Local News-Monday, Oct. 9th

The Pottsville Bicentennial Parade was an event that people will remember for a long time. A cloudy and cool Saturday provided the backdrop for the two-and-a-half hour parade that wound its way through the city of Pottsville. Musical entertainment was provided by string bands, bagpipers, high school bands, and the Penn State Blue Band kept viewers tapping their toes. A number of businesses and community groups put a lot of work into creating floats to celebrate Pottsville's 200th birthday. The parade Grand Marshal was Attorney Joseph Jones Sr., who has been an active civic leader for decades. Parade organizers estimate that more than 15-thousand-people witnessed the pageantry of the Pottsville Bicentennial Parade Saturday.

A Friday afternoon fire in Palo Alto was started by the building's owner, according to the State Police Fire Marshal. Fire Marshal Michael Kowalick of the Reading barracks determined the fire at 127 East Savory Street was ignited by 49-year-old Thomas Folino. The blaze was in full roll when firefighters arrived Friday afternoon. The fire began in the basement of the property. The blaze left Folino and Ann McCole homeless, as well as Paul Kennedy and his girlfriend, Samantha James, who lived at 129 East Savory Street. Both properties sustained severe damages. Those damages are estimated at $150-thousand-dollars. Folino admitted to investigators that he started the fire. He will be charged in the incident.

Two men held up a gas station in Mahanoy Township Sunday morning. Frackville state police say that David Powell the third of Mountaintop, and an unidentified man entered the Shell gas station on Morea Road around 6:30am and demanded money from the clerk, Heather Singh. Powell was carrying a handgun during the robbery. The clerk handed over more than $300-dollars to the thieves. Both men fled on foot. A witness and the clerk both recognized Powell, since he visited the station the previous day. Powell was charged with Robbery, Theft, and Terroristic Threats. He was arraigned by District Judge Bernadette Nahas via teleconference, and taken to Schuylkill County Prison, being unable to post the $30-thousand-dollars bail. The other man is described as a white male, with thin build, brown hair and wearing light colored sweat pants and a light shirt. He is still at large.

State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating a hit and run crash in Porter Township Sunday afternoon. An unknown driver lost control of his pickup truck while driving south on State Route 209 and struck an electric wheelchair operated by 71-year-old Lester Adams of Tower City. The impact forced Adams into a parked car. Adams was thrown from his wheelchair, and was injured. The driver of the truck did not stop to help him after the impact. Schuylkill Haven troopers are still looking for the driver who caused the crash. The truck is described as a brown 1985 pickup, with PA registration YSG3668.

A Girardville man is facing charges of driving under the influence following an early Saturday morning crash. State police report that 22-year-old Brian Oakum was driving his Jeep Cherokee on West Ogden Street in Girardville when he lost control of the SUV and rear-ended a parked car. The vehicle then struck another parked car. Oakum drove away from the scene. Frackville troopers located the man, and during questioning, he admitted to the accident. Police believed he was drunk, and gave him a breath test. That test proved positive. Oakum will be charged with DUI and other traffic offenses.

State police are looking for a Reading man who stole a Pottsville woman's car with a tow truck. Troopers now say that Luis Ortiz came to a Port Clinton home on September 25th and removed a 1993 Dodge Daytona owned by Michelle Wingle of Pottsville. The car was involved in an accident August 31st and the owner was waiting for the insurance company to process the claim. Ortiz towed the car to a New Ringgold junkyard. Theft charges are pending against Ortiz, and a warrant issued for his arrest. He is still at large today.

The Schuylkill County Election Bureau is gearing up for next month's general election. At Wednesday's County Commissioners work session, Betty Dries asked the commissioners for approval to hire four drivers, and 19 "Rovers", and to approve a polling place change. The drivers will replace four who resigned. They and others will deliver voting machines to the polling places for the November election. Rates for the drivers range from $150.00 to $299.00. Dries said the "Rovers" are her eyes and ears at the polls who report to her anything out of the ordinary. They are paid at the rate of $10.00 per hour. The polling place change is from the Reilly Township Building, Branchdale to Anne's Bakery, Branchdale.