SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS — The new Rotary Way walking area in Shenandoah will be dedicated on May 30 as part of the Healthy Shenandoah initiative.

Greater Shenandoah Area Chamber of Commerce President Marie Poppoff announced the date at Wednesday’s chamber meeting at Ridgeview Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Shenandoah Heights as part of her monthly report about Shenandoah Rotary Club, of which she is a member.

The Rotary Way is a cooperative effort between the Shenandoah Rotary Club and Shenandoah Valley School District to create a community walking course around the district campus.

“We at Shenandoah Rotary are working on a project with the school district and Schuykill Health on Rotary Way as part of Healthy Shenandoah,” Poppoff said. “Dr. Rakowsky spoke about the program in more depth last month.”

Shenandoah Valley Superintendent Stanley G. Rakwosky, also a Shenandoah Rotarian, got the ball rolling on the walking path as a cooperative community effort with the borough that he calls a “Town and Gown” relationship.

“The plan is to dedicate the walk on Saturday, May 30,” Poppoff said. “It’s going to coincide with a memorial walk for Kathy Palubinsky. I will have more details when things are formalized.”

The late Kathleen A. Palubinsky was a Shenandoah native and local attorney who passed away last November at 55.

“It is a walk that will be open to the public and will go around the high school property’s perimeter,” Poppoff said.

The Healthy Shenandoah project is sponsored by Schuylkill County’s VISION, Schuylkill Health, Healthy Schuylkill Communities and Shenandoah Senior Living Community

In chamber business, Poppoff said arrangements are being made with Schuylkill County Treasurer Jacqueline V. McGovern to speak about the recent changes in games of chance regulations. Due to McGovern’s schedule, she cannot attend a chamber breakfast meeting, but it is possible for her to attend a Rotary meeting that would include attendance of chamber members.

Chamber Secretary Betty Ann Bugden, who co-chairs the Christmas Lighting Committee, reported that new decorations have been ordered and different avenues for fundraising are being considered.

Monsignor Myron Grabowsky, pastor of St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church, Shenandoah, gave his report. He said the American Red Cross blood drive earlier this month had 32 donations with a goal of 24. He thanked the borough for its help in moving snow and helping with removing vehicles near the church.

Grabowsky also ann-ounced a healing service will be held at the church at 6 p.m. April 1.

Shenandoah Valley teacher and student council advisor Anthony Pytko reported on a blood drive at the school in February that had 40 donors against a goal of 32. He said the next blood drive is April 30.

The student council and drama club will hold a Trivia Night fundraiser on March 28 at the Columbia Hose Fire Company in Shenandoah.

A loss of jobs in Schuylkill County led to a higher seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January.

The rate increased 0.4 of a percentage point to 6 percent for the month, according to the latest figures released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor & Industry.

“January is typically a month with job decline,” Jeff Newman, industry and business analyst for the department, said Tuesday.

Schuylkill County lost 900 jobs over the month for a total of 50,500 nonfarm jobs in January. However, that is still 500 more nonfarm jobs in the county than there were January 2014 and the unemployment rate fell from 7.3 percent last year.

Last year, there was a drop of 800 jobs for the county from December 2014 to January. A year before that, it dropped by 1,100 jobs.

“The typical drop is in retail, leisure and hospitality and construction,” Newman said.

Retail and leisure/hospitality industry sectors each lost 200 jobs over the month while mining, logging and construction was down 100 by jobs.

“The only thing that concerns me is that because this is a survey-based program, if any of the companies that went out of business are not on the survey, it could be worse than we think,” Newman said.

Sears at the Schuylkill Mall officially closed its doors in January. It employed 84 people.

Seasonally adjusted, the number of unemployed in the county stayed at 4,100 over the month. There were 4,000 less employed that month, bringing total employment to 64,200. Meanwhile, the labor force dropped from 72,200 to 68,300 over the month.

The shrinking workforce helped minimize the increase in the unemployment percentage for the county.

Schuylkill County was one of 45 counties in Pennsylvania that had the unemployment rate rise in January. The rate went unchanged in four counties and fell in 18 other counties.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Pennsylvania increased 0.1 of a point to 5.1 percent for January. The national rate was 5.7 percent for the month.

When the state Department of Labor and Industry releases its next unemployment numbers in two weeks, there may be some adjustments to past figures.

SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS — The West Mahanoy Township supervisors hired three new police officers during Tuesday’s monthly meeting.

The supervisors approved the hiring of Joshua Pastucka, David Stamets and John Kaczmarczyk as part-time officers at $15 per hour. The motion also included raising the salary from $14.50 to $15 of police Officer Marvin Livergood, who serves as the township code enforcement officer.

The police department is headed by Chief Shawn Tray and include two full-time officers and four part-time officers.

In police business, Tray said, “Later in the month we will begin our aggressive driving grant program, with the target roadway being Route 61.”

The only agenda item under old business was the formal adoption of Ordinance 2015-1 that authorized the participation of the township in the Pennsylvania Townships Health Insurance Cooperative Trust.

The trust exists as an intergovernmental cooperative arrangement of municipalities to provide townships and certain other permitted governmental employers in Pennsylvania with a vehicle to pool resources and jointly leverage buying power to develop, administer and make available cost-effective medical, prescription, dental, life, disability and other employee welfare benefit insurance or self-insured programs for their employees.

Township Secretary-Treasurer Michael B. Michalik explained after the meeting that the ordinance only deals with life insurance coverage of employees. The township has its health insurance with a separate firm.

Nearly one month after the Pottsville Area School District and the Saint Clair Area School District unveiled a lengthy, and costly, study to determine ways to merge the two districts, the Pottsville Area school board Wednesday voted not to pursue such a merger.

“I think based on the comments tonight, and what I’ve heard out there, I would move that the board does not pursue the merger at this time. And I would put that in the form of a motion,” Scott D. Krater, the vice president of the Pottsville Area school board, said at that board’s March meeting.

“I would second that,” said Pottsville Area school board Member Charles R. Wagner, who was out of town but attended the meeting through an audio/video hookup.

“There are a number of issues out there that we’ve considered, and not only through the feasibility study. There’s the PSERS issue that’s currently in legislation which continues to not get resolved,” Pottsville Area school board President John F. Boran said. PSERS is the Public School Employees’ Retirement System.

“It boils down to finances in general. The debt is certainly a concern,” Jeffrey S. Zwiebel, Pottsville Area superintendent, said, referring to the prospect of shouldering Saint Clair Area’s outstanding debt of more than $12,520,000.

“Saint Clair, as we know, is still waiting on their Planning and Construction reimbursement (from the state). That does not seem to get resolved. So I think until some of these issues work their way through the legislation with the legislators who Governor Wolf seems to be, hopefully, heading up, some of this change will come about,” Boran said.

Two members of the Saint Clair Area school board witnessed the vote at the Howard S. Fernsler Academic Center on Wednesday night: Michael Holobetz, the board’s president, and Jeanette Zembas, the board’s vice president.

“I’m disappointed and surprised that Pottsville took action so quickly. I thought we were just beginning the dialog on the merger study and the merger options with our communities. We are interested in continuing to pursue keeping our high school students at Pottsville Area,” Holobetz said after the meeting.

At the end of the 2014-15 school year, Saint Clair Area will start talks to renew its tuition contract with Pottsville Area to educate the Saint Clair Area students in grades 9 through 12. It’s a contract Saint Clair Area has had with Pottsville Area since Saint Clair Area’s high school closed in 1989.

“It was a self-renewing contract, but with the consideration of a merger, we had to give a one-year notice to terminate and we gave that notice at the end of last school year,” Holobetz said.

Zembas had no comment after Wednesday night’s meeting and referred all questions to Holobetz.

Last year, these neighboring school districts announced they were considering a merger, that Civic Research Alliance, Mechanicsburg, was conducting a feasibility study.

On Feb. 20, the districts, via their websites, unveiled the 177-page study and sought comments from the public. It offered two merging options.

• Option 1: Pottsville Area would take over the operations of Saint Clair Area’s only school building, the Saint Clair Area Elementary/Middle School, and Saint Clair Area School District would cease to exist.

• Option 2: Saint Clair Area would lease its school building to Pottsville Area and pay tuition to have Pottsville Area educate its 590 students.

The study cost $39,500. So far, the state Department of Education has agreed to pay half.

On March 9, before a crowd of 400 people at a public meeting on the study at Pottsville Area’s D.H.H. Lengel Middle School, Boran said Pottsville Area will be paying the other $19,750.

As of Wednesday, Pottsville Area is still trying to figure out how to cover the cost, according to Stephen C. Curran, Pottsville Area business manager.

On March 11, Pottsville Area board member Karen E. Rismiller requested more information about Option 2.

“Have we received any further information from Civic Research Alliance regarding Option 2?” Rismiller asked Wednesday night.

“Not as of today,” Curran said.

“How about the numbers on the website? Any additional comments?” Krater asked.

“I received about six more comments,” Zwiebel said.

When asked how many comments the district received total since Feb. 20, Zwiebel said he did not have an accurate count Wednesday night.

“And what were those? How were they?” Krater asked.

“Mostly not in favor,” Zwiebel said.

At the start of Wednesday night’s meeting, two citizens from Pottsville — Jerry Pritchett and Chris Kelly — told the Pottsville Area school district not to merge with Saint Clair Area.

“I have a little bit of an issue with the amount of debt that would be brought on to Pottsville,” Kelly, a 1986 graduate of Pottsville Area, said.

Kelly was also concerned about the future of the tax base in the Saint Clair Area school district.

“My viewpoint at the moment would be Option 2 if anything. But I really don’t want to see any merger at this time,” Kelly said.

“What’s in this for the Pottsville Area School District?” Pritchett asked the board. Then he provided one answer: “Lots and lots of debt. I don’t think that bodes well for Pottsville.”

“Not only the comments that came in through the website, but out in the general public, we’ve all heard it, very loud and clear. And we take our responsibility seriously. I’m only one of nine, but the other eight, I feel, that they also are here for the right reasons,” Boran said.

“Everything that I’ve heard is the same, that as of right now most people are telling me that they are not in favor of it, that all the things that they’re hearing coming out of Harrisburg, all the things that they’re hearing just from their neighbors, there is concern and they feel to move on this right now would not be a fiscally responsible thing to do. In a year or two, it may be resolved to the point that it would be a much more agreeable thing,” Pottsville Area board Member Patrick F. Moran said.

“We’re responsible for somebody else’s money and we all take our duty very seriously. Saint Clair is an important fabric of our high school and we certainly hope that continues. But at this time, financially, we need to make sure our financial house is in order and give Saint Clair the opportunity to put their financial house in order. Is it something that we can revisit in the future? The answer is yes. But at this point, it’s not in our taxpayers best interest,” Rismiller said.

“With my extensive talking with the public, especially going through my petition in running for reelection, the input I’ve gotten unanimously from the taxpayers in the Pottsville Area is it’s not the right time for this merger. And I still want to, hopefully, maintain and evolve our relationship with Saint Clair, but a merger at this time is not in my interest. I am against it at this time,” Pottsville Area school board Member Gary A. Cortese said.

Krater asked for a roll call vote on his motion. Those who said no to a merger with Saint Clair Area were: Boran, Krater, Wagner, Cortese, Moran, Rismiller, Christina M. DiCello and Linda Grube.

Pottsville Area school board Member Cindy Petchulis — who was also out of town but attended the meeting via a loudspeaker — abstained, being the sister-in-law of Jason Bendle, principal and acting superintendent at Saint Clair Area.

Krater and Boran said they look forward to meeting with Saint Clair Area officials to talk about renewing the tuition agreement with Saint Clair Area’s high school students.

“We need to continue talks because we strongly want to continue the relationship with the high school students and Pottsville with Saint Clair,” Krater said.

“We want a multi-year agreement with Saint Clair. We don’t want those students’ educations in a upheaval. We want continuity for them. So we want to continue the relationship at the 9 through 12 grade levels. I think that’s important. I also think it’s important how these conversations started over curriculum. I think that has to continue,” Boran said.

“Absolutely,” Zwiebel said.

Pottsville Area’s and Saint Clair Area’s elementary/middle school education programs “almost have to mirror each other,” Boran said, “because when they get to the 9th grade level and it all becomes one, they should have similar foundations.”

“We’ve made a lot of strides this year as far as curriculum, working with Mr. Bendle and Mrs. Ziegmont,” Zwiebel said, referring to Stephanie R. Ziegmont, Pottsville Area’s director of curriculum and instruction. “And certainly we hope to continue that. It’s only for the betterment of the students in the end.”

“We have to give the new administration in Harrisburg time. Governor Tom Wolf just unveiled a very aggressive education budget unlike anything we’ve seen in quite a few years. Hopefully, down the road, as he gets the school funding issue straightened out, hopefully we can come back and visit this issue,” Zwiebel said.

Wolf visited Pottsville Area on Feb. 12 to promote his proposal, which includes a 5 percent severance tax on natural gas extraction, plus 4.7 cents per thousand feet of volume on extraction. It’s expected to generate over a billion dollars in fiscal year 2017 prior to exemptions.

James A. “Jamie” Barton, whose candidacy for the state Legislature ended after he was charged with driving under the influence, decided Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court to withdraw his guilty plea to the DUI charge.

Barton, 50, of Orwigsburg, had agreed to a plea that would have resulted in house arrest instead of any prison time.

However, he changed his mind, meaning his case will now be scheduled, at least temporarily, for the April criminal court term.

After conferring with Barton and his lawyer, Stephen T. Carpenito, Pottsville, President Judge William E. Baldwin gave the defendant until March 27 to change his mind again.

Prosecutors have charged Barton with DUI, disregarding traffic lanes, failure to drive at a safe speed and careless driving.

State police at Schuylkill Haven had alleged Barton was DUI to the extent that he was incapable of safe driving about 11 p.m. Feb. 24, 2014, on Reddale Road in West Brunswick Township. Prosecutors alleged Barton refused to take a blood-alcohol test.

Police said Barton lost control of his Chevrolet Tahoe sport utility vehicle and, when found at the scene, had slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol. Barton admitted he had drunk a few beers, police said.

Barton, an East Brunswick Township Republican, had sought to challenge state Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, in the May 20, 2014, primary election before dropping out of the campaign after the incident. Knowles went on to win both the primary and general elections unopposed.

Baldwin gave Barton a chance to reconsider his decision not to plead guilty because he and prosecutors had thought he would have had the right to a jury trial.

However, Baldwin said a change in the state’s DUI laws did not go into effect until after Barton’s incident and cannot be applied retroactively. As a result, the maximum possible prison term Barton faces still would be six months, meaning he has the right to a nonjury, or bench, trial, in which the judge rather than a jury would decide his guilt.

“I’m quite certain of the law on this,” Baldwin said.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, which Baldwin would have had the right to reject, Barton would have pleaded guilty to DUI, spent 25 days on house arrest with electronic monitoring, 35 days on strict supervision and four months on probation, and paid costs, a $300 fine and $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund. Prosecutors would have withdrawn the three other charges against Barton as part of the agreement.

On March 18, 2014, Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, dismissed all charges against Barton, ruling prosecutors had failed to prove the alcohol Barton drank impaired his driving ability.

District Attorney Christine A. Holman refiled the charges against Barton. Ferrier recused himself from the case, which was transferred to the office of Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi, Tremont.

State law allows the refiling of such charges even without new evidence.

On May 1, 2014, Barton waived his right to another preliminary hearing and Rossi bound over all four charges for the county court.

“It’s over a year old” and should not be delayed any longer, Baldwin said of the case.

Defendant: James A. “Jamie” Barton

Age: 50

Residence: Orwigsburg

Charges: Driving under the influence, disregarding traffic lanes, failure to drive at a safe speed and careless driving

FRACKVILLE — The Frackville Museum will reopen for a new season in April, with a new display highlighting ladies hats that were a tradition for women to wear as spring arrived.

Last Friday, museum director Lorraine Stanton, Frackville, provided a preview of the new display, which will open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. April 12. She was briefly assisted by borough Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Gerri Griffin, who was asked by Stanton to model some of the hats.

“We were looking for some kind of event, and we had all these hats,” Stanton said, explaining the origin of the display idea. “We thought, why not put them on display?”

Stanton said the hats were stored in hat boxes, and it became an adventure for the volunteers in finding treasure.

“We had fun unboxing them because we didn’t know what was in there,” Stanton said. “When we saw the hats, we saw how pretty they were and they could be worn today.”

Stanton said the hats were donated for the display by Olga Piaskowski, Cindy Turner, the Esther Evans family and Mary Schott family. Volunteers Kathy Kraft and Edie Schimpf put together the display.

“What’s nice about putting the hats on was that it was a tradition,” Stanton said. “It was a tradition to welcome spring. We all got dressed up and wore hats and gloves to church. In my era, we had Sunday clothes, work and school clothes and play clothes.”

However, in her view, these customs are being lost.

“Years ago, we kept our tradition more than we do now,” Stanton said. “It was more fun because you had something to look forward to. Towns had their own traditions with parades, or going to the Elks in a gown, and people enjoyed that.”

Writing about Easter bonnets, museum volunteer Tina Liem wrote, “Easter bonnets come from European traditions of wearing flowers on a hat to celebrate spring. It was developed over the years into a way of ladies celebrating Easter and of showing off to family and friends as to who had the best bonnet.”

Stanton said society has lost something, with so many things becoming so casual.

“Keeping traditions is nice. If only people would learn something about their family’s unique traditions,” Stanton said. “My daughter is keeping on with some of our traditions.”

For the April 12 opening, guest speaker Cindy (Heine) Turner will speak at 2 p.m. on the history of the St. Joseph Church minstrels.

According to the website, the museum offers residents and history lovers an opportunity to explore the borough’s past. The museum is opened once a month from 1 to 4 p.m., usually on the second Sunday. However, out-of-town visitors can make an appointment by calling either Stanton at 570-874-2814 or Kraft at 570-874-3531.

There is a private collection of files spanning 100 years, along with photographs, memorabilia and artifacts, include many from Frackville’s centennial in 1976.

The museum is in the Frackville Municipal Building, Center and Oak streets.

City police arrest

3 found with drugs

Three men were jailed Monday after being arrested by Pottsville police about 7:30 p.m. Monday after officers went to 529 E. Norwegian St., Apt. 2, to serve a felony arrest warrant.

Police said officers went to the apartment to serve the warrant on Ronald Charles Wilson III, 20, who has no known permanent address and while speaking with the tenant, Sharon Louise Wilson, 43, of Pottsville, detected a strong odor or burning marijuana from inside.

Once inside, police said, officers found Ronald Joseph Wilson III, 20, of Pottsville; Dylan Wilson, 18, of Pottsville; and a 17-year-old Pottsville boy.

Ronald Charles Wilson was also found hiding inside the home, and during his apprehension, officers saw a large amount of marijuana in plain view, police said.

After obtaining a search warrant, police said, officers seized marijuana, Alprazolam, packaging materials used in the sale of illegal substances and various items of drug paraphernalia including a digital scale.

After conducting interviews that resulted in various admissions, police said three men were arrested and arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg.

Police said Dylan Wilson was arraigned on charges of two counts of felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, felony conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance along with hindering apprehension or prosecution and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Ronald Joseph Wilson was arraigned on charges of two counts of felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, felony conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, three counts of possession of a controlled substance and also with hindering apprehension or prosecution and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said Ronald Charles Wilson III was arraigned on the outstanding arrest warrant charge of felony possession of a stolen firearm from a previous incident investigated by Pottsville police.

All three were committed to Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $50,000 straight cash bail, police said.

n Cressona: Goodwill Cartridge Service will hold an open house for people and businesses from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at the Goodwill Store donation area at the Cressona Mall. It will also have open houses on May 18 and Sept. 14. For more information, call 800-590-6865, ext. 2604.

n Frackville: The Frackville Rotary Club has announced its incoming officers for the 2015-16 Rotary year include President Suzanne Domalakes, Vice President Robert Savitsky, Secretary Helen Miernicki and Treasurer Karen Domalakes. At a recent meeting, Domalakes said the club was awarded a Rotary District Community Matching Grant. The club will use the grant to make improvements at the Frackville Community Swimming Pool. It plans to pave the area around the children’s wading pool and purchase a robotic pool cleaner.

n McAdoo: The Southside Community Partnership is sponsoring a Hometown Hero banner project. Each banner will honor a specific soldier from McAdoo, Kline Township or Tresckow and will include a photo, branch and era of service and hometown. The cost for a banner and hardware is $200 and the banners will be on display for three years. Each is 30 inches wide and 65 inches high. In each municipality, there is limited space for display so banners will be available on a first-come basis. In a release, organizers said the project is “nonpolitical and nonpartisan” and is “purely a living memorial to those area soldiers tho served the country.” The sponsor’s name will be displayed at the bottom of the banner. The deadline to order is March 31. For an order form, call Marion at 570-929-1628.

n Minersville: The Minersville Public Library has free spring storytime from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Thursday until April 30 for children ages 3 to 10. Sessions include stories and other activities. For more information, call 570-544-5196.

n Orwigsburg: Kimmels Church, 179 Pine Creek Drive, will sponsor a community Easter egg hunt at 3 p.m. March 29 for youngsters up to age 10. For more information, call 570-943-2759.

n Pine Grove: The Pine Grove Temple Association will have a deep-fried, beer-battered haddock, steak or grilled ham dinner sale with baked potatoes or fries, green beans or corn, salad with regular or hot bacon dressing, tea and slice of pie. The dinner will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Pine Grove Masonic Lodge, 23 Oak Grove Road and the cost is $11 per meal. Children’s platters will be available. For more information or to order takeouts, call 570-345-3498.

n Pottsville: David J. Dutcavich, Schuylkill County prothonotary, released the following report for December: County remittance, $36,940.79; new civil suits, 142; new divorces, 38; divorces granted, 30; passports processed, 142; state remittance, $7,074.88.

n Ringtown: The choir of St. Mary Roman Catholic Church is taking orders for homemade shoo-fly pies at $7 each. The deadline to order is Sunday. with pickups from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 27 at the parish office or after 4 p.m. at the rectory. Orders can be placed with any choir member or at the parish office by calling 570-889-3850.

n Shenandoah: Knights of Columbus Francis Cardinal Brennan Council 618, will hold its annual advance-order devil crab or fish dinner beginning at 3 p.m. on Good Friday, April 3, at the council home, 201 W. Cherry St. Dinners are $9 each and include fries, coleslaw, green beans and dessert. Pick up dinners at the council home or request free delivery in Shenandoah and Mahanoy City. Orders are due by March 25. To order or for more information, call 570-462-1430, 570-590-1188 or 570-462-0116 and leave a message.

n Shenandoah: St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Parish will have a fish dinner from 4 to 6 p.m. March 27 in the church hall, Oak and Chestnut streets. Dinners are $8.50 each and include baked fish, mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, green beans, coleslaw, coffee or tea, dessert and roll. Patron may eat in the hall or take meals out. The deadline to order is Monday. To order or for more information, call the rectory at 570-462-0809.

n Tamaqua: The Tamaqua Community Arts Center, 125 Pine St., will host a photo exhibit by former Tamaqua resident R. Thomas Berner. A meet-and-greet session will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. Berner’s current exhibit is titled “60 Years Later.” All are welcome.

The Schuylkill County Police Chiefs Association learned more about naloxone at its monthly meeting Wednesday at the Schuylkill County Courthouse.

Schuylkill County Coroner Dr. David Moylan III said the drug can provide a second chance to those who overdose. The drug blocks the effects of heroin and opiates on the brain.

“Everyone in the law enforcement field knows there is an epidemic out there: drug overdoses,” he said.

Moylan did not have an updated number of how many people in Schuylkill County died from drug overdoses readily available Wednesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a press release that heroin deaths have gone up 39 percent from 2012 to 2013, the most recent data available.

Moylan said naloxone is fast-acting, restoring a person’s ability to breathe in as little as 2 to 5 minutes.

“It’s the magic bullet. There are no side effects of the drug itself,” Moylan said.

“How close are we to possibly implementing this?” Minersville police Chief Michael Combs, president of the Schuylkill County Police Chiefs Association, asked.

Moylan said the funding has to be in place. Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine Holman said more information is needed on the topic and police must also have training, adding all the details have yet to be worked out. She will invite Michelle Denk, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of County Drug and Alcohol Administrators, to attend the April 23 meeting.

Capital Blue Cross, along with the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, is providing funding in its 21-county coverage area for a rescue kit that contains naloxone and an atomizer, a device to administer the drug through nasal spray, which will be used to reverse an overdose on prescription pain medicine or heroin.

The passage of Act 139 by Gov. Tom Corbett in September 2014 permits police and others to administer the drug without fear of prosecution and provides immunity when applicable. Costs for the kits could be about $52. Capital Blue Cross announced in December 2014 that it is providing funding for county emergency personnel because heroin has become a public health crisis. District attorneys must have an agreement with a local emergency medical services agency to get the prescription and then buy naloxone. The police departments must receive training and complete paperwork. The shelf life for the kits is two years.

Moylan said the drug could be ordered wholesale and be stored at the coroner’s office at the Simon Kramer Cancer Institute, New Philadelphia. He would then write the prescriptions as needed.

“I think it has potential to reduce (overdose) deaths in our county,” Moylan said of naloxone.

Some attending the meeting had questions about any liability involved and what temperature the naloxone can be stored at. Others expressed discomfort concerning the injectable form of the drug. Moylan said the drug should be stored at room temperature because moisture can degrade the drug’s effectiveness.

Schuylkill County Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr. said the commissioners appreciate what the district attorney’s office is doing in regards to the issue.

“It’s very early in the process. We are also doing our due diligence in conjunction with the district attorney’s office to find out what our responsibility may be if any,” Halcovage said.

In other matters, Barb Umlauf, Hillside SPCA director, and Janine Choplick, humane officer with the shelter, spoke at the meeting about the SPCA. Umlauf said the shelter runs on donations and any help the police can provide is appreciated.

“Last year, we received over 2,000 animals,” she said.

Because of limited Hillside SPCA employees and workers, Umlauf asked if the police could establish a holding facility for animals, especially if an animal is found at night. Combs said the Minersville Police Department has such an area, and it could be something for other county police departments to consider.

Choplick also highlighted the state’s definition of animal cruelty, which includes the act of beating, abusing or neglecting any animal under a person’s care, as well as abandoning the animal or depriving it of food, water or shelter.

“We see a lot of failure to provide medical care,” Choplick said.

The Schuylkill County Prison is in need of some upgrades and job applicants.

Two air conditioning units stopped working in the past month, according to Deputy Warden David Wapinsky’s monthly report.

The compressor in the unit in the medical department area is not working and parts have become obsolete, Wapinsky said. The other unit is in control room B, which is where the camera and fire alarm system computers are located. Wapinsky said that makes this unit of high priority to be fixed since it may be affected by warmer weather.

Both units were installed when the prison was remodeled in 1986.

County Administrator Mark Scarbinsky said the units will be replaced. He said the county is still looking at proposals and did not have an estimated cost available Wednesday.

Additional security cameras were ordered for the prison and will be soon be installed. Scarbinsky said the cameras cost $8,000. They will be installed in various areas throughout the prison, including the kitchen and outside near the entrance of the facility.

There are currently eight staff vacancies at the prison, including seven corrections officers and a maintenance position. Five vacancy notices were submitted within the last week. Wapinsky said five candidates are being interviewed for the positions.

“Administration was not aware of it until the last minute,” prison board Chairman and Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr. said.

The corrections officers have taken jobs at federal prisons. Human Resources Director Martina A. Chwastiak said their contracts did not require a two-weeks notice, but it is something the county will consider adding to future contracts.

On March 4, the state Department of Corrections Drug Interdiction Unit Teams performed a complete search of the facility. The K-9, drug detection and cellphone dog search found no contraband in the prison.

In other news, the average inmate population increased to 281 for February. It peaked at 292 for the month. The average was 271 in January.

There were 272 inmates at the prison Wednesday, Wapinsky said. There were 44 inmates tripled in cells, he said.

Eleven offenders joined the pre-release program in February. The program consisted of 41 offenders and saved 815 total jail days at the prison. One person was removed for violations.

Nicole M. Moore is headed to state prison after admitting Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court that she caused an accident in September 2013 in which two children suffered injuries.

Moore, 29, of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty to three counts each of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and endangering the welfare of children and one count each of DUI, recklessly endangering another person, disregarding traffic lanes, reckless driving and careless driving.

President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted Moore’s plea and, pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced her to serve one to two years in a state correctional institution, plus three additional years on probation.

Baldwin also sentenced Moore, who left the courtroom in handcuffs, to pay costs, $2,150 in fines, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund and $4,665.71 restitution, perform 110 hours community service and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Prosecutors withdrew a charge of operating vehicle without valid inspection.

Moore, formerly of Minersville, said little during Wednesday’s hearing except that she understood her plea and entered it knowingly and voluntarily.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said Moore was under the influence of drugs when she caused the two-car accident at 2:35 p.m. Sept. 21, 2013, on Route 901 near Red Horse Road in North Manheim Township.

Police said Moore was driving her 2006 Hyundai Sonata west when she crossed the center line of Route 901 and entered the eastbound lane into the path of a 2010 Kia Soul being driven by Debra Skripko, 54, of Llewellyn.

Skripko tried to avoid the collision but Moore’s car struck her car head on, police said. The impact, which occurred on the shoulder of the road, pushed Skripko’s car onto an embankment, causing it to roll back down and onto its roof, according to police.

Police said two of the three children in Moore’s car suffered injuries and had to be flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest for treatment, while the third child, who was uninjured, was taken with Moore and Skripko, who each were hurt, to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street.

Defendant: Nicole M. Moore

Age: 29

Residence: Pittsburgh, formerly of Minersville

Crimes committed: Three counts each of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and endangering the welfare of children and one count each of DUI, recklessly endangering another person, disregarding traffic lane, reckless driving and careless driving

Prison sentence: One to two years in a state correctional institution, plus three additional years on probation

Despite a questionable forecast today, organizers of the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Girardville still expect thousands of people in the borough Saturday morning.

“Hopefully if we do get some snow the residents of Girardville will shovel their sidewalks,” Stephen Barrett, parade manager, said. He added that the parade could attract between 10,000 and 30,000 revelers.

The 12th annual parade will begin at noon Saturday. It is sponsored by the Girardville Parade Committee, which is made up of elected borough officials and members of the John “Jack” Kehoe Ancient Order of Hibernians Div. 1 and Ladies AOH Daughters of Erin, both of Girardville. The parade will feature floats and bands from area high schools, bagpiper bands and members of AOH groups from around the state, including Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Lt. Gov. Michael Stack will be marching in the parade.

This year’s parade is dedicated to coal region athletes and athletic programs. The grand marshals will be Mickey Holland, former coach of Mahanoy Area boys’ basketball team, and sports writer Sam Matta.

Barrett said the parade committee wanted to honor the athletes for their accomplishments. He said teams from area schools, such as North Schuylkill High School and Mahanoy Area High School, went to the playoffs and may not have received the acknowledgment they deserved.

Barrett said the committee will present the athletic programs with a certificate of congratulation for their seasons.

In addition, a multitude of other awards will be handed out to parade participants. The biggest prize of the day — Best Overall Parade Entry — will be renamed this year to honor Charles “Chuck” Barry, a former Hibernian who unexpectedly died last year.

Barrett said the schools always bring big displays and the Best Overall award may be handed out to the school that shows the most spirit.

It is one way the parade committee is trying to increase the presence of the schools at the parade. Another is on the parade’s official T-shirt. Barrett said the emblems of the local schools — North Schuylkill, Mahanoy Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area, Marian and the former Cardinal Brennan — are on the back of the shirt. The shirts are $10, $12 for larger sizes, and are available at the Hibernian House, 21 Beech St, legendary headquarters of the Molly Maguires, ran by alleged “King of the Mollies” John “Black Jack” Kehoe. They will also be sold at the parade.

With a large crowd expected in the borough, Barrett said security is a top priority for event organizers.

“That many people in a small amount of space is always a risk,” he said.

Last year, the committee brought in ham radio operators to help improve communication on the parade route. Barrett said they will return this year.

Barrett said he has also been talking to county officials about getting extra radios on a special channel for only himself, police and EMS.

He said emergency personnel from around the area assist with safety procedures at the parade and it can be difficult to get them out of the borough if any emergency occurs in their municipality.

“From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., if nothing happens in the county then everyone is focused on the parade and Girardville and the 30,000 people there,” Barrett said.

He also wants to remind spectators that the parade does have an alcohol policy, which can be found at its website, www.girardvilleirishparade.com.

Barrett said the parade should be a fun, safe event to celebrate Irish heritage.

“Hopefully everything works as planned and everyone behaves,” he said.

The Pittsburgh to Girardville Breaker Boys will kick off the festivities with a concert today at the Hibernian House. No time is available.

For more information, visit the parade website or Facebook page, “Annual AOH Girardville St.Patrick’s Day Parade.”

For the second time, Robert D. Schappell entered a plea Wednesday to charges he defrauded a Schuylkill Haven automobile dealer of more than $200,000 by taking money for cars he never delivered.

Schappell, 43, of Pottsville, pleaded guilty to 21 counts of theft by deception, with prosecutors withdrawing 21 counts each of theft and receiving stolen property.

In a separate case, Schappell, formerly of Deer Lake, pleaded guilty to a bad check charge.

However, Judge Jacqueline L. Russell did not immediately sentence Schappell.

First Assistant District Attorney Maria T. Casey said the plea agreement, under which Schappell would be sentenced to serve nine to 18 months in prison, is conditioned on Schappell making full restitution. Russell agreed to delay sentencing by up to 90 days to give Schappell time to pay it.

“Is this something I should expect to happen, or is this just a waste of everyone’s time?” Russell asked Allan L. Sodomsky, Reading, Schappell’s lawyer. “Why waste the time ... if it’s meaningless?”

“I certainly hope it’s not a waste of my time,” Sodomsky answered.

Prosecutors and Schappell agreed that the total restitution the defendant owes is $226,050, $202,050 in the theft case and $24,000 in the bad check case.

Schuylkill Haven borough police charged Schappell, formerly of Deer Lake, with taking $202,500 from Bruce Stidham, owner of Bruce’s Auto Mall in the borough, in exchange for Corvettes and other vehicles. Schappell neither provided Stidham with any vehicles, nor did he refund any money to him, police said.

In the other case, state police at Schuylkill Haven charged him with bad checks, alleging he passed a bad check on Nov. 1, 2013.

Casey said the victims have consented to the plea agreement.

Schappell had pleaded no contest to all charges, including the ones withdrawn on Wednesday, in each case on Oct. 17, 2014. By pleading no contest, Schappell did not admit committing the crimes but offered no defense to them, agreed that prosecutors had sufficient evidence to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of all charges and agreed to be sentenced as if he had pleaded or been found guilty.

However, Schappell withdrew that plea on Dec. 15.

In October, prosecutors withdrew three other sets of charges against Schappell. At that time, District Attorney Christine A. Holman said Schappell paid full restitution in those cases and the alleged victims agreed to the withdrawals.

Defendant: Robert D. Schappell

Age: 43

Residence: Pottsville, formerly of Deer Lake

Crimes committed: 21 counts of theft by deception and one of bad checks

n Frackville: In recent action, the borough council approved the appointment of Donna Kulpowicz as deputy tax collector to serve when tax collector Janice Huth is unavailable for those duties. Kulpowicz is the tax collector in Shenandoah. Pennsylvania House Bill 1590, which amended the act of May 25, 1945, known as the Local Tax Collection Law, provides for the appointment of a deputy tax collector for basic and continuing education programs for tax collectors and for criminal history record information. The tax collector nominates a deputy to a borough council or township supervisors board, which then can affirm or reject the nomination.

n Mahanoy City: The Mahanoy City Elks, 135 E. Centre St., will hold installation of officers from 6 to 11 p.m. March 28 at the lodge. The event is open to the public and the cost is $12 per person, which includes a buffet and entertainment by disc jockey Steve Saive. For more information, call 570-573-2649.

n New Ringgold: Friedens Lutheran Church, 525 Church St., will sponsor a chicken potpie dinner from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the church. The cost is $8.50 for adults and $4.25 for children 5 to 12. Children 4 and younger will eat for free. Patrons may eat in or take meals out. Meals include homemade pot-pie, pepper cabbage, applesauce, roll and butter, dessert and beverage. Quarts of potpie will be available for $6.50 each and quarts of pepper cabbage will be $4.50 each. There will also be a theme basket raffle. For more information or to order, call 570-640-5726.

n Pine Grove: The Pine Grove Ambulance Association will offer a free CPR class, Heart Saver AED, at 7 p.m. Monday at the ambulance building. The skills taught are according to American Heart Association guidelines. For more information, call 570-617-4002, 570-345-4002, 570-345-8791 or 570-345-8114.

n Pottsville: “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes,” sponsored by the Sexual Assault Resource and Counseling Center, will be held again from 4:30 to 6 p.m. April 23 starting from the Humane Fire Company, 200 Humane Ave. The cost is $10 per walker and $5 for show rental if needed. “It’s time for the men of Schuylkill County to break out their high heels and help raise awareness of sexual assault” during SARCC’s annual event. Registration, shoe fittings and festivities will start at 4:30 p.m. and the walk will begin at 5:30 p.m. To register or for more information, call 570-628-2965.

n Pottsville: Hitting for Heroes for the Wounded Warrior Project is slated for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 28 at the Pottsville Sports Center, 1840 West End Ave., hosted by the sports center and Next Level Sports Development. Tickets are $5 each. Batting cages will be open and the fee will include a round in the cage and a chance to hit off high school players from the area, according to a release. Food and beverages will be available and there will also be raffle prizes. All proceeds will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. For more information, call 570-527-4548.

n Pottsville: A book signing at the Good-Will Christian Book Store, 310 N. Centre St., will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 28. Jim Yacobacci will sign copies of his book, “Where Are All the Miracles?” For more information, call 570-527-6082.

n Primrose: The St. Nicholas Holy Name Society will sponsor an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday in St. Nicholas Hall, Route 901. The cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children.

n Ringtown: A Knights of Columbus drive-through/walk-through soup and bleenie sale will begin at 3 p.m. today at the St. Mary Roman Catholic Church garage, 82 N. Center St. Bleenies are $1 each or $10 a dozen and soup is $2 for 12 ounces. For more information, call 570-889-3850.

n Ringtown: The St. John’s Lutheran Church Youth Group will sponsor Breakfast with the Easter Bunny from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday in the church basement, 112 W. Main St. The cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children. Breakfast will include pancakes, eggs, sausage and ham. For more information, call 570-436-6183.

n Shenandoah: Trinity Academy in the Father Walter J. Ciszek Education Center will hold its ninth annual theme basket auction at 7 p.m. April 11 in Annunciation BVM Hall, Frackville. Doors will open at 5 p.m., a shop-and-drop will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. April 10 and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 11. Food and refreshments will be served. All are welcome. For more information, call the school at 570-462-3927.

Todd M. Harris, whose bus company defrauded two Dauphin County school districts of more than $1.4 million, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced Wednesday in Harrisburg for his role in the scheme.

Harris, 49, of Dalmatia, must serve two years in prison and an additional three years of supervised release following his incarceration, Senior U.S. District Judge Sylvia H. Rambo ordered.

Rambo also sentenced Harris and the now-defunct Harris Transportation Corp. to pay restitution of $1,464,613 and to forfeit the same amount.

Harris, a vice president and manager of the corporation, pleaded guilty on Nov. 19, 2014, to mail fraud.

Federal prosecutors charged Harris and the corporation on Nov. 5, 2014, with defrauding the two districts, Upper Dauphin Area and Halifax Area, out of the money through overcharging them for mileage driven.

“Between September 2008 and June 2011, Todd Harris routinely submitted inflated mileage claims to the school districts,” prosecutors said. “Interviews of former (Harris Transportation) drivers confirmed Harris’ mileage submissions were false and that Todd Harris occasionally instructed them to take much longer routes than necessary.”

Upper Dauphin Area overpaid Harris Transportation by $898,057 and Halifax Area overpaid it by $566,556, according to prosecutors.

The state Department of Education reimbursed the district for more than 80 percent of their transportation costs, making it another victim of Harris’ scam, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Wednesday that $762,715 already has been paid in restitution.

The U.S. Department of Education Inspector General’s Office in Philadelphia, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the state Auditor General’s Office, Office of General Counsel, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Douglas Daniel prosecuted the case.

TAMAQUA — A celebration stretching across the borough is expected for late summer.

Tamaqua Community Arts Center/Safety Initiative Coordinator Leona Rega addressed the borough council Tuesday regarding planned activities for National Night Out on Aug. 4, in conjunction with Dear Tamaqua: Tamaqua in a New Light.

Dear Tamaqua is a project to encourage community-wide pride and ownership of Tamaqua’s unique identity through partnership in an original artistic creation that is based on memories and common experiences, with hope for the future.

Phase One consists of letters from residents sharing their memories and experiences, and Phase Two will be a large-scale public spectacle in the streets of Tamaqua on Aug. 4 with the intent of bringing life to those stories.

The council asked Rega to outline some of the activities and street closures necessary to make it a reality.

“The Walking Path will require involvement and participation of everybody, from police to fire police to residents and businesses,” Rega said.

She also said it will start on West Spruce Street in Tamaqua on Aug. 4, and she outlined the proposed walking path that ends up at the train station.

Along the way, she detailed many points that will be part of the walking path.

She wanted to get the plans out so the council will have time to make any changes. Plans include a block party with local bands and a taste of Tamaqua at various locations, a dance performance, a project of local families talking about experiences and memories in the letters Rega is gathering for the festival. Through Touchstone Theatre of Bethlehem, there will be performances to bring those letters with memories to life as part of the festivities, ending in a celebration with fireworks.

“We want residents to decorate their homes for this event,” Rega said. She also said it will be held rain or shine.

The Walking Path will be part of a parade through the community, according to Rega. She has planned a fundraiser at the Community Arts Center.

The council thanked her for outlining the activities and said they would look over the plans she handed out to see if any changes regarding traffic control or other stops along the way have to be made before the event.

A change may have to be made to a plan to use fire trucks with passengers for the parade. Tamaqua fire Chief Tom Hartz informed Rega that insurance requirements prohibit the use of a fire truck for those purposes. Councilman Brian Connely suggested Rega get in touch with the Schuylkill County Historical Society to see if they can use an antique open air bus instead of a fire truck.

Rega said her plans are just an overview and encouraged the council to look over the plans to make changes well in advance of the event.

Blighted properties

The council took separate action on six properties earmarked for demolition. There are actually seven properties that should be demolished, but the council voted on six of the seven properties and did so unanimously.

First, a property at 160 W. Spruce St. was bid on through a repository sale. However, the council voted to reject the bid due to numerous violations at this property in the past.

Two adjoining properties at 162 and 162 1/2 were also voted on for demolition along with the 160 W. Spruce St. property.

Properties at 133-135 Gay St. and 216 Pitt St. were also voted on by the council for demolition.

The cost is $99,860, according to Connely, who said Community Development Block Grant funds will be used. Tamaqua will pick up the remaining tab of $860. A seventh blighted property at 252 Cottage Ave. will be dealt with when more funds are available.

The council approved Northeastern Industrial Services Corp., Shamokin, and SDL Construction, Orwigsburg, to commence with the demolition from separate bids the companies submitted at an earlier date.

“This gives us our biggest bang for the bucks, my opinion,” Connely said.

Other actions

• Approved extending an existing contract with Tamaqua Transfer and Recycling for garbage and recycling collection by unanimous vote.

• Approved advertising for part-time police officers. Police Chief Rick Weaver said two of his part-time officers are leaving for other jobs.

• Approved unanimously advertising an ordinance establishing minimum qualifications for assistant fire chiefs (changing language).

• Approved an agreement with Schuylkill County for one mobile radio and four portable radios for ladder truck.

• Approved a police department standard operating procedure for body-worn cameras.

• Approved an agreement with the North Central Highway Safety Network Inc. for a Buckle Up PA Project grant.

Snow will likely fall on the first day of spring.

A snowstorm is not uncommon in March, Elyse Hagner, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, State College, said Thursday. She said 3 to 6 inches of snow are expected today for most of Schuylkill County, with potential for more in higher elevations. The county is in a winter weather advisory from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. today. A potential snowfall map on the NWS website, www.weather.gov, showed 4 to 6 inches could fall in the county.

The heaviest snow will fall “early morning to early afternoon,” Hagner said

Between 1 to 2 inches could be on the ground when people wake up and it will “probably be late evening by the time all the flakes are out of the area,” she said.

The snow is expected to be a heavy, wet snow, Hagner said. Temperatures should reach into the 30s with a low in the upper 20s. On Saturday, temperatures will be in the upper 40s with a low in the mid-20s, according to the NWS. On Sunday, temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30s and a low in the upper teens, according to the NWS.

Though the season changed, snow has been recorded in the spring, even as late as May. On May 9, 1977, a half inch of snow fell in Mahanoy City, Hagner said.

Dan Kelly, Pottsville superintendent of streets, said the snow does not surprise him.

“We just have to deal with what we get,” he said Thursday.

He said the city has 200 tons of salt if it’s needed.

“We were very, very low, but we never ran out of it. We were using it sparingly,” he said.

On Feb. 17, the city requested salt from the state Department of Transportation. They received it a day later and have since returned the same amount to PennDOT.

Kelly said Pottsville workers will be out on the roads as needed.

On Thursday, workers patched potholes, cleaned trucks and repaired equipment in preparation for the next round of winter weather.

Robert Benedict, operator/truck driver for the streets department, used a power washer Thursday to clean the mud off a truck. He said the snow is something he has to deal with for his job.

“I can’t stop it coming, so I don’t worry about it,” he said.

Bill Kirwan, Norwegian Township road foreman, said he is not surprised about the wintry forecast and believes there will be enough snow to inconvenience people. The township has about 75 tons of salt and about 100 tons of anti-skid material.

He said he is thankful for the change of season.

“It’s been a rough winter,” Kirwan said.

Linda Maskerines, 63, of Pottsville, was at Palermo’s Pizza, Minersville, on Thursday for lunch. She said she isn’t too concerned about the snow.

“It is what it is. It won’t last,” she said.

Though, Maskerines said, she is ready for spring weather.

“I’m glad winter is over. It’s time for some nice weather to get outside and enjoy the sunshine,” she said.

PennDOT is urging motorists to use caution when traveling today.

“We understand people are excited about the arrival of spring in the evening, but tomorrow (Friday) morning and throughout the day, wintry conditions are predicted and we urge motorists to slow down, increase following distance and use caution,” Jill Krause, assistant district executive for maintenance, District 5, said in a press release.

She said PennDOT has 209 plow trucks and approximately 20,000 tons of salt available to use on state roads in the six-county region.

“During storms, interstates and expressways are PennDOT’s primary focus and equipment may be redirected to these routes during significant winter events. Plow trucks will also be slowed when facing heavy precipitation or when many other vehicles are also on roadways. This means that during heavier storms, motorists may find deeper accumulations on less-traveled routes and should adjust their driving for those conditions.

“How often roadways are plowed or treated with salt and other material depends on a road’s traffic volume. On interstates and expressways, PennDOT aims for its plow trucks to pass by the same point on a plow route every two hours. For other major roadways, the department’s goal is for trucks to pass by the same point every two or three hours. On lower-volume roadways, the department’s goal extends to every three to four hours, with less frequent cycles on roads with the lowest traffic volumes,” according to the press release.

Ethan C. Kennedy admitted Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court that he was drunk when he drove his sport utility vehicle into a Butler Township house, injuring its owner, in August 2013.

Kennedy, 30, of Mahanoy City, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault by vehicle, driving under the influence, reckless driving and disregarding traffic lanes.

Prosecutors withdrew charges of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, driving under suspension, operating vehicle without required financial responsibility and two counts of prohibited passing.

President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted the plea but did not immediately sentence Kennedy, saying he wanted to hear from the victim in the case before doing so.

Kennedy, who wore a prison jumpsuit, said little during Wednesday’s hearing except that he understood his plea and that he entered it knowingly and voluntarily.

Butler Township police filed the charges against Kennedy as the result of the incident on Aug. 20, 2013, in Fountain Springs.

Police said Kennedy was intoxicated while driving north on Route 61 at a high rate of speed when his SUV crossed into and over the southbound lane. Kennedy’s SUV went into a grassy area, sideswiped a tree, became airborne and crashed into the 919 Fountain St. home of David Kulp, police said.

At Kennedy’s preliminary hearing on Nov. 20, 2013, Kulp testified he has no memory of what occurred.

“I was sitting in my recliner and the next thing I remember is waking up in Geisinger (Medical Center, Danville),” Kulp said.

Police said emergency personnel had to dig out Kulp from under debris in his home before taking him to Geisinger for treatment of his injuries.

Defendant: Ethan C. Kennedy

Age: 30

Residence: Mahanoy City

Crimes committed: Aggravated assault by vehicle, driving under the influence, reckless driving and disregarding traffic lane

The Gillingham Charter School Board of Trustees approved a field study bank account from Gratz Bank at their meeting Thursday night.

“It would be pretty much used for when teachers collect money from students so we have a place to put it. Right now, it’s just going into different accounts,” Rachel Bensinger, director of organizational development, said.

The account is a separate one for things like upcoming field trips.

The money will stay locally unless it reaches the maximum amount of $500, but Bensinger doesn’t think it will have that much.

In other business, spring break was revised to be April 3 to 8.

If school is closed due to winter weather today, spring break will then be April 3 to 7, Nicolle Hutchinson, CEO and director of education, said.

April 3, Good Friday, will not be taken away from students, she added.

In personnel business, the board approved:

• Dana Miller as a part-time executive assistant at $14 per hour for 25-29 hours per week.

• Eric Ziegmont as a 12-month, full-time schoolhouse secretary at a salary of $27,000.

• Sherida Helsley to be repositioned as a 10-month, full-time teacher aide at a salary of $20,000.

• Matthew Reiniger as part-time music and instrument teacher at $25 per hour for 20-25 hours per week.

• The termination of John Cavanaugh as facility manager, effective March 19.

Ariel Colon Jr. must spend at least nine years behind state prison bars for slashing a woman’s throat in August 2014 in Pottsville, a Schuylkill County judge ruled Thursday.

“It was a really dangerous thing to do,” President Judge William E. Baldwin told Colon, 35, of Pottsville, before sentencing him to serve nine to 20 years in a state correctional institution.

Baldwin, who presided over Colon’s two-day trial, also sentenced him to pay costs and $2,199.85 restitution, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

“The commonwealth believes the sentence was appropriate,” Assistant District Attorney Robert I. Lipkin said after Thursday’s hearing.

After deliberating approximately two hours, the jury of seven men and five women found Colon guilty on Feb. 10 of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and simple assault and not guilty of attempted murder and possessing instrument of crime.

Pottsville police had charged Colon, who did not testify at this trial, with slashing Kelly Krasnitsky in the neck with a sharp object in the early morning hours of Aug. 23, 2014, in a van in the city.

Police alleged Krasnitsky was sitting in the front passenger seat of the van when Colon leaned over from the seat behind her, said, “I have something for you, Kelly” and slashed her.

Prosecutors said Krasnitsky had never met Colon before that night, and Lipkin emphasized the random nature of the crime in asking for a harsh sentence.

“This was just a particularly heinous crime. This was a near-death experience,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine anything much more shocking.”

Colon said nothing during the hearing, which he sat through while wearing handcuffs and a prison jumpsuit. However, his sister, Alicia Solomon, testified he is a good person and a good brother.

“He was a positive influence ... on my children,” she said. “He was someone I trusted with my children. I could depend on him.”

Colon’s girlfriend, Kathryn Newmoyer, does not understand how the jury convicted him.

“This case is definitely a puzzle,” she testified. “I know Ariel and I know the man he is. Please review all the facts.”

Baldwin, however, said the jury decided the facts of the case, Krasnitsky has a scar as a result of the incident and Colon does not have a clean past.

“You have a pretty long record,” including drug-related crimes and an assault, Baldwin told the defendant.

After the hearing, Assistant Public Defender Andrea L. Thompson, Colon’s lawyer, said she would file an appeal for her client but otherwise declined to discuss the case.

Lipkin said Colon got what he deserved, especially in light of the random nature of the crime and the effect it has had on Krasnitsky.

“She had no idea who he was,” Lipkin said. “How do you ever have a sense of security again?”

Defendant: Ariel Colon Jr.

Age: 35

Residence: Pottsville

Crimes committed: Aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and simple assault

Prison sentence: Nine to 20 years in a state correctional institution