Union County

UNION COUNTY, Pa. -- There is a steady stream of tractor-trailers on Market Street in Lewisburg.  People are concerned that the truck traffic is hurting the downtown.
“It’s pretty out of control.  I mean the noise level from the trucks that roll by,” Gabrielle Taylor of Lewisburg said.
Recently Lewisburg conducted a traffic study in its downtown to see how truck traffic is affecting market street.  The results are in, and traffic engineers recommend that Lewisburg council ask PennDOT to ban heavy freight trucks from traveling on Market Street.

KELLY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank feeds more than 140,000 people a month, and now, thanks to a large donation, its reach will go even farther.
A Smithfield Foods truck is filled with meat but it's not being delivered to Weis Markets; 40,000 pounds of meat in truck is going to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank's location in Williamsport.

NEW BERLIN, Pa. -- An 18-year-old student at SUN Area Technical Institute near Lewisburg is facing charges of terroristic threats and harassment after police say he threatened to kill another student.
Isaiah Collazo of Lewisburg is accused of pretending to shoot his instructor as well as other classmates by using a drill as a prop.
Kevin Warren and his 15-year-old son Brady were out jogging at the school and say this isn't something you want to hear.

MIFFLINBURG, Pa. -- A group of people surrounded Mifflinburg Mayor David Cooney as he tapped the first keg of Oktoberfest. The event at the Mifflinburg VFW is celebrating its 15th year of German food, beer, dancing and fun.
"We don't count people, but we figure we get between probably 2,000 to 3,000 in two days, depending on weather mostly," Larry Mitchell said.
These folks didn't have to fly to Munich to enjoy Oktoberfest beer. The beer was brought here.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- There are concerns in one community in Union County that large trucks are hurting its downtown.
Lewisburg is conducting a traffic study to see how that truck traffic is affecting a portion of Market Street.
Market Street in downtown Lewisburg is known for its historic buildings and quaint shops and stores, but according to businesses along it, it's getting known for something else: large trucks.

KELLY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Dorothy Moyer got her hair done and put her pearls on Wednesday morning. She wanted to look her very best for her 105th birthday party.
"I'm old," Dorothy sighed when we asked her how she felt.
Dorothy lives at RiverWoods Senior Living near Lewisburg, and her RiverWoods family threw quite a party for this milestone birthday celebration.
"I'm overwhelmed. She's so sweet. I love her to death. Every day she hollers my name constantly. 'Gloria, Gloria, where are you? I miss you. I love you,'" said Gloria Maust, Dorothy's primary caregiver.

MIFFLINBURG, Pa. -- Search teams recovered the body of a 22-year-old man who died after jumping into a swimming hole in Luzerne County.
Brenden Snyder was well-loved in his hometown of Mifflinburg.
Dive teams recovered his body on Tuesday afternoon in Powder Hole, which is a swimming hole near Wapwallopen. On Saturday, Brenden fell while trying to jump into the water and never resurfaced.
Sean Yedid and Brenden worked together as realtors at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Hodrick Realty. The two were roommates in the past. Sean said Brenden was his best friend.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- People all over the planet protested climate change on Friday, including parts of our area.
Nearly 500 people gathered at Bucknell University in Lewisburg to protest, demanding action to slow climate change. This protest was one of thousands happening across the globe.
"Words don't make justice. Words don't make clean air. Words don't make livable futures. You know what does? Action. Action does," said Andrew Stuhl, Lewisburg Climate Change Rally.

NEW COLUMBIA, Pa. -- A disturbing case of alleged child abuse has a woman facing serious charges in Union County.
37-year-old Melissa Keister of New Columbia is facing serious charges of child abuse after investigators say she starved and beat a child in her care at Keister’s home.
The abuse allegedly took place in 2015, but police did not make contact with the child until April of last year, taking her to be interviewed by the Child Advocacy Center in Sunbury.

WHITE DEER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A woman in Union County is accused of starving and beating a young girl in her care in a horrific case of child abuse.
Melissa Keister, 37, of New Columbia, is accused of abusing the child so badly that police say the girl was severely underweight and motionless.
Keister is accused of starving the girl and making her drink vinegar until she threw up when she was caught sneaking food.
State police say the abuse happened at Keister’s home on Grover Drive near New Columbia.