1.
Public Utility Commission to Help With Winer Electric Bills
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is alerting consumers that energy supply prices for all PUC regulated electric utilities will adjust on Dec. 1. These seasonal changes matter: during the winter heating months, the cost of electricity can account for more than half of a typical customer bill. The PUC urges consumers who are worried about winter heating bills to act early and Call Utilities Nowto discuss affordability options and assistance programs that will help them to stay connected.
2.
Towanda Man Sentenced on Drug Charges
64 year old Leslie John Bailey, formerly of Towanda, PA but currently residing in a State Correctional Institute, was sentenced to a minimum of a total maximum of 456 months (38 years) for 24 different drug related crimes with which he was convicted. Bailey appealed the sentence to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, arguing, among other things, that his sentence was unreasonable. The Superior Court recently issued its opinion and upheld the sentence, ruling that the sentence imposed by the Bradford County Court of Common Pleas was not unreasonable. At trial, the jury learned of multiple occasions where Bailey sold drugs illegally out of his home in Towanda Borough. Bailey was convicted by a jury of his peers on January 25, 2024 of nine counts of Possession with Intent to Deliver Controlled Substances (methamphetamine, suboxone and oxycodone), nine counts of possessing those same drugs, and five counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bailey received separate sentences for each crime and will be required to serve them consecutively. Both the Bradford County Court and the Superior Court agreed that Bailey was “not entitled to a ‘volume discount’ “for his multiple sales” of illegal drugs, and should, in fact, receive such a sentence for each separate crime.
3.
New Scam Call Warning for Bradford County
The Bradford County District Attorney is warning people about scam calls that law enforcement says have recently surfaced in the area. Local police agencies in Bradford County have reported an uptick in scam calls in throughout the area, the DA stated. The scam calls involve residents being persuaded to send funds to individuals based on fraudulent information, causing them to lose their money. The scams range from love interests, to purchases over Facebook, to third-party website products.