Things were short and sweet on Thursday afternoon when the Lawrence Township Supervisors convened for their first monthly meeting. Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the meeting was moved a few days later with the Township Municipal Building closed at the beginning of the week.
It was an easy evening for those in attendance as there was no major topics on the docket.
The police report for April noted a total of 38 criminal arrests, five arrests non-traffic related, plus 13 D.U.I. arrests plus ten drug arrests. The township saw an increase in traffic arrests compared to last April, as they noted 95 arrests for this year, compared to 54 in 2024. A total of 374 incidents were entered in, with 146 counts of charges pressed.
Despite it not occurring during the previous month’s stats, the police were praised for their fast work in responding and handling of the robbery at the Sheetz on Nichols Street in downtown Clearfield.
The robbery occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. After speaking with employees, and the store manager, footage was reviewed of the incident showing the man in a black coat with tan pants, boots, and was wearing a face mask. The footage revealed the man getting two cans of Smirnoff Smash and waiting in line to check out. He was asked to pull his mask down, per Sheetz policy, to identify the person and match his identification. When no identification was presented, the sale was refused.
The man then reached under his coat and pulled out a handgun equipped with an extended magazine. He then demanded money from the register, getting away with nearly $1300 in cash, plus the two drinks.
Less than a day later, thanks to video footage and witness identification, Richard Earl Harris IV was arrested at approximately 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Supervisors were told in total, from response to arrest, took less than 14 hours. The stolen money was recovered, along with the clothing and mask worn in the incident.
Township manager, Ashley Prichard, noted some road projects that were needing done in the township, namely with Hubler Avenue and Indian Road.
Each are needing pipe laid in, a total of 300 feet between the two, with Hubler Avenue needing nearly two-thirds of the needed pipe, along with a catch basin and headwall replacement. In total, the cost of the materials came to approximately $2800.
In addition, with the recent storms that hit the area, Pritchard was looking into the potential purchase of some suitcase generators to be used to power traffic signals in the township. Her initial research showed a cost of $600 for a 2000-watt unit. She asked the supervisors about purchasing potentially five of the generators, after ensuring the units would be able to safely power the traffic signals due to the new electronics and LED bulbs.
Supervisors Jeremy Ruffner, Randy Powell, and Scott Way ultimately approved the motion to look into the new generators, plus the purchase of the piping for both Hubler Avenue and Indian Road.
Supervisors will get back together on Tuesday, May 20, at 5 p.m.
