|
Photo by Curt Werner
Teammates wait at home plate to greet Taylor Yoder after she hits a home run against Abington Heights.
Now on the big stage: Northern in State Finals
Joe Guty
It’s every team’s dream: A State Championship. Northern H.S. will play for the 2023 PIAA Class 5A title this Friday, June 16 against Shaler Area H.S., the #3 seed out of District VII. In the Semifinals in Allentown (Patriots Park) on Tuesday, June 13, the Northern Lady Polar Bears --- the top seed out of District III -- defeated Abington Heights H.S., 4-1. Abington Heights was the top seed out of District II but had not faced sophomore pitcher Sammy Magee who crafted another superlative game. Backed by a Tayler Yoder home run and two RBI’s, along with offense from Ashley Miller (2-for-3 and one run), Hannah Keith (1-for-3 and one run), Emily Randalls (1-for-3), Hailey Irwin (1-for-4) and Kiera O’Brine (1-for-3), the Northern squad continued their steady march to the state finals which will be held at Penn State University this Friday, June 16 (4 p.m. at Nittany Lion Softball Park).
See complete story in this week's Dillsburg Banner, June 15, 2023
___________________________
Jubilee Day is Thursday, June 15
Marie Chomicki
The largest, longest-running one-day street fair on the east coast is returning to the streets of downtown Mechanicsburg on Thursday, June 15 for its 93rd year.
Approximately 300 businesses, community groups, food vendors, retailers, local artists, and unique craftsmen will line the small-town streets for this event, which is presented each year on the third Thursday of June by the Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce.
“It has been an unofficial start of summer to kick the festival season off with Jubilee Day,” says Jeff Palm, Executive Director of the Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce.
The 2023 entertainment line-up features both new and familiar sounds on two stages with local and regional entertainment throughout the day, including performances by Nashville Recording Artist Christian Yeager, Poppa Oso and the Funky Monkeys, Jazz Me, Sanction Ethereal, Zero to One, the Noah Spangler Trio, Alexia Christian, Full Steam Revival, a demonstration by West Shore Academy of Martial Arts, and student bands from Trez Music Education Center.
A free-admittance petting zoo returns behind Citizen’s Bank. The PNC Bank parking lot will feature PNC Grow Up Great, an interactive activity center. There will be displays, including a race car and other large vehicles.
Free shuttle bus service will be offered to and from two locations, Mechanicsburg High School, 500 Broad Street and Immanuel Church, 800 South Market Street. Shuttle service runs from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Attendees are dropped off at the corner of South Market and Simpson streets. This is also the pick-up point to take the return ride back to both parking areas. In addition, there’s an assortment of churches and civic groups offering free or low cost parking in the downtown area. Street parking and public lots are also available, but fill up quickly.
____________
Photo by Carolyn Hoffman
Smoke from Canadian wildfires casts an orange haze at sunrise Tuesday morning over the pond at the base of the Fanny Hill slope at Ski RoundTop, Warrington Township.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires blanket Dillsburg area
Marie Chomicki
Smoke from Canadian wildfires has blanketed the northeastern seaboard, directly impacting the Dillsburg area.
The air quality index in Dillsburg hit 399 Wednesday morning June 8 which is in the hazardous zone, according to AirNow.gov, website of the Environmental Protection Agency. AQI at or below 100 is considered satisfactory.
On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection declared a Code Red Air Quality Action Day throughout the entire Commonwealth for fine particulate matter, alerting residents should limit outdoor activities.
“This is air pollution and it is toxic,” Tim Hildebrand, coordinator of Dillsburg Emergency Management Agency said. “Everybody should limit their exposure especially those with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.”
Wildfires are common in Canada's western provinces, but this year the eastern provinces of Nova Scotia, Quebec and parts of Ontario are also reeling from out of control wildfires, according to Reuters. Canada is on course for its worst-ever wildfire season on record, with about 8.2 million acres burned so far this year.
DEMA engages in planning for nature and man-made disasters. Their mission is to provide for the protection of persons and property in disasters affecting Dillsburg Borough and the Northern York County community at large.
Dillsburg woman charged with extensive prostitution enterprise
Marie Chomicki
A Dillsburg woman and three others were indicted on charges related to a prostitution enterprise called XO Companions, or XOC, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Thursday, June 8.
The four defendants are Jennie Lawson, 37, Dillsburg; Tracey Lawson, 57, Thomasville; Anton Panin, 40, Hollywood, Fla. and Viktoriia Zakirova, 32, Miami, Fla.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, each defendant is charged with conspiring to transport women in interstate and foreign commerce with intent the women engage in prostitution and conspiring to persuade women to travel to engage in prostitution.
The indictment further charges Panin and the Lawsons with money laundering. The indictment explains that Panin and Zakirova recruited women in Russia and other Eastern European countries to travel to the United States to work as prostitutes for XO Companions throughout the country, meeting with clients in major cities.
XO Companions workers typically sent cash prostitution proceeds to the Lawsons, who in turn transported the money to Panin in Florida. Additionally, the defendants operated a password-protected website through which clients could view schedules, view services offered, reserve time, and provide reviews.
“The indictment in this case has dismantled an extensive and long-running commercial sex enterprise that exploited countless women and repeatedly violated U.S. laws,” said Karam.
“As the lead agency in this investigation, the Diplomatic Security Service demonstrated its commitment to maintaining the integrity of U.S. travel documents and the rights of visitors to the United States,” said the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Assistant Director for Domestic Operations Andrew Wroblewski.
“Tracing money obtained as the result of criminal acts is the specialty of IRS Criminal Investigation agents,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty.
"To date, the investigation has identified hundreds of individuals linked to the criminal enterprise, some of whom are suspected of being victims of human trafficking,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo.
"The defendants preyed upon vulnerable women hoping for a better life in the United States, and they now will be held accountable for their heinous actions. Today's indictment sends a message to would be traffickers that the FBI and its partners are committed to protecting victims and bringing their predators to justice," said Philadelphia Division FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire.”
If anyone believes they are a victim in this case, please contact Homeland Security Investigations at 867-347-2423 or SexTrafficking Outreach@hsi.dhs.gov. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law is five years of imprisonment for the prostitution-related conspiracy and 20 years of imprisonment for money laundering, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
Print Edition Highlights - June 8, 2023
Photo by Curt Werner
Crews work to secure the scene after a driver, trying to smack a bee, lost control of his car and plowed through an outbuilding on 34 Camp Ground Road, Carroll Township Sunday morning. Matthew Brenizer, 21, of Dillsburg, driving a 2016 green Subzero Forester at 10 a.m. told Carroll Township police a bee came in his window and he went off the roadway while trying to swat it. No one was injured.
For the rest of the story see the June 8, 2023 edition.
Carolyn Hoffman
More than 70 Warrington residents attended a special supervisors' meeting on May 30 about rezoning land along the Old York and Squire Gratz roads from village commercial zone to residential. Of the 18 residents who testified about the proposal, none favored the move. Supervisors ultimately voted unanimously to deny the proposed change.
The property is owned by Don-EL Partnership, which names Donald Zeigler as the principal owner. The land is currently split into two zones, 22 acres in the village commercial zone and 15 in residential. He had proposed to create a 120-unit manufactured housing park on the land if it could be zoned completely residential. Zeigler indicated during the hearing it was “foolish” to let the property sit and pay out in taxes more than it takes in. He wanted the land to create an income source for the family.
For the rest of the story see the June 8, 2023 edition.
Dairy Queen owner Melinda “Mindy” Cook has been in business for 33 years.
For over three decades Dairy Queen of Dillsburg has been a staple in the community. Owner Melinda “Mindy” Cook shared her sentiments from one of her first jobs as a waitress at Bob's Big Boy. “I never wanted to be a waitress...but I actually enjoyed it. I really loved it and I loved the people. And I got all my skills to do this through that.”
“This” refers to operating the local Dairy Queen for the past 33 years for 45 weeks out of each year. However, make no mistake about it, Cook gives God all of the credit. “I am not afraid to speak for the Lord. I had cancer two years ago and He got me through that. I have no cancer now.”
Cook and her husband Bill both graduated from Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School. Bill opened an auto body shop in the 1980s (now a custom auto restoration shop) and the couple wanted something for Mindy to do while he ran the business. She said, “I always wanted to work for myself. I didn't want to work for anybody else.” Realizing that Bill didn't need much space, they added on to the shop and opened up the Dairy Queen in 1990. They own the property that the business sits on and lease out the pizza shop next door.
For the rest of the story see the June 8, 2023 edition.
Kristen Stagg
At the Carroll Township board of supervisors work session in preparation for their June 12 public meeting, supervisors discussed the possibility of hiring a firm to assist the township in securing grants.
For more than an hour and a half on June 5, super-visors questioned David Feidt and Mike Musser of Community Networking Resources, LLC, (CNR) about what the firm's $4,000 monthly fee covers, and how they might help secure both state and federal grants to fund various projects across the township.
For the rest of the story see the June 8, 2023 edition.
|
