Sullivan County

FORKSVILLE, Pa. -- It's not every day that you hear Pomp and Circumstance playing at a county fairgrounds but it's not every day that a graduation is held at one.
Still, at the Sullivan County Fairgrounds near Dushore that is where the Sullivan County School District said farewell to its 2019 senior class.
The ceremony was held here after a fire broke out in the district's K through 12 building last week.
Soot and smoke were left behind in the building, making it unsafe for people to be inside.
The school was closed during this week's final week of school.

LAPORTE, Pa. -- Parents in the Sullivan County School District packed into St. Francis's Church hall near Dushore for a meeting with district officials over the fate of the rest of the school year.
An electrical fire broke out around 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday forcing the closure of the K through 12 building.
Due to the amount of smoke and soot students won't be able to finish this last week of school there.
The district met with teachers to make sure they will have a final grade for their students by the deadline this Thursday morning.

LAPORTE, Pa. -- A fire at Sullivan County high school earlier this week ended the school year early.
Because of smoke damage, students and teachers are not allowed back inside the buildings and that is causing district officials to rearrange events, including graduation.
The fire was early Wednesday morning inside the auditorium at Sullivan County High School. Because of air contamination throughout the buildings, school was canceled for the rest of the year. Graduation will go on as scheduled, but it has moved to another place.

LAPORTE, Pa. -- A smokey school means no school for students in Sullivan County.
Smoke could be seen coming out of Sullivan County High School in Laporte around 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
"Our maintenance staff noticed it and they pulled the fire alarm," said Sullivan County School District Superintendent Patti Cross.
Firefighters from the Laporte area showed up and soon discovered what started the fire.
"It was heavy smoke conditions. There was some fire, some flames from the panel box," said Laporte Fire Chief Daniel Morrison.

LAPORTE, Pa. — A man will spend time in jail for disorderly conduct at a girls’ soccer game in Sullivan County.
Lindsey Bennet was sentenced Tuesday to between 30 days and one year in county jail.
State police say bennet became upset with the officiating of a game in September in Sullivan County. After being told to leave, Bennett allegedly grabbed a soccer official by the neck and threw him to the ground.

MUNCY VALLEY, Pa. -- 69-year-old John Irwin is out on bail after being accused of raping young children in his care in both Sullivan and Lycoming counties.
Neighbors were stunned that Irwin was not behind bars.
"This is why we have no faith in the, in the judicial system anymore. This is a prime example of why. The judicial system with all the locks and stuff does not work," said a neighbor.
Court papers show that the abuse started in early 2014 and state police began investigating Irwin in 2017.

DUSHORE, Pa. — The National Weather Service confirmed it was a tornado that caused damage in parts of Sullivan County–the fifth confirmed tornado that hit Sunday night into Monday morning.
According to the National Weather Service, an EF-1 tornado, with an estimated maximum wind speed of 110 mph, touched down near World’s End State Park on State Route 154 and continued northeast into the borough of Dushore.
The tornado took down trees near the state park and in Cherry Mills and destroyed a barn at Rickety Bridge Farm on Happys Road.

Motorists in north central Pennsylvania are advised numerous roads are closed due to high winds that caused downed trees, utility poles and wires.

DUSHORE, Pa. --The damage in Dushore is severe after a powerful overnight storm.
Massive trees were uprooted, debris was strewn all over roadways, utility lines were down and power was out.
"About 1:15 I woke up and I said to my husband, oh, my God, something is wrong!' I said 'I'm scared' and he said' What?' and I said' I'm scared, something is really wrong.' It was lightning really bad and he said 'Get in the basement! Get in the basement!' said Shanda Elicker of Dushore.
The steeple of a church in Dushore was damaged.
Roadsigns were knocked down.

DUSHORE, Pa. -- People in Dushore were making the most of Thursday's warmer weather. People said it actually felt like spring.
"Thank goodness. We don't get a lot of it around here but when we get it we take a walk all the time," Steven Orlikowski said.
"We don't have to wear heavy winter coats anymore! It's been beautiful. The sun is shining," Jill Orlikowski said.
However, Mother Nature is saying not so fast. Overnight into Friday, one inch of snow is expected to fall here.