Deeds

Auburn — Kerry Fritz, Kelly Reinheimer and Kim Kutza, co-executors of the Estate of Lorna D. Fritz, to Kim Kutza; 219 Market St.; $1.

Butler Township — Michael Daka to George A. Daka; 9 Malones Road; $1.

Deer Lake — Arlan and Rose Marie Faust and Richard Faust to Robyne L. Faust Laughlin; 306 Pine Blvd.; $90,000.

Arlan and Rose Marie Faust and Richard Faust to Richard A. Faust; 312 Pine Blvd.; $1.

Richard Faust to Richard A. Faust; 312 Pine Blvd.; $1.

East Norwegian Township — Patricia A. Vandermartin to Lisa Sweyko, Lori Onuskanich and Mark Vandermartin; 203 Nittany St.; $1.

Frackville — Brian Damiter to Donald D. Brown; 236 N. Balliet St.; $45,000.

Brian J. and Karen L. Damiter to Donald D. Brown; 236 N. Balliet St.; $1.

James J. Nahas to James J. Nahas and George A. Anthony; 121 S. Second St.; $1.

Irene Lipsky, executrix of the Estate of Charles R. Zaremba, to Lawrence Mulry; property on Lehigh Avenue; $15,000.

Michelle Seritsky, guardian of the Estate of Ari Keim, and Ari Keim to Michelle Seritsky; 58 N. Fourth St.; $1.

McAdoo — U.S. Bank NA to Angino Properties Inc.; 243 S. Kennedy Drive; $19,000.

Mechanicsville — Betty Rivas to Schuylkill RE Holdings LLC; property at Pottsville and Park streets; $20,000.

North Manheim Township — Dirk S. and Jennifer Ann Berger to Dirk S. and Jennifer Ann Berger; 139 Glenworth Road; $1.

Charles H. and Audrey A. Lantz to Charles H. and Audrey A. Lantz; 147 Glenworth Road; $1.

Terry Nicolai to Scott Lopez and Melissa Fox; 1-acre property; $12,500.

Brian R. and Leslie A. Nester to Brian R. and Leslie A. Nester; 94 Weavers Road; $1.

Correen M. Spece, executrix of the Estate of William V. McCord, to Gordon Land Corp.; property on Cresswell Boulevard; $29,000.

Porter Township — Scott G. Bender to Lawrence King; 402 W. Grand Ave., Sheridan; $29,900.

A man associated with a former burned-out apartment building at 218 W. Market St., Pottsville, was in district court Thursday and found guilty of several charges related to the building.

Mike Ghannoum, part of the management of 315 Main St. Middleburgh LLC, which is listed as the owner of the aforementioned property according to the online Schuylkill County Parcel Locator, said he will not appeal the guilty findings. He would have 30 days from Thursday if he wanted to appeal to the court of common pleas.

“Would it be safe to say it looks a whole lot better than it did a year ago?” Claude Shields, Ghannoum’s attorney, asked city building code officer David Petravich during a summary trial at Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley’s office, Pottsville.

Petravich said it did. However, the 11 citations issued have to be addressed.

Before his ruling, Reiley said, “Nothing in life is simple. No project worthwhile is easy.”

Reiley found Ghannoum guilty of the following charges: Not installing an ADA-compliant door, there were no windows on the building previously, failure to demolish, repair or renew the structure in a timely manner, windows were previously not secure on the second floor, and failure to follow the guidelines and timetable for fixing the building. Some fines were assessed as part of being found guilty. He was found not guilty of having missing windows, and a second charge of installing a door that was not ADA compliant. Three other charges were dismissed. In relation to the not guilty charges about the door, Reiley said no final inspection was done and the job was not finished.

“One would logically think there would have to be some way to safeguard the property,” Reiley said.

The one with windows was the same as the other one and redundant, Reiley said.

“I don’t believe in my heart I was guilty of all that,” Ghannoum said after the approximately hour-long appearance in Reiley’s courtroom.

Ghannoum said he was trying to work with the city. Shields asked him about his experiences with the city codes department.

“Realistically, you gave them a little bit of a hard time?” Shields asked.

“No. They gave me a hard time,” Ghannoum said.

The property at 218 W. Market St., a prominent location downtown, was heavily damaged in a 5:24 a.m. fire in May 2014. Some people staying there sustained injuries.

Petravich said a letter was sent June 2, 2014, about the condition of the house after the fire. An engineer issued a report Sept. 9, 2014, also about the property. Additional notices were sent about the condition of the apartment building. Citations were filed in October 2015 and in January 2016. The Historical Architectural Review Board gave approval July 1, 2015, for certain improvements to the building. The city gave its approval July 13, 2015.

Shields said the repairs were done in a timely manner. A meeting was held June 18, 2015, attended by Ghannoum, City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar, Petravich, and others about the property.

“Nothing happened with the property for several months, so a citation was issued,” Petravich said about the citation for demolition issued, adding there was a 45-day time frame.

At the June meeting, a timeline was established to complete the work. All exterior work was to be completed by Aug. 9, 2015, and interior work by March 30, 2016.

“We’ve had issues with Mike before about not following guidelines,” Justin Trefsger, city code enforcement officer, said.

Ghannoum said he initially had problems with the insurance in the beginning. He said work is almost done on the building. He said workers were “working all the time.” Carpet, some ceiling tiles and some plumbing needs were installed in areas of the building. He would like to be finished by June 15. In order to rent the apartments, he must have an occupancy permit, which he does not yet have.

“I’m going to rent it. I don’t have any other choice,” he said.

A Minersville man did not return to prison Tuesday, in spite of a Schuylkill County judge revoking his probation.

Allen S. Johns, 38, would have spent three to 12 months in prison under the terms of Judge John E. Domalakes’ sentence. However, Domalakes allowed Johns to spend the three months on the pre-release program, a form of probation that helps to relieve the overcrowding at the county prison.

“You’re getting the benefit of this program,” Domalakes told Johns, who admitted violating his probation by committing new crimes.

Johns originally pleaded guilty on Sept. 23, 2015, to retail theft. At the time, Domalakes placed him on probation for 12 months and also sentenced him to pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account.

Saint Clair police charged Johns with committing the theft on Feb. 1, 2015, in the borough.

In another county court case, prosecutors May 20 withdrew charges of terroristic threats and simple assault against Donald E. Dower Sr., 50, of Pottsville.

Foster Township police had charged Dower with committing the crimes on March 11 in the township.

President Judge William E. Baldwin issued an order allowing prosecutors to withdraw the charges and directing Dower to pay the costs of the case.

Also in the county court, Judge James P. Goodman accepted guilty pleas May 18 from, and, pursuant to agreements between prosecutors and defendants, imposed the indicated sentences on, these people:

Timothy J. Harris Jr., 22, of Pottsville; possession of drug paraphernalia; 12 months probation concurrent with current sentence and $100 payment to the Substance Abuse Education Fund. Prosecutors withdrew charges of possession of a controlled substance, trespass by motor vehicle and scattering rubbish.

Joshua E. Kaylor, 26, of Frackville; possession of a controlled substance; 12 months probation concurrent with current sentence, $100 SAEF payment and $50 CJEA payment. Prosecutors withdrew charges of resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Keith S. McFarland Jr., 37, of Tamaqua; driving under the influence; 150 days house arrest with electronic monitoring, 30 days alcohol monitoring, six months strict supervision, four years probation, $1,500 fine, $300 SAEF payment, $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street and 20 hours community service, with sentence effective on June 14. Prosecutors withdrew charges of failure to stop at red signal and improper right turn.

Michael G. Miller, 52, of Schuylkill Haven; no contest plea to false statement under penalty and unsworn falsification to authorities; 12 months probation.

Brian M. Obrzut, 45, of Shenandoah; resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia; 12 months probation and $100 SAEF payment. Prosecutors withdrew a second count of possession of drug paraphernalia and charges of driving under suspension and improper driving without headlights.

Jose A. Ortiz, 28, of Pottsville; possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; 12 months probation, $100 SAEF payment and $50 CJEA payment.

Robert A. Teijaro II, 25, of Schuylkill Haven; three counts of possession of a controlled substance; 12 months probation, $100 SAEF payment, $50 CJEA payment and $239 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem. Prosecutors withdrew charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

All defendants who were sentenced must pay costs as a part of their sentences.

Geisinger Medical Center, Danville

To Zachary Yucha and Nikole Deitrich, Schuylkill County, a son, May 14.

James K. Reiley

Defendants whose cases Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley recently considered, the charges against each one and the judge’s disposition on the matters, included:

Ashley Donald Adams, 30, of 305 W. Norwegian St., Box 605, Pottsville — waived for court: possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jason T. Kerstetter, 26, of Schuylkill County Prison, Pottsville — waived for court: furnishing drug-free urine.

Morgan Nichole Natale, 30, of 176 Fort Lebanon Road, Auburn — waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Evan P. Marceau, 24, of 2617 Wynonah Drive, Auburn — held for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Benefit changes

The three-year contract the Williams Valley School Board signed Thursday with the Williams Valley Education Association did include some benefits changes. According to Business Manager Anthony Aukstakalnis, there was a payment change in the opt out option for insurance reimbursement. Previously, if a WVEA member opted out of taking the insurance plan, the member received a $2,000 reimbursement. Under the new contract, there are three reimbursements for opt outs: $2,000 if single; $3,000 for two-person coverage; and $4,000 if opting out of family coverage. There was also a change in the deductible, from $250 single and $750 for family; to $400 single and $800 family. The information was not supplied to The Republican-Herald on Thursday.

TOWER CITY — A former underwear mill has become a perfect fit for a long-term care provider eager to add another Schuylkill County site to its portfolio.

Senior Health Care Solutions LLC, Scranton, acquired the Heritage Mills Personal Care and Memory Assist Center in Tower City for $2.4 million from Salveo Healthcare Solutions, Orefield, Michael P. Kelly, SHCS president, said Wednesday.

“We were thrilled to be able to get two down here, because we’ve been looking in Schuylkill County since the 1990s,” Kelly said.

The acquisition was finalized April 15 at the 846 E. Wiconisco Ave. facility, formerly known as the “Best Stock Manufacturing” building. It was previously called Heritage Mill, without the added “s.”

SHCS last May acquired the former Friendly Skilled Nursing Facility in Pitman and received approval from the state Department of Human Services to build a “replacement bed” facility in Pottsville at Red Horse Road in the Seiders Hills development. Work on that project will get underway this fall, under the new name of Green Valley Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. That facility should be completed and ready to open in the fall of 2017, Kelly said.

New hires

Renovations began on the 60-bed Heritage Mills site in 2012 and were completed in 2013 by Cresswell Brothers, Reading, according to Scott Capparell, the center’s executive director. The personal care facility currently has 42 full- and part-time employees, with most of the staff being part time. With the acquisition, Heritage Mills is looking to hire an additional 20 to 25 employees, while keeping its current staff in place.

“We’re working really well with Green Valley. We’ve been working with their administrator, too, just to have seamless transitions,” Capparell said.

Tour

Kathy Bretzius, Heritage Mills activity director, recently gave a tour of the Tower City facility. A main dining room, office, lobby, salon and employee lounge are on the lower level. Off of the dining room there’s an outdoor patio where residents enjoy sitting and feeding the birds, she said. The main floor dining room is also where holiday meals are shared with residents, family and guests.

The first floor is a secure area and has semi-private and private residents’ rooms, geared toward residents needing memory assistance.

“There’s not a lot of facilities that do that. It’s nice to be able to have that available today,” Kelly said.

Each room has a privacy wall, individual closets for each resident and large windows. All rooms have their own bathrooms. The second floor also houses residents. Approximately 30 people can reside on each of the two floors. A nurses’ station, laundry room and linen closet are located on both floors.

On Wednesday, several current residents who were veterans were recognized for their service. They were slated to take a field trip to the PA National Guard Military Museum at Fort Indiantown Gap on Thursday. Community outings are often part of the center’s activities calendar, Bretzius said.

Opportunity

Acquiring Heritage Mills has made good business sense for SHCS, Kelly said.

“Scott has done a good job here. The facility gave great care. Ownership had some issues, and they had limited access to capital and other resources, that we were happy to bring,” Kelly said.

“Typically, we like to have a skilled (facility), with an assisted living center either on the same campus, or nearby. This met that. You like to have a referral relationship. For example, if somebody broke their hip, we could discharge them to live here, or for more follow-up therapy. So, it works very well together.”

“Personal care is more of a supervisory care, where skilled care is where you have nurses and doctors 24/7. When you’re in a nursing home, you either have a medically complex issue, or you’re suffering from an acute illness, or you need rehab. Here, it’s typically a person who may be living at home, they’re forgetful, they’re not taking their medication properly, they just can’t live alone, but they don’t really require a nurse 24/7 to look after them. We do have an LPN that oversees the medication administration. But, it’s pretty much personal care, it’s more dining, doing their personal laundry, cleaning their room. They’re free to come and go as they please, they even can have a car, if they’d like. It’s a different level of care that the commonwealth has created,” Kelly said.

He said SHCS will be doing some upgrades to the physical plant at Tower City, but not many. “We’ll be doing some minor cosmetic things, new flooring, new furniture, and a couple upgrades to the kitchen equipment. For the most part, the building is in excellent shape, they did a wonderful job of rehabbing it.”

“We’re pretty well known across the state. We have a very good reputation with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services, because they don’t just let anyone build nursing homes today. We deliver what we say we’re going to deliver, and we’re committed to it. We’re not a big company. There are four people in my home office. We’re a small shop. Most nursing homes today are run by corporate chains,” he said.

Expectations

Kelly said SHCS has purchased more than 20 facilities in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania over the past 20 years. The company just concluded a successful project in Sayre.

He said future, potential users of long-term care are baby boomers, who have different expectations and desires.

“Most nursing homes were built in Pennsylvania in the mid-1960s and 1980s and they were more of a long-term care product — very small rooms, small amenities, shared bathrooms, and as baby boomers, we’re not going to want to do that. We want more private baths and showers, more flat-screen TVs on our walls, and we want WiFi,” Kelly said.

He said the model for what long-term care looks like has changed. Someone might have stayed an average of three years, but that time-frame has shrunk down because of reimbursement with Medicare and Medicaid.

“So there is long-term care, but it’s turned more into a rehab model. The plan is that we’re dealing with getting people rehabbed and discharged back home with community-based services, and another least-restrictive setting such as an assisted living and a personal care home,” Kelly said.

SHCS was attracted to the former Friendly facility for several reasons.

“We felt that it (Friendly) was a good candidate to be replaced, because of the old infrastructure; and secondly, it had a reputation for good care. When you’re taking over an operation that has good employees, very caring compassionate people, that’s half the battle. So, that attracted us,” Kelly said.

“We applied for our replacement bed application, which is a process with the Pa. Department of Health and Human Services, and we were approved to move the building, as well,” he said.

Because of significant issues of isolation, a lot of water issues around a private sewage system, and because it wasn’t adequate to rebuild it there, the department gave SHCS permission to actually move it. Kelly anticipates there will be an additional 30 employees added to the current 50 employees working at the Green Valley facility, once the new structure is built.

Pottsville police have teamed with the Schuylkill County Suicide Prevention Task Force to launch a pilot program in the city called “Get Caught Doing Something Good.”

The aim of the program is to promote opportunities for positive reinforcement interactions between juveniles and police officers while simultaneously providing contact information for agencies available to help them with any problems they, a family member or a friend may be dealing with.

Police Chief Richard F. Wojciechowsky said that this particular program allows uniformed Pottsville police officers to initiate effective discussions with juveniles in a relaxed setting, as opposed to a time of crisis when they have been called to a high-stress environment in which the child is involved either primarily or tangentially.

“The program also gives the officers in our department another avenue to reinforce the fact that one of our primary goals is to be available to help a child in any way possible at any time,” Wojciechowsky said. “This is a responsibility that each of our officers readily accepts, just as all police officers across the nation do.”

The chief said the program was put into motion when he was contacted by Dr. Carol Bilinski, a member of the Suicide Prevention Task Force, concerning the possibility of starting a cooperative effort between the task force and Pottsville police.

Wojciechowsky said he then contacted task force board member Linda Wagner and through several subsequent discussions and idea sharing sessions, the first cooperative community outreach project decided upon was a “positive ticketing” campaign.

In this campaign, Wojciechowsky said a Pottsville police officer can use a small “ticket” to reward people under 18 years old observed doing something positive for themselves or others.

The tickets can also reward a young citizen for good actions an officer has learned about from others, the chief said.

That ticket is comprised of a gift certificate to a local business contained inside a holder labeled “You Got Caught Doing Something Good!”

On the flip side of the holder are printed contact numbers for the Pottsville Bureau of Police, the Schuylkill County Mental Health/Drug & Alcohol Services and information line, as well as a website dedicated to stop bullying.

Wojciechowsky said that when presented with the program draft, Pottsville Mayor James T. Muldowney immediately offered his full support to the initiative, as did the Schuylkill County commissioners.

Bilinski said it is hoped the program will promote a positive relationship between police and the young people in Pottsville as well as providing important contact information that can be used in times of crisis.

The contact information, Wagner said, is important and can ultimately save a life, especially when someone is considering ending theirs.

She stressed that there are always adults willing to help, including teachers, guidance counselors, police officers and neighbors.

“If you know someone who is contemplating suicide, tell someone,” Wagner said.

Pottsville police officers will be carrying the cards on duty while supplies last beginning June 6, Wojciechowsky said.

In addition, the chief said letters detailing the program are being provided to local schools and will be distributed to students and parents with the cooperation of each individual administration.

Wojciechowsky said donations to fund reward cards have been made by the following agencies: Pottsville Bureau of Police, Bilinski, Schuylkill County Drug & Alcohol, John Crane Insurance, Dairy Queen, Psychological Associates, Roma Pizza, Roxbury Treatment Center, Service Access Management, Schuylkill County System of Care, Schuylkill We Help/Crisis Intervention and Yeager Landscaping.

The chief said his department and the Suicide Prevention Task Force are also planning to begin a cooperative educational effort in city schools during the 2016-17 school year to raise awareness about the issues associated with suicide and promote the many avenues of help that are available to adults and children in crisis.

A debate is heating up over whether municipal police departments should be permitted to use radar to track their speed.

Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation that forbids municipal police officers from using radar. The state Senate’s Transportation Committee recently forwarded legislation that could change that.

Advocates for Senate Bill 535 and Senate Bill 559 say expanding the use of radar will increase public safety. Opponents contend the technology will be abused to generate revenue at the expense of unwitting motorists.

“Since every governmental entity is broke, drivers are perceived to be a huge cash cow,” said James Sikorski Jr., Wapwallopen, an advocate for the National Motorists Association, which opposes the bills. “Say it is for safety and many people will fall for it.”

Senator John Blake, D-22, Archbald, who co-sponsored both bills, said speed-related fatalities are a major issue in Pennsylvania. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report reveals that Pennsylvania had the third highest percentage of speed-related fatalities in the nation in 2013, the latest data available. Of the 1,208 traffic fatalities, 550, or 46 percent, were speed-related.

“If you are driving your kid in a 25-mph zone and someone flies by at 55 or 65 ... think about that,” Sen. Blake said. “The fact is, police have obsolete tools. We need to bring them into the 21st century.”

Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano said municipal police departments face significant obstacles in enforcing speeding laws. Most local departments track speed by timing vehicles as they pass between two set points marked either by laser beams or lines painted on a road. There are many areas where that methodology cannot be used.

“With the current system you have to have adequate visibility and room to set it up. On some streets that’s not practical,” Graziano said. “With radar, it’s point and shoot. It’s much more efficient to do that.”

Sikorski said several studies show radar is not as accurate as police contend, particularly if there is more than one car in the area.

“Radar produces unreliable and erroneous readings ... and can also clock the wrong car,” he said.

Sikorski also questioned the NHTSA data on speed-related fatalities, saying it is meaningless because the interpretation of “speed-related” is so subjective.

“If I am driving at one mile per hour over the speed limit and you hit me, that could be called a speed-related, even though it had nothing to do with the crash causation,” he said.

Nolan Ritchie, executive director of the Senate Transportation Committee, acknowledged there are concerns that radar will be abused to generate revenue. That key issue derailed several other radar bills introduced in the past few years.

Ritchie said Senate Bill 559 addresses that concern by requiring local departments to report to the state police revenue from tickets. If the increased revenue exceeds five percent of the municipality’s or police department’s budget, the excess money would be turned over to state police to be used for traffic safety purposes.

The Transportation Committee voted 13-1 on May 10 to forward that bill and Senate Bill 535 to the full Senate. Ritchie said he expects aspects of the two bills to be combined into a single piece of legislation.

“We are optimistic we will engage in a lively conversation on the importance of these two bills,” he said.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Penn State Schuylkill has been awarded $50,000 to expand entrepreneurial endeavors through the Invent Penn State initiative.

Schuylkill is one of six campuses recently named as part of the newest wave of entrepreneurial sites across the state “poised to become economic strengths in their region,” according to a statement released Tuesday.

The seed grant comes through Invent Penn State, a program Penn State President Eric Barron announced in January 2015. It applies Penn State’s research, knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit to bringing creative ideas, helpful products and needed services to market. The statewide initiative is a collaboration of students, faculty and commonwealth campuses, such as Penn State Schuylkill, working with local businesses to help and guide entrepreneurs to prosper, improve lives and spur economic development at the local, state and global level.

“I am delighted that this year Penn State Schuylkill was chosen as one of the campuses to help in expanding entrepreneurial endeavors,” Penn State Schuylkill Chancellor Kelly Austin said. “We are looking forward to assisting creative and motivated entrepreneurs establish their ideas and businesses. Their success will be far-reaching and extremely positive on numerous levels, which will only enhance and improve the economic development of this area. This is truly a great initiative and an exciting time for Penn State, Penn State Schuylkill and for Schuylkill County.”

Invent Penn State combined entrepreneurship-focused academic programs, business startup training and incubation, funding and key regional partnerships for the benefit of Pennsylvania and beyond.

Other campuses that received funding in this latest round are: Altoona, Berks, Great Valley, Shenango and York. Prior to this round of funding, the Penn State campuses of Abington, Behrend, Harrisburg, Lehigh Valley and New Kensington received seed-grant awards for collaborative economic ventures on their campuses and within their communities.

“The process for awarding these six additional grants was very competitive,” Madlyn Hanes, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses, said. “I congratulate the recipients who share a deep commitment to the economic well-being of their communities. They are connecting the talent of Penn State faculty and students with community partners to bring innovation and entrepreneurial activity to the regions we serve. The Invent Penn State initiative is a powerful driver of economic development.”

“The Schuylkill chamber was elated to learn that Penn State Schuylkill was a recipient of a $50,000 seed grant to expand entrepreneurial endeavors through the Invent Penn State initiative,” Robert Carl, executive director of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, said. “Expanding entrepreneurship in Schuylkill County has been an initiative of the Schuylkill chamber for the past two years through the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, in which Penn State Schuylkill has been a major driving partner. We look forward to further collaboration and welcome the opportunity to work with Penn State Schuylkill with their initiative of job creation, economic development and student success through the Invent Penn State initiative. The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and our business community has always embraced entrepreneurship, and we believe this program is an excellent way for students to be able to explore their passions and learn the skills needed to become future business leaders. By bringing the Invent Penn State initiative to the Penn State Schuylkill campus, we are working to further ignite the spirit of entrepreneurship in Schuylkill County.”

These six new awards follow on the heels of six similar $50,000 grants awarded to Penn State campuses in 2015.

Penn State Schuylkill’s Lion Launch program is a community-based entrepreneurship program that provides funding and mentorship to assist and encourage local entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses and new innovative products. Penn State Schuylkill’s Lion Launch also provides community competition wherein winners receive startup funding, training and mentorship from industry, faculty and economic development professionals.

“Penn State Schuylkill has been working closely with many amazing community leaders and wonderful organizations such as SEDCO, SCORE, the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, Northeast PA Manufacturers & Employers Association and PADCO, to name a few,” Austin said. “We know the extremely talented, caring and giving individuals of this community will help guide, facilitate and assist with Penn State Schuylkill’s Lion Launch program.”

Through the Lion Launch program, successful awardees will not only be provided funds to launch their ideas, but they will also be given the opportunity to participate in workshops on growing and strengthening their business. SCORE members and other community partners will facilitate these workshops within the space made available for use by Pottsville Area Development Corp. Moreover, the successful participants will be provided mentorship from business and community leaders, faculty and Penn State alumni. They will also be given the option to employ student interns in their new businesses.

For more information on Invent Penn State, visit www.invent.psu.edu.

n Ashland: The borough office will be closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

n Orwigsburg: The Orwigsburg Business and Professional Association will sponsor “June Jamboree: An Evening of Wine and Art,” from 5:30 to 9 p.m. June 23 at Orwigsburg Town Square, Market and Warren streets. Regional restaurants will offer their specialties and people will be able to enjoy an evening of wine sampling from local wineries or a Yuengling beer. Local artists will have their wares on display and there will be live music by Doug Drost. All are welcome to the free event. For more information, call 610-462-9167.

n Schuylkill Haven: The groups Healthy Haven, Schuylkill County’s VISION and the Schuylkill Haven Recreation Department have joined to bring the farmers market back to the community. The market will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. beginning June 9 and running every Thursday until September at The Island. More information is available online at www.havenrec.com/hh. William B.J. Folk III is the recreation manager and can be reached by calling 570-385-1313, ext. 11.

n Schuylkill Haven: The borough will flush its water distribution system and fire hydrants starting June 7. Work will be conducted daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The borough and North Manheim Township east of the Schuylkill River is scheduled for June 7. The borough, Cressona borough and North Manheim Township west of the Schuylkill River is set for June 8. Out-lying areas of North Manheim Township north of the borough and blow-offs in the borough and Cressona are slated for June 9. During flushing, customers may experience low water pressure and cloudy water. If cloudy, run cold water until it runs clean. If the problem persists, call the borough hall at 570-385-2841.

n Shenandoah: The Coal Cracker 10K and Fun Run is set for June 11 starting in the first block of North Main Street. The annual race, which over several decades has gained a reputation as one of the most grueling in the state, is coordinated by Dan Lewis and Tom Talerico of the Shenandoah Flites Running Club. Beginning at 10 a.m., runners will head south on Main Street onto the Gold Star Highway (Route 924), past the Gold Star Plaza and down the off-ramp to Gilberton. Runners will head eastward through Gilberton to Route 54 and then back into Shenandoah on East Centre Street. After a difficult uphill run on East Centre, the race will end back at Main Street. The Fun Run will precede the 10K. Afterward, 10K runners will get to enjoy the traditional “Pierogie Party.”

n Shenandoah: Attorney Jay Zane will speak about “The Bloody First” at 6 p.m. June 7 during a meeting of the Greater Shenandoah Area Historical Society at its 201 S. Main St. history center. There is no admission fee and the public is welcome to attend. “The Bloody First” refers to Shenandoah’s First Ward and violence that occurred during a time of labor unrest in the anthracite industry.

n Tamaqua: The New England Fire Company, 7 Miller Lane, will have a chicken barbecue drive-thru from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 4, takeout only. The cost is $9 and meals will include a half chicken, potato, pepper cabbage, applesauce, roll and Guers beverage. For more information, call 570-277-6606.

n Tremont: The Tremont Area Historical Society meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Thursday of each month in the Griffiths Community Room, 139 Clay St., which is accessible to the handicapped. New members are welcome. The society museum, located on the second floor at 19 N. Pine St., is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the second Saturday of every month.

n Tremont: The Tremont Fire Company will host a wing night from 5 to 7 p.m. June 9. An order of jumbo wings comes with celery and dressing. Flavors include mild, hot, naked, creamy hot, ranch, barbecue, honey mustard, spicy barbecue and parmesan peppercorn. Chicken tenders and french fries will also be available. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted. For takeouts, call 570-695-3915.

McADOO — The borough has a new zoning officer.

The borough council voted unanimously at a recent meeting to appoint Denise Kapes as zoning officer, a part-time position, at $8.25 per hour.

Kapes also is McAdoo’s code enforcement officer, another part-time position she will continue to serve in.

“She does an excellent job,” Mayor Stephan Holly said of her performance in that position.

Councilwoman Mary Labert asked about the status of the zoning officer who had been serving the borough, Michael Bowman.

“Is (Kapes) going to be the only zoning officer?” Labert asked. “Is Michael Bowman going to be retained?”

Council President John Shigo said Bowman is still a zoning officer. The borough could employ both and call the person available when zoning service is required.

“He didn’t resign,” Shigo said. “It’s who’s available to do it. We need to at least talk to him and learn something from him.”

Councilwoman Marion DeBalko questioned whether the borough could afford two zoning officers.

“He hasn’t been coming in,” DeBalko said. “He hasn’t been giving us hours. I think we do need to talk to him. I don’t think we can swing two people at $8.25 an hour.”

Bowman, contacted by phone, said he wasn’t aware of Kapes’ appointment and that he has been working — but not turning in time.

“When I’d get a call about somebody putting a fence up, I would stop on my way home from work (his full-time job) and tell them they needed a permit,” Bowman said. “It would take me 15, 20 minutes. I wasn’t charging for the time.”

Bowman said he still wanted to serve as a zoning officer and had no objections to Kapes’ appointment.

“I didn’t hear two words from any council member,” Bowman said. “If that’s what they want, fine.”

Meanwhile, Labert asked if the council could direct Kapes to start checking sidewalks for those “dug out” for the sewer project.

“We can ask her to start making a report on that so we could get letters out to them,” Labert said.

DeBalko said each property owner hired their own contractor to do the work. It was up to the property owner to direct their contractor to replace the sidewalk.

Shigo agreed it was each individual property owner’s responsibility.

“I did mine,” Shigo said. “It was up to everybody to do theirs. It presents a hazard.”

“I guess what happened, it was expensive for some people and they could not afford it, so they just paid for having their sewer installed, and they would take care of the sidewalk themselves,” Labert said. “Unfortunately, a lot of them didn’t do it.”

She said the borough sent out letters a few years ago.

“Some did (fix the sidewalks) and some didn’t, so we’re going to try again,” Labert said.

Joseph Baranko, the borough solicitor, said before the letter is drafted, he will research the borough code to see what contents the sidewalk fill has to have.

Borough resident Dave Shott asked if there was an inspection related to the work.

“The only inspection piece was that the inspector came to make sure it was tied in the right way,” Fire Chief Bob Leshko said. “They didn’t stick around for the backfill process.”

Holly said the sidewalk situation was another example of a state inspector not doing his job.

“The state had an inspector on the state highway and look what happened there,” Holly said. “I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but are you going to worry about sidewalks when you had somebody from the state who was supposed to look at (the road) correctly and didn’t?”

Holly said Kennedy Drive (Route 309) is going to be repaved in 2017 and a year later the laterals will be visible “because it wasn’t properly done the first time.”

Borough resident Dave Shott asked why the council members want to pursue the sidewalk issue.

“Before we start holding people accountable for not putting cement on their sidewalks, shouldn’t we come up with a program to make it a little more enticing for them to do it?” Shott asked. “It’s already compacted by time.”

“We’ll get a list, send letters out and take it from there,” Shigo said.

Shott asked what will happen if residents don’t comply. Labert said those who don’t will be referred to Baranko for legal action.

Deeds

Ashland — John P. and Sarah M. Bane to Ronnie Vandine; 822 Centre St.; $40,000.

John William Groody Sr. to Fabrizio and Julie Manganiello; 1609 Centre St.; $7,000.

Auburn — Jaclynn Marie Kauffman to Doug Naftzinger Inc.; 124 N. Second St.; $20,000.

Blythe Township — Joanne Keim to Joanne Keim, Frank E. McKenzie and Sherry Ann Tierney; 10-acre property; $1.

Branch Township — Lovene Tranquillo, by attorney in fact Patricia L. Tranquillo, to Lovene Tranquillo and Patricia L. Tranquillo; 17 Sunset St.; $1.

Butler Township — Dr. Roy Green to Michael G. and Amanda Weremedic; 1126 Beaver Dam Road; $252,000.

Michael D. Evans and Jane E. Evans to Jane E. Evans; 72 Turnpike Road; $1.

Cass Township — James E. and Donna M. Long to Michael Troxell; 257 High Road; $20,000.

Cressona — Jason and Cara Brennan to Cara Brennan; 157 Wilder St.; $1.

Delano Township — Justin M. and Ashley A. Mroczka to Justin M. and Ashley A. Mroczka; 100 Trenton; $1.

East Union Township — Anna Marie Halupa and Donald Schmidt to Tristan S. and Dorcas J. Zimmerman; property on Brandonville-Ringtown Highway; $120,000.

Mahanoy City — Daniela Pascu to Eric V. and Nancy A. Petritsch; 1405 E. Mahanoy Ave.; $15,000.

Mahanoy Township —Louis R. and Barbara A. Getz to Louis R. Jr. and Christine Getz; 72 Back St., New Boston; $1.

North Manheim Township — Bernice M. Roberts, Leanna M. Bensinger and Todd D. Roberts to Jason E. James; 83 Haven Fair Lawn Drive, Haven Fair Lawn; $156,000.

Leonard W. and Gwen Matz to William P. Webber Sr.; 2012 Long Run Road; $60,000.

Randolph B. Ott to Luke T. and Kimberly R. Ott; 2571 Panther Valley Road; $1.

Kimberly R. and Luke T. Ott to Randolph B. Ott; 8 Hillcrest Ave.; $1.

Orwigsburg — Wilmington Trust Co. to Billy Cryts; 203 Long Ave.; $20,000.

Pine Grove — Paul B. and Elizabeth A. Zechman to Richard J. Downey, trustee under the Paul and Elizabeth Zechman Irrevocable Grantor Trust; 5 W. Wood St.; $1.

Pine Grove Township — Dale and Melissa Rehrer to Vincent and Katelyn M. Uglialoro; 2.4119-acre property; $39,900.

Port Carbon — Charles W. III and Linda S. Fees to Raymond Miske; 110 Lawton St.; $20,000.

Port Clinton — HSBC Bank USA NA to KCLC Properties LLC; 90 Centre St.; $30,199.

Pottsville — Thomas E. and Ildiko I. Maurer to Ildiko I. Maurer; 623 and 627 Harrison St.; $1.

Thomas E. and Ildiko I. Maurer to Ildiko I. Maurer; 421 Harrison St.; $1.

Reilly Township — Swatara Coal Co. to Ralph E. and Lois E. Donmoyer; 1.64123-acre property on Route 209, Newtown; $6,000.

Ralph E. and Lois E. Donmoyer to Ralph E. and Lois E. Donmoyer; 1 E. Pine St., Newtown; $1.

Ringtown — James and Christine Fulton to James and Christine Fulton; 109 W. Vine St.; $1.

Ryan Township — Peter Humanick, individually and as executor of the Estate of Adele D. Humanick, and Stephen Humanick to Peter Humanick; 750 Brockton Mountain Road, Barnesville; $1.

Suzanne M. and Joseph C. Lobichusky to Joseph C. and Suzanne M. Lobichusky; 12 Meadow View Ave., Barnesville; $1.

Rose M. Ricketson to Ryan J. Elko; 50 percent interest in 816 Barnesville Drive, Barnesville; $1.

Schuylkill Haven — Richard A. Ketner, executor under the Last Will & Testament of Helen I. Ketner, to Cecelia A. Stoyer; 433 Hess St.; $40,000.

Shenandoah — Marilyn Stefanski to Lidia Contreras; 527 W. Centre St.; $29,000.

Karen L. Arias and Juan Arias to Jose Adonay Arevalo Ramos ; 324 W. Coal St.; $13,000.

Tower City — Jamat and Joanne Manzoor to Saima Bashir; 319 E. Grand Ave.; $1.

Tremont — Lawrence A. Reiner Jr. and Brittney Herring to Lawrence A. Reiner Jr.; 225 E. Main St.; $1.

Wayne Township — William L. DeGoff and David M. Lally to William L. DeGoff and David M. Lally, trustees under the DeGoff Lally Family Living Trust; 458 Wynonah Drive, Lake Wynonah; $1.

West Brunswick Township — Eileen L. Huntzinger, Gary Bauer and Marilyn Kirschner to Michael and Deborah Steffe; 151 Fort Lebanon Road; $71,000.

West Penn Township — Diane E. and Joseph A. Ronitz to Kevin Carl and Jessica Horning; 120 Tower Road; $183,500.

Coaldale officials asked Schuylkill County Court on Friday to direct the county to forgive back taxes on two properties it acquired with the intention of razing the buildings on them.

In its petition, Coaldale termed the county’s declining to forgive the taxes on 138-140 Fisher Ave. arbitrary and an attempt to force it to pay taxes sowed by the former owners.

“Any denial of the request ... is effectively insisting that Coaldale Borough pay taxes for which it is not responsible,” according to the petition.

Borough officials asked the court to force the county to show why the taxes should not be forgiven.

Coaldale alleged it bought the properties on Oct. 13, 2015, in order to tear them down “due to the extremely dilapidated condition” of each.

The borough said it intends to forgive any taxes owed to it, and Panther Valley School District intends to do the same, with its school board unanimously voting at its May 12 meeting to do so, but the county indicated it could not.

However, the county does not have the authority under state law, specifically the General County Assessment Law and the Fourth through Eighth Class County Assessment Law, to insist that a municipality pay taxes on property it owns, according to the petition.

“The County’s position not to exonerate or forgive the back taxes incurred by the prior owner ... is arbitrary and capricious and without basis,” the petition reads in part.

David A. Plachko

PORT CARBON — A Schuylkill Haven man charged with a theft at Boscov’s Department Store at Fairlane Village mall in Norwegian Township on March 17 had charges against him held for court during a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko.

James Lee Fyler, 36, of 127 Kreiner Road, was arrested by state police Trooper Justin Humanick of the Schuylkill Haven station and charged with one count each of retail theft and receiving stolen property.

Plachko determined the commonwealth proved a prima facie case and ordered both charges against Fyler held for Schuylkill County Court.

Humanick charged Fyler with taking two hats and a T-shirt with a combined valued of $81.50. While fleeing the business, Humanick said, Fyler dropped the shirt but kept the two hats and fled the area. The man was identified through store security footage and Humanick said it was learned he has a prior conviction for retail theft.

Other court cases included:

Justin M. Knoll, 28, of 74 S. Tulpehocken St., Apt. 3, Pine Grove — withdrawn: possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct.

Erica R. Raczka, 24, of 155 Sunbury St., Minersville — held for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Ronald J. Terway, 26, of 155 Sunbury St., Minersville — held for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Krystal Lee Semerod, 31, of 150 West Ave., Apt. B, Mount Carmel — held for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Twenty-four people received a second chance Thursday from the judicial system, as a Schuylkill County judge admitted them into a program that will enable them to emerge from their experience without a criminal record.

The Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program allows first-time offenders to participate in it.

If they comply with all conditions of the program, plus obey directives from the court and county Adult Probation Office, the charges against them will be dismissed. Then, they can petition the court to have their record expunged.

President Judge William E. Baldwin admitted the following 24 people, who were charged with the indicated offenses, to the program.

Juanita Black, 54, of Philadelphia; fraudulent or altered title or registration and improper possession of documents.

Brady W. Burke, 23, of Pine Grove; driving under the influence.

Nikolis B. Chyat, 28, of Staten Island, New York; DUI.

Brian J. Conroy, Shenandoah; DUI.

Tammy A. Conti, 54, of Ringtown; unsworn falsification to authorities.

Christopher R. Gerber, 24, of Schuylkill Haven; possession of drug paraphernalia.

Elrena L. Gibson, 52, of Ashland; two counts of hindering apprehension and one each of possession of drug paraphernalia and public nuisance.

Angel M. Hahn, 20, of Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Wade M. Hoffman, 27, of New Philadelphia; bad checks.

Brenda L. Hosler, 49, of Coaldale; disorderly conduct.

Douglas Hosper, 26, of Imperial; three counts each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

John E. Johnson, 28, of Pottsville; possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Angie J. Kasper, 34, of Tower City; possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of a controlled substance to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jaclynn M. Kauffman, 29, of Auburn; theft and receiving stolen property.

Bobbie N. Kunkel, 22, of Tamaqua; DUI.

Harry B. Lentz III, 52, of Kelayres; DUI.

Bradley S. Maines, 21, of Mahanoy City; DUI, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Alisha D. Masarone, 30, of Hamburg; DUI.

Linda M. McCoy, 27, of Cressona; adulterated or misbranded controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kati E. Rodriguez, 27, of Jim Thorpe; DUI.

Jacquelyn Taylor, 26, of Tamaqua; possession of a controlled substance.

Welfran Terrero, 19, of West Hazleton; DUI.

Israel S. Whalen, 21, of Orwigsburg; possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Matthew K. Yoder, 24, of Hamburg; possession of a controlled substance.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Dr. Kristen Camille Stabingas extended three pearls of wisdom Friday to Schuylkill Haven Area High School graduates.

“You will never make it, the work will never end and never stop asking for help,” she said.

Stabingas, a 2006 graduate, returned to her alma mater to deliver the keynote address to the 105 graduates and their families at Rotary Field during the 125th annual commencement. Superintendent Lorraine Felker introduced Stabingas.

She said the lessons she valued most in her life have little to do with her accomplishments. Her character, she said, was built from failure.

“I did not graduate at the top of my class. I did not attend an Ivy League college. I was rejected the first time I applied to medical school. I have failed at saving multiple lives,” she said.

Stabingas received her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington in 2009. She received a doctor of medicine degree in May 2015 from Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia. She is currently an intern at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, with a focus on neurological surgery. Stabingas is participating in a multi-center research study on early neurosurgical intervention for Parkinson’s disease. She is the daughter of Richard and Denise Stabingas, Schuylkill Haven.

“You will never make it, because ‘it’ does not exist. One of the most rewarding gifts you can give yourself tonight is to commit whole-heartedly to your journey, not to your final destination,” Stabingas said.

Her second ‘pearl’ was that the work will never end.

“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished — that is the beginning. This may sound incredibly daunting, as you sit here finally feeling empowered and free. When things feel overwhelming, when your heart is broken in a million pieces, when you’ve reached exhaustion, when you’re facing failure, return to work. At that point, when you’re in your most vulnerable state, you will see just how powerful you are. As a physician, I know fear. I know crippling self-doubt. Fear of failure is an incredible motivator. Fear of failure keeps you sharp,” she said.

“Never stop asking for help. You need to learn to experience frustration. You need to experience that frustration as a teachable moment. And in that moment, you need to humble yourself and ask for help. Adversity strengthens us in ways that success cannot. You are all lucky enough to be graduating from this tight-knight, small town high school. You already have an army of allies who are willing to help you every step of the way,” she said.

Valedictorian David S. Zimmerman and Salutatorian David J. Chesakis both offered addresses peppered with humor, and expressed thanks to their support system of family, teachers and friends.

“Life is like a giant chemical reaction ... and the final product is the person we turn out to be,” Zimmerman, 18, of Schuylkill Haven, said. He noted the school was like an enzyme, and that friends and family were like a catalyst. He said his fellow graduates were “notable.”

He is the son of Stephen and Aimee Zimmerman. He will attend the University of Delaware, majoring in chemical engineering.

Chesakis spoke about a strong work ethic and each person having significance. He referred to the book, “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” by Mitch Albom.

“In our lifetime, we will leave a lasting impression on at least five people,” he said. “Trust the abilities you have learned to guide you.”

Chesakis, 17, is the son of Jim and Rosanne Chesakis, Schuylkill Haven. He will attend Penn State University, majoring in business administration. He was accepted into the Penn State Schuylkill Honors Program.

Senior Class President Tabatha Bauer welcomed guests and recognized families, teachers, administrators and her fellow graduates who have played a role in shaping the class.

“We’ll never forget where we came from,” she said.

High School Principal Sarah Yoder presented the Class of 2016 to receive their diplomas. Scott Jacoby, school board president, offered words of encouragement and assisted during the diploma distribution.

The ceremony was colorful, with music and a mix of young voices. The high school and middle school band, under the direction of Carla Capella, offered “Pomp and Circumstance” during the processional. Other musical selections came courtesy of the Little Hurricanes, who sang “Intentional Life” and “Happiness,” under the guidance of director Gloria Evert.

As graduates entered the field, two-by-two, the females each carried a single sunflower, which was the class flower. Some graduates had decorated their caps, adding paint, tape and sparkling baubles. Some said “That’s All Folks,” “ESU Bound” and “Penn State”.

Makenzie Umbenhour’s cap paid tribute to Peter Pan and stated “Never Grow Up.” Umbenhour, 18, of Schuylkill Haven, plans to study media arts and animation at SNHU, New Hampshire.

Meanwhile, David Kane took a pen to the inside of his cap, writing his name so he could retrieve it after sending it airborne at the end of the ceremony.

“All of the classes before us have been doing it, so we wanted to keep the tradition going,” Kane, 17, of Lake Wynonah, said. He’ll study secondary education and English at Bloomsburg University.

Michael E. Kilcullen is headed to state prison after admitting Friday in Schuylkill Court that he sexually assaulted two teenage girls in Pottsville.

Kilcullen, 19, of Pottsville, pleaded guilty to two separate charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and one each of criminal trespass and possession of drug paraphernalia.

President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted Kilcullen’s plea and, pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced him to serve four to eight years in a state correctional institution and pay costs.

Baldwin also ordered the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to evaluate Kilcullen to help determine whether he is a sexually violent predator. That determination, which Baldwin will make, will help in setting the nature and duration of the Megan’s Law sanctions to be imposed on Kilcullen.

In the sex-related cases, Pottsville police alleged Kilcullen sexually assaulted the girls on Dec. 4, 2015, and then on Jan. 10. Assistant District Attorney Debra A. Smith said each girl was a teenager.

In each of those cases, prosecutors withdrew charges of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault.

Police said that in the first case, the girl told them Kilcullen provided her with alcohol and had indecent contact with her before they spent two days and nights together.

Pottsville police also filed the third case against Kilcullen, alleging he trespassed and possessed paraphernalia on Nov. 5, 2015, also in the city.

Kilcullen, who was dressed in a prison jumpsuit, said little during Friday’s hearing except that he understood the terms and consequences of his plea and was entering it knowingly and voluntarily.

Defendant: Michael E. Kilcullen

Age: 19

Residence: Pottsville

Crimes committed: Two charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and one each of criminal trespass and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Prison sentence: Four to eight years in a state correctional institution

Police: Woman

victim of IRS scam

ELIZABETHVILLE — State police at Lykens are investigating a theft incident that was reported to them about 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police said a 50-year-old Hegins woman reported she was contacted by telephone and told she was being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and that she would be arrested within two hours if she did not purchase two iTunes cards totaling $200.

Police said the woman immediately purchased the cards and was instructed to read the numbers to the caller who then called the woman back on a different number.

The numbers used to contact the woman included 206-539-5707 and 909-458-0712, police said, adding that the numbers were traced to Seattle, Washington, and Ontario, Canada, respectively.

The numbers have been reported as fraudulent and police warn all residents to be aware of possible fraudulent activity associated with those telephone numbers.

Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine Holman and Schuylkill County detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a man wanted on outstanding bench warrants in Schuylkill County Court.

Jeifri Jojan Graciano-Suazo, 26, is described as being white, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 190 pounds.

Detectives said Graciano-Suazo is wanted for felony possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and misdemeanor offenses of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, prohibited offensive weapons and false identification to law enforcement.

Graciano-Suazo has a last known address of 124 N. Chestnut St., Shenandoah, detectives said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Graciano-Suazo, or on any other fugitive in Schuylkill County, is asked to call the district attorney’s office at 570-628-1350, Schuylkill County Tip Line at 570-624-3988 or your local police department.

In addition, anyone who may see or come in contact with Graciano-Suazo is asked to call the Schuylkill County Communications Center immediately.

All information received will remain confidential.

A complete list of Schuylkill County bench warrants is available on the Schuylkill County website at www.co.schuylkill.pa.us.