POTTSVILLE — Professional competitive eater Randy Santel conquered the Skook Grilled Cheese Challenge on Thursday at Wheel restaurant amid a crowd of cheering fans.

He finished the meal with a time of 18:06 — and his signature, two-armed flexed muscle pose and cheesy smile.

“I think if I were to do it again, I would have dipped the bread into the tomato soup,” Santel, of Springfield, Missouri, said immediately after his victory. Santel will now be the first person posted on the Wheel’s Wall of Fame, which is only for those who are successful competitors.

He had 30 minutes to finish the challenge that featured a grilled cheese sandwich with white Italian bread from Minersville Bakery, six types of cheeses, 1 pound of Kowalonek’s kielbasa and 10 Mrs. T’s pierogies, and a bowl of tomato bisque with croutons. The meal was paired with a bottle of Yuengling Lager.

It was a capacity crowd inside Savas Logothetides’ 201 W. Market St. restaurant, as curious onlookers stood outside, peering in the windows hoping to get a glimpse of Santel during his feat. Santel allowed fans to take photos and he signed autographs before and after the challenge, which was his 795th that he’s successfully tackled.

“He’s just been great and has been here signing autographs since a quarter to five,” Logothetides said.

Joining Santel for the task was fellow competitor Michael Hornacek, 37, of Harrisburg. Hornacek held the Wheel’s prior food challenge with a time of 5 minutes, 50 seconds. That challenge was without the kielbasa, pierogies or beer. A member of the Marine Corps, Hornacek brought along his two sons, Jaxsen, 7, and Jase, 6, and Navy Corpsman Anthony Rivera.

Hornacek has 12 food records, including one in Australia and one in Japan. Santel said Hornacek was actually the one who told him about the newest Wheel challenge. Hornacek, unfortunately, got sick in the final stretch and was unable to finish.

Tim Kistler brought his son, Maddox, 12, to see Santel.

“He was in Pennsylvania earlier this summer, but we kept missing him,” said Kistler, who now resides in Newmanstown, Lebanon County, but grew up in Orwigsburg.

Kistler’s also done some competitive eating and has tried the “808 challenge” in Hawaii, where an eater attempts to finish eight cheeseburgers. Santel successfully completed that challenge in 4:30, Kistler said.

“He signed my 808 shirt,” he said. “It took me 26 minutes.”

Rich Hufford came all the way from Elmira, New York.

“I follow him on Facebook,” said Hufford, a locksmith who has also attempted similar challenge events. He once tried eating 3 pounds of tacos in 10 minutes, but was unsuccessful.

Santel called Yuengling his favorite beer, and said the kielbasa, bread and pierogies were “delicious.”

City Mayor James T. Muldowney joined in welcoming Santel to the city. Family members Jessica Hannis from Kowalonek’s; Tim and Tom Twardzik from Mrs. T’s; and Robert Krohmer and Diane McShaw from Minersville Bakery also attended.

Following his Pottsville appearance, he’s headed to Philadelphia for a dietetic conference and another challenge. Krohmer offered Santel a loaf of his bread as a parting gift.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

A man confessed to stabbing his pregnant wife in their Nesquehoning home Monday because he believed there was a demon inside her, court papers say.

Dana Seidler, 34, also admitted to using methamphetamine that day, according to police.

He was taken to jail after failing to post $50,000 bail set by Magisterial District Judge Casimir Kosciolek, Lansford, after Nesquehoning police charged him with felony aggravated assault. Seidler also faces misdemeanors for terroristic threats and two counts simple assault, along with a summary count of harassment.

Arrest papers state:

It was 12:09 a.m. when Nesquehoning police were alerted to the assault and found Seidler inside 5 E. Railroad St. with a child, who it appeared he was making recite a prayer.

The officer knocked on the window and demanded Seidler come outside. He said he would as soon as he was finished reading, but when the officer ordered him out a second time Seidler complied and was taken into custody on the porch.

They found the victim, who was four months pregnant, on a neighbor’s porch. She was taken by Lehighton ALS to a hospital.

The child told police Seidler was acting weird all day and reading the Bible for hours.

He was in his room when he heard the woman yelling for help and found Seidler on top of her with the knife in hand and the woman bleeding. He was able to get Seidler to hand over the knife and that allowed the woman to run to a neighbor’s home.

At first, Seidler didn’t want to speak to officers but then admitted to using meth before to going to church. When police asked Seidler if he believed there was a demon inside the victim, he said, “yes,” explaining that he wanted to cut the demon out, believing the unborn child was the anti-Christ.

Police said they retrieved a sword with a blade of about 14 inches from the crime scene.

Jim Thorpe police assisted.

Contact the writer: achristman@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3584

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — A mentalist and magician came to North Schuylkill Elementary School on Thursday to show Schuylkill ACHIEVE students that there are ways to study efficiently and not waste time.

About 250 students from eight school districts in the county came to North Schuylkill after school hours to hear Grant Price, of Fort Worth, Texas, talk about how studying should not keep them from life. He explained that there are three secrets to remembering anything.

The program was part of Lights On Afterschool, which was launched in October 2000. Lights On Afterschool is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The effort has become a hallmark of the afterschool movement and generates media coverage across the country each year.

“Lights On Afterschool is a national event,” said Schuylkill ACHIEVE Coordinator Michele Daynorowicz, of Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, Mar Lin. “This year is the 20th year for celebrating this event and 20 years that we have had the afterschool program serving Grades K to 8 in Schuylkill County. Through a competitive grant through the 21st Century Community Learning Center program, Schuylkill ACHIEVE is sponsored by the state Department of Education, the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit was able to secure funds to secure this program fro 20 years to serve our students.”

The ACHIEVE program has been giving students in multiple school districts the opportunity to participate in spending time after the normal school day to enjoy recreation, homework help, reading and writing help, character education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities and more.

Attending the program were students in Mahanoy Area, Minersville Area, Pottsville Area, Pine Grove Area, Saint Clair Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, North Schuylkill and Williams Valley. Currently, the ACHIEVE program serves more than 800 middle school students in grades 5 to 8 in nine school districts.

Before his presentation, Price explained what he would be talking to students about.

“My goal, and it’s going to sound like a pipe dream but it is real, is to help students cut their study time in half but improve their grades,” Price said. “I’m a mentalist and a magician. As a magician, I use different techniques of observation and memory.”

Price said he applied techniques in his own life that helped him while in school.

“For my years in college and high school, I didn’t know, I didn’t even think about the fact that things I would use to read someone’s mind were the same things that I could use to study better,” Price said. “Basically, I will be teaching the techniques to do that and really to reduce your study time.”

Price said that learning those study techniques can help in different ways.

“If you’re going to spend eight hours a day studying, you’re going to wear your brain out and you will be a less effective student, not a more effective student,” he said. “Even things like leisure and recreation are important to kind of rejuvenate your mind to be ready for the next day. My goal is to help students in the area of memory when it comes to studying. Basically, this is what this is going to be on.”

Attending from the state Department of Education was 21st Century program officer Joseph Eye, of Girardville. He said the afterschool programs have been a big plus to many students.

“One of the biggest things is academic enrichment that the program focuses on, especially STEM and STEAM,” Eye said. “They also give the students a chance to do other things like physical activity. It’s isn’t just strictly academic. They get to do it in a different environment that is more relaxed and starts to inspire them. That’s one of the biggest advantages. We also bring in families to participate.”

After Price’s program, the students moved to the cafeteria, where pizza and pierogies and light refreshments were available. DJ High Tech provided music for students to dance and enjoy. Giant Jenga was available for students who wanted to play. To enhance the mood, glow sticks and foam lighted batons and beach balls were distributed.

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

Spooky sounds are going beyond the gasps and screams this weekend as the Anthracite Philharmonic puts on its Spooky Strings concert.

Tickets for the concert, which will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Majestic Theater, 209 N. Centre St., Pottsville, can be purchased at the door, with adult tickets costing $20, seniors $15 and children under 12 free.

Under the direction of Mark P. Thomas, the philharmonic will play a blend of spooky and spooky-fun songs, including some classics and movie-themed songs.

“We’re going to start out with really bright, in-your-face kind of strong songs, almost like you’re running away from something, like in the woods, being chased or something. It’s kind of got that sound to it,” Thomas said.

From there, cloaked and glowing from the glimmer of candles, the singers will move into the aisles, surrounding the audience.

“Then, from that, we kick right into ‘Ghost Busters.’ So, it goes from this kind of creepy song — it’s a fun creepy song — but we go from that right into ‘Ghost Busters.’ The kids sing along as well,” Thomas said.

For those more classical at heart, there is something in the concert for them, too, Thomas said.

“We’re going to do a couple heavier pieces, too, like we’re doing two movements from the legend of Sleepy Hollow. So, a little more of those who like the real classical music; there’s some of that for them as well,” he said.

Thomas said the concert will end with some more movie themes, including “Harry Potter” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”

“(They) really came off well at rehearsal the other night. I think we all got goosebumps. Man, it felt like you were on Broadway,” he said.

Ted Spontak will reprise his role in the fan-favorite Monster Mash.

“He does a really good job with that. That’s the one song we’ve done in the past. Everything else is new except that. But that’s a crowd favorite, so that’s why we brought that back,” Thomas said.

For more information, visit Anthracite Philharmonic’s website, www.antphil.org, or the Majestic Theater’s website, www.majestictheater.net.

Contact the writer: cwertz@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6004

A one-man show turned out to have decades of life beyond its beginnings off-Broadway.

And now fans of “A Bronx Tale” can catch its latest iteration — a full-fledged Broadway musical — at Scranton Cultural Center at The Masonic Temple, 420 N. Washington Ave. Broadway Theatre League of Northeastern Pennsylvania will present four performances of the national tour today through Sunday.

Adapted into a hit film of the same name in 1993, “A Bronx Tale” came from the mind of Chazz Palminteri, who based the story on his own experience of growing up in the Bronx. The tale focuses on a young man who befriends a gangster in the 1960s — much to his father’s concern — witnesses a killing and faces the temptation of joining the gangster life. Palminteri originated the autobiographical show as a one-man play, starred in the film alongside Robert De Niro (who also directed), took the one-man show to Broadway and on tour (including to Scranton in 2009), and then brought the musical version to the Great White Way in 2016.

Watching the story progress through its different incarnations has been pretty exciting, Palminteri said recently by phone, noting that he had always thought about turning it into a musical.

“I knew it was a great story,” he said. “I said, wow, nothing’s more exciting sometimes when you do it in music. ... It’s like operatic. It takes it to another level.”

Palminteri wrote the book for the musical, which also features music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater. De Niro co-directed the show with Jerry Zaks, who directed the one-man play when Palminteri performed it on Broadway in 2007 and 2008.

“(I had) both directors who were there from the beginning, so it was the best of both worlds,” Palminteri said. “Each brought their own instinct.”

The story does deal with serious subject matter, from mob violence to racism, but Palminteri had no qualms about turning it into a musical.

“You know, a great story’s a great story,” he said. “You just have to learn how to tell it in a different way, a more exciting way.”

He reiterated a sentiment he’s shared before when discussing the story: Alfred Hitchcock’s explanation that people can only do three things to an audience — make them laugh, make them cry or scare them. And if they can do two of those, Hitchcock continued, they’ll have a hit.

“In ‘A Bronx Tale,’ we do all three: we make you laugh, we make you cry and we scare you,” Palminteri said. “People are cheering at the end. Some people are crying. It affects people a lot.

“I watch it, watch the people get moved by it, and that affects me. ... Since it’s my life, some moments I get affected by it. All of a sudden just boom! Something will snap and I’m right back there with my dad.”

So many scenes resonate with audiences, he explained, from the attempted bar takeover to when the son talks about the working man. And audiences recognize the show’s messages, with Palminteri pointing out how a lot of parents bring kids 12 and older to see it.

“(The musical) just shows them about not wasting their life and (how) every decision you make has a purpose,” he said.

From that first one-man show performance in 1989, when Palminteri played all 18 characters, to the film to today, his autobiographical story remains full of life.

“I want it to keep going as long as it can,” Palminteri said, noting the show might go to Japan next year. “I think people can learn something from it, about (how) the saddest thing in life is wasted talent.”

Contact the writer: cwest@timesshamrock.­com; 570-348-9100, ext. 5107

A Pine Grove man will spend the next 15 years behind federal prison bars for what prosecutors said was a devious scheme to convince a teenage girl to send him intimate images of herself and then force her to send him still more on threat of posting the others online.

Josiah Ferrebee, 23, also must spend five additional years on supervised release after completing his prison term, Senior U.S. District Judge James M. Munley ruled Tuesday in Scranton.

Also, Ferrebee must comply with the provisions of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Munley ruled.

Ferrebee pleaded guilty May 9 to production of child pornography and attempted production of child pornography.

Prosecutors said Ferrebee admitted that in January 2016, he persuaded a 14-year-old Michigan girl to take sexually explicit images of herself and send them to him through the internet. As part of that, Ferrebee admitted he persuaded the girl to take and send some of those initial images to him, according to prosecutors.

Ferrebee, however, then threatened to post those initial images online unless the girl sent him more sexually explicit images of herself, which she did, prosecutors said. This conduct has been termed “sextortion,” according to prosecutors.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francis P. Sempa and Jenny P. Roberts.

Federal authorities brought the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that the U.S. Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

A federal grand jury in Scranton indicted Ferrebee on June 15, 2016.

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

Deeds

Auburn and South Manheim Township — Berrywood Farms LLC to Berrywood Farm LLC; four properties; $1.

Branch Township — Joseph Gulden to David J. Schaeffer; 5 Coal St.; $129,900.

Deer Lake — David M. Ryon to Shawna Amy Wenrich; 110 Laurel Road; $162,000.

Mahanoy City — Patrick M. and Geraldine L. Scully to Northeast Pennsylvania Real Estate Group LLC; property on West South Street; $1,000.

Borough of Mahanoy City to Schuylkill County Land Bank; 48 S. B St.; $1.

Borough of Mahanoy City to Schuylkill County Land Bank; 46 S. B St.; $1.

Borough of Mahanoy City to Schuylkill County Land Bank; 412 W. Mahanoy Ave.; $1.

Minersville — Christopher G. Bentz and Brian P. Canfield to Shannon and Daren Blood; 315 N. Third St.; $58,194.

North Union Township — Amanda Makovitz to Brianna J. Schlauch; 1 Foxtail Drive, Zion Grove; $170,000.

Pine Grove Township — Robert W. Jr. and Elizabeth F. Pugh to Joshua N. and Jennifer M. Ott; 189 Suedberg Road; $1.

Pottsville — Linda J. Ilsley to Schuylkill Investors LLC; 920 W. Race St.; $13,000.

Rush Township — Christopher M. Lux to Joseph P. and Karen L. Schmidt; 202 Great Oaks Drive, Lake Hauto; $182,000.

PINE GROVE — Celebrating the newest improvement at Sweet Arrow Lake County Park on Thursday, park advocates said keeping “Schuylkill County’s jewel” going will require attention to the sediment buildup on the lake.

About 50 people joined Thursday for the dedication and official ribbon-cutting for the $630,000 Sweet Arrow Lake County Park Waterfall Development Project.

Drew Kline, park supervisor, welcomed guests and introduced the project’s scope. The waterfall pavilion is the centerpiece of the project, which began over three years ago, he said.

“To this day, the Waterfall Development Project has turned a gravel parking lot into what you see now — an asphalt parking lot with a functioning rain garden, flush rest rooms and utilities, and a brand new large pavilion with an attached kitchen, all of which were constructed to ADA accessibility standards. None of this would have been possible without the support of several local organizations. I’d like to thank everyone involved,” Kline said.

He announced the new waterfall pavilion was dedicated in honor of the Friends of Schuylkill Parks and Recreation.

Craig Morgan, current vice president of the friends group, and founding board members, Kay Russell and Earl Matz, thanked the community’s generous support in the early years of the park’s development and the continued support of volunteers and community leaders today. Matz, of Pine Grove, and Russell, who now resides in Longs, South Carolina, helped unveil the dedication plaque at the 48-by-52-foot concrete and steel pavilion.

“We started protecting this resource back in 1986, before we ever thought about anything that was going to happen here at Sweet Arrow Lake. So when we talk about our next journey, which is going to be maintaining and preserving 80-some acres of water that we have, we need to start talking about sediment removal,” Morgan said, noting the history of waterway protection that had already been underway prior to the county purchasing the lake property in 2001 from Pine Grove borough.

The new amenities at the waterfall site will be available to the public year round and will provide quality access to several of Sweet Arrow Lake County Park’s trail heads, fishing areas and disc golf courses, Kline said. The pavilion will be available to the public, starting in spring 2020, and will be the site of several public events each year. A wooden fence at the site was an Eagle Scout project completed by Pine Grove Troop 611.

Half of the project was paid through a state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant and the other half was through a combination of matching funds from Schuylkill County, the Friends of Schuylkill Parks and Recreation and the Schuylkill Conservation District.

Construction Masters Services, of Reading, began construction last November while WJP Engineers supplied the engineering work, Kline said.

Although dedicated Thursday, the project has another portion, a new playground, that is scheduled to be completed next year.

“It’s our treasure. It’s the diamond we have here in the county,” Schuylkill County Commissioner Chairman George F. Halcovage Jr. said. He commended the collaborative effort in the park’s development and upkeep and said the county was proud of the work that Kline and retired park supervisor Robert “Bob” Evanchalk had done.

Commissioner Frank J. Staudenmeier said he’s been to several ribbon-cuttings at the park and noted its continued growth.

“This is absolutely one of the crown jewels of Schuylkill County. About 20 years ago, I got a call from Earl Matz. That’s when I was still working for PP&L. At one time PP&L owned this facility. Earl said ‘Frank, I’d like you to serve on the advisory board of SAL.’ I said what do you plan on doing? He said, ‘I plan on bringing it back to life.’ And boy, did they absolutely do it.

“Earl took the bulls by the horns, along with Craig and Kay and a whole lot of other people ... It just keeps building and building and getting better. We truly want to thank each and every one of you and lets’s keep this thing going,” Staudenmeier said.

Commissioner Gary J. Hess also recognized the volunteers and the advisory board for putting in countless hours at the park to ensure it lives on.

“This opens up more opportunities for more people to utilize the park and again, the beautiful lake that’s there that we need to do some work on ... We need to keep that because it is the jewel of Schuylkill County,” Hess said.

Several dignitaries, sportsmen and community leaders attended. Many praised the work by the late county commissioner Stan Tobash. Former county commissioner Forrest Shadle, who also served on the Sweet Arrow Lake County Park Board as an advisory member, also attended the ribbon-cutting.

Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Township, offered his congratulations and said the progress at the park was one of the “best examples of a private-public partnership.”

Others who addressed the crowd were Pine Grove Mayor Will Shiffer, Pine Grove councilman and liaison Tom Fickinger and Richard K. Bogart, recreation and conservation adviser with DCNR. Bogart called the new site “magnificent,” and said over the years, DCNR has invested more than $1.26 million at the park.

Former state Rep. Bob Allen; Matt Stoneroad, district office manager for state Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125, Pottsville; FSPR members; Denise Donmoyer, Sweet Arrow Lake Conservation Association president; park volunteers and other community leaders joined in the celebration. Morgan supplied cake to mark the occasion.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

POTTSVILLE — For the eighth year, the Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States on Saturday for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Sheriff Joseph Groody said prescription drugs can be turned in at the Schuylkill County Courthouse and 20 other county locations.

“While there are so many ways to safely dispose of expired or leftover prescription medications every day, this day is set aside to offer safe, secure, no-questions-asked disposal sites for any and all prescription drugs,” he said. “I urge all county residents to take advantage of this program.”

Oct. 26 is designated each year for the take back day, but the county accepts unwanted or unused drugs throughout the year.

“A day does not go by that we do not collect drugs” at the courthouse, he said.

Groody commended the Schuylkill County Drug and Alcohol Commission for its “tireless efforts” in trying to curtail the opioid crisis.

“They’re top shelf,” Groody said. “Their efforts should not go unnoticed.”

When the medications are collected and combined, the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, working with the state attorney general’s office, takes the drugs to disposal sites free of charge.

Groody said he plans to continue participating in the take back program year round.

“As long as I’m sheriff, it’s going to be done,” he said.

Unwanted medications can be taken to the following locations between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday:

• Ashland Police Department, 401 S. 18th St., Ashland.

• Butler Township Police Department, 211 Broad St.

• Cass Township Police Department, 1209 Valley Road, Duncott.

• Coaldale Police Department, 221 Third St.

• Frackville Police Department, 42 S. Centre St.

• Hegins Police Department, 417 Gap St., Valley View.

• Mahanoy City Police Department, 239 E. Pine St.

• McAdoo Police Department, 23 N. Hancock St.

• Minersville Police Department, 15 N. Delaware Ave.

• Orwigsburg Police Department, 209 N. Warren St.

• Pine Grove Police Department, 1 Snyder Drive.

• Port Carbon Police Department, 90 Washington St.

• Rush Township Police Department, 104 Mahanoy Ave., Hometown.

• Saint Clair Police Department, 24 N. Second St.

• Saint Lukes Hospital Miners Campus, 360 W. Ruddle St., Coaldale.

• Schuylkill County Courthouse, Security Entrance, 401 N. Second St., Pottsville.

• Schuylkill Haven Police Department, 220 Park Ave.

• Shenandoah Police Department, 15 W. Washington St.

• Tamaqua Police Department, 320 E. Broad St.

• Tremont Police Department, 139 Clay St., Suite 2.

• West Mahanoy Township Police Department, 190 Pennsylvania Ave., Shenandoah Heights.

Permanent drug drop-off boxes can be used year round at the following police departments: Ashland, Butler Township, Frackville, Hegins, Mahanoy City, McAdoo, Minersville, Orwigsburg, Pine Grove, Pottsville, Rush Township, Saint Clair, Shenandoah, Schuylkill Haven and Tamaqua, as well as at the public entrance to the Schuylkill County Courthouse.

POTTSVILLE — Three women face lengthy prison terms after a Schuylkill County jury decided Friday that they had sold drugs to an undercover police officer, rejecting arguments that they had been forced to do so.

Ashley A. Fritz, 34, of Pine Grove, Stacey C. Hutsko, 46, of Minersville, and Paulette S. Stablum, 48, of Saint Clair, appeared surprised as the jury of nine women and three men, following deliberations of about an hour, found them guilty of various drug-related crimes.

Jurors found Fritz guilty of two counts each of delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and not guilty of two counts of criminal use of a communication facility.

Also, they found Hutsko guilty of one count each of delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility and possession of a controlled substance.

Finally, they found Stablum guilty of two counts each of delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication facility and one count each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin, who presided over the one-day trial, ordered preparation of presentence investigations on each woman and said he would schedule their sentencings at a later date. He allowed Fritz to remain free on a total of $50,000 percentage bail, postponed a decision on Hutsko’s bail and ordered Stablum to remain in prison, where she is serving a sentence in another case.

Schuylkill County detectives charged the women with selling drugs on various occasions in 2018 to an undercover police officer in Minersville.

They alleged Fritz sold methamphetamine twice on Oct. 31, 2018, Hutsko sold meth once on Sept. 20, 2018, and Stablum sold heroin twice on Oct. 8, 2018.

“It was handed to me, and I gave her the money,” the undercover officer testified about the deal involving Hutsko. “From my recollection, she appeared to be fine.”

The officer said it was unusual but not unprecedented that Hutsko did not put the meth in any type of bag before giving it to her.

“It’s possible if you’re desperate,” she said.

The officer also testified Fritz seemed to be at ease during the second deal with her.

“Did she appear nervous, upset?” Assistant District Attorney David Noon asked the officer.

“No,” she answered.

Each defendant testified that she sold the drugs, but did so only after a confidential informant had called them numerous times and put so much pressure on them that they felt compelled to make the deals.

“He was always asking for (pills). He was texting; he was calling; he was Facebooking,” Stablum testified.

Fritz agreed.

“He was calling 20, 30 times a day,” she testified about the confidential informant.

Hutsko testified the confidential informant also pressured her to do something she did not want to do.

“I wasn’t selling drugs,” she said.

In her closing argument, Assistant Public Defender Andrea L. Thompson, who represented the defendants with the help of Assistant Public Defender Ashley L. Yagielniskie, said the confidential informant had entrapped — in other words, put unlawful pressure on — each woman.

“They weren’t looking for money,” Thompson said of her clients. “These women wouldn’t sell drugs.”

However, the informant put so much pressure on them that they felt compelled to sell the drugs, and that is unconstitutional law enforcement conduct, since he was an agent of the police, Thompson said.

“This is three women who all tell the same story. It is far more likely that this would not have happened” if the women had not been pressured, she said.

However, jurors accepted Noon’s closing argument that the women did not deny committing the crimes, had the drugs available and did not rebut the undercover officer’s testimony.

Noon also reminded jurors that none of the defendants thought to call police, which indicates they were ready to commit the crimes.

“Those defendants delivered drugs to that (undercover) officer,” he said.

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

Frackville

A fundraiser will be held today at Elks Lodge 1533, 307 S. Third St., to benefit a State Correctional Institution/Mahanoy corrections officer trainee diagnosed with a life-threatening heath condition that requires immediate surgery. The event to benefit I’Jahnae Stark will feature live entertainment, a basket auction, raffles, door prizes, food and beverages, according to a release. Doors will open at 2 p.m. The event will continue until 9 p.m. Sakes Alive and Maggie and the Mutts will donate their talents for entertainment from 5 to 9 p.m. For more information, call Jess at 570-809-4033, Jackie at 570-590-6941, Cheryl at 570-449-3297 or Sharon at 570-573-1974. All proceeds from the fundraiser by friends and employees will go toward Stark’s medical bills.

Gilberton

The Gilberton Methodist Church will have a ham dinner from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. The cost is $12 per meal which will also include parsley potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, glazed carrots and dessert. People may eat at the site or take meals out. Local delivery will be available. To order or for more information, call 570-874-2455.

Nuremberg

The Twin County Lions annual Halloween parade will be held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. It will start at the rear of the North Union Township Municipal Building, 185 Mahanoy St. Prizes will be awarded and treats distributed. The Hazleton Area High School band will also be present along with local fire and ambulance companies. All children are invited to attend.

Pottsville

Attorney Maria Casey of Northern Schuylkill Community Development, based at 225 N. Main St., Shenandoah, recently gave a presentation on the NSCD program during a meeting of the Pottsville Rotary Club. She said the program benefits elderly citizens in five northern Schuylkill boroughs including Ashland, Frackville, Girardville, Mahanoy City and Shenandoah, according to the Rotary bulletin. The program provides no-cost legal services to residents of the communities and was initiated as a result of funds received from a Bank of America settlement, Casey told the Rotarians. She said the state targeted the specific communities based on demographics and the amount of distressed housing. There are efforts to expand it to other areas in the county. Casey is the project attorney for the program, which does not provide grants but rather free civil legal services including help with eviction, utilities, property taxes, weatherization, home repair programs, foreclosure, food stamps, Social Security and SSI, medical assistance, home health care and elder issues. Office hours are by appointment by calling 570-232-3962. A program flier lists MidPenn Legal Services.

Pottsville

For the semi-annual national Medication Takeback Day on Saturday, Geisinger has 40 medication disposal boxes throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania, including inside the Geisinger Pottsville Clinic at 529 Terry Reiley Way, for people to drop off unused or expired medications. The secure box can accept prescription and over-the-counter solid medications, tablets and capsules, liquid medications in the original containers, prescription patches, medical creams and ointments, vitamins, nasal sprays and even pet medications. For a list of Geisinger medication takeback box locations, go online to www.geisinger.org/takeback.

Shenandoah

The revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. recently acknowledged the following memorial contributions: For Peter Vernalis from Mr. and Mrs. Ed Kaczmarek, Donna Baker and friends, James and Anne McAndrew, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Bobiak; for Attorney Leonard Schumack from Fred and Diane Keim, Bob and Eileen Hopkins, Andrea and Joe Pytak, Mary and Ron Luscavage, Richard Thomas, Ronald Grutza, James Hopkins, Gloria Laudeman, Anne and Thomas Karpovich, Bushinsky and Pribish family, Dot and Jim Setcavage, David and Daria Kayes, Anne (Chaikowsky) and Peter Skirmantas, Mr. and Mrs. Davis Smith; for Marion Delance from Ron and Mary Luscavage, Andrea and Joe Pytak, Bob and Anne Kane, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Sofko, Nancy Hisenhuth, Mr. and Mrs. John Bubnis, Cicioni family, Mr. and Mrs. Dave Deklawa, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bashinsky, Mr. and Mrs. Al Bindie, Mr. and Mrs. Boris Poppoff, Mr. and Mrs. John Rizzo, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Jacavage.

SHENANDOAH — State Police at Frackville on Friday charged a former Frackville man with possessing child pornography.

The images show children between the ages of three and 14, troopers said.

Jeremy Alan Wade, currently homeless but formerly of 14 N. Mountain Ave. was arrested by Trooper Andrew Letcavage and charged with one felony count each of sexual abuse of children and criminal use of a communications facility.

Letcavage said the charges filed Friday followed an investigation of incidents at Wade’s former residence between Sept. 17, 2018 and May 18. The investigation began May 25 when a report was filed by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children based on information from Google regarding child pornography.

The report was given to law enforcement and forwarded to the Delaware County Criminal Investigative Division and subsequently assigned to the Pennsylvania State Police Computer Crimes Unit.

Letcavage said that on Sept. 9, Cpl. John Sours of the computer crimes unit sent a subpoena to PenTeleData requiring them to produce records for any account under an Internet Provider address assigned on May 18, 2019. The information from PenTeleData listed the 14 N. Broad Mountain Ave. address and on Thursday a search warrant was obtained and executed at the residence.

At that time, Wade was interviewed and confessed to downloading and possessing child pornography using the program “Shareaza.” Wade went on to say he still had the child pornography files on his computer, the trooper said.

Wade’s computer was seized, examined, and eight videos of child pornography were discovered.

Letcavage said children depicted in the videos were girls ranging in age 3 and 14 years old performing sexual acts with adult men.

Wade will now have to appear for a preliminary hearing at 10:05 a.m. Nov. 6 before Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville.

He was arraigned via video conference by Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, and lodged in the Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $200,000 straight cash bail.

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

POTTSVILLE — Prosecutors will be allowed to use DNA evidence against Eric M. Mumaw, who prosecutors allege killed another Luzerne County man in November 2016 in Kline Township, a Schuylkill County judge decided Friday.

Judge Charles M. Miller denied a request by Andrew J. Katsock III, Wilkes-Barre, Mumaw’s lawyer, to exclude the evidence due to the inability of the laboratory technician who tested it to testify at the trial, which is scheduled to start on Nov. 12.

Miller, who will preside over the trial, ruled the supervisor of the state police crime laboratory in Greensburg, where the testing was done, can testify about the evidence.

“It’s up to the jury to decide” the credibility of the supervisor and the weight to be given to the evidence, Miller said.

Prosecutors have charged Mumaw, 32, of Freeland, with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, prohibited possession of offensive weapon, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and two counts each of possessing instruments of crime and aggravated assault.

State police at Frackville have alleged Mumaw, formerly of McAdoo Heights, shot David Gombert, 27, of Hazle Township, in the torso shortly after 9 a.m. Nov. 1, 2016, during a struggle outside the defendant’s garage near James Street. Prosecutors have said the two had been exchanging messages on the internet and were arguing about Mumaw’s ex-girlfriend.

Authorities said Gombert was pronounced dead at the scene.

If convicted of the most serious charge, first-degree murder, Mumaw faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison, which in Pennsylvania carries no chance of parole. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty against him.

First Assistant District Attorney Michael J. Stine is trying the case with Assistant District Attorney Thomas P. Pellish.

Stine and Katsock also debated the use of evidence from Facebook and other online sources. Miller decided that any messages left on Mumaw’s cellphone after approximately 10 a.m. Nov. 1, 2016, when police seized it, would not be admissible. He also directed Stine, Katsock and their expert witnesses to review the evidence to see whether they could come to any agreements about which other messages will be admissible and which ones will not.

Mumaw attended the 30-minute hearing but said nothing during it.

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

Defendant: Eric M. Mumaw

Age: 32

Residence: Freeland, formerly of McAdoo Heights

Charges: First-degree murder, third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, prohibited possession of offensive weapon, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and two counts each of possessing instruments of crime and aggravated assault

State Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, was toured Schuylkill Haven on Friday with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, focusing on businesses. The tour followed a municipal roundtable discussion at Reading & Northern Railroad Train Station where they discussed the current status and future of Schuylkill Haven. ABOVE: Vicky Norris, owner of Lewis’ General Store, gives a tour of her business. LEFT: Argall gets a tour of the Becca Cavalieri’s store, Brush Strokes, along East Main Street. The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce visited Lewis’ General Store/Lewis News Agency, The Bridal Studio, Take Me Home Boutique, Baileybones Canine Bakery, Brush Strokes and ended with lunch at the Walk in Art Center.

POTTSVILLE — As many will remember from gym class, dodgeball was a lot of fun.

The inaugural Republican-Herald Newspaper In Education Dodgeball Tournament from Nov. 8-10 is sure to be fun, too — starting with the names of teams people are creating for the event. They include The Hot Dodgers, Dip N’ Dodgers, Snoop Dodgy Dodge and Doj Mabal.

Thirteen teams in all comprised of some 90 people are signed up for the tournament, which will be held at Nativity BVM High School. Several additional teams and players are wanted. Visit www.republicanherald.com/dodgeball for more information or call 570-628-5985.

Registration ends Friday, Nov. 1.

The event will benefit The Republican-Herald’s Newspaper In Education program, which funds the delivery of newspapers to schools throughout the county and beyond. Teachers who request newspapers for use in their classrooms do not pay for the papers; they are delivered by The Republican-Herald free of charge.

The tournament is also a fundraiser for Nativity’s baseball and softball teams. Students and parents who are part of the programs will be volunteering at the event as referees, checking-in players and working what will be a full concession stand.

Players as young as 6 years old are registered. There are divisions for all youth ages and adults. First and second, third and fourth, fifth and sixth, seventh and eighth, high school and adult.

“It’s a unique opportunity for teams from throughout the area to come together in a friendly competition that’s different from any other event,” said David Sickle, circulation director at The Republican-Herald.

Each team is guaranteed to play at least three games, and each age group in the tournament will have a championship game.

Carl Safina, 64, an ecologist at Stony Brook University on Long Island and a MacArthur “genius” grant winner, has written nine books about the human connection to the animal world. Coming next spring is “Becoming Wild,” on the culture of animals, and a young adult version of “Beyond Words,” on the capabilities of dogs and wolves.

We spoke over lunch in his Long Island garden, surrounded by his three dogs, some wild squirrels and a group of extremely tame hens. An edited and condensed version of our conversation follows.

Q: When a writer for the Sierra Club’s magazine recently put the words “animal” and “cognition” into Google Scholar, he was directed to almost 200,000 citations published in the past five years. Why the explosion of interest in this scientific area?

A: I think it’s happened because in recent years we’ve come to know much more about the inner activity of nonhuman minds.

We have tools today that didn’t exist 50 or even 10 years ago. There are researchers putting dogs into MRIs, and so it’s become possible to watch their brains do things. What we’re learning is that animals do have felt experiences and thus, I think, consciousness.

Q: What’s your definition of consciousness?

A: To me, consciousness is the thing that feels like something. It’s the sensation of experiencing the input from your sense organs. We’re learning that a lot of animals — dogs, elephants, other primates — have it.

Q: How else has research on animal behavior improved?

A: Well, until the 1950s and the 1960s, the study of animal behavior wasn’t seen as real science. Until Jane Goodall, Iain Douglas-Hamilton and George Schaller began publishing, there were few studies. They were among the first to watch wild animals for the purpose of describing their behavior. Before, if you wanted to study elephants, you shot them and pulled their molars out to see how old they were.

Thanks to these pioneers, we’ve learned that wild animals do complicated things. Many recognize the individuals around them — even solitary animals, like mountain lions. There usually is a male mountain lion with a large territory who visits a few females inhabiting the territory. The females all know each other. The adjacent males know who their neighbors are.

Who knew that dolphins could recognize each other after a long separation? Yet, scientists report that there was a dolphin in an aquarium who hadn’t seen another captive dolphin in 20 years. When they were reunited, there was immediate recognition.

Frans de Waal’s latest book, “Mama’s Last Hug,” chronicles the emotional deathbed reunion of an aged zoo chimpanzee and primatologist Jan van Hooff, who had worked with her for many years. Though Mama is listless, when van Hooff approaches her after a long separation, she recognizes him and reaches out to touch him.

Chimpanzees, dolphins, elephants — they’ve all demonstrated signs of recognizing individuals. Videos show that their recognition is not mechanical, not a chemical match with a stored memory bank. It is often accompanied by shows of emotion, which proves to me that the experience is felt.

Q: Has the internet widened our understanding of the animal world?

A: I’d say so. Almost everyone nowadays has a video camera on them all the time, and animal behaviors get recorded that we haven’t seen before. The other day, someone sent me a video where someone was backing up their car and a puppy went behind it. Another dog came streaking out at high speed, snatching the puppy away.

Thanks to the ubiquity of these videos, we’re seeing evidence that the envelope of what animals can do is much bigger than we thought. That leads me to wonder: Why, despite increasing evidence, do some people deny that animals have emotions or feel pain?

Q: What’s your guess?

A: I think it’s because it’s easier to hurt them if you think of them as dumb brutes. Not long ago, I was on a boat with some nice people who spear swordfish for a living. They sneak up to swordfish sleeping near the surface of the water and harpoon them, and then the fish just go crazy and kind of explode. When I asked, “Do the fish feel pain?” the answer was, “They don’t feel anything.”

Now, it’s been proven experimentally that fish feel pain. I think they feel, at least, panic. They clearly are not having a good time when they are hooked. But if you think of yourself as a good person, you don’t want to believe you’re causing suffering. It’s easier to believe that there’s no pain.

Q: As a child, did you have pets?

A: I did. I spent my first 10 years in Brooklyn, where I had the kind of pets you’d buy in a store — a parakeet, little turtles.

From the time I was 7, I had homing pigeons. I learned about life, with a capital “L,” from them. The pigeons figured out who they were going to mate with. They’d be out flying around during the day and they’d come home, feed their babies and go to sleep. Watching them go about their lives, you saw them do a lot of the things that humans do. It was there right in front of your eyes.

Then, I went to college, and I learned that my childhood observations were not allowed. They were “anthropomorphic.” But the more I see of the new neuroscience and neurochemistry, I see a lot of overlap. All of life is literally kin. I first learned that from my Brooklyn pigeons.

Q: You live with three dogs. What have you learned from them?

A: Among things, that they are capable of anticipation. For instance, they show much excitement when I simply touch my car keys, which might well signal that they are going to some place interesting, like the beach. That proves that they have imagination and even memory.

Another thing — and this shouldn’t surprise — they can be quite emotional. Some years ago, I lived with someone with a dog. Before we broke up, we argued a lot. Once, we took her dog to the beach, and we started bickering there. That dog just basically collapsed into a pile of leaves and would not get up. She did not want to be with us. And we weren’t even yelling at her. She just did not want to be a part of an unhappy scene.

That showed me that they can have a real-time valuation of their experiences. They know what they prefer to avoid.

Q: The psychologist who puts dogs into MRIs, Dr. Gregory Berns, wrote a book in 2013 titled “How Dogs Love Us.” Do you think your dogs do?

A: That’s easy. Yes. And I don’t need to scan their brain activity to know this. They show it in their actions and the choices they make. Our dogs sleep on the floor in our bedroom just to be near us.

We’ve never given them any treats in that room. The only thing they get for the effort of climbing the stairs is proximity to us. At dawn, two of the three jump on the bed. Jude, the third, has a knee problem, and he can’t. When we wake up, it’s always all tongues and tails and “Oh happy day!”

During the day, they roam free in the house and the yard. If I’m writing or working outside, they’re never more than a hundred feet from me. That’s their choice.

My point is that they seek us out just to be near us. And what is love’s fundamental emotion? It’s the desire to be near loved ones. So yes, dogs can love their humans.

Altamont

The Altamont Fire Company, 215 S. Green St., will have an all-you-can-eat breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday featuring a full breakfast menu with a wide variety of omlets.

McAdoo

A potato cake and soup sale will be held beginning at 11 a.m. Friday at Ss. Peter & Paul Polish National Catholic Church, 44 E. Adams St. The menu will include homemade potato cakes and halushki, homemade macaroni and cheese, various homemade soups and baked goods. Advance orders are appreciated and recommended but walk-ins are welcome and free local delivery will be available. For more information or to order, call Trisha at 570-929-2457 Mondays through Thursdays or 570-929-1558 on Fridays.

McAdoo

Southside Community Partnership will host a paint-and-sip party with Kelly Billig at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at The Strand Roller Rink, West Blaine Street. The cost is $35 and reservations are required. For reservations or more information, call Marion DeBalko at 570-929-1628 or Tracy Wickiser at 5

Orwigsburg

A free clothing giveaway is set for 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Faith Church, Route 61.

Pottsville

Luther Ridge at Seiders Hill, 160 Red Horse Road, will have a breakfast for local veterans, alwo featuring a color guard performance, at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 12. Veterans are asked to RSVP by Nov. 4 by calling 570-621-7200.

Pottsville

A used book sale will be held at the Pottsville Free Public Library, 215 W. Market St., from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 4 sponsored by the Friends of the Library support group. All paperbacks will be six for $1. For more information, email to Charles Lorenz at lorenzs2@comcast.net.

Ringtown

St. Mary Roman Catholic Church is taking orders for homemade apple-covered and apple-crumb pies. The cost for each is $10. The church also is taking orders for homemade pie crusts at $3 each. To order or for more information, call the church office at 570-889-3850 or Marie at 570-889-3825. The order deadline is Nov. 15; pickups will be 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 24 at the church. Pickups for crusts is 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 14.

Sacramento

St. Paul’s United Church of Christ will have an Italian Night all-you-can-eat fundraiser supper from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in the church social hall. The menu will include homemade stuffed shells, lasagna, spaghetti, salad, Italian bread and homemade desserts. Take-outs will be available. The cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-12 and free for children 4 and younger. All are welcome. For more information, call Pastor Ray Holland at 570-682-9828.

Saint Clair

The Tuscarora State Park naturalist will lead a shine-only hike to Wolf Creek Falls beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 5. Participants will meet at the north end of the Walmart parking lot off Route 61 in the Coal Creek Commerce Center, according to an event release. The hike is seven miles long and rated difficult. It is dog friendly, but all pets must be leashed and get along well with people and other pets. Participants should bring water and lunch. Due to limited space, registration is required by calling Robin Tracey at 570-467-2506.

Schuylkill Haven

Covenant United Methodist Church, Main Street, will have a spaghetti dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. Nov. 2. The cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children 6 and younger. All are welcome. For more information, email to ruthy2c@comcast.net.

Shenandoah

During a recent meeting of the borough council, resident Charles Vascavage brought to the borough’s attention that many of the lights of the decorative street lamps that were installed during the downtown streetscape program are out. The situation is especially pronounced in the 100 block of North Main Street. Vascavage asked the council about replacing the burned-out bulbs.

POTTSVILLE — A McAdoo man is headed to state prison after admitting recently to a Schuylkill County judge that he stabbed his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend in April in East Union Township.

Mariano Ovalles, 45, pleaded guilty to attempted homicide and two counts of criminal mischief. Prosecutors withdrew two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted the plea and, pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced Ovalles to serve six to 12 years in a state correctional institution and two additional years on probation.

Baldwin also sentenced Ovalles to pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, have no contact with his victims and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

State police at Frackville charged Ovalles with stabbing Mario A. Marine-Abreu in the early morning hours of April 4 at 6 W. Pine St., Sheppton.

Baldwin also accepted guilty pleas from, and imposed the indicated sentences on, these people:

Robert W. Haines, 27, of Pottsville; theft and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; six to 18 months in prison. Prosecutors withdrew two counts of receiving stolen property, one additional count of theft and one count each of conspiracy and driving without a license.

Denia S. Johnson, 44, of Philadelphia; conspiracy; three years probation, $100 payment to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 CJEA payment and $176 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem, with sentence effective on Dec. 16. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of criminal use of a communication facility.

Edward T. Ryscavage, 55, of Pottsville; driving under the influence; 30 days to six months in prison, $1,000 fine, $300 SAEF payment, $50 CJEA payment and 10 hours community service, with sentence effective at 9 a.m. Oct. 28.

Wayne J. Walz, 57, of Schuylkill Haven; DUI; 15 days house arrest with electronic monitoring, 45 days strict supervision, four months probation, $1,000 fine, $300 SAEF payment and 10 hours community service.

Charles S. Williams Sr., 46, of Pottsville; possession of drug paraphernalia; time served to 12 months in prison with immediate parole and $100 SAEF payment.

Nathan Z. Zeigler, 30, of Tamaqua; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia; time served to 12 months in prison with immediate parole, $100 SAEF payment and $50 CJEA payment. Baldwin also terminated Zeigler’s participation in the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program.

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

In other recent court action, a Schuylkill Haven man admitted Wednesday to a Schuylkill County judge that he was under the influence when he drove in October 2018 in the borough.

Charles Wilson, 54, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence. Prosecutors withdrew charges of operating vehicle without valid inspection and display of stolen or fictitious sticker.

Judge Jacqueline L. Russell, who was to have presided over Wilson’s nonjury trial, instead accepted the plea, ordered preparation of a presentence investigation and said she would schedule sentencing at a later date.

Schuylkill Haven borough police alleged Wilson was DUI on Oct. 26, 2018, on Haven Street. Police said Wilson had beer bottles in his vehicle, a green Ford Ranger, an odor of alcohol on his person and red and glossy eyes.

Also, Judge James P. Goodman found Shannon M. Knudsen, 49, guilty of indirect criminal contempt, which is contempt committed outside the courtroom. Goodman sentenced Knudsen to pay costs and a $300 fine.

State police at Schuylkill Haven had charged Knudsen with violating a protection from abuse order on May 17. Goodman extended the PFA order against Knudsen for six months.

In a case over which Goodman was to have presided, prosecutors withdrew a charge of harassment against Justin J. Burke, 28, of Orwigsburg.

State police at Schuylkill Haven had charged Burke with harassing another person on June 17. Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, had found Burke guilty on July 31, but the defendant appealed that ruling on Aug. 30.

Goodman also accepted guilty pleas from, and imposed the indicated sentences on, the following people:

Kyle P. Carter, 28, address not known; attempted criminal trespass and disorderly conduct; time served to 23 months in prison, $300 fine, $50 payment to the CJEA, drug and alcohol evaluation and no contact with his victims. Prosecutors withdrew charges of attempted burglary, simple assault, criminal mischief and harassment.

Teddy A. Fishburn Jr., 26, of Ashland; retail theft, receiving stolen property and conspiracy; time served to 23 months in prison, $50 CJEA payment and $254.36 restitution.

Tiffany Hauck, 26, of Lansford; possession of prohibited offensive weapon and possession of a controlled substance; 12 months probation, $100 payment to the SAEF, $50 CJEA payment and $176 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lauren E. Hughes, 32, of Mahanoy City; DUI; 30 days in prison, 90 days house arrest with electronic monitoring, 30 days alcohol monitoring, seven months strict supervision, four years probation, $1,500 fine, $100 SAEF payment and $400 restitution to Lehigh Valley Health Network. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of driving under suspension.

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

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

Deeds

Ashland — Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ to Michelle Lynn McGee; 0.04-acre property on Walnut Street; $1.

Michelle Lynn McGee to Michelle Lynn McGee; 19 S. 25th St.; $1.

Branch Township — Jose Emilio Carvajal to Joseph D. Carvajal; two properties on Carnish Street; $1.

Butler Township — Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to Michael George; 142 Main St., Lavelle; $27,500.

Bonnie M. Kessler, individually and as executrix of the Last Will & Testament of Marie T. Lucas, and David E. Kessler to Bonnie M. and David E. Kessler; 463 Main St., Lavelle; $1.

Cressona — Nicole P. Cresswell to Theodore T. Smith Jr.; 73 Schuylkill St.; $129,900.

Delano Township — Angela Haas to MGSH LLC; 75 Hickory St., Delano; $3,273.

East Union Township — Daniel J. Ferriola to David J. Coxe; property on East Pine Street, Sheppton; $53,200.

Frailey Township — William C. Dietrich and Bryan K. Dietrich to David R. and Charlene D. Bingell; 108 Oak St., Donaldson; $114,900.

Girardville — Federal National Mortgage Association to Elaine Marie Kelly; 16-18 E. Main St.; $10,638.60.

Hegins Township — Gerald J. Anderson to Brandon Witmer; 622 E. Main St., Hegins; $74,900.

Mahanoy City — Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Justin Hoppes; 404 W. South St.; $1.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Justin Hoppes; 406 W. South St.; $1.

Joseph T. Jr. and Lynn A. Gallo to Joseph T. Jr. and Lynn A. Gallo; 514 W. South St.; $1.

Jazmin Rosario to Winston J. Feliz Matos; 817 E. Centre St.; $5,000.

Jazmin Rosario to Enller Hernandez; 114 E. Market St.; $1.

McAdoo — Bradley W. Miller to Jamie J. Horwath; 35 S. Kennedy Drive; $93,000.

Minersville — Angela Haas to MGSH LLC; 104 N. Second St.; $300.

North Manheim and West Brunswick townships — Robert S. Ruff, Brian A. Ruff and Michael F. Ruff to Brian A. Ruff; 254 Ranch Road; $1.

Norwegian Township — Richard A. Greco to Guy R. Jr. and Jennifer L. Killian and Diane E. Keese; 38 Tall Oaks Drive; $485,000.

Pine Grove — Swatara Property Management LLC to Swatara Property Management LLC; 0.19216-acre property on South Tulpehocken Street; $1.

Swatara Property Management LLC to Swatara Property Management LLC; 0.5848-acre property on South Tulpehocken Street; $1.

Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Acorn Estates LLC; 1 Spruce St.; $1,221.

Pine Grove Township — Carol J. Batz to Daniel R. Krause; 278 Long Stretch Road; $72,000.

Port Carbon — David Cook and David John Cook Jr. to Tyler Davis; 319 Fifth St.; $57,500.

Diane S. Tobias, by attorney in fact Cheryl A. Riotto, to Ivan and Tara Deloria; 2219 Cherry St.; $45,000.

Charles Smerlick and Donald Bogdonanwicz Jr., executors of the Last Will & Testament of Tracy Smerlick, to Antoinette L. Everdale, custodian for Dylan Bogdonanwicz; one-third interest in 2 E. Washington St.; $1.

Pottsville — Cynthia A. Allison to Bright Future Enterprises LLC; property on Norwegian Street; $40,000.

Ringtown — Antoniette M. Huntzinger to Charles J. Rubendall; 85 W. Main St.; $179,900.

Rush Township — Christopher E. Teprovich and Stanley M. Teprovich, executors of the Estate of Monica Teprovich, to Stanley M. Teprovich; property on Third Street, Quakake; $2,000.

Christopher E. Teprovich and Stanley M. Teprovich, executors of the Estate of Monica Teprovich, to Stanley M. Teprovich; property on Zellner Road; $98,000.

Ryan Township — Robert C. McDonald to Karen L. Morgan; 23 School St., Hosensock; $5,500.

Schuylkill Haven — First Citizens Community Bank to Imobiliaria LLC; 50 Grant St.; $17,000.

Franc R. II to Rebecca S. Matz to Derek Matz; 108 Berne St.; $77,000.

David J. Schaeffer to Tyler D. Fleming; 69 S. Berne St.; $83,500.

Federal National Mortgage Association to Dadas Life Changer LLC; 413 St. John St.; $28,500.

Jerry D. and Farideh S. Bowman to Aron L. Seltzer; 512 Dock St.; $66,400.

Patrick J. Wade Sr. to Patrick J. Wade Sr., Patrick J. Wade Jr., Scott A. Wade, Melissa D. and Patrick Markowski and Jill Kalawaia; 26 E. Market St.; $1.

Schuylkill Township — Ringtown Rentals LLP to John J. Dougherty; property on Catawissa Street, Tuscarora; $20,000.

Real Capital Group LLC to Andrelle Chavannes ; 313 Valley St., Brockton; $8,000.

Shenandoah — Jaime Enrique Santiago-Torres to Lettycia DeJesus-Torres; 231 N. Diamond St.; $1.

Janet and Walter Masinick to Ronald W. and Patricia Beltz; 537 E. Centre St.; $10,000.

Wesley Kacilowicz to Maria Elena Paulino; 110 W. Penn St.; $5,000.

Raquel Rieckehoff Rosario to Haroll Meregildo; property on White Street; $3,500.

Tamaqua — Andrew Titus to David V. DiCarlo and Jane Ackerman; 312 Elizabeth St.; $28,000.

Matt Smith to Ariel J. Colon; 35 N. Greenwood St.; $21,000.

Tower City — Judith E. and Gary L. Bitterman and James G. and Sherri L. Heberling to Ian J. Heberling; 235 and 237 E. Grand Ave.; $1.

Tremont — TCGB LLC to Shane R. Wolfe; 1221 W. Laurel St.; $68,500.

Michael T. and Jacqueline D. Silcox to Dianna Snyder; 32 Spruce St.; $19,005.

Diane B. Miller to Jason G. Kolb; 115 School St.; $167,000.

John J. Dougherty to John J. Dougherty; 4.9802-acre property on Catawissa Street, Tuscarora; $1.

Washington Township — H. Supply LP to H. Supply LP; 16.25926-acre property at Deturksville and Hetzel’s Church roads; $1.

Wayne Township — Jeffrey M. Stein to Jeffrey M. Stein; 363 Tomahawk Drive and 348 Pawnee Drive, Lake Wynonah; $1.

Schelman Investments LLC to Bryce Long and Ashley Moyer; 729 Summer Hill Road; $280,000.

Jeffrey L. Martin to Jeffrey L. Martin; 1.2559-acre property on Schwartz Valley Road; $1.

John and Marineitta Glaney to Christopher E. Lamb; 1107 Indian Drive, Lake Wynonah; $230,000.

West Brunswick Township — Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association; 410 Summer Valley Road; $1.

Edward G. and Catherine Chalkley to Nelson Ortiz; 469 Pine Creek Drive; $208,000.

Raymond O. and Ruth M. Gaston to Professional Investors Group LLC; 1901 Village Road, Pinebrook; $138,900.

West Mahanoy Township — Dennis W. and Mary Kay Bendrick to James J. Onisick; 145 S. Spencer St. Rear, Altamont; $55,000.

Kimberly Rabbits to Steven D. Quinn; 144 S. Spencer St., Altamont; $53,500.

SHENANDOAH — There is a message on the wall of the STEM classroom at Shenandoah Valley that reads, “Every program is an opportunity for a creative solution,” a message that says a lot of what is taught in the room.

A tour of the new STEM classroom was held on Friday for state Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123, Mahanoy City, and his legislative aide, Mike McCord. The visit was during a class conducted by STEM teacher Angie Brayford, who took on the guidance of the daytime classes. The students in the class are in fifth grade.

The STEM program developed in the Schools and Homes in Education Afterschool Program, sponsored by Lehigh Carbon Community College programs, and has been a major afterschool program at Shenandoah Valley and Mahanoy Area. Shenandoah Valley began a STEM classroom program during regular school hours.

Attending the tour was LCCC SHINE Director Rachel Miller Strucko. The LCCC website lists the following SHINE goals:

• Improve academic performance.

• Improve student behavior and school day attendance.

• Increase knowledge of STEM.

• Facilitate family involvement in student learning and improve family literacy.

Shenandoah Valley Superintendent Brian Waite said SHINE and STEM provide many learning opportunities to students.

“We have a lot of high-tech equipment in here, such as 3D printers,” Waite said. “We have about 50 kids who participate in the SHINE program. A major goal of STEM is to teach students to think creatively and communicate critically. So we want to provide more opportunities for our students. So under the guidance of Mrs. (Brooke) Wowak (elementary principal) and Mrs. Brayford, we were able to incorporate STEM so that all of our second through sixth grade students are able to take advantage of the high-tech, plus low-tech.”

Brayford spent the class period guiding the students in a hands-on “Bone Bridge” project that promotes students working together.

“We have about 50 students who attend the SHINE afterschool program, so they’ve been exposed to a lot of what he have here in technology,” Brayford said. “We have worked with LCCC and we collaborate and give all of the students at Shenandoah Valley the opportunity to be exposed to all of the different technologies and trying to work together as a team. It’s very important that they have these skills. As they move up the grades into high school, they may want to pursue a job in STEM when they get out of high school.”

The SHINE program runs

Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 6 p.m.

Brayford said the “Bone Bridge” project was providing the students with challenges.

“They have certain constraints. They only have a certain amount of material,” she said. “They don’t have tape or glue, so they’re struggling a little bit, but that’s part of the design process. They have to learn how to overcome those things, try different options, be creative and be cooperative, share ideas with one another, and part of it is failure. They need to overcome that and just keep moving forward and see what happens. This is definitely a tough task for them, but they’re slowly trying to get it. I try to guide them, not tell them. I want them to become independent learners.”

Goodman said the SHINE and STEM programs provide young students with the kinds of learning that are new and innovative.

“Early childhood education pays huge dividends as you go down the road,” Goodman said. “It also teaches how to play well with others, and they also learn that failing is not necessarily a bad thing. If it doesn’t work the first time, you keep at it until you get it.”

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