Local News-Wednesday, April 4th

Opponents and supporters of a duck farm planned for Washington Township voiced their opinions at a meeting last night. The farm, proposed by the Stoltzfus family, would bring ducks from a farm in Berks County for growing, then be returned there for processing after a number of weeks. According to the Pottsville Republican and Herald, opponents are concerned about the growth of “corporate farming” in the area. They proposed an ordinance that would stop all farming by big-business in the township. Opponents are also very concerned about a manure storage lagoon and the environmental effects it may have. Supporters of the duck farm proposal said that farming is an important part of the economy, and raised questions about the ordinance eliminating corporate farms. The Washington Township Supervisors are expected to look at the ordinance at their next meeting. The project has received some approvals from county officials, but the state Department of Environmental Protection has raised some issues that must be addressed before they sign off on it.

Another woman was nabbed by police for trying to bring drugs into the State Correctional Institution at Frackville Monday. State police say that Amy Hylenski of Bridgeport is charged with bringing Oxycontin into the prison and giving them to an inmate. She also had the pills in her car. She was arraigned on contraband charges.

A Mahanoy City woman was hurt in a crash early Monday morning. Dorothy Gombosch was driving east on Route 54 around 5:30am when she lost control and crashed into a parked Jeep. She was not wearing her seatbelt, and suffered minor injuries. Frackville State Police investigated the accident.

A Pottsville man with a string of crimes will spend time in state prison after sentencing yesterday. 20-year-old Donald Watson Jr. learned his fate during sentencing before Judge John Domalakes. Watson pleaded guilty to arson, criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property and other charges for several crimes in 2005 and 2006. The Pottsville Republican reports that he stole several pickup trucks in February and March of last year, passed bad checks and stole equipment from the Paradise Diner in 2005. Watson was given credit for time already served, but will begin serving the remainder of his sentence at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill. He must also make restitution of over $16-thousand-dollars.

The provider of water services in the Frackville area will release water quality findings to its customers, and the results are good. Pennsylvania American Water Company said that the report measures the quality of water against standards established by the US Environmental Protection Agency and PA DEP. The results say that water quality is excellent. Customers should receive the report in their monthly bills or by regular mail. Pennsylvania American Water Company is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing services to over 2-million-people.