The third annual Capt. Jason B. Jones Memorial Day of Caring is set for May 11.

Hosted by the Schuylkill United Way, the event matches volunteers to service projects with the United Way’s Partner Agency organizations across the county. These organizations facilitate health and human services for free or little cost to county residents.

According to Christine Johnson, director of community relations for Schuylkill United Way, the event started more than 20 years ago under the name “Make a Difference Day” before transitioning to “Day of Caring,” and finally becoming the “Capt. Jason B. Jones Memorial Day of Caring” in 2015.

The most recent name change was in honor of Capt. Jason B. Jones, a Blue Mountain High School graduate who lost his life serving in the Army in Afghanistan on June 2, 2014.

“It’s a way for people to give back to the county and our partner agencies,” Johnson said.

The service projects take place both indoor and outdoor and vary from gardening to painting.

The 14 partner agencies offer suggestions for projects and Johnson matches volunteers to each project depending on volunteer interest and skill set. Johnson said she doesn’t have the entire project list yet but estimates she will have it by April 20, so she can start the pairing process.

The projects are beneficial to the agencies, as Johnson said one agency saved $3,000 last year by having volunteers complete projects.

Elementary schools will also join the cause, in a letter-writing campaign to the military in honor of Jones. All letters will be sent to Operation Gratitude and matched with a care package. Schools interested should contact Johnson.

All volunteers and locations must be registered through the Schuylkill County United Way. The last day to register is May 1. Johnson can be reached at dircomrel@schuylkillunitedway.org or 570-622-6421.

Those interested in volunteering must fill out an application. Among the questions asked are the type of project preferred, what skills/trades and what physical limitations each member has.

“It’s an event to promote the value of volunteerism and demonstrate what people working together for a common goal can really accomplish,” Johnson said.

Contact the writer: dbarr@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011

MAHANOY CITY — A borough man was arrested by Mahanoy City police in connection with a burglary that occurred on Easter Sunday.

Police said the victim reported someone entered a garage at 44 N. Eighth St. around 9:25 p.m. and stole a 1999 Kawasaki motorcycle.

Police said that around 2 p.m. Monday, investigating borough officers, with the assistance of Mahanoy Township police, recovered the motorcycle and arrested a man in connection with the theft.

Police said Mahanoy City Patrolman Kristin Maddon took Dominic Streisel, West Spruce Street, into custody and charged him with felony crimes of burglary, criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property.

Streisel was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, who set bail at $25,000 unsecured but ordered the man committed to Schuylkill County Prison on a probation violation.

He will now have to appear for a preliminary hearing before Kilker at a later date, police said.

Police Chief Kenneth Zipovsky commended the cooperation between his department and Mahanoy Township police for closing the case.

“The partnership between the Mahanoy City and Mahanoy Township police departments makes for a safer community,” he said.

Pennsylvania Treasurer Joe Torsella warned state residents about a scam in which callers are posing as Treasury employees and threatening arrest if unpaid taxes are not paid immediately.

The fraudulent calls are coming from telephone numbers that appear to belong to the Pennsylvania Treasury, a news release from the office states.

The Treasury does not collect taxes or seek payments via telephone and has no authority to make arrests, the release says. All services that Treasury provides to the public are offered free of charge, including the process of unclaimed property.

Anyone who receives a scam call should cease contact immediately and refrain from sharing personal financial information, including bank accounts or credit card numbers.

Suspicious calls can be reported to the state Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection, at 800-441-2555 or scams@attorneygeneral.gov.

State taxes are collected by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. To determine if a tax issue is legitimate, call the department at 717-787-8201.

Old Man Winter refuses to release his stranglehold on the northeastern part of the country, as evidenced by the late-season snowfall county residents woke up to on Monday.

Matt Steinbugl, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, State College, said the snow began between 1 and 3 a.m. and had already left the Schuylkill County area and the state by noon Monday.

“It was a quick-hitting storm with heavy snowfall,” Steinbugl said.

Three to 6 inches of wet, heavy snow blanketed the county.

“It’s not uncommon to get snow in Pennsylvania in early April,” Steinbugl said.

Early forecasts don’t predict a break in the pattern as far as temperatures go in the next few weeks, either, according to Steinbugl, as a warm-up “probably won’t come until after mid-month.”

There is a slight increase into the 50s expected for today and Wednesday, but the temperatures will return to the 40s for the later half of the week with a slight chance of snow Thursday night and Friday. There will be “cooler than average temperatures through mid-month.”

The problem is a blocking pattern in the southeastern part of Canada that has enclosed colder air and filtered it down into the northeastern corner of the United States. The pattern must weaken before there is a reprieve from the colder air and that won’t occur for a couple weeks, according to Steinbugl.

Steinbugl said Harrisburg Airport reported 3.9 inches of snow Monday morning which is the seventh-highest one-day snowfall total in April. If Harrisburg reports no more snow for the remainder of the month, the 3.9 inches would tie for the sixth-snowiest April with 1918.

Contact the writer: dbarr@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011

POTTSVILLE — Testifying Monday in Schuylkill County Court in his own defense, Harold J. McGurl Jr. told jurors he had no choice in October 2016 but to stab the man he said was trying to beat him on the streets of Ashland.

“He just kept coming at me,” McGurl said of Jordan M. Adams. “The next thing I remember ... is Mr. Adams kicking me in my face. I came up and started swinging my arm.”

McGurl, 44, of Ashland, faces charges of attempted homicide, recklessly endangering another person and two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault. His trial, over which Judge Jacqueline L. Russell is presiding, is scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. today with Assistant Public Defender Debra A. Smith and Deputy Attorney General Philip M. McCarthy presenting their closing arguments.

State police at Frackville allege McGurl stabbed Adams in the early morning hours of Oct. 8, 2016, on Spruce Street in Ashland. Adams had to be taken to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, for treatment, police said.

Prosecutors allege McGurl mistook Adams for Shane Parker, the alleged victim’s brother and the current boyfriend of Brittany Fenstermacher, the defendant’s ex-girlfriend. Adams was driving a blue Ford Focus, the car Parker was using, according to police.

“I never met him before in my life,” Adams testified about McGurl. “I thought he was punching me, but it’s apparent he was stabbing me. I felt it.”

Counting his stab wounds while on the witness stand, Adams said McGurl’s attack left him with lasting injuries.

“I don’t have a tricep anymore,” he said. “I have trouble pushing or pulling things.”

Even after rehabilitation, Adams said, he never will be completely recovered.

“It’s probably about 75 percent,” he said. “It will never be the same.”

Adams also said he suffered injuries to his bicep, an ear and an eye.

When cross-examined by Smith, Adams said he had used methamphetamine, which affected his actions, and that he hit and kicked McGurl during the fight that evening. Adams said he got the meth in Girardville.

“If I were sober, I probably would not have chased him,” Adams said of McGurl. “I’m sure I hit him a few times, most likely in the head.”

Fenstermacher said she and McGurl had been drinking during the evening of Oct. 7.

“The more (McGurl) drank, the more belligerent he was getting, obnoxious. He said he was going to get in a fight,” she testified.

Fenstermacher said McGurl approached the Ford after it passed by, and that was when the trouble started.

Krystal Semerod testified she gave McGurl a knife that night.

State police Trooper Jordan Tuttle testified he traced a trail of blood on Pine, 13th and Spruce streets, finding a cap with a puncture mark on the bill and a coat with cut marks and more.

“It also (has) quite a bit of blood around it,” he said.

State police Trooper Christopher M. Rooney testified McGurl’s knife was found in a storm drain.

McGurl said he left the Drunken Monkey with Fenstermacher, but she had left when the car came down Spruce Street. Then, he said, he became the victim of an unprovoked attack.

“Mr. Adams was kicking me. I started yelling, ‘Get ... off me,’ ” he said.

“Prior to that day, had you ever met Mr. Adams?” Smith asked McGurl.

“No, ma’am,” he answered.

When cross-examined by McCarthy, McGurl did not deny stabbing Adams, and said he took the knife from Semerod because he collects them.

He also said he did not call the 911 center, an ambulance or police after being stabbed, or even go to the police station in Ashland.

“After the incident, you ran into the woods?” McCarthy asked McGurl.

“Yes,” the defendant replied.

Richard Shoup, who lives where the incident occurred, testified he heard a lot of yelling, including Adams’ cries for help and wrapped him up. Shoup also said McGurl did not stay at the scene.

“When I yelled at him, he just ran up the street,” Shoup said.

Contact the writer: pbortner@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6014

Defendant: Harold J. McGurl Jr.

Age: 44

Residence: Ashland

Charges: Attempted homicide, recklessly endangering another person and two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault

Tamaqua to mark

150th Memorial Day

TAMAQUA — The Tamaqua Remembers Committee is accepting sponsorship packages and advance orders for specialty T-shirts to commemorate Tamaqua’s 150th observance of Memorial Day.

Sponsor names will be printed on the backs of the shirts and the shirt fronts will have the Tamaqua Remembers logo. The shirts are being created by Dawn’s Designs and will be available before the opening ceremony on May 1.

The shirt project is being spearheaded by the Tamaqua Business and Professional Women’s Club.

The Tamaqua Remembers initiative will stage several events leading up to Memorial Day 2018. Organizers are calling for the Tamaqua area to be a sea of red, white and blue in May for the entire month.

For more information, call 570-668-1192.

Open house set at Frackville Museum

FRACKVILLE — The Frackville Museum, located in the Frackville Municipal & Community Center, 42 S. Center St., was on hiatus for the winter but will reopen from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday and feature Suzanne Domalakes, president of the Frackville Rotary Club.

Domalakes will speak at 2 p.m. that day about the history of the Rotary Club, one of the oldest organizations still in existence in the borough.

Admission is free and all are welcome.

New displays are planned for the museum’s seventh anniversary in September, including a tribute to Helen Everett, who taught piano, organ and voice to many local people and also performed as a soloist.

Don Bricker, a former Frackville High School and North Schuylkill teacher, will give a talk about Everett.

By coincidence, applications for the 2018 Helen Everett Merit Award are available to high school seniors, according to a release from Shannon Mozdy, secretary/administrator of First United Methodist Church, 25 S. Balliet St.

The award is given to a deserving graduate who plans to continue his or her education at an institute of higher learning. Preference is given to students who are members of First United Methodist Church or students who are entering the fields of music or theology.

For an application and a complete list of award criteria, call First United Methodist Church at 570-874-0792. Completed applications must be returned to the church by April 20.

People wishing to support the Frackville Museum may make donations to honor a family member or in someone’s memory.

Greater Haven BPA fetes contest winners

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — The Greater Schuylkill Haven Area Business Association recently feted winners of the 2018 Student Art/Essay Contest, the theme of which was “History and Tradition in Schuylkill Haven.”

The association recognized 13 winners from St. Ambrose School, Schuylkill Haven Area Elementary Center and Schuylkill Haven Area Middle School. There also were 14 honorable mentions, according to a release from Cecilia Ann Michalik, association president.

A reception for the winners was held at 4Play Moonshine and included refreshments, light snacks, presentations, an art/essay display and photographs, according to the release.

Awards to the students were certificates from association members: The Walk In Art Center, Lewis General Store, Boyer’s Markets and Brok-Sel Markets.

Winners included: Best of Show, Emily Kocher; St. Ambrose, third grade, Kristina Knoblauch plus honorable mention, Rylee Tarleton; Schuylkill Haven Area Elementary Center, kindergarten, Sadie Tokarick and Macy Marmas plus honorable mention, Spencer Deysher and Colton Klinger; first grade, Elliot Wehr and Aubrey Felty-Dunn plus honorable mention, Landon Bayer and Matthew Marmas; second grade, Kara Schwenk and Garrett Knoblauch plus honorable mention, Jon Snow and Bran Oliver; third grade, Cody Goines plus honorable mention, Garett Keefer and Landon Trostle; fourth grade, Aubrey Engle and TJ Adams plus honor mention Jake Craft, Kyliegh Yourger, Maya Krammes and Danika Kuhar. Schuylkill Haven Area Middle School, essay winners, Samantha Houtz and Noah Webb plus honorable mention, Katie Kerschner.

Tractor Supply Co.

backs school garden

SAINT CLAIR — The local Tractor Supply store is supporting Blue Mountain Elementary School in developing a school garden that will “provide students with an enriched, hands-on learning experience,” according to a Tractor Supply press release.

April Henry, manager of the local Tractor Supply, said the garden program “provides kids with an opportunity to use their hands and minds in a way that’s not typically available in a traditional classroom setting.” She added the hope is that the garden “will not only give students at Blue Mountain Elementary a better understanding of where their food comes from, but will also encourage them to continue exploring how the world around them works.”

Tractor Supply, according to the release, carries all of the supplies necessary to start or sustain a garden, including mulch, live plants, regular and organic seeds and garden tools and will provide Blue Mountain Elementary with a starter kit that will assist in the establishment of the garden.

Interested schools can call the Saint Clair Tractor Supply store at 570-429-2700 for more information or visit the story at 550 Terry Rich Blvd. at the Coal Creek Commerce Center.

Founded in 1938, Tractor Supply Co. “is the largest rural lifestyle retail store chain in the United States.” It has 1,665 stores in 49 states and an e-commerce website at www.tractorsupply.com. The company also owns and operates Petsense, a small-box pet specialty supply retailer. More information on Petsense is available online at www.petsense.com.

Developments buoy

Shenandoah economy

SHENANDOAH — There is little surprise that enthusiasm about recent developments that will bolster the community’s economy is dominating the periodic Downtown Shenandoah Update, which focuses on business/commercial/civic and related news about the greater Shenandoah area.

Principal among those developments is word from a recent meeting of the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc., voiced by President Karen Kenderdine, that developer Don Kuntz, Mount Carmel, has bought the Bargain Anney site at the northwest corner of Main and Lloyd streets in downtown Shenandoah and plans to renovate it for a sports bar, barbecue restaurant and a chicken eatery.

According to Kenderdine, Kuntz is the developer for another person who for now wishes to remain anonymous. That person is reportedly connected to the Pittsburgh Steelers organization and also plans to restore apartments on the upper floors of the former Bargain Anney.

What perhaps is most encouraging about the news is, according to Kenderdine, that the developer believes Shenandoah is the “upcoming place” especially with DSI’s initiative in developing an innovation center to be constructed on the east side of the 100 block of North Main Street, where businesses including Davison’s Furniture, JCPenney and Karvois Cleaners once operated. The Davison/JCPenney site later housed a bar/nightclub called Thunder Road. However, the buildings that housed those businesses were ravaged by fires and had to be demolished.

The three-story innovation center, developers hope, will be a magnet in fostering entrepreneurs to launch new initiatives. The site will also act as a community center and business attraction.

There is also other positive news on the greater Shenandoah economic scene.

Primary Health Network of Sharon is in the process of opening shop adjacent to Domino’s Pizza in the formerly vacant half of a building that once housed a Movie Gallery outlet near Boyer’s Market along West Centre Street. The Boyer’s family real estate partnership originally developed that building as well as another adjacent venture that currently houses a Family Dollar outlet.

Primary Health Care, according to its website, offers “comprehensive primary care and numerous specialty services, as well as working within communities by participating in health fairs and networking with local organizations.”

Work at the site to accommodate Primary Health Care is well underway.

Boyer’s has been a substantial force in developing Shenandoah’s West Centre Street business center. When it took over a building that originally housed an A&P Supermarket, Boyer’s greatly expanded the site and then later developed the Movie Gallery and Family Dollar buildings on the south side of West Centre Street. Other independent businesses in the area include Lucky’s Deli and Kielbasi Shop on the south side of West Centre and, on the north side, Gualtier’s Beverages, Carla’s Dancgym Center and Mumei Dojo, T.J. Carts Machine Shop and the former RJ & Friends/American Crowbar site that is being transformed into the NYC Lounge.

At Shenandoah’s northern end, at a building that once housed the medical offices and examination rooms for PIA Associates at the southeast corner of Main and Washington streets, the Shenandoah Ambulance/ALS is at work to transform the building and grounds into a northern Schuylkill center/headquarters for Shenandoah EMS emergency medical responders.

The Shenandoah ambulance service has merged with the Lost Creek and Ringtown services and the site will be the northern Schuylkill headquarters for those services offering training areas, garages and even overnight facilities for on-call emergency responders. Expanded parking also is available at the site.

And the Gold Star Plaza, largely within Shenandoah Borough limits near the borough’s Turkey Run section, has reached full occupancy for its existing buildings with the opening of Suglia’s Pizzeria, which had been a fixture at the Schuylkill Mall near Frackville. The mall has closed and is being demolished.

The plaza, which is anchored by a Redner’s Warehouse Market, also features a Dollar Tree, the Shenandoah Wine and Spirits Shoppe and free-standing Dollar General store, Verizon Wireless center, Redner’s Quick Shop and an Advance Auto outlet.

With the closing of the Schuylkill Mall, Shenandoah’s Gold Star Plaza is the primary business traffic center in northern Schuylkill County.

Senior Living

to have health fair

SHENANDOAH — A Community Health Fair with free health screenings will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Shenandoah Senior Living Community, 101 E. Washington St.

Participants, according to an event flier, will learn about health resources in the community. The fair will feature health care vendors, information on healthful food choices and the benefits of walking. There will also be exercise demonstrations.

Organizers said in the flier the fair will be “perfect for a family activity” that will include “fun and prizes.”

For more information, call 570-462-1908.

Sometimes a mother’s love isn’t enough.

Jayne Grickis, Bernville, originally from Schuylkill County, spoke Thursday about the death of her daughter, Jessica Lynn Ney, 36, of Philadelphia, from a heroin overdose.

“My daughter was a beautiful girl who had a heart of gold. She was a very, very giving person,” she said

Jessica was born in Pottsville, and was a 2000 graduate of Schuylkill Haven Area High School. She died March 15, the same day she got out of a treatment center.

“She begged them to let her stay. They wouldn’t because of the funding,” Grickis said, adding that she had reached the maximum time she could be there.

Jessica went to the center to try to get off methadone because she didn’t like the side effects such as nodding off and physical effects, Grickis said. While in Philadelphia, Jessica went to a methadone clinic on a daily basis.

Methadone is used to treat opioid addiction.

Jessica had struggled on and off for more than 10 years with her drug addition. Grickis does not know how it started but said some of the people she associated with took drugs in the past.

“I think that I’ve tried every possible avenue with her. I tried to love her. I tried to push her away. I tried to help her,” she said.

Grickis publicly talked about her daughter’s struggle with addiction in an obituary published in The Republican-Herald last month because she wants to help others with similar struggles.

“She fought so damn hard but her disease told her she had no friends. Her disease told her she had no one in this world who cared about her. Her disease lied time and again. Cunning, baffling, powerful. On March 15, she passed alone. Believing no one cared. She had plans to go to a meeting that night and do outreach work the following day. She has an army of people who cared, as does each and every one of us. The disease of addiction took her life. Please, please don’t become another statistic. Reach out, make a call, go to a meeting, do anything but do not pick up that drink or that drug,” the obituary read.

Grickis received the call from an outreach worker about Jessica’s death. Brianna, Jessica’s 8-year-old daughter, was in the car with Grickis.

She pulled over the car and took the call outside. Brianna knows her mother died of an overdose because Grickis told her.

Grickis said her daughter tried numerous time to kick the drug addiction she had. At one point, she was clean for five years, Grickis said.

“The heroin grabbed a hold of her and wouldn’t let go,” she said.

There were times she didn’t talk to her daughter for long periods. Other occasions she would talk to her daily.

Grickis didn’t talk to her daughter the day she died.

“What is it about some people that they do recover and other people that they don’t. I don’t know the answer to that,” Grickis said.

When Jessica was released from the center, an outreach worker from another organization picked her up. She stopped at Pathways to Housing PA, an organization that provides housing and support services to individuals. Pathways had provided Jessica with her own apartment and connected her with social and community support to help her address her addiction.

Matt Tice, clinical director of Pathways to Housing PA, said Monday they were introduced to Jessica in 2016 after the city provided them the information. Jessica had been homeless for a long time and struggled with addiction. Jessica was appreciative when given her apartment, and she worked with a peer specialist to help her.

“She was really bright. There was a brightness in her heart,” he said.

She was willing to help others with their addiction. Before she died, Jessica stopped by the office in Philadelphia. She was scheduled for outpatient drug treatment the next day.

“We were all feeling hopeful for her,” Tice said.

He described her as optimistic about her future. Jessica received a $50 fine at 12:26 p.m. — the day she died — from the police for attempting to inject an unknown substance in public. She was dead hours later.

“There was something in those intervening moments” that would ruin the progress Jessica had made, he said.

Tice and another employee of Pathways went to her apartment after they received a call from the outreach worker who had picked up Jessica earlier in the day. Grickis said the man gave her Narcan, a fast-acting medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, gave her CPR and called 911.

It was too late.

“The tragic thing is addiction, and especially to heroin and opiates, is so pervasive and really hard to kick,” Tice said.

Despite the loss of her daughter, Grickis said all is not lost.

“There is hope,” she said.

She said more awareness, honesty and love are needed.

“We need to find ways to not give up on people,” Tice said.

Locally, there are resources available for those facing addiction. People can call the Schuylkill County Drug and Alcohol Program at 570-621-2890. Groups such as Skook Recovers, Safer Streets for Tamaqua’s Little Feet, Open Arms Ministries and Transitional Housing, Saint Clair, and HOPE Initiative started by Faith Church, Orwigsburg, in July 2014. HOPE stands for Help for the hurting, Options for the family, Possibilities for the future, Encouragement to the weary. The support group meets at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at the church, 1168 Centre Turnpike, and offers a place for people to learn about addiction, get help or listen to others facing similar problems.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

Police: Odd delivery was baby powder

JONESTOWN — A package delivered to a home in this Lebanon County community on Saturday brought state police troopers to the scene.

Police from the Jonestown station said that around 2:55 p.m. they were called about a suspicious package delivered to 25 N. Lancaster St. and found a white package from India sent to the address even though the resident was not expecting any packages from that country.

The package was about the size of a brick and wrapped in white paper with clear packaging tape. The state police Hazardous Device and Explosives Section unit determined the package contained baby powder, police said.

Traffic stop results in drug arrest

PINE GROVE — Pine Grove police said a Shamokin woman was charged after an investigation into an incident around 8:50 p.m. Jan. 12 in the 200 block of North Tulpehocken Street.

Police said Sandra J. Tobin, 44, of 4178 Upper Road, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving without insurance and restrictions on alcoholic beverages.

Police said they stopped a vehicle driven by Tobin for an equipment violation and found the woman in possession of two bags of marijuana, one in her purse containing one gram and one in the vehicle that contained 14 grams.

A subsequent search on Jan. 15 found a glass smoking pipe in a hidden compartment under the dashboard and the center console. There was also a baggie that contained a crystal substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, police said.

Man injured in Mahanoy City crash

MAHANOY CITY — A Jersey Shore man suffered suspected minor injuries when the pickup truck he was driving crashed around 8:20 a.m. Sunday in the southbound lanes of Interstate 81, at mile marker 132.2 in Mahanoy Township.

State police at Frackville said Edward W. Aldridge, 54, was driving south in the right lane when he lost control along a left curve and drove onto the ramp for Mahanoy City weigh station.

The truck struck orange construction barriers and then a closed steel gate before going off the road and down a small embankment, striking a tree.

Aldridge was taken to a Hazleton hospital by Ryan Township EMS and as a result of the crash will be cited for not driving on roadways laned for traffic, police said.

Mar Lin woman faces retail theft charge

MAR LIN — A Minersville woman was charged by state police at Schuylkill Haven with retail theft after an incident around 3 a.m. Wednesday at Turkey Hill in Norwegian Township.

Police said Paulette Sue Stablum, 47, stole a foot-long sandwich, a pretzel, two Red Bull drinks, a gallon of ice cream and a cellphone charger with a combined value of $28.94.

Stablum will now have to answer to the charge in district court.

CRESSONA — A very lucky lottery player had a dream come true when he rubbed off a $300,000 ticket on Monday at the shop where he regularly buys tickets in the Cressona Mall.

Sam’s Place Lottery and Tobacco Inc. sold the winning ticket Monday morning to the unidentified player. In recent months, the shop has had a number of large winners, something that general manager Katlyn Konsavage is happy about.

“The winner bought his tickets about 10-ish,” Konsavage said. “I was in the store at the time, but I wasn’t operating the register. One of our employees sold the tickets. He is one of our regular customers and I believe he bought a whole book of tickets and one of them happened to be a super-good one.”

The Pennsylvania Lottery $10 Monopoly game offers 10 top prizes of $300,000. According to the lottery website, the odds of winning the top prize is one in 840,000. The winner purchased a book of 60 tickets at $10 each. Right after he bought the tickets, he immediately checked — as he always does — whether he got some winners.

“We have some tables out in the mall area. There are four stools at each table and allows them to scratch the tickets and talk with other customers who come to the mall,” Konsavage said. “He normally hangs out and scratches his tickets and checks them out right away. He was lucky today.”

Konsavage said she did not see his reaction when he realized the magnitude of the winning ticket.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t there, which is heartbreaking because obviously it’s a big deal,” she said. “He had commented to the employee working that he is close to retirement, so hopefully that will help so he won’t have to go to work anymore. It’s a super surprise for the Monday after Easter. You can’t have a bad Monday with a ticket like that.”

There have been four large winners in Sam’s Place in Cressona and Montoursville in the last six months. Someone purchased a $10 Willy Wonka scratch-off ticket at the Montoursville location last year and won $10,000.

“She was a regular customer,” Konsavage said. “And then around Valentine’s Day at our Cressona Mall store, another one of our regular customers hit another $10,000 on a $2 ticket.”

Within the past two weeks, Konsavage received a call from an employee about a large winner.

“She called me and said, ‘You won’t believe this.’ She described her to me, and we’re on a first name basis with a lot of customers, and she said, ‘I sold her a $100,000 winner,’ ” Konsavage said.

She said that some people do buy whole books with the hope of getting a big winner. Books range from $300 to $900, depending on the game.

“I believe there are only 10 top prizes of $300,000, and I’m pretty sure there are well over 7,000 lottery retailers in Pennsylvania, so getting one of those top prizes is pretty cool,” Konsavage said.

Beginning on May 1, the Pennsylvania Lottery will begin a new kind of games that will be different from those that came before. There are two versions, KENO and Virtual Sports, with Sam’s Place preparing for KENO.

“We are opening a KENO lounge right next door to the store in the mall,” she said.

According to the lottery website, KENO is a fast-draw lottery game. Drawings occur every four minutes, seven days a week. The Pennsylvania Lottery randomly generates 20 numbers between 1 and 80, which are displayed on a KENO monitor at retail locations. Players fill in a KENO play slip with up to 10 number selections. KENO wagers range from $1 to $20 per play. Players can multiply their winnings up to 10 times with a multiplier add-on for an additional cost.

“Hopefully we’ll get some big winners there,” she said.

Contact the writer; jusalis@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023

Deeds

Ashland — Mary Freed to Upward LLC; three properties on Centre Street; $90,000.

Thomas C. and Kathleen M. Schreck to Nicholas J. Cuccurullo; three properties; $168,500.

Barry Township — Harold F. Jr. and Arlene M. Reichwein to Harold F. Jr. and Arlene M. Reichwein; 241 Beury’s Road, Beury’s Grove; $1.

Harold F. Jr. and Arlene M. Reichwein to Harold F. Jr. and Arlene M. Reichwein; 4.13-acre property on Route 901; $1.

Butler Township — Holly Brutts to Charles III and Tracey A. Heizenroth; 1.56-acre property on Country Club Road, Fountain Springs; $22,000.

Deer Lake and West Brunswick Township — Nationstar Mortgage LLC to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; 102 Holly Road; $1.

East Union Township — Eagle Rock Resort Co. to Dexter and Faith Marianne Sevilles; Lot 20WC, Eagle Rock; $40,299.

Kimberly R. Johnson and David A. Straus, co-administrators of the Estate of Ronald E. Johnson, to Kimberly R. Johnson; Lot 133ER, Eagle Rock; $1.

Eagle Rock Resort Co. to Sochievy and Youly Path; Lot 224WS, Eagle Rock; $47,369.

Eagle Rock Resort Co. to Ethel and Gilbert Tan; Lot 229WS, Eagle Rock; $45,349.

Frackville — Michael Hawranick to John Martofel; 138 Rear S. Balliet St.; $35,000.

Robert E. Buchanan, administrator of the Estate of Mary C. Downey, to George R. and Mary C. Reed; 227 N. Railroad Ave.; $36,000.

Hegins Township — West Schuylkill G.E.M. Realty LLC to Wendy J. Brandt; 110 N. Goodspring Road, Hegins; $10,000.

Helen Joy Morgan to Jeffrey A. Shade; 326 W. Main St., Hegins; $82,000.

Mahanoy City — John DiBlasi III to Najib Bahjat Lufti; property on West South Street; $7,500.

Gerard Kufrovich, individually and as executor of the Estate of Gertrude M. Kufrovich, and Gregory Kufrovich to Mahanoy Rentals LLC; 414 E. Market St.; $10,000.

Minersville — Joseph V. Jr. and Susan E. Sborz to Jesse E. Roman and Sandra L. Mesa; 321 N. Delaware Ave.; $89,900.

CMCM Investments LLC to Alan E. and Lori Ann Celmer; property on Laurel Street; $15,000.

Alma H. Stramaitis to Brett A. Rutecky; property on North Second Street; $30,500.

North Manheim Township — Watermelon Realty LLC, 081517 Portfolio Trust, LJE LLC and Natural Realty LLC to Webber Enterprises LLC; three properties in Forest Hills; $220,000.

Advisory Board of the Schuylkill Campus of the Pennsylvania State University to The County of Schuylkill; dedications of revisions to University Drive; $1.

Orwigsburg — James N. and Theresa T. Kowatch to Patrick Leitzel and Sara Dougherty; 2012 E. Ridge View Drive, Ridgeview; $340,000.

Pine Grove Township — Daniel L. Miller and Janelle S. Kegerreis to Daniel L. Miller; 569 Oak Grove Road; $1.

Schuylkill Haven — William and Brenda Kline to Imobiliaria LLC; 75 N. Berne St.; $5,000.

South Manheim Township — Reid W. and Elizabeth T. Habecker to Brandon E. and Michelle A. Brossman; two properties on Running Deer Drive, Lake Wynonah; $8,500.

TAMAQUA — Leaders of several state departments visited Lehigh Carbon Community College on Tuesday as part of Gov. Tom Wolf’s “Cabinet in Your Community” event.

About 150 college students, elected officials and community members were invited to ask questions of Department of Education Secretary Pedro Rivera, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell, Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Rick Flinn.

“The governor feels it is vital for local community members to interact with cabinet secretaries,” said Cassandra Coleman, director of Wolf’s Pittston office. Coleman, who moderated the event, said the initiative launched in November and events have been held around the state.

“We all look forward to these dialogues. They are a chance to hear what’s on your minds,” Miller said.

Conversations ranged from minimum wage to state food and insurance benefits.

Lori Michaels, who works in the home health field, said home care aides’ wages are often below poverty level.

Miller agreed, saying the pay is “way too low.”

She noted that Wolf has proposed increasing the state minimum wage to $12 per hour.

“We need to bring those workers up to that amount,” Miller said.

Tamaqua Mayor Nathan Gerace asked whether Wolf’s proposal to raise the minimum wage could hurt businesses.

“I’m a firm believer that higher wages comes with higher education or a higher level of training,” he said, noting that when he worked as a grocery store clerk, he didn’t think he “deserved” $12 an hour.

He said he fears that local businesses would have to raise their prices just to cover payroll.

Miller said raising the minimum wage would actually result in an overall savings for the state, since it would not have to pay medical or other benefits to those living below the poverty level.

“I think (the governor) wants people to be able to support themselves and their families,” Miller said.

One woman, who works in the mental health field, said clients are often hardworking and want to reduce their reliance on state benefits and assistance.

“One of the biggest barriers they face is stigma,” she said, noting that some believe people who accept assistance are “freeloaders.” She hoped the Department of Human Services would educate the public on who receives the benefits.

“It keeps people who need our services from getting them,” Miller said of the stigma.

Miller said many senior citizens qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which was referred to as food stamps. Only 30 percent accept the food assistance.

“We can’t get seniors who are eligible for SNAP to sign up because I believe in many cases it is the stigma. They don’t want to be part of a government handout when in fact we know that seniors who are on SNAP are healthier, have healthier outcomes and have less health spending,” Miller said.

The majority of those who receive benefits are handicapped, elderly or have mental health issues or intellectual disabilities.

Rivera answered questions about standardized testing and school taxes, noting that the state is reducing the time spent on standardized tests, and is attempting to direct grant funding to the neediest districts.

Another woman asked what can be done to clean up lands and water impacted by coal mining.

McDonnell said the Department of Environmental Protection works with the federal Office of Surface Mining on reclamation and other projects. Mining companies are charged a fee on every ton produced, with money earmarked for cleanup efforts.

Another man told Flinn that a state of emergency issued in advance of a recent snowstorm created much confusion. Many people thought the declaration meant it was illegal to travel on roads.

Flinn noted that Wolf signed a disaster declaration ahead of a storm, but many media outlets reported it as a “state of emergency,” a term that hasn’t been used for years in the state.

Flinn agreed that the state must do more to inform the public on what a disaster declaration means. He said 911 emergency centers are often inundated by callers who ask whether the declaration means travel is forbidden.

“This does not mean that you don’t have to go to work,” Flinn explained.

Contact the writer: jwhalen@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3592

POTTSVILLE — Over a dozen of Schuylkill County’s finest young singers stepped up to the microphone during the opening round of the Junior Idol of Schuylkill County competition Tuesday night.

Presented by the Schuylkill Theater Association, county singers ranging from ages 8 to 15 demonstrated their singing abilities on a song they chose. The songs covered a variety of levels of difficulty and genres from Broadway to Disney to country and pop hits.

Each contestant was met with applause from supporters and competitors alike at the conclusion and after performing, the singers received feedback and notes from the three judges, Catherine Nadeau, Glenn Roberts and Claraann Schultz. What the three were looking for was the performer’s technique, showmanship, stage presence, tone, pitch and timing.

“Are you believable? Are you making the song yours?” Roberts said.

Caitlin Cappella, 13, of Port Carbon, chose “Someone Like You” by Adele for her song.

“I really like Adele and I love how she goes into the song really powerful,” Cappella said. “I like singing and everyone tells me I should always try new opportunities.”

Aidan Grace, 11, of Orwigsburg, picked “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars as his opening number to the delight of the crowd.

“I just want to show other boys there are many more talents out there,” Grace said of his entering the contest.

Madeline Wittig, 14, of Frackville, sang a favorite of hers, “Riptide” by Vance Joy.

“I’ve always loved singing that song,” Wittig said. “Vance Joy is one of my favorite artists. I think singing is a gift and I want to show everybody my gift.”

The rest of the competition takes place at 6 p.m. on the remaining Tuesdays of April at the Fairlane Village mall. The field will be whittled from 15 to 10 for next week’s quarterfinal round. After the quarterfinals, four will be eliminated before the semifinal and then the final three will compete on the 24th.

The top 10 will be announced by 3 p.m. today on the Schuylkill Theater Facebook page. The 10 selected will sing two songs, one of their choice and one from the Motown era.

Sandy Kost-Sterner, president of the Schuylkill Theater Association, said there are other challenges for the contestants that will get them out of their comfort zones, but declined to go into further detail, so the singers don’t have an idea of what to prepare for in the coming weeks.

“I think the talent we have in our area is amazing and I’m already excited about next week,” Kost-Sterner said.

Contact the writer: dbarr@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011

The Kline Township supervisors will hold a second special meeting to talk about the future of the Kelayres Playground at 6 p.m. today.

Last Thursday, the supervisors held the first special meeting about the playground, at which they initiated eminent domain proceedings to seize the land where the playground is located, Supervisor Dale Wesner said.

The supervisors want more public input into the action, so they are holding the second meeting.

“Additional input is requested on the township recently filing to take the Kelayres Playground, improve it for public use and pay the owners for that section of land,” Wesner said. “This subject has become community news, with some upset that private land is being taken for public use and others that want to see improvements in the community and to keep the long-time playground.”

Public comments will be accepted at the meeting and supervisors may then have an executive session to decide if the majority of the residents desire the township to stop the eminent domain process.

Eminent domain proceedings were instituted because, “The owners have repeatedly stated to the supervisors that they wanted the Kelayres playground gone,” Wesner said.

But Joseph Wargo, who owns the land with his wife, Ruth, denied ever saying he wanted the playground gone until the eminent domain effort began last week.

“When we bought the land, our lawyer said we should get the playground out of there for liability reasons,” Wargo said. “But we didn’t do it. We let the kids play there.”

The Wargos said they bought 58 acres, including the land where the playground sits, on July 3, 1999. The land has been maintained, including grass cut, since the Wargos bought the property, Joseph Wargo said.

The supervisors asked the Wargos to donate the land where the playground is, which they balked at, in case they want to further develop the land.

About a decade ago, Wargo said he and his wife commissioned the installation of water and sewer lines, and established underground electrical facilities to accommodate the construction of homes, including storm sewer drains along Kelayres Road. The Wargos built their home 3,800 feet off Kelayres Road, but no homes have been built yet where the long-standing Kelayres baseball field is next to the playground.

The Kline Township Municipal Authority owns 150 acres behind where the playground is now, and Wargo questions why that land cannot be used for a playground.

“They said they don’t have the money to clear that land, and it has snakes on it,” Wargo said. “Did they do a study to see if there are snakes there? If they asked me to help clear the land, I would help. They don’t have the money to clear the land but they have the money to pay for eminent domain.”

Wargo fears if the eminent domain procedure is successful for the playground, the township could use it to expand recreational opportunities near the playground.

“We have to fight this,” Wargo said. “What if they want a baseball field? Or basketball courts? I don’t see the need for a playground there, since there is one three-quarters of a mile up the road,” near the McAdoo Little League field.

Wargo said he had only three hours’ notice of last Thursday’s 2:30 p.m. special meeting.

“We’re not being treated fairly,” Wargo said.

The equipment at Kelayres Playground is more than 60 years old, the supervisors said. Prior to Thursday, the supervisors had been talking about building a new, modern playground near the Kline Township Municipal Authority, the former Honeybrook Water Co., off Market Street at the edge of Kelayres.

Contact the writer: jdino@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3585

POTTSVILLE — Harold J. McGurl Jr. faces many years in state prison after a jury convicted him Tuesday of trying to murder a man in October 2016 in his hometown.

McGurl, 44, of Ashland, bowed and shook his head as the jury of nine men and three women found him guilty of attempted first-degree murder, recklessly endangering another person and two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault.

Jurors deliberated approximately three hours before reaching their verdict, which ended the two-day trial over which Judge Jacqueline L. Russell presided.

After the verdict, Russell ordered preparation of a presentence investigation and said she would schedule sentencing at a later date. Wearing handcuffs and leg shackles, McGurl then left the courtroom and returned to prison, where he is being held following revocation of his bail.

State police at Frackville alleged McGurl stabbed and slashed Jordan Adams in the early morning hours of Oct. 8, 2016, on Spruce Street in Ashland. Adams had testified on Monday that he suffered 10 to 12 stab wounds and was taken to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, for emergency surgery.

In her closing argument, Assistant Public Defender Debra A. Smith, McGurl’s lawyer, said that her client had a knife but was the one who had to defend himself from an unprovoked attack by Adams, who had taken methamphetamine that evening. She called Adams “super confident, super powerful, super energetic” as the result of his drug use.

“That’s why Mr. Adams went to the hospital,” Smith said.

Furthermore, McGurl did not try to conceal what he did, Smith said.

“Mr. McGurl honestly told you, ‘I ran into the woods,’ ” she said. “He didn’t try to hide.”

Smith also characterized McGurl’s fleeing as a renunciation of any crimes he might have intended to commit.

However, jurors accepted the closing argument of Deputy Attorney General Philip M. McCarthy, a Mahanoy Plane native, who said Adams and McGurl told wildly different stories.

“Only one of those versions adds up. Only one of those versions makes sense. And in only one of those versions does the puzzle fit together,” he said. That version is Adams’, according to McCarthy.

Adams’ story fits with the testimony of other witnesses, McCarthy said.

It fits with testimony that McGurl was intoxicated and angry, had gotten a knife from a friend and was the aggressor in the fight, McCarthy said. It also fits with what he did after attacking Adams, according to McCarthy.

“He was running away because he wanted to flee the scene, and we know he did flee the scene,” McCarthy said of McGurl.

Furthermore, he said, McGurl said he was going to get Shane Parker, Adams’ brother, and became upset after seeing Parker’s car. It did not matter that Adams, not Parker, actually was in the car, McCarthy said.

“ ‘Are you Shane Parker’s brother? I’m going to end you,’ ” were McGurl’s first words to Adams, McCarthy said.

Smith declined to comment on the case after the verdict. However, McCarthy did not.

“We’re very pleased with the verdict,” he said.

Contact the writer: pbortner@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6014

Defendant: Harold J. McGurl Jr.

Age: 44

Residence: Ashland

Verdict: Guilty of attempted first-degree murder, recklessly endangering another person and two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault

POTTSVILLE — In recent county court action, President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted guilty pleas from, and pursuant to agreements between prosecutors and defendants, imposed the indicated sentences on, these people:

John L. Amend, 36, of Ashland; unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; 12 months probation. Prosecutors withdrew charges of burglary, criminal trespass and theft.

Mark A. Antonelli, 27, of Forestville; possession of a controlled substance, driving under the influence, disregarding traffic lane and careless driving; 72 hours to six months in prison and 12 months consecutive probation. Prosecutors withdrew charges of public drunkenness, driving unregistered vehicle and operating vehicle without valid inspection.

William D. Hostetter Jr., 75, of Tower City; two counts each of DUI and careless driving; one to five years in prison, $4,050 in fines, $200 in payments to the Substance Abuse Education Fund and $120 restitution to Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Philip I. Klemow, 31, of Frackville; disorderly conduct; $100 fine. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Drew S. Lahr, 35, of Marion Heights; possession of drug paraphernalia; 12 months probation and $100 SAEF payment. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession of a controlled substance.

Michael C. Linkchorst, 37, of Shenandoah; resisting arrest; 18 months probation. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of harassment.

Thomas J. Matukewicz, 39, of Auburn; improper furnishing of drug-free urine; 12 months probation and $50 bench warrant fee.

Contact the writer: pbortner@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6014.

Fleeing man caught, charged

WILLIAMSTOWN — State police at Lykens charged a Tower City man stemming from an incident at Tunnel and Market streets in this Dauphin County community around 9:55 p.m. March 27.

Police said Jason Houtz, 35, was seen driving and police knew he was listed as a wanted person. Houtz fled from his vehicle and after about a 25 to 30 yard foot chase was taken into custody after being found hiding alongside a house, police said.

When taken into custody, police said, Houtz was found with a glass pipe used for smoking controlled substances.

As a result, police said, Houtz was charged with flight to avoid apprehension and several traffic violations and will have to appear before Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum, Elizabethville.

Houtz was committed to Dauphin County Prison awaiting a hearing on the other arrest warrants, police said.

Traffic stop leads

to weapon charge

PINE GROVE — A Schuylkill Haven man was charged by Pine Grove police following an investigation into an incident at Pottsville and Tulpehocken streets around 5:20 p.m. Jan. 22.

Police said Friday that Joseph H, Boeshore III, 64, of 40 Wild Cherry Road, was charged with firearms not to be carried without a license, driving without a license, operation following suspension, and failure to surrender registration plates and cards.

Police said they stopped a vehicle driven by Boeshore for a suspended registration and insurance cancellation and had the vehicle impounded. Officers then went to the tow yard to retrieve the registration that had to be returned to PennDOT and found a machete in a sheath next to the driver’s seat.

Also in the vehicle, police said, officers found a Colt automatic .25-caliber handgun with a fully loaded magazine and 35 loose rounds of .25-caliber ammunition inside a hat.

Boeshore, police said, does not have a license to carry a concealed firearm.

Police: Woman slit

wrists, ran down road

PINE GROVE — A Pine Grove woman was arrested by Pine Grove police for separate incidents in the borough.

Police said Nicole Ann Hudock, 22, of 209 S. Tulpehocken St., Suite 3, was charged with disorderly conduct after an incident at that building around 5:50 p.m. Feb. 6.

Police said Hudock was throwing items at the house, almost hitting several people who were nearby, cursing in public and attempting to walk away from officers who responded.

The woman was also charged with an additional count of disorderly conduct after an incident around 6:25 p.m. Feb. 8, also at 209 S. Tulpehocken St.

Police said Hudock slit her wrists and then ran down the street in a low light area and tried to jump in front of vehicles.

Woman charged for

vehicle infractions

PINE GROVE — A borough woman was charged by Pine Grove police after a vehicle stop in the 100 block of South Tulpehocken Street around 6 p.m. Feb. 28.

Police said Michelle M. Romberger, 33, of 17 Union St., was charged with driving a vehicle without an official Certificate of Inspection, registration and Certificate of Title required, drivers required to be licensed, driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked and altered, forged or counterfeit documents and plates.

Police said officers found Romberger inside a vehicle parked in the VFW parking lot and subsequently learned the woman had an expired license and a fraudulent inspection sticker on the vehicle.

Wanted woman

charged for drugs

A woman was charged by Pine Grove police after an incident at the Schuylkill County Prison around 9 p.m. March 17.

Police said Leah M. Ilgenfritz, 30, of 16 Carbon St., was charged with two counts each of felony contraband and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

Police said officers went to the home of Ilgenfritz to serve an arrest warrant and transported the woman to the county prison.

At the prison intake area, police said, Ilgenfritz said that she had heroin and suboxone in her underwear.

A corrections officer took Ilgenfritz to a secure area and given the contraband that was later turned over to officers, police said.

Applications are now being accepted for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grants.

Those interested have until 5 p.m. April 27 to submit a grant application.

The program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is designed to provide grants to local fire departments to assist in hiring and retaining staff.

The funding helps local fire departments respond to emergencies and assures that municipalities have “adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards,” according an overview of the program.

“SAFER provides funding to help fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations stay adequately staffed with frontline firefighters. This gives a much-needed boost to public safety in countless struggling communities. I urge fire departments facing reduced emergency response capabilities to apply for SAFER funding,” U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-17, Moosic, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said.

The grants are available for volunteer or career fire departments. For more information, visit www.fema.gov/firegrants.

FRIEDENSBURG — Fire destroyed an unoccupied house trailer in Wayne Township early Tuesday morning.

A supervisor at the Schuylkill County Communications Center said firefighters were called at 2:43 a.m. for a possible house trailer on fire.

State police fire marshal Trooper John F. Burns of the Frackville station said the trailer is on a dirt lane behind Long Run Stables, about a half-mile west of Phaeons Road off Route 443.

Burns said Tuesday that the trailer was unoccupied at the time of the fire and that the structure was completely destroyed.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, he said.

According to the communications center, firefighters from Friedensburg, Summit Station, Schuylkill Haven and Pine Grove responded to the call.

No injuries were reported.

MAR LIN — Residents are encouraged to put out acceptable items during the annual spring cleanup in Norwegian Township.

The cleanup, slated for April 11 and 12, was discussed along with pothole repairs and a potential firework ordinance at the monthly township board of supervisors meeting on Monday.

The township has provided a list of items that will be prohibited from the cleanup, which includes: out-of-town items, construction debris, televisions, electronics, items with freon, tires, liquids such as paint, oil or used oil, shingles, propane tanks or batteries.

Residents who have questions can call the township office at 570-622-8638.

The township is also having an electronics recycling event 9 a.m. to noon May 5 at the parking lot of the municipal building, 506 Maple Ave. The following items are accepted: computers, laptops, printers, keyboards, cellphones, flat panel TVs and monitors, radios, CD/DVD players, speakers, amplifiers, wires, game consoles, batteries, cable boxes, scrap metal, Christmas lights and other similar items.

Cathode ray tube monitors are accepted for a $20 cost. Projection and CRT TVs are not accepted. Call iGreen Recycling, Reading, at 610-926-1717 with questions.

In other business, road foreman Bill Kirwan talked about potholes: “We are out there filling potholes. If we missed one, please call us and we will come out and fill it right away.”

Since November, the township has used 8 tons of cold patch on township roads. He said the road crew expects to use another ton before hot patch, a more long-term fix for the dreaded nuisance, is available.

Supervisors voted to have township solicitor B.J. Evans draft an ordinance regulating the use of fireworks in the township. The ordinance would apply to licensed operators who put on displays for the public or large gatherings.

“Do you think we should create a fireworks ordinance?” township Supervisor Stanley Petchulis asked Evans, who replied that it would be a good idea.

Among other requirements, a site plan should be submitted and the fire department should ensure proper rules are followed.

“It’s basically to protect the people in the community,” Evans said.

The regulations would not apply to residents who buy fireworks for their own use.

Supervisors also voted to make Louisa Avenue one way from east to west from Saint Clair Avenue to Arthur Street. Residents in the area expressed concern for safety in the area.

Township residents are invited to attend the free family fun day and fishing derby from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 28 and 29 at S&A Trout Ponds, 1354 Chestnut Road, Route 443, Orwigsburg. The event will have refreshments available along with rods and other equipment. A fishing license is not required and help is available for those who need it. Stop by the township building or call to sign up. Donations made the event possible.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

SAINT CLAIR — The borough council, in a unanimous vote, approved the expansion plans for the Coal Creek Commerce Center on Tuesday.

The supervisors approved the request with a list of 12 conditions, some of which have been met. Those conditions include that a developers agreement be submitted and approved, the borough fire chief approves the fire hydrant layout and details, appropriate lighting is provided in specified areas and easements be identified.

“Having this approved is critical,” Gretchen Sterns, attorney for the Coal Creek Commerce Center, said after the meeting.

She said some of the leases can be finalized for the development that is south of Aspen Dental, which is closest to Route 61. It is in the C-3 heavy commercial district and plans call for the area to be served by public water and sewer. Sterns did not name the prospective tenants, however, it was mentioned that negotiations were being held with a hair salon, mattress business and an urgent care facility. A state liquor store was also mentioned as a possible tenant. Sterns said previously most of the interested businesses are new to the county and about half of the building would have tenants quickly. Names of some tenants could be released this month, Sterns said.

Heim Construction Co., Orwigsburg, is the general contractor on the project and will start in the next couple of months, Roy Heim, owner of Heim Construction, said.

The current plan shows four proposed structures: a single unit at 4,735 square feet allocated for medical office use; a mixed-use three unit building at 11,984 square feet, which includes space for retail use and a hair salon; a single retail store measuring 10,352 square feet; and a two-unit building with 24,104 square feet for retail use. It will be built on approximately 6 acres. Parking is also indicated on the plan.

There will be two entrance points, the main entrance to the Coal Creek Commerce Center and a new proposed connection out of Saint Clair off Sherman Street.

Brian Baldwin, engineer for the borough, said the applicant has one year to address the conditions or the plans are void.

Sterns said they will be completed in a timely manner.

Council President William Dempsey and borough Secretary Roland Price said the expansion is good news for the county and the borough.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028