Local News-Monday, March 26th

Two children were injured in a crash in Shenandoah yesterday afternoon. Shenandoah police say Michael Carduff was backing out of the parking lot at Annunciation BVM church and struck a parked car. He went back into the lot and hit a pickup truck then drove down Columbus Street, where his car hit another car with four people in it. Carduff’s car ended up running through a garage. The Pottsville Republican reports that two children were hurt, and flown to the hospital for treatment. Carduff refused medical treatment at the scene. The crash happened before 1pm Sunday.

A noontime fire in Shenandoah damages two homes on Coal Street. Firefighters responded to 211 and 213 West Coal Street, finding smoke coming from the roof. According to the Pottsville Republican, a woman inside at 213 West Coal did not want to leave and was rescued by a paramedic on scene. Quick work by firefighters contained the fire to the roofs of both homes. Damage was minimal. The cause is deemed accidental.

Two Tamaqua women were hurt in a one vehicle crash on Tumbling Run Road early Sunday morning. Schuylkill Haven State Police say that 25-year-old Jan McGee was driving her SUV, and became distracted while talking on her cell phone. The car left the road, struck several guiderails and and two trees, then rolled down a bank. McGee was trapped in the car, and suffered serious injuries. She was taken to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment via life flight. Her passenger, Monica Mika, was ejected from the car and taken to Pottsville Hospital by a passerby for treatment. The investigation continues.

A Tennessee truck driver is in Schuylkill County Prison for drunk driving late Saturday night.
Frackville State Police say that Tony Lockhart of Millington, Tennessee lost control of his rig on the ramp from Route 309 to Interstate 81 and flipped onto its right side. Troopers determined he was driving under the influence and taken into custody. Following arraignment, he was lodged in Schuylkill County Prison on $20-thousan-dollars bail. The crash happened at 10pm Saturday.

It was a busy weekend for police during DUI enforcement patrols. The roving patrols netted one DUI arrest, 23 other traffic citations and 7 criminal arrests Saturday night. The North Central PA Regional Sobriety Checkpoint program involved 7 police departments. The enforcement program is funded by PennDOT and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The 2007 Great Pottsville Cruise car was unveiled yesterday. Under bright blue skies, the red 1992 Corvette was unveiled to the public for the very first time at the home of its sponsor, Pioneer Pole Buildings, Incorporated in Wayne Township. This is Pioneer’s first year as the cruise car sponsor. Bob Greene, owner of Pioneer Pole Building, said his company gives back to the community in many ways because of his love for the area, and wishes that other businesses would do the same. He said he has had opportunities to move his company out of the area, but he has chosen to stay put to bolster the economy, provide jobs and improve the area. The car will be raffled off during the 14th Great Pottsville Cruise in August. Non-profit organizations can purchase blocks of tickets to be sold to the public, with one lucky ticketholder sure to drive away in the beautiful sports car. The organizations who sell tickets can make money for their worthwhile projects. Tickets can be obtained by contacting Cruise Chairman Jerry Enders at Jerry’s Northeast Auto Sales, or at 12 Volt Dave’s Audio or Hadesty’s Hardware in Pottsville.
The cruise is set for August 8th through the 12th.

Three people are suspected of starting a fire in an SUV in Girardville Saturday. Girardville police picked up an adult and two juveniles on suspicion that they set the fire that destroyed the vehicle parked in the rear of an Ogden Street home early Saturday. The fire was quickly contained so that it didn’t spread to neighboring homes. The unidentified suspects are accused of arson, and have been tied to other vandalism cases. The adult is in Schuylkill County Prison. The younger suspects are under the care of juvenile authorities.

Schuylkill County’s bus transportation system is developing new routes in the Tamaqua area, and want to share those changes with residents. STS is inviting members of the public to participate in a meeting at the Tamaqua High Rise on Wednesday morning at 10am. STS officials will review proposed route changes concerning the Hazleton Connection, as well as the new service scheduled for the new Wal-Mart store in Hometown, expected to be opened soon.
Current route and fare information for the transportation network is available by calling STS, toll-free, at 800-832-3322.