MAR LIN — Culinary students are serving up lunch in a recently renovated restaurant at Schuylkill Technology Center-South Campus.

The restaurant in the second floor of the building was renovated thanks to a Lowe’s Community Service/Campus Improvement grant. The grant program awarded $565,433 to 26 schools across the nation last year.

The grant was used for the material while the work was done by STC students in the electrical, carpentry, plumbing and masonry programs last semester.

“The dining room is going to have more foot traffic,” James Gurcsik, culinary arts instructor at the south campus, said Wednesday.

The dining area can now seat about 30 people, Gurcsik said.

The culinary students run every aspect of the restaurant, from cooking and cleaning to taking orders and operating the cash register. It is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The north campus in Frackville also has a restaurant that is open to the public.

Gurcsik has 21 students — sophomores, juniors and seniors — this semester in three different course levels. Each has a role in the restaurant, whether it is in the bakery, kitchen, sanitation or front-house skills. When the kitchen was being renovated last semester, the students made to-go lunches.

“There is no better way to teach than in a restaurant,” Gurcsik said.

He said they can learn theory in the classroom, but things like time management have to be taught in the kitchen.

“They learn everything as they go, as far as problem solving,” he said.

The restaurant has a staple menu with 40 to 50 items on it. There are also daily soups, desserts and specials, Gurcsik said.

“Everything is handmade from scratch,” Gurcsik said.

The students work in the classroom in addition to the bakery and new kitchen. On Wednesday, students were making sandwiches for a group renting the banquet room downstairs. Gurcsik said usually when a group rents the room, the students make them lunch.

BRANDONVILLE — A fast-moving fire destroyed a garage and spread to a nearby home in this East Union Township village just before dawn Sunday.

Firefighters from Sheppton-Oneida and surrounding communities were called to 40 Main Blvd. about 5:15 a.m. for a report of a garage fire and found the building fully engulfed in flames.

Sheppton-Oneida Fire Chief Kyle Mummey said crews battled the fire for about an hour before bringing it under control, but not before it spread to the unoccupied home a short distance away.

He said an initial lack of water hampered the efforts of firefighters and tankers were called from fire companies in both Schuylkill, Columbia and Luzerne counties.

“There was a lot of fire when we got here and initially water was an issue,” the chief said.

About 8:15 a.m., state police fire marshal Trooper Joseph Hall of the Schuylkill Haven station arrived to assist in trying to determine what sparked the fire. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Outside of the home is a for sale sign by Realty World Northeast LLC. Mummey said the home has not been occupied for some time and that the garage that once housed an automotive repair business was also closed.

Mummey said no injuries were reported and that Main Boulevard, Route 924, was closed for several hours while crews battled the fire with traffic diverted by fire police.

Assisting Sheppton-Oneida firefighters were volunteers from Mahanoy City, Ringtown, Nuremberg-Weston, Shenandoah, Ryan Township, Hazle Township, Quakake, Hometown and Aristes.

Also on scene were Shenandoah EMS and East Union Township police.

Kulpmont man

charged in crash

PORT CLINTON — State police at Hamburg suspect a woman from Kulpmont suffered a minor injury when the vehicle she was riding in hit a rock embankment Wednesday, police said Friday.

Joshua A. Weaver, 18, of Kulpmont, was driving a 2013 Hyundai Accent north on state Route 61, just north of North Road, when he veered to the right and hit the embankment, police said.

The vehicle rolled over and came to rest on its wheels across the two lands of highway. The passenger, Kayla M. Leader, 18, of Kulpmont, was transported by Schuylkill Valley EMS to Reading Hospital, police said.

Weaver was charged with being under the influence of controlled substances, police said.

Woman escapes

injury in crash

HAMBURG — A woman from Orwigsburg escaped injury in a three-vehicle accident in Tilden Township, Berks County, on Saturday afternoon, according to state police at Hamburg.

At 3:19 p.m., Jonna K. Mickshaw, 42, was driving a 2015 Subaru Impreza north on state Route 61 when she failed to see traffic stopped ahead of her at a red light at Jetson Drive. Mickshaw hit a 2002 Buick LeSabre driven by Fany I. Patterson, 41, of Hazle Township. The impact forced Patterson’s vehicle into a 2013 Dodge 4X4, driven by David C. Sherry, 53, of Lehighton, police said.

Two injured in

2-vehicle crash

MECHANICSVILLE — Two people suffered injuries in a two-vehicle crash Sunday on Pottsville Street, according to state police at Schuylkill Haven.

It occurred at 10:46 a.m., when Brittany L. Schwalm, 20, of Pottsville, was driving a 2015 Hyundai Elentra west on Pottsville Street and crossed over the double yellow line, police said.

She hit head-on an eastbound 2014 Chrysler Town & Country driven by William S. Davis, 41, of Port Carbon, near 1245 Pottsville St., police said.

Schwalm was transported by ambulance to Schuylkill Medical Center – East Norwegian Street, police said.

Police said a passenger in the eastbound vehicle, Tara W. Davis, 38, of Port Carbon, was also transported by ambulance, but did not say where she was taken.

Both vehicles were towed. Responders included local firefighters, police said.

Schwalm will be cited for failing to stay in her lane, police said.

Police investigate

illegal use of car

ASHLAND — Ashland police are assisting Butler Township in their investigation of an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle that was found in the borough about 2:35 a.m. Tuesday.

Police said officers found the vehicle that was reported being used illegally to Butler Township police several days prior at South 17th and West Centre streets with a man sitting in the driver’s seat and a woman in the front passenger’s seat.

Both the man and woman were detained and questioned and police said Butler Township police are conducting the ongoing investigation.

n Frackville: An open house is set at the Frackville Museum in the Frackville Municipal & Community Center, 42 S. Center St., from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. At 2 p.m., guest speaker Darlene Kergick will focus on William and Elizabeth Trautman and their home. Call 570-874-3531.

n Frackville: The Frackville Ministerium Food Bank will be open from 9 to 10 a.m. May 19 for eligible borough residents. New applicants will need proof of eligibility — a Frackville address. The food bank is at Zion Lutheran Church, South Beech Street. People must use the downstairs entrance by the parking lot. Call 570-874-0255.

n Gordon: AMVETS Post 44 will have Memorial Day services from 9 to 11 a.m. May 30 at the Gordon Fire Company, at the monument behind the borough building, Plane and Otto streets, followed by a speaker in the borough hall. A parade will begin at 10 a.m. The block party for the Memorial Day celebration, sponsored by the Citizens Fire Company No. 1, will begin at 11 a.m. It will include homemade food, music by Hank and a bounce house and giant slide for children. The party will go to 8 p.m. Call 570-590-9004.

n Hegins: The Bootleggers’ 32nd annual Independent Coal Miners Picnic will begin at noon Aug. 13 at Hegins Park, rain or shine. A hot meal will be served at 4 p.m. and will include soups and cold cuts. Entertainment will be provided by disc jockey Gold Dust, and the bands Old Gold, The Breaker Boys and Red Halo. The names on the annual mug will include Ralph Klock, Robert Wolfgang, Leroy Stiely, Wesley Carl, Charles Kroh, Warren Klinger, Ricky Bloch Sr., Kosier Miller, Fred Seiger, Marlin Kimmel, George Motter, Francis Kroh and Stephen Peron. The photo on the 2016 mug will be of David A. and LaRae Lucas, host and hostess of the picnic. Mugs must be ordered by June 24 by calling David A. Lucas at 570-682-9140.

n Orwigsburg: The Fortress Cancer Care Support Group meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays at Faith Church, Route 61 South. The effort aims at giving support and care for people with cancer, their families, friends and caregivers. Call 570-593-8007.

n Pine Grove: An American Red Cross blood drive is scheduled for 1 to 6 p.m. May 17 at the Pine Grove Ambulance headquarters, Spruce Street. People 17 and older (16 with parental consent), weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health are urged to donate blood. To make an appointment, call 800-733-2767.

n Pine Grove: The Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of Pennsylvania will stage a barn tour June 10 and 11 beginning at 7:45 a.m. from Comfort Inn, 433 Suedburg Road. The cost is $60. It will be a guided bus tour of southern Schuylkill historic barns. The deadline to register is May 10. For more information, call 570-345-8651, email to jlengle3424@comcast.net or visit www.pahistoricbarns.org.

n Pottsville: An arts and crafts show and provider information event, sponsored by the Community Support Program, will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. May 18 at the Schuylkill YMCA, 520 N. Centre St. People will be able to display and sell their art and there will be behavioral health information tables. There is no admission fee. Call 570-628-0155.

n Saint Clair: The Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA will stage a Chinese auction and vendor show from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday in the Saint Clair Fish and Game Club Banquet Hall, Lawton Street. A shop-and-drop will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. Call 570-861-4919.

n Schuylkill Haven: St. John’s United Church of Christ, 121 E. Main St., will hold its annual spring festival from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 21. The event will include “elegant junque,” food, books and clothing. Call 570-449-3892.

n Tamaqua: A “Chalk and Chew” colored pencil and typography workshop is set for 6:30 to 9 p.m. May 24 at the Tamaqua Community Art Center, 125 Pine St. The cost is $30, which includes all material. Call 570-668-1192. The center will have a garden gnome workshop with instructor Stephanie Premich of Mud & Maker at 6:30 p.m. May 19. Cost is $30, which includes all material.

Three Coaldale police officers must have a chance to prove the borough did not act in good faith when it furloughed them, a three-judge Commonwealth Court panel has ruled.

In an 18-page opinion filed Wednesday in Pottsville, the panel decided Charles A. Blesse, Keith A. Krapf and Todd Weiss presented sufficient evidence that the borough acted in bad faith to allow their case to proceed to trial.

“The record contains conflicting testimony regarding the borough’s motivation for furloughing the police department,” Judge Patricia A. McCullough wrote in the panel’s opinion.

As a result, the three officers can continue with their lawsuit, in which they allege officials acted in bad faith instead of economic necessity in removing them from full-time positions.

Blesse, Krapf and Weiss filed the lawsuit Aug. 28, 2013, asking for lost wages and benefits. The borough had furloughed all three in March 2012, leaving Chief Timothy Delaney as the only full-time officer.

Coaldale has maintained the furloughs were economically necessary.

McCullough wrote that in dismissing the lawsuit before trial, the county court determined that the only testimony supporting the trio’s allegations was speculative and based on opinions.

“The trial court rejected the relevant testimony as ‘not credible,’ ” she wrote.

However, that was not the proper way to evaluate the testimony, according to McCullough.

“It is well established that the credibility of testimony is a matter for the fact-finder and cannot be resolved” before trial, she wrote. “Here, the record contains conflicting testimony regarding the borough’s motivation for furloughing the police department.”

Furthermore, the panel rejected Coaldale’s claim that the rejected testimony was not related to a material fact.

Since public officials are presumed to have acted in good faith, evidence that they did not is material to the claims in this case, McCullough wrote.

McCullough wrote that the evidence includes testimony that Krapf had arrested the mayor and had reported a councilman to the state attorney general’s office about a prior felony conviction, that Delaney had not been provided specific information about the borough’s financial status, and that a tax anticipation loan and line of credit were used in Coaldale’s subsequent budgets even though officials had cited them as their chief financial concerns.

Judge Anne E. Covey joined in McCullough’s opinion, while Senior Judge Dan Pellegrini concurred only in the result.

RINGTOWN — Violators who do not use the drop-off recycling containers properly and leave materials outside the bins are being cited by borough police officers.

The Ringtown Borough Council and Mayor Albert Breznik Jr. discussed the dumping and littering problems at Monday’s council meeting. The problems at the site were also raised by Breznik at the March meeting. The recycling bins are provided through the Schuylkill County drop-off recycling program.

“I want to bring up the recycling area,” Breznik said. “There were a couple of instances where it was really out of control. As a property owner over there and not as mayor, I spoke to the people in Pottsville about it and they said turn it over to the police. If there are names found, then it is considered littering and they will stand behind the police.”

Breznik said the borough police have been reacting to the situation.

“The police have made nine arrests for scattering rubbish,” Breznik said.

“They (violators) have been told more than once,” council President Julian Milewski said.

“Zero tolerance,” Breznik said.

During his mayor’s report, Breznik said the recreation committee will hold its annual 5K race on June 18. There will be no parking from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on West Main Street and North Centre Street.

Zachary Piampi, Ringtown, a member of Ringtown Boy Scouts Troop No. 731, attended the meeting to observe it for his merit badge in communications. Milewski, an employee at The Republican-Herald, welcomed him to the meeting.

Resident Howard Gordon complained about excessive runoff of stormwater and cinders at his property on West Tanner Street.

“We’ve had as much as 12 inches of water inside the building,” Gordon said. “It’s also tearing up the roadway.”

“We will take a look at it and see if it’s something that we need to take care of,” Milewski said. “We’ll turn it over to the streets committee to investigate.”

Several council members spoke of traffic safety on Main Street at the intersection with Centre Street where crashes have occurred due to drivers not observing traffic flow at the three-way intersection.

“The police have been monitoring that area quite often,” Breznik said. “It’s the driver’s responsibility. It is clearly marked and there are no obstructions and no parking problems in that area.

“Maybe we should contact PennDOT and get another sign saying it is a three-way stop,” Milewski said.

“What I suggest is write a letter to PennDOT that there is a concern raised and that it is dangerous situation,” Price said.

In another matter, Milewski said there are a few dogs running loose, explaining that his wife had a problem with someone else’s dog that was loose and jumped at her.

“That is twice that it has happened,” Milewski said. “I think we should have the police talk to the owners. If the dog is in the yard, it’s supposed to be on a leash or restrained somehow.”

TOWER CITY — The union representing Williams Valley’s teachers and the school board appear to be one step closer to creating a pact agreeable to both sides.

Although the vote to approve, or reject, the latest contract offer was not known, the Williams Valley Education Association did vote Monday morning on an offer, according to Superintendent Donald Burkhardt.

“We don’t have a signed, approved contract yet,” Burkhardt said Monday afternoon.

If the WVEA did give the contract the nod, then the school board would probably take a vote on the agreement at the board’s next meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Burkhardt.

WVEA lead negotiators are Seth Shuey, Stephen Barner and Kathi Welsh.

All members of the school board have been involved with the negotiating process, Burkhardt said.

They include President Daniel Stroup, Vice-President John Mika, Treasurer Christopher Stroup, Board Secretary Jennifer Kramer; and members David Ferraro, Tedd Johns, Tracey L. Minnich, Joanna Stroup and Michael Minnich.

According to The Republican-Herald archives, in 2013, WVEA and the board reached an early-bird, three-year contract agreement which gave instructional staff in the association an average pay hike of $1,500 in each of the three years of the pact. At that time, there were 105 teachers in the union.

No terms, or length of Monday’s contract offer were released.

The current contract is slated to expire June 30, 2016.

n Cressona: Bethany Christian Fellowship, 102 Front St., will have a turkey dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday. The cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children under 12. For more information, call 570-628-4350.

n Frackville: The Frackville Elks Lodge, 307 S. Third St., will sponsor a breaded pork chop supper from 4 to 7 p.m. May 18. The cost is $9 and meals will include potato, vegetable, roll and butter and dessert. Takeouts will be available. For more information, call 570-590-3330. The lodge will also have a Memorial Day grilling from noon to 4 p.m. May 30. The cost is $12 and fare will include hot dogs, hamburgers and steaks. A cash bar will be available. All are welcome.

n Frackville: St. Joseph Roman Catholic Parish will celebrate Mass for parishioners graduating from high school and college at 10 a.m. May 29 in St. Ann Church. Following the Mass, there will be doughnuts and coffee in the social room. The parish will present a small gift to each graduate, so registration is requested. To register or for more information, email Carolyn Tenaglia at carolyntenaglia@yahoo.com or call the parish office.

n Mahanoy City: Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Parish will honors its 2016 graduates at the 10:30 a.m. Mass on May 29. Children and young adults from the parish who are graduating from kindergarten, eighth grade, high school or college are invited to attend and will receive a gift. Graduates should wear their caps and gowns. A photograph is needed for the graduation banner. To register or for more information, call Debbie at 570-773-0813 by Sunday.

n Orwigsburg: Holy Family Adult Day Care is continuing to accept applications for the day care program, which is located along Route 443 at the former St. Francis Orphanage building. The program is licensed from the state Department of Aging and provides social and activity programs, therapeutic care and support services, according to a Holy Family release. Other benefits include daytime support for caregivers, meeting the special needs of adults with Alzheimer’s disease or stroke who need supervision but not 24-hour care, assistance with medication and personal care. It provides breakfast and cooked lunch with a snack in the afternoon. Anyone 60 or older and who meets program requirements is eligible. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information or to schedule a visit, call 570-366-2924.

n Pottsville: The concert series of Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 S. Second St., will feature Simon Maurer on violin and Xun Pan on piano from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the church. There is no admission fee but free-will offerings will be accepted. Free parking will be available, the church is accessible to the handicapped and a reception will follow the performance. For more information, call 570-449-7553.

n Pottsville: As part of the Capt. Jason B. Jones Memorial Day of Caring on Friday, the Tri-County Chapter of the American Red Cross is giving away free smoke detectors to Pottsville residents. Volunteers will install the smoke detectors. Those who want a smoke detector can call 610-375-4342. Deadline to request a smoke detector is Thursday. Michelle Halabura, director of community relations for Schuylkill United Way, said volunteers are still needed for the event, especially for the Boy Scout camp in Schuylkill Haven and to install smoke detectors in Pottsville. To register, call 570-622-6421. Registration deadline is Wednesday.

n Schuylkill Haven: The Schuylkill Valley Corvette Club will have a cruise-in from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Bubeck Park, Washington Street. Donations will be accepted and all cruisers are welcome. Disc jockey Dave Smith will provide entertainment and food will be available at the pavilion. The club’s meeting will be a 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Jerry’s Classic Car Museum, 394 S. Centre St., Pottsville.

And the winner is … the local theater scene.

The 11th annual Majestic Awards will be handed out at 7 p.m. Monday at Pottsville Area High School. The awards, which recognize excellence in musical theater in Schuylkill County, have upped the quality of the shows put on by the county’s high school theater groups, according to Sandy Kost-Sterner, coordinator of the awards show.

“The Majestic Awards have been a vital part of increasing the performance levels of the high school shows. The bar is being set higher and higher each year with schools and their individual cast members working to improve the various aspects of musical theater,” Kost-Sterner said.

The awards show is presented by BB&T Bank. Tickets are $8 and are available at the door Monday or by calling the Majestic Theater office at 570-628-4647. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Ten high schools are vying for awards in 22 categories. Leading the way is Pottsville Area High School’s “Shrek the Musical” and Tamaqua Area High School’s “Seussical” with 20 nominations each. Blue Mountain High School’s production of “The Sound of Music” follows with 19 nominations.

Pottsville Area enters the award show as reigning winner of “Outstanding Overall Production,” having won last year for its production of “Les Miserables.”

Maria Malek, director, said they chose “Shrek” as the high school musical this year because they wanted a show that was the opposite of the heaviness of “Les Miserables.”

“We wanted to showcase whimsy and lightheartedness. The students had an awesome time playing comedy and were really able to bring their own humor to their characters,” Malek said.

At Tamaqua Area, the same philosophy went into choosing “Seussical” as this year’s musical.

Adriane Drum, drama club director, said they try to perform a show that is different from the previous year to keep it fresh and interesting for various types of people. The first concern addressed in making the choice is finding the right show for the cast.

“There are so many wonderful shows out there, but many of them are only the right choice when certain stars align in a particular year. You have to know your cast and talent and choose the show that will best utilize and showcase those talents,” Drum said. “I also try to vary the type of shows we do to help the students in the club try different genres and grow as performers.”

Harry D. Lucas, theater arts director at North Schuylkill High School, agreed that part of producing a show is helping the students grow in the material. This year, the group performed “Guys and Dolls.”

“Like many of our local schools, North Schuylkill really strives to give each of our students a great theater experience from auditions to performances. We really want students to learn all aspects of theater production,” Lucas said. “We want to make sure our audience has a great experience at our shows, and we want to make sure we produce something that the North Schuylkill community looks at with pride.”

Lucas said large audiences attended the performances, which is a sign of the support the group receives from the community and the growing interest in theater arts in the county. He said more students are auditioning for the group’s shows and more students are expressing excitement in wanting to be a part of the program.

The growth in theater arts in Schuylkill County is prevalent, according to the directors.

Lucas said he attributes some of the improvement to the students going to each other’s performances.

“They really support one another in their theatrical work and I feel that makes all of us want to do our best,” Lucas said.

Like North Schuylkill, Drum said attendance was high at Tamaqua Area, saying it was the highest she has seen during her time as director.

“As more and more patrons come out to see the show and bring their children, I do believe that many of our local high schools are seeing a growth in the number of students in the programs,” Drum said. “As the quality of the shows continues to improve, more and more students want to be a part of the amazing groups they see performing in their schools.”

Malek said the high school programs are evolving. They are exploring new shows while finding new ways of producing classic shows.

She attributes the growth to an increased awareness in the community theater scene.

“So many of the area high school students are taking what they learn from their high school directors and programs and sharing that knowledge and experience with community venues. It is truly an exciting time,” Malek said.

Kost-Sterner said the increased performance level gives the schools goals to work toward in the future.

“It is great to see the enthusiasm of the students at the awards night. It is definitely a night of recognition and celebration,” she said.

Other awards to be presented Monday are the Spirit of Theater awards, sponsored by Sophy Jewelers. Each school chooses a student to receive the award, which applauds the individual who has contributed to the performing arts program in their school with dedication, enthusiasm and hard work. The student can be a member of the cast, stage crew or pit band.

For more information, visit the Majestic Theater’s website at www.majestictheater.net.

List of nominees:

Outstanding leading actress: Lauren Tidmore as Maria Rainer in “The Sound of Music,” Blue Mountain; Makenna Copeland as Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde,” Nativity; Kali Antalosky as Miss Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls,” North Schuylkill; Arrianna Daniels as The Donkey in “Shrek the Musical,” Pottsville Area; Leanne Rooney as Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” Shenandoah Valley; Olivia Stettler as JoJo in “Seussical,” Tamaqua Area

Outstanding supporting actress: Pepper Joulwan as Mother Abbess in “The Sound of Music,” Blue Mountain; Reiley Lonergan as Alice in “The Addams Family,” Minersville Area; Chloe Manus as Vivienne Kensington in “Legally Blonde,” Nativity; Lydia Paulukonis as Paulette in “Legally Blonde,” Nativity; Zoe Snyder as Mayzie in “Seussical,” Tamaqua Area; Gabrielle Quandel as Paulette in “Legally Blonde,” Tri-Valley

Outstanding leading actor: Matthew Reed as Albert Peterson in “Bye Bye Birdie,” Mahanoy Area; Liam Wolfe as Sky Masterson in “Guys and Dolls,” North Schuylkill; Anthony Wojciechowsky as Shrek in “Shrek the Musical,” Pottsville Area; Nate Bates, The Baker in “Into the Woods,” Schuylkill Haven Area; Nick Twardzik as Sweeney Todd in “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” Shenandoah Valley; George Hegedus as Horton the Elephant in “Seussical,” Tamaqua Area

Outstanding supporting actor: Cameron Greenawalt as Max Detweiler in “The Sound of Music,” Blue Mountain; Josh Donley as Fester in “The Addams Family,” Minersville Area; Sean Crane as Professor Callaghan in “Legally Blonde,” Nativity; Taylor Brigade as Lord Farquuad in “Shrek the Musical,” Pottsville Area; Riley Guers as Judge Turpin in “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” Shenandoah Valley; Spencer DePue as Mayor of Whoville in “Seussical,” Tamaqua Area

Outstanding female vocalist: Pepper Joulwan and Lauren Tidmore, both from Blue Mountain; Reiley Lonergan, Minersville Area; Makenna Copeland, Nativity; Sara Leibel as Fiona in “Shrek the Musical,” Pottsville Area; Hannah Betz as Gertrude in “Seussical,” Tamaqua Area

Outstanding male vocalist: Matthew Reed, Mahanoy Area; Liam Wolfe, North Schuylkill; Taylor Brigade, Pottsville Area; Nick Twardzik, Shenandoah Valley; George Hegedus, Tamaqua Area; Kieffer Quandel as Emmett in “Legally Blonde,” Tri-Valley

Outstanding character award: Megan Babinsky as Mae Peterson in “Bye Bye Birdie,” Mahanoy Area; Hannah Studlack as Grandma in “The Addams Family,” Minersville Area; Shane McGrath as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in “Guys and Dolls,” North Schuylkill; Maddie Kohutka as Gingy in “Shrek the Musical,” Pottsville Area; Chris Swantek as Adolfo Pirelli in “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” Shenandoah Valley; Maxine Erdman as Enid Hoops in “Legally Blonde,” Tri-Valley

Outstanding duet: Pepper Joulwan and Lauren Tidmore, Blue Mountain, “My Favorite Things;” Makenna Copeland and Patrick Crane, Nativity, “Legally Blonde;” Kali Antalosky and Bryel Frasch, North Schuylkill, “Marry the Man;” Nate Bates and Lydia Nester, Schuylkill Haven Area, “It Takes Two;” Leanne Rooney and Nick Twardzik, Shenandoah Valley, “A Little Priest;” George Hegedus and Olivia Stettler, Tamaqua Area, “Alone in the Universe”

Outstanding small ensemble: Pepper Joulwan, Rachel Laughlin, Celena Granito and Kelly Karpovich, Blue Mountain, “Maria;” Madison Ansbach, Megan Bisco, Hunter Freil and Lenny Zack, Mahanoy Area, “Hymn for a Sunday Evening;” Jadyn Anczarski, Shane McGrath and Devindra Singh, North Schuylkill,”Fugue for Tinhorns;” Madison Eroh, Sarah Leibel and Leigha Keitsock, Pottsville Area, “I Know It’s Today;” Nate Bates, Leeanna Gretsky, Sarah Hasenauer, Madison Hess and David Zimmerman, Schuylkill Haven Area, “Your Fault;” Hannah Betz, Abby Billig, Aicen Hull, Michaela Noftz and Zoe Snyder, Tamaqua Area, “Amazing Mayzie”

Outstanding ensemble: Blue Mountain, North Schuylkill, Pottsville Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area

Outstanding scenic design: Blue Mountain, North Schuylkill, Pottsville Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area

Outstanding lighting design: Blue Mountain, North Schuylkill, Pottsville Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area

Outstanding achievement in costume design: Blue Mountain, North Schuylkill, Pottsville Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area

Outstanding achievement in hair/makeup: Blue Mountain, Minersville Area, North Schuylkill, Pottsville Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, Shenandoah Valley

Outstanding graphic design: Blue Mountain, Mahanoy Area, Pottsville Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area

Outstanding orchestra: Blue Mountain, North Schuylkill, Pottsville Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, Tamaqua Area, Tri-Valley

Outstanding choreography: Blue Mountain, Mahanoy Area, North Schuylkill, Pottsville Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area

Outstanding stage crew: Blue Mountain, North Schuylkill, Pottsville Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area

Outstanding lobby design: Minersville Area, Nativity, Pottsville Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area, Tri-Valley

Outstanding production number: Blue Mountain, “Do-Re-Mi,” “The Sound of Music;” North Schuylkill, “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat,” “Guys and Dolls;” Pottsville Area, “Story of My Life,” “Shrek the Musical;” Schuylkill Haven Area, “Prologue,” “Into the Woods;” Shenandoah Valley, “City on Fire,” “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street;” Tamaqua Area, “The People vs. Horton the Elephant,” “Seussical”

Outstanding overall production: Blue Mountain, North Schuylkill, Pottsville Area, Schuylkill Haven Area, Shenandoah Valley, Tamaqua Area

Outstanding director: Lauren Clauser, Blue Mountain; Harry Lucas, North Schuylkill; Maria Malek, Pottsville Area; Gloria Evert, Schuylkill Haven Area; Wendy Nicodemus and Sarah Yorke, Shenandoah Valley; Adriane Drum, Tamaqua Area

TOWER CITY — Rockne Smith’s face lit up when he grasped his very own candle during the 15th annual Mini Relay for Life event Monday.

The Williams Valley kindergarten pupil has been battling Wilms’ tumor, a kidney cancer which primarily affects children. His fellow classmates wore tags on their shirts showing support for him as part of “Team Rockne” during the fundraising event held at the elementary school for the American Cancer Society.

“This is really a community that takes care of each other and watches out for one another,” Rockne’s mother, Janelle Teter, Tower City, said.

Event co-coordinator Tiffany Underkoffler, along with co-coordinator Carol Doyle, announced during the past 15 years, including this year’s collection of more than $6,000, that $155,000 has been raised for the cause. Underkoffler called cancer survivors, as well as those fighting the disease, to come up on stage in the gymnasium to be recognized and to receive a special gift. Adult participants lit candles in honor or in memory of someone with cancer, as the students watched quietly. Rockne — with assistance from his mother — received a candle from Doyle, a retired school teacher and cancer survivor.

Rockne’s mother explained her 6-year-old son has been battling cancer for several years. He had one of his kidneys, and 20 percent of the other kidney removed. There is a spot on his remaining kidney, she said, and his medical team and family are deciding what to do next. She said the outpouring of support from the school staff and the community has been tremendous.

“We have him on a special diet, and his teacher keeps snacks for him that he can have,” Teter said of his teacher, Anne Pirie. Rockne said he likes to “play on the swings at recess.”

This was Teter’s first Mini Relay, since her family moved into the district.

“I’m surprised by the amount of money raised. They also did a Four Diamonds Fund event for pediatric cancer earlier this year, so for such a small area, there’s a lot of support,” she said.

Teter and her husband, Wayne Smith, also have two other children, a daughter, Zoe, 13; and another son, Brody, 4.

Frank A. Kasper and his son, Frank Kasper III, also joined in the relay and hope to find ways to help other families battling the disease. The Kaspers will be hosting a “Be the Match” bone marrow registry event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 11 at their home, 2030 Wiconisco St., Tower City. The Central PA Blood Bank will have their bloodmobile vehicle there, as well.

Kasper’s daughter, Angie Kasper, 34, has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She had a bone marrow transplant, and had been attending Geisinger Medical Center, before taking part in a trial at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She was hospitalized Monday in Hershey for a fever, her father said.

Kasper’s mother, Carol Kasper; and her sister, Amy Lake, are teachers at the elementary school; and her two nieces, Kassy and Kacy Lake attend school there. They wore tags on their shirts saying they were walking for their Aunt Angie during the Mini Relay.

More information will be posted on Kasper’s website at www.kasperconstruction.com.

Underkoffler reminded students that the event theme is: “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back.” She shared the names of several people the district had lost who had cancer, and noted there were many survivors present. Kendal Davis, president of the elementary student council, along with council member Hannah Savage, read from the poem, “What Cancer Cannot Do.”

Underkoffler said students collected pennies, sold T-shirts and purchased markers for the “In Honor” and “In Memory” wall. There were 200 Williams Valley high school students who also purchased T-shirts and joined the younger pupils at the elementary school for the fundraiser.

A New York man testified Monday in Schuylkill County Court that he suffered serious injuries when he tripped over a lamppost base in November 2013 outside the Ramada Hotel in Pottsville.

“I came straight down. I couldn’t roll on anything to protect the shoulder,” John A. Centra, Manlius, New York, said about his fall about 6 p.m. Nov. 12, 2013, on the walkway just north of the hotel. “My shoulder hit ... and I hit the building with my face.”

Centra provided key testimony on his own behalf on the first day of his civil jury trial, in which he is seeking unspecified monetary damages of more than $10,000 from DNGP Enterprises Inc., the owner of the Ramada, 101 S. Progress Ave. Centra’s lawyer, Albert J. Evans, Pottsville, will continue presenting his case when the trial, over which President Judge William E. Baldwin is presiding, resumes at 9 a.m. today.

In the lawsuit, which they filed Aug. 13, 2014, Centra and his wife Nancy allege the Ramada is liable for his injuries because it was negligent in allowing the lamppost base to be exposed, thereby causing John Centra, a retired college professor, to trip over it.

“Did you notice an exposed lamppost base?” Evans asked John Centra.

“No,” he answered.

Centra said he suffered a left shoulder injury, a black eye and other injuries, was hospitalized for four or five days and then underwent rehabilitation. He said his wife suffered a stroke several years ago, so they had to move into an assisted living facility for approximately four months until he was better.

“The shoulder was still in pain” after the rehabilitation, Centra said.

He said he and his wife do a lot fewer things since his injury and he still has physical problems.

“I have less strength, that’s for sure,” Centra said. “I no longer swim. I would give anything that this never happened.”

Amanda Riegel, who was working at the hotel at the time of the incident, testified that Centra appeared to be hurt.

“I just remember the blood and what he tripped over,” Riegel said.

“Could you tell he was in pain?” Evans asked.

“Yes,” she said.

However, she also said there is a light at the hotel entrance near the exposed base and that no one ever had complained about it being too dark.

Donald Chescavage, former Pottsville code enforcement officer, testified he issued a permit for work to be done on the walkway but not to remove the lamppost.

“It could be a trip hazard for anybody passing through,” he said.

When cross-examined by Joseph Pulcini, Allentown, DNGP’s lawyer, Chescavage said Charles Pretti, Seltzer, the contractor who removed the lamppost, should not have done it.

“I would have told him to not remove it,” he said.

Pretti, the owner of Renovators and Remodelers, said he removed the lamppost because his dump truck would not fit in the walkway with it there, and that he received permission from the city to take it down. He said he covered the base with pieces of wood to try to prevent people from tripping over it.

He also said people from the Ramada knew the lamppost had been removed but said nothing about any danger.

A Hazleton man returned to prison Monday after a Schuylkill County judge revoked his parole.

Jacob D. Souchak, 35, must spend at least four months in prison before he can be reparoled, Judge William E. Baldwin ruled.

“The only time you’re clean is when you’re in jail,” President Judge William E. Baldwin told Souchak, who had asked to remain free to work and be close to his mother.

Souchak originally pleaded guilty on Sept. 1, 2011, to driving under the influence, driving under suspension—DUI related and stop sign violation. On Sept. 27, 2012, Baldwin sentenced him to serve 90 days to five years in prison and pay costs, $2,000 in fines, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account.

Mahanoy City police had charged Souchak with DUI on Jan. 7, 2010, in the borough.

Also on Monday, Baldwin revoked the probation of Terrance R. Simmons, 38, of Schuylkill Haven, and sentenced him to serve three to 12 months in prison.

Simmons originally pleaded guilty on Oct. 14, 2015, to possession of a controlled substance, with prosecutors withdrawing a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. At that time, Baldwin placed him on probation for six months, and also sentenced him to pay costs, a $100 SAEF payment and a $50 CJEA payment.

Pottsville police charged Simmons with possessing drugs on Jan. 9, 2015, in the city.

A Pottsville man is headed to state prison after having his probation revoked.

Michael T. Kane, 31, must serve one to two years in a state correctional institution, Baldwin decided.

Baldwin revoked Kane’s probation after the defendant admitted violating it by failing to report to his supervising officer, failing a drug test and using drugs.

Kane originally pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2012, to corruption of minors, with prosecutors withdrawing a charge of statutory sexual assault. At that time, Baldwin sentenced Kane to serve nine to 18 months in prison and pay costs and a $50 CJEA payment.

Pottsville police charged Kane with committing his crime on June 1, 2011, in the city.

A three-judge state Superior Court panel has upheld the conviction of a Pottsville man convicted of possessing methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia in August 2014 at his father’s house in East Norwegian Township.

Schuylkill County probation and parole officers had the right to search the house, which belonged to Bradley J. Haslam Jr.’s father, as a condition of the father’s parole, President Judge Correale F. Stevens wrote in a 13-page opinion filed Monday.

Furthermore, the evidence did not support the younger Haslam’s assertion that he and his girlfriend rented the room in which drugs and paraphernalia were found and, therefore, their consent was required for any search. “His argument is not supported by the factual findings,” Stevens wrote.

As a result, Haslam will continue to serve his state prison sentence of 18 to 36 months, which county Judge James P. Goodman imposed on Jan. 27 after revoking the defendant’s probation.

In a nonjury trial, Goodman found Haslam guilty on Sept. 18, 2015, of 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. Goodman promptly placed Haslam on probation for 23 months, and also sentenced him to pay costs, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $491 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

State police at Reading charged Haslam with possessing the drugs and paraphernalia, including baggies and a digital scale, about 9:45 a.m. Aug. 12, 2014.

Haslam alleged the search of the room was unlawful because he did not consent to it.

However, Stevens wrote that, in a pre-trial hearing, county Judge John E. Domalakes determined that the defendant’s father owned the house; that neither the defendant nor his girlfriend told the officers they used the room, which resembled a common room, exclusively; that there was no evidence of rent being paid; and that the defendant stayed at the house only occasionally.

“We may not overrule the (lower) court’s credibility determinations,” Stevens wrote.

The panel also rejected Haslam’s claim that he was unlawfully searched, noting that evidence supported the conclusion that he consented to the search and was neither under arrest nor handcuffed.

Judges Alice Beck Dubow and Jacqueline O. Shogan, the other panel members, joined in Stevens’ opinion.

A state prison inmate will be allowed to pursue one claim against officials at a Schuylkill County facility, a three-judge Commonwealth Court panel has ruled.

In a 16-page opinion filed Friday, the panel ruled Stephen Palmer, 40, of Philadelphia, should be allowed a chance to prove officials at State Correctional Institution/Mahanoy were negligent when property belonging to him disappeared from his regular cell while he was in a restrictive housing unit.

“Where an inmate alleges negligence resulting in damage to property in the care, custody or control of prison employees, sovereign immunity will not bar the action,” Judge Robert Simpson wrote.

Palmer alleged prison officials either lost or stole a desk lamp and two packs of typewriter ribbons in October 2014.

Simpson wrote that sovereign immunity, the traditional bar against lawsuits against governments and their officials, state employees cannot be sued except when that defense is specifically waived by law.

However, the state has specifically waived sovereign immunity for negligent actions, he wrote.

In his lawsuit, furthermore, Palmer made specific allegations about the lost property and who had control of it, according to Simpson.

“We cannot say Palmer’s negligence claim is frivolous,” he wrote.

Simpson also wrote that Palmer failed to state a recognizable claim under federal law, leaving the negligence action as the only one available to him.

Judge Michael H. Wojcik and Senior Judge Dan Pellegrini, the other panel members, joined in Simpson’s opinion.

Palmer is serving a life sentence after being convicted and sentenced on Nov. 2, 2001, in Philadelphia County Court of first-degree murder and related crimes.

In an effort to add another full-time officer to the Pottsville police force, the city council Monday decided to apply for a federal grant.

With a motion by council member Dorothy L. “Dottie” Botto, which was seconded by council member Joseph J. Devine Jr., the council authorized City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar to develop a “Federal Cops Hiring Grant” for $125,000, according to the agenda at Monday’s council meeting at city hall.

Palamar said he will submit the application to the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services by a deadline, June 23.

“The Fiscal Year 2016 COPS Hiring Program is a competitive solicitation, open to all state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies with primary law enforcement authority. CHP provides funding to hire and re-hire entry level career law enforcement officers in order to preserve jobs, increase community policing capacities and support crime prevention efforts,” according to the program’s website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

“CHP grants may be used to (1) hire new officers (including existing vacancies that are no longer funded in an agency’s budget); (2) rehire officers already laid off by any jurisdiction as a result of state, local or Bureau of Indian Affairs budget reductions unrelated to the receipt of grant funding; and/or (3) rehire officers scheduled to be laid off by the grantee’s jurisdiction on a specific future date as a result of state, local or BIA budget reductions unrelated to the receipt of grant funding,” according to the site.

Palamar said the city has 23 full-time police officers, and he’s hoping the grant will allow the council to hire a 24th.

In other matters at council’s May meeting, the council hired a new collection agency to assist in its crackdown on trash delinquents — Northeast Revenue Service LLC, based in Plains, Luzerne County.

Palamar said previously the city had a contract with a collection firm called WHAT. That contract has expired.

The contract with Northeast Revenue will last for one year, Palamar said.

“They will be taking over our delinquent trash collection accounts. There’s a lot of people on that list. There are a lot of people who have difficulty paying that bill. And there are a lot of people who can clearly afford to pay that bill and aren’t. Northeast Revenue has lawyers on staff. The old way in which we were doing it was kind of cumbersome. This way we can hand off the delinquent accounts. We will work with the people who have financial difficulty. But those who refuse to pay their bills and can clearly afford it, we have the option of taking them right up to a sheriff’s sale on their property,” council member Mark Atkinson said.

Atkinson and Palamar did not have information with them Monday stating how much the city was owed in delinquent garbage bills or who the biggest offenders were. City Treasurer Ellen Micka was not at Monday’s meeting.

Atkinson said, “Hopefully we can recoup some of the money that’s owed to us in that sense. And I want to stress the fact if people cannot financially afford it, we will work with them.”

The council also decided to apply for a federal grant that will provide low-income residents in a section of the Fifth Ward with funds for housing rehabilitation. A public hearing on the matter was held May 2.

It’s an application to the state Department of Community and Economic Development for the HOME Program. If the grant is received, HOME funds will be used for rehabilitation of owner-occupied housing in the Fifth Ward east of North 12th Street. These programs will enable the city to assist 10 to 14 homeowners rehabilitate their homes. Homeowners would be eligible to receive up to $24,999 for housing rehabilitation projects including lead-based paint hazard controls and radon abatement, Palamar said.

“Please talk to the citizens up in the Fifth Ward. This is grant money. It’s not a loan,” Devine said Monday.

Interested persons can put their names on a list that is being compiled by Schuylkill Community Action, Pottsville, by calling 570-622-1995, Palamar said.

“We’re aggressively pursuing blight here in the city and sometimes if you get a couple people in the neighborhood to start with a sprucing up of their property, it gets contagious. And that’s what we hope will happens with this. So, please spread the word,” Devine said.

MECHANICSVILLE — Those interested in seeing how fast they can go down Laurel Boulevard in the Pottsville Area Soap Box Derby recently weighed in their cars.

Keera Brennan, 10, of Cressona, weighed in to compete in the stock division.

Her father, Norby Brennan, said she is looking forward to the event.

“This is her first year,” he said.

Conner Womer, 9, of Pottsville, was waiting for his turn to weigh in.

Brennan and Womer are among 21 stock competitors who will participate in the annual soap box derby, which is sponsored by M&T Bank. Thirteen super stock competitors will also participate.

The event starts at 9 a.m. Saturday and will last about six hours as racers do their best to go the fastest down one of the steepest hills in the city from Seventh to Second Street. The participants will race for a chance to be named grand champion in their respective divisions and go to the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio, in July. All participants will receive a trophy.

New this year is an exhibition masters race. Drivers lay down in the car instead of crouching forward.

“We hope next year the race a masters division in Pottsville,” said Barbara Carroll, Pottsville, secretary for the soap box derby.

She said people look forward to the event each year.

“It’s been getting more and more interest every year,” Carroll said.

Wanted man

taken into custody

Pottsville police reported officers took a man wanted on a warrant by state police at Lykens into custody on Saturday.

Police said they received information that David Ali Toler, 29, who has no known address, wanted for statutory rape and terroristic threats, would be arriving in Pottsville.

About 9:15 a.m., police said, officers located Toler on a bus that was preparing to depart Union Station. He was taken to city hall until troopers from the Lykens station arrived to take him for arraignment on the charges in Dauphin County.

Pottsville man

cited for crash

Pottsville police investigated a crash that occurred about 9:25 a.m. Monday at 12th Street and Mount Hope Avenue.

Police said Lester Miller, 49, of Pottsville, was driving a Chevrolet Silverado north on 12th Street to Mount Hope Avenue and after stopping at a stop sign proceeded into the intersection, failing to yield to a Chrysler Towne and Country that was being driven east by a 34-year-old Minersvile woman.

Police said Miller’s truck hit the front passenger’s side of the woman’s car rendering it inoperable.

As a result of the crash, police said Miller will be cited for failure of duties at a stop sign.

Police charge

man with assault

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy City police filed charges against a Hazleton man in connection with an assault in the borough about 5 p.m. Friday.

Police said Robert P. Davison, 30, of 26 E. Hawthorne St., was charged with simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment and will now have to answer before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.

Police charged Davison with an incident involving Esther Berger, 1017 E. Mahanoy Ave., whom he lived with along with the woman’s husband.

Police said Davison tried to stop the woman from leaving the kitchen area of the home because she did not want to talk to him and then punched her one time in the right eye with a closed fist, causing injuries.

Mahanoy City man

charged for drugs

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy City police filed charges against a man after an incident about 1:30 a.m. March 12 in the 100 block of West Market Street.

Police said Tyler J. Smith, 29, of 290 Park Place Road, Mahanoy City, or 510 E. Pine St., Mahanoy City, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He will now have to answer before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.

Police said officers were investigating a criminal trespass incident that led them to Smith who was subsequently found with three bags of a powder substance that field tested positive for heroin along with two bags with a substance, a bag with a crystal substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

TAMAQUA — Artwork, no matter how abstract, can say something about the personality of its maker.

Over the past two weeks, more than 50 students at Tamaqua Area High School got insight into creation and interpretation when they participated in a workshop with a local painter.

Lance W. Rautzhan, North Manheim Township, a multidisciplinary artist whose primary practice is painting, introduced them to “narrative art.”

“To get us started on the project, we will gather three objects. You will photograph, find photographs or draw the following objects: an object that represents you, a random object you are drawn to and an object belonging to someone who has influenced you,” Rautzhan said at the start of the project.

“The idea would be that three seemingly unrelated objects can come together to tell a story,” Lori Remmel, high school graphic art teacher, said.

On Monday, 54 students who participated showed off their work.

“How’s your painting coming along?” Rautzhan asked senior Kaelyn Boran-Smith as he walked in with homemade cold coffee sealed in a mason jar.

“I added more to it,” Boran-Smith said.

Her painting was completed by the time class started Monday.

“I chose my Kutztown hoodie, because that’s where I’m going to college, a carton of diet green tea and a Fitbit, because I’m a very fit person. I play three sports and constantly run around doing stuff,” she said, referring to the activity tracker around her wrist. “It tells you the time, your steps, your heart rate and how many miles you walked, your calories and how many flights of steps you did.”

She had to find a way to represent all three in her painting, which features the word “Kutztown” repeated numerous times in a collage framed by numbers, statistics she pulled from her Fitbit.

“Those were my steps on different days. I started March 28 and they go up until Friday,” she said.

Victoria LaBar, a senior, dedicated her project to her love for animals. Her illustration features an orca and an alligator and the kind of bars that keep them on display in pens.

“My three objects were an orca whale, an alligator ring I had and a rock at the end of a chain that tells you the truth about things, like a pendant,” LaBar said.

“In my design, what is being shown is pretty simple to interpret. Earlier this year, SeaWorld announced that the generation of orcas they have now is going to be the last generation. This is exciting, but they still are keeping this generation there,” LaBar said.

In her project, she expressed that by cutting into the fabric, suggesting the orca is being “harpooned.”

“The contrast of the bars behind the orca and the harpoon in his body ties this together. Behind bars you will find the alligator coming out. This shows that although animals are breaking out of bars, there are still very many animals struggling. This artwork shows how strongly I feel towards animal rights and activism,” LaBar said.

“The edge of this canvas is lined in black because I feel as though this is a dark situation that everyone likes to look over and not put light onto,” LaBar said.

“Also, I scraped the canvas with a razor blade mimicking the rake marks orcas get from other orcas at SeaWorld,” LaBar said.

Boran-Smith said one of the best parts of this project had nothing to do with art: “It was cool meeting Lance.”

Rautzhan is the son of the late Lance G. Rautzhan, who pitched in the 1977 and 1978 World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Rautzhan graduated from Blue Mountain High School in 1992.

According to his website, www.lancerautzhan.info, he studied social theory and philosophy at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from there in 1996.

“He moved to Long Island City, Queens, in 1997 to study acting under Catherine Russell and make small works on paper. In 1999, Rautzhan took a large studio in Baltimore, Maryland, where he would go on to cultivate his body of work and exhibit heavily for six years. After securing gallery representation in Baltimore, Rautzhan moved his studio to Bushwick, Brooklyn, in 2006. He would continue to work in Brooklyn until conceding to gentrification in 2014,” according to the site.

His work has been shown in numerous galleries and has been collected and published internationally.

“In 2013, he was chosen for and completed a residency with DNA Gallery in Provincetown. His aesthetic influences include ’70s animation, avant-garde film and Keith Richards. He values slow burning substance as a hallmark of intelligence in art. Currently, he works in a large barn in the Appalachian Mountains of rural Eastern Pennsylvania,” according to the site.

James R. Ferrier

ORWIGSBURG — A Florida man is headed to Schuylkill County Court after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing May 3 on charges he broke into a building in West Penn Township in August 2015 and stole more than $12,000 worth of rolled coins.

Tyler B. Tyson, 24, of 506 Mayflower Road, West Palm Beach, Florida, faces charges of criminal trespass, receiving stolen property, theft and criminal mischief. Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier bound over those charges for court after Tyson waived his right to the hearing.

Prosecutors withdrew a charge of burglary.

West Penn Township police alleged that at 10:01 a.m. Aug. 11, 2015, Tyson broke into 215 Ridge Cup Road. Once inside the building, Tyson stole $12,742 in rolled coins from a safe, police said.

Police said Tyson admitted stealing the coins and also implicated two other people in the incident.

Tyson is free on $10,000 unsecured bail pending further court action.

Other defendants whose cases Ferrier considered on May 3, the charges against each one and the judge’s dispositions of the matters included:

Willo Ann Crawley, 39, of 2699 N. Susquehanna Trail, York; theft and receiving stolen property; charges held for court after preliminary hearing that the defendant did not attend. Ferrier asked the court to issue a bench warrant for Crawley.

David A. Engle, 56, of 373 Manbeck Road, Schuylkill Haven; simple assault and harassment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Gabrielle K. Fidler, 19, of 506 Dock St., Schuylkill Haven; simple assault and harassment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Jordan A. Funk, 20, of 558 State Road, Barnesville; possession of drug paraphernalia; charge held for court after preliminary hearing that the defendant did not attend. Ferrier asked the court to issue a bench warrant for Funk.

Brandon M. Hosler, 23, of 19 N. Greenwood St., Tamaqua; burglary, theft, criminal trespass and criminal mischief; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge of burglary withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

Daniel J. Leibenguth, 42, of 212 Race St., Tamaqua; driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and no headlights; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Kay M. Leymeister, 54, of 32 High St., Schuylkill Haven; possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Jason P. Miller, 34, of 406 South St., Jim Thorpe; DUI, careless driving and failure to drive on roadways laned for traffic; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Trent Schaeffer, 23, of 64 Cherry St., Cressona; three counts of possession of a controlled substance, two each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and one each of manufacture of a controlled substance, carrying a firearm without a license and resisting arrest; charges held for court after preliminary hearing.

Christopher A. Schill, 24, of 706 Mount Hope Ave., Pottsville; possession of drug paraphernalia; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge bound over for court.

David J. Rossi

TREMONT — A Pottsville woman is headed to Schuylkill County Court on charges she committed thefts in February in Cass Township.

Malea M. Schoffstall, 23, faces three counts of theft, with prosecutors having withdrawn a fourth. Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi bound over the three counts for court after Schoffstall waived her right to the hearing.

State police at Frackville alleged Schoffstall committed the thefts Feb. 3.

Schoffstall remains in prison in lieu of $5,000 straight cash bail in this case.

She also is facing two other sets of charges that Magsiterial District Judge James R. Ferrier bound over for court on May 3 after Schoffstall waived her right to a preliminary hearing on them.

Those include two counts each of endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person and one of possession of drug paraphernalia resulting from an incident in which her daughter, Maya Wiederhold, was found dead on May 17, 2014, in Schuylkill Haven.

Other defendants whose cases Rossi considered on Thursday, the charges against each one and the judge’s dispositions of the matters included:

Tara L. Peletsky, 32, of 620 Hobart St. Apt. 4H, Ashland; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge of possession of a controlled substance withdrawn, charge of possession of drug paraphernalia bound over for court.

Rodney A. Shultz, 37, of 318 New Castle St., Minersville; possession of drug paraphernalia, defiant trespass and harassment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge of possession of drug paraphernalia withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

Zachary J. Wright, 33, of 205 N. Keystone St., Muir; 10 counts of possession of drug paraphernalia; charges held for court after preliminary hearing that Wright did not attend. Rossi asked the court to issue a bench warrant for Wright.

PORT CARBON — With a unanimous vote Tuesday night, the borough council prohibited public parking near the Pottsville Street entrance to the borough garage.

“This is a no-parking ordinance on Pottsville Street near the borough garage,” borough solicitor William L. J. “Bill” Burke said at the council’s May meeting.

In February 2015, the council unanimously decided to spend $1,600 to buy a vacant lot at 11-13 Pottsville St., which the borough will use as a driveway connecting its borough garage to Pottsville Street.

In April 2015, the council approved a resolution to formally take ownership of a strip of ground the state Department of Transportation acquired in 2013 while preparing to replace the Pottsville Street Bridge.

The ordinance approved Tuesday restricts parking on a portion of Pottsville Street, state Route 1002, on the south side of the street from the intersection of Pike Street and continuing west for a distance of 350 feet, according to a legal notice published in the May 3 edition of The Republican-Herald.

The council also unanimously approved a second ordinance at its meeting Tuesday, “an ordinance amending Chapter 207 of the Borough Code of Ordinances here in Port Carbon. It updates our street ordinance with regard to replacing the street surface and the subsurface,” Burke said.

Burke said he worked on this ordinance with the borough engineer, James S. Tohill of Alfred Benesch & Co., Pottsville.

“It’s done with PennDOT specifications. It’s designed to help preserve our street surface when, say, for instance, a utility company comes in and disturbs a surface. When they have to restore it, it will be done to PennDOT specifications to prevent decay to our streets,” Burke said.

All members of the council were present for Tuesday’s meeting: Ray Steranko, president; John Franko, vice president; and members Harold “Bucky” Herndon, Michael Quercia, Michael Welsh, Andy Palokas and Warren Thomas.

In other matters, the council decided to spend up to $90 on signs warning traffic of children at play on Third Street after Quercia informed the board that more children have been playing in that area.

Thomas also reported that Lowe’s Home Improvement has offered to buy some playground equipment for the borough, but said he wasn’t sure how much. He said he was told to provide Lowe’s representatives with a list of possibilities and Thomas presented that list to the council Tuesday.

“The borough guys and Andy and myself have come up with a list of things we can present to them and they can pick and choose what they want to do and we’ll go from there with it, I suppose,” Thomas said.

“Sounds good,” Steranko said.

Thomas said he suggested some equipment for at the Miller Playground at Mill and Main streets.

At the February workshop, the borough’s secretary/treasurer, Sandy Palokas, announced that the snowstorm which dumped 27 inches of snow on the borough Jan. 22 and 23 — dubbed Winter Storm Jonas — cost the municipality “upwards of $9,000” in snow removal costs.

On Tuesday, Palokas said the borough received “in the neighborhood of $7,100” in support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.