MAHANOY CITY — The Mahanoy Township Authority received positive news Oct. 21 with the announcement that it has been awarded a $2.8 million low-interest loan to be used for the Lofty Dam reservoir upgrade project.

On Oct. 21, the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority awarded $51.7 million to 10 projects across the state. Three of the project applications were for drinking water systems, two of which are in Schuylkill County. In addition to MTA, the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority was awarded a $3,210,050 grant and $489,950 low-interest loan to extend a drinking water distribution line to the village of Newtown in Reilly Township.

The authority board learned of the loan award on the day it met in Mahanoy City from Alfred Benesch & Co. project manager James J. Rhoades Jr.

“The PennVEST award was official that day and it was good news for the board,” Rhoades said a few days after the meeting. “We discussed approach on moving forward and will be working with the authority on bidding and closing on the loan in accordance with the schedule in our report.”

The DEP-mandated project includes necessary improvements to raise the dam breast, control seepage, rehabilitate upstream embankment, upgrade the spillway, and repair the outlet work. The overall project will also install modern water meters for customers throughout the authority’s distribution system. The estimated cost is about $4.5 million.

The 20-year PennVEST loan at one percent interest completes the funding process. The authority has been approved for a Commonwealth Financing Authority grant of $1,666,667.

The proposed schedule has the MTA board giving Benesch approval to advertise for bids in November, award bids in January or February, close on the PennVEST loan and give notice to proceed to the contractor in February, and the construction start in the spring. If all moves ahead as planned, construction should be completed in March 2017, with the closeout of the CFA grant and PennVEST loan in June 2017.

MTA Board President Kathleen Wufsus said the funding allows the long-planned project to start.

“We were delighted to hear of the funding and we want to get this project going,” Wufsus said. “We’re thrilled about it. It’s great news. We certainly need it. Water is liquid gold.”

The Lofty Dam, located in Kline Township, serves as a DEP-permitted public water supply source. It is an earthen embankment 1,100 feet in length and 28 feet high. The impoundment covers 31 acres and contains 118 million gallons of water. MTA public water serves a population of approximately 7,000 through 2,800 connections in the boroughs of Mahanoy City and Gilberton, and the villages of Bowmans, Boston Run, Maple Hill, and other areas of Mahanoy Township, including undeveloped residential and commercial properties with potential for growth. Typically, the authority pumps in excess of 60 million gallons annually from the Lofty Dam to meet customer demands.

The authority owns and operates nine reservoirs of varying size for public water supply purposes. On an annual basis, Benesch, which is the authority’s consulting engineer, inspects five dams due to their height and storage capacity.

“This has been something ongoing for a long time,” Rhoades said. “PennVEST knew where we were and DEP does the technical reviews for PennVEST. They knew this needed to be done. Getting the project permitting (from DEP) and the funding was a big relief. We were very confident that it would get funded because of the history and the support from PennVEST and DEP.”

Rhoades said the Lofty Dam is not used all of the time, but it is a required part of the water system in order for MTA to meet the demands of its customers.

“It is approved to be a primary dam if they need it to use it all the time,” Rhoades said. “There is a pumping system that is required to get the water to the plant, and the authority doesn’t like to run those pumps if they don’t have to because of cost.”

ASHLAND — Schuylkill County Crime Stoppers and Ashland police are asking for the public’s help in identifying those responsible for armed robberies in the borough that occurred last week.

The first robbery occurred about 3:45 a.m. Monday at Turkey Hill, 1638 Centre St., when a man wearing a gray hoodie, black pants and a dark bandana or similar item covering his face entered the business and confronted the clerk.

He then threatened her, pushed her to the front of the store and removed an undisclosed amount of cash from the register before fleeing, police said.

The second robbery occurred about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday at Bracey Pharmacy, 626 Centre St., where a man entered the pharmacy and pointed some type of object that was stuffed inside his sleeve at several employees and demanded prescription medication.

The man then grabbed a quantity of prescription medication and exited the business through the front door, fleeing the area west on Centre Street.

Schuylkill County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information on the identity of the men responsible for either of these crimes or on any unsolved crime in Schuylkill County.

Callers are asked to refer to incident 11-01-15 when calling with information about the armed robberies in Ashland.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 877-TIPS4SC (877-847-7472).

Individuals with information on this case can also contact Ashland police directly through the Schuylkill County Communications Center by calling 570-462-1991.

All information received will remain confidential.

Information missing

James A. Nettles, who is running for Schuylkill County coroner, has a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice and an associate degree in community services from Penn State Berks. The information wasn’t included in an article in Saturday’s edition.

SAINT CLAIR — A borough resident questioned the borough council about the status of the former Ritz Theater demolition project Thursday.

Ken Diehl, who lives next door to the 31 N. Second St. property, told the borough council at its Thursday work session he wanted to know what the most recent developments were with the run-down property.

Borough Secretary Roland Price said, “The environmental review process is still ongoing. That should be done at the end of November. That’s a requirement of where we get our grant funds.”

Bids might go out in December, Price said. He said the demolition must be completed by July.

“We will be starting as soon as we can,” he said.

The borough recently received an agreement from the county, which he said the council must adopt by Nov. 5. Price said he researched relevant information about the property such as notices of violation and sent them to the state Department of Community and Economic Development to “justify us getting grant funds to say we did try to enforce our code enforcement ordinances.”

He said there is “a lot of paperwork going on to get the grant money, but it is moving on.”

The Schuylkill County Demolition program, funded by the state Department of Community and Economic Development, is contributing $60,000 toward the demolition of the building. Price said a decision has not been made on how to pay for any additional funds if needed to demolish the Ritz.

The borough took ownership of the property through conservatorship several years ago. The owner was not maintaining the property.

Diehl said he did look at the property in question and said it appears the condition is worsening.

“I was over this morning (Thursday) looking at the building from the rear from Front Street to see if there is any apparent rain or damage from the rain,” Price said.

Price plans to go back to take another look around.

“I didn’t see anything that really changed or altered the building,” but Price conceded that “it probably is deteriorating further.”

“It’s all small stuff, but it depends on where it is going to end up,” Diehl said.

“We are going to knock it down. That is the bottom line,” council President Jim Larish said.

The issue of recycling also was discussed. The borough started its recycling program in September.

Bill Umbenhaur, street supervisor, said not enough residents in the borough are recycling.

“Just put it out. Put it out in your other cans,” he said about the recyclables such as plastic.

One council member asked him if people are not recycling and hence there is more trash, something he said there seemed to be more of on certain days.

“It seems like the apartment buildings, anybody that rents. The landlords — I don’t think most of them notified their tenants that we are recycling because the bins are there, but they are not using it.” Umbenhaur said.

He said most of the renters are not recycling. As an example, he said, “they are putting their plastic bags in Wal-Mart bags, for example. We can’t take those bags, so we are leaving it, and then what happens is we are seeing the same bags come Monday and Tuesday.”

A complete list of acceptable items is available on the borough website, www.stclair-gov.org.

He said the program is still new “but overall I think its working. I really do.”

In other matters, Fire Chief Frank Uhrin said the borough received two cases of smoke detectors.

“I know there is some people that requested them. We ran out. It’s a first-come, first-serve as they apply for them.”

The smoke detectors will be installed free of charge for those who need them. Anyone with questions can call borough hall at 570-429-0640.

CALABASAS, Calif. — It is easy to feel lumpy and inadequate here in Malibu Canyon, at the sunny, breezy home of Julie Piatt and Rich Roll, the couple behind a recent cookbook and lifestyle guide called “The Plantpower Way.”

Roll, who is 48 but looks as if he could still compete on the Stanford swim team, talked about his workout routine and how abandoning meat and milk helped return him to a state of godlike health. “Kicking dairy was brutal,” he said. “That’s like getting off OxyContin.”

Piatt, who also goes by her spiritual name, SriMati, was all flared pants and dark flowing hair as she crisped up veggie burgers in a pan. She was happy to reveal her age; people don’t believe her anyway. “I’m 53,” she said. “It’s my nonalcoholic, meditative, yogic, vegan lifestyle.”

Even their children seemed to be on board. Piatt put a mountainous platter of nachos at the center of the dining table, and the four of them, ages 8 to 20, ravenously dug in, with no grousing about the absence of sour cream and Monterey Jack. “Is everyone good?” Piatt asked. “Does anyone want more cashew cheese?”

The scene looked exactly like a page out of “The Plantpower Way,” with Pacific Coast light streaming through the windows of a modernist house so striking that Roll rents it out for movies and commercials. “It’s not a bad tribe to be in,” said Andrew Pasquella, an artist and friend who lives in an Airstream trailer on the property.

A different look

And that’s precisely the point: Roll and Piatt are vegans, and they’re on a mission to let people know that enlisting with their tribe doesn’t have to feel like being trapped in a fragrant tent with “the dreadlocked hippie who is kicking the Hacky Sack,” as Roll put it.

Veganism has been edging into the mainstream for years now, coaxed along by superstar believers like Bill Clinton and Beyoncé. But lately, as plant-based eating has blossomed and gained followers, influential vegans are laboring to supplant its dowdy, spartan image with a new look: glamorous, prosperous, sexy and epidermally beaming with health.

The evidence is bountiful — at restaurants on both coasts and in cookbooks, on blogs and throughout social media. “Being a vegan has crossed over into fashion territory,” said Kerry Diamond, the editor of Yahoo Food and the editorial director of Cherry Bombe magazine. Decades back “there was nothing chic about it,” she said. “Now it’s become a thing.”

Roll, who also wrote the best-selling “Finding Ultra,” about his midlife search for truth and health while switching to a vegan diet and pushing himself to compete in grueling athletic challenges, acknowledges that the dreamy visuals in “The Plantpower Way” are meant to give vegan living a more vogue-ish spin.

“It was a very conscious effort to kind of counterprogram,” he said. “Our whole idea was to present this lifestyle in an aspirational and modern way. We want to present it in a way that looks appealing, as opposed to deprivation-oriented.” Or as Piatt described it, “There’s no body odor coming off the pages.”

Adopting ‘the glow’

People have adopted veganism for virtuous reasons, but vanity plays an undeniable role as well. It’s not uncommon to hear vegans mooning over “the glow,” an irresistible incandescence that starts to emanate from within after a few weeks or months of eating only plants.

“There are definitely some really nice superficial benefits to the whole thing,” said popular British blogger Ella Woodward, 24, whose book “Deliciously Ella” chronicles her success in conquering health problems with a plant-oriented (she eschews the V-word) regimen. “My skin is so much cleaner and clearer.”

Vegan cooking itself has gone through a stark transformation, and so has the way it is sold: In some coastal pockets, at least, stern sermons have been replaced by the seductive allure of la dolce vita. Nonvegans are welcomed, not shunned. “The message has changed,” said Kathy Freston, an author and vegan proponent. “And we have moved away from that old dogma.”

It’s as if vegans collectively realized that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, or at least that you spread the message more easily when you don’t start preaching about how eating honey represents an exploitation of bees. Vegans like Woodward, Piatt and Roll remain highly fluent in the political arguments for plant-based eating, but they’re less likely to be sanctimonious about it.

And nonvegans, in turn, seem less likely to be dismissive. Chad Sarno, a 39-year-old chef and culinary educator in Austin, Texas, remembers a time when you’d step into a restaurant and “you would say the vegan word and the chef would look at you like you had three heads and just got off the commune.” Now, the dialogue has shifted.

Proof in the mainstream

In New York, there is a steady line out the door during lunchtime at By Chloe, where chef Chloe Coscarelli, at 27 already the author of several cookbooks, stresses that her veggie burgers and quinoa taco salads will not leave diners hungrily chomping on their own knuckles. “I want to be normal,” she said, and By Chloe’s alluring and clever presence on Instagram suggests that it has no intention of sulking in the margins.

“We didn’t want it to scream vegan, we wanted it to scream food and fun and delicious,” Coscarelli said. “Why do we have to make it a downer to be in here?”

That shiny, happy vegan perfection has prompted a few jabs. Even Amanda Cohen, the New York chef whose Dirt Candy restaurant was way ahead of the curve in celebrating vegetables, worries about the potential faddishness of the movement. “You really want to hope it’s not a trend,” she said.

All that swooning over “the glow” can lead to eye-rolls from those without the time and money to achieve it. “It’s a big commitment to get that glow,” Cohen said. “It’s not cheap. It’s not for the peasants.”

Roll, of “The Plantpower Way,” has felt the criticism himself. “One Amazon reviewer said, ‘You’ll never be as perfect as they are,’ ” he recalled. “That broke my heart. Somebody drew that conclusion, which was the opposite of what I’m trying to present.”

These vegans may look as if they have everything figured out, but getting there can be a long process. As the Plantpower family gathered for lunch at the long table, Piatt marveled at recollections of her youth in Alaska, where her father used to drag home wild game. “I remember eating bear once, as a child,” she said.

Jaya, her youngest daughter, looked up with eyes wide. “Wait, Mommy, you ate a bear?” she asked.

“It was when I was a kid,” Piatt replied. “I didn’t understand yet.”

Residents in a portion of Reilly Township will see water distribution service in their area thanks to a state grant and loan awarded Oct. 21.

The Schuylkill County Municipal Authority will receive a $3,210,050 grant and a $489,950 loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Authority, or PennVEST. The authority will use the money to provide drinking water to homes in the Reilly Township village of Newtown. The homes now have private drinking water wells that require excessive treatment for softening, iron, manganese and possible bacterial contamination from malfunctioning on-lot septic systems.

“The village of Newtown, which is at the intersection of routes 25 and 209, has been working ahead for a solution to their problem,” SCMA Executive Director Patrick M. Caulfield said. “They have failing on-lot sewage systems that are contaminating individual groundwater wells. Also, the raw groundwater that they are drawing from now is in a heavily mined area and they have significant iron and manganese. A lot of the homes out there have to have individual treatment systems for their own well water, which is not as efficient as the treatment facilities that we have.”

According to the project summary provided by Caulfield, “The project is being completed to provide a safe, potable water supply to 110 connections in the village of Newtown. Currently, the village of Newtown is serviced by individual private wells and on-lot septic systems. Residents have complained to the Reilly Township Board of Supervisors about the water quality of the individual wells and excessive treatment needed. Deep wells require treatment that is indicative of mine pool water such as softening and iron and manganese removal. Residents with shallow wells are concerned about availability of safe drinking water and potential contamination from malfunctioning on-lot sewer systems.

“The proposed project includes the installation of a new 200,000-gallon steel-welded finished water storage tank (at Highpoint near Route 25) to provide pressure and fire flow protection, approximately 27,000 feet of eight-inch water transmission and distribution lines, and a new water booster pump station (near Donaldson). The project will also include the installation of numerous one-inch and 3/4-inch copper service lines, fire hydrants and service appurtenances throughout the project area.”

The proposed waterline will primarily be constructed off-road or in the shoulder of existing roadways. A few crossings of state roads will be necessary.

“We have worked with the township supervisors for a few years to make the commitment to get a design together and a PennVEST application to run a water line out from our existing Tremont system and extend it along what is called Mountain Road, which is an undeveloped township road between Donaldson and Newtown that parallels Route 209,” Caulfield said. “There has been some development that has occurred on the Newtown side of that Mountain Road, and the intent there is it opens up development all along there.”

Caulfield said the water distribution system provides service to the existing homes and for fire hydrants, and will also make available water service to residential development in the area.

Alfred Benesch & Co. project manager Christopher Bentz said the project planning has been in process for some time.

“Our feasibility study was probably three or four years ago,” Bentz said. “There are a lot of people who are effected. If there is deep water, it tends to have the same orange color like the acid mine pollution and the yields aren’t great. If the water is shallow, then you can have problems with disinfection because they have on-lot sewer.

“We still have to do a little bit of work in finalizing some of the design requirements, which will take a little bit of time. Then you’ll have the loan closing. We do have all of our permits. We hope to put it out for bid over the winter so construction can start in the springtime,” Bentz said.

n Frackville: The Frackville American Legion Home Association will host a free veterans’ Thanksgiving dinner from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Post 398 home, 40 S. Mahanoy St. The meal is free for veterans and guests, and those planning to attend are asked to sign up by Nov. 10 at the post or by calling Pete at 570-933-4155. Deliveries for veterans who are physically disabled and unable to attend will be available in the Frackville area.

n Girardville: The Rangers Hose Company, 6 E. Ogden St., will sponsor a theme basket bingo from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the firehouse. The cost is $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Doors will open at noon and patrons will be able to buy lunch. The cost for a second packet is $5. Children playing bingo must be accompanied by a playing adult. Children can play with the purchase of a second packet, according to a company press release. For tickets or more information, call 570-276-6922, 570-276-1358 or 570-276-1009. The company will also host a wing night beginning at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 14. Wings are $8 per dozen, fries are $3 and fries with any wing sauce are $4. Flavors include hot, mild, honey mustard, ranch, spicy ranch, hot garlic, barbecue, garlic parm and teriyaki. For more information, call 570-276-1406.

n Mahanoy City: People will be able to make an Advent wreath from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 28 in Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Parish Hall. Wreaths, according to a release, take about an hour to make. The cost is $15, which includes the base, candles, ribbons, live greenery and an Advent Wreath Prayer to be used throughout the season. Participants are asked to bring clipping shears. To register by the Nov. 22 deadline, call Debbie at 570-773-0813. Registration is a must. Participants will be able to ask the pastor to bless their wreaths.

n Port Carbon: The Port Carbon Fire Company will sponsor a Kauffman’s chicken dinner on Nov. 15 at the station, 88 Washington St. The meal will include a half chicken, baked potato, applesauce and roll with butter. The cost is $8 and tickets are available from any fire company member or by calling 570-628-2858. Pickup will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proceeds will benefit Police Chief Joe “Dutchie” Ferraro via the Joe Ferraro Friends of Dutchie, according to a release.

n Pottsville: Care Net of Schuylkill County will sponsor a free “Head to Soul” makeover program, a 10-session character- and confidence-building session for county teen girls, from 6 to 8 p.m. beginning Nov. 12 at the Schuylkill YMCA, 520 N. Centre St. The program will he held on Thursdays between Nov. 12 and Feb. 4, excluding holidays. Each session, according to a release, will include a lesson, snacks and prizes. The effort is for girls ages 11 to 16. For more information, call 570-624-7244.

n Saint Clair: A meet/greet and adoption by Save the Strays Schuylkill is set for 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 14 at Tractor Supply Co., 550 Terry Rich Blvd., at the Coal Creek Commerce Center. The event will also include a bake sale and the rescue group will accept donations. In a press release, organizers said the group is “trying to reach out to the community and make us known throughout the county.” For more information, call 570-952-4441.

n Shenandoah: Bricks and tiles for the more than $300,000 Pennsylvania Anthracite Miners Memorial at the entrance to Girard Park, Main and Washington streets, are available in a fundraiser aimed at refurbishing the site, Mary Luscavage, executive director of the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc., 116 N. Main St., said. The effort to maintain the memorial is ongoing and springtime efforts will be made at the site. The memorial, Luscavage said in a release, is “a tribute to all who risked their lives and worked in the mines. 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.” The late Theodore Souchuck Sr. of Souchuck’s Lumber Co. and Pete Vernalis of the Vernalis Restaurant, both of Shenandoah, played primary roles in developing the memorial. For more information, call the DSI office at 570-462-2060.

ASHLAND — The 1935 Ashland High School football team that defeated a team from Altoona for the state championship that year was honored with a plaque and a sign Sunday at Memorial Field in the borough.

A 12-by-18 inch plaque on a two-ton lump of coal on the field near the east end zone and a sign just outside the field were dedicated in between several football games. The plaque was unveiled about 1:30 p.m.

The Ashland High School Black Diamonds football team had no such recognition and it was about time they received some, Bill Farley, a board member of Ashland Downtown Inc., said.

The team defeated the Altoona Mountain Lions 6-2 on Dec. 7, 1935, at Mansion Park, Altoona, for the the Eastern-Western Conference Series Championship Game.

“Dec. 7, 1935, is a day which will live in infamy for the Altoona High School football team and their fans. For on that day, the Ashland High School football team traveled to Mansion Park in Altoona to play for the 1935 Pennsylvania State Football Championship. The game was dominated by the defense of both teams. Altoona scored first early in the second quarter. Altoona blocked an Ashland punt that went through the end for an automatic safety and two points. Ashland then drove 76 yards to the Altoona two-yard line. Fullback Bill Brundzo took a hand off and powered into the end zone for the only touchdown of the game,” Farley said.

Farley does not know why it took so long for the team to be recognized in this fashion. His wife, Glenanne, thought of the idea last year after he talked about the team. She declined to comment.

“She came up with the idea of honoring them with a sign,which was the original idea but then she thought of the plaque also,” Farley said.

It was decided to wait until this year for the observance because it is the 80th anniversary of the win, Farley said.

“That’s beautiful,” Maryclaire O’Donnell, a board member of Ashland Downtown Inc., said after looking at the plaque.

Ashland Dowtown Inc. paid for the sign, plaque, and the concrete slab and stone enclosure. The coal was donated by Bob Burns of Keystone Anthracite, Girardville. A smaller plaque will also be added to the coal with the date later this month. A second sign will also be included near the first one, which will take place in about two weeks. The cost for the project was about $1,300.

Farley thanked those who had a hand in the effort including Ashland Downtown Inc. board members, those from the Ashland Historic Preservation Society and others.

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — The North Schuylkill school board received a punch list for review that will be used to determine the completeness of the multimillion dollar upgrade/renovation project in the school district.

The punch list was distributed during Wednesday’s school board meeting and explained by district Superintendent Robert Ackell.

“In your packet, you will see there is an updated punch list,” Ackell said. “The administration really had no time to review it since we received it about 5 o’clock this evening. There is still some items on it. We will need some direction from the board in the very near future as to which way you want us to proceed.”

Board member Suzanne O’Neill asked, “Dr. Ackell, are there any things on the construction project that are on this list that need to be addressed to your knowledge?”

“We need to walk around and verify it all,” Ackell said.

“Once you go around and check everything, then you can bring it back to the board and we can go from there,” O’Neill said.

Board member Raymond Reichwein was looking over the list that included many items that were highlighted.

“So most of these items that are highlighted are not done yet?” Reichwein asked.

“Anything highlighted is not done according to Alfred Benesch (and Co.),” Ackell said. Benesch is the project engineer.

“We’re still not releasing funds, correct?” board President Charles “Chaz” Hepler asked.

“There is approximately $1.4 million that is still to be paid according to the contract,” district Business Manager Robert Amos said.

“And it will be held until this punch list is completed to our satisfaction?” Hepler asked.

“Absolutely,” Amos said.

Amos said the district has paid about $14.5 million to date to various contractors and for materials, such as furniture.

A punch list includes items on a construction project that are part of the contract but have yet to be completed, are partially completed, require additional work or may need to be replaced/repaired. When outstanding punch list items are addressed and corrected to the satisfaction of the school district, final payment to the contractor can be made.

Board member Mark Kessler asked Frank Brennan, the district’s director of building and grounds, about the replacement of doors in the gymnasium. Brennan said the doors were ordered two weeks ago and take about four to six weeks to be delivered.

Pottsville man

faces DUI charge

CRESSONA — A Pottsville man was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after a traffic stop Oct. 5 at routes 61 and 183 in North Manheim Township, police said.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said they stopped Paul Peter Zuk about 2:22 a.m. after he was seen driving north in the southbound lane of Route 61. He turned left onto Route 183 from the southbound lane before being stopped by police.

Police said Zuk was taken into custody on suspicion of DUI and refused a blood test. Charges were filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg.

Drug charges

filed against man

TOWER CITY — An Annville man faces drug charges after a traffic stop Friday on Route 209 in Porter Township, police said.

State police at Lykens said they stopped Andrew Michael Weaber, 27, at 4:40 p.m. on Route 209, about a mile east of North Weaver Street. He was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

Charges were filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi, Tremont, police said.

Copper piping

reported stolen

TAMAQUA — Someone removed a large amount of copper piping from an unoccupied property sometime in September or October in Walker Township, police said.

State police at Frackville said the theft at 128 Valley Road, a foreclosed property, took place between Sept. 28 and Friday. The property is maintained by Kaleb’s Property Services, Illinois.

Fields damaged by

vehicle in Berks

HAMBURG — Someone drove a vehicle through a field Friday or Saturday in Perry Township, Berks County, police said.

State police at Hamburg said the agricultural vandalism occurred between 7 p.m. Friday and 4:20 p.m. Saturday in fields north and south of Dietrich Lane, three-tenths of a mile west of Windsor Castle Road. Earl Christman, Hamburg, is the property owner, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 610-562-6885.

Vehicle hits deer

in Rt. 895 crash

McKEANSBURG — No one was hurt when a vehicle struck a deer Friday in East Brunswick Township, police said.

State police at Frackville said Mark S. Lacey, 46, of Birdsboro, Berks County, was eastbound on Route 895, approximately one-fourth mile west of Route 443, at 6:48 p.m. when a deer entered the road from the left side. Lacey was unable to avoid the deer and his vehicle hit it in the right lane of travel, causing heavy front-end damage to Lacey’s 2007 Subaru Legacy.

Mark Lacey and a passenger, Patricia A. Lacey, 51, also of Birdsboro, were not hurt and were wearing seat belts when the crash occurred, police said.

2 from Tremont

face theft charges

ELIZABETHVILLE — Two Tremont residents were charged with retail theft following an incident at 9:05 p.m., Oct. 23 at Wal-Mart in this Washington Township, Dauphin County, community.

State Police at Lykens said Sonya Marie Wallace, 24, and Robin Jay Miller, 19, stole various items from Wal-Mart, 200 Kocher Ave. The suspects were apprehended on scene and charges are being filed with Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum, Elizabethville, police said.

No value of the items was given.

Lykens man faces

assault charges

LYKENS — A Lykens man was sent to Dauphin County Prison on assault charges, police said.

State police at Lykens said Todd Alan Chappell Jr., 25, of the 500 block of Spruce Street, is accused of shoving and punching a 27-year-old Lykens woman, causing bruises to her arm and leg, at 7 a.m. Oct. 24. The incident occurred on Spruce Street.

Chappell was taken into custody without incident and arraigned at the Dauphin County Judicial Center on charges of simple assault, harassment, and false imprisonment, police said. He was remanded to prison in lieu of $5,000 bail.

BARNESVILLE — A boat that apparently broke free from mooring at Tuscarora State Park in Rush Township on Saturday afternoon caused a possible drowning scare that brought rescue personnel to the scene.

About 4:45 p.m. the Schuylkill County Communications Center dispatched crews from Tamaqua, Ryan and Rush townships to a possible water rescue at the state park.

Reports indicated that a boat was overturned near the overflow at the eastern end of the lake.

Emergency personnel arrived within minutes and found the paddle boat upside down but were unable to locate any victims.

Fire personnel at the scene said the boat apparently broke free from its mooring and floated toward the overflow.

Dive teams from the Ryan Township Rescue Squad, West End Fire and Rescue Company, Mahanoy City, and Schuylkill Haven Fire Department were called but unable to locate anyone in the water.

Hometown fire police blocked traffic at the entrance to the park to stop vehicles from entering the area.

Fire officials said that by restricting traffic into the park, they were able to see if any vehicles were unattended in the parking lots, thus allowing them to see if someone was at the park and possibly took a boat on to the water.

After searching the area for more than an hour, emergency personnel determined the boat broke free on its own.

Firefighters from Ryan Township, the Tamaqua Rescue Squad, Hometown and Quakake assisted at the scene and all personnel cleared the scene about 6 p.m.

Schuylkill County Controller Christy Joy is running unopposed in his bid to return to the office for another term.

Joy, 44, of Norwegian Township, was elected in 2011 in a three-candidate race. A Republican, he defeated incumbent Independent Melinda Kantner and Democrat Brad Petchulis. His first term started in 2012 and runs until the end of the year.

“As an elected official, I work for the people of Schuylkill County,” Joy said. “I appreciate their faith in my performance to elect me unopposed for my second term.”

Joy is a certified public accountant, certified fraud examiner and vice president of the Pennsylvania State Association of County Controllers. He received a degree in business and economics from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, in 1994.

“It just makes sense to have a certified public accountant and certified fraud examiner in the controller’s office, Schuylkill County’s accounting and auditing department,” Joy said.

Joy has also owned and operated Christy Joy Catering Service Inc. since 1996. The catering service ceased operations earlier this year and the catering hall is still on the market.

Not long after taking over the office, Joy found an uncashed check from 2009 worth about $15,000 in the department’s safe. The money was recovered through an insurance policy covering lost funds caused by an elected official’s mistake.

“When people say that you need to clean up an office, I literally did it,” Joy said. “The safe was filthy. I discovered an outdated check for over $15,000 that our insurance provider paid under our error and omissions policy.”

Joy also credited his staff for some of the accomplishments in his first term. He said his first deputy Ron Zimmerman completed a full overhaul of the employee work history to ensure employees would receive a full and accurate pension plan. He also said Zimmerman insisted that the controller’s office review the details of the county’s health insurance invoices. The county has received more than $75,000 credit for eliminated non-employees.

He said his second deputy Mario Basile completed an audit of the tax collector for the City of Pottsville for the first time ever.

“I’m extremely proud of my team’s accomplishments,” Joy said.

Audits completed by Joy led to the discovery of serious internal control issues in the county courthouse and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the clerk of courts office. Former County Clerk of Courts Stephen M. Lukach Jr., a Lake Hauto Democrat, officially ended his 27-year tenure as clerk of courts on April 11, 2014, following allegations of misappropriating public money.

For example, Joy said Lukach initially listed only three bank accounts while the audit actually found at least 16. He said his office continues to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

Joy said before his administration, a controller’s audit was last done in 2004.

“The controller’s office internal audits and the review of expenditures are a deterrent to waste, fraud and abuse,” Joy said.

Joy is married to Heather Joy and has two daughters, Isabelle and Kacandra.

Deeds

Branch Township — Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Co. to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; right of way across, and easement on, property on Route 209; $1.

Cass Township — Jacqlyn A. Brennan to Shannon Lynn Sinko and Jordan R. Doyle; 17 Mountain View Lane; $189,900.

East Brunswick Township — Christopher L. Ehst to Jeffrey L. and Amy R. Ohl; 3.9043-acre property on Legislative Route 53082; $38,500.

Frackville — Brian Lorah and Amy L. Phelan to Lamar and Karen Lex; property on North Balliet Street; $8,000.

Kara Bridgett Perrine-Yeneskie to Carl Graf and Ryan Graf; property at Third and Laurel streets; $125,000.

Gordon — Shannon G. Ziegler to Roman Belfer; 116 McKnight St.; $125,000.

Hegins Township — Kelly A. Hamilton to Christopher Jensen and Tiffany Tietsworth; 547 E. Main St., Hegins; $118,000.

Hubley Township — Beverly Shade to Marlin Ralph Shade, Drinda Elane Shade and Diane Jane Labenski; 44 Fearnot Road, Sacramento; $1.

Mahanoy Township — Edward J. Schwahl Jr. to Sheila and John Mullen; 65 High Road, Park Place; $5,400.

North Union Township and Black Creek Township, Luzerne County — Philip E. Becker and Suzanne C. Becker, trustees of the Becker Revocable Living Trust, to Joseph D. and Kathleen Ruccolo; Lot 135ER, Eagle Rock; $410,000.

Pine Grove Township — Karen E. Williams to Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. LLC; 935 Oak Grove Road; $125,000.

Schuylkill Haven — Louise Schickram and Richard E. Krammes, co-executors of the Estate of Earl R. Kremer, to Megan Hardinger; 66 N. Berne St.; $57,900.

Shenandoah — Larry Krammes to Alejandra Flores; 218 W. Coal St.; $1,000.

Debra Ann Metrick, individually and as administratrix of the Estate of Mark Metrick, and Melany Wierzalis to Melany Wierzalis; 217 E. Coal St.; $1.

Washington Township —Dawn L. Koehler, executrix of the Estate of Catherine M. Koehler, to Dawn L. Koehler; 19 Harbor Lights Lane; $1.

Property Investment 101 LLC to Leonard R. and Dianne M. Krapf; 333 Moyers Station Road; $175,000.

West Mahanoy Township — David Halushack and Elaine Rodrigue, co-executors of the Estate of Lillian Halushack, to Michael and Renee Leonard; 0.131-acre property in Weston Place; $1.

Elaine Pisa Rodrigue and David Halushack to Michael and Renee Leonard; 167 Weston Place; $1.

Debra A. Barlow to Debra A. Barlow and Jamie Lynn Barlow; 505 Indiana Ave., Shenandoah Heights; $1.

West Penn Township — John Leary Jr., executor of the Last Will & Testament of Audrey Leary, to Kenneth Leary; 465 Snowdrift Road; $1.

FRACKVILLE — The final Mass celebrated in the “sacred place” of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in the borough on Sunday was a time of memories, tears and looking forward for parishioners and friends.

The Mass at 11:30 a.m. was standing room only with more than 350 people filling the pews, sitting on folding chairs and lined up along the walls and into the vestibule and choir loft.

“Today we gather on All Saints Day to celebrate the Eucharist amid mixed emotions,” reader Tim Sullivan said at the beginning of Mass. “We the people of St. Joseph the Worker Parish will be celebrating the Eucharist for the last time in the church. Generation after generation has worshiped together here under the patronage of St. Joseph. Let us remember the many baptisms, weddings and funerals that have been celebrated in this church. Let us also remember that God is always creating something new and we’re all called to embrace the newness of life that God has planned for each of us. While today marks the end of something beautiful, we are called to place ourselves once again in the loving hands of God the Father in total trust that he has something wonderful for us.”

The church at Frack and Centre streets is one of three church buildings that make up St. Joseph the Worker Parish, which was created with the July 2013 consolidation of St. Joseph, St. Ann and Annunciation BVM parishes. Worship services continued to be held in all three church buildings, designated as sacred worship centers. Over the past two years, the pastor, the Rev. Robert T. Finlan, and the parish finance and advisory councils continued to study the situation, knowing that the parish’s financial condition would no longer permit the use of all three buildings.

The announcement was made in mid-October that the church building would close after the Mass on Sunday.

Finlan was the main celebrant of the Mass. Concelebrants were the Rev. Adam Sedar, a son of the parish, and the Rev. Edmund Brennan.

“As we celebrate the saints and God’s merciful love, we do so with mixed emotions as we gather in this sacred space,” Finlan said. “In a real sense, this is the space where the divine and human meet in a unique way.”

Finlan said there have been many generations who have been in the building. He spoke of the parochial school on the top floor where many children learned the faith. Many people in attendance raised their hands when asked by Finlan if they, their children or grandchildren went to the school.

“It was in that space where people encountered God,” Finlan said.

He spoke of the parish hall at the lower level that was used for parish functions, socials and fundraisers.

“On a day like this, we offer thanks for God for all of this,” Finlan said. “Then, of course, we come together in the church building itself. We take that walk up the center aisle that we’ve walked up so many times, surrounded by signs and symbols of faith. How many Stations of the Cross to remind us of Christ’s love for us and his mercy? How many rosaries that we meditated upon the mysteries of Christ’s life and the guidance of the Blessed Mother?”

Finlan reminded attendees of the number of baptisms, confessions, confirmations, first Holy Communions, weddings and funerals the church had held over the years and across generations.

“That’s what a community of faith is all about,” he said.

Finlan said the church is more than just a structure where people meet.

“So, it isn’t just a building. It’s sacred space, it’s holy ground,” Finlan said. “So it’s fitting to say farewell in the proper way, gathered together as a community, gathered at Mass, celebrating sacraments, listening to the word of God and reflecting upon that. That, on this Sunday, we meditate on the great merciful love of God that we have experienced here.”

Brennan spoke about serving at times in the parish, noting that he and Finlan went to school together at the former Cardinal Brennan High School, which got a laugh from the congregation.

“Maybe I should let it go at that, but I was a teacher at Cardinal Brennan and Father Finlan was one of the leading students,” Brennan said. “As time went on, he demonstrated over and over to the diocese that he was a people person and became a good, holy, intelligent priest.”

Sedar, the pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church, Minersville, spoke of his home parish.

“At today’s feast day of All Saints, we think that a lot of saints have prayed and worshiped within these walls, and that is one of the things that has made this a special place,” Sedar said. “Certainly there are grander church buildings in God’s kingdom and world, but what makes this special is the people — the people who are here today and the people who have been here through the years and what God has done in the lives of these people in this place.”

Sedar concluded, “Take that spirit that’s always been evident in this parish and take it with you wherever you go and continued to allow God to do the wonderful works of grace that he has done throughout all the years in the lives of the people who gathered in this space to pray and worship and be that one people of God.”

The parish was formed in 1909 after being a mission church of Holy Rosary Church in Mahanoy Plane for many years, the decision prompted by the continued growth of the mission. The Rev. Thomas Hurton became the first pastor of St. Joseph Church in April 1909. A special meeting of the parish was held on June 10, 1912, to decide if a new, larger church and parochial school should be built. The decision was made to build on the site of the present church building. Hurton was elected as chairman of the building committee, with the Rev. Philip J. Mullen as secretary. Breslin Contracting, Summit Hill, was given the construction contract. In order to save money, the foundation was dug and set by parishioners.

The cornerstone was laid in September 1912, and on May 18, 1913, at 11:45 a.m., dedication services were held by the Most Rev. Edmond Francis Prendergast, archbishop of Philadelphia, assisted by the Rev. F.J. McGovern of Pottsville and the Rev. T.J. Larkin of Mauch Chunk.

The dedication Mass, which was held outdoors to accommodate the crowd, was celebrated by the Right Rev. Dennis J. Dougherty, bishop of Jaro, Philippine Islands, assisted by the Rev. Vincent W. Corcoran of Lost Creek and the Rev. P.J. Fleming. The choir of Holy Rosary Church provided the music for the Mass. Several Masses were celebrated that day, including a children’s Mass by the Rev. Richard Phelan of Minersville, with a homily by the Rev. C.J. O’Neill, pastor of St. Kieran Church, Heckscherville.

After Holy Communion was distributed, the Holy Eucharist was removed from the tabernacle. Also removed was the sanctuary candle, which is lit when the Eucharist is in the tabernacle. Finlan and altar servers Katie Blozusky, Frank Blozusky and Ryan Evert stripped the altar of the liturgical cloths, showing the altar will no longer be used in the church.

As the Mass ended, the people were directed to process from the church for the ceremonial locking of the doors. Many stood on the porch to watch the closing.

Barbara Kushwara, Frackville, has been a longtime parishioner and expressed her sadness.

“I’ve been a member ever since I was little,” Kushwara said. “I went to school here, made my First Holy Communion. I was baptized in the Byzantine Rite, but I was not confirmed here because we are confirmed at baptism. I played the organ; my sister was an organist, and all of my siblings went here. Even though I was away for many years, I would still come home.”

Tom and Karen Hede, Frackville, attended the Mass. Tom Hede said he has been a parishioner for about 40 years, and his wife has been one longer.

“It’s sad to see it go, that’s for sure,” Tom Hede said. “With all the money they would have had to put into it, the choices were limited. All my children were baptized here, and my wife and I were married here in 1971. My wife went to school here.”

“I lived across the street growing up and had all my sacraments here,” Karen Hede said. “It is sad. And it will be odd to this area to see this building gone. Father Finlan did a wonderful job of handling everything.”

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s budget stalemate has dragged on long enough that Harrisburg is becoming synonymous with partisan gridlock. The deadlock and brinkmanship that has been part of the Washington, D.C., scene in recent years has come to the banks of the Susquehanna River.

Ironically, as the state budget stalemate entered its fifth month, Washington showed a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation by passing a two-year budget deal last week.

The stalemate in Harrisburg started July 1, as Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a budget and related pension and liquor privatization legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Wolf has sought a combination of tax hikes to erase a stubborn revenue deficit and provide school property tax relief. GOP lawmakers have resisted broad-based tax hikes and pointed to potential revenue from selling the state liquor stores as a solution instead.

Efforts by GOP lawmakers to pass overrides of the governor’s veto and short-term “stopgap” budgets have been futile. House lawmakers rejected last month a revised tax proposal from Wolf.

Because of court rulings and more than $6 billion in revenue coming from existing state taxes, state employees are being paid and agencies are open for business.

School districts are borrowing money to stay open and human services agencies are cutting services because of the lack of state aid.

“School districts have already missed three state subsidy payments, and across the state many are operating under contingency plans and emergency efforts in order to make ends meet as debt is accumulating and payrolls must be met,” William LaCoff, president of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, said at a Senate hearing last week.

School districts have borrowed $431 million so far to get by, state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said. That amount will spike if a budget deal isn’t done by Thanksgiving.

“We are in budgetary purgatory,” Christopher Borick, Ph.D., a Throop native who is director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, said. “The reality is a deal has to come between the Republican leadership and the governor that’s going to take some courage on their part to cause some grief for their own constituencies.”

This could mean GOP lawmakers bucking the oil and gas industry and Wolf bucking public employee unions, for example, he said.

The public is fed up.

Two of three registered voters think Pennsylvania is “on the wrong track”, according to a new Franklin & Marshall College poll.

They hold the Legislature more responsible (51 percent) than the governor (32 percent) for the stalemate. Sizeable majorities support a severance tax on natural gas production and tax on smokeless tobacco and cigars to generate revenue. Small minorities support an expanded sales tax and increased income tax.

The poll of 614 registered voters was conducted between Oct. 19 and Oct. 25, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

Adding to the general malaise is a wave of political scandals this year that led to former state Treasurer Rob McCord pleading guilty to federal extortion charges, several Philadelphia lawmakers caught in a lobbyist sting operation and state Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane facing state charges of obstruction, conspiracy and perjury in connection with leaking secret grand jury information to a reporter.

One has to go back to 1977 to find a similar parallel in Harrisburg with both a lengthy budget stalemate and corruption charges ensnaring top elected officials.

The four legislative caucuses are borrowing money from banks to fund their operations.

Budget negotiations are on a two-way track, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-34, Bellefonte, said. Senate and House GOP leaders are working to present a joint proposal to the governor while general talks among the four caucuses and governor continue, he said.

“We are trying to come up with something that is close to what the governor wants,” Corman said.

Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, Wilkes-Barre, is puzzled by the lack of rallies by educators and human service agencies at the Capitol in support of the governor’s efforts to restore previous cuts to those programs. He suggested protestors coming to Harrisburg could put pressure on lawmakers.

The House returns to session Nov. 9. The Senate voted to return Nov. 16 after some wrangling over whether lawmakers should stay in session non-stop until a deal is done.

The most productive thing rank-and-filers can do is make sure their caucus leaders know what they can and cannot support, DePasquale, also a former lawmaker, said.

“It’s really hard to have 253 people in a negotiating room,” he said.

In the meantime, some things haven’t changed.

The Department of General Services starts its annual crow dispersal program — where Capitol Police fire caps, blanks or screamers to discourage crow from roosting — on the Capitol grounds this week.

James K. Reiley

A Pottsville man charged with assaulting a woman in the city on Oct. 6 waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville.

Jonathan D. Reed, 38, of 817 W. Race St., was arrested by Pottsville police Detective Kirk Becker and charged with aggravated assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, unlawful restraint, simple assault, false imprisonment and terroristic threats.

By waiving his right to a hearing, Reed will now have to answer to all of the charges against him in Schuylkill County Court.

Becker said Reed went to the home of his estranged girlfriend, showed her a black handgun and directed her to accompany him to his home.

At the 817 W. Race St. home, the woman reported that Reed immediately assaulted her by dragging her upstairs by the hair and repeatedly slamming her head off of the floor. The detective said the assault continued for about 90 minutes, during which Reed refused the woman to leave the home and continued to assault her by hitting her with his belt and head butting her.

The woman reported that during the incident, Reed repeatedly made threats that he would kill her and her children and said he would kill police officers in a shooting rampage.

Other court cases include:

Robert J. Weiss, 39, of 2090 Marsh Creek Road, Howard — waived for court: possession of liquefied ammonia with intent to manufacture a controlled substance, building code violations, possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, conspiracy, depositing or storing or disposing of chemical waste, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and risking a catastrophe.

Luis A. Haddock, 23, of Schuylkill County Prison, Pottsville — held for court: simple assault and harassment.

James E. Evans, 43, of 70 River St., Cressona — waived for court: bad checks.

Joseph W. Kane, 43, of 8 School Row St., Pottsville — waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Thomas M. Kelly, 30, of 94 New St., Pottsville — waived for court: possession, use or sale of display documents, driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked, driving an unregistered vehicle and failure to obtain an inspection.

Jill M. Kostowskie, 35, of 330 W. Chester St., Shenandoah — held for court: theft by deception.

Bobby Jo Rohrbach, 29, of 231 N. Mill St., Saint Clair — waived for court: burglary, conspiracy, robbery, theft and receiving stolen property.

Samuel L. Deppen, 23, of 206 Angel Drive, New Ringgold — waived for court: criminal mischief.

Joseph T. Beaufort, 24, of 812 W. Norwegian St., Pottsville — waived for court: burglary, criminal trespass and theft.

Matthew A. Klinger, 23, of 855 Ann St., Pottsville — dismissed: burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief and harassment.

Tiffany S. Jackson, 26, of 32 Ann St., Pottsville — waived for court: false alarms to agencies of public safety, recklessly endangering another person, false reports and disorderly conduct.

Schuylkill County voters will decide a number of county positions when they hit the polls Tuesday for the General Election.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the 125 precincts throughout the county.

Five candidates — two Republicans, two Democrats and a Libertarian — are running for three county commissioner positions. Incumbent Republicans Frank J. Staudenmeier and George F. Halcovage Jr. are seeking re-election along with incumbent Democrat Gary J. Hess, who looks to return the board to a Democratic majority with running mate Pottsville councilman Joe Devine. Staudenmeier has been in the office since 2002. Hess and Halcovage have been in the office since 2012.

Libertarian candidate Nelson Reppert is also running for the office.

County Treasurer Jacqueline V. McGovern is not seeking another term in office. A Republican, McGovern was first elected in 1995 and is the county’s senior official with five terms totaling 20 years in office.

Republican Linda L. Marchalk and Democrat Brett M. Clark are both seeking to replace McGovern.

Republican Maria Casey and Democrat Catherine Mahon are vying for an open seat in the county clerk of courts office left by Stephen M. Lukach, who ended his 27-year tenure on April 11, 2014, following allegations of misappropriating public money.

First Deputy Clerk of Courts Paul Steffanic took over Lukach’s responsibilities until Thomas J. Campion Jr., a Norwegian Township Democrat, was appointed to the position and sworn into office Sept. 24. Campion did not seek a full term.

GOP Coroner David J. Moylan is being challenged by Democrat James A. Nettles.

There is a three-way race of county Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans Court that includes incumbent Republican Theresa Santai-Gaffney, Democrat Frank DiMarco and Independent Jerry Labooty.

Democrat Leo Securda is challenging incumbent GOP Prothonotary David J. Dutcavich, who is seeking his second term in the position.

Democrat Gina Warhola is challenging incumbent Republican Recorder of Deeds Ann Dudish, who succeeded her husband, A. Matthew Dudish, in office after his death on June 26, 2014, following a long battle against idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The late Dudish served as recorder of deeds since being elected in 1999.

Republican County Controller Christy Joy is running unopposed in his bid for a second term.

In addition to various municipal races, there are also three seats up for election on the state supreme court and one vacancy on both the Pennsylvania Superior Court and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.

For information about getting a ride to the polls on Election Day or about either party, contact the respective Schuylkill County political committees. The Schuylkill County Democratic Party headquarters can be reached at 570-622-3155 and the Schuylkill County Republican Party headquarters can be reached at 570-622-1540.

Anyone interested in working the polls can call the Schuylkill County Election Bureau at 570-628-1467.

MAHANOY CITY — The Mahanoy Area school board approved a refinancing plan for $6,145,000 in long-term debt that will save the district more than $100,000 over the term of the debt.

The school board voted unanimously for the plan during Thursday’s meeting.

District Business Administrator John J. Hurst provided a review of what was discussed at last month’s meeting when Scott Shearer, a managing director with Public Financial Management Inc., spoke to the board and administrators about a potential refinancing.

“If you remember last time when Scott Shearer was here, we had estimated the cost of refinancing to be about $50,000,” Hurst said. “We have some updated costs. The bottom line savings is going to be $118,464. There are miscellaneous costs that still haven’t come in yet, but we’re anticipating about $5,000 of those proceeds will be put into the sinking fund. Just on the bond issue alone, there is a $113,464 savings.”

The total of the Series of 2015 loan is $6,145,000, which includes the cost to call the 2009 bonds of $2,433,197.65 and the cost to call the 2010 Series A notes of $3,660,664.42. The term ends in 2028, which is the same as the original debt. The refinancing does not increase or decrease the original terms.

A bank loan request for proposals was sent to financial institutions on Sept. 4, with seven banks responding with their proposed interest rates. M&T Bank offered the best interest rate and conditions with a fixed rate of 2.54 percent interest through the term of the loan. M&T will hold the rate offer until Dec. 2.

At the September meeting, the school board began the process to move forward so that the refinancing resolution could be ready for board approval on Oct. 29.

Attorney Jens H. Damgaard, a partner with Rhoads & Sinon LLP, Harrisburg, explained the process going forward. Rhoads & Sinon is the school district’s bond counsel.

“We’re going to retire the old bonds,” Damgaard said. “We’ll be dealing with the bank, negotiating on your behalf. A lot of the negotiations already took place at the time of creating the request for proposal. This rate is locked in for the life of the loan.”

The school board adopted the resolution to approve the refinancing. The resolution will be filed with the state Department of Community and Economic Development for its review and approval, which Damgaard said would take about one month, but will make the Dec. 2 closing deadline set by M&T Bank.

According to information provided by Hurst, the total payout over the loan term is $7,102,156, with $6,145,000 going to principal and $957,156 to interest.

A Pine Grove man will spend time behind state prison bars after being sentenced Friday in Schuylkill County Court for trying to make methamphetamine.

Paul A. Daubert Jr., 30, must spend 24 months in the state intermediate punishment program, which combines incarceration and substance abuse treatment, Judge John E. Domalakes ruled.

Domalakes also sentenced Daubert to pay costs, $2,390 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem and a $50 bench warrant fee.

Daubert originally pleaded guilty on May 29 to possession of red phosphorous with intent to manufacture a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged Daubert possessed the red phosphorous, which is an ingredient in the making of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia on July 1, 2014, in Pine Grove Township.

In another Friday case, Judge James P. Goodman revoked the probation of Nathaniel R. Russell, 25, of Pottsville, and sentenced him to serve nine to 23 months in prison.

“Why?” a surprised Russell, who sat through the hearing wearing a prison jumpsuit, asked Goodman.

“You violated the terms of your probation,” Goodman replied.

Goodman revoked Russell’s probation after the defendant admitted violating it by committing new crimes and assaults.

Russell originally pleaded guilty on Dec. 10, 2014, to criminal trespass and indecent exposure, with prosecutors withdrawing charges of burglary, recklessly endangering another person, open lewdness and criminal mischief. At that time, Goodman placed Russell on probation for 23 months consecutive to his existing sentence and also sentenced him to pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Shenandoah police charged Russell with committing his crimes on Jan. 2, 2014, in the borough.

Also in county court, a man from the Pocono Mountains pleaded guilty Thursday to driving under the influence in May 2014 in Washington Township.

John L. Constance Jr., 50, of Bushkill, pleaded guilty to DUI and DUI while suspended, with prosecutors withdrawing charges of disregarding traffic lane and violation of restrictions on alcoholic beverages.

Goodman, who had been scheduled to preside over Constance’s nonjury trial, instead accepted his plea, ordered preparation of a presentence investigation and scheduled his sentencing for 2:15 p.m. Dec. 10.

State police at Schuylkill Haven had alleged Constance was DUI with a suspended license on May 9, 2014.

In other recent county court action, President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted guilty pleas from, and, pursuant to agreements between prosecutors and defendants, imposed the indicated sentences on, these people:

Jonathan P. Pfeil, 31, of Pottsville — simple assault and recklessly endangering another person; 12 months probation, $50 CJEA payment and $157.25 restitution. Prosecutors withdrew one additional count each of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Anthony Richards, 28, of Tamaqua — simple assault; five days to 12 months in prison and $50 CJEA payment. Prosecutors withdrew one additional count of simple assault and charges of harassment and disorderly conduct.

Justin M. Schuch, 20, of Philadelphia — simple assault; 23 months probation and $50 CJEA payment. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of harassment.

Terrance R. Simmons, 37, of Schuylkill Haven — possession of a controlled substance; six months probation, $100 Substance Abuse Education Fund payment and $50 CJEA payment. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Malcolm L. Woomer, 48, of Pottsville — retail theft; 23 months probation and $50 CJEA payment.

Monica Zapotosky, 40, of McAdoo — simple assault; 144 days to 12 months in prison, $50 CJEA payment and no contact with the victim. Prosecutors withdrew three counts of harassment.

William M. Zelinsky, 31, of Pottsville — possession of drug paraphernalia; 12 months probation, $100 SAEF payment and $50 bench warrant fee.

All defendants who were sentenced must pay costs as a part of their sentences.

Deeds

Barry Township — Valcon Utilities Inc. to Eric P. Noll; 4.34-acre property on Beurys Road; $24,000.

Butler Township — Albert G. Price and Beverly Diane Yeager, permanent plenary guardian of the Estate of Catherine Price, to Thomas L. and Sarah A. Smith and Damian T. Smith; 22 Main St.; $55,000.

Coaldale — CN Properties LLC to Carlos R. Martinez; 129 W. Moser Ave.; $7,000.

East Union Township and Hazle Township, Luzerne County — DeJea Enterpises to Scott C. Weaver; property in Eagle Rock; $170,000.

Hegins Township — William W. and Corinne P. Wolfgang to Kevin P. Wolfgang; 1070 E. Main St., Hegins; $1.

North Union Township — Gregory L. and Sarah M. Golder to Gregory L. Golder; Lot 100AW, Eagle Rock; $1.

Pine Grove Township — Lloyd S. and Margaret N. Aungst to Stephen and Eva Mack; 420 Rock Road; $300,000.

Porter Township — Eleanor C. Schwartz to Bonita L. Sanchez and Rena Teter; 472 E. Wiconisco St.; $1.

Pottsville — Jeffrey K. Lord, Kristen Cesari and Carolyn K. Lord to Mark and Kristen Cesari; 216 N. 18th St.; $1.

M&J Investment Partners LLC to Charles Godshall; 219 Howard Ave.; $22,000.

M&J Investment Partners LLC to Charles Godshall; 112 S. 12th St.; $22,000.

M&J Investment Partners LLC to Charles Godshall; 1414 W. Norwegian St.; $22,000.

M&J Investment Partners LLC to Charles Godshall; 1108 Mahantongo St.; $22,000.

Rush Township — Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to Norbert Gernavage; 15 Clarryan St.; $100,000.

Ryan Township — Paul D. and Celeste Danisavich to Mark Edward Danisavich and Alexander Edward Danisavich; 17.13-acre property; $1.

Schuylkill Haven — Patricia Louise Johns and Barbara Anne Kimmel Meade to Barbara Anne Kimmel Meade and Ernest Eugene Hoy; 524 E. Main St.; $1.

Shenandoah — Donna E. Ford to Audra L. Kanute; 331 E. Lloyd St.; $1.