Local News-Friday, April 13th

It's a series of firsts for the Schuylkill County Election Board. The group, normally represented by the Schuylkill County Commissioners, is being represented by three stand-ins because the incumbent Commissioners are running for re-election. Former County Commissioner Jerry Knowles, the chairman, former Tax Claim Bureau head Susan Koch and Attorney Lynne Bressi make up the special election board. The board met Thursday to approve a polling place change in the borough of New Ringgold. The election board also has to deal with charges of election code violations in the County Controller’s race. Democratic Challenger Melinda Kantner has lodged charges against her opponent Jason Gherghel. He purchased the internet domain names melindakantner-dot-com and melindakantner-dot-org, essentially preventing her from using those sites for her campaign. A formal complaint has been filed, and has to be dealt with before the May 15th primary. The standing County solicitors have recused themselves from representing the election board, so they have to hire a solicitor to represent them. Another meeting of the election board is scheduled for Monday, April 16th in the Schuylkill County Courthouse.

A local engineering firm has relocated and expanded its presence in Schuylkill County with the opening of their new office in Schuylkill Haven. RETTEW Associates, a multi-discipline consulting and engineering company cut the ribbon on their new county home yesterday. The company previously had offices in Pottsville. Company President Mark Lauriello said that the company came to the county in 1995, with an office in Orwigsburg. As the company's business grew, they moved to Pottsville, and now to their new home at the Miller Construction Company complex at 950 East Main Street. Among the notable projects designed by RETTEW include the Audenreid mine remediation project and a wetland treatment system in Minersville.

Sanctions continue to pile up for a Tremont Township mining company. R&D Coal Company has been fined 874-thousand-500 dollars for a fatal mine accident. The fine comes under the enhanced penalties that Congress enacted last year. Federal officials say R-and-D Coal Company lacked adequate ventilation, safe blasting practices and proper safety checks before shifts at its Buck Mountain Slope Mine near Joliett. Government officials say that directly contributed to the October 23rd explosion that killed miner Dale Reightler. U-S Mine Safety and Health Administration investigators said the R-and-D miners conducting the blasting that day were not qualified to handle explosives, and set them off before miners could get to a safe area. Congress boosted mine-safety fines in the wake of a series of miner deaths, including those of 12 men at West Virginia's Sago mine.

An 8-hour standoff between police and a man ended peacefully yesterday afternoon. State police and parole officers surround a home in Aristes after 7am Thursday, where 40-year-old Troy Schoffler had barricaded himself inside. He was wanted on a parole violation for drug charges in Virginia, and for an incident involving a weapon in Ashland. Roads to the tiny Columbia County village were closed while officials tried to talk Schoffler into giving himself up. He surrendered around 4pm yesterday and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. He faces additional charges for the standoff yesterday.

We now know the cause of death of a Gilberton man who was involved in an alleged fight on March 25th. An autopsy was conducted to find out why 59-year-old Frank Jackowiak died. While the post-mortem is not final yet, it has been determined that he died from blunt force trauma to the head, and ruled a homicide. The Pottsville Republican and Herald reports that Jackowiak and Bloss may have fought on that March evening, but initial police reports did not indicate that happened. Additional toxicology tests and a review of Jackowiak’s extensive medical history must be completed to determine whether charges will be filed against Bloss.
Jackowiak died at Hershey Medical Center on March 30th, a short time after he was removed from life support.

Bids were opened at Wednesday’s Schuylkill County Commissioners meeting for three county agencies. Only one bid was received for employee uniforms at Rest Haven. It was from Uniform Corner in Schuylkill Haven at just over $25,400. Just one bid was received for nutrition services for the Office of senior services. The bid was from Preferred Meal Systems Inc. of Berkley IL at a cost of just over $593-thousand-dollars. Four bids were received for a storm-water improvement project in McAdoo. The bid award date for all three projects is April 25th. In other business, the Commissioners awarded a contract for cleaning services at the human services building to TKO Cleaning Service of Pottsville for a two year period costing $85,000. The Commissioners approved a request by STS that allows them to apply for a welfare-to-work grant from PENNDOT for $170,907. The grant will provide eligible job seekers with employment and childcare based transportation. A request was approved from the grant writer’s office to apply for a $67,000 grant for the John B. Bartram Trail acquisition project. The application will be submitted to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. A 50-Percent county match had been previously approved and budgeted for. A fee for service contract with Orwigsburg Ambulance for non-emergency transportation services for $30-thousand-dollars for the year was tabled until next week. Commissioner Robert Carl said he is a member of the ambulance board and it would be conflict of interest for him to vote on the contract. Commissioner Frank Staudenmeier was absent from the meeting and with a majority vote required for passage it was not possible to approve measure.

Third Grade students at John S. Clarke Elementary Center have voted $1,500 to 5 charities in the local community, through the Karen’s Heroes program. During the school week of March 26th to 30th, they learned about needy organizations in the community and voted to direct money from the KAREN CHATTIN NEY EDUCATION FUND to five community charities, at $7.50 per vote. Two hundred students voted to award $750 dollars to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, $315 dollars to the Sovereign Majestic Theatre, $180 dollars to the Schuylkill County Diabetes Organization, $135 dollars to the Pottsville Free Public Library and $120 dollars to the Pottsville Soup Kitchen. Karen Chattin-Ney was a third-grade teacher at the John S. Clarke School, who died from ovarian cancer 9 years ago. Her husband Tom Ney, along with friends and family, endowed the fund.