A McAdoo man returned to prison Monday after a Schuylkill County judge sentenced him in connection with his assaulting his sister in February 2014.

Ralph M. Luchetta Jr., 28, must return to prison, perhaps until Feb. 6, 2016, and then spend five additional years on probation, Judge John E. Domalakes ordered after revoking the defendant’s probation and parole.

Domalakes ruled Luchetta violated his probation and parole by possessing two knives and pepper spray.

“He’s not allowed to have weapons and he knew it,” Domalakes said in explaining his sentence.

Luchetta, who sat through Monday’s hearing wearing a prison jumpsuit, handcuffs and leg shackles, unsuccessfully argued that he was using one knife to try to fix an air compressor and that the other was for protection.

“That knife was for protection,” he said. “That was my old hunting knife.”

Luchetta originally pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2014, to aggravated assault, with prosecutors withdrawing a second count of aggravated assault, three counts of simple assault and one each of recklessly endangering another person and harassment. At that time, Domalakes sentenced him to spend 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison and an additional five years on probation, pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

McAdoo police alleged Luchetta assaulted his sister, Megan Luchetta, on Feb. 1, 2014, in the borough.

Also in the county court, Judge Jacqueline L. Russell revoked the parole of Brenda Sheppo, 31, of Pottsville, on Wednesday and recommitted her to prison.

Sheppo admitted violating her parole by leaving her treatment program and failing a drug test.

Russell ruled Sheppo could not apply for reparole until at least Sept. 7, and might remain in prison until April 26, 2016.

Sheppo originally pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2014, to recklessly endangering another person, with prosecutors withdrawing charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct. At that time, Russell sentenced her to spend 10 days to 12 months in prison, pay costs and a $50 CJEA payment and perform 20 hours community service.

Pottsville police charged Sheppo with committing her crime on Dec. 9, 2013, in the city.

Patrick Caulfield, executive director of the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority, told the authority board Tuesday at their June meeting that the projects they have been working on are being completed.

“The big projects are wrapping up nicely,” he told the board Tuesday.

The Mahanoy Business Park Project is one such effort.

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

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

Caulfield told the board the contractor has filled and pressure tested the pipeline from New Boston to the Morea Road/Burma Road intersection. The pipeline is filled and pressure tested on Roosevelt Boulevard with four service connections installed to property lines. The contract was awarded in April 2014 to Michael F. Ronca & Sons Inc., Shamokin, for $3.23 million. There were nine bidders for the project.

Caulfield said the project is almost complete and is slated for Aug. 9. The subcontractor, who was not named, has finished painting the interior of the tank and a base coat has been applied to the outside. The painting of the tank should be finished by next month.

Because of the project, 44 residences are required to connect to the new SCMA water mains and have been sent letters to alert them to the change. Residents of Vulcan who are currently Hazleton City Authority customers will also be notified and will be reconnected to the new water main as SCMA customers.

Once the project is finished, those affected will get additional correspondence saying they need to connect within a certain time.

In November 2014, the board approved a tapping fee of $1,015 per inch of pipe connection and a connection fee of $1,485 per residential connection. The connection fee is based on the average cost per residential connection. The commercial fee will be established based on the size of connections at actual costs . Letters were sent to those affected in November.

The second-class township code and the Mahanoy Township mandatory connection ordinance “require all improved property (houses and businesses) located within the service area of the Township and abutting upon any street in which there is a water main constituting part of the water system owned and operated by the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority to connect such improved property with and to use such water system,” according to the SCMA website, www.scmawater.com.

In other related news, Caulfield and Amy Batdorf, authority assistant director, met with Hazleton City Authority manger and board members previously to discuss an agreement relating to the project.

Caulfield said, “We’ve been working on the finalization of this agreement,” which is not yet complete, but a verbal agreement has been reached

He said the SCMA will be responsible for any legal and engineering costs associated with the review and agreement, “which will be pretty minimal.” The SCMA will split the cost of two delinquent accounts in Vulcan owed by two parties amounting to about $5,000 each. The authority will also acquire the 8-inch and 12-inch line at not cost to the authority.

“That’s a very good deal for SCMA,” Caulfield said.

He said a majority of the line was replaced in Vulcan less than 12 years ago. The HCA will transfer ownership of the line to the SCMA.

Once a final agreement is in place for the customers of Vulcan and the waterlines, the authority board will vote on the issue, which could happen at next month’s meeting, Caulfield said.

Schuylkill Transportation System is offering free bus rides on fixed route buses Thursday to celebrate National Dump the Pump Day.

“You don’t always get a free ride in life but Thursday you can,” Joan Breslin, Marketing and Service Support coordinator, said Tuesday.

There are 10 fixed route buses customers can ride: Shenandoah, Minersville, Schuylkill Haven, Middleport, Mahanoy City, Ashland, Port Carbon/Saint Clair, McAdoo/Tamaqua, the Pottsville loop and the Pottsville quick route.

The first buses depart Union Station at 6:30 a.m. to Shenandoah. The second bus leaves at 7 a.m. to Minersville and the third leaves at 7:10 a.m to Schuylkill Haven. The last buses leave the station at 5:10 p.m. and go to Shenandoah, Minersville, Schuylkill Haven and Middleport.

Dump the Pump Day was launched by the American Public Transportation Association to encourage people to ride public transportation, especially after gas prices reached $3 a gallon. This is the 10th year STS has participated in the program.

Regular base fare on the fixed route is $1.35 one way. Starting July 1, it is $1.40.

Last year, 1,023 riders took advantage of the free ride. Breslin said the free ride is a way “to encourage people who never tried public transportation to ride free.”

Riders can use the bus all day on fixed route buses. Once people ride the bus, Breslin said she believes people will see the convenience of using the service and become regular riders. Besides the free ride Thursday, all the buses are air conditioned, so riders can avoid stifling heat.

“Using public transportation is the quickest way to beat high gas prices and saves the United States 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually. That’s why we are offering free rides to encourage more people to join our regular riders and dump the pump on June 18,”

“By participating in Dump the Pump Day, we hope people who have never tried STS will decide to ride public transit all day, anytime, at no cost,” Dave Bekisz, executive director for STS, said.

Last year, Americans took 10.8 billion trips using public transportation, the American Public Transportation Association said in a statement. That is the highest ridership in 58 years, according to APTA.

For more information on Dump the Pump, call 570-429-2701 or 800-832-3322, or visit www.go-sts.com. Additional information about Dump the Pump Day can be found at www.apta.com.

FRACKVILLE — A Pottsville man had charges stemming from a 2011 armed robbery and assault at a Union Township home in 2011 dismissed Tuesday morning.

Jonathan T. Ford, 28, of 19 Sajer Road, appeared for a preliminary hearing on charges, three felony counts of robbery, two felony counts aggravated assault, one felony count each of burglary and criminal trespass, four misdemeanor offenses of recklessly endangering another person, three misdemeanor counts of simple assault and a misdemeanor charge of theft by unlawful taking.

Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville, dismissed all charges against Ford after the key witness to the assault and robbery refused to attend and testify.

James Conville, Ford’s attorney, said the charges were dismissed because “the commonwealth failed to produce any evidence” to support them.

State police Trooper Edward Lizewski of the Frackville station filed the charges against Ford in March after an investigation into an incident on Sept. 10, 2011, at a private home at 12 15th St., just outside of Ringtown.

Lizewski said that two men, a woman and a 10-month-old boy were inside the home when Ford and an unidentified black man entered through an unlocked door. Both men were armed with handguns and wearing hoodies with their faces covered.

Ford allegedly went to an upstairs bedroom and confronted one of the men while the other man was forcibly moved from the dining room by the black man who ordered him to lie on the floor while Ford demanded money. Ford then struck one of the men in the head with the handgun, causing a laceration and contusion on his face and head, and continued to demand money.

Lizewski said Ford then began to physically fight with the man and during the confrontation the weapon he was holding fired. After the gun fired, Ford began to rummage through drawers and a closet and removed a plastic bag that contained about $100 in cash.

When the weapon fired Ford and the other man fled the home with the cash and left the area in a vehicle that was waiting outside, Lizewski said.

Deeds

Ashland — Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. to JP Homes Inc.; 1413 Walnut St.; $2,500.

East Norwegian Township — Vincent J. and Janice M. Balulis to Nyle R. Wallick; 278 Louisa Ave.; $185,000.

Frackville — Richard F. Andersen and Carol A. Andersen to Carol A. Andersen; 158 S. Nice St.; $1.

Minersville — Michael J. and Jayne M. Kachmar to Michael J. Kachmar; 313 Pine St.; $1.

Palo Alto — Ruth M. Yarnell, individually and as executrix of the Estate of Ruth M. Dougherty, Cindy Smith, Lynn Dierwechter, Edward F. Dougherty Jr., George Dougherty, Frank Dougherty, Robert M. Dougherty and Barbara A. Brenchley to Ruth M. Yarnell; 107 W. Savory St.; $1.

Porter Township — Misty A. Kuhns to Nathan Bach and Kristen Roberts; 2023 E. Grand Ave., Reinerton; $78,800.

Schuylkill Haven — The Bank of New York Mellon to Imobiliaria LLC; 408 Parkway; $17,500.

Schuylkill Township — Christopher Baddick to Michael Morgans; 28 Main St., MaryD; $56,000.

Shenandoah — Marjorie E. Dean to Robert Jr. and Victoria Dachiu; 431 Furnace St., Turkey Run; $7,500.

South Manheim Township — Dawn R. and John Douglas Smeal to Jeffrey J. and Judith K. Wagner; 1806 Crazy Horse Drive, Lake Wynonah; $168,000.

Tamaqua — Bank of America NA to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; 412 Pine St.; $1.

Brenda I. Valletta to Matthew J. Walters; 108 Hunter St.; $15,000.

Tremont — Adam J. Leffler to Chad Maidenford; 314 E. Main St.; $30,000.

Union Township — Margaret C. Burns, by attorney in fact Richard Sinclair, to Russell L. Nicodemus Jr.; 20 N. Ninth St.; $147,500.

HARRISBURG — Robert P. Russell, the Mahanoy City man serving a life sentence for killing his wife in Virginia and dumping her body down a mine shaft in Schuylkill County, lost another chance for freedom Tuesday, as a federal judge denied his request for a new trial.

Following a one-hour argument, U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III ruled Russell already had litigated his claim that newly discovered evidence would prove his innocence in the killing of Capt. Shirley Gibbs Russell.

“A virtually identical petition to the one we have before us ... was considered by the (4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals), which evaluated whether to authorize its filing,” Jones wrote in his five-page order dismissing Russell’s petition. “It was rejected by that (court) on the merits.”

As a result, Russell, 58, will remain confined at United States Penitentiary Allenwood in Union County, where he is serving a life sentence for killing Shirley Russell.

On May 3, 1991, a federal jury in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, convicted Robert Russell of murdering his wife, who was 29, in the storage area of their home on the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia.

The case is believed to be the first time federal prosecutors had obtained a murder conviction without having the victim’s body — although a body is not one of the essential elements of the crime of murder.

U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris sentenced Robert Russell on Aug. 2, 1991, to life in prison without parole.

The 4th Circuit, which includes Virginia, affirmed Robert Russell’s conviction on July 17, 1992, and his numerous additional attempts to overturn it also have been rejected.

Federal prosecutors alleged a jealous and spiteful Robert Russell shot his wife in the back of the head on March 4, 1989. Prosecutors said he drove her body, which has never been found, to Schuylkill County and dumped it down a mine shaft along Burma Road between Saint Clair and Mahanoy City.

A key piece of evidence prosecutors used was a computer disk found in Robert Russell’s office in February 1988 containing what prosecutors termed a 26-step “recipe for murder.” Although the defendant claimed it was an outline for a book, prosecutors said it showed his intent to kill his wife.

The case sparked three television specials: a segment of the Fox show A Current Affair in 1991 titled “Murder, He Wrote,” a made-for-television movie by USA Pictures in 1997 titled “The Perfect Crime” and an episode of the Discovery Channel show FBI Files in 2000.

Jones wrote in his order that Russell had alleged the 4th Circuit had denied his petition solely on procedural grounds instead of its merits.

However, Jones noted that Robert Russell had filed a request on Dec. 8, 2011, to file another petition based on alleged new evidence, and that the chief deputy clerk of the 4th Circuit, Mark J. Zanchelli, advised that the 4th Circuit considers that a rejection based on the lack of merit. Robert Russell did not initially disclose that filing, Jones noted.

“The (4th Circuit) considered whether to authorize an identical petition to the one we have before us ... and denied that motion on the merits,” Jones wrote.

During Tuesday’s argument, Jones made it clear that he could not and would not second-guess the 4th Circuit, saying he could not be a “super appellate court” for the case, and that there was no reason to question Zanchelli’s letter.

“I don’t understand how I can overturn what the 4th Circuit has done,” Jones told E.J. Rymsza, Williamsport, Robert Russell’s lawyer. “You’ve got to go back to the 4th Circuit. Mr. Russell doesn’t like the contents of the letter.”

Rymsza argued this is a “very, very rare” case that compels relief.

“There was never any sort of adjudication on the merits” of Robert Russell’s claims, Rymsza said. “He’s never had any sort of evidentiary hearing.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Judge argued that Robert Russell must go to the 4th Circuit in order to seek relief.

“What we have is a decision from the three-judge panel” of that court that is based on the merits of Robert Russell’s claims, Judge said. “We don’t have an ineffective or inadequate remedy in the 4th Circuit.”

Furthermore, federal law requires Robert Russell to present his claim in the 4th Circuit, Judge said.

Jones agreed.

“I don’t see anything that prevents him from filing” such a claim in the 4th Circuit, Jones said.

Defendant: Robert P. Russell

Age: 58

Residence: Quantico, Virginia, formerly of Mahanoy City

Crime committed: Murder

Prison sentence: Life

n Ashland: A free soup-and-sandwich lunch for the local community is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Zion’s Reformed Church, 2400 Centre St. Lunch, offered on the third Wednesday of the month, includes soup, a sandwich, beverage and dessert. For more information, call 570-875-2700.

n Frackville: Elks Lodge 1533, 307 S. Third St., will hold its monthly pork chop supper from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the lodge. The cost is $9 per meal, which includes two breaded pork chops, potato, vegetable and dessert. There will be a cash bar for refreshments. For more information, call 570-590-3330.

n Mahanoy City: The public library is sponsoring a fundraiser trip to Mohegan Sun Casino on June 24. The cost is $22 per person with a $25 slot rebate and $5 food voucher. The bus will leave at 9:30 a.m. from the former Service Electric parking lot and depart from the casino at 4 p.m. for the return trip. For reservations or more information, call 570-773-3365, 570-929-1012 or 570-778-6956.

n Mahanoy City: First United Methodist Church, Fourth Street and Mahanoy Avenue, will sponsor a silent auction beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday with browsing starting at 10 a.m. Large prizes will be offered. The kitchen will be open to serve hot food. Tickets are $2 each and will include cake, beverage and a chance for a door prize.

n Pottsville: The Pottsville Kiwanis Club is taking orders for blueberries, offering 10-pound boxes for $30. All orders are due by June 30. Blueberries, according to a Kiwanis release, will be delivered from the growers within 24 hours of picking and will be available for pickup July 9 at Boyer’s Food Markets parking lot, 22nd and West Market streets. Customers will be notified in advance about the precise date and time for pickup. All proceeds, according to the release, will support scholarships and local charities focused on helping area youths. To order, call Henry at 570-985-7262, Susan at 570-691-5576 or Kelly at 570-617-1125.

n Summit Station: To kick off the new “Schuylkill Grown” product promotion, the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and Ag Committee under the direction of Liz Hinkel will hold its first Schuylkill Grown cooking contest at 6 p.m. July 28 during the Schuylkill County Fair. Ag Committee members, according to a release, hope this will be the first of many contests at the fair to promote products that are grown in the county. The contest will be held under the southeast overhang of the main exhibit hall. The competition is open to youths and adults, as there will be two categories for the public to participate in. The youth category is for people under 18 to prepare a quick bread and bring it to the fairgrounds to be judged ready to serve. A quick bread can be done in the form of a loaf, muffin or biscuit, organizers said in the release. The adult category involves a soup, which adults must prepare and take to the fairgrounds ready to serve. In both categories, the recipe must provide a family-size serving. Each exhibitor must provide his/her own ingredients and cookware to serve. The fair will only provide table and electrical hookup. Exhibitors must have their product in place and ready to serve to the judges by 6:15 p.m. and are asked to register in advance for the contest by July 25 by calling 570-622-3742, ext. 5 or emailing to ehinkel@co.schuylkill.pa.us. The product exhibited by the participant must have a minimum of three ingredients grown in Schuylkill County. The ingredients may be grown by the exhibitor or bought from a Schuylkill County grower. Recipes for soups and quick bread that accompany the product must have the Schuylkill-grown item highlighted in the ingredient portion of the recipe list. A list of Schuylkill-grown providers is available at the fair’s website at www.schuylkillfair.com. A panel of judges will determine the winner based upon taste and presentation. Additional points will be awarded for each Schuylkill-grown ingredient above the minimum. This year’s fair is July 27 through Aug. 1.

n Tamaqua: The Tamaqua Area Free Public Library is hosting six weeks of summer reading for children between 2 and 12 years old. Titled “Every Hero Has a Story,” the program is offered on different days and times in a bid to reach the most readers. For youngsters 6 to 12, session are from 3 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Mondays; for ages 2 to 5, sessions are from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Each session includes stories, snacks, crafts and games. There will also be prizes for reading. For more information, a schedule or to register, call 570-668-4660.

DIENER’S HILL — Dark from smoke but unburned by the fire that destroyed the last building it was in, the original charter establishing the Independence Hose Company 100 years ago proudly hangs on a wall at East Norwegian Township Fire Company.

That charter, record books and other various memorabilia brought back memories for members of the fire company as they prepared Monday for the annual carnival this weekend. Now known as East Norwegian Township Fire Company, the outfit is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

“I think it’s important for the next generation to see what it was and how hard it was to keep it going,” Michele Kline, company vice president and an assistant fire chief, said Monday afternoon.

Kline and her brother, Mark Placek, township fire chief and company treasurer, have each been involved with the fire company for about 30 years. They were both able to find the names of their parents, grandparents and a great-grandparent in the old books used to record membership dues and meeting minutes.

“I think it’s of great significance to be around for 100 years,” Kline said. “A lot of people are coming and going and to keep it alive for 100 years and to continue providing those services is wonderful.”

Even though the words “Independent Hose Company” are still written across the front of the building, the company officially changed its name in 2012 following a merger with the two other companies in the township: East Norwegian Township Emergency Services No. 2 of Mill Creek and American Fire Co. No. 3 of Schoentown.

Brian Murray, company president and assistant chief, was involved with the different organizations at the time of the merger.

“I was actually for it because we have had limited active members,” Murray said.

He said there were only about five or six active members with each of those companies.

“Everybody is hurting, so why don’t just consolidate instead of competing,” Murray said. “It would be better for everyone involved.”

Placek said there are about 75 members currently listed with the company, about 30 of which are active.

The fire company covers the entire township and provides mutual aid support. It has two engines, a tanker and two brush fire units.

“It’s interesting that this building is our third location,” Placek said.

The original Independent Hose Company was actually located near Mill Creek and then relocated to Oak Street on Diener’s Hill, about a block away from its current location, because it was difficult for the horse-drawn carriages to travel up the hill, Placek said. The parcel for the 7 1/2 acres of land for the current building at 16 Sunshine St. was later donated to the fire company, he said.

On Sept. 29, 2001, an arson fire destroyed the fire company building. It was on the same day of a fundraising event at the building, Kline, who only lives a block away from the company, said. A ticket from that fundraiser sits in a display case in the hall along with the charred, wooden nameplate for the building.

“We were here for the event, locked the doors and left,” Kline said. “We were only home for about 45 minutes to an hour then heard a call from the neighbor that the building was smoking. By the time we got over here, it was fully involved.”

Placek said the building was robbed and the fire was set to cover it up. He said it was ruled arson because the blaze started in the social hall and the kitchen at the same time.

“It was devastating to have a building you put your blood, sweat and tears into and just lose it like that,” Kline said. “But our motto was that we would rise from the ashes.”

The current building went up in 2002 with a 40-year federal loan from the USDA, Placek said. One of the first things to go into the new building were two walk-in freezers, which come in handy when it comes time to prepare for the annual carnival.

“It’s an advantage to us because we can do a lot of stuff ahead of time and freeze it,” Kline said.

It only took about a dozen members of the fire company to fill up the freezers with food for this weekend’s carnival. The event covers about 20 to 30 percent of the company’s annual budget, Placek said.

“People look forward to it,” Placek said. “It is kind of a kickoff to the summer firework displays.”

The carnival runs from 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 4-11 p.m. Saturday. Fireworks are Saturday night.

Pitman resident

reports tools theft

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating a theft from a motor vehicle that occurred between 2 p.m. June 10 and 11:30 a.m. Monday at 950 E. Main St., North Manheim Township.

Police said Joshua Herb, Pitman, reported someone stole multiple tools from his parked 2006 Ford F550 truck: a Matco 3/4-inch impact gun, a Mac 1/2-inch impact gun, two Nada Professional 3/4-inch deep socket sets and a yellow 3/4-inch 475 foot/pound torque stick.

Call police at 570-739-1330 with any information.

SHENANDOAH — More than a half dozen residents came to the borough council meeting on Monday to express their concerns about sewage-filled properties on Race Street.

The same residents came to the borough council last August to complain about the four vacant, dilapidated properties at and near the corner of West Coal and North Race street. At the corner is the former Dimaggio’s pizza shop, closed for about 11 years, and three adjoining houses on the west side of the 200 block of North Race Street. The Schuylkill County Parcel Locator lists the owners as Mario and Maria Cruz, but the locator does not list the exact address for each property.

Just as last August, speaking on behalf of his neighbors was James Paulaconis, who lives across the street from the former pizzeria.

“I’m here once again about the property of the old Dimaggio’s,” Paulaconis said. “The first thing we’d like to say is that we really thank borough council for everything they’ve done and tried to do. They’ve been relentless with lawyers and summons and fines and other things in trying to get the property owner to do the right thing, but he just isn’t doing the right thing.”

Paulaconis said the condition of the properties have gone from bad to worse since last year.

“In the last year since we were up here, things have really deteriorated,” he said. “The roofs fell in, the sides fell in. It is knee-deep in raw sewage. And the owner tried to shift the blame to the borough or to other property owners on the block. He has made it abundantly clear that he has no intention of ever tearing those house down and all he’s trying to do is dodge it. In the last year, we’ve been at three hearings, there have been findings and judgments against him.”

Paulaconis said recently Cruz transferred the properties to his relative for $1. Borough code enforcement officer Adam J. Bernodin Jr. said after the meeting that the property transfer is to Carlos Matilde Cruz.

“We’re at the point that we can’t live that way anymore,” Paulaconis said. “The borough made it clear that it was knee-deep in sewage and that it was a dangerous situation.”

Paulaconis referred to another property that was demolished quickly due to a similarly dangerous situation.

“The borough is trying, but it’s just too slow and we can’t afford to wait,” he said. “We certainly can’t afford to live across the street right next to sewage. We have 30, 40, 50 years invested in that neighborhood and we have one person that’s making life hell for us down there and there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do about it.”

Paulaconis said he is aware that other residents also have problems with neighboring properties, but he said the sewage issue has taken the Race Street situation “to a whole new level.”

“What can we do to move on that so that we can get some kind of emergency declared down there?” Paulaconis asked.

Borough solicitor Christopher B. Slusser replied, “There are a couple of options that the borough has, but I haven’t had the opportunity to speak with them at length on the options. Some of the options include challenging the transfer of the property. It’s pretty clear to us why the transfer was done. As you said, it’s just an attempt to kick the can down the road. So we can try to negate that transfer. A second option is if we can have the property declared to be an imminent threat to the health, welfare and safety of the citizens, I would recommend the borough engineer be part of that process.”

“The borough has pressed criminal charges, but it’s not moving anything along,” Paulaconis said. “We don’t know what to do. Obviously, you guys don’t know what to do. You’ve got a plan, but that may take another three months. By then, who knows what kind of infections we’re going to have living around sewage.”

“We want to take action. I don’t anyone on this council wants to allow this can to be kicked down the road as I said earlier,” Slusser replied. “This council, this administration, wants to do everything they can. They’ve been trying to do that, and I know trying doesn’t get you the relief that you want, but we have to work within certain parameters, unfortunately, and we’re using all the tools that we have to try to get some relief for you.”

Resident James O’Boyle asked if there is a time frame when something would be done. Council President Donald E. Segal said an executive session would be held immediately after the regular meeting to discuss the matter and options, and then, on Tuesday morning, he would call the engineer to visit the property to assess the situation.

Segal said the next hearing before the local magisterial district judge is scheduled for Thursday.

“I’m afraid that none of us are going to live long enough to see this out,” Pamela Paulaconis said. “It is taking so long, but our situation has become dire down there. Something has to be done. I know justice takes time, but the open sewer and sewage is not taking its time. It’s getting deeper and deeper. It’s going to be running down Coal Street in six months.”

Slusser said that while the borough is doing everything it can to alleviate the problem, he suggested that the neighborhood residents could get together and consider their own group legal action so that the property owner could receive pressure from two different legal avenues.

“What we’re going to do is contact the engineer tomorrow and start the ‘imminent threat’ process,” Vice President Leo Pietkiewicz said.

HARRISBURG — Rep. Frank Farina is leading a new push to allow Sunday hunting on state game lands and accessible private property and end a remnant of the state Blue Laws that once prohibited most Sabbath activities.

Farina, D-112, Jessup, said legalizing hunting on up to 12 Sundays a year would boost the economy due to more spending on hunting trips and be better for hectic, modern lifestyles.

“Our schedules and lives have changed,” Farina said on Tuesday during a Capitol press conference.

He said the spillover of jobs beyond the traditional 40-hour workweek and other activities has made it more difficult for families to find time to hunt together.

Pennsylvania is surrounded by states that have Sunday hunting and this has lured many in-state hunters to go elsewhere, he said.

Farina’s legislation would allow Sunday hunting coinciding with the game season schedules set by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

It has support from the National Rifle Association, Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and a bipartisan cast of lawmakers, including Rep. Marty Flynn, D-113, Scranton.

Sunday hunting bills have been introduced in Pennsylvania for at least the past two decades. The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau opposes the move and has helped block these bills.

The Blue Laws have been scaled back through the decades so that fishing, target shooting and commercial shopping are allowed on Sundays, supporters said.

“You can fish on Sunday. Why can’t you hunt on Sunday?” Rep. Robert Godshall, R-53, Hatfield, asked.

A farm bureau official said Sunday hunting would interfere with the lifestyle of farm families.

Farmers usually work six days a week and like to enjoy their own land on Sunday without interference, Farm Bureau Counsel John Bell said.

MAHANOY CITY — Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Church in Mahanoy City will celebrate on Sunday the 20th anniversary of the visit in 1995 by the parish’s future patron, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, M.C., with Mass in the church she visited.

Mother Teresa came to Mahanoy City on June 17 at the end of her visit to the United States in order to meet with sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, the religious order that she founded in 1950 in India. The MC sisters live in a convent across the street from the church.

The Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday by the Most Rev. John O. Barres, bishop of the Diocese of Allentown. A concelebrant will be Monsignor Anthony F. Wassel, who was pastor of St. Joseph Church when Mother Teresa visited. The Mass in 1995 was celebrated by the Most Rev. Thomas J. Welsh, bishop of Allentown, with Wassel as a concelebrant.

Mother Teresa was welcomed by thousands of people on the sunny Saturday morning. She attended the Mass, sitting in a front pew that is now marked with a bronze plaque commemorating her visit. After Holy Communion, Mother Teresa spoke in the crowded church, and then went outside to address the throng.

When St. Joseph Church merged with other churches in Mahanoy City and Maizeville in 2008, it became Blessed Teresa Church.

A reception is planned after Mass in the parish hall at noon, followed by dinner at 1 p.m. Cost is $15, but there are very few tickets left. For more information, called the parish office at 570-773-2771.

Prior to Mass, a rosary will be recited beginning at 9:50 a.m. outside the church as a remembrance of a spontaneous rosary that was prayed by the outside crowd in 1995.

Born on Aug. 26, 1910, and christened Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, she took the name Teresa when she entered religious life as a sister at 18. She became a high school teacher in 1931 in Calcutta, India. In 1939, she made her profession of final vows. When she was named school principal, she first became known as Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa left the school in 1948 after receiving permission from church leaders to help the poor people of Calcutta, opened an orphanage in 1957, and in 1969 she established the Missionaries of Charity. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She died on Sept. 5, 1997, and was beatified as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta by Pope John Paul II on Oct. 19, 2003.

Plans for the anniversary commemoration began last year by parishioner Donna DiCasimirro after she read an article in the A.D. Times in May 2014 about someone who said one of his fondest memories was to see Mother Teresa in person. She went to the Rev. Kevin Gallagher, pastor, and asked him about the parish doing some small activities during the year to mark the historical visit.

“One of my favorite quotes from Mother Teresa is ‘God does not ask us to do great things, only small things with great love,’ ” DiCasimirro said. “So we could spend all year doing all sorts of nice, little things in her name to celebrate, culminating in the celebration on June 21.”

DiCasimirro said one activity was having a blue box with the quote and had people drop pieces of paper that had “I did a small act of kindness in Mother’s honor.”

“We didn’t ask people for their names or what they did, but just to focus on being more Mother-like,” she said.

Another activity during the year was for families take a chalice home for a week and pray for vocations, something Mother Teresa encouraged.

During Mother Teresa’s visit, people were encouraged to wear blue and white, the colors of the order’s religious habit. This year, the Mother Teresa Sodality is making blue and white bows that will be available for a donation to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.

“Again, a small act of kindness, a small act of love,” DiCasimirro said. “We can never truly emulate Mother, but as close as we can get is what we’re striving for.”

DiCasimirro said how important it is to remember that visit of Mother Teresa.

“How many parishes can say that their patron was actually there in their church and participated in Mass. That’s pretty significant,” she said.

Gallagher was stationed in Saint Clair 20 years ago as pastor of St. Bonifice, St. Mary and Ss. Peter and Paul churches. He was not aware of the visit in order to be able to come to Mahanoy City.

“From what I understand, it was spontaneous on Mother’s part, so there wasn’t a lot of leeway time,” Gallagher said. “Originally she wasn’t supposed to visit at all, so she decided at the last minute and everyone scrambled to get things organized.”

The guest homilist on Sunday will be Monsignor Aloysius Callaghan, who had met Mother Teresa.

“Al is originally from Heckscherville, and he was the secretary for Bishop McShea and then starting off with Bishop Welsh,” Gallagher explained. “Then he want to the Military Ordinariate in Washington, and then from there he went to Rome to work at the Vatican where he gave a lot of retreat for Mother Teresa’s orders. My first cousin, Theresa Gallagher, from England, is a member of the order and attended Monsignor Callaghan’s retreats.”

DiCasimirro said Wassel will speak after the dinner about meeting Mother Teresa. Bishop Barres and others will also speak.

“The parish is named after her, and even though it’s a new parish, it really has come together and really follows her spirit in care and feeding of the poor,” Gallagher said. “I always tell my people that I’m always in awe and humbled by how they come up with all the food when the food pantry is empty. St. Vincent’s feeds an awful lot of people. We feed about 70 families a month, and at Christmas and Easter it’s over 100.”

“We’re concentrating on trying to be as close to her as we can,” DiCasimirro said.

Barnesville

woman charged

HOMETOWN — A Barnesville woman is facing charges by Rush Township police after an incident about 4:40 p.m. June 12.

Police said Laura Keck, 25, will be charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia and will have to answer before Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua.

Police offered no other information as to what led to the charges only that they are the result of an incident on Lakewood Avenue.

Mahanoy man fails

to register address

MAHANOY CITY — A borough man was jailed after being arrested by Mahanoy City police and charged with an incident about 3 p.m. Saturday at his 107 E. Mahanoy Ave. home.

Police said Brian W. Creamer, 26, was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, on charges of failure to comply with registration of sexual offender registration requirements, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license. He was then committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post 10 percent of $25,000 bail.

Police said officers stopped a vehicle driven by Creamer and that he is a Tier 2 sexual offender for an aggravated sexual assault that he was sentenced for in New Jersey in 2003. A check determined that Creamer failed to register his new address in Pennsylvania as required by law.

It was also learned that Creamer had a prior conviction for failure to register in New Jersey in 2011, police said.

Mount Carmel man

faces drug charges

MAHANOY CITY — A Mount Carmel man was arrested by Mahanoy City police on drug charges after an incident about 12:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of East Mahanoy Avenue.

Police said they charged Jason A. Shedaker, 31, of 336 S. Turnpike St., with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $25,000 straight cash bail.

Police said officers learned from an informant that Shedaker had drugs for sale and then set up a controlled purchase.

Shedaker was contacted and found to be in possession of four bags of a white substance that tested positive for methamphetamine and a large crystal rock that also tested positive for the same drug, police said.

Inside the vehicle police said officers found 17 pills identified as Tramadol, a pill identified as Oxycodone, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, police said.

Traffic incident

leads to drug bust

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy City police filed charges against a Frackville woman stemming from an incident May 20 in the unit block of East Market Street.

Police said Angela Lindenmuth, 37, of 229 S. Spencer St., was charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said officers were investigating a hit-and-run crash and learned the vehicle involved was parked on East Market Street.

At the scene, police said, officers found Lindenmuth sitting in the passenger’s side with a smell of marijuana on her person. A subsequent search of the woman’s purse uncovered a small amount of marijuana and a glass smoking pipe, police said.

Mahanoy City man

charged for litter

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy City police charged a Barnesville man with scattering rubbish after an incident on May 23 at the east end of Vine Street.

Police said George Mammarella, 55, of 22 Circle Drive, will have to answer to the charge before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.

Police said officers on patrol saw Mammarella using a rollback type tow truck to dump tree branches and other debris on Reading and Northern Railroad property.

The man told officers he was only dumping tree related items and that he would clean it up. Police said that as of June 10, Mammarella had not cleaned the debris like he agreed to do resulting in the charge.

Police: Woman

gave alcohol to son

MAHANOY CITY — An investigation into an incident on April 18 led to Mahanoy City police filing charges against a borough woman.

Police said Colleen M. Marushak, 47, of 29 S. D St., was charged with corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, harassment and selling or furnishing alcohol to minors.

Police said officers were called to 96 S. Catawissa St. for a report of a disturbance involving Marushak whom they found visibly intoxicated. It was learned that the woman was at a party drinking alcohol and also giving her juvenile son beer and shots of alcohol throughout the day.

The woman was taken to her home, but police said officers were called to that residence a short time later after Marushak assaulted her son causing visible injuries, police said.

Woman with dog

in stroller charged

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy City police filed charges against a borough woman after an incident about 12:15 a.m. Sunday at 104 W. Centre St.

Police said Maria D. Ortiz, 46, of 104 E. Centre St., Apt. 1, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and public drunkenness.

Police said officers on patrol were flagged down by Ortiz near her apartment building and found her disoriented and confused standing by a stroller with a dog and purse in it.

When officers tried to help the woman back inside her apartment with the stroller they saw a glass smoking pipe with burnt residue on it inside her purse, police said.

Traffic stop leads

to drug charges

MAHANOY CITY — A Mahanoy City man was arrested borough police after an incident about 3 p.m. Saturday at 107 E. Pine St.

Police said Matthew A. Rutherford, 23, of 403 E. Pine St., was charged with one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said officers stopped a vehicle that Rutherford was a passenger in and found him to be in possession of a syringe used for illegal narcotics.

Police: Claim

lost jewelry, bikes

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Butler Township police reported they are looking for the owners of three items of unclaimed property.

Police said their department is in possession of a mountain bike that was found in the Englewood area of the township in 2012, a boy’s bicycle found in Creswell Gardens in 2012 and several women’s rings that were found in Fountain Springs in 2011.

Anyone wishing to claim ownership to the items is asked to call Butler Township police at 570-875-4131 within the next 30 days, police said.

Police: Woman

assaulted daughter

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy City police have filed charges against a borough woman in connection with a May 23 incident at 101 W. Mahanoy Ave.

Police said Tosha M. Sperlbaum, 28, of 1100 E. Pine St., was charged with two counts of simple assault and one count of harassment and will have to answer to the charges before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.

Police said officers were called to the area for a report of a disturbance and learned that Sperlbaum assaulted her daughter, Charlene Lower, by grabbing her by the hair, throwing her to the ground and then choking her.

Lower complained of chest pains and difficulty breathing and was taken to an area hospital by Mahanoy City EMS for treatment, police said.

Man cited for

faulty tow strap

Pottsville police investigated a crash that was reported about 6 p.m. Monday in the 700 block of East Norwegian Street.

Police said their investigation determined that Stephen Wentzel, 19, of Saint Clair, was travelling east towing another vehicle when the tow strap broke, releasing the unoccupied vehicle.

That vehicle drifted back into an eastbound vehicle driven by a 35-year-old Pottsville woman, police said.

Police said the vehicle Wentzel was originally towing as well as the Pottsville woman’s vehicle that was struck both required towing from the scene due to damage sustained in the accident.

No injuries were reported at the accident and police said Wentzel is being cited for safety requirements for towing.

Rush Twp. police

probe incidents

HOMETOWN — Rush Township police released information on three incidents that occurred recently in their coverage area.

Police said that David A. Merenda, 56, of Barnesville, was stopped about 4:40 p.m. May 15 on Cumberland Avenue for driving with a suspended license and placed under arrest for DUI.

The man refused a blood test and is now facing charges of DUI and summary traffic offenses.

Police said a 48-year-old Hazleton woman was committed to Schuylkill County Prison after a recent theft incident.

Police said Dawn Carter was charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property after taking items valued at $434.90 from the Walmart store. The woman was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, and committed to prison unable to post 10-percent of $10,000 bail.

Finally, police said Fabian Diaz, 27, of Allentown, is facing charges of simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct after a road rage incident led to a fight on Mahanoy Avenue, near Dunkin Donuts, about 2:20 p.m. Sunday.

As a result of the incident, police said, a 58-year-old Tamaqua man was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, Coaldale, for treatment of injuries he received.

No other information on the incident was released by police.

Police: Man tries

to steal truck, scrap

BRANCHDALE — A burglary that occurred at 140 State Road about 2:45 p.m. Monday is being investigated by state police at Schuylkill Haven.

Police said they were called to the home for a report of a burglary in progress and learned the person responsible fled into a wooded area.

Police said Bernard Poda reported leaving his pickup truck on the property last week and arrived Monday to find a person loading scrap metal from his barn into the bed of a spray-painted black Dodge.

Looking closer Poda said he realized the vehicle was actually his truck and that the person had painted it black and also stole a license plate off of a Chevrolet truck he had on the property to put it on the spray-painted vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 570-739-1330. All information will remain confidential.

TAMAQUA — A representative from PPL saw firsthand how the electric provider’s financial pledge is helping four Tamaqua Area Community Partnership capital projects.

PPL Regional Affairs Director Melinda Stumpf toured the Tamaqua Community Arts Center, stopped by two residential properties and received an update on improvements to the Tamaqua Historical Society Museum from the partnership’s executive director, Micah Gursky.

PPL is following through on a 2013 pledge to donate $50,000 to the partnership over five years. On Tuesday morning, Stump delivered the latest installment — a $20,000 check representing a two-year donation.

Stumpf met Gursky at the arts center, which is the former Salem United Methodist Church. Gursky told Stumpf that the partnership purchased the property in 2012 with plans to convert it into a hub for the arts.

Since then — and with financial support from the public and organizations like PPL — the site is open six days a week for events such as concerts; theatrical performances; open mic nights; and classes in pottery, painting and ceramics. Gursky showed Stumpf the second floor, where state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems surround a renovated stage.

Improvements were made to the location’s ground and bottom floors, too, where there are classrooms and art studios.

At the center, Gursky stopped to show Stumpf artwork by Tamaqua’s 2014 artist-in-residence, Jeffrey Collins. Collins, Columbus, Ohio, was chosen from other applicants to earn the title, and as the winner, he received three months of free studio space and free rent at a property renovated by the partnership.

At the end of the term, however, Collins decided to stay. He rents the apartment from the partnership.

Gursky took Stumpf to the Mauch Chunk Street property, which operated as a bar, then stood vacant for more than a year. It falls within the Tamaqua Safety Corridor, a downtown area where the partnership and another organization, the Tamaqua Safety Initiative, hope to combat blight and encourage development.

A few blocks away — at 27 Center St. — contractors were painting and making room for a new kitchen. The partnership purchased the building to convert it into residential housing.

“You can see the kind of condition this was in,” Gursky said to Stumpf, as he pointed to problem spots in the home. “It was in rough shape.”

Work on the building should be finished by late July, and Tamaqua’s next artist-in-residence will initially live in the home.

Gursky said the PPL funds are assisting with improvements at the Tamaqua Historical Society Museum on West Broad Street. The partnership is helping the historical society with state grants and other matters.

The Schuylkill County Affordable Housing Trust Fund awarded $161,869 to seven projects throughout the county.

The county commissioners approved the 2015 funding recommendations Wednesday at a work session. Jeffrey A. Feeser, director of housing at Schuylkill Community Action, said there were 10 requests totaling $299,700.

The county Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board met June 2 to review the requests and recommend the seven projects, Feeser said. The Schuylkill County Affordable Housing Trust Fund was established by the county commissioners in 1996 and the Recorder of Deeds office has since collected more than $4.8 million for affordable housing programs. These programs are defined through the state as “any program or project approved by the county commissioners which increases the availability of quality housing, either sales or rental, to any county resident whose annual income is less than the median income of the county.”

“They are all good programs, but there is just not enough money to go around,” commissioners Chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier said.

The court of common pleas received $8,000 for the Schuylkill County Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program, which is a partnership between the county court system, county bar association and Schuylkill Community Action to provide financial and budget counseling and negotiation with lenders to avert mortgage foreclosures. The court of common pleas requested $10,000.

Schuylkill Women in Crisis received $10,000 for transitional housing for victims of domestic violence. The funding will provide the required match for Housing and Urban Development funded transitional housing, ensuring project sustainability. Specifically, the money will be used for utilities, maintenance, facility upkeep and security. SWIC requested $25,000.

Schuylkill Community Action received $11,000 for its bridge transitional housing program, $15,000 for its Schuylkill County housing counseling program and $53,000 for its senior or disabled housing repair program. The money will be used for delivery costs for the bridge transitional housing program, which includes case management services, collaboration with referring agencies and assistance in locating and transitioning clients to permanent housing upon graduation; to provide comprehensive housing counseling services to lower-income persons who have a housing need or problem, which may include homebuyer education, mortgage default, reverse mortgage or homelessness; and for the countywide repair program assisting lower-income senior citizens repair or replace failure of major systems in their homes and address accessibility needs for disabled homeowners. SCA requested $25,000 for its bridge transitional housing program, $20,000 for its Schuylkill County Housing Counseling Program and $55,000 for its senior or disabled housing repair program.

The Northern Schuylkill County Council of Governments received $25,000 to acquire, rehabilitate and resell two properties. Matching funds will come from private sources and municipal contributions. The council requested $50,000.

The Schuylkill County Housing Authority received $39,000 for the Schuylkill Haven High Rise. Funds will be used primarily for upgrades to the kitchens and ADA improvements. The housing authority requested $40,000.

Projects that did not receive funding were a housing rehabilitation project in Rush Township and demolition projects at 10-12 S. Railroad St., Frackville, and 28-30 W. Coal St., Shenandoah. The rehabilitation project requested $20,000 and the demolition projects requested $31,700 and $35,000, respectively.

In other news, the county submitted two grant applications to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for opioid overdose outreach and engagement protocols in the amount of $82,947 and naloxone for first responders in the amount of $10,000.

The commissioners also approved the purchase of a portable prisoner cell for the Sheriff’s Office. The cell is 6 feet, 6 inches high, 3 feet wide and 2 feet long and costs $4,045. The office is buying the cell from Perimeter Security Products, Churubusco, Indiana.

Public school districts in Schuylkill County have started buying equipment to use the new digital radio system.

Each district has applied for grants through the state Department of Education’s Safe Schools initiative over the last few years, Barbara Wilkinson, supervisor of school improvement and as a district support consultant at Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, said Wednesday.

Grants varied for each school, but some will be able to buy multiple radios. Not all districts have received their radios yet.

“Every school district will be on the system,” Scott Krater, Schuylkill County Communications Center director, said.

Wilkinson said the radios will improve communication between the schools in case of an emergency. She said each radio has a button that sends an alert to the county communications center.

“They can do a lot,” Wilkinson said.

Krater and others involved in the digital communications system gave a presentation at the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit earlier Wednesday for school representatives to demonstrate the new radios. There will also be training for school personnel next month.

The Schuylkill County public safety advisory committee also met Wednesday afternoon to get an update on the digital radio system.

Bob Green, owner of Green’s Communications, the maintenance contractor for new digital radio system, said a total of 1,705 radios are on the system with another 200 that will soon be added.

The county started the process of upgrading its communications to a digital system two years ago to comply with a Federal Communications Commission mandate to narrowband radio frequencies. Motorola Solutions Inc. was hired for $16 million to upgrade the system. The project was funded through a $21 million bond the commissioners issued in October 2012.

Two robberies in his hometown sent a Shenandoah man on the road to state prison Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court, as he admitted committing them three days apart.

Joseph W. Kakol, 37, pleaded guilty to robbery, aggravated assault and possessing instrument of crime.

President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted the plea and, pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced Kakol to serve four to eight years in a state correctional institution, pay costs and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Shenandoah police filed both sets of charges against Kakol.

In the one case, police alleged Kakol robbed Michelle Miller of $100 about 12:15 p.m. July 19, 2014, at the automatic teller machine at M&T Bank, 2 S. Main St. Police said Kakol grabbed Miller, began to choke her and took the money.

In the other case, police said Kakol entered Turkey Hill Minit Market, 120 S. Main St., on July 22, 2014, with a gun, grabbed Amber O’Neil by the hair, hit clerk Michael Mickelsavage with the gun and took $620.46 from the cash registers.

Police captured Kakol the same day as the Turkey Hill robbery.

Kakol said little during Wednesday’s hearing except that he understood his plea and was making it knowingly and voluntarily.

A Pottsville man will spend time in prison and then on probation after admitting Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court that he had sexual activity with a girl in August 2014 in Minersville.

Joseph A. Klinger, 25, pleaded guilty to corruption of minors in that case and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in a second case.

President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted Klinger’s plea. Pursuant to an agreement between prosecutor and the defendant, Baldwin sentenced Klinger to spend six to 23 months in prison, plus three additional years on probation, and pay costs and $12,195 restitution.

Prosecutors withdrew charges of statutory sexual assault and indecent assault in the first case and theft and receiving stolen property in the second.

Minersville police charged Klinger in the first case with corrupting the morals of a girl by engaging in sexual activity with her on Aug. 9, 2014, in the borough.

In the other case, Pottsville police alleged Klinger used the vehicle without the permission of its owner on Jan. 18 in the city.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Klinger said little except to indicate to Baldwin that he understood the charges and the plea, and was making the latter knowingly and voluntarily.

Defendant: Joseph A. Klinger

Age: 25

Residence: Pottsville

Crimes committed: Corruption of minors and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle

Prison sentence: Six to 23 months, plus three additional years on probation

With each step counting, more Schuylkill County employees have been walking the halls and taking the stairs at the courthouse and other county buildings.

For every 50,000 steps, an employee enrolled in the county wellness program will get a chance to win a prize.

“The employees are very excited and enthusiastic about the walking program,” Jackie Pellish, a member of the Wellness Committee, said last week. “It’s funny hearing people talk about it in the hallways. It’s bringing different offices together now. They are kind of linked through this program now. It’s great to see how well it’s taken off.”

The walking program is just one of the initiatives organized by employees thanks to funding from the county’s health insurance provider. Capital Blue Cross has agreed as part of its 2014-16 contract with the Pennsylvania Counties Health Insurance Purchasing Cooperative to provide $250,000 in wellness credits to the seven counties using them as their claims administrator. That includes Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder and Union counties.

The wellness credits may be used for various activities or events associated with each county’s wellness programs. Capital Blue Cross reimburses the county for the expenses. Benecon, a benefits administrator and consulting firm for Capital Blue Cross, developed the funding policy and tracks the credits. Schuylkill County received $66,914 that must be used by the end of 2016.

“This initiative demonstrates that we have a safe and healthy work environment,” Martina Chwastiak, county human resources director, said last week.

Commissioner Gary J. Hess said the county pays about $10 million in health insurance for all its employees every year. He said encouraging employees to live a healthier lifestyle will help reduce that cost.

“All three county commissioners are 100 percent on board with this,” Hess said. “The end result is saving tax payer dollars on health insurance. We are very appreciative of our employees coming to the forefront to establish this.”

Several county employees volunteered to serve on a Wellness Committee that determines how that money is spent. The walking program is one of the first initiatives. It kicked off May 26 and will run for 15 weeks through Sept. 9.

Each of the 268 employees who signed up for the program received a pedometer to track the steps they take a day. Prizes are raffled off every one or two weeks. When the program ends, there will also be prizes for the top walkers, which will be a man and a woman who took the most steps; top team, which is the office or team that walked the most miles; and the top walker in each age group. Teams also receive weekly baskets of healthy snacks, such as fruit, granola bars or baked chips.

With only $13,600 of the wellness program budget used so far, the committee has already started planning other activities. When the walking program concludes, there will be a picnic Sept. 16. The committee is also planning a wellness health fair and Lunch and Learn events that will give participants a healthy lunch as well as a presentation or activity related to wellness, such as stress management, health screenings and yoga.

“They are things that can actually save a person’s life or at least get them to a doctor,” Chwastiak said.

Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street

To Jared and Samantha Anchorstar Luscavage, Seltzer, a son, June 8.

Geisinger Medical Center, Danville

To Scott Litchko and Emily Bingo, Ashland, a son, June 4.