New Releases

Police calls dominated by domestic disturbance reports; victim services overwhelmed

By Anne Reiner | December 30, 2022

Domestic disturbances are ranked as one of the highest police calls reported in Williamsport in 2022, according to the Williamsport Bureau of Police’s crime stats. The City of Williamsport reported 976 domestic disturbance calls so far in 2022. Not every domestic disturbance call turns into violence or battery, according to Williamsport Police Chief Justin Snyder,…

‘They’re exhausted’: Burnt out police force in need of more officers, police chief says

By Anne Reiner | December 16, 2022

The Williamsport Bureau of Police celebrated a small victory Thursday evening when three new officer positions were added to the force, but the overtaxed department is still a long way from being fully equipped, according to Police Chief Justin Snyder. “We tried to get the officers out there but they’re exhausted,” Snyder said. “Right now,…

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“I know the trails”: Woman’s 1778 ride to save Muncy settlers

By Don Everett Smith Jr. | November 14, 2022

MUNCY – The mid-1770s were an untamed time for what would become Lycoming County. As the American Revolution raged, settlers were moving into this area of Central Pennsylvania. The Iroquois and Lenape tribes allied themselves with the British and regularly would attack the British enemies and those of European descent west of the Susquehanna River. …

Meuser, Thompson take local races, statewide votes turn blue

By On the PULSE | November 8, 2022

In Central Pennsylvania’s local races, Dan Meuser, candidate for the 9th Congressional District, and Glenn Thompson, candidate for the 15th Congressional District, walked away with easy victories, according to the state’s unofficial election results Tuesday evening. Josh Shapiro took the governorship seat from Douglas Mastriano and John Fetterman beat out Mehmet Oz for the state’s…

Staffing crisis strains child services in Pa., officials say Lycoming County in good shape

By Anne Reiner | November 4, 2022

As reports of child abuse rise throughout Pennsylvania and across the country, low staff and high turnover rates make providing social services to these children an ever-increasing challenge, according to state and local experts. “I’ve never seen staffing as bad as it is right now,” said Brian Bornman, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Children and Youth…

Printed History: Collecting 3.5M rare newspapers in Central Pa.

By Joseph W. Smith III | October 21, 2022

For Tim Hughes, it started with coins—and a 130-year-old newspaper. Hughes, who over five decades has parlayed his interest in old newspapers into a collection of 3.5 million issues, initially got into this unusual hobby because, as he put it, “I was intrigued by almost anything ‘old.’” “From my youngest years, I collected coins,” the…

Williamsport’s unique connection to end-of-life care in Tanzania

By Anne Reiner | October 14, 2022

Near the shore of Lake Victoria in Tanzania a man roughly in his 40s or 50s lays on a mat, his arms and legs immobile from the effects of the poliovirus. Ramadani contracted polio at a young age and his mother has been his primary caregiver for his entire life. As he grew, the virus…

10 years of inmate deaths at the Lycoming County prison

By Anne Reiner | October 1, 2022

A recent suicide at the Lycoming County Prison brings the total deaths in the prison to three in 2022. Since 2012, eight inmates have died in the county jail, according to the Lycoming County coroner. Of the eight inmate deaths, four were natural, two were suicides, one was accidental and one, which occurred on Sept.…

World War II veteran to lead free concert at the CAC

By Joseph W. Smith III | September 26, 2022

The brutal battle of the Ardennes Forest took place more than 80 years ago during World War II. There aren’t many men still alive who fought and served during those freezing weeks late in 1944. But one of them will conduct a concert at the Community Arts Center on Oct. 9. Still active at the…

Jeptha Hughes: The man who put the Hughes in Hughesville

By Don Everett Smith Jr. | September 19, 2022

HUGHESVILLE – In the southeastern position of Lycoming County is the borough of Hughesville, which was incorporated in 1852. However, the borough’s history goes decades before that with the purchase of the land in 1816 from a farmer named John Heap. He sold the property to Jeptha Hughes. “(Jeptha Hughes) soon…laid out a town. It…

Upcoming Projects

The Harsh Realities of Human Trafficking

What does human trafficking look like across the country and in Northcentral, Pa.? Through the highest standards of journalism and fact-finding, On the PULSE shines a light on the passthrough and local sex trafficking plaguing our region to help reduce the terrible stain on our society.

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Previous Projects

World of Reentry: Leaving a life of crime

Through this series On the PULSE explores the criminal justice system through the eyes of participants who have spent years trying to escape it. Some succeed, while others meet roadblocks along the way. Lycoming County is not alone in this struggle. This series is funded in part through donations from our readers.

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‘Guns were always around’: The harsh reality of kids in a life of crime

Children entering a life of crime is heartbreaking, but a harsh reality for many of our community's youth. This project highlights the world many children call reality, whether through their own choices or those of their parents, guardians or friends.

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‘We’re talking about a person’: The failing public access for people with disabilities

Just over 30 years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, advocates say Lycoming County still has a long way to go in providing access to all of its residents.

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Williamsport’s unique connection to end-of-life care in Tanzania

Dr. Alex Nesbitt, medical director of The Gatehouse and Family Hospice, part of UPMC Home Healthcare of Central Pennsylvania, first visited Ramadani nearly 12 years ago when he traveled to Shirati, Tanzania, to see the new palliative care department he and his team in Williamsport decided to help fund.

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