HUMBOLDT, Luzerne County - State Police at Hazleton are investigating a hit-and-run crash in the Humboldt section of Hazle Township Friday morning.

The crash occurred around 7:20am at 595 Oak Ridge Road, near Freedom Corrugated.

A Weatherly man, Jeffrey Mehlig, 50, was travelling eastbound in a 2002 Toyota Echo when he struck the rear of an identified vehicle. Troopers noted he was driving too fast for conditions and failed to maintain control of the vehicle, and was unable to avoid the collision via braking.

The Echo sustained disabling damage after striking the unidentified vehicle, which fled the scene.

LAUSANNE TOWNSHIP, Carbon County - A Weatherly man is facing charges for a domestic dispute, in which troopers say he threatened a woman with a knife, then destroyed items in the residence.

According to State Police at Hazleton, troopers were called to a home at 2487 Buck Mountain Road around 1:00pm on Monday, January 21 for reports of an inactive domestic dispute.

HAZLE TOWNSHIP, Luzerne County - State Police at Hazleton are investigating the theft of an ATV from the backyard of a Hazle Township home Thursday.

Troopers were called to a home at 1966 State Route 940 in the township at 3:20am for reports of the theft.

Upon arrival, troopers found that an orange and black 2014 Honda Rancher was stolen from the backyard of the home.

Anyone with information is asked to contact PSP Hazleton at 570-459-3890.

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - North Schuylkill was among 765 schools in Pennsylvania awarded "targeted grants to expand computer science classes and teacher training," Governor Tom Wolf announced recently.

North Schuylkill was one of only two schools in Schuylkill County to receive such a grant, the other being Tamaqua Area. Nearby, Shamokin Area, Southern Columbia, Hazleton Area, and Weatherly Area received grants. Each district received a $35,000 grant, and a total of $8.7 Million in grants were distributed across the commonwealth. 

MOUNT CARMEL, Northumberland County - Over 8,000 were reportedly without power in the Mount Carmel area of Northumberland County and the Centralia area of Columbia County this afternoon.

PP&L's outage map showed a total of 8,005 customers were without power in a significant section of both counties, stretching from Kulpmont to Aristes, and Locust Gap to Natalie around 2:00pm today, and listings were updated to show power was restored around 2:17pm.

​No cause was listed for any outage.

About 26 customers in Mount Carmel borough remained without power around 2:19pm, and PP&L estimated power would be restored by 5:30pm Thursday. Additionally, 4 remained without power in Wilburton, 11 in Natalie, 19 in Marion Heights, and 39 in Kulpmont.

If more information becomes available, we will pass it along to you.

RUSH TOWNSHIP - A Hazleton man wanted on drug charges in Luzerne County and DUI and other charges in Schuylkill County was taken into custody Tuesday in Rush Township.

According to Rush Township Police, Pedro Crespo, 23, of Hazleton, was taken into custody Tuesday for violations stemming from a 2015 offense.

The apprehension was through collaboration with the Hazleton Police Department, township police added.

Crespo was arraigned in Schuylkill County by Magisterial District Judge Stephen Bayer for DUI, False Identification, and other charges, and was committed to prison on $10,000 bail.

Crespo was additionally arraigned in Luzerne County by Magisterial District Judge Joseph Zola, Hazleton, for drug charges, and was committed to prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.

NORWEGIAN TOWNSHIP - State Police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating an attempted robbery at a store in the King's Village Plaza near Minersville Tuesday evening.

According to troopers, the incident occurred just before 6:00pm at AC Boardwalk, when a 6'3" male entered the store, wearing a navy blue hoodie, gloves, and a black facial covering. 

A store employee asked if he wanted coffee, and he said he didn't, though he wanted "all of the money" in the store.

The employee said she didn't have any, and the man, holding a small curved knife, bronze or gold in color with a design, asked about machines in the backroom and the money in them. The employee noted that money was locked in a safe.

The man fled empty-handed, walking along the sidewalk of King's Village Plaza. He then jogged to Westwood Street, making a right towards Minersville, where his footsteps were lost in the snow and slush.

The man is described as 6'3" with a skinny build.

HAZLETON, Luzerne County - An Ashland man was found dead in a minivan yesterday afternoon in the city of Hazleton.

According to Hazleton Police, officers were dispatched to the 600 block of Seybert Street just before 1:00pm for reports of an unresponsive male inside a parked car.

Officers arrived,  and a female relayed she had observed a male with blue lips, unresponsive in a red Chevy Venture.

EMS, Hazleton Fire, and Hazleton Police found a 25-year-old Ashland man deceased inside the vehicle, and a Luzerne Count Coroner was brought to the scene.

The vehicle was secured for evidence by Hazleton Police.

Anyone with information is asked to call Hazleton police at 570-459-4940.

BLOOMSBURG, Columbia County - 36 northern Schuylkill students earned Dean's List honors at Bloomsburg University in Columbia County for the fall 2018 semester