Barnesville

woman charged

HOMETOWN — A Barnesville woman is facing charges by Rush Township police after an incident about 4:40 p.m. June 12.

Police said Laura Keck, 25, will be charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia and will have to answer before Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua.

Police offered no other information as to what led to the charges only that they are the result of an incident on Lakewood Avenue.

Mahanoy man fails

to register address

MAHANOY CITY — A borough man was jailed after being arrested by Mahanoy City police and charged with an incident about 3 p.m. Saturday at his 107 E. Mahanoy Ave. home.

Police said Brian W. Creamer, 26, was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, on charges of failure to comply with registration of sexual offender registration requirements, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license. He was then committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post 10 percent of $25,000 bail.

Police said officers stopped a vehicle driven by Creamer and that he is a Tier 2 sexual offender for an aggravated sexual assault that he was sentenced for in New Jersey in 2003. A check determined that Creamer failed to register his new address in Pennsylvania as required by law.

It was also learned that Creamer had a prior conviction for failure to register in New Jersey in 2011, police said.

Mount Carmel man

faces drug charges

MAHANOY CITY — A Mount Carmel man was arrested by Mahanoy City police on drug charges after an incident about 12:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of East Mahanoy Avenue.

Police said they charged Jason A. Shedaker, 31, of 336 S. Turnpike St., with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $25,000 straight cash bail.

Police said officers learned from an informant that Shedaker had drugs for sale and then set up a controlled purchase.

Shedaker was contacted and found to be in possession of four bags of a white substance that tested positive for methamphetamine and a large crystal rock that also tested positive for the same drug, police said.

Inside the vehicle police said officers found 17 pills identified as Tramadol, a pill identified as Oxycodone, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, police said.

Traffic incident

leads to drug bust

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy City police filed charges against a Frackville woman stemming from an incident May 20 in the unit block of East Market Street.

Police said Angela Lindenmuth, 37, of 229 S. Spencer St., was charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said officers were investigating a hit-and-run crash and learned the vehicle involved was parked on East Market Street.

At the scene, police said, officers found Lindenmuth sitting in the passenger’s side with a smell of marijuana on her person. A subsequent search of the woman’s purse uncovered a small amount of marijuana and a glass smoking pipe, police said.

Mahanoy City man

charged for litter

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy City police charged a Barnesville man with scattering rubbish after an incident on May 23 at the east end of Vine Street.

Police said George Mammarella, 55, of 22 Circle Drive, will have to answer to the charge before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.

Police said officers on patrol saw Mammarella using a rollback type tow truck to dump tree branches and other debris on Reading and Northern Railroad property.

The man told officers he was only dumping tree related items and that he would clean it up. Police said that as of June 10, Mammarella had not cleaned the debris like he agreed to do resulting in the charge.

Police: Woman

gave alcohol to son

MAHANOY CITY — An investigation into an incident on April 18 led to Mahanoy City police filing charges against a borough woman.

Police said Colleen M. Marushak, 47, of 29 S. D St., was charged with corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, harassment and selling or furnishing alcohol to minors.

Police said officers were called to 96 S. Catawissa St. for a report of a disturbance involving Marushak whom they found visibly intoxicated. It was learned that the woman was at a party drinking alcohol and also giving her juvenile son beer and shots of alcohol throughout the day.

The woman was taken to her home, but police said officers were called to that residence a short time later after Marushak assaulted her son causing visible injuries, police said.

Woman with dog

in stroller charged

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy City police filed charges against a borough woman after an incident about 12:15 a.m. Sunday at 104 W. Centre St.

Police said Maria D. Ortiz, 46, of 104 E. Centre St., Apt. 1, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and public drunkenness.

Police said officers on patrol were flagged down by Ortiz near her apartment building and found her disoriented and confused standing by a stroller with a dog and purse in it.

When officers tried to help the woman back inside her apartment with the stroller they saw a glass smoking pipe with burnt residue on it inside her purse, police said.

Traffic stop leads

to drug charges

MAHANOY CITY — A Mahanoy City man was arrested borough police after an incident about 3 p.m. Saturday at 107 E. Pine St.

Police said Matthew A. Rutherford, 23, of 403 E. Pine St., was charged with one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said officers stopped a vehicle that Rutherford was a passenger in and found him to be in possession of a syringe used for illegal narcotics.

Police: Claim

lost jewelry, bikes

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Butler Township police reported they are looking for the owners of three items of unclaimed property.

Police said their department is in possession of a mountain bike that was found in the Englewood area of the township in 2012, a boy’s bicycle found in Creswell Gardens in 2012 and several women’s rings that were found in Fountain Springs in 2011.

Anyone wishing to claim ownership to the items is asked to call Butler Township police at 570-875-4131 within the next 30 days, police said.

Police: Woman

assaulted daughter

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy City police have filed charges against a borough woman in connection with a May 23 incident at 101 W. Mahanoy Ave.

Police said Tosha M. Sperlbaum, 28, of 1100 E. Pine St., was charged with two counts of simple assault and one count of harassment and will have to answer to the charges before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.

Police said officers were called to the area for a report of a disturbance and learned that Sperlbaum assaulted her daughter, Charlene Lower, by grabbing her by the hair, throwing her to the ground and then choking her.

Lower complained of chest pains and difficulty breathing and was taken to an area hospital by Mahanoy City EMS for treatment, police said.

Man cited for

faulty tow strap

Pottsville police investigated a crash that was reported about 6 p.m. Monday in the 700 block of East Norwegian Street.

Police said their investigation determined that Stephen Wentzel, 19, of Saint Clair, was travelling east towing another vehicle when the tow strap broke, releasing the unoccupied vehicle.

That vehicle drifted back into an eastbound vehicle driven by a 35-year-old Pottsville woman, police said.

Police said the vehicle Wentzel was originally towing as well as the Pottsville woman’s vehicle that was struck both required towing from the scene due to damage sustained in the accident.

No injuries were reported at the accident and police said Wentzel is being cited for safety requirements for towing.

Rush Twp. police

probe incidents

HOMETOWN — Rush Township police released information on three incidents that occurred recently in their coverage area.

Police said that David A. Merenda, 56, of Barnesville, was stopped about 4:40 p.m. May 15 on Cumberland Avenue for driving with a suspended license and placed under arrest for DUI.

The man refused a blood test and is now facing charges of DUI and summary traffic offenses.

Police said a 48-year-old Hazleton woman was committed to Schuylkill County Prison after a recent theft incident.

Police said Dawn Carter was charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property after taking items valued at $434.90 from the Walmart store. The woman was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, and committed to prison unable to post 10-percent of $10,000 bail.

Finally, police said Fabian Diaz, 27, of Allentown, is facing charges of simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct after a road rage incident led to a fight on Mahanoy Avenue, near Dunkin Donuts, about 2:20 p.m. Sunday.

As a result of the incident, police said, a 58-year-old Tamaqua man was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, Coaldale, for treatment of injuries he received.

No other information on the incident was released by police.

Police: Man tries

to steal truck, scrap

BRANCHDALE — A burglary that occurred at 140 State Road about 2:45 p.m. Monday is being investigated by state police at Schuylkill Haven.

Police said they were called to the home for a report of a burglary in progress and learned the person responsible fled into a wooded area.

Police said Bernard Poda reported leaving his pickup truck on the property last week and arrived Monday to find a person loading scrap metal from his barn into the bed of a spray-painted black Dodge.

Looking closer Poda said he realized the vehicle was actually his truck and that the person had painted it black and also stole a license plate off of a Chevrolet truck he had on the property to put it on the spray-painted vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 570-739-1330. All information will remain confidential.

TAMAQUA — A representative from PPL saw firsthand how the electric provider’s financial pledge is helping four Tamaqua Area Community Partnership capital projects.

PPL Regional Affairs Director Melinda Stumpf toured the Tamaqua Community Arts Center, stopped by two residential properties and received an update on improvements to the Tamaqua Historical Society Museum from the partnership’s executive director, Micah Gursky.

PPL is following through on a 2013 pledge to donate $50,000 to the partnership over five years. On Tuesday morning, Stump delivered the latest installment — a $20,000 check representing a two-year donation.

Stumpf met Gursky at the arts center, which is the former Salem United Methodist Church. Gursky told Stumpf that the partnership purchased the property in 2012 with plans to convert it into a hub for the arts.

Since then — and with financial support from the public and organizations like PPL — the site is open six days a week for events such as concerts; theatrical performances; open mic nights; and classes in pottery, painting and ceramics. Gursky showed Stumpf the second floor, where state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems surround a renovated stage.

Improvements were made to the location’s ground and bottom floors, too, where there are classrooms and art studios.

At the center, Gursky stopped to show Stumpf artwork by Tamaqua’s 2014 artist-in-residence, Jeffrey Collins. Collins, Columbus, Ohio, was chosen from other applicants to earn the title, and as the winner, he received three months of free studio space and free rent at a property renovated by the partnership.

At the end of the term, however, Collins decided to stay. He rents the apartment from the partnership.

Gursky took Stumpf to the Mauch Chunk Street property, which operated as a bar, then stood vacant for more than a year. It falls within the Tamaqua Safety Corridor, a downtown area where the partnership and another organization, the Tamaqua Safety Initiative, hope to combat blight and encourage development.

A few blocks away — at 27 Center St. — contractors were painting and making room for a new kitchen. The partnership purchased the building to convert it into residential housing.

“You can see the kind of condition this was in,” Gursky said to Stumpf, as he pointed to problem spots in the home. “It was in rough shape.”

Work on the building should be finished by late July, and Tamaqua’s next artist-in-residence will initially live in the home.

Gursky said the PPL funds are assisting with improvements at the Tamaqua Historical Society Museum on West Broad Street. The partnership is helping the historical society with state grants and other matters.

There may soon be some relief for the overcrowding at the Schuylkill County Prison.

The average inmate population has increased every month this year. The average has gone from 271 in January to 310 in May, according to Warden Gene Berdanier’s report Wednesday. The census peaked at 322 for the month. On Wednesday, Berdanier said there were 63 inmates tripled in cells.

President Judge William E. Baldwin said the adult probation office is starting its bail supervision program that will use electronic monitoring. The program will start with 30 participants on Monday, he said.

“We are hoping to cut the triple celling in half,” Baldwin said.

A corrections officer and a lieutenant have resigned at the prison, creating two vacancies. Meanwhile, eight new corrections officers will begin basic training next week at the Berks County Prison Training Academy. The training is expected to end on Sept. 8.

Twenty inmates participated in the work release program and nine in the vocational rehabilitation program. The vocational rehabilitation program completed 19 jobs in 18 days in the month.

Ten offenders were placed on the pre-release program in May. A total of 47 offenders participated in the program saving 1,117 total jail days at the Schuylkill County Prison. Six were removed for violations. About 3,351 alcohol tests were administered and 118 drug tests were taken.

Kevin M. Poletti, who possessed child pornography on his computer in July 2014, will not have to spend time in prison for his crime following his guilty plea Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court.

Poletti, 39, of Hegins, will spend five years on probation, pay costs and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities under the terms of President Judge William E. Baldwin’s sentence.

However, his sentencing will not be Poletti’s final contact with the court.

“The (state) Sexual Offenders Assessment Board will do an evaluation” to determine whether Poletti should be classified as a sexually violent predator, Baldwin said. Baldwin, in turn, will hold a hearing and then make that determination, which could affect the duration of the Megan’s Law sanctions that will be imposed on Poletti.

Poletti pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of children-child pornography, with prosecutors withdrawing seven additional counts of the same crime. He said little during the hearing except to indicate that he understood the terms of his plea and was making it knowingly and voluntarily.

The state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation charged Poletti with having the child pornography on his computer on July 10, 2014. First Assistant District Attorney Maria T. Casey said Wednesday that Poletti had the pornography on a DVD on his computer.

“This was a bad one,” Casey said of the case.

Thomas J. “Tim” Pellish, Pottsville, Poletti’s lawyer, declined to comment Wednesday on the case.

Defendant: Kevin M. Poletti

Age: 39

Residence

Crime committed: Sexual abuse of children-child pornography

Sentence: Five years probation

The Pottsville Area school board approved its 2015-16 budget without a tax increase Wednesday night, and gave the district’s administrators a pay raise.

It was part of an updated Act 93 Agreement the board unanimously gave a thumbs up to at its June meeting at the Howard S. Fernsler Academic Center.

Scott R. Thomas, a former school board member who will be on the November ballot for a four-year school board seat, criticized the move after the meeting: “A 3 percent increase across the board with a $6 million deficit is not fiscally responsible. I agree with rewarding administrators for their hard work, but we as a district need to begin to make fiscal decisions that will allow our district to thrive into the future.”

The previous Act 93 plan — a 36-month agreement initially slated to expire June 30, 2016 — offered the administrators raises based on a formula: “The salary of each member of the agreement will be added together, and multiplied by 3 percent to obtain a total available salary increase available. This amount will be distributed to all members of the agreement, equally, by dividing the total amount available by the number of participants.”

“With this model, the percent raises vary greatly person to person, for example mine last year was roughly 2.5 percent, not 3,” Stephen C. Curran, the district business manager, said.

The new Act 93 plan — a 36-month agreement slated to expire June 30, 2018 — gives each of them a flat 3 percent raise every year of the agreement, Curran said.

“Changes in the agreement are that there will be a 3 percent increase, and under the health care they will go to PPOs as the teachers association has done, with also a premium share,” Scott D. Krater, board vice-president and head of the board’s negotiations committee, said before the vote.

According to a list provided by Curran on Tuesday, the following administrators’ salaries are included: Kerry Ansbach, director of facilities and transportation; Tiffany L. Reedy, principal, Pottsville Area High School; Jeffrey J. Godin, assistant principal, Pottsville Area High School; Michael J. Maley, principal of D.H.H. Lengel Middle School; Caitlin Repp Mohl, assistant principal of D.H.H. Lengel Middle School; Jared A. Gerace, principal, John S. Clarke Elementary Center; Richard C. Boris, assistant principal, John S. Clarke Elementary Center; Deneen L. Reese, director of elementary special education; Kelly A. Brennan, director of middle school special education, district special education program director; Eleanor L. Sanayka, director of high school special education; Eric R. Rismiller, athletic director; Patricia A. Lombel, assistant business manager; Stephanie R. Ziegmont, director of curriculum and instruction; Diane Dougherty, technology director; and Lisa Eckley, director of food services.

Curran and Superintendent Jeffrey S. Zwiebel will also be receiving 3 percent raises.

“The board has decided our fringe benefits will be the same as the Act 93 people. Just to clarify, under the school code, the superintendent and business manager are prohibited from being Act 93 employees, which is why we have independent contracts,” Curran said.

Curran did not have the calculations of the 2015-16 salaries for those employees at the Wednesday’s meeting. Now that the board has taken action to approve this new plan, he said he’ll make those calculations and release them in the near future.

This is an example of one of the new salary increases. In the 2014-15 school year, Ansbach’s salary was $108,770.55. With the 3 percent increase, it will be $112,033.66 in school year 2015-16, according to a calculation by this reporter.

Board Member Gary A. Cortese made the motion to accept the new Act 93 plan. It was seconded by board Member Karen E. Rismiller and carried in a voice vote by the other board members in attendance: Krater, Charles R. Wagner, Christina M. DiCello, Patrick F. Moran and Linda Grube.

Board President John F. Boran and board Member Cindy Petchulis were absent from Wednesday’s meeting. So was Zwiebel.

With a motion by Wagner which was seconded by Rismiller and carried unanimously in a roll call vote, the board members present approved the district’s 2015-16 budget, a $43,972,595 spending plan.

“Total local, state and federal revenue is projected at $37,778,635. This is an increase of $1,433,602 from the current year budget,” Curran said in a press release on the budget.

“That leaves a projected deficit of $6,193,960,” Thomas said.

Following are other “significant points” Curran made about the budget in his release:

• “The total amount of the proposed 2015-16 budget is $43,972,595. This is an increase in expenditures of $1,028,164 or 2.39 percent more than the current budget year primarily due to the increase in the employer contribution to PSERS (the Public School Employees’ Retirement System) from 21.40 percent to 25.84 percent in the amount of $854,329.”

• “The current millage rate is 34.00 mills. The 2014 average in Schuylkill County is 38.0464. Our millage rate is 89.36 percent of the average.”

• “Our total assessed values decreased slightly from last year to $296,772,720 from $297,332,020.”

TAMAQUA — The borough council on Tuesday hired a part-time police officer, a part-time general maintenance workers and lifeguards for the swimming pool.

Police Chief Rick Weaver recommended that the borough council hire Rachael Lenar as a part-time officer after interviewing her and having a background investigation completed.

The council agreed and hired Lenar on a 5-0 vote, with two members absent.

By the same vote, the council hired six part-time general maintenance workers: Bernie Gigli, Tyler Hollenbach, Dylan Houser, Ernest Shilko, Dylan Woods and Scott Zelonis.

The council also set the pay rate for part-time maintenance workers at $8 per hour with a 25-cent-per-hour increase for each year of service, and agreed to adjust returning employees’ wages accordingly. Also hired were seven lifeguards for the summer pool season pending completion of their certification and approved an authorized provider agreement with the American Red Cross for lifeguard training at the pool. All votes were 5-0.

Lifeguards hired by the council are Gabrielle Markiewicz, Christopher Miller, Hannah Perla, Kaitlyn Shlanta, Kaitlyn Stauffenberg, Sierra Szabo and Michael Witczak.

In other business, the council also:

•Approved retaining Michael G. Wester Jr. as a full-time water treatment plant operator and Jordan D. Fegley as a full-time water distribution worker upon completion of their probation periods.

•Granted permission to close the following downtown streets for the 24th annual Tamaqua Summerfest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday: Railroad Street, from West Broad to Spruce; Hegarty Avenue, from Berwick to Lafayette streets; Nescopec Street, from Broad Street to Hegarty Avenue. In addition there will be no parking signs posted on West Broad Street from South Railroad to Nescopec streets, South Railroad Street from West Broad to Spruce streets, Berwick Street from West Broad to Rowe streets, Nescopec Street from Hegarty Avenue to Cottage Avenue.

•Gave permission to hold the annual fireman’s festival from Aug. 7 to 9 and to close Pine Street, from Broad to Mauch Chunk streets, from 8 a.m. Aug. 6 to 11:30 p.m. Aug. 9 for the event.

•Approved a request from the Owl Creek Reservoir Commission to place a cabin on the property. A Pocono church that has closed donated a 16-foot-by-16-foot cabin with a porch to the commission. The cabin has been in storage.

Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street

To Jared and Samantha Anchorstar Luscavage, Seltzer, a son, June 8.

Geisinger Medical Center, Danville

To Scott Litchko and Emily Bingo, Ashland, a son, June 4.

With each step counting, more Schuylkill County employees have been walking the halls and taking the stairs at the courthouse and other county buildings.

For every 50,000 steps, an employee enrolled in the county wellness program will get a chance to win a prize.

“The employees are very excited and enthusiastic about the walking program,” Jackie Pellish, a member of the Wellness Committee, said last week. “It’s funny hearing people talk about it in the hallways. It’s bringing different offices together now. They are kind of linked through this program now. It’s great to see how well it’s taken off.”

The walking program is just one of the initiatives organized by employees thanks to funding from the county’s health insurance provider. Capital Blue Cross has agreed as part of its 2014-16 contract with the Pennsylvania Counties Health Insurance Purchasing Cooperative to provide $250,000 in wellness credits to the seven counties using them as their claims administrator. That includes Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder and Union counties.

The wellness credits may be used for various activities or events associated with each county’s wellness programs. Capital Blue Cross reimburses the county for the expenses. Benecon, a benefits administrator and consulting firm for Capital Blue Cross, developed the funding policy and tracks the credits. Schuylkill County received $66,914 that must be used by the end of 2016.

“This initiative demonstrates that we have a safe and healthy work environment,” Martina Chwastiak, county human resources director, said last week.

Commissioner Gary J. Hess said the county pays about $10 million in health insurance for all its employees every year. He said encouraging employees to live a healthier lifestyle will help reduce that cost.

“All three county commissioners are 100 percent on board with this,” Hess said. “The end result is saving tax payer dollars on health insurance. We are very appreciative of our employees coming to the forefront to establish this.”

Several county employees volunteered to serve on a Wellness Committee that determines how that money is spent. The walking program is one of the first initiatives. It kicked off May 26 and will run for 15 weeks through Sept. 9.

Each of the 268 employees who signed up for the program received a pedometer to track the steps they take a day. Prizes are raffled off every one or two weeks. When the program ends, there will also be prizes for the top walkers, which will be a man and a woman who took the most steps; top team, which is the office or team that walked the most miles; and the top walker in each age group. Teams also receive weekly baskets of healthy snacks, such as fruit, granola bars or baked chips.

With only $13,600 of the wellness program budget used so far, the committee has already started planning other activities. When the walking program concludes, there will be a picnic Sept. 16. The committee is also planning a wellness health fair and Lunch and Learn events that will give participants a healthy lunch as well as a presentation or activity related to wellness, such as stress management, health screenings and yoga.

“They are things that can actually save a person’s life or at least get them to a doctor,” Chwastiak said.

SHENANDOAH — Downtown Shenandoah Inc. has received its designation for a second time as a Keystone Communities Main Street program by the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

The designation announcement was made at Tuesday’s monthly meeting by DSI board President Karen Kenderdine, who said she was “very, very pleased and proud to announce” the designation. She read a letter to DSI Executive Director and Main Street Manager Mary Luscavage from DCED Community Affairs and Development Deputy Secretary Joseph Meade that provided some details.

“Congratulations! The Department of Community and Economic Development reviewed and accepted your Keystone Main Street designation application. I am pleased to inform you that the department designated the area in your application as the Downtown Shenandoah Main Street Designation. Downtown Shenandoah Inc. will be the administering agency responsible for implementing the revitalization effort in Shenandoah. The designation will begin immediately and end five years later on June 30, 2020.”

The letter continues that businesses located within the boundaries of the Main Street program are eligible to apply for Neighborhood Assistance Program Enterprise Zone tax credits, which is administered by DCED.

“Your community will also receive funding priority when applying for Keystone Communities funding,” Meade wrote.

“We are only one of two organizations approved,” Kenderdine said, the other being the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership in Union County.

DSI members applauded the designation announcement. Luscavage said there was much work involved in applying and meeting the requirements for the latest designation. Shenandoah was designated as a Main Street community in 2006 and began its five-year term in 2007.

While the current designation does not include funding for administrative and other costs, there is an advantage to DSI in seeking grants for revitalization projects in being given priority as opposed to other communities that are not designated Main Street programs.

Main Street is part of DCED’s Keystone Communities, which is a program that assists Pennsylvania’s core communities in achieving revitalization, according to the DCED website. This program supports physical improvements to both designated and other communities that are undertaking revitalization to restore deteriorated downtowns, residential neighborhoods and industrial/manufacturing sites. Keystone Communities also provides funding for accessible modifications for the homes of persons with physical disabilities.

Bob Kane presented the Promotions Committee report. The Kielbasi Festival was very successful, Kane said, but since some receipts are still outstanding, the final totals on income and expenses are not available yet. He said the lottery calendars are still available for June. Kane said 258 calendars have been sold for a total of $1,290, and there have been four winners for the first half of June.

Kane reminded everyone about the upcoming Pierogy/Kielbasi Golf Tournament at Mountain Valley Golf Course on Friday with a shotgun start at 1 p.m., with lunch provided by Shenandoah’s “Kielbasi Kings” and Mrs. T’s “Pierogy Queen.” There are 148 golfers registered, so the tournament is filled. Non-golfers can attend the dinner about 6 p.m. for $25.

Continuing with his report, Kane said the annual Heritage Day and Parade of Nations will be held Aug. 22.

“We had our Parade of Nations meeting and the grand marshal is the Knights of Columbus,” Kane said. “They do a lot for the town.”

A meeting will be held at 6 p.m. June 25 at DSI headquarters to discuss plans for the 150th anniversary celebration of the incorporation of the borough of Shenandoah. At this time, the date has not been set, with some discussion on tying it in with Heritage Day in 2016 or making both events separate on different dates.

“Any groups that want to be part of the parade and the event should attend the meeting,” Kane said.

During the Design Committee report, Joseph Anczarski said work on the mini-park planned in Main Street near Burger King should begin soon. DSI plans to create a small park on land owned by Anczarski and the borough. The small greenspace will contain benches, grass and trees.

n Barnesville: 63 members of the Rush, Ryan and Delano Senior Citizens organization attended the group’s anniversary dinner May 26 at the Ryan Township Fire Company. They enjoyed a meal provided by A&C Catering. The RR&D group meets at 1 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at the Ryan firehouse. People 55 or older are welcome to join.

n Orwigsburg: An American Red Cross blood drive is set for 1 to 6 p.m. Monday at the Masonic Lodge, 1000 E. Market St. at noon. People 17 and older, weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health are urged to donate blood. To make an appointment to donate blood, call 800-733-2767 or download the American Red Cross donor app. The website is at www.redcrossblood.org.

n Pottsville: Gillingham Charter School’s 2015-16 school year budget is available to view on the school’s website at www.gillinghamcharterschool.org/:parentportal or in the school’s administration building during normal business hours 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

n Pottsville: Diakon Community Services/Prime Time Health will sponsor a free program called Healthy Eating for Successful Living from 12:30 to 3 p.m. July 13 in the Pottsville Senior Community Center, 201 N. Centre St. The six-week program will run from July 13 to Aug. 17 and focus on sharpening skills and making healthier choices without forgoing all the things people love, according to a Diakon release. “Learn to plan menus, learn more about labels, brainstorm healthy choices, participate in some physical activity, go grocery shopping and prepare a healthy, delicious meal,” organizers said in the release.

n Primrose: The 80th annual St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Parish Picnic will be held from 4 to 11 p.m. July 4 and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 5 at the parish picnic grove, Route 901. The event will include ethnic food, refreshments, games, theme baskets and live entertainment featuring the Pennsylvania Villagers and the New Individuals on July 4. Sapphire will provide entertainment July 5. Admission is free and all are welcome.

n Saint Clair: During a recent meeting, Saint Clair Community and Historical Society President Dawn Bicht told members the June 12 bus trip to New York was a sellout and even had a waiting list. She said the July 16 bus trip to Atlantic City is filling up fast. Members who will help at Saturday’s townwide yard sale should be at the Quirin building on Second Street by 6 a.m. The sale will begin at 8 a.m. Those willing to help should call Carol at 570-429-0789 or Darlene at 570-429-2129. The society will canvass the community for donations for the July 16 fireworks display. Anyone wishing to help should call Bonnie Baker at 570-429-2272. People do not have to be society members to help, Bicht said.

n Schuylkill Haven: Diakon Community Services will sponsor Walk With Ease from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Schuylkill Haven Senior Community Center, 340 Haven St. According to a release, the program is free and the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk With Ease program “can teach you how to safely make physical activity a part of your life.” The program, according to the release, will help participants reduce the pain and discomfort of arthritis, increase balance, strength and walking pace, build confidence in the ability to be physically active and improve overall health.

n Schuylkill Haven: Schuylkill United Way will host a free Act 153 information session and Act 31 certification from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at Penn State Schuylkill campus. According to a release, the Pennsylvania General Assembly has enacted comprehensive child protection reforms, which are having an impact on adult volunteers in schools and community-based organizations. The free information session is being held in coordination with the office of state Sen. David Argall, R-29. For more information on the new legislation, including clearance fact sheets for employees, public school code employees, nonpublic school code employees and volunteers, visit Argall’s website at http://ow.ly/NvNEh. To register for the information session, call Michelle Halabura, director of community relations, at 570-622-6421 or register at http://ow.ly/MXqbp.

Public school districts in Schuylkill County have started buying equipment to use the new digital radio system.

Each district has applied for grants through the state Department of Education’s Safe Schools initiative over the last few years, Barbara Wilkinson, supervisor of school improvement and as a district support consultant at Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, said Wednesday.

Grants varied for each school, but some will be able to buy multiple radios. Not all districts have received their radios yet.

“Every school district will be on the system,” Scott Krater, Schuylkill County Communications Center director, said.

Wilkinson said the radios will improve communication between the schools in case of an emergency. She said each radio has a button that sends an alert to the county communications center.

“They can do a lot,” Wilkinson said.

Krater and others involved in the digital communications system gave a presentation at the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit earlier Wednesday for school representatives to demonstrate the new radios. There will also be training for school personnel next month.

The Schuylkill County public safety advisory committee also met Wednesday afternoon to get an update on the digital radio system.

Bob Green, owner of Green’s Communications, the maintenance contractor for new digital radio system, said a total of 1,705 radios are on the system with another 200 that will soon be added.

The county started the process of upgrading its communications to a digital system two years ago to comply with a Federal Communications Commission mandate to narrowband radio frequencies. Motorola Solutions Inc. was hired for $16 million to upgrade the system. The project was funded through a $21 million bond the commissioners issued in October 2012.

Shenandoah’s Knights of Columbus council asked Schuylkill County Court on Wednesday to reinstate the tax exemption for its office in the borough.

In a two-page petition, the Home Association of Knights of Columbus Council 618 said it is a charitable organization that should have such an exemption for 201 W. Cherry St., and that no reason existed for the county to take it away.

“The property is used solely for the religious, charitable and other educational purposes of the owner,” according to the petition.

The association asked the court to reverse the May 18 decision of the county Board of Assessment Appeals and reinstate the exemption, which would bar the county, borough and Shenandoah Valley School District from collecting property taxes on it.

In the petition, the association alleged the board granted it an exemption on Sept. 25, 1992, but apparently withdrew it “without notice or explanation” of why.

Furthermore, no reason exists not to grant the exemption, since the property is used exclusively for charitable purposes and for the good of the community, according to the petition.

“The site is used to prepare and distribute food for the poor and needy,” the petition reads in part. “The site is designed to establish fellowship among various religious communities and council members and occasional food preparation for the organization to raise funds that enable it to conduct its various religious, charitable, educational and nonprofit activities.”

Shirl M. Mumie is headed to state prison after admitting Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court that she killed a Shenandoah man in a March 2014 car accident in Mahanoy Township.

Mumie, 38, of Sheppton, appeared to be near tears as she acknowledged causing the accident that killed James Hossler, 62.

Any remorse Mumie has, however, means little to Kendalle DiFilippo, one of Hossler’s relatives, who told Mumie and President Judge William E. Baldwin of the devastation the incident has caused the family.

“We’ll never get to see our loved one,” DiFilippo said. “You chose to do drugs.”

Mumie pleaded guilty to accident involving death or personal injury, involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, disregarding traffic lanes, reckless driving and careless driving.

Prosecutors withdrew charges of homicide by vehicle while DUI, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, seat belt violation and failure to stop and give information and one additional count each of reckless driving and careless driving.

Baldwin accepted the plea and, pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced Mumie to serve two years and three days to 4 1/2 years in a state correctional institution, plus 12 additional months on probation, pay costs, $1,300 in fines, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $12,761 restitution, and perform 30 hours community service.

State police at Frackville alleged Mumie was driving under the influence of drugs at 12:31 a.m. March 29, 2014, when her eastbound pickup truck crossed the center line of Route 54 just west of Mahanoy City and struck a car driven west by Hossler. Hossler died at the scene, police said.

Mumie had heroin, baggies and a smoking pipe in her possession at the time of the accident, police said.

Assistant Public Defender Kent D. Watkins, Mumie’s lawyer, declined to comment on the case after Wednesdays’ sentencing.

First Assistant District Attorney Maria T. Casey said she hopes Mumie realizes how wrong she was in what she did.

“The defendant has to acknowledge the devastating effects to the victim and his family,” Casey said. “Hopefully, she’ll have time to do that in state prison.”

A Pottsville man will spend time in prison and then on probation after admitting Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court that he had sexual activity with a girl in August 2014 in Minersville.

Joseph A. Klinger, 25, pleaded guilty to corruption of minors in that case and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in a second case.

President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted Klinger’s plea. Pursuant to an agreement between prosecutor and the defendant, Baldwin sentenced Klinger to spend six to 23 months in prison, plus three additional years on probation, and pay costs and $12,195 restitution.

Prosecutors withdrew charges of statutory sexual assault and indecent assault in the first case and theft and receiving stolen property in the second.

Minersville police charged Klinger in the first case with corrupting the morals of a girl by engaging in sexual activity with her on Aug. 9, 2014, in the borough.

In the other case, Pottsville police alleged Klinger used the vehicle without the permission of its owner on Jan. 18 in the city.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Klinger said little except to indicate to Baldwin that he understood the charges and the plea, and was making the latter knowingly and voluntarily.

Defendant: Joseph A. Klinger

Age: 25

Residence: Pottsville

Crimes committed: Corruption of minors and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle

Prison sentence: Six to 23 months, plus three additional years on probation

John A. Pino must remain in state prison for leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase in August 2013 that ended with disabling injuries to a local police chief, a state Superior Court panel decided Wednesday.

In a nine-page opinion, the three-judge panel ruled the evidence showed Pino, 72, of Shenandoah, had the intent to injure Michael P. Carey and other police officers during the chase, thereby justifying his conviction for aggravated assault.

“It is not for us to decide what the mind of (Pino) was at the time,” President Judge Emeritus John T. Bender wrote in the opinion.

As a result, Pino must serve the sentence of seven to 18 years in a state correctional institution imposed on him on Aug. 5, 2014, by Schuylkill County President Judge William E. Baldwin. Pino is serving his sentence at State Correctional Institution/Houtzdale in Clearfield County.

After a two-day trial over which Baldwin presided, a jury of six men and six women deliberated about five hours before convicting Pino on June 3, 2014, of three counts of aggravated assault, five of simple assault, six of recklessly endangering another person and one each of resisting arrest, fleeing or eluding police and retail theft, and acquitting him of two additional counts of aggravated assault.

Saint Clair police alleged Pino stole about $276 worth of meat and seafood from Wal-Mart Supercenter, 500 Terry Rich Blvd.

State police at Frackville alleged that after the theft, Pino led officers on a chase on Route 61, Interstate 81 and Route 54, ending on White Owl Road in Mahanoy Township, just outside Mahanoy City. Police shot Pino twice and Tasered him to end the incident.

During the chase, according to prosecutors, Saint Clair police Chief Michael P. Carey suffered back, ankle and other injuries when Pino rammed his white Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle into Carey’s police car. Carey testified during the trial that he has not returned to work.

In the panel’s opinion, Bender wrote that although Pino alleged he did not have the intent to commit aggravated assault, the fact indicated otherwise.

“When viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict winner, we find that the commonwealth presented sufficient evidence” to prove Pino intended to cause injury to the officers, Bender wrote.

Since the jury, which saw and heard the witnesses testify, convicted Pino, the only question the panel can consider is whether a reasonable jury could have done so, according to Bender.

“The jury could reasonably infer ... that (Pino) acted with the specific intent to cause bodily injury to the police,” he wrote.

Bender also dismissed Pino’s claim that he should have been convicted of aggravated assault by vehicle instead of the less specific charge of aggravated assault. He ruled state law allows a conviction under any relevant provision of the law regardless of whether a more specific provision might also apply.

Pino did not raise any other issues in his appeal.

Judge Patricia H. Jenkins and Senior Judge Eugene B. Strassburger III, the other panel members, joined in Bender’s opinion.

Defendant: John A. Pino

Age: 72

Residence: Shenandoah

Crimes committed: Three counts of aggravated assault, five of simple assault, six of recklessly endangering another person and one each of resisting arrest, fleeing or eluding police and retail theft

Prison sentence: Seven to 18 years in a state correctional institution

The Kulpmont Cruise Association is changing the name of its annual cruise this year to honor a member who died last year.

Joe Cesari, association president, said this year’s Great Kulpmont Cruise is now called the Gary Hixson Memorial Cruise. Hixson, who died in September 2014, entered his 1940 Chevy into the cruise every year. Cesari said his son will put the car in this year’s cruise and it will serve as the honorary grand marshal.

The 13th annual cruise is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Registration will begin at noon at Holy Angels Roman Catholic Church picnic grounds, Scott Street. Registration is $15 on Sunday, $13 in advance.

Cesari said the cruise assembles at the picnic grounds and travels down Chestnut Street (Route 61). The cruisers will make two passes through town. He said all kinds of vehicles, from cars, trucks to motorcycles, are allowed to participate.

Cesari said last year’s cruise brought in between 210 and 220 vehicles, a record high. He said the cruise association is hoping to top that number this year.

“We are looking at that because I think we are the only act in town this weekend,” Cesari said.

Cesari said many car owners make their decision to enter the cruise based on weather. According to the National Weather Service, cloudy skies with a favorable chance of thunderstorms is expected Sunday in Kulpmont. Temperatures will be about 80.

The cruise attracts car owners from around southcentral Pennsylvania and surrounding states, including New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Cesari said he has already received calls from people in Lebanon and York.

“We get a ton of them from Schuylkill County so we are well represented from the different areas,” he said.

Cesari said spectators should not worry if they see an aircraft hovering over the cruise. The cruise association is using a drone to videotape this year’s activities. The drone is owned by Bill and Dave Marquardt.

In previous years, the cruise was videotaped from the ground. Cesari said it not only slowed the cruise down, but risked damaging some the cars due to overheating.

“The drone will not interfere at all with what is going on on Chestnut Street,” he said.

Cesari said if the video turns out good, it will be edited, put to 1950s and ’60s music and, eventually, be available for people for purchase.

Cesari said the Kulpmont Cruise Association donates proceeds from the cruise to youth organizations and projects. One of the projects is a playground in the borough that the cruise association has been active in improving and maintaining.

“It serves a lot of youth in the area, not only the Kulpmont area, but the entire area,” Cesari said.

For more information, call Cesari at 570-373-3561.

Marriage licenses

Walmer P. Riegel Jr., Pottsville, and Margaret A. Frederick.

Brandon M. Zimmerman, Pine Grove, and Abby M. Skripko, Pine Grove.

Richard J. Heim, Pottsville, and Desiree Blum, Port Carbon.

Thomas M. McClusky, Orwigsburg, and Kristen E. Dulkowski, Orwigsburg.

Adam L. Klyvert, Mahanoy City, and Heather M, Leininger, Mahanoy City.

David L. Hanley, Huntingdon, and Michele L. Sterner, Rockwood.

Clement Wilson, Huntingdon, and Keisha M. Hill, York.

Richard Hunsinger, McAdoo, and Toni M. Kline, McAdoo.

Daniel Jenkins Jr., Saint Clair, and Jodi A. Mosley, Tamaqua.

Jeffrey C. Hill, Orwigsburg, and Marcia Weidner-Sutphen, Temple.

Michael J. Leone Jr., Aberdeen, Maryland, and Deborah A. Golden, Aberdeen, Maryland.

Dale A. Zimmerman, Pine Grove, and Karen J. Bohr, Pine Grove.

Adam D. Rhody, Tower City, and Smantha L. Finefrock, Tower City.

WEST HAZLETON — A man and a woman from Nuremberg were killed Thursday afternoon in Luzerne County when they drove a stolen all-terrain vehicle into the path of a tractor-trailer, state police at Hazleton said Thursday.

State police released the names of the deceased, Amber Judge, 31, and Eric Baker, 23, and said both were from Nuremberg, which stretches across both Schuylkill and Luzerne counties.

Judge was driving a black 1994 Honda 450cc ATV, police said. On Thursday morning, the vehicle was reported stolen from a residence in Black Creek Township, Luzerne County.

At 1:22 p.m. Thursday, Judge and Baker were traveling north on Route 924 in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. Meanwhile, Rhodell Carter, 76, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, was driving a 2011 Freightliner truck and trailer, exiting the off-ramp of Interstate 81 north to turn left onto Route 924.

Judge drove at a high rate of speed through a steady red signal at Route 924 and the I-81 northbound off-ramp and collided with the driver’s side of the tractor-trailer. Judge and Baker were killed on impact, police said.

Route 924 was closed in both directions during the police investigation. Hazle Township Fire/Rescue and West Hazleton police assisted on scene.

n Ashland: The Schuylkill Area Community Foundation manages the Eureka Park Fund, which is aimed at supporting summer recreation at the park, the foundation’s Eileen Kuperavage said in a press release. The recreation program is free and registration is not required. Lunch, however, is not provided. The four-week program will run July 12 to Aug. 12 with activities scheduled Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon for students in grades 1 through 8 and 1 to 3 p.m. for grades 9 through 12. For more information, call Kuperavage at 570-624-7223.

n Fountain Springs: During its May 17 meeting, the North Schuylkill school board approved: A field trip request from the NSE PTO to Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg for sixth-grade students, teachers and chaperones on May 28; the Athletic Code of Conduct for the 2015-16 school year; the 2016 junior-senior high school prom at Capriotti’s Palazzo, McAdoo, on May 14, 2016, and the 2017 junior-senior high school prom on May 13, 2017; attendance by the varsity and junior high wrestling teams at an overnight camp July 9 to 12 at Penn State University, State College, at no cost to the district; attendance by the varsity and junior varsity football cheerleaders at an overnight camp from June 13 to 16 at Pine Forest Camp, Greeley, at no cost to the district; Barry Gilbert as an assistant boys’ soccer coach for the 2015 fall season at a salary of $1,550; Brian Gilbert and Paul Caputo as volunteer assistant boys’ soccer coaches for the 2015 fall season; Nick Brayford as a weightroom coach for the 2015-16 school year at a salary of $3,000; Tyler Laudeman as a volunteer assistant football coach for the 2015 fall season; a trip for two district debate team students and chaperone Megan Evans to attend the Grand National Forensics Competition, Fort Lauderdale, Florida from Monday to Thursday.

n Minersville: The New Minersville Firehouse Bikers will sponsor the Harlen Hippo Zimmerman Memorial Poker Run on Sunday at New Minersville Fire Company, 500 Line St. The cost is $20 per rider and $10 per passenger, which will include door prizes and refreshments at the end of the ride. Registration will be from 9 to 11 a.m. and “Kick Stands Up” will be at 11:30 a.m. Proceeds from the 100-mile poker run will benefit St. Joseph Center for Special Learning, Pottsville. For more information, call 570-527-6168.

n Pine Grove: Diakon Community Services will sponsor a free community harvest potluck from 6 to 8 p.m. June 27 in the clubhouse at Sweet Arrow Lake County Park. The event, according to a Diakon press release, will be about “food, fun and fellowship.” Participants may bring a main dish, side dish, dessert or beverage to share made with an ingredient from your summer garden. People should “feel free to bring along your overabundance of produce to share.” For more information, call 570-624-3018.

n Pottsville: Diakon Community Services will present An Evening with Dino from 7 to 9 p.m. June 27 at the Majestic Theater, 209 N. Centre St. Admission is $10 and tickets are available by calling 570-628-4647.

n Summit Hill: The Panther Valley Golden Agers’ annual Memorial Mass was held recently at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church. The Rev. James Burdess, Golden Agers’ spiritual adviser, was the celebrant. The liturgy remembered 11 past members. After the Mass, there was a social at St. John’s Slovak Lutheran Church. Norma Lee Burke and Ruth Ann Feane comprise the hospitality committee for June.

n Summit Station: The Schuylkill County Fair will run July 27 through Aug. 4 at the fairgrounds, 2270 Fair Road. This year’s theme is “Harvest the Fun.” The fair will open at 11 a.m. Tuesday and Saturday and 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The gate admission is $5 but free for children under 12. There will be food, beverages, rides, games, exhibits, contests and entertainment. For more information, call 570-739-2627. Additional information also is available at the fair’s website at www.schuylkillfair.com or by emailing to schuylkillfair@gmail.com.

Man who stole

vehicle charged

BARNESVILLE — A man is being charged for crashing a stolen vehicle between midnight and 9 a.m. Aug. 30, 2014, on Brockton Mountain Road, Ryan Township,

State police at Frackville said Brian Lee Dietrick stole a 1994 red Buick Roadmaster Sedan from Christine E. and Shannon J. Willis at 504 Hobart St., Gordon. He eventually drove the vehicle to Brockton Mountain Road where he crashed near Front Street. Dietrick then fled the scene and left the vehicle unattended on Brockton Mountain Road.

Further investigation of the incident revealed that Dietrick had multiple criminal warrants from several different law enforcement agencies. He was eventually found in the State Correctional Institution/Coal Township, under a fictitious name.

On June 2, felony criminal charges were filed at the court of District Magisterial Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville, for theft of a motor vehicle and several summary traffic violations.

Dietrick was arraigned from the SCI/Coal Township, via video by Hale. His bail was set at $5,000 unsecure.

He remained in custody at Coal Township pertaining to other criminal charges and warrants.

The case is pending the preliminary hearing in front of Hale.

Police investigate

cable meter theft

TOWER CITY — State police at Lykens are investigating the theft of a Trilithic 360 Cable Meter at 1:29 p.m. Thursday belonging to James Joseph Reece, Tower City, while he was working at 149 Dusty Trail Road, Halifax Township, Dauphin County. Police said the cable meter and the black canvas bag that went missing are valued at $1,600. Anyone with information is asked to call Trooper Jeffrey Goodman at the state police at Lykens barracks at 717-362-8700.

4 charged with

criminal trespass

NEW PHILADELPHIA — State police cited four men from North Carolina for criminal trespass Thursday when they walked onto property in Blythe Township owned by Reading Anthracite, police said Thursday.

The incident occurred at 12:30 p.m. Thursday when the four men were seen trespassing by an on-duty security guard for the coal company, based in Pottsville, police said.

The four men were: Justin Bradley Critcher, 33, and Andy Carl Critcher, 18, both of Boone, N.C.; Brian John Stefanic, 58, of Columbus, N.C.; and Lucas Tyler Critcher, 32, of Weaverville, N.C., police said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call state police at 570-874-5300.

Man, girl charged

after argument

ELIZABETHVILLE — State police at Lykens charged a man and a 14-year-old female from this Dauphin County borough with disorderly conduct Monday, after they were arguing loudly in public, police said Thursday.

The incident occurred 8:12 p.m. Monday in Elizabethville Park and involved Timothy Neil Enders, 51, of Elizabethville, and the 14-year-old from Lykens, police said.

The charges were filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum, Elizabethville, police said.

Man charged in

ATV mischief

LYKENS — State police at Lykens have charged a man from Lykens, Dauphin County, with causing $4,200 of damage by driving an all-terrain vehicle through a cemetery earlier this year, police said Thursday.

At 6:20 p.m. Jan. 21, Warren Charles Weaver Jr., 18, of 384 N. Crossroads Road, Lykens, drove through a property managed by the Lykens Cemetery Association. Weaver toppled over cemetery markers and memorials, causing damage to cemetery plots, police said.

Police said they charged Weaver with two misdemeanors, institutional vandalism and criminal mischief, and filed the charges in the office of Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum, Elizabethville.

Juvenile charged

in copper theft

HALIFAX TOWNSHIP — State police at Lykens this week arrested a 17-year-old boy for the theft of $5,250 worth of copper tubing, a crime which occurred in February 2013, police said Thursday.

The incident occurred at Engle Rissinger Auto Group, North River Road, Halifax Township, Dauphin County. The burglars damaged three doors when they entered the building to steal the copper, police said.

One of the suspects left behind a glove which was tested for DNA. That led to the arrest of the 17-year-old, who was not named in the public information release report issued Thursday.

He was charged with felony counts of burglary, criminal trespass, theft, criminal mischief and receiving stolen property, and those charges were filed in Dauphin County Juvenile Court, police said.

Valley View man

charged in crash

VALLEY VIEW — A man from Valley View drove his car into a parked car in the parking lot at the Gratz Auction on May 29, state police at Lykens said Thursday.

At 1 p.m. that day just off Route 25 in Lykens Township, Raymond H. Bowman, 89, was attempting to park a 2014 Subaru Impreza when he hit a 2010 Ford Fusion and scraped the Fusion’s driver’s side. Both vehicles were drivable and there were no reported injuries, police said.

Police cite man

in Wal-Mart theft

ELIZABETHVILLE — State police at Lykens issued a summary citation against a man from Williamstown who walked out of a Wal-Mart in Elizabethville, Dauphin County, earlier this month without paying for merchandise, police said Thursday.

Police said the incident occurred at Wal-Mart at 200 Kocher Lane at 3:10 p.m. June 5. Police filed charges against Thomas Dauberman in the office of Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum, Elizabethville.