Deeds

Coaldale — Gina Marie Chawojsky and Ruth A. Reeves to Gina Marie Chawojsky; 102 E. Ridge St.; $1.

Cressona — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to JMAC Realty LLC and Schuylkill 15 Trust; 115 Wilder St.; $25,025.

Port Carbon — Fred J. Jr. and Mary Elizabeth Michalski to Stephanie N. Premich and Ryan M. Zajac; 33 Mill St.; 415,000.

Port Clinton — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to JPMorgan Chase Bank NA; 187 Centre St.; $1,150.61.

Porter Township — Michael T. Donton, executor under the Last Will & Testament of Fred R. Donton Sr., to Jeffrey Daub; 18 Snyder Ave., Orwin; $25,000.

Reilly Township — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to 206 State Road, Branchdale; $1,286.81.

Elizabeth Burns to Alan and Lori Ann Celmer; 79 Main St., Branchdale; $15,000.

Rush Township — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Fulton Bank NA; 32 Deer Trail, Lake Hauto; $1,426.55.

Cheryl M. Greaser to Cheryl M. Greaser; 22 Sherwood St.; $1.

Schuylkill Haven — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Wells Fargo Bank NA; 202 Jefferson St.; $1,152.69.

Cheryl A. Griffiths to Craig A. and Lori R. Spotts; 22 E. Liberty St.; $1.

Keith S. and Kathy A. Kirby to Keith S. and Kathy A. Kirby; property on Fairview Street; $1.

South Manheim Township — Caroline K. Hagman to Kenneth and Caroline Hagman; 2638 Wynonah Drive, Lake Wynonah; $1.

Tamaqua — Advance Professional Investment Co. LLC to Gladys B. Neff; 216 Greenwood St.; $42,500.

Muriel A. Satoris to Marvin J. and Mary G. Schuetrum; 406 Spruce St.; $19,000.

Richard D. and Kathleen Jones to Eric R. Jones; property on Anthracite Street; $1.

n New Philadelphia: AMVETS Post 256 will meet at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 at Vetts Inc., 96 McComb St. Members will discuss ongoing and past events. For more information, call 570-277-6031.

n Pottsville: Four regional youths are aiming to go to the 100th PA Farm Show in January as exhibitors, according to a release from the Blue Mountain 4-H Livestock Club. All four are club members and each is raising a market lamb. Stephani and Sara Strouse, Auburn, are raising two lambs, and in Orwigsburg, Collin Felty and Casmira Keller also are raising two lambs. They hope to place well in their respective Junior Market Lamb class on Jan. 10 and then be able to sell their lambs in the Junior Market animal sale, to be held On Jan. 12. The opportunity to sell their lambs, according to the release, will be enhanced by their participation in the Outstanding Young Shepherd Program, in which exhibitors test their knowledge on the fundamentals of sheep management practices through a test called a Skillathon. Participants in the test are quizzed on quality assurance and general health of sheep, meat identification, equipment identification and use, feeds, feeding and nutrition as well as sheep raising management practices. Samantha Strouse will test her knowledge of raising sheep by participating in the Skillathon portion of the Outstanding Young Shepherd Program. The 4-Hers have been raising the lambs since August, seeing to their daily care with fresh water and feed and with special attention to raising the animals for competition at the superior level. Special feeding and nutritional supplies plus exercise are part of the regular routine. Although the 4-Hers have experience raising lambs for show and sale at the Schuylkill County Fair, raising them in the fall and winter months adds to the challenge, according to the club release.

n Saint Clair: An American Red Cross blood drive is slated for 2 to 7 p.m. Friday at Tractor Supply Co. in the Coal Creek Commerce Center complex. People 17 and older (16 with parental consent), weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health are urged to donate blood. For more information or to set an appointment, call 800-733-2767.

n Shenandoah: The revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. will stage a soup and sausage sale beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday at its downtown center, 116 N. Main St. The cost for soup is $5 per quart and $2.50 per pint and the cost for sausage hoagies is $3.50 each. Soup varieties will include chili, chicken noodle, vegetable beef, pasta fagiole, New England clam chowder, split pea and kielbasa. To order or for more information, call 570-462-2060.

n Shenandoah Heights: The Shenandoah Heights Fire Company, 148 Swatara Road, will sponsor a visit with Santa from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 19 at the firehouse. Santa will arrive at the firehouse after a tour through the villages of Shenandoah Heights and Weston Place aboard a fire engine. Every child will receive a gift from Santa and light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 570-640-6536.

n Shenandoah: Efforts to collect food for the food bank, which distributes items from the Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Parish office, 108 W. Cherry St., are ongoing. People are asked to bring donations of nonperishable food to the Divine Mercy or St. Casimir worship sites on the weekend or drop items off at the parish office during regular office hours. Examples of useful items include tuna, Spam, canned meats, powdered milk, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, spaghetti, sauce, pasta and similar fare.

n Tower City: An American Red Cross blood drive is set for noon to 5 p.m. Thursday at Williams Valley High School, Route 209. People 17 and older (16 with parental consent), weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health are urged to donate blood. For more information or to set and appointment, call 800-733-2767.

NEW MAHONING — With a lightning fast tongue, an auctioneer in this Carbon County village Tuesday rattled off descriptions of numerous items that once graced the Maroons Sport Bar & Grill in Pottsville.

But at a public auction at the Mahoning Valley Fire Hall, Doug Houser, Schnecksville, Lehigh County, admitted he wasn’t sure what vintage pictures and posters were originals, and what were reproductions.

“The bar closed. The real estate was sold. And these are the contents that the trustee had asked us to remove before we sold the real estate. A lot had to do with the 1925 football team, the Maroons. Some people had asked me if a lot of this is original or not. I can’t attest to that. I think some of it are blown up pictures. Others might be original, but I cannot attest to whether or not they are the original ones,” Houser informed the crowd of more than 75 at the event.

It was 90 years ago this week that the Pottsville Maroons defeated the Chicago Cardinals, 21-7, for the unofficial NFL title. The auction wasn’t held to mark the anniversary, but to further remind the region that the once-popular sports bar which honored the team was gone.

The sale was by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of PA. It was conducted by Houser Auctioneers, including Houser’s brother, Tim, New Ringgold. The trustee was William G. Schwab, Lehighton.

Schwab is a lawyer who serves as trustee for former owners of the Maroons Sports Bar, Robert C. and Karen Dittmar, according to Amanda Jones, a paralegal in Schwab’s office in Lehighton.

Schwab and the Dittmars were not present at the auction.

“Attorney Schwab, the attorney for bankruptcy, I spoke with him yesterday. He has some court commitments today, so he won’t be here. And he said, ‘Doug, you’re in charge,’ ” Doug Houser said.

Prior to the auction, potential bidders examined items related to the Maroons.

Bob Fromme, Millersburg, Dauphin County, was hoping to find something authentic related to one of the players, Barney Wentz.

“I’m a little disappointed. I was looking for items with connections to Barney Wentz. He was from Shenandoah originally. There’s Barney right there,” Fromme said as he spotted a framed head shot which measured about 8-by-10. He suspected it was a reproduction, an enlargement made from a smaller image.

“Look at the dots, the pixelation. I don’t think it’s an original photo,” Fromme said.

“I think most of them were probably blown up, but they still have a lot of historical significance relative to the team. It’s certainly a nice collection. I’m 70 and I was certainly aware of the Maroons football team. I was a sports enthusiast,” Doug Houser said.

Among the items were framed pictures of Pottsville athletes, including a vintage image of the “P.H.S. Track Team.”

“It has no date on it,” Tim Houser shouted out to the crowd.

Robert Gordon, Allentown, a history buff, bought that and two others for $6 each. The other two featured photos of the Pottsville High 1926-27 basketball team and the 1942-43 basketball team, according to Tim Houser.

“Originally, I’m from the Bronx. I’m a retired New York City teacher. I was a history teacher. And I like things about local history and I love learning about Pennsylvania history. Being a New Yorker, this is all new to me,” Gordon said.

The first auction regarding items from the former bar was a decorative light advertising “Yuengling Light Lager” and “Yuengs & Wings.”

Hawk Acevedo, Lansford, bought it for $85.

The Maroons Sports Bar & Grill in Pottsville opened in June 2004 under the ownership of James and Aggie Sophie Croley. It closed in November 2006. Then, in October 2007, the Dittmars reopened the business, according to the newspaper’s archives.

On Nov. 17, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John J. Thomas, Wilkes-Barre, signed an order authorizing Schwab to sell the 4,900-square-foot property at 556 N. Centre St., Pottsville, to cousins Peter John Russo and Peter F. Russo, the owners of Roma Pizza, 116 W. Market St., Pottsville.

On Dec. 6, 1925, the Maroons defeated the Chicago Cardinals, 21-7, for the unofficial NFL title. Then, on Dec. 12, the Maroons defeated a non-NFL team, the Notre Dame All-Stars, 9-7, in an exhibition game at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park.

The Philadelphia-based Frankford Yellow Jackets claimed the Maroons invaded their territory. The league fined the Maroons $500 and suspended them from all rights and privileges and declared their franchise forfeited in the league, according to the 2007 ESPN book “Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship” by David Fleming.

While the Cardinals refused to accept the 1925 NFL championship, Fleming said it was never officially awarded to any team. The Cardinals organization later claimed rights to the title.

A Joliett man was jailed Monday after being charged by Pottsville police with violating a Protection From Abuse order.

Police said officers were called about 6:30 p.m. to The Holistic Healing Spa, 11 Westwood Road, Pottsville, and determined that Thomas A. Starrett, 50, went to the business, entered and had contact with his estranged wife, who has a current PFA order against him.

The order, police said, bans Starrett from being on the premises or having any contact with the woman.

Starrett fled the area before officers arrived but, with the assistance of state police at Schuylkill Haven, was located at a residence in Frieden Manor where he was taken into custody, police said.

Starrett was charged with indirect criminal contempt for violating the PFA order as well as a separate charge of criminal trespass.

He was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi, Tremont, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $25,000 on each of the charges.

Starrett was charged by Pottsville police for a similar incident at the spa on Oct. 5 where he threatened to shoot his estranged wife, business patrons and himself but fled the scene to the Joliett area without harming anyone.

Police said they learned that Starrett tracked his estranged wife to a residence in that area and tried to gain access but had been unsuccessful and fled.

With the assistance of various law enforcement agencies, he was located and taken into custody at a residence in Frieden Manor.

At the time of Monday’s incident, Starrett was on bail on charges from the Oct. 5 incident that included terroristic threats, simple assault and persistent disorderly conduct, police said.

PINE GROVE — A motorcycle accident when Cindy Betz was just 23 years old changed the course of her life, and her desire to smile.

Betz, now a 59-year-old grandmother from Pine Grove, will soon have a second chance to express the joy on her face. She’s the first recipient of the Second Chance Program, where Dr. Alexandre Balaci, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon, has offered to perform free dental implant surgery for her.

“It was nerve-wracking. I was in shock and I couldn’t believe he picked me,” said Betz, who found out Sept. 11 she was chosen from among nearly 40 applicants for the program. “We were all sitting in his waiting room, and I closed my eyes and thought ‘He’s never going to pick me.’ When he said my name, I started crying and I hugged him,” she said.

It’s a fortunate turn in the right direction, according to Betz, who’s incurred years of pain after a truck’s head-on collision with her motorcycle near Ravine left her in a coma for three weeks and broke off most of her teeth.

Initially, she had crowns placed on some of her teeth, that were to last about 20 years. The crowns eventually started breaking off, and her mouth became infected and extremely sore, she said.

Betz was formerly a manager at a Family Dollar store, and had also worked as a baker at Wylde Snack Foods in Womelsdorf, PA. A friend at work, Jen Boyer, Ephrata, sent Betz a link to Balaci’s website, and Betz filled out the paperwork to apply for the free program.

“It’s made me not so depressed,” Betz said.

“I think I’m going to be able to get out there and smile and not be so embarrassed just to walk into a store,” she said.

She’s been eating soft foods, applesauce and mashed potatoes; and food chopped into small pieces.

“I really can’t chew,” she said.

Balaci started the Second Chance Program as a way to give back to patients like Betz.

“I have always been involved in providing free, donated care to individuals. This care was usually on an emergency basis and was never comprehensive in nature. The treatment would get a patient out of pain and address one or two problems,” he said.

“For all my career, I have been involved in the placement of dental implants. I have met many individuals that either were missing all of their teeth or their teeth were in such bad repair, that the only solution was for complete replacement. All of these individuals spoke of how their condition affected them physically, psychologically and socially. Unfortunately, a significant number of these people could not afford to complete this type of treatment. After 20-plus years in practice, I thought it would be great to be able to give back a little and try to offer someone a new start,” he said.

“All patients that receive this type of care have special challenges,” Balaci said. “For Cindy, it was to get her out pain and to clear up her existing dental infections.”

Her type of surgery would cost in the $40,000 to $50,000 range, Balaci said.

On Nov. 2, Betz underwent the first part of her procedure. She said Balaci pulled all of her remaining teeth and completed a bone graft, using bone from the back of her mouth for her jawbone area, then ground down her jawbone, making it more even. On Dec. 21, Betz said she will have an X-ray taken to see if there’s enough bone there, and how it’s healed before she receives her new teeth as a dental implant.

According to Betz, a cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Shawn R. Habakus, is scheduled to take impressions of her gums, so that her new teeth can be created. Balaci will then drill the holes and use screws to insert the new, permanent teeth, she said. The entire process should take between four to six months to complete, Balaci said.

“My bones were really ridged. He had to grind them down and make them even,” Betz said.

When asked how she thought the implants would change her life, Betz said, “It will be easier to answer after it’s all done. That’s really difficult for me to say right now. I know I’ll be smiling more.”

Cindy’s family includes her husband, Rodney Betz; and six children, Rodney Allen Betz, Terry Robertson, Christopher Brown, Jaclyn Brown, Angel Brown and Traci Brown; and eight grandsons and two granddaughters.

Although she’s still in the middle of the process for her new smile, Betz said already she’s noticed that her jaw “doesn’t pop anymore.” She praised the gift Balaci’s given her.

“He’s a very generous man,” she said.

For more information, visit the website for Balaci Oral and Facial Surgery at https://jawcare.com. Balaci has offices in Lebanon and Wyomissing.

David A. Plachko

PORT CARBON — A New Philadelphia man charged with assaulting and injuring his ex-wife in East Norwegian Township on Oct. 9 had charges against him held for court during a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko.

Clarence E. Eckert Jr., 47, of 84 East Side Drive, was arrested by Saint Clair police Patrolman Chad Seitzinger and charged with one felony count of aggravated assault and one misdemeanor count each of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

After hearing testimony, Plachko determined the commonwealth proved a prima facie case and ordered all three offenses held for Schuylkill County Court.

Seitzinger said Eckert became involved in an argument with Tracey Eckert while the two were in a vehicle on the Burma Road during which he made threats telling her he would “gut you like the pig that you are.”

Clarence Eckert then placed a knife to the woman’s throat causing a small laceration and then stabbed her in the right arm causing a puncture wound, Seitzinger said, adding that Tracey Eckert got out of the vehicle, ran into the woods and was eventually picked up by a woman who gave her a ride to safety.

Other court cases included:

Robert A. Hamm, 33, of 241 Middle St., Minersville — waived for court: aggravated assault, simple assault, DUI, careless driving, disregard for a single traffic lane, disorderly conduct and duties at a stop sign.

Thomas Bettinger, 39, of 210 Chestnut St., Box 138, Mar Lin — waived for court: simple assault and harassment.

William J. Boris, 31, of 331 Haven St., Schuylkill Haven — withdrawn: simple assault and harassment.

Gina L. Thompson, 51, of 101 Oak St., Tamaqua — held for court: retail theft.

Jesse Boltz, 45, of 420 New Castle St., Minersville — withdrawn: simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment.

Courtney Lee Schweikert, 19, of 94 New Philadelphia Road, Kaska — held for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Donald R. Watson, 28, of 1907 Elk Ave., Pottsville — held for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Autumn S. Donton, 63, of 64 New Mines St., Branchdale — withdrawn: theft of leased property.

Christian D. Kuzowsky, 41, of 1 Earl St., Lot 28, Hilltop Mobile Home Park, Schuylkill Haven — held for court: theft of leased property.

Caleb B. Cook, 26, of 525 W. Columbia St., Schuylkill Haven — waived for court: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, persons not to possess or use firearms, firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.

Lisa M. Quirk, 51, of 102 E. Franklin St., Saint Clair — waived for court: retail theft.

Jeremiah G. Spirko, 27, of 639 E. Centre St., Mahanoy City — waived for court: unsworn falsification to authorities and materially false written statements.

Linda M. Hoppes, 41, of 123 S. Sixth St., Pottsville — waived for court: theft of leased property.

Charles J. Cunningham, 44, of 129 Railroad St., Delano — waived for court: recklessly endangering another person, restrictions on alcoholic beverages and driving the wrong way.

Keith O’Connell, 20, of 231 W. Oak St., Shenandoah — waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia and retail theft.

Brett V. Elliot, 31, of 612 Carbon St., Pottsville — withdrawn: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance. Waived for court: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance.

Erica L. Bertasavage, 21, of 27 E. Main St., Apt. 2, Tremont — waived for court: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. Withdrawn: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance.

Justin R. Underkoffler, 27, of 56 W. Bacon St., Pottsville — withdrawn: aggravated assault, terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment.

Patricia A. Ciccanti, 54, of 408 Pleasant St., Minersville — waived for court: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy and criminal use of a communications facility.

William J. Glover, 34, of 141 Carbon St., Minersville — withdrawn: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance. Waived for court: possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and endangering the welfare of children.

Ashley B. Glover, 25, of 125 S. Third St., Minersville — withdrawn: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance. Waived for court: possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and endangering the welfare of children.

Miranda L. Gibble, 25, of 1228 W. Market St., Pottsville — waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jacqueline A. Fogarty, 46, of 275 Valley St., New Philadelphia — held for court: criminal mischief.

Christopher J. Morgan, 31, of Schuylkill County Prison, Pottsville — dismissed: simple assault and harassment.

Jessica R. Revelette, 25, of 113 Jackson St., Port Carbon — waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.

Judith Ann Essler, 49, of 311 Laurel St., Minersville — waived for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Alexander T. Cole, 24, of 102 S. Jackson St., Pottsville — waived for court: retail theft and receiving stolen property.

Theresa A. Tellez, 49, of 1423 Bunting St., Pottsville — withdrawn: bad checks.

William A. Tellez, 75, of 1423 Bunting St., Pottsville — withdrawn: bad checks.

Richard A. Pizzo, 32, of 23 Circle Drive, Box 26, Barnesville — held for court: burglary, retail theft, theft and criminal mischief.

Kathleen Purnell, 64, of 14 1/2 Ann St., Pottsville — held for court: theft of services.

James R. Ferrier

ORWIGSBURG — A Saint Clair business owner is a wanted man after failing to appear Tuesday for a preliminary hearing on charges he stole money from a Cressona couple in April.

William I. Hahn III, 45, of 138 Arnot St., faces charges of theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier ordered those charges held for Schuylkill County Court after the hearing held in Hahn’s absence. Ferrier also asked the court to issue a bench warrant for Hahn.

State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged Hahn, the owner of William I. Hahn Contracting Inc., Saint Clair, entered into a contract on April 24 with George and Lorraine Cinqmars, 21 Columbia St.

Under the terms of the contract, Hahn was to have installed, insulated, capped and caulked three replacement windows with half screens, police said.

The Cinqmars paid Hahn with a check for $700, according to police. Hahn took the check but never performed any work, police said.

Other defendants whose cases Ferrier considered on Tuesday, the charges against each one and the judge’s dispositions of the matters included:

Isaac A. Boom, 31, of 250 E. Liberty St., Schuylkill Haven — theft and receiving stolen property; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Edwin R. Garcia Duarte, 25, of 532 Lincoln St., Hazleton — two counts of forgery and one each of identity theft, receiving stolen property and false statement under penalty; charge of identity theft dismissed, all other charges held for court after preliminary hearing that Garcia Duarte did not attend. Ferrier asked the court to issue a bench warrant for Garcia Duarte.

PORT CARBON — The borough council Tuesday approved its 2016 budget with a 2-mill tax increase, with a 4 to 2 vote.

“We haven’t had a tax increase in over five years, but yet our costs have gone up and up and up and we’re trying to make ends meet and we just can’t do it anymore. Something just has to be done,” council member Ray Steranko said after the council’s December meeting Tuesday night.

The $948,968.27 spending plan includes a $783,199.40 general fund budget, a $130,758.87 liquid fuel fund and a $35,010 operating reserve fund.

Plus the borough expects $186,458 in state grants for borough “watershed” projects, according to Sandra L. Palokas, borough secretary/treasurer. With that included, the total borough budget for 2016 is $1,135,426.27.

The 2015 millage was at 12.149, or $12.14 for each $1,000 of assessed property. The 2016 millage will be 14.149, or $14.14 for each $1,000 of assessed property, Palokas said at the meeting.

“The average property owner will see an increase of about $45,” she said.

The council approved the tax increase with a motion by Steranko, which was seconded by council member Andy Palokas. It was carried with votes from council members Mike Quercia and Warren Thomas. The council approved the budget with a motion by Steranko, which was seconded by Thomas and carried with votes by Palokas and Quercia.

Council President Harold “Bucky” Herndon and Vice President John Franko voted “no” to the tax increase and budget.

Councilwoman A. Berniece Shirey was absent from the meeting.

Herndon said Shirey has been dealing with health issues in recent months. He expects her to be at the borough’s reorganization meeting, which is slated for 7 p.m. Jan. 4 at borough hall.

In other matters, Mayor Charles R. “Chuck” Joy expects more than 140 children to be in the borough Friday night for the lighting of the borough’s Christmas tree and the arrival of Santa Claus. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the gazebo near the Port Carbon Public Library at 111 Pike St.

Organized by the Port Carbon Citizens Committee, the event will include a “Leiby’s Christmas Horse & Trolley Ride” at the First United Methodist Church following the tree lighting. Rides will be $3 per person. To buy tickets, call 570-573-1946, according to the committee’s Facebook page.

SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS — Ridgeview Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center is rolling out a new pulmonary rehabilitation program for both its short-term patients and long-term residents who suffer from chronic breathing problems.

The latest specialized rehabilitation program expands on the physical, occupation and speech therapies already being offered at the nursing facility.

“The most important part of the pulmonary program is education,” Paul Jacobs, senior rehab director at Ridgeview, said Tuesday. “We want to educate the patients on what their disease is and the process of the disease so they have an idea of how to manage their own diseases.”

Aspects of the program include home safety, energy conservation and breathing techniques. Vital signs are also being monitored the whole time, Jacobs said.

“We want the resident to know the appropriate ranges so they are not going to the hospital too soon or too late,” Jacobs said.

Eventually, it will evolve into a cardiopulmonary program that will include rehab for both heart and lung diseases.

“Those two diagnoses go hand in hand,” Jacobs said.

The program is being started at a time when hospitals are trying to reduce the number of returning patients. As part of the Affordable Healthcare Act, Medicare will now penalize hospitals for excessive readmissions.

Ridgeview is still finalizing the qualifications for the program, Jacobs said.

“We already have established our short-term rehab program and I strongly believe it is a strong and efficient program,” he said. “Basically, we are kind of building off the existing program.”

Frank Marchese, general manager for Nationwide Health Care Services, which owns Ridgeview, said they are working with the Schuylkill Health network to use the program as an extension of the hospital’s own rehabilitation program. Ridgeview is also getting new lab equipment to get instant results for things like blood tests.

“Our goal is to prevent hospital readmissions and receive people from the home if they need our level of care, so we expanded our services so we could do more care in this facility,” Donna Howard, director of clinical services at Nationwide, said.

Howard said many patients will be able to continue living at home.

“Other people, this is going to be their home,” she said. “They are going to be long-term residents here, but we still want to maximize their activities tolerance, their independence. Either way, we want them to be the best they can be.”

“We are not going to be able to cure a lot of their problems, but we can certainly make sure everyone can live with them and independently,” Howard said.

For example, Howard said the program can help people do activities without needing their oxygen tanks.

“Something like that can make a huge difference in someone’s quality of life,” she said.

Ridgeview currently has 79 residents and about 15 to 20 people participating in its short-term rehabilitation program.

Louise Bekisz, administrator at Ridgeview, said many of the residents at the facility suffer from breathing issues.

“Because you sit right in the middle of the Coal Region, people worked in the mines and respiratory issues are very prevalent,” Bekisz.

“I think this area is certainly in need of a pulmonary program,” Dr. Robert Thurick, medical director for the facility, said. “At the end of the day, it is better care for the patients.”

For more information about Ridgeview Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center and its rehabilitation programs, visit its website at www.ridgeviewhealthcare.com.

MAHANOY CITY — To pay for current and future debt obligations, the borough is raising taxes and applying for assistance from the state.

The borough council approved a tentative 2016 budget Tuesday that includes a 3-mill real estate tax increase, bringing the total millage rate to 35.52, or $35.52 for every $1,000 of assessed value.

The draft of the budget shows a surplus of $80,146. Borough Manager Daniel L. Lynch said that will go toward debt servicing.

One mill brings in about $24,000, he said. But with an 80 percent collection rate, it really is between $19,000 and $20,000. The increase will bring in an additional $60,000 to the borough.

The median home value in the borough is $8,645, Lynch said. Each mill is then worth $8.64 and the proposed increase means another $25.93 in real estate taxes for the average borough resident.

The council also approved a resolution to apply for aid under Act 47. As a “financially distressed” community, the borough will then be able to aid in the form of grants and loans as well as increase its earned income tax past the 1 mill maximum.

Lynch said the borough plans to raise its earned income tax by a 1/2 mill.

Currently, the borough splits the 1 mill with the school district. Lynch said each taxing body gets about $226,000. Only the borough will benefit from the 1/2 mill increase, giving it about another $226,000 in tax revenue.

“What we need to do is get stable with the reserve and be prepared to address some upcoming major infrastructure issues, the main one being Market Street,” Lynch said.

The borough has not had a capital reserve fund in about the last 15 years, Lynch said. However, the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs recommends having a minimum of 25 percent of the budget available in cash.

Lynch said a series of unbudgeted issues came up over the last couple years that further depleted funding. Meanwhile, the borough will soon have to pay for the rehabilitation of sections of Market Street, which is the longest bridge in the county. The Mahanoy Creek runs under the town along that street.

Councilmen Robert Lewis, Thomas Flamini and Keri Cavenas were not at the meeting. The remaining board members unanimously approved the tentative budget as well as the resolution to apply for Act 47 designation.

The proposed 2016 budget will be available for public review for 10 days. The final budget will be approved at a meeting later this month. Lynch encouraged residents to stop by borough hall to review the budget and ask questions.

HEGINS — Two mothers of students in the Tri-Valley School District addressed the board Monday, asking for bus drivers and district staff to be certified in first aid and CPR.

Emily Ganunis, Fountain, said on Nov. 19, her 7-year-old son, Sullivan, was exiting his bus on the way home, when the bus driver accidently closed the door on him.

She said her son was trapped in a seated position at the bottom of the bus exit, with the door against his head and back portion of his body. Ganunis said she began screaming and running toward the bus.

“He was crying and visibly shaken,” she said of her son, noting the driver, who was not named, got out and apologized. The driver admitted to being distracted while talking with another student.

Ganunis said her son was not seriously harmed, but she could only imagine what would have happened if she had not been there to greet her son, and if the bus would have continued to drive away.

She said she contacted the Hegins-Hubley Elementary Principal Gerald Anderson and relayed what had happened to her son, a second-grader. Ganunis said Gerald W. Bowman, operator with Bowman Brothers Trucking Inc., the district’s bus vendor, also called her. Ganunis asked if bus drivers are CPR certified and if sensors could be placed on the doors to alert the driver if someone is in the way of the door before it closes completely.

Bowman told her that it is not a requirement for bus drivers to be certified in CPR, she said. The buses do not have sensors on the doors, she noted. She said she asked Bowman to consider going “above and beyond” what’s required and to please consider the certification and sensor installation, if possible.

She told the board she wonders what would have happened to Sullivan, if he would have needed medical attention, and if the bus driver would have been able to render aid.

Another Hegins-Hubley parent, Amanda Willcox, said her 6-year-old son, John Willcox, has a disorder that requires him to have access to an EpiPen in case he goes into anaphylactic shock. Because he’s not allowed to have the EpiPen on the bus, she thought it would be beneficial to have a bus driver certified to take action, if needed.

Ganunis said she also wanted to thank the school nurse, Judy Weinreich, for efforts to certify school staff in CPR. Ganunis said Weinreich and a few others were trained to teach CPR, and some district staff at all three buildings at the high school, Hegins-Hubley Elementary and Mahantongo Elementary, voluntarily took the course to become CPR certified. Ganunis thought staff should be required to be certified in CPR, and said the board should consider putting CPR certification in the district handbook.

When contacted Tuesday, Gerald Bowman said he did call Ganunis.

“When I found out about it, I called her because my concern was the well-being of her son,” he said. “I stressed to her that if she needed to take her son to the doctor to do so. We have liability insurance. It was a bad mistake on the part of the driver,” Bowman said.

He said bus drivers are not currently required to have CPR training, but they would do so if the board directed. “If the school board decides, then we’ll do it,” he said.

Bowman Brothers Trucking Inc., Valley View, did help sponsor a CPR course recently offered at the Sacramento Community Fire Company, and also alerted the company’s drivers about the course, he said. Some of Bowman’s bus drivers were former EMTs, Bowman said. On the matter of bus door sensors, Bowman said those types of sensors do not currently exist.

The bus driver involved remains on the job, and Ganunis said her son does continue to ride the bus.

The board thanked Ganunis and Willcox for their inquiry, but offered no public statement on the matter. Newly-appointed board president Jerry R. Beaver said the board “will discuss it moving forward.” Superintendent Mark D. Snyder spoke to the parents privately at the end of the meeting.

In other matters, recently elected members who were sworn into office included: Beaver, Karrie L. Bowman, Kenneth L. Smeltz and Guy Julian. There is still an open seat in Region 1.

The board held its reorganization meeting, selecting Beaver as president, Diane C. Dietrich as vice-president, John E. Schmeltz as secretary, and Kenneth L. Smeltz remains as treasurer. Former board president Daniel W. Wagner did not run for re-election.

Other appointments included: state School Board Association liaison, Dietrich; Public Outreach Campaign, Snyder; Tax Collection Committee, Business Manager Jodie Dermo, with Snyder as an alternate; IU representative, Roger Heidlebaugh; and assistant board secretary, Dermo.

Under administration reports, Anderson announced the Mahantongo Elementary holiday program will be 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and the Little Bulldog Holiday Band Concert will be 7 p.m. Wednesday at Hegins-Hubley Elementary. Grandparent Day for kindergarten pupils will also be held Wednesday.

High School Principal Charles Hall reported Alexa Wolfgang was the Youth Conference representative. Hall said the Warrior Challenge, to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project, has already generated $3,400. The obstacle course-style event will be held December 23 in the high school gymnasium. Hall also requested the high school marching band be permitted to travel to Orlando, Florida, December 11 to 17, 2016, which was approved by the board.

In other business, the board approved:

• Karen Wiest as a part-time elementary instrumental music teacher, at a pro-rated salary of $12,256.80, including applicable benefits, to start Jan. 5.

• A tax resolution stating the district will not raise taxes above the 3.2 percent index for the 2016-17 school year, as required by Act 1.

• A resolution authorizing the issuance of a tax and revenue anticipation note for $5 million at a rate of 0.4 percent from the Gratz Bank. Heidlebaugh explained the funding was needed for the district to offset the costs associated with the state budget impasse.

• The following volunteers, pending receipt of clearances: Hegins-Hubley PTO, Amanda Willcox; Mahantongo classroom, Suzanne Canfield, Tonya Hassel and Stacie Mugovero; Mahantongo PTO, Stacy Huntsinger.

• A Federal Medical Leave Act request from Heather Hornung beginning approximately March 31, 2016 until May 13, 2016.

• Retroactively, the resignation of Mary Bowman, substitute aide, effective December 1, 2015.

• Use of facility requests, as recommended by Snyder.

The board meeting schedule for 2016 is as listed: The regular monthly board meetings will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the high school, and committee of the whole meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the high school library: Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8, July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9 and Dec. 7.

Prior to Monday’s board meeting, a committee of the whole meeting and an executive session for legal and personnel issues were held.

ORWIGSBURG — Taxes are increasing in Orwigsburg borough for 2016.

The Orwigsburg borough council voted 4-3 to for a 2-mill tax hike Wednesday at its regular meeting. The hike brings the millage rate to 5 mills. The increase would equate to an extra $109 for the average house assessed in the borough. In 2014, the average house assessed in the borough was $47,000. A more recent figure was not provided. The hike will generate $126,000 for the borough.

The approved 2016 budget lists general fund revenue as $1,004,783, water fund at $739,810, sewer fund at $832,941, and the sanitation fund at $288,856. Borough manager Robert Williams said previously a 1-mill tax hike was needed to maintain services and pay expenses at the present level. The additional millage increase would be allocated for the salary of a full-time police officer, which would amount to about $47,000 plus associated costs for a potential total of $77,940. Williams spoke before the vote on the budget and related matters. He said the budget is “a lean conservative fiscally responsible attempt at addressing our dependency on our reserves while maintaining services for our community.”

A separate vote must be taken to hire a police officer if that is decided.

The council authorized the advertisement of the 2016 proposed budget with a 2-mill tax hike last month.

Voting for the tax hike were council President Buddy Touchinsky, Susan Murphy, Darle Cresswell and David Rubright. Council members Edward Mady, Paul Bedway Jr, and Angela Hoptak-Solga voted against the increase.

Touchinsky said considering the financial situation the borough finds itself it is “the responsible thing to do.” He said no one wants to raise taxes, something Murphy agreed with. The increase in taxes also affects the council members because they live there, she said.

Mady said a smaller tax hike would have been better. He also said he was against hiring a full-time officer but declines to say why.

Hoptak-Solga said she voted ‘no’ because she thought the increase was too much. She would rather it be implemented incrementally. Bedway also said the increase was too much.

In other budget news, the occupation tax will stay at 13 mills, the per-capita tax at $10, real estate transfer tax at 1/2 of 1 percent, earned income tax at 1/2 of 1 percent, amusement tax at $25 per device and local services tax at $47.

Sex offender Michael A. Tipping will spend more time behind bars after admitting Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court that he violated his Megan’s Law reporting requirements.

Tipping, 26, of Schuylkill Haven, pleaded guilty to failure to verify his address or be photographed.

Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin accepted the plea and pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and Tipping, sentenced him to serve nine to 18 months in prison, pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Dolbin made the sentence effective at 10 a.m. Jan. 2, 2016.

Tipping said little during the hearing except that he understood his plea and made it knowingly and voluntarily.

State police at Schuylkill Haven charged Tipping with failing to verify his address or be photographed as required by Megan’s Law on Jan. 15.

In the case that landed him on the Megan’s Law registry, Tipping pleaded guilty on June 22, 2011, to corruption of minors and indecent assault, with prosecutors withdrawing a charge of statutory sexual assault. At that time, Judge John E. Domalakes placed Tipping on probation for four years, and also sentenced him to pay costs and a $50 CJEA payment.

Saint Clair police had charged Tipping with having indecent contact with a 14-year-old girl between Oct. 1, 2010, and Nov. 26, 2010, in a wooded area behind the Little League field on East Franklin Street in the borough.

However, on May 13, Domalakes revoked Tipping’s probation and sentenced him to serve three to 23 months in prison and two additional years on probation.

Domalakes revoked Tipping’s probation after the defendant admitted violating it by not reporting to his supervising officer, moving without permission, committing a new crime, not making payments on his court-imposed costs and not completing his sex offender counseling. Domalakes said the counseling had been the most important part of the original sentence.

Megan’s Law was enacted in Pennsylvania, numerous other states and at the federal level after the July 29, 1994, murder of Megan Nicole Kanka, 7, in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. Jesse Timmendequas, Kanka’s killer, was one of her neighbors and a twice-convicted sex offender; his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after New Jersey enacted legislation to abolish the death penalty in that state.

Defendant: Michael A. Tipping

Age: 26

Residence: Schuylkill Haven

Crime committed: Failure to verify his address or be photographed

Prison sentence: Nine to 18 months

The state Department of Transportation may be ready to hire a contractor to upgrade the traffic signals along Route 61 in Pottsville by fall 2016, Ronald J. Young Jr., district press officer for PennDOT, District 5, Allentown, said Wednesday.

Earlier this year, PennDOT started its analysis of traffic signals along Route 61 from the South Centre Street intersection — which is actually in North Manheim Township — to Mill Creek Avenue. And this week, Young and City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar offered a progress report.

The study and the improvements will cost about $1 million. They will be financed by a federal program. And the effort will serve the more than 14,500 vehicles that roll through the corridor daily, and businesses including the recently rebuilt A-Plus Mini Market which opened in June, and the new CVS Pharmacy which will open in early 2016.

“The project is currently in design with an estimated let date — contract advertisement — in the fall of 2016,” Young said Tuesday.

“About three weeks ago, PennDOT had contacted us to get access to all of our traffic control boxes that are along Route 61. They’re these big silver boxes. They’re locked. Only police have the keys. If you want to review the signal plans, they’re kept in all those boxes, in case there would be a repair issue in the middle of the night or if PennDOT needs to see them. So they needed to get into those boxes and start their evaluation process and needed to see exactly what’s what with each signal. And our police department met with them and gave them access, Palamar said Wednesday.

The study includes signals at Route 61 and South Centre Street; Route 61 and Mauch Chunk Street, Route 209; Route 61 and Norwegian Street; Route 61 and Arch Street/Laurel Boulevard; and Route 61 and Mill Creek Avenue.

Rummel, Klepper & Kahl LLP, Baltimore, Maryland, is the design consultant performing the study. It will cost of between “$150,000 and $200,000,” Young said.

“The design consultant is reviewing the intersections for traffic signal improvements and potential safety upgrades. Improvements will include upgraded traffic signals, signs, pavement markings and pedestrian safety measures. The exact improvements will be determined when the study/design is near completion,” Young said.

“The current traffic signals are older, and upgrading the technology to allow them to communicate with each other will be reviewed. This typically reduces congestion as newer signals can adapt to traffic conditions, also, traffic volumes and patterns change over time. So studying and reviewing traffic conditions for potential safety improvements will also occur. These could include potential pedestrian improvements, signs, pavement markings, etcetera,” Young said.

“Construction is estimated at between $900,000 and $1.1 million, so that plus design cost is in the $1.1 million to $1.3 million range,” Young said.

“The costs are being paid with Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program monies. The overall purpose of this program is to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on roads through the implementation of medium cost infrastructure-related highway safety improvements,” Young said.

“The program is called Highway Safety Improvements Program. We applied for funds for this corridor in October 2014 and were granted them in January. This corridor has a high crash history,” Sean Brown, safety press officer for PennDOT District 5, Allentown, said in March.

n Ashland: The Ashland Area Ministerium is sponsoring a “Christmas in Ashland” holiday open house in area churches from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday. Participating churches include Bethany Evangelical Congregational Church, 13th and Market streets; Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 35 N. Ninth St.; Simpson United Methodist Church, 119 E. Biddle St., Gordon; Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ, 2400 Centre St.; Good News Bible Church, 221 Main St., Locustdale; First United Methodist-Presbyterian Church, 200 N. Ninth St.; New Beginning Church, 919 Centre St. At 3 p.m. there will be a service at Good News Bible Church. All are welcome.

n Ashland: Ashland American Legion Post 434 sponsored a ceremony on Nov. 21 at the post home to show appreciation to local police. Schuylkill County Sheriff Joe Groody was the guest speaker. Members of the Ashland and Girardville forces as well as representatives of the county district attorney’s office attended. Law enforcement families, officers and members of Post 434 also attended. Charles Hughes and post Vice Commander Frank R. Rice organized the event.

n Frackville: The 84th annual candlelight service at First United Methodist Church, 25 S. Balliet St., will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 20. Choirs and members from First United and other area churches will be included in the cantata “Ceremony of Candles” by Joseph M. Martin. First United’s living Nativity is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday with live animals and characters of the first Christmas story. For more information, call 570-874-0792.

n Frackville: Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, 209 S. Lehigh Ave., is having a holiday cookie sale beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday featuring homemade assortments. The cost for 1 1/2 pounds of cookies on a decorated tray is $13. The church is also staging a frozen pierogie sale beginning at 9 a.m. Dec. 22. All are welcome.

n Pine Grove: The Pine Grove Area High School “Cardinals” Band will present its holiday concert at 2 p.m. Dec. 20 in the high school auditorium, 101 School St. The free event will include holiday classics as well as new sounds from the jazz and concert bands and choir. Donations will be accepted. For more information, call 570-294-3313.

n Pottsville: McCann School of Business & Technology will host a free introduction to computer workshop from 1 to 2:30 p.m. today at CareerLink, 203 E. Arch St. “This workshop will give people the basic computer skills necessary to land a job or move forward in a career,” Karen Damiter, McCann information technology program director, said in a press release. To register or for more information, call 570-622-5253.

n Pottsville: Guest speaker Pete Yasenchak recently informed members of the Pottsville Rotary Club about a letter from Rotary International President K.R. Ravindran in an issue of The Rotarian. The letter, Yasenchak said, was about Canadian soldiers in the Netherlands at the end of World War II and how saddened they were by the poverty people there faced, especially the children. The soldiers decided to try to make the coming Christmas better for the children and collected candy, food and prizes for them. They had collected a lot of goodies for youngsters when they received notice they would be going home in two days, on Dec. 6. However, they still wanted to distribute what they collected to the children and did so the night before they departed. Yasenchak said the children were thrilled but not all of them looked surprised. When one of the soldiers asked why, the child said, “I knew you would come.” According to the Rotary Bulletin, Yasenchak continued, saying that unknown to the soldiers, “Sinterklaas” comes to the Netherlands on St. Nicholas Eve — Dec. 5. Expanding on the topic, Yasenchak said that in the 4th century, a bishop of Myra, Turkey, named Nikolaos, reportedly helped many in need, including a family of three daughters who had no money and no dowry — and thus no hope of marriage. According to Yasenchak, Nikolaos gave this family money and also filled shoes that children would leave in the streets on Dec. 5 with coins, thus starting the tradition of Santa Claus.

With new tree varieties catching their attention and warmer weather nipping at their heels, Schuylkill County Christmas tree buyers are finding now is an appealing time to shop.

Schuylkill County Christmas tree producers, meanwhile, are reporting increased sales this year, and an easier time harvesting their crop.

“Sales are up,” Russell Wagner, operator of TLC Tree Farm LLC, Hegins, said.

“It’s one of the first years during the busiest weekends of the year, that we’ve had really nice weather,” Wagner said.

On nearly 30 acres, TLC grows Fraser, Douglas, white, Canaan, Turkish and corkbark firs and blue spruces. They had grand fir before, which was popular, and just started another young crop of that variety, said Wagner, who serves as a state board member on the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association.

New product offerings at Evergreen Acres Christmas Tree Farm in Auburn, like the Turkish fir, Nordmann fir, Korean fir, Canaan fir and Balsam-Fraser hybrid, have also peaked consumer interest.

“They’re selling like hotcakes,” Paul Shealer, co-owner of Evergreen Acres, said.

“I wanted to present something new to the customer,” he said. “We are primarily wholesale. Our wholesale business is up, and we’ve seen a considerable amount of new retail customers.”

“What I like about the Turkish and the Nordmann is the stiffness of the branch,” Shealer said. “They tolerate heavier ornaments.”

The Turkish has a pale green top side, and silver blue on the underside of its needles; while the Nordmann is a deep, shiny green. Shealer is also experimenting with the Ernest fir, a sharper, prickly evergreen. Ernest firs have been planted, but are not up to a marketable size yet, he said.

Although not new, Fraser and Douglas firs remain two of the top-selling varieties Wagner and Shealer said.

According to the 2012 Agricultural Census, there are 62 farms on more than 1,800 acres of Christmas Trees in Schuylkill County, Tanner Delvalle, Horticulture Extension Educator for Schuylkill and Berks counties, said. Christmas trees grow well here, he said, due to a combination of good soils and climate conditions.

This year’s warmer, drier weather in the fall, however, has resulted in a mixed bag of consequences.

“The dry weather in September resulted in some problems for Christmas trees, namely Douglas fir,” Delvalle said. “The interior needles on some trees have dried out and some of the needles have fallen off of the trees.”

“All trees need to be provided with adequate water. Insects and diseases can cause more damage when trees are drought stressed,” Delvalle said.

However, most of the damage from insects and diseases, he said, occurs in the spring and early summer.

Right now, the warm, dry weather has actually aided the tree harvest, Shealer said, noting the ground wasn’t muddy and the temperatures have been mild in which to work.

The hot, dry fall, however, caused mortality in some newly planted trees and spider mites — more commonly a problem in the spring — were a problem in the fall, because of the hot weather, Shealer said.

At TLC, the dry weather enabled the farm to host horse-drawn wagon rides from Running Spring Farms, Spring Glen, earlier this season. Customers also tend to take more time to walk in the field with their families in search of their perfect tree when it’s warmer. TLC is a choose and cut operation, meaning customers can select their own tree, either cut their own; or TLC will fell the tree for them.

“I like catering to families with young kids,” Wagner said. “It’s nice to watch them go into the field, and then they’ll stand around the one they want.”

Shealer said there’s a “learning curve” when you’re raising Christmas trees. He’s learned that the Turkish and the Nordmann varieties tolerate hot, dry soils, while the Frasers do not. Shealer and Wagner both said different varieties require different shearing and pruning techniques.

Depending on the size, quality and retailer, Christmas trees can sell for anywhere from $15 to $150 each, according to Delvalle.

The family owned Evergreen Acres Christmas Tree Farm, 135 Fort Lebanon Road, Auburn, has received state and national recognition for its trees for many years. About 65 to 70 acres are in Christmas tree production.

At the 2015 National Christmas Tree Convention, Evergreen Acres won third place with a Nordmann fir, which is classified as a true fir. At the 2015 Pennsylvania Farm Show, the company won Grand Champion Fraser fir; Reserve Champion Nordmann fir; first place Concolor, Fraser and Nordmann fir; and second place, Douglas and Canaan fir. It was the first year the same producer had won both the Grand Champion and Reserve Champion titles at the farm show in the same year, according to Shealer.

For more information about Shealer’s farm, visit the website www.evergreenacreschristmastrees.com.

Wagner founded his tree farm more than 40 years ago, and operates the family-owned business at 1395 E. Main St., and 21 Harvest Lane, Hegins, with his three sons, Brian, Jon and Andrew; and his grandchildren. Wagner has also competed at the Pennsylvania Farm Show and the Bloomsburg Fair with his trees; and has served as a volunteer at those agricultural exhibitions. TLC also wholesales trees to Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York. For more information on TLC Tree Farm, LLC, visit the website www.tlctreefarm.com.

For breaking into a commercial building in May in West Brunswick Township, Carlos D. Queen will spend time in prison, a Schuylkill County judge decided Wednesday.

Queen, 30, of Accokeek, Maryland, must serve nine to 23 months behind bars, Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin ruled.

Under the terms of the plea agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, Queen pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal mischief and resisting arrest, with prosecutors withdrawing charges of criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property.

Dolbin also sentenced Queen to pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Dolbin made the sentence effective at 10 a.m. Jan. 2, 2016.

“You’re getting a real good deal,” Dolbin told Queen, who said little during Wednesday’s hearing except to indicate he understood his plea and was making it knowingly and voluntarily.

State police at Schuylkill Haven charged Queen with breaking into the Federal Express (Fed Ex) building at 52 Hickory Drive near Auburn. Queen broke a window in a door at the building in order to get inside, police said.

Once inside, Queen removed numerous electronic devices and placed them on the loading dock, according to police.

Police said that when they arrived at the building, they ordered Queen to stop, but he fled the scene on foot. Queen then scaled a fence and ran into a wooded area, but was arrested a short time later, police said.

“Get yourself straight,” Dolbin advised Queen as he was imposing the sentence.

Defendant: Carlos D. Queen

Age: 30

Residence: Accokeek, Maryland

Crimes committed: Burglary, criminal mischief and resisting arrest

Prison sentence: Nine to 23 months

Deeds

Cass Township — Joseph M. and Donna M. Nebroskie to Jedediah Slifko and Jeremiah Slifko; 18-acre property on Sunbury Road; $5,000.

East Brunswick Township — Guy R. and Norma R. Grube to Graham K. Hantz; 1727 Chestnut St., McKeansburg; $126,000.

Eldred Township — Eric D. and Sharon K. Morgan and Christy L. Morgan, trustee of the Christy L. Morgan Revocable Trust Agreement, to Clark A. Reiner; 6-acre property; $75,000.

Miriam A. Heim to Randy C. Saltzman Sr.; 111 Main Road, Pitman; $120,000.

Frackville — The Bank of New York Mellon to Greg W. and Elizabeth A. Guldin; 155 S. Third St.; $7,100.

Wells Fargo Bank NA to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; 41 N. Railroad St.; $10.

Texas Bank Financial to Nancy Nork; 29 S. Fourth St.; $2,000.

Mahanoy City — The Rev. Kevin P. Gallagher to Lee S. and Maria E. Williams; property on East Pine Street; $12,500.

Mary L. Jarrett, by attorney in fact David D. Jarrett, to Patrick L. Finneran; 437 E. Centre St.; $7,000.

Eric E. and Carolyn M. Petterson and Eric E. Petterson II to Eric E. and Carolyn M. Petterson and Eric E. Petterson II; 410 E. Pine St.; $1.

Pine Grove Township — Gwendolyn B. Fischer to Ricky W. and Connie S. Newman; 613 Canal Drive, Swatara Village; $130,000.

Rush Township — Leocadio Roman to Ivan and Trista Ferguson; 16 Oak St., Hometown; $95,000.

Ryan Township — Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Christian Montanero; property on Nolania Road; $590.

Albert G. Smith to Scott R. and Diane M. Hudson; .77-acre property on Plantation Drive; $32,000.

Saint Clair — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Federal National Mortgage Association; 518 E. Hancock St.; $1,184.27.

Schuylkill Township — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Carol Elaine Blew; 718 Broad St., Tuscarora; $46,000.

Leonard J. Smerlick Jr. and Stephen P. Smerlick to Leonard J. Smerlick Jr.; 112 Green St., Brockton; $1.

Shenandoah — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Four Wins Development Group LLC; 19 E. Laurel St.; $1.

Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Four Wins Development Group LLC; 131 N. White St.; $1.

Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Four Wins Development Group LLC; 224 E. Penn St.; $1.

Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Four Wins Development Group LLC; 315 W. Centre St.; $1.

Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Kendrea Properties LLC; 304 W. Centre St.; $1.

Tamaqua — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas; 727 Arlington St.; $1,288.81.

Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to CN Properties LLC; 26 E. Elm St.; $400.

Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Federal National Mortgage Association; 630 E. Broad St.; $1,206.05.

Tremont — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to The Bank of New York Mellon; 29 E. Laurel St.; $1,366.32.

Mark P. Georgeff, who led police on a chase through Shenandoah, Lost Creek and Girardville, must spend time behind state prison bars for his crimes, a Schuylkill County judge ruled Wednesday.

Georgeff, 54, of Shenandoah, will serve 21 to 42 months in a state correctional institution, Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin decided.

Dolbin also sentenced Georgeff to pay costs, $1,100 in fines, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $1,200 restitution to Shenandoah police, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Georgeff pleaded guilty to two counts each of aggravated assault and stop sign violation and one each of fraudulent or altered documents, fleeing or eluding police, driving under suspension, failure to drive at a safe speed and careless driving. Prosecutors withdrew seven additional counts of stop sign violation and one count each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, reckless driving, driving an unregistered vehicle, operating a vehicle without valid inspection, fraudulent use or removal of plate and operating vehicle without required financial responsibility.

“He said he wanted to go through with the plea,” Assistant Public Defender Kent D. Watkins, Georgeff’s lawyer, told Dolbin.

Shenandoah police charged Georgeff with starting the chase at 4:40 p.m. April 24 in the borough.

Police said they tried to stop Georgeff because they knew of an active warrant for his arrest. However, Georgeff fled the scene, almost hitting two patrol cars and driving unsafely, police said.

Police said they pursued Georgeff, who drove out of the borough at a high rate of speed to Lost Creek and Girardville, and then toward Gilberton. Then, Georgeff drove back toward Girardville and Lost Creek, where police succeeded in blocking him from driving more.

Defendant: Mark P. Georgeff

Age: 54

Residence: Shenandoah

Crimes committed: Two counts each of aggravated assault and stop sign violation and one each of fraudulent or altered documents, fleeing or eluding police, driving under suspension, failure to drive at a safe speed and careless driving

Prison sentence: 21 to 42 months in a state correctional institution

Schuylkill County is relying on its general fund for the third consecutive month to continue providing human services.

The county commissioners approved short-term loans Wednesday of $665,000 to Children & Youth and $160,000 to the Office of Senior Services. Wednesday marked the 162 day of the state budget impasse. The county has not received any state or federal funding since the start of the fiscal year in June. Together the loans totaled $825,000.

“Cash flow for both Children & Youth and the Office of Senior Services continues to be squeezed to the point they will need additional financial assistance so they can continue to operate and provide essential services to qualified citizens of the county,” Paul Buber, county finance director, said.

He previously said that the county human service agencies operate on a $43.2 million budget for the year, $39 million of which comes from state and federal funding.

The cash advances from the general fund will allow both agencies to meet payroll, payroll taxes, benefits and other operating expenses for December, Buber said.

As of Oct. 31, the county owes services providers about $6,369,575, according to Buber. November figures are still being compiled and are not included.

The county has so far extended $1,613,000 in loans to its agencies over the past three months.

In other news, the county entered into a lease agreement with the Pottsville Parking Authority for parking spots in the city through 2016. The agreement is for 90 reserved spaces at the Capitol Parking Garage for $31.50 each per month, 14 permit parking spaces on the 200 block of Laurel Boulevard at $21 each per month and six reserved spaces at the Arch Street lot at $31.50 each per month.

The county will also be participating in the annual black fly suppression program with the state Department of Environmental Protection for 2016. No work is required of county staff for the program, which is assessed at $8,500.

The monthly prison board meeting will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 16 in the prison classroom.

Dylan A. Bachert went to prison Wednesday after admitting Schuylkill County prosecutors could prove he had sexual contact with an underage girl in March in West Penn Township.

Bachert, 20, of New Ringgold, pleaded no contest to corruption of minors.

Schuylkill County Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin accepted Bachert’s plea and, pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced him to serve three to 12 months in prison, pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, undergo an evaluation by the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

“You’re getting a really good deal here,” Dolbin told Bachert, who said little during Wednesday’s hearing except to indicate he understood his plea and its consequences.

The board’s evaluation will help Dolbin to determine whether Bachert is a sexually violent predator and the duration and types of Megan’s Law sanctions the judge should impose on him.

West Penn Township police charged Bachert with having sexual contact with the 15-year-old girl at 10 p.m. March 3 at a house in Andreas. Police said the girl told them of the incident.

By pleading no contest, Bachert did not admit committing the crime but offered no defense to it, acknowledged prosecutors had enough evidence to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and agreed to be sentenced as if he had pleaded or been found guilty.

The defendant, who had been free on bail pending his sentencing, left the courtroom in handcuffs following Wednesday’s hearing.

Defendant: Dylan A. Bachert

Age: 20

Residence: New Ringgold

Plea: No contest to corruption of minors

Prison sentence: Three to 12 months