Fire breaks out at Bloom Laundromat

BLOOMSBURG -- A blaze erupted about 7:30 p.m. at Dockside Laundry, filling the building with smoke. The fire started inside a dryer, officials say. A firefighter was seen dumping a pile of charred clothes outside the door of the business at 262 Iron St. Everyone inside at the time got out safely. We have a reporter and photographer at the scene. Please check Thursday's Press Enterprise for more details.

Crash injures 3, closes Old Berwick Road

ALMEDIA -- Firefighters worked methodically to cut the roof from an overturned minivan and free a trapped couple on Old Berwick Road Wednesday afternoon. The van had flipped onto its driver's side, which had thrown Harold and Jane Snyder together on top of the driver's side door. Mrs. Snyder, 85, was pinned beneath her husband, her arm hanging out of the shattered window just inches off the ground. Moments earlier they had left their 3541 Old Berwick Road home heading south, but in the next block they collided with a postal truck paused for a delivery around 2:40 p.m.

Prisoner beat guard, cops say

DANVILLE -- A prisoner at the Montour County lockup was hauled before a judge today after allegedly slugging a guard at the jail some 10 to 15 times, police say. Byron J. Bilby Jr., 25, was returning from a church service with a group of prisoners last week when they were stopped to be strip-searched, police say. Montour County correctional officer Richard Hoffman searched two other inmates and moved on to Bilby who handed over his Bible to be checked, said Sheriff Ray Gerringer, who filed charges.

Bomb scare empties BU classroom building

BLOOMSBURG -- A bomb threat at Bloomsburg University emptied the Hartline Science Center for nearly an hour while police investigated the scare Tuesday afternoon. The fire alarm interrupted Dr. Bruce Wilcox's chemistry class, sending students still in laboratory goggles spilling onto the sidewalk around 3:50 p.m. The crowd of about 40 professors and students had not even had time to grab their belongings, said Wilcox, who was standing outside in the chilly autumn temperatures without a jacket. Fire officials stood by at a distance for about an hour before rolling back to their station.

GUILTY: Man convicted on murder charge

BLOOMSBURG -- A jury has convicted Abraham "Abe" Kline on a third-degree murder charge for the fatal shot he fired into girlfriend Jocelyn Romano in May 2012. Kline, 40, will not spend life in prison for the killing. But he could face 20 to 40 years behind bars. He sat impassively with his head lowered Tuesday afternoon as jurors made their way into the Columbia County courtroom to announce their verdict shortly after lunch. None of the eight men and four women looked at him as the verdict was announced.

Man injured at scrapyard

BUCKHORN - A man was taken to the hospital after a mishap at a scrapyard on Frosty Valley Road on Tuesday. Workers at Booth & Son's Iron were using a crane to move a newly delivered scrap pickup from a flatbed truck when it began to shift, said Hemlock Township Police Chief Mike Van Dine. The crane operator had to quickly drop the pickup back on the flatbed. The flatbed's driver - a man named Ernie from Briesch's Used Truck Parts - was standing next to the flatbed at the time and was thrown to the ground, Van Dine said.

Watch for water repair overnight in Bloom

BLOOMSBURG -- Crews will repair a faulty valve on a water main early Tuesday morning that's been leaving the intersection of Main and Iron streets wet. The $2,000 repair job will take place between 1 and 5 a.m. Tuesday to try to minimize inconvenience to customers on Main Street from Iron to Market streets, said United Water spokesman Bob Manbeck in a press release. Those living in the area have received a phone message and a written notice delivered to their door. Water crews will install a new 300-pound valve on the 6-inch diameter water main, Manbeck said.

Shooter acted out of passion, rage, lawyer says

BLOOMSBURG -- Abraham "Abe" Kline was in a rage after learning that girlfriend Jocelyn Romano planned to return to her ex-husband, his lawyer says. Passion and anger drove Kline to draw a gun, fire a shot at Romano and turn the .223-caliber rifle on himself, lawyer Dave Lampman argued at the opening of Kline's murder trial Monday. But prosecutors, using the victim's own last words heard in a chilling 911 call and texts sent to a co-worker moments before, say Kline had his mind made up that morning when he grabbed a hunting rifle and two bullets after arguing about her leaving.

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