Anthony J. Kilker

SHENANDOAH — A borough man charged with an assault on Feb. 19 waived his right to a hearing before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker.

Marcial Rosalio Hermosillo, 31, of 300 W. Coal St., was arrested by Shenandoah police Patrolman William Moyer and charged with one count each of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, intimidation of witnesses or victims and harassment.

By waiving his right to a hearing, Hermosillo will now have to answer to all four charges against him in Schuylkill County Court.

Moyer charged Hermosillo after an incident at 191 Pioneer Road where he assaulted his girlfriend, Lita Rector. The woman reported that Hermosillo came home drunk from work and started a verbal argument that turned physical, with Hermosillo hitting her in the face and head with his fists, Moyer said.

The woman said she was in fear for her life and that when she tried to call for help, Hermosillo pulled the telephone cord out of the wall, Moyer said.

Other court cases included:

Natasha Meriwether, 34, of 17 N. Emerick St., Shenandoah; waived for court: access device issued to another person, possessing an access device knowing it was counterfeit or altered, receiving stolen property and theft of property lost or delivered by mistake.

Paula M. Lardani, 50, of 403 W. Centre St., Shenandoah; withdrawn: simple assault, harassment and criminal trespass.

Dennis J. Antonelli Jr., 39, 11 W. Brandon St., Box 133, Sheppton; withdrawn: unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Christina E. Hale

FRACKVILLE — A Girardville man charged with assaulting his girlfriend on Jan. 30 waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale.

Steven T. Middleton, 22, of 145 W. Ogden St., was arrested by state police Trooper Douglas Jennings of the Frackville station and charged with one count each of simple assault, possession of drug paraphernalia and harassment.

By waiving his right to a hearing, Middleton will now have to answer to all of the charges against him in Schuylkill County Court.

Jennings said Middleton became involved in an argument with Micayla Korch over missing money and that during the argument he used a knife to cut her on both her upper arms and her left thumb.

At the house, police said they saw in plain view items of drug paraphernalia, including syringes and spoons with white residue.

Other court cases included:

John Solomon Kessler, 46, of 411 Hobart St., Ashland; waived for court: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession of firearms prohibited, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

James M. Artz, 42, of 745 Main St., Lykens; withdrawn: simple assault.

Jason Fanelli, 39, of 1634 Walnut St., Ashland; waived for court: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Frederick C. Wilcox, 39, of 129 Main Blvd., Ringtown; withdrawn: reckless driving. Waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate and careless driving.

Emilio T. Spurgeon, 30, of 176 Buck Ridge Drive, Drums; waived for court: possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Michelle J. Widel, 29, of 763 N. Garfield Ave., Schuylkill Haven; withdrawn: driving without insurance. Waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate, disregard for single traffic lane, exceeding the speed limit and careless driving.

Stanley E. Vidzicki, 59, of 23 Coal St., Box 37, Middleport; waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate and exceeding the speed limit.

James K. Reiley

POTTSVILLE — A Pottsville man charged with threatening to kill a woman at his 308 S. Second St. home on Jan. 29 waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley.

Patrick T. Gaffney Jr., 54, was arrested by Pottsville police Cpl. Renee Truscott and charged with two counts of simple assault and one count each of harassment and terroristic threats.

By waiving his right to a hearing, Gaffney will have to answer to all four charges against him in Schuylkill County Court.

Truscott charged Gaffney with getting into an argument with Mary Jane Strausser, during which he struck her repeatedly in the left side of the face, head and right arm, in an aggressive manner.

Gaffney also kept the woman from leaving the residence and threatened to kill her if she called police, Truscott said.

Other court cases included:

James I. Crafton, 59, of 2061 Yokewood Road, Pottsville; waived for court: retail theft and public drunkenness.

Linda M. Evans, 36, of 409 E. Arch St., Pottsville; waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate, careless driving and failure to stop at a red signal.

James Hein, 78, of 633 W. Race St., Pottsville; waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate and careless driving.

Michele Fabok, 51, of 198 Faith Drive, New Ringgold; held for court: bad checks.

Bobbie Jo Costy, 45, of 262 Mill Creek Ave., Pottsville; withdrawn by the victim and dismissed: bad checks.

Brandi N. Hoffman, 23, of 335 W. Water St., Apt. 3, Lansford; waived for court: fraudulently obtaining food stamps or assistance.

Jose Louise Amaro Lopez, 41, of 128 Center Ave., Schuylkill Haven; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance, DUI, DUI-highest rate, displaying a plate card on an improper vehicle, driving without a license, driving without insurance, disregard for single traffic lane, driving at an unsafe speed, period requiring lighted lamps, failure to stop at a red signal and careless driving.

Harry N. Kesten Jr., 47, of 106 N. Third St., Apt. 7, Pottsville; withdrawn by the victim: simple assault.

Doris Ann Dewald, 56, of 106 N. Third St., Apt./Suite 7, Pottsville; withdrawn by the victim: simple assault.

Sierra C. Herb, 23, of 311 W. Market St., Apt. 3, Pottsville; withdrawn by the victim: simple assault and harassment.

The following people entered guilty pleas:

Joanne S. Noble, 41, of 150 Union St., Apt. D, Millersburg; possession of a controlled substance.

Steven C. Peiffer, 39, of 946 N. 12th St., Reading; possession of a controlled substance.

Bradley Yakimovich, 22, of 1311 E. Pine St., Mahanoy City; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Clarence W. Donton, 40, of 132 Albert Blvd., Pottsville; possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kelsey Ann Anderson, 25, of 256 Brown St., Tamaqua; defiant trespass, possession of a controlled substance and public drunkenness.

Christian J. Melendez, 20, of 909 Mahantongo St., Apt. 1, Pottsville; false identification to law enforcement. Prosecutors withdrew charges of retail theft and purchase of alcohol by a minor.

Michael A. Eckert, 27, of 5 Oak St., Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Mark E. Carosiello, 26, of 428 E. Norwegian St., Apt. 1, Pottsville; possession of drug paraphernalia.

(Staff writer Frank Andruscavage compiled this report)

POTTSVILLE — With a gesture instead of words, Joshua M. Lukach said the Pottsville man they were robbing in August 2015 should die, his co-defendant testified on Tuesday.

“Josh made a signal to kill Mr. Brock” by sliding his hand across his throat, Sha-vinskin N. Thomas said of the Aug. 6, 2015, death of John Brock in his own 14 S. 12th St. home.

“What did you do at that point?” Chief Deputy Attorney General Kirsten E. Heine, who is prosecuting the case with Deputy Attorney General Philip M. McCarthy, asked Thomas.

“I slit Mr. Brock’s throat,” Thomas answered.

Thomas’ testimony highlighted the second day of the trial of Lukach, 22, of New Philadelphia, who is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, second-degree murder, robbery, burglary, criminal trespass, access device fraud, theft and receiving stolen property. The trial before a jury and Judge Jacqueline L. Russell is scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. today, with McCarthy and Heine continuing to present their case.

Pottsville police charge Lukach with robbing and killing Brock, the owner of the now-closed Pottsville Bike and Board Shop, 125 W. Market St., in the early morning hours of Aug. 6, 2015. Police said Lukach and Thomas, 25, of Pottsville, stabbed Brock and stole money, keys and cards from him.

On April 13, 2017, Thomas pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and other crimes. Russell sentenced him to serve 27 to 60 years in a state correctional institution; part of Thomas’ plea agreement requires that he testify against Lukach.

Thomas, who is serving his sentence at State Correctional Institution/Mahanoy, testified that Lukach first asked him to kill Brock in July 2015. After a couple more requests, he agreed, according to Thomas.

“I guess, after a couple times, I caved,” he said.

Thomas said he and Lukach went to the kitchen, where they grabbed a bread knife and a box cutter, and then went upstairs. After entering the bedroom, Thomas said, he got on top of Brock and held the box cutter to his throat while the pair peppered him with questions about his money.

“I had a pillow over his head,” he said. “I would slice his legs and his arms to encourage him to talk.”

Eventually, Thomas said, Brock told them about his money, but it did not save his life.

Lukach, who also cut Brock’s legs, then held the victim’s arms while he finished stabbing him, Thomas said.

When cross-examined by Jeffrey M. Markosky, Mahanoy City, Lukach’s lawyer, Thomas said he and the defendant never had any kind of plan on what they would do. He also testified that he told police that they went to Brock’s house to get money, a story he repeated to Russell when he entered his guilty plea.

Thomas also said on cross-examination that Brock did not start to fight until he and Lukach were leaving.

Brock managed to get to the street, where he was found by a neighbor, Cheryl Turner, who testified her husband called 911. Police responded quickly.

“I observed a severe laceration to the throat,” Pottsville police Cpl. Renee R. Truscott testified, adding that she followed a trail of blood from the house to Brock. “I saw multiple stab wounds to the chest.”

Truscott showed a photograph of Brock’s almost completely red body to the jurors.

That also corresponded with what Patrolman Joseph Krammes observed.

“I saw that the male was covered in blood,” Krammes said of the body he saw on South 12th Street. “He was bleeding heavily from all over his body.”

Krammes also testified he found a pair of bloodstained gloves, one on Strock Street and the other in the bushes, near the scene.

Two other officers, Patrolman Samson Wega, who is now with the Allentown police, and Cpl. Charles Webber, also testified.

Wega said he saw a man run across 11th Street near the time Brock was killed, while Webber said he saw Lukach and Thomas walking on Laurel Boulevard about 6 a.m. that morning.

State police Trooper Robert Wessner Jr., who was with the forensic services unit and now teaches other officers at state police headquarters, testified that he assisted in the investigation, examining surrounding streets in addition to Brock’s house. He identified photos of the latter.

“It looked like the house might have been rummaged through,” he said. “The bedroom is in a state of disarray.”

Wessner also noted numerous blood stains around the house, especially on the stairs and the second floor. In particular, he said, it was on clothing, the mattress and pillows.

“There are numerous areas of what appeared to be blood on the floor,” he said.

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

Deeds

Ashland — Melissa Ann Keiter to Joseph Michael Kline and Emily Reynolds; 1705 Centre St.; $15,000.

CR 2018 LLC to Antuan T. Dawkins; 1301 Arch St.; $13,500.

Branch Township — John D. and Judith A. Ruddy to John D. and Judith A. Ruddy; 1246 Bunting St., llewellyn; $1.

Butler Township — Michele Yasenchak to Katrina Pakalinsky; 250 Germanville Road; $88,000.

Coaldale — Michael S. Comisac Sr. to Carbon-Schuylkill Community Hospital Inc.; 520 W. Water St.; $55,000.

Gilberton — Gene Upanavage and Marion Basheda, co-administrators of the Estaette of Geraldine Upanavage, to Bradley Miller; 313 Main St.; $1,000.

Gene Upanavage and Marion Basheda, administrators of the Estaette of Geraldine Upanavage, to Bradley Miller; 315 Main St.; $2,000.

Girardville — Robert L. and Edna Mary Lopez to Benjamin Morales; 26 W. Main St.; $35,000.

Hegins Township — Dennis S. Empson, executor of the Estate of Shirley Ann Empson, to Franklin Camp-A-While LLC; 56 Camp-A-While; $1.

New Philadelphia — Vincent and Susan Paltanavage to Bly Salm; 175 Valley St.; $1.

North Manheim Township — John E. Bosche to John E. and Sandra M. Bosche; 1785 Long Run Road; $1.

Pottsville — Gail LaBarbera to Faro Vincent Evola; 217 Pierce St.; $150.

Jennifer Azbell to Lawrence C. Azbell; 1621 West End Ave.; $1.

Rush Township — Duane and Carla Patrick Niedert to Carla Patrick Niedert; 11 Great Oaks Drive, Lake Hauto; $1.

Ryan Township — Diane Donahue to Scott G. Donahue and Kevin P. Donahue; 31 Circle Drive, Barnesville; $1.

Diane Donahue to Kevin P. Donahue; property in Barnesville; $1.

Saint Clair — Herman W. and Patricia A. Dundore to Samuel G. and Anita C. Shiner; 17 N. Second St.; $1.

Schuylkill Haven — Vincent L. Kern and Leon S. Kern to Crossley Properties LLC; 423 and 425 E. Main St.; $108,000.

Schuylkill Township — Heather Richardson to Sharon E. Bratun; 211 Chestnut St., Tuscarora; $82,500.

Shenandoah — Albert P. Kominski to Fernando Garcia; 358 S. West St.; $1,000.

Albert P. Kominski to Lorenzo Chuta Cuzcuy; 365 S. Highland St.; $1.

Madeline Buchinsky to John J. Buchinsky III, Julia Buchinsky, James Buchinsky and Joann Pribish; 22 S. Emerick St.; $1.

Tamaqua — Charles J. and Dorothy I. Houser to Charles J. and Dorothy I. Houser, Linda S. Knepper, Scott C. Houser, Kimberly A. Knepper and Karen L. Bender; 735 E. Broad St.; $1.

Austin R. Fogel and Brandon D.R. Fogel to Brandon D.R. Fogel; 313 Schuylkill Ave.; $1.

Tremont Township — Jacob Throne, trustee of 200418 Portfolio Trust, to Nathan L. and Rose Lapp; 119 Molleystown Road, Molleystown; $52,000.

Wayne Township — Harry III and Larisa Boyarskikh Geissler to Jeffrey A. Miller; 557 Coyote Drive, Lake Wynonah; $147,000.

Charlotteann Petlansky to Robert E. Petlansky; 414 Mohave Drive, Lake Wynonah; $1.

West Brunswick Township — Tina M. Kramer, by attorney in fact Heather L. Kuhn, to Jordan S. Lau; 20 Old 61 Road; $145,000.

Catherine C. Kramer to Kurt K. Krammes and Connie D. Calm; 253 Drehersville Road; $210,000.

West Mahanoy Township — Legacy One Investors Group LLC to Jose A. Alberto; 268 Indiana Ave., Shenandoah Heights; $17,000.

West Penn Township — William D. Gunkle to Steven R. and Jacinda Swartzentruber; 347 Blue Mountain Drive; $130,000.

Marriages

Oluwole Hakim Odeyale, Frackville, and Brandi N. Mahamadou, Frackville.

Harry C. Dennis, Ashland, and Kathryn L. Frank, Frackville.

David S. Herman, Pottsville, and Alysia Ann Haller, Pottsville.

Andr’e Younger, Frackville, and Cindy M. Fields, Newark, N.J.

Bennett G. Smith, Littlestown, and Megan A. Lopez, Pine Grove.

Divorces

Stacey Souchak, Ashland, from Ronald Souchak, Ashland.

Dena Dietrich, Reading, from Randall Dietrich, Reading.

Mary Smith, Girardville, from Timothy Smith, Ashland.

Lulsa Natalie, Coaldale, from Antonio Natale, Plainfield.

William Primeau, Ashland, from Jennifer Comly, Frackville.

POTTSVILLE — Students will go to school longer this year in the Pottsville Area School District due to inclement weather and mold problems at John S. Clarke Elementary Center.

At the Feb. 27 school board meeting, Superintendent Jeffrey S. Zwiebel said the tentative graduation date is June 7 and the last day of school for high school students and those at the middle school is June 7. The last day for students at John S. Clarke was June 10. The last day for all schools, before weather and the mold issue were factored in, was May 31, Brian Manning, the district’s business manager, said Tuesday.

Zwiebel said Tuesday it is “highly likely” that students will attend school beyond the aforementioned dates. He said the threat of inclement weather still exists.

The state Department of Education mandates students are in school 180 days. Students missed school Monday because of inclement weather, so the last day of school may change again.

The mold that plagued John S. Clarke since the school year began was eradicated in November. The mold was caused by higher-than-normal humidity, due to increased rainfall, according to Cumberland Analytical Laboratories Inc., Carlisle. The lab was hired by the district to do testing at the school.

The school was closed in August and opened a week late, on Sept. 4, due to mold. Mold was also found at other times but did not require the school to close, school officials said previously. The school board hired American Abatement Group Inc., New Bloomfield, to complete the required mold remediation and cleaning.

The school board meeting scheduled for today is cancelled and is rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 13 in the academic center. The board also approved the Schuylkill Technology Center Budget in the amount of $5,932,142. The school district’s share is $825,995, a $24,664 increase from the previous year due to enrollment numbers. All school board members voted in favor of the budget. Board member Pat Moran did not attend the meeting.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

POTTSVILLE — In recent Schuylkill County Court action, Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin accepted guilty pleas from, and, pursuant to agreements between prosecutors and defendants, imposed the indicated sentences on, the following people:

Tyler J. Bryan, 22, of Saint Clair; possession of a controlled substance; time served to 12 months in prison with immediate parole, $100 payment to the Substance Abuse Education Fund and $50 payment to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Judith J. Creitz, 54, of Auburn; driving under the influence; 30 days in prison, $1,500 fine, $100 SAEF payment, $50 CJEA payment and 20 hours community service. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kyra N. Honsby, 23, of Shenandoah; possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; 12 months probation, $100 SAEF payment, $50 CJEA payment, $50 bench warrant fee and submission of a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Carla L. Wingle, 47, of Pottsville; possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; six to 18 months in prison, $100 SAEF payment, $50 CJEA payment, $239 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem and submission of a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Prosecutors withdrew charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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

Also in the county court, Judge Charles M. Miller revoked the probation of Kyrsten B. Kelly, 25, of Pottsville, and sentenced her to serve three to 12 months in prison.

Kelly originally pleaded guilty on March 14, 2018, to retail theft. At that time, Miller placed her on probation for 12 months and also sentenced her to pay costs, a $50 CJEA payment and $169.72 restitution, all of which she still must pay under the terms of her new sentence.

Saint Clair police charged Kelly with committing the theft on Oct. 3, 2016, at the Walmart Supercenter, 500 Terry Rich Blvd., in the borough.

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

MAR LIN — Plans for a medical marijuana facility continue to move forward in Norwegian Township.

On Monday, the supervisors approved an agreement between the township and DocHouse LLC for a performance bond as security for completion of the facility. The company must obtain the bond for $2,780,969.27, which is the amount that is needed to insure completion of the project, according to the agreement.

B.J. Evans, solicitor for the township, said the agreement protects the township if the project is not completed or if questions arise if something isn’t done correctly.

“This agreement will become effective once the plans are approved,” he said.

In July 2018, the state Department of Health awarded the company a grower/processor permit for its plans for the medical marijuana growing and cultivating facility. The proposed facility will be built on a 19.3-acre lot, the topography of which allows building on about 9 or 10 acres. Plans submitted previously showed several greenhouses and an area to include office space, storage and the processing of the marijuana. The supervisors must grant final approval to plans for the facility.

The property abuts Route 61 to the west, Ann Street to the east, open land and/or access roads to the north and elevated acreage to the south.

DocHouse owns the land. No one from the company was at the meeting Monday.

The Norwegian Township Zoning Hearing Board granted a variance for the facility on Feb. 28, 2017. An extension was granted in March 2018 for 18 months because it was not built one year from the variance being granted.

The company is permitted to use the property for “processing, packaging and treatment or compounding of such products as cosmetics, toiletries, drugs, perfumes and pharmaceuticals.”

In other business, township resident Joe Kowalchick questioned why supervisor Tom Dallago performed work for the township which wasn’t put out for bid.

“It was an emergency job and our men couldn’t do the job, so I asked Tom, could he do it with his dad’s business. Since he’s affiliated with it, would he be able to do it, and he said ‘I’ll be able to do it right away so we don’t have an accident or a hazard up there or someone getting hurt,’ ” Supervisor Stanley Petchulis said.

The cost was “less than $2,500,” Petchulis said.

Another township resident helped with hauling stone for the job, the supervisors said

Kowalchick said the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Handbook has a section about conflicts of interest.

The book says in part, “under the Ethics Act, township supervisors are prohibited from entering into any contract valued at $500 or more with their township unless the contract is awarded through a sealed bid process, including public notice, and the township supervisor abstained from the vote. This prohibition also applies to subcontract value at $500 or more with any person who has been awarded a contract with the township unless the contract is awarded through a sealed bid process. In such case, the township supervisor cannot have any oversight responsibilities for administration of the contract.

“The Township Code also prohibits township supervisors from having any personal interest in contracts over $500. If a contract is made with a firm that employs a township supervisor in a non-management position, that supervisor must inform the board of his employment and abstain from voting on the contract. The Code states that a person who violates this prohibition commits a misdemeanor of the third degree and may be removed from office by the courts,” the handbook says.

“Do you see where it says $500,” Kowalchick said.

Supervisor David George read part of the handbook Kowalchick provided him.

“I can’t say that’s right or wrong, because somewhere through here in the fine print there may be something about an emergency fix,” George said.

“It’s just bad business to do it that way,” Kowalchick said.

“What’s bad business, Joe,” Dallago asked.

“All that will lead into is more emergency business,” Kowalchick said.

“Why didn’t you go up and fix it with your equipment at a good rate for the township,” Dallago asked Kowalchick, who did not respond.

“It’s just not good practice to do it,’ Kowalchick said.

After the meeting, Kowalchick said he does not own a business and was surprised Dallago made the comment.

George said he would research the issue and get back to Kowalchick.

“Doesn’t the solicitor know that its $500,” Kowalchick said.

“I got to know the circumstances, Joe, this is the first time we are talking about this,” Evans said.

He said they can research what happened and tell Kowalchick at a later date.

“I don’t want to read that because I know $500 is wrong,” Petchulis said after Kowalchick said he can read the handbook.

Petchulis said if an emergency should happen it will be fixed by the township. He said the job wasn’t that expensive of a fix.

“This was no $10,000 or $20,000 job. This was peanuts,” Petchulis said.

Kowalchick suggested three emergency contractors be available if needed.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

Life takes on a somber tone today for Christians of several denominations represented in Schuylkill County.

For Roman Catholics and some Protestants, Ash Wednesday begins the yearly, 40-day season of Lent in which believers focus on penance and preparation for the observation of Holy Week, culminating in Easter.

The day takes its name from the practice, only observed in some churches, of placing ashes on worshippers foreheads as a reminder of mortality.

“Lent means ‘springtime,’ ” said the Rev. Laura A. Csellak, pastor of Christ’s United Lutheran Church near Gordon, referring to the Old English origin of the word. “As we engage in fasting, almsgiving and prayer, we are renewed in faith, community and service. The cross of Christ is the tree of life.”

Csellak referred to the “Discipline of Lent,” which is part of the “Lutheran Book of Worship.”

“A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent” by the Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America explains Lent:

“Lent is 40 days long, counting from Ash Wednesday (and minus the six Sundays, which are little celebrations of the Resurrection). Those 40 days identify with Jesus’ 40 days of fasting and prayer in the wilderness as he prepared for his ministry; with Moses’ 40 days of fasting and prayer on Mount Sinai as he waited to receive the Law from God; and with Elijah’s 40 days of fasting and prayer on his way to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.”

Csellak will celebrate this evening at her church for the first time, having been installed as pastor in October.

“We have imposition of ashes at our 7 p.m. worship, as do most Lutheran congregations,” she said.

Csellak said an article titled “Just Enough Real Estate” by Tim Brown in the current edition of Living Lutheran magazine is on the distribution of ashes in places other than a church setting.

“He reflects on ‘ashes on the go’ by folks who provide imposition of ashes on street corners and at bus stops,” Csellak said. “He writes, ‘I realize that the only real estate we need is that small portion of skin just above the eyes. Ash Wednesday isn’t so much about time as it is timelessness — how we are marked with the cross of Christ forever.’ In this article there is a photo of the author with his son Finn in 2014 as he smudges ashes on his toddler ‘on that small portion of skin just above the eyes.’ ”

Csellak said that while the placing of ashes is done for all ages, there is something special to her when it is done on a young child.

“It always moves me as a parish pastor to place a smudge of ashes on a preschooler’s forehead,” she said. “On the one hand, it seems wrong to mark up that little one’s soft, unblemished face. Yet that little one is a ‘sinner-saint,’ as Martin Luther refers to us, as I am, and both of us ‘are dust and to dust we shall return.’ Christ alone takes us from dust to eternal life.”

Preparing ashes

On Sunday, Monsignor Edward J. O’Connor, pastor of St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, Pottsville, prepared for Ash Wednesday with the burning of blessed palm from last year’s Palm Sunday, which became the ashes for today.

“I believe the season of Lent is a great gift from God because it allows us the opportunity every year to take a good spiritual inventory of ourselves and for our increased efforts at prayer and fasting and works of charity,” O’Connor said. “We try to go deeper for a love of God by recognizing that he first loved us. We do works of penance and recognize our weaknesses in our sins. We also have great hope because the season reminds us that God did not abandon us, but rather that Jesus came to save us. It’s a season that helps us prepare for that great event of Easter. It is a very rich time.”

St. Patrick’s will celebrate four Masses today with the distribution of ashes at 6:30 and 8 a.m., noon and 7 p.m.

O’Connor said further spiritual opportunities are available throughout the season.

“There is the participation at the Stations of the Cross. We spend time at extra prayer, the giving up of things and sacrifices, to remind ourselves that we’re centered on God,” he said. “Those kind of thoughts always come back to me as I think of the season of Lent, which means spring and rebirth. Nature all around us is coming back to life, and Lent reminds us that even though our life here is not going to be permanent, there will be new life because of our relationship with our Risen Lord. Lent really causes us to focus on that.”

Catholics are also encouraged to go to Confession during in Lent.

“That is part of our penitential spirituality at this time, too,” O’Connor said. “It is so easy to be always distracted from the spiritual life, and we’re always surrounded noise and media. We need that personal quiet time to be more reflective, which is such an important part of Lent.”

Find own way

Bob Schrepple, lay supply pastor for the Gilberton United Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church in Mahanoy City, said the United Methodist Church does not have a set of “guidelines” on how individuals should observe Lent.

The United Methodist Church website explains, “During Ash Wednesday services on the first day of Lent, many United Methodist pastors will invite their congregations ‘to observe a holy Lent: by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word’ (from the United Methodist Book of Worship). While you may be aware of this season leading up to Easter, you may wonder how you might ‘observe a holy Lent.’

“There is no one prescribed way. Instead, we are each encouraged to find our own method of confronting our sinfulness, remembering our mortality, and giving thanks for the gift of salvation we receive through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Schrepple will lead a worship service at the Gilberton church at 5:30 p.m. that will include the imposition of ashes. At 7:30 p.m., he will preside at the ecumenical service of the Mahanoy Area Ministerial Association at the Mahanoy City church. No ashes will be distributed at this service.

“Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality. The service focuses on both themes, helping us to realize that both have been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“During some Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship. Historically, ashes signified purification and sorrow for sins.”

For Eastern Rite Catholics, the Great Lent or Great Fast began Monday, called Pure Monday or Clean Monday. In those churches, the distribution of ashes is not practiced.

Eastern Orthodox faithful will begin the Great Lent on March 11 and will celebrate Easter, known as Pascha, on Sunday, April 28.

Western Christianity, including Eastern Rite Catholics, will celebrate Easter/Pascha on April 21 due to differences in calculating when the holy day will fall.

There are some years when Easter Sunday coincides with both Eastern and Western churches.

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

Ashland

The Ashland Public Library is having a ticket book fundraiser with the Reading Fightin Phils. The cost is $27 for a book of six general admission tickets for all regular season home games scheduled after May 12. Order forms are available at the library until April 26. For more information, call 570-875-3175.

Frackville

Elks Lodge 1533 will have a St. Patrick’s Day dance at 8 p.m. March 16, featuring entertainment by the classic rock band Sakes Alive. Doors will open at 7 p.m. and a cash bar will be available. Admission is $7. For more information, call 570-874-2500.

Jim Thorpe

The annual American Cancer Society Telethon will be held April 6 and 7, airing live from Penn’s Peak. Former ACS Courage Award winners and survivors are welcome to participate. The Salute to Survivors will be part of the April 6 evening activities. To appear on the telethon, call 570-205-2454, email gtay200@verizon.net or visit www.cancertelethon.org.

Nuremberg

The Sacred Heart Church Altar and Rosary and Holy Name societies will host a Chinese auction Sunday at the Nuremberg-Weston Fire Company Hall. Doors will open at noon and the drawing will be at 2 p.m. Refreshments will be available; free coffee and cake will be offered.

Pottsville

Nativity BVM High School will host the 2019 Schuylkill County Scholastic Chess Tournament on March 30. It is open to all students, regardless of ability, according to an event release. Divisions will be grades K-4, 5-8 and 9-12. Medals will be awarded to the top three individuals in each division. For additional information or entry forms, call Al Bobinas at 570-728-1389.

Pottsville

People who enjoy working with the public, have an interest in gardening and value fact-based gardening education may be in interested in volunteer work as a Penn State Master Gardener. More information will be available at a free information program from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 27 on the lower level of the Schuylkill County Ag Center, 1202 Ag Center Drive. People will be able to learn about the Penn State Master Gardener basic training classes, instructors, fees and material as well as the requirements of ongoing education and volunteer time. There is no obligation to join. To reserve a seat, call 570-622-4225, Ext. 17 or email schuylkillmg@psu.edu. Recruitment for the program only occurs every two years, according to a Master Gardener press release.

Pottsville

The Greater Berks Food Bank will have a special food distribution for SNAP (food stamp) recipients, whose benefits were affected by the recent federal government shutdown, at 2 p.m. Friday at The Roundhouse, 410 Laurel St. For more information, email dlong@berksfoodbank.org.

Saint Clair

The Saint Clair Class of 1969 will have a reunion meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at the Saint Clair OIP. For more information, call 570-429-2080.

Schuylkill Haven

The Schuylkill Haven Senior Citizens Association will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the senior center, 340 Haven St. After the business session, local historian Richard Nagle will talk about local transportation through the years. Members who have historical information they would like to share with Nagle are welcome to do so. Members and guests are welcome. For more information, call 570-385-5323.

Schuylkill Haven

Schuylkill Hose Company No. 2, Union and St. Peter streets, will have Lenten dinners on Fridays beginning March 8 and running through April 19. The menu includes breaded or broiled haddock, fish sticks, homemade crab cakes, pierogies, shrimp, chicken fingers, breaded scallops, mac/cheese, stewed tomatoes, New England clam chowder, scalloped potatoes, fries, applesauce, cole slaw, beverage and dessert. People may eat in or take meals out; there will be free delivery “in town.” For more information or to order, call 570-385-0393.

Deeds

Ashland — Frances J. McGrath, by attorney in fact Karen Gee, to James G. and Susan A. Oswald; 2308 Walnut St.; $130,000.

Barry Township — Lillian L. Lucas and Scott Lucas to Scott Lucas; 40 Stein Road; $1.

Branch Township and Minersville — Joseph Gergus to Michael W. Weber; 416 Lytle St.; $2,000.

East Union Township — Romualdo Cartas, Mirafe Cartas and Glory Cartas to Eagle Rock Resort Co.; Lot 138WSS, Eagle Rock; $10.

Lauro H. and Maria E. Cardigal to Eagle Rock Resort Co.; Lot 3348HF3, Eagle Rock; $10.

Faye E. Wetzel to Faye E. Wetzel, Jason Wetzel and Angie Jastrzembski; property on Second Street, Brandonville; $1.

Faye E. Wetzel to Faye E. Wetzel, Jason Wetzel and Angie Jastrzembski; 70 Main Blvd., Brandonville; $1.

Mahanoy City — Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Lee Williams; 630 E. Mahanoy Ave.; $1,000.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Lee Williams; 400 E. Centre St.; $1,304.

Minersville — Jeffrey and Brenda Feaser to Donald J. and Cecelia M. Rusnak, Donald J. Rusnak Jr. and Diane M. Pritiskutch; 204 Oak St.; $40,000.

Thomas Cappella, executor of the Estate of Ann M. Bettinger, to Susan A. Castle; 413-419 Pine Hill St.; $40,000.

North Union Township — Paul D. Malone and Ann Marie Chismar, co-administrators of the Estate of Paul J. Malone, to Paul D. Malone and Ann Marie Chismar; property on Lake Valley Drive, Eagle Rock; $1.

Pine Grove Township — Arlene M. Umbenhauer to Richard Umbenhauer Sr., Harry Umbenhauer, Jane Umbenhauer, Sherry Aungst, Betty Smith, Craig Umbenhauer and Lori Fisher; 147 Mexico Road; $1.

William Primeau and Jennifer Comly to William Primeau; 434 Old Forge Road; $1.

Porter Township and Williams Township, Dauphin County — Robert G. Readinger and Stacy J. Miller to Earl R. Etzweiler; 25-percent interest in 48.017-acre property on Route 209; $15,750.

Pottsville — Shirley Demitro to Samantha Colon; 166 W. Railroad St.; $1,000.

South Manheim Township — Victor Navarro to Nicholas M. Morgan; 740 Cheyenne Drive, Lake Wynonah; $145,000.

Wayne Township — Brad J. Novack to Alfreda Pugliesi; 1091 Indian Drive, Lake Wynonah; $108,000.

MAHANOY CITY — The 40 days of Lent began Wednesday for many Christians with the observance of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the journey toward Easter Sunday.

The idea of Lent as a journey was presented during the homily of the Rev. Kevin Gallagher, pastor of St. Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Church in Mahanoy City.

“The journey begins today,” Gallagher said in his homily after the reading of the Gospel and before the distribution of ashes.

The penitentiary liturgical season of Lent began with Masses and worship services held from the early morning to the evening in Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, with many services including the imposition of ashes in the form of a cross on the foreheads of those who stepped forward to be so marked.

“In a few moments, you will receive the ashes on your forehead and told to remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return,” Gallagher said. “As the day goes by, the ashes will slowly wear off, and tonight when you wash your face, they will disappear. The ashes are a reminder of our sins, the things we have done.”

Gallagher spoke of the journey through Lent, but he also connected it with a gift from the parish at Christmastime.

“If you remember, everyone in the parish received a gift of coal,” he said, holding up a small plastic bag with a piece of anthracite coal in it. “Remember that? I told you to hold on to the coal. There was a reason for it. Do you still have it? Many times people lose things, misplace things. Sometimes it’s our faith.”

Gallagher said there was a time that a gift of coal at Christmas was a positive thing of warmth and love and life.

“Christmas and Easter are connected, and here’s where the connection begins,” he said. “Wherever you placed that coal, get it and carry it with you throughout the Lenten season as a reminder of God’s love for you. It is also a reminder to us of our need of repentance, our need of change, our need of purifying ourselves. And then on Good Friday, I want you to bring that coal with you to church and place it before the cross of Christ, the cross of agony, the cross of love. It is the weight of our world, the weight of our sins, that Christ transforms that simple thing of coal into the diamond of eternal life. And if you place the coal before the cross of Christ on Good Friday, remember you are placing your faults, your failures, your sins onto Christ’s shoulders. He died to give you eternal life.”

Gallagher told everyone to take a small cross from a basket in front of the sanctuary. He asked everyone to carry it through Lent with the coal.

“It is at this time we are asked to examine who we are and the journey that we are on following in the footsteps of Christ,” he said. “As we get closer to Good Friday and Easter, this (coal) will be transformed into the diamond of eternal life.”

After the homily, Gallagher went to the altar and mixed holy water into the ashes in small cups. The ashes were distributed to everyone in the church.

At Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Ashland, the Rev. Dana Heckman-Beil was in the church for two hours beginning at noon to distribute ashes to anyone who walked into the church.

“We do this as a convenience for those who do not go out in the evening,” she said.

By 1 p.m., about 20 people availed themselves to get their ashes earlier in the day. Each person received a small card with inspirational words from writer Peter Mead: “Remind us, Lord, that we are dust. And, when reminded, lead us to remember that most wondrous miracle — that in your hands, dust lives!”

The church held an Ash Wednesday worship service at 7 p.m. that includes Holy Communion and the imposition of ashes.

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

Crop insurance deadline March 15

POTTSVILLE — Kelly E. Sundy, county executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency in Schuylkill County has issued a reminder for producers in need of insurance coverage for crops not covered by federal crop insurance that they can enroll in FSA’s Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program until March 15.

NAP provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occur due to normal disasters, according to a press release from USDA.

“Purchasing a crop insurance policy is an easy way for producers to mitigate risk,” Sundy said in the release, adding, “The past few years have shown that natural disasters can severely impact an otherwise successful operation.”

To meet eligibility requirements for NAP, crops must be noninsurable, commercially-produced agricultural commodity crops for which the catastrophic risk protection level of crop insurance is not available, according to the release. If the Risk Management Agency offers coverage for a crop in the county, then NAP coverage is not available for that crop.

Eligible producers can apply for coverage using form CCC-471, “Application for Coverage.” Producers must file the application and service fee by the March 15 deadline. The service fee is the lesser of $250 per crop or $750 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed $1,875 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties. Special provisions apply to producers that may be beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers or limited resource farmers, officials said in the release.

Producers can determine if crops are eligible for federal crop insurance or NAP by going online to webapp.rma.usda.gov/apps/ActuarialInformationBrowser2018/CropCriteria.aspx. NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production.

For more information on NAP, service fees or sales deadlines, contact the Schuylkill County FSA office at 570-622-1555, Ext. 2, or go online to www.fsa.usda.gov/nap.

Oil heat group gives to Salvation Army

KUTZTOWN — The Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association has donated $4,690 to the Berks and Schuylkill counties Salvation Army corps, with each receiving half of the total, according to an association press release.

The association’s annual charitable donation has helped the heating needs of local residents to a total of $64,780 to date, according to the release.

Capt. Sharon Tressler of the Reading Salvation Army corps and Envoy Gina Harris of the Pottsville Salvation Army accepted the funds at a presentation from association President Kevin Steele of H.B. Steele & Son Inc., Orwigsburg, and Secretary/Treasurer Chris Crooks of Talley Petroleum, Grantville.

Steele said in the release the association’s membership “has always been willing to step forward and help those less fortunate.”

Donations for the annual fundraiser came from member companies R.W. Beckett Corp., Boston Environmental, Buckeye Energy Services, Earl R. Martin Inc., Elite Fuel Services LLC, H.B. Steele & Son Inc., Jack Rich Inc., Lucknow-Highspire Terminals LLC, Pennsylvania Petroleum Association and Santilli Oil Co. Inc., according to the release.

The association is comprised of independent heating oil distributors and dealers, and associated industries. It exists to “promote and educate current and prospective heating oil customers as to the benefits of oil heat and to support local oil companies, providing a wide range of products and services to enhance their customers’ satisfaction,” officials said in the release.

For more about the association, go online to www.bsoha.org. For more about the Salvation Army, go to its website at www.salvationarmy.org.

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., until Sunday.

Shows will be held at 7 p.m. tonight and Friday, with three performances — 10 a.m., 3 and 7:30 p.m. — Saturday and 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

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

The Hamburg Field House, according to an event release, features adequate seating to accommodate large crowds, ample floor space for the performers and plenty of free parking.

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

Special loaves for St. Joseph Day

POTTSVILLE — St. Patrick Roman Catholic Parish will again celebrate St. Joseph Day at 8 a.m. March 19 with a St. Joseph Table featuring special bread loaves.

In cooperation with Bake Shop VI, a specialty bread baker and restaurant, Pottsville, loaves of bread, designed by baker Brian Setlock, will be sold.

The loaves will be made in the shape of a cross and also in the shape of a staff of St. Joseph.

The cost is $8 for the staff (16 ounces) and $10 for the cross (20 ounces). The loaves, of a soft, Challah bread, will be blessed on March 19.

The deadline/payment for orders is noon Tuesday at the parish office.

In a related topic, Expressions, a thrift/variety store at 114 N. Main St., Shenandoah, run by Pottsville-based Avenues, formerly United Cerebral Palsy, is a satellite location for the sale of products by Bake Shop VI.

Expressions’ hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. It also has seasonal weekend hours.

To reach the store, call 570-462-6252 or email shenexpr@avenuesofpa.org.

‘Advisemint’ slates grand opening

ORWIGSBURG — A ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony for “Advisemint” Financial Partners, 1253 Centre Turnpike across from Schaeffer’s Motorsports, is set for noon March 14.

All are invited to attend, according to a Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce flier, which indicates people should RSVP to Jonni Gray by Monday by calling 570-622-1942 or emailing jgray@schuylkillchamber.com.

Shoener featured Walk In artist

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Pottsville native Shawn Shoener, who has a studio now in Llewellyn, is the featured artist at the Walk In Art Center, 220 Parkway, for March and April.

Shoener’s full-time job, according to a release, is running his tree trimming and removal service, which led him to his artwork nearly 20 years ago.

Shoener, according to the release, said his favorite subject matter is wood working on trees. He starting doing art after he saw the intricacies of the inside of the trees he was cutting down for his clients and began his art journey by making furniture in 1998.

“I like to work with whatever I take down,” he said in the release. “If can climb it, I can cut it down and then create something from it.”

His work can be seen throughout Schuylkill Haven, including Poseidon on Parkway, created in 2016.

Shoener is known to carve and leave pieces at places where he has done tree work, like the tree on the corner of Parkway and Main Street in Schuylkill Haven, a piece he designed on Schuylkill Haven Borough Day.

For more information, call 570-732-3728 or email lisa.robinson@walkinartcenter.com.

Medical office open house set

LANSFORD — An open house and ribbon-cutting for the Lansford Medical Office Building, 100 W. Patterson St., is set for 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The public, according to a flier bannered by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, is invited to participate. People are asked to RSVP to St. Luke’s InfoLink at 866-ST-LUKES, option 4.

St. Luke’s Hospital-Miners Campus is in Coaldale.

Schaeffer’s hosts events for MDA

ORWIGSBURG — A paint-and-sip event is set for 2 p.m. March 24 at Schaeffer’s Harley-Davidson Community Room, 1123 Brick Hill Road, to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The cost is $25 per person, which includes all supplies and canvas, and participations will paint an 8-by-10 canvas with a patriotic theme. Light snacks will be provided, BYOB. Proceeds will benefit MDA.

Schaeffer’s will also host traveling vineyard wine tasting at 6:30 p.m. March 30 in the community room. The deadline to RSVP is March 23.

Wine tasting, according to a flier heralded by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, will be planned and paired with specific foods. The wine tasting guide will be Teri Maxwell.

People needing help placing an order or who have questions about the wine should call 717-669-0888 or email wineguideteri@gmail.com.

Proceeds from the wine tasting event will benefit MDA.

Schaeffer’s will also feature a community egg hunt beginning at 2 p.m. April 20 for children 10 and younger.

The hunt will also include kids’ carnival games from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., an ice cream party, food and pictures with the Easter Bunny from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Mock interviewers needed for transition

SHENANDOAH — The Schuylkill County Transition Council will host a transition fair for young people with disabilities who are preparing to transition to work. The fair will be held April 4 at Shenandoah Valley High School, and mock interviewers are needed for the event.

During the fair, according to an event flier bannered by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, students will have the opportunity to participate in a mock interview session.

“By volunteering to conduct mock interviews, you will assist young people preparing for their future careers,” organizers said in the flier.

Mock interviewers are needed for 9 to 11 a.m. and/or noon to 2 p.m. To register, contact Lavinia Ritter, office of vocational rehabilitation, at 610-621-5800, Ext. 130 or email lavritter@pa.gov.

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.

SHEPPTON — It was the East Union Township auditors, not the township supervisors, who filed legal action to surcharge one supervisor and a former township treasurer for giving the treasurer an illegal raise.

John Lucas, subbing for township solicitor Joe Baranko, told a full meeting room at the supervisors’ Wednesday meeting that the action to acknowledge receipt and review of the auditors’ report did not mean they agreed, or disagreed, with what the report said — that the township auditors contend Supervisor Jon Dettery provided a sworn written statement saying he approved salary increases to Mary Stitzer when he provided conflicting testimony that he did not, as court papers state.

The township auditors want to impose a surcharge in Schuylkill County Court on Stitzer, who served as treasurer from January 2014 to July 2018, when she resigned, and Dettery, who signed a sworn written document saying he approved of her salary increases, which he denied in depositions, according to court papers filed.

Through their investigation, the auditors found that Stitzer received $42,170 more in salary than she was approved to earn during her tenure and $20,841.60 in health insurance for two years as a part-time employee, court papers say.

Stitzer’s salary was set at $500 a month in January 2014 and the supervisors never voted on raises or health insurance at a public meeting, the court papers state. Those papers also stated the township was not required to provide health insurance to a part-time employee and it would be unlawful to provide it.

The auditors found that Stitzer received salary above that approved as follows: $4,240 in 2014, $11,080 in 2015, $10,640 in 2016, $10,640 in 2017 and $5,570 in 2018, according to the court papers.

The auditors want to surcharge both people $42,170, and Stitzer alone $20,841.60 in health insurance premiums.

Lucas said it wasn’t the supervisors who decided who was responsible — it was the auditors.

“When we say we accept the report, we’re saying the board is accepting receipt of the report,” Lucas said. “They are physically accepting the report. They are not accepting what’s in the report as true or false. We have nothing to do with the preparation of the report. That was exclusively the auditors. All these folks did was give the facts, and the auditors do what they do with their report, and the auditors file their report with the court. The board itself doesn’t decide who is responsible. They are just acknowledging they have accepted the report.”

Any criminal charges will be up to the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office, Lucas said.

“There is due process of law,” Lucas said. “They have 45 days to appeal. We have to wait until we see how it plays out.”

Township residents Pam Hartz and Steve Buchinsky feel the entire board of supervisors is responsible for the overpay.

“Why are only John and Mary on the hook for this money and not the whole board?” Hartz asked. “You guys accepted the treasurer’s report, you accepted the payroll. Only he’s (Dettery) on the hook for it, but all three of you sat up there and accepted those treasurer’s reports, and knew she was getting paid. All three of you are responsible, in my opinion.”

Buchinsky added, “By accepting the report, you’re tacitly accepting what these auditors found. Three of you guys are supposed to be watching the store. It should not be just Jon Dettery.”

The only response from the board was from Supervisor Dennis Antonelli, who said legal depositions were taken, and testimony made by township officials.

“There was never a motion made at a public meeting for the raise,” Antonelli said.

The supervisors voted to approve a $6,000 engagement letter with Lettich and Zippay CPAs for the 2018 township audit.

A resident asked whether the supervisors had stated previously that they were going to do an in-house audit to save money.

“From what I understand, the auditors do not want to do the audit because of all the problems that we had with the previous treasurer,” Antonelli said. “They wanted it done by an outside firm. We’re hoping next year that it can be done in-house.”

Auditor Bob Gabardi confirmed what Antonelli said.

“We’re not going to do that audit with six months of somebody else’s work with all the problems that there were going on,” Gabardi said. “We recommended it be done by an outside firm. I’m not signing it.”

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

POTTSVILLE — Forensic pathologist Dr. Richard P. Bindie testified Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court that he has no doubt about how Pottsville businessman John Brock died in August 2015.

“It was homicide,” resulting from 30 to 40 significant cutting injuries, Bindie said on the third day of the trial of Joshua M. Lukach, one of two men prosecutors charged with killing Brock in his 14 S. 12th St. home.

“Do you have an opinion as to the cause of death?” Chief Deputy Attorney General Kirsten E. Heine, who is trying the case with Deputy Attorney General Philip M. McCarthy, asked Bindie.

“Exsanguination,” Bindie answered.

“What is that?”

“Massive blood loss.”

Lukach, 22, of New Philadelphia, is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, second-degree murder, robbery, burglary, criminal trespass, access device fraud, theft and receiving stolen property. The trial before a jury and Judge Jacqueline L. Russell is scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. today.

“The trial will conclude (today),” Russell said.

Pottsville police charge Lukach with robbing and killing Brock, the owner of the now-closed Pottsville Bike and Board Shop, 125 W. Market St., in the early morning hours of Aug. 6, 2015. Police said Lukach and Thomas, 25, of Pottsville, stabbed Brock and stole keys and cards from him at the house, and later used his bank card to steal $63 from him.

On April 13, 2017, Thomas pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and other crimes. Russell sentenced him to serve 27 to 60 years in a state correctional institution; part of Thomas’ plea agreement required him to testify against Lukach, which he did on Tuesday.

Thomas is serving his sentence at State Correctional Institution/Mahanoy.

Bindie detailed Brock’s wounds, saying some were inflicted by a knife and some by a box cutter.

“It was almost amputated,” he said of Brock’s left forefinger.

The most serious wound was the slashing of Brock’s throat, which cut blood vessels to the jugular vein, although it missed both that and the carotid artery, Bindie said.

While Brock suffered many cuts, not all were equal, according to Bindie.

“The injuries are more severe on the left side,” he said. “They look like penetrating wounds.”

Bindie said there also were wounds on Brock’s right hand, arm, elbow and upper arm, his buttocks and his chest.

“It went in deep,” he said of the knife used to inflict one wound.

Pottsville police testimony dominated much of the rest of the day, with Capt. Steven Guers saying he helped to search Brock’s house and the surrounding area for evidence.

He said that evidence included two pairs of bloodstained gloves, which he showed to the jury. He also said he secured all evidence in the evidence room.

When cross-examined by Jeffrey J. Markosky, Mahanoy City, Lukach’s lawyer, Guers said he interviewed Thomas, who admitted stabbing Brock but never mentioned that Lukach had cut the victim or made a motion across his throat to indicate that Brock should be killed. Thomas testified to both on Tuesday while on the witness stand.

Police Chief Richard J. Wojciechowsky testified that Lukach told him he had been with Thomas all night when Boyer was murdered. Wojciechowsky also said he recovered a pair of gloves during a search of Lukach’s residence that were very similar to bloody gloves found at the crime scene.

Detective Kirk Becker, the prosecuting officer, testified to the following:

• He took DNA swabs from Lukach and Thomas.

• The video and a still photograph from the automatic teller machine at Susquehanna Bank, now BB&T Bank, 9 S. Centre St., show Lukach withdrawing money from it from 5:09 a.m. to 5:12 a.m. the morning Brock died. Bank records confirmed the withdrawal.

• Video from the A-Plus mini-market showed Lukach and Thomas entering the store that morning, eating and staying for 37 minutes.

• Thomas told him on Jan. 31 about Brock’s cellphone, which police found in February in two pieces along Strauch Street. No data were found on it.

Becker also provided transcripts of three telephone calls Lukach made in which he mentions Thomas.

“If he took the rap ... he could get me off,” Lukach was heard to say when one of the calls was played to the jury. “He’s a ... rat.”

When Markosky cross-examined him, Becker acknowledged that Thomas’ stories were not always consistent.

Two forensic scientists, Carolyn Reilly of the state police crime laboratory in Harrisburg, and Hai-Sheng Li of the state police crime laboratory in Greensburg, also testified.

Reilly said she found blood on both pairs of gloves and two knives, while Li said she found Lukach’s DNA on one of the pairs of gloves and Boyer’s DNA on at least one knife.

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

Man faces charges for harassing calls

TAMAQUA — A Frackville man is facing charges of harassment after allegedly making multiple phone calls to a woman in the borough.

Tamaqua police said the victim was reporting the harassing calls to an officer at the police station when a private number kept calling her.

At one point, the officer answered the call and identified himself, finding Brian J. Morit Jr., 36, on the other line, police said.

Morit admitted to repeatedly calling the woman and a check of her telephone records showed 32 missed calls from a private number within a six-minute time frame.

After leaving the police station, the woman called police back to say Morit was still ringing her phone.

Man allegedly stole, ate frozen pizza

TAMAQUA — A Valley View man was charged with retail theft by Tamaqua police for stealing frozen pizza from Boyer’s IGA and eating it in the store’s bathroom on Feb. 25.

Police said the manager of the store reported that Robert Valentine, 51, took the Ellio’s Pizza, consuming it in the bathroom.

When confronted, police said, Valentine said he admitted to eating the frozen pizza but claimed he was going to pay for it, police said.

The charge against Valentine was filed with Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua.

Woman jailed after stabbing in dispute

TAMAQUA — A Tamaqua woman was jailed after stabbing her paramour two times during a domestic dispute in the borough on Feb. 26.

Tamaqua police said Mary Ellen Koreisl, 39, was charged with possessing instruments of a crime, reckless endangerment and two counts aggravated assault.

She was arraigned that day by Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $25,000 bail, but posted bond the following day.

Police said officers were called to 539 E. Elm St. around 1:20 a.m. for a reported stabbing and learned that Koreisl stabbed a man in the home and drove away.

Officers found blood and broken glass in the home as well as the victim, who was lying on his left side, clutching his chest, police said.

The victim, police said, reported that Koreisl believed he was seeing other women and during an argument she stabbed him with a kitchen knife.

The victim was taken to an area hospital and, police said, when Koreisl was taken into custody she admitted causing the injuries.

2 teens charged for pot possession

McADOO — Two teenage McAdoo girls were charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after a vehicle stop by McAdoo police around 2 a.m. Jan. 27.

Police said officers stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation and took the driver into custody for DUI.

Inside the vehicle, police said, officers found a small bag of marijuana on the floor of the back seat between the teens, age 15 and 17.

Neither girl took ownership of the marijuana, resulting in both being charged through Schuylkill County juvenile authorities.

Woman charged with drug violations

McADOO — McAdoo police said Wednesday they charged a Hazle Township woman with drug violations as the result of an investigation into an Aug. 18 incident.

Police said officers stopped a vehicle driven by Lisa Pelszynski, 32, for an equipment violation and found the woman to be under the influence.

The woman, police said, admitted using methamphetamine, was taken into custody and gave officers permission to search her vehicle.

The search uncovered a small amount of methamphetamine in a plastic bag, a used syringe and a bag of unused syringes.

The woman was taken for a blood test that later determined she had methamphetamine and Amphetamine in her system.

As a result of the incidents, police said, Pelszynski was charged with two counts of DUI and one count each of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and general lighting requirements.

Woman jailed for domestic assault

McADOO — A borough woman was jailed Saturday after being arrested by McAdoo police for an assault at a home on West Blaine Street around 8:40 p.m.

Police said officers were called to the home for a domestic disturbance and spoke to the victim who reported being in a verbal argument with Oneyda Molina, 28, that escalated to her hitting him in the face, causing numerous injuries.

Molina was taken into custody and charged with simple assault and harassment.

Police said she was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post bail.

Two men charged after traffic stop

McADOO — An investigation into an incident in the borough around 10:30 a.m. June 18 resulted in charges being filed against two men.

Police said officers stopped a vehicle for a red light violation and found the driver did not have a license and was very nervous.

A consent search turned up three Alprazolam pills in a cup holder and two bundles of heroin stuffed in the back seat.

Police said one of the passengers — Michael Wisda, 45, of Hazleton — reported the items belonged to him and that, although he was a front-seat passenger, he threw the drugs into the back seat while the vehicle was being stopped.

Wisda also said another passenger — Benito Garcia, 52, of McAdoo — dug it into the back seat in an attempt to hide it, police said.

When questioned, police said, Benito admitted hiding the drugs because he did not want Wisda to get into trouble.

As a result, police Wednesday said, Wisda was charged with two counts each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and Benito with tampering with evidence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

ELIZABETHVILLE — They saw the face of addiction.

It was on a poster held by a grieving mother who lost her daughter to an overdose of heroin laced with fentanyl.

That face had also once belonged to a talented musician who returned to her alma mater to share her story of recovery.

Wendy Loranzo, who established The Elizabeth Loranzo iCare Foundation, and Katie Keister, a 2012 Upper Dauphin Area High School graduate who received help through The Skook Recovers, were among the 10 guest presenters Wednesday during Drug Education Day at Upper Dauphin Area High School.

“This does not look like the face of addiction,” Wendy Loranzo said, as she held up her daughter’s picture. “I felt really stupid. My daughter passed away from something I couldn’t even spell.”

She started the foundation in response to the death of her daughter, Elizabeth, on March 19, 2017. The nonprofit promotes Compassion, Advocacy, Recovery and Education (CARE) and helps educate parents, loved ones and communities.

“What do you say when something like this happens, ‘I care,’ ” she said in explaining the group’s name. Although there may be the tendency for families to worry about what the neighbors would think, Wendy Loranzo decided the best way for her to carry on without her daughter would be to tell the truth about Elizabeth’s death.

In the weeks after her daughter’s passing, Wendy Loranzo learned Elizabeth was over prescribed medications, including two antidepressants, Ativan and Adderall. After speaking with Dauphin County Coroner Graham Hetrick, she learned that her daughter was given a “cocktail for death,” when mixed with the fentanyl.

Elizabeth Loranzo left behind her boyfriend, Kyle Cox, and their 9-month-old son, Carson, who’s now nearly 3.

The foundation hopes to promote public awareness and education, assist parents and loved ones, and help those with addiction, depression, anxiety and alcoholism. It’s a proponent of Vivitrol (naltrexone for extended release injectable suspension), a nonaddictive, once-monthly treatment proven to prevent relapse in opioid dependent patients when used with counseling following detoxification, according to Facebook.com/icarepa and www.icarepa.org.

Dan Albert, executive director of Hero In the Fight, joined Loranzo and presented his journey while in recovery. He had used prescription drugs, cocaine and heroin, and eventually became homeless and was incarcerated.

He went into rehab and said he wrote his young daughter’s name on his hand as a reminder that he needed to be clean and live for her.

“I don’t like when someone disrespects me, so why would I disrespect myself?” he said.

Travis “Featherhawk” Snyder, project leader and founder of The Skook Recovers, talked about the importance of mindfulness and resiliency. He said students should find positive ways to engage in their community, such as cleaning up neighborhood playgrounds or assisting with animal shelters or the elderly.

“My recovery brought wonderful changes and built positive relationships with family, friends and the community,” he said.

Keister, now 24, shared that she is recovering from abuse of methamphetamine and heroin. Once an honors student who received a music scholarship, Keister said she never thought she’d end up where she did. By the time she was 19, she was charged with several felonies and spent 13 months in jail in Tennessee and Reading. Despite a relapse in her recovery after she said she became “too confident,” Keister said The Skook Recovers taught her how to develop a beautiful life for herself and her 1-year-old son, Johnny Hopkins. “Be mindful and aware of the decisions you’re making,” she said. She played the guitar and sang the song, “For You,” which she wrote for her son. Keister said she would like to pursue a career in musical therapy as a way to help others facing addiction.

As part of the curriculum, UDA sophomores participating in Drug Education Day are required to complete a research project. Holden Stiely said his research was focusing on heroin addiction.

“It’s a real epidemic and no one is really safe,” Stiely, 16, of Elizabethville, said.

Stiely volunteered to assist another presenter, Sean O’Haren, a paramedic with Pinnacle Health Community Life Team. Stiely bared his shin so O’Haren could demonstrate how an IO cannulation would be done. That’s where a needle is inserted into bone marrow to administer medication. Oftentimes, people who abuse drugs have poor intraveneous access or tissue necrosis, resulting in the need for IO cannulation, O’Haren said.

He shared information about the affects of heroin, methamphetamine and the “Zombie” drug, which is made from soaking cigars in formaldehyde.

“It’s all here and it’s deadly and will ruin you as a person. Everyone here has a bright future. Go for it and make your life worth something,” O’Haren said.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

It may only be March, but now is the time to consider summertime volunteer positions.

The Trinity Episcopal Church in Pottsville announces its Summer Reading Camp in July for children who are struggling readers who may not read as much at home over the summer as they did when in school, causing their reading skills to stagnate. This may put them at a disadvantage when school resumes.

The program helps children to continue to build reading comprehension during the summer by working with them in the camp and giving them books to build their libraries as an incentive to continue reading at home.

They’re now recruiting volunteer tutors. The camp will run from 8:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. from July 8 through 12 at the church. Volunteers would work as part of a team, help prepare materials, engage the children in hands-on learning activities and games, read to them, accompany them to the library and assist with serving breakfast, lunch and snacks.

Ideal volunteers are those who enjoy working with children, can work as part of a team, are reliable and patient with good communication skills. Prior experience working with children is helpful but not necessary. Current Child Abuse and Criminal History clearances are required, free of charge, as is a 90-minute online training.

Interested volunteers can call Barbara Tokarz at 570-739-4123 or email to bpt9@verizon.net. Volunteers are encouraged to apply early to complete the registration process.

Do you enjoy working with the public, have an interest in gardening and value fact-based gardening education? If so, you may want to consider volunteering as a Penn State Master Gardener. Applications are now being accepted through April 5, which includes an entrance exam, interview and references.

A free information program is scheduled for 6:30 to 8 p.m. March 27 at the Ag Center on the Gordon Nagle Trail (Route 901). Learn about the program and the 16-week training that will run on Wednesday mornings from mid-August through mid-December. Register for the information program by calling Steve Daderko at 570-622-4225, ext. 17, or by emailing him at sjd5879@psu.edu.

The play, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” will be performed at the Majestic Theater at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. The play is recommended for ages 13 and older. Tickets sell for $15 and can be ordered by calling 570-628-4647.

STS announces Free Fare Friday on Friday. Fare-paying passengers can ride any fixed route bus for free, registered seniors always ride for free.

The Pottsville Free Public Library will host a St. Patrick’s Day party at 6 p.m. March 14 for children ages 3-12 and their parents or caregivers. There will be crafts, games, refreshments and prizes. Register by calling 570-622-8880, ext. 12, or by emailing potchild@pottsvillelibrary.org.

Lessie’s Garden’s annual Spring Fling will take place at 9 a.m. March 24 at its 2 Park Street, Pottsville, facility. Children’s activities include a rain-or-shine egg hunt, photos with the Easter Bunny, DIY dream catchers and sun catchers and sand art activities.

Stream water monitor

Responsibility: Help to maintain our healthy waterways and vibrant natural habitats by conducting a quarterly physical assessment, easy chemical testing and/or a semi-annual macro invertebrate analysis of an assigned waterway in Schuylkill County. Work with a partner.

Times: Flexible, choose your schedule. Next training will be held on Monday. Reserve your seat by calling the number below.

Skills: For volunteers ages 55 and older. Responsible, able to track and record measurements. Assistance and all materials provided by office.

Location: Several areas available.

Call: Darla Troutman, RSVP of Schuylkill County, 570-622-3103.

Community Volunteers in Action is the volunteer center for Schuylkill County. Use the preceding contact information for those specific opportunities and search other listings on our website at www.schuylkill.us/cvia. Find us on Facebook. Call us at 570-628-1426 or email jjohnston@co.schuylkill.pa.us.

VALLEY VIEW — Hegins Township residents Wednesday told supervisors they’re opposed to a proposed compressor station in their township.

Paula Spece, a Bridge Road resident, presented a 206-signature petition to the board opposing Williams’ natural gas pipeline compressor station proposed near Deep Creek and Bridge roads. It’s part of Williams’ Leidy South Expansion Project.

About 50 citizens attended the meeting.

“Where do you stand on the situation?” Spece asked. She said there were many concerns including safety of the facility, well water contamination, property values dropping and the affect on wildlife, including American eagles and a trout stream present there. She also wondered about the consequences to a nearby farm that’s raising chickens for human consumption.

Another resident, Sue Ann Bracanaro, asked how much the supervisors already know about this project, and also asked what procedures Williams needs to take for the compressor station to proceed.

All five supervisors attended the meeting, and all agreed that they had been given very little information from the company prior to Williams hosting its open house on the project last month at the Hegins Area Ambulance Association building.

Initially, the supervisors said they received a letter from Williams stating the company was interested in building the facility within Schuylkill County, but not having many more details than that.

During the open house, about 20 Williams representatives and representatives from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission were on hand to answer citizens questions. The proposed location for the compressor station would be on a 90-acre site along Deep Creek Road and Bridge Road, with 10 of those acres being dedicated to the compressor station itself and the other acreage used as a buffer zone, according to Christopher L. Stockton, a Williams spokesman.

Supervisor Brad Carl said he attended the open house. He asked why the compressor station couldn’t be placed along the Donaldson stretch, instead of in the township. He said county officials had also looked at that area, along with Williams, but the company said there are wetlands there that come into play, and that’s why that area was not desirable for building the facility.

Residents Leroy Shuey and Bruce Bruso noted that any variances or changes to land use would be coming through the local leaders.

Several citizens asked if the supervisors could give their individual thoughts about the proposed project. They preferred not to do so at this time, but wanted to hear citizens’ input.

There are steps and legal advice being sought by the township on how it can approach the issue, according to attorney Erika Mills, who was sitting in for solicitor Donald G. Karpowich. The supervisors started their meeting at 7:20 p.m., after taking a 20-minute executive session to discuss personnel issues and legal strategy.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

Funeral services have been set for Patrick J. Murphy, the Pottsville businessman slain last week in New Orleans.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at noon Wednesday, March 13, at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Pottsville.

Murphy, 62, was found dead Thursday in Room 110 in the Empress Hotel, 1317 Ursulines Ave., by hotel staff.

MAHANOY CITY — The Mahanoy Area school board unanimously approved the creation of a LERTA district in the Mahanoy Business Park last week for a new commercial development.

The school board approved the resolution following other separate approvals in previous weeks by the Ryan Township and Mahanoy Township supervisors.

The resolution provides for certain real property tax exemptions for the assessed value of improvements, including new construction, on industrial, commercial or other business property in Mahanoy and Ryan townships in accord with the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act.

The ordinance also establishes a tax exemption schedule over 10 years and details the procedures for obtaining the exemption.

The Ryan Township supervisors amended its LERTA ordinance at their Feb. 11 meeting for the project, while the Mahanoy Township supervisors approved the LERTA district at their Feb. 21 meeting.

NorthPoint plans to develop a 509-acre section in the park on land identified as the Bendinsky or Yudacot Airport Parcel with three large buildings as distribution centers or for other uses. The land is located near the intersection of Interstate 81 and state Route 54.

Information provided by the Schuylkill Economic Development Corp. shows the following:

• Building 1 — 1,100,100 square feet in size. Capital investment: $50 million. Estimated jobs: 550.

• Building 2 — 850,440 square feet. Capital investment: $42.5 million. Estimated jobs: 425.

• Building 3 — 500,460 square feet. Capital investment: $25.5 million. Estimated jobs: 250.

The LERTA Act was approved by the state legislature in 1977 and allows for a graduated real estate tax scale on commercial properties being developed, but only on the assessed valuation of the improvements, not of the assessed property value before those improvements.

LERTA authorizes second class townships, such as Ryan and Mahanoy, to exempt new construction of industrial, commercial and other business property in deteriorated areas of economically distressed communities, and improvement to certain deteriorated industrial, commercial and industrial properties in the township.

The tax exemption schedule on the increased assessed valuation of improvements and new construction approved by the school board is:

• Year 1-8 — 100 percent.

• Year 9 — 90 percent.

• Year 10 — 80 percent.

The resolution states, “The Mahanoy Area School District recognizes the need to encourage the improvements, reconstruction and physical expansion of deteriorated business, commercial and industrial properties in various communities within the boundaries of the Mahanoy Area School District.”

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

Deeds

Ashland — Suzan J. Weber to John M. Weber, Tammy S. Halsey and Robert W. Weber; 916 Brock St.; $1.

Ashland and Butler Township — Theresa Santai Gaffney, clerk of the Orphans’ Court of Schuylkill County, to Bonnie R. Remaley; 25-percent interest in two properties; $1.

Coaldale — Matthew Tirpak to Jonathan Thomas Burke; 25-27 E. Ruddle St.; $97,000.

East Brunswick Township — Michael and Sandy Cho, by attorney in fact Philip Joswick, to Jason and Candace Witmier; 100 Rick’s Road; $269,900.

Frackville — Jean Marble and James Ferguson, co-executors for the Estate of Grace Ferguson, to Mina Agauiby; 122 W. Arch St.; $30,000.

Michael Plexa, executor of the Estate of Mary Parano, to Kip McClelland; 308 W. High St.; $110,000.

Gordon — Jennifer Rau to Jon D. Deeter; 314 W. Biddle St.; $64,000.

Minersville — First English Baptist Church of Minersville to Jesus Name Assembly of the Apostles Faith; 50 S. Third St.; $30,000.

New Philadelphia — Kelcie Fitzpatrick to Jessica Anderson; 163 Riverside Drive; $12,000.

North Manheim Township — Mark C. and Kristy M. Trautman to Mark C. Trautman; 154 W. Second Mountain Road; $1.

Pine Grove Township — Lewis J. and Loretta J. Herr to Duane E. Sensenig; 109 Swopes valley Road; $215,000.

Pottsville — Steve J. and Leona L. Matz to Steve J. and Leona L. Matz; 807 Clarence Ave.; $1.

Ian A. West to Shahzad Bashir Bhutta; 623 Laurel Blvd.; $35,000.

Michele Lagasse, administratrix of the Estate of Rose Ann Fekete, to Renee Williams-Wetzel; 824 Nepolt St.; $110,000.

Schuylkill Haven — Heffner Investment Properties LLC to Christopher Michael Markish and Alissa Nicole Lord; 504 W. Columbia St.; $79,500.

Tamaqua — Stephen J. Daderko, executor of the Estate of Steve Daderko, to James W. Daderko; 310 Van Gelder St.; $1.

Diane and George Shuck to Micah A. Kates and Erin M. Miller; 14-16 S. Lehigh St.; $16,000.

Tremont — William D. and Crystal A. Ochs to Dennis and Becky Miller; 443 W. Laurel St.; $15,000.

Wayne Township — George Elo to George H. Elo; 15.2-acre property on Township Road 669; $1.

Marriages

Jeffrey L. Fidler, Schuylkill Haven, and Sandra A. Faust, Schuylkill Haven.

Jacob D. Searfoss, Girardville, and Eleanor A. Weimert, Shenandoah.

Kenneth Rossi, Huntingdon, and Lorraine A. Desola, Jeanette.

Bradley W. Porter, Pottsville, and Robyn A. Sonnon, Minersville.

Sean A. Krammes, Pine Grove, and Mariejul Sayson Villarin, Pine Grove.

Jason B. Russell, Girardville, and Brenda Lee Montz, Girardville.

Delton G. Bolton Jr., Girardville, and Hayley A. Smith, Shenandoah.

Brian J. Copeland, Pottsville, and Stephanie A. Graser, Pottsville.

Divorces granted

Debra A. Stump, Pine Grove, from Carl A. Stump, Pine Grove.

Bonnie Weismiller, no address available, from Robert Weismiller Jr., Port Carbon.

Donalea R. Turolis, Port Carbon, from David S. Turolis, Pottsville.

Heaven M. Rubright-Quinter, Pottsville, from Justin B. Quinter, Schuylkill Haven.

Johanna D. Goodman, Pottsville, from Harrad J. Goodman, Pottsville.

Saphire Jefferson, Pine Grove, from John Jefferson, Minersville.

Lisa Kenney, Tamaqua, from Michael Kenney, New Ringgold.

Robert Knepper, Tamaqua, from Tanya Knepper, Tamaqua.

Samantha Turco, Robesonia, from Jason Dierolf, Lebanon.

Rebecca Rehatchek, Allentown, from Kyle Rehatchek, New Ringgold.

Laura Alacon, Reading, from Braulio Sosa, West Reading.

Paul Ernst, Auburn, from Deanna Ernst, Mohrsville.

Teresa Chappell, Schuylkill Haven, from Matthew Chappell, Danville.

Jennifer Lynn Bordner, Hegins, from Harold Bordner, Hegins.

Brian Potts, Pine Grove, from Angela Potts, Frackville.