Police probe shots
fired in Shen
SHENANDOAH - Shenandoah police are investigating reports of shots fired in the borough late Monday night.
Capt. George Carado said several residents called the Schuylkill County Communications Center about 11:20 p.m. to report shots being fired in the area of East Centre and Bower streets, in the area of the former Sands Restaurant.
Carado said people in the area fled before police arrived and that no one was shot and no damage reported to buildings or vehicles.
He said several people are being interviewed in connection with the incident and that arrests are pending.
State police from the Frackville station along with officers from Mahanoy City, Frackville and Mahanoy Township responded to assist.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call police through the Schuylkill County Communications Center at 570-462-1991.
Fire reported at
Frackville Subway
FRACKVILLE - No damage was reported when a microwave inside the Subway in the borough malfunctioned Tuesday morning.
Frackville assistant fire chief William Lindenmuth said crews were called to the restaurant at 466 S. Lehigh Ave. at 6:02 a.m. for a report of smoke inside the building.
It was quickly determined the cause of the smoke was the malfunctioning appliance and no damage was reported, the assistant chief said.
Crews from Frackville, Altamont, Englewood and Mahanoy City were called along with Frackville EMS.
Minersville woman
faces charges
MINERSVILLE - Minersville police filed charges against a borough woman after a series of incidents earlier this month.
Police said Jessica Ann Matharu, 36, of 10 N. Fourth St., was charged with defiant trespass after an incident at 7:46 p.m. Jan. 3 after the woman's water was turned off for not paying the bill and her home posted against trespass.
Police said officers found Matharu had been living in the residence after being notified by police and borough officials that the home was unfit for human habitation.
Charges against Matharu were filed with Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, police said.
Cass Twp. man
faces charges
MINERSVILLE - A 23-year-old Cass Township man was charged by Minersville police after an incident at 1:55 a.m. Dec. 23.
Police said Monday that Justin James Duncan, 26 Deer Lane, was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police, DUI, driving on the wrong side of the road, failure to drive on roadways laned for traffic, turn signal violations, driving at an unsafe speed, careless driving, trespass by motor vehicle and reckless driving.
The charges are the result of Duncan leading officers on a chase from the borough into a wooded area of Cass Township where he was apprehended.
Police said Duncan was found to be under the influence and a subsequent blood test determined he had an alcohol level of 0.23-percent.
Minersville man
faces drug charges
MINERSVILLE - Minersville police filed charges against a 19-year-old borough man in connection with an incident that occurred at South and South Third streets at 7:42 p.m. Dec. 16.
Police said Monday that Javonie Stephen Rosa, 527 S. Third St., was charged with DUI-controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and stop sign violations and will have to answer before Magisterial District Judge David A, Plachko, Port Carbon.
Police said Rosa was pulled over after he did not stop for a stop sign and almost struck a police cruiser.
Police said officers detected an odor of marijuana inside the vehicle and Rosa showing signs that he was under the influence.
In addition, police said a large baggie containing marijuana residue was found inside the vehicle as well and Rosa later admitted that he had smoked the drug earlier in the day.
A blood test determined that Rosa had marijuana in his bloodstream, police said.
Minersville man
faces DUI charge
MINERSVILLE - Borough police charged a Minersville man after an incident at 1:54 p.m. Jan. 1 in the first block of North Street.
Police said Matthew Gerard Balulis, 36, of 404 Jones St., was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police, DUI, driving on the wrong side of the road, driving on roadways laned for traffic, stop and yield sign violations, driving at an unsafe speed and careless driving.
Police said the man was driving in the area when he almost struck a police car. When officers tried to pull him over he continued to swerve and then fled to his home where he tried to run inside but was detained by officers, police said.
Balulis showed signs of being intoxicated and a subsequent blood test determined he had an alcohol level of 0.18-percent, police said.
Man charged
in hit-and-run
NEW PHILADELPHIA - A 38-year-old Schuylkill Haven man is facing charges of hit-and-run and related offenses after a crash at 730 Mountain Road in Blythe Township at 8:10 a.m. Sunday.
Police said Robert Klipola was driving a 1998 Ford Explorer south when he went off the road at a right curve and struck several small trees before going over an embankment.
Police said Klipola fled the scene but was located at his home in Middleport after he failed to report the crash.
Tamaqua man
faces charges
TAMAQUA - A 33-year-old Tamaqua man is facing charges of fleeing or attempting to elude police, driving at an unsafe speed, driving without a license, obedience to traffic control signals, stop and yield sign violations and traffic control device violations after an incident that began at the Family Dollar parking lot about 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Police said John C. Renner, 221 Washington St., will have to answer to the charges before Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua.
Police said officers observed Renner make an illegal left turn from the parking lot onto Pine Street and when pulled over, the man could not produce a driver's license.
While the officer was inside the cruiser, Renner pulled away at an unsafe speed north on Pine Street and went through a red light while turning left onto Elm Street, police said.
Renner continued on several borough streets ignoring posted signs and traffic lights and eventually turned onto the parking lot of Trinity church on Lafayette Street, police said.
At that point, police said, the man jumped from his vehicle while it was still moving and was last seen near the Citizens Fire Company nearby.
Two passengers in the car, a man and woman, were questioned and both identified Renner as the driver who fled, police said.
Womelsdorf
woman charged
NEW PHILADELPHIA - A Womelsdorf woman was charged by New Philadelphia police with DUI-controlled substance, driving on the wrong side of the road and failure to drive on roadways laned for traffic after an incident at 10 p.m. Dec. 12.
Police said Monday that Sherri Ann Clark, 631 W. Franklin St., will have to answer to the charges before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon.
Police said officers saw the woman driving a pickup truck in the 200 block of Valley Street drifting across the yellow center line and white fog line several times.
A traffic stop was conducted during which Clark showed signs of being under the influence, police said.
A drug recognition expert from the state police station at Schuylkill Haven was contacted and determined the woman was under the influence of a narcotic analgesic, police said.
A subsequent blood test confirmed Clark had morphine, a controlled substance, in her blood stream, police said.
Shen man faces
assault charges
SHENANDOAH - A 32-year-old Shenandoah man is free on bail after being charged by state police at Frackville in connection with a domestic incident at 4 Chunky Lane in West Mahanoy Township about 11:30 p.m. Monday.
Police said Michael Linkchorst was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, on charges of terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.
Police said they were called to the home and learned a verbal argument between Linkchorst and a 20-year-old woman escalated with the man having physical contact with the woman and also making verbal threats to her.
The woman received minor injuries as a result of the incident, police said.
Wallet stolen
from woman
PINE GROVE - State police at Hamburg are investigating the theft of a wallet belonging to Judith Poda, Pine Grove, between 11:50 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Monday.
Police said someone used her credit card to buy fuel at the Amoco Station at routes 78 and 501 on Lancaster Avenue, Bethel Township.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at Hamburg at 877-523-6373.
IPod transmitter
taken from car
CRESSONA - State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating the theft of an iPod radio transmitter valued at about $700.
Police said the transmitter was taken from an unlocked 2001 Kia Sephia, belonging to Alex J. Miller, 24, that was parked in a driveway at 193 Railroad St., Cressona, between 7 p.m. Sunday and 3 p.m. Monday.
Anyone with information should contact police at 570-593-2000.