MOUNT CARMEL — A borough fire chief was resuscitated after being pulled from one of seven attached homes that were damaged Monday in a four-alarm fire along South Walnut Street.

James Reed Sr., a firefighter of American Hose & Chemical Company and second assistant chief of the borough, was in critical condition Monday when he was transferred to the Regional Burn Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest from Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, according to a Geisinger nursing supervisor. He remained in critical condition at 10 p.m. Monday, a Lehigh Valley Hospital spokeswoman said.

First responders from five counties manned more than 50 emergency vehicles — fire engines, ladder trucks, pumpers and ambulances — at the scene. It took nearly four hours to extinguish the blaze. Thirteen people were displaced, and flames gutted at least three of the homes.

Fire was initially discovered inside 217 S. Walnut St. and reported to 911 at 11:40 a.m. It spread to neighboring 219 S. Walnut and continued north and south, from 211 to 223 S. Walnut.

An investigation was under way Monday evening with a state police fire marshal on scene.

Chief rescued

Reed and several other firefighters were attacking flames from the interior of 213 S. Walnut St. when the fire rapidly escalated.

“When they went up into the second floor they were hit with a barrage of fire,” Mount Carmel Township police Chief Brian Hollenbush said.

For a reason that is still unclear, Reed went into cardiac arrest.

Mayday was sounded at 1 p.m. A Rapid Intervention Team from Englewood, Butler Township, raced into the burning building to find the fallen man.

“When I told the RIT team to go in and get him, it was very stressful,” Hollenbush said. “We didn’t know who was in there.”

The rescue was complicated by a sudden lack of water.

“The fire hose actually broke,” Hollenbush said.

Less than 10 minutes later, hoses trained on the facades were cut off and Reed was carried on a litter and placed onto a gurney on the street.

A paramedic pumped at Reed’s chest for three tense minutes as he lay motionless. Others helped intubate Reed and monitor his heart rate. Firefighters huddled around as the active scene came to a momentary halt.

The gurney was rolled to an awaiting ambulance a half-block away, and Reed was taken to Mount Carmel Area High School, where a Life Flight helicopter had landed. He was conscious while loaded onto the aircraft, borough police Chief Todd Owens reported about 90 minutes later.

“He was asking if the fire had been knocked down yet,” Owens said. “That speaks volumes of Jim as a person and as a professional with the fire department for many years.”

There was speculation that Reed’s breathing apparatus had caught fire. The equipment was secured for investigation, Owens said.

After a fact-finding meeting Monday night at the Anthracite Fire Company, Owens said the incident was still under investigation and he could not specify if Reed had suffered a medical emergency or if his cardiac arrest was related to the fire.

Hollenbush commended the RIT team and other firefighters for their work in rescuing Reed.

“With the stress of knowing one of their brothers went down, they did a phenomenal job,” he said.

Reed’s son, James Jr., wrote on Facebook as word spread about his dad.

“Thanks for the thoughts and good wishes. I know everyone is worried about him only thing we know right now is that he has some burns in his airway and is being transferred to Lehigh Valley Burn Unit,” he wrote.

Passersby help

The only home occupied at the time was 215 S. Walnut. Karen McGinley was inside with her elderly mother, Betty Mann, who is homebound. A passerby knocked on her front door to alert anyone inside, and that’s when her smoke detectors first sounded.

“Until then, we didn’t smell or hear anything,” McGinley said.

Gilbert Petraskie and Jason Hollenbach saw the smoke rising skyward from three blocks away and hustled to the scene. They began knocking on doors, including McGinley’s.

“We helped carry out (Mann) in a wheelchair,” Petraskie said.

Hollenbach got two dogs from inside 217 S. Walnut. A third, a golden retriever, hustled out on its own. Hollenbach said steam was rising from its fur coat.

As he helped feed a hose into the front door, the ex-firefighter heard music and went inside, but said the staircase was aflame. When he left, there was steam rising from his own body.

Saved by breakfast

Gloria Holmes was at Village Towne Restaurant two miles away, eating breakfast with family when she received a phone call that her house was on fire.

It was her dogs that were saved, and she believes breakfast saved her daughter, Cassandra, 19.

“Thank God we got her to go to breakfast because she didn’t want to go,” Holmes said, standing a few doors away as smoke billowed from her home at 217 S. Walnut.

“She would have been stuck in that bedroom,” Holmes said, motioning to a front bedroom, an area that appeared to sustain the heaviest fire damage.

McGinley expressed gratitude to the first responders, and sympathy for Reed.

“My prayers are with the firefighter who was hurt. That’s a shame,” McGinley said.

Staff Writerr Sarah DeSantis contributed to this report)

Irish soda bread will be found on most Irish dinner tables today because of its growing popularity in America.

“My understanding is that yeast was difficult to come by ... Using (baking) soda to rise is easier to come by, so that is kind of the reason it’s popular and it’s easy to make. It becomes a tradition,” Kevin Hall, officer of the Ancient Order of Hibernians state board and Dauphin County’s Bobby Sands Division, said Monday.

Soda bread is attributed to the Irish “not by choice, but by a state of poverty that made it the easiest and least expensive bread to put on the table,” according to www.sodabread.info/history.

Irish soda bread is not a bread used for sandwiches.

“It’s more or less like a dessert. It’s in a loaf, yes, but there’s sugar in it. It’s different,” Joseph “Hap” Anthony, Minersville, Irish show organizer with CMI Entertainment, said Monday.

Anthony has been to Ireland four times and is well versed on his Irish heritage.

“I’d call it more of a breakfast or, maybe, before-dinner bread,” Hall said.

There are various types of Irish soda bread recipes depending on the baker’s preference.

“I’ve seen many different types of soda bread. Some are made with brown sugar. The thing is they do not use confectioners sugar in Ireland. All the sugar is raw sugar. Raw breaks the fat down the right way,” Anthony said.

Irish soda bread sales have already increased this year in Redner’s Warehouse Markets, based in Reading.

“We’re actually up a 25 percent increase in soda bread sales this year, which is very nice,” Eric B. White, corporate spokesman, said Monday. A representative in Schuylkill County was not available for comment.

Despite the growing popularity of the bread, Boyer’s Food Markets, Pottsville, is one of the few places in Schuylkill County that sells it.

“We don’t sell it year-round but we’ll sell it until it’s gone,” Jessica Salisbury, 29, bakery manager, said Monday.

The first shipment of Irish soda bread dough came in a couple of weeks ago and is nearly sold out. Salisbury ordered another batch expected to arrive this week.

Last year, the bread sold until Easter time.

Boyer’s offers two types of Irish soda bread — one with and without a hard sugar coating.

The store is also selling Irish soda bread scones for the first time this year.

“I just started that here. They never used to sell them,” Salisbury said.

The scones are smaller versions of Irish soda bread coated completely in hard sugar and proofed a little longer.

Irish soda bread scones sell for the same price as loaves, currently $2.50.

Hall, Anthony and Salisbury agreed that Irish soda bread is easy to make.

Boyer’s bakes its soda bread at 350 degrees for 20 minutes after proofing, which is “just like putting it in a humidity box to let it rise,” Salisbury said.

The bread has a five-day shelf life.

Salisbury bakes her bread in the store and then takes it home for her family.

“My kids love it,” she said. “If I wasn’t baking it at work, I’d be baking it at home.”

Hall also bakes Irish soda bread each year as a family tradition.

“It’s easy to make. I’ve made it myself and I make it every year with my family. It’s tough because you’re not supposed to knead it too much, so there isn’t a whole lot of work to be done,” Hall said.

Hall uses a recipe handed down from his mother with no fruit in it, though he’s seen Irish soda bread with raisins, blueberries or cranberries in it.

“One thing you generally need is buttermilk. I’m not sure if there’s a substitute for that,” he said. He also doesn’t use any hard sugar to coat the bread and prefers a little butter or jam on top.

Those who want to try baking homemade Irish soda bread can find traditional recipes online at www.sodabread.info/menu.

Truck driver

cited in crash

FRACKVILLE — A Virginia truck driver will be cited by borough police after a crash Monday afternoon.

Frackville police said Lewis Wendell Henderson, 35, of Fredericksburg, was driving a 2014 Freightliner tractor-trailer south on Route 61 when he said he lost control in the area of Oak and Elm streets after being distracted while reaching down.

Police said the truck went off the road, traveled 142 feet and struck a utility pole before continuing an additional 251 feet, coming to a stop in front of Boyer’s Food Markets.

Police said the crash knocked out power to the community for about 15 minutes and then for several hours to 48 customers after the majority of those had power restored.

Police said officers from Shenandoah, West Mahanoy Township and Butler Township assisted with traffic control and firefighters from Saint Clair and Shenandoah assisted at the scene.

Henderson will be charged with careless driving as a result of the crash that closed Route 61 for several hours, police said.

3 face charges

in retail theft

ELIZABETHVILLE — Three Lykens residents were charged with retail theft in separate incidents that occurred at Wal-Mart, 200 Kocher Lane, in his Dauphin County community earlier this month, police said.

State police at Lykens said Shannon Marie Zerby, 31, and James F. Hoke, 31, were charged after they stole a variety of household items valued at $28.47 on March 4.

Zerby, Hoke and Linda Shomper, 57, were charged after stealing various household items valued at $4.68.

All three will have to answer to the charges before Magisterial District Judge Rebecca Margerum, police said.

Philly man faces

charges after stop

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — A Philadelphia man is facing charges after a traffic stop by state police at Schuylkill Haven in the southbound lanes of Route 61, between Seven Stars Road and Aldi, at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

Police said they stopped a 2007 Nissan Quest driven by Tarik Hobbs, 34, after seeing several traffic violations and found the man to be under the influence of a controlled substance.

After being administered field sobriety tests, police said Hobbs was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street for a blood test. Charges are pending the outcome of that test, police said.

Car strikes rock,

2 escape injury

DEER LAKE — Two people were not hurt when the 1998 Dodge Stratus they were in struck a large rock on Route 61, Centre Turnpike, just south of State Game Lands Road in West Brunswick Township, at 12:30 a.m. Thursday, police said.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said Arthur G. Frey, 51, of Orwigsburg, was driving north in the right lane when he saw a vehicle sitting along the berm and moved toward the left lane to pass it. While changing lanes, police said Frey struck the large boulder on the road, causing his oil pan to rupture.

Frey and his passenger, Joseph Maddis, 22, of Barnesville, were not hurt but Frey’s car had to be towed from the scene, police said.

Truck rear-ended

on Route 183

CRESSONA — A man was charged for following too close after he rear-ended a vehicle stopped for traffic at 11:54 a.m. Friday on Pottsville Street, Route 183, police said.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said Jonathan M. Fowler, 29, of Mahanoy City, was driving south on Route 183 when he failed to see Frederick M. Gladfelter, 62, of Leesport, stopped for traffic. Fowler struck the back end of the 2010 Ford F150 with the front end of his 2011 Ford Fusion.

Cressona Fire Company No. 1 assisted at the scene, police said, noting that traffic was backed up for a period of time near Pottsville Street and the entrance exit area of Sapa until the vehicles could be removed from the scene.

Trucks collide

on Interstate 81

PINE GROVE — A truck driver crashed into the back of another truck driver’s vehicle at 10:45 a.m. Friday on Interstate 81 south, police said.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said Shane G. Wilson, 39, of Settlement, Nebraska, was driving in the right lane of Interstate 81 south when his Freightliner CAS struck the back of a International Harvester CON driven by Terrance W. Archer, 65, of Moose Mountain, Nebraska, directly in front of him.

The International Harvester CON was towed from the scene, police said, and Wilson was cited for following a vehicle too closely.

ORWIGSBURG — Schuylkill County prosecutors have withdrawn charges against the former employee of the Schuylkill Conservation District who allegedly stole nearly $450,000 from the organization.

However, Virginia G. Kunigonis will only be exchanging one court system for another, as federal prosecutors have taken the case, District Attorney Christine A. Holman said Tuesday.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office recognized there were federal moneys involved,” Holman said. “The conservation district operates on grants from the federal government as well as money from the county.”

Kunigonis, 53, of 60 Fourth Ave., Pottsville, no longer faces five counts of forgery and one each of theft, theft by deception and access device fraud. She had been scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier at 1 p.m. Monday for a preliminary hearing on the charges.

Holman said the U.S. Attorney’s Office contacted her about handling the case.

“They’re going to prosecute on the full amount,” Holman said. “They’re going to prosecute to the fullest.”

State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged Kunigonis, who was the district’s conservation fiscal technician, took $449,064.07 between September 2007 and May 2014. Police said Kunigonis admitted taking the money, saying she used it to pay credit card bills and buy trips.

Police said Kunigonis, who was in charge of making payments to companies for conservation work done throughout the county, started generating checks in her name, her husband’s name or Card Member Services, which was a credit card held by her husband.

Kunigonis would sign the name of District Manager Elizabeth Hinkel or one of four other people associated with the district — Stanley Fidler, Paul Lohin, Glenn Luckenbill or Craig Morgan — to the checks, police said. Then, she would either cash the check or make a credit card payment, according to police.

After that, Kunigonis would make a duplicate check paying the company for services, but the money would be deducted from the district’s county account, police said. Once Kunigonis received a canceled check, she would paste the company’s name over her own, according to police.

Police said that during an audit of the district, officials discovered two manila folders under Kunigonis’ desk that contained credit card statements and other documents showing that she had taken the money.

Hinkel then contacted M&T Bank, received copies of checks from 2012, 2013 and 2014 and noticed numerous unauthorized checks written and signed by Kunigonis, police said.

Holman said the scale of the allegations makes a federal prosecution more feasible.

“The federal government has vast resources. I was going to have to involve every single detective in the ... office” in investigating the claims, Holman said.

She said retailers would have had to come to court from around the country in order to testify that Kunigonis made purchases.

Those factors would not have prevented Holman from handling the case.

“I was ready to take that case,” she said.

Furthermore, Kunigonis faces harsher punishment under federal sentencing guidelines, Holman said.

She does not think federal authorities have filed the case yet against Kunigonis.

A 52-year-old unlicensed hunter who hit two Tamaqua teenagers with one rifle shot during bear season last year faces a preliminary hearing on several charges next week.

Anthony H. Pascoe, Tamaqua, said his rifle discharged as he unloaded it and the shot struck a girl and boy near Green Street in the borough on Nov. 25, an officer of the Pennsylvania Game Commission said in a probable cause affidavit.

Earlier in the day, Pascoe said he had been target shooting at rocks, the affidavit states.

The wounded girl, however, said Pascoe told her that he thought he was shooting at an animal when he shot her, according to a statement she gave to Wildlife Conservation Officer Kenneth Clouser, the affidavit said.

The boy initially didn’t speak to officers because of the severity of his injury, the affidavit said.

Tamaqua Area School District Superintendent Carol Makuta said one of the victims is being instructed in the district now, and the other has moved away from the district.

After the shot hit the juveniles, Pascoe said he ran to them as they lay on a hillside and used one of their cellphones to call 911.

Tamaqua police took a rifle and two knives from Pascoe while one victim was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest and another to St. Luke’s University Hospital-Bethlehem.

A day later, Pascoe met with wildlife officers and showed them where his rifle discharged. The spot was within the safety zone of several homes, the affidavit said.

State law prohibits hunting in safety zones, which are within 150 yards of occupied buildings.

Pascoe is charged with hunting in a safety zone, two counts of recklessly endangering another person, two counts of shooting at or causing injury while hunting, target shooting during big game season and hunting without a license.

Pascoe’s hunting license was a year old, the affidavit states.

The affidavit also said Clouser was dispatched to the shooting about 5:30 p.m. Legal hunting in Schuylkill County ended at 5:10 p.m. on Nov. 25, according to the Game Commission’s hunting hours table for 2014-15.

District Judge Stephen Bayer, Tamaqua, scheduled a preliminary hearing for Pascoe for noon March 24.

In 2013, the most recent year for which figures are available, the Game Commission reported 27 hunting-related shootings occurred, the lowest total since 1915.

Accidental shootings have declined partly due to requirements that hunters wear orange and pass a safety course, which teaches them to avoid safety zones and to positively identify a target before firing.

On Tuesday, a Pine Grove man challenged two nominating petitions for prospective candidates for the Pine Grove Area school board.

In separate lawsuits, Ronald Boltz alleged Donald E. Brown Jr. improperly circulated one of his own petitions and that J.T. Herber had an unqualified person circulate one of his petitions.

Boltz asked the court to set aside Brown’s petition seeking one of the Democratic nominations and Herber’s petition seeking one of the Republican nominations.

No hearing has yet been scheduled on either petition.

Brown and Herber are each running in the May 19 primary election for seats on the Pine Grove Area school board.

In his lawsuit against Brown, Boltz alleged that the candidate listed himself as the circulator of his own Democratic nominating petition. However, Brown is a Republican and the state Election Code requires a Democrat to circulate a petition for a Democratic nomination, Boltz alleged.

Boltz said in his lawsuit against J.T. Herber that John T. Herber Jr. is listed as a circulator of the candidate’s petition for the Republican nomination. Boltz alleged that John Herber Jr. does not live at his listed address and is not a registered Republican there.

When “about 100” farmers came out to the fifth annual Schuylkill County Ag Day educational program in 2014, the Schuylkill Conservation District’s board of directors was hoping for a bigger turnout for the sixth.

Anticipating a crowd, the conservation district even moved the March 12 event from the lower level conference room at First United Church of Christ in Schuylkill Haven to the Health & Wellness Building at 200 University Drive, Penn State Schuylkill, a venue which could have accommodated 250, Elizabeth A. Hinkel, district manager, said.

But the turnout did not meet expectations.

“This year, we had about 50 to 55 farmers. Last year, we had about 100. We’re not sure what happened. Next year, we hope we can have a better turnout locally,” Hinkel said at the conservation district board of director’s March meeting Tuesday.

“It’s not for a want of getting the word out. I know it was in the newspaper,” Patrick M. “Porcupine Pat” McKinney, the conservation district’s environmental education coordinator, said.

Ag Day, a series of informational workshops to educate local farmers, is organized by the Schuylkill County Ag Team, which includes the Pennsylvania Natural Resources Conservation Service, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Schuylkill Conservation District and USDA Farm Service Agency. The event included a trade show with more than 15 exhibitors. And the featured speaker was Marion Calmer, the president of Calmer Ag Research and CEO of Calmer Corn Heads Inc., Alpha, Illinois.

Holding the event in a central location might be an issue, she said.

“If we took this meeting to any of the farming communities in any part of the county and plopped it there, that whole valley would be there. But asking them to come out of that valley and drive to a central location it just drops off. We have broken that barrier to some point. Ten years ago, I would have never fathomed having a countywide meeting. We were never able to do it. Ag Day is the first real big countywide meeting that we put together that has lasted some. We’re seeing progress,” Hinkel said.

“Maybe farmers could be surveyed. Ask them ‘What would make you come out to Ag Day?’ ” McKinney said.

“The thing is the farmers that we get the response from are the ones who come, and they do give us feedback. If we ask ‘How do we get your neighbors there?’ there’s no good answer. We don’t know why,” Hinkel said.

In other matters, the conservation district board decided to extend the contract of Zelenkofske Axelrod LLC, Harrisburg, for audit services.

“This would be for years 2016 through 2018,” Hinkel said.

But in the voice vote, conservation board Chairman Glenn Luckenbill said “nay.”

“The concern I have is during the years 2016 through 2018 will the county be using the same auditor? And I have that concern because I feel whoever does our audit should be the same people who do the county audit. We do have an election this fall. We can’t say if we’re going to have the same commissioners from 2016 through 2018,” Luckenbill said.

Zelenkofske Axelrod, also known as ZA, provided auditing services for Schuylkill County from 1991 until 2009, when the commissioners hired Pottsville accountant San Deegan. The commissioners terminated its contract with Deegan in December 2012 and rehired ZA in March 2013, according to the archives of The Republican-Herald.

“I assume I would have to sign that. And I do have problems putting my signature down if I don’t know for sure if ZA will be the county auditor in those years because I feel, again, our auditor for the conservation district audit should be the same auditor for the county. I have very strong feelings about that,” Luckenbill said.

“How come?” Diana Beausang, an associate director, asked.

“Compatibility. Cooperation. I have no problem with the firm. I just want to make sure the county’s using the same firm,” Luckenbill said.

Luckenbill said the board could table the matter to ask the commissioners if they have approved an extension.

“ZA’s been good to work with. And I like the fact that they did audits in the past and they’re familiar with the conservation district. It doesn’t matter to me if we table it. But I will say when they come in to do the district audit, it’s completely separate from when they come in to do the county audit. I don’t know if it makes a difference either way,” Hinkel said.

With a motion by district Treasurer Stanley Fidler, which was seconded by farm Director Helen Masser, the board approved the contract extension with “aye” votes from Vice Chairman Scott Graver and directors F. Diane Wolfgang, Glenn Hetherington and Eric Leiby.

RINGTOWN — Borough officials are asking residents to check for proper identification and a borough permit for door-to-door solicitors.

Several residents contacted the borough this week about being approached at their homes by people about changing the source of their electric service. The solicitors did not have a proper permit to do so, which is required by ordinance in Ringtown.

Borough council President Julian Milewski said Tuesday that he wanted to get the word out that residents should be cautious.

“I just want to alert local residents that someone is coming around without registering,” Milewski said. “Some older folks might let them into their homes and something could happen. If you see something or suspect something, check with borough hall to see if they are registered.”

To contact the borough hall, call 570-889-3095.

“The solicitation permit is required to sell anything door-to-door in Ringtown borough,” Milewski said. “This simple registration provides borough hall and the police the information to track vendors doing door-to-door in the borough. It never gives permission for sales reps to gain access to someone’s home.”

Mayor Albert Breznik Jr. said he had spoken to the solicitors on Saturday and told them what they needed to do to operate legally in the borough.

“On Saturday, March 14, we had a group of young people going door-to-door in the borough soliciting residents to change their power generation supplier,” Breznik said. “These individuals were presenting a solicitation permit issued by the Borough of Shenandoah and claimed ignorance that they thought they were still in Shenandoah. Several residents were uneasy about the solicitation and the solicitors wanting to see past energy bills, and they reported the situation.”

Breznik said a borough police officer was called to the scene.

“The situation was handled by Officer Ted Buriak, who grouped the individuals together, presented them with a copy of the borough solicitation ordinance, informed them to cease and leave the borough, returning once the proper permit was obtained,” Breznik said.

Ordinance 2-11 of 2011 sets the regulations concerning solicitation within the borough.

“We want residents to be aware that any solicitor who shows up must present photo identification and a permit issued by the Borough of Ringtown to perform such activities.” Breznik said. “If there is any reason to suspect unwarranted activity, residents are urged to contact the police at 570-462-1991 immediately.”

Breznik said anyone wanting to solicit in the borough must first register at the borough hall between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays and obtain a permit.

Police announce

DUI checkpoints

The North Central Regional Sobriety Checkpoint DUI Taskforce announced that Sobriety Checkpoints and Roving DUI Patrols will be conducted now through Monday on routes 61, 183, 901, 209, 1006, 309, 1008, 443, 895, 125, 25, 924 and 54.

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

Hegins woman

charged in crash

WEISHAMPLE — Two people escaped injury when their vehicles collided about 11:30 a.m. Monday on Weishample Road, just south of Deep Creek Road in Barry Township.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said Brandi M. Huber, 21, of Hegins, was driving a 2003 Ford Escape turning left from Deep Creek Road onto Weishample Road when she drove into the path of a 1998 Freightliner truck driven by Carl D. Zimmerman Jr., 61, also of Hegins.

Police said Zimmerman was traveling straight on Weishample Road approaching the intersection when his truck was hit on the front by the Huber SUV.

Hegins Area EMS and Hegins Valley firefighters assisted at the scene, police said, adding that Huber will be cited for driving too fast for conditions as a result of the crash.

Model trains taken

from store in ’14

HAMBURG — State police at Hamburg are investigating a theft that occurred sometime between Nov. 11 and Dec. 25, 2014 at Ray’s Train Store, North Third Street and Old Route 22, Upper Bern Township.

According to information from state police sent The Republican-Herald on Tuesday, someone stole model trains from the store owned by Ray Goelbert, 35, of S. Rabbit Run Road, Orwigsburg.

Anyone with information is asked to contact state police at Hamburg at 610-562-6885.

HARRISBURG — A year-long investigation into landowner complaints about Chesapeake Energy’s handling of gas royalty payments is wrapping up, state Attorney General Kathleen Kane told senators Tuesday.

Kane gave assurances to Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, there will be a resolution to issues regarding antitrust law and consumer protection that stem from Chesapeake’s practice of deducting post-production costs from royalty payments to landowners in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Kane, a West Scranton Democrat, fielded questions from the senator about the Chesapeake probe during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.

She said officials from the consumer protection bureau and antitrust section have conducted a lot of interviews with landowners and reviewed many lease

documents. Former Gov. Tom Corbett and Sen. Gene Yaw, R-23, Williamsport, both asked the attorney general in early 2014 to investigate Chesapeake’s royalty payments.

“It’s (Chesapeake case) a significant concern for many of my constituents who believe they are being scammed,” Baker said.

Baker said later the Chesapeake investigation has gone on for a long time, but she’s glad the attorney general is promising a resolution to the issues raised by the complaints.

With the recent decline in gas prices and post-production deductions, some landowners are not getting any money in their royalty checks, the senator said.

“I was very pleased to hear that the Attorney General’s investigation into this issue will be wrapping up soon,” Yaw said. “My office has corresponded directly with General Kane since last year and sent over 50 leases on behalf of my constituents to her office for her consideration.”

The Schuylkill County Conservation District received approval from the county municipal authority Tuesday for a new educational walking trail.

The planned Blackwood Trail would wind through property owned by the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority, which approved a memorandum of understanding to allow the construction.

The area, a former railroad bed, is a 7-mile stretch that runs west of the conservation district’s offices at 1206 Ag Centre Drive, just off state Route 901. Patrick M. “Porcupine Pat” McKinney, the conservation district’s environmental education coordinator, introduced the concept of the Blackwood Trail in February to the conservation district’s board of directors.

“It’s only conceptual. The first step is to provide a feasibility study,” Patrick M. Caulfield, SCMA executive director, said at the authority’s monthly board meeting Tuesday.

“The Memorandum of Understanding states that SCMA agrees to work with the Schuylkill Conservation District to provide any necessary documentation and be available for meetings to guide the Conservation District in preparation of a grant application for a feasibility study of the property. The feasibility study intends to explore a 10-foot-wide gravel path along the Gordon Nagle Trail, from Beckville to Blackwood,” Amy S. Batdorf, the authority’s assistant director, said.

“Hopefully, this will be part of that trail that ties into the Schuylkill River Trail that goes to Philadelphia,” William “Bill” Reichert, president of Schuylkill Headwaters Association, said in a phone interview Tuesday.

Reichert is also a member of the board of directors for the nonprofit Schuylkill River Greenway Association, Pottstown, which manages the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

“We’re very happy the municipal authority sees the benefits to everyone to put the trail in,” Reichert said.

The Schuylkill County Parks and Recreation Department will apply for the grant on behalf of the Schuylkill County Conservation District. The deadline to apply is April 15, Reichert said

At the conservation district’s March meeting Tuesday, Drew Kline, assistant director of the county parks and recreation department, said he and Bob Evanchalk, the department director, have started working on an application for a matching grant, which will be sent to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg.

On Tuesday, the conservation district board agreed to be the “grantee” and will oversee the use of the grant, if it is received.

Kline said if the state provides a $25,000 grant, the county will have to match it with $25,000, and he told the conservation district board how he and Evanchalk were planning to accomplish that.

“We’re sending out letters asking for support. We’ve already had one commitment from the Schuylkill River Greenway Association for $5,000,” Kline said.

Once a plan is put together, Reichert said SCMA will review it.

“As soon as we get the grant approved and get some funding we would start,” Reichert said.

That could happen in the early fall or winter, he said, adding the feasibility study could take nine months to a year to complete.

In other news at SCMA’s meeting Tuesday, the board approved a $44,000 proposal by engineering consultant Gannett Fleming Inc., Camp Hill, for an investigation into the Mount Laurel and Kauffman reservoirs. The investigation would gather more data on water sources for the reservoirs and what amount of usage from those sources is considered a safe yield of water. The study will aid a renewal submission for the reservoir operation permits.

The Mount Laurel subsystem gets its water from two sources: the Mount Laurel Reservoir and the Kauffman Reservoir. When additional water is needed, the Gordon well is used.

The municipal authority does not have a plan in place to regulate water usage. Batdorf said previously that having such a plan would improve efficiency in events such as a drought emergency. Presently, workers drive to both reservoirs to check the levels when such a situation occurs.

The municipal authority also discussed the Mahanoy Business Park project. The SCMA is adding a 500,000-gallon water storage tank to serve the business park in Mahanoy and Ryan townships, as well as the village of Vulcan. The project includes the installation of 20,000 linear feet of 8-inch and 12-inch water lines.

According to a summary of the project on the SCMA website, the project will extend a 12-inch water main from New Boston, east along Morea Road to Vulcan and the commercial/industrial section of Mahanoy Business Park. The new water tank will be constructed adjacent to Interstate 81 near Fabcon Inc. and Corsicana Bedding Inc., with an expected completion date of May. The $4 million project is funded through a loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure and Investment Authority, a state financing program.

The municipal authority went over possible advertising plans. Advertisements in the form of logos might be put on the 107-foot 6-inch water tank that will be constructed in the Mahanoy Business Park off Interstate 81. Motorists driving south would see a logo for Main Stay Suites and those driving north would see a logo for Mountain Valley Golf Course. An SCMA logo could face the rear of the tank near Morea and New Boston, Batdorf said.

ORWIGSBURG — Lt. Gov. Mike Stack III returned to Schuylkill County and his Irish roots Tuesday as guest speaker for the annual St. Patrick’s Day luncheon at the Schuylkill Country Club.

“I am here to introduce a very special guest that we are very proud of and very honored to have back with us,” Commissioner Gary J. Hess said. “Our speaker is no stranger to Schuylkill County. Having Irish heritage himself, his mother’s family lived and worked in the Schuylkill County coal fields in the Girardville area.”

Stack served as guest speaker for the luncheon several years ago when he was a state senator. He represented the 5th District from 2001 until he became the state’s 33rd lieutenant governor this year. As the Democratic nominee in the 2014 election, Stack and Gov. Tom Wolf defeated incumbent Republicans Tom Corbett and Jim Cawley.

“It’s a great thing to be of Irish descent,” Stack said. “We are very proud, but we are also very humble at the same time. Irish Americans have made a huge impact and will continue to make a huge mark in the future driving this country forward.”

Stack, 51, now of Indiantown Gap, said he was invited back by a friend, former Pottsville Mayor John D.W. Reiley, who he met through his late father.

“In fact, anybody who is anybody I probably met through my father,” Stack said. “He loved St. Patrick’s Day and he loved being around the Irish. He also spoke here a number of years ago.”

Stack also said his father taught him everything he knows about politics, human nature and his Irish heritage. His grandfather, Michael J. Stack, was from Ireland and served as a U.S. Representative under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“This is such a great country, that my grandfather not only had a good life, he had a chance to run for electoral Congress and served under President FDR,” Stack said.

During his grandfather’s time in Congress, Stack said there were many laws passed to benefit the working class. That includes legislation establishing a 40-hour working week, minimum wage, child labor laws and social security.

Stack said that he and Gov. Tom Wolf want to once again improve life for the working class in Pennsylvania.

“It’s amazing to be in a situation that I am with Gov. Tom Wolf, who I think is going to make a real difference,” Stack said.

Stack said Wolf is a very down-to-earth person who has already been successful. He said Wolf has the ability to get things done and he wants to restore the American Dream that has been fading away for the working class over the last several years in Pennsylvania.

“I think what has built this country has been folks who are immigrants who came to America and sought a dream and they were told if they worked hard that anything can happen in this great country,” Stack said. “I think what we have seen over the last couple years is that the dream has been getting more and more difficult to obtain.”

“Gov. Wolf and I are ready to help do it,” Stack said. “I think we are ready to turn Pennsylvania around, and a big part of that is supporting people who are in the middle, who have had to squeeze and lost opportunities.”

Stack said that over the last five years, Pennsylvania has ranked 47th to 50th in job creation in the country. He said a reason for that is not investing in education. As a result, schools have had to raise property taxes, he said.

“If we invest in young people, which is our greatest natural resource, I think Pennsylvania will once again be in the top five in job creations,” Stack said.

Those are issues highlighted in Gov. Wolf’s budget proposal. Stack said the proposal is bold, but it needed to be.

“There is plenty of room there for compromise in the interest of the people of Pennsylvania,” Stack said. “Gov. Wolf has some big ideas. We are going to combine our efforts and we are going to be able to do great things in the state.”

The annual luncheon is organized by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick’s, an informal organization started in 1976. Former Pottsville Mayor Pottsville Mayor John D.W. Reiley, an original member of the group, was one of the event organizers.

“I think he had a good message and the Schuylkill Country Club is a great host,” Reiley said.

The luncheon was previously held at the Pottsville Club. It was moved to the Schuylkill Country Club last year when the Pottsville Club closed. The event was not a political fundraiser and was attended by both Democratic and Republican leaders in the county.

On Saturday, Stack will once again return to Schuylkill County for the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Girardville.

“I appreciate being with each and everyone of you,” Stack said. “I wish you a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day. Let’s keep it going all week until the Girardville parade on Saturday.”

n Pine Grove: A Chinese and bid auction to benefit Operation Hugs and Kisses is set for Saturday at Hose Hook & Ladder Fire Company No. 1. Doors will open at 8 a.m. and both auctions will begin at 9 a.m. A shop-and-drop for the Chinese auction will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. Proceeds will be distributed among six fire companies in Pine Grove borough and township, Donaldson and Tremont.

n Pottsville: Jeff Buchanan, director of operations for Servants To All, recently addressed the Pottsville Rotary Club, according to the Rotary Bulletin. Buchanan, Pottsville, is a “veteran of the mental health field,” officials said in the bulletin. He said he was retired when he was offered the opportunity with Servants To All and he saw it as an chance to contribute something lasting to the community. He also gave the Rotarians a history of the group, which was started last winter by people who set up a program to shelter homeless folks overnight in three area churches on a rotation setup. Many volunteers served the program, he said, but they encountered obstacles, especially with issues such as alcohol and drug abuse that some of the homeless were involved in. The program for Servants To All has changed completely from last year, in a large part due to Buchanan’s involvement, Rotarians said in the bulletin. The group plans to work with homeless people who do not have mental or behavioral issues and there will be a screening process, including drug testing. People who do not pass the testing process will be referred to other agencies. The group has bought a building at 4 S. Centre St. in downtown Pottsville. It is a four-story, 10,000-square-foot structure. The plan is to set up a retail location on the first floor. Servants To All has partnered with Yuengling Ice Cream to set up a shop, plus Boyer’s Markets to set up a bakery. The retail outlets will provide training opportunities and proceeds from the outlets will help fund the program, Buchanan said. They will not accept any state or federal funding, but will, according to Buchanan, follow policies and procedures as if they were taking such funds. The second and third floor of the building will be set up to present day programs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are no plans to provide overnight shelter. Buchanan estimated that there are about 70 truly homeless individuals in the county at any given time, and attributed the fact only 31 were counted in the official tally to the horrible weather that kept people from reporting. He told the Rotarians that Schuylkill County is one of only three counties in the state without a homeless shelter program and the other two “have more trees than people.” Asked about the setup, Buchanan said he planned for this to be his “one last challenge” and hoped to be part of this program for up to five years and then go back to enjoying retirement.

n Schuylkill Haven: The community’s Island Park Committee will have an Island Park fundraiser at the Deer Lake Pub, Route 61, now through Sunday. For patrons who present a coupon, DLP will donate 10 percent of the food costs to Island Park. For more information, email to havenrec@comcast.net.

n Tamaqua: St. John’s United Church of Christ, 150 Pine St., is sponsoring a halupki sale with pickups set for noon to 2 p.m. Saturday. Call 570-668-2573 by Thursday to order.

n Valley View: Tri-Valley School district kindergarten registration for the 2015-16 school year will be held on April 10, 17 and 24 in the library of the Hegins-Hubley Elementary School. Students from all townships will register at this location on one of the dates, according to a district press release. A complete screening program will be used for all eligible children who will be 5 years old before Sept. 1 to apply for admission to kindergarten. Parents/guardians will need to have the child’s original birth certificate, proof of residency and proof of immunizations. Students will complete basic screening stations, which consist of student information, health records, vision, hearing and speech evaluation and school assessment check. Any parent of an eligible child who did not receive a notification of the registration should call the district office at 570-682-9013, ext. 205.

A three-judge state Superior Court panel has thrown out the appeal of a Pittsburgh man convicted of committing an assault at State Correctional Institution/Mahanoy.

In a three-page opinion, the panel ruled Larry Williams, 43, waited almost 10 years too long to file the appeal.

“The (county) court properly dismissed his petition,” Senior Judge Eugene B. Strassburger III wrote in the panel’s opinion.

As a result, Williams must serve 2 1/2 to 10 years behind state prison bars, the sentence imposed on May 8, 2003, by county Judge John E. Domalakes, who presided over the defendant’s trial. Domalakes made his sentence consecutive to the one Williams already was serving.

Williams is serving his time at SCI/Frackville.

A jury convicted Williams on March 14, 2003, of aggravated assault. State police at Frackville alleged Williams committed the assault on June 26, 2002.

In his opinion, Strassburger wrote that Williams’ sentence became a final judgment on June 26, 2003. Therefore, Williams had one year, until June 26, 2004, to file his petition, according to Strassburger.

Instead, Williams waited until June 25, 2014, to file it, and gave no explanation about why he waited so long, Strassburger wrote.

“The instant petition ... is patently untimely,” he wrote.

Judges Cheryl Lynn Allen and Mary Jane Bowes, the other panel members, joined in Strassburger’s opinion.

Divorces granted

Melanie Barr, Pine Grove, from Jeffrey Barr, Pine Grove.

Kimberly C. Williams, Sacramento, from Martin J. Williams, Tipperary, Ireland.

Rachel Ann Hoagland, Auburn, from Roger Hoagland Jr., Pottsville.

Marriage licenses

Brannon Q. Stout, Hamburg, and Samantha M Kohr, Hamburg.

David Colangecco, Andreas, and Alyssa L. Brodhead, Andreas.

Luke Sullivan, Ashland, and Holly L. Wagner, Ashland.

Driving under the bridge on Mount Carbon Arch Road will feel a little less bumpy by the end of today.

On Monday and Tuesday, state Department of Transportation workers were repairing the numerous potholes that appeared on Centre Street near the arch, Joe Walawender, a bridge foreman for PennDOT District 5, Allentown, who is based in Schuylkill Haven, said Tuesday.

Exposed rebar will also be cut out and filled in. Rebar was visible in the lane going north to Pottsville.

“Everything is going to get done here,” Walawender said.

Walawender said workers were out from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and will be back today to fill in potholes with quick-drying cement. Because of the weather, it takes about 2 1/2 hours or so for the cement to dry.

On Monday, workers filled in potholes on the way out of the city, before the bridge, and on Tuesday, they were filling in the potholes on the west side of the bridge, according to Walawender. He added that workers also removed ice from the bridge.

He said workers were at the site last year making repairs as part of routine maintenance of the roads. Often water accumulates in the vicinity because of poor drainage.

“Last year, we were here patching. I’m surprised it held up as long as it did,” he said.

Motorists thanked Walawender for fixing the potholes.

“Our job is to make people happy, and that is what we are going to do,” he said.

He said potholes are an all to common occurrence during this time of year.

“From winter to spring, it’s always bad for potholes,” he said.

Mount Carbon Mayor Jeffrey J. Dunkel knew the road work was going to be done.

“They (PennDOT) told us they were going to do it as soon as the weather broke,” Dunkel said Tuesday.

“There’s a lot of potholes out there. When you drive through work zones, be safe,” Sean Brown, spokesman for PennDOT District 5, said.

Dunkel said there have been about “a couple of dozen” complaints about the road but no reports of damage. People are being patient for the most part, he said.

“It’s definitely the worst the arch has seen,” he said.

MOUNT CARMEL — Faulty wiring sparked the four-alarm fire Monday that burned through seven homes on South Walnut Street, according to investigators.

And the borough police chief who was suffered cardiac arrest and burns while fighting the devastating fire may return home today.

Borough police Lt. Chris Buhay, Mount Carmel’s fire investigator, said the fire originated in a first-floor living room wall shared by 215-217 S. Walnut St., and that it was accidental.

“It wasn’t an outlet,” Buhay said Tuesday. “It was wiring.”

Those homes are a total loss, Buhay said, adding that it’s likely neighboring homes at 213 and 219 S. Walnut also are destroyed.

The properties at 211, 215, 217 and 223 S. Walnut were insured. Tenants of the latter two did not, however, have renter’s insurance, Buhay said. Vacant homes 213 and 219 S. Walnut, along with 221 S. Walnut were uninsured.

The fire was reported to 911 about 11:40 a.m. Monday. First responders from five counties manned more than 50 emergency vehicles. It took nearly four hours to extinguish the blaze. Thirteen people were displaced.

An investigation began Monday shortly after the fire was extinguished and resumed at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Buhay was joined by Trooper Kirk Renn, a state police fire marshal, Mount Carmel Township Fire Marshal Brian Hollenbush and Mount Carmel borough fire Chief Daniel Cimino.

‘Barrage of fire’

A breathing apparatus worn by injured fireman James Reed Sr. will be tested to determine if it was functioning properly, Buhay said. Anyone with a stake in the testing, including police and fire officials and state inspectors, will need to be present.

Reed and several others were attacking flames inside 213 S. Walnut when the fire rapidly escalated.

“When they went up into the second floor, they were hit with a barrage of fire,” Hollenbush said Tuesday.

The veteran firefighter suffered cardiac arrest and was rescued by others involved in the interior attack and members of a Rapid Intervention Team from the Friendship Fire Company, Englewood, Frackville. He lay on a gurney when paramedics from Elysburg Fire Department Emergency Medical Services began CPR. He was resuscitated minutes later before being loaded onto a Life Flight helicopter.

Reed was transferred from Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, to the Regional Burn Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, where he remained in critical condition Tuesday morning. According to a member of the American Hose & Chemical Company, where Reed is a chief, he was alert and speaking Tuesday morning. An online update from the fire company said Reed could be released as early as today and continue recovery at home.

Members of American Hose established a donation account for Reed at www.youcaring.com/mcfdchief1. It is the only authorized account, according to the fire company.

The Schuylkill County commissioners extended the contract with Greens Communications Inc., Pottsville, for cell tower maintenance services.

The agreement is for $7,281.85 a month for maintenance of the base stations and a single payment of $17,760 for receivers. The contract is for the entire year. Greens Communications has been contracted to maintain the towers for a number of years at the same price, County Controller Christy Joy said.

In other news, fire companies in the Shenandoah area are next in line to receive new radios.

The county commissioners approved an agreement with 11 fire companies for the mobile and portable equipment. Two officers from each company will participate in a training session later this month and will receive the portable radios at that time. The mobile units will be installed later.

Twenty fire companies in the Pottsville area were the first group to enter into an agreement for the radios the county purchased on Dec. 24, 2014. The commissioners approved more than $5 million in funding for 1,140 mobile and portable radios from Motorola Solutions Inc. for fire companies and to supplement police and EMS agencies.

Schuylkill County Fire Chiefs Association drafted the policies and procedures that are now being signed by groups of fire companies.

Fire companies included in the agreement Wednesday were Sheppton-Oneida Volunteer Fire Company; Nuremberg-Weston Volunteer Fire Company; Columbia Hose Company; Defender Hose Company; Phoenix Fire Company; Polish American Fire Company; Rescue, Hook & Ladder Company; Ringtown Valley Fire & Rescue Company; Shenandoah Heights Fire Company; William Penn Fire Company and Altamont Fire Company.

The commissioners also approved a co-op agreement with Metro Flags for flags that will be used on Memorial Day to decorate the graves of deceased veterans. The agreement is for 38,880 flags at $0.53 each, totaling $20,606.40, delivered the week of April 20. Luzerne, Lackawanna, Montour and Wyoming counties are also included in the co-op.

The county balance was at $35,531,212.36 on Wednesday, according to the monthly treasurer’s report. That is down from $38,757,150.43 on Feb. 15.

The American Red Cross office for Schuylkill County is moving its headquarters to the Schuylkill YMCA of Pottsville, Robert J. “Bob” Oravitz, the Schuylkill Y’s chief executive officer, said Wednesday.

“We are finishing talks to become the new Schuylkill County home for the American Red Cross. Based on budget and logistics factors, the Red Cross has made the decision to close its office on Laurel Boulevard in Pottsville,” Oravitz said.

Kelly Malone, executive director of the Schuylkill United Way, Pottsville, said she’s pleased to see two of the United Way’s member agencies sharing services but is concerned about the future of the American Red Cross in Schuylkill County. It’s been getting smaller over the years.

“Any time that one or more of our agencies can collaborate, it’s a wonderful thing. In regards to the Red Cross saving money, it is a good thing. But the main office of the American Red Cross now is down in Berks County. I believe that occurred back in November. From the viewpoint of the Schuylkill United Way, that doesn’t thrill us,” Malone said Tuesday.

In April, the American Red Cross office will be moving into a space on the first floor of the Schuylkill YMCA’s headquarters at 520 N. Centre St., Pottsville, according to Adrian Grieve, executive director of the Tri-County Chapter of the American Red Cross, Reading.

Two American Red Cross staff members will be working there: Kara Mowbray of Berks County, a disaster program manager; and Brittany Rivera of Berks County, a disaster program specialist. But Grieve said the number of hours those employees will work there is still being determined.

“It’s not going to be a staffed office all the time. Schuylkill County needs an office that is staffed more than once in a while. Schuylkill County is big enough to have an office with at least one full-time staff person. The last time we had that, I believe, was back in November,” Malone said.

Grieve confirmed that Tuesday.

The American Red Cross of Schuylkill County was formed in 1917. In 1996, the northern and southern Schuylkill County chapters of the Red Cross combined into one organization, according to the archives of The Republican-Herald.

Today the Tri-County Chapter of the American Red Cross serves Berks and Chester counties and most of Schuylkill County. The American Red Cross Hazleton Chapter covers the tip of northern Schuylkill County, according to Grieve.

The American Red Cross had been renting space at 1402 Laurel Blvd. for more than 15 years. That property is owned by William J. Parulis, Richard N. Yutko and Laurel Developers, Pottsville, according to the online Schuylkill Parcel Locator. On Wednesday, the space once rented by the American Red Cross was vacant and had a “for lease” sign in the window.

“We haven’t had anyone there full-time since the beginning of November,” Grieve said.

In November 2014, the American Red Cross discussed its future in Schuylkill County at a meeting with member agencies of Schuylkill United Way, according to Grieve and Malone.

“Organizationally, the Red Cross has been looking across the country for the best way to use our donated dollars. We looked at things like foot traffic coming through the office and that type of thing. And we thought instead of renting a space, perhaps we could find a partner agency that would allow us to co-locate. I brought it up at one of the United Way meetings,” Grieve said.

Malone and Oravitz were at that meeting, which was held in November at the office of the Schuylkill United Way at 9 N. Centre St., Pottsville.

“Bob sat right up and said ‘The YMCA would definitely be interested in partnering with you,’ ” Grieve said.

On March 11, the board of directors of the Schuylkill YMCA gave the partnership “verbal approval,” Oravitz said.

“As talks have gained momentum, and the Red Cross decision to close operations on Laurel Boulevard was finalized, both sides saw benefits to a partnership that would keep the American Red Cross’s education and community support in the county,” Oravitz said.

“Now we’re putting together the details of an agreement. We’re donating the office space,” Oravitz said.

Instead of paying rent, the American Red Cross will be offering services to Schuylkill United Way including programs for community and YMCA staff members, which could include CPR training, Oravitz said.

“And if they offer training to the staff, that could be an inherent cost savings to the YMCA,” Oravitz said.

Meanwhile, the Schuylkill United Way will keep up with the changes.

This year, Schuylkill United Way gave the American Red Cross $19,597 in funding, Malone said.

“The Red Cross is very important to this community. And it’s the United Way’s responsibility to make sure the funds that are being contributed to the Red Cross are used in the appropriate manner. And that’s something that we as the United Way are watching very carefully,” Malone said.

Matthew R. Eyer could go to state prison after pleading guilty Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court to sexually assaulting a teenage girl in August 2013 in West Brunswick Township.

However, Eyer, 25, of Pottsville, left the courtroom without being sentenced on the charge of statutory sexual assault.

Instead, President Judge William E. Baldwin, who accepted Eyer’s plea, ordered the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to conduct an evaluation of the defendant.

The evaluation, which is mandatory, will help Baldwin to determine whether Eyer is a sexually violent predator. Baldwin has the final responsibility for making that determination, which will determine the duration of the Megan’s Law sanctions he imposes on Eyer.

Baldwin did not set a date for Eyer’s sentencing, which will follow the board’s completion of its evaluation of the defendant.

Eyer, formerly of West Lawn, said little during Wednesday’s hearing except that he was making his plea knowingly and voluntarily, and that he understood its consequences.

State police at Schuylkill Haven allege Eyer had sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl between 10 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Aug. 31, 2013, at the Rock near the Schuylkill River just outside Port Clinton.

Police said Eyer was one of three people who brought the girl to the Rock from Berks County. The girl said she was drunk, and also under the influence of drugs, by the time she got to the site, according to police.

Once at the Rock, Eyer had sexual relations with the girl, police said.

Eyer remains free on $75,000 unsecured bail pending sentencing.

Defendant: Matthew R. Eyer

Age: 25

Residence: Pottsville, formerly of West Lawn

Crime committed: Statutory sexual assault