A trip though Centralia

On Saturday I had an assignment that took me through the notorious village of Centralia.

Centralia is well known by many as a creepy, weird place a la the wildly popular video game and movie franchise “Silent Hill,” which the creator said he based on the village.

The story goes something like this: There’s a mine fire in Centralia that has been burning for something like 50 years. Because the government says that’s dangerous (there’s been some incidents with sink holes and such) they’ve tried to buy out everyone’s home and pretty much demolished the place, leaving it a wasteland.

I have out-of-state friends who know nothing about the area, but they’ve heard of Centralia.

There’s still something like 2-5 houses there, but most of the town has become an overgrown shadow of a town, with sidewalks and streets lining nothing – just a relic of what once was.

Here’s the thing: I grew up in and around the Coal Region – so I’ve been through many times. I never got the “creep factor.” To me, it isn’t really creepy; it’s just, well, sad.

My parents and Pap remember visiting Centralia when it was once a thriving coal town. It was a place where families built their lives. Now, it’s just some overgrown weeds.

But anyway, here’s some photos – you can decide for yourself if you ever make the drive down Route 42.

Shamokin arrest video

Shamokin police had a press conference to discuss the arrest of a 21-year-old Shamokin man for a Monday night fire.

Here’s chief Griffiths talking about how they found the defendant at the scene:

The video is also posted at dailyitem.com along with our coverage. Check it out.

Police are still investigating the other fires in Shamokin – and while they aren’t ruling Neidlinger out, they aren’t naming him as a suspect either.

Bonus Photos: Rush Township fire

Here are a couple photos from the Saturday night Rush Township fire.

The family was not home and no one was injured, thankfully. This was probably the most open flame I’ve seen at a fire so far.

Bonus photos: Milton house fire

Here’s photos from the scene of a house fire on Mahoning Street in Milton yesterday.

The fire seemed to be under control, but all of a sudden smoke began pouring out of the top of the home and the roof caught fire and began to collapse.

It was truly startling.

Read more at dailyitem.com.

Bonus Photos: Church fire

Unfortunately, once again, I have extra photos from the scene of a fire.

And while fires can be devastating events, I continue to be amazed by how resilient people can be. For example, these photos are from Arbogast Lutheran Church in Mount Pleasant Mills, which has vowed to rebuild.

Read more on dailyitem.com:

Optimism amongst rubble

What struck me talking to John Ravert about the fire in his music studio over the weekend was that he was very positive.

He chose not to react with anger and sadness, rather, he celebrated the fact that everyone made it out OK and that his main house remained intact. It was very moving.

The damage was very extensive. Ravert collects and restores old pianos and nickelodeons, many of which were in the studio.

Here’s a video of CCN’s “In Your Neighborhood” showcasing Ravert’s collection in February”

Here’s some after photos:

The smells of the job

When some people think back on an event, they remember the images, sounds or voices of a scene. For me, it’s the smells -  I most often remember my stories based on smells.

Hear me out.

Yesterday, I was on the scene of a house fire as friends and family began to clean up. The rain was still falling from the remnants of Sandy – whose winds apparently helped spread the flames of the fire.

Here’s what the scene looked like when myself and Daily Item photographer Rob Inglis arrived:

What struck me first was the smell. It was a charred wood smell, mixed with a pungent barn smell from the family’s barn across the street.

It’s these smells that stick with you – you get them in your nose and you can smell them for days afterward.

For example, about a month ago, I was on the scene of an accident which happened to be near where a deer carcass was laying. I walked around with the roadkill deer smell in my nostrils for about a week afterward. I couldn’t get it out of my head.

Even now, when I smell that roadkill-ish, garbage smell, I think right back to that accident scene.

What takes you back to certain memories? Are you a smeller too?