The following is the result of a now more than 24-month long investigation
into the Williamsport Area High School Baseball Team trip
to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the spring of 2018.

TalkWilliamsport.com has confirmed the office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has issued search warrants in the Williamsport Area School District “Criminal Sexual Misconduct” case.

The case was referred by Lycoming County District Attorney Ryan Gardner to Shapiro earlier this year.

On background, the referral stemmed from an incident on the WAHS baseball team trip to Myrtle Beach in 2018.

The search warrants have been filed and signed by Lycoming County President Judge Nancy Butts.

A number of parties involved in the case have been named in the search warrants which are under seal due to the sensitive nature of the case.

THE PARTY AT THE BEACH HOUSE IN GARDEN CITY, SOUTH CAROLINA

How did so many Williamsport Area High School baseball players get from the Atlantica Resort (team hotel) in Myrtle Beach to a rented beach house in Garden City, South Carolina?

Was it by Susquehanna Trailways bus?

Was it by car?

Did parents transport their own children?

Were the WAHS administrators aware of this get together?

Was it communicated by phone call or text message?

In the photo below posted to social media, no less than 3 students have phones visible with a fourth phone blocked from view by another person.

On the bottom right of the photo is WAHS Head Principal Brandon Pardoe with an adult beverage in hand nearly empty.

Did Pardoe drive from this location to where he was staying or was he staying at this location?

Does the WAHS Head Principal believe its proper etiquette to consume alcoholic beverages in the presence of students he is responsible for on a school sponsored trip at a beach rental?

Is it any wonder a two-time DUI offender was allowed to be the head baseball coach on his watch?

Or was it the “boys just being boys?”

Was there alcohol present at this “party”?

Let me guess, Pardoe and McCann will argue they were not there in there “official capacity” as Principal and Athletic Director.

To that point, when is a nurse not a nurse or a doctor not a doctor or a mandated reporter not a mandated reporter?

WHERE IS WAHS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SEAN McCANN?

(Front) Cody Shimp, Tori Shimp, Cam Pardoe, WAHS Head Principal Brandon Pardoe,

(back right) Caleb Joy, Jamie Joy

(Upper Left) WAHS Athletic Director Sean McCann, Tyler McCann,

Tanner Esposito, Sam Esposito, Quentin Brown, Kevin Brown,

also pictured, Ethen Stryker, Isaac Snyder, Cameron Dickey, Ryan Jolin and others.

So if the WAHS administrators (Pardoe and McCann) are in Garden City, South Carolina 11 miles from the Atlantica Resort, where are all the WAHS baseball coaches?

Several WAHS coaches are photographed out on the town around the same time as the party noted above.

Was WAHS head coach Ryan Miller aware of where at least ten of his players were?

WAHS assistant baseball coaches David Heller, Tariq Moore, Kyle Schneider,

head coach Ryan Miller and WAHS assistant baseball coach Joel Worthington

So with WAHS administrators (Pardoe and McCann) in Garden City, South Carolina and the bulk of the WAHS coaches out on the town; who had eyes on the rest of the WAHS baseball players?

ZANGARA PHONE RECORDS PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO CONVERATIONS IN MYRTLE BEACH

WASD Right to Know Officer Wanda Erb placed Randy Zangara in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with her responses on behalf of the district.

Randy Zangara was in his role as an assistant baseball coach in Williamsport during the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina trip in 2018.

However, as his phone call logs indicate at a critical time in history, he was on the phone to his colleagues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

WAHS Head Principal Brandon Pardoe and Randy Zangara had a phone conversation lasting 33 minutes on March 29, 2018 beginning at 2:56 p.m.

This is the only phone call according to the Randy Zangara phone records obtained through the RTKL that Pardoe speaks with Zangara during the Myrtle Beach trip by phone.

Text messages have yet to be provided by the WASD.

There is a 1-minute voicemail noted on the Zangara phone logs tied to the cell phone belonging to then head baseball coach Ryan Miller on March 29, 2018 at 3:29 p.m.

Ryan Miller and Zangara had a phone conversation lasting 20 minutes on March 29, 2018 beginning at 4:03 p.m.

TalkWilliamsport.com has confirmed Randy Zangara gave a personal endorsement of Ryan Miller to those involved in the hiring process of the twice convicted DUI offender as head baseball coach.

Zangara and Ryan Miller had follow-up conversations on March 30, 2018 at 9:56 p.m. for 1 minute and March 30, 2018 at 9:57 p.m. for 4 minutes.

Williamsport lost to Chantilly High School 7-1 on March 28, 2018 in a 9 a.m. game and Williamsport lost to Robinson High School 3-2 on March 29, 2018 in a noon game in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Why would Randy Zangara need to have extended phone conversations with Pardoe and Miller if he was in Myrtle Beach?

Would those conversations not have occurred in person?

Was the common knowledge of the party and the coaches being out of the team hotel

the opportunity used by ALLEGED PERPETRATOR #1

to commit “criminal sexual misconduct” against teammates?

Why would WASD RTK Officer Wanda Erb, place Randy Zangara in Myrtle Beach when he clearly was not?

Is the 33-minute phone call between Zangara and Pardoe enough of a reason for the WASD to withhold the phone and text records of the WASD owned phone used by Brandon Pardoe while in Myrtle Beach?

The WASD has been notified by the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records they have until Friday, October 2, 2020 to respond to the appeal filed by this author seeking phone and other records relating to the Myrtle Beach case.

OP-ED: Jennifer Lake Wokebegone – PART VI is forthcoming

“Getting Slaughtered – The story of the most non-transparent Mayor in Williamsport history” is forthcoming.

PART XXIII of A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball is forthcoming.

LINKS TO SERIES ARTICLES

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XXI

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XX

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XIX

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XVIII

BREAKING NEWS: PA AG Press Office confirms receipt of Criminal Sexual Misconduct referral from DA Gardner

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XVII

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XVI

EXCLUSIVE: AG Shapiro press office on referral: “If and when we receive it, it will be promptly reviewed”

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XVII

BREAKING NEWS: PA AG Press Office confirms receipt of Criminal Sexual Misconduct referral from DA Gardner

UPDATE: Charges filed in Greater Latrobe Junior High hazing case cited in “A Baseball Story”

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XVI

EXCLUSIVE: AG Shapiro press office on referral: “If and when we receive it, it will be promptly reviewed”

BREAKING NEWS: District Attorney Gardner refers Myrtle Beach case to PA Attorney General – PART XV

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XIV

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XIII

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XII

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART XI

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART X

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART IX

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART VIII

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART VII

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART VI

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART V

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART IV

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART III

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART II

A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART I

Fans often ask me, what if?

Millionaire Baseball Mayhem in Myrtle Beach

TalkWilliamsport.com has confirmed the office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has issued search warrants in the Williamsport Area School District “Criminal Sexual Misconduct” case.

The case was referred by Lycoming County District Attorney Ryan Gardner to Shapiro earlier this year.

On background, the referral stemmed from an incident on the WAHS baseball team trip to Myrtle Beach in 2018.

The search warrants have been filed and signed by Lycoming County President Judge Nancy Butts.

A number of parties involved in the case have been named in the search warrants which are under seal due to the sensitive nature of the case.

According to the Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute,

“A search warrant is a warrant issued by the competent authority authorizing a police officer to search a specified place for evidence even without the occupant’s consent. A search warrant is generally required for a Fourth Amendment search, subject to a few exceptions. In Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967), the Supreme Court held that searches conducted outside the judicial process, without prior approval are prohibited under the Fourth Amendment, with a few detailed exceptions.”

On the issue of Obtaining a Search Warrant:

“Only judges and magistrates may issue search warrants. In Coolidge v. Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443 (1971), the Supreme Court held that a warrant must be issued by a “neutral and detached” judge capable of determining whether probable cause exists. To obtain a warrant, law enforcement officers must show that there is probable cause to believe a search is justified. Officers must support this showing with sworn statements (affidavits), and must describe in particularity the place they will search and the items they will seize. In Groh v. Ramirez, 540 U.S. 551 (2004), the Court held that a warrant that lacks accurate information as to what will be searched is improper, and that a search which happens pursuant to that warrant is unlawful and violates the Fourth Amendment.

In Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213 (1983), the Supreme Court held that when deciding whether to issue the warrant, a judge must must consider the totality of the circumstances, including an informant’s veracity, reliability, and basis of knowledge.

When issuing a search warrant, the judge may restrict how and when the police conduct the search. In Zurcher v. Stanford Daily, 436 U.S. 547 (1978), the Supreme Court allowed the police to search a student newspaper. The newspaper was not implicated in any criminal activity, but police suspected it had photographic evidence of the identities of demonstrators who assaulted police officers. However, some jurisdictions responded by passing laws restricting or forbidding these kinds of searches, such as when California’s legislature created CA Penal Code § 1524.”

Regarding Warrants for Electronic Data:

“Police officers may obtain warrants to seize and search electronic storage media or electronically stored information. Since December 1, 2009, Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure governs these searches. The rules allow officers to copy seized material for later review. The new version of Rule 41 governing these searches also allows police officers to plant tracking devices on persons or property.”

TalkWilliamsport.com will have more on this developing story as events unfold.

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Agriculture today released data related to COVID-19 restaurant enforcement actions from September 21 through September 27, 2020. The information is specific to COVID-19 mitigation requirements for restaurants including social distancing, masking, and occupancy limits.

These numbers include actions taken during routine food safety inspections and inspections prompted by consumer complaints.

From September 21 through September 27, the Bureau of Food Safety performed 637 total inspections, 14 of which were complaint-driven; four were COVID-19 specific complaints. The bureau distributed 47 COVID-19 complaint-driven educational letters. Eleven COVID-19 related complaints were referred to local and county health jurisdictions. Three formal Warning Letters were issued.

A county by county breakdown of COVID-19 restaurant enforcement actions can be found on the Department of Agriculture’s website. The data will be updated weekly, with data from the previous week.

Among other requirements, all businesses in the restaurant and retail food service industry authorized to conduct in-person activities are mandated to:

• Require all customers to wear a mask while entering, exiting, or otherwise traveling through the restaurant or retail food service business (mask may be removed while seated).
• Employees are required to wear masks at all times.
• Provide at least six feet between parties at tables or physical barriers between customers where booths are arranged back to back.
• Ensure maximum occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor areas are posted and enforced.

The Bureau of Food Safety has always operated with an education-first model, and always works to educate and correct on-site before taking official action. Businesses unwilling to correct on-site will first receive a warning letter, followed by monetary citations ranging from $25 to $300 per offense. Following an initial warning, food safety inspectors will follow up with unannounced inspections to ensure compliance or issue citations as necessary.

Consumers with general food safety complaints or concerns about non-compliance for COVID-19 mitigation can file a report online. COVID-19 mitigation restaurant enforcement actions will be released on a weekly basis.

For more information about the Department of Agriculture’s COVID-19 response, visit agriculture.pa.gov/covid.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced the approval of new funding for three apprenticeship programs at New Century Careers (NCC) in Allegheny County through the Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Apprenticeship Grant Program. This funding will support the governor’s commitment to expanding job training-related opportunities throughout Pennsylvania.

“With three programs available—one being a newly-launched robotics course—New Century Careers will provide training to 120 apprentices,” said Gov. Wolf. “Funding programs like this through the administration’s PAsmart initiative positions apprentices for successful careers by connecting them with participating companies that critically need high-quality trained employees.”

New Century Careers, of Pittsburgh City, received $249,900 to provide training through its Manufacturing 2000 (M2K) Pre-Apprenticeship Machinist Training Program, Group Non-Joint (GNJ) Machinist Apprenticeship Program, and Group Non-Joint Robotics Technician Apprenticeship (RTA) Program. The M2K Pre-Apprenticeship program will provide up to 600 hours of hands-on machining competency development, online coursework, instructor-led classroom training, industry credentialing, and career development. The GNJ Machinist Apprenticeship Program will provide related classroom instruction for the four-year National tooling & Machining Association Apprenticeship Program, providing 144 hours of classroom instruction per year. For the RTA program apprentices will receive related technical instruction through the Community College of Allegheny County, Catalyst Connection, and Tooling-U/SME, for a total of 296.5 hours of related instruction in two years.

“New Century Careers will be able to continue to align our efforts in our registered pre-apprenticeship program, MANUFACTURING 2000 (M2K) and help to increase future numbers of individuals seeking entry into our PA registered 4-year machinists program,” said NCC President and CEO Neil Ashbaugh. “Additionally, this funding will help us engage employers and employees working in the automation and robotics industry to implement our registered 2-year program for robotic technicians.”

By the end of the grant period, a total of 90 M2K Pre-Apprentices, 15 Group Non-Joint Machining Apprentices, and 15 Group Non-Joint Robotics Technician Apprentices will have enrolled.

These programs will have a great impact on companies participating with the programs, which are facing an urgent need for a highly-skilled manufacturing workforce. The funding will allow for an increase in the region’s pool of skilled workers during the grant period and beyond; fill a gap for manufacturing employers with a continuous source of skilled workers and a larger pool of well-trained potential employees to interview and hire for entry-level positions. This will help the region remain competitive through an enhanced workforce development system, new apprenticeship programs like RTA, and coordinated efforts from NCC for the Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship programs.

Apprenticeship programs provide critical access to career pathways and enable apprentices to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to compete in today’s economy. Classroom training is a required component of registered apprenticeship programs across Pennsylvania and complements traditional on-the-job training. The technical material taught in a classroom environment enables apprentices to learn fundamental concepts, terminology, procedures, safety requirements, and basic tools and instruments.

Apprenticeships are a key component of Governor Wolf’s PAsmart initiative, an innovative way to improve coordination between state agencies, cut red tape, and invest in people and businesses to expand innovative job training in apprenticeships and other programs so workers get the skills they need to compete in the global economy.

The Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program is a statewide program that offers assistance to registered apprenticeship programs. The program’s goal is to increase apprenticeship availability to Pennsylvania employers to assist them with their talent recruitment and development.

For more information about the Wolf Administration’s commitment to workforce training, visit DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf answering questions from the press. Governor Tom Wolf today announced a $225 million statewide grant program to support small businesses that were impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis and subsequent business closure order. Harrisburg, PA — June 8, 2020

Doylestown, PA – Governor Tom Wolf was joined by Bucks County state legislators Rep. Wendy Ullman and Sen. Steven Santarsiero today to discuss the importance of preserving the Affordable Care Act (ACA) so it can continue to protect the health and safety of Pennsylvanians.

“COVID-19 has demonstrated that when one person is unable to access necessary health care, that puts all of us at risk,” Gov. Wolf said. “During a pandemic when our nation is facing a highly contagious, airborne virus that spreads rapidly when people gather together, it is even more concerning that not all Pennsylvanians have access to health care coverage, especially for the most vulnerable, including those with pre-existing conditions who are most at risk of contracting COVID-19.”

While President Trump has publicly said that he would not remove health care for those with pre-existing conditions, his actions belie those statements. More than 5 million Pennsylvanians with pre-existing health conditions could lose coverage if Trump-backed lawsuits repeal the ACA.

For some Pennsylvanians, known as long-haulers, COVID is already having long-term, adverse effects on their health as they continue to experience symptoms and side effects from COVID weeks and months after their initial illness.

COVID-19 threatens to be the epitome of a pre-existing condition. It affects, at the least, the lungs, the heart, the kidneys, the brain, the immune system, and the limbs. And if pre-existing condition protections under the ACA are stripped away, coverage for health care associated with any of these organs and systems could be excluded from our neighbors, friends and families who have already had to fight the virus.

If a robust, accessible and affordable health care system is necessary in non-pandemic times, its importance cannot be overstated during a pandemic.

House and Senate Democrats in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly are also working to safeguard access to affordable health care coverage in Pennsylvania and have introduced a series of bills to preserve essential health benefits, to require coverage for pre-existing conditions, to guarantee continued coverage for adult children, and to end lifetime and annual caps on coverage – all protections currently guaranteed by the affordable care act.

“In the midst of uncertainty over whether the upcoming Supreme Court decision will remove a key component of the Affordable Care Act, we are also faced with a grim certainty,” Rep. Ullman said. “If the current Washington administration continues for four more years, the entire protective structure of the Affordable Care Act will be dismantled.

“The ACA has offered protections to whole populations who previously hadn’t been able to get insurance due to pre-existing conditions. COVID-19 has taught us that many people with preexisting conditions are those who are most vulnerable to complications, hospitalizations and fatal outcomes if they become infected with the virus. They are our parents, our grandparents, our friends, our children, and ourselves. We must preserve the protections of the ACA for the citizens of Pennsylvania.”

“The Affordable Care Act is currently under threat at the federal level, putting access to health care at risk for millions of Pennsylvanians,” said Sen. Santarsiero. “It will be up to us on the state level to protect Pennsylvanians and ensure they continue with the coverage they have basic and critical coverage. The Pennsylvania Senate Democrats have been promoting four key bills that would do just that. It is time to put the health of all Pennsylvanians first, and pass this important legislation.”

The governor was also joined by Anna Payne, 32, who works for Bucks County Commissioner Diane Marseglia, and has battled cystic fibrosis every day of her life. She is worried that if the ACA is repealed, she will spend the rest of her life battling insurance companies to get covered because she has a pre-existing condition.

“My administration has steadfastly opposed any efforts to undermine the ACA, which provides needed health care coverage to more than one million Pennsylvanians who otherwise could not afford health insurance,” Gov. Wolf said. “I will continue to do everything in my power to protect the health and safety of Pennsylvanians, as well as their right to affordable and accessible health care coverage that does not penalize or discriminate against those who have pre-existing conditions.”