Deeds

Blythe and East Norwegian townships — Ginther Coal Co. to EOJ Inc.; 38.3-acre property; $70,000.

Butler Township — Sarah E. Umlauf to Paul L. Evans and William G. Evans; 6 Linden Court; $1.

Coaldale — Michael and Rosemarie Ouly to Ryan P. Stopp; 120 Greenwood St.; $63,000.

Hegins Township — Steven C. and Kimberly Ann Troutman to Kimberly Ann Troutman; 614 W. Main St., Valley View; $1.

McAdoo — LSF10 Master Participation Trust to Brian Hutchinson and David Hutchinson; 20 W. Washington St.; $27,700.

North Manheim Township — Lloyd W. and Erma L. Horst to Cynthia Rice, Theresa Horst, Susan Bartels, David Horst and Carolyn Payne; 39 N. Greenview Road; $1.

Harold L. Jr. and Christine Hand to Jonathan M. and Stesha W. Hand; 63 Red Horse Road, Seiders Hill; $1.

James B. IV and Nicole E. Chadwick to James B. Chadwick IV; 32 Jack and Jill Drive, Sunnyside; $1.

Pine Grove Township — Anna L. Schneck to Troy A. Schneck; 399 Rock Road; $1.

Anna L. Schneck to Anna L. Schneck and Troy A. Schneck; 6 Pleasant Hill Drive; $1.

Pottsville — Shirley Demitro, individually and as attorney in fact for Sam Demitro, to Melissa Feliciano and Efraim Matos; 447 Nichols St.; $10,000.

Christopher Norkus and Jena Reinhart to Brian Botek; property on West Norwegian Street; $500.

Brian Manning, individually and as attorney in fact for George Manning, to Brian Botek; 1340 W. Norwegian St.; $54,500.

Rush Township — Regan E. Miller to Daniel Archer and Melanie J. Ladlee; 62 E. Main St., Quakake; $163,000.

Saint Clair — Sarah B. and Michael L. Jackson to Madyson S. Riegel; 318 S. Mill St.; $50,000.

Shenandoah — Nicholas P. III and Melinda Knight Manyko to Royson Fabian; 414-416 W. Poplar St.; $27,000.

Rieckehoff and Benjamin LLC to Franciso Duran; 19 E. Laurel St.; $3,000.

Tamaqua — Stephanie J. Gyuricsek to Brittney Ortiz; 67 N. Nescopec St.; $90,000.

Tower City — Randy L. Joseph and Kimberly A. Joseph to WIEA LLC; 5 W. Grand Ave.; $6,000.

Shelly A. Klinger, successor trustee of the Ronald R. and Diane M. Underkoffler Family Trust, to Kelly R. Underkoffler; 115 S. Fourth St.; $1.

Washington Township — Lowell H. Martin to Lowell H. and Brenda Martin; 42 Ferebees Road; $1.

Man charged after fleeing on ATV

A McAdoo man faces charges after fleeing from police on an all-terrain vehicle in early August, police said.

Tyler Pollack, 20, was charged with fleeing and eluding police and nine summary violations regarding the operation of an ATV, police said.

Police were monitoring the area of Sheridan and Adams streets after complaints about suspicious activity and observed several ATVs traveling back and forth on Reading and Northern Railroad property, which is posted against trespass. The vehicles went silent and people walked out of the cemetery and into a residence, police said.

A short time later, several people exited the residence, walked back to the cemetery and got onto ATVs. They traveled toward police, who turned on a flashlight and yelled for them to stop.

The lead vehicle was driven by Pollack along with a passenger, police said. Pollack turned and accelerated, and police yelled for him to stop, police said. Pollack raised the hood of his sweatshirt and sped away, police said.

Woman cited after argument over dog

A McAdoo woman was cited for harassment after a disturbance Sept. 17, police said.

Kelly Gilhool, 42, was cited after police were dispatched to West Grant Street, where they spoke to the victim and witnesses. An argument ensued at a bus stop over a dog, and Gilhool was in a woman’s face and threatened to punch her, police said.

Another woman intervened and told Gilhool to leave the other woman alone, police said. Gilhool shoved that woman, who was holding a small child, police said.

Police seek man in cigarette theft

HOMETOWN — Rush Township police are looking to identify a man in connection with a theft at a convenience store around 8 a.m. Sept. 17.

Police said the man entered the store on Route 309 and asked for a carton of Newport Menthol box 100 cigarettes. The man then grabbed the carton from the clerk and ran out the door.

He is described as being white, in his mid-20s and was wearing camouflage shorts, a red Under Armor hat and a blue zip-up hoodie.

The man then fled the area in a newer model black Ford SUV north on Route 309, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Rush Township police at 570-668-4242. Information can also be sent by email to police@rushtownship.org.

Police charge man with drunkenness

A Hazleton man faces charges after police were dispatched to locate an intoxicated man who left a McAdoo residence in early September.

Michael Stiegelbauer, 25, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, public drunkenness and simple trespass, police said.

Officers found Stiegelbauer a short time later in an alleyway. He was swaying and stumbling excessively, and he had slurred speech and smelled of an alcoholic beverage, police said. He was taken into custody.

Officers found seven unopened Suboxone packages on him, police said.

Man faces charges after brownie theft

A Hazleton man faces charges after taking a Tastykake brownie from a convenient store in early August, McAdoo police said.

Romer Martinez Nunez, 19, placed the snack cake in his pocket and left the store, police said after viewing video surveillance from Fegley’s Mini Mart. The brownie was valued at $1.79.

BARNESVILLE — Matthew Neifert worked his way among the rows of hemp, stopping every now and again to check leaves and buds.

“It’s great to walk in a hemp field every day, that’s for sure,” Neifert said one recent afternoon. “I don’t get tired of that.”

And over the next few days, he will continue to harvest the crop for cannabidiol, or CBD, which is marketed to ease aches and pains or lessen anxiety.

It’s a proud moment for Neifert, whose group was granted one of the 320 state Department of Agriculture licenses to grow the crop this year.

And it’s a big moment — historic, if you will — because hemp had been banned for more than 80 years after being classified as a controlled substance.

“Imagine. This is the first legal hemp grown in Pennsylvania since the 1930s,” Neifert said.

With more than 40 acres, his group has one of the largest operations in Pennsylvania. In all, he has over 80,000 hemp plants in the ground.

“Just to get a crop in the ground this year I think was a success, let alone this much,” he said.

While hemp can be used for its fiber or for food, Neifert plans to add a “PA-Grown” line of CBD products to his brand, Agape Blends.

“I’m here to help people attain medicine that is affordable. We live in Schuylkill County and people can’t afford a $115 bottle of tincture,” he said.

Neifert is new to farming but founded Agape Blends a few years ago to vend natural hemp products online. He since opened a store at 724 Claremont Ave., Hometown, where he sells products derived from hemp grown on a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-certified farm in Colorado.

Each comes with a certificate of analysis, which is what he plans for the products he’ll make from the crop grown in Barnesville and other areas.

The hemp grown in Pennsylvania is frequently tested by the state Department of Agriculture because it and marijuana are different varieties of the same species of plant. They might look the same, but are drastically different.

Marijuana is cultivated for the psychoactive chemical delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. It’s what gets a person “high.” Hemp doesn’t have that effect.

Still, the department monitors the crops to make sure they contains less than 0.3% THC. If, for some reason, the THC is higher than that, the farm has to be retested and if it is “hot” again, the plants must be destroyed.

Neifert hasn’t had that problem.

“They’re all genetically bred. I deliberately picked strains that weren’t high in THC but were high with CBD,” he said. “I didn’t want to risk any of my crop.”

Agape Blends will also continue to test the harvested product.

“As far as what the total cannabinoids are, we know that. We know how much THC is in it, we know how much CBD is in it,” he said. “Every field and every strain was tested.”

It’s reassurance for those who purchase the product. With CBD products readily available at gas stations and other stores, Neifert advised potential buyers to know the source, and to make sure it is what it promises to be.

“You better watch where it is coming from. Is it labeled properly?” he noted.

Back at the farm, different varieties of hemp are growing. Some are over 6 feet tall. Some are dwarf plants and knee-high. Some develop a purple color on their leaves. Some stay a vibrant green.

“This is Sangria,” he said of one of the varieties. “It and the Cherry Blossom are sourced from Colorado and our Cherry Wine is sourced from North Carolina.”

Plants that have been harvested are drying in temperature- and humidity-controlled warehouses, trucks, barns and other buildings. And once they’re ready, they will be processed and land on Agape Blends’ shelves as salves, tinctures, soaps or lotions.

“I have people who come into my shop and say, ‘Look at me. I’m dancing around! I couldn’t do this. I feel great. I’m not having trouble sleeping,’ ” he said. “They feel like they did 20 years ago.”

Neifert started using CBD as a substitute for pain medication after his second knee reconstruction over five years ago and found that it helped him sleep better. He also didn’t feel sluggish, like he did when he would take prescription medication.

Every so often, Agape Blends hosts medical cannabis certification events with a certified doctor and a reputable dispensary. While medical cannabis is different than CBD, Neifert said the events are a way to educate folks.

Anyone interested is invited to follow the Agape Blends Facebook page or visit www.agapeblends.com for updates or call Neifert at 570-778-2080.

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

Today it is raining in le Perche. I know that is not news in Pennsylvania, but this is the first rainfall we have had in well over a month. In early August, we had a rainy Saturday. Before that, we’d not seen a drop since early June. We are in a drought, with water rationing in place and during the summer, temperatures regularly climbed above 100 degrees.

This morning, I went to my garden to see the impact of the night’s rain. It wasn’t much, a downpour followed by an early-morning clearing until later, rain began again. A glance at the big golden flowers of zucchini and pumpkin plants, at the kale standing tall, at lettuce puffed up like a peony in bloom and one word filled my mind: gratitude.

Literally, the earth soaked it up and immediately plants reacted, the few drops of rain as good as an elixir sent by the gods. I could feel the sap rising and was amazed that so little could do so much.

This past summer has not been easy. My house is in Normandy, a region known for green fields, leafy hedgerows, morning mists and lots of rain. This summer, I’ve watched the earth crack, fields turn brown and leaves fall from trees. In a nearby garden, the branches of a cedar at least five stories high are covered with brown tufts as big as basketballs. This could not be a good sign.

Meanwhile, the forest fires of southern France have moved north toward central regions of the country, where there are fears that drinking water will soon run out.

“Douce France” seems neither temperate nor kind, at least not weather-wise.

In Paris, one pollution peak follows fast on another and in some city classrooms, pollutants measure higher than in city streets.

This past month has got me thinking more than usual about the climate. Like nearly everybody, I like to say that at my own modest level, I do what I can. I’m careful to not waste water (but I love long showers), I try to cut down on the use of electricity (easy in the summertime in France, where few have air-conditioned homes) and if I don’t have to drive, I don’t. I love to take the train. Deep down, however, I know I’m not doing enough, especially at a time when planet Earth is on a collision course.

If I didn’t have the high temperatures and drought to remind me, this past month has also been inundated, not with rain, but with commemorative days meant to get us humans involved in the Earth’s fate. Sept. 16 was International Day for the Protection of the Ozone. The theme for this year is “32 years and healing,” celebrating 32 years of international cooperation since the first “Save the Ozone Day” back in 1995. Since then the ozone has been recovering at the rate of 1% to 3% per decade.

Some readers must remember those days in the 1960s and ’70s, when we carelessly, joyfully, participated in the destruction of the ozone layer using spray deodorants, spray starch and hairsprays that we regarded as signs of progress compared to the products of our parents’ day. I remember my mom’s Tussy cream deodorant and her love of talcum powder. The deodorant left white traces on her clothes. The talcum powder, it was soon discovered, was contaminated with traces of asbestos.

We young people simply sprayed on until, in the late ’70s, the CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) that so powerfully propelled the spray to underarm or teased hairdo, were taken off the market.

Now we should be worrying about our refrigerators, air-conditioners and cars. If they are more than 10 years old, they contain freon, a potent greenhouse gas, which will be phased out completely in the USA in 2020 if the current administration does not cancel the ban. That’s a possibility since, in mid-September, President Trump revoked California’s right to set higher fuel-emission standards than those of the federal government.

According to figures provided by the EPA for the year 2017, transportation was the biggest producer of greenhouse gases in the U.S.

This means we’re going to have to cut back on our use of gasoline, a fossil fuel, yet I have to admit, be it in le Perche or Schuylkill County, life without a car would be a near impossibility.

It wasn’t always that way. Reading a short story by Pottsville’s John O’Hara, I registered surprise when characters hopped on a trolley to ride between Saint Clair and Frackville. I’d never known such a trolley existed. Until the 1930s, county residents could also use trolleys to travel south. A line ran between Schuylkill Haven and Adamsdale and from Pottsville to Tumbling Run. In fact, trains and trolleys crisscrossed the county in all directions. Back in the olden days, public transportation was the viable option it no longer is today.

My village in France is at the head of a bike path that used to be a train line joining all the towns and villages of the region.

But back to dates! Since late August, you’d have to have your head buried in the sand to escape talk about climate change. That’s when 16-year-old Swedish climate-activist Greta Thunberg arrived in the USA on her solar-powered boat. On Sept. 18, she addressed Congress. The following Friday, she led young Americans in New York City in a climate strike. They were joined by millions of protesters around the world.

On Sept. 21, while in Saudi Arabia the world’s largest oil refinery continued to burn, the U.N. asked the world to celebrate International Peace Day. This year’s theme is “Climate action for peace.” The same date is also World Cleanup Day, a time for individuals to join together to clean up the environment in their neighborhoods.

From Sept. 24 to 30, New York City is celebrating Climate Week. This corresponds with high-level general debates at the 74th session of the U.N. General Assembly, two of which are devoted to the climate and sustainable development.

Meanwhile, the rain has turned to drizzle and I wonder if this climate hubbub will change anything. After all, we’ve heard it many times before and climate-change sceptics write it all off as a hoax.

But, as the saying goes, “You don’t miss your water till the well runs dry.” That day will make believers of us all.

(Honicker can be reached at honicker.republicanherald@gmail.com)

On Jan. 1 of this year, I began cooking as a vegetarian. Not because I became vegetarian — that would be professionally untenable — but because my younger child did, thus upending most of my hard-won weeknight cooking strategies.

I didn’t think of myself as an animal-centric cook, just your basic modern omnivore. Steaks and lamb chops were an occasional treat, not a routine dinner. But I soon realized that I’d been relying on shortcuts like bacon, anchovy paste, pancetta and fish sauce.

At the same time, I began research on a project about how to cook and eat with less impact on the environment. What I learned made me want to eat not only less meat but also less dairy, which can be just as harmful. It didn’t seem right to simply replace recipes that call for a pound of meat with recipes that call for a pound of cheese, so vegan cooking was also newly intriguing.

It didn’t seem impossible. I knew about putting vegetables at the center of the plate, I had mastered “put an egg on it,” and we already ate salad most nights. So I collected a fresh batch of recipes, laid in a supply of legumes and embarked on my new kitchen life.

The first few weeks, I did what felt normal: I cooked a couple of different things on the nights we all sat down to eat together. But dinner was never on the table before 9 p.m., the food was strangely unsatisfying and the kitchen was absolutely wrecked.

I tacked toward one-dish and one-pot meals. This worked for a while. We had penne with tomatoes and eggplant, followed by pad Thai, followed by macaroni and cheese, at which point there was a mutiny. Noodles every night were not the solution.

So I reached out to my trusted plant-based sources to find out why my omnivore’s skills produced vegetarian fails, and to reteach me how to cook. Here are their critiques:

To make sure dinner was filling, I was stuffing everyone with starch

“A plant-based diet is not going to work exactly like a meat-based one,” said Rich Landau, chef and co-owner of Vedge and other vegetarian restaurants in Philadelphia and Washington. “It’s just not going to fill you up the same way.” In other words, it’s likely that a plant-based dinner at 7 p.m. may not carry everyone over until breakfast the next day. “Herbivores are grazers,” he added.

The fact that my kids were peckish at 9:30 p.m. didn’t mean that I had failed at dinner. It simply meant that I needed to lay in more substantial snacks and let go.

I needed to push more flavor into everything

For meat eaters, the natural umami in meat and fish is satiating; even if the roasted potatoes alongside are plain and the salad dressing is basic, the savoriness brings satisfaction. Without that to lean on, everything on the plate wants to be thoroughly and thoughtfully seasoned, including basics like grains and beans.

“Just using enough salt will get you halfway there,” said Raquel Pelzel, author of “Umami Bomb” (Workman, 2019), a new book of vegetarian recipes built around umami-rich ingredients: cooked tomatoes, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. Then, she said, build elements like sweetness, heat, acid and smoke. (Smoked paprika is vegan sorcery, used in everything that I once flavored with bacon. I picked up a new trick for the spice from “Sababa,” a new cookbook of Israel-inspired food: The author, Adeena Sussman, recommends stirring it in the end of cooking, to preserve its bright taste.)

Marinate everything that can be marinated, garnish everything that can be garnished (preferably with crunchy things like nuts and croutons) and season your cooking liquids (when you’re pressed for time, throw in a vegetable bouillon cube).

I was avoiding meat and dairy substitutes for no good reason

Growing up among hippies made me perpetually suspicious of anything offered as a healthier substitute for something good. The fact is that there are many products on the market that are delicious on their own terms, and more and more foods that are doing a good job of pretending to be meat and dairy. Go out and try them. Thanks to the recipes in “I Can Cook Vegan,” a new book from chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz, coconut oil is my new best friend.

I was trying to cook too many things

I phoned a fiendishly good home cook of my acquaintance, whose children have been through vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian stages. She spoke some hard truths. “The thing about a vegetable is that you can’t just unwrap it, salt it, sear it and put it in the middle of the plate,” she said. Washing, peeling, cutting and sometimes even blanching must be done before you get to the cooking. “Vegetables just take more work,” she said.

We can’t let that dissuade us from cooking them, but we can remember that one or two vegetables to work with on a weeknight is plenty for most home cooks. A bunch of roasted carrots with yogurt and the nutty spice mix dukkah is dinner; a pile of lemony broccoli or broccoli raab on grilled bread is dinner; spicy tomato soup with bread and cheese is most definitely dinner.

I was being snobbish about frozen vegetables

Pulling off a weeknight vegetarian dinner with variety, like a sheet-pan dinner, a vegetable stew or a stir-fry, means having some parcooked vegetables on hand. New vegetarians are often advised to do a big vegetable shop once a week and prep everything at once. I did it, but was discouraged by the fact that at the end of all that labor, I still had to cook everything as the week went on.

Bhavna Patel, a home cook in Lake City, Florida, with a popular YouTube channel, grew up in Gujarat, India, where a majority of people are vegetarian or vegan. She has streamlined her family’s recipes, she said, and often relies on homemade frozen vegetables. If you are peeling and cutting them anyway, it’s just as easy to boil them in salted water and freeze them in resealable bags. Or, find a brand you like and buy them. The route to dinner is much faster. Her go-to meal for her sons, pav bhaji, is a vegetable curry served on toasted buttered buns.

I also needed to read recipes differently.

Even if a vegetarian recipe has a manageable number of ingredients and a short cooking time (like a stir-fry), it may take a while to get it on the table. That’s because many food publications, including NYT Cooking, measure the cook time starting at the point where the ingredients are already assembled and prepped. (There’s such a wide range of kitchen skills, it wouldn’t be possible to say how long it takes a given cook to do that work.) So a recipe that begins with a pound of washed, stemmed and sliced kale, two cups of chopped onions and six minced garlic cloves is always going to take longer than the estimated time.

I had to stop living in fear.

I felt guilty when my eyes strayed toward the stash of chicken stock in the freezer, and worried about adding fish sauce to a vegan recipe. But your kitchen is not a restaurant, and you are not a giant corporation subject to labeling laws. If everyone decides that the Caesar salad dressing needs anchovies this week, no one will break down your door or take away your membership card. You still get to decide how to cook in your home.

POTTSVILLE — Schuylkill County District Attorney Michael A. O’Pake and the Schuylkill County detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a man who failed to report to prison as ordered earlier this month.

Detectives said Edward Haines Higginbotham did not appear at Schuylkill County Prison on Sept. 3 to begin serving his one- to two-year sentence with the state Department of Correction at a state correctional facility for a charge of felony theft.

Higginbotham is described as being 29 years old, white, 6 feet 1 inch tall and about 180 pounds.

He has a last known address of 4 S. Centre St. in Pottsville, detectives said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Higginbotham or on any other fugitive in Schuylkill County is asked to call the district attorney’s office at 570-628-1350 or Schuylkill County Tip Line at 570-624-3988.

Information can also be sent by email to dadd@co.schuylkill.pa.us.

In addition, detectives said anyone who may see or come in contact with Higginbotham is asked to call the Schuylkill County Communications Center or their local police department immediately.

All information received will remain confidential.

A list of Schuylkill County bench warrants is available on the Schuylkill County website at www.co.schuylkill.pa.us.

Fugitives taken into custody for the month of September totaled 74, bringing the total so far in 2019 to 1037, detectives said.

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

As far as I’m concerned this is the prime time of stargazing season, and I think you’ll agree!

The nights are longer and because there’s less moisture in the air the skies are more transparent, and the stars really jump out at you. Treat yourself and lie back on a reclining lawn chair and take it all in! The dark skies away from heavy light pollution are best, but even city skies can be great show.

There is so much to see this October. Headlining are the planets Jupiter and Saturn that pop out in the low south-southwest Pottsville sky in the evening twilight.

Jupiter is by far the brightest star-like object in the night sky, despite the fact that Jupiter is almost at its maximum distance from Earth in 2019. At the start of the month it’s just more than 517 million miles away, but even at that distance you can use a small telescope or binoculars to see some of Jupiter’s darker cloud bands and up to four of its largest moons dancing around Jupiter in orbit from night to night. They resemble tiny stars on either side of the big planet. Some nights you can’t see all four of them because one or more may be behind Jupiter or camouflaged in front of it.

It’s best to view Jupiter with a scope early in the month and as early in the evening because it sinks below the southwest horizon within three hours of sunset. On Thursday, there will be a spectacular close junction between Jupiter and the new crescent moon, with the moon just to the upper left of the planet. On Halloween night, Oct. 31, there will be an even thinner crescent moon to the upper left of Jupiter.

Saturn is also a wonderful telescope target, and is the next brightest star-like object to the upper left of Jupiter in the low southwest sky. With even a small telescope you should easily be able to resolve Saturn’s vast ring system and maybe even some of its moons, especially Titan, the moon that’s larger than the planet Mercury.

At the beginning of October, Saturn will shine at us from around 930 million miles away. On Saturday, the first quarter moon will be parked just to the left of Saturn in a tight celestial hug that you won’t want to miss!

The full moon in October is on the 13th, and for about five nights on either side of the 13th serious stargazing will be hampered with all of the moonlight spoiling the dark backdrop of the celestial dome.

There’s also a wonderful meteor shower this month. It’s the Orionids that peak on the early morning of Oct. 22. From midnight to just before the start of morning twilight, it’s possible to see 20 to 30 meteors an hour, especially in the darker countryside. On that morning, the moon will be a waning crescent rising in the eastern sky, but it shouldn’t block out too many meteors.

Even though it’s autumn, many summer constellations are hanging on in the western evening sky. You can still easily see the Summer Triangle high above the western horizon with the three bright stars from three separate constellations. There’s Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, Altair, the brightest star in Aquila the Eagle and Deneb the brightest luminary in Cygnus the Swan.

The Big Dipper is upright and riding low in the northwestern sky. In fact, it’s getting so low that it’s hard to see if you have a high tree line. The Big Dipper is the most famous star pattern there is, but it’s not an official constellation. It’s the bright rear end and tail of the constellation Ursa Major, the Big Bear.

Over in the eastern skies is the grand constellation Pegasus, the winged horse. Look for a giant diamond of stars on the rise in the east. Just to the upper left of Pegasus is the Andromeda Galaxy, the next door neighbor to our Milky Way, nearly 2.5 million light years away, with just one light year spanning nearly 6 trillion miles!

If you stay up late enough, you can also spot the Pleiades star cluster in the eastern sky resembling a tiny Big Dipper. It’s also called the “Seven Little Sisters,” who are the daughters of the god Atlas. Most people can see at least six stars, but it’s possible to see seven. Through binoculars or a telescope, you can see many more. Astronomically, it’s a cluster of young stars that all formed together more than 100 million years ago. They’re fairly close by at a little more than 400 light years away.

Don’t miss the great October skies!

(Lynch, an amateur astronomer and professional broadcast meteorologist, can be reached at mikewlynch@comcast.net)

Deeds

Butler Township — Roger W. Lane III, executor for the Estate of Theresa J. Lane, to Brian Wagner; property on Fifth Street; $115,000.

Michelle Zaharick, Laurie Zaharick, Cynthia Jordan and Holly Jule Miremadi to Kevin D. and Kelly Ann Gardecki; 36 Main St., Lavelle; $100,000.

Cressona — Justin Putlock to Shawn and Christine Reichert; 29 Chestnut St.; $133,000.

Jean H. Rolshausen to Joshua Breslin; 90 Schuylkill St.; $55,000.

Deer Lake — Corrado Development LLC to Borough of Deer Lake; 5.62-acre property; $1.

East Union Township — Maridel and Edgardo Calpa Tamayo to Eagle Rock Resort Co.; Lot 477HF3, Eagle Rock; $10.

Marivic Sindac Febiar and Steven J. Mendoza to Marivic Sindac Febiar; Lot 384WS, Eagle Rock; $1.

Felvic Javier and Lester Javier to Felvic Martires Adriatico; Lot 47WSS5, Eagle Rock; $1.

Foster Township — Navy Federal Credit Union to Secretary of Veterans Affairs; 18 Lower Beechwood Ave., Buck Run; $1.

Girardville — Michael Cope Sr. to Rebecca Valiant; 5 W. Ogden St.; $500.

Hegins Township — Lyle Troutman and Farren Miller to Farren Miller; 402 E. Main St., Hegins; $1.

Kline Township — Zachary J. Tomlin to Angelica M. Tomlin and John C. Tomlin III; property on Summit Avenue, Lofty; $1.

Mahanoy City — Joann J. Pangones to Kenneth and Susan Nerger; 25-27 E. Centre St.; $65,000.

McAdoo — Anne M. and Leon A. Fenkner to Allan and Cassandra Fenkner; property at Blaine and Manning streets; $25,000.

Minersville — Jacob and Alyssa Albright to Ultramodern Development LLC; 105 Middle St.; $26,000.

New Philadelphia — Edward M. and Karen Yeneshosky to Edward M. Yeneshosky; 4 Ferndale Road; $1.

North Manheim Township — Carol Wasser to Bryan D. Wasser; 22.33-acre property on Legislative Route 53010; $1.

Carol Wasser to Carol Wasser and Darren M. Wasser; 1.7792-acre property on Legislative Route 53010; $1.

Norwegian Township — Andrew S. and Samantha J. Green to Peter W. and Angela R. McNulty; 145 Mill Creek Ave.; $156,000.

Pine Grove Township — Andrea L. Fidler to Shelden E. and Melody A. Bicher; 50.90591-acre property at Oak Grove Road and Pine Meadows Drive; $190,000.

Pottsville — Jeanette Schwartz, by attorney in fact Marian L. Miller, to Kimberly MacLachlan and David Thomas; 935 N. Centre St.; $25,000.

Jane L. Fink, Joyce Miller and Harry M. Zerbey, co-executors of the Estate of Ethel M. Pflueger, to Michael M. and Stephanie L. Miller; two properties; $150,000.

Ringtown — Heather Davidow to Richard W. and Gloria J. Schlauch; property on West Main Street; $5,000.

West Brunswick Township — Marvin W. and Catherine L. Teter to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; agricultural conservation easement on 397 and 457 Pheasant Run Road; $165,500.

West Mahanoy Township — Patricia M. Popalis, administratrix of the Estate of Maryann E. Walsh, to Brandon Swantek; 285 Arizona Ave., Shenandoah Heights; $122,900.

Donna M. Guers to Lisa Hysock; 82 Swatara Road, Shenandoah Heights; $35,000.

West Penn Township — Eveline D. Roberts to Matthew G. and Tara Lynn Balulis; 1308 West Penn Pike; $224,900.

Curtis J. and Dorothy K. Bailey to Chad A. Deiter and Cassandra M. Brobst; 35 S. Oak Terrace; $249,900.

PINE GROVE — Michelangelo once said that when choosing blocks of marble for his sculptures, he imagined that he was not creating his sculptures, but setting them free.

Joel Mack thinks the same thing about wooden logs.

When he saw a nice, straight log with few imperfections, he knew that it would make the perfect bear.

“You kind of get to see what each log speaks to you about, and what you can make out of it,” Mack, 33, of Middlebury Center in Tioga County, said.

On Sunday of the weekend-long Pine Grove Chainsaw Carving Festival, there were more wooden bears than people. The bears are a big hit with the crowds, who watched the wood sculptors at work. The whirring of chainsaws, along with the smells of sawdust and hot dogs, were in the air.

“There’s a uniqueness to everything,” Mack said. “Almost every piece has a heart behind it.”

Growing up in the forestry industry, his dad taught him how to sculpt with a chainsaw. He has no formal artistic training.

“A lot of it’s math, with angles, and then fine-tuning the piece,” Mack said.

He is most proud of his bench, with eagles at the armrests. It took him three years to learn how to carve and a week to put together.

“Eagles are the nation’s bird,” he said. “Eagles sell the most.”

“It’s cool to see him doing what he’s good at,” said Alex Lapp, 23, of Jonestown. “They’re very talented.”

At the end of his demonstration, Todd Gladfelter’s face was speckled with sawdust. He went to school to build log houses, and met a man who taught him how to carve an owl in two hours.

Thirteen years later, he makes up to 150 pieces a year. Some of his sculptures on display are a pumpkin of a face on it, and a chicken on top of a pig. He calls it “Eggs and Bacon.”

“I think it’s pretty neat what they’re able to do,” said Steve Daubert, 68, of Pine Grove. “These guys are real artists. It takes a lot of talent, more than I have.”

That’s the last thing Douglas Ryan wants to hear.

“Pick up a chainsaw and try it,” Ryan, 47, of Altoona, said. He was painting his own sculpture of an eagle.

“That’s the easy answer, but having some artistic ability beforehand helps,” he said. “A lot of people tell me ‘I could never do it,’ but they never tried it.”

Ryan got his start when he saw a chainsaw carver outside a grocery store. He couldn’t afford to buy his sculptures, so he tried making them himself.

It took Ryan 10 years to get to that carver’s level of skill, and a lot less time to understand why the sculptures were so expensive.

“It’s calming,” he said. “Every piece is a one-off, and that’s important because no matter what, there’s no other piece like it.”

Sure, the chainsaws are big and loud, but they betray the intricacies, and more tools, required for the sculptures.

“People enjoy the show as far as the chainsaw,” he said. “They like the chainsaw, they like the sound, they like the sawdust flying around. There’s a dangerous element to it.”

Ryan’s specialities include animals (more bears!) and dramatic carvings of Native American heads. He carves Native Americans because he is fascinated with the human face, the hardest thing for a sculptor to carve.

With the animals, there’s more artistic license, but everyone knows what a human face looks like. His elaborate busts incorporate detailed animal imagery. One giant head was suspended on a lavishly carved crescent pedestal, practically weightless.

“There are so many different things,” he said. “As far as feathers and eagle claws and buffalo fur, can really decorate your piece and make it attractive. Imagine you’re a white American male sitting there. What’s interesting about you? You don’t have feathers.”

In the bed of Ryan’s truck was a life-sized sculpture of a fireman clutching the American flag. The man’s face is based on a man from Ryan’s neighborhood, a firefighter who was killed in Afghanistan.

“One of the nicest people you’ve ever met in your life,” he said. “I’ve made several, and every one of them is a memorial to him.”

The one in the truck took nine hours to carve, the amount of time he was given in a wood carving competition in which he was a contestant. The sculpture won the competition, but it doesn’t matter much to him. Competitions, he said, bring out the worst in people.

“Wood’s a bit of an addiction,” he said. “What it looks like, what it feels like. There’s something about making something from a natural product that’s enticing to a lot of people.

“You can buy something plastic and it’ll last forever, but it’s not wood.”

POTTSVILLE — A Reading man was jailed after being charged by Pottsville police with attempted criminal homicide for shooting another man in the city Saturday night.

In addition to the attempted homicide charge, Detective Joseph Welsh charged Jordan Sanchez, 25, with aggravated assault, simple assault, possessing instruments of crime, recklessly endangering another person and persistent disorderly conduct. Sanchez was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison without bail due to the attempted homicide charge.

The investigation into the shooting also led to the arrest of Nicole Finken, 40, of 423 E. Arch St., Pottsville, and additional charges against Sanchez.

Capt. John Morrow charged the two with felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy for synthetic marijuana found during a search of Finken’s home.

Hale set bail at $25,000 straight cash for both Sanchez and Finken. Finken was also committed to prison unable to post bail.

Pottsville Police Chief Richard F. Wojciechowsky said around 8:30 p.m., officers were called to the 400 block of East Arch Street for a report of a gunshot victim.

As officers were arriving, they were told the injured person was attempting to flee in a vehicle. A short time later, Sgt. James Joos found the vehicle traveling south on Route 61 and stopped it near the intersection with Mauch Chunk Street.

Wojciechowsky said officers found a 45-year-old Reading man inside the vehicle who had been shot multiple times.

He said officers began administering emergency care to the man, who was then turned over to Schuylkill EMS personnel and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Medical personnel later reported that the man’s injuries were not life threatening, Wojciechowsky said.

The chief said information obtained from the injured man, as well as from two passengers in the vehicle, led officers to the Finken home that was later determined to be the location of the shooting.

During an immediate canvass of the area, Wojciechowsky said, officers were told those responsible most likely fled from 423 E. Arch St. into 429 E. Arch St.

At that address, officers found Finken and her boyfriend, Sanchez, hiding in the basement.

Based on information provided by witnesses that a man named “Jordan” was the shooter, officers took both Sanchez and Finken into custody, the chief said.

He said officers obtained multiple search warrants for both addresses as well as the vehicle the injured man had been driving.

During the search of 429 E. Arch St., Wojciechowsky said, officers recovered spent 9 mm shell casings and a Ruger P95 handgun hidden in the ceiling tiles of the basement where Sanchez and Finken were found, as well as a large quantity of synthetic marijuana.

Both Sanchez and Finken will now have to appear for preliminary hearings before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley in his Pottsville courtroom.

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

The second “Fighting Back” forum, which focused on the opioid epidemic and the dangers of vaping, will air several times this week on WYLN-TV 35.

“The Standard-Speaker has really tried to shine some light on these issues and bring them to the forefront,” said John Patton, operations manager for The Standard-Speaker, which coordinated the event.

The forum was held at Marian Catholic High School and footage will be copied to disc and made available free to all area school districts for use in classrooms or assemblies.

“This, we feel, will help curb the epidemic of these problems,” said Patton, who thanked the Lehigh Valley Health Network, WYLN and SSPTV for their support.

“We as a station are happy to partner again with The Standard-Speaker and SSPTV to put on the second forum. We believe it is important to get this information out to everyone,” added WYLN news director Gary Perna. “WYLN-TV is committed like The Standard-Speaker and SSPTV are to the Greater Hazleton Area and committed to providing as much information and help as we can, especially with this crisis that is affecting not only our area but the entire state and country.”

The opioid discussion includes comments from:

• Michael Fanjoy, vice president of clinical services at Adult and Teen Challenge of Pennsylvania, a drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation treatment center based in Rehrersburg, Berks County. Fanjoy has been involved with Adult and Teen Challenge since 2003, when he said he experienced life transformation through its program.

•  Dan Salvagno, a counselor with Adult and Teen Challenge, and a former opioid addict. He was able to turn his life around.

•  Eileen Panzarella, director of prevention education for Pathway to Recovery in Hazleton. The organization works in schools and throughout the community on drug abuse prevention.

During the vaping forum, Dr. Rebecca Odorizzi talked about how it affects young people. Odorizzi is a Tamaqua native whose office is on Route 309 in Hometown.

Also speaking was Amy Diehl, prevention and tobacco treatment specialist for Pathway to Recovery. She conducts drug and nicotine prevention programs in local schools and is a certified nicotine cessation instructor who leads community cessation groups.

State Reps. Jerry Knowles, R-134, Rush Township, and Doyle Heffley, R-122, Lower Towamensing Township, also attended.

Patton said the forum was the second of a series that The Standard-Speaker and its partners hope to continue next year.

WYLN will air the one-hour forum at 9 a.m. today, 8 p.m. Tuesday, noon Wednesday, 9 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.

The first forum, “Fighting Back: Prevention, Treatment and Recovery from the Opioid Epidemic,” was held in May at the Wiltsie Center at Hazleton Elementary/Middle School. A third “Fighting Back” public forum is planned in the continuing effort to stem the tide of drug abuse and addiction.

Frackville

The South End Field and Steam Club, Whippoorwill Dam, Morea Road, will have its annual bean soup sale with pickups starting at 11 a.m. Oct. 12. A limited amount of soup will be available for walk-ins. For tickets, call Joe C. at 570-874-1108.

Hometown

The Hometown Fire Company will host a Halloween children’s event at 10 a.m. Saturday. It will include trick-or-treat tin can painting and monster cupcake decorating. Artist Tracy Picht from Sycamore Kula will guide children in making their own Halloween masterpieces and treats. A hot dog and drink will also be served to each participating child. The cost is $20. Advance registration and payment are required by calling or texting Lori at 570-449-1776. Their limit is 40 participants.

Mahanoy City

First United Methodist Church, 400 E. Mahanoy Ave., will have its annual indoor yard sale from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 11 and 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 12. The event will also include a bake sale and grilled cheeseburgers. All are welcome. For more information, call 570-778-0445.

Pottsville

The Schuylkill County Historical Society will present its annual Haunted History tours of Pottsville throughout October. For the first time, there will be a trolley tour throughout the city, including a trip to the Charles Baber Cemetery at 7 p.m. Oct. 19. Tickets are $15 for society members and $20 for the general public. There is also a choice of two walking tours — The Ghosts of Guinea and Bunker Hill or The Gallows Tour — on Friday, Oct. 12, 19 and 26. All walking tours are $10 per adult and $7 per child. For reservations and times for the walking tours, call the society at 570-622-7540. Ticket holders will receive a 15% discount on one item in the society’s gift shop on the tour evening.

Pottsville

The Pottsville Rotary Club will have a special meeting at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday featuring U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-9, at Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza in the Coal Creek Commerce Center, Saint Clair. Members and guests are welcome, the cost for guests is $13. Today is the deadline for reservations. Call Frank Peron at 570-628-9619 or email him at fperonjr@yahoo.com for reservations.

Saint Clair

Knights of Columbus Council 14009, Saint Clair, will have a Friendly’s Family Fun Night from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Friendly’s restaurant near Fairlane Village mall. Friendly’s will donate a portion of its revenue during those hours to the council. The event will also include baked goods on sale and a raffle. All are welcome. For more information, call 570-617-1578.

Shenandoah

Anthony P. Damato American Legion “Medal of Honor” Post 792, 116 N. Main St., will have a Chinese auction with a shop-and-drop slated for 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 12 and the auction on Oct. 13 with doors opening at 11 a.m. and the auction at 1:30 p.m. All are welcome.

Tamaqua

The Mauch Chunk Trust Co. will sponsor a beef/chicken platter sale Thursday at the Tamaqua Public Library, 30 S. Railroad St., to benefit the library. Pickups will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Platters will include beef or stuffed chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, coleslaw and a roll/butter. Tickets are $10, advance only. A bake sale will be held in conjunction with the platter sale. For more information, call 570-668-4660.

MAHANOY CITY — The second phase of the roof restoration project at the Mahanoy Area School District will began next summer following action at Thursday’s school board meeting.

The school board contracted with Weatherproofing Technologies Inc., Beachwood, Ohio, to complete the second half of the project, the first half being completed this past summer.

According to the company’s proposal dated Sept. 17, the project will cost $736,026.56, with the cost paid from the Capital Reserve Account.

The school board approved the proposal unanimously, pending approval of the terms and conditions by board solicitor John G. Dean.

At the March 2018 meeting, the school board contracted with WTI to restore one-half of the school roof for $699,227.12. The roof over the original building that has the four circular sections and the original gymnasium were selected for the first phase.

The second phase proposal was received through the Keystone Purchasing Network, which is a program and service of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16.

According to the CSIU website, costs of co-op operations are covered by a transaction fee paid by vendors who get orders from members. This fee turns out to be inconsequential to final effective pricing because, by leveraging nationwide demand, KPN can get lower-than-usual prices for its members even when the transaction fee is factored into the price.

A subsidiary of Tremco Inc., WTI submitted to the school district the names of three roofing subcontractors who submitted their cost to complete the project. Of the three, Detwiler Roofing, East Earl, submitted the lowest amount at $736,026.56.

After the meeting, Business Administrator John J. Hurst said, “Weatherproof Technologies has the roofing system, and the contractor chosen will apply that roofing system to the remainder of the roof. We already did half of the roof this summer. This next project is actually going to be for the new section of the building. They did all the circular sections during the summer, and then the new portion will be done next summer. It should begin right after school ends in June 2020.”

In other business, the school board acted on the following agenda items:

• Approved a contract with AEM Architects, Reading, for architect and design services for the bus garage project.

• Approved a proposal from BerkOne, Bangor, for Act 1 application mailings at a cost of $0.3905 per mailing plus postage.

• Approved the following county repository sales: 404 W. South St. and 406 W. South St., Mahanoy City, to Justin Hoppes at $1 for each property.

• Approved the elimination of the business specialist position, effective Sept. 26.

• Appointed Michelle Lavelle, Frackville, as assistant business manager at a salary of $51,000 pro-rated from Sept. 27 for the 2019-20 school year.

• Approved a bus stop addition at 83 Fairview St., Barnesville, and the relocation of the 1045 Barnesville Drive bus stop to 1049 Barnesville Drive in separate votes.

• Appointed Anna Chinikaylo, Pittston, as a speech therapist (Grades 4 to 12) at a salary of $44,342 (Step 4-Master’s), retroactive to Sept. 16. In a separate vote, the board appointed Danielle Slyman as a mentor for Chinikaylo at a salary of $500.

• Approved a contract with Danielle Slyman to supervise Chinikaylo during her clinical fellowship year. Slyman will be compensated $50 per hour up to 55 hours for the 20-19-20 school year at a total not to exceed $2,750 and will be compensated for travel if she provides supervision services not on the school district campus.

• Appointed the following as teachers to the Schuylkill ACHIEVE Afterschool Program at $23.40 per hour: Bo Rogers, Ashland; Jennifer Grochowski, Shenandoah; and Becky Warren, Pine Grove.

• Accepted the performance audit report and the district’s response to recommendations issued by the state Department of the Auditor General for the school years ended on June 30 for 2014 to 2017.

• Appointed the following volunteer coaches: Colin Fegley, Barnesville, and Yaddiel Barraza, Mahanoy City.

• Appointment of Eric Moucheron, Frackville, as assistant athletic director for the fall and spring seasons at a pro-rated salary of $1,471.90 effective today, and Kathy Loy, Saint Clair, as assistant athletic director for the winter season at a salary of $1,166.67.

• Appointed the following lifeguards for the 2019-20 school year: Kendall Bernardyn, Payton Bernardyn, Madison Cavenas, Madison Denchy, Taylor Evans, Angelina Fritz, Meghan Macleary, Justina McKenzie, Maddison Quick, Jacob Ulicny, Kiera Van Horn and Leah Van Horn.

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

FRACKVILLE — In spite of weather-related setbacks, the renovation of a memorial to fallen heroes is nearing completion.

A much needed facelift for the Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the Schuylkill County Volunteer Firefighters Training Academy is taking a little longer. Frank Zangari Jr., Girardville fire chief and president of the Schuylkill County Fire Chiefs Association, said Thursday that the project began last year with the expectation it would be completed in 2019, however rainy conditions hampered the schedule. Work is expected to be finished early next year with a rededication planned for the spring.

Moreover, beside the rain, volunteers are doing the work as time permits.

“This is a time consuming and expensive process,” Zangari said. “The concrete has to be cleaned and the paint being used is expensive.”

Zangari said each of the memorial stones and donation bricks have been removed from the front of the memorial, located at the entrance to the fire school, cleaned thoroughly and are now in the process of being relettered.

Along with the memorial stones and bricks being refurbished, the main monument will be cleaned and relettered and the entire front leveled and landscaped before the stones are reset, Zangari said.

There are plans to make parking spaces available directly in front of the monument and install a walkway and ramp to the main area for wheelchairs or people with disabilities.

Three new flag poles are being installed directly behind the main memorial stone.

The project is being strictly funded through donations and the work is being done at no cost.

“We have a lot of people and businesses that are pitching in to make this happen,” he said.

The objective of the project, Zangari said, is to have the memorial stand out and be the first thing people see when entering the fire school grounds.

“We want this to be a fitting tribute to our firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

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

Architectural remnants made from stained glass from more closed diocesan churches and convents will be available for sale from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, 618 Fullerton Ave., Whitehall.

The Diocese of Allentown is sponsoring the sale through Beyer Studio, Philadelphia. Proceeds from the sale will be returned to the parishes into which the closed parishes were consolidated or merged.

Prices on the more than 200 pieces available will range from $25 to $750.

The stained glass pieces were created from stained glass windows that were part of diocese churches, including:

 Missionaries of Charity, St. Teresa of Calcutta Convent, Mahanoy City.

 Sacred Heart, Nesquehoning.

 St. George, Shenandoah.

 St. Stephen, Shenandoah.

 Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Coaldale.

Deeds

Ashland — Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Robert Lesher; 201 Walnut St.; $3,261.01.

Branch Township — Paul A. DiRenzo Jr. and Michael D. DiRenzo to JLM Real Estate Investments LLC; 2.29-acre property at Bunting Street and West Lawn Road; $160,000.

East Union Township — Eagle Rock Resort Co. to Sean and Paula Carpenter; Lot 154WS, Eagle Rock; $35,360.10.

Eagle Rock Resort Co. to Leopoldo A. and Arlene F. Matanguien; Lot 431ER, Eagle Rock; $39,289.

Eagle Rock Resort Co. to Nicholas Hong; Lot 187WSS, Eagle Rock; $45,172.99.

Vincent J. and Anna R. Pastorella to Michael J. and Lori A. Andretta; seven properties in Sheppton; $500,000.

Mahanoy City — Teckla McCabe to Ramon A. Cruz; 1135 E. Pine St.; $1,500.

New Philadelphia — Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to JPMorgan Chase Bank NA; 26 Macomb St.; $1.

North Manheim Township — Jeffrey and Patti Ann DaSilva to Robert D. O’Connell; 152 Ranch Road; $262,500.

Kristin N. Damore and Jeremy J. Schmucker to Daniel J. Bashore; 205 Fox Hollow Road, Chestnut Hill; $295,000.

Saint Clair — Pauline Zaharis, executrix of the Estate of George Zaharis, to Kristina M. Zaharis; 0.652-acre property on East Arnot Street; $1.

Schuylkill Haven — Carl W. and Carol A. Ansbach to Carl W. and Carol A. Ansbach and Anthony J. Winter; 25 Blossom Lane; $1.

Shenandoah and West Mahanoy Township — Travis Briggs and Eric Briggs, individually and as co-executors of the Estate of Charlene M. Briggs, to Travis Briggs; 503 Washington St.; $1.

Tamaqua — Atanos Jarrah LLC to Anthony J. and Gabrielle D. Lanzalotti; 418 E. Elm St.; $39,400.

Matthew and Brooke L. Vernon to Aaron W. Gill; 124 Gay St.; $59,900.

Tower City — Wayne R. Jr. and Carol L. Leitzel to Wayne R. Jr. and Carol L. Leitzel; 114 N. Third St.; $1.

Wayne Township — Ruth E. Kredovski to Jason L. and Regina F. Ruppert; 25.9113-acre property on Second Mountain Road; $325,000.

Hidden River Credit Union to Ultra LLC; 0.83489-acre property on Summer Hill Road; $105,000.

West Brunswick Township — Colleen M. Cooper and Samantha Lee Cooper to Colleen M. Cooper; 1905 Village Road, Pinebrook; $1.

POTTSVILLE — A man charged with robbing the BB&T Bank in Pottsville last month waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley.

Prior to waiving the hearing, Pottsville police Detective Joseph Welsh, the arresting officer, filed an additional charge of terroristic threats against Rikki Jay Williams, 24.

The original charges filed against Williams were robbery, terrorist threats, theft, receiving stolen property, persistent disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance.

By waiving his right to a hearing, Williams will now have to answer to the charges in Schuylkill County Court, where he can plead guilty or enter a not guilty plea and request a trial.

Welsh charged Williams with robbing the BB&T Bank branch office at 9 N. Centre St. around 9 a.m. on Sept. 19.

He said Williams entered the bank, handed a teller a note demanding money and fled on foot after receiving an undisclosed amount of cash.

Officers obtained a description of the man and also which direction he fled from bank employees and quickly reviewed bank security video to help identify him.

Welsh said police identified Williams as the person responsible for the heist. A short time later, he was apprehended by Sgt. Mark O’Toole in the unit block of South Second Street.

At that time, the money stolen from the bank was recovered from Williams, along with a small amount of methamphetamine, Welsh said.

Williams was interviewed and admitted going to the bank and giving the teller a handwritten note demanding money or “he would kill them,” the detective said.

Williams also admitted reaching into his waistband to make the bank employee believe he had a weapon, Welsh said.

After waiving his right to a hearing, Williams was returned to Schuylkill County Prison, where he is being held on $50,000 straight cash bail set by Reiley at the time of his arraignment.

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

Incorrect name

Amaya Becker’s name was wrong in the Schuylkill Haven Borough Day story in Sunday’s edition.

Anthony J. Kilker

SHENANDOAH — A man arrested for assaulting his wife inside a West Mahanoy Township home on Sept. 21 had charges against him held for court during a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker.

Juvon E. Wilson, 41, of 77-39 164th St., Fresh Meadows, New York, formerly of 203 Virginia Ave., Shenandoah Heights, was arrested by state police Trooper Michael Blasé of the Frackville station and charged with strangulation, simple assault, terroristic threats and harassment.

Kilker determined the commonwealth presented enough evidence to substantiate the charges and order all held for Schuylkill County Court, where Wilson can plead guilty or enter a not guilty plea and request a trial.

Blasé charged Wilson with getting into an argument with Silvia Wilson that turned physical with the man pushing the woman several times in the chest and then grabbing her by the throat and applying pressure, causing her to be unable to breathe.

The woman reported that Juvon Wilson also pushed her to the ground and said several times that he was going to kill her, Blasé said.

Other court cases included:

Marissa A. Garcia, 26, of 543 Arlington St., Tamaqua; waived for court: loitering and prowling at night.

Gina L. Ferraro, 27, of 150 N. Nice St., Frackville; waived for court: driving an unregistered vehicle, driving a vehicle without a valid inspection, driving without insurance, surrendering registration or plates while on suspension, having a vehicle with a suspended registration and fraudulent, altered, counterfeit or forged title, registration or insurance.

Brenda G. Brennan, 35, of 96 Weston Place, Shenandoah; withdrawn: defiant trespass. Waived for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Craig A. Fisher, 19, of 267 Mount Olive Blvd., Shenandoah; held for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Michael S. Fessler, 36, of 312 Koser Road, Lititz; withdrawn: driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked. Waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate and driving a vehicle without an ignition interlock.

Dennis Hopkins, 28, of 14 N. Gilbert St., Shenandoah; withdrawn: public drunkenness and possession of drug paraphernalia. Hopkins pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a controlled substance.

Devon Puglis, 20, of 234 W. 20th St., Apt. 5, Erie; withdrawn: burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault, harassment and criminal mischief.

Johanna Rodriguez, 33, of 237 W. Centre St., Apt. 2W, Mahanoy City; waived for court: DUI, DUI-high rate, accidents involving death or personal injury while not property licensed, driving with a suspended or revoked license, disregard for single traffic lane and careless driving.

Chris E. Setcavage, 45, of 202 W. Spruce St., Mahanoy City; Setcavage pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kevin C. Reinhard, 21, of 207 N. Ninth St., Apt. 2, Ashland; withdrawn: possession of a small amount of marijuana. Reinhard pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kimberly Ann Coy, 21, of 1097 Barnesville Drive, Barnesville, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

David A. Plachko

PORT CARBON — A Cressona man charged with assaulting a woman in Mechanicsville on Aug. 23 waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko.

Anthony J. Souchak, 19, of 103 Railroad St., was arrested by Port Carbon police Patrolman Timothy Walsh and charged with one count each of strangulation, simple assault and harassment.

By waiving his right to a hearing, Souchak will now have to answer to the charges in Schuylkill County Court, where he can plead guilty or enter a not guilty plea and request a trial.

Welsh charged Souchak with an incident at 803 Pottsville St., where he allegedly began to assault and strangle Morgan Scheifley to the degree that her air and blood flow were being blocked. A bystander had to physically remove Souchak from the woman, Welsh said.

Other court cases included:

Diane Battaglia, no age available, of 53 Locust St., Tuscarora; dismissed: burglary, theft and receiving stolen property. Held for court: criminal trespass, defiant trespass and harassment.

Brandon S. Hosier, 36, of 455 Carbon St., Minersville; held for court: endangering the welfare of children and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Tara Ellex, 46, of 777 N. Centre St., Pottsville; waived for court: bad checks.

Douglass K. Huyett, 46, of 803 N. Centre St., Pottsville; held for court: bad checks.

Katie L. Linkchorst, 36, of 210 N. Mill St. Rear, Saint Clair; held for court: bad checks.

Fallon M. Sincavage, 25, of 31 Deer Park Road, Pottsville; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and receiving stolen property.

Angel M. Spotts, 23, of 457 North St., Minersville; waived for court: endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and harassment.

Melissa Lee Farrell, 34, of 455 Carbon St., Minersville; waived for court: endangering the welfare of children and possession of drug paraphernalia.

(Staff writer Frank Andruscavage compiled this report)

Pennsylvanians have one week left to register to vote in the Nov. 5 municipal election.

Eligible Pennsylvania residents have until Monday to apply for a new voter registration or make changes to their existing registration. They can check their registration status at votesPA.com.

The state’s OVR application can be found at register.votesPA.com. In addition to applying for a new registration, the OVR system can also be used to update an existing voter record with new information, such as a change of name, address or party affiliation.

Voters also are encouraged to use the online system to confirm their registration status prior to the deadline. The site provides county election office contact information, a polling place locator and voting district information.

Registered voters planning to cast an absentee ballot are advised to apply and return their voted ballot as early as possible. This is the first election that Pennsylvania voters can apply online for an absentee ballot.

Eligible voters can register to vote online, by mail or in person at a county voter registration office; county assistance offices; Women, Infants & Children program offices; PennDOT photo and driver’s license centers; Armed Forces recruitment centers; county clerk of orphans’ courts or marriage license offices; area agencies on aging; county mental health and intellectual disabilities offices; student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education; offices of special education in high schools; and Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated complementary paratransit providers.

The Department of State’s website votesPA.com also offers printable voter registration applications and tips for first-time voters and military and overseas voters.

For more information on voter registration, voting and elections call the Department of State’s toll-free hotline at 877-VOTESPA (877-868-3772) or visit votesPA.com.