NY state man arrested for Potter County burglary….Ridgway woman victim of internet theft…Deer causes Tioga County collision…..Poacher returned to face charges in PA……More than 8.6 million residents vaccinated…
POTTER COUNTY
A Bolivar, NY man was arrested by Coudersport based state police on a host of burglary related charges. Troopers allege 43 year old Thomas Horning broke into a camp at 112 Hillcrest Drive in Hebron Township on May 26 and stole various items. The camp is owned by Mark Basile of Glenolden, PA and Steven Cannon of Denver, PA.
A camp burglary I Abbott Township is under investigation by state police at Coudersport. On Tuesday morning, Richard Swank of Paxinos PA reported that someone had entered his camp on the Rausch Road by forcing open a basement door. It appears nothing was taken but damage to the wooden door, the frame and an air vent chain is estimated to be $135.
Elk County
Ridgway based state police are probing an internet theft victimizing a 66 year old Wilcox woman. The victim told police she paid $900 through Zelle for a dog. She was then contacted to pay for shipping and paid and additional $550 on May 19 but has never received the dog.
Tioga County
Both drivers were not hurt when their vehicles collided Saturday morning in Delmar Township, Tioga County. According to Mansfield based state police the collision occurred when Kayce Reese of Wellsboro who was traveling south on Route 287 swerved her Chevrolet Cruze to avoid a deer and collided with a northbound F-150XLT driven by Robert Osborne of Millersville.
Statewide
Poachers take note: You can run, but you can’t hide.
A former Pennsylvania resident who fled to Kentucky to avoid facing a host of game-law charges was brought back Wednesday by state police and turned over to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Zachary L. Scheffel, 41, formerly of Milroy, Mifflin County, touched down Wednesday at Capitol City Airport in New Cumberland and immediately was taken by game wardens to Mifflin County Prison, where he is jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail on 72 counts – including two felonies – of violating various game laws, as well as a charge of making, repairing or selling offensive weapons.
Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into allegations Scheffel made death threats against the game warden who arrested him, the judge presiding over his case and others, meaning additional charges could follow, both at the federal level and in Kentucky.
Scheffel was charged in September by State Game Warden Amanda Isett after the execution of a search warrant uncovered a multitude of game-law violations, including two felony charges for the unlawful killing or taking of deer. Scheffel, whose hunting and trapping privileges had been revoked for previous game-law violations, was found in unlawful possession of a number of nonliving game animals, furbearers and wildlife parts, including two racks from whitetail bucks, numerous other deer parts, as well as raccoons, opossums, chipmunks and a muskrat.
Before facing the charges in court, Scheffel fled Pennsylvania to Kentucky, though his specific whereabouts were unknown. He was located in Kentucky earlier this month, and police obtained information that Scheffel had told others he planned to return to Pennsylvania May 13 to kill “any law enforcement he comes in contact with, specifically the State Game Warden in Mifflin County” who charged him, as well as the judge and two other individuals involved in the case.
The Kentucky State Police, along with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, apprehended Scheffel on May 10 and took him into custody, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission began the process of extraditing him back to Pennsylvania.
Scheffel was flown back to Pennsylvania with the assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police’s Aviation Unit, accompanied by Game Commission special investigators. Upon landing at Capitol City Airport in Harrisburg, Scheffel was turned over to state game wardens from the Southcentral Region and returned to Mifflin County to face his charges.
Presently Scheffel faces two felony counts of unlawfully killing or taking of big game, two counts of unlawful acts concerning licenses, 33 counts of unlawful taking or possession of game or wildlife, two counts of unlawful devices and methods, 18 counts of exercising the privileges granted by a permit without first securing the required permit, 15 counts of unlawful acts concerning the taking of furbearers, and a misdemeanor count of making, repairing or selling offensive weapons.
This is believed to be the first time a fugitive facing game-law charges from Pennsylvania was extradited from another state.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., June 2, there were 580 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 1,203,443.
Confirmed cases in the Black Forest Broadcasting Service Area:
CAMERON-207
ELK- 1577
MCKEAN-2882
POTTER-1031
TIOGA -2550
CATTARAUGUS-5707
ALLEGANY-3533
There are 989 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 248 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older.
The trend in the 14-day moving average number of hospitalized patients per continues to drop, after peaking at 2,661 patients which is slightly below what it was at the height of the spring 2020 peak of 2,751 patients on May 3, 2020.
Statewide percent positivity for the week of May 21 – May 27 stood at 3.8%–down from the previous week.
As of 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, June 1, there were 45 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 27,259 deaths attributed to COVID-19. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.
According to the CDC, as of Wednesday morning, June 2, Pennsylvania has administered first doses of vaccine to 58.5% of its entire population, and the state ranks 9th among all 50 states for first doses administered by percentage of population.
According to the CDC, as of Wednesday morning, June 2, 54.4% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated while 71.2% have received their first dose.
According to the CDC, as of Wednesday morning, June 2, Pennsylvania ranks 5th among all 50 states
Vaccine providers have administered 10,619,481 total vaccine doses as of Wednesday, June 2.
4,722,449 people are fully vaccinated; with a seven-day moving average of more than 40,800 people per day receiving vaccinations.
1,568,368 people are partially vaccinated, meaning they have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine.
6,290,817 people have received at least their first dose.
This week, a total of 11,346,680 doses will have been allocated through June 5:
297,160 first/single doses will have been allocated this week.
299,960 second doses will have been allocated this week.
To date, 10,619,481 total total doses have been administered total through June 1:
First/single doses: 6,290,817 administered
Second doses: 4,328,664 administered
Fully vaccinated people may choose not to wear a mask indoors or outdoors unless the business or organization requires it, following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there are 71,735 resident cases of COVID-19, and 15,414 cases among employees, for a total of 87,149 at 1,592 distinct facilities in all 67 counties
Approximately 28,769 of the total cases are among health care workers.