A former Bristol Township animal control officer is expected to be accepted next week into a first-time offender program for using poultry shears to remove the wings of injured seagulls more than two years ago.
Attorney Ron Elgart said that William Kurko, 76, of Bristol Township, was trying to save the birds, which were among 13 intentionally run over by a car in a Tullytown shopping center parking lot in 2018.
The Pennsylvania SPCA contends that Kurko, a state-licensed wildlife trapper, was not trained, licensed or equipped to treat the birds and should have sought professional medical care for them.
The state agency filed eight misdemeanor charges against Kurko in October 2019. He faces four counts of animal cruelty and four counts of neglect of animal vet care.
eye on the news
Under the Gun in Philly As murders mount and public pressure grows, city officials continue to look for answers in the wrong places.
Public safety
In Philadelphia, a 25-year-old Temple University grad was shot and killed last month while walking his dog in the evening. The next day, police apprehended his assailant during an attempted carjacking in another part of the city.
The victim, Milan Loncar, was a resident of Brewerytown, a formerly drug- and crime-ridden neighborhood transformed into another “go-to” spot by real estate investors over the last two decades. Loncar’s assailant, Josephus Davis, 20, also a Brewerytown resident, had a long criminal record and had gotten out of jail two weeks prior on reduced bail.
Two Wilkes-Barre women have been charged with welfare fraud offenses alleging they illegally obtained thousands of dollars of benefits to which they were not entitled.
Jessica A. Donato, 39, of 35 Elizabeth St., and Nichole K. Patronick, 45, of 231 Gilligan St., are each facing a single felony count of fraudulently obtaining assistance.
According to complaints filed by the Office of State Inspector General, Donato filed an application for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medical Assistance benefits on Nov. 5, 2018.
During an interview, Donato reported she was on unpaid leave from work for up to eight weeks and that she had not been paid since Nov. 1, 2018, according to the charges.
SMETHPORT â A Bradford man pleaded guilty Thursday in McKean County Court to allegations that he hid from law enforcement officials.
Michael A. Payne, 30, entered the guilty plea to a charge of flight to avoid apprehension. District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer said that on June 6, Payne hid from Foster Township officers while on a detainer for arrest on a felony charge for which he was on state parole. He will be sentenced Feb. 11.
Also in court,
Tom Reinard, 84, of Hazel Hurst, pleaded guilty to DUI-related charges in five cases. He entered his plea to in two cases to DUI-general impairment, in two more cases to driving while operating privileges are suspended/revoked due to DUI-third or subsequent offense; and in the third case to a summary charge of driving while BAC .02 or greater while license is suspended or revoked due to a DUI violation. He will be sentenced Feb. 11.