Local News-Friday, June 8th

A Hamburg teenager is dead following a crash in Upper Bern Township yesterday afternoon.
State police at Hamburg say that 18-year-old Brad Hermanson was driving his Ford Probe on Old Route 22 at a high rate of speed when the car struck a concrete bridge abutment. He was taken to Reading Hospital for treatment. His passenger, 18-year-old Vaughn Heintzelman was ejected from the car, and died from his injuries. Reports indicate that the pair had just completed graduation rehearsal at Hamburg High School when the crash happened. Their commencement exercises are this evening. The accident is still under investigation.

An Oneida man is dead following a head-on crash with a tractor-trailer yesterday morning.
Authorities say that Dominick Amato Jr. was southbound on Route 924 near Humboldt Industrial Park when his car crossed the center line into the path of a tractor trailer driven by John Malloy of Hazleton. Reports say that Amato was not wearing his seatbelt. The fatal crash happened around 2:20am.

Pottsville drug agents made more arrests in the war on drugs in the city yesterday. Officers arrested 22-year-old Franklin Quirk at his home on Ridge Avenue on two outstanding warrants. During two undercover buys by Pottsville Police, Quirk delivered crack cocaine. He is also reported to have been involved with Jose’ Monroy, who was arrested earlier this week.
He was arraigned before District Judge James Reiley and taken to county prison in lieu of $35-thousand-dollars percentage bail. In a second arrest, police picked up 28-year-old Brenda Shappell for selling counterfeit cocaine. She was also arraigned and lodged in the county prison, on $15-thousand-dollars percentage bail. Pottsville police ask residents to report illegal drug activity by calling their confidential tip line at 622-1234, mailbox number 150.

A Pottsville man has been found guilty of molesting a 13-year-old by a jury Schuylkill County Court. 42-year-old Phillip Barr was found guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and corruption of minors by a jury yesterday. The Republican and Herald reports that Barr had sexual encounters with the boy on two occasions last year, once at Indian Run Reservoir and once at his apartment. He reportedly gave the boy money following one of the incidents. Sentencing is scheduled for next week. He faces state prison time and registration as a sex offender under Megan's Law.

The issue of the taking of private property by declaring it blighted to accommodate the proposed ethanol plant at Joliett, was brought up during the public comment portion of Wednesday's County Commissioners meeting. John Angst of Valley View said failure to stop a proposal to condemn just over an acre and half of an adjoining property owners land to accommodate the plant would send a message to all county property owners. According to Angst, the ethanol plant developers exercised poor judgment in filing an application for a project on property that doesn't meet requirements for an access road to the plant. And now find themselves at the mercy of the landowner. Green Renewable Energy has not been able to come to agreement with the adjoining property owner over the purchase of land necessary to widen and improve the existing access road to the proposed plant. The Commissioners have the ultimate authority over whether the property meets the criteria of "blighted" and eligible for condemnation proceedings but that decision won’t be made until after a public hearing that has been scheduled for June 20th at 12-Noon in the Commissioners Board room. The County Planning Commission voted 5-3 to declare the land along route 209 a redevelopment area under the 1945 Urban Redevelopment Law. That prompted the Redevelopment Authority to ask the commissioners to schedule a hearing on the issue.

A Frackville man is charged with public drunkenness following an incident Wednesday. West Mahanoy Township police say that 48-year-old Nicholas Barnish was found by police lying in the street in the Altamont section of the borough Wednesday afternoon. They determined that Barnish was drunk and fell down while walking. He will have to answer charges of public drunkenness before District Judge Bernadette Nahas.

The reigning Drum Corps International World Champion will pay a visit to our area next weekend. The Cavaliers of Rosemont, Illinois will make a stop-over in Schuylkill Haven on Thursday and Friday. Through the cooperation of the Schuylkill Haven Recreation Department and Mayor Gary Hess, the corps will perform a concert at Bubeck Park Friday night at 6pm for Senior Citizen Recognition Night, and their full field show under the lights at Rotary Field around 8:15pm. The Cavaliers, known as the Green Machine, will arrive in Schuylkill Haven early on Thursday, and will rehearse at the complex in the afternoon and evening. They will be housed at the high school during their stay. Enjoy the sights and sounds of one of America's premier drum corps in Schuylkill Haven next Friday.