POTTSVILLE — A local businessman is getting statewide recognition for his restaurant.

Jerry Labooty, owner of The Greystone, located at Centre Street and Laurel Boulevard, will be featured on an episode of Keystone Cuisine, an eight-part series about interesting restaurants.

Employees of PCN were on site Monday filming for the 30-minute episode, which will debut at 9 p.m. Sept. 8, with reruns to air thereafter.

The popular restaurant features fine dining and also has a modern bar, and live music is occasionally featured.

Labooty, who bought the restaurant on Nov. 4, 2003, said he was “honored” to be selected for the show.

“It’s kind of cool,” he said. “We are the only restaurant in Schuylkill County (to be featured).”

Kes Baker, an assistant producer at PCN and producer for Keystone Cuisine, contacted Labooty for an interview in April after she researched the restaurant online.

The first piece of the episode has Labooty talking about the restaurant, followed by Baker interviewing him. The third segment features a cooking demonstration.

“Nineteen years we’ve been here on this corner in downtown Pottsville,” Labooty said Monday during a break in filming.

“It’s a great opportunity for restaurants to promote themselves,” Baker said.

The summer-long Sunday series began airing July 14, featuring The Brewerie in Erie. Other shows have or will feature Powerhouse Eatery, White Haven, July 21; Hickory Bridge Farm, Orrtanna, July 28; U.S. Hotel Tavern, Hollidaysburg, Aug. 4; Elwood Restaurant, Philadelphia, Aug. 11; Quentin Tavern, Quentin, Aug. 25; and Revival on Lincoln, Pittsburgh, Sept. 1.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

MAHANOY CITY — A Mahanoy City man was arrested Saturday night after he was caught trespassing at a property in Mahanoy Township.

On Monday, another man was arrested and charged with a burglary, this one in Mahanoy City.

Authorities said both men are persons of interest in more than 10 other burglaries in Mahanoy Township, Mahanoy City and Ryan Township dating back to earlier this year.

In Saturday’s incident, Mahanoy Township police charged Korey Wronski, 29, of 123 W. Mahanoy Ave., with felony criminal trespass and misdemeanor offenses of possessing instruments of crime and loitering and prowling at night.

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

Mahanoy Township police Patrolman Matthew Williams said the incident that led to Wronski’s arrest began around 10 p.m., when he was called to a home at 9 Back St. for a report of someone prowling on the property.

While going to the scene, Williams said, he was advised that the homeowner was watching a man on a cellphone on her security cameras.

A few minutes later, Williams said, Mahanoy City police officers Rachael Lenar and Jordan Smith arrived and saw a person, later identified as Wronski, running from the rear of the home.

Lenar chased Wronski and took him into custody after deploying her Taser weapon, hitting him in the upper portion of his body.

After being taken into custody, Williams said, Wronski was searched, leading to the discovery of a small pair of wire cutters with a green handle.

Williams said the owner of the property then took officers to the area where Wronski was running from and found a hole had been cut in a wire fence to allow the man access to the property.

In addition, Wronski had a backpack that contained items that may have been stolen in other burglaries.

The owner had a 2002 Volkswagen parked on the property and Williams said the red security light on the vehicle was activated, indicating someone had tried to get inside.

Williams said Wronski was evaluated at the scene by Shenandoah ALS for injuries he may have suffered from the Taser, but he refused medical treatment.

The officer added that Wronski was taken back to the Mahanoy City police station for processing and, after being advised of his Miranda Rights, invoked his right to remain silent.

At the time of his arrest, police said, Wronski was free on bail stemming from two previous burglaries.

On Monday, George C. Hartranft, 46, who is listed as homeless, was charged by Mahanoy City police Cpl. Charles Kovalewski with felony offenses of burglary, criminal trespass and receiving stolen property, and a misdemeanor crime of identity theft.

Hartranft was also arraigned by Bayer and committed to the county prison unable to post $50,000 straight cash bail.

Kovalewski said he was called to a home at 1114 E. Market St. for a burglary and found the home had been broken into and ransacked.

As the investigation continued, Kovalewski said, on Sunday Lenar received a report of a woman lurking around a garage. Inside the garage, Kovalewski said, Lenar found bedding materials and an identification card belonging to the owner of 1114 E. Market St.

After being told by Lenar no one should be inside the garage, Kovalewski said he went to the property Monday morning and found Hartranft inside with two identification cards belonging to the owners of 1114 E. Market St.

When interviewed, Hartranft admitted to being at the East Market Street home but said the door was open and that he did not take anything, Kovalewski said.

Mahanoy City Police Chief Mark J. Wiekrykas said his department is investigating seven burglaries dating back to February.

He said that police believe all of the burglaries in the three jurisdictions are related.

Despite the arrests, Wiekrykas urged residents to be vigilant to their surroundings and to report any suspicious activities immediately.

“There are still other persons of interest we are looking into,” the chief said.

“There is a constant police activity involved trying to put the pieces together,” Wiekrykas said of the burglaries.

Although he stopped short of saying Wronski and Hartranft are responsible for all the burglaries, the chief said they are persons of interest.

With the arrest of the two men, the chief said others involved can do one of two things: “They can crawl deeper under a rock to hide or they can start trying to dispose of the stolen items.”

Although two arrests have been made, the chief said authorities believe one or two more people may be involved.

“We are asking everyone to keep an eye out, report anything immediately and help us,” Wiekrykas said.

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

Police investigate hit-and-run crash

HOMETOWN — Rush Township police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that happened in the parking lot of Walmart along Route 309 between 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. July 22.

Police said an unidentified driver struck and damaged a 2014 Toyota Corolla owned by Jamaal and Nina Poslosky and fled the scene, leaving white transfer paint on the damaged car.

Anyone with information is requested to contact the Rush Township Police Department at 570-668-4242.

Man to be cited following accident

PORT CLINTON — State police at Schuylkill Haven investigated a crash that happened on Route 61 around 12:50 p.m. Thursday.

Police said Kevin L. Heeman, 29, of Nanticoke, was driving a 2009 Ford Escape north on Route 61 when he went off the road and struck an embankment, causing his SUV spin counter clockwise for about 30 feet before flipping onto its roof and continuing northeast for about 100 feet before coming to a stop.

Heeman was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Reading, by Hamburg EMS for possible injuries and Port Clinton and Hamburg firefighters assisted at the scene.

As a result of the crash, police said, Heeman will be cited for not driving on roadways laned for traffic.

Man allegedly tried to bite police officer

HAMBURG — A Kempton man is facing charges by Hamburg police after an incident on Pottsville Pike in Windsor Township, Berks County, around 7:55 a.m. Friday.

State police at Hamburg said officers were called to the area for a report of a man crawling behind bushes on a property and found and confronted Nick Hinkle, 29, who said he was picking four leaf clovers.

While police tried to positively identify Hinkle, he fled on foot due to having active warrants for his arrest, police said.

After running for about 200 yards, police said, they tried to take the man into custody, and while doing so, he tried to bite one of them. Hinkle was shot with a Taser weapon, taken into custody and then transported to Reading Hospital and Medical Center, West Reading.

After being released from the hospital, police said, Hinkle will have to answer to the active warrants in Berks County and also to charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Man charged for DUI had prior offenses

AUBURN — A Schuylkill Haven man is facing charges by state police at Schuylkill Haven after he was stopped for a violation in the 900 block of Deiberts Valley Road in South Manheim Township around 11:45p.m. Thursday.

Upon making contact with the driver — Charles Gurski, 60 — it was determined he was under the influence of alcohol.

Gurski was taken into custody and taken for a blood alcohol test, police said.

It was also learned that Gurski was operating a vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock system that was required by the state Department of Transportation due to his two prior DUI convictions.

Police said that Gurski is facing DUI charges after Thursdays vehicle stop pending the receipt of the results of the blood alcohol test.

7 escape injury in 3-vehicle crash

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Seven people escaped injury in a three vehicle crash that happened around 2:50 p.m. Saturday on Route 61, just west of Pottsville Street in north Manheim Township.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said the crash happened as Jeremy J. Accardi, 34, of Port Carbon, was driving a 2000 Ford Focus south approaching the traffic light at the intersection of Route 183 when he was unable to stop his vehicle, possibly due to brake failure.

Accardi then tried to go between a stopped 2016 Chevrolet Colorado driven by Benjamin R. Zimmerman, 29, of Mohrsville, and a stopped 2017 Subaru Forester driven by Kristen M. McGowan, 34, of Orwigsburg, but struck the right front tire of the Zimmerman truck, police said.

After hitting the Zimmerman car, police said, Accardi’s vehicle struck the left side of the McGowan vehicle.

All three drivers and four juvenile passengers in the Accardi vehicle were not hurt and police said that as a result of the crash, Accardi will be cited for not driving on roadways laned for traffic.

Schuylkill Haven firefighters assisted at the scene.

A trial date has been set for the woman accused of killing Pottsville businessman Patrick J. Murphy.

Online records with the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office show a date of Oct. 8. Megan Hall had a pre-trial conference Thursday with her attorney, John Fuller, and with Sarah Dawkins, who represented the state. Another pretrial conference is set for Sept. 26.

Hall, 25, whose name also is listed as Magen in some court records, is charged with second-degree murder, armed robbery and obstruction of justice after a grand jury voted to indict her in June. Police said Hall stabbed Murphy some time in the early morning hours of Feb. 28 at the Empress Hotel, 1317 Ursulines St., in the Treme section of New Orleans. Murphy’s body was found at 11:41 a.m. by a hotel employee.

Ken Daley, spokesman for Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon A. Cannizzaro Jr., said Monday the date of the trial could change.

“It’s really hard to tell,” he said. As with any case, “there is always a possibility of a last-minute plea deal to be accepted.”

To this point, no such deal has been made by the district attorney’s office. He declined to say if one would be offered.

“Things are still fluid up until we seat a jury,” he said.

Quick to trial

Daley acknowledged the case is set to reach trial in half the time than the normal 18 months for homicide cases in New Orleans, in large part because Fuller hasn’t submitted motions that would delay its progress.

Ad hoc Criminal District Judge Dennis Waldron of Section G of the Orleans Parish Criminal District is set to preside.

Hall is jailed at the Orleans Justice Center on $750,000 bond on the murder charge. She surrendered March 3, accompanied by Fuller, and was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder.

Mandatory life

sentence

If convicted of the murder charge, Hall faces a mandatory lifetime prison sentence. The penalty for an armed robbery conviction is 10 to 99 years in state prison, while the obstruction charge is punishable by up to 40 years in prison.

An employee of Fuller’s office in New Orleans said he is not taking media phone calls prior to the trial.

Police said surveillance camera recordings show Hall and Murphy enter the hotel room shortly after Hall checked in at 2:10 a.m. using a Tennessee identification card. The cameras show Hall leaving quickly at 3:42 a.m., believed to be carrying some of Murphy’s possessions, according to the district attorney’s office.

Murphy, the owner of Murphy Jewelers, had been visiting New Orleans with his wife, Kim, after attending a jewelry convention in Arizona.

Hall has been arrested several times on prostitution charges.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

Bethlehem

A group that features performers from the Hazleton area, called ’70s Flashback, will again be a headliner on the Festplatz stage for Bethlehem’s 2019 Musikfest at 8 p.m. Aug. 8. The group, billed as a rock tribute act, includes seven veteran musicians/entertainers, including Hazleton’s Rich Molinaro. Other members, according to an event release, include Tim Malchitsky, Rich Saches, Joelle Whitner, Dave Bott, John Pachence and Mike Manganelli. For more information, email Molinaro at richmolinaro@yahoo.com.

Elizabethville

The Elizabethville Area Historical Society, 100 E. Main St, will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The site will also be open Aug. 17, Sept. 7 and 21. The museum contains a Military/First Responder Room, Bender information, military uniforms, pictures of the area from the early 20th century, artifacts and antiques, according to a society release. The library contains many books on local history and genealogy. For those who cannot visit during scheduled hours, call 717-362-8991 to make other arrangements. For more information, go to the society website at www.elizabethvillehistory.org or to Facebook, Elizabethville Area Historical Society.

Pottsville

The Pottsville Free Public Library, 215 W. Market St., will have an event called “Summer Road Trip Escape Room” from 6 to 7 p.m. Aug. 29. In a release, the library’s Darren DeArment said, “Your parents have taken your phones and tablets during the family vacation! Get them back by completing the Summer Road Trip.” The event is for children ages 6-11 and people are asked to register by calling the library at 570-622-8880 or emailing dbd@pottsvillelibrary.org.

Schuylkill Haven

The Walk In Art Center, 220 Parkway, will host its annual Pawcasso event from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. In the event, “Your furry friends become the artist, for just a $5 donation to the SPCA,” according to a Walk In release. Donations of dog food and treats will also be accepted for the SPCA in addition to the fee. Also that day, there will be a Moe Bleichner Music Distribution from 1 to 5 p.m. on the first floor and, on the third floor, the final exhibition for Walk In studio artist Michael McCord. Beginning at 2 p.m. people will have the opportunity to meet Glenn Blue, featured artist in the main gallery. For more information, call Liz Tuturice, Walk In executive director, at 570-732-3728.

Shenandoah

Restoration Fellowship Church, 201 W. Oak St., will feature a special presentation speaker, the Rev. Tracey Weiss of Revelation 19 Ministries, at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 11. All are welcome. For more information, call Lauren Boorujy at 570-294-5907 or email laurenboorujy@yahoo.com.

Shenandoah

The Pine Grove Area High School ROTC and Don Brown will have a Power Point presentation at 6 p.m. Aug. 6 during a meeting of the Greater Shenandoah Area Historical Society at the society’s 201 S. Main St. history center. The ROTC was in Normandy, France, for the 75th anniversary of the World War II D-Day invasion. The public is welcome to attend. There is no admission fee and refreshments will be served. For more information, email society President Andrea Pytak at ampytak@netzero.net.

Shenandoah

The Shenandoah Area Food Pantry, via Schuylkill Community Action, is held from 10 a.m. to noon the last Friday of odd months at Knights of Columbus Francis Cardinal Brennan Council 618, 201 W. Cherry St. The pantry serves Shenandoah and Gilberton boroughs and West Mahanoy Township. For referral or other information, call SCA at 570-622-1995, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Tamaqua

The Tamaqua Public Library, 30 S. Railroad St., will hold its annual book and bake sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. There will be a large inventory of gently used and like-new books, coffee table-style books, movies and puzzles. Prices start at 10 cents; all are welcome. For more information, call the library at 570-668-4660.

SUMMIT STATION — Rule number one of going to the Schuylkill County Fair: watch your step. Rule number two: bring a chair, or you’ll be stuck in the cheap seats during the 2019 Schuylkill County Fair Royalty contest.

On Monday, the first day of the Schuylkill County Fair, both goats and pageant queens were presented. The goats wore silk leotards to keep them cool and the potential heirs to the fair throne wore sequined dresses that shimmered in the late July sun.

The contestants were unfailingly cheery cheerleaders, community service volunteers and rabbit breeders, all singing Schuylkill County’s praises. There were three categories separated by age: Little Miss, Princess and Queen (the older the girl, the bigger the tiara).

“I was first afraid of the animals, and they were so stinky,” said Schuylkill Haven Little Miss competitor McKenzie Maley, a 7-year-old swimmer and hip-hop dancer with a pet fish named Blueberry. “But now I like seeing them.”

If Schuylkill Haven Princess contestant Alanza Smith, 11, and making her fair debut, was in charge of the fair, she said she’d put more focus on the animals.

“They eat, poop and do everything like that,” she said, bouquets of sunflowers resting delicately in her rivals’ laps. “But we don’t understand why we need them.”

Alanza said that while other contestants hide their feelings, she strives to be outgoing.

“I play a lot of sports, so by playing sports a lot of people are automatically going to rule that I can’t do anything else,” she said. “I know a lot of my friends didn’t believe me that I was going to do this, but here I am. Half the time they say I play sports so I shouldn’t like dresses, I shouldn’t like pretty things and doing my hair every single day.”

Involved in agriculture since the age of 3, when she rode a goat named Belle and got bucked off after three seconds, she now raises several chickens, one of whom she calls Jeff. When she grows up, she wants to be a lawyer, and though people find it weird she has her whole life planned out at sixth grade, she is who she is.

“Be who you are,” she said. “Don’t leave it inside a shell and use something to hide it up. If you need to cry, you need to cry. Don’t hide it.”

Diligently filming the event was Shirley Antonini, of Schuylkill Haven, an elegant woman wearing a black dress, fishnet stockings and an impressive necklace of white stones. She had a black umbrella that looked like a lopsided pancake and she was shielding her camera with it more than herself.

“Family. Achievement. History. These words have thrived at the Schuylkill County Fair,” Shirley’s daughter, Angelique, 11, intoned as she sashayed in a sea-green dress. “On its sacred grounds, memories are created.”

Shirley looked as though she was wiping a tear from her sunglassed eyes, nodding along to the speech. “I grew up here among everything. Cornfields, big cities, our fabulous fair. It’s such a close-knit community where we all know each other. We’re all friends and neighbors and have a love for each other.”

From their births, Shirley wanted to show off Angelique and her sister, Antoinette, who also does pageants. Angelique’s first appearance on a pageant stage was when she was 6 months old, but now she performs “without mother’s guidance.” In 2009, at the age of 7, she became the fair’s Little Miss and started a toy drive for children affected by flooding in Schuylkill County. In 2014, she won Overall Pennsylvania State Title at the Sunburst Pageant in Harrisburg.

“I love the Schuylkill County Fair with all my heart,” said Angelique, who also wants to be a lawyer. “That’s why I would love to be queen. I want our next fair to have the most attendance, and I would like to attend the most events as royalty. I love competing. I love being on stage. I love people and I love to entertain.”

A former model, Shirley sees in Angelique what her family is meant to be.

“In their generation they didn’t know how to get things done,” Shirley said about her parents. “Angelique took what I could’ve been and moved 10 steps past that … She does get it done. She may be up until 1:30 in the morning but she gets it done.”

“My determination and my tenacity set me apart from the competition,” Angelique said. “I want to create change, and other royalty they don’t want to make changes. I don’t want to just stand there with a tiara.”

After the speeches, there came the hard part: waiting for the winners to be announced. At 7 p.m., as the Antoninis awaited the announcement of the winner, two women, dressed in inflatable cow and pig costumes, jumped on stage during the New Individuals concert and danced to “Jailhouse Rock.”

“Also, Miss Piggy. We hammin’ it up on that one,” said the band’s frontman, Chuck Cahoe, to groans from the crowd.

The minutes moved like molasses. The carnival lights turned on, flashing against the pale yellow sunset. Shirley clapped nervously to the music. Finally, 8 p.m. came. Angelique was voted Miss Congeniality.

“I’m very happy,” she said. “I made so many friends.”

The 2019 Little Miss was Madison Purcell, 9, of New Ringgold. The Queen was Madeline Schuettler, 18, of Pottsville.

“I am so excited for the year ahead of me,” said Madeline, who was Princess in 2015. “I guess this year the judges were looking for something I have.”

As Queen, Madeline pledges to put agriculture back into Schuylkill County classrooms.

“I am so very proud of her,” said her mother, Billijo. “I don’t have words.”

The Princess was Kassidy Balulis, 15, of Seltzer. Alonza was the runner-up.

“There’s always next year,” Alonza said. “When I come back next year I’m gonna hit ‘em harder.”

POTTSVILLE — In a county case, Tyler A. Stevens, 21, of Lost Creek, pleaded guilty to theft and retail theft, with prosecutors withdrawing a charge of receiving stolen property.

Judge Charles M. Miller accepted the plea, placed Stevens on probation for 24 months and also sentenced him to pay costs, $100 in CJEA payments and $211.24 restitution.

Shenandoah police charged Stevens with committing the retail theft on Nov. 5, 2018, and the theft on Nov. 10, 2018. Each incident occurred in the borough.

Also in the county court, Angelo Seritti, 34, of Mahanoy City, pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia. Miller placed him on probation for 12 months and also sentenced him to pay costs, a $50 CJEA payment and a $100 SAEF payment.

Mahanoy City police charge Seritti with possessing paraphernalia on Nov. 10, 2018, in the borough.

In another county case, Judge William E. Baldwin revoked the probation of Kenneth Neifert, 33, of New Philadelphia, and sentenced him to serve eight to 36 months in a state correctional institution.

Neifert originally pleaded guilty on Jan. 14, 2015, to theft from a motor vehicle and conspiracy, with prosecutors withdrawing charges of theft, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief. At that time, Baldwin placed him on probation for 24 months, and also sentenced him to pay costs and a $50 CJEA payment.

State police at Frackville charged Neifert with committing his crimes on July 12, 2014.

Also in the county court, Samuel Steffie, 48, of Minersville, pleaded guilty to driving under suspension-DUI related. Prosecutors withdrew charges of driving without a license, disregarding traffic lane, failure to drive at a safe speed and operating vehicle without required financial responsibility.

Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin sentenced him to serve 60 days in prison and pay costs and a $600 fine.

State police at Schuylkill Haven charged Steffie with driving with the suspended license on Dec. 24, 2018, in Norwegian Township.

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

HARRISBURG — State Sens. David Argall, R-29, Rush Township, and Judith L. Schwank, D-11, Reading, announced Monday that state Department of Transportation Secretary Leslie Richards has agreed to their joint request to deploy automated speed enforcement units in work zones along Interstate 78 in Berks County when they become available this fall.

PennDOT is authorized to deploy such systems in work zones through legislation jointly sponsored by Argall and Schwank, which became Act 86 of 2018.

In a joint letter sent to Richards in early July, the senators asked PennDOT to consider deploying the units in response to serious accidents along the corridor. PennDOT recently agreed to their request to deploy on I-78 one of four automated work zone speed units initially available this fall, according to a press release from the Senate.

“While utilizing automated work zone speed enforcement will not solve all the issues on I-78, it will be an important new tool to encourage drivers to slow down and drive more carefully,” Argall was quoted in a press release. “This will protect construction workers and improve highway safety, especially with all the construction that is taking place now and will be in the coming months along the corridor.”

The senators also noted they will continue to work with PennDOT and other agencies to examine other ways of improving safety along Interstate 78 in Berks County, which has been the site of numerous serious and some fatal accidents in recent months.

Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr

To Keith and Colleen Hardnock Munley, Collegeville, a daughter, July 20. Paternal grandparents are Ed and Coralee Munley, Shenandoah Heights. Maternal grandparents are Paul and Rene Hardnock, Ashland.

Reading Hospital, Reading

To David and Sara East McKeown, Pottsville, a daughter, July 29.

St. Luke’s marks program milestone

COALDALE — Out of 93 rurally located family medicine residency programs in the United States, St. Luke’s Hospital-Miners Campus’ is one of just 34 nationwide — and the only one in Pennsylvania — that are accredited as integrated rural training tracks, according to a St. Luke’s press release.

This month, the program marks the successful conclusion of its first year and, after the recent reaccreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduation Medical Education, the start of its second year with two new residents.

“St. Luke’s is proud to have pioneered the rural residency concept in Pennsylvania,” Wendy Lazo, president of St. Luke’s Hospital-Miners Campus, Coaldale, said in the release, also announcing that on July 1, two newly licensed doctors with local ties joined the rural training track of St. Luke’s Family Medicine Residency Program.

Daniel Plavin, who once was part of St. Luke’s Future Physicians Program at Jim Thorpe High Area School, and Alexandra Rebuck, of Danville, were selected from hundreds of applicants from throughout the world, according to the release.

“Residents with local ties are more likely to settle where they train,” program director Dr. Thomas McGinley said in the release, adding, “The goal is to develop a new generation of physicians to serve Coal Country and other rural areas facing doctor shortages.”

The three-year family medicine rural training track has two residents in each year, having welcomed its first class in July 2018. The residents spend three months in the first year at St. Luke’s Hometown Rural Health Center in Tamaqua, and nine months there in both the second and third years.

The St. Luke’s Hometown center is a national model honored by the National Rural Health Association with its 2018 Outstanding Rural Health Organization award, St. Luke’s officials said in the release. The award recognizes St. Luke’s “commitment to expanding and improving access to health care in Carbon and Schuylkill counties’ Coal Country.”

The Hometown facility is one of St. Luke’s several federally designated rural health centers in Coal Country. Others are located in Nesquehoning and Ringtown and a fourth clinic that recently opened in Lansford is awaiting federal designation. The special clinics accept private insurances, medical assistance, Medicare and patients who are uninsured.

The rural health clinics handle thousands of patient visits annually, delivering “high-quality primary care and community outreach programs to underserved populations. Among the innovative programs implemented by the rural health clinics has been the Flinders Chronic Condition Management Program, an interventional initiative that has focused on improving the health of patients with diabetes and decreasing emergency department utilization among patients who had previously demonstrated unusually high rates of emergency department usage,” officials continued in the release.

Sam Kennedy, St. Luke’s corporate communications director, can be reached by calling 484-526-4134 or emailing samuel.kennedy@sluhn.org.

LionLaunch fuels development

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs are being invited to strengthen their business skills by attending “information-packed programs” via Penn State Schuylkill LionLaunch.

And now, LionLaunch sessions will be going on the road, with gatherings set in Coaldale and Shenandoah in conjunction with the Small Business Administration, according to a LionLaunch flier.

LionLaunch, according to a release, is part of the university’s statewide initiative, Invent Penn State, aimed at spurring economic growth throughout Pennsylvania. With the support of community partners, LionLaunch is helping Schuylkill County entrepreneurs and business professionals find resources and information needed to become successful, according to the release.

The local LionLaunch Innovation Hub is at 154 E. Main St., Schuylkill Haven.

LionLaunch is participating with the effort by the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. to establish a multimillion-dollar innovation hub in the 100 block of North Main Street.

Susan Williams is the LionLaunch program coordinator and is based at 119 Administration Building on the Penn State Schuylkill Campus. She can be reached via email at sxw831@psu.edu or by calling 570-385-6065.

LionLaunch’s community partners include the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, Schuylkill Economic Development Corp., Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association, Schuylkill County’s VISION, Berks-Schuylkill SCORE and the Pottsville Area Development Corp.

• Let’s Do Lunch with the Experts sessions are going on the road with the Small Business Administration with two complimentary sessions (there is no fee but registration is required) scheduled as follows: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, St. Luke’s Hospital-Miners Campus, 360 W. Ruddle St., Coaldale, with lunch sponsored by LionLaunch; 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 29, Francesco’s Restaurant and Pizzeria, 10 N. Main St., Shenandoah, with lunch sponsored by the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. For both sessions, Shannon DeGiglio of the SBA will provide resources that will make an impact on a small business owner’s journey to success, according to an event flier. She’ll cover how to find possible resources for funding, cover the Five Cs of Credit, why a credit score matters and what is required for a loan application.

• Lunch presentations on the agenda also include the following: Aug. 19, “Hit that Target: Identifying Your Target Audience,” at Penn State Schuylkill, presented by Aimee Eckley, interactive media director at The Republican-Herald; Sept. 16, “Protect Your Ideas: Everything You Need to Know about IP,” at the Walk In Art Center, Schuylkill Haven, presented by Rachel Herder, intellectual property attorney, Penn State University; Oct. 21, “Create A Vision Board for Goal Setting,” at Penn State Schuylkill, presented by Tina Rose, coordinator of career development and internships, Penn State Schuylkill.

• A Supervision Essentials series certificate course aimed at improving management skills has spring and summer sessions on tap with two eight-week sessions via Penn State Schuylkill Campus. Email or call Williams for more information.

Small Business Advantage Grant

POTTSVILLE — The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce has released information about the Department of Environmental Protection’s 2019 Small Business Advantage Grant program.

According to the DEP release, the grand “provides Pennsylvania small businesses the opportunity to acquire energy efficient or pollution prevention technologies with a 50 percent reimbursement matching grant for equipment or materials.”

Pennsylvania businesses with fewer than 100 full-time “equivalent” employees are eligible to apply. Applicants must be for-profit entities, be located in Pennsylvania and registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State. Eligible projects must save the applicant a minimum of $500 annually and reduce their costs by a minimum of 25 percent, according to the release, which adds that applications are reviewed and awarded on a first-come basis.

This year there is an opportunity for small businesses to implement solar thermal (hot water) projects.

“Solar hot water systems must function to serve the hot water needs of the small business. Solar projects generating electricity (PV) are not eligible,” according to the release.

Short instructional videos to help small businesses with completing the application are available. The are project-specific (lighting upgrades, medical equipment, natural resource protection, solar hot water and all other projects).

Interested applicants may participate in a webinar set for 11 a.m. today, which will review the guidelines for the 2019-20 grant year. Applicants and contractors are encouraged to participate in the webinar. To participate via audio only, call 267-332-8737, use conference ID number 4410 1371#.

All documents needed to apply for the grant, as well as the instructional videos, can be found at the Small Business Advantage Grant webpage. For more information, call Caroline Zepp at 717-772-5160.

RBMN promotes 2 in signals section

PORT CLINTON — Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad has announced the promotions of Jonathan Barket to vice president communications and signals and Matthew Collins to assistant vice president of communications and signals, according to a press release from Wayne A. Michel, RBMN president.

Barket started working for railroad in 2003 as a signal assistant within the communications and signal department. In 2007, according to the release, he was named manager of communications and signals and in 2010, he was named assistant vice president of communications and signals.

During Barket’s career, according to the release, C&S department expanded from three employees to nine and added more than 100 locations. While working with team members and RBMN, Barket helps design, engineer and install “an aggressive plan to re-signal over 100 miles miles adding to the safety and efficiency to RBMN.” He continues to update safety and technology at crossings and signal locations throughout the RBMN system and oversees the communication system.

Barket is a native of Lebanon and graduated from Lebanon High School.

In his new post, Barket reports to Executive Vice President of Operations Tyler Glass.

Collins began his work with RBMN in 2008 as a signal maintainer on the Lehigh Divison. In 2015 he was named signal communications manager “in recognition of his dedication and redesigning work of the signal and radio communications networks,” according to the release. In 2018, he was appointed director of communications and signals “in recognition of his hard work and dedication to improving and building out the signal and communications systems across the railroad.”

Collins has overseen the construction of 10 interlockings and 23 signal and crossing locations.

Before coming to RBMN, Collins served 3 1/2 years in the Army and reached the rank of sergeant. After his enlistment, he earned a degree in computer information systems at Luzerne County Community College.

In his new post, Collins reports to Barket.

In the announcement, Michel said Barket and Collins “have shown tremendous growth since joining our organization. They continue to innovate and blend the newest technology into our systems in order to provide a safer and more efficient system for our operations as well as the public.”

For more information, call 610-562-2100 or go to RBMN’s website at www.readingnorthern.com.

MAEA banners agenda of offerings

POTTSVILLE — The locally based Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association, based at 250 One Norwegian Plaza, offers a variety of discussions, training sessions and classes.

For more information or to register, email Christine Robbins at crobbins@nepamaea.com or call 570-622-0992. More information also is available at the MAEA website at www.nepamaea.com. Some upcoming sessions include:

· Crane and rigging safety Train the Trainer, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 14 at Top of the 80s restaurant near Hazleton. The training is approved for four HRCI human relations recertification credits. The instructor is Steve Bair, occupational safety specialist for MAEA. The cost is $371 for MAEA members and $742 for nonmembers.

· Annual Labor and Employment Law Summit, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at Capriotti’s Catering, McAdoo. The contact is Christine Robbins.

· MAEA can assist firms with the following safety services: Conduct mock OSHA safety compliance audits; analyze company’s risk, report the findings and offer corrective action; create a safety and compliance program geared specifically for a firm’s operation; supplement an existing program with the latest training modules and compliance information; train management, employees and contractors in the latest safe working concepts; implement a PA Workplace Safety Committee Certification Program to reduce workers’ compensation premiums by five percent each year; monitor company safety performance and trends and make recommendations for remedial action when necessary; conduct follow-up industrial injury reports. For more information, contact Christine Robbins, director of training and development, via aforementioned methods.

· The Lehigh Valley Business Coalition on Healthcare is a multistate coalition of employers partnering with MAEA to bring employer members together to provide affordable, quality health care for their employees. Members leverage their pooled purchasing power to negotiate exclusive rates and premiums for a range of self-insured and fully insured benefits programs, including: Medial, dental, prescription drug, vision, behavioral health, private exchange and data analytics. In addition to helping members reduce the cost of benefits, LVBCH also works with providers and insurers to improve quality of care. For additional information, call Darlene J. Robbins at 570-622-0992 or email drobbins@nepamaea.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 to 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. Robbins can be reached at the aforementioned email and phone number.

OBPA focusing on 2 large-scale events

ORWIGSBURG — Liz Tuturice, with the Orwigsburg Business and Professional Association Events Committee, recently provided an update on OBPA events for 2019.

“We have limited our events this year in hopes of producing two large-scale, quality events for our community …” Tuturice said in the update.

She said Farm to Square is “a returning favorite” that will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 8 on the Square in Orwigsburg.

“Last year this event had over 30 vendors including, wineries, breweries … community organizations/businesses, food trucks, local restaurants and family friendly activities and music,” Tuturice said, adding nearly 500 people attended the 2018 event.

The Orwigsburg Heritage Day celebration will mark its 28th year in 2019 and is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 7 on the square. She said it is a time change from previous years.

Heritage Day will include two live bands, vendors, food trucks, wineries, restaurants, breweries, children’s activities, demonstrations, community organizations/businesses and other entertainment for all ages.

In 2018, Tuturice said, “We had nearly 75 different vendors spread through the town and hope to make this year even larger. We saw nearly 2000 people that day (in 2018).”

For more on OBPA, 209 N. Warren St., email orwigsburgbusinesspa@gmail.com or go to on Facebook: Orwigsburg Business and Professional Association.

Shenandoah plans for Heritage Day

SHENANDOAH — The 21st annual Shenandoah Heritage Day and 20th annual Parade of Nations will be held Aug. 24 in downtown Shenandoah with parade lineup on North Jardin Street beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the parade launching at 10 a.m., according to the sponsor, the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc.

The parade will go south on Jardin Street to Cherry Street, east on Cherry to Main and north on Main through the heart of the downtown district to Washington Street.

More than 20 nations that have made up the Shenandoah mosaic through the years will be represented with participants marching in costumes or colors under their ethnic flags. The parade will also include floats.

Afterward, there will be a an ever-increasing variety of ethnic food and music, arts/crafts, myriad vendors and others offering fare of all types on North Main Street.

The festival will also include a wide variety of entertainment throughout the day, including the Shenandoah All-Star Polka Band.

Traditionally, the Greater Shenandoah Area Historical Society’s history center at 201 S. Main St. and the Schuylkill Historical Fire Society’s museum and headquarters at 105 S. Jardin St. are open during the celebration as attractions for scores of visitors.

All are welcome to participate in Shenandoah’s celebration of its history. For more information, call DSI at 570-462-2060 or go to its website at www.downtownshenandoah.com.

Phoenix to mark first anniversary

PINE GROVE — A first anniversary celebration is on tap for Phoenix Rehabilitation and Health Services Inc., 29 Tremont Road, from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 8, according to a Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce flier.

The event will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the chamber; participants will enjoy “bites” from Nuthin’ Fancy BBQ plus sweet treats and refreshments. People will also be able to tour the facility to “learn more about our services, including post-concussion management, sports rehabilitation, work injury treatment, orthopedic theapy” and other offerings, according to the chamber flier.

Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to the chamber’s Samantha Schivinski via email to schivinski@schuylkillchamber.com or by calling 570-622-1942.

While Schuylkill Technology Center’s food truck is not drivable yet, the lessons it has generated about boosting school climate will reach a national audience.

Jim Gurcsik, STC culinary arts instructor, and Stacey Minahan, STC assistant director of the south campus in Mar Lin, will present information about the ongoing project at a national conference in New York City on Aug. 8-9 called “School Climate Institute.”

“When we first started this project, our goal was to present the project on a national stage, since we are the first school in the nation to actually have a completely student-built food truck. So, to have this opportunity so early in the project is really unbelievable. We didn’t expect to have this opportunity so soon,” Minahan said.

STC hopes to convert the retired bakery truck into a fully functioning food truck by the end of the upcoming school year. Many programs of study — from culinary arts to automotive technology — at both the north and south campuses have been involved in the truck’s transformation since STC embarked on the effort in the 2018-19 school year.

The conference is presented by the National School Climate Center at the Urban Assembly School for Emergency Management, Murry Bergtraum High School Campus in New York City.

STC’s presentation is called “Food for Thought: Using Project-Based Learning to Impact School Climate and to Bring the Community Together.”

STC had to submit a proposal to be selected as one of the 22 conference presenters.

Gurcsik and Minahan said they thought the STC proposal was selected because it is a completely student-centered project that brings together not only its entire student body, but also reaches out to the community and “includes all stakeholder groups.”

Doing project-based learning at a macro level is not something schools do often because it is an enormous undertaking, Minahan said. However, it is the best way to get the entire school community involved in the learning process, she said.

“Most schools are afraid to accept a challenge like this due to fear of failure, but to do something great, you have to overcome your fears and take a risk. And that’s exactly what we have done. And we are succeeding. So, for that reason, I think we were selected to present,” Minahan said.

She will also deliver a “Table Talk” on analyzing data collected by school climate surveys. For the past few years, STC students have completed school climate surveys and been part of focus groups. The truck project has helped students feel less marginalized and brought all shops together, she said. Crews have progressed with the truck’s development.

The outside of the truck has been completely sanded and primed by the collision repair students. They also removed the box from the frame so that the welding students could completely rebuild the rear half of the frame, according to Gurcsik. Following the reconstruction of the frame, the collision repair students painted the frame and shipped it to the automotive technology program. The auto students installed new brake and fuel lines and prepared the frame to be reinstalled to the truck box.

“We are currently working on community and local business support to sponsor the project so that we can move forward at the beginning of the school year with our anticipated completion being by the end of the school year,” Gurcsik said.

For more information, visit www.schoolclimate.org or to register for the conference, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-school-climate-institute-tickets-62201019925.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

Marriages

Preston Barclay, Philadelphia, and Taylor Rene Deshields, Minersville.

Austin M. Schultz, Pottsville, and Miranda Angelo, Saint Clair.

Nicholas A. Hollenbach, Tamaqua, and Sarah K. Lesisko, Tamaqua.

Brian C. Frankenfield, New Ringgold, and Sabrina R. Adams, New Ringgold.

Nathan M. Hepler, Ashland, and Courtney A. Krammes, Pine Grove.

Zachary D. Hess, Pottsville, and Kaycee Lin Sullivan, Pottsville.

Jeffrey P. Matweecha, McAdoo, and Alissa E. Meffly, McAdoo.

Shawn M. Krammes, Schuylkill Haven, and Yazmarie Hernandez-Vazquez, Bethlehem.

Michael C. Miller, Mar Lin, and Katelyn M. Grumbling, Mar Lin.

Kevin P. Gable, Cressona, and Christine M. Bishop, Cressona.

Neal T. McCarone, Pottsville, and Olivia M. Crooks, Pottsville.

Michael T. Kane, Minersville, and Hailey R. Lewars, Minersville.

Noah M. Crisswell, Tower City, and Emilia K. Johns, Tower City.

Divorces granted

Ann Kristoff, Orwigsburg, from Joseph Kristoff, Middleport.

Nathan Conrath, Pottsville, from Robyn Conrath, Elysburg.

Michael Perry, no town available, New York, from Tracy Perry, Tamaqua.

Martin Balicki, Frackville, from Angela Balicki, Frackville.

Jeffrey Sterner, Schuylkill Haven, from Shannon Sterner, Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Kenneth Penkauski, Middleport, from Tina Penkauski, Middleport.

Patricia Manbeck, Gratz, from Shannon Manbeck, Valley View.

Pottsville Cruise set for 2019 run

POTTSVILLE — The Great Pottsville Cruise event’s cruise-in and show are set for 3 to 8 p.m. Aug. 10 in downtown Pottsville, according to a release from Pottsville’s Jerry Enders.

The 2019 event will have the return of trophies. There will also be food vendors, a 50/50 drawing and raffle table, music from 2 to 5 p.m. by disc jockey Spinjammers followed from 5 to 8 p.m. by the oldies band Shake, Rattle & Soul sponsored by the Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau and the Schuylkill Valley Corvette Club.

There will be a Hula-Hoop contest at 6:30 p.m.

Organizers in the release voiced appreciation to Pioneer Pole Buildings/Alpine Building Supplies and Arc Rental, CACL FCU, Ken’s Tire and Jerry’s Northeast Auto Sales. They also thanked D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. Brewery and Gift Shop, Pottsville, for the official dash plaque, and the event’s co-sponsors and media partners.

The Great Pottsville Cruise is a Pottsville Lions Club Charities event. For more information, call Rich at 570-617-4243, Rosann at 570-617-5417 or Jerry at 570-622-9510.

Schuylkill Haven group plans crabfest

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — The Greater Schuylkill Haven Area Business Association’s Crabfest will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Aug. 9 at Island Park.

The cost is $50, which includes all-you-can-eat crabs, crab soup, beer, hamburgers and hot dogs with food served from 6 to 10 p.m. (BYO wine). It is for people 21 and older.

Double Barrel will provide music from 7 to 10 p.m.

The association is now accepting event sponsorships. For a sponsorship or more information, call Elmer Ebling at 570-385-3381 or Jeff Spotts at 484-955-3693.

Tickets are available now at Spotts Insurance Group, Geschwindt Stabingas Funeral Home, Tompkins Vist Bank, Downtown Tavern, Country Beverage and Schuylkill Haven American Legion.

Taste of Hamburg-er Fest planning begun

HAMBURG — The 16th annual Taste of Hamburg-er Festival will begin at 10 a.m. Aug. 31 in downtown Hamburg.

The event will include more than 30 burger vendors, continuous entertainment on five stages, a beer and wine garden, crafters and artists, strolling entertainment and a variety of children’s activities, according to an event release.

Regional restaurant will “challenge one another to the Peoples’ Choice Award for the best burger,” organizers said in the release.

Admission is free and all are welcome to enjoy downtown Hamburg. For more information, call 610-562-3106.

Pawprints eyes 20th anniversary

ORWIGSBURG — Pawprints Pet Salon, Albrights Woods, will have its 20th anniversary celebration from 4 to 9 p.m. Aug. 15, according to a Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce flier.

The salon offers grooming, boutique and stay-and-play services.

The event will include complimentary hot dogs, burgers and snacks and Twisted Sisters ice cream for people and pets. There will also be live music by Bill Yaz.

“Well-behaved, leashed furry friends are welcome,” according to the flier.

For more information, call 570-366-4984.

LVH-Schuylkill offers diabetes prevention

POTTSVILLE — Lehigh Valley Hospital–Schuylkill is again offering a free multi-week program geared to help people at risk for developing diabetes, as part of the National Diabetes Prevention Program, a free, lifestyle-change program designed to help people prevent or delay onset of type 2 diabetes.

The program will be offered beginning Aug. 7.

To register, call 888-402-5846.

“One in three American adults has prediabetes, so the need for prevention has never been greater,” registered nurse Joan Loudy, a certified clinical diabetes educator at LVH–Schuylkill, said in an event release.

LVH–Schuylkill diabetes educators have been trained as lifestyle coaches and will work with participants to learn skills to make lasting changes such as losing a modest amount of weight, being more physically active or managing stress, stay motivated and solve problems that can get in the way of healthy changes,” Loudy said.

The program’s group setting provides a supportive environment with people who are facing similar challenges and trying to make the same changes, according to the release.

People with prediabetes — higher-than-normal blood glucose (sugar) levels — are five to 15 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with normal blood glucose levels. In fact, many people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 3 years if they do not take steps to prevent it. The LVH program consists of 12 weekly sessions followed by four bi-weekly sessions and additional monthly sessions. There are certain requirements for the program. LVH–Schuylkill clinical diabetes educators can provide more information or register those who are eligible.

Research, according to the release, shows that modest behavior changes, such as making better food choices and increasing physical activity, reduces the risk for developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent in people at high-risk for the disease. The National Diabetes Prevention Program, a program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “brings together federal agencies, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, employers, insurers, health care professionals, academia and other stakeholders to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes among people with prediabetes.”

More information is available at cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention.

The Lehigh Valley Health Network includes eight hospital campuses, including in Hazleton and Pottsville. For more information, go online to LVHN.org, or to Facebook and Twitter.

Chamber updates events listings

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.

· Work Smarter not Harder, by the Schuylkill chamber’s nonprofit committee, will be held from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Aug. 9 at the chamber headquarters in Union Station, Pottsville. It involves how to make the most of a nonprofit’s volunteerism, technology, staff recruitment and finances. Presenters will be Tiffany Cresswell-Yeager, Ph.D., assistant professor of higher education leadership at Gwynedd Mercy University; Trey Hook, account manager for Aerotek and Douglas Long, manager of marketing and development at Helping Harvest.

· Pour Tour, From Farm to Glass, sponsored by the chamber agribusiness committee, is set of Aug. 17 with a 9:30 a.m. depart from Union Station, Pottsville, and a 4 p.m. return. Tickets are $35 each and include lunch; people must be 21 or older to attend. Tour guide will be Patrick M. “Porcupine Pat” McKinney, environmental education coordinator with the Schuylkill Conservation District. Stops will include D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc., Pioneer Evergreen Farms, Jersey Acres Farms/Stone Mountain Winery. Goody bags will be provided by Mauch Chunk Trust Co. Attendees must wear completely closed shoes.

· There Really is an I in Team, 11:45 a.m. Sept. 25 at Oak Hill Inn, 655 PA-61, Orwigsburg, sponsored by The Arts Barn. It will be presented by a panel of different generation chamber committee members.

· The chamber offers a new-member benefit, a human resources helpline that provides “fast, personal help from real live HR professionals,”according to a chamber flier.

Help is available regarding FMLA, ADA or leaves of absence; employee discipline, termination or employee relations; questions about drug testing or harassment, officials said in the flier.

“Call during regular business hours to speak with an HR expert,” according to the flier. The toll-free helpline is 844-318-0699. For after-hours calls, leave a message and the call will be returned the next business day. People may also email questions to HRHelpline@schuylkillchamber.com.

People may register for all chamber programs online at www.schuylkillchamber.com. The chamber and the SEDCO/chamber conference center are at Union Station, 1 Progress Circle, Suite 201, Pottsville, PA 17901.

· A program called WEDnetPA is funded by the state Department of Community and Economic Development and administered by Lehigh Carbon Community College, according to a chamber flier.

“You may qualify for WEDnetPA funding if your company is based in Pennsylvania, a manufacturing or a technology-based business,” according to the flier.

Organizations may be eligible to receive up to $450 per person for essential skills training and up to $850 per person for advanced technology training.

For more information, apply to Maureen Donovan, Center for Leadership & Workforce, by emailing mdonovan@lccc.edu or calling 570-668-6880 or 610-799-1245.

Artificial intelligence touted by St. Luke’s

BETHLEHEM — Not long ago understanding and harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to improve medical care was considered futuristic, even science fiction, but over the past year, St. Luke’s University Health Network radiologist Dr. Karl Yaeger and his colleagues have worked with an international team of researchers fielded by GE Healthcare to develop the industry’s first X-ray system with an embedded AI algorithm to detect disease, according to a network press release.

The technology, the portable Optima XR240amx featuring Critical Care Suite, is designed to alert the clinical team to the presence of potentially life-threatening collapsed lungs — pneumothorax — within seconds of image acquisition at the bedside.

GE Healthcare submitted the Critical Care Suite to the FDA for review last November, officials said in the release, adding that it is the first time an imaging system with AI-embedded clinical algorithms is being submitted to FDA for consideration.

Police arrest man for prowling

MAHANOY CITY — A man was jailed after being arrested by Mahanoy City police early Tuesday morning.

Police said that officers patrolling the borough in an unmarked vehicle saw Jeremiah Spirko, 31, no fixed address, walking west on West Centre Street around 2:40 a.m. carrying a backpack and acting suspicious.

When officers in a marked police cruiser approached Spirko, he fled on foot with officers giving chase.

Officers were able to catch Spirko and detain him on East Railroad Street, where they found him to be in possession of a variety of tools that could be used by burglars.

As a result, police said, Spirko was charged with loitering and prowling at night, possessing instruments of crime, resisting arrest and obstructing the administration of law.

Spirko was arraigned by District Magisterial Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $25,000 straight cash bail.

Spirko will now have to appear for a preliminary hearing before Kilker in his Shenandoah courtroom at a later date.

Roving DUI patrols planned this week

POTTSVILLE — The North Central Regional Sobriety Checkpoint DUI Taskforce announced that sobriety checkpoints and roving DUI patrols will be conducted now through Monday on routes 61, 183, 901, 209, 1006, 309, 1008, 443, 895, 125, 25, 924 and 54.

Travelers are reminded to call 911 if they suspect a drunk driver or to call, toll-free, 1-888-UNDER21, to report a drunk driver.

The sobriety checkpoints are part of the North Central PA Regional Sobriety Checkpoint and Expanded DUI/Underage Drinking Enforcement Program funded through the state Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Reading Hospital and Medical Center, West Reading

To David and Sarah East McKeown, Pottsville, a daughter, July 29. Paternal grandparents are Leo and Jayne McKeown, Port Carbon. Maternal grandparents are William and Patricia East, Pottsville.

Auburn

The Auburn Fire Company will have a block party from 4 to 11 p.m. Aug. 10, featuring food, beverages, games and music. There will be a hose-and-barrel contest at noon and a firetruck parade at 4 p.m. Disc jockey Party Time will entertain from 6 to 10 p.m. All are welcome. For more information, email judyepting10@yahoo.com.

Mahanoy City

The St. Teresa of Calcutta Golden Age Club is accepting reservations for a trip to Philadelphia Premium Outlets in Pottstown set for Oct. 5. The cost is $35. The club also has a trip for a day on your own in New York City on Dec. 14. The cost is $45. The next club meeting will be held on Aug. 14, according to a release from Elizabeth Frye. For more information, email liz5537@ptd.net.

McAdoo

The McAdoo High School alumni committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at The Strand Roller Rink, West Blaine Street. Invitations to the homecoming have been mailed. Anyone who has not received one is asked to call Geri at 570-454-43222 or Mary at 570-929-3658. The reservation deadline is Aug. 20. The homecoming which is open to all classes, will be held Sept. 7 at Premier Catering at Genetti’s Ballroom, Hazleton.

McAdoo

Parishioners of Holy Protection of the Mother of God (St. Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church), 210 W. Blaine St., will stage the church’s annual homecoming picnic from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday and beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday. Entertainment will be by Bees Knees at 7 p.m. Friday, Just Us at 2 p.m. and Tommy Guns at 7 p.m. Saturday and the “Polka Joe” radio show at 11 a.m. Sunday followed by The Legends at 1:30 p.m. Available food will include halupki, pirohi, haluski, lemko platters, kielbasa on a roll, potato cakes, funnel cakes as well as hot dogs, burgers, grilled sausage and peppers, chicken fingers, fried pirohi and bean soup. The picnic will also include a bake sale, tricky trays, game stands and kids crafts. All are welcome.

New Ringgold

The Little Schuylkill Lions Club will have a chicken barbecue from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 10 at the New Ringgold Fire Company Grove. The cost is $9.50 and patrons may eat at the site or take food out. All are welcome.

Pine Grove

The Pinegrove Historical Society will host “Restoration in Progress” from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 15, concerning its restoration of the Stanhope School, at the school, 122 Camp Road, Pine Grove Township, at Mexico, Camp and Stanhope roads. People will be able to see restoration progress. The schoolhouse will eventually be opened to the public “as an educational experience for individuals of all ages,” Linda Mills, chairwoman of the project, said in a press release. The society’s fall fundraiser is set for 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 21 at Hoss’ Steak and Sea House, Cressona. Mills said people should obtain a community event coupon from the Stanhope Facebook page during Restoration in Progress on Sept. 15 or by emailing imillsgso@aol.com. They should take the coupon to Hoss’ on Sept. 21 and give it to the server when placing a food order. The school restoration effort will receive a portion of the eatery’s proceeds during the designation hours. The coupons are not available at Hoss’. For more information, call 610-207-9600.

Pottsville

The Pottsville Public Library, 215 W. Market St., will have used book sales sponsored by the Friends of the Library support group from noon to 2 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 17. All are welcome.

Saint Clair

A two-day indoor yard sale is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 24 and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 25 at the Saint Clair Lions Club Hall, 259 McCord Ave. Organizers said in a release there will be “hundreds of items” including furniture, old things, kitchen fare, tools, old church pews, books and other items. The kitchen will be open to the public for beverages and snacks. For more information, call Robert F. Pomian at 570-429-0549. On the sale days, call 570-429-9939.

WILKES-BARRE — Law enforcement, mental health counselors and community advocates must work together to reduce gun violence and gun suicides, especially among young people.

That was the message agreed upon by panelists at a roundtable discussion organized by state Attorney General Josh Shapiro at Wilkes University on Tuesday.

The most important step is to “get the public involved in this fight to save lives,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro touted his recently launched “track + trace initiative,” designed to decrease gun trafficking and illegal gun transfers.

He called for improving the tracking of “crime guns.” All firearms used in the commission of a crime should be entered into a shared database accessible to all law enforcement agencies, he said.

Shapiro called for gun retailers to work with law enforcement in tracking and tracing illegal firearms.

Also, it is vital that private citizens take care to safely store firearms in their homes, so the weapons are not accessible to children, Shapiro said.

Shapiro stressed the need for school counselors to be available to troubled children and teens, who need “to share the angst they are feeling inside so they know they are not alone.”

Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis advocated “a community approach” to reducing gun violence and suicides.

She said that when she speaks with public school educators, their biggest concern is “the mental health well-being of children.”

Salavantis noted the correlation between mental health issues and gun violence and domestic violence.

It is vital that parents and adults keep firearms stored securely, since children are good at finding ways to access seemingly secure storage areas, she said.

Children and adults need to communicate about mental health challenges, including suicidal thoughts, said Shira Goodman of Ceasefire PA, an organization devoted to ending gun violence.

“Suicide is a problem we don’t talk about enough,” Goodman said. “There is a stigma.”

People with suicidal thoughts need to be kept away from firearms and vice versa, said Goodman. With guns, as opposed to other means of attempted self-harm, “you don’t get a second chance,” she said.

Mia Bartoletti, a psychologist with Wilkes health and wellness services, said the focus of mental health treatment should be on prevention and intervention, and not just medication.

Treatment of symptoms mainly through medication does not address the “underlying vulnerability,” she said.

The youngest panelist, Calvin Polachek, said schools need to make more mental health counselors available for students.

Polachek, of the anti-gun violence group Students Demand Action, said students face constant stress and pressure to achieve good grades and high scores on standardized tests, as well as peer-group pressure.

“We don’t have the help we need,” said Polachek, who is about to start his senior year at Dallas High School.

After the discussion finished, Shapiro said he realizes that some of the ideas discussed, such as hiring more school counselors, would require a boost in available funding sources.

The attorney general said he has lobbied state lawmakers to pursue grant funding for initiatives devoted to gun safety, mental health counseling and suicide prevention.

Contact the writer:

emark@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2117

Street closing

The Pottsville Department of Streets has announced that Peacock Street will be closed for paving from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. today from Walter Griffith Avenue at the city line to Centre Street.

Please use extreme caution driving near all construction areas.

VALLEY VIEW — About 20 citizens wanted to hear more about the potential for a wind farm to be erected in their Hegins Township neighborhood Tuesday.

What they discovered was their inquiries to Nicholas Cohen, principal of Clean Air Generation LLC, of Waverly, were a little premature.

Tuesday’s hearing before the Hegins Township supervisors was required because CAG filed a substantive validity challenge to Hegins Township’s zoning ordinance and was asking for a curative amendment. The Scranton-based renewable energy company is considering developing a wind energy farm on Rausch Creek property in an S-3 special purpose mining zone, although no project has been proposed. CAG would like to see wind energy development as an approved use in an S-3 zone. The S-3 is the only zoning district where the wind is strong enough to support a project, Cohen said.

Solicitor Donald G. Karpowich, Drums, representing Hegins Township, oversaw the hearing. He said the township supervisors could consider if they thought the current zoning ordinance was defective. They could either adopt the curative amendment as proposed by CAG, or could adopt one of their own.

Karpowich said he may recommend that the supervisors continue the hearing until next month, and in the meantime, they could consult with the Schuylkill County Planning Commission and the township planning commission.

Questions were raised about the exact numbers of possible wind turbines that could be erected, their height, distance apart, placement on the mountain ridges, economic benefits of a wind farm, “green tax credits,” potential harm to wildlife, noise and light levels.

Cohen said it was just too early to answer some of those questions about the potential project they’re calling “Anthracite Ridge LLC” and that some of the information was proprietary.

Cohen has 14 years of executive level experience in energy project development with coal, gas, wind and solar power and had previously worked for Emberclear Co., of Houston, Texas. Under cross-examination, it was determined that Cohen is the sole employee of CAG. Tomer Droval of Doral Group Renewable Energy Resources Ltd., an alternative energy developer based in Israel, has 40 employees and is also partnering with CAG on any potential project in Hegins Township, according to Cohen.

CAG reported that there are 25 “utility scale wind farms” in Pennsylvania, including the Locust Ridge site near Ringtown/Mahanoy City.

Cohen deferred several questions, but said, typically the turbines are not closer than 500 feet to each other; and are usually two rotor-lengths apart. Engineering work and manufacturer information also determine their placement. Wind farms typically have more than a couple turbines, usually 10 or more.

CAG entered a land lease and wind easement agreement with Rausch Creek Land LP, of Valley View, in March, according to Rob Feldman, Rausch Creek’s land use director. Feldman also attended the hearing. The agreement encompasses approximately 12,672 acres on several parcels. The wind farm could also be in parts of Porter, Frailey and Tremont townships. Those townships address zoning through Schuylkill County.

Attorney Charles B. Haws, of Reading, opened the hearing, calling Cohen to testify first.

Those offering cross-examination of Cohen included James P. Diehl, of Pottsville, representing Hubley and Porter townships; Martin J. Cerullo, of Pottsville, representing the Schuylkill County Airport Authority; and Bruce Anders, of Wilkes-Barre, representing Kris Wetzel and Rocky Slope Inc., objectors with adjacent property.

Jack Varaly, of Wilkes-Barre, a special consultant hired by Hegins Township; and Bill Willard, airport manager, also attended the hearing.

In addition to Cohen, others slated to testify on behalf of CAG were Mark Lilly, founder and chief science officer of TrendLine Insights LLC, San Francisco Bay Area. Lilly offered meteorological information, wind resource assessment and data analysis.

Kevin E. Parzyck, president of STE Development LLC, of La Grange, Illinois, is a renewable energy consultant who was also scheduled to testify.

Lilly answered questions from Karpowich about the “met towers” which are used to collect wind data. Lilly said there were five towers installed, one in 2007, one in 2008, two in 2010 and one in 2011. All were removed by 2015 or 2016. The towers were erected by another company and were not in Hegins Township. There is one existing tower measuring data today, however, it is not in Hegins Township either.

Several citizens were able to direct questions to CAG representatives, if it was determined they resided or had property within close proximity to a potential wind farm site. Among them were Jason Unger, Sacramento; Guy Julian, Hegins; Ralph Lucht, Hegins; Roger Wetzel, Valley View; and Sue Ann Braconaro, Hegins.

Cohen said the project is still in the feasibility stage, and based on the wind data gathered, it’s feasible to have a wind farm in the Hegins area.

After more than 2 1/2 hours of testimony, Karpowich called for a five-minute break, before the hearing was slated to resume. The rest of the hearing was held after press deadline.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

HAZLETON — Tracing the ownership of guns exchanged illegally doesn’t just help solve crimes: It might prevent them, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said.

A Track and Trace effort that Shapiro began earlier this month encourages police throughout the state to list guns that they seize in an electronic registry, which can tie the gun to other crimes.

“If we have all this data about all these crime guns and we know this gun has been used in crime A, crime B, crime C, we can look at certain patterns. We might be able to stop that next crime from occurring,” Shapiro said at the Standard-Speaker when meeting Tuesday morning with an editorial board for the first time since starting to promote Track and Trace three weeks ago.

He came to the Standard-Speaker because of the city’s issues with guns and addictive drugs, which he wants to address as thoroughly as mass shootings like Sunday’s attack at a garlic festival in Gilroy, California, that get more media attention.

“It needs to be something that we do not accept as normal, and part of what I’m trying to do is elevate the conversation around that everyday gun violence and try to do something about it,” Shapiro said, “and that’s why I chose here … to have this conversation.”

When he talks about abuse of the drug fentanyl around the state, he mentions the Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton area where his office busted distributors this spring and found fentanyl selling for 77 cents a bag.

Pennsylvania law requires police to register guns used in crimes with a database such as eTrace of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Yet only about 300 of 1,200 law enforcement agencies in the state have been complying.

Shapiro acknowledged that his agency wasn’t registering guns when he took office, but that has changed, and he is making it a mission to enlist other police departments in the effort.

Pennsylvania state police and police in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, the state’s three largest agencies, have agreed to register guns through eTrace and share their information. Shapiro also has made a pitch to participate in eTrace through the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

“We’ve been all over the state talking about this,” he said.

Police chiefs Jerry Speziale of Hazleton and Josh Winters of Sugarloaf Township for examples said their departments register guns through eTrace. They also file shell casings and projectiles with ATF’s related system for comparing distinctive marks left when a firing pin strikes a shell casing.

“We could get a simple shell casing on the ground. If it’s used in New Jersey or Ohio or California we’re going to know it. That helps us with our prosecution,” said Speziale, whose department continues to investigate four shootings that occurred on July 23 and 24.

When looking at the 1,500 shooting deaths that occur each year in Pennsylvania, Shapiro sees how social issues such as domestic abuse and mental health problems factor in. Up to 60 percent of the shootings are suicides. On Tuesday afternoon, Shapiro attended a forum about suicide and guns in Wilkes-Barre.

Police and school counselors around the state are getting tips about people who are contemplating suicide from the Safe2Say app and tipline that the Attorney General’s Office began this winter. Of the 25,000 tips provided so far, 5,000 dealt with suicide and mental health issues, he said.

“If you have a gun, just lock it up. Keep it safe for citizens,” Shapiro said.

Locks and safes help prevent accidental shootings, protect children from handling guns and thwart thieves. Shapiro said burglars have been targeting homes where they see NRA stickers.

He also discussed straw purchases in which a person legally buys a gun for a felon or other person who cannot legally possess a gun.

Straw purchases are illegal, and buyers face maximum terms of five years in prison for their second offense.

Yet 80 of the buyers are women, many of whom are in abusive relationships, Shapiro said.

His office provided grants to start counseling sessions for women.

“If you’re feeling pressure from that boyfriend, the husband, whomever, there are avenues where you can go and be safe and not engage in that straw purchase,” Shapiro said.

Working with retail gun sellers, Shapiro encourages them to register sales electronically. When companies mail in paper forms, state police have to re-enter the information, which delays when the information becomes useful.

Dick’s Sporting Goods, the largest retailer of guns in the state, recently switched to filing by computer.

Shapiro doesn’t expect switching to electronic filing will inconvenience other stores, even smaller dealers, because they all use computers to have state police do background checks on buyers now.

Contact the writer: kjackson@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3587