By D. EVERETT SMITH

Sun-Gazette Correspondent

LINDEN — A Nov. 9 shooting drew the attention of the members of the Woodward Township Board of Supervisors. At the board’s most recent meeting, Supervisor Chairman Jeffrey Stroehmann commented on the situation.

“I wanted to take a minute…to talk about an incident that happened in the township over the past week,” Stroehmann said. “There was a shooting on Whither Hollow Lane in the township.”

According to a Sun-Gazette article, Tyler Whyte, 28, of Williamsport, was arraigned on attempted homicide-related charges before District Judge Christian Frey Nov. 9. early

One man was hospitalized with gunshot wounds and another jailed on attempted homicide-related charges following a shooting late Friday night on Wither Hollow Lane, just off Daughertys Run Road, at the city-Woodward Township Lane, state police confirmed.

Arrested near the scene without incident was Tyler Whyte, 28, of Williamsport, who was arraigned before District Judge Christian Frey early Saturday morning and committed to the Lycoming County Prison, police said.

The victim, Shawn Shipton, 33, also of Williamsport, was taken to UPMC. According to local police Shipton and Whyte argued when he “brandished a pistol and fired multiple rounds at Shipton.”

Stroheman said this was the second shooting that recently occurred.

“The first one was a fatality. (And the Nov. 9) one was pretty bad as well. Whither Hollow Road, for many years, has been a blighted area in the township and it’s my understanding based on the article that the individuals were living in a trailer up there in a junkyard,” Stroehmann continued.

Stroehmann said he believed the township had taken action against a property on Whither Hollow Road, 20 years ago, asking the owner to clean up the junkyard. He said that taking stands against such blighted properties can prevent other unsafe incidents from occurring.

“I personally have always believed that keeping after blighted properties (with) zoning enforcement goes a long way toward preventing the kind of conditions that can create problems.”

If zoning was not used to dissuade blighted areas, the township’s leaders would be forced to take other measures, which would cause an increase in taxes.

“If we don’t want to have to get a police department in our township, I think we do ourselves well by staying aggressive on enforcement matters like that,” he said. “We’ve got a good zoning officer. He’s wading through these issues and we’re going to continue to tighten up on properties of this nature, that are problems waiting to happen.”

He further added that a municipal employee, such as the zoning officer, is “taxpayer money well spent.”

“(We want) to get a little more aggressive on this [issue] before something disastrous happens [again] like what happened up there last week,” Stroehmann said.

After the meeting, town solicitor Marc Drier explained blighted areas are properties in disrepair and pose a safety and health risk to the community. Said properties could be occupied or unoccupied, but the goal is for owners to keep up with the maintenance of the location.

Other items mentioned during the meeting:

The Woodward Township 2025 budget will be “advertised and open for inspection” at the December town meeting.

“And we intend to adopt the budget at the December meeting,” Stroehmann said. “Does it look like we’re heading for a tax increase?”

“No. We’re balanced. We’re going to be balanced,” said Joseph Bertin.

The board went into a private meeting for a personnel discussion. Upon returning, it was voted to add to the 2025 budget that town secretary and treasurer, Pamela Musser, be given benefits and paid holidays.

“Pam has come on board and hit the ground running and she has brought a lot of experience and really has helped us out,” Stroehmann said. “She has earned everything she gets and everything she is going to get and we really appreciate everything you do.”

It was said that a probationary period for Brad Eisenhower, the zoning officer, was up on Nov. 15. Stroehmann said he “satisfied his probationary period with no issues.” The board voted to increase his pay from $19/hour to $20/hour which “would include a 3 percent adjustment for 2025” and reflected in the budget.