Local News

SUNBURY — Officials have issued a burn ban in Sunbury until at least April 1 following a request from fire department Chief Jay Long.

LEWISBURG — Students and staff swayed, clapped and even danced during a performance by a South African musical group that visited the Lewisburg Area School District on Tuesday.

Valley school districts are working to catch up on the fast-paced world of artificial intelligence programs without any established guidance from the state.

Meadville Police Department is filing charges against seven people — both adults and underage teens — for Friday night’s brawl at the Meadville versus Uniontown Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) basketball playoff game at Meadville Area Senior High School.

LEWISBURG — Attempted homicide and related charges filed against a Lewisburg man involved in a drive-by shooting in East Buffalo Township in 2020 have been abandoned in Union County Court.

(WBRE/WYOU) — Two men have been charged after a group allegedly used the United States Postal Service to traffic drugs from Puerto Rico to northeastern Pennsylvania.

After an investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Roberto Ivan Mesa Benitez, 26, listed as homeless, and Romulo Ivan Cepeda Benitez, 43, of Wilkes-Barre, were charged after agents say they found the two recovering cocaine mailed from Puerto Rico and transporting it between Luzerne and Lackawanna counties.

Man charged with exposing himself to delivery driver

(WBRE/WYOU) — The FBI announced a fugitive from Pennsylvania who was on their most wanted list has been arrested.

On March 8, the FBI said they arrested Justin Smith after he was discovered in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Police say Smith was wanted for his involvement in the murder of his pregnant 21-year-old girlfriend, who disappeared in March 2021, and whose body was found in April 2021.

Man accused of police chase while driving tractor-trailer

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Efforts are underway in Luzerne County to improve the way elections are run in the county and across the commonwealth.

A newly formed election task force is taking a look at issues and problems that are faced by virtually every county in Pennsylvania and how they might be resolved.

The election task force is comprised of 14 citizens who volunteered to take a close look at the election system and process in Luzerne County and beyond, then make recommendations for improvements to that process to state lawmakers..

FRAILEY TWP., SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Police say a man wanted on charges led police on a chase while driving a tractor-trailer.

On March 7 troopers saw Lee Dubois, who has an active felony warrant for aggravated assault by motor vehicle, driving a tractor-trailer in the area of Franzosa Trucking on Route 209 in Frailey Township, Schuylkill County.

Cigarette butt in stolen car leads to arrest

MONROE TWP., SNYDER COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — State police say DNA on a cigarette butt discovered in a stolen car led to the arrest of a burglar.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, in April 2024, troopers began investigating burglarizes happening in Monroe Township, Snyder County.

Police said a pickup truck was stolen and the same suspect also burglarized a home and stole multiple items from a third victim's vehicle.

Arrests made, one wanted after deadly party at Airbnb