Local News-Tuesday, June 19th

The investigation into the death of a Girardville woman Friday morning has yielded more information. 45-year-old Roseann Barrett was found dead early Friday in Butler Township. Joseph Cress, 42 years old, is in jail, charged with homicide. According to the Republican and Herald, Cress admitted to police that he ran over Barrett with his pickup truck, after the two left a Girardville bar in the early morning hours Friday. Cress reportedly made advances toward Barrett, but, after a struggle, she was able to break free. He then ran over her with his truck, and went home. Coroner David Dutcavich said that she died from blunt force trauma.
Cress is charged with homicide, aggravated assault and related offenses. He is in Schuylkill County Prison, without bail, awaiting a hearing.

Northumberland County Coroner James Kelley said he's "99 percent" certain the body pulled from Mahanoy Creek near Gowen City is missing Coal Township resident Sherry Wolfgang.
"We're 99 percent sure it's her based on the evidence, but we have to be 100 percent sure," he told the Daily Item yesterday. The body of a white woman in her 30s or 40s was found in or near the creek on June 8th by a Northumberland County sheriff deputy who was searching the area for Wolfgang's remains along with a team of deputies and state police at Stonington.
42-year old Sherry Wolfgang has been missing since January 8th. Positively identifying the woman and how she died could take weeks to months. Part of the problem in confirming the identity of the body is that authorities have been unable to obtain dental and medical records of Sherry Wolfgang.

Schuylkill Haven state police are looking for a hit and run driver who sideswiped a Pottsville woman’s vehicle yesterday afternoon. The unidentified driver was operating his pickup truck in a westerly direction on State Route 901 near Cressona Road. 55-year-old Dolores Kramer was driving in the opposite direction, and was sideswiped by the pickup. The driver of the truck continued on to Pottsville, without stopping. No one was hurt, but police are continuing the investigation.

A piece of a tractor trailer rig caused an accident on Interstate 81 in Mahanoy Township yesterday afternoon. The part came off of the tractor trailer driven by Jay Hilbert of Dallas, PA, and hit a car driven by Francine Marleau of Quebec, Canada. Marleau’s car pushed the debris into the van driven by John Reith of Wirtz, Virginia. Wirtz and Marleau’s vehicles were damaged in the incident, but no one was hurt. The crash happened after 5pm Monday.

A Pottsville man’s trouble with the law continues. We reported to you last week that 22-year-old Robert Britting was arrested for breaking into numerous vehicles in the city in late May. Pottsville police picked Britting up at his Market Street home yesterday for a parole violation warrant. Officers found him hiding in a closet at the home. They also uncovered more stolen property from the thefts. Britting was taken to Schuylkill County Prison.

Schuylkill Haven state police are investigating three incidents of theft and criminal mischief that happened between Sunday and Monday. Someone removed an undetermined amount of aluminum materials from a fenced-in area at GHM Incorporated in the Pinedale Industrial Park. In the second instance, an unknown individual removed the locks on two soda machines at Kwik Klean Car Wash in Wayne Township. An undetermined amount of cash and coins were taken. Finally, someone removed the lock from a vending machine in front of the Blue Ridge Hotel on Route 183, taking coins and cash from it. State police have not indicated whether the thefts are related in any way. Their investigation continues.

A Pottsville man was taken to the Schuylkill County Prison following a chase in St. Clair yesterday. St. Clair police report that they spotted a grey Ford Bronco driven by 20-year-old Randal Fisk, with an expired validation sticker on the license plate. A run through the computer indicated that the plate belonged to a vehicle owned by a New Philadelphia man. Police tried to stop Fisk, when he led them on a high speed chase through the borough, and into the borough of New Philadelphia. Fisk, and a female passenger fled on foot, but were apprehended. According to the Republican and Herald, Fisk will be charged with fleeing police, reckless driving and numerous motor vehicle violations. He was arraigned and taken to county prison, unable to post the required bail. The incident happened around 4:30pm Monday.