FRACKVILLE — Timothy F. Twardzik has gone from pierogies to premieres, spending time before a movie camera as an actor.

The Shenandoah native is retired from the company his father Ted began in the 1950s, which is Ateeco Inc., maker of Mrs. T’s Pierogies, but in the last few years, he renewed his interest in acting and works from time to time as a “background actor,” formerly called an “extra,” in a variety of film productions.

Twardzik spoke from his Frackville home with his wife, Carol, and Watson, their sheepadoodle, an Old English sheepdog/poodle mix.

Twardzik got his acting experience while he was vice president of Ateeco performing in Mrs. T’s television commercials.

“Our goal at Mrs. T’s was to put a pierogy in every pot,” Twardzik said. “We did television advertising and the agency came up with this grand idea that we should put Tim Twardzik in it. I said this is the last gasp of an agency you’re going to fire because this is the best idea you have.”

Twardzik and then-public relations director Wayne Holben became part of the commercials.

“They were commercials that had me dancing with bikers and Jimmy Sturr. It was a lot of fun,” he said. “They broke through the clutter and got people thinking about the fun you can have with the pierogy.”

For Twardzik to be part of the commercials, he was required to join the Screen Actors Guild.

“I had to join because when they aired in several markets, they would only put the commercials together with union actors,” he said. “So I was able to join SAG and I kept my membership because it’s so hard to get in. Every year, I get all the DVDs at the end of the year to vote for my fellow actors for the SAG awards.”

Since retiring from Ateeco, his acting ended on screen. However, in remaining a SAG member, he would occasionally get emails that someone is looking for background actors.

“So I took a little look and thought that maybe I’ll try that,” he said. “When I was working, Carol said, ‘Gosh, you’re always gone,’ and now she goes, ‘You’re not working. You’re always home. Go do something.’ ”

Twardzik enjoys doing the background acting for different reasons.

“The background acting is interesting because there is a chance to make films more authentic by having people in the scenery and it’s fun. You get to see what’s going on behind the scenes. It’s fascinating how many people are actually working on a set of a movie and television series. They all separate roles, and this big mishmash happens to put together a product at the end of the day.”

“Tim has an agency that he works with for these roles in the tri-state area,” Carol Twardzik said. The company is Heery Loftus Casting, Philadelphia. Its website states it is the leading casting company in the Delaware Valley.

“I’m assigned to the Philadelphia SAG office,” he said. “So we get notices to come and work on their films. I got the opportunity to work on ‘Glass,’ that was released recently. In that movie you get the chance to see Bruce Willis on set, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, James McAvoy. Poor James McAvoy. We were filming in the closed-down psychiatric hospital in Allentown. It was about 20 degrees outside and poor McAvoy had to be bare-chested jumping up on a truck in the film. I got to watch looking out of a window at a bunch of SWAT people laying down on the ground for four hours. I did much better. My role was a concerned parent. I got to sit in the lobby and have Sarah Paulson walk by who would be worried about my daughter in the psychiatric hospital.”

While filming a movie may seem glamorous, it is actually more tedious and time consuming.

“You spend a lot of time waiting around for your call. You get out on set, you do your little lineup. When it’s time, the body double disappears and the star comes in. They shoot for 20 seconds, the star goes away and body double gets to stand back waiting,” he said. “It’s just a slow process as they put it all together.”

Another opportunity came as a background actor on the HBO series “Succession,” with his scene shot in Atlantic City. He was paid extra since his car was used in the scene.

“I drove down to Atlantic City and pulled into a tunnel that was supposed to be the Lincoln Tunnel,” he said. “So my day job there was quite exciting, which was to sit in my car behind a limousine and watch the star of the show get out of the car, yell a bad word and run out of the tunnel because he was late for a meeting. We shot that for about three hours from different angles. I sat in the car and read a book. The bad part was I was in a tunnel and couldn’t get XM Radio. It was a good time to catch up on reading. Jeremy Strong was the star of that.”

Still another film Twardzik may appear in — depending on whether a scene shot will make the cut — “17 Bridges,” which stars Chadwick Boseman.

One of Twardzik’s most recent appearances in a film is as a doctor in “Creed II,” released in 2018 as part of the “Rocky” series of movies, with this one and its predecessor “Creed” focusing on Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, who fought against and later became a friend of Rocky Balboa.

Twardzik showed a photo of himself in a white doctor’s jacket and a stethoscope around his neck.

“I found this photo from ‘Creed II.’ I got to wear my jacket and pediatric stethoscope,” Twardzik said. “My years on the Lehigh Valley Health System board had helped prepare me for that role. I walked down the hallway and on the other side up came Sylvester Stallone as he was waiting for the birthing of Creed’s child.”

He added, “All the actors seem very nice. Stallone will give you a ‘Hey, Hi.’ It’s nice to see the stars in action.”

Another production that Twardzik appeared is “Crumpet,” which is a planned series by Apple from filmmaker and actor M. Night Shyamalan. The filming was done in Philadelphia.

“It’s not out yet, but the good news is that’s a series and people are thrilled about that,” he said. “They built a beautiful indoor set. It took 42 people to build the set. There’s a beautiful street scene.”

As a background actor, the parts Twardzik was in had no words. He would need to add to his resume and get more involved in the casting network to get a speaking part.

“You get to mouth your words silently as a background actor,” Twardzik said. “Background acting is a lot of waiting and a lot of walking.”

Watson also had his chance before the camera in “Crumpet.”

“When I did the ‘Crumpet’ show, they wanted a dog, so I became a middle-aged man with a dog. Watson was very well behaved and everybody on the set loved him,” Twardzik said. “He wagged his tail and everybody paid attention to him. Everybody in the cast and crew took their phones out and took pictures of Watson. The SPCA representative was there to make sure that Watson was treated well.”

At this time, Twardzik identifies himself as an “out-of-work actor,” but he looks forward to his next acting gig.

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

POTTSVILLE — A new place has opened with a goal of providing an outlet of hope to those in need.

Conversation Cafe, at 110 E. Arch St., is a “judgement free” zone where people can listen to topics, music and discuss what is going on in their lives, Eddie Perhonitch, who is the cofounder of Culture2Culture, said.

The cafe is part of Culture2Culture, a peer-to-peer support organization that aims to help people with mental health and substance abuse problems. The organization has not yet received its license from the state to provide the aforementioned services.

The cafe is open 7 to 10 p.m. every Friday. Free music is provided, and sometimes food is available, such as a recent donation from Roman Delight, Orwigsburg.

“We want to do something in Pottsville to bring the love back. Love is the answer. It has always been the answer,” Perhonitch said.

Perhonitch said the goal of the cafe is to “smash stigma. We want to put an end to stigma.”

Anyone is invited to the cafe. There have been 13 topics so far including mental illness; the impact of trauma; addiction and mental illness; and the criminal justice system. Three 15-minute open mic sessions are held when people can discuss the topic of the night or whatever they are talking about at the table.

Perhonitch said people come because they feel comfortable there and call it “home.”

“The common phrase people are using about Conversation Cafe is that it is life-changing,” Perhonitch said.

“I hear people say they don’t feel judged here,” said Joe Szeliga, former chief of Schuylkill County Adult Probation and fiscal officer for Culture2Culture.

He owns the building with Pastor Vinnie Murray, a recovery coach with Open Arms Ministries, a crisis center and men’s transitional house. Murray is also the chief operating officer with Culture2Culture.

“I think this is long overdue for the community. This gives them a place where they can have a voice,” Murray said.

Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6028

POTTSVILLE — For one cast member of “The Little Mermaid Jr.,” performing under the sea was a dream come true.

Sam Keglovitz, 14, of Pottsville, said she knew she wanted to be evil sea witch Ursula from the get-go.

“I actually used to hate Ursula, but she was my mom’s favorite character,” she said.

Keglovitz auditioned for the role along with Caitlin Cappella, 14, of Schoentown,who was cast as Ariel. Keglovitz grew up watching the movie and said it became her “dream” to play the sea witch.

Kim Keglovitz, 46, Sam’s mother, wore an Ursula T-shirt to the show.

“I just love her confidence,” Kim Keglovitz said of Ursula.

Kim Keglovitz recalled her daughter jumping on her bed and telling her she got the role she wanted for so long.

“Mom, I’m Ursula,” Kim Keglovitz remembered her daughter saying.

Sunday’s old-out show was the third performance of the musical by The Majestic Players over the weekend.

“Thanks to everybody that helped to put this together,” Lisa Gillespie, director of the show and executive director of the Majestic Theater Association, said.

Sunday was the third showing during the weekend with the others on Friday and Saturday.

Gillespie said she decided on the show after Keglovitz said she wanted to be Ursula in the musical. Gillespie said she didn’t know about Keglovitz’s singing ability until she heard it for herself.

Cappella said she had wanted to be Ursula because of her villain status but was happy playing the hero Ariel.

When Ariel went to Ursula because she wanted her help becoming human to get Prince Eric, portrayed by Thomas Pospisil, she questioned her decision to come.

“I shouldn’t be here. Mother died because of you,” Cappella said.

Keglovitz said they both have ambition and are willing to do what it takes to achieve their objectives. She told Cappella that the fee for helping her is her voice.

“A woman doesn’t know how precious her voice is until it is silenced,” Keglovitz said.

In the end, Ariel had her voice returned to her, found love and made her father King Triton, portrayed by Michael Spotts, proud.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

Auburn

A Kauffman’s chicken barbecue and ham dinner is set for 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the Auburn Fire Company, 131 Front St. Adult dinners are $9 and children’s dinners are $5. Dessert is included; people may eat at the firehouse or take meals out. A half chicken is $4.50 and a whole, $7.50. For more information, call 570-985-8705.

New Ringgold

A chicken pot pie dinner will being at noon March 16 at Friedens Lutheran Church. The cost is $9 for adults, $4.50 for children ages 5-12 and free for children under 5. People may eat at the church or take meals out. Meals also include pepper cabbage, roll/butter, applesauce, dessert and beverage. Pot pie will also be available at $8 per quart and pepper cabbage at $6 per quart. For more information, call 570-943-2980.

Pottsville

A free St. Patrick’s Day party is set for 6 p.m. March 14 for children ages 3-12 at the Pottsville Free Public Library. It will include crafts, games, refreshments and prizes for participants, according to a release. For more information, call 570-622-8880, Ext. 12.

Pottsville

Diakon Living and Learning, 118 S. Centre St., has activities, classes, workshops and creative/healthful initiatives on its agenda throughout Schuylkill County. For more information regarding costs, types of sessions, dates/times and locations, call Susan Long at 570-624-3018 or email her at longs@diakon.org. More information also is available online at www.diakon.org/community-services/Living-Learning-After-50.

Primrose

“Dustin’s Special Egg Hunt,” named after a 7-year-old Pottsville boy with autism, will begin at 1 p.m. April 13 at the South Cass Fire Company grounds. The Easter egg hunt is open to all Schuylkill County children 16 and younger who suffer from a disability. Registration forms and waivers are available on the Facebook page, “Dustin’s Special Egg Hunt.” The event is limited to 300 children and the deadline to register is March 17. There will be three areas with the specific needs of the children in mind. Each child is guaranteed to receive eggs and have an equal opportunity for larger prizes. Each participant will also receive an Easter bag sponsored by the Mechanicsville Game and Fish group and a voucher for food and drink sponsored by Aaron’s Sales and Lease, Pottsville, at the event. Various mascots and characters will also be on hand. Emergency apparatus will be on display and there will be craft, decorating and coloring areas. Organizers said in a release the boy with autism attended an egg hunt last year with other children but due to his disability he was unable to get eggs: “He did not have adequate time and the noise of the horn scared him due to a sensory issue.” His mother subsequently gathered friends and began planning this event geared toward children with disabilities. For this egg hunt, each group of children will have a time and area to register and start. For vision-impaired children the start time will be 1 p.m.; for hearing-impaired, autistic and Down Syndrome children the start will be 1:45 p.m. and for wheelchair-bound youngsters, the start will be at 2:30 p.m.

Shenandoah

The Shenandoah Area Free Public Library, Washington and Main streets, is starting a book club. The first meeting is set for 2 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday and the first book focus will be “The Library Book” by Susan Orlean. The book, according to a library press release, is a recent bestseller and a Reese’s Book Club pick. People interested in becoming part of the book club are asked to call 570-462-9829 or 570-889-8685. The library will reserve several copies of the book for those interested, on a first-come basis. Story/craft time at the library will be held from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday. The library now has a collection of Spanish language books, both fiction and nonfiction. It also has available copies of the book “Lithuanians in America.”

A donor is pitching an upgrade to the Cardinal softball field, the Pine Grove Area school board learned Thursday.

The effort is still in the exploratory phase, according to Superintendent Heath W. Renninger, who did not identify the potential contributor.

“A local family has graciously informed the board that they may be interested in providing a monetary donation to ‘light’ the field,” Renninger said in an email Monday.

Directors authorized the administration to explore the possibility and to bring back a plan to the board so talks can continue.

“At this point, the discussion is in its infancy and neither the donation or the possible project has been approved by the board,” Renninger said.

Evelyn Wassel, board president, was absent.

In other business, the board heard a presentation from Mary Figura, curriculum coordinator, and Renninger about Future Ready, the new school evaluation dashboard. Created last November by the state Department of Education under the Every Student Succeeds Act, it replaces the School Performance Profile score. Figura updated the board on the district’s data, highlighting evaluation tools like the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System, attendance and graduation rates.

In other matters, it was announced that graduation day for this year’s students will be June 5, a few days later than planned. On Thursday, the board revised its 2018-19 district calendar to include snow make-up days. The last student day has also been changed from May 31 to June 5.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted the Schuylkill Technology Center program budget for 2019-20, with Pine Grove’s payment of $550,663.

•Recognized February seniors of the month, Sydney Griffiths and David Krammes; and eighth-graders of the month, Eli Holden and Autumn Gantz.

•Appointed David Lukasewicz as the Pennsylvania School Boards Association board liaison for the 2019 calendar year.

•Approved the JROTC academic team’s trip to Fresh Meadows, New York, on Friday and Saturday to compete in a regional competition.

•Approved the following head coaches and pay for the fall season: Mark Wyllie, boys’ soccer, $4,207.50; Brittney Shelton, cross country, $2,700; Frank Gaffney, football, $4,500; Lexi Towne, girls’ soccer, $3,825; and Paul Felty, golf, $2,835. Daryl Wessner resigned as head volleyball coach and the position will be advertised.

•Added a Gaming Club for the high school. The advisers are Samantha Hoover and Jim Hull. There are no expenses to this club.

•Approved the resignation of Kenneth Gibson from his position as curriculum facilitator and replaced him with Eric Mansilla. Mansilla will receive the $500 stipend, pro-rated.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

The Tremont Little League baseball field sustained damage due to the high winds Sunday into Monday.

“The winds were pretty nasty here overnight,” Jim Scheibley, president and executive director of Tremont Baseball Inc., said Monday afternoon.

Upon going to work shortly before 6 a.m. Monday, Scheibley noticed a light pole had fallen and crashed through the roof of the visitors’ grandstand at the field.

There are four light poles on the field, which are about 20 years old. The pole that fell was on the outer part of the field, first base side behind home plate.

“It’s definitely wind related,” he said.

Scheibley did not know how much it will cost to fix. He said the pole and equipment on them are insured. He also thinks the bleachers will be covered by insurance.

Scheibley said he had people willing to help repair the damage and is optimistic it will be fixed before opening day in May.

“My phone has been ringing off the hook all day,” he said.

Tremont Borough Mayor Ricky Ney said Scheibley called him about the incident.

“Our youth is an integral part of our community, so I hope our community will stand again up toward this recent destruction like we have from last year’s flooding and come together and help this organization get back on its feet and we will prevail,” Ney said.

Children ages 4 to 12 play at the field.

“It’s the only youth organization program in the borough,” Scheibley said.

High winds also wreaked havoc to the roof of an office building at 5 N. Second St. in Pottsville.

“The roof blew off the building and we were concerned the way the building is leaning. There is big gap there that wasn’t there,” Pottsville Fire Chief James E. Misstishin Sr. said.

He said it looked like the left side of the building on the second and third floor was pulling away. Misstishin estimated 75 percent of the roof was gone.

City engineer John Levkulic, who was there at 11 a.m., said he was unable to determine if there was any other damage due to weather conditions.

“With this wind, it’s not safe for anybody to be on the roof,” he said.

Levkulic said there was cracking in the plaster inside but that could be unrelated to the weather.

Misstishin said a contractor will be at the site today. Misstishin said he was notified of the damage when city safety officer Jason Witmier was returning to Good Intent Fire Company next door and noticed debris.

“Nobody was inside. Nobody was hurt,” Dr. Peter Yasenchak, who owns the property, said.

He said the gap that Misstishin noticed was not there previously. Yasenchak said George Logothetides, who was working at a property nearby, called him.

Logothetides said when he heard the noise, he thought it was a car accident until he looked outside and then called 911.

Responding to the scene were firefighters from Good Intent and West End fire companies, city street department employees and David Petravich, city building code officer.

John Matz, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency coordinator, said the county weathered the storm fairly well.

“We haven’t had a lot of numbers of people out,” he said, referring to power outages.

The highest number of customers without power in the county was 1,930 at 3 p.m. Monday, Carol Obando-Derstine, regional affairs director with PPL Electric Utilities Inc., said. Areas affected included Cressona, Gilberton and Shenandoah boroughs and Blythe, Butler, East Brunswick, Eldred, Hegins, North Manheim, Norwegian, Pine Grove, Porter, Rush, Ryan, Schuylkill, South Manheim, Tremont, Union, Walker, Washington, Wayne, West Brunswick and West Penn townships.

She said the severe winds caused “widespread power outages” within PPL’s territory.

“Outages that occurred on Sunday are being addressed first by our crews. For customers who lost power on Sunday, we expect power to restored to a majority of those customers by Monday night and all that all of those customers will be restored by noon on Tuesday,” Obando-Derstine said.

Ninety additional workers were brought in from Kentucky to help, she said. Arrangements have been made to bring in 400 more workers from other states.

PPL customers can report an outage by calling 800-DIAL-PPL or at www.pplelectric.com/outage.

David Martin, a meteorologist with National Weather Service, State College, said Monday the winds generally were in the 50 to 60 mph range, but he didn’t have specific wind speeds for Schuylkill County. The high wind was due to a low pressure system moving up across the Great Lakes and gaining strength, he said.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

POTTSVILLE — A Lancaster man will spend more time behind state prison bars after a Schuylkill County judge sentenced him on Wednesday for possessing drugs and paraphernalia while imprisoned in the county.

Antonio Cordero-Velez, 27, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession of contraband/controlled substance.

President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted Cordero-Velez’s plea and sentenced him to serve one to two years in a state correctional institution, pay costs, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $113 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Additionally, Baldwin made the sentence consecutive to the five that Cordero-Velez already is serving from Lancaster County.

State police at Frackville charged Cordero-Velez with possessing drugs and paraphernalia on Aug. 31, 2017, while an inmate at SCI/Mahanoy.

Baldwin on Wednesday also accepted guilty pleas from, and, pursuant to agreements between prosecutors and defendants, imposed the indicated sentences on, the following people:

Brandy L. Abell, 39, of Pottsville; possession of drug paraphernalia; time served to 12 months in prison with immediate parole and $100 SAEF payment.

Charlotta P. Barr, 47, of Pottsville; no contest plea to possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia; 12 months probation, $100 SAEF payment, $50 CJEA payment, $50 bench warrant fee and $113 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem.

Tyler A. Cimino, 23, of Tamaqua; three counts of possession of a controlled substance and one each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, operating vehicle without valid inspection and improper sunscreening; one to three years in a state correctional institution, $50 in fines, $300 in SAEF payments, $100 in CJEA payments, $465 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Harrisburg and submission of a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Prosecutors withdrew three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one each of possession of a small amount of marijuana, speeding, operating with unsafe equipment, improper tires and failure to obey traffic control devices.

Leah C. Clark, 43, of Muncy; resisting arrest; nine to 24 months in a state correctional institution and $50 CJEA payment.

Joseph M. Fedornak, 24, of Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance; 30 days to 12 months in prison, $100 SAEF payment, $50 CJEA payment and $113 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem.

Juan A. Formoso, 22, of Pottsville; one count of aggravated assault and two of retail theft; 27 months to six years in a state correctional institution, $100 in CJEA payments and $964.89 restitution.

Natalie A. Landon, 33, of Pottsville; retail theft; time served to 12 months in prison with immediate parole.

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

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

POTTSVILLE — The state Department of Transportation will conduct an engineering review of a rock slide area along the northbound lane of Route 61 in North Manheim Township, according to a PennDOT official Monday.

Meanwhile, PennDOT Schuylkill County maintenance staff was working Monday to remove debris that fell onto the highway shoulder over the weekend. A scattering of large rocks could be seen along Route 61, near Richard Street in Pottsville, where the area was cordoned off by orange hazard cones.

“At this time, there does not appear to be any additional threat of slope failure,” Ronald J. Young Jr., MPA, district press officer for PennDOT Engineering District 5, Allentown, said in an email. “The district geotechnical engineer will review the area and determine if any rock scaling, and/or protection (e.g. fencing, a wall, etc.), is necessary.”

No one from the state police department in Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency or PennDOT had any reports of injuries or incidents as a result of the rock slide.

The rocks tumbled onto the shoulder early Friday morning and PennDOT staff placed the hazard cones there to warn motorists. They identified no damage to the roadway, according to Young.

Typically, the combination of wet weather conditions and loose soil are causal factors when rocks fall from a hillside or mountainside, he said.

“We routinely have rocks come down in most of the rock cut areas in the mountainous areas in the region. They mostly land on the shoulder and staff cleans them up. It usually happens during the freeze/thaw cycles in winter and spring. Rain is also a contributing factor (causing soil to loosen),” Young said.

PennDOT will monitor the area for any additional loose rock, he said.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

TAMAQUA — The band director at Nativity BVM High School was jailed Monday after being charged by Tamaqua police for engaging in sexual acts with a 13-year-old boy last week.

Online court documents show that Dale Schimpf, 71, of Frackville, was arrested on felony charges of statutory sexual assault by a person 11 years older than the victim, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a person less than 16 years old, criminal solicitation to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a person less than 16 years old and corruption of minors.

Schimpf is also charged with misdemeanor crimes of indecent exposure and indecent assault of a person under the age of 16.

Schimpf was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $100,000 straight cash bail.

Schimpf was arrested by Tamaqua police criminal investigator Cpl. Thomas Rodgers, who obtained a warrant for the man’s arrest and reportedly took him into custody at Nativity BVM High School on Monday.

Rodgers said that between Thursday and Friday, the juvenile was contacted by Schimpf on the website “Grindr” saying that he is cute and liked “younger.”

Then Schimpf asked to meet the juvenile. On Friday, he met the teen for dinner and then went back to the Schimpf home where the man forced the teen to perform a sexual act on him, Rodgers said.

The incident came to light when the mother of the teenager contacted police on Saturday.

Nativity BVM Principal Lynn Sabol did not respond to an email Monday asking for comment on the arrest.

Schimpf is well known to both the music and church communities in Schuylkill and Northumberland counties.

From 1968 to 1977, he served as choir director and organist at Christ Lutheran Church in Schuylkill Haven and from 1969 to 1999, as a music teacher for the North Schuylkill School District.

In 1999, Schimpf retired from teaching music in public schools and that year began teaching music at Cardinal Brennan High School, Fountain Springs, where he did so until 2007 when he began teaching music at Nativity BVM High School.

Schimpf serves as music director of the First United Methodist Church in Frackville, a position he held from 1977 until the present time, and as the organist at the Presbyterian Church, Mount Carmel, beginning in 2009, also until the present time.

A preliminary hearing for Schimpf on the charges is set for noon March 12 before Bayer in his Tamaqua courtroom.

Contact the writer: fandruscavage@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6013

Llewellyn

Good Intent Fire Company will stage a Chinese auction Thursday through Sunday at Hillcrest Hall, 631 S. Third St., (Minersville-Llewellyn Highway). Shop and drops will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The cost is $5 for one sheet and $20 for five sheets. There will be grand prize and medium prize tables, more than 300 regular prizes and more than 150 gift cards. Hours on March 3 will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with prizes drawn at 3 p.m. All are welcome. For more information, email mmbutler67@verizon.net.

Mahanoy City

The Active Christian Teens In Our Neighborhood Youth Group will have a townwide Lenten food drive on March 17. People who have nonperishable food to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Parish are asked to turn their porch lights on at 6:30 p.m. or call Debbie at 570-773-0813 to be placed on the pickup list. The ACTION group will also sponsor a lunch with the Easter Bunny from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 30 at St. Richard Roman Catholic Parish Hall, Barnesville. Proceeds will benefit the missions in Africa. Tickets are $5 each and all are invited for a lunch of a hot dog, chips, pickles and beverage. All participating children will receive a gift from the Easter Bunny. Games of chance and face painting will be available for additional fees. For more information, call the aforementioned number.

Schuylkill Haven

From Sunday wings and breakfasts to taco Tuesdays and Friday bingo games, Rainbow Hose Company has a full agenda in 2019, according to Jennifer L. Michael, company public relations spokeswoman. For more information on company activities, call Kaitlyn at 570-516-7194 or Jen at 570-573-4133.

Shenandoah

The celebrated Shenandoah Valley High School Drama Club will perform “Into the Woods” at 7 p.m. April 26 and 27 and 2 p.m. April 28 in the high school auditorium, West Centre Street and Stadium Road. Tickets, at $10 each or a weekend pass for $25, will be sold two weeks prior to the play dates.

Tamaqua

A wide variety of classes, performances and other offerings is available at the Tamaqua Community Arts Center, 125 Pine St. For information on presentations, dates, times and costs, call the center at 570-668-1192 or go online to www.TamaquaArts.org.

Tamaqua

The Tamaqua Area High School Drama Club will perform “Big Fish” at 7 p.m. March 15 and noon and 7 p.m. March 16 at the Tamaqua Area School District Auditorium. Doors will open one hour before show times and tickets will be available at the door if not purchased at the club’s advance sale. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and $2 for children under 5 requiring a seat. The club, according to a district release, has more than 100 students in grades 6-12. For more information, call the school at 570-668-1901. English teacher Adriane Drum is the drama club director.

Tamaqua

The Black Diamond Writers’ Network will meet from 10 a.m. to noon March 16 at the Tamaqua Public Library, 30 S. Railroad St. The focus will be on incorporating research into writing and the speaker will be Jay Smar, a professional entertainer from Jim Thorpe, who plays guitar, fiddle, mandolin and banjo and also writes the music and lyrics for his songs. He will talk about his stories of the local coal miners and how he researches historical facts about the Pennsylvania coal region. The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, call Anna Getz at 570-645-2717; for directions, call the library at 570-668-4660.

Tamaqua

A March Madness 3-on-3 basketball tournament will be held March 10 at the Tamaqua Area School District Athletic Center, 500 Penn St. Registration will begin at noon. Sponsors are the Eastern Schuylkill Recreation Commission and the NEPA Shock, a semiprofessional football team based in Dickson City. For more information, or to register, visit www.leaguelineup.com/nepaschock or visit the ESRC or NEPA Schock Facebook pages.

David J. Rossi

TREMONT — A Tremont man who served time in state prison is headed back to Schuylkill County Court after waiving his right to preliminary hearings Thursday in two cases police allege involve pursuits.

Daniel T. Langtry, 30, of 233 W. Main St., faces 31 charges in the first case and six in the second. Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi bound over for court all charges in each case.

Langtry remains behind bars in lieu of $2,000 straight cash bail, $1,000 in each case, pending further court proceedings.

In the first case, he is charged with one count each of fleeing or eluding police, improper replacement of glass, failure to keep right, unsafe pass on left, passing when prohibited, speeding, careless driving, reckless driving, and no rear lights, four of improper turning movements, six of stop sign violation and 12 of disregarding traffic lane.

State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged in that case that Langtry fled from them on Nov. 1, 2018, in Tremont.

In the second, he is charged with fleeing or eluding police, improper display of plate or card, failure to drive at a safe speed, reckless driving, seat belt violation and stop sign violation.

State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged in that case that Langtry fled from them on Jan. 17 in Pine Grove Township.

On Dec. 3, 2013, President Judge William E. Baldwin sentenced Langtry to spend one to two years in a state correctional institution, and pay costs and $72,443.27 restitution after a jury had convicted him of assaulting his neighbor on May 24, 2013, in Tremont.

Other defendants whose cases Rossi considered, the charges against each one and the judge’s dispositions of the matters included the following people:

Raymond C. Acker Sr., 60, of 23 S. Poplar St., Mount Carmel; driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia, stop sign violation and DUI while suspended; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges of DUI and DUI while suspended withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

Kory M. Aungst, 37, of 4 Fidler Court, Pine Grove; burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault, attempted theft, receiving stolen property and loitering and prowling at nighttime; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges of burglary and criminal trespass withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

Brandon S. Beatty, 25, of Somerset; two counts each of identity theft, access device fraud, theft and receiving stolen property; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Amy K. Beury, 44, of 450 E. Columbia Ave., Mount Carmel; theft and defiant trespass; charges held for court after preliminary hearing.

Justin L. Cooper, 29, of 224 W. Philadelphia Ave., Donaldson; simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges of simple assault and harassment withdrawn, other charge bound over for court.

Paul A. Daubert Jr., 34, of 34 Spittler Road, Pine Grove; simple assault, defiant trespass, loitering and prowling at nighttime, scattering rubbish and harassment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges of simple assault, scattering rubbish and harassment withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

Ashley M. Fick, 25, of 630 Rock Road, Pine Grove; access device fraud, theft by deception and theft; charges dismissed.

John D. Gipp III, 52, of 12 W. Laurel St., Tremont; DUI, possession of prohibited offensive weapon, disorderly conduct and driving unregistered vehicle; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge of DUI withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

Neil R. Hatfield, 35, of 333 W. Laurel St., Tremont; strangulation, false imprisonment, simple assault and harassment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Edward J. Hunt III, 39, of 349 Main St., Lavelle; retail theft; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge bound over for court.

Michael A. Kline, 47, of 188 Main St., Pottsville; two counts of theft and one of receiving stolen property; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Michael A. Kurchock, 37, of 706 Post Row, Saint Clair; theft by deception and attempted theft by deception; charges held for court after preliminary hearing that Kurchock did not attend. Rossi asked the court to issue a bench warrant for Kurchock.

Darryl W. Lucas Jr., 28, of 409 W. Center St., Donaldson; unlawful restraint, simple assault, harassment, public drunkenness and two counts of disorderly conduct; charges of unlawful restraint, simple assault, harassment and one count of disorderly conduct withdrawn. Lucas pleaded guilty to public drunkenness and a second count of disorderly conduct; Rossi sentenced him to pay costs and $200 in fines.

Michael B. Mabry, 48, of 108 N. Tulpehocken St., Pine Grove; two counts each of receiving stolen property and theft; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Charles J. Muldoon III, 30, of 14 Arrowwood Drive, Perkasie; indecent exposure, criminal mischief, harassment, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness; charges of indecent exposure, criminal mischief, harassment and public drunkenness withdrawn. Muldoon pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct; Rossi sentenced him to pay costs and a $200 fine.

Brandon J. Pugliese, 32, of 1744 Running Deer Drive, Lake Wynonah, Auburn; possession of drug paraphernalia and disregarding traffic lane; guilty plea. Rossi sentenced Pugliese to pay costs, $325 in fines and a $100 payment to the Substance Abuse Education Fund.

Tammy M. Stevens, 58, of 146 N. Railroad St., Frackville; two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one of defiant trespass; right to preliminary hearing waived, one count of possession of a controlled substance withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

Nathaniel M. Winn, 23, of 508 N. Oak St., Coal Township; theft and receiving stolen property; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Wade Yoder, 32, of 71 Rock Road, Pine Grove; endangering the welfare of children, aggravated assault, simple assault and two counts of possession of a controlled substance; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges of endangering the welfare of children, aggravated assault and simple assault dismissed, other charges bound over for court.

Gary W. Zack, 59, of 150 Bucknell Ave., Johnstown; possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, false identification to law enforcement, driving under suspension and use of suspended or altered drivers license; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Steven D. Zimmerman, 43, of 77 Molleystown Road, Pine Grove; three counts of conspiracy and one each of theft, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief and criminal trespass; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges of theft, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

(Staff writer Peter E. Bortner compiled this report)

PSU Schuylkill

touts grant writing

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Penn State Schuylkill is offering a six-week course titled, The Fundamentals of Grantsmanship, beginning from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday.

Grant writing, according to a campus flier, “is a process that involves a combination of research, planning and … writing.”

The registration fee is $249. Classes will also be held March 11, 18 and April 1 and 8. The course will be led by grant writing expert Erin Portland, owner of Schuylkill Grantworks LLC.

“This course is for individuals new to the field, those looking to strengthen their skills as well as members or volunteers of community-based organizations who depend on grants for programming and administration,” officials said in the release.

Participants will get a basic knowledge and understanding of: Different types of funders, fundraising program and grant applications; basic terminology; the proactive approach to grant writing; common grant application format; the basic framework for completing a common grant application; how to search for grants and how to determine if the funding opportunity is a match, according to the release.

Course support material includes: Request for grant funding development tool, grant application checklist, no-cost resources for funding opportunity research and a free professional of the participant’s practice grant application with reviewer’s remarks.

For more information, those interested should contact the campus’ Office of Community Engagement, 13 Administration Building, or call 570-385-6216. Shannon DelConte is the coordinator and can be reached via email at smw29@psu.edu.

DSI schedules soup, hoagie sale

SHENANDOAH — The revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc., 116 N. Main St., will have a soup and sausage hoagie sale fundraiser beginning at 10 a.m. March 14.

Soup is $6 per quart and $3 per pint and hoagies are $3.50 each.

The variety of soup includes New England clam chowder, split pea, chicken noodle, kielbasa, chili and beef barley.

To order or for more information, call DSI at 570-462-2060.

The annual Kielbasi-Pierogie Golf Tournament, sponsored by DSI, will be held June 21 at Mountain Valley Golf Course, Barnesville.

DSI organizers said there are a limited number of spaces still open and advised people planning to participate to register early. For more information, call the aforementioned number.

Shriners ready

for 57th circus

HAMBURG — The Rajah Shriners, Reading, will host the 57th annual Shrine Circus, featuring the Hamid Circus, at the Hamburg Field House, 127 S. Fourth St., March 6 through 10.

Shows will be nightly at 7 p.m. with three performances — 10 a.m., 3 and 7:30 p.m. — March 9 and at 1 and 5:30 p.m. March 10.

For more information, call 610-223-3857 or 610-916-9000.

The Wednesday night performance of the circus is designated First Responders and Family Night when all tickets for everyone attending the opening night are $10 each and free for children 3 and younger. Advanced tickets are available and will also be sold at the door.

General ticket prices are $15 for adults and $10 for children to age 12; free for youngsters 3 and younger.

Auto swap and

car corral set

HAMBURG — An Automotive Swap Meet and Car Corral is scheduled for 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Hamburg Fire Company Field House, 127 S. Fourth St. (rear).

The event, according to a release, offers more than 100 indoor and unlimited outdoor spaces. Refreshments will be available, the site is accessible to the handicapped and the action will go on rain or shine.

The cost is $2 for adults and free for children under 12 free.

For vendor spaces or other information, call 610-823-4656.

Award nominations taken in Tamaqua

TAMAQUA — The Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 2019 Joseph M. Plasko Citizenship and the 2019 Business Person of the Year awards.

The citizenship award is open to all residents of the Tamaqua Area School District 18 and older.

Nomination forms are available at the chamber office, 37 W. Broad St., or at the chamber’s website, www.tamaqua.net.

Nominations for the Business Person of the year Award must be affiliated with a business in good standing — dues paid for in 2019 — with the Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce.

The deadline for nominations for both awards is noon Friday.

To obtain forms or for more information on the awards, call Jack Kulp at 570-668-1880, email chamber@tamaqua.net or visit Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook.

Opening ceremony set for Riverview

POTTSVILLE — An open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 5 p.m. Monday for Riverview Bank, 22nd and West Market Street.

People planning to attend are asked to RSVP to the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce’s Jonni Gray by Thursday by calling 570-622-1942 or emailing jgray@schuylkillchamber.com.

Nominees sought for board, awards

POTTSVILLE — The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Nominating Committee has announced it is seeking candidates to be placed on the ballot for the chamber board of directors for the July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2021, term.

In another development, the chamber’s awards committee has announced it is seeking candidates for the annual Business Woman, Business Man, Entrepreneur, For-Profit Organization and Non-Profit Organization of the Year awards.

“If you would be interested in being placed on the ballot (for the chamber board of directors), or would like to nominate someone you think would make a good board member for the Schuylkill chamber, please advise Bob Carl via email” no later than March 1, nominating committee members said in a release.

Robert S. Carl Jr. is the chamber’s executive director and chief executive officer.

As part of the nominating process, interested people are asked to submit an introductory email of interest with a nominee’s background information plus a completed board of directors commitment form. All information, including background information, reason for chamber leadership interest and history of past involvement with the chamber will be considered, according to the release.

The nominating committee will review all interested nominees or nominations submitted by members. Since the ballot is limited each year to no more than 20 positions, an explanation of interest or worthiness of the nominee would assist committee members in completing their task.

For more information, call the chamber office at 570-622-1942 or 800-755-1942.

Regarding the awards committee, members said in a release the nomination form has been simplified, making it easier to nominate a deserving person or organization.

For information on how to obtain a nomination form, call the chamber office. The deadline for submission of nominations is March 8. Award winners will be announced at the May 3 annual chamber luncheon, with award presentations made at the June 12 awards breakfast, according to the release.

Events schedule set in Hamburg

HAMBURG — Dina Madara, art director with the Our Town Foundation and the Hamburg Area Arts Alliance, recently released the agenda of upcoming events in the Hamburg area.

The nonprofit revitalization group Our Town Foundation is based at 335 State St., Hamburg, PA 19526 and can be reached by calling 610-562-3106.

Events include:

• Murder Mystery Dinner-1950s theme, “The Case of the Shaken, Rattled and Rolled Reporter,” 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Olivet Blue Mountain Camp, 115 Mountain Ave. Someone went ape on the nosey news reporter — who was it? Come dressed in ’50s costume for a chance to win a door prize. The cost is $35 per person with proceeds benefiting the Our Town Foundation. For tickets, call 610-562-3106 or go online to hamburgpa.org/events.

• Blacksmithing Class, 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays during March, Fisher Forge, 572 St. Michael’s Road, Hamburg. People 18 and older will have the opportunity to make something functional or decorative. Gloves and safety glasses will be needed; all other material will be provided. The cost, $160 per student, includes all four classes — Monday and March 11, 18, 25. Register by calling or emailing hamburgarts@verizon.net.

MAEA sponsors variety of sessions

POTTSVILLE — The locally based Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association offers a variety of discussions, training sessions and classes. MAEA is based at One Norwegian Plaza, Pottsville.

For more information or to register, email crobbins@nepamaea.com or call 570-622-0992. More information also is available at the MAEA website at www.nepamaea.com.

• MAEA offers Concierge Benefit Services (Telemedicine) through R&B Insurance Services. “Concierge Benefit Services, our Group Plan, would like to review how they can decrease your company healthcare cost,” according to an MAEA flier. For more information call Darlene Robbins at 570-622-0992 or email her at drobbins@nepamaea.com or call Debra Carl of R&B Insurance Services at 570-850-3844 or email debc@rbinsuranceservice.com or Fred Reeder at 570-263-0836 or via email to fredr@rbinsuranceservice.com.

• MAEA also offers recorded webinars with agency instructors creating material to meet specific needs. For more about the service, call Christine Robbins at 570-622-0992 or via email crobbins@nepamaea.com.

• MAEA offers forklift training classroom instruction, which is running and accepting additional participants, according to a release. The effort is approved for six HRCI HR credits and is a prerequisite to be an experienced forklift operator. The cost is $435 for MAEA members and $870 for nonmembers. Use the aforementioned registration methods. The instructor is Steve Bair, occupational safety specialist for MAEA.

Chamber updates mixers, sessions

POTTSVILLE — The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce has several upcoming sessions on its agenda. People may register for all chamber programs online at www.schuylkillchamber.com or by calling 570-622-1942. The chamber and the SEDCO/chamber conference center are at Union Station, 1 Progress Circle, Suite 201, Pottsville, PA 17901.

• Business After 5 O’clock Mixer rescheduled to 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Schaeffer’s Harley Davidson, 1123 Brick Hill Road, Orwigsburg.

PORT CARBON — The borough council is looking for help from the public to decide how they will spend the state grant received for flood plain restoration.

At its Feb. 19 meeting, the council voted to move forward with the planning and form a committee, Chuck Joy, borough council vice president, said Monday. Joy and council members Mike Welsh and Justin Richter are members of the committee along with Mayor Harold “Bucky” Herndon.

Herndon said Monday that interested borough residents may stop by borough hall at 301 First St. to learn more or call 570-622-2255.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced Jan. 10 the borough was awarded a $325,000 state grant for floodplain restoration and to reduce flooding along Mill Creek.

Borough engineer Jim Tohill, with Alfred Bensech & Co., said previously that most of the grant will be for gravel bar removal, otherwise known as sediment that accumulates in Mill Creek.

The borough applied for the funds last year.

Joy said borough representatives will meet with Tohill and Jennifer Kowalonek, a project manager with Benesch, on Thursday to sign the required paperwork. The borough will not receive all the funds at once, but will be reimbursed once invoices or money is spent and approval given. The borough has about three years to use the grant money.

Kowalonek said previously that most of the money is allotted for construction costs

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

POTTSVILLE — For approximately four years, beginning in 2010, according to police, Warren E. Bretz sexually assaulted a young girl.

Now, Bretz is headed to state prison for at least six years for his crimes after admitting Wednesday to a Schuylkill County judge that he committed them.

Bretz, 59, of Pottsville, pleaded guilty to statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors and indecent exposure. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of rape, two additional counts of aggravated indecent assault and two counts of indecent assault.

President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted Bretz’s plea and, pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced him to serve six to 15 years in a state correctional institution, pay costs, have no contact with his victim and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

In addition, Baldwin ruled that Bretz is a Tier III sex offender under Megan’s Law and, therefore, is subject to lifetime sanctions once he leaves state prison.

State police at Schuylkill Haven charged Bretz with sexually assaulting the girl from the time she was 10 years old, beginning on Sept. 12, 2010, and continuing through September 2014 at a home in Tremont Township. Police arrested him in January 2018.

The Megan’s Law sanctions to which Bretz will be subject once he leaves prison require him to provide his name, address, Social Security number, telephone numbers, photograph, employment, any schools he might attend, registration of any vehicles he owns and other information to the Pennsylvania State Police for the rest of his life. Any further violation of the sanctions would be an additional crime and subject Bretz to another prosecution.

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

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

Defendant: Warren E. Bretz

Age: 59

Residence: Pottsville

Crimes committed: Statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors and indecent exposure

Prison sentence: Six to 15 years in a state correctional institution, plus lifetime Megan’s Law sanctions

Man arrested after domestic incident

McADOO — A McAdoo man was arrested by borough police and charged with harassment after an incident in the 500 block of South Kennedy Drive around 3:15 p.m. Saturday.

Police said officers were called to the area for a report of a domestic disturbance and spoke to the victim, who said she and Reginald Thomas II, 39, were involved in a verbal argument that escalated to the man shoving her off of a chair, causing her to fall to the ground.

The charge against Thomas will be filed with Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, police said.

Woman escapes injury on interstate

ANNVILLE — A Pottsville woman escaped injury when the 2010 Hyundai she was driving was involved in a crash in the westbound lanes of Interstate 78, at mile marker 4.1 in Swatara Township, Lebanon County, around 2:55 p.m. Friday.

State police at Jonestown said Taylor L. Berry, 23, was driving in the left lane when another driver made an improper lane change, causing the trailer of that vehicle to hit her car.

Police said the Berry vehicle sustained minor damage and was driven from the scene, while the driver of the tractor-trailer continued west without stopping.

Police said their investigation into the crash is continuing.

Man asks police to ID meth, is arrested

McADOO — McAdoo police charged a borough man after an incident in the police station parking lot around 6:50 a.m. Feb. 11.

Police said officers entered the lot when another vehicle pulled in, the driver got out and asked if police knew what “meth” looked like.

Knowing the driver as William Ward, 56, officers said they did know after which Ward told them to look in the center console of the truck and let him known what was there.

After officers found a plastic bag with suspected methamphetamine in the center console, Ward reported he believed he was being set up by his neighbor due to recent issues, police said.

The man did say his truck was locked and that he did not see any signs of tampering, police said.

As a result, police said, Ward was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police: Man was DUI, going wrong way

DELANO — A Luzerne County man is facing charges of DUI by state police at Frackville after he was stopped driving the wrong way on Interstate 81 in Kline Township around 1 a.m. Feb. 20.

Police said Harry Kress Jr., 37, of Conyngham, was seen driving a 2015 Mercedes Benz G Class south in the northbound lane in the area of mile marker 138.

Police saw the man going in the wrong direction around mile marker 135 and tried to stop his vehicle but he continued south, passing several vehicles head on.

In the area of mile marker 134, police said, two PennDOT trucks created a road block, stopping Kress from continuing any further.

Police said that Kress was determined to be under the influence of alcohol and was arrested for DUI.

Two charged for separate retail thefts

SAINT CLAIR — Saint Clair police arrested two people and charged them with retail theft after separate incidents at Walmart.

Police said Jerry M. Beach, 21, of Pottsville, was charged for stealing items valued at $21.02 on Nov. 7, while Derek Hampton, 25, of Minersville, was charged for stealing items valued at $47.88 on Feb. 4.

Charges against both men were filed with Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon.

Man charged with theft of sander

SAINT CLAIR — An investigation into an Aug. 23 incident by Saint Clair police led to charges being filed against a 55-year-old borough man.

Police said Edward C. Snukis rented a Silverline 12 by 18 Orbital Sander and failed to return it as required by the signed agreement.

The sander, police said, is valued at $900.

Police said Snukis was charged with theft of leased property and that the charge was filed with Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon.

2 men charged after 2 incidents

SAINT CLAIR — Saint Clair police charged two people after separate incidents in the borough.

Police said Christopher Ryan, 33, of Saint Clair, was charged with harassment after he struck a woman in the area of her buttocks during a domestic argument at 47 N. Third St. around 11:30 a.m. Friday.

Michael C. Weicicioskie, 49, also of Saint Clair, was charged with criminal mischief after he caused $313 in damage to a door at 330 N. Mill St. around 9:25 a.m. Sunday.

Charges against both men will be filed with Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, police said.

Man arrested for neglect of animal

SAINT CLAIR — A borough man was arrested by Saint Clair police and charged with neglect of an animal after an incident on Ann Street around 11:30 p.m. Feb. 12.

Police said Joseph F. Krasnitsky, 52, left a dog inside his vehicle with a portable heater, causing a dangerous situation, and also left the animal without water.

As a result, police said, the dog suffered respiratory complications and was relocated to a local animal shelter.

MAHANOY CITY — John Bowman Jr. was honored as 2019 Citizen of the Year for the Citizens Fire Company and Mahanoy City EMS during the group’s annual banquet Saturday.

Along with Bowman, David Jarrett and Sean Macleary were honored by the Mahanoy City Fire Department for their years of dedication and service.

Bowman was presented the award from 2018 recipient John Wiekrykas, who said it is fitting that Bowman receives the honor for the countless hours he spends on fire and EMS business, as well as other aspects of the organization including fundraising.

Wiekrykas referred to Bowman as a “friend and a brother.”

Bowman joined the Citizens Fire Company in 2006, transferring from the Good American Fire Company, where his father is a member.

He said that, like any organization, there are ups and downs, good times and bad times, but the ups outweigh the downs.

“I love this place. I’ll do anything for it,” he said.

Celebrating 149 years of fire service and 80 years of providing emergency medical services, President Harry Wagner Jr. said that with the work and determination of members, both organizations continue to move forward.

The Last Alarm for Fallen Brothers service was conducted by Wagner for members Thomas Ward Sr. and John J. Garber, who both died in 2018.

Four members of the company — William Paul, Robert C. Wagner Sr., Anthony Urban and William Kubilis — were presented with life member status, while William Rhoads received his 50-year member pin, Thomas Kozie received his 35-year member pin, and 25-year member pins were presented to Leon Trusky, Dave Manley, Timothy Wirtz, Mark Stanakis and Jason Hannon.

Mahanoy City Fire Chief Dan Markiewicz presented two awards to Citizens members for their dedication not only to the fire company but to the department as a whole.

Former Citizens Assistant Fire Chief Sean Macleary retired after having the position for eight years and was replaced by Julius “Ziggy” Dudash.

Jarrett also received a service award for serving as engineer on Engine 454 for more than four decades.

Markiewicz thanked Macleary for years of expert service as assistant chief and told Jarrett, “we’ll take you back with open arms” if he changes his mind.

Markiewicz said that, in 2018, the department had about $1 million in estimated losses from fire. The good news, he said, was that 99 percent of that total was due to one event that damaged a conveyer belt and silo at a local coal company operation.

“All in all, we had a pretty good year,” he said, adding that none of the other fire calls resulted in major injury or substantial loss.

In closing, Wagner thanked all those in attendance, congratulated the award recipients and said he looking forward to the company’s 150th anniversary in 2020.

Contact the writer: fandruscavage@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6013

POTTSVILLE — Pottsville Superintendent of Streets Tom Whitaker knows the potholes are out there.

“We go out everyday and search for potholes. I encourage people to report them,” Whitaker said.

City residents can do that by calling the city garage at 570-622-7690 or going to the city website at www.city.pottsville.pa.us.

Last year, he said it was one of the worst years for potholes because of the temperature changes.

“This year isn’t quite as bad as last year. There seems to be less potholes reported,” Whitaker said of the 56 miles of city streets.

City street crew workers were out at 7 a.m. Tuesday filling in the 51 potholes on the list. Most of those were filled, Whitaker said.

Workers filled in three holes on Peacock Street around 1 p.m. near the welcome to Pottsville sign. Cameron Simpson said there was a large one they filled earlier in the day at Howard Avenue and Centre streets. He estimated it was about 1 1/2 feet wide and 8 inches deep.

“They are out there. They are in different sections of town. Some are bigger than others,” Tom Penberth, street crew member, said.

On average, Whitaker gets two or three calls a day about potholes. Cold patch, a mixture of tar and stone, is used to fill in what can be the bane of vehicles. Hot patch, which they get from Pottsville Materials on Peach Mountain, is usually available in April or May.

“It can last several months under the right conditions,” Whitaker said of cold patch.

Ideal conditions are warm and dry, which doesn’t happen too much. Weather factors play a role in how long the cold patch can hold.

“Throughout the whole winter we have been going out between the storms,” Whitaker said.

Potholes form when water seeps underground through cracks in the surface of the road. When temperatures change, the water freezes and thaws, forming a small hole in the road surface.

“When it rains, it pushes the cold patch back out,” Whitaker said.

There are locations that are problem areas that need constant repair.

“We’re always repeatedly fixing potholes where there is drainage problems,” Whitaker said.

Woodglen Road and South Centre Street come to mind, he said. While Market Street is the responsibility of the state Department of Transportation the street department often tries to make the ride less rough for motorists.

“We fill them in for public safety,” Whitaker said.

He advised motorists to obey the posted speed limits when driving on city roads because if they hit a pothole, it can do more damage when driving too fast.

Motorists can report potholes on state roads to PennDOT at 1-800-FIX-ROAD.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

MOREA — After three months missing during the heart of the winter, Smokie the cat proved that he has nine lives — and probably a few more.

After being brought back to the Comfort Inn & Suites near Mahanoy City, and as he awaited his plane trip to Florida, Smokie was living it up pretty well with lots of food, toys to play with and staying in his own room.

Smokie, named for his dark gray fur, disappeared in late November around Thanksgiving Day when his owners, Sherrie and Robert Crough, were staying at the Comfort Inn & Suites. The Croughs were in the process of moving from Connecticut to their new home in Port Charlotte, Florida, and this trip including bringing Smokie to his new home, as well.

Sherrie took him outside for some fresh air, and Smokie bolted and went into the woods. Up until recently, there was no sign of him anywhere.

Getting the word out

When he disappeared, Janine Murray, hotel general manager, and her staff began getting the word out on the missing pet. Using a photo provided by the Croughs, a flyer was created, delivered and posted throughout the area, along with posts on Facebook. Local animal shelters were also called to put them on notice about the missing cat.

A cat began showing up in February at the home of Cheryl Matsko, a resident of the Mahanoy Township village of Vulcan, which is located not far from the Comfort Inn.

“I didn’t know there was a cat missing, but I knew it had to be someone’s cat,” Matsko said. “I have a picnic table out in the yard and I put a tarp over it. I have a little mattress from a crib in there because there are a couple of stray cats that come around. This way, they have a little hut to get out of the weather.

“I happened to look out and saw this big gray cat come out and wondered where he came from. You could tell he was friendly because he came right to me.

“Smokie was there for a few days outside, and on Sunday Matsko came outside early to put out some food and the newspaper lady came and she saw the gray cat eating,” Matsko said, identifying the newspaper carrier as Leona Styka. “She told me there is a picture of a missing cat up at the gas station. So when we came from church, my husband asked about stopping at the gas station, and as soon as I walked in door and looked at the cat, I said, ‘that’s the cat we have.’

“I looked for him that whole day, but he disappeared. He came back that evening and he came right in the house and I put him in a carrier.”

Found and identified

Following the instruction on the flyer, she brought Smokie to the Comfort Inn.

“I was out to dinner with my husband and they called me from here,” Murray said. “I got some cat supplies and headed here. I took some pictures and sent them to the owner.”

The first thing that had to be verified was if it was Smokie. Murray said there had been other reported sightings of smoke-gray cats, but they proved not to be Smokie. The one identifier is that he has pink pads on his feet, which was the case with the found cat.

“I told the owner to listen to him crying, and she said, ‘I can hear him. That’s him.’ He was a weird cry,” Matsko said.

Murray said it was such a surprise when Smokie was brought in.

“I was shocked. Is this really the cat?” she said.

Cat accommodations

On Tuesday, Murray took Matsko and a Republican-Herald reporter and photographer to Smokie’s room, where he showed how friendly and happy he was. Smokie moved among everyone to get attention by being petted. While he was not interested in being interviewed, he proved not to be camera shy, walking up to the camera a number of times for close-ups.

Murray kept him extra happy by throwing treats to him, which he snapped up right away.

When Sherrie Crough was called at her Florida home, the elation in her voice could be heard when she spoke about her dear Smokie.

“I am so happy that he was found. I call him my little handsome man, my big huggy bear,” Sherrie said. “I call him my huggy bear because when I go to bed, he would jump up and lay on my chest with his face so close to my face.”

At the Comfort Inn, she said a noise startled Smokie, and before she could get control of the leash, he took off.

“I looked for about six hours. We let the hotel know about it, but they knew already because they saw the tears coming from my eyes. We had to get back to Florida, so we had to leave,” Sherrie said.

There was concern for Smokie’s safety due to the upcoming winter with the cold and snow in the northeast, but Sherrie saw Smokie in photos and was pleased about his condition.

“I can see he lost some weight but looks good,” she said.

Preparing to go home

Sherrie has known Smokie from the day he was born 13 years ago when she was working as a nurse’s aide at a nursing home. She retired after 38 years at the facility, 45 years total as an aide.

“Where I worked, people dropped off stray female pregnant cats,” she said. “We had their babies, but we were always able to find homes for them.

“I was working 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and when I was leaving, I could hear her (18-year-old Mia) outside on the patio and she was having trouble. I quick grabbed some scrubs and gloves and went to help. She ended up having three babies, though two of them didn’t make it. Smokie was the one who survived. Mia was OK. The residents loved him and named him. I let him stay there a while, but a new company took over and they didn’t want the cats there, so I took him and his mommy home.”

Smokie leaves today for his trip home. He will be driven to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, then flown to an airport near Middletown, New York, after which he will be flown to Danbury Municipal Airport, Connecticut, where he will be taken by Sherrie’s friend, Lisa Kababek, on a plane to Florida and his new home.

“Lisa and Smokie always got along,” Sherrie said.

When he arrives home, Smokie will rejoin Luna, a cat who is about 1 1/2 years old, and also learn about a new resident, a 1-year-old cat named Max.

“We prayed and prayed and prayed,” Sherrie said. “He’s a survivor, but being in those mountains of Pennsylvania and the time of the year it was, I am so ecstatic and happy. I can’t wait to get to see him.”

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

A Schuylkill County woman claims the Luzerne County coroner’s office did not make sufficient effort to find surviving family members before it buried her mother as “unclaimed.”

Luzerne County Coroner William Lisman and chief deputy coroner Daniel Hughes said they did all they could to find next of kin.

Dawn Zalis, 54, was found dead Dec. 14 in her apartment at Kingston Manor, a personal care facility, following a welfare check requested by a man who claimed to be her brother.

The county coroner’s office ruled Zalis died from natural causes. She was buried on Jan. 10 at Maple Hill Cemetery in Hanover Township, where the county inters all unclaimed bodies, according to Lisman.

The coroner’s office searched for Zalis’ next of kin for close to four weeks and had exhausted all options before Zalis was buried as “unclaimed,” Lisman said. Those efforts were complicated when the coroner’s office discovered the man who had claimed to be Zalis’ brother was not related to her, he said.

Zalis did not have an emergency contact on file at the care facility, and no information was acquired by checking her last known previous address in Freeland, according to Hughes.

The deceased woman’s daughter, also named Dawn Zalis, said authorities would have been able to find her if they tried hard enough.

Zalis, of Shenandoah Heights, said the man who had claimed to be her mother’s brother was actually her on-and-off boyfriend. Zalis said she and other family members did not approve of the man, who had been banned from the building where her mother lived.

However, Zalis said the man knows who she is and should have been able to provide her information to authorities.

“What makes me mad is they took his word,” she said.

Zalis said she last spoke with her mother in late November. She said the elder Dawn Zalis battled several forms of mental illness, and was upset at the time with the medical care she was receiving.

The family was not alarmed when the elder Dawn Zalis did not contact them for Christmas, since she often “disassociated” from them during depressive episodes, Zalis said.

However, when she did not hear from her mother throughout January and her phone went out of service, Zalis became worried. She called hospitals and jails, but did not locate her mother, she said.

Unable to visit her mother because her driver’s license was suspended, Zalis called Kingston Manor last week and learned of her mother’s death.

Hughes said the coroner’s office tried to get information on next of kin from Kingston Manor, and contacted police to check the deceased’s last prior listed address in Freeland.

Zalis said there was confusion over whether the indicated police agency was Freeland borough police or state police at Hazleton, both of which cover Freeland. She said she contacted state police, who told her they had no record of an officer being dispatched to the house where she and her mother lived years ago.

She also said her mother had lived in Wilkes-Barre after leaving Freeland and before moving to Kingston.

Zalis said she and her sister had at one time been listed as emergency contacts for their mother at Kingston Manor, but said it is possible her mother changed that listing at some point.

She repeatedly said authorities could have located her and determined she was her mother’s daughter through an internet search.

She has a Facebook page, as did her mother, Zalis said.

Hughes said he searched for next of kin through numerous online resources, some not available to the public.

However, he did not search Facebook, he said.

Lisman said it is not always easy to find surviving family members via public records and the internet.

“We do a computer check, a phone check ... it does not always give you phone numbers,” he said.

Lisman also questioned the use of social media during official investigations.

“I have never once looked at a Facebook page,” he said. “I don’t consider Facebook postings as reliable, as a source I would go to.”

The Zalis family has the right to have the remains of the elder Dawn Zalis exhumed and re-interred elsewhere, Lisman said.

Zalis said she and her sisters are considering their options, including having an autopsy conducted.

“We are discussing it,” Zalis said. “She deserves to have a proper burial.”

Schuylkill County Coroner Dr. David J. Moylan III commented on the case, saying he would not have done anything differently.

“I think coroner Lisman made a good faith effort to locate the next of kin” Moylan said.

He discussed procedures in his office.

“There is often a police jurisdiction involved so we are working closely with law enforcement and we’ve had several cases in which the person was a resident of a nursing home or an extended care facility,” he said Tuesday.

Moylan said he uses “reliable” means to find the next of kin. For example, if someone was a resident of a nursing home, they would use information provided by the nursing home and police to locate relatives.

He generally would not use Facebook to locate someone because he said it isn’t a reliable source, adding people can post almost anything on there.

Moylan said the office will run an ad in a local newspaper asking for help from the public to find next of kin.

“We also rely on the county coroner’s solicitor for legal advice,” Moylan said.

Sometimes the next of kin wants nothing to do with a relative.

“We identify the next of kin and they turn their back on their loved one,” Moylan said, adding it happens but could not say how often.

If no next of kin is found, the “unclaimed” person is then cremated.

“It’s not uncommon for us to hold the body for three to four weeks,” he said.

The body is later cremated at cost to the county with the remains staying at the county coroners office until they are buried once a year. Moylan said the county has about 10 unclaimed bodies a year.

STAFF WRITER AMY MARCHIANO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT

Contact the writers: emark@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2117; ; 570-628-6028

State police seek missing man

TREMONT — State police at Schuylkill Haven are looking for an endangered missing man.

Police said Richard C. Messersmith, 78, of Tower City, was last seen leaving his 125 Tremont Ave., Porter Township, home around 12:15 p.m. Monday going to the BB&T Bank in Lykens.

The man, police said, had not returned to his home as of 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Messersmith was last wearing a black jacket, jeans, a sweatshirt and sneakers. He was driving a silver 2011 Ford Ranger pickup truck with a Pennsylvania license of WR69923.

Police said that the man may be in a confused state and that he was last seen at the BB&T Bank in Lykens at 12:34 p.m. Monday.

Anyone with information is asked to call Trooper Jeffrey Hummel at 570-754-4600 and refer to incident PA2019-244267.

Children checked after bus collision

POTTSVILLE — Seven children were evaluated at a local hospital when the school bus they were in collided with another vehicle at Route 61 and East Arch Street around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The investigation by Pottsville police Patrolman Joseph Murton determined that a Pottsville Area School District school bus carrying seven students and one adult aide, in addition to the man driving the vehicle, was traveling west on East Arch Street and entering the intersection when it was struck by a Ford F-150 truck being driven north on Route 61 by Cynthia Hoke, 58, of Williamstown.

Police said Hoke was driving in the right lane, went through a red light at the intersection and collided with the bus.

Police said no injuries were reported but the students on the bus were transported by the school district to a local medical facility for precautionary evaluations.

Both vehicles involved were able to be driven from the scene, police said.

3 face charges after argument

LYKENS — State police at Lykens charged three people after police were called to 673 Main St. in this Dauphin County community around 11:50 p.m. Jan. 8.

Police said that Tashena Snyder, 31, of Wiconisco, Amber Rusnak, 32, of Spring Glen, and Lindsey Shugars, 40, of Lykens, pushed each other during a verbal argument.

All three will now have to answer to a charge of harassment before Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum, Elizabethville.