Page 4 - Derek Slaughter News Today

SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO The Little League World Series Grand Slam Parade in August has been canceled, but there is a silver lining — Williamsport Welcomes the World and Major League Baseball MLB/Little League Classic will be held, Little League and Williamsport/Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce officials said. The Lycoming County Visitors Bureau will not be conducting the parade, said Jason Fink, CEO and president of the chamber in an announcement released Wednesday afternoon. The series run...

KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Trade and Transit Center I in Williamsport. The city solicitor has told Community Theatre League to vacate the third floor office space of the Joseph McDade Trade and Transit Centre I due to an unsigned lease stemming from the city’s prior administration, according to city officials. The non-profit theater group allegedly paid River Valley Transit close to $200,000 in rent to lease the third floor office space of Trade and Transit Centre I, a building at the c...

mmaroney@sungazette.com In light of the guilty verdict against former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, some local police and community leaders believe the national rhetoric needs to be toned down. “We need to lower the rhetoric, turn down the volume,” said Steven W. Cappelli, South Williamsport borough manager and borough public safety director. In aftermath of this week’s verdict against Chauvin, who knelt on the neck of George Floyd for more than nine minutes last year, murderi...

mmaroney@sungazette.com Just as vaccines are getting into arms, so is the expected stimulus money in the American Rescue Plan, part of the $1.9 trillion stimulus signed by President Joe Biden to assist communities recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Derek Slaughter said this week the city is slated to receive up to $25.8 million in stimulus. He said he was unclear on the exact terms and obligations but said it may arrive in two separate installments, the first of which could...

SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO The City of Williamsport’s controller acknowledged Monday that she was aware of an investigation taking place into River Valley Transit’s handling of federal and state grants between 2009 and 2019. “It is still being investigated, but that is all I know,” Controller Margaret Woodring said Monday after reports of the investigation surfaced late last week. “I’ve not been contacted by the state at all.” Attempts to reach the offices of Attorney General Josh Sha...

SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO City employees are alleging a financial probe is under way by state Attorney General Josh Shapiro into use of grants by River Valley Transit. Forensic auditors have been at the transit headquarters looking at spending of grants between 2009 and 2019, a city employee told the Sun-Gazette Friday. WNEP reported Friday that two employees at City Hall say Shapiro investigators are looking into possible misuse of grant funds from the state Department of Transportation and Fede...

mmaroney@sungazette.com The weather is breaking and those who care about accessibility in Williamsport’s nine parks were given assignments to check for inclusivity and access as the city consulting firms go after federal and state government grants. Three of the members on City Council’s accessibility advisory commission Thursday said during the meeting on Zoom that they were willing to go out and check on any issues they find that may be able to put on a list for two of the city economic d...

mmaroney@sungazette.com City Council hired two economic development consulting firms Thursday for no more than $168,000 a year and agreed to three-year contracts with review in a year. Keller Company and Partners of Washington, D.C. and Delta Development Group of Mechanicsburg will work for no more than $7,000 a month. Thomas Keller, owner, said his goal will be to “capture everything he can for the city.” Teresa Sparacino, Delta vice president of community and economic developmemt, noted t...

mmaroney@sungazette.com Representatives of two economic development consultants are expected to be available tonight for City Council, as each firm seeks a contract not to exceed $84,000 a year. Staff members for Thomas Keller and Associates and Delta Development Group are expected to be available for council to question on Zoom at the meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. Mayor Derek Slaughter told members of the council finance committee they would be asked to be at the meeting since they are askin...

A city man who is sight-impaired has a beef with River Valley Transit. Timothy West, a voting member of the new Williamsport Accessibility Advisory Commission