A Schuylkill County man might spend time in prison after a judge revoked his parole on Monday.

Christopher J. Sanders, 27, originally pleaded guilty on June 17, 2015, to receiving stolen property, with prosecutors withdrawing a charge of retail theft.

At that time, Judge John E. Domalakes sentenced Sanders to serve 18 days to 12 months in prison and pay costs, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $8.28 restitution.

On Monday, Domalakes revoked Sanders’ parole, but chose not to dispose of the case immediately.

State police at Frackville originally charged Sanders with receiving stolen property on May 26, 2014.

Also in the county court, President Judge William E. Baldwin revoked the parole of Tony R. Weiss, 29, of Strasburg, on Wednesday, but immediately reparoled him.

Weiss originally pleaded guilty on March 8, 2015, to possession of prohibited offensive weapon, with prosecutors withdrawing 11 additional counts of possession of prohibited offensive weapon and 11 counts of unlawful possession of weapons of mass destruction. At that time, Baldwin sentenced him to serve 15 days to 12 months in prison and pay costs and a $50 CJEA payment.

State police at Schuylkill Haven had charged Weiss with possessing a shotgun without a serial number on Nov. 26, 2013, at what at that time was his residence in South Manheim Township.

Also on Wednesday, Baldwin sentenced Mark J. Colasurda, 33, of Drums, to serve 58 days to 23 months in prison and pay costs, a $50 CJEA payment and $754.60 restitution.

Colasurda had pleaded guilty on June 22 to retail theft, with prosecutors withdrawing a charge of receiving stolen property. Rush Township police had charged him with committing the theft on June 20, 2015, at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Hometown.

Gerald W. Fasnacht, Tremont’s former code enforcement officer, is guilty of harassing a couple while a borough council meeting was occurring, a Schuylkill County judge decided Tuesday.

Fasnacht, 71, must pay costs and a $100 fine for his actions, Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin ruled.

“There are objective facts that demonstrate” that Fasnacht’s victims were more believable than he was, Dolbin said in explaining his verdict.

Tremont police charged Fasnacht with harassing Michael and Cheryl Wiscount on Dec. 8, 2015, at borough hall, 139 Clay St. Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville, had found Fasnacht guilty on April 15, but the defendant appealed that ruling on May 13.

Police said Fasnacht shoved and pushed the Wiscounts at the building’s entrance while the council was meeting inside.

Fasnacht had testified he never tried to hit Cheryl Wiscount, whom he alleged had hit him, and Michael Wiscount had tripped on his own.

After issuing his ruling, Dolbin warned everyone involved to stop behaving badly.

“I would hope that the good people of the borough would put this behind them and behave like civilized people at all times and in all places,” he said.

PINE GROVE — With its $1.3 million price tag, the Pine Grove Elderly Housing complex is up for sale.

The facility, at 15 Conrad Richter Drive, Pine Grove, is listed as a 24-unit, multi-family property, with an asking price of $1,375,000. Landmark Commercial Realty Inc. has the complex listed on LoopNet.com. The price per unit is $57,291.67.

According to the listing, the two-story housing complex was built in 1982 with a building size of 15,600 square feet on a two-acre lot. Its property sub-type is listed as “Garden/Low-Rise,” and property use type as “Investment.”

The Republican-Herald published articles in June about the complex’s residents being forced to remove their window air conditioners to be HUD compliant, and about what they said was management’s slow response to repairs.

In June, Tanya Brown, property manager, said the complex was HUD compliant; a maintenance man was available for emergencies; and that Mark Halteman was the property owner.

At the time, residents who didn’t have air conditioners in their own rooms were encouraged to use the facility’s Community Room, which is air conditioned. As of Monday, the Community Room’s air conditioner had not been working for more than a month, resident Elsie “Jeannine” Hitt said.

Hitt said Monday she had heard about the complex’s potential sale.

“I heard that he (the owner) wanted to sell it and that people had come to see it,” she said.

She also asked Brown, and a prior manager, about residents’ opportunity to continue residing there.

“They said we’d be able to stay,” she said.

Pine Grove Mayor Will Shiffer said he was aware of the sale.

“When I talked to the owner about the air conditioner situation, he had told me he was not making any money on the property and he was in the process of selling the complex. Because the housing is subsidized by the federal government, it will most likely continue as elderly housing with the subsidies. I don’t think there will be any change as far as the current residents are concerned,” Shiffer said Tuesday.

According to Nika Edwards, regional public affairs officer for the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, the new owner of the building would have to let the residents stay.

“As part of the sale of a HUD-subsidized property, the Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract would be transferred and assigned to the new owners—in accordance with HUD requirements,” Edwards said.

Under the current HAP contract, she said, HUD provides subsidized housing for the residents.

A phone message was left for Brown at the complex Tuesday. An answering machine said that there would be no one in the office until today and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ian Miller was a Service Bureau Analyst with Paulhus and Associates Inc., Lebanon, and sent emails on behalf of owner Mark Halteman in June when The Republican-Herald sought information about the status of the air conditioners.

Calls and an email sent to Miller were not returned. A call Tuesday to Miller was referred to Cheryl Paulhus, but was not returned. A receptionist said Miller was leaving the company, and that Paulhus was out of the office Tuesday.

Calls and an email sent to Drew Bobincheck, who is listed as a contact at Landmark Commercial Realty Inc. were also not returned Monday and Tuesday.

TAMAQUA — A Luzerne County man returned to prison Tuesday after a judge decided not hold his preliminary hearing on four charges stemming from an alleged incident in March in this borough.

Medardo Merino Amador, 35, of West Hazleton, had been scheduled for a hearing before Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer on two counts of aggravated indecent assault and one each of indecent assault and corruption of minors.

However, after Bayer, Deputy Assistant District Attorney Jennifer N. Lehman and Edward M. Olexa, Hazleton, Amador’s lawyer, conferred for more than an hour, the judge ordered the hearing postponed until 9:30 a.m. Sept. 21.

“They needed an interpreter,” was why Bayer continued the hearing, Lehman said.

Amador, who sat in the courtroom wearing a prison jumpsuit and handcuffs while Bayer and the lawyers conferred in chambers, returned to prison after the judge continued the hearing. Amador is being held behind bars in lieu of $50,000 percentage cash bail, meaning he would have to post $5,000 cash in order to go free pending further court action.

Tamaqua police filed the charges against Amador, alleging he indecently assaulted a preteen girl on March 27 in an East Broad Street residence. Police said the child told them that Amador told her to come to him because he wanted to play with her when the incident occurred.

n Friedensburg: An American Red Cross blood drive will beheld from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Friedensburg Fire Company, 1357 Long Run Road. People 17 and older (16 with parental consent), weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health are urged to donate blood. For more information or to arrange for an appointment, call 800-733-2767.

n Lansford: The M&J Big Band, Cressona, a 20-piece brass band, will be featured from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday in a free concert at the gazebo in Kennedy Park near the Panther Valley football stadium. Refreshments will be on sale during the show, sponsored by the Lansford Alive Events Committee. Proceeds will benefit the park revitalization effort. People are welcome to bring lawn chairs to enjoy the music.

n Millersburg: The Troegs’ Rugged Trail 5K Run for Conservation is set for 5 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, 176 Water Company Road. The sponsor is Troegs Brewing Co. and the registration fee is $40. For more information, call 717-692-3699 or visit nedsmithcenter.org. There will be an after-race party at the center with live music by a local band, Another B Side. All money raised will go toward the center’s operating expenses.

n Orwigsburg: An American Red Cross blood drive is set for 1 to 6 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Masonic Lodge, 1000 E. Market St. People 17 and older (16 with parental consent), weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health are urged to donate blood. For more information or to arrange for an appointment, call 800-733-2767.

n Schuylkill Haven: Liberty Fire Company No. 4 will sponsor a drive-up style, takeout-only Kauffman’s chicken barbecue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the company grounds, Columbia and St. James streets. The cost is $7.50 for dinners and $5 for chicken only. Dinners include a baked potato, roll and butter and applesauce. For more information, call 570-385-3341.

n Schuylkill Haven: Island Park Festival ’16 will be held from 2 to 10 p.m. Aug. 20 at The Island, Fritz Reed Avenue. The event will feature Kevin Chalfant’s Journey Experience, the Dave Miller Blues Band, Jesse Wade, Hybrid Ice, Wagstaff & Co. and the magic and illusion of Tom Yurasits. There will also be food, games and other activities for all ages. People are invited to bring lawn chairs. General admission is $5 and free for children 4 and younger. For more information call 570-385-2841.

n Shenandoah: Francis Cardinal Brennan Council 618 Knights of Columbus regularly sponsors bingo games in Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Parish’s St. Stephen Hall, Main and Oak streets, which is accessible to the handicapped. Doors open at noon, bingo begins at 2 p.m. and food and refreshments are available. The council released the following bingo dates for 2016: Aug. 28, Sept. 11 and 25, Oct. 9 and 16, Nov. 6 and 13 and Dec. 4. The council also sponsors hoagie sales the second Tuesday of every month at the council home, 201 W. Cherry St. Hoagies are $4 each and pickups begin at 9 a.m. To order or for more information, call 570-590-3270, 570-590-1188 or 570-462-1430. The council is a nonprofit organization and proceeds aid its charitable efforts.

n Shenandoah: The Anthony P. Damato American Legion “Medal of Honor” Post 792, 116 N. Main St., is continuing its quest to enlist new members. “Come visit our post, see what we have to offer for you and your family,” enlistment effort organizers said in a press release that called for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines veterans to consider joining and suggested that National Guardsmen and reservists could “continue serving your country” at the post. Veterans who belong to a post or who previously belonged to a post can transfer to the Damato post, according to the release. For more information, call 570-462-2387.

PORT CARBON — There are problems with the two backboards at the basketball court at Francis E. Lubinsky Playground that opened last fall, the borough engineer, James S. Tohill, of Alfred Benesch & Co., Pottsville, said Tuesday night.

“We paid a lot of money for that. And a month after it was installed, one bracket fell off. Then two other brackets fell off. Why should we have to absorb any costs from anybody to correct it?” councilman Andy Palokas said at the borough council’s August meeting at the borough hall.

“We are under warranty,” Tohill said.

“It didn’t even hold up one month,” Palokas said.

“It’s potentially a faulty product,” Tohill said.

“Potentially?” Palokas asked.

“I want a replacement. Get it right,” Councilman Warren Thomas said.

Last year, the borough hired Landis C. Deck & Sons, Bernville, to install the basketball court at a total cost of $52,369.90. The borough used a $40,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg, to help finance the project, according to the newspaper’s archives.

The council will contact the contractor in an effort to have the problem rectified, council Vice President John Franko, who ran the meeting, said.

“You may just want to assert any claims you want within this time period before you’re left out in the cold. You may want to word it that you want it replaced and/or satisfactorily fixed. Just state it before the time burns out. I’d put it in writing too,” borough solicitor William Burke said.

Also present at Tuesday’s meeting were council members Harold “Bucky” Herndon, Michael Welsh and Michael Quercia.

Council President Ray Steranko was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.

At the council’s workshop Aug. 2, the council decided to send a letter to the Pottsville Area school board to protest the school board’s decision to cut all of its funding to the Port Carbon Janet Eich Public Library at 111 Pike St.

Pottsville Area school board made many cuts when it approved its 2016-17 budget in June. They included $2,300 to the Port Carbon library.

The borough owns the building at 111 Pike St. and pays the utilities. But the funding from the school board was given to the library’s board of directors, which hires staff and pays to run the operation, according to Sandra Palokas, the borough’s secretary treasurer.

The Aug. 3 letter, written by Steranko, was addressed to Jeffrey S. Zwiebel, the Pottsville Area superintendent.

“On behalf of our borough citizens and visitors from other communities, Port Carbon Borough Council is requesting the school board reconsider the decision to eliminate the funding provided to the Port Carbon Janet Eich Library. The library serves people of all ages, from Port Carbon and surrounding communities. There are approximately two thousand members currently registered. In addition to availing books and reading materials to the community, our library supports a children’s summer reading program and provides information and internet access to members,” Steranko said in the letter.

“Although one might consider the annual donation of $2,300 a small amount, it is a large part of the library budget. Our library volunteers are active with fundraising efforts so that the library can remain current with reading materials and technology. As with so many other community organizations, fundraising can be difficult and assistance from the state government has been greatly reduced, causing yet more difficulty when trying to meet a budget. Steps have been taken to reduce costs, including many volunteering their time to work and to offer programs especially geared toward children so that interest in reading can begin at a young age. Many patrons walk to the library, and may not have opportunity to utilize what is offered if our library ceased operations,” Steranko said in the letter.

“Again, we ask that you reconsider your decision and reinstate the annual funding provided from the Pottsville Area School District to the Port Carbon Janet Eich Library,” Steranko said in the letter.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, Sandra Palokas provided an update and informed the public the letter had been sent.

Police: Man tried

to flee officers

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — A borough man was jailed after being charged by state police with fleeing officers in an incident that began about 8:30 p.m. Monday on Route 61 near Penn State University in North Manheim Township.

Police said Robert Rose, 57, was found driving a Volkswagen Jetta on Route 61 south by the Penn State Campus and known to have outstanding felony warrants against him.

Police said they tried to conduct a traffic stop, but Rose fled going both north and south on Route 61 multiple times between Manheim Road and Market Street, ultimately ending at the Sunnyside Development.

There, police said, Rose tried to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended.

He was arraigned on multiple charges by Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $20,000 straight cash bail.

Schuylkill Haven police assisted, police said.

Man cited in

2-vehicle crash

Pottsville police investigated a crash that occurred about 1:20 p.m. Thursday at Third and West Market streets.

Police said it was determined that Joseph Hunt Sr., 63, of Pottsville, was driving a Subaru Impreza north when he went through a steady red traffic signal and drove into the path of a PT Cruiser that was being driven west by a 71-year-old Pottsville woman.

No one was injured, but the woman’s vehicle had to be towed from the scene, police said, adding that Hunt will be citation for traffic control signal violations as a result of the crash.

Police investigate

Pottsville crash

A crash that occurred about 2:20 p.m. Friday in the 400 block of North Centre Street was investigated by Pottsville police.

Police said April Briones, 28, of Shenandoah, was driving a Chevrolet Equinox north on North Centre Street when she failed to stop for a red light at the intersection with Laurel Boulevard and collided with a Ford Taurus that was being driven west on Laurel Boulevard by a 56-year-old Pottsville woman who was entering the intersection.

No injuries were reported and Briones will be cited for failing to stop at a red traffic signal, police said.

Man charged

after argument

A Pottsville man was jailed after being charged by Pottsville police with assaulting his girlfriend about 4 p.m. Sunday at their 538 Laurel Terrace home.

Police said Harry Kesten Jr., 55, was charged with domestic violence, assault and harassment, arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David Rossi, Tremont, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $10,000 bail.

Police said officers were called to the residence and spoke to a 53-year-old Pottsville woman who said Kesten pushed her across a room causing injuries to her hip.

A subsequent investigation revealed that the woman and Kesten were verbally arguing when the man pushed her across the room, police said.

The woman was then taken to a local medical facility by Schuylkill EMS and was diagnosed as having a fractured hip that required surgery, police added.

Police investigate

theft of handgun

Pottsville police are investigating the theft of a handgun from a home in the 600 block of Snyder Avenue that was reported to the department on Sunday.

Police said a 58-year-old Pottsville man reported that a Raven Arms P25-M-25 .25-caliber handgun was stolen and at the time it was stored in a bedroom.

No forced entry was made into the house and police ask that anyone with information to call Patrolman Joseph Welsh at 570-622-1234, Ext. 333.

Woman cited in

Haven accident

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Two people escaped injury when their vehicles collided on Sunday at Seven Stars Road and Route 61 in North Manheim Township.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said Sarah R. Boger, 21, of Schuylkill Haven, was driving a 2014 Toyota Rav 4 north on Route 61 when she tried to turn into the Cressona Mall and was struck by a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado that was being driven south on Route 61 by Gregory J. Mcelvaney, 55, of Pottsville.

Schuylkill Haven firefighters and Schuylkill EMS assisted at the scene and police said Boger will be cited as a result of the crash.

Woman charged

in 3-vehicle crash

Pottsville police investigated a three-vehicle crash that was reported about 12:45 p.m. Thursday in the 2200 block of West Market Street.

Police said Heather Sadusky, 21, of Pottsville, was driving a Kia Spectra west on West Market Street when she became distracted and ran into the back of a 2012 Ford Focus driven by a 67-year-old Minersville woman who was slowing down.

The impact then pushed the Minersville woman’s car into the back of a 2004 Chrysler Towne and Country van driven by a 69-year-old Pottsville man who was stopped on West Market Street waiting to turn into Boyer’s parking lot, police said.

Police said neither Sadusky nor her 1-year-old child were hurt but both were taken to a local medical facility by ambulance as a precautionary measure since the air bag in the vehicle deployed, police said.

A passenger in the Sadusky car, a 25-year-old Pottsville woman, complained of head and neck pain but declined medical treatment, police said, adding that Sadusky will be charged with careless driving as a result of the crash.

Woman charged

with assault, theft

A 30-year-old Pottsville woman was jailed after being arrested by Pottsville police for a robbery and assault in the 300 block of West Market Street that was reported about 11:55 p.m. Sunday.

Police said Tahisha Sade Hook was charged with robbery, simple assault, theft, receiving stolen property and harassment. She was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David Rossi, Tremont, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $30,000 bail.

Police said officers were called to the area and spoke to a 37-year-old Pottsville woman, who said she was assaulted by Hook who then fled the area into her home in the 300 block of West Market Street.

The victim had visible injuries to her head and face and told officers that Hook had stolen her wallet during the incident. The woman was treated at the scene and then taken to a local medical facility by Schuylkill EMS, police said.

Investigators located Hook at her apartment and recovered the victim’s wallet and other belongings, police said, adding that victim’s account of what occurred was corroborated by independent witnesses who were interviewed.

Police investigate

theft of vehicle

Pottsville police are investigating the theft of a vehicle that was reported to their department on Sunday.

Police said a 50-year-old Pottsville man said his white 2003 Chevrolet Malibu with a Pennsylvania license of JYZ1576 was stolen from the 1200 block of Seneca Street sometime between 9 a.m. Thursday and 7 p.m. Sunday.

The man reported that the keys to the vehicle had also been stolen from inside his home, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Patrolman Cody Montz at 570-622-1234, Ext. 191.

Girardville man

faces charges

GIRARDVILLE — Girardville police filed charges against a 25-year-old borough man stemming from a domestic incident on June 8 at a home at 29 Beech St.

Police said Craig Brennan was arrested on assault and other charges on July 11 following an investigation and released on $50,000 unsecured bail. Those charges, however, were dismissed because the victim did not appear for a scheduled preliminary hearing, police said.

Brennan was re-arrested on a second complaint filed against him on Aug. 4 and committed on to Schuylkill County Prison on an outstanding bench warrant for unrelated offenses.

Police invite

public to event

READING — State police at Troop L, Reading, will be hosting a Get to Know Us Emergency Services Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Olivet Boys’ and Girls’ Club, 1161 Pershing Blvd., Reading.

Police are inviting everyone to come out and meet area emergency personnel, interact and ask questions about the Pennsylvania State Police recruitment and careers in policing.

Also attending will be the Reading City Fire Department, Reading City EMS, state police recruiters state Liquor Control Enforcement agents and the Berks County Sheriff’s Department and its ID Me program.

Free car seat checks will be provided to anyone interested and the sheriff’s department will be offering free child identification cards.

Anyone needing more information can call Trooper Megan Richards at 610-378-4382.

Woman: Ring,

sunglasses stolen

LYKENS — State police at Lykens are investigating a theft that occurred between 2:30 and 9 p.m. Thursday on Main Street in this Dauphin County community.

Police said Amanda J. Ellison, Lykens, reported someone stole her ring and sunglasses from her home and fled the area.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police at Lykens at 717-362-8700 and refer to incident PA16-508531.

Police announce

DUI checkpoints

The North Central Regional Sobriety Checkpoint DUI Taskforce announced that Sobriety Checkpoints and Roving DUI Patrols will be conducted now through Monday along Routes 61,183, 901, 209, 1006, 309, 1008, 443, 895, 125, 25, 924 and 54.

Travelers are reminded to call 911 if they suspect a drunk driver or to call, toll-free, 1-888-UNDER21, to report underage drinking.

ASHLAND — John W. Groody has been interested in acting since he was young, and the Ashland native is getting that chance to perform on screen.

A 2006 graduate of Cardinal Brennan Junior-Senior High School, Groody’s most recent stint as an actor is in the film “Bloodrunners,” which will premiere Aug. 27 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. The film stars rapper and actor Ice-T, well known for his portrayal of TV detective Odafin Tutuola in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

Groody lives in Downingtown and is a personal trainer at LA Fitness in West Chester. He is a 2010 graduate of Kutztown University with a degree in psychology. While interested in acting, Groody decided to give it a try after finishing his schooling.

“Acting has always been something I was interested in,” Groody said. “I never acted in high school or college, and for whatever reason once I was living on my own after college, I just decided to try it. When you’re growing up, kids go through phases where ‘I want to be this,I want to be that.’ And maybe that lasts a year. Acting and directing are something I’ve always been interested in all of my life. There has to be some reason for this. Acting is very, very, very related to psychology because you have to get into the minds of the characters that you are portraying. I feel that lends itself to me wanting to act and explore the mindset of other people.”

Groody began with some roles as an extra in the film “The Happening,” and an extra in the TV show “Political Animals.” He was also filmed as an extra in the movie “After Earth,” but his 30 seconds of screen time was cut.

“After that, one of the most prestigious acting schools in Los Angeles, ‘Playhouse West,’ opened up a branch in Philly and then opened one in West Chester, where I was living,” Groody said. “I decided to try it. I went there and loved it. That’s where I learned how to act. I went there for a little over two years.”

During that time, Groody got an agent through a talent agency in New Jersey that deals primarily in the Philadelphia and New York City market.

“Through them I got several jobs,” Groody said. “I was on a bunch of billboards for a campaign for SEPTA called ‘Look Up. Speak Up.’ They’re still running those ads even though they took those pictures over three years ago. They’re on bus stops all over down there.”

Groody’s photo can be seen at the project website at www.lookupspeakup.com.

“I did a couple of independent movies, like little shorts, and I did this other project for a company based in New Jersey that does films for nonprofit organizations all over the country,” he said. “I did one for the Indiana Council on Problem Gambling. I did two short movies for them and was told that they aired on PBS in Indiana.”

Groody said his biggest acting job is “Bloodrunners,” which is set in the time of Prohibition in the 1930s. According to the International Movie Database, the film is about a corrupt cop discovering that the new speakeasy in town is a sinister operation run by vampires. It is directed by Dan Lantz, who also provided the original story concept, and written by Lantz, Adam Danoff and Michael McFadden, who also acts in the film.

“Bloodrunners is really the biggest thing I’ve done so far,” Groody said. “My agent got me the audition in Philadelphia. I think I was one of about 12 people who auditioned for the role. I was one of three or four who got a call back, and I ended up getting the part.”

Groody explained the process in how an actor gets considered for a part.

“The agent will look for certain roles that fit their talent that they have. So they had this role in Bloodrunners that was looking for a big, tall, muscular guy who was a ruthless killer, which was part of the description. My agent thought I fit the part and she submitted me for the audition, and the casting company gave her an audition date and time for me. Then I get one page of dialogue, which was the opening scene of the movie with my character, Morton, having a confrontation with another character. If I’m lucky, I have one or two days to read and figure out the character, memorize the dialogue and go present my interpretation of that dialogue in front of the casting directors.”

Groody said the audition is recorded for producers to see and make a determination. It is then a matter of waiting to see about being called back.

“I’ve auditioned 20 to 30 times and I’ve gotten four roles,” Groody said. “It’s very competitive, very hard to get a role. If they like you, they’ll call you back to do it again. Based on that, they’ll pick who they like the most. If you don’t get picked, you’ll never hear from them. You’ll never know.”

Groody said the movie focuses on the speakeasy operation that is discovered to be running blood.

“They’re blood runners. They’re all vampires, so it’s a vampire gangster movie set during Prohibition. It’s a neat twist on the vampire genre,” Groody said. “The main character is this cop who’s investigating them. It’s his journey trying to figure out who these people are and essentially trying to take them down. Ice-T is the leader, owner of the speakeasy, so he is the main antagonist and I’m his muscle. He plays my boss in the movie.”

The filming began around Thanksgiving in 2014, with the first scenes on the speakeasy set constructed in West Chester, where Groody lived at the time.

“I could walk there in five minutes from home,” Groody said. “I worked on that for four days. I didn’t work on it again until March 2015. I worked on it a couple of days in April, May and August.”

Other filming locations were in Souderton and Malvern in scenes Groody was in. There were other locations as well.

The film budget was about $400,000 to $500,000, Groody said. The production company, Impulse-FX, is looking for a distributor. The website is www.impulsefx.com.

Groody said there are no film prospects on the horizon at this time, and it is now wait and see.

“This is really the biggest thing that I have, but we’ll see where this can lead to,” Groody said. “The sky’s the limit, I guess.”

NORRISTOWN — Montgomery County prosecutors consider Adrian King a crucial witness against state Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane.

To Kane’s attorney, Gerald Shargel, he’s a liar.

King served as Kane’s first deputy. He contends he merely acted as the delivery man and never looked inside a folder containing grand jury information he secretly passed to political consultant Joshua Morrow in 2014, according to court records.

Kane admits she discussed leaking information about a 2009 grand jury probe of J. Whyatt Mondesire, but she never authorized anyone to leak grand jury information. King alone decided what to release, her attorneys have said.

The he-said, she-said battle between the state’s top prosecutor and her one-time close confidant promises to be a key issue in Kane’s trial in Montgomery County Court on charges of perjury, false swearing, official oppression, obstructing the administration of law and conspiracy.

Tuesday began with about an hour dedicated to opening statements from the prosecution and defense, followed by two witnesses for the prosecution.

King is expected to be called as a witness some time this week. It’s not known yet if Kane will testify. A jury of six men and six women chosen Monday will hear the case.

Kane, the first woman and Democrat to be elected Pennsylvania attorney general, appeared relaxed as she casually chatted with her defense team before the jury entered the courtroom. With her parents, twin sister and other supporters sitting in the courtroom, the West Scranton native listened intently as prosecutors laid out their case.

Two witnesses took the stand Tuesday, Montgomery County Detective Paul Bradbury and Bruce Beemer, who served as Kane’s first deputy after King resigned in June 2014.

‘War of revenge’

Prosecutor Michelle Henry set the stage for the witnesses in a 25-minute opening statement. She wove a tale of a clandestine operation orchestrated by Kane so she could seek revenge against an adversary without any thought of who else she might hurt in accomplishing her goal.

She targeted Frank Fina, a former prosecutor in her office she blamed for leaking information that led to a negative story detailing her decision not to file charges against several Philadelphia-area legislators accused of accepting bribes.

To retaliate, Henry said, Kane leaked information from a 2009 grand jury probe of Mondesire that Fina shut down without filing charges. The resulting story that appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News in June 2014 seriously damaged the reputation of Mondesire, who was never charged with any crime. He died last year.

“She knew it was wrong and against the law and she didn’t care,” how it hurt Mondesire, said Henry, a Bucks County assistant district attorney specially appointed to try the case. “He was just a casualty in her war of revenge.”

When it became apparent Kane broke the law, she made an even more egregious mistake by trying to cover up her actions by lying to a grand jury investigating the leak, Henry said.

‘Honest mistake’

In his opening statement, Shargel acknowledged Kane gave false testimony regarding whether she ever signed an oath to keep secret information from a grand jury prosecuted by her predecessors. He said she did not commit a crime, however, because it was an “honest mistake” as she simply did not remember doing so.

He refuted the prosecution’s claims of a feud between Kane and Fina. Yes, she was upset by the 2009 article that criticized her handling of the bribery case, but not so much that she would risk everything she had accomplished in getting elected as attorney general, Shargel said.

“It just doesn’t make sense that she would risk her reputation and career,” he told jurors.

The evidence will show King and Morrow are to blame and are lying to save themselves, he said.

King and Morrow will try to minimize their roles in leaking the documents, Henry acknowledged. She also revealed for the first time that prosecutors have evidence Morrow and Kane met in August 2014 to talk about their grand jury testimony so they could “get their stories straight.”

That’s a double-edged sword for prosecutors.

While is provides incriminating evidence against Kane, the defense also likely will use it to discredit Morrow, who prosecutors granted immunity to testify.

First witnesses

Following opening statements the prosecution called its first witness, Bradbury, who testified for about three hours. Questioned by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, Detective Bradbury spoke about the process authorities used to build the case. He also recited the testimony Kane gave before the grand jury.

Beemer was next. He spoke about his reaction when he learned information from the Mondesire probe was made public in the Philadelphia Daily News. He said he was “shocked” by the article because he knew the documents had to have come from the attorney general’s office.

Beemer just began to speak about that matter when the trial concluded for the day. He will continue his testimony today.

MAHANOY CITY — With less than a month to go to the canonization of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, the parish in Mahanoy City that has her patronage is getting ready to celebrate the historic event on Sept. 4.

The parishioners of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Church have been preparing for the day for several months, scheduling a novena prayer during the nine days prior to the 3 p.m. Mass on Sept. 4, ordering commemorative items for purchase, and getting the entire borough involved in some way to honor the future saint who visited the town 21 years ago.

The Rev. Kevin Gallagher, pastor, and parishioner Donna DiCasimirro, who is one of the main organizers for the celebration, spoke last Friday about the details at the parish office.

Blessed Teresa, born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on Aug. 26, 1910, in Skopje, 0then part of the Kosovo Vilayet in the Ottoman Empire and now capital of the modern-day Republic of Macedonia. She is best known for her missionary work based in India and the founding of the women’s religious order of the Missionaries of Charity, which has a convent in Mahanoy City, which she visited in 1995, two years before her death on Sept. 5, 1997, which is her feast day. She was honored with a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Blessed Teresa will be canonized by Pope Francis during the 10:30 a.m. Mass (Rome time) in St. Peter’s Square. The church bells will ring at the Mahanoy City church when she is canonized allowing for the six-hour time difference in the early morning hours of Sept. 4.

DiCasimirro said the first prayer service will be held by the Active Christian Teens In Our Neighborhood Youth Group at 6 p.m. Aug. 21 in the church.

“Our teenage ministry will hold a ‛Prayer for Peace’ prayer service in the church, which will start things out,” DiCasimirro said. “Debbie (Walker, ACTION leader) said that with everything going on in the world, they felt compelled to do that and tied it in, which is great. One of Mother Teresa’s quotes is ‛Peace begins with a smile.’ ”

The parish is holding a vacation Bible school called Camp Calcutta 2 from Aug. 22 to 25 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. that will focus on Blessed Teresa. The children will learn in the four-day camp about her life, sainthood and the Corporal Works of Mercy. All children in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade are welcome to participate in the VBS camp for free. For more information, call Walker at 570-773-0813.

“It’s centered on Mother and will have games, crafts, stories and films, they’ll learn more about Mother Teresa,” DiCasimirro said. “We found a 35-minute film that is geared toward children and portions of it will be used each night to show what Mother about.”

The next spiritual event is a nine-day novena to begin Aug. 26, and end Sept. 3. The novena will be prayed at 6:30 p.m. in the church. Each day of the novena will be connected to the daily Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours, and reflections will focus on Blessed Teresa quotes. There will be a fellowship hour in the parish hall following the novena on each of the nine days.

“This is pretty cool. When we decided we wanted to do something more than on just one day, we talked about a novena,” DiCasimirro said. “God intervenes. To have a nine-day novena, we start it on Aug. 26, which happens to be her birthday. This was truly meant to be. Each night we will have a reading and guest speaker. Father Gallagher will do the first and last prayer service. And every night we will have fellowship in our church hall, with many of our ministries stepping up and sponsor each one of those fellowhship hours. We also have a lot of other films about Mother that will be shown in the hall. It’s about focusing on themes from some of the quotes from Mother.”

Since two of the novena days are Saturday, the novena prayers will begin immediately after the 4 p.m. Vigil Mass.

On Aug. 2, the church-sponsored St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry is delivering an extra 100 packages of food to the families the pantry serves.

“It will be done in honor of Mother Teresa,” Gallagher said. “Again, it is her call to think about the needy and the poor.”

The Sunday when Blessed Teresa is canonized will begin with the church bells being pealed.

“We got permission to ring our bells from the borough as soon as she’s canonized in Rome,” DiCasimirro said. “It could be 3:30 in the morning.”

“We don’t know exactly when it’s going to be,” Gallagher said

Other than the bells being rung, there is nothing else planned at the early hour. The regular 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Masses will be celebrated as usual. The Mass of Thanksgiving is at 3 p.m. and will be preceded by a procession.

“At 2:30 p.m., the children of the parish will process from St. Cecilia’s Chapel on Catawissa Street on the street, not along the sidewalk. We got permission from the borough, as well,” DiCasimirro said. “We’re going to ask any (Missionary of Charity) sisters and visitors they have to process with us. We will also have the children sing the ‛Prayer of St. Francis.’ I’ve watched a lot of films about Mother, and anytime she got in front of a microphone she managed to quote a piece of the prayer. I have read that many people consider her as a modern-day St. Francis because of what she did.”

The Most Rev. John O. Barres, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, will be the main celebrant, with 22 priests scheduled so far to concelebrate. Missionaries of Charity sisters will also attend and read the Scriptures. Members of Jesus the Divine Word Church in Maryland, who come to Mahanoy City each summer to do work in the borough as part of their mission, will also attend.

“They did a beautiful job working in the church hall when they were here this summer,” Gallagher said.

A new song in honor of St. Teresa composed by organist/choir director Mark Wiekrykas will be sung during Mass for the first time.

“We’re lucky to have him as an organist and singer,” Gallagher said.

After Mass, everyone will move outside for Barres to unveil the new wording on the church: Saint Teresa of Calcutta above the front doors. The celebration continues with a dinner in the parish hall.

New liturgical vestments have been received from Rome that will be used for the first time at the Mass.

“We got the new vestments in honor of Mother Teresa,” Gallagher said. “They’re white with blue crosses and trimmed in blue. All the main celebrants will match. All the vestments were donated. We have vestments for two main celebrants, two sets for concelebrants, a dalmatic, and a cope and humeral veil, as well.”

“All of the vestments have been memorialized, as have the new altar cloths,” DiCasimirro said.

“We got two brand new ciboria that match the old ones,” Gallagher said.

The parish has been taking orders for blue golf shirts and aprons embroidered with “St. Teresa of Calcutta” with a halo over the word, “Saint.” The deadline has passed for orders at this time, but the parish will take requests in case future orders are made.

Homemade St. Teresa candles are also available at the parish office for $7 each, as are St. Teresa coins at $5 each that show St. Teresa on one side and an image of the church building on the obverse.

“One of our parishioners hand-made candles with a picture of Mother Teresa on the front and our parish prayer that two of our parishioners created on the back,” DiCasimirro said.

She said the candles can be memorialized and will be placed in front of Mother Teresa’s altar. The reliquary on that altar that contains a first class relic of Mother Teresa will be brought down to the first step before the altar so people can venerate the relic after Mass.

Another commemorative item being sold is the third in a series of Christmas ornaments featuring the canonization. The front shows an image of the Mother Teresa statue in the church, and the back has the parish prayer. Cost is $12.

The parish is also promoting making blue and white the borough colors for canonization day. The parish office is selling blue light bulbs at $2 each to be used as porch lights, and parishioners are making blue and white bows to be distributed for a contribution to the food pantry.

“We asking people to put those bows out from Aug. 26 through Sept. 5, which is her feast day,” DiCasimirro said. “The town can be in blue and white.”

The cleaning of the inside and outside of the church is underway.

“We’re very excited,” DiCasimirro said. “The sisters said that this year is the 25th anniversary of the order coming to Mahanoy City.”

“This is a once in a lifetime thing,” Gallagher said. “How many can say that not only is your church having its patron canonized, but that person was in your church?”

RINGTOWN — The service interruption of water in Ringtown on Sunday morning caused by a firefighting training exercise will lead to a change in operating procedures to prevent future incidents.

The Ringtown Borough Council heard about the problem at Monday’s meeting, with a resident asking the council about what occurred and why. Explaining why a large portion of the borough was without water for at least an hour was the borough foreman and the assistant chief of the local fire company. While the water was off only for a short time, the resulting dirty water remained for some time afterward.

Resident Shirley M. Gilbert raised the issue during the public portion.

“What happened yesterday (Sunday) with the lack of water in town?” Gilbert asked.

“We all got blasted with calls,” council President Julian Milewski said of the many phone calls borough officials received from residents.

The training exercise was conducted through the Schuylkill County Training Academy, a fire school, and included fire companies from Ringtown, Shenandoah Heights and William Penn. Borough foreman Scott Schuetrum explained the circumstances that caused the water interruption.

“Basically what happened is that the fire company was doing a training exercise for static pressures on the pump from my understanding,” Schuetrum said. “I was unaware that they were doing it, which when it is a standard training event, they don’t always contact us (the borough). I talked to (borough Fire Chief Raymond Dunsavage) today and originally they were supposed to go back by St. Mary’s Church and hook up to that hydrant, but since there were church services and cars were parked in the area, Ray had directed them to go to the fire hydrant down by the bridge near the old stained-glass shop.”

Schuetrum said the location of the fire hydrant was a contributing factor to the problem.

“That’s the first hydrant coming into town and it’s a tricky spot there because when our well pump is running, which it was, so we had pressure coming from the pump and static pressure coming back from town from the water tank. And even if they draw only a small amount of water, it’s going to get airbound, and that air pocket will travel up through town to the highest point. There also could be smaller air pockets going in different directions.”

Schuetrum said there is an air release valve on Ninth Street, which he used to bleed off the air in the line. He said fire company members also went to the site and bled some air.

“When you have air in the lines, it causes some clanking and banging of pipes, and obviously some disturbance in the water as far as low pressure or no water at all, and some discoloration,” Schuetrum said. “I made the call to not crack open hydrants all over since it would have just made it worse. We just bled the air off at the high spots. And before I went home that day, just for disinfection purposes, I boosted our chlorine level a little bit and I brought it down to normal levels this morning.”

He said that even though the water could be cloudy, dirty or discolored, there was no need for a boil advisory because there were no pipes open that any kind of bacteria to get into the system.

“When the fire company is doing this, are they supposed to notify you?” Gilbert asked.

“Sometimes they do depending on the training,” Schuetrum said. “I’ll be speaking to the borough council this evening and try to get something in place where we have at least 24 hours notice.”

In addition to the borough being without water, Gilbert said a reverse pressure condition occurred that siphoned the water from her water heater and toilet tanks. She was grateful she was home at the time to turn off her water heater to prevent damage to the unit.

“I immediately turned off the water heater and turned off the main valve into the house so no more of the water could be taken out,” Gilbert said. “But this caused me a concern because now I’m thinking that the water from my house was sucked out into the main water supply, and my concern is if it was a threat to anyone else.”

Milewski said that having a backflow valve on the water line will prevent the water from being drawn out of a house and back into the system.

“Check valves don’t cost all that much, and I don’t have one at my house, but after this I’ll be popping one in the line,” Milewski said.

Gilbert also asked about adjusting her water bill due to running water to clear the dirt out of the pipes in order to pay the normal charge. The council made no decision on the request.

“We’re going to have to debate that a little bit,” Milewski said.

Councilman Thomas Murray asked the Ringtown Valley firefighters about not scheduling training on Sundays. Ringtown Valley Assistant Chief Joseph Gilbert Jr. said that is not the fire company’s decision.

“We hosted the training, but we didn’t schedule it,” Joseph Gilbert said. “The way training works is when you want the class, you send to the training grounds in Frackville and they pick instructors who pick what days you can host the class. We can’t say we’re not going to train on Sunday morning or Saturday morning because they work like we do. We’re volunteers.”

“Can you appreciate the problem that you caused for all the people of the borough?” Milewski asked.

“We knew they were going to a hydrant, and they were given orders not to flow hundreds of gallons of water,” Joseph Gilbert said. “We got the impression they would go there and get the static pressure and let everyone in the class do that. The training was open to the county.”

“Who was in charge of the training?” Milewski said.

“Mike Kitsock was the lead instructor,” Joseph Gilbert said. “We normally don’t use the hydrants for training.”

Borough solicitor S. John Price recommended a letter from the council be sent to Kitsock to inform him of what happened with the water interruption.

Milewski said to Joseph Gilbert, “If you have someone who is in charge of training, give us a cell number so we can call if something like this happens to say ‘stop.’ ”

Joseph Gilbert said the matter will be taken back to the fire company membership to set a standard operation procedure to be followed.

“It will take two meetings to get it officially voted through and we will send a copy here,” he said. “What it will say that if we ever have to use a hydrant for training, we’ll contact Scott and maybe put something in the paper a couple of weeks before to inform the people. We’ve hosted this class many times over the years.”

“That’s my point to have a plan and procedure in place so that this never happens again during a training session,” Shirley Gilbert said.

PORT CARBON — A Minersville man charged with sexually assaulting a 3-year-old boy earlier this year waived his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday afternoon.

Jose Fernando Montalban-Rodriguez, 27, of 314 N. Front St., was scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, on charges of one felony count each of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of a child and another related sexual offenses.

After conferring with his attorney, public defender Paul Domalakes, Montalban-Rodriguez chose not to have a hearing after prosecutors agreed to withdraw the one felony count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.

Minersville police Patrolman Jeffrey Bowers charged Montalban-Rodriguez on July 5 in connection with an incident in March.

Bowers said the allegations came to light in June, when it was learned that Montalban-Rodriguez would have the child perform oral sex on him.

Bowers said that he, along with Schuylkill County Children and Youth Services workers, asked Montalban-Rodriguez to submit to a polygraph test.

The man agreed and Bowers said the test was administered on June 24 by state police Trooper Wesley Levan at the Schuylkill Haven barracks.

Bowers said that Montalban-Rodriguez failed the test and during a subsequent interview with Levan, admitted lying in bed with one of the children, while other children were in the room, and becoming sexually aroused while the child was lying on his chest.

Montalban-Rodriguez admitted to the act but said he stopped when he realized it was wrong and his daughter asked him what he was doing, Bowers said.

Bowers said the charges were filed based on the confession that Montalban-Rodriguez gave to Levan during the interview.

Following the proceeding, Montalban-Rodriguez was returned to Schuylkill County Prison, where is being held on $100,000 straight cash bail set at the time of his arraignment.

More than $401,000 in taxpayer money was spent on the series of public hearings held in April and May to determine the fate of the Gillingham Charter School, according to figures provided this week by Pottsville Area School District and the charter school.

Pottsville Area spent $137,683.96 hiring lawyers, including a hearing officer, an expert witness and stenographers, according to Stephen C. Curran, the district’s business manager.

Gillingham spent $263,790.25 hiring defense attorneys and expert witnesses, Nicolle M. Hutchinson, the school’s CEO and director of education, said Monday.

Total, the school district and the charter school spent $401,474.21 in charter hearing expenses, according to the figures they released to The Republican-Herald in response to a Right-To-Know request.

On Dec. 2, the Pottsville Area school board rejected Gillingham’s application for a second five-year charter.

Afterward, the district was required to hold a series of public hearings on the matter in accordance with the Public School Code of 1949, Article XVII-A, Charter Schools, Section 1729-A, subsection (c).

On Jan. 20, the school board hired Marc S. Fisher, an attorney from Allentown, as the hearing officer and fact finder at a rate of $185 per hour. There were 12 public hearings held at Pottsville Area through April and May. After a 30-day public comment period, which ended June 24, Fisher authored a 71-page report that Pottsville Area received in early July.

On July 6, Pottsville Area school board once again voted to reject the Gillingham Charter School’s application to remain open for another five years.

On Aug. 5, Gillingham submitted an appeal to the Charter School Appeal Board, Harrisburg, according to Christine Elizabeth Reilly, Mehanicsburg, an attorney for Gillingham.

Through the process, thousands in taxpayer dollars were spent. Curran and Hutchinson provided the following figures this week.

Pottsville Area’s costs

• The total Pottsville Area paid Fisher was $22,827.85, Curran said.

• At the hearings, the district was represented by Ellen C. Schurdak, a representative of King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul Attorneys & Counselors, Bethlehem. In May 2015, the board hired Schurdak on an as-needed basis at a rate of $185 per hour. The total the district has paid Schurdak $67,977.50, Curran said.

• Pottsville Area hired Andrew M. Klein, an independent special education consultant from Lancaster, to conduct a special education audit at Gillingham. And Klein was an expert witness at the hearings. Pottsville Area paid Klein $200 per hour, Curran said previously. “Andy Klein was compensated a total of $32,120 for his work that dated back before the hearings when he did the on-site audit work at Gillingham and then the time spent with the actual hearings,” Curran said in an email to the newspaper Friday.

• The district paid stenographers $14,758.61 to work at the hearings, Curran said.

Gillingham’s costs

• Gillingham employed attorneys from the firm Latsha Davis & McKenna, Mechanicsburg, to help with the rechartering process. Attorney Christine Elizabeth Reilly received $200 per hour and attorney Mark G. Morford received $235 per hour, Rachel Bensinger, the school’s director of organizational development, said previously. Between July 31, 2015, and June 17, 2016, Gillingham paid the firm $228,912.79, according to information Hutchinson provided Monday.

• One expert witness Gillingham hired was Alexander D. Schuh, the executive director of Frontier 21 Education Solutions, Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County. From Nov. 11, 2015 to May 25, 2016, Gillingham hired Frontier 21 to compile contextual data analysis and participate in the charter renewal hearings, at a cost of $27,259.44, according to Hutchinson.

• Another expert witness Gillingham hired was Brenda T. Fishman, a special education consultant from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. From May 6, 2016 to June 6, 2016, Gillingham paid Fishman $4,990.48, according to Hutchinson.

• Gillingham also paid Charter Choices, Glenside, Montgomery County, for charter renewal services. On May 4, 2016, Michael A. Whisman, a certified public accountant with Charter Choices, Glenside, took the stand at one of the public hearings. Gillingham paid Charter Choices $2,500, according to Hutchinson.

• Miscellaneous charter hearing expenses, including advertising meeting notices, cost $127.54, Hutchinson said.

• Hutchinson also included information about the cost of “non-charter hearing related” legal services Gillingham paid for from July 15, 2014 to June 1, 2015. On a series of dates in that time frame, Gillingham paid Latsha Davis & McKenna, Mechanicsburg, $32,998.34, Hutchinson said.

While the appeal process continues, Gillingham will continue operations. The first day of its sixth school year is Aug. 29.

Deeds

Coaldale — William D. Shook to Chad L. Raudabaugh; 137 W. Moser Ave.; $1.

James A. Pompa Jr. to Christopher D. Hunsicker Jr.; 13 W. Lehigh St.; $40,000.

Girardville — The Most Rev. John O. Barres, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, to Karyl L. Moser; 211 W. Main St.; $35,000.

Minersville — Leon Reager Enterprises Inc. to Noble Equities LLC; property at Lewis Street and Delaware Avenue; $115,000.

Dolores P. and Vincent J. Land to Vincent Joseph Land and Dolores P. Land, trustees of the Vincent and Dolores Land Living Trust; 17 N. Fourth St.; $1.

McADOO — The code enforcement qualms continue for the borough of McAdoo — but this time, it has to do with liability.

McAdoo Borough Council held its monthly meeting Tuesday evening, and one of the biggest concerns across the board falls onto one role: code enforcement.

The borough grappled with the issue during last month’s meeting, concerned with the budgetary aspect their borough code officer, Jameson Paulin, is costing them.

Councilman Peter Minneci said, “We budgeted $7,000 for the entire year for our BCO ... he’s costing $1,700 a month. We don’t have this kind of money.”

The cost issues continue for the borough, with many residents complaining about the “crazy hoops” they must jump through in order to acquire a permit, according to the mayor’s report, as well as the cost it is forcing the borough to incur.

“There’s no reason for there to be an office that costs us more than we bring in,” Mayor Stephan Holly said. “Yes, but it is state law. Before Jameson, we had [Alfred] Benesch on contract, and they were never here,” Councilwoman Marion DeBalko said.

“Noah didn’t need a permit to build his ark,” Holly said with a laugh.

“Well, Noah also didn’t have Governor Wolf,” Councilwoman Mary LaBert replied.

Paulin was also ruffling feathers for another reason: liability. When a motion came across the table in reference to “approval of a BCO Service Agreement,” borough solicitor Joseph Baranko weighed in with the fact that Paulin currently had no liability insurance on file with the borough.

“We should have this in here like, now,” Baranko said.

Councilman Minneci was as equally shocked.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” he said. “This is important.”

Paulin, while working for the borough, is required as a third-party to cover himself with liability insurance, due to the nature of his position as a code enforcement officer.

Also, according to Baranko’s reading of Labor Code ordinance 401.012, any third-parties contracted by Paulin would also be required to cover liability — as well as worker’s compensation for any third party involved.

“I think we need to table the motion for the service agreement until we have record of his insurances,” urged Minneci.

The borough then enacted a motion to require all third-party contractors of that nature to provide proof of liability insurance within two weeks of the meeting’s date.

Part-time police

In other news, the borough is looking to hire a new part-time police officer as soon as possible.

“One of our great part-timers recently acquired a full-time role elsewhere, and with the chief as strapped as he is, we could really use the help,” Holly said.

The issue, however, arose when it came to qualifications for the latest new hire.

“I don’t mind them not having much training, we can train them here, it’s worked out for us so far,” he added.

LaBert disagreed.

“Why should we be the ones to train them? So they could leave us after a few years? We need to require at least Act 120 and one year of experience,” LaBert said.

“The more experience we ask for, the more money we have to start them with,” Holly said. “Safety is our number one, and we need an officer.”

“Money is right behind it,” LaBert said.

The board agreed to publicly advertise for a role requiring at least Act 120 status and “one year experience preferred.”

Feral cat discussion

Denise Giranda, McAdoo resident and animal and advocate, was proposing an ordinance to help combat the growing feral cat issue in the borough.

“As we all know, we have hundreds of cats right now, and that number will only multiply,” she said.

Giranda spoke with a rescue service, No-Nonsense Neutering, based out of Allentown with services in the Mahanoy City area, who agreed to help the McAdoo area for a steep discount.

“They would come here, trap all of the local feral cats themselves, and take them for a spay/neuter, rabies shots, deworming, flea treatment and ear mites ... all for $35.”

“Anyone who owns a pet knows they can’t even get a simple spay or neuter done for triple that price,” she added.

The idea, Giranda said, would be a start to help McAdoo combat the growing feral population and “lead by example for the citizens, to show them this is not okay behavior.”

The current ferals, who would be tagged and treated, would be returned back to the borough but would be unable to repopulate. However, their presence would deter and prevent any further “colonies” from coming into the region, helping keep the population down and at a minimum.

“Without taking such an action, we might have 1,000 cats this summer, but by next summer, it could be 5,000 or more,” she said. “They reproduce in huge numbers.”

“But the borough would be stuck with the bill?” Council President John Shigo questioned.

“After speaking with some local residents, I’ve gathered that many in the community would pay for their ‘local’ strays to get fixed,” she began. “The ones living in their backyard, keeping their mice away.”

The council agreed to get further information about the program and look into it.

“This is a real problem in this borough and we need to start looking at ways to combat it in the most humane way possible,” Shigo said.

PORT CARBON — A man was jailed Wednesday charged by Palo Alto Police with having indecent sexual contact with a 6-year-old girl.

James A. Lagle Jr., 39, whose last known address was on Bacon Street, Palo Alto, was charged with felony indecent assault and corruption of minors, and misdemeanor offenses of indecent exposure and endangering the welfare of children.

Lagle was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $75,000 straight cash bail.

Palo Alto Police Chief Joseph Kavanaugh charged Lagle with incidents that occurred between May and June 6 of this year.

Kavanaugh said he learned of the incident on June 21 when Schuylkill County Children & Youth Services contacted him regarding an alleged sexual assault. The child’s mother called Children & Youth Services after her daughter made comments to her about being touched inappropriately, the chief said.

Kavanaugh said the child was interviewed on July 7 in Harrisburg and related that Lagle asked her to perform a sex act and that he also molested her.

He said Lagle was contacted and asked to come to the police station for an interview, but failed to show at the designated time.

Numerous attempts were made to contact Lagle but Kavanaugh said those attempts failed until police apprehended him Wednesday.

Lagle will now have to appear for a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for Aug. 16 before Plachko in his Port Carbon courtroom.

NORRISTOWN — Convinced he was being framed, Adrian King took extra care to document his every movement in the months surrounding the leak of grand jury documents to a Philadelphia newspaper reporter, he testified Wednesday.

Despite that, the former first deputy attorney general made a key error in testifying before a grand jury, telling the panel he passed the documents to a political consultant Joshua Morrow eight days later than he actually did, he acknowledged.

The mistake was among several issues an attorney for State Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane seized upon in questioning King, a crucial witness Montgomery County prosecutors are counting on to persuade jurors Kane was behind the leak.

Kane, 50, of Waverly Township, is accused of leaking the memo and transcript to a Philadelphia Daily News reporter who wrote a story detailing the Mondesire probe on June 6, 2014. Prosecutors say she did so to retaliate against Frank Fina, whom she blamed for a March 2014 story that detailed her decision not to charge Philadelphia legislators accused to taking bribes.

King testified for about two hours Wednesday, the third day of Kane’s trial on charges of perjury and several other offenses related to the leak of documents from a 2009 grand jury probe of the late J. Whyatt Mondesire. The former first deputy attorney general will return to the stand today.

Sitting stone faced in the witness box, King appeared agitated and frustrated at times as he faced intense questioning from Seth Farber, one of Ms. Kane’s attorneys. He repeatedly took sips of water and occasionally crossed his arms and shifted his body as he spoke.

First questioned by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, King detailed how he, at Kane’s request, delivered a package to Morrow, who then passed it to Philadelphia Daily News reporter Chris Brennan.

The packet, it is now known, contained secret grand jury information regarding the Mondesire probe that Brennan revealed in a June 6, 2014, story.

Steele did not ask King any questions about whether or not he knew what was in the package. In previous grand jury testimony, he said he never opened the packet and assumed it was campaign material.

It’s not know yet if Kane will testify. In her prior grand jury testimony, she said she never authorized the release of grand jury information and pointed the finger at King as the culprit.

Under cross examination by Farber, King flatly denied the allegation, portraying himself as a scapegoat.

“I was aware the attorney general and Mr. Morrow were trying to frame me,” King said.

“That’s what you think happened?” Farber asked.

“Yes,” King replied.

Farber worked to poke holes in that theory. He noted King, during one of four grand jury appearances, testified he passed the documents to Morrow on April 30, 2014, when, in fact, the exchange occurred on April 22 that year.

King admitted he made a mistake, saying he unintentionally confused the time frame.

Farber also pressed King about the ramifications he would face if he was charged with leaking the documents — a scenario that remains possible as King has not been granted immunity for his testimony.

“You are not concerned at all what might happen if Mr. Steele concludes you were the one that made the decision to provide the documents to Josh Morrow?” Farber asked.

“I’m not concerned because that’s not what happened,” King replied.

Other witnesses who testified Wednesday included Bruce Beemer, who succeeded King as first deputy attorney general, and David Peifer, an agent who interviewed fellow agent Michael Miletto, who worked on the Mondesire probe. A transcript of the Miletto interview and a memo by William Davis, an attorney who also worked the Mondesire case, were among the documents leaked.

Peifer said he was angry when he learned the transcript had been leaked because he feared Kane would think he was responsible. He contacted her immediately after reading Brennan’s story.

“I wanted her to know I did not leak that document,” he said. “ Her response to me was I would never suspect you of leaking a document.”

Beemer concluded his testimony, which began Tuesday. He said he was deeply concerned when he read Brennan’s story because it contained grand jury information and he believed it was leaked by someone within the attorney general’s office. He asked Kane if he should investigate and was stunned by her reply.

“She said don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal. We have more important things to worry about,” he said.

Beemer said he was glad when he later learned a special prosecutor was appointed to investigate the leak. He was again stunned when Kane told him she wanted him to challenge the appointment.

“My heart sank a little,” Beemer said. “I was under the belief this was the right course of action.”

Testimony is scheduled to resume at 8:30 a.m. today.

HARRISBURG — Starting Sunday, 13 state liquor stores throughout Northeast Pennsylvania will open their doors for the first time. Another 18 stores in the region already open on Sundays will expand their hours.

The state Liquor Control Board announced the changes Wednesday as a new state law to expand liquor sales in both the state-run liquor system and the private sector took effect this week.

Stores will be open Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. instead of noon to 5 p.m.

As a result, consumers should find it easier to buy a bottle of wine or liquor on Sundays, officials said.

The LCB plans to add Sunday hours for 26 more stores Sept. 4.

Pennsylvania Lottery tickets also will be sold for the first time in 41 liquor stores by the end of this week.

Eventually, lottery tickets will be sold in more than 300 stores.

The changes being made to Pennsylvania’s eight-decade-old liquor control system are the result of a law enacted last June with bipartisan support. Still ahead for the LCB are plans to start customer loyalty programs and make liquor pricing more flexible.

Earlier this week, the LCB announced it would start accepting requests for licenses and permits for expanded commercial wine sales.

The changes are expected to generate an estimated $150 million in new state revenue in fiscal 2016-17 to help address Pennsylvania’s chronic fiscal problems.

SHENANDOAH — The first phase of the Gold Star Bridge replacement project in Shenandoah has been completed and traffic can now flow in both directions.

The west side of the bridge reopened Tuesday after five months of construction work that included demolishing half of the 214-foot span, with the two southbound lanes of state Route 924 at the south end of Shenandoah being the first half of the project.

Drivers will get a big break with the two new lanes opened. For the past five months, only one lane on the east half of the bridge was open, allowing only for one-way traffic at a time from the north or south due to the poor structural condition of the northbound side. Solar-powered signals controlled the traffic flow 24 hours per day along Route 924 and from Herald Road, which caused delays as drivers waited to enter and leave Shenandoah. The new traffic pattern will change that as drivers can drive right through without stopping and waiting.

The construction project, which is part of the state Department of Transportation Rapid Bridge Replacement Project, involves the complete replacement of the bridge, also called the South Shenandoah Bridge. The project was expected to begin in early February, but discussions with a nearby business to accommodate trucks entering and leaving its property delayed the start until early March.

Staged construction started in mid-March on the bridge over Kehley Run Creek and an abandoned railroad bed. The bridge was built in 1949 and averages about 5,500 vehicles a day. The bridge is scheduled to be completed in late November.

The construction project began with the closing of the southbound lanes and the removal of that side of the bridge. All traffic in both directions had been funneled into one lane on the northbound side, with signals controlling the traffic flow. The project plan involved constructing a new two-lane southbound half of the bridge to be opened in early summer, then close the northbound side for similar construction.

Five bridges were completed in Schuylkill County last year as part of the Rapid Bridge Replacement Project. Two bridges, including the Shenandoah bridge, were scheduled to be replaced in 2016, with one completed. The Gold Star Bridge is the last bridge remaining, and due to its updated design, will be 203 feet long.

Public Information Coordinator Rory G. McGlasson of The Walsh Group said Tuesday the project is on track for the November completion goal.

“The site construction is done on the southbound side with traffic now in both directions. We should be finished with the northbound side by late November if we don’t have any issues,” McGlasson said. “The southbound side is finished. We should be good to go (for the northbound side). We’re optimistic for November.”

McGlasson said getting the job done efficiently and on time helps the local businesses along Route 924 that are in the borough and Mahanoy Township.

“We understand the issues for the commercial properties along the route there and the temporary inconvenience for them, but we’re working the best we can to lessen the impact with signage and so forth to let the people know that they are still open,” McGlasson said. “Temporary inconvenience, permanent improvement in the area. This bridge is going to last over 100 years.”

The bridge projects are part of a Public-Private Partnership between PennDOT and Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners, under which PWKP will finance, design, replace and maintain the bridges for 25 years. As part of PWKP, Walsh/Granite JV will oversee construction. The P3 approach will allow PennDOT to replace the bridges more quickly while achieving significant savings and minimizing impact on motorists.

The state is taking advantage of the new P3 tool signed into law in 2012 to begin a new initiative to address the state’s roughly 4,000 structurally deficient bridges. With the P3 approach, hundreds of bridges can be replaced more quickly, save money, and minimize the impact on the traveling public, according to the www.parapidbridges.com website.

PWKP will replace 558 aging Pennsylvania bridges in three years, completing construction by the end of 2017. The bridges are primarily crossings on smaller state highways, many in rural areas, rather than interstate bridges or large river crossings. The team’s proposal was selected based on scoring that considered cost, financial capability to carry out the project, background and experience in managing comparable projects and understanding of the project.

SAINT CLAIR — The Saint Clair Area school board Wednesday filled a few positions, preparing for the first day of school, Aug. 29.

At the board’s August meeting Wednesday night at its elementary/middle school at 227 S. Mill St., the board approved salary increases for its two hourly Act 93 employees.

Tom Dempsey, the district’s facilities manager, received a salary of $15.25 per hour in the 2015-16 school year. In the 2016-17 school year, he will receive a salary of $16.85, according to Jason Bendle, the district’s superintendent and principal.

Lisa Kaledas, the district’s kitchen supervisor, received a salary of $12.25 per hour in the 2015-16 school year. In the 2016-17 school year, she will receive a salary of $13.65 per hour, according to Bendle.

Thomas Kaledas, the school board secretary, is the husband of Lisa Kaledas, and he abstained from the vote. All other members of the school board present at Wednesday’s meeting approved the increase.

They included: board President Michael Holobetz; board Vice President Jeanette Zembas; board Treasurer Erin Murhon; and board members Virginia Bartashus, Marlene Cook, Robert Matlock and Brian Regnier.

Absent was board member Kathleen Modica.

The board also reduced the number of days its guidance counselor, Melissa Carr, will work this year.

“She requested the reduction of days,” Bendle said.

In the 2015-16 school year, Carr was a 205-day employee and she received a salary of $51,422.80, according to Terry Schane, business manager for Saint Clair Area.

In the 2016-17 school year, Carr will be a 200-day employee and she will receive a salary of $51,952.43, Schane said.

The board accepted the resignation of a music teacher, Joshua Oldham.

They also hired a new music teacher, Erica Dickson, at a salary of $31,500 for the 2016-17 school year, Schane said.

The board hired coaches. They included Brad McClure as the girls basketball coach, at a stipend of $675 as per contract for the 2016 season, Schane said.

The board hired William Dempsey as head coach and Louise Welsh as assistant coach of the seventh- and eighth-grade boys basketball team, each with a stipend of $675 as per contract for the 2016 season, Schane said.

The board also hired the following part-time workers:

• Justin Schwalm as a per diem janitor at a rate of $7.25 per hour.

• Joeylynn Ney as a part-time cafeteria worker at a rate of $7.75 per hour.

• Sandra Tertel as a part-time aide at a rate of $7.75 per hour.

• Loretta Loftus as a part-time aide at a rate of $7.75 per hour.

• Annella Pelschak as a part-time aide at a rate of $7.75 per hour.

The lunch and breakfast rates will remain the same as they were in the 2015-16 school year, Schane said.

Breakfast will be $1.20 for regular students, 30 cents for reduced lunch program students and $1.75 for adults.

Lunch will be $2 for regular students, 40 cents for reduced lunch program students and $3.25 for adults.

During the public portion, Natalie Yurickones, Saint Clair, asked the school board’s solicitor how much the school board paid him for his services.

She said she became curious, after reading recent stories in The Republican-Herald about how much Pottsville Area School District and the Gillingham Charter School have paid in attorneys fees during Gillingham’s bid for charter renewal.

“I read about Gillingham school and all these lawyers are saying how much they make. Am I allowed to ask you how much you make an hour for working here?” Yurickones asked district solicitor Michael A. O’Pake.

“Sure,” O’Pake said.

“How much to you make?” Yurickones asked.

“$100 an hour,” O’Pake said.

“Thank you,” Yurickones said.

“You’re welcome,” O’Pake said.