Local News - Saturday Jan. 13

Schedule For Winter Carnival Events

The Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival is under way for 2007. Here is a list of the events scheduled for this years festivities:

tomorrow at 7 p.m. the Snowflake fashion show will take place at Pine View Acres

Wednesday January 17 the Snowflake Costume Fashion Show takes place at Boscov's Auditorium at 7 o'clock

Luau Nite is 8 p.m. Saturday January 20th at Avenues in Mechanicsville

Senior Princess Fashion show at the Pottsville Club on Sunday January 21st at 7:30

Yuengling Night at the Humane Fire Company is Friday January 26 at 9 p.m.

Snowflake Coronation will be at the Pottsville Area High School on January 27th at 7 p.m. followed by the Snowdrop and Snowflake Party at the Pottsville Club

Saturday February 3rd will be the Senior Princess Coronation at Pottsville Area High School at 7:30 and the Carnival culminates later that same evening with the Queen's Ball at the Pottsville Club.

There is a donation requested for most of the events and WPPA News wishes all participants well through the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival.

Drive By Fruiting in West Mahanoy Township

Dean Smeal reported to State Police in Frackville that while he was driving his tractor trailer on Industrial Park Road in West Mahanoy Township on January 11th that an unknown male threw an apple at his vehicle smashing the windshield. Smeal stated that the man fled the scene as a passenger in a burgundy sedan. Anyone with information is urged to contact Frackville State Police at (570) 874-5300.

Icy Crashes

Yesterday's early morning ice was the cause of several accidents throughout the area. Here are few reported to WPPA News by the Frackville State Police. On route 924 at approximately 6 a.m. Cynthia Shaffer of Shenandoah rolled her vehicle onto it’s roof. Damage was reported as minor to her Geo Tracker. Another accident in Mahanoy Township was attributed to the icy conditions as a 17 year old Barnesville girl crashed her Mercury Cougar. She will be cited for driving a vehicle at a safe speed. Joseph Burke of Mahanoy City was traveling on Route 54 west of Mahanoy City at approximately 7:50 a.m. when he lost control of his vehicle on a bridge striking the bridge barrier and sliding on its left side before coming to rest on its roof. Burke suffered minor injuries but was taken to Good Samaritan Medical Center where he was treated and released.

One vehicle crash near New Ringgold

A New Ringgold woman suffered minor injuries in a Friday morning crash in East Brunswick Township. 46-year-old Leda (leeda) Rickenbach was traveling on Route 895 and lost control. The car struck a tree and flipped onto its side and back onto the roadway. Her vehicle was severely damaged.

Theft from a vehicles

State Police at Frackville are looking for information in a theft from a vehicle in East Union Township. According to a police report, 15 CD's were removed from the vehicle of Jonathan Biros of Oneida sometime during the overnight hours of January 10th into the 11th. Also on January 11th, unknown suspects attempted to gain entry into a vehicle owned by Jeffrey Tanner of Sheppton, East Union Township, damaging the driver's door latch and rear hatch molding of the vehicle. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Frackville barracks at (570) 874-5300.

Students win awards in Radon Poster Contest

Radon is a problem that plagues everyone. Several local students have earned awards for their artwork and concern about the problem in a statewide poster competition. Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty announced Pennsylvania's state winners in the 2007 National Radon Poster Contest, sponsored by the National Safety Council, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contest honors winners for computer-generated and hand-drawn artwork at the national and state level. The state winner is Nathaniel Yingling of Pottsville, an eighth-grade student at Blue Mountain Middle School. Nathaniel also won third place nationally in this category, and earned a trip with his family to Washington, D.C., for a Jan. 16 ceremony recognizing the national winners. Pennsylvania's second-place and third-place winners in the poster contest's computer-generated category also are students at Blue Mountain Middle School: Ashley Byerly and Bret Stencovage, both of Schuylkill Haven. January is Radon Action Month, as designated by the Environmental Protection Agency. McGinty urged all Pennsylvanians to test their homes for radon during the winter months, when doors and windows are closed and radon levels can build.

Bergey to speak at Y Dinner

A Philadelphia Eagles legend will be the speaker at this year's "Spirit of the Y" Dinner in February. Retired Eagles linebacker Bill Bergey will share his experiences on the gridiron and in life at the 5th annual Schuylkill YMCA dinner, sponsored by Capital Blue Cross, at the Schuylkill Country Club. An 11-year NFL veteran, Bergey holds numerous defensive records for the Eagles, and now does pre-and post-game commentary on the Birds Radio Network.
The Spirit of the Y dinner will feature the annual Bids for Kids silent and live auction. The large variety of items will include Penn State, Philadelphia Eagles, and Pittsburgh Steelers autographed footballs and photos along with a mix of sporting event tickets and dinner packages. Items from the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins will also be on hand. Tickets and information are available at the Schuylkill YMCA at 570-622-7850. The Schuylkill YMCA is a member of the Schuylkill United Way.

Chamber "Coffee Talk"

Property tax reform and health care costs were the main topics of discussion by area legislators during a Friday morning meeting with members of the Chamber of Commerce. State Senator Jim Rhoades and Representatives Dave Argall and Tim Seip all agreed that School property tax reform and affordable health care are hot issues in Harrisburg. Representative Argall said there are two primary options for reducing school property taxes. On the issue of healthcare, Argall said Pennsylvania will be watching with interest a Massachusetts Health Care plan that covers just about everyone in the state. Senator Rhoades said affordable health care is a major issue and the State Insurance Commissioner needs to do a better job looking at the profits of major health care insurers. Representative Tim Seip said every one he has talked to in Harrisburg has property tax concerns. The program was sponsored by the Chamber's government affairs committee and held at Luther Ridge, Seiders Hill.