For Vicky Burnside, the short amount of time she spent on a mission trip to Haiti recently will pay big dividends in the long term — not only spiritually, but in her chosen field of nursing.

The Riverside resident, a student at Luzerne County Community College’s nursing program in Kulpmont, spent Feb. 26 to March 9 in the village of Vialet helping to build a retaining and security wall at the Petit Goave Agricultural School, and also providing care to local children.

It was her first international mission trip. A member of Wesley United Methodist Church, Danville, she hadn’t done something like this in 20 years since she traveled to New Mexico.

“There were 10 people on my team, including my husband, Lonzo,” she said.

They worked to help the school reopen and assist in reforestation of the land.

“We were all from this area from different Methodist churches,” she said.

The trip was organized through Haiti Partners.

Go-to medic

Burnside was the group’s medic, responsible for any medical problems with her group and Haitian volunteers.

“For all cuts and scrapes and any kind of illness, I was the go-to person,” she said. “At times it was tough, because all I had to work with was a glorified first-aid kit.”

To help Burnside in her mission, her Kulpmont classmates donated money and goods for the trip, including medical supplies, diapers and clothes to be distributed to the locals.

“They were things they were so appreciative of that we don’t even think about, items like children’s pain reliever, hand sanitizer and nutrition bars and multivitamins. It all was very helpful and I was very appreciative, as were all the people helped by my classmates’ generosity,” she said.

Treating Zachary

While many members of her team toiled with construction of the wall, Burnside helped a young boy named Zachary.

“When we started Vacation Bible School that week for the children, this young boy came on the first day and could barely walk,” she said.

Zachary had a bandage around his knee and, upon examination, Burnside found he had a half-inch deep cut, suffered accidentally with a machete.

“In America, such an injury would be treated by just butterfly strips across the knee, but when you are in a country that is not very advanced in medical care and does not have clean running water in some places, it’s a little tougher,” she said. “He was cut close to the bone.”

Twice a day, she met with Zachary, cleaning out the wound with hydrogen peroxide and putting on a fresh dressing. By the end of the week, Zachary was feeling — and moving — much better.

“He was one of the bravest kids I’ve ever met,” Burnside said.

With gratitude

While the sheer magnitude of the trip hasn’t sunk in yet for Burnside and her fellow missionaries, there were so many memories she has taken away from the Caribbean country.

“It is amazing how they work with so little,” she said.

She told how sand, water and rocks were mixed by hand to create cement for the retaining wall, “when we, in America, are used to bringing in a cement mixer to do the job.”

Team members were also amazed at the children’s enthusiasm for learning the Word of God.

“The first day of the Vacation Bible School we had 20 kids present,” Burnside said. “By the last day, we were up to 90, and they all participated with such fervor,” she said.

Burnside hopes it won’t be 20 years before she travels again.

“We’ve all talked that we want to go back to Haiti. I hope the next time it will be more of a medically based trip,” she said.

MAR LIN — Randy Keller thinks he has what it takes to be a supervisor in Norwegian Township.

“I know I am qualified for the job,” Keller, 62, said.

He is running on the Republican ticket, along with resident Mike Miller Jr., in the May 19 primary election.

Keller said people should vote for him because he has a lot of experience in different areas. Currently, a landlord in Saint Clair, he drove a tractor-trailer for 41 years and served in the Navy as a nuclear technician. He said the job of supervisor is a technical one and requires a lot of math and the ability to work with people.

“You’ve got to be able to work with situations that arise,” he said.

Keller said he wants to decrease expenses in the township.

“We’re spending too much on different areas that don’t need to be spent on,” specifically the maintenance of township vehicles, he said.

He said additional routine care needs to be done on them so something major does not happen. However, he admitted he did not bring this to the attention of the supervisors but said it was “common knowledge” in the township.

“I don’t really have a good reason why I didn’t bring that up,” he said.

Keller said he considers himself a part-time employee of the township and worked for the supervisors last year sealing cracks in the road.

Township Supervisor Robert Kirwan, who is not running for re-election, said Keller is not a township employee. Bill Kirwan, road foreman, confirmed that Keller is not an employee but he did help out during the fall cleanup last year.

Thomas Dallago and Bill Kirwan, son of Robert Kirwan, are running on the Democrat ticket for the six-year term. The primary winners will face off in the Nov. 3 General Election.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Penn State Schuylkill had a special international guest on Monday with a visit by Lithuanian Ambassador to the United States and Mexico Žygimantas Pavilionis.

Pavilionis stopped at the Schuylkill Haven campus as a guest of U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-17, to enjoy some ethnic coal region cuisine, chat with people from the county and give a presentation on Lithuania and its relationship with America.

The ambassador has visited Schuylkill County a number of times, his first visit during the 99th annual Lithuanian Days in 2013. He will soon be returning to his native Lithuania since his five-year term as ambassador will end in June.

After arriving at the campus, university leadership hosted a reception in the ambassador’s honor that included halupkies, halushkie and bleenies.

Following the reception, everyone moved to the John E. Morgan Auditorium for Pavilionis’s presentation that covered issues in Lithuania, Ukraine and other Eastern European counties. About 150 people attended and listened to the opening remarks by Kelly M. Austin, chancellor at the Schuylkill campus. Cartwright spoke of his first and subsequent meetings with Pavilionis and the invitation to visit Schuylkill County again for an academic presentation.

Cartwright called to the stage county Commissioners Gary Hess and George Halcovage, and county Court of Common Pleas Judge John E. Domalakes for remarks, and then called Austin back to the podium for a formal introduction of Pavilionis.

When he took to the stage, Pavilionis began with two short films, the first focusing on the Lithuanian symbol “Vytis,” which is a knight with a lance and shield on a horse. It showed how the symbol became an important symbol, which is used on coinage. The second film spoke of Lithuanian economy and its success after Lithuania became free in 1990 and how the country is a great place to invest.

Pavilionis spoke of the concerns that Lithuania and other countries have with an aggressive Russia, explaining that it is important to show the commitment to freedom.

“When I was learning in the schools and fighting for freedom against the old Soviet Union, I learned that if you really want freedom, you have to stand up for it,” he said.

Born Aug. 22, 1971, in the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius, Pavilionis grew up with parents who prized higher education — his father, Roland Pavilionis, being an academician and his mother, Mary Pavilionieneė Venus, a professor and legislator. He attended college at Vilnius University, where he earned a master’s degree in philosophy and postgraduate diploma (Ph.D.) in political science (international relations). Pavilionis’ language proficiency includes Lithuanian, Russian, French, Italian and English, and he is learning German and Spanish.

In 1993, Pavilionis joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked in the Western European Division, with the rank of third secretary, where he was instrumental in achieving Lithuanian accession into NATO and the European Union.

He was assistant director of policy from 1994-95, before moving to the Ministry of European Integration, Department of Political Cooperation. He worked in Brussels, Belgium, at the Lithuanian Permanent Mission from 1999-2002. Pavilionis was then promoted to lead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ European Integration Department from 2002-04.

In 2003, he was awarded Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania by the president of Lithuania.

He served as ambassador-at-large and chief coordinator for Lithuania’s presidency of the Community of Democracies, as well as chief coordinator for the Transatlantic Cooperation and Security Policy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A career diplomat, he became ambassador of Lithuania to the United States in August 2010.

Pavilionis and his wife, Lina Pavilioniene, have four sons.

At the conclusion of his talk, Pavilionis reminded everyone about the connection between Lithuanian and American people and how the United States has influenced their feelings of freedom and liberty.

“Sometimes we feel more American than Americans themselves,” he said. “We are born because of inspiration coming from this county. You don’t have a lot of places in the world who love Americans. We do. We love you because you have rested our souls. We just want America to wake up. We’re under attack from inside and from outside. When my foreign ministers come to Washington, they also come with the same wake-up call. How many wake-up calls do we really need to wake up?”

Cartwright came to the stage and presented Pavilionis with a pair of gold-plated U.S. House of Representatives cuff links and a book of Ansel Adams photographs.

After the presentations, Pavilionis added, “Believe me, with all your problems, you are the best. Keep being Americans and lead the world, because if you’re not leading, and those guys are leading, that will be a nightmare. You are the best of the best. Get your confidence back and lead.”

The Lithuanian embassy is located in Washington, D.C. Its website is http://usa.mfa.lt/usa/en/.

The thrill of the 41st annual Pottsville Soap Box Derby on Laurel Boulevard is not only at race day, but the preparation days before the race.

“You don’t realize with the excitement of the race that so much goes on behind the scenes,” John Seasock, two-time Monster Truck World Championship winner, said Monday.

Seasock was checking out the process of weighing in cars with his daughter, Brynn, 1. He will also be at the derby Saturday “signing stuff and meeting people,” he said.

Born and raised in Frackville, this is the first year Seasock is able to attend the soap box derby due to his busy schedule.

“It’s going to be great to see the smile on their faces,” he said. “It’s way cool. I’m honestly really excited.”

Getting her car weighed-in Monday night was Alexandra Goines, 8, of Minersville, in a garage on East Norwegian Street, Mechanicsville.

“I want to race,” Goines said with a smile.

A car cannot exceed 200 pounds with a child in it. Goines is about 48 pounds, her parents said. Her pink car is sponsored by Thirty-One Consultants.

Weighing in Goines was Robert Womer, Pottsville, who shares the task with his son, Robbie, 41, of Pottsville, and Mark O’Toole, Pottsville.

“You measure the child first,” Robert Womer said. “The car can only be 200 pounds total. We add weight stacks in the front and the back and the middle if it’s a smaller child.”

Womer and his team have been weighing in children for the past week, with their last day on Monday. The process for each weigh-in is about 45 minutes, Womer said.

The cars include a steering wheel and brakes that are checked each year along with the bolts.

Womer has been weighing in cars for about 18 or 19 years, he said, after he took over for Joe Culley.

Culley still comes in to check the cars and brakes, but also keeps time at the derby each year.

Cars were found to have traveled more than 30 mph last year, Womer said.

Racers must be at least 7 years old and typically can race up until age 18, depending on their size and weight. The oldest racer this year is 16 years old. A nephew and uncle are also racing in the derby this year. Sponsors are a “big help” to underprivileged kids who want to race, Womer said.

“Sponsors are a big help with the cars. We help as much as we can. Some cars are donated from kids who used to race and are too old,” Womer said.

Cars cost about $500 and wheels cost about $130, but Womer said they provide the extra wheels they have when they can.

Of the many sponsors is Matco Tools, which has sponsored a car for three years.

“I like to support the kids,” Glenn Ulsh of Matco Tools said. “It’s all for the kids. It teaches them to have fun in competition.”

M&T Bank is the primary sponsor of the derby. Pottsville Auto Parts is a Stock Car Division sponsor and Womer’s Garage, Pottsville, and Sommer Inc., Schuylkill Haven, are co-sponsors of the Super Stock Division.

The Stock Car division includes ages seven to 13 and the Super Stock Division includes ages 10 to 18, depending upon weight. Nineteen children will race in the Stock Car Divison and 15 in the Super Stock Division.

HAZLETON — West Hazleton police took two people into custody during an early Sunday morning traffic stop.

Police said they found a child and drugs inside the vehicle, which was stopped by an officer in the area of South Broad Street about 1:30 a.m. for unlawful lighting equipment.

During the course of a traffic stop, officers developed probable cause to search the vehicle, finding a “substantial amount” of narcotics along with numerous illicit prescription medications, police said.

A 6-year-old child inside the vehicle, according to officers, was released to a family member a short time after the incident began.

Cory Bezdziecki, 30, of Barnesville, faces possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and manufacturing a controlled substance, both felonies.

He was also charged with misdemeanors for child endangerment and possessing drug paraphernalia, along with four misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and one summary account for unlawful lighting equipment.

Bezdziecki appeared in front of Magisterial District Judge James Dixon, Hazle Township, for preliminary arraignment after his arrest. Unable to post the $75,000 bail set by Dixon, he was taken to Luzerne County Correctional Facility, Wilkes-Barre, police said.

Julian David Jackson, 21, of Barnesville, faces one count of possession of drug paraphernalia as a result of the stop, police said.

Butler Township police assisted.

Going to school on April 29, 2014, Xina Canales said what millions of youngsters do every day.

“Bye, Mom, I love you,”

For her, however, it was goodbye forever because, as she testified Monday in Schuylkill County Court, she returned home to find her mother, Wendy Contreras-Hernandez, lying dead in their bathroom with her throat cut.

“I saw her body and a blanket covering her face,” Canales, Hicksville, New York, said on the first day of the trial of Luis R. Nunez-Calderon, the man police alleged slashed Contreras-Hernandez’s throat.

Canales was a principal witness Monday against Nunez-Calderon, 42, of Shenandoah, who is charged with criminal homicide, first-degree murder, third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, criminal trespass and two counts of aggravated assault. His trial before a jury and Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. today with District Attorney Christine A. Holman and Senior Deputy Assistant District Attorney Jennifer N. Lehman continuing to present their case.

Nunez-Calderon almost was ejected from the courtroom when he started talking in Spanish to witness Lydia Contreras, who has no relation to the deceased. He quieted down only after Dolbin warned him to remain silent or be removed from the courtroom.

State police at Frackville alleged Nunez-Calderon cut Contreras-Hernandez’s throat on April 29, 2014, in her residence at 518 W. Centre St., Shenandoah. Nunez-Calderon was Contrearas-Hernandez’s ex-boyfriend.

Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence, which in Pennsylvania does not include a chance for parole, for Nunez-Calderon.

“This was a willful, deliberate, premeditated, malicious killing,” Holman told the jury in her opening statement.

Contreras-Hernandez had argued with Nunez-Calderon earlier in the day, two prosecution witnesses testified.

“He pushed her to the ground,” grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the house, Nicole Brobst, Pottsville, said. Brobst, who was standing across the street at the time of the incident, identified Nunez-Calderon as the man who dragged the woman into the house.

When cross-examined by Assistant Public Defender Kent D. Watkins, Nunez-Calderon’s lawyer, Brobst said she did not know what the two were saying because they were speaking Spanish.

Walter T. Sadusky, Contreras-Hernandez’s neighbor, testified he was watching television when he heard someone screaming, looked out the window and saw a woman lying on the porch.

“There was somebody on top of her,” Sadusky said. “He picked her up and took her inside the house.”

“Did you ever see his hands leave her throat?” Holman asked Sadusky.

“No,” he answered.

Shenandoah police Patrolman Travis Bowman testified he went to 518 W. Centre about noon, knocked, but received no answer. He returned in the afternoon to find Canales, Contreras and Contreras-Hernandez’s bloody body.

“It was a very deep wound in the neck,” Bowman said. “I checked for a pulse. There was none available.”

Contreras said Contreras-Hernandez was lying on the bathroom floor with a blanket over her face.

“I saw blood on the other side,” she said. “I grabbed the little girl and told her to call police.”

Contreras, who said she is the manager of the building where the deceased lived, said she picked up Canales from school, drove to her house to pick up a key and then went to 518 W. Centre St. However, the door was unlocked, she said.

Canales, who remained calm but sad on the witness stand, said they found an unexpected sight.

“We walked in the living room. Everything was a mess,” she said. “Our couches were crooked. Our plant was on the floor.”

Other witnesses who testified included:

• Shenandoah police Lt. Gary Keppel, who said he also found Contrearas-Hernandez had no pulse.

“It was wide open, across the whole part of the neck,” Keppel said of Contrearas-Hernandez’s injury.

• State police Trooper Alan Zulick of the Frackville station, who said he obtained a DNA sample from Nunez-Calderon.

• State police Trooper Bernard J. Walasavage Jr. of the Schuylkill Haven station, who said he made sure no one was in the house and left Contreras-Hernandez’s body undisturbed for forensic services unit personnel to examine.

Within days after the city threatened to close the Thompson Building, since it hasn’t had running water since mid-February, the owner of the building paid a collection of outstanding bills and the water was back on.

“And the businesses there can stay open,” David J. Petravich, city building code officer, said Monday.

Since mid-February, the city took numerous steps to encourage the owner of the Thompson Building — Ben Agunloye, Brooklyn, New York — to correct the water problems at the six-story building. And the code office issued citations.

“I believe there were eight,” Petravich said.

Meanwhile, Agunloye owed $2,663.81 to the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority for unpaid water and meter bills, and $2,418.60 to the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority in unpaid sewer bills, the executive directors of those authorities said April 20.

On April 20, Petravich posted signs at the entrances of the two businesses at the building, Strictly Formals Rentals and Sales, 23 N. Centre St., and Smokers Heaven, 25 N. Centre St.

The signs contained the words: “Posted 4-20-15. This dwelling unit is in violation of the housing code and its use or occupancy is prohibited after 4-27-15.”

Since then, Agunloye paid his bills, according to Timothy R. Yingling, the executive director of the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority, and Patrick M. Caulfield, the executive director of the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority.

On Thursday, the water was back on at Strictly Formals, according to James J. Corcoran, the owner of Strictly Formals.

On Saturday, the water was back on at Smokers Heaven, according to one of its store managers, Chris J. Figueiredo.

Petravich said Monday he removed the code violation signs from the building.

The problems that occurred at the building over the past two months have made the owners of those two businesses consider their futures.

“Right now, we’re planning to stay,” Raj Dedania, Easton, Northampton County, the owner of Smokers Heaven, said Monday.

“At this point, I’m planning on continuing my business at the Thompson Building, but I’m exploring my options as to location,” Corcoran said Monday.

Meanwhile, Agunloye said he’s hoping community leaders come up with a strategy to bring more businesses to downtown Pottsville.

“We need the business community leaders in Pottsville to start recruiting from outside the city. We need to get people to move in. We need tenants. They’re not going to move into Pottsville if the population continues to go down. We need a change in strategy,” Agunloye said Monday.

“The Thompson Building is a large fish in a river that is drying up. Shopping malls in the area are now having trouble because the population continues to decrease while the financial numbers attained by tenants when they were higher simply don’t encourage them to renew their leases. We need to start recruiting from outside the town for job opportunities. We need to help local landlords get tenants to move to Pottsville,” Agunloye said.

Looking ahead, Agunloye said he’ll continue to encourage retail tenants to rent space on the first floor of the Thompson Building, but isn’t certain about future improvements there.

“There is no justification for investment until the metrics are reversed or start reversing,” Agunloye said in an email to The Republican-Herald.

SHEPPTON — A Sheppton man was jailed after being arrested Sunday by East Union Township police on drug charges.

Henry C. Polk, 54, of 881 Center St., was charged with felony offenses of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and criminal use of a communications facility as well as misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

He was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $25,000 straight cash bail.

Police Chief Thomas Rentschler said the arrest stems from an incident about 9:45 p.m. Sunday when information was received from an informant that they could purchase an “8 ball” of crack cocaine from Polk for $200.

An arrangement was made and Polk was to pick up $140 in pre-recorded money from the informant, and then go to Hazleton to get the drugs and be paid the remaining $60, Rentschler said.

The money was given to Polk, who returned about 25 minutes later and gave the informant the cocaine, taking the remaining $60.

Polk left the scene and a traffic stop was conducted a short distance away when he made a spontaneous utterance saying he had marijuana on his person.

He was also found in possession of some of the pre-recorded money, the chief said.

Polk was taken to the Mahanoy City police station for processing and a search of the man’s vehicle uncovered a large bag of a white clay-like substance that field tested positive for cocaine.

Rentschler said the man was also found with copper wire screening commonly used for smoking crack cocaine.

Polk will now have to answer to the charges before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Eric R. Felty, current secretary of the Schuylkill Haven Area school board, announced Monday he is running for re-election.

A 1988 graduate of Schuylkill Haven School District, Felty earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from University of Pittsburgh in 1993 and a master’s degree in global management from the University of Phoenix in 2003. Currently, Felty is a project manager for the Department of Military Affairs at Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville.

He’s also a father of two children who attend Schuylkill Haven Area.

He’s a Republican, but he said he cross-filed for the May 19 primary election.

Frackville police

cite 2 for hit, run

GIRARDVILLE — State police at Frackville found the culprit of a hit-and-run crash that occurred between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. April 20 at 214 Reed St.

State police said Steven Melsom, 29, of Girardville, was traveling north on Reed Street in a 2000 Chrysler Concorde when it struck a vehicle parked on the east berm of the street.

The driver’s side rear fender struck a 2002 Saturn SC2 belonging to Robert Hollenbach, 24, of Girardville.

Melsom continued to drive north without stopping because he did not have a valid driver’s license. He will be cited for operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license and damage to unattended vehicle or property.

The owner of the Chrysler, Francis Kehler III, Girardville, will also face a citation for allowing his vehicle to be operated without insurance.

Police investigate

Galaxy tablet theft

HALIFAX — State police at Lykens are investigating a burglary and theft that occurred at 1828 Armstrong Valley Road in Jackson Township, Dauphin County, sometime between Oct. 1 and Nov. 7.

Police said Jonathan P. Matter reported someone entered his home and removed a Samsung Galaxy tablet valued at $680.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 717-362-8700.

Driver hits SUV,

leaves crash site

SUMMIT STATION — State police at Schuylkill Haven investigated a hit-and-run crash that occurred about 10:25 p.m. Saturday on Route 183, in the area of Metamorphosis Boutique, in Wayne Township.

Police said the driver of a gray or tan Chevrolet pickup truck and Julia Dana, 32, of Pottsville, the driver of a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer, were involved in a road rage incident while traveling north on Route 183.

Dana was in the right lane and, while the pickup truck driver was passing, he or she turned into Dana’s lane and struck the driver’s side front of her SUV.

The driver then continued north without stopping to provide information as required.

Dana and her passengers — Harry Franz, 43, and Karen Kershner, 52, both of Pottsville, along with a juvenile — all escaped injury.

Police ask that anyone with information on the identity of the pickup truck driver to call them at 570-739-1330.

ORWIGSBURG — A mother of a student in the Blue Mountain School District is disappointed that her son will not be able to attend the Schuylkill Technology Center.

Alicia Keller asked the school board Thursday to reconsider not sending students to STC for the 2015-16 school year.

“I would like to lay this again at your feet, on his behalf, and ask you to reconsider. I feel that I need to give you just a glimpse of my child as an individual,” Keller said.

She said her son, Grayden, an eighth-grade student at Blue Mountain Middle School, was “elated” to learn that there is open enrollment for ninth-grade students to attend STC. By attending early, he will save money when he goes to the Pennsylvania College of Technology, if accepted, she said.

In March, the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 board of directors, comprised of school board members from each of the 12 school districts in the county, approved permitting ninth-grade students to attend STC-North Campus, Frackville, and South Campus, Mar Lin, for the 2015-16 school year, among other program changes. Currently, students in 10th to 12th grades attend the technology centers.

Clyde Hornberger, educational consultant, Ashland, recommended the changes. He said the addition of ninth-grade students can help improve STC.

Hornberger said the biggest problem in Schuylkill County relative to STC is that “the programs are not filled to capacity.” He said providing quality programs is instrumental.

Superintendent Robert Urzillo said the decision to open up STC programs to ninth-grade students came too late in the school year.

“I made my recommendation,” he said to Keller.

Paul Shealer, Auburn, asked why the district was not ready to permit the students to enroll in the programs.

“We think we are helping the students that way, not hurting students,” Urzillo said, adding he does not cast blame on STC.

Urzillo said Monday he spoke with Kurt Lynch, IU 29 director of vocational education, and was told the program has yet to be approved. Lynch did not return a call for comment Monday. An employee of the state Department of Education did not know if the change has been approved as of Monday.

Urzillo said the ninth-grade school program at Blue Mountain is not structured to accommodate students taking courses elsewhere while still getting all their required courses at the school.

“It takes time to change over,” Urzillo said.

Heather Gosch, school board president, said Monday that Urzillo, high school Principal Kevin Berger, guidance counselors and school board members met previously in a committee meeting to discuss the issue. Gosch said the issue did not need to come to a vote because “it wasn’t an action that needed a vote.” If the district decides to permit ninth-grade students to participate next year, the issue will need to be voted on.

Gosch said the curriculum has not been approved by the state Department of Education.

“That is a big deal,” she said.

Diane Niederriter, executive director of the IU 29, said Monday that 50 ninth-grade students have enrolled for the 2015-16 school year. She did not have a breakdown of the school districts involved.

“It’s a local decision. It’s up to each school district,” she said.

By FRANK ANDRUSCAVAGE

FRACKVILLE — Charges have been filed against three people as the result of an investigation into a March 27 crash on Interstate 81 in Butler Township that seriously injured a state police sergeant.

Sgt. Robert E. Bemis, 47, assigned to the Bureau of Training and Education at the state police academy in Hershey and also director of the Honors Camp at that academy, is recovering from serious injuries he suffered in the 2:50 p.m. crash in the southbound lanes, near mile marker 121.

Bemis was driving south in an unmarked state police cruiser when he pulled over to assist at a vehicle fire and was standing outside of his cruiser with that driver, Victor K. Nolan, 36, of Arjay, Kentucky.

Nolan had been driving a 1993 Cadillac towing a trailer hauling a Volvo Cross Country when a rear tire blew, causing the rim to catch fire which spread to the trunk and fuel tank area.

Bemis pulled onto the berm of the road behind the trailer and he and Nolan were outside of the vehicles when Jamie Edmonds, 50, of Norfolk, Virginia, was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer south, applied her brakes to avoid hitting a truck in front of her and lost control.

The SUV began to spin clockwise, went off onto the north berm of the road and struck a guide rail. After hitting the guide rail, state police said, the SUV continued south and struck the Bemis vehicle, pushing it into Bemis and Nolan.

Witnesses said the impact threw Bemis into the air with him hitting the ground near the passenger’s side of his cruiser.

As a result of the investigation, state police charged Edmonds with two summary Vehicle Code violations, following too closely and driving at an unsafe speed.

A summary charge was also filed against Nolan for violating safety requirements for towed vehicles since the Cadillac he was driving had insufficient strength to tow the amount of weight on the trailer at the time of the crash.

Finally, police filed a summary charge against the owner of the Cadillac, South Laurel Auto Sales in London, Kentucky, for having a registration issued in Kentucky that expired on Dec. 31, 2014.

Nolan was taken to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries while Edmonds and her passengers, Keikilani Bennett, 24, and a 3-year-old boy, also of Norfolk, Virginia, were taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street for precautionary treatment, police said.

WEST HAZLETON — The Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association held its annual congressional luncheon at the Top of the 80’s for local representatives to discuss the issues.

The association invited U.S. Rep. Louis J. Barletta, R-11, and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-17, to speak about important issues in Washington that impact businesses and individuals in their districts and Pennsylvania in general.

Due to a last-minute personal obligation, Cartwright was unable to attend, but was represented by senior economic development specialist and legislative aide Bill Hanley.

MAEA board Chairman Steve Redlich of Poly Plastic Products of Pennsylvania Inc., Delano Township, introduced those at the head table, including Barletta and association President Darlene J. Robbins.

“The congressional topics for today will be on transportation, trade, regulatory reform and national and foreign security,” Redlich said before calling Barletta to the podium.

A major portion of Barletta’s talk was on transportation issues, particularly the need for financing a strong highway bill that deals with problems in keeping roads and bridges maintained and providing assurances to contractors that funding will continue over a period of time to allow for purchases of large and expensive pieces of equipment.

“Nobody is going to buy a $500,000 piece of equipment on a two-year bill,” Barletta said. “They need to know there is enough work for five, six, seven years and invest the money. Washington is passing these short-term transportation bills, and I have objected about that. You’re going to have to fix the roads and bridges eventually, and it will cost us more money the longer you wait to do it.”

Barletta added that the quality of roads, ports, waterways and rail has an impact on manufacturing on efficiency in transporting goods within the United States and eventually around the world.

“If we let that infrastructure crumble, we will lose the one advantage America has in competing in that global economy,” Barletta said. “Brazil is investing $27 billion in their infrastructure right now to improve their waterways so they can compete with America. We can’t wait. We can’t fail.”

Barletta added that changes in federal regulations and other rules cause problems for businesses.

“It’s Washington that keeps creating the uncertainty,” Barletta said. “We didn’t know what the Affordable Care Act was going to mean to our businesses. We didn’t know that the costs would be. We waited until the last minute to pass our tax rates. We’re fighting over-regulation right now. They want to regulate mud puddles. Sometimes a mud puddle is just a mud puddle. It’s not a navigable water that needs to be controlled and regulated by the federal government. This is the kind of uncertainty that really is slowing our economy down.”

Barletta serves on three House committees: Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he serves as the chairman of the Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee; Homeland Security Committee, where he serves on the Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee; and the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Cartwright was appointed to serve on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where he is a ranking member on the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules. Cartwright is also a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources and was named to the Democratic Outreach and Engagement Task Force.

This event was not considered a campaign-related activity. It was a way of thanking Barletta and Cartwright for their work. The event was open to the press.

State Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane knowingly leaked a memorandum and transcript containing information about a 2009 grand jury probe despite multiple warnings from staff members the action would be a crime, according to the grand jury presentment that recommended charges against her.

The presentment, which was made public Monday afternoon, cites numerous inconsistencies in Kane’s testimony that were refuted by several staff members, including James P. Barker, a top prosecutor who was recently fired by Kane.

Acting on a request by special prosecutor Thomas Carluccio, Montgomery County Judge William Carpenter unsealed the presentment several hours after he and two other judges heard arguments from Kane’s attorneys that challenge a contempt petition filed against her relating to Barker’s termination.

The 27-page document is a scathing rebuke of Kane, saying her testimony before the grand jury in November was “riddled with inconsistencies and demonstrated conduct that was clearly inconsistent with the evidence” presented to the panel.

“The testimony of Attorney General Kane was not an honest account of the events, and she mischaracterized events to cover up activities undertaken at her direction to unlawfully release documents subject to grand jury secrecy,” the presentment says.

Kane denies she did anything illegal. One of her attorney’s, Amil Minora, said she did not oppose the release of the presentment and wants more documents related to the probe to be unsealed.

“We want the entire record open,” Minora said. “We have nothing to hide.”

The investigation focused on a 2009 memorandum that detailed the investigation into J. Whyatt Mondesire, the former head of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, and an interview an agent in Kane’s office conducted in March 2014 with an agent who worked on the Mondesire case. The memorandum and transcript were leaked to a reporter at the Philadelphia Daily News, which ran a story in June that raised questions as to why the probe did not result in charges.

Kane testified she never saw those documents until she testified before the grand jury, but her statements were contradicted by Former First Assistant Attorney General Adrian R. King Jr., who testified he was given a packet of information from Kane and directed to provide it to an intermediary, who passed the packet to the reporter. King said he did not know what was in the packet, but the reporter told the grand jury it included the Mondesire information.

King testified Kane became “fixated” by her desire to see the Mondesire probe become public because she was unhappy about a story that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer last year that questioned her decision not to file charges against several state legislators accused of taking bribes.

The story said Frank Fina, a former chief deputy attorney general who investigated in the Mondesire case, was among people who questioned her decision.

The presentment said King testified Kane wanted to release the documents to retaliate against Fina. The panel said it found it “significant” that the documents redacted the names all prosecutors and investigators other than Fina and former Senior Deputy Attorney General Marc Costanzo, who co-prosecuted the case.

The grand jury also noted the disclosure of the investigation had a devastating impact on Mondesire, who testified friends, family and others questioned his judgment and if he had “done something dishonest.”

“Attorney General Kane disregarded such considerations and disclosed the secret information publicly for her own purposes,” the presentment says.

Kane testified she was not told the Mondesire information was from a grand jury probe, and that, even if it was, it was not subject to grand jury secrecy rules because that investigation had concluded.

However, King and several other staffers, including Barker and First Assistant Attorney General Bruce Beemer, testified they emphatically warned her that releasing the information would be illegal. King recounted a meeting with Kane at which the issue was discussed.

“I’m listening to this and I think it’s absurd ... It just seems like a complete distraction and it seems to be paranoid,” King testified, according to the presentment. “My reaction to that was this is nuts; I don’t want anything to do with it.”

King also sent Kane an email, again reiterating his concerns. In an email reply, she dismissed his interpretation, saying, “I am well aware of the limitations of disclosing criminal files ... I have been in this business for quite some time now,” according to the presentment.

The presentment, issued in December, was forwarded to Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman, who is now reviewing the document and conducting her own investigation to determine if charges of perjury, false swearing, abuse of office and obstructing the administration of law should be filed against Kane.

Kane is also under investigation for firing Barker, which Carluccio believes violated a protective order issued in August that forbid Kane from retaliating against anyone who testified before the grand jury.

Kane was set to appear at a hearing on that matter Monday, but it was postponed based on challenges to the proceeding filed by her attorneys. It was during that hearing Carluccio requested the presentment that recommended charges against Kane be unsealed. Carpenter later issued an order saying there was no longer a need to keep the document sealed.

Kane has denied the firing of Barker, who headed the appeals and grand jury unit, was in retaliation for his testimony. She contends he was fired, in part, because there have been numerous leaks of grand jury information to the press, which he, as head of the unit, failed to halt.

She seemed unfazed by the leak of the Mondesire information, however, according to the presentment, which notes Barker pushed Kane to investigate the leak, but she refused, saying it “was not a big deal.”

The panel also found Kane tried to derail the grand jury probe of the leak, directing Beemer to take action to stop the investigation. Beemer told the grand jury he was “taken aback” by the request as he personally believed the leak of the information was improper and had promised Carluccio he would fully cooperate with the investigation.

Beemer testified that he asked Kane what basis he should use to argue that, and she told him whatever information was released was not grand jury material.

“I said it most certainly was grand jury” material, Beemer said, according to the presentment.

Deeds

Ashland — Fernando Mata and Jovay Kisela to Jessica Davis; 729-731 Walnut St.; $42,500.

Branch Township — Patricia A. Kerns to Joseph E. Jr. and Rebecca E. Schoffstall; 1015 Maple St., West West Terrace; $175,000.

Cass Township — Tax Claim Bureau of Schuylkill County to Hyder Binjameel and Abdallah Binjameel; property on Valley Road; $100.

Coaldale — Marie Vanko to Marie E. Vanko, Julianne O’Gorman and John S. Vanko; 125 E. Moser St.; $1.

n Cressona: An American Red Cross blood drive is set for 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Cressona Mall, Route 61. People 17 and older, weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health are urged to donate blood. To make an appointment to donate blood, call 800-733-2767. To download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, go online to www.redcrossblood.org.

n Frackville: Cub Pack 790 will sponsor a bean soup sale beginning at noon May 2 at Whippoorwill Dam, Morea Road. The event will include the sale of bean soup, hot food and baked goods to benefit the pack. All are welcome. For more information, call 570-617-4068.

n Millersburg: “Springtime Serenade: An Evening with Stuart Malina and Guests” is set for 7:30 p.m. May 6 at the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art. The cost is $20 and center members can use coupons to get 50 percent off the admission. For tickets or more information, call 717-692-3699 or go online to www.nedsmithcenter.org.

n Schuylkill Haven: The South Schuylkill Garden Club has announced that applications for a $750 student scholarship are being accepted to benefit a Schuylkill County students who plans to further their education. Applicants can include any Schuylkill County high school senior with plans to attend an institution of higher learning within the following fields: horticulture, floriculture, landscape architecture, conservation, forestry, botany, agronomy, plant pathology, environmental control, land-use planning, land management and allied fields, according to a press release from Patrick M. “Porcupine Pat” McKinney, environmental education coordinator with the Schuylkill Conservation District. College students enrolled in the aforementioned majors are especially encouraged to apply. Karen Winkleman, garden club president, said that providing scholarship money is a good way for the club to give back to the community to ensure that talented young people pursue their goals to help the environment. “The South Schuylkill Garden Club is dedicated to promoting greater interest and knowledge in gardening, to stimulate interest in conservation through environmental education, and to promote community beautification,” Winkleman said in the release. The application deadline is May 31. For more information and to get a copy of an application, call McKinney at 570-622-4124, ext. 113 or email him at porcupinepat@yahoo.com. The South Schuylkill Garden Club is a member of District II/III of the Garden Club Federation of PA and the National Garden Clubs Inc.

n Shenandoah: The effort to maintain the more than $300,000 Pennsylvania Anthracite Miners Memorial at the entrance to Girard Park, Main and Washington streets, is ongoing. Springtime efforts will be made at the site. There are many who volunteer to do maintenance work, but there is considerable expense incurred for mulch, flowers and other needed items. Those without time to work at the site can contribute toward the cost of supplies. Any donation would be appreciated. Donations can be dropped off at the Souchuck Lumber Co., East Centre Street, or at the 116 N. Main St. office of the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. The late Theodore Souchuck Sr. of Souchuck’s Lumber and Pete Vernalis of the Vernalis Restaurant played primary rolls in developing the memorial. Bricks and tiles are available for the memorial in a fundraiser aimed at refurbishing it, according to Mary Luscavage, executive director of the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc., 116 N. Main St. “The memorial is a tribute to all who risked their lives and worked in the mines,” Luscavage said in a release. “It is a tourist attraction that brings many to the area. Anyone can get a brick or tile, you don’t have to be a miner,” she added. For more information, call 570-462-2060.

n Tamaqua: The Salvation Army’s Older and Bolder group meets at 10 a.m. Wednesdays at the Salvation Army quarters, 105 W. Broad St. Meetings include a light luncheon. For more information or to join, call Dina at 570-668-0410.

Luis R. Nunez-Calderon wept as he told police about how he cut Wendy Contreras-Hernandez’s throat in April 2014 in Shenandoah, a state police trooper testified Tuesday in Schuylkill County Court.

“He went down to the kitchen and retrieved a knife” was the story, Trooper Melissa A. Kyper told a jury and Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin on the second day of Nunez-Calderon’s trial. “(He) went to the bathroom and sliced her throat.”

Nunez-Calderon did not react as Kyper talked about what he told her and Trooper Eric Schaeffer in a cell in Manhattan Central Court in New York City following his arrest the day after he allegedly cut Contreras-Hernandez’s throat and tossed the knife into a closet.

“ ‘If she had calmed down, I wouldn’t have done that’ ” was Nunez-Calderon’s explanation for what occurred, Kyper said.

Furthermore, Kyper said, the defendant refused to take responsibility for what he did.

“He mentioned several times that this was all Wendy’s fault,” Kyper said.

Kyper was the final witness on the second day of the trial of Nunez-Calderon, 42, of Shenandoah, who is being assisted by interpreters. The trial is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. today with Assistant Public Defender Kent D. Watkins, Nunez-Calderon’s lawyer, cross-examining Kyper.

State police at Frackville have charged Nunez-Calderon with criminal homicide, first-degree murder, third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, criminal trespass and two counts of aggravated assault.

They alleged Nunez-Calderon cut Contreras-Hernandez’s throat about noon April 29, 2014, at her 518 W. Centre St. residence. Contreras-Hernandez bled to death in her bathroom, police said.

If convicted of first-degree murder, the most serious grade of criminal homicide, Nunez-Calderon will receive a life sentence, which in Pennsylvania carries no chance of parole.

Kyper, the prosecuting officer, said she and Schaeffer went to New York to talk with Nunez-Calderon.

“Did you threaten Mr. Nunez-Calderon in any way?” District Attorney Christine A. Holman asked Kyper.

“No,” Kyper answered.

“Did Trooper Schaeffer threaten Mr. Nunez-Calderon at any time?”

“No.”

Kyper’s testimony was corroborated by Adelis Acosta, the New York City interpreter at the interview, who said no one at the interview raised his or her voice and the defendant understood exactly what was going on.

“Did Nunez-Calderon ever indicate confusion?” Holman asked Acosta.

“No,” she answered.

“Did they coerce him in any way?”

“No.”

However, Nunez-Calderon was less than truthful when he started telling his version of events, Kyper said.

Nunez-Calderon originally said he had not been in Shenandoah since April 25 and that he had not seen Contreras-Hernandez since April 27.

“His story changed a few times,” Kyper said.

Those changes included, according to Kyper:

• That he saw his immigration lawyer on April 29.

• Then, he saw his immigration lawyer on April 28 and was in a bodega on April 29.

• Then, he was at his mother’s home on April 29.

“I told him I knew he was in Shenandoah on April 29,” Kyper said. “I confronted him with all the facts. He became teary-eyed and emotional.”

Those facts included several witnesses who testified Tuesday that they saw Nunez-Calderon in Shenandoah on April 29.

“He had a little bit of blood (on his hand) and he was acting a little strange,” Leonard Rivera, Shenandoah, said of Nunez-Calderon’s appearance at the Burger King between noon and 1 p.m. April 29. “He was a little bit nervous.”

Valerie Reinmiller, a bartender at the Main Street Bar, said Nunez-Calderon walked in when she opened at 3 p.m. and drank six or seven beers during his stay of between 2 and 2 1/2 hours.

“He asked about a taxi,” she said.

Reinmiller said a taxi never came and another patron, Richard Wylie, gave Nunez-Calderon a ride to Hazleton, where he wanted to go.

Wylie said he dropped off Nunez-Calderon near Rite Aid on Church Street in Hazleton. Nunez-Calderon paid him $50, Wylie said.

Juana Feliz, who works at C&G Transportation near the same Rite Aid, testified a man came in about 6:40 p.m. and asked about a bus to New York City. Feliz could not identify the man but said he was nervous, tried to hide his face and went to the bathroom while there.

Meanwhile, state police Cpl. David R. Dupree, supervisor of the forensic services unit at the Reading station, was examining the house where Contreras-Hernandez died.

“These are areas of suspected blood on the carpeting,” Dupree said as he reviewed some of the 375 photos he took inside and outside the house.

One of the photos showed Contreras-Hernandez lying dead in her bathroom, with so much blood that it was difficult to maneuver without stepping in it, he said.

“There were some devastating injuries to the neck,” Dupree said. “Her neck was cut severely.”

Other prosecution witness who testified Tuesday included:

• Deputy Coroner Andrew J. Szczyglak, who determined Contreras-Hernandez was dead by the loss of blood.

• State police Trooper Joseph J. Aponick, who kept the crime scene entry log at 518 W. Centre St. He said the front door was the only access into the house.

• State police Cpl. Jeffrey Sampson, who found a broken knife in a closet in the residence. The knife matched others in a block in the kitchen, Sampson said.

• Michelle Shotrtell, a scientist at the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem, who said she determined there was blood on several items and samples submitted to her.

• Beth Ann Holsopple, a scientist at the state police crime laboratory in Greensburg, who said Contreras-Hernandez’s DNA was in at least two blood samples and Nunez-Calderon’s blood was on at least one.

• State police Cpl. Laura Klinger, who analyzes latent fingerprints at the state police crime laboratory in Harrisburg. She said there were no latent fingerprints on the broken knife.

HARRISBURG — A critical grand jury presentment isn’t spurring area lawmakers to call for state Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s resignation.

None of the lawmakers from Northeast Pennsylvania contacted Tuesday said Kane should resign. They either suggested the judicial process should be allowed to run its course or declined to offer a judgement about whether Kane should stay in office.

According to the five-month-old presentment released Monday, Kane ignored warnings from top staffers and leaked secret information about a 2009 grand jury probe and later gave testimony about the case that was not an honest account of the events to another grand jury. Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman is investigating the case.

Kane has repeatedly said she didn’t do anything illegal and doesn’t plan to resign.

“The presentment is a not a statement of fact. It is a prosecutor’s tool,” Sen. John Yudichak, D-14, said. “Attorney General Kane deserves due process and the opportunity to defend herself on these issues.”

Kane has already compiled a good record deploying the mobile street crimes unit to Hazleton and other cities, Yudichak said.

“When it comes to taking drug lords and child predators off the street, Attorney General Kane has done a spectacular job,” he added.

Sen. John Blake, D-22, said the release of the presentment is but another step in a wide-ranging legal proceeding.

“The Attorney General maintains her innocence and she has not yet had her day in court,” he said. “It would be inappropriate for me to comment or to speculate on these unresolved or prospective legal matters.”

Rep. Frank Farina, D-112, said he doesn‘t want to comment on what someone else should do with their life or career.

“I can only speak for Frank Farina,” he added.

“Let the legal process take shape,” Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-120, said.

Pashinski said he hopes the allegations against Kane aren’t true.

Rep. Sid Michaels Kavulich, D-114, said he wants to read the presentment before offering any comment.

Efforts to reach Reps. Marty Flynn, D-113, Mike Carroll, D-118, and Karen Boback, R-117, and Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, for comment were unsuccessful.

The sponsor of a possible impeachment resolution against Kane said he’s working to line up cosponsors and build momentum. Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-12, said he’s been holding off formally introducing the resolution while the grand jury and Ferman consider the case.

SUNBURY — A man who falsely identified himself as his brother was back in court Monday morning on an emergency bench warrant.

Brian Dietrick, 44, of 7 S. 19th St., Ashland, was given a five-day purge order by Northumberland County President Judge William H. Wiest on a bench warrant related to a 2004 theft case.

Northumberland County Chief Probation Officer Jim Cortelyou said the order requires Dietrick, upon his release from prison, to pay $75 per month on fines and costs he owes the county. If Dietrick fails to comply with the order, he will be sent to prison for five days.

Dietrick, who has been in jail for a month, likely knew he was bound for prison when he was pulled over by Shenandoah police in late March. He had multiple outstanding warrants, including for felony drug charges.

But Dietrick identified himself as his brother, Lewis Dietrick, 49, knowing his brother had a warrant for a lesser offense, according to multiple sources. Brian Dietrick was processed into three separate county prisons, was in custody of multiple law enforcement agencies and appeared before a Northumberland County judge before the ruse was discovered last week.

When Lewis Dietrick learned his younger brother was locked up under the wrong name, he called Shenandoah police himself April 22, Northumberland County District Attorney Ann Targonski said previously. However, police didn’t contact Northumberland County officials, she said.

But suspicion had already been raised among Northumberland County prison staff, who confirmed Dietrick’s tattoos didn’t match what was on record under his brother’s file, Targonski said. A fingerprint scan affirmed what Dietrick was allegedly the first to know: that he was using a false identity.

Despite the age difference, photos of the brothers available to prison staff are very similar, according to Northumberland County Prison Warden Bruce Kovach.

The warden said he didn’t believe any Northumberland County law enforcement or prison officials were negligent in performing their duties.

The warrant for Lewis Dietrick was for failing to show for a revocation hearing. He didn’t pay court costs. That’s the warrant Brian Dietrick was processed on. He was held at Schuylkill County Prison and picked up by Northumberland County officials on March 25, when he was remanded to Snyder County Prison. Two days later, he was in Northumberland County Court before being transferred to the county prison section of State Correctional Institution-Coal Township, where he remains.

Multiple charges stemming from the March traffic stop, including false identification and possession of drug paraphernalia, have been filed against Brian Dietrick in the office of Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah. Targonski said there are no plans to file additional charges in Northumberland County.

Free Comic Book Day is coming to the Pottsville Free Public Library on Saturday.

Held the first Saturday in May every year, Free Comic Book Day is a single-day event when participating comic book shops throughout the world give away comics to people who come into their shops. The library will have free comics available from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

It is the first time the Pottsville Free Public Library has participated in the event.

“The day is meant to encourage kids to read and comic books are a littler easier to tackle,” Becki White, head reference librarian, said Tuesday.

The event came together when White went to Comics and Paperbacks Plus, 201 E. Main St., Palmyra. Ralph Watts, the store owner, has participated in Free Comic Book Day since it started in 2002 and was preparing to send comic books for the event to libraries in Lebanon County.

“Because of the summer reading club theme, it just seemed perfect,” White said.

“Every Hero Has A Story” is the elementary school theme for the 2015 Collaborative Summer Library Program. Last year, 254 kids registered for the library’s summer reading club and 71 completed at least one reading log.

“As a librarian, I believe that there is a book for every child, you just have to get them into the library,” Darren DeArment, head of youth services at the library, said. “Once we get them to see all the library has to offer, hopefully, they will become lifelong users of the library.”

Watts donated about 50 comic books and the library staff covered the costs of an additional 20. Children are also being encouraged to visit the library dressed as their favorite superhero. There will be a cosplay pizza party for the teen advisory group at noon in library.

Comics and Paperbacks Plus is one of the closest comic book shops to Schuylkill County.

“I want people to know what comic books actually are,” Watts said.

The idea for Free Comic Book Day came from a few people in the industry wanting to mirror the success of Baskin-Robbins Free Ice Cream Day, Watts said.

“They noticed how successful it was and said we should do it in our industry as well,” Watts said.

Those individuals then contacted the major comic book companies to sponsor the event and it has been held ever since.

“It brings people to the store,” Watts said. “People line up through the store. It is a very good day for me financially, but I really want to get new people to read comic books. It just gives them a chance to come in and see if they are interested and then possibly come back and purchase them.”

Comics and Paperbacks Plus is open from noon to 4 p.m. and Watts said he usually sees about 400 to 500 people on Free Comic Book Day.

“If there is an interest, it can be a really fun event,” Watts said.

Among the comic books available for Free Comic Book Day are The Avengers, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Spongebob Squarepants.

“This is something you don’t need batteries for,” Watts said. “It is something you can take with you. The main difference than a regular book is obviously the artwork. It is great for kids because it is visual and they know what is going on.”

“People usually remember the first comic book they ever read,” Watts said. “Comic books are just really cool. I love selling them.”

For more information about Free Comic Book Day, visit www.freecomicbookday.com. Comics and Paperbacks Plus also has a website at www.comicsandpaperbacksplus.com.