Minor injuries
suffered in crash
A Frackville woman suffered minor injuries and four other people escaped injury in a two-vehicle crash at 5:45 p.m. Thursday on Route 61 in North Manheim Township, police said.
State police at Schuylkill Haven said a 2007 Peterbilt tractor-trailer driven by Craig S. Blakely, 32, of Airville, with passenger Shaun R. Mostert, 30, of York, was traveling south on Route 61 in the left lane. A 2010 Toyota Corolla driven by Kari A. Wetzel, 30, of Minersville, with passengers Brittany J. Griffiths, 23, of Pottsville, and Amy J. Sluzevich, 27, of Frackville, was traveling in the right lane, police said.
Blakely tried to change lanes and hit the left rear wheel well area of Wetzel's vehicle, sending it out of control, police said.
Police said Wetzel's vehicle crossed all lanes of travel and slid down an embankment along the northbound shoulder, sideswiping a small tree on its driver's side. It came to rest along the northbound shoulder about 20 feet from the edge of the roadway down the embankment, police said.
Blakely's vehicle came to rest about 200 feet from the area of impact along the southbound shoulder, police said.
Sluzevich suffered minor injuries and was taken by Auburn EMS to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street, police said, and noted that Blakely will receive a summary citation as a result of the accident.
Police probe
2 burglaries
TOWER CITY - State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating two burglaries in Porter Township.
Police said the first burglary occurred between Oct. 22 and Friday at 526 W. Grand Ave., where Henry Shinn reported someone entered his home while he and his family were away and removed a jug with about $1,000 in loose change from an upstairs bedroom.
On Sunday, police said Corey Umberger, Tower City, reported leaving his home about 12:30 p.m. and returning about 15 minutes later to find someone peeking out of the blinds of a window. Umberger said when he entered the home, a white man ran out of the front door toward the Brown Jug, and Umberger tried to chase him but was unable to catch him, police said.
The man is described as being about 19 years old with black hair, a beard and a husky build, police said. He was last seen heading east on Wiconisco Street, police said, adding that Umberger reported about 20 pounds of copper piping was stolen from inside the property.
Anyone with information on either burglary is asked to call police at 570-593-2000.
Traffic stop nets
charges for man
McADOO - A 19-year-old West Hazleton man was charged with underage drinking by McAdoo police after an incident on North Kennedy Drive on Oct. 28.
Police said they stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation and learned that one of the occupants, Zachary T. Esbensen, 237 1/2 Broad St., was under the influence of alcohol.
The man was issued a citation and will have to appear before Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, police said.
Police announce
DUI checkpoints
The North Central Regional Sobriety Checkpoint DUI Taskforce announced that sobriety checkpoints and roving DUI patrols will be conducted today through Monday along routes 61, 183, 901, 209, 1006, 309, 443, 895, 125, 25, 924 and 54.
Travelers are reminded to call 911 if they suspect a drunk driver or to call, toll-free, 888-UNDER21 to report underage drinking.
McAdoo man
faces charges
McADOO - A 22-year-old borough man was cited by borough police for public drunkenness stemming from an incident on South Kennedy Drive about 3:10 a.m. Oct. 29.
Police said Walter Kurpell Jr., 231 W. Blaine St., Apt. 1, will have to answer to the charge before Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua.
Police said Kurpell was cited after he was seen walking in the area staggering and almost walking into garbage placed on the curb for pickup. Speaking with Kurpell, officers said they found him to be heavily under the influence of alcohol, police said.
Teens injured
in I-78 crash
KUTZTOWN - Two Schuylkill County teenagers were injured when the sport utility vehicle in which they were traveling in was involved in a crash at the Interstate 78 westbound on-ramp at Exit 40 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, at 6:12 p.m. Thursday.
State police at Hamburg said Valentino Amato, 21, of Lebanon, was driving a 2005 Cadillac STS on the ramp when he ran into the back of a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 17-year-old Ringtown boy who was stopped waiting to merge onto I-78.
The teenage driver suffered minor injuries while his passenger, a 16-year-old Frackville girl, suffered moderate injuries, police said, adding that Amato was not injured.
Both teens were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest by Kutztown EMS and Kutztown firefighters assisted at the scene, police said.
Amato will be cited for careless driving as a result of the crash, police said.
2 Pottsville men
face theft charges
Two Pottsville men are facing charges of retail theft by state police at Schuylkill Haven after an incident at Kohl's department store at Fairlane Village mall in Norwegian Township at 4:15 p.m. Thursday.
Police said Jonathan M. Pauly, 18, and Dillon M. Haller, 19, will have to answer to the charge before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon.
Police said the men were seen by store security concealing two boxes of shoes under their jackets and leaving the store without paying.