Local News-Wednesday, Jan. 24th

A three month investigation netted the arrest of several people on various drug charges in Auburn late last week. The Schuylkill County Drug Task Force and the Auburn Police Department executed a search warrant Friday at 206 Market Street in Auburn. Police found numerous individuals, both adults and juveniles at the home, as well as a quantity of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Among those charged was a 17-year-old male juvenile. Charges were also filed against Jamaal Dean and Joenelle Rick for possession, possession with intent to deliver and criminal conspiracy. Rick and Dean were arraigned and taken to Schuylkill County Prison. Both posted the required bail of 10 percent of $10-thousand-dollars, and released. To report illegal drug activity, call the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force at 800-414-1406.

Two men who are in this country illegally were apprehended this week in Rush Township. Officers on patrol saw a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of My Brother’s Beer Barn. Frank Velasquez, the driver, appeared to be intoxicated and failed a sobriety test. A passenger, Jairo Gonzalez, also had an open container in the car. Both men are from Guatemala. Police found that the car the men were driving in was stolen in Virginia. Both were taken into custody to await a deportation hearing by immigration officials.

A Tamaqua woman suffered minor injuries in a crash in Blythe Township yesterday afternoon. Patricia McHale was traveling on Route 209 north when she left the roadway and got stuck on the guiderails. Her car had severe front end damage. McHale was cited in the crash. The incident happened around 2:30pm.

Two dogs were removed from their kennels in Pine Grove Township overnight Monday. Schuylkill Haven State Police indicate that someone removed two German Short Haired Pointers from the kennel at the home of Ryan Schaeffer. The dogs are valued at $4-thousand-dollars. A reward is being offered for their return. Anyone with information should contact Schuylkill Haven State Police at 593-2000.

Authorities are investigating a break-in at a pizza shop in Nuremberg Monday night into Tuesday. State police report that someone broke into Celeste Pizza Shop on Mahanoy Street between 5pm Monday and 7am Tuesday. During the burglary, a game machine, snacks and drinks wee taken. Frackville troopers are investigating.

State game lands located in our area will grow, thanks to a gift from a Maryland woman. State Game Lands number 211 in Pine Grove Township will grow by 59 acres, thanks to a gift from Jean Jones of Rockville, Maryland. The parcel - 52 wooded and 7 farmland acres will provide a fine habitat for wild turkeys, deer and songbirds, and will augment the existing 44-thousand-373 acres. Ms. Jones placed a restriction on the tract that it could not be sold or transferred for 25 years from the date of the deed. The seven acres of farmable land will also be beneficial to wildlife. The Game Commission has been purchasing State Game Lands since 1920. The State Game Lands system currently contains more than 1.4 million acres.

The Anthracite Regional Center for Independent Living has opened an office in Pottsville. The advocacy group set up shop at Avenues in Mechanicsville at the beginning of the year. The group works on behalf of disabled persons, especially with those who have accessibility issues to public buildings under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The group has been very visible at several locations in Schuylkill County over the past several years to call attention to the difficulties that people with disabilities face in accessing all public facilities. They hope that the new office will help to centralize their operations in a three-county area. The hours of operation at Avenues will be from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.