,087. There are 26 counties under the stay at home order – except for emergencies.
The full 26 county listing includes: Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Bucks, Butler, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland and York.
FIRST COVID-19 DEATH REPORTED AT UNION COUNTY HOSPITAL
Evangelical Community Hospital has announced the first death and increased the positive cases of COVID-19 up two to six, however, the official count for Union County remains at 4 today since the state Department of Health says the official count of cases are based on where a patient lives and not where they are treated. According to the department, Lycoming County has 4 cases, Northumberland – 1, Montour – 10, Columbia – 6, Tioga-1, and 2 in Potter and 3 in Bradford Counties. Clinton and Sullivan counties have not reported any cases to date.
LYCOMING COUNTY COURTS EXTEND CLOSURES
The director of Court Services in Lycoming County has announced that they have extended the closure of the Courts of the 29th Judicial District to the public for non-essential functions until April 14th. COURTS ARE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC for all other functions – those required to arrive at the courts will be instructed by counsel. Jury selection scheduled for March 30-April 3, 2020, has been cancelled. All jury trials scheduled for the trial term April through May have been continued No in person payments will be allowed, online payment information is available at lyco.org
SIREN TEST COMING THIS WEEKEND
There will be a tornado siren test performed this weekend for residents in Union and Northern Snyder Counties. According to social media, Saturday, April 4th at noon, the Borough of Mifflinburg and the MHC will activate a new tornado warning siren for 3 minutes. No action or response is required by the public. This tornado warning siren will be activated in the future when a tornado is eminent or on the ground in the area.
CITY COUNCIL TO HOLD VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS
Williamsport City Council business will continue through the COVID-19 pandemic using a virtual meeting platform and the public will be able to contribute by asking questions remotely as well. The public can watch the meetings live at www.cityofwilliamsport.org or by searching Williamsport City Council on YouTube. People wishing to request courtesy of the floor can send an email with contact information by 3pm a day in advance to [email protected], the requestor will be called at the proper time to speak, comments can be called in following the end of council’s virtual meetings at 570-329-3314 with a limit of 3 minutes to speak. All future meetings will continue to be held remotely until current social distancing measures are not needed
KELLER TO HAVE TELE-TOWNHALL ABOUT VIRUS IN PRISONS
There will be a tele-town hall meeting for corrections officers in our region with U.S. Congressman Fred Keller of Kreamer, today at 4:30pm. Representative Keller will be joined by Corrections Officer Union President Shane Fausey, of the Council of Prisons Local 33, to discuss efforts to keep corrections officers and community members safe from COVID-19. You can call 1-866-641-6837 an hour before the event or listen online at keller.house.gov/live. For nearly two weeks, Congressman Keller has been taking steps to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the federal prison system.
BUCKNELL SCHEDULES GRADUATION CEREMONY THIS SUMMER
Bucknell University will hold its 170th Commencement ceremony on Sunday, July 19, beginning at 9 a.m.Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, school officials rescheduled the event from the weekend of May 15th According to their website, Bucknell acknowledges that the threat of COVID-19 may continue , so they will monitor the public health situation and make any adjustments to this new date no later than June 5. The University will still confer degrees on May 18th to students eligible to graduate.
SPORTS
The NCAA Division I Council voted yesterday to grant an extra year of eligibility to all student-athletes in spring sports whose seasons were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision will extend the eligibility of all spring-sport student-athletes — not just seniors whose careers would have ended after the cancellation of their seasons.
More than 115 athletes, coaches and sports personalities from 13 countries have joined to raise money for a COVID-19 response fund aimed at providing assistance for individuals fighting the global pandemic. From basketball to NASCAR to gymnastics, Golf to Cricket to skateboarding, athletes in various sports have donated items to https://athletesrelief.org/, and with a minimum $25 dollar donation, fans can enter to win, The program runs through May 1 and has already raised more than $63,000.
In Tennis, 38 year old Roger Federer put on a show for tennis fans via Twitter yesterday, performing trick shots against a wall in the snow. Federer had knee surgery in February, which was going to keep him out of the French Open, which has since been postponed to September. The video, had more than 1.7 million views.
– The All England Club will meet tomorrow to make a final decision about the upcoming grand slam event, Wimbledon, set to begin June 29th. If it is canceled, it will be the first time since World War I
ESPN will be airing classic MLB baseball games starting tonight and every Tuesday through the end of April. Tonight will feature the Sept. 21, 2001, game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, the first major pro sports game in New York City following the Sept. 11 tragedy. Each show will feature one of the most memorable games of the last 25 years.
