NEW CASTLE — Residents are being evacuated by boat after flood waters caused by ice jams and melting snow filled their homes.

Television images showed people paddling in rubber boats and canoes past homes in residential areas of Lawrence County.

Rising temperatures and rain caused ice to break up and block the flow of water in Neshannock Creek.

The creek began flooding Sunday afternoon in Hickory Township in Lawrence County.

No injuries are reported.

Some residents say it's the worst flooding they've seen in decades.

Emergency officials are saying people with homes near the creek should be prepared to move to higher ground in case more ice jams occur.

COATESVILLE — In southeastern Pennsylvania, the Coatesville City Council has refused a request from the city manager to withdraw $900,000 from an emergency fund.City Manager Harry Walker sought the money to pay for police and fire overtime for an arson crisis.Council members voted Monday evening to deny the request, instead deciding to wait and see what money could be had from the state or federal governments.Since the beginning of the year, 18 fires in Coatesville and five in nearby communities have been determined to be arson.Coatesville is about 35 miles west of Philadelphia.

SUNBURY — A $4 fix may end up helping a county jail in central Pennsylvania from flushing away thousands of dollars in fines.Municipal officials in Sunbury had warned Northumberland County of fines of up to $25,000 a day if the county didn't stop the flow of jail debris that's been clogging up a sewer station.County officials said items like candy wrappers, plastic utensils, food containers and even blankets were being flushed down the toilets.Warden Ralph Reish said a homemade trap costing less than $4 may be the answer to the problem.He said the trap was installed in one cell without the inmates' knowledge. The toilet backed up once the debris could no longer empty into the sewer system.The warden now plans to install the trap device on all 80 jail toilets.