An Orwigsburg man studying in Paris returned to Schuylkill County on Tuesday, cutting his studies short amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He will remain homebound for 14 days under self-quarantine.

Benjamin Gipe, a Bloomsburg University junior, had been in Paris since September 2019 studying with IES Abroad. He was scheduled to return April 30, but left early and will complete his classes online.

“I didn’t want to be there after everything was going to be closed, and I didn’t know when I would be able to get back home,” said Gipe, 20, a 2017 Blue Mountain High School graduate. He is majoring in secondary education in history and also majoring in French at Bloomsburg.

“All the uncertainty made me nervous. All of the museums were shutting down, the bars, the restaurants and major social places. They were telling people to stay home,” he said. “The pharmacies, hospitals and grocery stores were open. The first day, there were a lot of people out grocery shopping. Another day I went out, there were notably less people and it was a little odd to see.”

Not a lot of panic

Reaction to the coronavirus news varied, he said.

“There were people going about their day. There were those who were covering their faces with masks. Some of them were wearing scarves and gloves on the Metro (subway). Some had personal bottles of hand sanitizer. There were not a lot of people who were panicking,” Gipe said.

“I didn’t have a mask. After the first week, the French government pulled the masks from the shelves at the pharmacies,” he said, so that the masks could be used for health care workers. They were now back in stock, Gipe said.

Gipe’s flight out of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport was scheduled to take off at 10 a.m. Tuesday, so he decided to get to the airport by 6 a.m.

“Charles de Gaulle had closed two terminals the night before I left,” he said. “I got there early, trying to be prepared. The airport was pretty busy for the trans-Atlantic flights, but for me, it wasn’t too busy.”

Screened at Newark

At check-in at the Paris airport, he said there were no health screenings he had to undergo, and because he was flying from France to Dublin and not trans-Atlantic, he didn’t have a long wait.

The Dublin Airport has a U.S. preclearance facility, which allows U.S.-bound passengers to undergo U.S. immigration and customs inspections prior to departing Ireland. When passengers arrive in the U.S., they are then treated as domestic arrivals, allowing them to avoid further immigration checks.

Gipe didn’t get any type of health screening until his Aer Lingus plane landed in Newark, New Jersey.

“There were two or three CDC agents there right as we were disembarking off the plane,” Gipe said.

Before he could enter the Newark airport, he had to fill out paperwork and have his temperature taken. Gipe did not have a fever.

The paperwork asked if travelers had been to China, Iran and the Schengen Area of European countries in the past 14 days. He was told to self-quarantine.

“I won’t be leaving my house for two weeks. They advised us to be tested if we showed any signs,” Gipe said.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6007

Editor’s note: Pottsville native Nancy Honicker, who writes the Paris-Pottsville Connection monthly for The Republican-Herald and has been living in Paris since 1991, offered this reflection Wednesday.

France’s nationwide confinement or lockdown began at noon Tuesday, March 17. Any St. Patrick’s Day celebrations that were planned (yes, the French celebrate that day, too) had to be cancelled. No parties, no barhopping, no meeting up with friends.

Instead we sat at home alone.

At 8 p.m. Monday, the hour of the national news, we heard the strains of the “Marseillaise” and saw a shot of Elysée Palace, the presidential residence. Then another camera took us inside: President Macron, looking solemn, his blue eyes almost somber, seated at his desk, preparing to speak to us: Françaises, Français, mes chers compatriotes, my dear countrywomen and men, we are about to go to war.

That was the theme: This is war and all of us here in France will be called on to make sacrifices of a kind that most of us in this go-anywhere, do-anything nation have never been called upon to make. Already, the previous week, movie theaters, cafés and restaurants were closed nationwide. Now we are being told to stay home. The only stores remaining open are those providing the basic necessities: food and medicine. To go shopping, we must first print and fill out an affidavit, available online, signed and dated, stating the reason for leaving our homes.

For those without internet or a computer, they can write their statement by hand. Anyone in the streets must be carrying an affidavit and a national ID. Otherwise there will be a fine. At first it was set at 35 euros (about $38 U.S. dollars currently). On the evening of March 17, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced it would rise to 135 euros and, if not paid immediately, could go as high as 350 euros, this in response to a lack of civic-minded behavior by too many of the French.

Before the lockdown went into effect, many Parisians chose exodus, rushing to train stations to catch what they feared might be the last trains out of town, at least the last ones they could climb on without having to justify their reasons for travelling. Around Paris, highways were blocked by traffic jams. Parisians were fleeing the city for the country where country neighbors did not welcome them with open arms, fearing a new influx of germs.

Meanwhile, though supermarkets remain open every day, customers storm in and carry away everything on the shelves, ignoring the concept of “social distancing.” The use of protective masks has been restricted to the medical community, making cashiers the new foot soldiers of this war, sent to the frontlines where they risk their lives.

Schools are closed since Monday morning. Students are expected to follow their classes online but the sites of the Ministry of Education have been crashing — and what about those who have neither computer nor internet? One Parisian friend who has fled to her country home told me her son is busy teaching his city cat how to prowl in the great outdoors whereas, for the moment, he is learning little himself.

As for the economy, billions of euros are being earmarked for stimulus programs. Economists fear that in the wake of this worldwide shutdown, no measure can prevent a recession in France.

As for me, I stay at home, counting on my inner resources to see me through a confinement that will continue for a minimum of 14 days. I don’t mind, but I can tell my neighbors do. They depend on the village café for sociability. They like to stroll, run into acquaintances, chat and stand very close. It is no easy task to be alone with yourself, day in, day out; nor is it easy to have your significant other in your presence 24 hours a day. And in Paris, apartments are small. What do you do with the kids?

No one saw this coming — except perhaps a lone doctor in China, now dead from the virus, who was silenced by the Chinese authorities when he wanted to warn the world about what was going on at the start of the epidemic in Wuhan.

Now everyone knows about COVID-19 — to a certain extent. We hear talk of nothing else and we are afraid because we don’t know what’s next.

In France, we’re waiting things out inside, but the French government does allow us a daily walk. I took one yesterday in the woods, deserted at sunset. I hope to do the same today.

While walking, I’ll meditate upon the words of the 17th century French philosopher Blaise Pascal: “All our miseries come about from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone.”

Something to think about before lockdown comes to the United States!

HARRISBURG — Greenville, a small town in northwestern Pennsylvania, is one of more than a dozen municipalities struggling so badly they get extra help from the state government — and that was before the coronavirus.

Now, Town Manager Jasson Urey is bracing for a drop in local tax revenues, considering cutting back some services and dreading the possibility of more empty storefronts in a community that the state has deemed “financially distressed” for almost two decades.

“It’s going to hurt no matter what we do,” Urey said.

Across Pennsylvania, municipalities hobbled by shrinking populations, decimated industries, and rising poverty are anxiously waiting for the ripple effects of what could be a prolonged economic slowdown.

On Thursday, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all but “life-sustaining” businesses to close their physical locations in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. He had previously urged “nonessential” businesses to close for at least two weeks.

Most municipalities rely on an earned-income tax — money that comes out of workers’ paychecks — as their second-largest source of revenue. Those deemed “financially distressed” by the state have special authority to levy higher rates. But, as businesses close or cut back and workers are laid off, those revenues could plummet.

“If we’re looking at mass layoffs, then it would be extremely bad by the third quarter,” said George Dougherty, a professor of public administration at the University of Pittsburgh, who works with several distressed municipalities in Allegheny County.

Local water, sewer and waste collection departments could run up deficits as people struggle to pay their bills, Dougherty said. Unless the economy rebounds toward the end of the year, he said, next year’s property taxes — the main source of revenue for almost all municipalities, distressed or not — could take a “substantial hit.”

Some local governments are already tightening their belts.

Expecting a drop in the city’s revenues, Scranton furloughed several dozen city workers, Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti announced Tuesday. The furloughed workers will be able to file for unemployment and will still receive health benefits, she said.

“We have to look forward and anticipate that the tax revenue is going to be vastly compromised,” she said at a news conference. “The city is not isolated from the rest of the economy.”

Earned-income and business taxes made up about a third of the city’s revenues last fiscal year, budget documents show. Distressed municipalities like Scranton could be particularly vulnerable to the anticipated economic downturn, experts say.

“Everyone will have some hardship, but the intensity will be greater if they’re already financially stressed,” said Mary Jane Kuffner Hirt, a retired professor of political science who serves as Greenville’s state-appointed economic recovery coordinator.

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, distressed municipalities across the state had slashed services and staff significantly as part of state-mandated recovery plans.

Over the past 10 years, Greenville has cut some departments virtually in half, said Urey, the town manager. “We’ll have to address it as it comes, but we’re at minimum levels in our departments as it is,” he said.

The state Department of Community and Economic Development is in “daily communications” with municipalities across the state, said spokesperson Casey Smith.

“What is most important is that local communities know that (the department) will make every effort to assist them during this uncertain time,” Smith said.

Jobs lost now won’t affect local tax revenues until the summer because of the time lag in collections, said Gerald Cross, a senior research fellow at the Pennsylvania Economy League, which advises financially struggling municipalities.

That means the impact on local finances won’t become clear for several months, he said.

“It’s really going to be day by day as tax revenues come in, or don’t come in, and they still need to cover payroll, debt service and pension costs,” Cross said.

Municipalities could be faced with the decision to cut services, dip into any available reserves, or borrow to cover shortfalls in revenue.

Aliquippa, a small city in Beaver County, was working toward shedding its “distressed” label after decades of economic struggles — reducing debt, keeping costs down and attracting some new businesses.

Recently, the local economy has been buoyed by the thousands of workers building the massive Shell ethane cracker plant nearby. Now, construction has been temporarily suspended.

On Tuesday, Mayor Dwan Walker was still hoping, against the odds, that the statewide shutdown would not last longer than two weeks.

“I don’t even know what would happen if our tax base dwindles even further,” he said.

(Spotlight PA provides its journalism at no cost to newsrooms across the state as a public good to keep our communities informed and thriving. If you value this service, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate.)

A local social service provider encourages residents who need services but don’t know where to get them to call 211 — a nationwide hotline staffed 24-7 that can connect people with a multitude of agencies.

Gary Drapek, executive director of the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, said the hotline assists residents with virtually any need, including finding food, housing, health care and transportation, and in applying for financial assistance, such as food stamps and help with utility bills, rent and mortgage payments.

Drapek said the service is especially important now as the need for services grows because of the devastating financial and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The hotline also plays an important role in dispelling rumors and inaccurate information about the pandemic.

“There is nothing more important at this stage of the game than having correct information,” Drapek said. “You need a central location that has the correct information, No. 1, to quell the hysteria and fear, and two, to point people in the right direction when they need services.”

United Way organizations throughout the nation largely fund the hotline.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9137;

@tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

The 211 referral

service includes:

Basic human needs, including food and clothing, shelters, housing and utility assistance and child care.

Mental health, including counseling, support groups, drug and alcohol treatment and health insurance programs.

Employment, including job training, transportation assistance and education programs.

Older adults and disabled people, including adult day care, community meals and home health care.

Tax preparation assistance.

Pennsylvania American Water urged customers on Saturday not to flush sanitizing wipes down the toilet and not to pour grease or oil down the drain.

The Mechanicsburg-based utility said customers have increased their use of sanitizing wipes that, if flushed, can lead to sewer backups and expensive in-home plumbing issues.

“Flushing or dumping the wrong things down the drain can cause problems in your local sewer system and cause blockages in your own home,” said Mark Cross, senior manager of wastewater operations for Pennsylvania American Water. “Many sewer blockages occur between your house and our sewer main, where the property owner is responsible for correcting and paying for the repair. During this already stressful time, we want to help our customers avoid blockages that could create costly plumbing emergencies.”

The utility noted that in addition to causing blockages, grease can have an adverse environmental impact if overflow enters local waterways.

— JAMES HALPIN

Deeds

Butler Township — Keegan D. Hubler to Teresa Rich and Christina Rich; 82 Dutch Road; $24,000.

East Brunswick Township — James D. and Tammie L. Dunn to Carol J. Kratz, Andrew R. Pizza and Christina J. Pizza; property on Stoney Lane; $117,500.

McAdoo — Theresa Brennan to Herminia Almanzar; 25 S. Kennedy Drive Rear; $59,900.

Minersville — Theodor R. Ghannam to Oscar Larosa; 155 S. Third St.; $4,500.

Theodor R. Ghannam to Oscar Larosa; 157 S. Third St.; $4,500.

New Philadelphia — Daniel P. Snyder Jr., executor of the Estate of Daniel P. Snyder Sr., to Kathryne M. Morris; 100 Clay St.; $132,500.

Bernard L. Myro Sr., administrator of the Estate of Patricia A. Myro, to Bernard L. Myro Sr.; 1.8101-acre property on Valley Street; $1.

Norwegian Township — Robert R. Crawford Jr., executor of the Estate of Robert R. Crawford, to Robert R. Crawford Jr.; property on Mamies Avenue; $1.

Robert R. Crawford Jr., executor of the Estate of Robert R. Crawford, to Robert R. Crawford Jr.; 7 Mamies Ave.; $1.

Palo Alto — Joseph R. Smith to Nelcheska Henriquez and Francisco Avila Castro; 22 W. Savory St.; $29,900.

Port Carbon — Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Advanced Consulting Inc.; 215 Coal St.; $1,282.54.

Janet Eich, individually and as attorney in fact for Lawrence Eich, to Lawrence W. Eich Jr.; 41 Coal St.; $1.

Pottsville — Claudia Franzelin to RCFlow Inc.; 323 W. Race St.; $29,900.

Joseph G. Groody, sheriff of Schuylkill County, to Jonestown Bank & Trust Co.; 1400 Laurel Blvd. and 2119 W. Norwegian St.; $1,313.57.

Ringtown — Louise Hetherington, Barron Hetherington, Randall Hetherington, Rick Hetherington and David Hetherington to Barron Hetherington, Randall Hetherington, Rick Hetherington and David Hetherington; 0.15-acre property on Main Street; $1.

Rush Township — Good As New Ventures LLC to Jennifer A. and David B. Montgomery; 77 Deer Trail Lane, Lake Hauto; $185,000.

Ryan Township — Lenore Gromalski to Lenore Gromalski, Bruce D. Pascavage and Anthony J. Gromalski; 1109 Barnesville Drive, Barnesville; $1.

Schuylkill Haven — Carl H. and Carol A. Blankenhorn to Ginny Kull and Tammy Kistler; 116 Parkway; $1.

Rodney L. and Eileen M. Maberry to Gregory M. Maberry and Jennifer L. Witcofsky; 410 Hess St.; $1.

Shenandoah — John P. and Kathleen M. Phillips to Ciryl LLC; property at West Centre and North Jardin streets; $100,000.

Hensy Rafael Peralta to William Rafael Nunez Nunez; 211 N. Jardin St.; $10,000.

Tamaqua — Rodney A. and Deborah A. Swank to Nicholas Emerich; 331 Hazle St.; $60,500.

Wells Fargo Bank NA to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; 639 E. Broad St.; $10.

James C. Kachelries to Allen L. Jr. and Abigail M. Graver; 435 Willing St.; $40,000.

Wayne Township — Florence K. Borden, by attorney in fact Sandra L. Lempa, to Charles A. Borden; 581 Wynonah Drive, Lake Wynonah; $1.

Andrew and Lisa M. Sweyko to Michelle Matz; 210 Wynonah Drive, Lake Wynonah; $194,320.

Joseph A. Yerusavage to Jason and Barbara Martin; 0.276-acre property at Route 183 and Blue Mountain Road, Summit Station; $4,000.

West Penn Township — Bank of America NA to 71 Andreas Road LLC; 71 Andreas Road, Andreas; $46,000.

POTTSVILLE — Schuylkill County District Attorney Michael A. O’Pake and Schuylkill County detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a woman who failed to appear in court last year as required.

Detectives said Carol A. Talanca failed to appear at the Schuylkill County Courthouse on June 28 and Oct. 4 for status conferences on three cases against her.

The charges against Talanca are one felony count of acquiring or obtaining possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, two misdemeanor counts of DUI and one misdemeanor count of forgery-altered writing, detectives said.

Talanca, 38, is described as being white, about 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing about 175 pounds. She has a last known address of 511 W. Arlington St., Shenandoah, detectives said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Talanca or 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 Talanca 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.

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

McAdoo

The borough hall is closed to the public until further notice in a move to reduce the risk regarding the coronavirus. Communication will be by phone only and inquiries/concerns will be dealt with as needed. Phone numbers for the various departments are as follows: Secretary’s office and streets department, 570-929-1182; police department, 570-929-2590; building, code and zoning, 570-225-8271; tax collector, 570-929-1628. All payments payable to the aforementioned departments can be made via mail or dropped in the mail slot on the front door of the building. Any applications for permitting can also be dropped off in the mail slot or mailed.

McAdoo

Pennsylvania now allows for voting by mail. Anyone who wants to receive a ballot and vote by mail can call Mary Labert at 570-929-3658 and an application will be mailed to be completed, thus allowing residents to vote from their homes. Absentee ballots and registration forms are also available.

Pottsville

The Arbor Day celebration at the city’s Charles Baber Cemetery is set for 2 p.m. Friday, April 24, and the event will mark 20 years of the site’s special tree care, maintenance and replacement program. People wishing to become tree sponsors should call 570-622-8720 for more information.

William Penn

The William Penn Fire Company, Mount Olive Boulevard (Route 54 just west of Shenandoah), will have a cheesesteak sale beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 4, according to a release from Rich Stevens, president. Hoagies and platters will be available and there will be free local delivery. To order or for more information, call 570-462-0338. The company also is having an advance-order-only “Almost Armondo’s” unbaked pizza sale with pickups set for Friday, April 10, after 3 p.m. The deadline to order is Sunday, April 5. Plain pizza is $10 each, pepperoni, $12 and hot sauce is 75 cents extra. To order, call the aforementioned number or 570-590-4397.

School Lunches

The following public school meal distributions include breakfast and lunch and are Monday-Friday unless otherwise specified.

Blue Mountain

Finalizing plan to offer to students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.

Mahanoy Area

Anyone 18 years and younger. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Transportation parking lot and East End Park.

Minersville Area

Open to all children present under 18. Walk up or drive up. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. starting Monday, March 23: elementary school, 300 N. Fifth St. Lunch for current day and breakfast for following day. Friday distributions will include breakfast and lunch for weekend.

North Schuylkill

Free to anyone under age 18; no ID required. 11 a.m. to noon in communities that meet income guidelines: Washington Fire Company, 1307 Centre St., Ashland; Good Will Hose Company, 225 S. Balliet St., Frackville; Rangers Hose Company, 6 E. Ogden St., Girardville.

Panther Valley

11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at elementary school, Panther Valley stadium, Coaldale borough hall, Batter’s Box restaurant.

Pine Grove Area

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: North End Volunteer Fire Company parking lot, 118 N. Tulpehocken St., Pine Grove, and Tremont Borough Building, 139 Clay St., Tremont.

Pottsville Area

Students 18 and younger.

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Behind D.H.H. Lengel Middle School at the team entrance to Martz Hall.

Saint Clair

Open to all district students. 11 a.m. to noon: Elementary/middle school. 11:30 a.m. to noon: Cherry Street parking lot in Arnot’s Addition. 11 to 11:30 a.m.: Outside Cumbola Goodwill Hose Company, Water Street, Cumbola. 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Outside Good Intent Fire Company, Macomb Street, New Philadelphia. 12:30 to 1 p.m.: Schuylkill Valley Falcons Teener League Field, Middleport.

Schuylkill Haven

Open to students who qualify for free and reduced school meals. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays: high school entrance. Week’s worth of meals provided.

Shenandoah Valley

Open to all district students through March 27. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Elementary parent drop-off area.

Tamaqua

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 23-27 (for now): Rear of the high school/middle school campus.

Tri-Valley

Open to all district students. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, March 23 and Thursday, March 26: Sacramento Community Fire Company, 2206 E. Main St., Sacramento. Meals, prepared by district food service provider Chartwells, include breakfasts and lunches for several days. Students must be present in vehicles for grab-and-go service. No further dates provided at this time.

Upper Dauphin Area

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. weekdays, high school cafeteria entrance, Elizabethville, and middle school main entrance/bus circle, Loyalton. Child must be present to pick up meals via drive-through process. Remain in vehicle. Lunch and breakfast for following day in each bag. Friday bags include meals for weekend. Either location can be used. For access issues, email batemanm@udasd.org or call 717-362-6555.

Williams Valley

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: high school; Wiconisco Fire Engine Company, Arch Street, Wiconisco Township; Williamstown Borough Hall, Station Street, Williamstown.

POTTSVILLE — Mildred A. Kennedy knew she had to find a way to keep her bakery in business during the coronavirus pandemic, so she decided to bring her delicious treats outside.

“We run it out to the curb,” the owner of Momma Millie’s Bakery, 216 N. Centre St., said Saturday. “It’s the only way I can be open.”

With restaurants of all shapes and sizes unable to allow people in their businesses, Kennedy saw this as the one way she could remain open.

“People call,” she said. “They place their orders, they pull up and I run it out to them. It’s keeping our doors open.”

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic, which started in Wuhan, China, and has struck places around the globe, has altered life for virtually everyone to one degree or another. As of Saturday, there are 268 cases in Pennsylvania, and Gov. Tom Wolf issued an order Thursday mandating that all business that are not “life-sustaining” shut their doors, although he has altered it due to criticism from several quarters.

“We’re fortunate,” Kennedy said. “We can still take care of our customers.”

She said a lot of events have had to be postponed, although she is able to handle some smaller ones. She added that she cannot simply give up and go home.

“What can you do?” Kennedy asked. “We still have bills to pay.”

She said that they even have posted videos on Facebook to allow people to remember them.

“We just keep putting it out that we are here,” she said.

Kennedy said she is grateful to the people who continue to patronize her bakery.

“Our customers are loyal,” she said. “They’re calling. They’re supporting us.”

Kennedy said there is no time to feel sorry for herself.

“We could be worse off. We’re still doing alright,” she said. “We need to support our little businesses. We don’t know how long this is going to go.”

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

The following public school meal distributions include breakfast and lunch and are Monday-Friday unless otherwise specified.

Blue Mountain

Finalizing plan to offer to students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.

Mahanoy Area

Anyone 18 years and younger.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Transportation parking lot and East End Park.

Minersville Area

Open to all children present under 18. Walk up or drive up.

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. starting Monday, March 23: elementary school, 300 N. Fifth St. Lunch for current day and breakfast for following day. Friday distributions will include breakfast and lunch for weekend.

North Schuylkill

Free to anyone under age 18; no ID required.

11 a.m. to noon in communities that meet income guidelines: Washington Fire Company, 1307 Centre St., Ashland; Good Will Hose Company, 225 S. Balliet St., Frackville; Rangers Hose Company, 6 E. Ogden St., Girardville.

Panther Valley

11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at elementary school, Panther Valley stadium, Coaldale borough hall, Batter’s Box restaurant.

Pine Grove Area

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: North End Volunteer Fire Company parking lot, 118 N. Tulpehocken St., Pine Grove, and Tremont Borough Building, 139 Clay St., Tremont.

Pottsville Area

Students 18 and younger.

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Behind D.H.H. Lengel Middle School at the team entrance to Martz Hall.

Saint Clair

Open to all district students.

11 a.m. to noon: Elementary/middle school.

11:30 a.m. to noon: Cherry Street parking lot in Arnot’s Addition.

11 to 11:30 a.m.: Outside Cumbola Goodwill Hose Company, Water Street, Cumbola.

11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Outside Good Intent Fire Company, Macomb Street, New Philadelphia.

12:30 to 1 p.m.: Schuylkill Valley Falcons Teener League Field, Middleport.

Schuylkill Haven

Open to students who qualify for free and reduced school meals.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays: high school entrance. Week’s worth of meals provided.

Shenandoah Valley

Open to all district students through March 27.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Elementary parent drop-off area.

Tamaqua

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 23-27 (for now): Rear of the high school/middle school campus.

Tri-Valley

Open to all district students.

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, March 23 and Thursday, March 26: Sacramento Community Fire Company, 2206 E. Main St., Sacramento. Meals, prepared by district food service provider Chartwells, include breakfasts and lunches for several days. Students must be present in vehicles for grab-and-go service. No further dates provided at this time.

Upper Dauphin Area

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. weekdays, high school cafeteria entrance, Elizabethville, and middle school main entrance/bus circle, Loyalton. Child must be present to pick up meals via drive-through process. Remain in vehicle. Lunch and breakfast for following day in each bag. Friday bags include meals for weekend. Either location can be used. For access issues, email batemanm@udasd.org or call 717-362-6555.

Williams Valley

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: high school; Wiconisco Fire Engine Company, Arch Street, Wiconisco Township; Williamstown Borough Hall, Station Street, Williamstown.

The following events, activities, organizations and businesses have been affected by the coronavirus:

Mr. Anthracite bodybuilding show, scheduled for April 4, at Ramada Inn, Pottsville, has been rescheduled to July 12.

Ashland Area Historic Preservation Society meeting, scheduled for March 25, at 318 Centre St., Ashland, is canceled.

Tremont Fire Company Lenten Fish Fry event, scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays during Lent, are canceled for the rest of the season.

St. Matthew’s last Lenten Food Sale, scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. Friday, March 27, is canceled.

Port Carbon Public Library’s Chinese auction, scheduled for Sunday, March 29, has been postponed.

Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Paska Bake Sale, scheduled for April 1-3, has been postponed.

Mock lobster and ham dinner, scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 3, Friedensburg Fire Company, is canceled.

South End Field & Stream Kielbasa Sale, scheduled for April 10-11, at Whippoorwill Dam, Frackville, is canceled.

Sportman’s bingo, scheduled for March 22 at West End Fire and Rescue, 700 W. Mahanoy Ave., Mahanoy City, rescheduled to June 7. Tickets purchased will be honored.

■ Dramatic Stations of the Cross, scheduled for Palm Sunday, April 5, and Good Friday, April 10, at St. John the Baptist Church, Pottsville, canceled.

■ An Evening with Psychic Medium Kimberly, scheduled for March 28 at West End Fire and Rescue, 700 W. Mahanoy Ave., Mahanoy City, canceled. Ticket money will be refunded.

■ Vietnam veterans breakfast, scheduled for March 30 at Lewie’s Restaurant, Frackville, canceled.

■ St. Michael’s Church Fish Dinner, scheduled for Friday, March 27, Saint Clair, and halupki sale, cancelled.

■ Girl Scout cookie sales, scheduled for Friday, March 20, at Turkey Hill, Minersville, and Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22, at Walmart, Saint Clair, canceled.

■ North Ward Easter Egg Hunt, scheduled Saturday, March 28, at Willow Street Playground, Schuylkill Haven, canceled.

■ Schuylkill Keep It Pretty roast, scheduled March 25, canceled. Goal is to reschedule.

■ Greater Shenandoah Area Senior Citizens, 220 N. Market St., monthly meeting, bingo, anniversary party. Plan to open May 6. Call Mary Ann at 570-462-0883.

■ Ham and dandelion meal, scheduled March 27, Lions building, Hegins, canceled.

■ St. John’s Church basket bonanza, scheduled for Saturday, April 4, Port Clinton, tentatively rescheduled for April 25. Call 610-207-3075.

■ Spaghetti dinner, scheduled for April 4, at Covenant United Methodist Church, Schuylkill Haven, canceled.

■ Great Shenandoah Area Historical Society’s basket auction, scheduled for April 18 and 19, postponed.

■ Altamont Fire Company all-you-can-eat-breakfast, scheduled March 22, canceled.

■ Greater Hazleton Concert Series “Doo Wop Project” concert scheduled March 24, canceled.

■ St. Nicholas Holy Name all-you-can-eat-breakfast, scheduled March 22, Primrose, canceled.

■ Schuylkill Haven Senior Citizens Association meeting, scheduled for March 23, canceled.

■ Soup and pretzel sale, scheduled for March 28 at Tremont Area Free Public Library, postponed.

■ Rumpsch match, scheduled for March 29 at Auburn Game and Fish, canceled

■ Ringtown Rotary seafood supper, scheduled for April 3, canceled.

■ Lenten dinner, scheduled Friday, March 20, at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Pottsville, canceled.

■ Cornhole tournament, scheduled for April 25 at Williamstown American Legion, canceled.

■ Saint Clair Area School District PTO Chinese auction, scheduled for March 26 and 27, canceled.

■ Schuylkill Valley Food Pantry distribution postponed. For more information, call Schuylkill Community Action, 570-622-1995.

■ Scholar-athlete banquet, scheduled for March 29, postponed. Schools will be notified of new date.

■ The Mahoney Brothers concert, scheduled March 29 at Mount Carmel Area High School, postponed.

■ Steve Burton appearance, scheduled for March 21 at Walk In Art Center, Schuylkill Haven, rescheduled Saturday, Sept. 26.

■ St. Teresa of Calcutta, Mahanoy City, all non-sacramental activities postponed or canceled until further notice.

■ Ukrainian Catholic churches, no obligation to attend Sunday Divine Liturgy. All regularly scheduled liturgies will remain open for those who wish to attend.

■ Little League International, temporary suspension of all league activities until April 6. Start of regular season delayed.

■ Chicken potpie dinner, scheduled for March 21 at Friedens Lutheran Church, New Ringgold, postponed.

■ Choral Evensongs Vespers, scheduled for March 22 at First United Methodist Church, Pottsville, rescheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday, April 26.

■ Pottsville American Cancer Society Relay for Life kickoff, scheduled for March 28, canceled.

■ Haddock or pork chop dinner, scheduled for March 20 at Pine Grove Masonic Lodge, canceled.

■ Pottsville mayor’s state of the city speech, postponed on March 12, will be rescheduled.

■ St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Port Carbon, services for March 22, canceled.

■ Girardville’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, scheduled for March 28, postponed.

■ Minersville Area High School Drama Club’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” rescheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23, through Saturday, April 25, auditorium.

■ St. Patrick Soup Kitchen serving meals by takeout. However, if someone needs to stay and eat, they will not be turned away.

Government

■ Frackville Borough Office is closed. Mail your payments or put through mail slot during normal business hours, after hours put in the black box in front of the borough hall. Phone calls will be answered during normal business hours. All borough parks will be closed until further notice.

■ Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, Rush Township, no walk-in service at Tamaqua district office. Staff available by phone and online. Paperwork can be dropped in mail slot in lobby. Call 570-668-1240 Monday through Friday. Knowles’ district office in Hamburg Borough Hall shared with state Sen. David G. Argall, closed to walk-in service.

■ State Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Township, district offices in Pottsville, Hamburg and Harrisburg, closed until further notice. Mahanoy City office remains open. Call 1-877-327-4255 or go to www.senatorargall.com.

■ Ashland Borough Hall, closed until further notice. Staff available by phone. Utility payments can be paid by mail or in mailbox in front of borough hall.

■ Frackville Area Municipal Authority office, closed until further notice. Staff available by phone, 570-874-3589 (office); 570-874-4421 (plant).

Payments can be mailed, deposited in drop box outside borough building or at the FAMA Office door mail slot, or with a credit or debit card at fama874.com (look for the Municipal Pay link). Call office to pay over phone.

■ Frackville Borough Tax Office closed until further notice. Janice Huth, tax collector, can be reached at 570-874-4670. Payments should be mailed or placed in mail slot at tax office. If return receipt is requested, a self-addressed postage paid envelope must be included.

■ Mahanoy City Borough office, closed until April 1. All essential workers in place to take calls. Community Day meeting this week and Home Rule meeting March 24, canceled.

■ Minersville Borough Office, 2 E. Sunbury St. closed until further notice. Call 570-544-2149 during normal business hours, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Applications for compost cards, occupant permits, rental registration available at minersvilleonline.com. Options for paying utility bills available at https://wipp.edmundsassoc.com/Wipp/?wippid=MNRV, mailing check and money orders to office, 2 E. Sunbury St., Minersville, PA 17954, or at the drop box on Sunbury Street side of building.

■ Orwigsburg Borough Office, 209 N. Warren St., closed to non-essential persons until further notice. Staff available by phone Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., by calling 570-366-3103. Borough parks, fields, recreation centers closed to external functions; rentals will continue on case-by-case basis; limit 10 people.

■ Pottsville City Hall, closed to public. Employees available via phone or email 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Call 570-622-1234 or go to www.city.pottsville.pa.us. Payments may be mailed or placed in drop box outside city hall.

■ Schuylkill County Housing Authority main office and development offices, closed to public. Applicants for public housing and Section 8 will be processed by calling 570-385-3400, ext. 111. For other business, call the same numbers.

■ Schuylkill County Prison, no visitors except legal defense and official business.

■ Schuylkill Haven Borough Hall, 333 Center Ave., closed to public until further notice. Make utility payments via drive-through in back of borough hall, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the night deposit box or by phone, online or mail. Phone payments can be made during business hours or after via toll free number, 1-833-201-5693. Merchant fee for all phone payments is $3. All other borough business requires appointment; call 570-385-2841 during normal business hours.

■ State driver’s license/photo centers, closed through at least March 29.

Businesses/organizations

Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce office is closed as of Monday, March 23, all events and committee meetings from March 16 through April 1, canceled.

■ Diakon classes, clubs, programs, canceled; senior centers closed. Diakon Community Services discourages walk-ins to main office. Call 570-624-3010. AARP tax preparation, canceled. APPRISE telephone counseling only, no face-to-face appointments. Call 570-624-3026.

■ Lykens Valley Children’s Museum, Elizabethville, all programs canceled.

■ Schuylkill County Historical Society, closed to the public until further notice. Artist Lori Quinn program on Pottsville buildings, scheduled for March 25, postponed. April 7 meeting, canceled.

■ Sweet Arrow Lake County Park, all public and private events, canceled or postponed until April 2. Bruce Schneck Memorial Fishing Event rescheduled to April 18. “What’s invading my backyard? Spotting the spotted lanternfly,” rescheduled to April 8. Call 570-527-2505.

■ Redner’s Markets hours, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Convenience stores open 24 hours.

■ Friendly’s, Route 61, Pottsville, closed through March 27.

■ Mountain Valley Pete Acquarola Senior Golf League Early Spring Fun Tour, cancelled. Call Bill Kaczmarczyk, 570-778-6206, John Bashago, 570-233-1713, or the pro shop, 570-467-2242, Ext. 1.

■ Fighter’s Heaven, Deer Lake, closed to off-season tours. Scheduled May 1 opening tentative.

■ Mid Penn Bank, drive-thru only during normal banking hours. ATMs, online service remain available 24 hours. Call 1-866-642-7736 or email questions by visiting midpennbank.com/contact-us.

■■ Explore Schuylkill (visitors bureau), closed. Spring Restaurant promotion, scheduled March 22-28, postponed.

■ Fairlane Village mall, events canceled through March 31 (including arrival of the Easter Bunny March 28).

■ Dine-out, scheduled for March 28 at Vernalis, Shenandoah, to benefit the Greater Shenandoah Area Historical Society, canceled. Will be rescheduled.

■ D.G. Yuengling and Son Brewery, Pottsville, gift shop, tasting room, tours closed until further notice.

■ Crystal’s School of Dance, Orwigsburg, closed through March 27.

■ Greater Shenandoah Area Chamber of Commerce, next meeting April 15.

■ Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, visitor services and programs canceled, trails closed through March 30.

■ Pottsville Free Public Library closed through March 29 as encouraged by Office of Commonwealth Libraries for all public libraries in state.

■Empire Beauty Schools closed student salons to the public March 13. Students will continue training.

■ Penn State Schuylkill and all PSU campuses in-person classes suspended.

■ Luzerne County Community College in-person classes suspended. See luzerne.edu for information.

■ Schuylkill YMCA closed through March 22. See website and social media for updates.

Report any cancellations and closures to editorial@republicanherald.com.

Even though it’s now officially spring, there’s plenty of winter left in the early evening skies.

Part of the beautiful array of winter constellations are the two best-known dog constellations, Canis Major the Big Dog and Canis Minor the Little Dog. They’ve been on the prowl in the southern Pottsville sky for many, many winter evenings chasing down a variety of prey. Before the winter constellations go on their summer vacation get to know the hounds of the heavens!

Like many constellations, these doggies are formally known by their traditional Latin names. Canis is the Latin word for dog, so Canis Major and Minor are the Big and Little Dogs, respectively. In Greek and Roman mythology, Canis Major and Minor are Orion’s hunting dogs. When the hermit hunter Orion was killed in a fight with a giant Scorpion, his girlfriend, Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, placed Orion’s body in the heavens as the constellation we see today. She also placed his pet rabbit, Lepus, and his hunting dogs, Canis Major and Minor, up in the sky to keep him company.

Canis Major is standing on his hind legs to Orion’s lower left in the southwestern sky. The brightest star in the entire night sky, Sirius, known as the dog star, is perched on the Big Dog’s nose. Just extend a line to the lower left using the three bright stars in a row that make up Orion’s belt and you’ll run right into Sirius. Sirius is so bright in the sky because it’s so close to us, only about 8 light-years or 50 trillion miles from Earth. It’s about 2 million miles in diameter, more than twice the diameter of our sun.

Right next to Sirius is the star dryly dubbed by astronomers as Sirius B. It has a much more fun nickname however — “the Pup.” A German astronomer discovered it in the early 1800s. The Pup and Sirius are described as a binary star system. These two stars, separated by somewhere between 1 billion and 3 billion miles, are revolving around each other every 50 years or so.

About 150 million years ago, Sirius B was no pup at all. It was a much, much more massive star than Sirius. Some astronomers even think that at one time it was five times the diameter of our sun, and so bright it could have cast shadows on Earth in the dark countryside.

The problem with behemoths like Sirius B is that they don’t live all that long, ripping through their hydrogen fuel at a reckless rate. Once its fuel was exhausted Sirius B went through a series of steps and eventually lost all of its outer layers leaving only its core. That makes the Pup a white dwarf star, no longer producing energy, but remaining very hot.

The Pup is estimated to be about the size of the Earth, around 8,000 miles in diameter. Sirius B is much denser and more massive than Earth, though, so much that it’s estimated to have a surface gravity near 300,000 times that of Earth. If you weigh 200 pounds on Earth, you would tip the scales at more than 60 million pounds on the Pup!

To find the rest of Canis Major, look for a star just to the right of Sirius. That’s a star called Mirzam, the front paw of the big dog. Then go back to Sirius and look down and to the left for a distinct triangle of stars that outline the dog’s rear end, tail and hind leg.

The star at the tip of the tail is Aludra, a monster size star more than 100 million miles in diameter and almost 2,000 light-years away! Just 1 light-year equals about 6 trillion miles! Since it’s so very far away, the light we see from Aludra has been traveling to us since around the time of the first Christmas.

If Aludra were as close to us as Sirius, it would be the brightest celestial object in the nighttime sky, maybe even more brilliant than the moon! Whenever you gaze upon a star, keep in mind that two factors — size and distance — determine the brightness of a star. Just because a star is dim doesn’t necessarily mean it’s puny. It could be a monster many light-years away.

The Little Dog, Canis Minor, is tagging along to the upper left of Canis Major. Honestly, it’s a poor excuse for a constellation. All there is to the Little Dog is a bright star called Procyon and a dimmer star just above it. It’s a Chihuahua.

If you have any trouble locating Orion’s hunting companions, you can use one of the great treasures in our winter sky. The “Winter Triangle” is an absolutely perfect triangle cornered by Betelgeuse, Procyon and Sirius. Betelgeuse is the bright red tinged star at Orion’s armpit.

Take an evening walk with the hounds of the heavens!

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

Luzerne County’s coronavirus numbers tripled to six cases on Saturday, including Hazleton’s first confirmed case, as the virus continues its spread across Pennsylvania, resulting in a second death.

Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat confirmed one of the new Luzerne County cases is a Hazleton man. He did not provide further details, citing medical confidentiality.

“The infected individual has been notified and is being self-quarantined at his residence,” Cusat said in a statement. “We ask the citizens to remain calm and to continue to follow the recommendations and guidelines from federal and state officials along with those from (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). We are all in this together.”

In a phone interview with The Standard Speaker on Saturday, Cusat stressed the need to keep city residents informed of the threat.

“We just wanted to be out in front of it and let the people of Hazleton know its closer to home than previously believed,” he said. “Safety of our citizens is the most important thing. We want everyone to take the proper precautions.”

Cusat added Department of Health agencies are investigating the case, including informing people possibly connected to the infected individual.

Luzerne County had two confirmed cases on Friday, but the number increased Saturday as the Pennsylvania Department of Health documented an additional 103 cases across the state.

Lackawanna County, which had four cases Friday, increased by one to five, according to the department.

State and county officials did not release any details on the other new cases.

However, they revealed a person in Allegheny County has died from COVID-19, bringing the statewide death toll to two. The first death was reported in Northampton County.

“Our notable increase in cases over the last few days indicate we need everyone to take COVID-19 seriously,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement. “Pennsylvanians have a very important job right now: stay calm, stay home and stay safe. We have seen case counts continue to increase and the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to stay home.”

The total number of cases across the state now sits at 371, up from 268 on Friday. So far, there have been 3,766 negative tests performed in the state.

Contact the writer: jhalpin@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2058

POTTSVILLE — Lee Walkusky said Saturday that the state-mandated closing of many businesses, and the resulting economic slowdown, has directly affected him.

“I got canceled at work for two weeks. We’re not life-sustaining,” the Pottsville man said when interviewed while walking around the city’s abnormally quiet downtown area. “No money’s coming in.”

While the official classification of his job might not be life-sustaining, the standard Gov. Tom Wolf used to determine whether businesses should be allowed to remain open, Walkusky, who works at Alpha Mills, sees it differently.

“I have two little ones,” including his son, Gabriel, who was with him on his Saturday walk.

The coronavirus pandemic has swept across Pennsylvania, the United States and the entire world from its place of origin in Wuhan, China. Federal, state and local governments have declared emergencies, and Wolf, a Democrat, issued an order Thursday mandating that all businesses in the state not deemed “life-sustaining” must shut their doors, although he already has made some changes to it following criticisms from Republicans, business groups and others.

Dennis Hornberger, of Pottsville, who was with Walkusky, said he is glad he still has his job in receiving and shipping at the Big Lots distribution center near Tremont.

“We just went up to the post office,” one of the businesses that has remained open, to learn the cost of delivering a package, he said.

However, Hornberger said he is missing meetings he needs to attend.

Jemar McLeary, of Pottsville, also is happy to be working as a crew member at Dunkin in the city.

“(I’m) trying to get some food for the house,” he said of his walk around the city. “I can’t go out to any stores any more.”

At home, he said, he watches television and plays games.

“I’m glad I still work,” he said. “I can go somewhere.”

William Higgins, a Schuylkill Haven native who lives in Pottsville, said he was walking around the city looking for something to drink. He said he is worried about his job at Lowe’s Regional Distribution Center in Highridge Business Park.

“My job isn’t shut down yet, but it’s a good possibility,” he said.

Higgins said he hopes the pandemic ends soon.

“My kids are out of school,” he said.

Crystal Leiby, a Shamokin native who also lives in Pottsville, was out Saturday looking for lottery tickets, but she also was searching for other items.

“We’re trying to think if there’s anything we need,” she said.

Leiby’s main pandemic concern involves her son, whom she said should have an appointment with an eye doctor. However, she said, the appointment has been postponed until further notice.

However, Leiby has a wish for the country.

“Everyone try to stay safe,” she said.

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

Lifelong basketball enthusiast Leo Walsh tells a story one hoop at a time.

In his recently published photo book, “Peach Baskets,” the Clarks Green, Lackawanna County, resident shares images from his recent trip across North America.

The 28-year-old Scranton Preparatory School alumnus traveled 14,628 miles, capturing photos of different kinds of basketball hoops along the way.

“I gravitated toward telling stories as of late,” he said recently by phone. “I’m drawn to shooting hoops. It’s something a lot of people haven’t really done. I’ve found my own niche.”

Walsh’s interest in basketball started as a kid, when he began playing the sport with his cousins and little brother in the driveway. He played for Scranton Prep before walking on to the Fordham University men’s basketball team his junior year, continuing with the team his senior year as well.

“Basketball has always been a part of my life, and it always will be,” Walsh said.

When it comes to the actual, physical hoops however, Walsh fell in love as a 4-year-old, when his dad bought the basketball hoop that remains in their driveway today. He ended up writing a paper about the hoop for a college journalism class.

“I’ve always loved the story that basketball hoops tell,” Walsh said. “When you see an old basketball hoop that’s aged, it inherently tells a story about family, community and good times in that place.”

After graduating from Fordham in 2014 with a degree in communications and English, Walsh worked for five years remotely doing e-commerce for Fulton Fish Market of New York City.

Last spring, Walsh decided “to go out and see things,” he said, taking inspiration from travel writer and noted Instagrammer Jedidiah Jenkins, who biked from Oregon to Patagonia. Walsh set out across the continent, even trekking into Canada.

“I bought a used car and a used camera. I was working remotely in local coffee shops and sleeping out of my car in Walmart parking lots,” Walsh said.

Walsh had many ideas for his trip but was never certain how they would play out once he started traveling.

“I really wanted to focus my trip on national parks, the beauty of the land and being alone,” he said. “Not many people like to be alone, but I tend to enjoy solitude, being at peace with yourself and nature.”

Walsh’s father, Jack Walsh, said he looked at his son’s adventure as “a great opportunity for him to do something he’s passionate about.”

“He got to see many national parks and many great things,” the elder Walsh said.

While Leo Walsh had never done something like this before, he learned a lot along the way, including about taking photographs.

“I had never taken pictures really before. (I learned) if you have an idea, just go out and do it. You’ll figure it out when you get out there,” he said.

Walsh decided to turn his images of the basketball hoops into a book in January, printing 250 copies through a Philadelphia printing company his cousin suggested to him. Using Instagram as his only source of advertising, Walsh continues to sell books at a steady pace.

“I think it’s a nice combination of both pictures and quotes from different authors,” his father said. “It allows you to not only see the hoops themselves but also the surrounding skies. It’s just pretty cool.”

Walsh called the book “Peach Baskets” after the original material the inventor of basketball, James Naismith, used. A physical education teacher looking to keep his students in shape during the winter, Naismith came up with an indoor game where students could shoot a ball into a peach basket nailed high on the walls on opposite sides of the gym.

Walsh hopes the book helps everyone realize that there’s more to a basketball hoop than its basic purpose.

“I like seeing people who don’t love basketball showing interest in my book because it tells me there’s a deeper meaning to it than just the game of basketball,” he said.

Now in between jobs, Walsh is focusing on his book and printing copies of it. He is taking his time to figure out what project he wants to work on next.

“I have a few different ideas, whether it’s a Scranton-based book or a book about living in different cities,” Walsh said.

Contact the writer: kbravin@timesshamroc­k.com; 570-348-9127

Meet Leo Walsh

Age: 28

At home: He lives in Clarks Green and is a son of Jack and Erin Walsh. He has four siblings, Ellen, Matt, Rosemary and Emma.

Educational background: 2010 graduate of Scranton Preparatory School and 2014 graduate of Fordham University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and English

Occupation: Previously worked remotely for five years doing e-commerce for Fulton Fish Market

Claim to fame: Former Division 1 basketball walk-on player at Fordham University and author of the photo book “Peach Baskets”

Local support

How can you help local businesses in difficult times?

• Buy gift cards now and use them later.

• Buy items now and pick up in the future.

• If you know a business owner, ask how you can help.

• Keep memberships current.

• Order takeout from your local restaurants.

Source: Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce

James K. Reiley

POTTSVILLE — A man charged with setting a fire in an apartment in Pottsville on Jan. 12 appeared for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley.

Dale R. Steffie, 59, of 114 Vaux Ave., Tremont, was arrested by Pottsville police Patrolman Lynnsay Bauman and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, arson, aggravated harassment by prisoner, risking a catastrophe, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and institutional vandalism.

Reiley dismissed the possession of drug paraphernalia charge and held the remaining offenses against Steffie to Schuylkill County Court, where he can now plead guilty or enter a not guilty plea and request a trial.

Bauman charged Steffie with an 11:05 p.m. incident at 406 W. Arch St., where the man lived at the time, saying he started a fire in the apartment placing other residents of the building in danger.

Pottsville Fire Chief James Misstishin determined the origin of the fire was not in an electrical area and that the fire had been ignited in an area under circumstances where and when there should not have been any natural cause for a fire.

The second-floor residents collectively reported that Steffie had been making statements that he wanted to physically harm them.

More specifically, Steffie had been threatening to turn off their heat and electric and Steffie told them several times to go to sleep because he was going to set the building on fire, Bauman said.

Other court cases included:

Thomas E. Nesbitt, 49, of 215 N. George St., Pottsville; waived for court: obstructing the administration of law, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Dustin J. Dalessandro, 21, of 501 Lee St., Orwigsburg; waived for court: theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy, fleeing or attempting to elude police and driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked.

Justin D. Reber, 26, LKA 2833 Fair Road, Auburn; withdrawn: theft, conspiracy and receiving stolen property. Waived for court: driving without a license and unauthorized use of motorized or other vehicles.

Adelaida Arroyo, 32, of 627 Laurel Blvd., Apt. 2, Pottsville; waived for court: criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Eric A. Neidlinger, 43, of 501 E. Norwegian St., Pottsville; held for court: DUI and careless driving.

Kelly Ann Foran, 47, of 223 B. Broad St., Saint Clair; waived for court: retail theft.

Deborah M. Weist, 51, of 1347 Seneca St., Pottsville; dismissed after the victim withdrew the charges: simple assault.

Zachary J. Hickey, 28, of 18 S. Second St., Apt. 3, Pottsville; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance, open lewdness and possession of a controlled substance.

Devon M. Shaak, 29, of 43 Lake Terrace Drive, Pine Grove; dismissed because the victim failed to appear: simple assault and harassment.

Jesse Steigerwalt, no age or address available; withdrawn after the defendant provided proof of prescription: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bernard G. Bowman, 48, of 61 Atlantic St., Pottsville; waived for court: burglary, criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property, theft by deception and criminal mischief.

Tina M. Hoy, 48, of 136 W. Pine St., Zerbe; held for court: aggravated assault and simple assault.

James J. George Sr., 52, of 1632 West End Ave., Pottsville; dismissed after George pleaded guilty to a summary charge of harassment: simple assault and harassment.

Dylan A. Williams, 19, of 437 Morgan Ave., Pottsville; held for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Scott A. Dietrich, 24, of 604 Pottsville St., Suite C, Minersville; waived for court: theft of leased property.

Joseph F. Risteski, 43, of 232 Pine St., Minersville; waived for court: DUI-controlled substance, unauthorized use of motorized or other vehicles, disregard for single traffic lane, driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Mario Z. Tula, no age available, of 635 W. Coal St., Shenandoah; waived for court: accidents involving damage to attended vehicles or property, careless driving and following too closely.

Annmarie Styka, 34, of 415 Pershing Ave., Frackville; waived for court: contraband-controlled substance, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Delson W. Mitchell, 20, of 6035 Four Point Road, Bethel; waived for court: burglary, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, possession of a small amount of marijuana, public drunkenness and purchase of alcohol by a minor.

James Serrano, 28, of 1314 Main St., Gilberton; withdrawn: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kitryce F. Mathies, 19, of My Fathers House, 4 S. Centre St., Pottsville; held for court: retail theft.

James E. Evans, 47, of 1117 W. Market St., Pottsville; waived for court: strangulation, simple assault and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bryce A. Miklesavage, 21, of 108 Phoenix Park Road, Pottsville; waived for court: DUI and failure to stop at a red signal.

Ricky W. Mills Jr., 42, of 2103 W. Norwegian St., Pottsville; waived for court: child pornography.

Amber Lynn Joy, 31, of 303 New Castle St., Minersville; dismissed: fraudulently obtaining food stamps or assistance.

Natasha V. Davis, 23, of 432 Harrison St., Pottsville; dismissed: fraudulently obtaining food stamps or assistance.

Michelle M. Rohrbach, 31, of 800-20 N. Second St., Pottsville; held for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The following people also entered guilty pleas as part of agreements with the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office:

Corey J. Mlynek, 27, of 385 Gameland Road, Newville; possession of a controlled substance.

Jennifer L. Ost, 42, of 26 Fritz Reed Ave., Schuylkill Haven; possession of a controlled substance and public drunkenness.

Donald A. Wrona, 47, of 309 Schuylkill Ave., Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Andre D. Soto, 40, of 141 Broad St., Saint Clair; possession of drug paraphernalia.

Leeann E. Charles, 22, of 3920 Irish Creek Road, Bernville; possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jacob D. Mason, 22, of 1155 Bunting St., Llewellyn; possession of drug paraphernalia.

Christina E. Hale

FRACKVILLE — A borough man charged with stealing scratch-off lottery tickets and other items valued at more than $400 from the Turkey Hill store on Feb. 26 waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale.

Cody Wolfgang, 27, of 427 Pershing Ave., was arrested by Frackville police Patrolman Devin Buccieri and charged with retail theft, receiving stolen property, false identification to law enforcement, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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

Buccieri charged Wolfgang with going into the business during the early morning hours and stealing the lottery tickets and numerous other items that had a combined value of $412.07.

In addition, Buccieri said that during the investigation Wolfgang provided two different names and dates of birth, knowing both were false.

Other court cases included:

Angelo L. Seritti, 34, of 1233 E. Mahanoy Ave., Mahanoy City; waived for court: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, making repairs to or selling offensive weapons, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kayla Lee Tarselli, 28, of 3 W. Greenhouse Lane, Ringtown; withdrawn: simple assault and harassment.

Regina L. Rudiman, 67, of 1501 Centre St., Ashland; held for court: obstructing emergency services.

Connie E. Delowery, 55, of 195 E. Main St., Ringtown; held for court: DUI-controlled substance, driving with a suspended or revoked license, improper stopping, careless driving, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

David M. Lamb Sr., 47, of 157 Cross Road, Bloomsburg; waived for court: driving without insurance, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Joshua J. Deeter, 33, of 4 Bungalow St., Ashland; waived for court: possession of a small amount of marijuana, DUI, DUI-controlled substance, duties at a stop sign and careless driving.

David M. Riedel, 38, of 523 Walnut St., Lebanon; waived for court: institutional vandalism and criminal mischief.

Lawrence C. Thompson Aiken, 23, of 1634 Saint Marks, 5D, Brooklyn, New York; waived for court: possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and DUI-controlled substance.

John J. Zajac, 37, of 91 Colonial Ave., Bloomsburg; held for court: contraband-controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

James D. Ortona, 54, of 880 High Road, Ashland; dismissed: simple assault and harassment.

David E. Pine, 65, of 723 Jackson St., Easton; withdrawn: statements under penalty.

Blake A. Worhacz, 23, of 347 W. Broad St., Williamstown; held for court: false reports, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Victor Green, 27, of 1400 E. Centre St., Mahanoy City; held for court: false identification to law enforcement.

Jeffrey T. Huben, 29, of 516 E. Morris St., Frackville; waived for court: false identification to law enforcement, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Brian S. Yasembousky, 51, of 351 Park Place Road, Mahanoy City; waived for court: DUI-controlled substance and driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked.

Ryan J. Wagner, 25, of 120 S. Second St., Frackville; held for court: DUI-controlled substance, duties at a stop sign, no rear lights and turning movements and required signals.

Ralph E. Miller, 62, of 115 Coal St., Room 5, Frackville; dismissed: simple assault and harassment.

Dorothy M. Brenneman, 38, of 308 N. Coal St., Port Carbon; waived for court: identity theft, bad checks and access device issued to another person who did not authorize its use.

Derek E. Balthaser, 32, of 1607 Walnut St., Ashland; dismissed: simple assault and harassment.

(Staff writer Frank Andruscavage compiled this report)

Walter Ogrod, a death row inmate at a state prison in Montgomery County, felt ill last week.

He developed a fever and a dry cough, and his cellmates at State Correctional Institution-Phoenix started to panic. Speaking through his counsel, Ogrod said staff at the facility took him to the infirmary, where his fever spiked to 106 degrees. His breathing was so bad it was like breathing “through a sponge.”

Despite these symptoms — similar to ones seen in coronavirus cases — Ogrod told his lawyers that he had not received a test.

It’s unclear if Ogrod has COVID-19 or if his symptoms were caused by the novel coronavirus. When asked about his case, the Department of Corrections would not release details and declin-ed to provide information on how many tests have been administered to inmates.

The Department of Health also denied requests for data on inmate testing, citing an old public health law that allows the state to keep certain information secret during a disease outbreak.

But even without a confirmed case, corrections leaders, along with advocates for incarcerated people, believe the virus’ spread inside prisons is imminent.

“To the extent we can keep it out, we have some advantages,” Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said Wednesday on Harrisburg’s WITF-FM’s Smart Talk. “Once it gets in, those advantages turn to disadvantages.”

Conditions ‘tinderbox’

Inmate rights advocates and epidemiologists describe prison conditions as a tinderbox for the coronavirus’ spread, with people living in close quarters and sharing spaces to eat and use the bathroom. They are urging state government leaders to reconsider how they house prisoners, and are calling for the release of inmates who don’t pose a public safety concern.

“Without immediate action, jails and prisons will be the epicenter of the pandemic,” said Nyssa Taylor, policy counsel for the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

The Department of Corrections last week imposed restrictions on family visits, provided more soap to inmates and started to screen staff every day for symptoms of COVID-19 to keep the virus out of prisons, officials said.

But it is hard to limit viral outbreaks in correctional facilities, said Joseph Amon, an epidemiologist and director of global health at Drexel University, Philadelphia.

For every incarcerated person who gets the virus, corrections officials will have to limit the spread by following measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — isolating every person with whom the inmate came into contact. In correctional facilities, that could mean entire cell blocks.

“You have this point where you have to put a lot of people in isolation, potentially, and prisons don’t have the capacity to put a large number of people in isolation and care for them,” Amon said. “I don’t think there’s enough space or capacity to do the kind of real social distancing you would need to do.”

Bret Grote, legal director for the Abolitionist Law Center, said that without the opportunity to isolate and quarantine effectively, the virus will spread to other staff and out of the facility.

That’s what happened in New Jersey’s Bergen County Jail. As first reported by NJ.com, a corrections officer at the facility tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Seven other corrections officers later tested positive for the virus. Now, health officials are worried the officers may have spread the virus to the jail’s 250 ICE detainees and 300 county inmates.

Geriatric inmates at risk

The biggest concern for inmate advocates is Pennsylvania’s geriatric prisoners, who account for nearly 10% of the state’s total prison population, and the hundreds of other inmates currently held in infirmaries.

Prison officials said during budget hearings in 2019 that more than 400 inmates are receiving care at three long-term facilities: SCI-Laurel Highlands, Somerset County; SCI-Waymart, Wayne County, and SCI Muncy, Lycoming County.

If that population gets infected, prisons will have no choice but to use outside medical providers and hospitals to treat inmates with respiratory issues.

SCI Laurel Highlands is the state’s primary geriatric institution. With 1,521 inmates, it currently houses more people than it can hold and has just four ventilators, according to the ACLU. An additional 18 of the state’s 25 correctional institutions are in similar straits.

“Almost all of these institutions are in rural regions of Pennsylvania that are going to have substantially less hospital space than there is in the larger cities,” Grote said. If COVID-19 spreads inside a prison, “it’s going to devastate the elderly and the immunocompromised.”

In response, advocates are calling on the state to follow the lead of other counties to reduce the state’s inmate population.

In a letter, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, the Abolitionist Law Society, and the Amistad Law Project asked Gov. Tom Wolf to grant medical furloughs and release elderly inmates along with those who have complex medical needs.

“The current moment demands that we bring as many people home as quickly and safely as possible to avert a human rights catastrophe,” the ACLU said in a statement. “We must figure out how to reduce the number of people who are clustered together and by doing so reduce the amount of harm that will come when COVID-19 hits the prisons.”

On March 16, Wetzel, the corrections secretary, said in an interview that simply releasing inmates wasn’t a viable option. He said there need to be reentry policies and procedures in place, and that takes time.

“We have zero discretion to release inmates from state prison,” he said, adding that if the legislature approached him to create criteria to furlough certain prisoners, he would provide that.

“But it’s not so simple. Release them to what? Do they have a place to go? Do they have health care? There’s a bunch of considerations,” he said.

Documents show corrections officials are stocking up on emergency ready-to-eat meals, with the agency applying for $3 million in funds.

“Due to (the) threat of COVID-19, (the Department of Corrections) needs to be able to have the resources to provide inmate meals should we have a case inside an institution,” a corrections employee said in a request for funds.

The request said boxed meals are the only way the department can continue to feed inmates and staff during a COVID-19 outbreak. The order would provide 10 days of meals.

Without the meals, “inmates would have (to) eat in the dining halls, which increase the risk of spreading the virus, thus presenting a threat to the health and welfare of both inmates and staff,” the request, approved Wednesday, said.

(This story was produced as part of a joint effort among Spotlight PA, LNP Media Group, PennLive, PA Post and WITF to cover how Pennsylvania state government is responding to the coronavirus. Sign up for Spotlight PA’s newsletter. Donate at spotlightpa.org/donate.)

Lehigh Valley Health Network said it is taking an innovative approach to extend the use of N-95 respirator masks used by caregivers as protection against the coronavirus.

LVHN colleagues are recycling surgical wrap, common blue sanitary sheets that protect operating room instruments before they are used and making coverings for N-95 masks, the company announced Friday evening in a news release.

Using the sterile wrap adds an extra barrier if put over the N-95 mask and it will make them last a lot longer,.

“There’s a sense of urgency as its been well documented that health care providers everywhere are running low on N-95 respirator masks,” Donald Hougendobler, LVHN’s director of environment and sustainability, was quoted in the release. “In the last 24 hours, our team has created a prototype, received approvals from infection control and prevention and public safety and emergency management and gathered supplies to construct mask covers.”

Brian Downs, LVHN public information officer, said Saturday that 1,200 masks had been made thus far.

Although such numbers are tracked, Downs said he didn’t have details on the network’s mask supply or how long it might last under current conditions with the coronavirus. He said the supply is being used “judiciously” and that LVHN encourages others in the community to assist with making masks that would serve a similar purpose as a surgical mask.

“There have been several reports about communities doing this and we also encourage it and welcome their help. We will be providing information and examples for those who are interested,” Downs said via email.

The effort on Friday involved colleagues joining at the school of nursing building at Lehigh Valley Hospital-17th Street to construct blue wrap mask coverings. They practiced social distancing to keep each other safe by setting up small work stations throughout the room, LVHN said.

One mask can be made every two minutes with a few supplies, including blue sterile wrap, a hole punch and twine. These blue wrap mask coverings greatly increase the lifespan of N-95 respirator masks, Hougendobler said.

Woman charged with retail theft

HOMETOWN — A Tamaqua woman was arrested by state police at Frackville and charged with retail theft after an incident at the Walmart store on Plaza Drive in Rush Township around 2:50 p.m. March 15.

Police said Elisabetta Monterosso, 36, was apprehended by store loss prevention officers.

The woman will now have to appear before Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua.

Police investigate criminal mischief

NEW RINGGOLD — A criminal mischief incident that happened at 11 Hunter Lane in East Brunswick Township between 3 p.m. March 5 and 9:30 a.m. March 6 is being investigated by state police at Frackville.

Police said Jennifer Strouse, New Ringgold, reported someone damaged the plastic cover to her mailbox that is located along the berm area of East Schmaltzdahl Road.

Damage is estimated at $30 and police ask that anyone with information to call them at 570-874-5300.

Man allegedly possessed drugs

GIRARDVILLE — A borough man was arrested by state police at Frackville and charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia after an incident around 8:20 a.m. March 14.

Police said they were called to the 100 block of North Fourth Street for a report of a man lying on the ground and found Zachary Kessler, 23, to the rear of a home at 100 N. Fourth St.

The investigation determined that Kessler was in possession of marijuana. He was taken to a hospital and will now have to answer to the charges before Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville.

Man not injured

in crash on I-81

FRACKVILLE — A Conyngham man escaped injury when the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado he was driving crashed in the southbound lanes of Interstate 81, at mile marker 123.8 in New Castle Township, around 9:05 a.m. March 13.

State police at Frackville said Luke J. Lynch, 33, was driving south when he became distracted, causing his vehicle to go off the road and hit a guide rail.

Police said Lynch was wearing his seat belt and will receive a citation as a result of the crash.

Man allegedly on phone when crashed

MAR LIN — State police at Schuylkill Haven investigated a crash that happened on East Maple Avenue in Norwegian Township around 3:10 p.m. March 12.

Police said Edward L. Rich, 54, of Pottsville, was driving a 2010 Nissan Murano and using his cellphone when he went off the road and struck a utility pole, causing disabling damage to his vehicle and major damage to the pole.

Rich was not injured but police said he will be cited for driving at an unsafe speed as a result of the crash.

Police seek thief of spice from store

MINERSVILLE — State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating a possible theft that happened at BG’s Value Market at Kings Village in Norwegian Township around 4:40 p.m. Feb. 25.

Police said someone stole food spice valued at $3.50 and fled the area in a 2015 Nissan.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-754-4600.

Police investigate stolen ATV

POTTSVILLE — The theft of an ATV between 4 p.m. Feb. 21 and 7 p.m. March 2 is being investigated by state police at Schuylkill Haven.

Police said Raymond Gradwell and Carl Gradwell reported someone stole a red 2002 Honda TRX 400EX from their property at 42 Seven Stars Road.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-754-4600.