Winter Storm Stella shut down Schuylkill County on Tuesday with the most snowfall the state has seen in March since 1993.

All school districts and nearly all businesses were closed as snow fell all morning and there were only a few vehicles among the snowplows on the roads.

Areas in the northern part of the county had about 20 inches of snow while most of the county saw between 13 and 18 inches, according to the National Weather Service at State College.

“We were getting at least 1 or 2 inches per hour (Monday) night and early in the morning,” Aaron Tyburski, NWS meteorologist, said Tuesday.

The storm does not qualify as a blizzard. A blizzard would need 35 mph winds or sustained winds of 35 mph over a three-hour period.

He said Ashland recorded 21 inches by Tuesday afternoon, Ringtown had 17 inches, Auburn had 16 inches, Tower City had 15 inches and Orwigsburg had 13 1/2 inches. Pottsville had 14 inches before noon. Ashland borough declared a snow emergency from 2 to 6 a.m. today.

It was 14 years ago to the day that a blizzard on March 13 and March 14 in 1993 dumped about 2 feet snow across the whole state, Tyburski said.

The March snowstorm will cause hazards over the next week as the snow and ice melts during the day and freezes overnight, he said. High temperatures will be in the 30s and 40s the rest of the week with some precipitation expected for Saturday, he said.

“The sun is actually doing a lot of work to help melt the snow, especially on paved surfaces, even through the clouds,” Tyburksi said. “I think we are going to have a couple evenings of freezing and thawing and that can be an issue. Just because the storm is over, there will still be some icy conditions over the next couple days because of the overnight cold.”

The Schuylkill County courthouse and all county offices were closed Tuesday. Redner’s Markets closed all stores at noon Tuesday.

All local school districts are also closed today.

PPL’s outage center website did not list any power outages in Schuylkill County. The company secured an additional 250 line workers from its sister companies in Kentucky and South Carolina to help restore power to customers, according to a company press release on Monday.

“That is really a tribute to the brush cut back and modernization program they have been doing the last couple years,” John Matz, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency coordinator, said. “The frequency and length of outages in the county have been significantly down.”

Matz said Tuesday was uneventful other than an early morning fire in Nesquehoning pulling units from the Tamaqua Area.

“It has been somewhat uneventful,” he said. “We have just had some tractor trailers spinning out and blocking portions of the highway in the normal trouble spots. Even there I think there were a lot less people on the roadways.”

Just before 2 p.m. Tuesday, Interstate 81 near McAdoo was closed to remove a jackknifed tractor-trailer. Central Pennsylvania local post offices suspended operations on Tuesday.

Matz said the Army National Guard helped transport a few nursing home employees to work in Rush Township before being called to go elsewhere in the state. Several communities also set up emergency operations and the county communications center had extra staff.

Closings and other news

• Ashland borough declared a snow emergency from 2 to 6 a.m. today. Parking is prohibited on Hoffman Boulevard from Brock Street to Centre Street and also on Centre Street from Front Street to 23rd Street. Residents are ordered to move their cars from these locations between 2 and 6 a.m. Any vehicles in these locations will be fined $50 and towed at the owner’s expense.

• The North Schuylkill school board meeting scheduled for today was moved to 6 p.m. March 22 in the high school LGI room.

• The Frackville Area Municipal Authority announced that customers will be allowed to pay their sewer bills on Friday, without penalty due to the office being closed for Winter Storm Stella. FAMA’s monthly board meeting scheduled for today has also been canceled.

• The City of Pottsville’s Snow Emergency Level 2 with Parking Ban will remain in effect until noon today. For further information on the City’s Snow Emergency Plan, please go to www.city.pottsville.pa.us and select the “Services” tab.

• The Frackville Area Ministerium Lenten Service scheduled for Wednesday, March 15, at St. John The Baptist Polish National Catholic Church in Frackville is canceled due to the snowstorm. The next service will be held Wednesday, March 22, at the New Hope Wesleyan Church, New Hope Wesleyan Church, 500 E. Oak St., at 6:30 p.m.

Deeds

Coaldale — John Lane to Golden Eye Properties LLC; 115 W. Phillip St.; $1.

Mahanoy City — Robert and Shenikia Chickonie to Harrising Reality LLC; 919 E. Centre St.; $6,000.

Jesse Roman to Harrising Reality LLC; 803 E. Market St.; $3,000.

Palo Alto — Helene M. and Phillip Wall, Harry W. Thomas, Jean Marie Thomas, Gail C. and Jeffrey Hardenstine, Claire E. and Timothy Brady, Marlo A. Thomas and Bertha E. Thomas to Bertha E. Thomas; 102 W. Savory St.; $1.

Pottsville — Riverview Bank to Wayne and Cynthia McElroy; 821 Water St.; $65,000.

Pine Grove Township and Lebanon, Lebanon County — Jed H. Gingrich to Gingrich Investment Group LLC; 302 Suedberg Road and 702, 704 and 706 Cumberland St.; $600,000.

Schuylkill Haven — Santander Bank NA to Hamilton III and Kelly A. Handling; 125 S. St. Peter St.; $29,000.

Shenandoah — Peter Shumski, administrator of the Estate of Geraldine A. Shumski, to Peter Shumski; 401 W. Centre St.; $1.

Address incorrect

Shawn D. Schlauch, 23, of 201 Sunbury St., Apt. 17, was arrested by Minersville police on Sunday charged with sexual acts involving a teenage girl. The address of Schlauch was incorrectly listed in Tuesday’s edition of The Republican-Herald.

Are you experiencing a case of cabin fever? This time of year, Schuylkill County starts to come alive and there are plenty of events and activities to get you out of the house.  

Do you have good manners in the forest? Forest Etiquette will be presented at 2 p.m. March 26 at Sweet Arrow Lake, Pine Grove. Learn how to conduct yourself in the forest to enjoy your experiences for the outdoors with other forest users such as people, bears, and ticks. Become more comfortable during your outings by learning how to react if you face a bear, must make a warning fire in the rain or how to protect yourself from ticks. The program is free and open to the public. Call 570-345-8952 for details.

The Strawberry Playhouse is now accepting registrations for children and teens for its Summer Theatre Camp in Tuscarora. The summer camp will focus on film and stage skills as well as dance, music, set design and technical overview. The camp runs for two consecutive weeks from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 19 through 23 and from June 26 through 30. Call 570-325-4368 or email lafala@pa.metrocast.net for more information.

Schuylkill On the Move invites you to join them for an Orwigsburg Odyssey at 1 p.m. March 26. “Porcupine Pat” will lead you on an adventure to enjoy the history and natural scenery in the community. Meet in the parking lot for Albright’s Woods on Grove Street, up from Memorial Hall for this free, moderately difficult this 3-mile wander. Email porcupinepat@yahoo.com for details.

Time is running out to order seedlings from Sweet Arrow Lake. Choose from 10 beautiful and healthy baby trees and shrubs that will bring beauty to your landscape while enhancing wildlife habitat. Plants come in bundles of five or 10 for the remarkable price of $8 or $9. Order deadline is April 5 with pick up at SAL on April 29. You can find plant descriptions, pricing and order forms on the SAL website at www.sweetarrowlake.com or by emailing procupinepat@yahoo.com. The sale is co-sponsored by the Schuylkill Conservation District.

The Pottsville Lions Club is sponsoring a bus trip to Sands Casino, Bethlehem, on April 15. The bus leaves the Cressona Mall at 1:30 p.m. and will return at 9 p.m. There will be $5 food vouchers and $20 slot vouchers. Cost of the trip is $25 per person. There will also be raffle prizes and 50/50 tickets on the bus. Proceeds benefit the Pottsville Lions Charities and the Schuylkill County Cancer Society. Call Terry at 570-850-0627 for details or to reserve a seat.

Hospital volunteers

Times: Flexible, choose own schedule. May require commitment of a few hours each week.

Responsibility: Information Desk Greeter to greet and direct patients and visitors and answer phone. Gift Shop Clerk to assist customers in making purchases, price merchandise and ring sales.

Skills: Friendly, courteous and able to maintain a high level of professionalism.

Location: Lehigh Valley Health Network East and South, former Good Samaritan and Pottsville hospitals

Call: Mary Bardell, 570-621-4193

Road to Recovery drivers

Times: Flexible. Choose own availability or location.

Responsibility: Drive patients to and from cancer treatments. Use own vehicle or agency vehicle if available.

Skills: Must have valid PA driver’s license, good driving record, a reliable vehicle and vehicle insurance. Background checks and orientation required.

Location: In and out of county.

Call: American Cancer Society, 570-874-1413

Community Volunteers in Action is the volunteer center for Schuylkill County. Use the preceding contact info for those specific opportunities and search other listings on our website atwww.schuylkill.us/cvia. Find us on Facebook. Call us at 570 628-1426 or email to jjohnston@co.schuylkill.pa.us.

Stephen J. Bayer

TAMAQUA — A 22-year-old Tamaqua woman charged with a theft from Boyer’s in the borough where she was employed from October through January waived her right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer.

Elizabeth Fuentes of 13 E. Mauch Chunk St., Apt. 1, was arrested by Tamaqua Police Cpl. Henry Woods and charged with theft by deception and receiving stolen property. By waiving her right to a hearing Fuentes will now have to answer to the charges in Schuylkill County Court.

Woods charged Fuentes with making sales of gift cards and then refunding them immediately and keeping the refunded money.

Woods said the total amount stolen during the transactions totaled $5,756.55.

Other court cases included:

Thomas J. OHazzo, 19, of 106 E. Blaine St., McAdoo; waived for court: possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving a vehicle without a valid inspection and no rear lights.

Sharon D. Parker, 31, of 42 W. Blaine St., Apt. 2A, McAdoo; waived for court: theft from a motor vehicle, criminal attempt to commit theft from a motor vehicle, theft, receiving stolen property and loitering and prowling at night.

Alexander Elchisak, 18, of 8 Centre St., Box 282, Kelayres; waived for court: improper stopping, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Ryan M. Swanzy, 18, of 712 S. Kennedy Drive, McAdoo; waived for court: DUI-controlled substance, operating or permitting operation with unsafe equipment and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kevin W. Black Jr., 19, of 48 Centre St., Box 64, McAdoo; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance, criminal attempt to commit forgery and criminal attempt to commit theft by deception.

Anthony L. Kehl, 46, of 27 Tuscarora Park Road, Tamaqua; waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Matthew H. Wersinger, 19, of 651 S. Kennedy Drive, McAdoo; waived for court: no rear lights, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Gerald R. Fisher Jr., 48, of 17 Snyder Ave., McAdoo; dismissed: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy. Held for court: operating a methamphetamine lab, possession of red phosphorus with intent to manufacture a controlled substance, conspiracy, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lorraine E. Searfoss, 48, of 17 Snyder Ave., McAdoo; dismissed: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy. Held for court: operating a methamphetamine lab, possession of red phosphorus with intent to manufacture a controlled substance, conspiracy, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Joseph N. Kamant, 24, of 531 E. Union St., Tamaqua; withdrawn: endangering the welfare of children. Waived for court: terroristic threats, simple assault and harassments.

John T. Stapleton, 55, of 726 E. Broad St., Tamaqua; waived for court: DUI-controlled substance and driving an unregistered vehicle.

Andrew S. Lutz, 41, of 65 Haddock Road, McAdoo; waived for court: DUI and accidents involving damage to unattended vehicles or property.

Aaron W. Chesney, 22, of 34 S. Mill St., Saint Clair; held for court: accidents involving damage to attended vehicles or property, failure to stop and give information and render aid, failure to notify police of an accident and duties at a stop sign.

Nathan G. Fritz, 28, of 231 Catawissa St., Tamaqua; waived for court: theft and receiving stolen property.

Joann Faust, 57, of 336 Reilly Ave., Tamaqua; waived for court: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Tammy Lynn Yatsko, 46, of 322 Hazle St., Tamaqua; held for court: bad checks.

Natalia A. Slivinski, 29, of 21 Schuylkill Ave., Tamaqua; held for court: theft of property lost, mislaid or delivered by mistake.

Gary J. Brode, 56, of 166 Penn St., Tamaqua; waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate and disregard for single traffic lane.

Samuel O. Koch, 57, of 220 High St., Tamaqua; held for court: public drunkenness, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jarred M. Muffley, 23, of 830 Ridge Road, Andreas; withdrawn: theft and receiving stolen property. Waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kevin J. Quirk, 60, of 31 Meadow Ave., Tamaqua; held for court: DUI-highest rate, turning movements and required signals, careless driving and DUI.

Joseph Cierlitsky, 26, of 445 E. Willing St., Tamaqua; waived for court: resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Daniel Geopfert, 20, of 36 Zehners Crossing Drive, Tamaqua; withdrawn: criminal trespass. Waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

John J. Kamant, 56, of 120 Mahanoy St., Tamaqua; withdrawn: unlawful restraint. Held for court: resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

James K. Reiley

A Lykens woman was charged with trying to deliver drugs to her daughter inside the Schuylkill County Courthouse last month appeared for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville.

Beth A. Krepich, 57, of 610 Laurel Lane was arrested by Schuylkill County Deputy Sheriff Gerard Daley and charged with criminal attempt to commit possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, conspiracy, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Prosecutors withdrew the charges of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance while Krepich waived the remaining offenses to Schuylkill County Court.

Daley charged Krepich with smuggling narcotics into the courthouse for her daughter, who was scheduled to have a hearing in one of the courtrooms.

After learning of the incident, Daley said, Krepich was seen going into a bathroom that was then searched, leading to the discovery of a clear, glassine baggie containing seven white pills in a garbage can in a handicapped stall.

Other court cases included:

James A. Hessler Jr., 33, of 827 Fairview St., Apt. 3, Pottsville; held for court: simple assault and harassment.

Nashawn N. Laprade, 41, of 408 W. Race St., Pottsville; waived for court: bad checks.

Alex J. Bulino, 28, of State Correctional Institution/Mahanoy, Frackville; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance.

Benjamin F. Mathis Jr., 27, of 46 York Farm Road, Box 822, Pottsville; held for court: DUI-controlled substance, DUI-high rate, possession of a small amount of marijuana, driving with a suspended or revoked license and period for requiring lighted lamps.

Aaron M. Davis, 32, of 2160 N. Norwegian St., Pottsville; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

William Lee Evans, 31, of 1108 W. Arch St., Pottsville; held for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Michael A. Cook, 45, of 453 Nichols St., Pottsville; waived for court: hindering apprehension or prosecution and disorderly conduct. Held for court: disorderly conduct.

William E. Evans, 31, of 1108 W. Arch St., Pottsville; held for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kelsie Jo Clocker, 21, of 3 Main St., Landingville; waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia.

Felix L. Torres Jr., 33, of 303 Lincoln St., Orwigsburg; held for court: public drunkenness and possession of drug paraphernalia.

William M. Zelinsky, 33, of 322 E. Arch St., Pottsville; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sherry Ann Bashore, 45, of 14 Quakake Estates, Orwigsburg; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Morgan L. Miller, 26, of 224 S. Mill St., Saint Clair; waived for court: DUI and DUI-high rate.

Scott A. Greis, 52, of 113 Evergreen Drive, Pottsville; withdrawn: accidents involving damage to unattended vehicles or property. Waived for court: DUI and DUI-highest rate.

Sara Lee Kohr, 45, of 106 N. Broad Mountain Ave., Frackville; dismissed: theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

Sheila Snyder, 28, of 18 S. 22nd St., Pottsville; dismissed: simple assault and harassment.

Arthur J. Johns, 59, of 317 S. Centre St., Apt. 1, Pottsville; waived for court: aggravated assault.

Keeray J. Thomas, 22, of 301 Cherry St., Saint Clair; waived for court: strangulation, simple assault and harassment.

Melissa L. Walerski, 29, of 146 N. Maple Ave., Pottsville; waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate and driving the wrong way.

Kevin W. Warmkessel, 28, of 908 Park Ave., Port Carbon; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and public drunkenness.

Michael J. McNulty, 23, of 22 Chestnut St., Pottsville; waived for court: failure to replace lost plates, driving a vehicle without insurance and fraudulent, altered, forged or counterfeit title, registration or insurance.

Brandon W. R. Leymeister, 19, of 420 S. Front St., Saint Clair; waived for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Matthew Sleva, 28, of Schuylkill County Prison, Pottsville; waived for court: theft and receiving stolen property.

Randy A. Zimmerman, 57, of 501 N. Centre St., Apt. 3, Pottsville; waived for court: defiant trespass.

John D. Berger, 32, of 451B E. Norwegian St., Pottsville; waived for court: flight to avoid apprehension, trial or punishment and possession of a controlled substance.

Skye L. Ulrich, 27, of 4 S. Centre St., Pottsville; waived for court: possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct.

Jesse Lee Scherrer, 33, of 713 Mine St.. Pottsville; held for court: possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Robert P. Rothermel, 27, of 9 S. Jackson St., Pottsville; waived for court: simple assault, disorderly conduct, recklessly endangering another person, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Carl J. McLeod, 29, of 800 W. Norwegian St., Pottsville: dismissed: simple assault.

Robert C. Miller, 40, of 301 New St., Pottsville; waived for court: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.

Kerry S. Fulmer, 46, of 513 Lombard St., Tamaqua; held for court: simple assault and harassment.

Marissa J. Miller, 39, of 511 E. Market St., Pottsville; waived for court: defiant trespass.

Kevin M. Wagner, 22, of 116 Pottsville St., Port Carbon; waived for court: DUI-controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

BARNESVILLE — The Ryan Township supervisors adopted an ordinance that places a late charge on annual trash payments at Monday’s meeting.

The ordinance (2017-1) amends the current garbage ordinance, according to Vice Chairman Clyde “Champ” Holman.

“Basically, we didn’t change the rate, which is $175 a year, and we kept the two percent discount if paid within 60 days, but what we added is that if the bill is not paid within 120 days, there is a $50 penalty,” Holman said.

Holman added the amendment also allows the supervisors to raise the annual rate through a resolution rather than through an ordinance in order to save on the costs. At this time, there is no rate increase.

In another related trash-collection matter, the township chose three trash account delinquencies for additional collection efforts. Since the township began stronger collection efforts last year, there have been 15 liens filed on accounts that are more than $1,000 in arrears by township solicitor Christopher Riedlinger.

As Riedlinger explained at the February meeting, the township would file a writ on the three properties at the prothonotary’s office, permitting the sheriff’s office to serve the writ, which could lead to having the properties sold at a sheriff’s sale. The township’s cost for each writ is $27 for the filing fee with the prothonotary, $150 to the sheriff’s office for service cost, plus the solicitor’s fee for preparing the filing.

In other business, the supervisors approved the sale of the 2008 Ford F550 dump truck to a Berks County municipality for $25,000.

“When we were thinking about trading it in, the highest price we got was $22,000, so we got a nice deal there,” Holman said.

The township sold the truck following the purchase of a 2016 Ford F550 dump truck with tailgate salt-spreader and 9-foot plow. The truck was bought from Tom Masano Ford Lincoln, Reading, with the plow and spreader installed by E.M. Kutz Inc., Reading. The truck and equipment were bought through the state’s COSTARS program, so bidding was not necessary. The township bought the new truck with a general obligation note of $80,893.28 from Mauch Chunk Trust Co.

The supervisors are accepting bids for a used police vehicle and a wood chipper.

Man arrested

after disturbance

A 33-year-old man was jailed after being arrested by Pottsville police after officers were called to a domestic disturbance about 11:15 a.m. Saturday at 309 W. Norwegian St., Apt. 4.

Police said officers received additional information that a man and woman were arguing inside the apartment and that the man just busted the front door.

At the scene, police said, officers identified the man as Jesse Scherrer, whose last known address was 713 Mine St., Pottsville, and saw him leaving the apartment using the side fire escape.

The investigation showed that Scherrer arrived at the apartment in an intoxicated state and began acting erratically and causing a disturbance with the female occupant.

Police said the woman told Scherrer to leave the premises and while he was doing so, he punched the apartment door.

Scherrer was uncooperative and highly agitated when officers attempted to speak with him and then became violent toward the officers, prompting a struggle, police said.

As the officers were in the process of controlling Scherrer’s aggressive actions and placing him into custody, the man kicked two officers causing minor injuries, police said.

As a result of the incident, Patrolman Joseph Murton charged Scherrer with aggravated assault, simple assault, persistent disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and public drunkenness.

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

NYC man dies

in I-78 accident

SHARTLESVILLE — A New York City man died when the SUV he was in crashed about 1:25 a.m. Wednesday on Interstate 78 at Exit 23, Shartlesville, in Upper Bern Township, Berks County.

State police at Hamburg said the crash occurred as Ramon Mercado, 18, of New York City, New York, was driving a Jeep Cherokee east when he lost control of his vehicle and struck the center median and then left the road after traveling under the overpass.

The SUV left the road on the south berm onto the gore, rolled over and traveled through the gore and the on-ramp from Mountain Road to Interstate 78.

Police said the passenger’s side of the SUV struck the rear of the trailer of a Freightliner tractor-trailer that was parked on the on-ramp.

A passenger in the SUV — Dasheer J. Cruickshank, 23, — was pronounced dead at the scene by Berks County Deputy Coroner Kury Katzenmoyer, police said.

Mercado suffered minor injuries and two occupants of the tractor-trailer who were asleep in the sleeper portion of the tractor were not hurt.

Police said their investigation is continuing and ask that anyone who may have witnessed the crash to call them at 610-562-8865.

Three people died this week from snow-related causes in Schuylkill County, county Coroner Dr. David J. Moylan III said Wednesday.

He said all three died of apparent heart attacks while shoveling snow.

Two men were from Ringtown, while a woman was from Wayne Township. All three were found outside and pronounced dead. Family members of the men found them outside. One of the men died Tuesday, while the other died Wednesday.

Moylan did not release the names of the men because he did not know if their next-of-kin had been notified.

State police found the woman, Anna Heffner, 83, after responding to a welfare check.

Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner Deb Detweiler pronounced the woman dead at 2:27 p.m. State police and Detweiler had to trudge through a lot of snow to get to the house.

“We were in snow up to our knees,” she said.

A shovel was found under the woman’s body. Detweiler said there are no immediate neighbors nearby who would have seen the woman, she said, describing the area as very rural. The woman was appropriately dressed for the weather, Detweiler said.

The recent deaths are a reminder to check on your neighbors during inclement weather such as a snowstorm, she said.

“It’s just unfortunate,” Detweiler said.

Schuyllkill County residents were still digging out from the storm Wednesday. The street crew was also busy. Some businesses and schools were also closed.

Tom Whitaker, Pottsville street department supervisor, said workers were clearing snow and moving it to the JFK pool parking lot from midnight Wednesday till 8 a.m. They would do so again from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. today Workers were out clearing the streets again Wednesday of any accumulated or drifting snow. Shortly before 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, he said the roads were clear.

“We will be cleaning up the rest of the week,” he said.

Whitaker said the streets were open but wet Tuesday evening but the blowing and drifting snow made the situation worse Wednesday.

“It really sets us back by having the blowing and drifting,” he said, which caused some of the side alleys that are not heavily used to drift shut before being cleared.

Residents can help keep the roads clear by not shoveling snow or using a snowblower to put snow in the street.

Some walked to avoid driving.

Al Bittle, Pottsville, didn’t mind the snow.

“It’s about time we got it,” he said, adding it’s not winter without the white stuff.

He wanted to use the computers at the Pottsville Free Public Library, but it was closed.

Helen Balonis, a city carrier for the postal service, was dressed warmly in layers for her job. She started at 7:30 a.m. A usual day ends at 4 p.m.. She didn’t know how long it would take her to complete her route because of all the snow. The amount of snow surprised her, although wind is more of a factor in any discomfort level, she said.

Anthony Leister, Pottsville, spent Tuesday clearing out his car. He also was surprised at all the snow.

“I thought they would be wrong,” with the forecast, he said.

He didn’t measure the snow in his backyard because he didn’t want to know. He walked on several streets including Market and Norwegian, which he said were “terrible” in the morning because of the packed snow. Most of the sidewalks were worse, he said.

Don Snowell, had a different take on the road conditions.

“They are not bad considering the conditions,” he said.

Aaron Tyburski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, State College, said “it looks like we are out of the woods with the big stuff.”

Blowing and drifting snow if still possible as is winds gusting to 35 mph.

Motorists should use caution when driving.

“There will still be slippery patches,” he said.

No significant snow is in the forecast for the immediate future. Flurries are possible Friday night. Freezing rain and rain are possible Saturday. The high this week will be 41 on Saturday.

Overall, the snow that fell on the region was between 16 to 21 inches, Tyburski said. Mahanoy City and Ashland had 21 inches, Ringtown had 17 inches, Auburn 16 inches, Tower City 15 inches, Pottsville 14 inches and Orwigsburg 13.5 inches.

Good news is on the horizon.

“We should see more sun,” he said.

A preliminary hearing for a Pottsville man charged with raping a teenage girl earlier this month was unable to be held Wednesday due to weather conditions.

Ashley Donald Adams, 31, was scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville, but all proceedings were canceled due to the weather-related closures of the Schuylkill County Courthouse and all other county offices.

Pottsville police took Adams into custody on March 7 at 1218 W. Norwegian St. pursuant to an active arrest warrant.

The warrant charges Adams with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, indecent exposure, endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of minors.

Pottsville Police Chief Richard F. Wojciechowsky said the charges are the result of an investigation conducted by Pottsville police Detective Joseph Welsh.

On March 2, the chief said, police and Schuylkill County Children & Youth representatives interviewed a 13-year-old Pottsville girl who reported Adams had inappropriate sexual contact with her on at least three occasions between late August and early September.

A subsequent investigation, including the recovery of evidence at the crime scene by the state police Forensic Services Unit, led to the criminal complaint being filed against Adams by Welsh.

Adams was arraigned by Reiley and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $100,000 bail.

The preliminary hearing against Adams on the charges will be rescheduled and held at a later date.

n Pottsville: The tenants’ association of Queen of Peace Apartments, 777 Water St., will have its yard sale from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 8, featuring household items, clothing and other fare. There will also be an Easter candy sale. All are welcome. For more information, call 570-294-2443.

n Schuylkill Haven: A free Taize Prayer Service is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church, 201 Randel St. The songs of Taize, according to a release, are meant to help people take time in God’s presence. There are periods of silence for reflective meditation. All are welcome to attend. For more information, call 570-385-1031.

n Schuylkill Haven: Anyone who is a member of a Gold Star family, or the Last Patrol, who is interested in participating in the 20th anniversary service of the Schuylkill County Vietnam Veterans Monument in Schuylkill Haven on May 13, is asked to call Carl “Boonie” Sterner at 570-385-0579.

n Shenandoah: Knights of Columbus Francis Cardinal Brennan Council No. 618 will hold its annual devil crab or fish dinner beginning at noon Good Friday, April 14, until sellout at the council home, 201 W. Cherry St. Dinners are $9 each and also include french fries, coleslaw, green beans and dessert. Patrons will pick up dinners at the council home or may request free delivery in Shenandoah, Mahanoy City and Frackville. The deadline to order is April 3. To order or for more information, call 570-462-1430 or 570-590-1188.

n Tamaqua: Invitations have been sent to 47 people and groups to perform on the 38th annual telethon benefiting the American Cancer Society scheduled for April 8 and 9 at Penn’s Peak, Jim Thorpe. However, organizers said in a release that not all of those invitations will be accepted, so additional performers will be needed. Individuals and groups interested in performing on this year’s telethon should contact George Taylor at gtay200@verizon.net or by calling 570-668-4451. Those interested should be able to provide a performance video or audition recording. All performers are asked to do some fundraising before the air date, usually by way of collecting pledges. Pledge forms are available for download at www.cancertelethon.org/schedule.

n Weston: An all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the Nuremberg-Weston Fire Company, 459 Hazle St. Tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for children 6 to 12 years old and free for children under 5. The menu includes salad, spaghetti, homemade sauce and meatballs, bread, desserts and beverages. Takeouts will be available. Tickets will be available at the door. For more information, call 570-384-2221.

n Valley View: Kindergarten registration for the 2017-18 term for Tri-Valley will be held on April 11 and 20 in the library of the Hegins-Hubley Elementary School. Students from all townships will register at the site on one of the aforementioned dates. A complete screening program will be used for all eligible children who will be 5 years old before Sept. 1 to apply for admission to kindergarten. Parents, according to a district release, are requested to bring the child’s original birth certificate, proof of residency and proof of immunization records. State law requires exact dates and written proof of immunizations from a physician. Written proof must contain the physician’s letterhead or be authorized by the physician’s office. All immunizations must be completed before the first day of school. Pennsylvania law requires all new school entrants to be immunized against certain communicable diseases. Students will complete basic screening stations, which consist of student information, health records, vision, hearing/speech evaluation and school assessment check. Any parent of eligible children who did not receive a notification of the registration should call the district office at 570-682-9013, Ext. 205.

GIRARDVILLE — The owner of a dilapidated property in Girardville that appears on the verge of collapse is trying an online site to raise funds to pay for demolition.

William L. Schultz, Ashland, is the owner of the building at 205 N. Second St., which has no wall on the south side due to the removal of the adjoining building late last year at 201 N. Second St., which was owned by Alediah Waleed Saleh.

Schultz’s building has collapsed floors and a roof on the third floor is precariously balanced. The front wall leans outward toward Second Street. For safety reasons, the borough has closed that section of the street to prevent vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The 200 block of North Second Street was closed on Jan. 13 from Ogden to B streets, but later was closed from Ogden Street to the width of the property to allow parking for local businesses, though there is no through traffic.

Borough officials have contacted Schultz about having the property demolished and is currently being cited $1,000 every day until the building is removed. According to code enforcement officer Rick Miller, the citations are getting close to $100,000.

“The fines at this point are more than $90,000,” Miller said. “There are also two criminal citations.”

Schultz spoke about the building at the site, stating the neighboring building was the cause of the problem.

“It was the building next door that was the cause for mine to go bad,” Schultz said. “I was talking to the borough about two weeks before the problem originally occurred that I was going to fix this. Two weeks after I talked to them, the floor joists collapsed in the building next door and tore the wall down between the buildings.”

This is the second time the borough closed the street. In August, the borough closed the same section of the street when Schultz’s building was determined to be structurally unsound with the third floor and roof leaning inward and the second floor beginning to buckle outward toward the street. The street stayed closed for a time until borough officials placed warning tape to keep people from walking on the sidewalk and opened the street to traffic.

“Mine was fine and had no roof issues,” Schultz said. “Next door the roof had been cut open because of a fire and water was pouring in. I tried to contact owners, but it changed hands three times in about six months. They (borough officials) were trying to tell me that my building was leaking, but I said mine was never leaking. It was all caused by that common wall. They tell me that it’s my responsibility, and I know that. I’m not questioning that. I just didn’t cause it.”

Saleh paid for the demolition of 201 N. Second St., leaving the south side of Schultz’s building fully exposed.

Schultz does not have the money to have a licensed contractor to demolish the property. The cost would be $15,000 to $20,000. He has looked into demolishing it with the help of some friends but liability insurance is the issue.

“The problem is that no one is giving me demolition insurance, and the borough insists that I have it before I touch it,” Schultz said. “Nobody will give it to me because I have no provable proof that I know how to demo a building. I know how to do it, but I have to prove that I know. I’ve done contracting in the past, so I do know how to do it. I was going to put a dumpster here and with friends we would use power saws and cut it down piece by piece and put it in the dumpster.”

Schultz bought the property so it could be renovated for apartments to be rented for retirement income. The building had been an apartment building in the past, as well as having a seafood restaurant on the first floor many years ago.

“It was actually very nice inside,” Schultz said.

Schultz said he believes the borough has been fair with him.

“The borough people have been nice with me, but it’s just that they have a job to do and they have to answer to the community for what is going on here,” he said.

In order to raise money, Schultz started a GoFundMe account.

“A friend of mine said why don’t you put up a GoFundMe page, and I hadn’t thought of that, but at this point, I’m out of options and would try it,” Schultz said. “It’s not only donations, but even if somebody would be willing to lend me the money to hire the demolition company to remove it, I would have a lawyer draw up a contract for a loan with interest to pay them back.”

The GoFundMe account is “Emergency Building Demolition.” Go to www.gofundme.com and enter the account name or “Girardville” in the search to find the account.

Schultz said the building has not budged since the Saleh property was removed, and he believes it may not be in imminent danger of collapse.

“We’ve had a lot of storms and this has not budged. The braces there are holding the roof right now,” Schultz said, pointing to the locations, including the front wall on the second floor, which has pushed outward toward the sidewalk. “The reason this is all going forward is because the weight of that (top floor) is pushing it that way. I think that’s as far as it’s going to go on its own. At this point, I’d be very surprised if it budged any further than it has.”

Schultz said that since the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade normally passes along Ogden Street, he has arranged for security to keep people away. This year’s parade will be held March 25.

“I’ve arranged to have security come and guard this during the parade to keep people out of the barricade area,” he said. “We’ll barricade better than it is now and have a security guard here.”

“Most of the fines will go away when he gets the building demolished,” Miller said. “The exception is about $4,000 worth of that because the $2,000 criminal charge and the $2,000 original charge won’t go away. The rest can go away if he tears it down.”

The two $2,000 charges will be heard in county court, though no hearing has been scheduled.

During March 9’s meeting of the Girardville Borough Council, the building status was brought up during the public portion.

“We’re doing everything we can, but there is nothing more we can do boroughwise except cite him and go after him,” council President Charles Marquardt said. “We made several suggestions, and he came to the work session the other night.”

Marquardt could not attend the work session and asked council members in attendance to report on what transpired.

“Basically he said that he would hire security for the parade,” Councilman Robert Krick said, which resulted in jeers from the public.

“Frank (Zangari) just said that the DA’s office has just about a warrant out for his arrest,” Marquardt said.

“He failed to show for a criminal hearing,” Councilman Daniel Heiser said.

“We had two hearings on the same day — a criminal one and a hearing on getting fined $1,000 a day, and he failed to show up for both,” co-code enforcement officer Zangari said. “He has not complied with anything and he’s been ignorant to the code office.”

Zangari, who is also the borough fire chief, said that Schultz’s remarks at a court hearing that all the water damage came from the Saleh building is not correct.

“I testified against him that we trench-cut that roof (at 205) on July 2, 1998, and nothing was done to that building. In fact, it was on fire afterwards,” Zangari said. “He lost on that testimony and was fined $2,000, and he is currently paying on that $2,000.”

Marquardt said, “And if for any reason that building should fall today, tomorrow or whenever, we will then push everything back and open that street. We’ve been with the engineer on it.”

“It’s worth the fight. We can’t stop,” Zangari said. “We need to keep fighting it.”

The Schuylkill County Courthouse was closed Wednesday and scheduled meetings will be held next week.

The commissioners’ work session scheduled for Wednesday was moved to 9 a.m. March 22 in the Hoffman Room at the courthouse, 401 N. Second St., Pottsville. The regularly scheduled public meeting will still be held at 10 a.m. March 22 followed by the prison board meeting originally scheduled for this week at 11 a.m. The county will also hold a federally required meeting March 22 on Geisinger Health System’s plan to refinance outstanding debt and make capital improvements through an $850 million tax-exempt bond. It will be held at 9:45 a.m. in the commissioners’ board room.

The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act hearing is mandated by the Internal Revenue Service to provide an opportunity for interested individuals where the funding will be allocated to express their views on the issuance of bonds, according to www.irs.gov.

The commissioners will vote on the resolution at their meeting.

Geisinger Health has seven offices in Schuylkill County. There are four in Pottsville and one each in Orwigsburg, Frackville and Mahanoy City.

The Pottsville City Council on Monday approved a demolition request list, with 27 properties, to the county.

The council had previously approved a list at its February meeting, however, the county wanted a separate resolution on each of the properties.

The following properties were submitted: 124 S. Third St., $24,500; 645 N. Second St., $14,500; 647 N. Second St., $12,950; 629 N. Centre St., $24,500; 525 S. Centre St., $47,500; 712 W. Market St., $33,000; 446 E. Market St., $45,500; 1800 W. Norwegian St., $23,500; 14 S. Seventh St., $23,500; 331 E. Norwegian St., $22,500; 329 E. Norwegian St., $22,500; 309 Nichols St., $24,500; 815 Minersville St., $6,500; 805 W. Race St., $23,500; 627 W. Race St., $44,000; 719 W. Race St., $24,000; 456 Nichols St., $21,000; 415 North St., $23,000; 571 S. Centre St., $9,500; 901 Minersville St., $17,000; 628 N. Second St., $24,500; 620 W. Arch St., $13,000; 532 Harrison St., $32,000; 607 N. Seventh St., $24,500; 318 S. Second St., $34,000; 1011 Minersville St., $24,000; and 326 E. Arch St., $45,000. The total is $684,450.

A list of three blighted properties was submitted to the Schuylkill County Tax Claim Bureau: 410 W. Race St., 528 W. Arch St., and 800 Mahantongo St.

In another matter, work on the borough garage is not far off as the council approved awarding a contract for a bid of $138,226.67 to Pioneer Pole Buildings. City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar said the work could start next month and be done in about 90 days.

“We are out of space for storage,” he said.

The site of the new garage will be on the same property as the current garage. A contract was also awarded for a bid of $3,500 to Larry McCullion & Son Electrical Construction Services LLC for electrical work at the new building. Four bids were submitted, with Larry McCullion & Son submitting the lowest.

The contract for the repairs to the Pottsville City Hall wall was awarded for a bid of $136,990 to Jones Masonry Corp. Eight bids were received for the project, with Jones Masonry submitting the lowest.

All three contracts were contingent on appropriate paperwork, insurances and recommendation by the city solicitor and engineer.

Members approved the second reading amending the rental ordinance.

Salaries for city employees, appointed and elected office holders were also approved.

Two vehicles were awarded to the highest bidders. DeNaples Auto Parts, Dunmore, submitted the winning bid of $2,615 for a 1990 International Dump Truck, while KMK Asphalt Sealing LLC, Pottsville, was the highest bidder at $3,501 for a 1992 International Dump Truck.

In other matters, Noralea Matz was appointed as recreation director. Palamar said she will likely start April 1 after Mary Quirk, the current recreation director, retires March 31. Quirk was presented with a proclamation of her years of service to the city. Members thanked her for her dedication.

The city now has a revised HIPAA Policy. Palamar said the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Insurance Fund requested they have one. The city clerk was appointed as the security officer for the HIPAA policy.

The council also approved an intermunicipal liquor license transfer from Julian’s Tavern, 874 N. Centre St., to Tony’s at 420 Nichols St. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board must still approve it.

A Pottsville man is headed to state prison after being sentenced March 9 in Schuylkill County Court for participating in the theft of television sets in October 2012 from a store in the city.

Randy M. Bruen, 41, must serve six to 24 months in a state correctional institution, Judge James P. Goodman ruled Thursday.

Goodman imposed the sentence after revoking Bruen’s probation, which the defendant admitted violating by failing to report to his supervising officer, failing a drug test, using drugs and not making payments on his costs and fees.

“You’re not amenable to county supervision,” Goodman told Bruen, who sat through the hearing wearing handcuffs and a prison jumpsuit. “You need to address your drug and alcohol and mental health issues.”

Bruen originally pleaded guilty on April 24, 2013, to retail theft and conspiracy, with prosecutors withdrawing a charge of receiving stolen property. At that time, Goodman sentenced him to spend two years on probation consecutive to his existing sentence and pay costs, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $731.37 restitution.

Pottsville police charged Bruen and three other people with stealing three flat-screen television sets from the Rite-Aid store at Route 61 and Mill Creek Avenue on Oct. 4, 2012.

Bruen had asked not to be sent to state prison, saying he was staying off drugs and helping to take care of his and his girlfriend’s children.

In another Thursday case, Goodman revoked the parole of Robert M. Pastucha Jr., 32, of Mahanoy City, and ordered him to serve at least three more months in prison. He directed Pastucha to return to prison at 9:30 a.m. today and said he could not apply for reparole until June 16.

Goodman ruled Pastucha had violated the terms of his parole by not reporting to his supervising officer, using drugs, failing drug tests and committing new crimes.

“I’m just not smart,” Pastucha said.

Pastucha, who could remain behind bars until May 24, 2018, originally pleaded guilty on Sept. 23, 2015, to false alarm in one case and resisting arrest in another, with prosecutors withdrawing charges of prohibited possession of offensive weapon, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia in the latter. At that time, Goodman sentenced him to serve 130 days to 23 months in prison and pay costs and $100 in CJEA payments.

Pottsville police charged Pastucha in the first case with sending the false alarm on Dec. 9, 2014, in the city, while Tamaqua police charged him in the second case with resisting arrest on Dec. 21, 2014, in the borough.

America’s Oldest Brewery is updating the appearance of its core brands.

D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc., Pottsville, announced the label and packaging makeover Wednesday for Yuengling Traditional Lager, Light Lager and Black & Tan. The new “iconic eagle” designs on all pack types are being rolled out by April.

The design for its flagship beer, Traditional Lager, has not changed in nearly 30 years. While the packaging and labels are being refreshed, the recipes are not changing.

“This was a big commitment by the family to do this type of redesign because a lot of other brands do it more frequently,” Tyler Simpson, director of marketing, said Wednesday. “But for us, we felt it was an opportunity to better tell our story and also to have our brands on the shelf work as more of a family together with more consistent architecture across the three. We felt that was an important opportunity to help people recognize us in store because we have so many people who don’t recognize who we are. We have had so much success, but there are so many people who need to get to know us.”

Simpson said design development started about a year ago after discussions with the company’s leadership team as well as distributors and consumers about the current packaging.

“We came to the conclusion that we thought there was an opportunity first and foremost to better tell our America’s Oldest Brewery story,” he said. “We learned that a lot of people actually don’t know we are America’s Oldest Brewery.”

Jennifer Yuengling, vice president of operations, said it was surprising to learn that people even as close as Philadelphia did not know that Yuengling is the oldest brewery in the country.

“Consumers just 100 miles away were not aware of the longevity we have had and where we come from,” she said.

Yuengling’s iconic “Eagle and Barrel” logo is featured more prominently in the new designs and the color palates for the each beer has been altered.

“We settled on this design that leverages our eagle and barrel icon, which has been our logo since we were founded,” Simpson said. “It is important to us for a number of reasons, but one of them is from the story-telling angle that the first brewery D.G. Yuengling built was actually named The Eagle Brewery and it was across town where City Hall is. That was the first brewery for the company and it was from 1829 to 1831 when it unfortunately burned down and D.G. relocated to this location where we have obviously been ever since.”

“The eagle has always been part of our portfolio and marketing and advertising and we feel that the packaging really accentuates that and we have a really clean, crisp and very classy looking package for all three of these core brands,” Yuengling said.

“We really sought to simplify the design a little bit and steer into what is most important to America’s Oldest Brewery, our eagle and have more consistency across our packaging,” Simpson said. “We decided on something that feels slightly more simple, but a more powerful design and we are pretty excited about that.”

The new cans and packaging first went through the production line Wednesday at the Pottsville brewery. Yuengling said about 30,000 cases worth of cans were packaged Wednesday.

Distribution of the new packaging and labels also coincides with Yuengling’s expansion into Indiana. In April, Yuengling will have its three core brands in 20 states.

David J. Rossi

TREMONT — A New Philadelphia man is headed to Schuylkill County Court after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing March 9 on charges stemming from his alleged improper publication of a suggestive picture.

Clarence E. Eckert Jr., 48, of 84 East Side Drive, faces charges of unlawful dissemination of intimate image and harassment. Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi bound over both charges for court after Eckert waived his right to the hearing.

Branch Township police charged Eckert with making the picture public without the consent of the person in it on Nov. 29, 2016, in the township.

Eckert is free on $5,000 unsecured bail pending further court action.

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

Patric W. Boyer, 39, of 644 Chestnut St., Hegins; driving under the influence, careless driving, operating vehicle without required financial responsibility and improper tires; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge of careless driving withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

Haley M. Estok, 23, of 157 Siding Hill Road, Summerhill; two counts of receiving stolen property; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Shandra V. Etzweiler, 33, of 1120 Brandywine St., Lebanon; theft by deception and receiving stolen property; charges held for court after preliminary hearing that Etzweiler did not attend. Rossi asked the court to issue a bench warrant for Etzweiler.

William R. Klahre III, 28, of 618 Julian St., Williamstown; criminal mischief; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge bound over for court.

Sherry Ann Marchefsky, 39, of 461 Sunbury St., Minersville; DUI, disregarding traffic lane and careless driving; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.

Thomas L. May, 64, of 55 Jeff Swamp Road, Pine Grove; materially false written statement and false statement under penalty; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge of materially false written statement withdrawn, other charge bound over for court.

Timothy S. O’Connor Jr., 23, of 1300 Muriel St. Apt. 201L, Pittsburgh; possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, DUI, violation of special speed limitations, speeding, careless driving and reckless driving; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges of careless driving and reckless driving withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.

Edmund L. Wiza, 57, of 692 River Road, Bensalem; theft by deception, bad checks and disorderly conduct; charges of theft by deception and bad checks withdrawn. Wiza pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct; Rossi sentenced him to pay costs and a $100 fine.

Schuylkill County residents are still shoveling snow with spring only a few days away.

As municipalities continue plowing streets, residents are being reminded to stay safe and obey local parking bans.

Pottsville works

to remove snow

Tom Whitaker, Pottsville street department supervisor, said crews have been working long hours and will be repairing their equipment ahead of the next snowfall in the forecast today and Saturday.

“(Today) we will be doing snow removal during the day,” Whitaker said. “The progress has been very slow. This year we are not using private contractors because the state did not declare a state of emergency.”

Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday signed a proclamation of disaster emergency, not a state of emergency. His declaration did not prohibit vehicular travel on state roads, but reduced speed limits and strongly urged residents to delay all unnecessary travel. The proclamation also increases protection from price-gouging.

After a snowstorm January 2016, a major disaster was officially declared for Pennsylvania and 31 counties were allowed to seek federal reimbursement on costs associated with the snow. Whitaker said Pottsville was able to hire additional contractors last year to remove snow since they were allowed to seek reimbursement.

The city has 16 trucks plowing city streets this week and used about 200 tons of salt on the road. Whitaker said the city ordered another 150 tons of salt.

Due to the wind and several snow squalls throughout the week, Whitaker said they have had to stop removing snow to plow the streets again.

“Another issue that is really slowing us down is we have to go back and clear streets off because of the drifting,” he said. “We have to stop snow removal to go back and clear the streets. The weather is really slowing us down.”

They are moving the snow up to the JFK Recreation Complex.

“If citizens want to, they are invited to take their snow up there, too,” Whitaker said.

After plowing the downtown district early this morning, Whitaker said, the street crews will work their way to Market Street, snow emergency lanes and other problem areas.

“After that, we will work our way through the tighter neighborhoods,” he said.

They will then have to prepare their equipment for more snow in the forecast tonight.

He said fire departments have been shoveling out hydrants in their wards and asked residents to make sure at least one hydrant is clear in their neighborhoods.

“The only problem we are running into with residents is that we are moving at such a slow pace,” he said. “I can only ask residents that they have more patience. This is a momentous amount of snow. This was not your typical snowfall. And if residents can help themselves and their neighbor, that will be fantastic.”

Residents are reminded that shoveling snow into the street is illegal, according to Pottsville City Code. Snow thrown into the street can cause obstructions or freeze into ice.

Don’t save parking spaces

In Minersville, Police Chief Michael Combs said the borough has started removing snow from Front and Sunbury streets.

“It is creating traffic nightmares,” Combs said.

He said the borough will start notifying residents about moving their vehicles to remove snow. The borough also towed a few vehicles because they were still parked along snow emergency routes.

“Most people got off them, but there were about five we had to tow because they were on state highways,” Combs said. “For the most part, it is moving as smooth as possible.”

Combs also wanted to remind residents that saving parking spots with any furniture is illegal.

“We haven’t had that problem yet, but I expect it to start soon,” Combs said. “You cannot save a spot and if you have stuff out blocking a space, we are going to pick it up and take it to the trash. It’s frustrating when you dig out a spot and you leave and someone else comes and takes your spot, but unfortunately, that’s the way it is.”

More snow coming

The National Weather Service at State College forecasts another inch or two of snow today and Saturday.

“It looks like rain or snow Friday night,” Craig Evanego, NWS meteorologist, said. “Right now, we have an inch or two of accumulation Friday night and possible snow to rain Saturday. It looks like some snow showers are possible late Saturday and into Sunday.”

High temperatures will stay below the mid-40s early next week and drop into the mid-30s by Wednesday, Evanego said.

“It looks like we really don’t get rid of the cool weather,” he said.

Stay safe while shoveling

Meanwhile, the secretary of the state Department of Health issued a press release earlier this week with tips on staying safe while removing snow. They include:

• If you have any heart attack symptoms, such as pain in your chest or shortness of breath, stop shoveling and call 911.

• Consider shoveling in shifts instead of all at once.

• Take breaks and drink water to prevent dehydration.

• Push snow instead of lifting it — if you must lift, bend your legs and not your back.

• Avoid twisting motions that can stress your back.

• If using a snow blower, follow all safety instructions and stay aware of others who may be nearby.

The most common cold-related problems are hypothermia and frostbite. The state Department of Health said people are encouraged to stay indoors as much as possible, but if they must go outside:

• Make outdoor trips brief and dress warmly in layers.

• Cover your ears, head, mouth and face.

• Never ignore shivering — it’s your body’s way of saying you’re losing heat and it’s time to return indoors.

• Know the symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite: Hypothermia causes shivering, exhaustion, confusion, memory loss, slurred speech or drowsiness in adults and bright red, cold skin and very low energy in children and babies. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in affected areas, and symptoms include a white or grayish-yellow area of skin, numbness or skin that feels unusually firm or waxy. Seek medical attention if it is suspected that you or your loved ones have hypothermia or frostbite.

Schuylkill County Coroner Dr. David J. Moylan III said three people died this week of apparent heart attacks while shoveling.

FRACKVILLE — The Frackville community swimming pool project will continue forward with an approval from the borough council at its monthly meeting on March 8.

The pool replacement project is in a preliminary stage with information being gathered as fundraising continues in the meantime. Councilwoman Karen Domalakes, chairwoman of the council’s Recreation Committee, provided an update on the status of the project that is being planned through Frackville Public Spaces Inc., formerly the Frackville Pool Committee. FPS has filed for incorporation and will also seek federal 501(c)3 status as a nonprofit organization to be eligible for funding from public and private sources.

“At our last (FPS) meeting, we discussed that our next step would be to apply for a loan,” Domalakes said. “We had the (pool) plan redrawn and the pool committee is recommending the plan that has a base cost of $850,000 but comes up to almost a million when you add in the soft costs and things like that.”

The community pool, which was constructed in 1978, did not open in 2015 due to deterioration along the walls. Three of the six pool walls had pulled away, and the south and west walls has cracks large enough to fit a hand into them. All of the filtration buckets are also cracked.

While repairs could have been made to open in the pool last year, an evaluation determined that the underlying problems would still exist and most likely reappear in 2016. The decision by the borough council was to keep the pool closed and begin to look into options to replace it.

The original design of the replacement pool was about $1 million for construction. The design was recently reviewed by the borough engineer and a pool specialist to reduce the cost.

“I’m making a motion at this meeting for the borough to pursue a $1 million loan,” Domalakes said. “The place where we get the loan, the length of the loan, and the interest rate has yet to be determined. We’ll be moving forward on the alternative plan that was submitted and hopefully starting demolition at the current pool.”

The motion was seconded by Councilman Charles Berger, who asked about future council votes on the project. Domalakes said there will be future approvals needed.

“When the specifics are set, we will be entertaining this again,” Domalakes said. “And for what we might have to do this year, even without the loan, we (council) put away $25,000 this year, and we did that last year, and the committee has raised $25,000.”

“This is the first step in the process if we want to have a pool in town,” Berger said.

“It comes down to the question if we want to have a pool or don’t want to have a pool,” Domalakes said.

“Since I’ve been a kid living in town, the pool has been here,” council President Ronald Jordan said. “There was one, then another, so it’s been pretty much a part of the community. So it’s one of those things that the borough can bring to its residents and attract more residents to live here. So, again, it is a big decision, but it’s also a decision for the longevity of the town. People come here because we have a great library. People come to Frackville because we have a very nice park down on Arch Street that has been redone. We understand the upfront shock and awe, but it’s really about the longevity of the town. It’s one of those things that people who are looking to raise their kids will draw people here.”

“A good quality of life,” Berger added.

Jordan said repairing the current pool may be a less expensive option, but the cost would still be substantial and the borough could face problems again in five years.

Berger said the next census will be held in 2020 and it is very important for all residents to be counted in order for the borough to be eligible for grant funds. The last census put the borough just under 4,000, which removed it from entitlement status for Community Development Block Grant and other funding. The borough currently needs to be part of competitive grant funding through the county.

“We need to get an accurate figure of people living in town so we can get our CDBG funds back again,” Berger said. “Those CDBG funds went a long way in keeping the pool running through the years. Hopefully we can get back online, and not just for recreation but also for assisting the elderly. We depend on the census being done accurately.”

Councilwoman Helen Miernicki said community assets like the pool, the library and others help maintain and increase property values, which in turn helps the borough at large.

The vote was 6-1 in favor, with Councilman William Creasy voting against the motion.

Domalakes said upcoming fundraisers include a Paint & Sip event from 7 to 9 p.m. March 30 at borough hall. Participants can bring their favorite beverage. The event is hosted by Creative Changes Center for Arts and Humanities. Cost is $35, with $10 going to the pool fund. All art supplies are included. Go to “Frackville Pool Fundraiser” on Facebook to buy tickets through PayPal.

There is also a theme basket auction for the pool project on July 23, with a shop and drop on July 22.

Parking spot fight

leads to charges

ASHLAND — Two borough women were arrested by state police at Frackville after an argument over a parking space about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 1300 block of Walnut Street.

Police said Pauline Covine, 43, and Haley Becker, 23, were charged with disorderly conduct and will have to answer before Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville.

The women began to argue on the sidewalk over a parking space that was shoveled out after a recent snow storm.

Police said Becker reported she shoveled out the parking space near her home and that Covine’s husband parked his truck in the newly shoveled space and refused to move it.

Covine and Becker argued about the parking space until the argument turned into physical altercation with both women punching and pushing each other and also pulling each other’s hair, police said.

Police investigate

2-vehicle crash

FRIEDENSBURG — State police at Schuylkill Haven investigated a crash that occurred about 1:30 p.m. Sunday at routes 443 and 183 in Wayne Township.

Police said William H. Sutton, 55, of Schuylkill Haven, was driving a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado south on Route 183 and slowed down for traffic in front of him when his truck was hit from behind by a 2014 Dodge Charger driven by Jason R. Yoder, 32, of Cressona.

Yoder was not hurt and police said they did not know if Sutton was hurt.

Friedensburg firefighters and fire police assisted at the scene along with Schuylkill EMS, police said.

Hegins Twp. man

faces drug charges

HEGINS — A Hegins Township man faces charges after he was allegedly found with marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his house.

Hegins Township Police went to 301 Gap St., Valley View, on March 7 to assist the state parole department on a routine house visit for Todd Rudisill Jr., 30. The aforementioned items were found at his house and turned over to the police. Rudisill faces two misdemeanor counts, one count of possession of a controlled substance and one of drug paraphernalia. Charges were filed at the office of Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi, Tremont.

The names of the two men who died in Ringtown while shoveling snow this week have been released.

Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner Dave Truskowsky said Joseph Piampi, 55, and Edgar Gilliam, 81, both of Ringtown, died earlier this week. County Coroner Dr. David J. Moylan III said the men died of apparent heart attacks while shoveling snow.

Truskowsky said Gilliam died Tuesday and Piampi died Wednesday. Family members found the men outside. Moylan said Wednesday an elderly woman from Wayne Township died while shoveling snow.