Local News-Friday, Oct.13th

Schuylkill Products Incorporated is moving oversized loads today. The specialty concrete manufacturer is planning to move loads at 7, 9 and 11am. Motorists can expect delays at the intersections of Route 901 and 183 and again at Route 183 and 61. The loads will then travel south on Route 61 to the exit for Interstate 78 west at Hamburg.

A Palo Alto homeowner who admitted to setting a fire had a preliminary hearing yesterday. 49-year-old Thomas Folino appeared before District Judge David Plachko in Port Carbon to answer charges about a fire at 127 and 129 Savory Street in Palo Alto on October 6th. Folino, who admitted to state police that he started the fire, is charged with arson and related offenses. In the affidavit of probable cause, police say that Folino ignited wooden lattice in his basement and left the home. A neighbor saw Folino leave the property, and noticed the fire shortly afterwards. Folino told investigators that he was having financial problems. Folino and Ann McCole were left homeless, as well as Paul Kennedy and his girlfriend, Samantha James, who lived at 129 Savory Street. The losses from the fire total about $150-thousand-dollars.

Fire significantly damaged four homes in Mahanoy City yesterday morning. We first told you about the blaze shortly after it began around 6:30am in the 400 block of West Market Street. The blaze destroyed two homes, leaving three people homeless. The other two structures had heavy damage. Four people are temporarily displaced due to the blaze. Mahanoy City and state police fire officials are investigating the cause of the blaze. A ceremony was held yesterday to mark the completion of several important road improvements and repairs. State and local officials noted the completion of a truck pull-off and emergency flood repairs on Gordon Mountain Road in Butler and Cass Townships. The truck pull-off will allow truck drivers to safely pull-off and check their brakes or turn around before heading down the steep hill, according to PennDOT officials. Other improvements include warning signs about the impending steep grade into the borough of Gordon. PennDOT Schuylkill County Maintenance personnel constructed the pull-off at a cost of approximately $30-thousand-dollars. Another pull-off area will be constructed on the eastern side of Interstate 81 in Cass Township at a cost of $20-thousand-dollars.

A New Ringgold man was injured in a one vehicle crash Wednesday night. Edward Stott was traveling east on Route 895 in East Brunswick Township when he failed to negotiate a right curve. The vehicle crossed the road and hit a concrete culvert, and traveled nearly 400 feet before rolling on the driver's side. The Jeep continued on for another 300 feet before coming to rest in the center of the road. Stott was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment. His condition is unknown right now. He was not wearing his seatbelt.

The Schuylkill County Commissioners opened bids for a storm water improvement project in Girardville during their Wednesday Board meeting. The bids were received from Barletta Materials & Construction Inc., Tamaqua, Mazzuca Enterprises Inc., Pottsville and Hazleton Site Contractors, Hazleton. The bid award will be made at the next Commissioners meeting in two weeks. The Commissioners approved entering into a maintenance agreement for traffic signal upgrades at Route 61 and Manheim Road in North Manheim Township. The County will be reimbursed by the developer of a Sheetz convenience store and gas station slated to be constructed nearby. Approval was granted for four new appointments in the Children & Youth Services department and two at Rest Haven. Appointed as caseworkers at Children & Youth were Eric Hoffman, Pine Grove, Gloria Bartol, Pottsville and Sharyn Wetzell and Kathleen Demauro, both of Frackville. John Lavelle, Mahanoy City, was appointed caseworker at Rest Haven and Nina Whitner of Schuylkill Haven was appointed part-time Nurses Aide at Rest Haven. The Human Service Department received approval to enter into an agreement with Employee Counseling and Consultation Services to provide Sexual Harassment Training for county employees. The program consists of 29 sessions at $6,150 with an hourly training rate of $150.00. Authorization was given to advertise for a public hearing for October 18th to provide for citizen comment on Community Development and Housing needs through the use of Community Development Block Grant Funds.